The San Francisco call., 1908-05-13
HERRIN'S "PUSH"
METHODS EMPLOYED
Prearranged Program Is Put
Through in the Third Dis
trict Convention
Crowd of Railroad Retainers
Outvote Delegates of Lincoln-
Roosevelt League

Typical push" methods, characterized
by all the crudity that gag law and in
timidation can give to a prearranged
program, secured to the Herrin organi-
zation controrof the third congressional
district convention, which met in Oak
land yesterday
BY tactics as unrepublican as they
We're unfair the ring of politicians who
control the push of Alameda county
for the Southern Pacific railroad gagged
the 81 Lincoln-Rooseveh delegates In
the convention and jammed through the
slate 1t was an enlightening exhibit
tion of what can be done by thor
oughly unscrupulous band of politi-
clans, substituting the will Of their lit
tie clique for the demand of the party
they are supposed to represent
Fighting every inch of the way, the
Lincoln Roosevelt delegates who went
into the convention as the choice of the
party, elected at a primary instead OF
being appointed by a crowd of railroad
retaineEs, testified in the clearest man
ner to the aroused public sentiment of
Alameda county and served notice on
the machine that tbs days of usurpation
were over.
+ But the power vested In the machine
by years Of control was too strong.
Outnumbered when 1t came to roll call,
the league men in the convention were
forced to content themselves with what
protests they were able to voice above
the restraining influences of the gag
which was clapped upon them.
CHOSEN BY VOTE OF "PUsH.
The machine program, containing the
names of George w. Reed of Oakland,
most faithful of the foot soldiers in
the service of Herrin, and Grant Halh-
day of Vallejo for delegates to the ma
tional convention. was put through by
a vote of 45 to 81. That vote repre-
sented the numerical strength of the
opposing forces in the convention, and
it never varied on roll call. To take 1T
as representative OF the sentiment of
the three counties of Solano, Alameda
and Contra Costa, which make up the
third district. would be grotesquely un-
just, and it therefore becomes another
strong argument in favor of the uni
form primary law, for which the Lin
coin Roosevelt league is fighting.
That the push" does not favor the
primary was made apparent when it re-
fused to allow a set of resolutions in
dorsing the recommendation contained
in the calls for the national and state
conventions for primary elections to be
even read, much less acted upon by the
delegates in the convention
This action exposes the hypocrisy of
the Herrin organization in pretending
an affection for primaries. or for any
other means of ascertaining the voice
of the people.
The third congressional district con-
vention was called to order yesterday
morning by DR.. c. L. Tisdale in Hovey
hail. in Eleventh street near Broadway,
Oakland.
When DR.. Tisdale called for the first
item on the Herrin program Rod w.
Church of Oakland was placed in nom
>ination for chairman and H ]. Widde-
man Of Vallejo for secretary. They were
elected unanimously.
LEAGUE FIRES FIRST SHOT
The league forces in the convention
fired their first shot at the slate when
the committee on credentials appointed
by the chair reported among other
names that of Maury Robinson of Vaca-
vile as being duly certified member
of the convention.
Instantly T. f. Dowd was on his feet
with minority report to the effect that
at a regular called primary election W.
q. Mcbride of Vacaville had been elect
ed to the convention and claimed prece-
dence over Robinson. the organization
man appointed by the machine.
w. II. Payson of Berkeley backed the
minority report, declaring that the Lin
coin Roosevelt league stood for open
primaries and that Mcbride had been
overwhelmingly elected by the people
D. A. Knapp of Berkeley followed in
the same strain, but his motion to sub
stitute the name of. the elected dele
gate. Mcbride, for that of the appoint
ed Robinson. was lost, 45 to 81
The vote on this motion was an in
dex of strength during the subsequent
proceedings. The push" got the votes
of Contra Costa and Solano counties
and of the forty-sixth. forty-seventh
and fifty-first districts of Alameda
county. The forty eighth, forty-ninth,
fiftieth and fifty-first districts of Ala
media county. including most of Oak
land and all of Berkeley, remained
faithful to the league throughout
The bitterest struggle of the conven-