Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-12
|M'NAB DEFENDS
HIS LEADERSHIP
D0CkWElLER READS LETTER
FROM FORMER BOSS
OLD HICKORY CLUB RECEIVES
THE MESSAGE
Declares His Leadership Was on High
Plane and Party Success
Meant Only Clean
Government

Declaring his faith in Gavin McNab
of San Francisco as the true leader or
the Democracy of California Isadore b.
Dockweiier pleaded for party harmony
and thorough understanding before the
Old Hickory Democratic club last night.
Tho club met in the coy cottage
home of w. Ii. Cady, $500 Ruby avenue,
in snticipation of Dockweiler's speech.
Mr.. Doclxweiler made the occasion one
when he could defend the good name
and the works done for purity in poll
tics of that man who has been DUBBED
a boss" McNab he said was not q
boss, but a leader just as much SO as
Theodore A. Bell, whom he classed as
honest and able but young and mex
perienced."
The antagonism to McNab in the
Fresno convention he traced largely &c
the remnants of the Hearst party,
and he denounced Hearst as one who
had never supported a Democratic
principle. who has defeated Franklin
K. Lane for governor and VINO nao
bounded Stephen M. White to his
grave. McNab had made Bells nomi-
nation for governor by the Sacramento
convention posslble-had really made
Bell.
The climax of Docl<weilers address
was a letter he read from McNab, an
swering Dockweiler's question as 10
what had been his identity in the DEM
ocracy during his leadership. While
the letter was long, comprising nfteen
typewritten pages, its reading was lis
tened to with great attention. but
neither MeNab nor the letter received
applause until the reading was nm
ished. The letter reviewed McNab's
conversion to Democracy by CleVe-
lands tariff reform message, his work
as young man in the party in san
Francisco, his antagonism to Buckley
and Rainey in their days of bossism.
his work in framing the San Francisco
city charter, of his endeavors at all
times for decent and clean government
and of his stand against Ruefism ana
Schmitzism. AT the beginning OF the
letter was this sentence:
Never Sought Leadership
"There is one thing, however. friend
Dockweiier, on which l must insist: L
never at any time sought the position
of state leader of the Democracy and
do not now"
"But there are of the twenty men
who will go to Denver from California"
said Bockweiler. sixteen who still be-
lieve that Gavin McNab is the leader
of the party"
McNab declared that the present or
eanization had nominated four men for
office-James II. Budd. James G. Ma
gufre. Franklin X. Lane and Theodore
A. Bell-and that of the two-Budd and
Lane--had been elected, but Lane was
counted out. Speaking of Bell the let
ter said:
81 have always considered that Theo-
dore Bell was defeated because he
CALLED to denounce Ruef and Sch'nltz
and their grating organization. me
issue of graft in San Francisco had at
that time risen paramount to all otner
issues. The life OF the city. depended
on it. Adjacent places. that is counties
about the bay, which were largely peo-
pled at that time with our refugee ciu-
zens. were similarly influenced. a
number of the Schmitz most odious
and conspicuous people had attached
themselves to Mr.. Bells campaign.
Demand on Bell
"Thomas ]. Geary, James d. Phelan,
Frank Gould and myself determined
before Mr.. Bell came to San Francisco,
that unless he would meet these con-
ditions by a bold. clear-cut denuncia-
ton of existing crimes and evils ana
the people who had brought them
about Ii would be impossible to hold
the san franciscan and suburban vote.
We appealed directly to Mr.. Bell and
through Charles McClatchey of the
Sacramento Bee, who personally joined
i'm this demand, that Mr.. Bell declare
himself in his opening San francisco
speech. This Mr.. Bell would not DO,
and through his failure to take this po-
sition which we urged upon him as a
matter of morals and decency as well
as political expediency. he lost the
votes that otherwise would have elected
him."
The letter explained that no officer
elected by the Democrats was ever ad-
yised by the organization after he TOOK
OFFICE. Another striking paragraph
read: -
an all the time the present San
Frsncisco Democratic organization has
existed there has never been a contrl-
hutton from a public service corpora
tion or any member thereof. accepted TO
the expenses of a primary or as a con-
tribution to a general election. we
have felt that our government must De
independent: that 1t must be free
agency" ,.. ,,aa
McNab declared the position he had
held In the party had been sacrifice
as he had turned away all business OF
cornoratIons dealing with the pHbllc
and to refuse business OF individuals
who were large holders of stock in pub
lie service corporations.
In conclusion the letter sald: IN my
advice to the organization. local and
st.ta I have made many mistakes, but
7 can say to you that l have never
consciously done wrong to my party
or to the people.
The next meeting of the Old Hickory
club will be held a week from tomorrow
night at the Highland Park han ana
speakers will discuss the PLATFORM OF
the Republican convention to be
adonted at Chicago next Tuesday.
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uzr RI rAMpAIGN