The San Francisco call., 1908-11-04
REPUBLICANS
CLEAN SWEEP
IN CALIFORNIA
Electors, Seven congressman
and Judge Melvin Secure
Fine Victories
Dominant Party Will Again
Control Legislature With
Votes to Spare
Taft Leaders Claim State by
$4,000; Bell Comedies 1t
by 100000

Taft carried California by a plural
ity of at least $4,000, eclipsing the
forecasts made by the state central
committee.
Seven republican representatives
have been returned to their seats in
congress, all of them by triumphant
majorities. Jclius Kahn in the fourth
district yielded the biggest surprise
of the election by losing to James
G. Mcguire. Nearly completed re-
turns give Mcguire plurality of
about 1,1oo. The vote stands: Ma
guire, 4,o07; Kahn, 1919.
Associate Justice Melvin has been
elected TO the supreme court in close
contest with Judge Murasky. The big
plurality for Murasky in this city was
Offset by the normal republican vote
throughout the state. Although Melvin
has run far behind Taft his continu-
ance on the supreme bench is assured.
| Following the head of the ticket an
/ overwhelming majority of republican
! candidates for the legislature has been
elected and the people of this state
/ must look to the republicans of the
/ state senate and assembly to carry out
! the direct primary and other construc-
! tive legislation now demanded by the
voters of both parties. The democrats
will be a negligible minority in the
! legislature.
The democrats of the state were
forced TO acknowledge the defeat Of
their standard bearer early in the even
/ ing. At 10 o'clock last night Theodore
1 A Bell conceded the state to Taft by a
plurality of $4,000, and an hour later
John T. Murray, secretary of the demo-
cratic state central committee. reluc-
tantly surrendered California to, the re-
publicans by 10000
The actual result came as a surprise
even to the most optimistic of the re-
/ publican campaign managers. In their
4 teIegrams to National Chairman Hitch
! cock they had claimed a plurality of
only $4,000, and when this conservative
! figure was discounted by the returns
from all parts of the state there was
! jubilation at the Fairmont headquar-
ters. California had taken a proud
place in the list of states which over
whelmingly rejected Bryanism.
ENGLEBRIGHT's SUCCESS
In the first congressional district Con-
gressman w. F. Englebright kept pace
with the head of the ticket and even
defeated his democratic opponent, E. W.
Holland, in sections where Bryan ran
ahead of Taft.
In the second district Congressman
/ Mckinley holds his seat in congress
without trouble against W. K. Hays of
Chico. In the third district the usual
overwhelming plurality was rolled up
! for Congressman Knowland.
In the fifth district San Mateo and
Santa Clara counties added their plu-
ralities to that given by the San Fran
cisco end of the district and returned
Z. A. Hayes to the seat contested by
George A Tracy in a hot battle. Nearly
complete returns in this city give
Hayes 1873, Tracy 3,7O4.
In the sixth district James C. Need
ham, never in any danger of defeat,
was elected by a big majority and will
go back to look after the interests of
the state on the ways and means COM
mittee when tariff revision is under
taken.
In the seventh district. comprising
Los Angeles James McLachlan was
reelected, despite the bitter fight
waged against him by Harrison Gray
Otis.
In the eighth district. s. c. Smith
buried his opponent w. z. Shepperd,
beneath an avalanche.
Owing to incomplete returns and the
closeness of the fight in some sections
1t is Impossible at this time to calcu-
late Judge Melvin's plurality. In his
home county, Alameda, Melvin dropped
considerably behind Taft. With all
but four precincts heard from. Taft
received in Alameda county 20, 8O7 to
Bryan's 6,S29; while Melvin polled
only II .s63 to 10.51s polled. by Muras
ky In Sacramento Melvin ran closer
to the head of the ticket, but he ran
behind in Sacramento and other coun-
ties.
Nevertheless, while the republican
leaders preserved silence at midnight
as to the outcome Of the supreme court
fight. the indications point to Melvin.s
election.
REPUBLICAN LEGISLATURE
While the republicans made spien-
did sweep of the legislative field. the
results furnished some surprises.
While Assemblyman Drew of Fresno
was elected, Assemblyman w. H
Chandler, one of the ablest members
of the lower house, has been defeated
by the democratic candidate, w. r.
Continued on Page 4, Column