The San Francisco call., 1908-09-01
fias Hopes That Napa Man VIII
Commit Political Harakiri
in Campaign
State Convention and Bryan
Propaganda to Be Dominated
by Ex-C0ngressman
Prediction Made That Den1OC-
racy Is About TO Experience
Disastrous Season
By George Van Smith

Political haraiiri is the fate mapped
out for Theodore A. Bell by the ma
chine democracy Of California. The
followers Of Gavin McNab are pre-
pared TO sit back in comparative ease
and permit Bell and his followers to
assume the entire management and re-
sponsibility for what they freely pre-
DICT VIII be disastrous campaign.
U1less the program is switched be-
fore the democratic state convention
meets at Stockton on Thursday after
noon. the McNab democrats viii play
passive..roie In the deliberations Of
the state bourbons.
McNab Is nos going to the stockton
convention. His followers haze been
ordered. 60 make no attemat to take
the works away from Be-. There is
q difference Of opinion about AicNab' S
ability TO take the convention away
from Bell, but regardless Of such dif-
ference the attempt is not to be made.
Bell is 20 be permitted TO be the whole
show and TO suffer all the consequences
Of the disaster which the McNab men
admit the bourbon aggregation will
meet IN November.
PLAN SUBTLE REVENGE
The dcNab people confidently as
sert that they could take both conven-
ton and state central committee away
from Bel if they chose. They prefer
q more subtle revenge They say
they viii do what they can for Bryan
cutie indep, ndeutly Of the Bell COM
Taitfeef and let Bell Go al the ex-
plaining after the fight is over.
According to the assertions Of the
McNab democrats, the bourbons OF tEe
state are already chainS TO get rid Of
Eei1 because The Bell committee has
i. -rnonstrlted that i can not deliver
lile goods They say that Bell has ac
eompi.shed what appeared TO be the
-r1ossibte that he has gotten the state
central committees affairs into worse
shape than they were when Tim Spell
acv was supposed to be at the helm Of
the democratic craft. They insist that
the committee could be corralled IS
easily as theE beat Bel out OF the
. delegation 10 the Denver national con-
Nvenrfor. but thev decline to take that
Mind OF adv8ntag ge of the situation. Far
ne & from them TO interfere az a time
when they are convinced that Bell can
neither finance nor prosecute Vigor-
Gus campaign Tor his friend Bryan
Nerc-- BRYAN and 2 lot Of obstreper-
tee E1cNab regulars are concerned they
nav have ths5r Gil OF Bell and much
oy to them" is the fervent wish Of the
seguIars.
Bz1.L SAYS ~sOUR GRAPES
on the other side Of the democratic
fence there is an entirely different view.
The Bell people describe the AIcNabites'
frame of mind as "sour grapes" me
Bell Insurgents are not nearly half con-
vinced that they are unable 10 manage
the affairs Of the democracy in Cali
fornia. They purpose TO give demon
stration OF their prowess and assert by
way OF aside that they viii make the
Efforts Of former committees dominated
by McNab look like the work Of cheap
amateurs. BE that as it may, the Bell
forces stand to be in undisputed control
OF the Stockton convention. The Nc
Nab democrats little side play about
working Independently for Bryan and
ne ticket probably viii result IN MAX
ing the republican ma3orities a little
more top heavy. but the stage settings
VIII be placed by Bell and his follow
ing. As TO the latter both wings OF the
party are agreed.
HONORs FOR CARTWRIGHT
Thomas Toland OF Ventura was the
FIRST choice OF the Bell people for chair
man Of the convention. Toland has de-
lclined the honor. He IS hunting a job
quite as honorable and decidedly more
profitable. He wants to be superior
Judge down IN his own county, and is
willing that those partisan honors
without emoluments. Of which he has
has many, may be hung on other
shoulders. With Toland out Of II the
chairmanship viii fall to Senator
George ". Cartwright Of Fresno If the
Fresno man VIII accept II. II Cart
wright wants the nonOr OF presiding
over the democratic state convention It
could not be bestowed on q better man.
AS q member OF the state senate he has
been q distinct credit TO the democratic
party. and as the author Of the anti
out as the one democrat who had given
the state anything Ia the way Of con-
structive legislation for many a day
PHELAN FOR ELEcTOR
The democracy Of Stockton viii be
permitted 70 select the secretary, in
compliance with a traditional courtesy
which gives the secretary to the con
venrion city THE presidential elector
slate has not been made up. The dis
cussion of candidates for electors at
large has been confined mainly to James
p Pbelan and Frank J. Sullivan Of
tan Francisco. " H Shea-er of
1reka is the probable choice Of the
-st district democrats. G. p. Androus
r Marysville has a monopoly Of the
preconvcntion discussion cf the second
district nomination In the third dis
trfct the Alameda county democrats.
and more especially those Of Berkeley
are pulling for S s. Bailey of the uni-
versity town. The more probable
choice. however is A. ". Aaltby Of
Concord. Charles Ddelman Of san
francisco, who is probably the most
cor, ,hrned BRYAN man in California.
secns 10 have clear field in the fourth
|district. The fifth district has produced
|no prominent bidders. Z. E. Bush Of
,o--1n-ed :, pare = MiddIe column 4