The San Francisco call., 1909-12-27
Mccarthy Addresses Meeting

Chairman Gallagher introEuced Mayo
slect p H Mccarthy as a citizen an
as president of the building trade
Mccarthy was greeted wit
Wild applause. He said:
From the degree of enthusiasm
which has greeted me | feel some
what shaken and were it not for
the fact that the platform on which
l stand was built by union labor
and that it was to a large extent
planned by myself / would be
somewhat frightened
The preceding speakers have
covered the subject pretty thor
me to say. Brother Tveitmoe
hewed the line closer than any
other, and, with all respect to the
other speakers, / say that there
was more in his speech than in all
the others combined.
He, however. omitted one thing.
not because he was afraid to speak
it. because | know him to be one
who speaks the truth at all times,
but in this instance because he was
ignorant of the fact. He has told
you TO vote for the Geary street
bonds, but he has not said why you
should do so and | will tell the
reason before l finish speaking this
afternoon.
One of the speakers declared that
we should vote for the bonds be-
cause our forefathers gave us that
property. The trouble is that our
forefathers did not, either because
they did not want to trouble about
it-as in the case of many today
or because their hands were tied. /
Will tell you the reason. There are
some here that will find it hard to
hear the truth. 1t will break hard
on you, but II you have the unmiti-
gated gall to come here you must
stand for it.
d. PheIan, Rudolph Spreckels and
j. Downey Harvey could never guide
the destinies of this city The peo-
pie of this city were warned night
after night, day after day, by edi-
torials written by imported writers,
by imported orators and spelIbind-
ers, that if =. H. Mccarthy was
elected eastern capitalists would re-
fuse to invest their money here. In
those days we were warned to keep
away from everything that was
connected with the union labor
party, that things would go to the
dogs. And one of those rival candi-
dates was not man enough to teie-
phone me and congratulate me
after the people had elected me as
their mayor. The one who did was
Crocker. The other did not. And
! am glad he and his crowd did not
telephone me.
Shame on YOU in this audience
who make notes. If you can not
listen to what / have to say and di-
gest my words without making
notes you ought not to be here.
Some of you making these notes
are wearing badges in favor of the
bond issue, but you are the ones
who are opposed to it and are try
ing to cut the heart and soul out of
it, | do not wish to reflect on those
who are wearing these badges in
all sincerity. but to the others.
| m
have TO have one, whether he be
Rudolph Spreckels or Patrick Cal
houn ! decided two years ago,
however, to hi with both of them
And when / said to III with them
] voiced not alone tlfe sentiments of
myself. but the sentiments of every
union labor man in the city. I de-
cided TO cast them aside years ago,
I would willingly lay down my life
If it would bring to the people what
rightfully belongs to them.
L am mayor elect of San Fran
cisco, and first Of all l am president
of this building trades council
which is the finest organization Of
labor in the world / want To
say TO YOU that p. Fl. Mccarthy .
will bring to the office Of mayor
all the strength he has. Let me say
to you that James ID. Phe1an or
Downey Harvey has no charms for
p. II. Mccarthy, nor has Calhoun
nor Rudolph Spreckels=T say now.
as | said seven years ago. ITO
Ill with all of them.'
We find ourselves confronted
with this proposition through the
present administration, which James
and Rudolph alternately controlled
We find ourselves called upon to do
something which they would not
want us to do. They would pro-
vide the opportunity for James and
Rudolph. and Mr.. Burns. who has
gone east to have a recall vote for
p. H. Mccarthy.
They will never do that.
They did not ask your leave when
they took $500. 900 out of the Geary
street road fund TO use for their
purposes. Nor did they ask your