The San Francisco call., 1909-11-23
WAR PLANNED
TO BREAK Up
MACHINE RULE
League Adopts Scheme OF ReOr-
ganization and Outlines
Principles
Will Hold Conference Early in
New Year for Purpose OF
Naming State Ticket

the republican party from the DONNA
ton of the Southern Pacific political
bureau. the Lincoln Roosevelt league
Of California adopted yesterday a
scheme Of complete reorganization,
elected new officers and decided to hold
= state conference early in the new
year for the purpose Of naming state
ticket for the anti-machihe republicans
support at the August primaries.
The new officers Of the state organi-
zation are: President, Chester H. Row
ell. Fresno; vice presidents. Harold I.
Power. Auburn, NJ Lissner, Los Ange-
les: Hiram W. Johnson. San Francisco;
William r. Davis, Oakland; treasurer,
Adolph Uhl. Piedmont The selection Of
state secretary was left to the execu-
tive committee. which, with the addi-
tion of the elective officers, will con-
sist Of three members from each con-
gressional district
The congressional district members
of the executive committee will be
appointed by President Rowell and they
il turn are TO appoint I'VE state central
committeeman from each Of the so as
sembly districts, making total
strength Of 431 on the official governing
body Of the league.
Yesterdays conference at the Hotel
Metropolis, Oakland. included seven Of
ths y Officers and state executive COM
mitteemen and nearly so prominent re-
publicans, representative Of virtually
all sections Of the state. Some of these
were identified with the organization
Of the league in 1907 and some ap
peared at a league conference for the
first time Prominent among the latter
were: William Kent of Kentfield, cham
pion Of the conservation policy; ". H
PaysOn and Henry n tum Suden Of
Berkeley. the latter an insistent advo-
cate of the inititive, referendum and
recall
LEAGUE OPPOSES GILLETT
The officers and executive committee
men who have openly declared for
Governor Gillett or are known to be
in favor of his denomination and cleo
tiOn did not attend the conference. The
result was complete harmony insofar
as the question of a second term for
GiIlett was concerned, and NJ Lissner's
declaration that if there were any
leaguers in favor of Gillett they had
better get out OF the league was vocif-
erously applauded.
Early in their deliberations the
leaguers sat upon the tentative pro-
posal OF carrying reOrganizs ton to the
extent of changing the name Of the
league which but for the manipula-
ton Of appointed delegates. would
have controlled the state convention
IN 1908. Subsequently, with even
more fervor, they declined to entangle
themselves with declara tions for the
initiative, referendum and recall or to
announce their alliance with any un-
defined movement for the regenration
of the republican party in the nation
The unanimous selection of Chester
H RoWell TO succeed President Frank
r. Devlin was something more than
recognition Of the splendid services
Rowell gave the league in 1908 as its
secretary and organizer. He was Pres
ldent Devlin's right hand man and did
more 10 build up the league and make
IL effective than any man in it, None
IS so familiar with the framework of
the old and new organizations and
none is better equipped temperamental-
ly for leadership in the work which
the league purposes to accomplish next
year.
The plan Of reorganization contem-
plates many radical changes The ex-
ecutiYe committee is TO be enlarged nv
half and the number of legislative
district members of the state central
committee is increased from $50 to 400.
bAL A-4E AllDSL Idultd1 CnanRe IN nOifrK
is that involved in the determination
TO 90 70 the primary polls with state
ticket That change is. of course. the
immediate result Of the enactment of
the direct primary election law. The
original policy Of the league involved
only the wrestling of control Of con-
ventions from the Herrin machine.
The new policy probably involves fights
for control Of conventions. but If vas
a
that the conference to be called early
in 1910 would be expected to name a
complete ticket, certainly q candidate
for governor. II the plans of the lead
ing spirits do not go awry that con-
ference will also name a candidate to
oppose the election Of United States
Senator Frank Flint
HENEY FOR GOVERNOR
There was no open discussion vester-
day Of candidates either for governor
or United States senator. but there wa
some vigorous. If quiet campaignine
done on behalf Of Francis J Henev
for governor and Lee g Gates of Los
Angeles for senator. Gates was one
OF the original Lincoln -Roosevelt
leaguers- He was the floor leader of
the Lincoln Roosevelt league forces in
the Sacramento state convention last
year, when Tom Dozier declared that
ford to be nasty nice" and threw ont
Of the convention enough regularly
elected delegates to wrest control from
the leaguers and restore il to the or
ganization.
The sessions of the conference. which
lasted from 10 o'clock yesterday morn
ing until o'clock last night. were
marked by but a single exhibition of
acrimony. II. Lissner resented the
newspaper publication of the fact that
some of the officers and executive com
nlittees Of the league favored the re-
nomination and reelection Of Governor
Gillett and attempted TO twist that
statement into an alleged declaration
that the league was for Giilett
We want the newspapers that are
against US to fight US in the open.o he
said, instead Of pretending to be our
friends and stabbing US in the back.
want to. say for myself that | would
never support the present governor. II
there Is any man in the league so oh
tuse as TO think that we would support
the present governor. or that this
league is for him, he had better get
out"
Among the officers and executive
committeeman not present were First
Vice President Byron Mauzy of San
Francisco and Executive Committee
men ". d. Fennimore of San Francisco
and Charles E. cutten Of Eureka None