The San Francisco call., 1909-06-09
.ROLPH FOR MAYOR,
NON-PARTISAN CRY
Republican Committee Joined by
Business and Labor Men and
Improvement Clubs
Anti-McNab Democrats and Nc
Leran WilIin gto Second
Nomination

/ committee representing the municipal
league of Independent republican clubs
yesterday that he would not be a candi-
] date for mayor, and reiterated that an
nouncemont last night. determined eff
Tort will be made today to get him to
change his decision.
The last attack on Rolph will not be
| made solely on a partisan basis. AL
! though it is known that Rolph has pre-
pared letter of declination to be hand
ed 10 the representatives of the repub-
iiean county committee when they wait
on him today the members of that com
mittee have not given up hope. They
pase their hopes on the fact that when
| they go to Rolph they will be accom-
panied by reinforcements which, they
belleve, will enable them to convince
Rolph that he owes it to the city as
well as to the republican party to make
the necessary personal sacrifices and
| consent to enter the race.
NoNPARTISANs TO PLEAD
The attempt to force Rolph to enter
the held as republican candidate for
mayor did not take on a nonpartisan
] complexion until yesterday The COM
mittee chosen by the republican county
comnittee to present the party gov
! erning bedys demand that Rolph be-
! come candidate decided to POSTPONE
| its call until today when it will be
| reinforced by representative commit
| tees of business men from both the
republican and democratic parties in
the Mission and representatives of the
promotion and Improvement associa-
tions that have indorsed Rolph for
mayor. Meanwhile the Municipal
| league of republican clubs has Sc
cured from Rolph letter addressed to
a committee which waited on him yes
| terday in which he states that he will
not be candidate.
That if Rolph could be forced oac-
cept the republican nomination for
mayor the outcome of the municipal
election was foregone conclusion is
either the enthusia stically shouted or
| grudgingly admitted opinion of the
men who know. who pretend to
| Know, the political temper of San
Francisco
POLITICIANS CHANGE FRONT
The action taken by the republican
county committee Monday night was
the almost exclusive topic of political
| discussion yesterday. The politicians
who were really convinced on Monday
! that the candidacy of Rolph was but /
| rosy dream of a few impractical poli-
/ ticians were by no means sure yester-
| day that Rolph would not be a candi-s
! date The change of front on the part
of the politicians was not caused bv
anything like belief that Rolph's in
clinations had changed, but by the
growing belief that a public pressure
would be brought to bear so strong
that Rolph could not withstand it.
| Naturally, the interested friends of
| other candidates, either avowed or ten
! tative, cling to the hope that Rolph
| will not be forced into the race. but
FRI hob tIair
all admit that if he runs he will be
elected in a walk. They also admit
| quite as frankly that they hope Rolph's
| business associates will not weaken in
the face of public pressure in which
! even they are confident that Rolph
who does not want TO be mayor, will
make his refusal TO run definite and
| final at once.
| BUSINESS STANDS IN WAY
That they have correctly appraised
the situation seems almost beyond a
reasonable doubt. Undoubtedly suffi-
cient pressure has already been brought
to bear upon Rolph to force him into
the running against his personal in
| clinations if it We're not for his regard
for his business relations.
The manner in which the republican
county committees action was received
by the public generally emphasized the
natural strength of Rolph as a candi-
date. Some of the democrats allied
with the antf-MeNab organization, who
were originally hopeful that Rolph
could be drawn into the fight, gave it
out yesterday that, If Rolph did consent
to run, McLeran, who had agreed to
make the race for the democratic NOM
fnation, would step out Obviously none
would stand as public sponsor for such
an announcement until Rolph had
formally accepted the task which the
county committee has attempted to lay
upon him.
AS is usually the case when the Of
fee seeks the man, Rolph has unusual
elements of personal strength which
apparently justify the belief that his
nomination and election would be
largely matters of form. Rolph was
born and has lived all his life in the
populous Mission, where it is no ex-
agseration to say that no man has SO
many friends or so much personal in
huence. Quite aside from the personal
regard in which Rolph is held by the
people of the Mission the fact that he
lives in the Mission is in itself an ele-
ment OF strength by no means insig-
nificant.
ELEMENTS OF STRENGTH
Couple that fact with the further fact
mat he is quite as well known on Pa
cihc HeiBHtS as In the MISSION and that
MS associations with the big busi-
nessmen of San Francisco are as inti-
mate as are his relations with the
people south of Market street and you
nave ready explanation of the anxiety
OF the republicans to force Rolph into
the field for mayor
1t is asserted by the men who are
endeavoring to get Rolph to say yes
that ne Is as strong with organized
labor as with the representatives of
capital and employers generally. Al
though member of one of the largest
snip owning firms in San Francisco
Roiph refused to coincide with tho
plans Of the ship owners association
when that association c1ashed with or
ganized labor
After the big fire Rolph. with Father
crowley, Matt Sullivan and others, or
ganized the Mission relief association
which took charge of all the relief
work in the Mission laboring in con-
junction with the relief corporation.
Rolph gave virtually year of his time
10 THIS work, and in addition he made
large money contributions and turned
over some of his real estate to the
uses of the association.
&