The San Francisco call., 1909-06-27
DISCOVERY PUTS A
CRIMP IN PH[LAN
League, Too, Must Suffer From
Foolish Use of Old
Device
By GEORGE A. VAN SMITH

Any hope OF advantagfng the may
orally aspirations of James d. Phelan
by the so called postal primary scheme,
fathered by the good government
league has had crimp put in it by
the discovery that under the postage
stamps on each return envelope is hid
den legend that plainly indicates
the identity of the citizen who uses It
Assuming to conduct an unofficial
postal primary" the campaign COM
mittee of the good government league
sent $4,000 circular letters to as many
registered electors. With each letter
was inclosed a so called peoples
ballot" headed with the name Of James
d. Phelan for mayor. Under Phelan's
name were those of Thomas Magee
and Walter Macarthur. The peo-
ples ballot was completed with a list
of 16 names for supervisors, including
II incumbents, and blank space for
the signature. address and election
precinct of the recipient, who was re-
quested to indicate his choice for
mayor and supervisors. If he pre-
ferred not disclose his identity he
was advised he need not sign. He
could just mark the ballot and return
it in the inclosed envelope.
The circular letter explained that
the good government league had
thought it advisable not to mention
the names of any of the citizens dis
cussed by the small political side
Of
Thomas Magee. prominent real estate
man, who had repeatedly said that he
would not be a candidate for mayor;
Walter Macarthur, the genuine labor
| leader, who had always steadfastly
refused to accept appontive office or
Phelan, former mayor. who had not
| been forced to make any refusals and
who had not declined to be a eandi-
date for elective or appointive office
That in itself was all well enough
and sufficiently plain, but an uptown
club man. in moment of absent mind
ed curiosity, took the stamp off his re-
turn envelope and discovered that be-
hind the counterfeit presentment or
the father of his country were two
numbers and letter
Curiosity became suspicion. Could the
mysterious figures and letter be iden-
| tification checks of some sort? They
could and were. The numbers and fig
ures were the serial number of the
recipients voting precinct. his voting
number on the precinct index and the
initial letter of his surname He need
mot sign his ballot. If he saw fit to
mark it. His identity would be es-
tablished by the signs under the post
age stamp.
Now nobody is anxious to ayow re-
sponsibility for the same. nor is any
body on hand with an unequivocal ex-
| PLANTATION of its purpose. The public
explanations have been irrelevant de-
fenses of the genuine direct primary
system of James ID. Phelan. and have
nointedIy evaded discussion of the
Identification checks.
There are two theories in chief
touching the purpose of the scheme.
Some hold them Independently and
others subscribe to both as interming-
ling. The first is that it was only a
scheme to get James D. Phelan in the
field as candidate for mayor 1t had
not occurred to any of the men trying
to find acandidate a that Phelan was the
man of the hour. His name was put
at the head of the peoples" ticket.
He might run we'll at make believe
election and a popular demand too
strong to be gainsaid by willing can
didate might be developed. The other
theory is that the main purpose of the
scheme was to secure a challenge list
riY,c ri ri In.
future graft cases. In either event 1t
was taken for granted that the an
nounced GOODNESS between the good
government league and Rudolph
Spreckels was thing of the past.
Whatever the purpose the apparent
results are more than twofold. Phelan's
chances for becoming mayor are no
better than they were. which is 10 say
that they are nil. The Good Govern
ment league will probably profit from
that scheme in about the same degree
as Phelan 1t may even go to pieces
as a result of the hidden check marks,
which is a pity.
The identity of the originator of the
STAMP scheme is not especially i'm
portant. The fact remains that 1t has
resulted in worse confusing sorely
muddled political situation and has
made the work of sane men trying to
find a way out of San Francisco's po-
litical troubles more difficult.
The attempt to clothe the peoples
ballot" with a direct primary cloak
and compare it with the postal pri-
mary scheme proposed by Senator
Roseberry reeks of the same kind of
direct primary good faith that marked
the attacks made by the Good Govern
ment league and allied interests on the
Wright direct primary bill when 1t
was before the legislature.
The check scheme lacks even the
virtue of originality 1t was used
nearly a quarter of a century ago. The
system of registration and indexing
employed in San Francisco made the
check matter rather simpler than in
the eastern states where 1T has been
used.
All of which is really beside the
question. The milk in the cocoanut is
that an old, shabby political trick has
been perpetrated in the name of an
organization which stands for good
things and that, in the name of reform.
reform has been dealt another blow.