The San Francisco call., 1909-11-17
By GEORGE A. VAN SMITH

OAOANO1 "a v E14N SAfAA Il
Political seers are ipdulging in
deal Of interesting speculation about
what the executive committee of the
Lincoln Roosevelt league viii do with
the problem that il viii be compelled
to wrestle with when it meets in Oak
land next Saturday. Nobody familiar
with the makeup OF the Lincoln
Roosevelt league organization pretends
10 believe that il is not a serious
problem. 1t arises out of the prob
able candidacy of Governor James n.
Ginett TO succeed himself
Among the state officers of the
Lincoln Roosevelt league are some of
Ginetts most vehement political en-
emies. as well as some OF his warmest
political friends and admirers. and. to
cOnfOund confusion. a candidate for the
republican nomination for governor.
Nothing short of a complete reorgani-
cation Of the state governing body of
the lea que would appear to offer a
meass of securing organization har-
mony on the question of a guberna-
toriai candidate. Reorganization of the
state governing body would necessarily
involve complete reorganization in
many of the legislative districts. and
in at least three of the eight congress
sional districts
-FOUR FOR GTLLETT
San Francisco has five of the 2i state
officers and executive committeeman of
the Lincoln Roosevelt que They
are the vice president and four execu-
tive committeeman. Four Of the five
are for Gillett, if he shall decide to try
for IL.
fifth has not been disclosed, but he
might reasonably be expected to be for
q candidate obnoxious to the leaguers
generally, If it should develop that he
was not for Gillett.
The San Frsnciscans who are state
officers OF the Lincoln Roosevelt league
are First Vice President Byron Mauzy
and Executive Committeeman w. D.
Eennimore. George l. Center. Marshall
Hale and DR.. Hugh Lagan. Up in the
frst congressional district Senator
Charles p. Cutten is the active execu-
tive committeeman. Cutten is for Gil
lett and, as usual, when he is for any
thing or anybody, he is mighty en-
phstic in his support Of the governor
Ii is fair to assume on the strength
of former declarations that none of the
San Franciscans cares for reelection.
Cutten declared last winter that he
a
tude OF these officers Will, as a matter
OF course, make reorganization a COM
paratively easy matter, in so far as the
ofhcial heads of the league are con-
cerned and their political attitude
makes such reorganization imperative
II the league is TO take up the cudgeIs
against Gillett.
FIRST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
Up. in the first congressional district
. hght against Gillett. generally inde-
pendent of the Lincoln Roosevelt
league, is in process OF incubation AS
far as surface indications 60 its ratif-
cations do not extend far beyond the
borders Of Humboldt county. and in
Humboldt county the forces that wiped
up the organization last year are
divided.
George A. Knight has a grievance
and incidentally 1t is the same griev-
ance that turned at least one of the
big leaders of the Lincoln Roosevelt
league into an implscable political foe
OF the governor. That grievance is
George Hatton. With Knight its birth
antedates the conclusion of the CAM
paign of 1905. knight was willing to
admit in 1906 that he was one OF the
big factors in the election of Gillett.
lie has not changed his mind. He re-
scented the importance of the role as
- <iAtb ~ lldANclA VI assumed MN IN
1906. and he has not changed his mind
about that matter either Indeed. his
has been rather a cumulative griev-
ance. After the election of 1906 he
bumped into Hatton's wires or some
Of his friends did, and, in any event
he declined TO believe that the pres
Hnce of HattOn did anything to orna-
ment the big reception room in front
of the governors private Office
KNIGHT WILL NOT FORGIVE
However much Knight suffered in
spirit through contemplation of the
real or fancied successes Of Hatton
with the governor. the last bolt was
shot while his pet aversion. Hatton.
was dallying with the pleasures of for
eign lands. knight was not chosen as
= member Of the governors party
which welcomed President Taft to Cali
fornia-snd that in spite of the fact
that Knight was the man chosen from
ali the vigorous orators of the nation
10 second the nomination of Taft in
the Chicago convention. That was too
much. knight discovered that there
was a heretofore undiscovered bond of
sympathy between himself and Ralph
Bull and his followers in Humboldt
county who tried to cancel knights
ticket to Chicago in the year of nota-
BILE achievement-l90S
So II was not difficult to start some
thing with the long hairs in Humboldt