The San Francisco call., 1909-08-08
GASTON ASHE IS
BUzzINGAROUND
LOCAL POLITICS
Brother of Porter Ashe, Indict-
ed United Railroads Attorney,
interviewing Candidates
Charles A. Rabing Says His
Name Was Taken Off Slate
by Mysterious Influence

NnafleS A. RaDlng, candidate Tor re-
publican nomination for supervisor,
declares that he was turned down by
the businessmen's committee of 25 be-
cause he would not go on record in
opposition TO Hetch Hetehy. the civic
center, the municipal line in Geary
street and the payment of the salaries
OF Burns men; because he refused to
declare himself in favor of letting the
United Railroads grab the lower part
OF Market street and because he
would not talk matters over with Phil
Crimmins.
In support of this declaration .Rabing
tells Of two visits he received from
mysterious strangers who questioned
him on all these matters. and he says
that following the second visit his
name was stricken from the slate of
the businessmen's committee. One of
these strangers was CASTOR Ashe,
brother of r. Porter Ashe, the attorney
RUBBED OFF THE SLATE
Rabing, who is hardware merchant
AT asp Castro street and one of the
leaders in the organization club in the
thirty-fOurth district, expected TO re-
ftlAe the luaOFSeIneDL OF Ile business
mems committee. Fourteen business
men of his neighborhood joined with
the two county committeeman Of the
flirtV-fOurth district in a letter urging
PAU Nippert of the subcommittee on
supervisors TO give him the indorse-
menL This petition was completed by
Jim Sullivans county committee depu-
ties. Later Rabing learned that his
name was on the slate. But following
ISL
particularly interested in learning how
Rsbing stood in regard to the outer
tracks in lower Market street Rabing's
name was rubbed off the slate.
Some time ago." said Rabing yes
terday. two men came TO see me in
my store. One Of them. the taller Of
the two, gave his name as Johnson,
while the other said his name was
Graber or Graver-
johnson. who did all the talking
said that they did not represent any
of the committees which were known
10 be indorsing candidates, but that
they came to see me in behalf of a
body Of voters who were interested in
The business end of the election. He
asked me how I stood on Hetch Hetchy
and the Geary street road, the civic
center and the tracks down in Market
street; also about the payment of the
Burns salary roll by the city.
WOULD NOT COMMIT HIMSELF
j did not commit myself on any of
these questions. ! told them that
wanted TO 20 on the board of super
visors as a free man, in a position TO
give everybody a fair and square deal
] tried 10 find out whom they came
from, but they would not tell me.
Thursday evening. the day before
the ticket Of supervisors was indorsed
by the disbursements committee, a man
- TT-r
my home. To Identify himself he
showed me three letters addressed to a
Mr.. Smith. care Of Carroll Cook.
smith asked me questions. particu-
larly about the tracks on Market
street. he got very excited about my
answers and hollered so loud that my
wife could hear him
..SIzE PHIL CRIMMINS"
THESE were not the only people who
came TO me. A friend of mine who is
prominent in district politics with me
was after me for two weeks to go and
see Phil Crimmins 1 refused. He
told me finally that / need not commit
myself but merely shake hands with
Crfmmins. But 1 persisted in refusing.
81 was riding down in the car the
morning Of the day that the ticket Of
supervisors was chosen and happened
10 see this friend of mine talking to
Crimmins That was about 1890
Bob Strahle afterward told me that
my name was taken off the slate at
1880. lie said the reason given was
that / was too close to Burns and Jack
Mccarthy and sympathized with the
graft prosecution. I never met Burns
oT Mccarthy and don't know them at
all"
"A certain candidate for supervisor
who was successful in receiving the
Endorsement OF the businessmen's COM
mittee, but whose name I viii not tell
confided to me that he also received
visit from Johnson and Graber But
he told me that in the course Of the
conversation Johnson got excited and
let il slip out that his name was Ashe"
GAsTON AsHE ACTIVE
CASTOR Ashe, well known in San
Francisco, but not hitherto a promi-
nent factor in politics, admitted that
he had paid Rabing a visit, but he
denied emphatically that he represent
ed the businessmen's committee He
also denied that he had used an as
sumed name.
7 am a democrat" said Ashe "and
] am not taking a hand in republican
politics. However, I am connected with
a body Of men who may see fit to in
dorse a ticket Of supervisors and If
was on that account that I visited
Rabing, as well as other candidates
The ticket which would be indorsed
would have a nonpartisan character
NO, j have no connection with the
graft prosecution any more than with
the businessmen's committee As 10
that businessmen's committee I can
not make my denial Of any connection
with il too strong. OF course. il is
ridiculous to say that I used the name
Of Johnson. ] told Rabing my real
name. What would lie the sense in
c0ncealing it2'
Rabing is not the only candidate for
supervisorial nomination who tells of
having received a visit from Ashe.
INTERVIEWS OTHER CANDIDATES
Henry CoIombat. a candidate for the
democratic nomination on the anti
McNab ticket, was put through a
course of sprouts by Asbe, following
a visit paid to the club headqua rters
by the mysterious Mr.. Smith" of Car
roll Cooks Office.
aAshe asked me pa rffcuIzfly IL ] wa s