The San Francisco call., 1909-12-02
LfAGUfRS FAVOR
DAVIS AND BARD
lincoln-Roosevelt Leaders Wish
to Make Oakland's Former
Mayor Governor
Contend Ex-senator Is the Only
Candidate to Retake Toga
From Flint
By GEORGE A. VAN SMITH


ernor and Thomas R. Bard of Ventura
for United States senator is the slate
which some of the genuine leaders OF
the Lincoln Roosevelt league are pray
ing that the leagues conference will
put over when it meets early next year
Some of the southern California big
wigs of the league have had 1t all doped
out for several weeks that Francis j.
Heney for governor and Lee c. Gates OF
Los Angeles for senator would be the
combination with which to insure the
smashing of the republican machine and
its primary ticket. The northern lead
ers refused to enthuse over the Henev-
Gates scheme with substantially lhe
same unanimity with which they de-
cline dto send up peans OF JOY over
Charles NJ. Belshaw's beneficent lnteh-
ton to assimilate the league as sponsor
for his assault on the republican nom
ination for governor
The leaguers who failed TO appreciate
the political expediency of the proposed
Heney-Gates ticket were more diplomatic
in their discussion of Heney's candidacy
than was true in the case of Gates.
Touching Gates, they said no, ana
said it promptly. They like Gates 1nev
admit that he is d large caliber man.
They go so far as to declare that ne Is
big enough to receive the leagues IN
dorsement for lieutenant governor II
the Los Angeles contingent VIII pe ." y
isfied with that.
Their discussions of Heney are publicly
confined 10 expressions of the OPINION
that Heney could not be induced TO rur
and that they do not feel justihed III
expending valuable energies upon an
unwilling candidate. AS matter Oh
fact, Davis and Bard are unwilling can
dida tes, but they look so good TO SONS
of the men near the helm of the LIN
coin Roosevelt league ship that their
solicitation is not looked upon as
waste of energy.
VICTORY THEIR GOAL
The leaguers who are insistent on
the Davis Bard ticket base their IN
sistence frankly enough on their de-
sire to win They believe that Davis
is stronger in San Francisco than any
man in the league movement VINO Is
known or has a political following in
the state outside of San Francisco.
They know or are convinced peyohu
the possibility of argumentatlVe con
yiction to the contrary that. Davis is
infinitely stronger in Alameda county
than any man in the league. His po-
litical activities have made him known
in every county in the state ana MS
association with the leagues work mas
given him personal touch with more
of the leaguers throughout the state
than is enjoyed by any other ieaguer,
with the possible exception of Chester
II. Rowen
The same men consider Bard the
only leaguer who has anything better
than a lighting chance to beat Flint.
majority of the leaguers do not
share the opinions of the Los AngeleS
enthusiasts who are clamorously m
sistent that Frank Flint can not carry
Los Angeles county. They believe that
Flint can beat Gates in Los Ahgeies
and that Gates could not take a single
citurus fruit county away from Flint.
AS TO northern California, they con-
tend that Gates lack of acquaintance
would prove too much OF handicap.
Mighty few leaguers pretend to believe
that Gates could trim Flint IN San
Francisco or the machine strongholds
of Alameda and Sacramento counties.
Then. too, there Is the question OF
breaking into the ranks of the hold
over senators.
ANGLE FOR DEMOCRATS
The Bard boosters insist that Bard is
the only Lacquer who can give Fllnt
genuine fight in the citrus fruit coun-
ties and the consider the former
Ventura senator invincible in the CEN
tral and coast counties. Bard is well
known and has always stood well In
northern California. Some of the DEM
ocratic state senators have declared
that they will throw their votes to the
independent republican candidate IL the
lea eIIers put UP the right man." The
proponents of Bard say that the demo-
cratic right man" means Bard and
that he can also rely upon a slice of
the democratic vote in the assembly
The leagues organization in San
Francisco will be left in a large degree
to the judgment of men locally prom
inent in the movement. The Oakland
conference authorized President Rowell
TO appoint three executive committee
men in each congressional district, Five
out of the six committeeman for the
fourth and fifth districts are appor-
toned to San Francisco. and in the very
nature of things there are five times
as many eligibles or those who con-
slider themselves eligible. Rowell left
San Francisco yesterday without max
ing his selections. The program tenta :
lively decided upon contemplates the
prior organization of San Francisco
campaign committee of II or Is or even
more members. That committee will
be got together by Hiram w. John
ston, Rolla V. Watt and other local
leaders. When they have sidestepped
as many opportunities to make trouble
as possible Rowell will pick his five
committeeman from the members of
the San Francisco campaign committee.
Daniel A. Ryan is the first choice of
a majority of the outside leaders for
place on the San Francisco end of
the state committee. Some of the San
Franciscans are in the same frame of
mind, and If Ryan can be induced to
accept official place in the league again
he will be made not only the local
leader, but be called upon to take a
prominent managerial part In the
leagues work in the state.