The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-08-12
Members of the Businessmen's
Committee Pass the Blame
Around for Tainted Slate
Substantial Aid Promised Tim
Sullivan in Effort to Control
County Committee
By GEORGE A. VAN SMITH

- F9L the opinion llal the men on liAS
tainted supervisorial slate would give
San Francisco good government not
because Of what he knows about their
political records and affiliations, but
because they have been Endorsed by
The businessmen's committee.
Mccarthy is experiencing his first
plunge in the sea Of applied politics.
de was named on a subcommittee on
supervisoriaI candidates by the bust
nessmen's committee Of twenty Eve.
The other members of that committee
were Rudolph Herold Jr., intimate of
ThornWen Mutually and friend of the
indicted United railroad officials and
Paul n Nippert, the friend and bonds
man OF some Of the indicted officials OF
that corporation.
CHARY ABOUT RESPONSIBILITY
Members of the businessmen's COM
mittee are chary about admitting re-
spOnsibility for the Endorsement of tie
tainted supervisorial slate and none of
them accuses Mccarthy of responsible
ity for selecting the men Endorsed on
that slate. McCarthy's situation is un-
fortunate. but he declines to attempt
TO shift a burden under which he is
plainly enough unhappy.
According TO the terms of the resolu-
ton authorizing the appointment of the
% subcommittees on supervisors, that
committee was charged with investi-
eating and reporting upon the records
of all the men seeking republican nom
inatiOn for supervisors. The committee
did not investigate or at least did not
report any investigation of the. records
IF the 8 men Endorsed by the munich
pal league of Independent republican
clubs. Nor did the committee report
the results of its investig cations into
the fitness Of the candidates for whom
ii demanded Endorsements, except as
information was demanded be- members
Of the whole committee when the re-
port was returned.
The report made by the committee on
supervisors, OF which HerOld was the
moving spirit, recommended the in
dOrsement Of the IS men on the tainted
slate A demand was made for re-
ports in accordance with the provisions
OF the resolution. None was forthcom-
ing It developed that the committee
had misunderstood the terms of the
resolution calling for its appointment
There was debate consuming nearly
. two hours, an attempt to sidetrack part
Of the slate, a play for delay and a
walkout on the part of a half dozen
committeeman who declined TO swallow
the ErM ElIQ IOLAEM VAUE AoAlr " AAANAA " a.
put through by Il out Of %
SAYS HE Is SATISFIED
I asked Mccarthy yesterday if he
was satisfied with the tainted supervi-
serial slate Endorsed by the committee
Of 25.
Il am satisfied" he replied.
DO you think that you chose the
best men in the field of ~ candidates
Tor republican nomination for super
visor2"
o. we did the best we could under the
. circumstances.
Did you consider the qualifications
Of any Of the men Endorsed by the
municipal league Of Independent repub-
Iican clubs?"
g No"
Were your selections made on the
basis Of the superiority OF your candi-
dates TO those Endorsed by the inde-
pendent republicans
Not at ALL" was McCarthy's en-
phstic reply.
DO YOU accept responsibility for the
selection and Endorsement OF these
candidates for supervisors"
Yes"
DO you believe that in the event Of
their nomination and election, they will
give san Francisco good government"
Yes"
rs that opinion based on your in
vcstigation Of their political records
and Affiliations and their records as
public servsnts?"
No"
Why, then, do you think they viii
give San Francisco good government %
Because we Endorsed 'em."
Edward F. Perry. a member of the
committee Of % and OF the business
mems campaign committee, said that
he was satisfied that the committees
did the best it could under the cir
eumstances." and in reply TO a direct
question whether or not he accented
said, 7 participated"
Walter r. Bacon declined to admit
that he had sanctioned the slate or
that he had an opinion as to the If
ness Of the men on ii. whom he de-
clared he did not know. Bacon de-
clined 10 give a direct answer to the
question, Are you satisfied with this
slater"
WHAT BACON UNDERSTOOD
i tried to secure a postponement Of
action when the Endorsements we're
made" said Bacon. There seemed 10
be no one Informed as to who these
people We're. Ny understanding was
and the resolution provided that the
committee was TO report on all the re-
publicans who sought nomination TO
the board Of supervisors. A number Of
the members OF the committee of 25
had the same understanding Nv OBJ
lection to the Endorsement of the list
reported back by the committee was
based on a lack Of knowledge of the
candidates. / tried to get delay"
do you think that in the event of
the nomination and election Of these
men they viii give San Francisco
good, honest governments"
L can not answer that question I
do not know them"
Ibid the committee make any report
OH the qualifications of the men who
sought republican nomination to the
board Of supervisors"
None except as to the Is recon-
rnended for Endorsement"
Did the committee make any formal
report as to the fitness of those men?'
We'll. they told US freely enough
who the men were when they were
asked about any OF them?"
Did that committee make any re-
port to your committee touching the
political records and afiliations OF the
men ii asked you to indorse2"
There was no report on their polit-
seal records or political affiliations
WILL FORMALLY APPEAL