The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-07-18


- ing of a stern political morality
~~~@44A@eAe Senator Flint is the natural born
z e politician, and the most useful
%$$ and essential asset of the tribe
is good manners and easy
s.-.-.-.-.-..-.-..-s temper Walter Parker, for in
stance, has the likable manner and pleasant
disposition. Even if he knows quite well that you
ardently disapprove of his practices, his ways and
means he will meet you his best friend and
behave as such Now, Jere Burke, if he knows that
you consider him bad lot in political way, can
not hide his CROUCH and for that reason [ regard
him as an inferior politician.
COULD NOT GET A RISE
1t was my fortune to meet Senator Flint on
the day that he was elected by the legislature and
II was my duty to put to him portentous cate
chism of insulting questions. | pushed him to the
limit. but never got rise The smile would not
come Off 1t seemed as il he had spent all his life
lodging questions that implied his servitude and
political genesis to Mr. Herrin and even found it
an amusing pastine He would neither deny nor
affirm nor even get angry The thing was admir-
ably done and although failed to accomplish my
purpose l could not help liking the man, his forti-
tude and stubborn good hunor.
THE POLITICAL GAME
He was playing the game. The politician likes
to regard his calling in that light and lays the uat-
tering JUNCTION to his soul that there is more
serious purpose in politics than merely selfish
interest If people call him CRATER a tool he
fatters himself that they merely lot OF disap-
pointed grafters like himself and that the only
difference is that he is in and they out. This
for purposes of illustration can be as polite as
even Senator Flint on occasion and would not apply
TO him any such vulgar word as CRATER, but pre-
sumably he would not himself think it worth while
to deny that he is politically the creature of the
Southern Pacific machine.
ONLY STAGE MONEY
With this glimpse of the operations OF the polit
cal mind it is easy to appreciate Senator Flint's
imperturbabe composure in the face of insult that
would make the unsophisticated citizen hot in the
collar. The questions that put to him to his
sense part of game in which l was playing the
hand of lot of disappointed people who wanted
his job. In word the injurious reflections
veyed in my catechsm were regarded by the senator
as bundle of stage insults to be met with smiling
and amused tolerance.
FLINT IN A NEW. LIGHT
l am led to these remarks by recent passage
on the floor of the senate which shows the Junior
senator from California in new and unexpected
light The senator, of course, aocks with the
Aldrich crowd to whom the very idea of an income
tax is hateful. Senator Borah of Idaho is one Of
the progressive element of the republican party and
as such is vigorous supporter of the income tax
In the of his discussion of the corporation
dividend tax Borah charged that the Aldrch fol-
lowing insincere in supporting that measure
and further that they would all be found knitting
in their home states Tafts proposition for const
tutional amendment authorizing an income tax.
PLEDGED FOR THE INCOME TAX
4 am an earnest advocate of it. and will be
one to go before the California legislature to seek
its passage there said Senator Flint in reply to
Borah
1T has no chance to pass IS state legislatures
and / even doubt its passage by the California
legislature retotted Borah.
The senator is mistaken, in my opinion, and