The San Francisco call., 1909-06-13
STATE AND LOCAL
POLITICS MUDDLED
Failure of ROIph or Hale to Run
for Mayor Brings Confusion
in Republican Camp
Ruling of Supreme Court on the
Direct Primary Law Keystone
TO State Situation
Bv GEORGE VAN SMITH

AlAlNal Situations are very similar IN Ollt
important particuIar-both are thor
oughly muddled. The failure of either
James Rolph Jr or Marshall Hale tc
toe the mayoralty mark after the re-
fpublicans generally had been congratu-
hating themselves for six months OF
more that one Of them would run, made
the local situation spell confusion.
The attack on the direct primary
election law by the socialists and
tDeering friend of the court has ripped
up what was a rapidly developing state
'Eituation. The supreme court has
fixed a time limit on the suspense in
which ii viii hold the people as regards
the direct primary law and the repub-
licans Of the municipal league OF re-
publican clubs have placed similar
1imit on their quest for a maNoralty
icandidate. Either solution or more
Sonfusion IN both cases is due at about
bhe same time.
SITUATION Is MUDDLED
Many earnest republicans. men repre-
sentative of both camps, contend that
ST the municipal league Of independent
clubs or rather those who assumed to
act for it. had employed anything like
tact James ROlph Jr would now be 4
candidate for mayor and the local prob
lrlAA SUN Gu DC AAlclA eAa il may AAAN
tack on the direct primary law put a
brake on the progress of three rapidly
developing gubernatOrial candidates..
Pending the decision of the supreme
court III the direct primary case the
Eubernatorial campaigns Of Secretary
of state Charlie Curry. former Senator
Charles n. Belshaw and Speaker of the
Assembly Phil Stanton are in a situa-
zion akin to that of Bert DAMS chair
manship Of the local county committee
and which is decribed by Dam as in
"statu quo"
The local woods are full of candi-
fdares-aVoWed OF tentative p. II. Nc
Carthy and Michael Casey. the valiant,
have gotten together that is to say.
Casey has acknowledged that Nc
Carthy is his master Mccarthy has
selected the ticket which. with him
self at the head, ne has labeled union
labor. The san Francisco democratic
club has completed the ticket with
which ii promises to smash the McNab
ma chine. The Good Government lea que
has rolled up its sleeves. The anti
machine republicans in the county
committee and the republicans strung
by McMurray have called each other
hard names and made a pretty average
mess Of II, and the Doodle Dee twins
make an occasional audible sound.
while the machine republicans sit back
and admire the landscape. With all
this and more. the local political situ-
a-iOn fails TO assume anything like
definite shape Nor viii it take definite
form until there IS a candidate for
mayor in the field whose candidacy
viii draw the republican lines.
HENEY Will ENTER RACE
When that candidate is brought out,
be he introduced by the anti-machine
So
or the Municipal league of republican
clubs. by them jointly or otherwise,
the campaign viii be on. That Fran
els J. Heney viii he a candidate for
district attorney is no longer open to
anything like serious question, and 1
of the incumbent supervisors have
formally declared themselves in the
race for reelection The records OF
all Of these, with the exception Of Pol
lock. have been Of a character TO in
spire public confidence and to give def
mite character to the fight for the
board
Thomas r. Bannerman is the latest
10 receive favorable mention in con
nection with the republican nomina-
ton for mayor. Bannerman has lived
in the Mission for nearly % years and
was formerly prominent in mercantile
mining circles. He first affixed his
Postmaster General James under Pres
ident Garfield.
James Madison, shipper, fruit packer
OIL producer and banker. has also been
mentioned. as has A. G. BOggs. who was
one Of the leaders Of the independent
republican secession two years ago and
a vigorous worker in the ranks of the
reform republicans. Meanwhile the
nlayoralty committee of the municipal
Il Il
secret session reinforced by the prayers
OF the other members Of the conference
who are laid of until June is.
The state situation is no more crystal
clear than is that in San Francisco II
was developing into something like q
preliminary contest when the attack
on the direct primary law put a jinks
or fl. The gubernatorial situation has
been in process Of incubation for sew
eral months and while none of the
candidates have entirely abandoned
their canvass pending the decision OF
the supreme court, there is let up
which may be break up" if the pri-
mary law is knocked out.
STANTON SEEKS NOMINATION
Speaker Of the Assembly Phil Stan
ton, whose name was joined with that
Of Senator Wright as sponsor for the
direct primary law, was a candidate
for governor when he reached Sacra-
f1mento last winter. He was sick wher
the legislature adjourned and in bid
ding his colleagues goodby he an
.nounced his retirement from public life
iHe signed no bonds. however. and after
he was discharged from southern Cal
ifornia hospital. where he was seriously
3l for two months or more, lusty
Stanton gubernatoriaI breeze doated ur
from the south
stanton has a long legislative rec.
ord. has been in and out OF both re-
spublican camps: thinks the south is en-.
titled TO the governor and that he i.
the one best bet in the south. II
addition to all this, Stanton is ricf
and energetic, and II he finds his way
into the gubernatorial race viii make
a stir Stanton was not exactly a hi
with the machine as speaker, and Il
the direct primary law is knocked out
his chances for the nomination woulc
seem anything but rosy.
Secretary of State Curry wants IL
be governor and does not beat around
the bush about il. either His hopes
TOO. are bound up in the direct primar,
election law. He believes that hf
would make a good governor and that
a. AZ.