Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-20
DEMOCRATS PLAN
TO BEGIN BATTLE
Novel Situation to Characterize
Campaign in State of
California
LOCAL FIGHT NoN-PARTIsAN
Interesting Developments Are Ex-
peCted-BeII Adheres to
First Slogan
LOCAL FIGHT NoN-PARTlsAN
By T. SHELLEY SUTTON

BY r. SHELLEY SUTTON
The smoke of battle cleared and
those numbered with the slain" re-
moved from the political battle-ground,
the Democratic leaders of California
are busily arranging for the real con-
test, preparing plans for the decisive
battle to be waged during the next
three months between the Republican
and Democratic candidates.
1t will be an unusual campaign
unprecedented in many particulars
and rife with situations never before
created by the political developments
of tho past.
The Democrats have occasion to feel
hattered but they are not wasting
time in idle compliments or self-extol-
ment. They are preparing for stren-
uous crusade.
Theodore A. Bell, the Democratic
candidate for governor, already has
arranged for his tour of the state, and
will soon resume the memorable fight
which he waged four years ago against
the Southern Pacific political machine.
Mr.. Bell, his supporters say, feels
that he is entitled 10 a large share of
whatever credit may be distributed
Long before the Lincoln Roosevelt
or the Republican insurgents" of CAL
ifornia, took up the slogan of Down
with the S. p" Theodore Bell was con-
Quoting what will be remembered as q
| remarkable crusade against the South
ern Pacific political bosses; and he did
| more, perhaps, than any other one
man in the state to educate the people
of California relative to the dangers
and disgraceful methods of this des-
| potic combine. He has devoted the
| last six years of his life to an earnest
| endeavor to enlighten the voters; to
point out to them their political pre-
dicament; to show them the quickest
and best way to eliminate the corpor-
ations from politics.
Mr.. Bell has given his time and
| money to this commendable work, and
at the election four years ago he lacked
| but a few votes of having carried his
battle to a successful issue.
Mr.. Bell went to defeat in that mem
orable campaign because of the apathy
of great many Republicans who did
not realize the vital significance Of his
issue-the impending crisis-or the
trend of events toward the downfall
of machine" tyranny.
But Mr.. Bell was not discouraged,
and when he was defeated by Gillett,
the Southern Pacific machine governor,
he determined that in the next cam
paign he would again go before the
people on the same platform, with the
same fearless determination, the same
earnest convictions, the same defiant
attitude toward the "bosses," who,
until a few months ago, could make
or mar the future of a political can
didate.
NsURGENT MOVEMENT STARTS
At this juncture, however, the wave
of discomfort swept over the Repub-
lican conscience; the Republican vot-
ers, awakened by the exposures and
startling facts given to them by Mr..
Bell, were further aroused by the
truths brought to light in washington;
and the "insurgent faction known as
the Lincoln Roosevelt league, sudden
ly assumed an important proportion.
Hiram w. Johnson became the
leagues candidate for governor, and
led by this stalwart Republican re-
former, the Lincoln Roosevelt Repub-
licans took up the battle begun by Mr..
Bell, and with the remarkable i'm
petus given to the movement by the
ability of Mr.. Johnson, who conduct
ed his campaign on the same anti-S.
P. platform expounded by Mr.. Bell,
the insurgents" swept on to victory.
The Republicans, obviously, have
stolen some of the Democratic thun-
der. The Southern Pacific did every
thing possible to retain control of the
Republican party. but 1t has lost, and
the voters of California now find them
selves facing a peculiar political situa-
tion. They have before them two
| candidates for governor-one of them
Theodore A. Bell, the Democratic can
didate, being the pioneer anti-S. p.
leader, the father of the present agi-
tation, and the other-Hiram w. John
son, the Republican nominee, an earn
est and able exponent of the same
principles previously advocated by Mr..
Bell. The question many of these
voters will ask is "Shall we support
the man who began the fight, or the
man who ended it?"
The reply is simple. The fight is
not ended-it has only just begun. Mr..
Bell has declared that he will con-
tinue the battle on the same plat
form. And there seems to be good
reason for his friends to be hopeful.
The common prediction. made early
in the campaign, that this is Demo-
cratic year" may have sounded alb
surd at the time 1t was first ventured,
but 1t looks much more logical under
present circumstances.
There is a large Republican vote in
California which will not be satisfied.
The men who so vigorously opposed
lllC IlOlnilIdllOl OIL NIL OOHilSOH dI6
men who see in the present triumph
of the Lincoln Roosevelt league an
event from which may evolve a new
Republican organization-state and ma
tional-an event that will encourage
insurgency" in other states, and may
ultimately change the "old order of
things" to an extent not dreamed of
by many Of the rank and file of the
voters.
MACHINE AGAINST INSURGENTS
In other words, the machine lead
ers will regard this triumph as a
wedge which they fear may disrupt"
their party. The insurgents, on the
other hand, regard 1t as a victory
which will reform and unite the war
ring factions of the party.
Considered from the standpoint of
the machine, it is not to be encour-
aged, therefore the quickest way to
discourage 1.-THE most effectual way
to overcome it's to defeat the in
surgent nominees even at the cost of
electing several Democrats.
If the Lincoln-R Roosevelt league can
didates are defeated at the general
election, November 8, the machine lead
ers predict that 1t will go out of evil
dence, and that the insurgent Repub-
licans will reconcile themselves to the
old order, submit to machine control.
and abandon their Utopian ideal Of de-
molishing the s. p. combine. Hence,
quite reasonably, the machine Repub-