The San Francisco call., 1910-11-04
HOW BIG WILL JOHNS0N'S
MAJORITYBE? ISPR0BLEM
Only Remnant of Interest IN Outcome of 1910 Campaign
Is in Size of Vote
BY GEORGE A. VAN SMITH

=. VAN SMITH
campaign wered issolved early in the
general campaign. Forsweeks there has
been no room for doubt about the iden-
tity of the forces behind the poposing
candidates. Behind Johnson are the
people Behind Bell are the enemies of
the people. the interests that made Cal
ifornia a political slave pit for half
century.
Those interests that know no party
fealty. that have been republican only
because they controlled the machinery
of the republican party and through it
the government of the state. have gone
over TO Bell. Their advent in the ranks
Of democracy have been the signal for
an exodus of thousands of democrats
who love their state and prize political
freedom above a party label.
OLD DEMOCRATS SECEDE
Men born of democratic fathers and
recognized as leaders in their party
have in this campaign announced in
shame and sorrow their enforced seces-
sion from the party with which they
had fought for years.
Bell went into the 1910 quest of the
governorship basing his hopes for sue
cess on an expected wrecking of the
republican party. So confident was he
that the republican party would be torn
asunder by a vigorous primary fight
that he laid his plans more than a
year ago TO close the democratic pri-
mary field.
He was in control of the machinery
of that party. His control was so COM
plete that any other aspirant for the
democratic nomination started with a
realizat tion of the uncomfortable fact
that he would be compelled to fight not
an individual, but the party machine it.
self
ALL RIVALS DENOUNCED
Every democrat mentioned as a pos
sibIe or probable contender for the
democratic nomination for governor
was promptly denounced by Bell and
Bells party managers. as a tool of the
interests, commissioned to capture and
debauch the democratic party. During
period Of less than six months Bell
and his people had fastened the cor
poration" stamp on prominent demo-
Gratis representative OF the entire state
from the upper Sacramento valley to
Los Angeles. He called a state confer
ence in San Francisco Some of the
men closest to him were frank enough
TO announce. that 1T was called to name
Bell as the 'party's one choice" for gov
ernor. Bell deemed the announcement
Of that one choice a the San Francisco
conference to be inexpedient
He postponed the receipt of the clar-
ion call and ordered another state con-
ference 10 be held at Los Angeles.
That conference did not result in nam
ing Bell but il did enable Bells sup
porters to finish up the job of blacken-
ing every democrat who had been men
toned even a remotely probable can
didate for governor was turned over to
the state committee. Bells committee.
The task Of selecting a complementary
ticket Bell reserved to himself. Re
publican disaffection and a dummy
ticket were apparently all Bell con-
sidered necessary to insure his tri-
umphant election.
NISJUDGED THE PEOPLE
The developments of the campaign
have demonstrated that even a man
who has devoted his life to the vigor-
Gus pursuit of public place may mis-
judge the people.
The republicans of California chose
Hiram W. Johnson to lead their fight
for free party and a free state. Theo-
dore A Bell nominated himself to the
task OF thwarting the popular will. The
people of all parties have rallied to the
support of Johnson. The special in
terests which the people have COM
missioned Johnson to drive out of their
government, have f1ocked to the sup
port of Bell
Bell built his hopes on republican
disaffection and the desertion of re-
publicans TO his. standard. Some of
those hopes have been realized. He
has secured the support of some men
and some interests that had attached
themselves TO the republican party be-
fore the republicans of California used
the primary law to regain control of
their party. Herrin's Hessians, Calhoun
and the Rue1ings fed to Bell for
safety. He has been afraid to boast
Of their support and more afraid to
apologize for it.
out of the Bell camp have marched
the men who stood in the forefront of
the battles their party had fought for
the people. They left Bell declaring
that there was no room for them and
Calhoun. Herrin and their Hessians in
the same party. Day after day repre-
sentative democrats have announced
that they were for johnson and the
people. They have been the kind of
men that the republican candidate was
proud TO welcome; proud TO proclaim
their friendship and support What re-
publican ever known as a champion of
the peoples rights has been announced
as deserting Johnson for Bell?
fJOHNSON'S TRIUMPH GREAT
Hiram ". Johnson vii be elected by
the largest plurality ever given a gov
ernor of California. That is the unani-
nous opinion of the members of the
republican state executive committee
That opinion is based upon their own
appreciation of public sentiment in
every section of the state.
These men are by no means agreed
upon the probable proportions of John
sons plurality. Some of them are dis
posed to forecast his election by q, vote
that will aggregate an actual majority
of poll that will establish a new