The San Francisco call., 1910-08-12
CONTEST WAGED To
ASSIST BULLOCK
Two Candidates Enter Race TO
Prevent Defeat of Present
District Attorney
Struggle Is on Issue Between
Government of People and
County Ring

political battle of deep significance
being waged in San Mateo county has
its storm center in the contest of Ken
meth NJ Green of San Mateo for the
district attorneyship against a combi-
nation of three candidates, whose
endeavors are bing directed to the re-
tention in power of District Attorney
Joseph j. Bullock and the political and
business organization known as the
county ring The struggle is on a
clean cut issue between government
by the people or continued control by
Bullock and the forces he represents.
Ostensibly there are four candidates
in tn field for the district attorneyship.
but in reality the fight is between
Green and Bullock. James T. O'Keefe
of Redwood City and Harry E. Styles,
city attorney of South San Francisco,
are ostensible contenders for the nom
inatioh, but according to the good gov
ernment league in San Mateo county
are in reality merely lending them
selves to tn rings" scheme to elect
Bullock
That Styles and OKeefe are in the
hight to assist in the defeat of Green.
and so to assure Bullock's election, is
the charge freely made by members of
the good government league of the
county. At the outset of the campaign
Styles refused to enter the fight, giving
as his resaon that he could not do so
because of his close relations with Bull
lock.
After Green had entered the running,
both Styles and OKeefe were brought
out They have been closly associated
as attorneys for DIR. II. G. Plymire. the
coroner and public administrator of the
county, who is the rings candidate
for reelection, and who is one of Bull
locks strongest hackers and closes per-
sonal friends.
The gambling interest in the north
end of the county, where things have
been run wide opSh under BulIock's ad-
ministration, are massing their forces
to re-elect Bullock. but wherever a
voter is found opposed to Bullock the
gamblers are employing every subter-
fuge to turn the vote to either Styles or
O'Keefe.
MERELY FAKE" OPPONENTS
The candidates. Styles and O'Keefe.
in the light of their connection with
each other and with PIymirefi put them
in the position of being merely fake
opponents of Bullock. Nobody comedies
either chance to win, while their
presence in the fight is seriously inJur-
ing Green's chances of victory.
While Styles. earlier in the contest,
admitted his close relations with Bull
lock. those existing between O'Keefe
and Bullock have been very apparent.
Stories are freely circulated to the ef
feet that in number of criminal cases
coming before him for prosecution Bull
lock has advised defendants to employ
OKeefe as their attorney. and that
many of these cases have later been re-
ported fixed" or settled out of court.
Plymire. the ring" candidate for cor
oner and public administrator, has no
opponent for the republican nomina-
tion but hints of serious nature con-
cerning his conduct of the affairs of his
office are in circulation, and the good
government forces are hoping to bring
about his defeat by centering upon
democratic candidate. Examination of
the county records has shown some un-
usual figures among Plymire's accounts.
case in which Plymire figured as
public administrator. with Styles as
his attorney, was that arising in con-
nection with the settlement of the
estate of Charlotte Dickerson, who
died last December in Millbrae, with
out heirs in this country. Plymire's
bill was allowed only after serious
objection by Superior Judge Buck
One item of the services of nurse,
amounting in all to 1885. was cut down
1925 by the court Another ltem or the
account included a bill of $685. for
funeral expenses. due the undertaken,
j. E. Elder. Elder is deputy under
Plymire The latter's report included
no itemized account of the funeral
expenses, but merely the flat charge.
FIGHT FOR RECORDERS JOB
Next in interest to the fight for the
district attorneyship and the general
opposition developing toward Plymire.
is the contest between James E. Fitz-
gerald and Harold o. Heiner for the
Office of recorder. The latter has the
Endorsement of the Good Government
league although he is not member of
the organization, while Fitzgerald has
the backing of the Bullock ring
In a letter written early in the
campaign TO one of the county officers,
FITZGERALD put himself on record as
mere agent of the county machine and
admitted taking his orders without
murmur sHeiner is making an ag-
gressive fight with the chances in
Of