The San Francisco call., 1910-02-10
His Attacks Upon Graft Prose-
cutor Have Provoked LincOln=
Roosevelt Leaders
Prominent Members Contend
That Contra Costa Man Is Cut
of GubernatOrial Race
By GEORGE A. VAN SMITH

Of the running as "A Lincoln Roosevelt
candidate for governor is the conten-
tion of prominent leaguers who are re-
newing the attempt 10 force former
Mayor William r. Davis Of Oakland in
20 the race.
one Of the reasons for the unbend-
ing hostility Of some Of the southern
California leaguers to Belshaw has
come to the surface. Some Of the
Ieaguers who a week ago We're trying
10 stife any talk about Belshaw'S at
tacks on Heney have taken another
tack now. They are permitting the
glad tidings to go forth and are at
some pains 10 see that they go into
the right channels.
Al no time since the primary election
last September has HeneY been even a
gubernatorial possibility. He told me
in November that under no circum-
stances would he be a candidate for
an elective office. He gave reasons,
too. That they were forcibly stated
may be accepted without qualification.
DECLINED TO ROWELL
President Chester H. Rowell and the
southern California leaguers had Heney
down as their first choice for the
leagues support for governor. Heney
made it plain to Rowell that he would
not run and the leaguers accepted his
decision as final.
Presumably Belshaw did not know
that Henev was out Of it. In any event
DE went after the Heney idea with a
sharp stick. He told Lincoln -Roose-
Welt Ieaguers and others that if Heney
was nominated for governor he would
take the stump against him.
Honey according to Belshaw. was an
aEitator. = CiSturber Of business and
generally false alarm, who was
bounding lot of good men. The i'm
munity contracts given the super
Visors by the graft prosecution worried
Belshaw. too.
Some Of the lea guers advised him to
put The soft pedal on his anti-Heney
talk. They suggested that while his
fulminauons against Heney would go
great with the captains of industry in
San Francisco. they would be bad med
icine in the country districts, where
the majority sentiment was with the
graft prosecution.
BELSHANN KEPT AT 1T
Belshar insisted that he considered
il imperative that the people should be
fuIr advised of his attitude on that
vital question and for that matter any
other question that might from time to
time appear TO be vital Nix for
Heney or words TO that general eff
feet. said Belshaw. Also tell en- l
said So"
AT least portion of Belshaw's
decla rations have been taken TO heart
by the leaguers. They are telling EN-
he said so. Indeed the southern Cali
fornia contingent of the league is
working over time telling 'em he said
SO. Moreover they are exerting every
energy To insure big meeting of the
executive committee next Tuesday Be
hind the desire for a large attendance
is the belief that q sentiment for Davis
can be developed so strong that the
former mayor cf Oakland will be COM
PEELED to 20 into the race.
Two years Al go Davis had the first
call on the gubernatOriaI Endorsement
with men who were at the head of the
Lincoln Roosevelt league A majority
Of those men have never changed their
opinion about the desirability of get
ting behind Davis. In southern Cali
fornia there was exhibited a Heney
sentiment strong enough to convince
the Los Angeles leaguers that the spe-
cial prosecutor was the man of the
hour
DAVIS FOR JOHNSON
When Heney put himself out of il
The Los Angeles men rejoined the
northern leaguers, who had never way
cred from. Davis. Davis first choice
was Hiram W Johnson of San Fran
conference Of league bigwigs held
1n Oakland a few weeks ago, some of
Them hold him that they would be
glad 10 support Johnson if Davis could
get him TO run. but that Davis was
their first choice.
Davis refused even TO consider the
proposition. He induced the leaguers
10 make a strenuous effort to land
johnson. Just how persistent were
the pleas made 10 johnson the public
viii probably never know. The big
men OF the league returned to the at
rack again and again without scoring
sven a suggestion Of success
Then came the executive committee
s1neeting last Monday and the straw
votes which gave Belshaw an apparent
lead over Davis. About two-thirds of
the committeeman were present. on
an informal ballot Belshaw received
y votes to Davis s.
ONLY TO LET MOTT DOWN
II is explained now that the ballot
was taken only for the purpose of let
ting Mott down easily and that some of
The men who voted for Belshaw did
so because they believed there was no
chance OF forcing Davis into the race
in any event the committee took a
recess for week and now the word
has gone down the league line that
Davis can be forced into the running
when the committee reassembles Tues
day.
From Oakland comes the word that
former Governor George c. Pardee is
all fused up over the attacks made
on Mott, which undoubtedly resulted
in making him bad third in the ex-
ecutive committees balloting Monday
The Pardee people insist that the talk
about Mott being the favored candi-
date Of the Herrin machine was in
spired by BelshaW's friends to advan-
tsge the Contra Costa man. Be that
as it may, those stories did seriously
affect Motifs standing as possible
candidate with some of his colleague
on the executive committee. While it
is unquestionably true that some Of
the lea aguers scon personally at the
idea that Mott would throw down the
league for the organization If elected
II is equally true that they fear that
The rank and file of the league has
been adversely affected by the "choice
of the organization" stories.
CURRY KEEPS BUSY
Meanwhile Charles +. Curry's cam
psign is being pressed as if neither
league nor organization stood TO eN-
ercise any determining influence on the
frlnSp nPF<0nS