The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1910-08-14
MACHINES POWER
BROKEN in STATE
CALIFORNIA; Control of Political
Affairs Taken From Hands
of Herrin
Continued from Column =

state central committee. majority of
the republicans of California seem to
recognize that committee as having the
right TO ask candidates submitting
themselves as republicans to the will
of the party, If in the event of their
defeat they will support their success
full opponent They insisted on party
loyalty even in the days OF crooked and
manipulated nominating conventions.
in which they had no determining
voice. They are doubly insistent upon
IL now that they and not the bosses
have the opportunity TO select taeir
partisan candidates.
have 1t upon the word of honor
able men Immediately associated with
the management of the Lincoln-Roose-
welt league campaign that Johnson
was not only advised but begged not
to write the state central committee
in terms that could be construed as
iouting the party whose nomination
he sought. The records show that all
the Lincoln Roosevelt candidates who
answered the state central committee,
with. Johnson and Judge Works as the
lone exceptions. wrote themselves
down republicans willing to abide by
the decision of their partisanS as re-
corded at the primary polls.
Naturally Johnson's opponents have
not overlooked the weapon he put into
their hands. They have pointed out
that in effect Johnson declared that he
would support the republican nominee
if that nominee were Johnson. From
San Diego to Siskiyou, republicans have
been told that Johnson fought the re-
publican state ticket four years ago.
do not know whether or not that
statement is true. The republicans of
the state have been told that Johnson
fought the republican nominee for
mayor of San Francisco in 1907. They
have been told that he supported the I'M
successful candidate for the republican
nomination for mayor of San Fran
cisco last year and that after his can
dtdate had been defeated at a direct
primary election he led the fight for
the democratic nominee Undoubtedly
these charges. have affected Johnson's
standing with many republicans. The
registration of prominent democrats as
republicans for the avowed purpose of
voting for Johnson's nomination has
not served to allay partisan suspicion.
CANDIDATE INJURED
Johnson was undoubtedly injured by
Roosevelts reputation of the state
ment that Clifford Pinchot came to Cali
fornia to advocate Johnson's nomina-
ton at 'Roosevelt's request and direc-
ton. Perhaps Johnson should not be
held responsible, for the statement was
reiterated by the newspapers support
ing and by the orators speaking on his
behalf. Nevertheless the fact remains
that he has not escaped the eeffct of a
popular feeling that an attempt to de-
celVe was made, even If that attempt
Is not charged up to him personally.
republican registration of 325. 900.
or more than 100000 in excess of the
vote polled by President Taft. is in
itself V1nd1catfon of the direct pri-
mary election law. Obviously there is
large. number of democrats included
in the republican enrolment Some
of them, / know, have enrolled as re-
publicans in good faith. Others have
registered republicans for primary
purposes only and will vote for Bell
at the general election. regardless of
who may be the republican nominee.
BE that as 1t may. the man who wins
the republican nomination Tuesday will
win it directly from the hands of more
republicans than ever participated in
the selection of the nominees of any
four delegate conventions in the poIit-
ical history of this state. There can
be no charges of jobbery and machine
domination after the nominations are
made. The nominees will be the choice
of the rank and file of the party They
Will be entitled to the support of every
republican elector and of every man
who submits himself to the people S
a candidate for republican nomination
to any office. Probably no nominee
will get all that he is entitled to. L
believe the nominees of the majority
party will receive the loyal support of
their party and that no shattered ma
chine can. drive enough decent repub-
lfcans out of the party TO defeat the
candidate nominated by the people in
an open and fair fight