The San Francisco call., 1910-01-01

understood that Charles life has been
devoted to running for public office.
Holding public Office" is the phrase.
1t may not be copyrighted. but Charlie
made it. Charlie has held public Office
by making good therein Also by
beating the other fellow to it,
When Charlie and his purpose de-
sccnded upon the legislature in 1887
thert were no arbitration sections in
the codes. The star of destiny dis
closed a strike or the Sutter street line
and revealed Charlie in bold relief
with an arbitration bill ready for en-
actment by a legislature which he
informed There would be no trouble
If there We're legal way of avoiding
it He also advised the legislature
and the reporters on the scene that
Great capital is like a college educa-
ton. Neither is of any benefit to the
public, which is responsible for both.
unless it is properly applied" Rather
neat and statesmanlike. What?
The assembly passed Charles bin.
In fact. the assembly acquired early
something in the way of habit OF doing
things for Charlie. The senate did
nothing of the kind. but the fact re-
mained that Charlie was the lad who
saw the arbitration law thing first in
california. Another rare bit put over
by Charlie was law compelling county
clerks to attend to the pension work OF
old soldiers without the demand or col
lection of a fee therefor. 1t went. too.
and, forsooth. it goes vet If anv Ola
soldier does not know who turned that
little trick for him and for Charlie. the
fact remains that all the old soldiers
voting at the time were advised in the
premises and the next campaign has
barely started.
Charlie foI sock the halls of 1e~isla-
ton to attach himself to the federal
payroll as superintendent OF station r.
OF the san francisco postofIce He
9oSsed a. carriers, sold more than half
OF the stamps and purchased in San
francisco - per cent of the domestic
money orders, IS per cent OF the for
eign money orders, made good gen
efaiiy and beat il to become county
clerk when Uncle sam went to spoilina-
the political game in the postofhce nv
extending the civil service.
When Curry went into the county
clerks Office he found the work a wear
and half behind He left it down 10
the minute He was the first clerk
10 make the Office seIf-sustafnine and
to make it put money in the treasury
As county clerk he put the Inheritance
tax law into effect by institutinp tbs
suit against the Stanford estate. An
addition of 5000 to the school f,,nd
did next to nothing to loosen his grin
on the public pulse
He was elected secretary of STATE in
1898 His friends deny that he was n
candidate for governor that year He
was mentioned for governor in 1902
and elected secretary of state. As sec-
retary of state he has done a lot more
than hold the Office. He drew and
secured the enactment of the graduated
corporation filing fee law and the cor
poration tax law. BY these and other
measures Curry has added something
like 100000 year to the net revenues
OF the state, and without the loss of a
farmer vote
As secretary of state he has been the
active ex oficio member of the govern
ing boards of the states Institutions
He knows, their affairs backward. He
knows the technical side of some OF the
institutions better than the <superin-
tendents and lot more about the Vot-
ing habits OF the employees. all of whom
ne knows personally. There is an
ensctor in every voting precinct in
California who is indebted to Charlie
Curry for some sort of favor. His
~idSals are gone He has Rieas in then.
stead and they are big. constructive
ideas. He-takes himself his ideas and
his public service seriously. Let no
one think that his campaign for gov
ernor is not a serious affair. either. He
IS willing TO admit that he viii be the
next governor and a mighty good gov
error. too And at that Californs.
m'sht fare far and fare worse.