The San Francisco call., 1910-07-12
MESERVE Shares
WORKS WISH FOR
SENATORIALTOGA
Los Angeles Lawyer-POIitician
Enters Fight for Primary
Endorsement
Candidacy PIeases Machine, but
SpoiIs Contemplated Job to
Disregard Law
By GEORGE A. VAN SMITH

BY GEORGE A VAN Smith
The senatorial preference of the rank
and file OF the republicans of California
as expressed under the provisions of the
direct primary law is TO be put up
squarely to the legislature that viii
elect Frank T7lints successor. The first
evidence Of a bona hde hght for Flint's
seat was presented to San Francisco
yesterday in the person of E. A. Mes
erve, the Los Angeles lawyer politician.
who has volunteered to prevent John d.
Works from winning the republican
primary Endorsement by default
AS a candidate for the United States
senate Meserve is the fly in more than
one pot OF political ointment. His can
didacy means fight for John D
Works. the Los Angeles jurist and mag
azine writer who was indorsed by the
Lincoln Roosevelt league. That in it
self viii be provocative of no especial
demonstrations Of joy on the part of
either Works or the managers of the
Lincoln-R Roosevelt league. Works sus-
pended active campaign work several
weeks ago. He found Hiram w John
sons swing around the circle rather
willing that Works should hold himself
in reserve al Los Angeles
SIACHINE MEN PLEASED
Some of the machine nanipulators are
no more pleased over the candidacy of
Meserve than are the leaguers Meserve
Is not a militant -organiza tion
statesman. In fact, the relations be-
tween Meserve and the organiza tion in
southern California have been ra ther
arF
candidacy threatens TO spoil a machine
job 10 discredit and disregard the SEN
atorfal provisions of the direct primary
law. Machine men had hoped to pre-
vent senatorial contest at the primary
election. They believed that in the alb
sence of an opponent for Works the
vote polled by the leagues candidate
would be small that they could in
duce working majority Of the legisla
ture TO ignore the senatorial provisions
Of the primary law and elect a United
States senator TO be selected by Herrin
at his leisure. Their first hopes were
centered on Frank Flint himself.
While Walter Parker and other ma
chine dignitaries were hotfooting it to
washington TO explain TO Flint how
easily the trick could be turned, and
other senatorial possibilities were as
suring the public that they were only
joking, Meserve was saving wood for
MCSGINE. he discovered. IN the usual
manner, that there was an insistent and
growing demand that he sacrifice his
personal inclinations and devote him
self to the cause of scientific govern
nent as candidate for the United
States senate. The discovery completed,
Meserve went about the preparation of
his petition for a place on the primary
ballot and while Parker was on his
second pilgrimage TO the Flint shrine
Meserve became a full f1edged and
legally qualified candidate for the
United States senate. The default fea-
ture was kicked out of the sena torial
primary situation.
MEsERVE RESPECTS PRIMARY
Meserve says he has never enter
tained any of the illusions about the
primary law that have been so popular
with some organization leaders. He
has observed the workings of the
direct primary system in other states.
Those observations have convinced
him that legislators keep their ears
close TO the ground and that they do
not clanor for opportunities to throw
down the popular will expressed al
the primary polls. He hopes TO beat
Works for the primary Endorsement of
his party, but he does not expect TO
land the toga unless he does win out
al the primary polls; neither does he
expect that Works viii be rejected by
the legislature if the popular majority
is corralled by the Lincoln Roosevelt
candidate.
Il am in this fight to win" said
Meserve last night. IF I can get the
primary majority in sufficient num-
Der Of districts L Will win. I have no
doubt about the ratification of the will
of their constituents by the senators
and assemblymen elected this fall.
They will vote for the man chosen by
the people of their districts and the
holdover senators will be no less mind
ful OF the wishes Of the voters Of their
respective districts. I fully believe
that il I can secure 3 popular majority
over my opponent in districts that elect
Lincoln Roosevelt league candidates to
the legislature those men will con
slider themselves bound by that vote
and cast their ballots for me instead
OF for Judge Works. The same will be
true as regards either Judge Works
or myself in districts that elect organ
ization men TO the legislature. This is
only q flying trip. I shall return 10
Los Angeles tomorrow to attend to
some private business. When that is
out of the way / intend TO make 4
thorough canvass of the state. I shall
go through northern California with
an automobile. / have things going
nicely in southern California and my
campaign will be vigorous
EDITORIAL FLOP a POSER
The Lincoln Roosevelt league man
ayers are burning red fire over the
editorial flop Of the Humboldt Times
and it's owner, Ralph Bull. out of the
Curry camp and into the Johnson
lines Bull had been an avowed sup
porter Of Curry for months. He made
several trips TO the Curry headquar-
ters in San Francisco and was in fire.
osient communicat ton with Curry and
his campaign directors. On the eve of
Johnson's visit TO Eureka, Bulls news
paper declared editorially for the Lin
coin Roosevelt league candidate The
Curry men do not pretend to be able to
-zplain Bulls gymnastics. They have
received no word from Bull for several
DAYS nor have they seen his editorial
espoussl of Johnson. The johnson
managers make no effort to explain
They are something more than content
with the fact They have seen the
editorial and feel good about il
that they have caused to be printed
several thousand copies for posting on
bill boards and for general distribu-
ton.
.PINCHOT TO SPEAK
Curry leaves today on a northern
trip. a portion of which was especially
planned by Bull That trip includes