The San Francisco call., 1913-08-15
People Indebted to Publica-
ton for Many Political
and Governmental Ac-
conplishrnents
MACHINE POLITICS
FOUGHT TO FINISH
Direct Primary Law Owes
It's Being to The Call and
Retiring Owner

ally gave the direct primary law to the
people of this state. The Call began
The fight for direct nominating sys-
TENS. 1t made and finished that fight.
For months The Call fought virtu-
ally alone. Mr.. Spreckels paid every
dollar of the expenses incurred in the
prosecution of direct primary cam
paign which lasted nearly three years,
and which was waged INCREASINGLY un-
til Governor Gilletts signature was af-
axed to the Wright-Stanton bill.
FORCES BOSSES TO RECEDE
The Call demanded that the repub-
lican party commit its candidates for
state and legislative office to the direct
primary principle in 1906. It carried
It's demand to the historical Santa Cruz
convention.
There, fighting alone and against tre-
mendous odds, The Call forced the
bosses of the convention to incorporate
Its direct primary plank into the state
platform. That was the last repub-
tican convention to nominate a state
ticket.
Subsequently it developed that the
convention system had been written
into the constitution OF the state.
Against all the forces OF the machine
The Call prevented the enactment of
an alleged direct primary law, which
would have defeated the whole scheme
Of direct nominations.
Appealing TO the people. The Call
forced the legislature of 1907 TO sub
NIT q genuine direct primary constitu-
tional amendment to the people. Then,
through The Call Mr.. Spreckels waged
= state wide fight. which resulted in
majority of 10000 for that amend
ment. Again the fight was transferred
to the legislature. and finally. in 1903,
the direct primary bill written in the
Office of The Call became the law OF
California.
THE CALL ACCEPTS ISSUE
Meanwhile The Call had attacked
and broken the Herrin machine IN San
Francisco and thereby made the breach
in the machine lines which shortly re-
suited in their complete disruption.
After the fire of 1906 the local ma
chine sought to maintain It's control OF
the political affairs of San Francisco
and, through San Francisco. hold it's
control OF the Legislature by enfran-
chising the bricks in the burned dis
tricts.
The Call accepted the issue The
machine forces promptly abandoned the
plan to control the local convention
through an apportionment of a major
ity of the delegates TO districts virtu-
ally without population.
That surrender only spurred The Call
TO a bigger fight for the people. When
only 13 out of so delegates in the
county convention. It's complete dom
ination OF the republican party in San
Francisco was at an end
And finally The Call made and won
the fight for the acknowledgements of
the women of California. For years
The Call steadfastly upheld the hands
OF the earnest women who worked al
most without hope with succeeding
legislatures.
CAMPAIGNS FOR SUFFRAGE
In 1911, when a reluctant legislature
had submitted resolution for a con-
stitutional amendment giving equal
franchise rights to women, The Call
was the one metropolitan newspaper in
California that gave its unqualified
support to that resolution.
When friends and foes alike agreed
that the suffrage amendment had been
defeated The Call prosecuted the search
for the missing votes which constituted
the slender majority by which the
women of California were given the
right Of full participation in the gov
ernment of their state.
The history of The Call in the hands
OF Mr.. Spreckels is a record of rich
achievement for the people. With the
alienation OF The Call Mr.. Spreckels
lays down a work unlike that at
tempted by any other Californian
He has accomplished much He has
never wearied in the strife. He has
never asked for anything in the way of
political reward. He has never expected
even the compensation of public under
standing or appreciation.
He has had and Will always have
the understanding. the respect and the
fighting loyalty of the hundreds of
men and women who have shared the
pride of his service with The Call since
1897.