The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, June 30, 1902, Page 4

MONDAY. -JUNE 30, 1902 JOHN D. SPRECKELS, Proprietor. LEAKE, Manager. " haéress A1l Communications to W. " TELEPHONE. Ask for THE CALL. The Operator Will Connect You With the Department You Wish. Market and Third, S. F. 217 to 221 Stevemson St. PUBLICATION OFFICE. . EDITORIAL ROOMS Delivered by Carriers, 15 Cents Per Week. Single Copies, 5 Cents. Terms by Mail, Including Postage: CALL (ncluding Sunday), one year. CALL (ncluding Sunday), 6 months. DAILY CALL (including Sunday), 3 months. DAILY CALL—By single Month. SUNDAY CALL, One Year WEEKLY CALL, One Year. All postmasters are authorized to receive bueriptions. Sample copies will be forwarded when requested. Mail subscribers in ordering change of address shouid be particular to give both NEW AND OLD ADDRESS in order to insure & prompt and correct compliance with their request. OAKLAND OFFICE.. .1118 Broadway C. GEORGE KROGNESS, Eanager Foreign Advertising, Marquette Building, Chicago. (Long Distance Telephone “‘Central 261! NEW STEPHEN B. SMITH.. YORK REPRESENTATIVE: +..30 Tribune Building NEW YORK CORRESPONDENT: C. C. CARLTON.. ..Herald Square EW YORK NEWS STANDS: Hotel; A. Brentano, 3! stor I Hotel. Waidorf- Murray Hi Union Square; CHICAGO NEWS STANDS: News Co.; Great Northern Hotel; Sherman ¥remon: E WASHINGTON (D. C.) OFFICE....1406 G St., N. W. MORTOY E. CRANE, Correspondent. BRANCH OFFICES—327 Montgomery, corner of Clay, open 300 Hayes, open until 9:30 o'clock. 63 . open until 9:30 o'clock. 615 Larkin, open until 1 Mission, open umtil 10 o'clock. 2261 ixteenth, open until 9 o'clock. 1096 Va- 1 9 o'clock. 106 Eleventh, open until 9 srner Twenty-second and Kentucky, open 200 Fillmore, open until 9 p. m. 70 SUBSCRIBERS LEAVIKG TOWK FOR THE SUMMER. Call subseribers contemplating a change of residence during the summer months can have their paper forwarded by mail to their mew addresses by notifying The Call Business Office This paper will also be on sale at all summer resorts and is represented by a local agent in all towns on the coast. 3 TRADE GAINING AGAL RADE apparently improved somewhat last week, and for midsummer was rather above the average. The loss in the country’s bank as only 8 per cent, compared with the ing week in 1901, whereas the decrease ; been much more than this, and the aggre- | gate clearings exceeded $2:000,000,000, which is also a larger showing than has been the rule of late, The o made a Detter exhibit, being 200, against i | i failures 204 for the same week last year. Thus, as far as | these statistics go, business made a better showing. The coa ke, however, is still a serious derange- ment and check along the Atlantic seaboard. Pro- duction and consumption alike are materially reduced | by it, and those railroads which are more or less de- pendent upon the coal mining industry are suffering. !‘ Aside from this pafticular strike, however, the in- | dustrial situation is reported rather better, as 2 num- | ber' of strikes in other lines and regions have been settled. The railway earnings thus far in June show zn increase of 4.6 per cent over the same period last ar. The movement of general merchandise is re- ported large all over the country, while orders for fall delivery in the great grain-growing regions of | the West are unusually heavy for this time of the | year. The first half of the year, just closed, to employ | the phraseology of cne commercial authority, has had few equals and no superiors. While profits have t been s large as for the past year or two, taking all lines and the whole country into consideration, the volume of business has been larger. There has been on, but more legitimate ™trading in goods. These conditions bid fair to continue. The crop prospects of the country are fine, and all agricultural sections report good times. The iron and steel trades, while no longer feverish and boom- ing, have all the business they can carry, and the consumption of stee! is so large that manufacturers find themselves obliged to import it from Europe, owing to the congestion in the order books of the American mills, There has lately been a quieting down of the retail lumber trade along the Atlantic Coast, however, and several of the minor metals, such as copper and tin, are lower. The important cereals, such as wheat, corn and oats, have lately shown more life at the Western trading centers. Rains in Texas and Louisiana have improved the cotton crop prospects along the Gulf, where 2 serious drought has been prevailing for some time. The boot and shoe business seems to be look- ing up again, as the manufacturers are reporting a larger volume of contracts for early fall delivery. Leather, however, is dull and accumgylating, with some closing down among the tanneries, though hides are still active and steady. Wool is firmly held, but at quotations which tend to restrict the de- mand. Provisions are also so high that buyers are purchasing only from hand to mouth, and hogs are highers t at any time this year, with continued fight receipts at the Western packing centers. The Eastern money markets are expecting a fine windiall on the first of July in the form of over $120,- 000,000 in interest and dividends, of which the rail- roads will pay in dividends some $22,000,000 and in- dustrial concerns over $26,000,000, the aggregate div- idend list reaching $55,000,000. Interest on the va- rious bonds, private and governmental, will amount to about $69,000,000. All of this money coming into the market will probably give further ease to the finan- cial situation. A noteworthy feature of the dividend showing is the decrease in industrial dividends, as compared with July, 1901, the loss being ascribed to the changing of the dividend dates of several cop- per companies, and in fact to the reduction in the copper dividends themselves. ‘ On the Pacific Coast everything is serene. We are still enjoying a profusion of almost everything, money included, though this latter “statement wiil hardly be indorsed by the average man. o ——— less specu Now that the Panama or Nicaraguian question is up to Roosevelt, the country has a right to expect to see things moving at once, | . UNCERTAIN POLICY. HE addresses of the President continue to be T upon partisan Jor military subjects, and are read and studied with interest. His frankness puts the country under obligation to him, though it runs mainly to a discussion of persons and personal- ities, rather than of principles. His most recent ad- dress was an elaborate and flattering indorsement of General Wood, Secretary Root and Governor Taft, only one of whom is a Harvard man. The President gave it as his opinion that these three have done things which place them alongside General Kitch- ener and Lord Cromer, and compared the great re- wards bestowed by the British empire upon the lat- ter with the indifference of the American people to the former. While the President had no intention to disparage our countrymen, it is quite-in order to say that they are not indifferent to high merit or great achieve- ment. But these must be apparent and not depend upon repeated statement and ascription. If Wood, Taft and Root complain of indifference, it is because their service, doubtless well intended and conscienti- ously rendered, has not been of the arduous or useful character which impresses the people. It is not recog- nized as a service needed and necessary, or as in- volving the personal risk which gives even unneces- sary and useless service the glamour of courage and sacrifice. We say it is not recognized, but that does not mean that it is not worthy, high and necessary, useful and extremely honorable service, but only that it is not so regarded now, and that it is not is proved by the President’s persistent effort, in nearly all of his public addresses, to secure the recognition that is at present lacking. As far as General Wood and Secretary Root are concerned there is abroad a feeling that'is some- thing more than negative. It is not merely lack of recognition of the merit of something which they have done, but it is a recognition of things done by them which the people do not like and do not in- dorse. The payment to Gomez and the use of many | thousands of dollars by General Wood, approved by Secretary Root, to influence legislation by our Con- gress, are not approved by the people and are re- garded as anything but creditable to American mo- rality. It is all right for the President to stand by the general administrative acts of Wood and Root, but othing he may say will at all advance them toward the list of public benefactors. He says that they are | attacked. That is true, but to be attacked is no sign of merit or demerit in this country. Nobody had to tell the people that Grant and Sherman were great and had rendered transcendent service. The people knew it as they beheld it. No one had to tell them. But Grant and Sherman were abused, and since their day every small man who has unworthily attempted a large thing, or, while exercising an august func- tion, has belittled it, has smugly patted his own head and answered all criticism by placing himself in the class of Grant and Sherman because he is criticized. In discussing the very worthy service of Governor Taft the President strongly pictures him “leading the Filipinos up the stony path toward self-govern- ment.” In that task he has all the sympathy and support of the nation. These go to him in all the generous measure set by the President. In all the Harvard address it is the only reference to matters of policy or principle, and it is vague and uncertain. Does the President mean that Governor Taft is lead- ing the islands forward into the union as States, and their people as citizens of the United States? If so the American people should know it, as there is well nigh universal aversion and opposition to such an outcome of this afflicting business. If the President mean that when the end of the stony path is reached the islands are to be made an independent, self-gov- | erning nation, their ten millions of people to be cit- izens of the Philippine commonweaith, then the Fil- ipinos should know it, for it will help them over the stony path in shorter time and with fewer bruises. As we have said before, no people has ever yet been led to and taught self-government. Governor Taft, then, has a task never before undertaken by mortal man.. We wish him well, and so do all his countrymen, but there is not a vivid condition of interest in his work or in any of our operations in the Philippines. The people sometimes think of the Philippine trilemma—are the islands to be States of this Union; are they to be made independent and take their place amongst the nations of the earth; or are they to remain subordinate, to be our per- manent colonies, their people unequal with us, and held as our subjects? One of these three policies must be the outcome. Which will it be? Let us hope that in the next of his noteworthy public ad- dresses the President will give the country a lucid statement of his view. s e e ———— It is said that there were never before so large a number of San Francisco people out of town as at this season. Prosperity has enabled an unusually large number to take a holiday and they are making good use of the opportunity. MORE HARMONY. HE Manhattan Club dinner in February was T cooked and eaten in the interest of Democratic harmony. Good digestion had hardly waited on appetite when Mr. Bryan attacked that dinner from soup to coffee. Tapping his abundant vocabu- lary of vituperation, he spilled it all and singular upon Hill, harmony and the dove of Democratic peace, until he made the scene look more like a fair at famed Donnybrook than a feast for forgiven prodigals. It was interesting that in that same connection he accused Major Henry Watterson of being a re- organizer, a come-onter and a political cutthroat, who would bear watching. g The tone committee of the party waited for the Nebraska blizzard to subside and then took advan- tage of the opening of the new quarters of the Tilden Club in New York to bring all the separated brethren to bite and sup together. Many came and listened to a speech by Mr. Cleveland that will be forever remarkable amongst the political utterances of Amer- ican statesmen. In it were no personalities, and he made no attempt to do small or smart politics. His admonitions were addressed to the party which he recreated and led. His characterizations of that party were quite ideal and there be many who wish it were worthy of his ascriptions, for then it would be worthy of public confidence and American politics would recover their wholesome balance. These sentences in which he described Bryan and Bryanism, without naming either, are masterpieces, and one can feel them cut into the quick of that spec- tacular and thespian person: “Let us not forget, however, that it is not in the search of new and gaudy issues, nor the interpellation of strange visions, that a strong and healthy Democracy displays its splen- did power. Another party may thrive on the ever shifting treatment of the ever -shifting moods of pop- ular restlessness, or by an insincere play upon un- reasoning prejudice and selfish anticipation.” Then, sketching his own conception of the creed of the party, he continued: “What but infatuation with the visage .of defeat can explain the subordination of these things by Democrats when they prepare for battle? Our people are too much on the alert to ac- cept political deliverances they do not understand, and the enthusiasm of the rank and file does not thrive on mystery.” No description of his issues and his methods could be more galling to Mr. Bryan, and yet who knows but he was more hurt by omission of his name? = This is probably Mr. Cleveland’s last speech on po- litical and party issues. No doubt it was intended to present some common ground upon which the dis- tracted organization could meet and take its place as one of the great parties in a free society wherein parties are necessary to the social health. But the spirit in which it was received by those for whom it was intended shuts out any hope of its effectiveness. The first knight-errant of distraction to lower his visor and put his quill in tilt and let go at it was Major Watterson. With the riotous exuberance of the leader of a lynching party, the deep, dark spirit of mooashiner and the unreasoning desire to shoot something that overcomes a feudist, he jumped on Mr. Cleveland and all his works and words, and made the dark and bloody ground howl again, while he chopped harmony with a club, and warned the whole country that if it doesn’t lock the door and keep its hands on its pocketbook Mr. Cleveland will again break into the Presidency and proceed to do the un- utterable. He gave free rein to his alarm, and also to his in memoriam regards for Mr. Tilden; so that his effort, considered as a panorama, is a mixture of runaway mule and stolid hearse team. é . He recalled with tearful bitterness of feeling tha Mr. Tilden died with expressions of aversion and dis- trust of Cleveland upon his lips. This is news, in- deed. Mr. Tilden might have been in better business in the solemn hour of dissolution than cussing Mr. Cleveland. If Watterson tell the truth Democratic inharmony is older than Bryanism. It is no Ken- tucky fairy tale, told to tickle the ‘ink ear of the star-eyed goddess of reformy that Horatio Seymour had certain unfavorable opinions of Mr. Tilden, but was too well bred to mix them in with his dying. San- ford E. Church had peartburnings against both Til- den and Seymour, but carefully excluded them from his judicial decisions. Great men have bitten their thumbs at each other before, and in Kentucky, where they take pot shots at Governors, the incendiary parts of speech, the very nitrates and picrates of the language are overworked to satisfy the desire of such to express their mutual aversion and distrust. Why, then, should Major Watterson hark back to this death-bed gritting of Mr. Tilden’s teeth at Cleve- {land? The only interest felt by the country in the matter is in the fact, now apparent, that Mr. Bryan can be trusted to discipline Major Watterson when- ever he gets too harmonious, and that both can be trusted to fall foul of Mr. Cleveland and his friends whenever they walk abroad with the olive branch. Unless the law provide a glose season for the dove of Democratic peace she will be shot, stewed and eaten before 1904. o e e e After all Whitelaw Reid is to come home without having a chance to wear his coronation breeches, BEWARE OF FIRE. V them to his family as an heirloom. ITH the approach of the Fourth it be- W hooves the people “to take precautions against the probable outbreak of disastrous fires. The liberty and even license which American custom and patriotism permit in the use of fireworks for the celebration of the day invariably result in danger to life and property. In former years Amer- ican cities have suffered heavily from Fourth of July fires, and while of late there has been a more care- ful regulation of the use of fireworks, the day is still one of more than usual peril to property, and vigil- ance is needed to guard against the danger. A word of warning to property holders has been issued from the Fire Underwriters’ Inspection Bu- reau, and should be given due heed by the people generally. Among the precautions suggested are these: “If you have private fire apparatus, see that the hose, fire pails and extinguishers are in service- able conditjon. If you have a small hose attach it m the mosravailablc place. Many kinds of business require the use of pails, tanks and barrels. These should be filled with water and distributed advanta- geously during the dangerous period. All rubbish should be removed from basements into which grat- ings open, and all outside doors to basements should be securely closed. Wooden sidewalks and planked areas should be kept wet. Remove all packing boxes, goods in cases and rubbish from sidewalks, areas and roofs. Boxes that are necessarily left outside should be piled snugly and no packing material left ex- posed.” It will not be much trouble for anybody to exer- cise that much of care, and the property at stake is worth the care it entails. In San Francisco we have never had such disastrous fires as have-swept large cities in the East, nor are we likely to have, for our summer climate and our building material are not so conducive to fires as are those of Eastern cities. Nevertheless we will surely suffer heavy losses sooner or later if we are careless. of the underwriters’ burcau should be followed. Let us try to have a Fourth of July whose celebration will not be marred by any accident to person or property. The new King of Saxony is said to be chiefly noted for his military tastes and his considerate treat- ment of private soldiers during his thirty years’ ser- vice in the Twelith Army Corps; but as it is added that he is a good musician and likes to give musical parties, at which he entertains his guests by playing duets with his daughter, it would appear he is not so considerate of his friends as he is of his soldiers. The local Grand Jury seems to be burdened with an overdose of time and nothing to dictate its use. The worthy inquisitors are amusing themselves by an investigation of the charges flaringly displayed by the yellow sheet of the city. The sheepmen of the State have won an important victory in the courts. Can this have any indirect bearing upon affairs political or is it simply sent out to deceive a confiding public? e William Jennings Bryan has/ again unloosed his tongue, this time to froth and foam at Cleveland. In a study of comparisons no one yet has objected to a creature baying at the moon, 5k but he has the satisfaction of knowing he can leave | personal enemies. The suggestions | THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, MONDAY, JUNE 30, 1902 GAGE'S WANING CAUSE AND HIS QUEER FLIGHT TO SAN PEDRO Comments of Leading'Republican and Other NeV{spapers'of the State on the Governor's Method of Procedure in His Libel Suits and on His Efforts to Retain Party Leadership. In Northern California nothing has happened apers of California are i e e i to bring a ray of comfort to the push. nearly unanimous in the proposition that the nom- ingtion of Gage for Governor would result in the defeat of the Republican party in November. Angeles is the only county in which the Gage sup- porters .are making an open fight for delegates. San Joaquin, Alameda and San Francisco the ma- chine manipulators are working under cover to obtain favor from other candidates. ~The push places its chief reliance on Democratic votes_at the primary election August 12. The succor from Democratic sources is all that keeps the field as a candidate for another term. The San Joaquin Valley country has already repudiated Gage, Kevane hope Gage o WATSONVILLE PAJARONIAN: The articles which appeared in the San Francisco Call relative to lax methods at San Quentin Prison in purchase of supplies and; allowance of claims therefor have had an effect aside from causing Governor Gage to commence libel suits against the proprietor and menager of The Call. The Call charged that bills had been substituted for claime filed so as to show lists of goods differing from those purchased, and that these substi- tuted claims were noty written by employes of the firm delivering the goods, but were the work of skillful convicts. Fac similes of sev- eral claims were printed by The Call, and such houses as Levi Strauss & Co. and H. S. Crocker & Co. denounce them as base forgeries and not in keeping with the claims they had filed. Eyidently the Prison Directors agree with these irate wholesale merchants, as on Saturday last they passed the following reso- e ion: “Resolved, That hereafter no claims be al- lowed by this board that are not made out in the handwriting of the claimants and 'upon original billheads of the creditors of the prison. No original bill shall be made out in the hand- ting of any convict, and all necessary cor- rections sball be made on bills in red ink in such manner as not to obliterate the original ‘words or figures.” That resolution will be construed by the average citizen as being an_ indorsement of The Call's investigations. The Call charged that bilis were being made out at San Quen- tin by convicts in place of claims which had been made out regularly by prison creditors. It The Call's charge as to such a condition was untrue, the resolution quoted above Wwas unnecessary. The resolution is a good one; it should have béen In force long ago—but better late than never. The -Call brought the mat- ter to the attention of the Prison Directors and did the State a’good service in doing so. It is now in order for the Prison Directors to fully, carefully and most publicly investigate the ¢harges made against the management Of our State prisons, and let the blame (if any mismanagement is found) fall where it will without regard for politics or pult. If the prison management sn all branches has been and is honest and straightforward and in ac- cord with the law, Governor Gage will have the best wishes for success of all people in his suits against the editors. In justice to Gov- ernor Gage and to all persons connected wich our prison management the investigation should be made soon and exhaustive. SANTA ANA HERALD: The courts will be left to decide whether Governor Gage has been libeled by the San Francisco Call and whether the Los Angeles Times Injured the Governor's reputation $100,- 000 worth in republishing The Call’s charges as a matter of news. The Republicans of Cali- fornia, however, are confronted with the far more important’ matter of nominating a man for Governor who can unite the party and be elec A man who is always looking for trouble as a rule has little difficulty in finding it, and Henry .,T. Gage is just that sort of a man. The Republican party of California usu- ally has troubles enough of its own on gub- ernatorial years without shouldering a lot of Henry's. As an individual Mr. Gage has the inalienable and undisputed right to antago- nize everybody he chooses, but as the repre- sentative of a party he has not. He was look- ing for trouble when he came to Los Angeles as a _guest of the Republican clubs and rudely assailed his own personal enemies there; he was looking for trouble when he addressed ths letter announcing his candidacy for renomina- tion fo the State League at San Jose, and again used the opportunity to attack his own The Republican party of California is too big and of too much im- portance to be dragged into the personal fights of any man no matter what his attainments may be. Bigger men than Henry T. Gage have been left on the outside to_cool off on account of their bullheadedness and pugnacity. Henry has been looking for trouble ever since he was elected Governor and he has generally found it. He really ought to have all of his time to devote to that sort of thing and not be tied down in Sacramento as Governot. e POHON\A PROGRESS: It thére is anything more humorous in Cali- fornia journalism than what'the Gage organs are publishing just now about their candidate’s chances, it does not come to the Progress office. Sz i e MARYSVILLE DEMOCRAT: The esteemed morning contemporary seems quite alone in the defense of Governor Gage in his effort to create a large bill of expense in compeling principals and witnesses to go to San Pedro to attend in a court of justice In case of criminal libel. The taking of testimony in a preliminary examination could be had in Marin County, where the prison is located, or at Sac- ramento, where the law says the Governor must reside, as well as in the town of San Pedro, five hundred miles away. It will not be denfed that the action of the Governor in the preliminary work shows a weakness at least. It is a fact that Gage vetoed several claims at the last session of the Legislature, a matter of economy, £o claimed, but he forgets this question of economy in thé interest of the people when vindicating his personality. Ry LI HANFORD JOURNAL: The reason given by Governor Gage for bripg- ing his criminal libel suits against the news- paper men at San Pedro, a village way down in the southern part of the State—that it is purely one of sentiment, as it was there that he began his career in’California—appears to the public to be a very poor reason. It means @ heavy expense to the taxpayers in having to take witnesses, records, etc., to such an obscure place, when the suits ‘could just as well have been 'brought at Sacramento or near the San Quentin prison anywhere. The people are in- terested in knowing about the case. We do not believe the Governor is gullty of the petty criminal acts with which he is charged, for pilfering from the State, but he should not put the State to any more expense to prove his in- nocence than is necessary. o ‘SACRAMENTO BEE: The lttr-mrn:/nl Governor Gage to bring his critica hundreds of miles away from their place of business and from tho evidence, to be sat upon by his own chosen Dogberry, can be looked upon only in the light of a retreat—and not a “masterly retreat” either. R A VISALIA DELTA: Henry T. Gage was a much happler man when he .was practicing law for a living and ralsing horses for amusement than he is as the Governor of California at a salary of $6000 per year—Aberdeen (Wash.) Republican, And the people of the State of California were much happler, too, AL L E HUMBOLDT STANDARD: Probably none of the things Governor Gage has done will hurt him so much among the people, especlally the laboring men, as his rec- ord whh the Chinese convict. It appears that the Board of Prison Directors were about to parole a Chinese convict when Gage pardoned him and took him to his ranch, where he Is employed as a cook. The Governor's enemies claim that the Chinaman is working for the Governor without pay, but . Gage says he is paying him $25 a month. It makes but lt- tle difference to the voters whether the China- man Is paid or not. The employment of Chi- nese_labor by the Governor, especially of a convict pardoned by him, will not be approved by the laboring men, without whose votes enry T. Gage cannot be elected Governor, P"du another migtake; it is worse, it is a lun e EUREKA DAILY STANDARD: The arrest of the editors of The Call or the filing of the complaint at San Pedro has done the Governor no good. It shows a pebtiness that the Governor should not possess, If The Call has libeled or slandered Henry T. Gage it has done so in his capacity as Governor, and the trial should take place at or near San Quentin, where the Tecords and the. witnesses can be secured. T drag the defendants and witnesses down records and the wit- us. 40 miles trom the esses, is certainly an outrageo procedure. The_Governor's home, his legal residence, i at Sacramento, and Consistent with the dig- nity of his great office he might have brought sull mento, He lives a large share of and Aguirre. The Governor's Los In would have Francisco. T ot A R Rar S S becoming dignity will take any pride in this Bet of pettishriess. A trial of the lssues with- out delay by an impartial court is what Gov- ernor Gage should desire, what he should de- mand, If he has been slandered by The Call, or its editors, they should be punished, and there are courts in Marin County, at Sacra- mento and in San Francisco, either of which would give the case an impart'al hearing and do justice by Governor Gage. It is to be re- greited that he was not broad enoush to com- prehend the situation and wise enough fo do the right thing in this case. He has made a serious mistake, o S A e CORONA COURIER: Governor Gage has commenced his libel suits against Spreckels and Leake of The San Fran- cisco Call and General Otis of the Los Ans‘eleu Times. If this doesn't kill Gage for renomina- tion it will be a wonder. He probably had some show before, but he certainly has con- siderable less now. Conservative men in.the party will want no such load as Gage will be fo carry through a campaign, and thsy will evidently look for a safe man to inate. No Oregon methods for California, please. S iy OAKLAND ENQUIRER: Where, was Governor Gage libeled, and where should he be most anxious to secure a vindi- cation? The Call, which was the head-libeler, is published and largely circulated in San Francisco. It is not belfeved that it has a large circulation in San Pedro, Los Angeles County, fok none of the San Francisco papers have. The Chronicle, the chief assistant libel- er, is also a San Francisco paper, and The Times is published in Los Angeles. It might be logical to prosecute The Times in San Pedro, but we can see meither logic mor Wit in the decislon of the Governor to seek his vindication ‘from San Francisco slander in the little seaside town on the southern ‘coast. As we understand it, the Governor's object prosecuting is to prove to all the people that he has_been falsely vilified, and we shouid suppose he would seek to do this in the largest forum in the State, not in a hole or a corner. In other words, San Francisco, where the of- fense was committed, and where there are more people than in any other town to witness the refutation, is the place of all places where the refuting should be done. TR e LOS ANGELES TIMES: Ever since the appropriation of the $100,000 “bubonic plague” fund over a year ago, the taxpayers of the State have wondered who got it. Reports have been received from time to time that the money Wwas spent by the ad- ministration in one manner and another for the good of the “‘push,” and examples were cited of numerous appointees of the machine who were drawing down good salaries for alleged services. One of these appointees was a man named Bryant of San Jose, who received an appoint- ment as “‘inspector’ from the State Board of Health, and who came to Los Angeles without credentials to “‘investigate’ the conduct of the local Health Department. Bryant received $200 per month and expenses for doing practically nothing, and his appointment is charged to an effort on the part of the machine to obtain the support of several organizations of old soldfers, of which Bryant was a member. Bryant left Angeles hurriedly after the “job”’ was shown up in the Times. But the “'graft’” strikes closer home. ‘Walter Moore, the disgraced fire chief of this city, has been named as the chief beneficiary of the ‘‘bubonic plague’” fund, and during his sojourn in Francisco he has held various positions under the present adminis- tration, as ‘‘water expert” and in other capaci- ties, for all of which he is sald to have re- ceived goodly portions of the State’s money. Ben Fehneman, of local notoriety, also has profited handsomely in his allegiance to Gage, who appointed him, and there are many other members of- the ‘push’’ who have gained com- fortable allowances through the laxity with which the purse strings of the State bave been ulled. P"Ifia San Francisco Call of Thursday makes extracts from State records to show how these shining lights of the Los Angeles machine have been cared for in the distribution of funds: L FRESNO REPUBLICAN: . Because Governor Gage cannot be re-elected —if there were no other reason—his nomina- tion would be the acme and the ultimate of political folly. Unless a political party can go*inte a campaign with a fair assurance of victory, it cannot hope to maintain in any practicable way the principles which it pro- fesses. The Republican party, if it would elect the next Governor, of California, must not weight itself down with a candidate who al- ready stands in the shadow of certain and in- evitable defeat. Sl sl REDLANDS CITROGRAPH: ‘With what seems peculiar unanimity, the an- nouncement that ‘“Gage’s nomination is con- ceded by shrewd San Francisco politiclans’ has appeared in a whole lot of papers. And still more peculiar and singular it is that a majority of these papers are either Democratic or of strong Democratic leanings, Guess the shrewd Democratic politicians are doing all they can to get Gage nominated. What for? You guess. e COLVUSA SUN: We bave never admired the course of the Governor, but when he got down so low as to misrepresent a committes of farmers and go off in a long tiradesin orderte catch the votes of a multitude in San Francisco, we became thoroughly disgusted. A Governor of a great State like California ought to have some dig- nity. some regard for the amenities of life, some regard for the truth. Our dislike did not come from any political differences, we like many Republican officials. We have a warm personal regard for Attorney General Ford, for State Superintendent Kirk, and even for the man who ran so far behind his ticket, C. F. Curry; in short, we protest that polities has never influenced in the least our likes and dislikes. We like a good officer of whatever party, and if one serves the people well are willing to give him credit. We do not know the Governor personally, and hence all our op- position has grown from his official acts. 7 . SAN DIEGO TRIBUNE: Governor Gage’'s action in bringing suft 2gainst the San Francisco Call at an out of the way place like San Pedro, a little town on the coast five hundred miles from San is not likely to impress unprejudiced g with the belief that the Governor's most sin- cere motive is to have the case tried on its merits. Such persons will not escape the con- viction that “something’ is back of such a move, It had desired a complete and blic trial of those against whom he has rought suit, at the place where an action at law could bé had with as little expense to the State as possible and with consideration for facllity of access to the evidence in the case, there appears no reason why he should not Call in the city have sued The where it is pub- lished. Surely the courts of San o or of Sacramento, his home, are not less capable of restoring pristine beauty to a repu- tation than those of W' ‘ownship, on the borders of San P lough. Governor Gage will not be held unaccountable to the pub- lic in his-new method of its 5 The witnesses and the magm?(hh suit, 1 it shall be brought gn trial in Wilmington ‘ownship, must be brought and returned hon- The records the controll- s othce at San Quenty e er's office a ntin will dence for both sides. L the Governor is skulking to avold the real issue. ernor’s reputation as a lawyer,” which was ver; hanced by his flight to on his retreat is quite interesting: retreat to San Pedro for the purpose of bringing action against The Call is generally accepted by the press of the State as a confession of weakness upon the part of the accused executive. judicial investigation of affairs at San Quentin prison he instituted proceedings at Sacramento or San It is now becoming clear to the public mind that If he had desired an immediate The Gov- “fearless fighter and astute criminal dear to the push, has not been en- an Pedro. The comment of the press against The San Francisco Call or Chronicle in that out of the way place. It would seem reasonable to think that the Governor, if he be really desirous of clearing himself from the charges made, would resort to the widest forum available. Of course he may rely upon the account of the proceedings being printed in full wherever they are had, but it would have been more manly, more in keeping with a desire to have his vindication made openly and above board, if he had taken Tesort to the courts of the State’s metropolis, ere they might have been witnessed by the puBlic, interested in knowing whether the State Executive is as bad as he is painted. e g WOODLAND DEMOCRAT: The Governor made a serious blunder in se- lecting the place where he would swear out & warrant for the arrest of the proprietor and manager of The Call. In selecting the remote little town of San Pedro he has subjected the State officlals who will be called upon to tes- tify to great Inconvenience and the State to unnecessary expense. He has also created a suspicton that he is in no hurry for a vindica- tion. His blunder has given his friends a surprise and his newspaper enemies a distinct advantage, which they will use for all it Is worth. MODESTO HERALD: Party leaders elsewhere will do well to mark the sentiment in the San Joaquin Valley re- garding the candidacy of Governor Gage for repomination. The Republicans of thres of the eight countles have met in convention so far, and in each Instance Senator Flint has been Indorsed for Governor. We genuinely doubt if the Governor will receive even one vote from the San Joaquin Valley delegation, representing one-seventh of the counties of the State. B WILLOWS DAILY JOURNAL: It would seem that if Governor Gage has been so grossly libeled he would have de- manded an investigation and mot run * down to a Justice of the Peace in a far-of county to file_his complaint against J. D. Spreckels and W. S. Leake. The city of San Francisco is where the crime, if any, was committed and there would have been the proper place to file his papers. The actions of the Governor are not in keeping with his pro- testations of honesty. et i SAN DIEGO UNION: Was it injury to the gubernatorial reputation or to the gubernatorial “mug” that caused Governor Gage to flee to the watery wastes of Wilmington slough, to have his grief giound through the judicial mill at that newly-found asylum for the bruised in spirit? This query is one that will suggest itself to most people Who have perused the ponderous complaint_to which the Governor made cath B e hreprietor sad his. manager before newspaper proprietor an e T et T e S slough. In that remarkable document, guber- natorial grief is set forth in most lugubrious terms. _But it is when the complaint reaches the artist's portrayal of the gubernatorial countenance ‘that the business grows —really serious. This alleged wrong is depicted in the darkest colors, and the gubernatoriai complain- ant seems to be repeating:; “Black as it was, I'd blacken it still more, And make it blacker than it was before.” One might suppose that the Governor {s really more troubled over his face than over his reputation. Possibly, however, this exces- sive sensitiveness about the former is not un- natural. It has been the custom of news- papers that support the machine of which the Governor, is_the head, aiways to picture his face as/a delightful blending of beauty and brains<the commingled countenance of an Adonis and a Webster. The executive “‘mug" has been so often presented in this delightful way that its r may have shocked to see it portrayed differently. In any event, he come to_the. conclusion that por- trayal in an unflattering manner is ‘“‘agai the peace and dignity of the people of the State of California,” and although those same people have not, so far as known, made any very loud protesis against their ‘“peace and dignity”’ being thus outraged in the guberna- torfal countenance, the legal assistance of the temple of justice at Wilmington slough has been invoked, and the result will be watched with bated breath. In the meantime it may be suggested that while the people have not made any violent demonstrations over the alleged pictorial as- saults on their ‘‘peace and dignity,” the tax- peyers may say some unkind to the vernor should he succeed in his Old Batley tactics and put them to the expense of a pre- liminary trial at a place remote from po and paper that will be needed at In, Although the Gage shouters have been de- claring that the farmers are in favor of the returns, so far as recek the claim. Six of the great grain- ties—Tehama, Colusa, Tulare, laus and Glenn—have already tions to the State convention, and not one of them has been instructed to tl rernor ior renomination. Four of counties pledged their delegates against and two did not instruct for any one. And yet it was confidently claimed machine that the alleged reduction of ernor had made him so solid i i hi fl!égi spiracy’” among farmers, as well newspapers, to down the Governor certainly a plausible explanation, gubernatorial standpoint. Because several pa- pers which represent the political sentiment of their respective communities have ventured to ] o say that Gage's renomination would be a calamity, the Governor promptly hat they were in a Bim. And now that the farmer counties turned him down,' why is it not equally reasonable to suppose that they, tao, have to pre- vent him getting the upon which he seems to he. a ? It really looks as if the entire party of the: State n the ‘‘conspiracy’” which the #0 bit- terly denounces. ——— SACRAMENTO BEE: This attempt on the part of Gage to bring men hundreds of miles away from their home to apswer to a libel—if any libel there been—which was ted in San does dication\ It lo . .80 much to vindieate as to put his critics to all the trouble possible. t J. D. S side of San menced in the city cording to the statutes, is the official Governor shown that he is not amenable to them. An- other point_in this connection: Why does Gov- ernor Gage bring that suit hundreds ‘miles away from the "\d-.-'u? #fla - Prunes stuffed with apricots. Townsend's.* —_——— Townsend's California glace pound, in artistic Out of 1,000,000 soldlers of the whose . hts were recorded, over 6 3 inches in height. _any others is believing.