USA > California > Alameda County > Past and present of Alameda County, California, Volume I > Part 28
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At the San Leandro town election in 1886 a war of races resulted in the elec- tion of a mixed ticket. The Irish and Portuguese were unfriendly. The repub- licans cut and slashed their own ticket or it would have won in spite of the fact that the town was really democratic by about thirty-five majority. At the town election in Haywards two tickets were put up-people's and citizens'. The anti- boycotting sentiment was represented by the people's, which was elected by about 3 to I. The voters evidently did not believe business men should be boycotted because they employed Chinese laborers. At the Berkeley town election in May there were two tickets in the field-citizens' and people's ; the greater portion of the former was elected.
An assemblage of republicans and others called the taxpayers' convention met on March 8, 1887. Several inflammatory speeches were delivered and imme- diately thereafter the following action was taken: "That it is not for the best interests of the city to return Pardee, the incumbent, to the office of mayor, and that should General Dodge consent to become the candidate of the taxpayers this convention will give him their hearty support." In a spirited speech W. M. Graham thereupon formally nominated General Dodge. The acceptance by that gentleman was received with great applause by the convention. This opposition movement of the alleged taxpayers was against the so-called "ring" in the
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municipal government-against a packed convention and a cut-and-dried ticket. It was claimed that when Henry Durant ran on the regular republican ticket for mayor, Doctor Pardee bolted the ticket and ran in opposition, doing his best to defeat Durant, and that now that same Doctor Pardee had so grown in influence in certain political quarters that he could pack the convention and laugh at any one shrewd enough to understand his game. It was claimed that it took the "ring committee of seven" three nights to prepare a list of favorable delegates who would be sure to renominate Doctor Pardee.
The issues were: (I) a clearly defined system of public improvements; (2) a park; (3) a boulevard around Lake Merritt; (4) a broad avenue skirting the base of the foothills; (5) a thorough sewerage system; (6) and a definite settle- ment of the water front problem. As a matter of fact the republican party as such did not renominate Doctor Pardee. All of this was denied by the committee of IOI and the republican press. The old administration supported Doctor Pardee with great unanimity and vigor. Not a single serious charge was made against him or his supporters. The Democrat supported Pardee and the Tribune supported Dodge. Parties were split. It was local faction against local faction and no doubt personal reasons and private gain cut something of a figure in this spirited contest. But people were tired of professional and omnipresent office seekers. The result was the reelection of Doctor E. H. Pardee, by a majority of 145 votes. In 1876 his majority over Ex-Judge Stanly was 615. At the presidential election in 1876 the republican majority in the city was over 1,300. The result showed that the administration under Doctor Pardee was not seriously condemned. He received 1,830 votes and General Dodge 1,685. The former carried the First, Third, Fourth, Fifth and Seventh wards and the latter the Second and Sixth. A majority of the republican ticket was elected. As a whole the contest was one of the closest and warmest ever held in the city.
In 1887 the vote of the American party before the election was a doubtful and serious problem in local municipal politics. It was seen that the party was sure to poll a large vote and the republicans, at least, were scared. At the elec- tion, although they won, the republicans realized that they had a new and formid- able enemy to encounter in future elections in all probability. W. R. Davis, the republican candidate, won but did not have a majority of all the votes polled. This was food for serious thought. The result was-for mayor, W. R. Davis, republican, 2,761 ;. Henry Hayes, democrat, 2,009; J. W. Martin, American, 1,357; scattering 35.
The republican city convention in 1888 nominated Dr. S. H. Melvin for mayor ; he was chosen on the second ballot against Mr. Shattuck and Mr. Brown. The convention reaffirmed the resolutions adopted by the republican city convention in 1887 that "the republican party has and now declares a local policy which is in favor of every legitimate enterprise calculated to develop the resources of the community and the interests of the city." The democrats nominated Charles D. Pierce for mayor and a full party ticket. The convention of the American party nominated for mayor, J. West Martin, who, though a member of the American party, at first declined, but finally accepted when he was nominated again by acclamation and with intense enthusiasm. The convention named a full city ticket and otherwise prepared for a stirring campaign. The city nomination convention of the American party assembled March Ist, in Camron hall. The
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convention consisted of all the club members of that party in this city. There were in all ninety-seven delegates. The result of the election was as follows: Melvin, republican, 2.309; Pierce, democrat, 2,376; Martin, American, 858; Gregg, independent, 67. The remainder of the republican ticket was elected.
The democratic county convention in 1888, approved the democratic national platform, endorsed President Cleveland's course on the reciprocity problem, demanded ward and township registration in this county ; promised to contribute in every way to every movement that would assist in the construction of good roads and generally the prosperity of the county, and favored the total exclusion of the Chinese from this country. The convention was harmonious and placed a full ticket in the field. The republican county convention in September adopted resolutions favoring free common schools, the construction of better roads and highways throughout the county, the proposed public improvements in Oakland, and encouragement to any railroad company that would build a road across any portion of the county. The convention named a full ticket. The republicans con- structed a large campaign wigwam at Fourteenth and Broadway. It was built by subscription. While the democrats were slow to organize for campaign pur- poses, they were not slow to secure the registration of all members of their party. By July 20th they had but one club in Oakland, while the republicans had about a dozen. The prohibitionists were also active in effecting complete registration and the necessary naturalization. Alfred A. Moore was a candidate for the republi- can nomination for chief justice of the supreme court. At this time he was the recognized leader of the Alameda county bar. He was peculiarly fitted for this high place, but in July retired from the contest. There was for the first time a law for ward and township registration which closed thirty days before election.
The formation of political clubs became fashionable-transcended the impure bounds of political mud slinging and mounted the stage of society, comedy and tragedy as the participants should elect. It was popular for the young men to join the clubs and popular for the young ladies to join the young men. It then seemed necessary for the mothers to put in a dignified appearance occasionally and join both, and soon martial music and the nursery lullabys were blended in the sweetest nuptial harmony.
In 1888 W. D. English, of Oakland, chairman of the democratic state central committee, a shrewd and able politician, directed all his efforts to the election of one or two democrats in this republican stronghold for the effect such an accomplishment would have on the approaching state and presidential elections. He directed his utmost efforts to the election of Mr. Pierce, democrat, for mayor ; and Mr. Crawford for city school superintendent. He had the assistance of the best and brainiest democrats in this city and county. Again the contest was tri- angular as it had been in 1887. The republicans were so certain of victory that they went to sleep and the result was a democratic victory in the essentials. The republicans were defeated by their own apathy and by the massed forces of the democrats. During the campaign the republicans of Haywards made an excellent showing with a uniformed club, a crack drill corps and unabated enthusiasm. Elmer Welch was their drill master.
In the political campaign of 1888 Berkeley, Haywards and San Leandro were very active from the start. A large wigwam was built at Haywards by the repub- licans and was the only one in the state outside of San Francisco. It seated, 2,000
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people. J. L. Scotchler was at the head of the republican activities in Berkeley- was president of the Harrison and Morton Club. A large mass meeting there ratified the republican ticket. At San Leandro the republicans made desperate efforts to carry that town. W. C. Wright was president of the republican club of West Berkeley. Every ward in Oakland had its republican and democratic clubs. Up to July Ioth, the democrats had done little or nothing in campaign matters. The Iroquois Club was busy and two or three bandana clubs were organized. Their efforts were thus far spent in selecting a ticket that would win. The republican banner was borne to Los Angeles by'a committee of Oakland repub- licans in December, 1888, E. L. Denison, W. E. Hale and W. E. Dargie originated the idea and custom. The voters in November, 1888, were called upon to vote twice at different booths on the same day-once for the national party ticket and once for the new Oakland charter.
The contest at the municipal election in 1889 centered on the selection of mayor and the four councilmen at large, because upon them would rest much of the responsibility of organizing and putting at work the board of public works provided for under the new constitution. All realized that the success of the charter would depend largely upon the manner in which it was set in operation. Upon the new mayor rested the responsibility of appointing the board of public works which would control absolutely all public improvements and thus be wholly a new power and consideration in all municipal elections and affairs. The election contest in the spring was probably the most exciting ever held in Oakland up to that date. The new charter completely revolutionized municipal conduct. and control and private interests fought hard for supremacy. The war of ideas and candidates began at the primaries and ended only after the successful factions and party had duly and grandiloquently celebrated their victory and perhaps had counted the spoils. There was a hot fight in the republican ranks at the primaries -to such an extent that it was said that "Peace spread her wings and flew weeping away." The mayor and the board of public works were bull's eyes at which all the official aspirants aimed their lances and their partisan hopes. The following republicans were candidates for mayor: J. P. Ames, H. A. Powell, F. K. Shattuck, A. C. Henry and M. J. Keller. Each candidate had his sup- porters and the pledges and betrayals were numerous and glaring. Charges of fraud flew fast like rain drops on a wintry day. Thus the primaries were any- thing but conclusive and clearly not harmonious. The trouble was in the Fourth ward. At the convention, a faction of the republicans bolted the regular con- vention-the first time in history. The delegates of the Third and Seventh wards went out, and the others nominated Judge A. P. Ames for mayor. The two wards bolted on the ground, as they claimed, that political chicanery ruled the convention. The platform adopted favored industrial education, promised enforce- ment of the new charter, sustained the public schools, favored a free and untram- meled ballot, encouraged manufacturers, thanked congressmen for the harbor appropriation, hailed with delight the passage of the Scott Chinese exclusion bill and recognized the demands of the laboring community. Concerning the bolt Doctor Pardee said that the act sounded the bugle against corruption. N. W. Spaulding said that he had seen trouble coming from the Fourth ward for a long time and knew that the corrupt practices exhibited there would cause trouble in the party. The two ward delegations met later, Mr. Spaulding presiding.
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They were joined by the delegates of the American party. On the platform were five ex-mayors : N. W. Spauding, E. H. Pardee, J. E. Blethen, J. West Martin and E. W. Playter. In resolutions they endorsed the bolt on the ground "of a packed convention with delegates from the Fourth ward fraudulently elected in violation of law by ballot-box stuffers," and further resolved that citizens of the Fourth ward had been practically disfranchised at the primary by dummies in line who kept out legal voters until too late to vote-and who had obstructed the polls.
The result was that the bolting delegation fused with the democratic party, each naming half of the fusion ticket, with John R. Glascock as candidate for the mayoralty. Separate conventions were held and each named candidates for the offices agreed upon. The independent republicans, as the bolters called them- selves, favored a liberal construction of the new charter and the nomination of men who would give it a fair trial, pledged an election to vote upon the question of raising money for public improvements, advocated such an extension of the city limits as would embrace all outlying and contiguous territory and farms, and asked the cooperation of all citizens in an effort to prevent filibustering at the polls. As a matter of fact, the course taken by the Fourth ward was due to the failure of that portion of the city to defeat the new .charter when it was first voted for and afterwards in the Legislature. Having suffered total and inglorious failure in the opposition, they now sought by hook or crook to place in the mayor's chair and on the board of public works officials who would practically kill or dis- grace and make odious the new charter and everything and everybody connected with it. The democratic wing of the fusion alliance passed resolutions discoun- tenancing every* act of fraud at elections, favoring public improvements, sus- taining the public school system, promising a fair trial for the new charter, favoring competitive lines of railways, encouraging manufacturers, pledging the party to honest administration, and promised the laboring people of Oakland the support of the democratic party in all honest and lawful efforts to advance their interests and promote their material welfare. The American party reinforced the citizens' ticket as the fusion nominees were called. They nominated Mr. Glascock for mayor by acclamation and chose other fusion candidates for sub- ordinate places.
The fusion of the independent republicans and the democrats (in 1889) caused the prohibitionists and Americans to name separate tickets. The nominees for mayor were as follows: Republican, J. P. Ames; citizens', John R. Glascock ; American, John R. Glascock; prohibition, Galen M. Fisher. The result was the complete success of the citizens ticket. For treasurer Mr. Gilpin was the nominee of the republican, citizens' and American tickets. John R. Glascock carried every ward. The vote was as follows: For mayor-Ames (R), 2,131; Glascock (Cit. & Am.), 5,148; Fisher (Pro.), 119; Glascock plurality, 2, 987. The result was a blow at boss or ring rule which the citizens of this city did not forget for many years. At the Alameda municipal election on April 1, 1889, there were polled a total of 1,196 votes. There was no contest nor excitement.
The Alameda County American Citizens Equal Rights Association, an organ- ization of the African race, made strong efforts to secure a place on the republi- can ticket. There were in the county at this time nearly nine hundred colored voters. In view of this fact and their faithfulness to the party they asked that a colored man might be named on the ticket as a candidate for the state legisla-
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ture. They asked that J. B. Wilson, managing editor of the San Francisco Elevator, might be so nominated. At this time the association above named numbered 325 members.
In the campaign of 1890 the democrats concentrated on Charles McCleverty for sheriff, John Hackett for assessor, and C. Lionel Dam for clerk. In 1882 McCleverty was elected sheriff by a plurality of 580 votes. The democrats thought his popularity would again enable him to win and so again nominated him in 1890. It was believed also that Mr. Hackett's popularity would enable him to win. They nominated T. O. Crawford for county superintendent for the same reason. They had nominated him for that office in 1882, but he had declined on the ground that the democratic party in this county was against the so-called Sunday law and he refused to follow them. The speech of the campaign of 1890 at Oakland was deliverd by Colonel Markham, republican nominee for Governor, at Germania hall, which could not hold the audience that assembled. There were bon-fires, Roman candles, parades and much partisan enthusiasm. Judge Gibson was severely criticised by the republican journals for deserting the republican party merely because they decided to nominate an equally good and deserving member of the legal profession for superior judge. The republicans had made him district attorney for five years, superior judge for nearly six years, named him mayor of Oakland, railroad commissioner and Indian commissioner, etc. For nearly twenty years he had occupied office through votes or appoint- ments of republicans. Now it was said of him that he was nothing if not a politician. The republican ticket was elected throughout. This result was certain in view of the enormous republican majority in the county and the harmonious and united nature of the campaign. The bitter and scurrilous fight against Judge Greene utterly failed to accomplish his defeat. There was considerable scratching of tickets, but as a whole voters clung to their party nominees. The personal popularity of certain democratic candidates enabled them to make deep inroads on the majorities of their opponents, but not deep enough to win success. For Congress McKenna (R) received in the county 9,190 votes ; Irish (D. & A.), 6,979; and Felkner (Pro.), 388. For Governor, Markham (R) received 9,333 votes ; Pont (D.), 6,274; Bidwell (A. & P.), 1,080. For superior court judges (2) Henshaw (R), 9,266; Greene (R. & A.), 8,996; Gibson (D), 7.955; Roseborough (D), 5,809. The democrats elected a justice of the peace at Haywards, and a constable at Pleasanton.
From the start the political situation in Oakland in the spring of 1891 pre- sented many complex and baffling features which no politician however astute could solve in advance or in any effective way untangle. The Americans wooed the board of trade, the improvement associations and the citizens committee ; the democrats proclaimed the right of the combination to the favor and franchises of the voters, and the republicans sought to rally their scattered flock into the party fold once more. Unquestionably the latter had the advantage, because the necessity of the combination had already disappeared and republicans were sure to come back wiser and holier to the fold. The prohibitionists prepared to con- test the field with any and all parties that did not pronounce against the liquor interest. It was generally agreed that the combination had not during the past two years done such striking and pronounced good, that it should without ques-
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tion be returned to power and glory. The local option alliance figured well at this time.
In March, 1891, amid great ceremony, the banner won by Los Angeles county in 1886 was brought to Oakland and presented to the banner republican county of the state in 1890. Eloquent speeches rendered the occasion memorable. Attor- ney Kelley, of Los Angeles, read an interesting history of the flag from October 20, 1775, down to date.
The republicans nominated Melvin C. Chapman for mayor and named a full ticket. W. R. Davis was chairman of the convention. The platform declared for a local policy that encouraged and aided every legitimate enterprise calculated to develop the city; sustained the public schools, favored for teachers graduates of the Oakland schools and actual residents of the city; favored street, sewer, plaza, drive and park improvements; demanded the reclamation of the West Oakland marsh, a boulevard around Lake Merritt and the proper dredging of that sheet of water; expressed the opinion that the mercantile and manufacturing license tax was an unwise and unnecessary system of taxation; opposed any reduction of the liquor license; pledged the party to the encouragement of all legitimate indus- tries and promised strongest restrictions on all occupations or practices that inter- fered with the peace, harmony and order of the community. The party was united, was out in full panoply and force and at once prepared for active work to secure the election of the whole ticket. A ticket of well known and substan- tial men was named. The party was determined to regain the power and con- fidence which in a large measure it had lost two years before.
The democrats nominated Charles G. Yale for mayor and likewise named nearly a full ticket. The convention was harmonious, though there were some differences on local option matters. Cary Howard acted as chairman of the con- vention. The platform favored the reclamation of the West Oakland marsh, the construction of the lake boulevard, a complete system of sewerage, the dredging of Lake Merritt, and the issuance of bonds to secure these improvements; sus- tained the public schools and favored home teachers; expressed the opinion that the streets should be opened to tide water; supported the present license sys- tem; promised support of an election to determine the continuance or discon- tinuance of the drinking saloon ; expressed the belief that the water supply could be improved by filtering, etc. ; promised that the estuary touching the Sixth ward should be improved ; and deplored the death of George Hearst. Admittedly, the democratic ticket and platform were strong and popular, so much so that the republicans were spurred to united and heroic methods during the rest of the campaign.
The American party invited the East and the West Oakland Improvement Clubs, the citizens committee of one hundred, the board of trade, the local option alliance and a large number of representative citizens to meet them in a non- partisan convention to name a municipal ticket. But as there appeared to be no hurry to accept this invitation, the American party resolved to hold a strictly party convention and name a straight party ticket. With the Americans, the prohibitionists, the local option alliance, the combination, the straight democrats and the straight republicans, Oakland experienced lurid times just preceding the municipal election in 1891.
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Under the reform ballot law popularly known as the Australian system, an entirely new and different order of procedure was necessary. All the parties preferred statements of what should be done by their organizations and follow- ers. In 1891 many citizens and business houses requested L. W. Kennedy to become `a candidate for mayor. He granted the request. The campaign was spirited, quiet and free from personal abuse. The local option faction threw much doubt on the result. Pledges had been signed by 5,000 citizens; the ques- tion thus arose, how far such obligations would be binding upon the signers. The result of the contest was as follows: For Mayor Chapman (R) 4,240; Yale (D) 2141; Reed (A) 207; Gregg (Pro.) 59. Concerning this election (1891) Rev. J. K. McLean said to the temperance women: "Your wish may not prevail, but hope on. It is only a question of time when the silent influence you possess will conquer." Rev. C. W. Wendte said that the paramout issue was not city improvements, but was the overthrow of the saloon power. Rev. C. H. Hobart told the voters to elect men who represented purity and right- local optionists. Rev. E. R. Dille recommended voters to scratch for the best men and against the saloons. Rev. Dr. Coyle aided the battle at the polls for men who favored a local option election. Rev. Frank Dixon said those who favored local option would find themselves about to sit down without a chair, that the politicians obscured the real issue which was temperance, that many men prominent in the campaign favored high water and low whisky. Rev. Dr. Chapman declared that the real question was temperance-whether the liquor traffic should be continued in the city or not. Of the thirty officers elected only three were democrats-councilmen.
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