The morning call., 1894-07-31
DEMOCRATS SORE.
Talk About Repudiating
Their Leader.
HE MAY HAVE TO RESIGN.
General Belief That Pepper Laid
Trap.
HE MAY HAVE TO RESIGN.
HOW MEMBERS WERE DELUDED
The Boss Will Return From San
Jose To-Day and Call Meeting
of the General Body.

Since last Friday night when the Demo-
cratic general committee was induced Dy
its leaders to declare that there should be
no primary the members of that body
have been doing some deep thinking.
They have not taken any action as yet,
and the mess into which they precipitat ed
the party remains as it was Immediately
after that memorable occasion, but their
brains and their tongues. which refused to
work on the spur of the moment. have been
unusually active for three days past and
about half of the members have come to
the conclusion that they have been hood
wnked.
1t is not improbable that Mr.. Pepper will
find during the present week that he has
not been restored to good standing in the
committee as yet. 1t is even said he will
be asked to resign as soon as the feeling
with which he is regarded by considrra-
Bile number of his former stanch friends
has had time to develop and crystalline.
Many of the men who voted to postpone
the primary declared they were misled.
A surprise was sprung upon them, and
like many smarter men than any in the
committee they blindly followed the lead
of the boss and sub-bosses who professed
to know everything.
One well-posted Democrat said yester-
day: 81 am sure that at least 100 men
went 10 that meeting under the firm con-
viction that IL would be unwise to declare
the primary off. They believed that
sooner or later the party would have to go
before the people, aud that there would
have to be test of the strength of those
in control and their enemies. They also
believed that IL would be most unwlSe to
take any step that would have the apear-
ance of usurping the rights of the voters
TO name the men whom they desire to ma
nipulate the party machinery"
Then how do you account for the prac-
tically unanimous vote to postpone the
primary indefinitely ?"
''In this way: Andy Clunie, although he
was the first t0 denouuce Pepper for re-
signing from the primary in the midst of
its work, was really friendly toward him.
Tney had a consultation Saturday after
noon, and Clunie wrote the report of the
primary committee, wording 1t in such
way as to create the impression that the
primary could not be held. Ii set form
that the rolls could not be purged of stuff
ers in time, and that the primary. which
was set for Monday, could not possibly b.
held under the existing conditions. Well,
if it is impossible to do thing, what can
you c o but decide not 10 do 1t?
That was the predlcament in which the
committee found itself. The men who
had been selected to conduct the primary
reported that it could not be held Popper
himself moved that it be postponed, and
in the absence of any suggestion to set
another date for 1t the members voted for
the motion. Did you observe the haste
with which the business was rushed
through Pepper had scarcely called the
meeting TO order before ClunIe was Oh his
hai
scarcely finished reading when Pepper
moved to postpone the primary. Max's
desire to vindicate himself before the CON-
mittee led him to consume g few moments
with bis speech, but as soon as he was
through there were calls of question. the
roll was called, the vote announced and a
motion to adjourn instantly made.
IF one man bad had the presence Of
mind to suggest that the action about to be
taken was unwise and un-Democratlc
there would have been a lively fight in the
committee and the STAN pede would have
been prevented. In my opinion if j. II.
Fenton had been there he would have
raised an objection, but he was kept away
by the serious illness of member of his
family.
MANY members of the committee have
since said that they regretted the action
taken, and some of them are greatly in
censed at Pepper for putting up the job.
thing over, but l am convinced that an
effort will be made to compel him to re-
sign. He doesn't represent the ideas of
the men in the committee. What was his
real object? | can't answer the question.
1t may have been any one of dozen
which have been given in the newspapers
within the past few days.
IL don't believe that Pepper has told any
one the real reasons that have actuated
him in any of his actions. One day you
read that he is in collusion with Buckley,
another that he is in the interest of non
partisan ticket, the next that he is irving
to capture the districts for the City Hall
Office holders, and so it goes. l believe
Pepper has personal reasons which be has
not permitted to become public. AT all
events he has got the party In the worst
predicament, perhaps, that it was ever in,
and it is about time that be was called
down. And he will be too. Mark my
words, he will have to step down and
out"
Pepper was not to be found yesterday
ana it was said that he had not returned
from San Jose.
d. @. Troy. assistant secretary of the
Democratic Central Committee, returned
last night from a visit to San Jose. He
brought the definite information that Max
Pepper was in the Garden City and would
return 10 San Francisco to-day. Troy
says that Mr.. Pepper will call meeting
of the general committee within the next
few days, the exact object of which Mr..
Troy did not know. There were few
Democrats around the headquarters last
night, and those who were there were en-
tlrely in the dark as 10 what the next move
is to be. Some of them predicted that
primary would be called to nominate dele
gates to the convention, but the more
prevalent opinion seemed to be that the
general committee would name them.
The Republicans expect an immense
attendance at the old National Theater to-
morrow night when NJ. NJ. Estee will make
the first speech of the campaign. Great
interest is felt in what the candidate for
Governor will have to say, and the big
building will probably not be able to hold
all who will attempt to gain admittance.
On Thursday Mr.. Estee will be rendered
a reception by the Union League Club in
the clubrooms at the Palace Hotel. There