The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-07-24
But the PuristS Refused tC
Adopt 1t.
CAUSE OF THE LEADERS, ACTION
Strong Intimation That Something
Startling Happened to Him
Saturday Afternoon.

The meeting was held in the reception
room of the Business Mems Democratic
Club in the Baldwin Annex. and the room
was crowded almost to suffocation. AS
on as Major Harvey had called the COM
mittee to order J. II. Fenton offered the
following resolution:
WHEREAS, The primary committee Of the
Democratic party Is vested with all the powers
OF the general committee, ana authorized by
the resolution by which 1t was created 10 per.
form all The functions of the parent body; and
whereas, the chairman OF the said primary
committee has seen tit TO resign from, and in
Tesigning, to asperSe and impugn the motives Of
the members OF the committee; and whereas,
the reasons given by The said chairman, Wax
Pepper, for his resignation are not the true
reasons and are not warranted by facts. but
are, on The contrary. a tissue of falsehoOds cal
culated to operate against The interests of the
democratic party; be it
ResOtUed. That the secretary be instructed TO
call a meeting OF the general committee for
Thursday, July &c, 1894. and that we then
make full report Of our action. to the END that
the members OF The party may have an opDor-
tunity TO consult and devise means by which
we may extricate the party from the perilous
position in which 1t has been placed by the
treacherOus actions of its chairman and to
prove by its actions the falsity of the charges
contained in his resignation.
Committeeman Healy said: 81 second
that, but only 10 bring it before the CON-
mittee and not because l intend to vote
for it. as l do not think 1t advisable at this
time to pass such resolution.
Il feel" said Andy Clunie. that Mr.
Pepper has not treated this committee
right but we are on the eve of primary
election and to call meeting of the gen.
eral committee would only keep US back in
the work we are engaged upon. l feel as
Mr.. FentOn does, and worse perhaps, and
L. frfo "A lvyt Al D.
and had reason to expect different treat
ment at his hands. l think he has treated
US shamefully. He never came before US
to give any reason for his action, and he
has never taken the trouble TO explain
matters to me personally. But L don't
favor that resolution. The party plan pro-
vides for the manner of securing meet
ing of the general committee, and l think
it is better to follow the plan"
Fenton said he thought the committee
should do something to refute the charges
Mr.. Pepper had made. He has charged
that the committee is controlled by
political privateeTsmen, as be calls Buck
ley and Rainey, and we ought 20 take
action that will show that we do not rest
quietly under such an accusation. The
Democratic party has done everything
for Mr.. Pepper. disappointed the commit
tee of seven for him, and up to Friday
night it was all right. All at once he de-
serted us in the midst OF the work. l
claim that 1t was an act of treachery and
that he should be driven out of the party.
In deserving the committee he has cast
reflection on the members, and l for one
do not PROPOSE to be made a party to any
of Mr.. Peppers political schemes"
"You know" said Healy. that we are
going to have primary election in week,
don't yOuT
Yes" replied Fenton, land that is the
I hiply toll To
ourselves right before the public. He goes
about saying that the railroad has cinch
on the party and that we are going to pass
railroad resolutions. l hope the resolution
will pass"
Merle suggested that it be put over to
executive session, but Healy objected, say
ing ne did not propose 10 do any more de-
tail work unless the committee proposed
to complete it. If the general committee
should be called together the primary
would not be held. 1t had gone too far
and would have to be carried through to
the end. II Pepper had taken a steamer
for Australia the Democratic party would
60 on just as it had intended to do. twas
in no way dependent on him.
A vote was taken and Harvey. Healy,
Merle and Clunie voted no; FentOn aye
The committee then proceeded to con-
slider the reports of the canvassing CON-
mittees in the Forty first, Thirtieth, Thir-
ty-ffth, Forty-fourth and F0rty-fifth dis
tricts in the order given. Among the
names on the list to be stricken off the roll
of the Forty-frst District were John II.
Wise, George Washington and Tim Suill-
van. Mr.. Mattingly submitted a very
lengthy list in addition, and Supervisor
Denman charged that he had done it to
annoy the voters of the district.
The committee refused tn consider the
question of the election of William J. Con-
-
tee of the ThlTty-fftb, but spent an hour
or two trying to find out whether j. J. Nc
Donald, a mem Der of the general commit
tee, was entitled to vote in that district.
The testimony was conflicting, aud both
sides finally agreed that If Mr.. Mcdonald
would swear to an affidavit that he lived
al 1928 Mission street, be would be restored
to the roll.
The committee r. manned in session until
midnight considering Individual cases, and
then adjourned until tonight
An effort will undoubtedly be made to
secure a meeting Of the general committee
to take action on Peppers withdrawal
A petition viii be circulated for sigma
lures. asking Mr.. Pepper 10 call the body
together, and il is not improbable that the
primary may yet be postponed.
Meetings Will be held by the Democratic
clubs in the various districts tonight for
the election of officers to serve at the
primaries to be held next Monday. There
will be an inspector, two judges and two
clerks from each district. 1t is probable
that there will be some warm contests
over the election of the officers. and
especially over the inspectors, as those
officials have the power to prevent voters
from casting their ballots and conse-
Quently to materially affect the result of
the contest.
Almost Immediately after the primary
on the 30th, at which members OF the new
general committee are to be elected. a
meeting of that body will be called to
effect an organization. 1t is presumed that
Max Pepper will issue the call as chairman
Of the old committee, for although he has
resigned the craftsmanship Of the purity
committee and asked that his name be
stricken from the ticket of the Forty
third District, he is still the figurehead of
the present general committee. His action
on Saturday night ended bis career as the
head of the party only because of the fact
that the old general committee is on the
eve OF dlslntegration and his withdrawal
from the ticket In the Forty-third prevents
MIN from becoming member of the new.
The incoming committee will probably
meet on Wednesday or Thursday of next
week, and then it will be confronted with
the question as TO whom to choose for its
presiding officer. There has been consd-
cradle guessing at the name of the next
head Of the party. but as yet no man has
been named who seems to be at all quail
fed to assume the reins or likely TO be
chosen.
Peppers withdrawal is still the theme
of those who talk Democratic municipal
politics. Upon one point all seemed to be