The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-11-29
He Will Start a New and
Red-Hot Fight at
Once.
NEW CHARGES READ.
Will Demand of Cleveland That
Daggett Be Investi-
gated.
THE LOCAL FIGHT COMES IN.
Mcguire Said to Be So Determined
That He Has Threatened the
Administration.

When Congressman Mcguire gets to
Washington three or four days from now
about the first thing he will do will be to
make it red hot for John NJ. Daggett, the
local reformer and Superintendent of the
Mint.
Beside the Mcguire Daggett war that is
about to rage in Washington and San
Francisco, the gingery tussel of few
weeks ago, after Mcguire stopped off in
Washington a day or two and filed some
charges against Daggett, will appear a
mere preliminary sklrmish.
Mcguire is aggressive, bold and deeply
determined in the matter of demanding an
official investigation of Daggett's condnct,
and he is prepared to file stronger charges
when he gets to Washington and back
them up with new and more evidence and
strong influence.
Something will pop when Congressman
Mcguire reaches Washington. 1t is said
that he is so determined about the matter
that he has threatened to break with the
administration if his charges are ignored
in Daggett's favor.
This news will be surprise to all but a
few friends of Judge Mcguire, for the
matter has seemed to have dropped into
"innocuous desuetude" within the past
two or three weeks. That, however, was
only a seeming. 1t was about the middle
of September when Mcguire ran over to
Washington for day or two from Della
ware, where he was making single-tax
speeches, and, dropping in on Secretary
Carlisle, told him about his servant, John
NJ. Daggett, gave him a lot of newspaper
clippings, and left on file something or
other in the nature of a written com plant
which, perhaps, was not much more than
a memorandum of things, showing that
special treasury agent ought to be
sent to San Francisco to investigate the
administration of the Mint.
The gist of Maguire's charges was that
Daggett had neglected the duties of his
Office by being away about two-thirds of
the time since his appointment; that he
got up a stock mining company to develop
a cert ain "Rosalie" mine of very uncer.
tain value and ''invited" Mint employees
to subscribe to the stock, and that he had
been guilty of political conduct grossly
unbecoming Government official in his
handling of the patronage of The Mint.
Among the specifications of the last
charge was the way he treated three Sta.e
Senators, Buggy, Fay and Gesford, who
dared to refuse him their complim entary
Democratic votes for United States Sena-
tor, which vote was valuable to Daggett,
if large, as esta blishing his popularity and
standing in the party in California, espe-
cially in administration minds. Poor
Senator Biggy, who gave his vote to Ma
guire, lost the Mint laundry work right
away, and pretty soon his brother lost his
place in the Mint. Daggett fired Fay's
which was not a real nice way to use
Government patronage power.
Mcguire wanted to see President Cleve-
land, who has heard so much from various
Californians about that great and good
statesman and Democrat and that IN
worthy political trickster, John Daggett of
California, since he appointed him two
years ago at the instance of Senator STAN
ford. But Cleveland was watching corks
at Buzzards Bay and the John M. Dag
gett matter didn't make him shudder
again at the thought of third term.
The Congressman came home three or
four weeks ago, and several of his init
mate friends say that he did not expect
that anything would be definitely deter
mined about the matter until he returned
to Washington for the session of Congress.
While he was here he said nothing, but
quietly made himself acquainted still bee
ter with the political ms and out of the
Mint and with Mr.. Daggett's doings gen.
orally.
L., 49, ~
in a brief Geographic report from Wash
ington dated last Saturday, which con-
veyed the information, given by promi-
nent official of the Treasury Department,
that Secretary Carlisle had decided to take
no action unless more serious charges were
presented. "Unless it is proven to the
satisfaction of Secretary Carlisle" said the
prominent official, ''that Superintendent
Daggett has been guilty of conduct I'M
becoming a Government official he will
order no investigation. Nothing but formal
charges in case of this kind will be con-
sidered. | believe, however, that the Dag
gett matter is practically settled as far as
Mr.. Daggett is concerned"
1t is in so far as Mr.. Mcguire is con-
cerned that the matter is not practically
settled. Mcguire now has formal charges,
new evidence and plenty of anti Daggett
hackers of political power, and he will see
about the matter in red-hot stvle It is
quietly understood among his intimate
friends here that it will be mainly Presi-
dent Cleveland whose official attention he
will direct to Mr.. Dagget. of the San Fran
cisco Mint, but he will also have plenty of
strong talk for Secretary Carlisle One
item to be considered in connection with
Maguire's influence in the fight is the fact
that he occupies position OF strong
influence with the administration. He
is not only the only Democratic
Congressman elected at the last gen.
eral election from thirteen Western States,
but he was nearly, if not absolutely. the