The San Francisco call., 1895-11-17
Watkins Tried to Put Through
a Tricky Junta Pro-
gramme.
IT WAS A DONNYBRO0K FAIR
When Watkins Was Helpless Congress.
man Mcguire Took the Helm
- and Had His Will.

general committee tnat was Ine WlIuest,
.fiercest and most dlsgraceful row that was
ever. seen in the political history of San
% Francisco, if not of any city of America.
: No former political gathering of similar
size and importance ever suggested the
wild pandemonium that reigned in Metro
poitan' Hall for nearly an hour last night,
while fst-fghts were going on from plat
form to gallery; while nearly 800 men
were excitedly shouting, crowding and
cussing, and while a captain OF police and
six big blue-coats strove to save lives at
,least-they gave up trying to do anything
for order at the first attempt
The roll of the committee was stolen,
the gas was turned out, with the exception
Of one chandelier, that was saved in time
TO prevent what must have been an awful
experience had darkness suddenly come on
the bowling mob that packed the hall to
the DOORS.
- Chairman Watkins became helpless
child and abandoned the meeting. Then
came wonderful exhibition of the moral
power one may exert who has manly force,
ability as a leader of men and the respect
Of those who. know him.
=
est: man comes to the front and leads
through. the warrant of natural law was
notably. illustrated. Amid the pandemo-
MUM when it had reached its eliminating
height, and when Chairman Watkins had
become an irrelevant nothing, Congress
man James g.. Mcguire stepped on the
edge of the crowded platform and simply
raised his hand to<the angry, bowling mob.
In one instant there was perfect silence.
He took the helm and. completely had his
will He spoke a few words of fairness
and wisdom and the hundreds bowed.
There was no idea in anybody's mind
amid the roar of wreck what would or
could be done the next minute. Mcguire,
who ran that meeting and disposed of it
because he was the one man there who
could do it, said that the meeting should
adjoJlrn. until next Friday night, and it
was so-not a breath of opposition to about
the only man in the hall who would not
have been hooted, and no suggestion of
technical parliamentary wrong.
That committee was in session for nearly
two hours without getting step beyond
the rollcall in the parliamentary transac-
tion of business, and even the rollcall busi-
ness was not completed. No vote was
taken at the meeting that was to provide
a deciding test of factional strength on the
first vote. -:
The victor buckley and the defeat of
the. .Junta w, shown by the success or
defeat of any motion or measure. The
fact that Buckley and the other Demo-
cratic. elements in favor: of a primary
and against the autocratic programme of
the Deuprey committees appointment of
a new general committee were overwhelm-
ingly in the majority was plainly 'sensed"
by everybody there:
Then the Junta by its tactics and its
course plainly acknowledged sure defeat.
On top of this the programme which the
Junta people tried to carry through was so
unfair and "raw'' that 1t would surely
damn completely what might be left of
the Junta.
: Buckley victory is a "moral' one. He
has shown his. strength, and the Junta
have proved that they are completely
routed.
New strength will go to the victor, and
some people will leave. a sinking ship. Be-
tween now and next Friday night pro-
gramme for primary election will be
fixed up among all.ths leading elements of
the party, and.it will be put through the
general committee without the necessity
of a row next Friday night. So will end
the.~Junta and the reorganization of the
par1y.in the interest of purity" by Sam
Rainey, John Daggett, Gavin McNab,
Samuel Braunhart and others.
nh
ing the meeting on eighteen hours notice
didn't succeed. The Buckleyites began
summonin their forces at midnight night
before last, and all day yesterday buggies
and messengers flew. The Junta hustled,
too, of course; but of-the 371 members who
came in the front door, which was guarded
by Nicely Biggs and Eddie Greaney for the
:Junta, and where there was constant row.
ing in spite OF squad of police, a good
majority, uncertain in number, were ready
to smash the Junta programme of adjourn
ing sine die at once.
Among the members of the committee
there were: James G. Mcguire, E. b.
Pond, James Denman, John H. Wise,
Gavin McNab, Samuel Braunhart, A. T.
SPOTS, John Mccarthy, ]. ]. Flynn, Sam
uel Newman, Peter F. Dunno, Joseph
Rothchild. Maurice Schmitt and Billy
Harrison were there also among the out
.siders that got through the door where
notices were demanded as credentials.
when Chairman Watkins raped to Or
der, with calm and quiet dignity, the
meeting was orderly and expectant 1t
was during the rollcall that Immediately
followed that the first cause of the row de-
.veloped. Assistant Secretary Hughes
used a roll that did not include many
members elected to vacancies, and protests
were at once made.
Chairman Watkins, who had been given
a programme to put through, would listen
to nothing, and plainly stated that as soon
as the rollcall was completed opportunity
for such correction would be given. That
assurance was accepted by the Buckleyites.
The Junta had figured out that it must not
let these new members vote, and when the
rollcall was finished Chairman Watkins
deliberately went back on his assurance
by refusing to recognize the storm of ap-
.peals for recognition.
He proposed to read communication
which he announced was from the Deuprey
committee and got half way through with