The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-02
THE BLIND BOSS IS REGA|N|NG HIS POWER,


terest for an off year. The life of the Oc-
cidental Club grew somewhat as the fog
comes quietly to wrap the town. Directors
meetings have been more frequent and in
teresting, and two weeks ago all delinquent
members received notice to come around
and pay up.
Then Pepper, McNab and Braunhart
and those fellows suddenly realized that
Buckley had come to town somewhat as
the genius took form from the cloud and
stood on the shore.
The danger signal was sounded and
Chairman A. A. Watkins of the executive
committee was induced to call meeting
of the general committee for tonight. It
is not usual to start up the machine about
the list of October of an off year, but it
wouldn't do to let Buckley and his exper-
fenced generals and lieutenants work along
with everything their own way.
That is the reason of the meeting to-
night-to do something to head off Boss
Buckley before it is too late. Nobody
seemed to know last night what definite
propositions or business will come up to-
night beyond the election of chairman.
Involved in this business is, of course, the
control of the organization of the party,
and the proposed election of ]. A. Watkins
as chairman of the general committee
will give the machinery to the anti-Buck-
leyites.
II was requested by several general COM
mittee gentlemen to call the meeting and
l did So" said Mr.. Watkins last night,
'and have no idea what will be done or
what business will come up"
Not q RDnk1ev man conld he faurd xrb n
would make a guess on anything besides
the Craftsmanship.
But it will be a merry time, they say, as
belts a Democratic party gathering
Metropolitan and other halls have seen
fun before since the revolution which
overthrow Buckley was begun by Deu-
prey, Lynch, Sullivan. Dryer and a few
other heroes few years ago. Why should
it not be merry time? The Buckleyites
have kicked up many hot fracas, mainly
with the result of relieving their feelings.
but now there is a return to them of con-
seious strength; they find themselves
openly standing together and their old
master is with them to inspire hope and
confidence. The other side must fight and
the bitterness is deadly.
But the general committee is composed
OF 400 members, and it is not easy to pre-
dict how things stand when both sides
claim victory in advance. Pepper, McNab
and others of the faction in power declare
that there will be nothing left of Buckley
after tonight, when his friends will be
hunting holes to crawl into. Some of the
leading workers in the Buckley camp de-
clared with equal confidence yesterday
that rhaU runf1lA NIL ant
noncommittal. 1t is James H. U'Brien,
the contractor, who Will be the Buckley
candidate for the Craftsmanship tonight,
unless it is decided to make no nomination
in opposition to Watkins. J. J. Flynn has
been pulled down.
The situation is a mess, and it is likely
to remain one with frequent developments.
The "Deuprey committee" ought to az
pear on the scene somehow pretty soon.
This is the committee of twenty five ap-
pointed by Chairman Eugene Deuprey at
the last municipal convention to take
charge of the campaign and then recr-
ganize the party. Now the Buckley men
who are damning the present organization
in hundred ways are saying that the
convention didn't authorize it and that
the records in the possession of Secretary
Gavigan show no resolution creating it.
Sam Newman last night raised another
point against that half-forgotten Deuprey
committee that WAS to do something at
some time. He declared that the last mu-
nicipal convention had no power to create
it, anyway, because it was called by the
general committee for specific purposes, of
which the organization of the party was
not one.
Another point was raised yesterday by
P. f. Dundon and other Buckley men, and
that was that the general committee is not
legal one. 1t was elected in 1892 for two
years, and the term of Office of its men,
bers has expired, it was declared. Then
last year a new plan of organization was
adopted by the general committee, giving
each district fifteen members instead of
twenty-five. This was to be elected at a
primary but afterward Chairman Max
Pepper refused to call a primary election.
NOW where are we, what plan are we
under, and who is who?" All this may
not amount to much in the face of the
fact that the only general committee there
is will meet tonight and probably do
something, but it illustrates the opportu-
mites for tight.
The Occidental Club building was filled
with light and life last evening. Buckeyes
court was crowded. The handsome and
commodious building that was home of
wealth until Buckley bought it and made
it club retreat for his friends was ablaze
from roof to basement. By half
past they began dropping through
the dark walled entrance to the
yard and mounting the granite steps.
The bell tinkled continuously an hour
later. Sam Newman, Recorder Glynn,
Eddie Greaney and ]. ]. Maloney dropped
in early. They went up to the directors
room and talked together like statesmen.
The affable ex-Supervisor, P. F. Dundon,
was on hand with wise counsel. Ex-
Supervisor Barry, once the head of the
Solid Nine, came also. These were among
those who confidently strolled into the
parlor when they wanted to and sat on
silk upholstered chairs. The scores of dis
trict henchmen, the lesser lights of Buck
leyism, who dropped in sat in the smoking
and reading rooms. Not all of the hun
bred there were members of the Occi-