The San Francisco call., 1896-06-09
w. w. Foote Declares Himself
Against Giving Daggett
the Party.
JOHN J. GAFFEY IS FOR WHITE
A Rapid Change in State Convention
Prospects as the Time Draws
Near.

The one short week preceding the Demo-
cratic State Convention opens with the
defeat Of Frank Gould as chairman of the
convention made practically sure and
with Joint boom for Senator White and
W. W. Foote, which in day or two will be-
come definite and concentrated on one or
the other. The war on Gould will be active
and general in another day or two.
The change that has thus come over the
prospects of the State Convention is some
what similar to the marked and sudden
one that few days ago came over the
prospects of the National Convention.
The Federal brigade and small coterie
of politicians had represented small
minority of the party, but majority of
its practical activities. The machine
worked steadily without interference, ex-
cept from the Buckleyites in thisCity, and
its programme looked strong and big be-
cause it was alive.
Daggett, McNab and Gould had worked
long and hard to make Gould chairman,
and last Saturday they were sure that he
was a winner. But the mass of the party
had not got around to the Craftsmanship.
Gould, as chairman of the State Central
Committee, was to put through as far as
was in his power the Daggett-administra-
tion-gold-Junta programme. The party
landslide to silver made this programme
look sick, and now, as the convention
nears, the predominant sense and senti-
ment of the party is waking up and dis
playing its style and power.
1t was judged before yesterday by many
that the Democracy of California would
not measure its dignity and character
with Frank Gould, but not until this week
has this become plainly evident to those
in touch with the strong party forces and
those in q position to note the party pulse.
As the Craftsmanship becomes a tt mely
question to the rather extensive portion OF
the party apart from the Daggett-McNab- b.
GouId-Rainey com bination, the party
seems to turn to White and FOote as by
instinct Either is recognized as the
sort of man worthy of the place and ap-
propriate to the honor. The sense of the
party seems to involuntarily recog gnize
them as the two among the many worthy
party leaders who are in the greatest de-
gree, circumstances considered, natural,
logical and desirable candidates for the
So friends of each are starting booms
for them without their consent. Foote'S
boom has started among his victorious
friends in Oakland. White is called for
on every hand, and John 7. Gaffey is un-
day or two.
Silver will rule the convention. Gould is
bound up in all sorts Of ways with the
gold-administration forces. White and
Foote are silver men.
The convention viii be strongly anti
railroad. Gould is controlled by his polit-
ical partner and boss, Daggett, who repre-
sents the railroad wing of the party.
Foote's anti-railroad record is long one
and Whites is as unimpeachable.
The convention will be strongly anita.
P. A. Gould, perhaps uniustly, has long
been on the defensive along with McNab
on this proposition. Foote is strongly
against the a. ?. A., and Whites attitude
needs no explanation.
1t is declared by leading Democrats who
: are opposed to Gould, and who are de-
manding either Foote or White, that
Gould is a man of no weight, that his
party record and services do not entitle
him to the honor, that he has shown him
! self man of small tricks, and that he is
unpopular throughout the State and in
his own county, as shown by his inability
ITO be elected delegate-at-large from San
Joaquin County, and his necessity of 60
ing as an Assembly district delegate.
His partnership com bination with Dag
gettand McNab on their Junta programme
is being hoisted into prominence. 1t is
widely said that for cracking through the
State Central Committee the recognition
of the Junta, and for the rest of the SER
vices to be rendered In throwing
the State machine Daggett's way
;<he was promised the Craftsmanship
of the convention which he expects to put
him in line for the nomination for Gov
ernor two years hence. 1t is pointed out
that he is the partisan of one of the local
factions, and that his election as chairman
would be discreditable and also unwise, as
not conducive to party unity and success.
White and Foote are men of large cali
ber, deserving of party honor and popular
with the mass OF the party. 1t is said Dy
their friends that if either are made candi-
dates Gould would not get fifty votes out
side of the Junta delegates. Both White
and Foote are candidates for delegate-at-
large, with election certain. This is the
only impedlment to the candidacy of
either, but it is not expected to be insur-
mountable in either case. Neither one
will become a candidate except through a
widespread party demand, and that de-
mand appears to be rising.
White is expected home in two or three
days, and his candidacy will probably not
be settled until then. John I. Gaffey,
who was given his collectorship through
White, is for anything White wants. He
ended his few days connubiating Ep there
yesterday and left for home. When he came
White was not talked of for chairman an d
he came with the idea of making George
S. Patton of Los Angeles chairman of the
convention. He found it couldn't be done
and left with White in his mind.
w. W. Foote some little time ago
checked a boom for him by declaring that
he was not candidate, because he wanted
chiefly to go to the National Convention
as delegate-at-large, and he was not a
hog.
Now his friends are reviving his boom
and declaring that they will make him a
candidate anyway. Foote's rising boom
brought Max Pepper, Sam Braunhart and
some others to his Office in alarm yester-
day. They wanted to know the danger OF
his sidetracking Gould. Foote repeated,
emphatically, his declaration that he was
not candidate, but did not declare that
he would repudiate his friends if they
made him chairman.
To CALL man Mr.. Foote said yester-
day:
AZ have told my friends positively that I
am not candidate for anything but dele
gate-at-large. l am against anything that
Mr.. Daggett may seek to do. 1t seems to
look now that Mr.. Gould will be elected,
but if he is running for the chairmanship
on Daggett's prestige 1 will be against
him. No Daggett candidate can be elected.
/ assume that Mr. Gould is doing the best