The San Francisco call., 1896-03-13
Resolved That Another State
Central Committee Meeting
Is Necessary.
A CONSTITUTING OF THE CALL.
The Friends of John D. Spreckels and
Decent Politics Are Again
Victorious.

The executive committee of the State
Central Committee held a meeting at the
rooms of the State Central Committee, 4l9
California street, yesterday afternoon, and
took action which has great significance in
relation to the best interests and future of
the affairs of the Republican party.
The proceedings of the meeting consti-
tuted a victory for the friends of John ID.
Spreckels, who have joined in an effort to
bring about condition OF political affairs
most likely to result in harmony and party
success. But it was more a victory for all
elements of the Republican party in the
State, Irrespective of factions or affilia-
tions, interested in seeing the political af
fairs of the party managed in the interest
of fairness TO all elements, the highest
good of the party, and in accordance with
Republican precedents and principles.
Those present at the meeting numbered
seventeen, as follows: P. B. Cornwall,
Frank McQuaid, j. II. Mahoney, w. w.
Montague, Leon Dennery, John D.
Spreckels, Isaac Upham. A. B. Lennon,
Asa P. Wells, f. C. Palmieri. Wendell
Easton, H. P. Sonntag, Judge NJ. Cooney,
w. II. Chickering, A. Ruef, James Nc
Nab, J. c. DAILY.
The meeting was an executive one, be-
ginning at P. NJ. and lasting for over an
hour
The first matter OF Importance that
came up definitely was that of the mean
ing of the Wells amendment adopted at
the meeting OF the State Central Commit
tee week ago last Saturday. Ex-Gov-
ernor Sheldon of Los Angeles, it may be
remem bered, offered a long resolu-
tion, drawn by the clique of the ex-
ecutive committee, which framed the call,
providing in Us last paragraph that in
Congressional districts where no Congress
sional comm ittees existed such commit
tees should be created by a committee of
five named in the resolution. This COM
mittee OF five would have had practical
control of the Republican affairs OF large
portion of the State,
Mr.. Wells of Contra Costa offered YER
bally an amendment providing at in
districts where no Congressional commit
tees existed such committees should be
created by the State Central committee
men representing those districts. After
the meeting several kinds OF doubts arose
as to the wording and construction of
Wells amendment. and one of them con-
cerned the right of the tat large" members
of the executive com mmittee appointed by
NJ. NJ. Estee to participate in the selection
OF Congressional committees in the dis
tricts where they happened to reside. Such
a right has been especially exercised by
Chairman T. B. Cornwall, who resides in
the Fifth District
After considerable discussion Yesterday
it was with practical unanimitv taken
to be the effect of Wells amendment that
ouly members of the State Central Com
miltee elected in the regular way as rep
resentatives of the various Assembly lis
tricts should have the right 10 vote on the
appointment OF Congressional committees
in districts where such committees do not
legally exist. This action was taken in
the interest of harmony, and it vas de-
cision against the appointed members of
the executive committee to participate in
the selection OF Congressional committees.
The next and the chief matter of impor-
tance which came up was a resolution of
fered by ". w. Montague.
In effect it declared il to be the sense of
the executive committee of the State Cen
tral Committee that, under the call
adopted by the State Central Committee at
its meeting weeF ago Saturday, the da-
ties and powers of the State Convention so
called to convene in Sacramento Nav ).
were limited TO the selection of delegates
to the National Republican Convention to
be held in St. Louis June 16
The resolution declared in effect that
the matters of the nomination of Presi.
Dental electors the nomination of Con-
gressmen from the various districts. the
nomination of Lieutenant Governor (lf
the necessity for such a nomination should
appear in the future), the selection of
new State Central Committee and other
party matters should be provided for by
the State Central Committee at another
meeting, which should be held in the com
paratively near future.
The resolutions declared that the duties
- IA, CtoA1 1
in the call adopted at the meeting of the
State Central Committee ceased with the
selection of delegates to the National Con-
vention.
This resolution was adopted by nearly
unanimous vote. This action does not
definitely call a second meeting of the
State Central Committee. The power to
call another meeting resides definitely in
the chairman and in majority of the
committee if they unite in call for
meeting. The right and power of a major
ity OF the executive committee to call
meeting of the State Central Committee,
regardless of the chairman, is matter of
some doubt among leading Republicans.
But in the absence OF a decisive construc-
tion of rules and precedents it was taken
generally yesterday to be practically de-
cided that another meeting of the State
Central Committee will and must occur in
the comparatively near future. The senti-
ment and judgment of a very large
proportion 81 the leading Republicans
Of the City and the State has a;readv been
expressed in favor of this step in the in
terest of harmony, regularity and
party success, and the action of
the executive committee Yesterday
makes another meeting practically
certain. Such a proceeding is less con-
trolled always by the action of an
officer or committee than by
public sentiment, and IN this case
Republican sentiment has already
been expressed in favor of another