The herald., 1896-02-16

tain OsborEes name was placed upon q
memoranda by number of prominent
personages as the right party to address
when information was wanted about Naii-
fornia politics.
In due course of time Colonel Harrison
Gray Otis got word from Washington that
ran something like this:
'Man here named Osborne. Good look
ing fellow. Don't talk much but gets
around good deal. Excellent
listener. Takes frequent memoranda.
Seems to know a good deal about California
politics. Well recommended. Making
good impression on Carter, Clarkson, Man.
ley, Thurston and all the big men. Better
do something or you will be cipher"
WELCOME NEWS RECEIVED
Nothing is positively known. but it is as
serted on good authority that when Col.
Harrison Gray Otis got this word from
Washington there was blue conflagraton
in his office lasting ten minutes. the Eagle
flew from his perch, the Great Dane dog
departed with his tail at half mast.
and seven blocks of wood intended for the
relic counter were destroyed in the lire O.!
his rage.
Thereupou was conceived the idea of the
colonel going to Washington to push
through appropriations for Southern Cali
fornia by the force of his giant intellect,
the urbanity of his manner and the par
alyzing effect of his personal presence in
the lobby of congress.
The colonel would also have an opportu-
nifty to get next to some of the leaders Of
the party on a trip such a was designed
So he set out upon it, having previously
given it out that he was the right hand man
for the Mckinley boomers on the coast.
Prior to the colonel's announcement that
he was the man and the only man upon
whom Mckinley relied to get him the five
votes Southern California will have in the
national convention. the Ohio leader did
have many supporters in this part of the
state.
MUST HAVE THE SO. X
Since, though, Colonel Otis has declared
that lie is McKinley's lieutenant, and that
the high tariff advocate, If nominated and
elected president, will know no man from
Southern California unless he carr les {,
card marked
SO. K.-Col. H. G. O."
ing off.
They look at it just this way: If Nc.
Kinley is n nominated and elected Col. Otis
will have the exclusive dispensation of the
patronage of Southern California. No
man could get anything unless Col. Otis,
lato OF the Twenty.third Ohio, said yes.
This being the case. the wheel-horses from
this section have decided to go slow on Nc
Alniey untll tney 1lnu out where tney
are at.
THE CoLoNEL's AMBITION
Colonel Otis, above all things, desires to
go to the Republican national convention.
The leaders have no more idea of letting
him 60 than they have of sending 10 10. Still
they cannot come right out and say so, for
that would be bad policy. For the present
they are letting the matter drift. At the
proper time they will turn the colonel
down with dull, sickening thud. In the
meantime, by keeping quiet, they are tie
the tiger his claws.
Colonel Otis thinks he is playing one of
those extraordinarily keen games for which
he is noted. He has not announced him.
self positively as candidate for delegate,
although he is one just the same. The
colonel knows that his candidacy
would not set the foothills
OH fire with enthusiasm. Still
those who are next to him are pulling every
string to bring about his selection. But,
as has been before stated, there is no more
chance for him to go to St. Louis as deie-
gate than there is for the great Dane dog
to 60. The colonel, il he is not afraid to
submit his name to the state convention,
would probably be given just within a few
votes of enough to send him as delegate
and just exactly enough to remain at
home.
Looked at from all sides and in all it's
phases the colonel's support of Mckinley
will probably be expensive to the Ohio
ideal of Republicanisin unless he is called
back by the friends of the Buckeye Napo-
leon.