The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1896-04-26

puSnance against DlgOtry OF any sui.
Young Phelan,' said an appreciative
Democratic statesman, would run al
most as we'll as Sutro. He's Native
Son, and the least Objectionable Ma
tive Son that l know. He's got some
forehead and doesn't wear football
hair
1.-The Democrats" said a Republican
of Importance, who asked me not to use
his name, out of consideration for the
torn condition of the party locally and
the enmities that a Republican at pres
ent must awaken by saying anything
decided; "the Democrats have no more
show in this State than they will have
in the nation next November. They
know they're in for licking and can't
help showing it. We've got them on
the tariff because of the hard times,
and on finance they're as badly mixed
as ourselves. If they try fusion here
on Congressman, the rank and file OF
their own party, and Of the Populists
too, will refuse to obey orders. At
our State Convention we will declare
strongly for silver. The last State Con-
vention did so, and we couldn't decently
go back on that declaration, even If
we wanted to, which we don't.
80 far as San Francisco is con-
cerned, most of the friction is only APP
parent. There are good many men
behind the Mahoney-Kelly delegation
who don't care to show themselves but
the whole motive Of that demonstra-
ton is to annoy John y. Spreckels and
badger him into taking them into camp.
The State Convention will seat the
Spreckels delegation; you needn't have
any doubt on that head. The Repub-
lican party of California is pretty
strong, but it's not strong enough to
be able to afford to slap John D. Spreck-
els in the face. He's power. And in
this town he's impregnably intrenched.
County Clerk Curry has seventy-two
places, and the office belongs to Spreck-
els. That gives him secure control of
| the County Committee.
1.-The only trouble with the General
is that if you shout at him you scare
him. There isn't any reason why man
of his wealth should be in politics ex
| cept to do good. and yet he's gone and
given a whole lot of power to such cat
| tie as Phil. Crimmins and Jack Mar
tin because he's frightened at the
him. With his money and the Call
which is a whole brass band in itself,
and the Shortridges, who're equal to a
brace Of calliopes, he is in a position to
snap his fingers at all the toughs in
San Francisco.
Were about unanimous for McKin-
| ley here, and the State Convention will
be for him Overwhelmingly. But
Spreckels is under engagement to
Clarkson to do what he can for Allison.
AS concession to Spreckels We'll prob
ably send an unpledged Mckinley dele
cation to the National Convention.
THE Democrats will have a show to
elect just one Congressman this fall,
and that's Mcguire. The rest will be
all ours. In the city We'll have to face
the music. San Francisco is Demo-
cratic, and If the party has really got
rid of Buckley and can turn down
Rainey and Daggett, and puts up good
| ticket, We'll be lucky to get anything.
But We'll make a hard fight, and the
| fact that it is a Republican year from
Maine to California will help u.s."
The Democratic party lost one of it's
very best leaders in Denis Spencer, who
| died here the other day. / doubt if
| there is another politician in all Cali
| fornia whose going would give SO many
men a pang of sorrow. Spencer was a
| loyable fellow, frank, hearty and
| honest to the core. A man whom every
| body likes usually doent deserve any
J body likes usually doesn't deserve any
| bodys affection. But Spencer made
an exception. He was a strong char
acter, stood to his guns always, and
sacrificed his material interests to his
| convictions, with which his feelings
were bound up. Quick of temper, inn
petuous, scorning evasion and every
meanness, his nature was as tranSpa-
rent as his mind was honorable and his
| heart warm. He served his party en-
| Enthusiastically, and it ought to have
done more for him than it did. Spencer
died poor, of course, so poor that his
family is left without adequate provis-
| ion.
The dead man was not a success as a
maker of money, but he made friends
without trying, and there isn't mill
icnaire in the town who hasn't reason t.
envy what poor Spencer has left as his
only acquisition, the respect and warm
was just man.
The Congregational clergy and dea-
cons who at their conference on Tues
day last suspended DR. Brown from the
ministry until he shall perform the
| miracle of scraping the dirt from his
| reputation COMPOUNDED the enemies OF
the faith. The majority by which the
good work was done-49 to 32-isn't
| very imposing, but it is enough to re.
move a reproach that was hurting al
the churches deeply. a reprobate of my
acquaintance has come to me with this
view:
Il was in hope that they would give
| Brown another coat of whitewash and
let him stay in the pulpit. That would
have been an Endorsement which would
have made his guilt the guilt of the
whole denomination, and reflected some
of 1t on all the sects. The churches have
lost their intellectual standing, which
| accounts for the empty pews there's
such a constant moaning over, and il
they can be deprived of their pretense
to superior morality thered be nothing
left of them for anybody to respect, and
| that, to my notion, would be a good
thing for the world. Brown has been
a bonanza for us free-thinkers, and we
wanted him kept up there in the pulpit
as a bright and shining and representa-
tive light. He was a hoodoo of the frs:
magnitude on the brethren, and
prayed they'd not abandon him in the
hour of persecution, as they've basely
done. All we can say now is that they
didn't act in the interest of decency un-