The San Francisco call., 1896-03-05
VICTORY FOR CLEAN REPUBLICAN POLITICS,

travel together by day and by night, de-
cided to do politics by hustling together
such of the State Central Committeeman
representing the Fourth District as they
might manipulate to their own ends.
Each member of the State Central Com
mittee representing the Fourth District
had as much authority to call meeting
as any of the other members.
Senator Mahoney hustled out notices OF
meeting of the delegation to occur at
the Baldwid Hotel that evening and with
Martin KeIly's assistance a meeting was
secured at which forged proxy of Gus
tav Melsing of the Twenty-ninth District
was offered by Jake Shaen and accepted
without inspection or question. Jake
Shaens vote on the forged proxy of man
who would have voted with different ef-
feet and who has since repudiated and
condemned this use of his vote, gave the
majority which named the committee ap-
pointed at that snap meeting in the rooms
of Senator Mahoney.
At that meeting in Senator Mahoney' 8
rooms there were present OF the eleven
mem bers of the State Central Committee
from the Fourth District w. S. Russell, l..
S. Cohen, William Smadeke, ]. 81. Ma
honey, A. Ruef, John Martin and I. G..
Duff. The proxy of ]. G. Terryll was pre-
sented by Frank Worth, the proxy OF ID.
C. Summers was presented by G. G. Curry
and the alleged proxy of Gustav Melsing
was presented by Jake Shaen.
By vote of six to four the following
committee, named in advance, was ap-
pointed as quickly as the motion could be
taken: w. II. Dimond, N. j. Williams,
Jacob Levi Jr., A. P. Kearney, A. Barn.
hard, w. T. Howe and ]. S. Spear. With
out the forged proxy of Gustav Melsing
but five out of the eleven members of the
State Central Committee of the Fourth
District would have been recorded in favor
of this action.
At the snap meeting last Saturday even
ing vigorous protests against the hasty
and snap action, as we'll as against the fact
that the committee named represented but
three of the eleven districts, were pre-
sented by Messrs. Duff, Curry, Cohen and
Smadeke, but they were silently ignored
and the vote declared.
Since last Saturday night the member
of the State Central Committee represent
ing the Fourth District have held consul
tations, and last nights meeting was re-
suit.
The meeting of Saturday night in
the rooms of Senator Mahoney gains
no prestige because of its being
the first one called. The general
resolution of the State Central Committee
provides that the mem bers of the State
Central Committee representing any
Congressional district shall create
Congressional committee when no such
committee exists in such district.
The members of the State Central
Committee representing any district
have no organization, no one mem Der is
more empowered to call the delegation to-
gether than any other, and the getting to-
gether of the committeeman representing
any district is hence voluntary matter
resting generally with the majority. Hence,
if Senator Mahoney had succeeded in get
ting together six mem bers ofthe committee
the other night who would vote with him
the action he steered in behalf of the rail-
road campaign and "push' politics might
have been held to be formally regular.
But the meeting held at $50 Market
street last night was attended by eight Of
the eleven members of the State Central
Committee from the Fourth District,
either in person or by proxy, and the action
taken was the result of seven votes pres
ent.
Those present were the following:
Twenty-eighth District, w. S. Russell; !;
Twenty-ninth Gustav Melsing; Thirtieth,
1. S. Cohen; Thirty first, William
Smadeke (proxy to C. w. Kyle; Thirty
second, Thomas C. Duff; Thirty third,
H. c. Summers (proxy to Richard Spreck-
els); Thirty ninth. j. G. Terryll (proxy to
R. P. Barton) !; Forty second, E. e. Hughes
(proxy to John T. Dare).
The absentees were: J. n. Mahoney,
Forty-third district: A. Reuf, Forty-fourth
district, ana John Martin, Fourty-ffth
district.
The meeting organized by electing
Thomas c. Duff chairman. Chairman
Duff made brief and strong state
ment, declaring this the first regu-
lar and legal meeting of the delegation
and declaring that at the meeting on Sat-
urdsy evening he had found everything
cut and dried, and had entered vigorous
protest against the proceedings.
After rollcall Gustav Melslng and John
I. Dare were appointed committee on
proxies. On their report the proxies sub
mitted were accepted.
Gustav Melsing then addressed the meet
ing in vigorous language, saying in the
course of his remarks:
''At the meeting last Saturday evening
my proxy was accepted and voted entirely
without my knowledge, authorize
ton or willingness, and 1 declare
it one of the most barefaced political
outrages that I have known in my
experience. Nobody was authorized to use
my vote and I repudiate that action now
as / have done ever since the meeting.
The first knowledge had of the meeting
gained from the papers next morning,
and / learned that an outsider named
Jake Shaen was there and voted on an al
legged proxy from me-"
Chairman Duff, who was present at the
meeting Saturday night, recited that
paper had been fourished for an instant,
and had been declared proxy from Mr..
Melsing without being inspected.
However, entered my protest. said
Mr.. Duff. sin behalf of my district. But
Mr.. Mahoney presented number of
names, which he said had been Endorsed
by a mum her of pood Pepublicans >, and