The San Francisco call., 1896-10-16
BOUGHT A COSTLY
PIC IN A Poke
Non artisans Insist on
Enforcing Pro- Charter
Pledges.
Democratic Legislative Nomi-
nees Get in Some Smooth
Work.
WILL CERTAINLY INJURE THEM
Mr.. Sbarboro UtterS the Adverse Sen.
timents of the Majority of His
Associates.

cles yesterday was the publication of a
letter from the Democratic legislative
nominees, announcing that they had de-
cided to modify their pledge to support
the adoption of the new charter in case o1
their election. They explained that they
do not yet know the wishes of their con-
stituents in the different Senatorial and
Assembly districts. and now they want a
change made in their pledge, so that they
shall be guided in their votes IN favor OF
or against the instrument, according as
the majority OF the electors in their dis
tricts may by their votes direct.
AS might be expected a smooth PROPOSE
ton of this kind created no end of discus
sion among the active workers in all po-
litical parties. In no other place, how
ever, did it cause so much excitement as
in the headquarters of the Citizens Nom
Partisan campaign committee.
A special meeting of the com mittee was
held to hear the communication read in q
formal way, though all the members knew
of its contents, as was evidenced by their
looks of dissatisfaction and the few re-
marks of censure that were casually let
fall by those usually conservative and
reticent gentlemen.
After the meeting had been called to
order by Chairman George K. Fitch the
letter was read by Secretary /. L. Milli-
ken, after which there was brief pause,
each waiting for his neighbor to express
an opinion.
Some mildly condemnatory resolutions
were offered for the consideration of the
meeting, but at the suggestion Of Chair
man Fitch they were withdrawn, and at
last the committee decided to take no
action in regard to the matter
This conclusion was not reached with
out discussion however, and if each
gentleman who signed the letter did not
feel his left ear burning then there is no
more dependence to be placed in folk lore
signs than in the pledges of Democratic
legislative nominees.
ave have their signatures TO an un-
qualified pledge to support the charter if
they are elected, have we not?" asked a
member of the committee.
"Yes, was the reply.
"Then let us hold them to their agree.
ment," was the unanimous decree of all
present.
It was so ordered.
The secretary's minutes show that the
committee declined to take any formal
action in the premises.
Some of the running comments on the
peculiar action taken by these would be
legislators were decidedly pungent, and
while no one said or even directly init
mated that the owners of the signatures
should be boycotted there was tacit un-
derstanding that Mr.. BraunharI and his
associates IN this remarkable affair had
not increased their popularity.
Il Some bitterness was manifested over
the reflection that it was too late for the
names of these gentlemen to be removed
from the legal ballot so that other more
sincere men might be substituted.
"Supposing they had signed a con tract
for the acceptance of valuable franchise
under conditions of Importance to the
comm unity, do you think they would
have had the gall TO come in and try to
| change the terms of the contract, after il
was too late for anybody else to come in,
! without at least consulting with the
parties on the other side ?' was anxiously
asked by several members of the com.
| mittee.
To this very pertinent question there
| was no reply.
A. SbarDoro, prominent member of the
| Non-Partlsan organization, said: II don't
| know what others will do, but I have a
pretty clear idea of my own course. Ger
| tainly it isn't necessary to say much about
| this matter. 1t explains itself | don't
| know that | ever heard of such thing be-
fore. Ii the gentlemen on that ticket had
| any such ideas in regard to their duty on
| the question of the charter they ought to
have mentioned it before they got our In.
dorsement. Then they would have been
| free and we also would have been free. II
| is a strange proceeding, to say the least
| Other Non-Partisans expressed them.
| selves more strongly. They said it was nc
| use for the Dem ocratic nominees to try to
| back out. "They have been bought with
| price and they are ours. We gave oul
Endorsement for their pledge to support
the charter and the contract cannot be an.
nulled in any such way" were the words
of Non-Partisan leader.
But these expressions of personal
opinion will not be recognized as binding
on the great body of Non-Partisan voters
and the candidates who have shown them
selves recreant to their pledges will
have to suffer the consequences OF their
perfdy.
Meanwhile the members of the opposi.
ton parties are chuckling over the dis
comiture of the Non-Partisans and are
likening the affair to historical CONNER
cial transaction wherein a certain inex-
perienced country boy paid too high o
price for pig in poke.