The San Francisco call., 1896-08-24
Democratic Desperation Drives
the Leaders Into Bunko
Schemes.
TRYING TO MAKE coNGREssMEN
But Some Popu lists and Some Demo
Gratis Object to Being Taken for
Political Hayseeds.

There was a great deal of amusement in
political circles yesterday over the bold
scheme of the Democrats to beat the Pop
ulists in Congressional districts by fixing
the cards in advance and then inviting
the unsophisticated to play a game OF
political whist, the trumps and strong
suits being in the hands of the willy
Bourbons.
II the scheme works there will be as
complete loss of identity in the case of
the Populists ss there is in the case of q
frog when swallowed by snake.
The duty of mesm orizing the Popullsts
devolves quite largely upon ex-Congress-
man Caminetti, who is the subcommittee
man of the Democrats, appointed to see
that John S. Dore of Fresno, representing
the Populists, has proper salivary coat
ing before the committee OF fifteen shall
attempt the gastronomic feat of swallow
ing him as morsel of vicarious atonement
for the weaknesses of his party.
Strange as it may seem. yet not more
wonderful than the gold brick swIndle, the
Democrats have had the effrontery to
evolve scheme by which all Congress
sionaI nominees shall resign and leave the
selection of candidates to a committee in
which Democrats Will be the controlling
force.
To carry on this shell game of politics
they have led out ex-Judge Mcguire of
the Fourth and Delegate Patton of the
Sixth districts to make the first bet on the
contents of the shells, hoping thereby to
induce Candidates Monteith, McGlashan,
Rogers, Barlow and Castle of tue Populist
party to lose their political fortunes on
the second bet.
There is a nice little piece of illusion
work back of the scenes in the case of
Congressman James Ct. Mcguire. He
comes up boldly in the Fourth District
and resigns. On its face this would look
as if he had proffered himself as burnt
offering on the altar of his party, fearing
nothing. The heroics fail, however, wnen
1t is renlem bered thas in his particular
district the Populists have made no nomi-
nation.
Committeeman Dore, Lawlor and Cami-
netti are to meet at the Lick House at
A. NJ. to-day to confer further on how the
big Democratic spiders are to swallow the
little Populistic flies that are Just now
buzzing with unusual activity about the
parlors of the Bourbons. In his heart Mr..
CHminetti believes that the Bourbon spi-
ders cannot weave enough cloth of gold
about the treacherous web to hide the
lethaI chamber from view, but the at
tempt will be made to-day. Each of the
mmitteemen is to bring his plan and if
the dice can be loaded skillfuliy every
thing will be we'll for Democracy, other
wise the fusion will fail.
There is likely to be great deal of fun
in several instances, particularly in the
Fifth, where the Democratic candidate
chances to be up to ways that are peculiar
himself, and Joe Kelly is his name. Never
was heather Chinee more mysterious in
ways that are dark and tricks that are
vain, and somebody may rise to explain
ere long that the willy Joseph has carried
away every thing on the table and left the
bunko-steerers musing over their short
sightedness in taking him for a political
nayseed. Mr.. Kelly will certainly arise to
explain that he objects to being bunkoed
Another Populist with large bump of
suspicion is George w. Monteith of the
First District. who thinks he sees the fine
hand of Huntington back of every odd
movement; who looks for political BUSH
whackers behind every waving bush, and
who denies that he is a wild man from
Borneo to be lassoed and put on exhibi-
ton as sample of political paresis. He
came to town too long ago for that.
There are not webs enough to hold DR..
Castle of the Seventh, a Populist with
fighting record and with strength and
sinews enough 10 nreak down many q po-
litical fence an9 ru swiftly into the open
fields. Taylor ~ ers of the Fifth. it is
said, will not resign unless he practically
holds denomination up his sleeve.
The only points agreed on at yesterdays
informal conference are these: If fusion
takes place the candidates selected must
accept three cardinal principles-the free
silver idea, Government management of