The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-12-27
DEMOCRATS MEET
AND SAW WOOD
It Was the Quietest Politi-
cal Meeting on
Record.
Mr.. Rainey's Absence Had an
Alarmingly Dispiriting
Effect.
They Met to Talk About the DISPOSE
tion of Patronage, but Were
Stricken Dumb.

There was stamping of feet and one or
two hurrahs when Sam Braunhart, Sena-
tor-elect, walked into Democratic head
quarters in the Flood building last even
ing.
Mr.. Braunhart received this t1atterlng
ovation because he was one of the few
favored by political fortune, and the room
Jul of men who were waiting 10 be so
favored looked upon him as mascot, as
no doubt he would be in reality if politics
were baseball game.
The Senator wore the front of his black
derby well down upon the bridge of mis-
nose, and this gave him very ".cute" and
knowing air. He glanced carelessly in the
direction of John Foley, NJ. c. Hassett
and T. P. Riordan, who had been favored
by the party in years gone by, before the
Republicans rose I'D and busted the earth
with them, and Mr.. Braunhart. having
taken q cold, critical survey OF the repre-
sentative Democrats sitting around the
room. took a chair and chewed a tooth
pick with complacent satisfaction.
The representatives. OF the San Francisco
Assembly districts had gathered in re-
Spouse to q call by some rash Democrats
for conference as TO the manner in which
the patronage in the hands Of the newly
elected Democratic officials should be dis
tributed. 1t was apparent long before the
meeting opened that the gentlemen were
laboring under the alarming disadvant-
age of being without the benefit of the
presence and the wisdom Of Samuel Rainey
and Gavin McNab. Because Mr.. Rainey
and Mr.. McNab had q little misunder-
standing before the election as to which
should manage the Democracy in the in
terest of purity and reform neither gentle
man attended. There would have been a
marked chill in the air of the room had
they both appeared, and there is no doubt
that each remained away out of a delicate
feeling for the sensibllities OF the other.
There were some sixty or seventy in the
room when Chairman W. P. Sullivan
called the meeting to order, and an
nOunced formally that the conference had
been called for the purpose or arriving at
some mode "of distributing the places that
may be placed a our disposal
The report was" continued Mr.. Sulli-
van, that the newly elected officers pro-
pose to recognize this organization.
The chairman paused, and dead silence
followed. The smokers became very much
interested in the blue clouds that wound
Iazily from their Cuba Libre cigars and
fiattened against the ceiling, waving like
cobwebs touched by a zephyr.
But never q man spake word. The near
est approach to an expression of senti-
ment was smile on the face of several
delegates.
Don't be smiling" pleaded the chair,
Let some one make suggestion"
Silence followed again. The cigar
smoke grew denser and almost obscured
the heroic figure of Representative
Riordan, who was Democra when Noah
built the ARK and who will be one when
Mr. Macauley's New Zealand prizefighter
Will box ten rounds on London bridge.
Finally the stiffness was broken by
deep voice.
81 move we adjourn"
The chairman became alarmed and
glanced appealingly over to Mr.. Hassett
But Mr.. Hassett seemed to be coy and
:; undecided, for he neither moved nor
spoke.
"Oh, no; we can't do that" said the
chair. We've got to do som ething, gen.
tlemen, if only to make, a bluff a it,
MIR. Hassett took the cue, and walked
up to the platform with piece of paper
in his hand. We'll, Mr.. Chairman" he
said. II offer this resolution"
The resolution was to the effect that a
committee of three be selected by the
meeting to confer with the Board of Su-
pervisors and other newly elected officers
at the earliest possible day, not later than
Tuesday evening next, to ascertain in
what manner and in what proportion the
patronage of the party should be appor-
LIoned.
as there second to that resolution p"
inquired the chair. "Some of those gen.
tlemen who were 80 vociferous in their
applause when Mr.. Hassett came forward
Ought to second that resolution"
The delicate bit of sarcasm failed to
sting. There was nothing in the resoiu-
ton about Sam, and it would have been