The record-union., 1897-01-04
RETRENCHMENT ANDREFORM
Attaches in the Assembly to be Reduced
0ne-Pourth.
Senate Caucus Names Flint, Brandon
and Blackburn-FIint to Ap-
point Committees.

Thomas Flint, Jr, President pro tenn,
with power to appoint committees.
Leslie j. Brandon, Secretary.
Leslie r. Blackburn, Sergeant-at-
Arms
]. B. Coffey, Assistant Sergenat-at-
Arms
That far the Republican Senators got
In their caucus yesterday afternoon, be-
fore they switched off on matters relat-
ing to Lieutenant-Go Jeter and
the part he would be called to play dur
Ing this session of the Legislature.
Matters moved off smoothly enough
at the start, and Senator Flint was
named for President pro tenn. without
a shadow of opposition. Nobody even
80 much as thought of any other Sena
tor for the position.
Flint was the man they wanted, and
there being no opposition they got him.
NO JOSHUA AMONG THEM.
But the honor was not intended to be
an empty one. It was clearly a busi-
ness proposition. Time was flying all
too fast for the Republican Senators
Had there been a Joshua among them,
extra honors would not probably have
been heaped upon Flint. But there was
no Joshua The sun had bad habit of
going down on schedule time, and the
Republican Senators knew full well
that if they caucused for committee
places many suns would rise and set
before their labors would be completed
THE SLATE DEFECTIVE.
This would not do. A spot would
show on the sun after the first days
session, and that spot would be William
T. Jeter. The ''slate" had been fixed up
on Saturday, apparently to the satisfac-
tion of all concerned, but it was found
to be defective. The proposition to ap-
point Temporary Committee on Rules,
whose duty it should be TO report back
recommending that the rules of the last
be made the temporary rules of the
present session, excepting that the
President pro tenn. be empowered to ap-
point committees, was conceded to be
just what was needed in order to cut
out Lieutenant Governor Jeter, but af-
ter consultation 1T was found that to de-
fer the report of the committee until
Tuesday would leave the business In
very bad plight. A similar state of af-
IdlLTS, 1t WdS TGIIlEIlUClCd, aico iAeAP
pened a dozen years ago, and when the
committee reported Tuesday morning
the observation-disclosures was in the
chair That cast a gloom over the Sen
ate and was the cause of nothing beng
done for two weeks except to call the
roll, and many of the Republican Sen
ators remembered that history was apt
to repeat itself. Tuesday would find Je-
ter in the chair, and Jeter might con-
clude to impede matters when the COM
mittee rose to report. There are many
ways in which presiding officer may
bring things his way, or at least keep
them from going some other way, and
the Senators cast around for ways and
means that would extricate them from
the awkward conditions imposed by the
slate.
THE WAY OUT.
The safest and easiest way out was
TO determine in caucus that the Pres
ident pro tenn. should be empowered to
appoint committees, so as to allow him
time to arrange and present the same at
to-day'S session
But before a legislative body can
transact business a set of rules must be
adopted for its government, and II the
appointment of the Committee on Rules
were deferred until the Senate con-
vened, there was small chance OF re-
port being handed in before Tuesday, at
which time Lieutenant-Gov Jeter
would have a good hold on the reins.
COMMITTED ON RULES.
Only one thing remained to be done,
and the Republican Senators did IT
They grappled with old Father Time s
forelock and appointed a Temporary
Committee ON Rules. with instructions
to report to-day. There was no hag-
Cling over the choice Of q committee.
The caucus wanted no mistakes. II
q Joshua was not to be found to stem
the flood of time, a good committee
would do the next best thing-beat 1T.
The men who will report on rules are D.
L. Wilmington of San Diego, General
j. H. Dickinson of Sausalito E. c.
voorhies Of Sutter Creek, j. H. Ma
honey Of San Francisco, and F. s.
StraHton of Oakland.
WILL ORGANIZE TO-DAY.
And thus that vexatious question was
settled, and by the action of the caucus
even the most befogged or benighted
person in the Capital City will under
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