The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-01-06
EX-PARTE INSTRUCTIONS.

The San Francisco Examiner and other
supporters of Senator Perkins are insist
ing with great vehemence upon the bind
ing force upon members of the Legislature
Of the Endorsements which were given to
Senator Perkins by some county conven-
tions at the beginning of the recent cam
paign. They declare these Endorsements
are of such force that no legislator can
vote for any other man for United States
Senator without being guilty of something
like party treason, and assert that Senator
Perkins has lien upon the senatorsnip
which no man in the State has right to
dispute.
Claims of this kind will hardly have
any weight with men of intelligence. No
man can assert that the senatorship IS
his property without degree of AFRO
gance and assumption which will be
offensive to every legislator, who has
rightful sense of his own dignity or the
responsibilities of his Office. The indorse-
ments given to Senator Perkins are not in
any sense binding upon a legislator. The
conventions which gave them were not
chosen for the purpose of electing
United States Senator. and therefore had
charged with that duty under the law.
1t is easy to see how Senator Perkins
obtained such Endorsements as were given
to him. The con test before the Republi-
cans of the State in the last campaign was
a most difficult and arduous one. The
fusion which had been brought about be-
tween silver Republicans, Democrats and
Populists threatened to subyert the Re-
publican forces in the State and to carry
California for Bryan. Under those cir
cumstances every patriotic member of the
Republican party laid aside all thought of
personal advantage or ambition, and
strove earnestly for the success of the
party without consideration of selfish in
terests. Those who were less, loyal had
therefore a free field for the display of
their personal ambitions and easily Sc
cured Endorsements.
1t was well known to the ADLER leaders
of the Republican party that if contest
arose over the senatorship which would
divide and carry discussions into the
rank and file the party would be hope
lessly beaten. They therefore stood aside
from such q contest and sought only to
make sure of victory for Mckinley cleo
tors and Republican Legislature. There
was but one Republican in the State who
intruded his personal am bitions into the
contest and subordinated the party to
himself. He had clear field for the ex-
ercise of his talents in gaining lndorse-
ments, and it is not to be wondered
that when no rival appeared he should
have succeeded in deriving something of
fao ofr ri "a
county conventions.
Endorsements given in this way are
purely lex parte." They result from the
hearing of one side only. The Republican.
leaders who earnestly desired the success
of their party did not care to combat this
demonstration of selfishness, as they
feared the contest would be moro disas-
trous than the selfishness itself. In their
high regard for public welfare and the
interests of genuine Repubiicanism they
avoided this danger of party dissenslon
and acted in such way as to bring about
the victory which was accomplished.
Unuer the constitution the L legislature
of the State is charged with the RESPONSE
bility of choosing the representative of the
State in the United States Senate. Loyal
Republicans did not endeavor to forestall
the action of the Legislature nor to de-
prive the members of that body of the
rights which their duty under the consti-
tuition gives them. 1t is the right of q
legislator to act freely in accordance with
the dictates of his Judgment and his con-
science In the selection of Senator, and
no legislator can surrender that right
without sacrifice not only of his personal
dignity but Of his official resnonSihlli