The San Francisco call., 1898-07-12

depends on this convention it is not eX- aggerating matters, for it is generally admitted that if the Democrats can control this convention they can con- trol future gatherings and, therefore, it is quite useless to keep up the sem blance of a party organization merely to be used as a catspaw for the Demo- cratS.
 More delegates arrived tonight and the fight against fusion became warmer. The middle-of- the roadsters are laboring under the disadvantage of being unorganized, while their oppC- nentS are marShaled under the leader ship of experienced politicians, men who later will have a large-Sized hand in the Democratic proceedings in the interest of Mcguire.
 However, the fight became so warm tonight that the "Banjo-eyed Kid' cast aside his reserve and for two hours harangued a crowd of delegates In front of the Statehouse on Maguire's virtues. He laid particular stress in the strength shown by the Congressman in carrying his own district three times in succession, and solemnly assured his hearers that Mcguire was the only man in the State who could poll the full strength of his own party next Novem- Der; while as for the Populists, Cnce they indorSed him they would falrly tumble over each other in their anxiety to rally to his standard.
 The Kid" would have been talking yet had not somebody in the crowd shouted to him to give Maguires posi- ton on several questions of vital inter- est to the PopulistS. Then the Kid" became pensive and took himself off to the Golden Eagle for a time.
 The fusionists made rather clever play to split up their opponents to- night and leave the field clear for them selves l1hOr unmOlpSte6 With the fresh arrivals, but to their disgust the scheme was not as successful as they had hoped. Late in the afternoon mo- tice was posted in the office of the Statehouse calling for an anti-railroad meeting in the Supreme Court chamber at s o'clock, and urging delegates hos tile to the railroad to be present and prepare strCng plank for insertion in the platform. The meeting was held, but less than a dozen delegates took the bait and it soon adjourned.
 The convention will open at 10 a. m. and the first real fight will take place on the election of officers. R. H. Web ster will receive the support of the middle of -the-roadsterS tor chairman while the Maguires are divided between Hutchinson of Los Angeles and Rogers of Napa. The latter, however, is not likely to cut much of figure and the contest is expected to simmer down to Webster and Hutchinson.
 The story has been started, with the undoubted intention of causing break away from Shanahan, that in case he is nominated for Governor he will step aside in favor of Mcguire after the convention adjourns and take second place on the Democratic ticket The straight-outs pooh-pooh the story and assert that it is circulated merely to alarm and bewilder the more timid ones. Among those who take the rumOr seriously is Attorney George w. Mon tieth, who has capped his career by joining the ranks of saffron journalism, and now, standing with barred head under cloudless sky. Montieth awaits the stroke of the political thunderbolt
 Yes. Montieth is a candidate for Gov ernor-nOt an open and aVoWed candi- date, but he figures that with Shana- han out of the way, the midde-of the roadsters will cast about for somebody else on whom to lean. And who with a Populistic record as stanch and un- yielding as he? Two years ago, he re- calls, as do some others, he summed all attempts to drag him down after he had received the nomination for Con- gross in the First District, and re- mained candidate to the end, defeat ing, in measure, the fusion agree ment entered into in that campaign.
 However, any chance that Montieth might have will be blighted when 1t be- comes generally known tomorrow that he has attached himself to the Third street faker, for with that sheet as the organ of Mcguire and fusion Montieth's reputation as a straight-out Populist is quite apt to suffer to considerable extent.
 The country delegates are yawning frightfully and talk of the fearful dis sipations these political conventions lead :. man into, but few of them will | go to bed, fearful that the other side will score an advantage should it be left unwatched for an instant. J. J. COREY.