The San Francisco call., 1898-08-19

I
 After recess occurred the event the day-Maguire' speech.
 It was a sensible, moderate effort listened to attentively and received with every token Of respect. But sttl there was a chronic absence of enthu siasm. The cheers were perfunctor! and soon died away. Maguire's as sociate on the ticket also appeared. H. was a stranger to most of the dele gates and will probably remain so Nevertheless he was heard respectful ly, which may reasonably be construed as a compliment.
 While a roll call on Supreme Cour candidates was in progress. MT. Ma. guire was among his friends on the 1 floor.
 l I could not help wondering why he should wait to enter what seems now a hopeless race for the Governorshir when he could, If he wished, remain in Congress. The Governorship Is a thankless job, with not enough patron age to go around, and a term in the chair certain to end amid the assaults Of a crop of enemies In ones own party. And campaign for the Gov ernorship, backed by disgruntled Dem ocrats and Populists who have grabbed most of the places and regret not hav- ing grabbed all, does not seem to me rich in promise
 4 notable feature of the second roll call was the effort of some of the Los Angeles men to break away from gag rule, by which they had been voted in every proposition. They were not al- lowed the breakawa- Patton and the other prominent members could not understand why their heretofore tract able followers should have presumed to have minds of their own. The pre- sumption could not be sustained Los Angeles was temporarily passed and when its turn came again voted it's solid eighty-one.
 The motive of Los Angeles is plain It is going to down the bosses, even if 1t has to set up a few of its own
 Meantime Dockweiler has assumed the gavel, because Cassin had found the task too much for him. It re- quired Dockweiler about two seconds to straighten out this disorderly rab- ble, which was standing or moving about, talking and laughing with total disregard of the frantic plea of Cas- sin. Some people have greatness thrust upon them and 1t proves misft. Cas- sin belongs to this class. During the final moments of the struggle, and after the fact had become plain that Coffey would be defeated, I noticed lit- tie Andy Lawrence sitting in the atti- tude of despair. He had been the big bug of the Coffey fight.
 He had given odds to Mayor Phelan, conferred with Tarpey and buzzed like bee, hopped like a cricket. as his wont; snorted, ranted, tore his hair, struck his Napoleonic pose; he had scowled, been terrible as love, impli- cable as death, devastating as a ~cy- clone. People had looked at him and trembled. He had looked at them and they had shriveled up-yet he got 1t in the neck.
 It is pity that a man like Coffey, impelled by worthy ambition to seek a place on the Supreme bench, should be weighted, hampered. crippled, by having to appear as the candidate of a characterless nobody, whom luck has foisted into temporary show of in- fiuence. When the convention under stood that Andy was back of Coffey opposition to Coffey gained strength 1t could have obtained in no other way.
 Matters were worse when Los An geles came to the rescue of the San Francisco contingent. In their eager ness to rebuke the cheek of Andy and
 
 delegates united. and the fate of the Coffey boom was sealed. Both of lenders deserved the rebuke, but 1t was hard on Coffey. Los Angeles has earned the distinction of being the most unpopular delegation in the hall, shameless men in California
 So, for their sakes the knife was put into San Francisco.
 It was at this stage of the proceed ings that Andy gathered himself into darkened room and mourned as one who could not be comforted
 During the closing moments of the contest there was a remarkable scene With a little stronger element of anger 1t might have been a riot. Poor Cas- sin pounded and shouted, and when the people got ready they permitted quiet to be restored. The sergeant-a -at-arms had been instructed to corral the tur- bulent. He did not try it. They sim ply came back when they got ready and they turned a triumphant torrent of votes in Conley's favor The last moments of this vote were marked by a desperate struggle, a veritable pan demonium, through which the thump of the gavel beat an irregular anvil chorus. Hats were thrown into the air, and men gesticulated wildly standing on their chairs until jostled off But 1t was enthusiasm and some thing of the kind had been needed. When Judge Conley came forward to make a speech there was quiet It was a boon. There had not been any worth remembering for several hours
 Thanks are due the Examiner man. agement for the distribution of that paper in the convention each morning. It can be folded so as to make a very acceptable fan, and drive away the heat while one Is reading The Call. I happened to see that an article in 1t yesterday had been written by AL phonso Murphy, and this morning that there was one from Al Murphy. Mr. Murphy explains that his name Is real ly Alphonse de Ia Guerra: that he called it Murphy for fear the Demo- crats would think him a dude, and that while he descended from a Spanish grandee, he does not believe in swell ing around on the strength of his blue blood. So, by special request, he Is plain "AI" again. not deeming that his salary warrants him in lending courtly glamour to his environment. and think ing "Alphonse" incompatible with steam beer Perhaps this is diver gence from convention matter, but 1t is nIeasing to wander away from pro- eYray,r,,a hearing the thumb marks of