The San Francisco call., 1898-12-27
Rumors of a '" Secret
 Agreement.
DEMOCRATS ARE ALL AT SEA
BAIT THAT IS BEING USED TO
 CATCH VOTES.
The Republican Central Committees Rooms Used as a Dragnet by the Railroads Candidate for
 Senator.

The coming election of a United States Senator is still the expressing topic of conversation among politicians of high and low degree, and the cam paign of the several candidates for the position will be the feature of the holi- day week
 Now that the Examiner has espoused the cause of Colonel Dan Burns and the Los Angeles Times has announced itself in favor of U. s. Grant Jr, there seems to be some small hope that the decent people of the State will be per mitted to have voice in the matter, and the chances of other and less mal- odorous candidates are frightening wis ibly. The Times opposed the candidacy of Henry T. Gage, with the result that he was elected by majority of 10000 votes. The Examiner sought to secure the election of James c. Mcguire, with the result that he was defeated
 The action of the Examiner in lend ing it's support to D. NJ. Burns, whose record as citizen and an officehoIder Is of the worst, and whose candidacy Is being promoted by all the power at the command of the Southern Pacific Company, is causing much comment among Democrats as we'll as Repub1i- cans. Of the thfrty-three Democrats who are members of the coming Leg islature number have expressed them selves as being of the opinion that the Examiner Is seeking to secure the cleo tion of the railroads candidate for Sen ator out of spirit of revenge, engen- dered by the failure of the majority of the people to comply with it's demands during the campaign. Others who are not so charitable refer to the stories that are going the rounds concerning sls4 re,eEaI oS the s'secret agreement" between the paper and the railroad company, by the terms of which the corporation is to enjoy immunity from the attacks by the paper during a per iod covering two sessions of the Legis- lature and one general election. It Is said that the sS000 still due and payable to the Examiner on account of its former secret agreement" with the railroad company is to be paid up without prejudice.
 There is no means of knowing at the present moment just how much truth there is in these rumors of a secret agreement, but there seems to be no other way of making a plausible ex- planation of the Examiners attitude Prior to the election the paper posed as the enemy of the railroad corporation. Scarcely day passed that it's columns were not filled with attacks on the cor poration and the men who were sup posed to represent it politically. As soon, however, as W. F. Herrin, head of the Southern Pacific Company's po- liticaI bureau, announced that Dan Burns would receive the support of the corporation which he represents in his Senatorial candidacy, the Examiner threw its oft repeated pledge to it's readers to the winds and lent it's sup mort to Colonel Burns. The paper is now looked upon as Colonel Burns mo11thpiece. Such as it is, it is about the only one that he has, for almost the entire Republican press of Cali fornia has denounced his candidacy as a disgrace to the State and menace to the welfare of the people. The atti- tude of the Examiner in this respect is in strong contrast to the position taken by all of the other Democratic papers of the State, for almost without ex- ception they join with the Republican press in denouncing Burns candidacy and demanding that legislators of whatever party or politics decline to vote for him.
 For the benefit of the people of the State who are not in touch with the kind of work that is being done in Burns behalf it may be we'll to state