The San Francisco call., 1898-12-07

, superiors that he does not deserve the roasting they have administered to hi-l and that, thanks to his Shrewd manipulations, Burns strength is so great that his election is assured. This accounts for the activity of the rail- road lickspittles and the personal sup porters of Burns, as well as for the reticence of the colonel himself after the awkward blunder made by Herrin in announcing Burns candidacy on be- half of the Southern Pacific Company. The Senatorial situation as it now presents itself is causing much appre- henSion in the Democratic camp on ac- count of the attitude of the Examiner. Since the rupture of the private rela- tons between that paper and the Southern Pacific Companv the EX- aminer has posed as the champion of the people and the enemy of the great corporation headed by ColliS P Hunt lngton. Now that Mr.. Hearst's organ has come out as the champion of the candidacy of Colonel Burns and the mouthpiece of the iniquitous Herrin, the Democrats are all at sea and the Republicans are giving ear to tales concerning an underground passage rom the yellow building to MT. Hearst'S headquarters at the corner of Third and Market streets.
 Herrln himself has added an element of mystery to the situation by Haunt Ing what he is pleased to call the "Ex- aminer's scalp" which he claims to nave taken at the late election. Ire sponsfble people who float about on the outskirts of the political whirlpool are amusing themselves by telling sober tales of a renewal of the secret con- pact between the railroad and the Ex- aminer. These same misguided individ- uaIs, who are not in position to know nf hut -l,. -s-I1% knoWledge they do not posses, point out, in corrobOration of their weird tale, the fact that the Examiner has abandoned its hostility to the corpora tion and has indorsed the candidacy of Colonel Burns, who is aVowedly the railroads choice for United States Senator. The contract. they say. coy- CTS two sessions of the Legislature and one general election" During this period the corporation is to enjoy im- munity from hostile attack on the part of the paper.
 They even go so far as to declare that the $S000 still due and unpaid on ac- count of former contract of a similar nature, is to be paid by the railroad without prejudice to the stipulations of the present agreement, and that it is wholly a secret agreement and is not hedged about by the pretense of an advertising contract as was the case in the former contract
 It is, of course, incredible in view of what has gone before it in the history of the railroad company that there was any necessity for entering into secret agreement to purchase the Examiners silence and good will The only plausible explanation of the wild story is that the railroad people, know ing that the act of putting Burns for ward as the railroads candidate for hoI hn ivR,,. iota effect of antagonizing every reputable newspaper in the State, deemed it ad- visable to procure the support of the Examiner and thus be in a position to ward off the attacks that were fore seen. Whichever way the truth lies, it is certain that the Examiner now occu- pies the enViable position of being the mouthpiece of Colonel Burns and the untruthful Herrin.
 Perhaps the most regrettable fea- ture of the situation as it stands to- day is the attempt made yesterday by an afternoon paper. presumably at the instigation of the unspeakable Herrin, to drag the name of an estimable and philanthropic lady into the muck in which the railroads political agents are wallowing. The cowardly attack will, of course, be without effect, but 1t serves to show to what ends the pro- motors of Burns candidacy will go in order to influence the public mind
 Members of the Legislature who re- side in the interior and who come to San Francisco are being subjected to every conceivable blackmailing scheme in an endeavor to secure their support for Burns. An instance in point is that of member of the Assembly who came to the city two days ago for the purpose of doing what he could to se- cure for personal friend a position on the police force.
 He went to member of the Board of Police Commissioners and preferred his request and was astonished when the honorable Commissioner named as the price of his favor the con- dition that the Assemblyman should vote for Burns for Senator The Assemblyman, to his credit be it said, put an abrupt end to the nego- tiations by declaring that under no con- sideration would he ever consent to cast his vote for Burns. Needless to say the Assemblymans friend will not oh. tain the desired position in the ranks of San Franciscos finest.