The San Francisco call., 1898-12-30
He Is Here Asked a Plain, Straightforward Question and an Answer Is
 Desired
Proofs Are Offered to Establish the Fact That He Seeks to Retain GunSt in Office at the Re- quest Of Colonel Dan
 Burns.

~ OvERNOR-ELECT GAGE does not take kindly to criticism. He IS
 I shocked and grieved because The
 ' Call has related in detail the man. her in which he proposes to carry out his promise to Dan Burns to keep Burns gambling partner, Moses Gunst, In office as member of the Board of Police Conl- missioners in this city.
 Being 10th to remain in bad light be- fore the people of the State to whom he made such glowing promises during the recent campaign, MT. Gage has had ni1n- self interviewed by the Examiner Colonel Burns organ, the interview being ev. dently intended to soften the fall which the Governor -elect seems to think he is about to experience in the minds of those who voted for him and who SUD- ported him during the campaign. Among other things Mir. Gage says that the ques- tion of the reappointment of Gunst had nothing to do with the fixing of the date of his inauguration for January 4. To prove this he quotes at length from nu- merous legal decisions in this and other | States relative to the status of MT. 1 Gunsts incumbency, thus proving beyond a doubt that he had never given a thought to the question until the moment he was approached by the interviewer.
 A careful reading of the interview dis l closes the fact that MT. Gage did not deny that he had promised Colonel Burns to keep Gunst in office; that he did not deny that he had told Governor Budd that he (Gage) had fixed January as the date of his inauguration because he had | been requested to do so by the executive committee of the Republican State Gen. tral Committee; and that he did not deny that he sent Governor Budd the following message some days ago:
 "Do you intend to appoint q suc- cesxor to Police Commissioners Gunst:
 "ColoneI Burns hns been very kind to me, and feel that am un- der obligations to him. He wants Gunst to continue in office, and now that I am in n position to handle this matter for him I feel that | ought to do It. I am in no hurry to be inauEurated, and would prefer to let matters take their usual course, but if it becomes necessary can be inaugurated in time to handle this appointment. Unless get the proper assurances l feel that ought to take such course as will prevent any mistakes"
 Governor-elect Gage did not see fit to deny that he sent to Governor Budd such a message as the above, though he Is quoted as saying that the question of MT. Gunst's reappointment had nothing to do with the fixing of the date of the inaugu- ration.
 MT. Gage is now given an Oppor- tunity to deny that he sent such a message to Governor Budd through the Governors private secretary. If he has n sufficient disregard for the truth as to deny that he sent such message The Call will produce the proofs of his untruthfulness.
 The issue is plain and no honest man will seek to avoid it or pretend to mis- understand it. Either such a message was sent or it was not. The Call says that it was and stands ready to prove 1t if MT. Gage sees fit to deny 1t. IT the message was sent, then Mr. Gage, by his own words, has undertaken because of his friendship for Colonel Burns to con- tinue Mr. Gunst in office. It is also true that upon the certainty of being able to keep his promise to Colonel Burns de- pended the fixing of the date for his in auguration. He says: "I am in no hurry to be inaugurated, but if 1t becomes ne- cessary l can be inaugurated in time to handle this appointment. Unless l get the proper assurances I feel that I ought
 
 mistakes.
 The proper assurances were not forthcoming for Governor Budd refused to promise that he would not appoint MT. Gunst's successor. Thereupon MT. Gage fixed the date of his appointment for January A. lin time to handle this ap- pointment," and so prevented the liabil- ity of there being any mistakes" be- cause MT Gunst's term of office expires, if it expires at all, on January 5.
 It is all a very simple matter MT. Gunst and Colonel Burns are personal friends and gambling partners. Colonel Burns and MT. Gage are personal friends and political associates. MT. Gunst wishes to retain the office of member of the Board of Police Commissioners Colonel Burns has promised to aid him to that end. Colonel Burns has asked Mir Gage to retain MT. Gunst in office and MT. Gage had promised to do so. After communi- eating with Governor Budd he ascertained that he would be unable to keep his prom ise to Colonel Burns unless he fixed the date of his inauguration for January 4 This date was fixed upon accordingly and for the reasons mentioned.
 I The Call knows little and cares less con- corning the legal status of Mir Gunsts incumbency. If there is a difference of opinion between gentlemen learned in the law reSafulnB the expiration or MT. Gunst's termfof office the question can be easily and finally determined by resort to the courts. It is very evident that Mr. Gage has studied the matter carefully be- cause Of his ability to refer in detail to numerous judicial decisions bearing on the point at issue. It is equally apparent that he believes that MT. Gunst's term of office will expire on January 5, from the purport of his. message to Governor Budd and his subsFquent action in fixing the date of his own inauguration for Jan uary A. thus giving himself the privilege of allowing MT Gunst to remain in office.
 During the campaign that resulted in Mir. Cages election The Call did what was in Its power to promote his candi- dacy, believing that the assurances of