The San Francisco call., 1898-06-01

convention of State Republican
 1 League Clubs may be considered
 the real beginning of the politi- cal campaign of 1S9S The acts of the convention are destined to affect in a greater or lesser degree the chances of some scores of would-be candidates who have made early bids for public favor and will make manifest in a manner the wishes of the Republicans of the State IS to the attitude of the party on such questions of public interest as will be brought to the attention of the voters at the coming election.
 Though the deliberations of the con- vention are but just begun one import ant fact has already been demon strated, It is that corporation infiu- ences are to have no part in determin- ing the issues of the coming campaign. This is a matter that has received early and unofficial attention because the corporation bosses have seen fit to per init their wishes in the matter to be- come known.
 This attempt on the part of the cor porations to influence the acts of the convention is being drowned upon by a majority of the delegates because they claim to see in it an effort to disrupt the party and to SOW discord in the convention that has for its purpose no other object than that of strengthening the party organization. Those among the delegates who are reckoned among the party leaders are also aware that 1t Is the intention of the corporation bosses to bring about the breaking of a pledge made almost four years ago and which is held by them to be bind ing on the party in the sense in which 1t was given. The pledge referred to is that given to the Republicans south of the Tehachapi line at the time they pledged their votes in the Legislature to secure the election of Senator Perkins. The promise then given was that the next Republican Senator should be man selected from the Republicans of the southern portion of the State.
 It so happens that the leading and logical candidate of the southern Re publicans is not a corporation man and for this reason the corporations would like to see the pledge ignored, so that they could bring forward a can didate from the northern portion of the State who would do their bidding. To bring about this result they have T so far that its influence was felt In every proceeding incident to the acts of the convention yesterday The ob ject hoped for is to so influence the con- vention that the north will be arrayed against the south. When this object shall have been attained a resolution will be offered declaring 1t to be the sense of the convention that no par ticular section of the State be recog- nized as having a claim to the nominee for Governor or the candidate for United States Senator.
 The permanent organization of the convention has not yet been effected, yet so strong Is the pressure that has been brought to bear on the corpora tion delegates that the lines are al ready strongly drawn and delegation is arrayed against delegation. Frank D. Ryan and Grove L. Johnson of Sac ramento are the leaders of the cor poration forces in the delegation from the Second Congressional District, which has been selected as the stand ard bearer of the forces that are out fin opposition to the candidacy of R. N. Bulla for Senator Many of the delegates from the Fourth and Fifth Congressional districts have also been whipped into line and the corporations have a few votes among those dele gates who have their residence in the northern portion of the Seventh Dis trict. This comprises the corporation strength in the convention.
 The Sixth Congressional District delegation, with the exception of few members who are either in the pay of the railroad or have been ensnared by the political 1irtations of Henry Gage, whose acts are inspired by the corpor- ation bosses for the purpose of furth- ering the scheme that is now being worked out, is solid for any proposal that will insure for the Republicans of the southern portion of the State the selection of the Senatorial candidate. The same is true of the Seventh Dis trict delegation. The delegation from the Third District will join hands with the men from the south because by so doing they will ward off any contemplated injury to the gu- bernatorial aspirations of Dr. Par dee and ex-Mayor Davis. If the party Is pledged to support southern man for Senator, the pledge will carry with 1t a stipulation that the candidate for Governor shall come from the north ern part of the State. For this reason the friends of Brown, Pardee Davis, Flint, Barnes, Dickinson, Fitzgerald, EIlert and others who have desire to head the ticket at the next election will stand in to defeat the plans of the cor poration delegates. The delegation from the First Congressional District will also vote with the southern men. Those delegates from the Fourth and Fifth districts who do not wear the corporation collar will support any proposition that will promote har- mony.
 The friends of R. N Bulla declare that now that the corporations have come forward in an evident attempt to defeat their candidate even at the expense of wrecking the party, it is a plain indication as to the course the | Republicans of the State should pur-