The San Francisco call., 1898-08-16
DOCKWEILER IS CAUCUS CHOICE
 FOR THE CHAIR Patton Beaten, WithdraWs His Name for the Temporary
 Office.
Production of a Railroad Pass Causes Con- sternation Among the Delegation
 From the South.

CALL HEADQUARTERS, SACRA- MENTO, Aug. 15-As pretty a fight IS on in the Los Angeles delegation as one could wish to see and which promises to have a bearing of considerable mo ment on the convention. Here IS the story of the trouble as given by one of the Mitchell followers:
 For several years what Is known as the Tennessee Brigade among which is numbered Dr. Hill, chairman of the County Committee; w. R. Burke, George S. Patton, Frank James and John T. Gaffey, have been struggling to gain control of the party machinery in Los Angeles County. Several months ago they began operations looking to the capture of the delegation to the State convention. Their programme included the overthrow of John w Mitchell, A. Ramish, M. C. Marsh, J. Marion Brooks and others of equal prominence, through whose efforts the party organization has been kept up in the southland. These men did not be- gin the work of fortifying themselves in their positions until week before the county convention, but when they did start in they made brave showing. George s. Patton was one of the lead CTS of the attack on the regular or ganization and directed his attention particularly to Mitchell. The election of delegates to the county convention afforded the opportunity Patton and his associates sought.
 Mitchell was a candidate for delegate from the Fifth Super visorial District, his opponent be- ing a colored man, the only one pitted against the Southern man to in- tensify his chagrin at being delegate. Mitchell claims he received a majority of eight votes, but was counted out and his seat given to his cOIOred opponent.
 The struggle for control of the con- vention was intensely bitter, Patton and his followers being accused of hav ing promised everything in sight in the way of patronage and a whole lot that was purely chimerical. One of the issues raised was that the railroad was back of the Mitchell following and was giving out passes to Sacramento to its delegates to the State Convention.
 At ? o'clock this afternoon the Pat ton forces thought that possibly the Dockweiler camp included a majority of the delegates from Los Angeles County. They thereupOn proceeded to consider the proposition for flank movement to utterly demorallZe the enemy.
 The flank movement in cOntempla- tion was this: One of the delegates from the Fifth Supervisorial District of Los Angeles County is Robert J. Ad- cock After MT. AdcOck was chosen delegate he claims that he was ap- preached by Thomas McCaffery, chief train dispatcher of the Southern Pa off at I nC nj he would be given transportation to the convention by the railroad com pany. AS a guarantee of good faith MT. McCaffery gave MT. AdcOck an or der on the ticket agent at Los Angeles for a ticket
 But MT. Adcock declined to use the order and proceeded to pay his fare to Sacramento at the regular rate. The order for the ticket MT Adcock kept and turned over to pr. R. w. Hill, a delegate from Los Angeles and a Pat ton man. The order was exhibited dur ing the afternoon and the announce ment was made that it would be used on the floor of the caucus if necessary as an argument tending to show that the railroad company was endeaVoring to defeat Patton for chairman by the free use of passes, orders for passes and possibly money.
 MT. AdcoCk said to a Call correspond ent: '"The order for transportation was given me with a request that l vote against Patton for chairman and for another party for chairman of the Los Angeles County delegation. l was also to vote for rartieS for Railroad Commissioner and member of the State Board of Equalization from our district as should be suggested to me later on. l consider this proposition to unduly influence delegates an unfair one and turned the order for the transportation to the chairman of our committee eX- blaming how it was given me. I did not desire to see any man defeated by the railroad company by such meth ods" The following is copy of the order received by MT. Adcock:
 LOS ANGELES, Aug 13-C. S.: The him to Sacramento. T. McCAFFERY.
 This order was written on a sheet of ordinary legal cap and in the style and handwriting of the telegraph operator.
 The Mitchellites deny these charges Tn toto. They assert that Maguire has no stauncher supporters in the State than they, or that no warmer advocates of fusion can be found. They explain the Adcock pass affair in this way.
 Adcock was candidate for the Assembly from the Seventy-third Dis trict four years ago, but was defeated by Frank Finlayson. Adcock has al- ways been prominent in Democratic politics in his county, affiIiating with the regular organizations. One day l. Marion Brooks met Adcock and asked him if he was going to the State Con- Vention. Adcock said 'ie could not af- ford the trip and asked Brooks if he thought the railroad would give him transportation.
 Brooks replied that he thought the railroad was not doing anything in thai line this year, but he would see what could be done Brooks then saw Me