The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-01-04


ing 10 remain here untir' called to a
heavenly home l. would like the privi-
lege of making a few remarks about
one Burns, known variously as Dan
and as the Colonel.
Burns hopes to be United States Sen
ator. For months this has been his
plan. If official records do not lie
Burns is a person wholly unworthy of
trust He has held public office twice,
in each instance a portion of the funds
under his charge disappearing. He was
arrested. put in Jail. and still owes to
the State a trifle of $4,000 All this is
history, and yet it is the career on
which Burns comes before the Legisla-
ture asking, scheming, intfmidating
with the object of being elected and
vindicated. Let him first earn vindica-
ton through fruits meet for repentance.
Burns has not always been in public
life. He has a mine in Mexico. 1t is
called the Candelaria, and the man
who had owned it and who conffded in
Burns, died but the other day with "a
curse on his lips for the man who had
en- the property. This man is Burns,
candidate by the ineXplicable grace of
Providence, by his illimitable nerve and
the rottenness OF some politicians and
the weakness of others, for the United
States Senate, d position in which he
would disgrace the State and to which
he could be elected only by the pur-
chase of the corrupt. Burns has not
much chance He counts on votes
which Will go TO other men. If he can
not. win in the first grand rush he is
gone, for the legislator TO come over to
Burns would be branded to the end of
his days, and could never escape the
blight 1t would be his last vote.
Power so grossly abused would be
taken away by indignant constituents.
Burns and his gang may boast, but
their words are idle. The colonel, if
the fear Of Mexican law permits, may
soon go back TO his mine, nor worry
lest duty call to Washington. From a
survey. Of the ground l regard the
Burns goose as cooked. There is a line
of assumption beyond which even the
baWdy-house and the tenderloin lose
their efficacy. There is no decent ele-
ment behind Burns. Irritation has been
set up by the raw work manipulated by
Gambler Gunst in San Francisco and
by the horde of harpies Burns has
brought with him. The influence of the
railroad, provided he has it, cannot
save him. What Dan needs personally
is regeneration, and politically q mira
Gle. The latter being of divine origin
Dan will be left. If he cannot read the
signs all about him l freely and gladly
interpret.
Aside from the tide of responsibility
which has set in against Burns, l am
unable to discern any great change in
the situation. Bulla, Barnes and
Knight are still in the field, with Beale
looking over the fence.
Aside from Burns; I can see no
chance for anybody but Grant, and as
Burns is a moral impossibility there
appears no reason why Grant should be
discouraged. OF course. there is talk
of a dark horse. In my estimation.
which may be bad, for 1 speak with
due humility as one not wholly onto
the ways of the political sharps and
sharks, there is not dark horse in the
lot who has a better chance than Fatty
Blodes.
At the Capitol to-day there was a
joint session Of the House to listen to
the reading of official returns and to
decide that Gage had been elected Gov
ernor. The announcement created as
GulHuSldSIll.
Gage is d puzzle to me. Why he was
picked up and projected into public life
may be explained when the heavens
roll up as a scroll, but at present the
explanation hinges on a shady political
job the existence of which one cannot
admit without a sense of shame, so
Gage, for the sake of mental peace,
may be left a mystery. That the man
hardly rises to the commonplace must
the hands of Burns is painfully evident.
There was to-day an exhibition of
discourtesy to the retiring Governor.
His message was sent to the Senate
and Assembly and each body refused to
listen TO it. This must not be charged
against them wholly. There was a lack
of time, the hours were gliding by and
certain routine matters had to be dis
posed of. If Gage fails to be Governor
by a certain hour the commission Of
Nose Gunst will expire. Gunst is the
pet of Burns. To be sure he could get
along without his job with the police
as the cigar business is prosperous
now, and Lees is giving games a
chance, but if no longer Commissioner
he would lose a valuable pull of which
Burns has free use. So the message
was cast away. Had 1t been from on
high written in letters of fire by a
checked proceedings. Budd retains his
good humor and he has the rheuma-
4isn, too.
Secretary of State Curry and Martin
Kelly. were in the Golden Eagle this
afternoon discussing purity in politics.
Not far away Jim. Rea and Morehouse
were probably engaged on the same
theme. 1t is cheering to see profess
sional reformers getting together this
way. Corrigan, the horseman, is also
on the ground to see that nothing is
done to impair the integrity of racing
Altogether the prospect of spiritual
renovation seems excellent. The Rev
Mr.. Mel protests that when he sat in
the lobby of the hotel Sunday smoking
a pipe. with Dennery near, he was not
lobbying for a job. l am glad to hear
il. and also that he did not get the job
IT may be that he was holding service
with a view to uplifting his fellowmen.
If So. he had surely struck crowd in
need of it.
Hangers-on of the Legislature are
beginning to arrive. The wonder. is
how they get here. AS they are about
three days late a suspicion arises that
they walked. They will find the park
too cool for sleeping purposes and
ought to be counseled to go home. If
anybody here has money to spend, at
least, it is being spent where it will
have more effect than If devoted to
charity. Some of these stragglers want