The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-01-09
WHO'S GOT THE BUTTON?
AsPIRANTs FOR THE ToGA ALL
CLAIM IT. 4
yevera1 Ballots May be Necessary
Senatorial Matters Getting
Lively.

Business in legislative circles yester-
nay was quiet-nearly dull. Such
state of affairs was probably due to the
absence of a considerable majority OF
Ine members of the Legislature who
had either gone to visit home circles or
were seeing the sights and incidentally
6oing politics.
The Senatorial battle went forward
IN quiet way, and friends of the sew
eral aspirants circulated in the hotel
1opbies and occasionally button-holed
members who were attempting to take
their ease, but such confabs were usu-
ally of short duration
But each faction allowed it to be I'M
uerstood that the individual aspirant
tney happened to represent, would have
little difficulty in drawing the prize,
and all were apparently sanguine of
success
There seems, however, to be dis
crepancy in figures, and the votes
Claimed by the several candidates-Re-
publican of course-aggregated more
than there are members of the Legisla-
ture, disregarding the fact that there
are thirty-five Democrats who will, it
Is understood, cut no figure in the big
fight, but placidly vote for men who,
owing to the turn Of the political wheel,
have nothing more substantial to ex-
pect than a complimentary vote from
the members Of their party. Neither
of the four aspirants whose names are
oftenest spoken-Grant, Burns, Bulla
and Barnes-expect to receive less than
twenty-five votes on the first ballot,
and the managers and friends of some
of them expect thirty-five to lead off
with. The result will be that some
body will be greatly surprised when the
first ballot is taken tomorrow, and
there will no doubt be weeping and
Mailing and gnashing of teeth.
1t is pretty generally understood that
no effort at holding a Senatorial eau
Gus will be made, and such being the
case, an accurate knowledge of the
strength of the candidates will be
known only when the first ballot shall
have been taken
So far as can be ascertained, the
fight for the Senatorship stands Just
where it stood week ago, and the
outcome is just as much a matter of
conjecture now as then. Everybody
who claims to know anything about
the matter, unite in predicting that
there will be no election on the first
ballot. nor on the sixth, but nobody
pretends to know when the supporters
of the candidates whom Fate and Pol
1tlcs decree shall lose, will break away,
Or into whose camp they will be taken.
All sorts of rumors are abroad, and
all sorts of speculative guesses are be-
Ing made. Some politicians, accredit-
ed with being astute, claim to see the
shadow Of dark horse breaking upon
the organized ranks of the contending
parties, but they do not care to give
the horse a name. They mysteriously
nod their sage heads and predict 1.-The
coming of the right man at the right
time
The majority claim however. that one
of the four or five leading candidates
will carry off the plum, though they say
the fact that there is considerable bit
terness between the several factions
Is liable to prolong the agony.
There are eighty-five Republican
members in the Legislature, and sixty
one of these must vote for one candi-
date in order to elect him. It will be
interesting to keep an eye on the vot-
ers when the balloting begins.
MATTERS LlN EN- UP.
There was a little more activity in
Senatorial circles last night after the
trains began to arrive from various
points and members of the Legislature
returned from visits to their homes,
and there were rumors afloat of several
accessions to the Burns ranks
Colonel Burns-who had remained in
the city over Saturday and Sunday
f-1rz To-
Union" reporter if these stories of gains
by him were correct In response he
simply referred to the following letters.
which he said spoke for themselves,
and gave his consent to their publica-
ton in the Record Union:
Sacramento, Jan. 8, 1899
Colonel D. NJ. Burns, Sacramento
My Dear Sir: I have looked the Sena-
torial situation over with great care.
i am satisfied that you are entitled to
the Office. You may count on my vote
and such influence as 1 have will be
used for your benefit. Yours truly,
WILLIAM H. COBB.
P. S.-If it will do you any good you
may make this public. c.
Sacramento, jan s. 1899.
Colonel D. NJ. Burns-Dear Sir:
have refrained up to this time from
expressing my opinion on the United
States Senatorship, as I wanted to
carefully make up my mind. I am
now thoroughly convinced that you are
the proper man for the high and ex-
allied position, to succeed Stephen NJ.
White.
I therefore hasten to assure you of
my support and vote in this contest,
and will do all can to aid you Yours
truly, j. d. KELSEY.
M. E. Arnerich of Santa Clara is an
other who last night declared himself
for the first time. To one of Colonel
Burns friends he said last night:
You ask me how I am going to vote
on the United States Senatorship. 1
am not pledged to any one, nor did I
make any promises on that subject to
any one in my county or anywhere
else. I have always said / would vote