The San Francisco call., 1899-03-05
THE BURNS PRonUncIaMEnTo.

THE Burns Junta at Sacramento, borrowing a
custom from Mexico, has issued its Pronun~
j ciamento In this document the party is lee
tured upon its duty and the will OF the majority IS
auded as the only rule OF action. The statement is
put in this precise form: This country has rep
resentatve government all selections OF officials are
decided by vote of the persons entitled to act
thereon, and the selection OF majority, no matter
how small numerically becomes, by the force OF law
the selection of all This law OF the land has become
by usage the law of political parties
Very we'll The persons entitled to act IN the Leg
islature, representing the Republican party and
charged with the function Of electing Senator, have
been acting according to the law OF the land tor the
last eight weeks The majority of the persons en-
titled to act have every day during that time acted
A majority decides afirmativey and negatively at
once Every day of the session the majority has de-
cided against Burns On no ballot taken has he had
even plurality of the votes cast On no ballot has he
had the highest number of votes cast for any cand
date. Up to the day his Junta assumed to instruct
the party on the sacrosanct nature OF majority the
persons entitled to act for the seventieth time acted
and cast against him an overwhelming majority.
For the seventeth time tine persons entitled to act
cast against him than a two-thlrdS majority
For the seventeen time the majority OF over two
thirds declared that Colonel Burns was the choice
OF the party nor of "the persons entitled to act
Now the Junta's Proruncamento continues and
says: The selection OF majority, no matter how
small numerically becomes by force OF law the seec-
ton of all" Therefore the rejection by majority,
no matter how small numerically, becomes by the force
OF law the rejection of ALL Colonel Burns, having been
seventy times rejected by majority of two-thrds,
should according to the reasoning OF his Junta, step
aside His minority of less than onethird should re-
spect the will of the majority and to oppose that
will Its refusal to obey the will OF the majority IS
likely to lead to disastrous and widereaching results,
for the Burns Junta says in its Pronunciamento: 1t
absolutely necessary to the preservation OF pol1t-
cal party that this law Submission to the majority
should govern the deliberations OF its members, tor
without it a party becomes mere mob, without CO.
hesve power, rope OF sand only powerful to lnJure
itself The majority having decided that it does not
want Burns for Senator his contumacous resistance
OF that decision according his Junta, is likely
to turn the party into mob capable OF injurng only
itself Surely there be stronger reason given
for his immediate obedience to the will OF the more
than two-hrds majority seventy times cast against
him. Majorities act by natural instinct, first against
the point of greatest danger, and then toward the
point of greatest safety. Instinctvey the majority
has seventy times acted against the candidacy OF
Burns Seventy times he has returned to the attack
and thereby has compelled continuance OF the resist
ance Let him obey the principles laid down by his
majority no longer compelled to defend itself against
his assault no longer compelled to protect the party
against his rebelous refusal to obey the majority,
will address itself to the duty OF cectng Senator and
can do it one ballot
This is the first time in the history OF parties that
rebellious minority seventy times outvoted, seventy
times rejected seventy times defeated, seventy times
refusing to obey the will and law OF the aority has
had the presumption that majority OF being
iii rebellion against the minority!
The Tunta's Pronunciamento amounts to just that.
1t is distinct insult to the majority. The
two-thirds and more OF the Republican mem
bers of the Legislature have stood with
unbroken front against Burns. incidentally they
have cast their votes for other candidates. all Of whom
have avowed themselves ready to get ont OF the way
as soon as the defensive campaign against the re-
bellious minority is and let the majority combine
on proper candidate 1t is only Burns, the seventy
times rejected aspirant, who refuses to release the
native action.
So much for this self-condemning Pronunciamento
OF the Burns Junta. There is left of merely the
preense that the will of the majority operative only
through caucus. That pretense has been disposed OF
already. The majority has expressed its will seventy
times in the way provided by the laws of the United
States and of the State, and Burns, having seventy
times refused to obey it. cannot be permitted to die
tate the terms on which he will obey it.
TILE CJJDDEME COIJDT HGHIN