The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-01-14

Burns still considers himself a candl-
date for the United States Senate.
While there were four ballots to-day
he received no accession Of strength
and will not receive any worth men
tioning tomorrow. If he has a few
votes in reserve they are not enough to
do him any good, and he might as well
retire now as to stay in a hopeless
fight, maintaining an army of touts
ranging from gamblers to Supreme
Court Justices.
Neither did Grant make gains to-day,
but he has the advantage of being the
sort of candidate 10 whom a member
may go without disgrace or discredit.
I notice that the Burns men are de-
pressed and that the Grant men are as
confident and as buoyant as ever. They
have sources upon which to draw, and
are virtually certain to make a start
before long which will put them far in
the lead. Whether so far as to not be
overtaken I would not venture a guess,
but it is certainly difficult to see who
can possibly overtake them. In my
judgment the little candidates might as
well drop out now as later. These in
cIude almost the entire list There are
a number being voted for who have no
more chance of election than they have
of transit to heaven in a chariot Of fire,
and nobody knows this better than the
men casting the votes. In fact, these
votes are merely being nursed until
they can be applied where they will do
some good. A few of them probably be-
| long to Burns.
However, to join Burns now is TO get
into disrepute 1t may be remembered
that Wright Joined Burns yesterday
and remarks were made about it. The
newspaper arraignment of Wright was
scathing, but so wholly just that none
could find fault with it, It subdued
the Speaker. His aspect to-day was
that of a man who had been publicly
| whipped. He voted for Burns still, but
his voice was scarcely audible. He had
| lost his air of easy assurance. He had
felt the sting of censure and was bear
ing load of condemnation coming not
alone from the press, but from the con-
stituents who han been betrayed.
Wright can always look back to this
session as the ending of his public
career. His act of hara kiri was more
pitiful than picturesque.
| AS to the balloting to-day there is
little to say, for there was no shifting
of votes to give it interest or relieve the
| tedium The only change was in the
tanning Of the Kenneally voice, the As
| semblyman having learned, possibly
through a friendly tip given in this
column, that to- announce a preference
for Senator does not require the tone
necessary in urging a canal mule to
greater effort.
Some of the Burns push constitute an
actual handicap. AS a matter of policy
Burns ought to round them up, charter
cattle car and send them home. 1t
is understood that he intends to import
a better lot and he could not import
worse one without drawing on Fol-
som. The Grant men are indignant at
some of the patriots now working for
Burns One of the latter is an eX-Sec-
rotary of State, Lou Brown. Early in
the campaign Brown came unlimited
into the Grant camp, expressed his in
terest in the welfare of the San Dlegan
and his desire to aid him. Then Burns
appeared on the scene and Lou was
Wooed over to the Mexican, whose
cause he is now espousing with all the
ardor of a pure heart and an under
standing of the side On which bread is
buttered. OF course this is an instance
of treachery, but Brown is afraid TO
live up to his word, and the reason is
plain. He was once an aspirant for the
GoVernorship. Gage and Burns prom
Used position if he would withdraw,
and Brown got out of the way. Now
comes Burns with a threat, and Brown
thinks that unless he does the bidding
of the Candelarian the promised job
will go glimmering. He knows that
Gage will do as Burns says. Therefore,
in spite Of his voluntary assurances,
Brown has ranged himself with the
| Burns toutS
Attorney Stone is another. He has
spent several days in Sacramento but
! tonholing the members of both houses,
! trying to fill them with a sense of the
! goodness and greatness of Burns. Yet
Stone long ago WCrmed his way into
! the good graCes of Grant. He went so
! far as to take Grants son on a fishing
expedition, although it has since trans
pired that Grant had all the expenses
! to pay. The fact was known that Stone
was hard up, but he is said now to have
wiped cut his debts and to have money
| to burn. He has offered to pay the no.
tel expenses of different members. He
! claimed to control the votes Of Assem-
! blymen Radcliff and Raw and Of Sen
ator Trout, and to be able to deliver
! them. His professions were hollow.
! All the three gentlemen are voting for
! Grant, but Stone is working for Burns.
| They must be fattered to know that
| their prerOSatlFeS were Delng naWked
about like bundle of merchandise. and
by man who had no possible right to
! presume to control them.
I was told the other day that if
would change the tone of this column
! so as to set forth that Burns would
win, it would be worth money to me. ;"
! The idea was not that Burns should
be in any measure Endorsed. but sim
pie admission made that while his
force was made up of the FOUNDERS and
blacklegs of politics, it was still so for
midable that it could not be overcome
The value of such an admission. partic-
ularly as it would be untrue, is a little
hard to figure out. l asked my in
formant for details. but failed to get
| them. Go and have talk with Frank
Stone was his advice.
Pierce of Yolo is another of Burns
enthusiasts, his especial weakness tax
ing the form of an expression that the
word of Burns is as good as his bond
In - i.