The San Francisco call., 1899-12-08
EXTRA SESSION
CAUCUS PLANS
ARE DISCUSSED
Ali Republicans Nav
Go In.
NO LIMIT OF SIXTY-ONE
MERRITT IMPoRTUNED TO VOTE
FOR BURNS.
NO LIMIT OF SIXTY-ONE

Governor Gage will call an extra session
OF the Legislature. Several months ago
The Call predicted that he would bring
the members together in Sacramento for
the purpose of filling the California va
cancy in the United States Senate. Refer
ence 10 the files OF The Call will show
that this journal has announced in ad-
vance of official promulgatlon all the i'm
portant appointments made by the pres
ent Governor. No mistakes were made
IN forecasting executive intention in thu
distribution OF patronage. and no mistake
Is ne" made in predicting the extra ses-
This ability TO foreshadow the Cover
nor purpose in public affairs should not
lead The Calls readers 10 fancy that the
management Of this paper and the Gov
ernor exchange innermost condolences
The success in forecasting Cages move
ments is due mainly To The Calls superior
enterprise IN collecting news and sitting
out the grains OF truth from the mass OF
rumor Indeed The Calls accuracy is a
sbSclal topic OF comment in the executive
ton up TO date has been obtained without
resorts TO the courts for writ
The story published in yesterdays Call
wherein the words of the extra session
agreement were given created comment
from morning until night. A dozen
verincations of the story were received
during the day. There was one slight mis-
lake, however, in the published article.
The name Of Merrill Of San Francisco was
used incorrectly for Merritt of Santa Bar
bara.
Assembiyman Merritt has been in Sar
francisco most Of the time since the ad-
1ournment Of the Legislature last March
Burns Is anxious To obtain Merritt's vote.
but the Assemblyman when importuned
by the boss responded. ..Tbe 3eonie IN
my district are opposed to your election"
To this remark Burns replied: You don't
do you?" Mr.. Merritt voted for Grant at
the last session. Before the extra session
begins Mr.. Merritt's friends and neghbors
In Santa Barbara viii him HI ut H
Kindness and sincerity not 10 blight his
career by following the example OF
Wright. Simpson. Jilson and Cosper.
Word comes from Tulare that Cosper
has moved out OF his district Poor old
Simpson has gone into obscurity His
name is hardly mentioned in Pasadena.
Senator Simpson was once highly spoken
of as n man and statesman.
Henry G Dibble, Assemblyman. Forty
first District. is sure that an extra ses-
sion will be called, but does not say that
he is able TO name the winner in the
Senatorial contest. He cannot tell why
Governor Gage pocketed the bill for San
Francisco harbor extension. which passed
both houses of the Legislature at the last
regular session. Concerning the proposed
harbor improvement the Assemblyman
said
III I were Governor Of the State would
call an extra session of the Legislature
to provide the wharfage facilities de-
manded by San Francisco. l would call
II for this purpose alone IL there were no
Senatorial vacancy TO fill. / became in
terested in the seawall extension last ses-
sion because the people of my district
were anxious that the wall should be eX-
tended to the original limit on the north
side of the city. The bill. as introduced
provided simply for southern extension"
Judge Dibble grew quite eloquent in de-
scribing modern ships of such length that
existing docks could not accommodate
them. When his attention was directed to
the extra session caucus agreement he
confessed that his knowledge of that sub
ject was limited. He was confident how
ever. that an extra session would be con-
vened. and that If sixty-one Republicans
entered the caucus the remaining twenty
four could not be excluded. "In caucus
continued the Assemblyman. "the major
ity rules and whatever conditions the ma
jority prescribes VIII govern the caucus
One banot or one hundred ballots may be
taken before the lowest candidate is
dropped. The number of ballots will de-
pend upon the decision Of the majority"