The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-01-14
FROM DANIEL WEBSTER TO DANIEL
BURNS.

| \ o man like Dan Burns has ever made, can
! VI ever successfully make, open canvass IN
this State. The still hunt is the only
mode in which such candidacy be pro-
noted Apart from the definite charges which
have been made through the press, he stands
for all the lowest and worst phases OF politics.
Morally and intellectually he is thoroughly unfit to
represent our people in the Federal Senate. Even
though the standard of that exalted body OF men has
declined since the days of Webster, Clay, Calhoun,
Benton, Douglas, Seward, Fessenden Collamer, Ed
munds and other great who have adorned our
history, he is not knee high to any present Senator
His appearance at Washington would be like the IN
PRODUCTION of Police Court pettifogger to the SUI
preme Court OF the United States. If it prac-
cable to subject the candidates for the Senate to
civil service examination before the Legislature, Dan
Burns would either refuse appear after his appear
ance would vanish like spurious ghost. He could not
make a speech. He could not debate question. He
could not write report. He could hardly examine a
witness before committee. There is not of the
duties that would devolve upon him in the Senate
chamber in which, if dragged out into the open, he
would not ANONYMOUSLY fail.
Behind him. therefore, or in him in a political
sense there is literally nothing but trickery and cor
ruption in their most debased forms. There are
degrees even in political rascaty. There are great
political rascals and little political rascals. The
emergence OF Dan Burns from the OF municipal
rottenness reveals only the face OF tool and
the head OF a successful boss.
His election, therefore would be disgrace to the
State and lasting injury to the Republican party.
His election through combination between the rail-
road, the Federal brigade and the Governor would
be accepted as plenary evidence that the Republican
State Convention of 1893 and the press during the
canvass OF that year. were completely hoodwinked,
and that from the beginning Henry T. Gage was the
railroad candidate-not as he may we'll and properly
have BEEN after his nomination, the choice of the
tcular candidate whom the railroad desired to aid
in its undsclosed purpose of sending to the Senate a
mere agent and factotum OF its own.
The Republican party represented by the large ma
ority in the Senate and in the Assembly cannot af-
ford to be dragooned into this unconscionable att-
tude The railroad has rights and interests which
ought to be respected and protected. But it would
take demonstration to convince that it has captured
the Republican organization, that it dominate
the dsnerested and patriotic voters by whom the last
election was decided 1t is unquestionable that by
the Republican newspapers and by the mass OF Re
publican citizens its influence was unknown unfet
and unsupported 1t is impossible to assume that de-
gained possession OF two coordinate branches of the
Government, and that either on the broad gauge or
the narrow gauge it propel its creature into the
seat about to be honorably vacated by Stephen NJ
White