The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-01
A "HAS BEEN" IN GENERALSHIP NOW
FaWitted and Clumsy Schemes Worked That Not Only Fail
Of Their Object but Serve to Bring Their
Author Into DSrepute as a
Leader.

CALL HEADQUARTERS, SACRA-
MENTO, Jan. 31.-Three ballots in joint
assembly. to-day registered 10 change
in the Senatorial situation. The Grant
men are still solid. General Barnes
eleven immortals are as steady and
confident as ever. Bulla's thirteen
stand together and Burns is holding his
twenty-five supporters. The wires have
been pulled by the colonel to bring to
Sacramento all the scattering local In
fluences that can be brought to bear to
persuade Republican Senators and As
senblymen to enter a caucus to settle
the Senatorship.
The Call is not making an error in
predicting that Burns has practically
reached the limit of his strength in this
Senatorial struggle. Two weeks ago
the colonel might have named the next
Senator, but he has since wasted his
strength and displayed his weakness in
a selfish and hopeless struggle to gain
a place for himself in the United States
Senate. Since the colonel is making
such a great effort to line up Repub-
lican County Committees to aid his
cause it is well to refresh the memory
truth that Burns disloyalty to the Re
publican party gave to California the
Democratic Legislature of 1893 which
elected Stephen White to the Senate.
AS political boss in San Francisco he
went to the front as a rank nom -parti-
san. In every sure Republican district
he put up a Republican non-partisan
candidate to divide the Republican vote
and in the safe Democratic districts he
did not interfere. He cast the weight
of his influence then to divide the Re
publican party and give the Legislature
to the Democrats. He is now asking
the support of the Republican County
Committees to help him get a dark
lantern caucus.
The touts have again deferred the
date for the display of Burns in
creased strength. Last Saturday they
designated Wednesday as the day of
the uprising Of the Burns hosts. To-
night Friday is mentioned as the day
for the grand rally to Burns of the
members who are staked out in the
camps of Barnes, Bulla and Grant. No
particular Friday is mentioned, so one
may infer that it will be the first Fri
day after the adjournment of the
Legislature.
The announcement of the death of
Thomas Reynolds in San Francisco
caused some commotion in the camp of
Colonel Burns. Reynolds was former
ly County Clerk of San Francisco.
When Burns was elected Secretary of
State in 1879 Reynolds was called to
Sacramento to take the chief deputy
ship in the Office of the colonel. What
occurred in the partnership of Burns
and Reynolds is written in the court
records of this State. Each charged
the other with wasting. sqIlandering
and stealing the pubic monev of the
State. Years later Burns came back
from Mexico rich, according to COM
mon report but he never made good
to the taxpayers of California the
money stolen in his ssoffice and for which
he was directly responsible. Now he
asks to be elected to the high and hon.
orable office of United States Senator
Immediately after the announcement
of the first ballot in joint convention
! to-day the touts demanded that a Sec
ond ballot be taken. At first it was
! fancied that the colonel had taken In
another deserter and was about to
parade him for moral effect, as Wright
was paraded, but after the second and
the third ballots We're taken the Burns
scheme was exposed. 1t was found tc
be nothing more than a fat-witted ef-
fort to interrupt the regular routine