The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-01-21

eral Republican caucus of the members
of the Legislature to settle the Senatorial
question is now as remote and as far in
the future as is the actual settlement OF
the question as to who the next Senator
from California to succeed stephen M.
White will be. There are fifty-two mem
bers of the Legislature supporting L. S.
Grant, General w. II. l.. Barnes and
Robert n. Bulla for United States Sena-
tor, and at this time there is not one of
those fifty-two members who can be found
who will favor or will say that he will in
the future favor the holding of a Republi-
can Senatorial caucus.
The people who want a caucus and who
are exerting every influence and making
all kinds of statements, true or fake, to
bring about caucus for the early days
of next week are the supporters of Dan
NJ. Burns in the Legislature and the touts
and the push" that are supporting him
on the outside They are crying caucus
all the time, for they feel confident that
if they can get eighty-fve Republicans
into caucus they can command majority
to agree to the proposition that the eau
Gus ballot be a secret one. This being the
case, the Burns touts claim that the
colonel would have no difficulty in secur-
ing 40 votes, a majority of the caucus,
which would make him the nominee of the
caucus and insure him 81 votes on joint
ballot. There is plausibility 10 the beiief
of the Burns people that the caucus is
the only hope they have, and it is not TO
be wondered that they are so anxious to
secure one.
The report, however, came in this even
ing direct from the yellow building
and the political bureau conducted by w
F. Herrin to the effect that there would
be a general Senatorial caucus on Mon
day or Tuesday of next week and that the
Grant men had consented to participate
in and abide by it, in consideration of
which the report of the investigating
committee now looking into the charges
of bribery in the Senatorial fight would
be so worded as not TO cast any refec-
tons on u. S. Grant.
This report, when carried to the Grant
headquarters, created intense indigna-
ton. Mr.. Grant himself denied that he
In any way affect the report of the COM
mittee. He said he was agreeing neither
to do nor not to, do anything to affect the
committees final action Whatever it was
1t would in no way be affected by his
promise, one way or the other.
James Brown, who owing to the sick
Green. is Mr.. Grants right hand man,
was quite angry when the story was told
to him He said: why, that story is
absolutely, rot: We have no desire. to
commenced. We have a list of witnesses
we desire subpenaed which is three feet
long, and we can give the committee rea-
sons why every one of them should be
called and what they will testify to.
AS far as the investigating committee
report is concerned we are making no
promises to anybody in an endeavor to
affect it.
LAS to the general proposition of a eau
Gus we have it from Mr.. Grants friends
in the Legislature that they will never
assent to 1t under any circumstances. 1t
might please the Burns touts, but it does
not please us. No sir. they cannot fool
us. They have dispatched half a dozen
people here, sent to secure our consent TO
a caucus. but we have scorned th~ idea.
If Colonel Burns ever gets sixty-one Re-
publican votes in this contest he will have
the joint Assembly. We will not be d
party to any secret caucus proceedings
to bring about his election.
1.-The Bulla men say that before they
will treat with us we must show them our
entire list Of prospective supporters in
addition to those we now have 1t would
of the kind, for ten minutes after that
list was given the Bulla men it would be
in the possession of Colonel Dan M. Burns
and his touts
This talk about any break from Mr..
Grant at this time is folly, Grant is now
the leading candidate. The man next to
circumstances, never go to Bulla. He is
next to Burns. Now, If there was some
decent, respectable man. known over the
State as a clean man next to Grant with
tWenty-siX votes instead of Burns there
might be some ground for supposing that
after a while there would be a break from
as D. NJ Burns is next highest to Grant
you need not expect any break in the
Grant forces. Our people are not adj
Assemblyman Raw of Ell Dorado
County strong Grant man, said that in
his judgment the legislative supporters of
consent to general Republican Sena-
torial caucus under any circumstances.
Assemblymsan Miltee ba Of n Riverside tdf
supporters Of MI. Grant a single man
who favored at any time, now or IN the
future, the holding of legislative caucus
of Republicans to settle the Senatorial
question.
of San Diego County. Endorsed the state
ment of Captain Miliee 1t will be seen
that not only the legislative supporters
of Mr. Grant but his managers are I'M
or any other time, and they are also a
unit in denouncing the story sent out
from the Yellow Knockery to brace up
the Burns column into believeing that the
Grant forces are trying to treat with them
to secure a report from the investigating
committee that will eXonerate Mr.. Grant
and that the price is their participation
in a caucus with Burns supporters.
None of Senator BullaS thirteen Re
publican votes which he is daily receiving
on Joint ballot will participate in a caucus
at arY time curing the SESSION.. senator
Bulla so announced this evening in an in
terview, and Assemblyman Valentine in
dorsed his emphatic statement. They had
both heard of the story sent out by w. T.
Herrin in Burns interests. and were in
vestigating it. They could find no founda-
ton for it.
The eleven Assemblymen and Senators
who are so CALAMITY supporting General
W. H. L. Barnes are not going into any
caucus, at least not at this time nor next
week.
Senator H " Morehouse of Santa Clara
County stated that he was opposed to
the holding of any caucus. and until he
had positive assurance that q caucus
would settle the present deadlock and
break it he was opposed to it.
I'VE think said Senator Morehouse,
that General Barnes holds the key te
the situation. That being the case, *
would be very foolish for us to go into
any caucus.
General Barnes himself made this state
ment:
.I have given it out before. and / now
reiterate it. that If at any time the elimi-
nation of my individuality from the Sena-
torial contest will tend to clear it up and
bring about a settlement l am ready to
retire. But | cannot see that it will, and
therefore / am still in the fight. / have
never asked any of my present support
ers to vote for me. They have done so of
their own free will and volition. 1 have