The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-28


passed around and an agreement en-
tered into to support Senator thnt, one
of Bard's supporters, for chairman, ano
Assemblyman Lardner, a Barnes man
for secretary. This agreement was
carried out to the letter, though II
proved to be unnecessary, as the Burns
men were too clever to provoke a con-
test at the very beginning of opera
tons by putting forward a candidate
for chairman and supporting him with
their full voting strength.
The conference was held in the AS
sembIy chamber after the afternoon
adjournment. The first act of the
meeting was the selection of Senator
Dickinson as temporary chairman, an
act of courtesy due TO him as the ac-
knOwledged promoter of the conference
scheme. Permanent organization was
then effected by the election of Flint
as chairman and Assemblyman Lard
ner as secretary without contest. As
semblyman Devote of San Francisco
was chosen to act as sergeant alarms,
and Assemblyman Kenneally of San
Francisco was selected to act as door
keeper. The conference being thus
formally organized, the fun began.
The Burns faction was arrayed solid
ly against every proposition to make
the proceedings public. From first to last
they demanded that secrecy character
iZe the meeting, and when Crowder OF
San Diego, one of Grants adherents,
moved to admit the press a one-Volced
roar went up from the ranks of the
man who, at the opening of this hight,
asked, nay, demanded, that the light OF
day be turned full upon every act OF
his that might transpire.
Crowder's motion was seconded by
Radcliff of Santa Cruz, who is also of
the Grant alignment, and when the
question was put there was hot fight,
TIell lXy
against it by the Burns push. Short
ridge of Santa Clara spoke rabtdly
against any such proposition. He said
that to do so would be to- tear from the
inches the most sacred traditions of the
Republican party, and in other as ele-
.gantly turned phrases he did Burns
bidding. He was ably assisted by BEL
shaw of Contra Costa, of Bulla's forces,
who moved that the motion be Iald
upon the table, and then the question
was loudly called for by the Burns
CLIQUE and BelShaWs motion to table
was carried by a vote of 4S TO 81.
Melick of Pasadena said that he had
come into the conference under the
promise that no vote was to be binding,
and that they could take as many votes
as they saw ht, and he would give a
report out to the press if he chose to dc
so.
Assemblyfnan Cosper Of Tulare
opened the ball by telling what he did
not know about breaking Senatorial
deadlock. He called the attention OF
the members to the fact that the Legls-
lature has been in session for almost
two months and has as yet failed to
elect a United States Senator, as was
its duty. He told at some considerable
length of the welfare OF the RepuplcdH
PARTY now at stake and pointed out the
necessity of electing Republican sen
ator at the present session OF the Leg
1IyN 20 I
party the full measure OF victory gained
at the recent election.
I'VE are members of the Republican
party" VouchSafed Mr.. CoSper, and
as such, it is our duty to stand with
William Mckinley in this hour WheT
he is most in need of every good Re
publfcan. 1t is our duty to indorse his
policy in the past and his policy for the
future and to do so we must SEND rep
resentatives to Washington who are II
accord with him and his plans. More
than ever it is our duty to send TINS
year a representative to the Unltec
States Senate. The people demand Il
and so does the administration. This
deadlock must not continue; we mus
end it and do our duty by cur country
and party and there is only one way Il
do it; the good old way by which Re
publicans have settled their d1ftlcultleS
ever since there has been party-oy
caucus. We should caucus on THIS mat
ter as we have in the past and let the
choice of the majority be the cholce ol
us all.
Senator Davis of Amador was not II
favor of this idea, and said so in words
that could not be misunderstood.
This is not a question of harmony
as Senator Morehouse puts it, he said
'It is not a question of Mckinley, as
Mr.. Cosper has just said in his remark
l1Ia GnapPb nor a question OF alV one
else 1t is not as much question OF
sending some one to the Senate as whC
we shall send there. The people OF
this State do not so much demand OF
us that we send some one to the Senate
as that we send man there who viii
properly represent this State. and we
cannot do that by going into caucus
man, and despite all that has been sale
/ know that the people of this State dc
not want a caucus at such price.
. at has been painfully apparent thai
these newspaper demands for a secret
ballot have been inspired. The inspira-
tion was more than evident, and the
source from which they have eman.
ated had been laughably plain to any
one who would see it. Mr.. Cosper ap-
meals to party traditions and party
custom to uphold him in his plea for {
caucl1s. but never before has the party
been so aSsailed as now, and to protec
the party and do the will OF the peo
Die of this State there must be no eau
Gus and we must keep out of one. LIE
this matter be settled on the floor of th'
house. Let Mr.. Burns and Mr. Gran
withdraw from this fight, since they
only serve to prevent the selection o.
a representative Leave the field cleal
TO men who are wanted. That is thu
one way to settle this question. lie