The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-01-07

CALL AD(QUARIEF(S, OACRA-
MENTO, Jan. 6.-When an individual
is interested in the welfare of a party,
for him to subscribe toward the meet
ing Of its legitimate expenses is, Of
course, proper. Campaigns cannot be
run on wind, although I am bound to
say they can't be run without wind
either. A glance at the report of the
Republican Central Committee is in
teresting. 1t shows total receipts $49,-
722 10 and expenditures of $49,649 80.
This ought to leave little balance. but
it is understood the committee is, in
debt. However legitimate donations
may be, some of them are peculiar
when taken into consideration together
with the other side of the account. For
instance smiling Billy Hamilton gave
500, and was paid $50 on speakers &C
count" Where was the speech de-
livered? If it was merely one of the or
binary talks of the Federal push, pro-
jected hatwise, the figure is too high,
leaving Hamilton $50 winner. Jake
Shaen gave $37 80 on two different oc-
casions, but he draws a Federal salary
while doing State politics and could at
ford to be generous. Dan Cole threw
$99 into the pot and drew out 1850 for
election expenses" Whose election is
not stated. Among the men paid for
making speeches Major Kyle heads the
list but he made many speeches, ana
good ones. But why should Long John
Wilkins appear on the same roll? John
is no orator.
Why should TREY L. Ford have
charged 81 when one of the important
offices was his reward? These ques-
tons are not asked cautiously, but with
a desire for information. Nor is 1t
clear why Steppacher should have
drawn as salary sos 80. He should
have been content with his Federal
salary, for which he performed no work
during the weeks the Republican Cen
trail Committee devoted to planning
the election of Dan Burns.
1t is not surprising that the Pacific
and Sunset Telephone companies
should have Clipped in $4,000. 1t has
been doing things which a legislator
might be induced to characterize as
felonies. 1t has it's workers here. too,
probably to be paid out of a separate
fund. George Croker contributed $500,
but far be it from me to intimate that
this was railroad money, for the rail-
road had already declared itself not in
politics. Dan Burns himself gave H..
600 Candelarian dollars The purity of
his motives viii not be questioned, for
there is not any.
Altogether a stud Of the report is an
instructive lesson in pocketbook pa
triotiSm. l forgot to say that Major
Mclaughlin is down for $500, which,
with the time he surrendered to boom
ing Burns, was exceedingly liberal.
Southern California seems not to
have added to the central committee
spending money. Nobody in Cages
county of $4,000 Republican voters save
Federal office holders responded to the
opportunity Either the idea prevailed
that Gage was not worth it or that the
north would furnish the necessary
votes. l have noticed that, as a rule,
in California politics the north supplies
the money and votes, while the south
gets the offices.
Nobody is doing anything but specu-
late as to the outcome of the Senate
rial fight Into this fight no new ele-
ments have been thrust. knight has
gone home, but this does not change the
situation. Barnes is still here, his
friends around him, but those who are
not bound to him sneak of the ROSser
trial with the lack of defense, the pitt
full breakdown of the States case as
poor sort of boost toward Senatorial
honors. l have not heard much of
Bullas chances, and am inclined to
think they are dreams.
The sensation is the position of Gov
ernor Gage. Heart and soul he is for
Burns, and is under the thumb of that
eminent defaulter and statesman where
he wriggles in apparent content. I am
sorry TO have been forced into the be-
lief that Gage is the smallest man in
tellectually that ever sat in the execu-
tive chair, and Waite has been Cover
nor of Colorado. If he had not been
chosen to carry out the purpose of
somebody else, he would never have
been chosen; but realizing this from
the moment Of his nomination people
did not think he would devote the pow
ers of his place to insulting California
by attempting the elevation of Burns
They may have regarded him as boor,
but they could not realize him as a
willing tool.
Gage declares that the vote of any
man for Grant will be considered a per-
sonal affront. Here is a pretty pic
ture The Governor of a great State
using the authority of his Office as q.
club to hold over the heads of legis-
lators, the chosen servant of the peo-
pie debating that they shall have upon
them the shame of a Burns in the SEN