The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-04
The Duckworth Scheme Being Worked in
the Assembly.
Patronage Freely Distributed and Then Provided
for by Resolutions Which Settle All the
Accounts of the Members

CALL HEADQUARTERS, SACRA-
MENTO, Feb. 3.-The Duckworth job,
on a scale somewhat modified from the
original, is just now being cleverly
worked in the Assembly under cover
of the well-shammed confusion into
which attache matters have apparently
been thrown. Since the session there
have been attaches employed and Kept
at work, and employees hired who have
not worked at all, upon no more au-
thorization than the pull and confidence
of the appointing member that when
the reckoning day should come he
could easily get at the public sack.
Since the first day of the session it
has been the fixed intention to either
kill or so amend the Belshaw law
that it's remains could not be identified,
and this has been done, but in the face
of public opinion the instigators of the
scheme did not dare provide for as
many new positions as their political
debts required. When the new bill was
drafted and it's profits divided up there
was still goodly balance left to be
liquidated. Just now the domestic
legislation Of the Assembly is making
for this liquidation.
In anticipation OF the Wrecking of
the Belshaw law members on the floor
have from the first jump been putting
committee clerks at work, authorizing
porters to sweep up and pages to sit in
front of the press desks. These ap-
pointments have in some cases been
made with utterly no authorization and
the appointing members have simply
banked on the crease in their pro rata
of patronage under the new bill and
their ability to get at the crib, to make
their appointments good.
Ex-Speaker Wright has played the
role of good fellow to the queens taste,
but as it transpires, he has pursued his
usual course and done so at some one
else's expense.
Did a job hungry legislator want a
semblance of authorization for his ap-
pointment he spoketo Wright and it was
granted with that characteristic wave
of the hand, and the fortunate recipient
of the Wright brick made his appoint
ment forthwith only TO find when the
division came that it was charged to
his account instead of the over ener-
Gus Speakers.
The division came at Mondays eau
Gus when the unSuSpiciouS majority
marched smiling into the caucus room
with the happy notion that when they
came out again it would be with Sc and
So of additional patronage in their up
per vest pockets and their self-made
appointments ratified
But Johnson, Valentine and the
wrong Mr.. Wright had got at it first
and their populations from the patron
age bowl reduced that anticipated pro
rata to such an extent that most of the
ordinary members could not afford the
poor luxury of 81 committee clerk
Then came the roar. Chairmen of
committees threatened that they
4 oh - III
by refusing to call committee meet
ings until they were provided with
clerks. They kicked because they
would be compelled to pay their self
made appointees out of their own peck
cts, and to get even threatened every
sort of political retaliation.
Matters got serious for the push and
yesterday as a result the roar hushed.
Instead a bunch of resolutions was sent
up to the Clerks desk and when they
were read the reason for the sudden
quietude transpired. Every one was to
be paid, whether he had worked or not
There were resolutions to pay prema-
ture pages and others to pay clerks.
There was one by Knights of Sacra-
mento which was the first uncovered
attempt to exceed the provisions of
the Cutter law by appointing by resolu-
ton. To-day there was another bunch
of pay day resolutions and the down.
cast countenanceS of the gang that was
thrown out frightened like May sky
1t became evident that there had been
an agreement. And now all those who
so nearly lost their time and money
are willing to take another chance and
some of them are getting it.
The Cutter bill is already being
evaded.
| By simple resolution yesterday an
electrician was hired and to-day three
q int M re Il
same way. There are clerks working
at the desk who were not appointed
by resolution or anything else and who
will be paid at the end of the session
by still another resolution Despite the
| few limitations of Cutters bill the doors
are open to as many employees as the
member with sufficient voting influence