The San Francisco call., 1899-01-24

Gay.
G. 1t has been stated that the State or
ganzation was lending itself to the up
holding of the chances of some one par
ticular candidate. That is the reason L
asked that question That is really con-
sidered out of their province
a. AS 1t would be.
The chairman want to extend my ex-
animation concerning Colonel Burns TO the
other candidates. DO you know, Major
Mclaughlin, of any other candidate than
Daniel Burns, for the United States sen
atorship atorship. having used money, or
patronage, or the promise of either, to
promote his Senatorial aspirations, after
than has been detailed here before this
committee. and that you have learned by
reference to what has been given IN tne
stenographic reports Of evidence Detore
this committee? c.
A Well, you refer now to other Sena-
torial aspirations?
Q. Other than Daniel Burns. DO not
mean now to go over what we nave hau
here and that you have read in the STEM
ographic reports, but any other instance!
Mr.. Burnett-Do you know of any eff
fort being made by the use OF paronage,
or the promise of patronage, or the threat
TO withhold patronage, to influence the
vote of any member of the Legislature
for United States Senator?
A. Simply what you read in the news
q. Have you, as chairman Of the State
Central Committee, any UNDERSTANDING
with Governor Gage in regard to having
81 share i'm the distribution of patronage?
The cbairmanNI think, Mr.. Mellick. that
should be confined to whether 1t shau be
used in the promotion of the candluacy OF
any particular candidate
MIR. MeIick-Hold on. 1 think it will be
all right You wait until l get through
then l am willing to have 1t stricken out
If it is not all right.
The chaiiman--Go ahead.
a. You mean in connection with the
Senatorial matter?
Mr. Mellick-No; in connection with the
distribution OF patronage.
a Well at the conclusion of the cam
paign Governor Gage and myself and
some other gentlemen had meeting. and
we were discussing the patronage coming
to his office, and he there decided that
before making appointments he would
O. The State Central Committee lead
4. Well. certain leaders in the Repub-
lican party. But that, of course, had
no bearing whatever upon the Senatorial
matter.
@. Now, then, following that right up.
the State Central Committee has got its
headquarters here, has it not?
.. Now. then, it seems that it would
be a proper question to ask If you, as
the head of that committee, are ad-
vocating Colonel Burns? Now, is not it
fair TO infer that you will use your share
of that patronage toward helping Colonel
A. No, sir. No man who knows me and
my connection with politics would so in
fer. I shall use whatever power l shall
have in the matter of patronage for the
benefit and advantage of my party; not
for Colonel Burns or any other man.
Mr.. Lardner-That would all be in your
party anyway, would it not?
A. l trust so.
The chairman-En that connection,
major, was there anything said at that
convention of friends that any portion of
that patronage shohld be used so as to
promote the candidacy of any candidate
for United States Senator?
A. Absolutely no.
Q. Was the discussion with reference to
the use of patronage in connection with
the question of the United States Sena-
torshp at all?
Mr.. Mellick-Mr. Green and Mr.. Brown
testified here that the reason they did not
put their money in the State Central Com
mittee was because you were unfriendly
during the campaign TO Mr.. Grants cam
didacy to the United States Senate. Was
that true?
A. Mr.. Green and Mr. Brown endeavor-
ed during the time that Mr.. Grant was
striving to elect Legislature friendly to
himself, to induce me to become his friend
TO the extent of taking him to my home
In Oroville and to santa Cruz, where 1
also have a residence, and introducing
him to, people there, and 1 refused
l took the ground that, as the chairman
Of the State Central Committee it was not
my right to indorse any candidate, and [
held aloof from Mr. Grant as much as I
did from any other candidate; and on that
they based the idea that | was unfriendly
TO Mr.. Grant. am free to admit that
l was unfriendly in the sense that did
not at any time regard him as a fit rep
resentative of our State and people, and
that largely actuated me in refusing to
further his cause But had I even been
as friendly to him as to Colonel Burns,
l would have refused to have allied my
self with him at that time That is the
reason that they judged that l was un-
friendly to their candidate. That they
withheld money from the State Central
Committee on that account | do not be-
lieve is true. because UP to within a week
of the close of the Camn9ipO Mr. nj
had promised a subscription to Mr.. Kill
burn, the treasurer. The statement at
that time was that Mr. Grant was out of
town and he could not reach him, but as
soon as he returned he would in all prob
ability make a contribution to the funds
Mr.. BurnettADid he do it?
A. No, sir. To the best of my belief he
has not.
Q. Did not contribute anything to the
A. No, sir; not to the State Central
Committee.
@ What effort did they make to secure
your friendship to Grants candidacy?
A. Well by subsequently stating to me
that Mr.. Grant was a proper candidate,
that ne was very able gentleman, that
he had strong influences in the East,
which was one thing that somewhat
turned me against Mr. Grant. because in
one of my visits to Washington Senator
Elkns and Mr.. Curran asked me to enlist
in his behalf, and told him that we were
competent to select our own Senator
without their interference, which was one
Of my objections in the first place to Mr.
Grant.
Mr.. Mellick-Before the election on No
venber had Colonel Burns intimated
TO you in any way that he would be a
candidate for the United States Senate?
A. No. sir; he had not.
Q. When did he first intimate to Won
that he might be a candidate?
a. Well, Colonel Burns was interested
in the candidacy of another gentleman
and he was so unspeakably repulsive to
me that il almost led to severance of
the friendly relations between the Col
onel and myself. l declined to have any-
thing to do with It, and practically re-
tired from the field. 1t was not until the
Colonel himself became candidate and
not until he in fact became bitterly and
grossly attacked by these organs, that I
championed his cause, which was / be-
lieve some time about the first of the
year,
Q. That was the time. then. that he gave
out the first intimation that he would be
a candidate.
4. Yes, of course 1t was generally
rumored. but 1 paid no attention to that
and had several talks with the Colonel
but did not until came to Sacramento
no. pardon me. The day before I came to
Sacramento, at the Palace Hotel | had a
talk with the Colonel, and he then said
that he would become a candidate for the
United States Senate: told him that
was with him