The San Francisco call., 1899-03-09

CALL HEADQUARTERS, SACRA-
MENTO, March 8.-To-day Major
Frank Mclaughlin, chairman Of the
Republican State Central Committee,
was the central figure in a scene on the
floor of the Assembly that has few
parallels in all the Infamous side Of
legislative history.
ignoring every rule laid down by the
House. every dictate Of decency and
honorable procedure, ne injected his
presence into the regular business OF
the day, and in attempting to make
further Senatorial capital out of the
episode in which Milton ]. Green.
Grants political manager, was the
prime factor, stirred the decent ele-
ment in the House to the point of open
rebellion. and himself escaped being
ionominiously thrashed by two of the
sturdiest members of the Grant faction
nv taking a tip offered by Grove L.
Johnson and retiring from the open
floor to a corner behind the railing in
the back of the chamber.
Never in all the long, unlovely story
that can be told of California's Legis-
Iatures was such a scene as to-day S.
From corner to corner and from one
side TO thu other men hanTicd erithetsr
ieered and cried out to know by what
right the outsiders should come among
them. whip in hand. to demand that
of RnrnS
From their seats members criticized
bowIed at and jeered their Speaker,
who. with uplifted gavel and flaming
face demanded above the roar that
thev maintain some small semblance of
order.
To and fro across the chamber raced
the members of the different steering
committees bracing UP man here,
concentrating a half dozen there, where
thew would best serve their purpose, and
at all times com batting Mclaughlin and
the gang of touts that had bobbed up
on the floor when the alarm was sept
out through the corridors.
In the anger and hot blood of the mo-
ment everything was forgotten by the
anti-Burns factions save that in his
desperation the Mexican had invaded
their very privileges, sacredly exclusive
to them by the law itself in an attempt
TO force them to coin his Senatorial
capital for him..
For a moment it was forgotten that
the main question was whether or no
Milton J. Green should be relieved of
the charge of contempt that is upon
him. and every energy was bent to de-
feating and rendering of no effect the
onslaught that Mclaughlin. aided by
Johnson and Dibble had made upon the
very honor of the House itself.
Upon the first test made they were
victorious, but upon the second the
Mexican forces prevailed, though in
winning they destroyed their last yes
tige of a chance of success. Between
them and the Grant forces, whom they
fought to win over. they builded up a
barrier which it will take longer to
surmount than the few remaining days
of the session.
At the first sign of danger only the
Burns forces rallied. The others in the
House considered the case against Mil
ton Green too dead an issue to ever
again prove a casus be1li between the
warning Senatorial factions and to-day
they expected nothing more than the
usual certificate from the attending
physician.
And in truth it did not seem at first
that there was. A letter from Walter
Bacon, Grants other manager, to AS
semblyman Crowder, was read and it
explained to the House that Mr.. Green 8
wife was so seriously i'll as to preclude
any possibility of his appearance. In
| the same old way Grove Johnson got up
to move further time for the accused.
He said he knew of Mrs. Green's ILL
ness and said also that many of the
members knew also of the sad death
of the new-bor baby. The excuse, he
said, was sufficient.
Then came Fairweather with an
amendment, which was in effect that
! the charge of contempt be dismissed.
! Then the speaking began.
| Burnett, one of the committee whose
| questions Green refused to answer,
spoke with considerable heat against it.
He said that Mr.. Green's family mis-
fortunes were lamentable, but they had
nothing to do with the case in hand.
He would reluctantly agree to a con-
| tinuance, under the circumstances, but
would not consent to dismissal.
| Belshaw of Contra Costa said: IF
we adopt the amendment we declare 70
! the world that we did not mean it; that