The San Francisco call., 1899-05-06
HOW It HAPPENS
THAT BASSETT
IS A CANDIDATE
Would Be Shipping
Commissioner.

Colonel F. S. Chadbourne has taken his
credentials into court. asking for judi
cial order to grab the seat in the State
Board of Harbor Commissioners now oc
cupied by Rudolph Herold. Should the
colonel be placed on the witness stand
to tell the true story of his appointment
the narrative would be decidedly inter
esting. There is scarcely the shadow of
doubt that Chadbourne was slated for the
office of president of the Board of Har
Dor Commissioners. the place which is
now filled by Paris kilburn. but in
shuffling or Juggling which occurred at
Sacramento when the Organization was
conducting politics in the way the In
diana man kept hotel, the name of Kill
burn was substituted for that of Chad
bourne.
In 1898 it was planned that Kilburn
should have a Federal office as soon
his term as State Bank Commissioner ex-
pired Just as it was programmed years
before that he should have State office
when his career in the Federal office of
Surveyor of the Port was ended. The Of
flee staked out for Kilburn was that of
United States Shipping Commissioners.
The Call derived information at Sacra-
mento that Mark Hanna had been con-
suited as to the advisability of appoint
ing Kilburn. but it could not be ascer-
tanned that Senator Perkins was enthusi-.
astic in supporting the claims of the ap-
plicant. The fact was not disputed that
Kilburn was in the Mexican Senatorial
corral giving comfort if not aid to Burns.
No doubt Senator Perkins was apprised
through the friends of L. S. Grant where
Kilburn could be found. When it became
obvious to the organization that Hanna
could not or would not advise the Pres-
dent to appoint Kilburn Shipping Com
missioner unless Senator Perkins urged
the s poi be wss dS'qeq h the to State sate
Board of Harbor Commissioners and 10
give Colonel ChadbOurne beautiful gold
brick. The programme was carried out.
KiIburn got an office and ChadbOurne re-
ceived a commission emitting him TO the
possession of a first-class lawsuit
The foregoing arrangement disposed, Of
Kilburn and Chadbourne but it left
Charles Bassett without immediate pros
pect of remunerative employment as an
office-holder. Bassett is not unknown 10.
State politics. He discovered H. H.
Markham of Pasadena and no one seeks
to deprive him of the distinction belong
ing to the discovery. He was not slow
to discover that Henry T. Gage stood
a fine chance of winning the nomination
for Governor in the Republican State
convention last summer, and he at once
proceeded to establish the most friendly
relations with the prospective nominee.
When Gage was nominated Bassetts po-
Iitical future was assured. Comment ran
along the line that he was to have an
other term as Harbor Commissioner, but
the reorganization" had others in view.
The office of Shipping Commissioners was
not lost sight Of and so Bassett was ad-
vised to seek the good graces of Senator
Perkins to obtain the favor in that quar-
ter, which was once desired to reward
Kilburn. This is how it happened that
Rassett became a candidate for United
States Shipping Commissioner
Bassett served with Burns on the State
Central Committee which conducted the
Markham campaign and as a reward for
his services was appointed Harbor Com
missioner 1t cannot be called to mind
that his service was Of any benefit to the
state. but as he was recognized then for
discovering Markham perhaps he should
now be rewarded for not discovering
Gage