The San Francisco call., 1899-04-30
Language Committed
to Memory.
LECTURE INCIDENT REVIVED
THE SENATOR SAYS 1T WAS
SQUARED.
Pennsylvania Influences Are Active
to Induce Members of the Sen
ate to Vote in Favor of
Seating Quay,

George c. Perkins, United States Sen
ator, returned from Southern CaIifor-
MIA yesterday morning The fact is
well known that little incident which
occurred on the platform at San Pedro
during the free harbOr celebration has
caused an unusual amount Of gossip in
political circles. Senator Perkins was
asked yesterday if he believed that
Governor Gage deliberately planned to
insult him on the occasion of their
recent meeting in the south. The Sen
ator was reluctant to speak on the
topic, but admitted that he received a
very chilly reception from the Cover
nor, considering that they had not be-
fore met since the election.
I cannot say that l was surprised, -
remarked Senator Perkins, because
was informed in Los Angeles that the
Governor had told one of his friends in
San Francisco that he intended to
scorch me. In fact 1 was twice advised
that he intended to make an unpleasant
reference to me, but l could scarcely
credit the statement that he intended
TO do So on that occasion. l was sub
seQuently informed that he committed
TO memory the words of his speech
which were designed to reflect on me.
1 was told that after he had finished
his speech and taken his seat he turned
TO a gentleman on the platform and re-
marked: Did you hear me scorch
him" The man to whom the Cover
nor's remark was addressed having
failed TO catch the meaning of the
speech uttered by Gage responded in
the negative"
The question was asked by the re
porter: Are you positive that the
Governors speech was prepared and
that he selected the occasion of the
celebration to attack you?"
He had that part of the speech COM
mitted to memory and l was advised
that he intended to scorch me publicly
OF course had the opportunity to re
taliate as the Governor was the first
speaker. As Judge Mcguire was there
l could have referred to the excellent
service that he rendered in the House
Of Representatives and might have
suggested that if Mcguire had been
elected Governor he would not have
considered himself better than the peo-
pie he was elected to Serve-that he
would not have wrapped a robe of dig
nifty about him and treated his fellow
men with ScOrn. The committee asked
me TO speak before Mr.. White spoke
but / declined as he was nv senior
for years in the Senate. The Cover
nOr'S manner toward me was anything
but cordial. In view Of the fact that
l made thirty-fiVe speeches during the
campaign and besides performed a good
deal of missionary work l expected a
different kind of reception as l was
meeting him at his home for the first
time after his election TO the office of
Governor
Senator Perkins known admiration
for L. S. Grant Jr. of San Diego is
supposed to excite the wrath of Cover
nor Gage. The impression is not cor
rect that the Governor had in mind
the lecture which Senator Perkins de-
lfvered shortly after his return from
Washington. wherein reference was
made to the veto Of many bills at Sac
ramento. When it was suggested to the
Senator that the Governors aIlusion to
Senator Whites excellent service in
Congress was in retaliation for Sena-
tor Perkins allusiOn to the wisdom of
President Mckinley, the Senator re-
ferred to correspondence between
himself and Private Secretary Foley on
that subject. 1t appears that The Calls
account of the lecture caused some
comment in political circles. Senator
Perkins does not contend that The
Calls report of the lecture was incor-
rect, or even misleading, but he holds
that a construction at variance with
what he intended was placed upon his
language. What he intended was to
bring 10 the attention of the audience
the fact that so much care was exer-
cised by the Senate Of the United States
in considering measures of legislation
that only fourteen hundred bills and