The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-01-15
Charter-SaverS Rush to the Front to Fight
a WiII-O -the-Wisp
An Interesting Comparison Between the Positions
Of Knights, Who Resisted Pressure, and
=. Wright, Who Was an Easy Victim.
BY HENRY JAMES.

achieved brought him fame which shall
not die If 1 can help It.
The record Of the ballots Is given else
where 1t does not indicate much TO the
casual observer, but to one who has had
the boasts of the Burns crowd d.nned into
his ears 1t means considerable. 1o-qay
they were going to make gam, they
were going to show just an mixing OF
that mighty reserve strength with which
1t is their purpose to sweep the field when
they get ready. Why this delay? There
never was a better time to do the sweep
ing than right now. The truth is, they
had built their hopes on the detection or
knights from Barnes, and when 1t proved
to be q detection with a fatal defect a
sorrow fell upon them. 1t is as [ said yes
terday Burns has no show. His disciples
are whistling in a graveyard. Their pre-
tensions are born of groundless yearn-
ing If they possessed the strength of
which they brag that strength would have
been in evidence before this. Even if a
few members feel inclined to go over to
him, they lack the courage, and they are
beginning to realize that there would be
no honor and scant profit in getting under
the banners Of the defeated. There is
such a thing as honorable defeat, but this
is not the variety in store for Burns.
The other candidates are so glad to see
Burns on the shelf tht for the moment
they forget that there is only one place
for several aspirants and that nobody has
a mortgage on that place. The Grant
men made gain of one vote, for, while
the total looked the same, 1t embraced
Marvin. and Marvin had been voting for
knight or FELTON,. The circumstance that
a Grant man was absent had no real
effect on ultimate results, although his
presence would have pleasingly fattened
the column.
To cling to a forlorn hope may be COM
mendable, but l do not think Scott, Ros-
enfield Bard, Knight, Paterson, FELTON,
or Estee represent even a forlorn hope.
On the. contrary, they represent series
or bluftS, and the men voting for them
Will vote for another.
The minute the band wagon comes into
sight they will scramble for a place and
Bulla are different. Each has a following
and each separately may be regarded as
a factor in the situation.
Wright still votes for Burns. The shame
of surrender seems 20 be wearing off. To-
day he pronounced the name of his mas
ter audibly. In his case. taken with that
OF knights, there is opportunity for an in
teresting comparison. The men were sub
jected to the same pressure. All the
powers of the great political machine. of
the railroad and the State Central Com
mittee, We're brought TO bear upon them.
Wright yielded. forfeited the respect of
his fellow-men, the support of his con-
stituency and the right to hold up his
head as an independent citizen and good
Republican.
knights refused to be bulldozed. He
listened to arguments, and finding them
heard threats and had the courage to
defy them. In consequence he has re-
tanned respect and made countless friends.
He could ask of the people of this State
favors which they would be glad to
grant. If he holds out against Burns
he will be remembered to his advantage.
If he surrenders he will be remembered,
but as person not to be trusted, and he
will yet be subjected to every inducement
cunning politicians can devise The
Burns gang have not given him up.
Tomorrow being, Sunday there will be
no practical politics. Men will simply
meet and talk matters over, debate the
qualifications of the various candidates,
line up at the bar, button-hole, villify,
bet, try to win votes. denounce the press
and otherwise deport themselves as be-
comes a season of rest.
Representatives of this paper have not
been barred from the floor of the Assem-
bly,, although some of the members are
said to entertain ambitions in this direC-
ton. 1t has been intimated to me that
they have found in The Calls columns
much Of interest and tending, trust to
induce them to lead better lives. Yet not
all of them appear to be grateful, and a
few have gone to the extent of refusing
to buy a paper, thinking the practice of
borrowing a copy. more in consonance
with their imposing and statesmanlike
wrath.