The San Francisco call., 1899-01-09

MENTO, Jan. Sit has been day of
big guessing among those who are up
here playing the Senatorial game.
Since early morning there has been a
perceptible change in the political atmos-
phere and just what has come out Of it
has been. bothering the gamesters To-
night the tale is out and Dan Burns has
thrown down the hand he has been bluff
ing on in the sight of every one who cares
TO see. The weakness of his cause and
the desperate fight he has inaugurated to
bolster it up have both become apparent
in the very measures he has taken to eff
feet them.
From almost daybreak his adherents
have been abroad in the town declaring
in the barrooms and brawling from the
street corners that their fight is over and
their cause won, and money is being
spent as though the profits Of Burns
election as United States Senator were
already. coming in. 1t has been a gay
night, such a one as in the good old times
when ii was a new thing to buy ones
way into the United States Senate, and
whisky and more expensive beverages
the one and only method of ingratiating
ones self into the good graces of the man
who had the vote.
Burns latest scheme was begun on Sat-
urday night. Friday evening most of his
heelers were ordered to San Francisco, as
II was eXpecte that the scene of the fight
would center there for the two or three
days before Tuesdays session. Dan and
two or three Of his trusted lieutenantS
discovered thaG they had miscalculated
on the number of legislators who were
bound for San Francisco, and in the
afternoon sent kilograms to the gang to
get back with as little loss of time as
steam and Herrin'S passes would permit.
The IL o'clock train Saturday evening saw
the whole unsavory mob back in the Gold
en- Eagle Office, and General Barnes and
his forces, taking the alarm, followed on
the next train.
Time had been lost and Burns. Nc
Laughlin and Herrin'S representatives
met at the colnmers headquarters to de-
eide upon a policy of future procedure
and out of that meeting evolved the gen.
eral hurrah that has been on during the
day. A campaign of confidence and booze
was decided upon and the word went out.
A campaign of confidence and booze 1t
has been. The heelerS and grafterS that
make up the crowd were given an initial
grab into the sack and they have lost
no time. Through the same source
through which his money has been flow
ing Burns started the statement that he
and those of his henchmen, who have
money to burn, were so confident of their
fight that they would cover almost any
thing offered in the line of a bet. Major
Mclaughlin was advertised as being the
proud possessor of cold $4,000, all of
which he would be more than happy TO
lay on his good friend, the colonel. but
investigation and an interview with the
major dispelled that roseate illusion.
patory success, and quietly announced
that any betting money to the extent of
$50 coo it would be his privilege and pleas
ure TO cover This had its effect, and
betting talk was slowed for the balance
of the cay.
Every method that desperate man
turns to in his political misery Dan Burns
is resorting to. To augment the crowd of
petit politicians with which he has been
making his fight, he has called in the
services of Sam Rainey. That astute
stetesman CT odorous history got into
town this evening. Norris NJ. Estee has
also been impressed and is on the spot
with the ~est, though in Mr.. Estee'3
favor lie it said that 1t is not a matter
OF taste, but of political and other in
debtedness that forces his association
with the gang.
Tonight, acting under direct orders
from Herrin. Assemblyman Cobb chair
man of the San Francisco delegation;
.Assemblyman ATnerich of Santa Clara
and Assemblyman Kelsey of the same
county, have openly declared that not
only their influence but their votes as
well are the property of Burns. Their
advertisement of the fact that they have
donned the striped livery is proving of
known affiliations. Cobb of San Fran
cisco has, since he first began the prac-
tice of law in that city, been favored
tool and abject slave of the Southern
Pacific, and to Herrin he owes his nomi-
nation and election. For the clever work
he has done for that arch bungler N
+
made chairman of the San Francisco
delegation before it left the city for the
capital, and as such he is just now under
orders to throw his influence into the
Burns fight, even at the cost Of his repu-
tation.
Arnerich of Santa Clara was sent to the
Legislature Of 81 by, and acknowledged
the sane boss who rules Cobb with an
iron hand, bat unlike the San Franciscan,
his value is limited to his vote. His ca
pacity runs rather to physical than men.
4o1 nd f4oir -aY1t- ~ hot y
fights he has made for the Legislature the
railroad has not only been forced to pro-
vide him with the nomination, but the
votes to win out with as we'll Kelsey is
avowedly creature of Herrins and
makes no bones of it. He is out for the
railroad or anything else that will keep
him working, and he did not hesitate to
declare for Burns when the order came.
Since they donned the Burns collar this
afternoon the trio have been loud in their
declarations, and all of the capital that
can be is being coined out of it. Cobb is
claiming for Burns fortyfour other votes
besides his own when the time comes TO
spring them, and others of the gang are
setting up the same figure, but they are
also giving 1t out, that they do not pro-
pose TO show their real strength on the
first ballot, nor, for that matter, on the
second. Burns, they say, will get from
twenty seven to thirty on the first show
ing, and possibly no more on the second
1t is quietly hinted that BUNS real
strength lies in those votes which have
come pledged to certain candidates. and
that they will be allowed the first two
ballots to discharge their obligations TO
their constituents. After that. though
they will go Burns to the extent of forfy-
five. for certainty, possibly more It's a
we'll conceived story and has but the one
drawback that 1t is not SO. Burns cam
not muster over thirty votes at any stage
of the game, and in the hope of creating
a stampede TO his standard after the sec.
ond ballot he is putting up this latest
fake to create the impression that he has
enough strength in reserve and that there
rs a chance even at the eleventh hour for
9 those who have not tied up to get in out
Of the wet.
The claim made by Burns with the ag-
81 egate claims of his opponents foot IN
joint ballot. Grant claims 50. Barnes Il
eBulla 16 end Knight 4, total of 122
The most conservative figures made by
those who are on the inside place Burns