The San Francisco call., 1906-12-30
Senators Plan to
Hand BelshaW
Nice Lemon

With Senator's Edward I. Wolfe Of
Oakland casting covetous eyes on the
honorary post of President pro tenn.
of the Senate, the country Senators are
planning to combine and cover the
cities with discontinue and at the same
time administer a stl1ging rebuke to
the Interests by electing Charles M.
Belshaw to the honors last enjoyed by
Wolfe
This is not the official programme,
however, and like other things legis-
lative and not Matched at headquarters,
the project is more than likely never
to get beyond the planning stage, but
1t is interesting as an evidence of the
slatemaking activities of the wheel
horses, who mentally run things up to
such time as the combine discerns it's
duty and in patriotic earnestness does
it. If Belshaw were elected President
pro tenn. 1t would be lemon and not
a plum that would be handed to him.
Despite the organization claim that
Leavitt and Wolfe are too good friends
to oppose each other for the more or
less empty honor, the fact remains that
Leavitt did try to land 1t two years
ago. His candidacy suffered a sudden
blight and he quit at a time when
Senator'S outside the combine confidence
thought him as good as elected.
LEAvITT'S LITTLE PLAN
1t is claimed that Leavitt is quietly
trying to frame up substantial sup
port that will justify him in claiming g
at least the momentary attention of
the programmes for the combine.
Pending the announcement of its pro-
gramme to the combine, neither candi-
dates nor Senators have an accurate
idea of their status, and those not can
didates can revel in temporary freedom
and make tentative states as their fan
cies dictate. When the combine finds
out what its programme and slate are,
the unofficial tickets will be promptly
destroyed.
Stranger things than the election OF
Belshaw have happened, but that does
not relieve this particular slate from
the broad marks of improbability
Without the Endorsement of the Inter
ests the good intentions of the country
Senators would not avail to make Bel
shaw President pro tenn, even should he
be willing to try for the place. And
! If the Interests pick him for President
pro tenn. it would be to furnish him
with painless death. That they would
be unduly soIicitous about the Contra
Costa mans feelings is scarcely to be
expected.
To elect Belshaw President pro tenn.
would be to pave an easy way for his
retirement from the finance committee
of which in the last Senate he was
chairman. He could not expect to
be chairman of the finance committee
and President pro tenn. 1t would be
more logical for him to expect neither
under existing conditions. Either is
supposed to be honor sufficient for any
one Senator, and it would arouse i'll
feeling to allow even a combine Sena-
tor to hold both.
GOVERNORS SPOKESMAN
The chairman of the finance commit
tee is considered the Governor
spokesman on the floor of the Senate.
1t has been customary to consult the
Governor as to his choice for this post.
There are many reasons why the Gov
ernor and the chairman of the finance
committee and the chairman of the
committee on ways and means In the
Assembly should be on plane of the
closest friendship and political un-
derstanding. While Belshaw is cred
tied with being well equipped for the
chairmanship, there are many who re-
member that prior to the convention
which nominated Gillett' Belshaw was
an enthusiastic Pardee supporter
If only the perfectly regular should
be able to get to the Gillett crib Bel