The San Francisco call., 1907-01-05
Ruef May. Help
Drew Become
Speaker
BY George A. Van Smith

BY George a. Van Smith
SACRAMENTO, Jan. 4.-Edward 1.
Wolfe, president pro tem.y j. Ion Mur-
tin, sergeant Mt arms; l.. A. Hilborn,
secretary, and Charles L. Miel, chap
lain. In the of1icial slate that will be
presented to CaIifornia's Republican
Senators for their ratification when
they caucus ON Sunday. The caucus on
the Sabbath. will be primarily for the
purpose of perfecting the organization
to jump on Pardec with fulI-nedged
working Senate Monday noon.
The outgoing Governor does not pre-
tend to be ignorant of the orgnniza-
tion's benevolent fntentfon to relieve
him of further State worries mt the
earliest moment. In fact, he seems
rather pleased with the idea that his
friend the enemy Ia preparing to move
ON him with an unseemIy haste that
will arouse popular attention and some
disapprovaI. At the same time he be-
Iieves that the senate cannot meet
formally until Monday noSn ana that
that august body cannot formally In
stall and hail 0sliIett Governor until
after Ii has canyassed the Official re-
turns. There VIII be nm interim in
which he can slip the Senate, GilIett
ct al. lemon of eoodly proportions,
In the shape of some extremely dis
tasteful appointments.
Lieutenant Governor elect Potter
arrived this morning, and while he dis
claimed anything like a completion OF
his committee slate. ii Is generally ac-
cepted as settled that c. M. Belshaw
will again be rendered the chairman
ship of the finance committee and that
g. r. Lukens will head the judiciary
committee.
The situation as regards the organi-
zation of the Assembly has not the
same outward cut-and-dried appear
ance. A. M. Drew of Fresno and his
friends still think that they have a
fighting chance to beat Robert Boards
lee of Stockton for Speaker. Jake
Steppacher and Clio Lloyd are at a
clinch in a struggle for the chief clerk
ship, and the reelection of Sergeant
at Arms Stafford is the only thing
notoriously settled.
General George Stone will arrive on
Sunday morning to take personal
charge of Steppacher's campaign, and
II is a fair assumption that little
bird will escape from the Flood build
caucus of the Assembly, at 9 o'clock
Monday morning, over which Assem-
blyman Pyle will preside.
The Drew people claim to believe
that they can break the machine
slate and beat Beardslee. because the
Southern Pacific will not dare force
the Stockton man on an unwilling
Assembly. They also claim that when
the San Francisco delegation OF six
teen votes breaks from Nate Coghlan,
as II ultimately must. Ruef will deliver
just to show Herrin that. though de-
serted by Schmitz and all the Harri-
man influence. he still is master OF San
Francisco and its Legislators.
Then. finally, the Drew people pur-
pose to hold Gillett responsible for
the election of a Speaker. They say
he can settle il and settle 1T right,
by turning down his thumb at Boards
lee, and that IL he does not the people
of the State will know what they
have so far only suspected-that the
Interests are wholly in control. Quite
regardless of the quality of logic
shown by the Drew arguments, the
Beardsiee people are fairly sanguine
that the machine will not fee before
I
beneath the gavel of Beardslee. With
them the thought of a Ruef, majestic
in his wrath at a cruel betrayal, hurl-
ing defiance and the San Francisco
delegation at Herrin is to laugh, and.
finally. they don't care what the people
suspect. That is quite beside The
Speakership question.
Just one Of the Drew arguments at
tracts even an answer and that is
"a nj
tinently ask what an anti-machine or
ganization has to. offer the curly boss
in exchange for his outraged feelings
and sixteen votes? Ruef is scarcely
a political philanthropist. they say. In
fact, he is more suspected of expect
ing full payment. and on the nail. In
fine, only the Drew men find much
hope in the theory that Ruef will
wreak a terrible revenge on Herrin
by electing Drew speaker.
The Steppacher- Lloyd contest for the
chief clerkship, not new contest, has
assumed unusual proportions. Step
pacher's friends say it is now time that
the oft-repeated promise to make
Stones right hand man the Assembly,
factotum has arrived and they will not
submit to having him again sidetracked
in the minor berth of minute clerk.
Lloyd says he was induced by major
ity of the Asemblymen to give up lu-
crative employment to accept his old
place. He is a bit apprehensive that
the Assembly In important session can
scarcely get along without him. and
he unfeelingly asserts that IL he is not
given the chief clerkship he will per-
nit the legislative ship to lie dere-
lict on it's sea of troubles
Rev. w. F. Reager of Sacramento
appears to have a clear field for the
privilege of Offering up daily petitions
for the salvation OF the country while