The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1908-06-12
Fear of Death Causes Nominee
TO Abandon Trip and
Name Proxy
Chairman George Stone Radi-
ates Loyalty to the Boss
and Defends Job
BY George Van Smith
SPECIAL DISPATCH TO THE CALL

SPARKS, New, June IL
"Steal the seat in the republican
national convention which the re-
publicans of California have re-
fused to give Otis (Mex)." That
in effect was the startling order
given to the machine members of
the republican delegation today
by w. F. Herrin's hired man,
Walter Parker, who, with Gov
ernor James n. Gillett, Secretary
of State Charles F. Curry, Post
master James Richardson and a
crowd of local republican machine
men, met the delegation at Sacra-
mento.
The failure Of Jacob Nef. the Lin
coin Roosevelt leagues one delegate at
large, TO attend the Chicago conven-
ton has produced situation which
wiz enable the republican machine 10
show its entire contempt Tor the re-
publican voters Of California
Nen. a very old man, very nearly
succumbed TO the fatigue Of an over
land trip y years ago He insisted up
10 the last moment that he would make
the Chicago trip and his ally, Charles
S Wheeler Of san Francisco. feeling
that he would not be called upon for
service at the Chicago convention,
sailed for Europe IN accordance with a
program completed many months ago.
Nef's physician ordered him yester-
day to choose between the trip 10 Chi
cago and probably death. on the one
hand. and failure in his obligation TO
the Roosevelt league and the
republicans OF California on the other
hand Nen believing that he could
give q proxy, named Harold Power OF
Auburn. vice president Of the Lincoln
Roosevelt league and alternate TO Beach
Thompson. delegate from the first con-
gressional district as his proxy and
bowed 10 his physicians order.
BEARS ORDER TO STEAL
When the overland limited with the
rear guard Of the delegation-the ad-
vance guard consisted Of NJ H de
Young. who declined TO travel with the
delegation in California TO avoid the
possibility OF arrest as a fugitive from
justice-reached Sacramento Herrin's
man Friday Walter Parker, was on
the ground with an order 10 steal~fo
Otis Mex the seat in the national
convention which not all the power Of
the machine could give him in conven-
tion.
Parker informed the machine lead
ers Of the delegation and their chaper-
one. Chairman George Stone. Of the
state central committee that a vacancy
on the delegation existed and that it
developed on the delegation 10 I'LL the
hole Parker had the stopper in the
person Of Harrison Gray Otis and he
ordered that the acceptance Of Otis
Mex be secured by wire at olAce. 1t
did not occur 10 the machine wheel
horses Of the party that there was any
thing extraordinary or especially un-
savory in the job they were ordered to
perform by Herrin's hired man. The
suggestion that the selection by the
delegation Of q man who had been re-
pudiated by the republicans of the
state was at best in questionable taste
was dismissed with the deprecatory
elevation Of eyebrows.
SOME DELEGATES REBEL
Some OF the least amenable of the
delegates rebeiled and either declared
for open war or more quietly but none
the less firmly announced that their
allegiance 10 machine program would
not carry them 70 the length OF re-
versing the verdict of the rank and
Herrin, TO say nothing about their IN
willingness TO reach for their own po-
litical death warrants.
Chairman George Stone was not one
OF the secessionists. He fairly radiated
machine loyalty when he took up the
cucgel IN defense OF the Herrin Job.
The fact that Otis (Mex) has been
repudiated By the rank and file OF the
party did not appeal to Stone. He. had
A.
fly he recognized His only expressed
regret was that Michael Henri de
Young, engrossed in sidestepping q
possible California deputy sheriff, was
not on the job 10 help him put the deal
through al once.
The fact that General Otis was not
elected delegate viii make no differ |
ence, said Stone; there VIII he no
trouble about that"
That the job VIII go through ts by no |
means assured. Some Of the hidebound |
machine men who viii take the pro-
gram Il il is jammed through are seri- |
ously afraid OF public sentiment and /
some Of them refuse fatty 10 vote for
Otis II his name is presented TO the in
formal caucus which wiz be held to-
morrow.
DENOUNCED BY DELEGATES
John D. Daily said tonight: ..r, &c
mighty bad politics for the republican |
party"
Grant Halliday OF Vallejo said: THAT |
ts where I stop The republicans of |
California have declined TO accept Otis |
I viii never vote for him
Frank Marvin OF San Francisco said. |
This is infamous The man who would
vote to place Otis on the delegation
would be q traitor to his party and 10
tho state"
Harold Power OF Auburn VIII be Wig
orously supported for the vacancy by
Continued on Page 3, Column