The San Francisco call., 1909-03-18
Black Hunts Hole to
Prevent Deadlock Break
BY George A. Van Smith
[SpeeiaI DispaLeh 70 Thc Gall

faiths who had made Black put him
self and the cause he represented in
an unfortunate and wholly unnecessary
predicament
CURTIN SOUNDLY SCORED
After two hours Wolfe moved to lift
the call and postpone further consid-
GRAFTON Of the special order until to-
morrow night. Curtin moved to amend
by postponing further consideration of
a direct primary bill until the open
ing of the legislature of 1911, and
launched into the partisan speech
which paved the way for Wolfes grill
ing OF the democrats and insistence
that the republican party would enact
direct primary law in spite of the
democrats. Caminetti also took
Whirl at the oratory, and between them
they drew the disgusted Boynton to his
feet with denunciation of the pea
nut politics" being played by some Of
the men with whom he was allied
The hard hitting little senator from
Oroville said: Il have no use for these
peanut politics. l am not for spend
ing the states money in averting a
conclusion which we all know will ul-
timately be determined by the presi-
dent of this senate. 1t makes me sick
to hear these democratic senators pratt
ing about what we did One of
them (Curtin) was never in the con-
ference, and the other (Caminetti) went
out of it so fast that you could not see
his coat tails. This is no time for poll
tics. l want to see every man in his
seat, tomorrow night and this fight
ended. We all know how 1t will be de-
cided. Let it be decided once for all"
RECALLS sANFoRD's PROPHECY
Wright quoted from an article writ
ten by Sanford. chairman of the dem
ocratic caucus, in which Sanford
prophesied that no direct primary law
would be enacted at this session.
The leader of the minority is now
endeavoring to make that prophesy a
reality" cried Wright, but we Will
have a direct primary law enacted by
the republican party and we will stay
here until we get it If it be until the
fourth of July
The democratic orators and Curtins
motion to postpone direct primary leg
islation for two years gave Wolfe the
opening he had been looking for and
in a characteristically adroit speech
he uncovered the flibuster without
making personal charge against any
senator.
The republican party is pledged to
the enactment OF a direct primary
law" said Wolfe. Its representatives
came here to carry out that pledge.
There We're differences of opinion about
what kind OF direct primary law should
pass. A majority of this senate deter
mined that. We who were in the mi
nority then Joined hands with the ma
jority to rush the bill to speedy enact
ment, The direct primary bill was made
a special order for tonight. Some of
the senators who We're pledged to give
the people direct primary law are
absent. A majority of this senate has
gone on record in favor of some of the
amendments offered in the assembly
A minority Of this body is preventing
final action upon this bill. Where
shall the blame be placed? There is
no excuse and there can be no excuse
for the absence of some of those sena-
tors. 1 ask that this special order go
over until tomorrow night and that
then every senator be in his seat to the
end that the majority, which is en-
tirely willing to take the responsibility
for the passage of this bill, may rule
and that the direct primary fight may
be at an end"
BLACK IN SACRAMENTO
Curtin uncovered again by pleading
to let the bill go back TO the assembly
and ultimately into a free conference.
but when the question was put post
poning the special order until tomor-
row night there was not a dissenting e
voice.
Black has not left the state as was
given out today. He is in hiding in
sacramento. Holohan has too much
sense 10 put his party in an mex
cusaole hole, and Miller and Campbell
assert most vehementiy that he Will be
in his seat tomorrow night. Cutten
and Boynton of the insurgents" saw
that they Will be a special COMMITTEES
10 force the attendance of every mem
Der OF the minority, which means that
II Stetson can get here and the political
wise men who engineered the filibuster
today are unable to induce any more
senators to make asses of themselves.
that the direct primary bill will leave
the senate tomorrow night with all but
tnree OF the assembly amendments con-
curTed IN. The assembly can recede
from the three amendments and have
the pill on It's way to the governor not
later than Friday noon.
Senator StetSon Better
OAKLAND, March 17.-State san-
ator John w. stetson is still confinad
s 10 ms nome in Lenox avenue, after a
mat II he was in physical condition 70
90 10 sacramento tomorrow. he shou1d
leave in the morning.
., .he hhotleed somewhere that my leave
OF absence had been revoked" said
the senator. Now, II the IegislaflIre
can py the same sort of resolution re-
store my health. ! shall feel that their
action is not ill-advised. No one real.
ICES better than I do that my place Is
at my desk in Sacramento but tbere
are some things over which We baye
no control My illness was so severe
that 1t compelled the serious attention
OF my physician. ] am by no means
out Of the woods yet. but I am goins.
TO make 81 hard effort to get hack re
the capital tomorrow" -
voted down, 40 to "a, WheeIan moved
TO strike out the part permitting phar-
/ m anic c{c .,l..-