The San Francisco call., 1909-11-21
BOURBON BANQUET
TO REVEAL LEADER
Democratic Executive Commit
tee Announces Plan for
Jackson Day Celebration
New Party Newspaper to APP
pear in San Francisco New
Years Day
By GEORGE A. VAN SMITH

OF the hopes OF CaIIornlaS S democracy
is 10 be chosen, If not named. at a
general conference Of Bourbons great
and small to be held In this city jan
uary s. 1910.
The conference and a great Jackson
Gay banquet were decided upon yester-
day by Il representatives of the demo-
cratic executive committee in secret
session al the party headquarters in
the Argonaut hotel In addition 10 the
announcement OF the conference, the
democratic executive committee by Sen
stor A Caminetti informed California
generally and democratic California
particularly that democracy's very own
newspaper. the San Francisco Sun.
would make its initial bow January /.
1910.
The arrangements for the big confer
ence on Jackson day are in the hands
of special committee consisting Of
Theodore A Bell, James d. Phelan and
Walter Macarthur. AS a basis for the
conference. a meeting of the state cen
tral committee has been called. To
that meeting are invited FIRST all the
democratic members OF the legislative
sessions OF 1907 and 1909: to the editors
of all democratic newspa pers and jour
nails in California; the chairmen, secre-
taFies and members of all democratic
county committees and finally all the
democrats in California who may
choose to lend their voices or presence
TO the party deliberations.
MEETING FOR DISCUSSION
Theoretically the conference in Jan
uary viii have no direct bearing upon
the selection of a candidate for democ-
racy's nomination for governor. 1t is
n he sort Of statewide
ing called for the purpose of discussing
and disseminating the doctrines of the
simon pure democracy. That is its
announced purpose. OF course. If as
the result Of some especially happy
speech or other purely fOrtuitous cir
cumstance the voice of democracy as
represented at that conference is raised
in clamOrOus unison for any particular
person, il would be no fault Of the pro-
moters Of the conference. Beside, if
such thing did happen. the leaders of
democracy would be relieved of great
responsibility.
II was declared and with every evil
dence Of probability that the question
Of gubernatOrial candidate was not dis
cussed at yesterdays meeting. That
declaration, Of course, ran only to a
democratic gubernatorial candidate. The
presence OF four potential candidates
for the honor Of leading the demOc-
rscy in 1910 might in some degree ac-
count for the nOnappearance of the
candidate question al a meeting of II
committeeman. Under the circum-
stances il would have been indelicate
20 go into the subject OF candidates
with Theodore A Bell, James D. Phelan,
A Caminetti and J. B. Sanford present.
Personal ASPIRATIONS
Those gentlemen have been known to
4 ss,r1
personal opinions about which one
should receive a complimentary vote
for United States senator. There is
really no excuse for believing that they
should be agreed at this early date
on the question OF gubernatOrial candi-
date. And in any event they are not
agreed. Taken collectively the II COM
mitteemen who met yesterday have no
opinions touching the identity OF the
party leader for 1910. Taken individu-
ally and by squads very pronounced
opinions may be developed.
BY segregation Of a portion of the
local representation it is possible to
ascertain that the one best bet in
democracy is James D. Phelan, art
critic and sometime mayor Of San Fran
cisco. Phelan. they admit is not so
many in San Francisco, but out in the
highways and byways they say he is
=
mission bells or Native Daughters and
equipped TO grab votes as was never a
democrat before.
BY a similar process invoked in an
other direction it is possible to learn
that Phelan is a mice little man." but
mot such a much" as a vote getter
and that the democracy wants a man
who can win this time rather than
one with a highly developed. sense of
the esthetic, not, say. of the eternal
fitness of things generally. Say these
democrats. whose souls are untroubled
by artistic expressions, J. 3. Sanford,
editor statesman, orator and busiest
democrat in all Mendocino county, is
the sprinter TO show an Overfed repub-
ncanism his heels all the way from
barrier TO wire.
Then there IS quite g different story
for the insistent inquirer. 1t runs
something like this: Sanford is not
really in earnest. He has never declared
himself formally in the race, and If
ne had he would have been Joking
Sanford is such a wag. Phelan? Oh,
really, now-wel at least, we have
heard nothing Of it. Nice man. yes
but-Caminetti2 Oh, he has no inten-
tion OF becoming a candidate for gov
ernor. OF course, he is a big man; one
Of the pillars OF the democratic tenn
pie. but he does not want to run for
governor. Ed Miller would make an
excellent candidate, and, OF course, de-
mocracy would be delighted TO honor
him. but Miller is very sick man. 1t
Is quite out OF the question. George
Cartwright, we are informed, would
not consider a gubernatorial nomina-
tion until after he has returned TO the
senate and enacted a new antitrust
bill. Yes. It does seem probable that
Bell win be compelled TO put aside his
natural inclinations and respond TO
democracy's demand that he lead its
forces again"
BELL MAY HEAR YELL
And, a that, few men at all familiar
with politics will be surprised If the
conference on Jackson day so works
upon Bells feelings Of party loyalty as
10 compel him 10 accept the nomina-
ton for governor. Something in the
way OF premonition had reached Bell
several months ago, when he declared
In an eastern speech that he would run
again next year. Some of the demo-
rrats, who wish Bell no bad luck, but
hope he viii go stone deaf before the
party call becomes a real yell, pre-
tend 70 think that Bells participation
In the recent San Francisco campaign
has weakened him. His advocates say
the San Francisco municipal campaign
made him stronger. Both have ready
ordinations and neither is uifhouf