The San Francisco call., 1909-01-03
Stanton VIII Be Speaker, While
Wolfe Viii Probably Be
President Pro Ten.
BeardSIee and Transue After
ChairmansE1ip of Ways and
Means Committee
Eeavitt Is Slated for Head of
Finance Committee and
VIII Weld Power
By George Van Smith


:a.ChIL HEADQUARTERS. Sscrsmen-
ITO. Jan. with a constitutional limi-
-isasfoa on attachs expenses, which will
. officially force the employment Of sea
:: @5iof and capable men for all the re-
slrofsIbi:e appointive and elective Of
..-f5es in both houses, the assembly and
:. soma 70. caucus viii meet Monday morn
:::illa... parcel out the good places to the
ritf who held them two years ago,
Sass Up the balance with the majori-
.es. with the merest sop for the mi
- norftFes. and advise Governor Gillett
rhat the legislature is in session and
ready 10 receive his advice and sug-
. 5scions. otherwise his first biennial
'. message
p incident and preliminary TO the dis
position OF the spoils the assembly
caucus win so through the form of
.indorsing Phil Stanton OF Los Angeles
Tor speaker. while the senate caucus
win probably again honor Edward L.
wolfe of san Francisco with another
term as president pro TEN.
BEARDsLEE OUT OF 1T
THE spealership contest. which never
attained the dignity Of a fight. is ex-
pected 10 resolve itself into a love
-.fesst with Bob Beardslee Of Stockton
as the bearer Of the olive branch.
Beardslee. who is personally one of
:. the most likable man IN the legisIa-
fare. is expected to prove to the world
tEat he is a good loser by placing Stan
ION IN nomination for the Job which
Beardslee held two years ago and
which for a little time he hoped to
land again.
With the speakership out OF the way
general interest centers in the prob
able chairman OF the assembly com
mittee on ways and means. The job
lies between J. P. Transue, speaker pro
TEN. of.the last assembly and Stanton s
fellow tOWnsman, who viii probably
get 1t, and Beardslee. who has been
Jouted as having more than a fair
chance at the place as balm to the
wounds he suffered in the short speak
ership battle. Either would make an
acceptable chairman OF the assembl s
most important committee, and il is in
no sense a criticism of Beardslee's abil-
tiles 10 hold that Transue would prob
ably make the better presiding Of
ncer for the committee which holds or
Iooses the public purse strings.
THE GOVERNORS COMMITTEE
The ways and means committee is
generally regarded as the governor s
committee. Certainly it and the finance
committee in the senate are the COM
mittees in which the chief executive
takes the deepest interest, and in the
selection OF the chairman of these COM
mittees governors have not hesitated TO
lake a strenuous and deciding hand.
Governor Gillett took such an inter
est two years ago, somewhat TO the dis
comnture Of stanton. who had made a
record as chairman in the Legislature
OF 1905. Stanton had made Pardee
sight in Los Angeles and was off the
reservation generally, and his alleged
-unfriendliness TO Gillett was generally
sscribed 10 Ginetts opposition to his
appointment at the hands OF Boards
lee
Gnlett is not given 70 demonstrative
affection for his enemies but factionsl
! differences probably We're not the real
cause for his opposition TO Stanton. Gil
lett wanted a man who would be gen
orally anenable 10 his suggestions, and
stanton has a faculty Of declining to
stay tied: also he thinks mighty well
OF the judgment Of one Phil Stanton.
Lack OF friendship can play no part
jn the governors preferences this time
Both Transue and Beardslee are the
governors friends and he has refused
TO take any part in the theoretical con-
test. I have, however. the best Of rea-
sons for believing that the governor
very much prefers 10 have Transue al
the head OF the body generally called
the governors committee" and since
stanton feels the same way about il
he may be expected to look with favor
upon a continuation Of the well estab-
lished precedent. What Beardslee will
get beside a beating is problematical
tonight.
WILL REDUCE COMMITTEES
The senate organization will, after
the probable reelection OF Eddie
Wolfe as president pro TEN. and OF
Secretary HilbOrn sergeant at arms J.
Lou Martin and their tried assistants
Sn my judgment, involve not only an
other refusal TO admit Senator c. w
Bell Of Los Angeles TO tho republican
caucus. but reduction Of the number
OF senate committees TO an even 80, OF
one Tor each republican wearing the
rccognized label without any hold
over chairmanships for the nine demo
Gratis and the one excluded inoepend-
ent republican. who won his seat two
wears 20 as a nonpartisan and demo-
crat after being turned down for the
nomination by a Los Angeles republi-
can convention.
Bell was trounced by the republican
caucus two years ago and made &c
flock with the democrats. He is down
for the same thing this year. but le
viii have a bigger crowd 10 flock with
!, There will be nine regular democrats
n this senate as against six in 1907.
The organization helped elect a por-
lion Of the democratic increase. but
that IL viii provide committee chair
manships for the democrats whom u
backed 10 defeat antiorganization re-
publfcans Is quite a different matter
IL is an odds-on BET that Lieutenant