The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, January 13, 1897, Page 1

SAN FRANCISCO, WEDNESDAY MORNING, JANUARY 13, 1897. PRICE FIVE CENTS. SCENE IN THE SENATE CHAMBER WHEN SENATOR MOREHOUSE WITHDREW THE NAME OF SAMUEL M. SHORTRIDGE PERKINS RETURNED TC THE UNITED STATES SENATE i SACRAMENTO, CAL., jan. 12.—Senator | e C. Perkins was to-day elected to ed himself as the representative of te of California in the Senate of ted States for tha next six years. | opposition to Mr. Perkins was short | ¢ strenuous, the only recognized com- | itor of the successful candidate being M. Shortridge, whose ultimate wal from the race was made in the same manly and courageous manner that bad cheracterized his entry into the ex- alted political arena and his conduct and methods while the battle wasin full swing. | He entered the struggle on the solicita- tion of bis [riends in the hope that his | candidacy and success would tend to har- ze party differences, and aid in main- taining the high prestige of the party | whose welfare he always has at heart. | Senator Perkinsentered the contest with all the prestige and power that fiows from | incumbency in office, and that office one | endowea with great potentialities in the | shepe of patronage of influential and re- | munerative positions. But, determined to leave no opening for possible defeat, very convention held for the purpose of | nomivating ~ Republican throughout the State felt the ir mo! lecislators | uence of the efforts of the friends of the incambent Senatorial aspirant. In addition to these us, personal solicitation was not ned, by the candidate ‘and by his friends. The result of this plan of cam- paign wes a thoroughly organized and ompact contingent of legislators who ntto Sacrsmento pledged to vote for ¢ man who appeared to be the choice of | their constituents. Then followed the | caucus, and kere the bonds that held these men 1o Senator Perkins were strengthened | and his voting power was possibly aug- | mented. For some time past the name of Samuel | M. Shortridge had been mentioned iorl this high position, and be was at this ses- sion of the Legislature finally induced by his Iriends to permit his name to be pre- sented as a candidate to succeed Senator Perkins. Hedid not, however, decide on this course until very recently. It was believed by many of the promi- nent leaders of the Republican party of the Stace that Mr. Shortridge’s name submit- ted at this time would harmonize and unite the party. - His well-known loyalty | and filelity to the principles and the cause | of the Republican party it was calculated well fitted him as a proper leader, and one | who would be able to bring fogether the various conflicting elements which had | shown themselves during the recent elec- tion. TLis was one of the strongest reas- ons for permitting his name to be used. Many leading Republicans believed, also, that the time had come in the his- tory of the party when the younger men should come more prominently to the front in California. There was also a feeling thronghout the State thata man of the weli-known attainments ana abil- ity of Mr. Shortridge, with his superb oratorical powers and his other well- known qualifications for the exalted posi- tion of United States Senator, snould be sent te Washington. But when the gallant and loyal friends who came to the support of Mr, Short- ridge—and they were numerous and hailed from all parts of the State—found that the «fforts put forth by the followers of Sen- ator Perkins had pledzed numerous rep- resentatives, who, if left to their own dis- cretion, would have given their support to Mr. Shortridge, they realized that a bitter strugele might be precipitated. After, therefore, fully considering tne matter it was decided best, in the interests of the party and of the futurs' of Mr. Shortridge himself, not 10 present his name formally to the Legislature. This]| action having been determined upon, it naturally left Mr. Perkins in undisputed possession of the position. PERKINS RE-ELECTED. Senator Morehouse Withdraws the Namea of Samuel M. Shortridge From the Contest. SACRAMENTO, CArn., Jan. 12 — A United States Senator is one of the high- est officials known, to_ the Gpvernment. Hence the law has guarded the method of his election most jealously. The dignity of the position, the exalted character, the superior attainments and the general moral and mental makeup of the man thus honored are subjected to the crucial test of investigation and criticism.” After a man has attained to that high office this test becomes less severe and he is enabled to maintain his prestige and his power through the persons whom he has placed in offices of trust and emolument. But the chief quality desired in the person for a United States Benator, and in fact in the person of any other officer, is that he shall represent the best qualities of his State. Hence the election of a United States Sen- ator is regarded as a solemn event and the procedure has been invested with all dig- nity and deliberation that the law can confer upon it. That is why ‘there was such a great crowd in the Senate and the Ass mbly chambers, but the Senate being a more dignified body ' the visitors represented more of the well-to-do and tfashionable element of society. Although ‘the law hsd fixed the momentous hour for noon, ladies and their escorts began filing into the chamberat 11:30 o’clock. Colonel Isaac Trumbo, miner and National politician, | sat beside Senator Mahoney; Charles M. Shortridge sat with Senator Androus and wore a red camellia in his coat lapel; Mrs. Trumbo sat at_the desk of Senator More- house; Mrs. Bulla was beside her hus- band, the Senator from Los Angeles; Daniel M. Burns occupied a chair at the desk of Senator Bert. tary of the Governor; Miss Josephine Todman, executive secretary of the Gov- | -ernor, and many others from Sacramento and neighboring towns. The plush chairs form No. 260. THE WESTERN UNICN TELEGRAPH COMPANY, 21,000 OFFICES IN AMERICA. INCORPORATED CABLE SERVICE TO ALL THE WORLD. THOS. T. ECKERT, President and General Manager. Recelver's No. ! Time Fhied | SEND the toiiowing message supject to agreed on back hereof, which are hereby To to."‘. wrma} Check SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 12, 1897. Hon. George C. Perkins, Washingion, D. C.: I heartily congratulate you upcn your re-election to the S'ena.te, labor for California and ail her people. land trust you may have a continuance of health and strength to! There were also | present of the notables Taylor Rodgers of | San Francisco; Ed McCabe, private secre- | | | the incumbent of the office. inside the rail were occupied by the fair- est of Bacramerto’s daughters, and in the gallery the dark cloti.es of the men were relieved by the bright dresses of » score or more young grammar-school girls who had received a tip from their teacher to attend the Senate and see how United States Senators were made. When President pro tem. Flint an- nounced that the next business was the election of a United States Senator the buzz of conversation ceased and necks were craned forward to see what would be done next. After a pause that made the people think of & stage-wait or a hitch in the scenery, Senator Stratton arose and made a speech eulogizing Senator Perkins, Stratton is an energetic-looking man, with a piercing black eye, and his appearance would lead one to suppose that he was full of fire and ginger, but to the disappointment of his hearers a tamer speech was never de!ivered in a public meeting. His utterance was rapid and he expressed as much sentiment | asa clerk reading off the inventory of a gro- cery. The speech was cold and colorless, like the subject, and there was no sugges- tion of inspiration in it. His remarks as to Mr. Perkins’ ability sounded like a hali- apology for his shortcomings, and the speaker took particular pains to impress upon h s hearers the fact that the subject of his praise repre-enfel the business ele- ment of the State and that the lawyers were represented by Senator White, who unfortunately happens to be a Democrat. Baila followe | 1n a more eloquent strain ana dwelt on"tte fact that the Senator was at oue time a boy, and a poor boy at that, and he scemed (0 make a virtue of it, just | as though Mr. Perkins had been born rich and hau voluntarily erhbraced poverty for its own sake and in oraer that there might be some material for & emlozy when he should grow up and be a man and run for the Senatorship. 4 Thne Senate and visitors listened with attention and coldly to the speech and after its conclusion gave a spiritiess round ‘of hand-clapping. ‘When Senator Morehouse arose for the ourpose of withdrawing the name of Sam- uel M. Shortridge from the contestin th ® interest of harmony in the ranks of the party there wasa revival of interest not observed during the delivery of the per- functory speeches on behaif of the man who had so much patronage to bestow and whose frown could carry with it dis- | astrous political consequaences to the per- sonat whom it was directed. Senator Morehouse has a fine presence and a rich, deep volce, and the stillness that pre- vailed wawa high compliment tothe repu- tation he has made as a political speaker. But his hearers were disappointed. His remarks were few and to the point. They conveyed the intimation that two years hence he would have the pleasnure of nom- nating Mr. Shortridge for the honorable office of United Siates Senator. The warmth with whicn his remarks were greeted showed that thers was some mag- netism in the speaker and the subject alize. Whoen Senator Mahoney’s name was called on the rollcall, he cast his vote loudly, clearly and deliberately for Daniel M. Burne. The unexpectedness of the vote caused 3 buzz of surprise among the Senators and spectators alike, and when Mr. Burns saw that he was the mark for all eyes, he blushed to the roots of his blush-colored hair and waved his hand toa Senator who was quizzing him. Senator are Should be ex:reised at this season to preventa debalitated condition of tue system. Build up the health in winter by taking a course of Hood's Sarsaparilla The Best—In fact The One True Blood Purifier. Hood's Pills iia'Hoods shrpecuin®®