Douglass W. Montgomery of San Francisco, in spite of the fact that four
reputable physicians, Dr. Howard Black, Dr. H. B. Reynolds, Dr. J. C.
Spencer and Dr. R. L. Wilbur, had certified that Senator black's
physical condition did not permit of his being removed to Sacramento,
went to Palo Alto with the Sergeant-at-Arms to investigate the sick
Senator. Montgomery's investigations seem to have been confined to the
outside of Senator Black's house[55]. At any rate he did not see Senator
Black. The performance was given its sordid feature by Montgomery
charging the Senate $400 for his services.

The Montgomery incident demonstrated clearly that the machine was
whipped[56]. Senator Wolfe accordingly on Monday, March 22, after
holding the Senate in deadlock more than a week, moved that the vote
whereby the Senate had refused to concur in the Assembly amendment to
the Direct Primary bill, be reconsidered. This, the Senate as a matter
of courtesy, at Senator Wolfe's request, did. It then refused to concur
in the Assembly's objectionable amendment. For the second time, the
Senate went on record against the machine's advisory district-vote plan
for the election of United States Senators. For the second time the
anti-machine element in the Senate, in its efforts to secure the passage
of an effective direct primary measure, had, fighting fair, and in the
open, and above board always, defeated the machine. The machine
thereupon met the anti-machine element with a trick that completely
turned the tables, a trick by which the anti-machine forces were
defeated, and the machine element placed in a position to amend the bill
as it might see fit.



[42] Senator Wolfe, on the day of his defeat in the Senate, told the