say, had the anti-machine Republicans and the anti-machine Democrats
caucused, and organized to carry out the policies for which they stood
and for which they fought together during the entire session, the
Republican-Democratic-machine element would have been defeated at every
turn. But no such policy governed, and the anti-machine Republicans
waddled after precedent into the caucus trap that had been set for them.
Later on in the session the anti-machine Republicans and anti-machine
Democrats did go into caucus together, and by doing so won the hardest
fought fight of the session.[7]

In the Republican Senate caucus on organization, the machine Senators,
under the crafty leadership of Wolfe and Leavitt, worked their unhappy
anti-machine associates much as a playful cat, with a sense of humor,
toys with a mouse. As the cat lets the mouse think that it has escaped,
the machine let the anti-machine forces think they were organizing the
caucus. Leavitt had been leader of the Republican caucus at previous
sessions but he suffered "overwhelming defeat" at the hands of a
"reformer." The "reformer" in question was Senator Wright, who had been
well advertised as the father of the reform Direct Primary law. Before
the session closed, the anti-machine element was to learn just the sort
of "reformer" Wright is. Wright, however, in the interest of "harmony,"
was nominated for caucus leadership by Senator Wolfe. Leavitt's name was
not even mentioned. The unanimous vote went to Senator Wright, who was
duly declared elected Chairman of the Senate Republican caucus for the
Thirty-eighth Session of the California Legislature.

The reformers were also permitted to name the Secretary of the caucus.
This time a genuine anti-machine Senator was selected, A. E. Boynton.

And then came a question which brought out the gleam of the machine's