rejected. Bell, throughout the session, opposed machine policies. Both
for the session of 1907 and of 1909, Senator Bell's record is absolutely
clean. The machine does not approve such men, nor want them to
participate in party caucuses.

Senator Bell, who had, although refused admittance to his party caucus,
done very well in 1907, did not propose to apply for admission to the
caucus of 1909. But the reform element in the Senate insisted upon
presenting his name. From machine sources it was intimated to Senator
Bell that if he would make his peace with Walter Parker, the Southern
Pacific lobbyist who acts as machine leader south of the Tehachepi, no
opposition would be offered his admission to the caucus. Bell rejected
the offer with characteristic promptness. So the anti-machine Senators,
since they had "organized the caucus," proceeded to admit Bell in the
face of machine opposition.

But the inexperienced political mouse discovered that it was not out of
the reach of the claws of the experienced political cat. Boynton's
motion to admit Bell to the caucus was lost by a vote of 16 to 14.

Had the reform element been organized, however, Bell would have been
admitted to the caucus. Three Senators, Reily, Savage and Welch, who
ordinarily voted with the machine, because of personal friendship voted
to admit Bell to the caucus. But their votes were offset by those of
Burnett, Estudillo and Hurd.[8] The vote was as follows:

To admit Bell to the caucus - Anthony, Birdsall, Black, Boynton, Cutten,
Reily, Roseberry, Rush, Savage, Stetson, Strobridge, Thompson, Walker,
Welch - 14.