The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, January 19, 1899, Page 1

VOLUME LXXXV—_NO. 50. ‘{SAN FRANCISCO, THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 1899. PRICE FIVE CENTS. W0 POLITICAL CORPSES ARE THE RESULI OF THE SENATORIAL INVESTIGATION HOWARD E. WRIGHT POLITICALLY DEAD AND DISHONORED Qut of His Own Mouth Has He Uttered His Condemnation. | FREELY CONFESSED T0 HIS DISHONOR Songht to Divert Attention From His Infamy by a Tirade of Personal Abuse Against One of the Persons Who Are His Accusers, e two po- embly How- er ds BUiS. ght is not only politi- 1 and dis- who have rated by those That he still is due only to is on of the charges to had time mbly. t one mony terday e that honored e to be a his ight to corrupt h the con- candidacy is than that of D. M. he father pro ctor the shady politicians in the State have been rt- The Call during They have been with- ns of worn testimony And the end is | of Speaker Wright be but a prelude to other there e and S no re the end will be. ney in coin and to to-night. | another thing was demonstrated. that the committee does not propose »n, but | @ccusers. - Enough | against whom the abuse Southern Pa- | -night who is will- | to the society of frequenters of SACRA- | he will not hesitate to tell a deliberate falsehood under oath. Perhaps: still to allow Wright to debase himself any ted States | further than such debasement will dis- credit the Senatorial candidacy of U. 8. Grant. However this may be, the fact re- mains that the questioners sought to put answers in Wright’s mouth and re- fused to ask him such questions as had been asked of other witnesses. But in committee having in spite of the aid and comfort given him by his seeming’ protectors, Wright could not conceal his abasement. He confessed to the receipt of $1650 from Grant through Milton Green. He went | further and confessed to having made a pledge to support Grant for Senator. | Having made confession, Wright | sought to divert attention from his own infamy by a tirade of personal abuse aganist one of the persons who are his Needless to say, that abuse, coming from the lips of such a man and under such -circumstances, is a certificate of honesty for the person is directed. No one forgets that the strongest evi- dence against this statesman, who holds honor so lightly that he is will- ing and anxious to barter it for cash, s roluntary confession. That ion was made to a person who was not to be cajoled or intimi- dated into secrecy was unfortunate for Wright, but remely fortunate for the people of the State. When the particulars of Wright's re- treat into the Burns camp become known the exact degree of his infamy will be apparent. At present he ap- pear: a_common scoundrel who, hav- ing sold himself, refuses to stay bought. The reason for this refusal may, when it becomes known, make him eligible the health resort at San Quentin. Alden Anderson, Speaker pro tem. of the Assembly, furnished some of the was handed out by | most sensational testimony of the day. day of election, all pury { securing the election could be induced to th of their employer and cept small sums in ex- purchased 1ds until the called on to ting in the ited States Sen- Grant’s po- ed to many told unwillingly, under questions of inquiry the have been he thinks probably be com- re to ponder over the the would 15 tale refusal, un he will as befallen him just campalign of crimi- nality. It is evident that the commit- | tee me tc at all of the facts, at Teast in the direction of the conduct of ( nt's campaign, and its members are determined to make Mr. Green the in- strument of their enlightenment or forée him to suffer the c nsequences. So it is that to-night Green sees the jail doors gaping wide for him and with ter prospect of escape than that who, dodging the en- one policeman, falls s of another. no be a burglar circling arms of ‘ihto the clutch Wright a witness before the mittee to-night. He succeeded in onstrating two things to the satis. was con de: faction of all who heard what he had | to say for himself. One is that he is guilty of all and more than has been charged against him, the other that g the four or five | He related to the committee of the cir- cumstances of a visit he made, subse- quent to his nomination, to the office of Mr. Grant and Mr. Green in San Fran- cisco. After introducing him to Mr. Grant In case of| Grant, Green took Anderson into a pri- m one end of the | yate office and proposed to bear his agents went | election expenses, the understanding being that Mr. Anderson should sup- port Grant for Senator. Mr. Anderson declined the offer and was about to leave the room when Green stepped in front of him and offered him a handful of double eagles with the remark: “Well, take these along with you, any- way."” Mr. Anderson did not “take them along” and he did tell the committee the facts to-day, to which he added | some observations that were natural us traffic. | cross-questioning | ymmittee, Had | | | enough to an honest man v'ho has been offered a bribe by an unscrupulous per- son. James P. Brown, who, with Green, shares the confidence and the finances of U. 8. Grant, was also one of the wit- nesses before the investigating com- mittee to-day. He gave evidence of a remarkable loss of memory and at times he seemed to have forgotten his own identity. In brief his testimony was to the effect that Grant had pour- ed money into his lap in exchange for experience, but he was not sure the amount exceeded one thousand dollars. He had used the money, he said, in paying hotel bills and traveling ex- penses, the latter item including a trip East to see Steve Elkins and others in the interests of Grant's candidacy. He did say, however, that he had learned that ex-Secretary of State L. H. Brown was seeking to intimidate Grant's supporters in the Examiner by telling them if they continued to vote for Grant they would be debarred from | any participation in the patronage of the administration. A verbatim report of all of the pro- ceedings before the committee to-day | is printed in full in this issue for the purpose of giving to every man, women and child who can read in the State an opportunity of judging for themselves of the facts as they are brought out by the investigators. x It is | had better take this, anyhow.” 6090 000000000000000006000000000-006)00 DIRECT OFFER OF GOLD , BY MILTON J. GREEN And he (Green) tried to persuade me that it was Mr. Perkins’ wish that Mr. Grant be elected United States Senator from Southern California, and he attempted to show me some etters, but I paid no attention to him, and he went on and said that he was lending some as- sistance to candidates and would like to assist me in my canvass. I can remember, or words to this effect, that he did not know me very well, but it was no use to make that kind of a proposition to me; that when I could not go to Sacramento as - a free moral agent, to act as I thought right and just for the best interests of the people that I went there to represent, T would not go at all; I was willing to be defeated. And with that I started to leave the room, but in the meantime Mr. Green had been fumbling at a drawer or something, and he stepped around in front of me and said: “You He had a handful of $20 gold pieces, but I walked past him and out, and from that day to this I have had no further conversation with him. Part of the testimony of Alden Anderson before the investigating committee at Sacramento.] I told Mr. Green, as near as 9000000000006 2-0 6000060 09500000e0000000000600 f PILT GREENS 18 ASNEMBLYMANTBOONE AND BABCOCK: ENDEAYOR TO'HEAR, TESTIMONY ees ATTORNEY DEVLING 3 HAIR, AND BEARD ABD COLoRrR_ TO THE SCENE . THE BURNS GANG OF DISREPUTABLES CALL HEADQUARTERS, SACRA- the camp of Grant does not brighten the prospects in the corral of the touts. It is true that public attention at t time is mainly directed to the scandul: use of money by Milton J. Green to ad the Senatorial aspirations of U. S. Jr., but this does not signify that the peo- the unworthy public career of D. M. Burns. On the contrary it will arouse in the public a sentiment against the promo- tion of any corrupt and disgraced man to :he high position of United States Sena- or. A few days longer Herrin of the South- ern Pacific and Major McLaughlin, mis- representing the Republican State Cen- ,tral Committee, may hold Dan Burns in the contest for Senator, but they cannot hold them there after the moral sense ration. Letters and messages coming daily to members of the Legislature sig- nify that the people have a deep concern in the selection of United States Senator. Le Barron of Sonoma, Clark of Santa Clara, Dunlap of San Joaquin, and many other members have heard from their constituents and know full well that the people whom they represent would re- gard the success of Burns in this s a disgrace to the State. Republicans are convinced that Burns' election to Senate would be a blow to the party from which it could not recover in the next four years. The touts behind Burns hope by prac- tices of delay, the obstruction of business that Siste patronage is at the disposal o* Dan Burns, Major McLaughlin Paris Kilburn to wear out the patience of the Senate and Assembly and force the legislators’ vote in caucus to end the Senatorial contest. To counteract this pressure and break up this programme, which is hardly less scandalous than the purchase of votes, the people at home should advise their representatives to stand firm. Two ballots were taken in the Joint convention to-day, and special effort full strength of his forces. Burns could not line up more than twenty-five men. or ten men staked out among the voters for Barnes, Bulla,Van R. Paterson, Knight and cthers. When a close study is made of the names of the men voting for these candiaates the claim of Burns is found to be empty boasting. A close inside study of the situation lea that Buins is in a desperate strait. He expected a breakaway from the Grant col- wn to-day, but, inthat expectation, ne met disappointment. When the inevitable hreak comes, for Grant is a dead duck so far as the Senatorial contest goes, his strength _will go to General Barnes, Thomas Bard, R. N. Bulla or some other candidate whose public career is not odi- ous to the people. Several of the low-down, disreputable touts that formerly haunted the head- quarters of Burns have gone back to San Francisco, and their places here have been filled by men who are a grade higher MENTO, Jan. 18—The black cloud over | ple are in a frame of mind to overlook | in the Legisiature, and the representation | and | was made by each candidate to parade tne | Hints are cast about that he has eight | ds” to the conviction | 1 in the outward forms-of decency. new-comers on the scene fancy that- an apology is fue for their presence in sup- port of Burns, hence they say that they are supporting the *‘organization,” mean- ing thereby the organized committee ap- pointed to manage the secret Republican i the fusion party for United States Sen- struggle among Republicans and not against an opposing party, the ‘“or- | ganization”” has no business to interfere v'm behalf of any . candidate. General Barn the party. R. N. Bulla is a Republican and a stanch one. Burns is a Republi- can when the Republicans have a good chance of winning, but he sulked in his tent during the great campaign for-Mc- Kinley and gave nothing to the cause for | the reason that the sound money doc- trines of the party did not accord with | his notlons of policy. If he were as good | a Republican as his competitors in this | fight the ‘*‘organizatjon” would have no | right to espouse his cause. | The establishment of Republican head- | quarters in the Golden Eagle to boom Dan urns for the United States Senate is | an insult to every Republican in Califors | nia who Is not lined up in the Burns pro- | cession. The McLaughlins. the Step. | pachers, the Shaens, the Kilburns, | Watts and the rest of the crowd com: of the State Is aroused against his aspi- | prising the ‘“‘organization” have a right | | o be here as Individuals and to: express 1 their preference for Dan Burns, but it is downright impertinence on their part to | assumethat the Republican. organization | 1 behina Burns. | Senatorfal contest of this disagreeable in | cubus the Republicans of California_may | be compelied to call | State committee and abo.sh the Sacra- | mento headquarters. | Speaker Howard E. Wright is supposed to be in the Burns fold to stay. fie ex- | amined closely the charges of dishonesty preferred by the Grand Jury and the press | against the candidate of his cholce, and { reached (he conclusion after reflection and_deliberation that the colonel was a | much maligned man. Wright formed the Jjudgment that Burns was honest and up- | Tight. This indorsement has not yet | caused members of the Legislature to de- sert other candidates and rally around | | Dan. The next touch needed to complete the picture is.a tribute from the colonel w 1“;1 high moral character of Speaker Vright. JOHNSON VOTED ALONE AGAINST THE CHARTER CALL HEADQUARTERS, SACRA- MENTO, Jan. 18.—San Francisco's char- ter has gone booming through the Assem. bly without meeting anything more seri- ous in the way of opposition than the threatened speech and contrary vote of | Grove L. Johnson of Sacramento. Both | were ineffectual, the vote standing 67 ayes, no. | Mr. Johnson's forensic effort was not as | glittering a success as it might have been | had he been well posted on the subject | of his harangue. . Having had the advan- tage of only a short . residence In San {| Francisco, and that.prior to new charter history, he was not well stocked with any. thing save generalties, and he found some difficulty In resolving them into the two specific objections he gave tongue to. Mr. Johnson's arraignment was from a purely Sacramentan standpoint, and resulted i only in giving Assemblyman Valentine of fLos Angeles and Works of San Dlego an The | fense of the northern cit: s is a_Republican and a leader in | In order to clear the | a meeting of the | opportunity to come gallantly to the de- jmi y and her scheme | of government. |~ “I have two objections to this charter,” | plainted Mr. Johnson. “One is that it | provides that the next election shall fall in 1899, and that all subsequent elections | shall occur every two_years. This bring the elections in the odd-numbered year: | and our State law provides that re ra. tion must be effected in even-numbered vears, and in this way voters will be prac | tically disfranchised. This matter is the woof, the web and the war) charter and in my opinion I wthole document, ‘“‘Another objection I have is that all officers appointed hold office during the pleasure of the appointing power. This is unconstitutional,” ~ and ~ Mr. Johnson pulled his lawbooks to prove it. Assemblyman Valentine evidently did not know how to explain to himself Mr. | Johnson's peculiarly antagonistic position and he got up to say so. | “I don’t see,” said Mr. Valentine, ‘‘just | what all this talk is for of unconstitu- tionality. This Legislature can neither It is sim- 1y our duty to pass |t and give it the seal f the State. The people of San Francisco elected to frame their own organic law, and they have done so and have sub- mitted it to us_in order that it may be egalized, and I shall certainly vote to ive our San Francisco friends what they | want.” | Asg’mblyman ‘Works said_that San Di- | ego dnd his section of the State were for | the charter, and it would give him pleas- | ure to vote for it. Then Speaker pro tem. Anderson shut off further debate by J)uttlng the ques- tion, and the rollcall developed just two validates the | amend nor curtail the charter. 3 votes against it—Johnson and Charles Kenneally of San Francisco. Kenneally's vote, however, was not cast to beat the | charter, but to win a wager of a half | dozen good - cigars he had lald with | Charles L. Patton that he wowd vote | against it. Kenneally got his cigars, and | gave notice that he changed his vote from no to aye, and there was something fur- ther on Patton when the charter crowd finally_got to the Golden Eagle. Upon mo- | tion of Dibble of San Franclsco the char- ter resolution was immediately dls- patched to the Senate, where it is said Johnson will find no second to his opposi- tion. WILL IMPROVE THE QUARTERS OF CLERKS CALL ' HEADQUARTERS, SACRA- MENTO, Jan. 18.—George Root, the newly |:elected Clerk of the Supreme Court, is to live in the lap of luxury during the term of his office; if it can be arranged by {legislative enactment. A bill was intro- | duced in the Assembly this morning by | Assemblyman Cobb wur San Francisco that appropriates $11.000 to. be expended in furnishing the court clerk’s office with metallic files, bookcases and ail the other furniture necessary to business and solid comfort. The bill was at once referred to th® Ways and Means' Committee and it is undérstood that it will be pushed through to its final passage as rapidly as the con- gested state of business will permit. Belshaw of Contra Costa also got in good work for the Supreme Court em- ployes with a bill that raises one of the six deputies to the rank of chief deputy and h& salary from $1800 per annum to F{W per.annum, It also carries the regu- ar ngyropfla!lon for the salaries of the ‘deputies and- s!en%‘rnphers. It is being col:gl;lered by the Ways and Means Com- ee. of the whole | Listless ’ A Determination Shown to CALL HEADQUARTERS, SACRA- citement in watching the progress of a ballot’ for United States Senator when a similar ballot has been cagt from two to four times daily with the certainty of the arrival of the noon hour. To-day there were two ballots, perfunctory, list- less, with no defection, even the little candidates with their suggestion of sup- port appearing: in the same strength: Everybody was glad when a motien to adjourn was ‘made, and it, was carried without dissent. ~ There was. a general feeling that no change would have been seats all day. They are waiting, for what I do not know. They.do not know themselves, but, that a break is comin s00n nobody seems to doubt. = Perhaps a good-deal depends upon the work of the investigation committee which is engaged in trying to ascertain all the truth about Speaker Wright. Any observer of this committee would be.bound to regard it as a sincere and earnest body of men, working without fear and with no intent of shielding. The members seem to have a clear idea as to their duties. They are evidently law- yers or close students of legal methods. None of the questioning is irrelevant, and if the attorney for a witness breaks in he is quickly convinced that while he may advise he must not attempt to dic- tate. This evening Speaker Wright is on the stand. He came into the room this & noon and announced that he w: for the ordeal, but the committee was not ready for him. Green was wanted first. Green had been on the the morning and refused to answer z the destination of certain moneys he sent to help the campaigns oOf candi- di ates. While Wright was in the room I got | the closest look at him. | der a tremendous strain, and though he | shows 4t in a drawn face and a nervous | manner, his bold front, studied though it | | may be, shows him to be a person with Some * COurasg: From the knowledge ot | testimony. already given, from his own words, the sworn evidence of unbiased | men, it seems to me there awaits him | inevitable ruin and disgrace. It is not | simply that he voted for Burns, but that | to do so he violated pledges more sacred than any political promise, and accepted money irom a candidate whom he had agreed to support and whom he did not | support. This element of ingratitude lends a darker hue to the crime. A man may take money for his vote, and sim- ply be corrupt, but to take the money and not deliver the vote adds to the a | a despicable quality not to be condoned. But when Green was wanted he was ab- sent, and while a message was sent for him James Brown was put on the stand. Mr. Brown has been an associate mana- ger with Green, but if the committee ex- tracted any information from him I failed to catch it. With a never-failing regularity he affably failed to remember. So far as the committee is concerned, Brown is a bad witness, but his contin- ual “passing of the buck” to Green made the information stored lxll the mind of the latter assume:a new value. Meanwhile Assemblyman Raw had come -in and -expressed a desire to make a few remarks. He was told that later he would have abundant opportunity. Then Green came in and took.the stand. He was not loguacious. The questions he had refused to answer in the morning he still refused to answer. 'As to. the fact that money was used to help the fight of various candidates Green makes no se- cret. He asserts that the money was not wrongfully used and that in ten in- stances at least it went to assist candi- dates who did not know of it, and were still in ignorance. Another question was put which had to be added to the list he declined to answer. It was in relation to a sum of money sent to Mendocino County. Green admitted freely that the money had been sent, but said it had gone to a gentleman not actively in poli- ties, and who this gentleman is he would not state. Finally he was granted the % morrow. The fact was brought out that this particular money had peen carried by Green’s typewriter, a lady. here was an immediate disposition to summon her, but the witness knocked out this plan by quoting law to show her not a competent witness. However, the committee is not wholly satisfied, and there may yet be a Spbpena issued for her. 1f she gets here and has no right to talk Attorney Bacon will be on hand to remind her of it. There is an evening session with ‘Wright on the stand; As he is the central figure of the whole scandal there ought to be something in the nature of a climax, at least a dramatic passage, but this let- ter cannot walt for it. He cannot clear himself, for his own words have already condemned him, and to deny would be but to impugn his own veracity. That his claim of having the Supreme Court false has been clearly demonstrated, while the declaration of non-belief in the charges against Burns cannot be com. forting to the_colonel, for a moral bill of health from Wright would be about as hard a blow as a man could receive. Just as the matter stands no;g and taking chances on the verdict of the committee, I would advise Burns to get Wright to denounce him. This would be good poli- cs. Senator Boyce has joined the ranks of those who dislike newspaper men. His ALL THOUGHTS ARE NOW CENTERED ON THE INVESTIGATION MENTO, Jan. 18.—There is no wild ex-| recorded -if the members staid in their| The man is un- | privilege of postponing his reply until to- | behind him in his change to Burns is | Legislative Proceedings Go On in-a Most Manner. COMMITTEE AN EARNEST BODY OF MEN. Get to the Bottom of the Senatorial Scandals Withont Fear or Favor to Any of the Wrongdoers. BY HENRY JAMES. | resolution, Introduced to-day, will tend to make this feeling mutu. e wants it considered in executive ion, but the scheme failed of unanimou pport. Sen- | ators Dickinson, Braunhart and Short- ridge were not impressed with the idea, | and’ before Boyce gets through monkeying with the buzzsaw he will have fewer fin- gers with which to point with pride toghis statesmanship. In writing of men and measures in ‘times when politics is hot one Ay ex- pect occasionally to give offense, and ma; eyen be led into error. When the lattér | experience comes to me I am ready upon finding it out to say so. -The other day T was given to understand that Frank M. Stone was here in tle interests of Burns, not only to the sorenes! writer, and in this column sented it. I do not believe that cver sent any message of any { any to me, ‘and I never him, al- though both of us for the time in the contrary opinions. That in- cident, paving the way to wrath, I made some other statements concerning Stone, thinking they were upon good authority, which does not appear to have been the fact, I was told that he had won Grant's confidence, assuming to be friendly, and to be able to control certain votes. I learn by inquiry that he has been openly for Burns ever since Burns entered the field, and that as to one man he was charged with attempting to control he | has not even a speaking acquaintance, | nor has_he attempted to control any of | them. His friendship for Grant has not been political. The statement that the cost of the i ith young Grant nt I find to be imcorrect. The expenses were de d Mr, Stone himself, and later U. S. Grant sted on assuming a share which, de- spite protests, he pald to Mr. Stone. Why I touched upon such personal matters is | clear, but I intend to be fair alwavs, for | it a 'writer is_not fair his contributions | lose value. Therefore I have gone into so extended an explanation. I close word comes from the Capitol ed to having re- manager, as eived $1650 from harged in The Call. Having done this he uncorked the vials of his.indignation for the benefit of an employe of this pa- | per who had been the chief instrument o cl in exposing him. The way he called names is said to have been little less than | pic sque. Probably this line of de- | 1o as suggested by Wright's attor- | ney, Devlin. This lawyer is one of the lot | who conceived the plan of getting the to cinch the State | counties of the Sta for a lot of back xes. It was a great scheme, too, and would have netted the la ers more than a half milllon, while the counties would have got that which is vulgarly and expressively. known as seup. To The Call fell the duty of ex- posing this project also, nd doubtless the disappointed attorne; prospecting in the pockets where the fees are not, are conscious of a feeling of pain. If this is the case they ought to say so and not delegate the duty to & Wright, who has troubles of his own. The ethics of politics are.peculiar. I have heard nebody deny ‘that.money can be legitimately expended by a candidate, but that this money should be accepted from a man to whom the candidate will be bound after election is a proposition which finds no defenders. DOCKERY’S BILL TO BE AMENDED CALL HEADQUARTERS, SACRA- MENTO, Jan. 18.—The Dockery bill, which has for its object the creation of a State Food Inspection Commission, will prob- ably be withdrawn by its promoters or so amended that instead of creating a new | commission it makes the proposed bureaa | one ot the departments of the State Board of Health, Dockery's bill has been pretty generally and favorably discussed by the pavers of the State since it was introduced into the Assembly in the early days of the session and has the goodwill of most of the legis- | lators, but Mr. Dockery has come to the conclusion that just as much: good can be accomplished and with less cost to the State by making it a department under the State Board of Health, rather than a commission by itself, and intends to so amend it. It is at present in the hands of | the Judiciary Committee. | JOHNSON WANTS TO RELIEVE HIS CONSTITUENCY CALL - HEADQUARTERS, SACRA- MENTO, Jan. 18.—Grove 4. Johnson came to the front in the Assembly with still | another of his pet ‘expenditure bills.” This time Mr. Johnson wants to spend $15,000 of the State's good money in fur- nishing the State library, one of the best furnished departments under the Capitol roof. His bill provides that the money shall be spent in buying metallic desks and files and ornamental stairways and “other furniture. that may be needed'”; | it also provides that it shall not be neces- | sary to contract for the things bought, but that they may be purchased out of hand. Mr. Johnson's furniture bill is in line with that other one he introduced the other day which provides for the cleaning o the granite on the Capitol. Both are evidently measures for the re- llef of an underfed constituency. The last one is referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.