The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, March 18, 1899, Page 1

This Fabat T to be taken from he Fabratya triis Fa) (% VYOLUME *LX V—NO. 108. FRANCISCO, SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 1899. SOUTHERN PACIFIC COMPA OFFERS A BRIBE TO BARNES < March of 111 fame 1-the polit-| success. in his dis- author- F. Her- to rle and honorable t of the race for an tive of W Imost - openly ized represe rin attempts ion to re-|, : - bribe a formi orial contest ir : rial contest in| ;opirant to ir are thor- 10 o'clock 1an asked ept a bribe Herrin Dan known. At it B. U. Ste electing t succeed 15 to the United States mn Justice of California or, Theodore Reichert and the Supr John Currey, Thomas insult mpted out- of the were present at the time in I’k"I‘Tk’ 's rooms. asked BISen- te interview. Steinman ive session. ators are ion in the of both hou He was once M by nd is tl rupted the oa ion and to home of his closest and dearest nd in that he might have the opportunity te debauch that friend’s wife. To his evil credit Steinman succeeded in making himself a dastard. He is a man who still possesses great influence in this cit accepted order secre w pub- He is a S He rivileges from the corporation hern enjoys >d as its official rs that wil scrutiny. Inci- is the controll- Farmers’ and k of this city. ed last night for Genera it and an into an adjoin- visitor was not interview, accorded Barn his mission. ,” he said, know that some of your support- His agents es to legislators a ht to corrupt publ where corruption suggested its P f| ers are tiring of their allegiance @ D R SR S R P dman e o an b o o ol 20 of 28 S S R & *-i D GENERAL W. H. L. BARNES. and | And now, | | Sen- Barnes was in his| -Chief e Court of or the courtesy | n very generally known in | r of Sacra- 1 who sought the e ACTED -B. U. Steinman Tenders Him Big Money to Withdraw. FOR BURNS Vile Proposition by the Corpo ration’s Agent Spurned. | from you. Get out!” Steifiman went, and the inci- | dent that has supplied the gross- | est' scandal of Dan Burns’ dis- | honorable contest was over. Barnes burst excitedly into the ladjoining room, where ex- | Chief Justice Currey, Thomas V. | Cator, Theodore Reichert and . |others sat and had heard the “General Barnes,” said Stein-|stormy meeting between Stein- man, “the time has come ‘f']]e“‘mau and the General. Barnes you ought to get out of this fight. | was trembling with excitement { As I have told you, your support-| 4 rage. fers want to vote for Colonel| <A currish agent of the South- | Burns and you are in duty bound | ¢ryy Pacific Company, this man {to give them freedom to follow | Steinman,” he said, “has offered their inclinations. I recognize in| e 3 bribe to get out of this fight. | this matter that you, as well as| [ pave kicked him out.” they, have rights. I know that| A few words from ex-J | you have been here for nearly Currey calmed Barnes. ustice three months under great ex-| «\hy did not you control your pense. You have necessarily neg- i lemper.’ said Currev. “An of- | lected your practice and should | fense of this magnitude is some- | be reimbursed. If you will make |a reasonable estimate of the | money that will represent to you | a financial consideration for your loss of time and your expendi- | tures I will give you a check for thing more than simply personal to you. Steinman should have been trapped. You should have calmed yourself and called me into the room. You' then could have explained the character of | the amount upon my bank.” Barnes jumped to his feet |angry and threatening. There could be no misunderstanding | now of the motive of Steinman’s the bribe to me, and under the pretense of considering it asked I my advice. We would have had | the scoundrel caught, and per- haps could have rendered a pub- “BUT IT WAS ONLY AN IDLE DREAM.” * | had heard of no defection among | | straightforward contest, and the | to you, as they wish to be released and be given an opportunity to cast their votes for Colonell‘ Burns. [ come to speak to you in reference to the matter.” Barnes dumfounded. He | his supporters, nor of any ithreat- | ened desertions from his ranks. He has made an honorable,| 1en who have supported him 1ave done so from an honest con- viction that he is, of all the con~i testants, the best fitted for the| honor. “What you tell me surprises me,” he said. “I have heard| the arbiters of their own ac- nothing of desextions among my | tions, and, whatever they do I supporters, but if any of the men | thank them for the support they who have voted for me wish now | have given me and for the honor | ; . | to vote for somebody else I can-|they have conferred with their not prevent them. [ have no|votes upon me.” claim upon them other than their| Steinman seemed to be puzzled own opinion that I am worthy of | at this reply. Something was their votes. That opinion and | wrong somewhere, as his looks nothing else has dictated their ac-| then and his words later clearly tion in voting for me. I have| proved. He decided, however, to made an honest, honorable and |come directly to the point, to tell open contest for the United|who and what he is, to refer to States Senatorship and if any of | his masters and make the dis- the men who have voted for me | graceful offer that he believed wish now to vote for somebody | would prostitute a man into a dis- else all I can say is that they are | honorable act. | visit. lic service by trapping his mas- i “You contemptible scoun-|ter the Southern Pacific Com- | drel!” shouted Barnes; “what is pany.” there in my career that gives you, despicable as you are, or any one | else the right to insult me by the | offer of a bribe? I have Z‘CIEdiBums and his managers had honorably while I have been in| passed even the line that marks this contest and I will go out of | their dubious notions of inde- it as I have acted in it. Get out | cency. Honorable men of every, | of here or I will kick you out!” ipolitical faction are’ indignant |- Barnes’ angry words were dis- | that the Southern Pacific Com- | tinctly heard in the adjoining|pany and its parasites have: | room. Barnes rushed to the door | brought this disgrace upon the [ to carry out his threat. State. The Mexican and his sup- Steinman, confused, bewil- | porters are Being denounced from | dered and utterly off his guard, |every quarter. | expostulated, explained and Steinman lost no time in leav- | pleaded in eager tones. It was ing town after his disgraceful then that he betrayed the secret | duty to the railroad people had | of his criminal trust and exposed | been performed. He took the the part that the Southern Pacific | morning train for San Francisco. | Company is striving, with its| At 1:30 o’clock this afternoon | money and its bribe givers, to| General Barnes called a confer- | play in the political affairs of Cali- | ence of his supporters, to whom fornia. [ he related the incidents of the “My God, General,” pleaded | meeting with Steinman. These Steinman; “I have offered you no | men are now more than ever de- | bribe. Haven't you heard from |termined to stand with their Herrin?” | leader, if for no other purpose Barnes had opened the (loor.}than to repudiate the shameful “Get out of here, you cur!” he | effort that has been made to drag cried. “I haven't heard from |their names into the dishonored Herrin and have heard too much | service of political tricksters. It was not long before the de- tails of the disgraceful affair cir- culated through the streets. § B S S R I e o R R R S S S ) B S S e e R e e e R R = 3 * e o e e o o e o ] B. U. STEINMAN, ¢Business Man” for the Southern Pacific. | 1