Weekly Trinity journal., 1863-02-14
LETTER FROM THE CAPITAL,
(ooRRRsPoSpRNcx OF I'll
SACRAMENTO, Feb. 4, 1868.
The San a atoriaI Mattar

The Senatorial Matter.
There Is little doubt that before this letter
reaches you United States Senator to ill the
place now occupied by Mr.. Latham will have
been chosen Present indications are that John
Conness is the man, and In view of all the facts
of the case, l am satisfied not only that this .re-
suit is the best that could happen for the good of
the people, but that II is also simple justice to
Mr.. Conness. II the Senatorial election could
have taken place within one week after the State
election, there is little doubt that Mr.. Conness
the result Of the elections at the East gave i'm
petus here to a violent opposition among Re-
pubicans, to any one who had acted with the
Democratic party. They felt that they could
trust none but dyed In. the.wool Republicans,
and thenceforth all the emergencies of the lead
ing Republicans were bent to defeat Mr.. Conness.
Offices were parcelled out TO Republican mem.
bers of the Legislature, combinations were made
to increase the vote of the principal Republican
candidate and finally when the contest grew des-
perate, money was freely used and more freely
promised to change votes. Before the meeting
of the Legislature, number Of votes were drawn
from Conness by the political patronage and
money Of his opponents l could mention the
names Of halfa-dozen elected expressly on the
ground of supporting him, who to this day have
never cast vote for him. Besides these there
were dozen more who desired to give Sargent
complimentary vote, whose second choice was
COnness. These Conness lost also by that sharp
trick of Park the transfer of his strength to
Sargent just as the Sargent voters were about to
break and divide between Conness and other
candidates. The twenty four votes left to Con-
ness remained true until the responsibility Of the
non-election seemed to center upon them. and,
growing hopeless Of electng Conness, the press
ure to elect somebody was too great for them to
bear. They were about to withdraw the name
Of their candidate, when the developments which
have disgraced some of the friends of Phelps
assisted equally in Frightening the character and
prospects Of Conness.
Postal Agent watrous.
1t may be interesting In this connection to give
description Of the persons most prominent in
this bribery expose Mr.. Watrous, who has at
tained such an unenviable notoriety by 1t, is q
smallsized. blaok.eyed man, about IS years Of
age, of nervous, sanguine temperament, more than
ordinary quick and active, both mentally and
physically. He has quiet manner, a penetra-
ting glance, and good observing faculties. He
is not one whom you would suppose could be
easily led into trap. He probably fell into
error In this instance In consequence of over zeal
In the cause he advocated, and the conviction
that the man he approached was up for sale, and
he might as well purchase him as any one. Such
unworthy opinions of men, by the way. and such
loose notions Of honor seem to be the natural re-
suit Of long association with politicians. Politi-
col struggles in this country are demoralIzing to
those engaged In them, to an extent wholly un.
appreciable TO the uninitated. Watrous Is only
one In many thousands who come out of the fur.
mace badly burned. Your correspondent has
known Watrous well for five years. He was In
the grain and produce business ia San Francisco
for several years, was successful, and by careful
management has made himself pecuniarify inde-
pendent. He always has money, and is always
ready 70 loan the same OF good interest with
abundant collaterals. Was one Of the first Repub
licans OF the State, and was member Of the Re,
publican State Committee in 1859.
Assemblyman Smith.
Hon. F. NJ. Smith, the member from Butte, the
man whom Watrous offered to bribe, is lawyer
by profession, large man physically, about 40
years of age a native Of New York. and has
been In California since lS49. He is man Of
fair ability. aud SO far as can learn, his integ-
rity is beyond question. have not even speak
Ing acquaintance with him, but perhaps shall
not be doing him any injustice to state that his
appearance and manner do not impress me favor
ably. He always appears i'll at ease he seldom
looks one In the face, but then he wears glasses.
and Is perhaps shortsighted. which, If so, readily
accounts for this unfavorable symptom. He is
not pleasant speaker bis manner while speak
ing is positive, and somewhat dictatorial. /
think he is not man Of liberal views. Politi-
oally he has always been Democrat, until