Daily Los Angeles herald., 1881-05-13
Eos An9eles Aerald
General Stoneman's Statement.

sloner George Stoneman, as ques-
tion of privilege, before the Board
of Railroad Commissioners, May
10, 1881, to be spread on the min
utes, and be made q part of the pro-
ceedlpgs of the Board of Railroad
Commissioners:
For the fret time in my life l
find the duty devolved upon me OF
explaining any official act OF mine;
and did I not feel that the PUBIC
expected from me now the PERFORM
ance of this duty, and were 1t only
myself concerned, / would silently
bear the odium of the unjust and un.
truthful statements falsely asserted
as having been made by me to
Railroad Commissioner G. j. Beer.
etecher. The statements to which
I refer appear in the form of an al.
legged interview with that gentle
man found in the issue Of the San
Francisco Call and San Francisco
Alta of the 18th ult., and scattered
broadcast over the land through
the organs and agencies constitut-
ing the literary bureau of the rail-
road monopoly.
have waited now for some time,
expecting and hoping that MIR.
Beerstecher would contradict the
statements attributed to me, but he
not having done so, and receiving
no satisfactory answer to my letter
to him on the subject, 1 feel that 1t
is q duty I owe to the public, with
whose interests I have been in
trusted, to state why it is, and n as
public q manner as possible. that
alone am powerless to assist them
In curbing the exactions ofthe rail.
road monopoly that is to-day not
only exacting the last dollar from
the producing classes, but holds In
a state of bondage, either directly
or indirectly, almost every business
interest of the State. II can do
nothing more for the people who
have elected me 1 eau at least en-.
deavor to
SOUND THE ALARM,
And apprise them Of the inability
of the Railroad Commission, as at
DE6Sout W ShSAAA
from the oppression under which
they now suffer. In the attacks
made upon me by the railroad COM
pany, through Mr.. Beerstecher, 1
am charged substantially:
First-With having neglected the
interests of the people living in my
section Of the State, and indiffer-
epce to the welfare of my conStit-
uents.
Second-With having made over
} lures to this Commissioned worthy
only of the lowest and most con-
temptible political demagogue; and
Ihird-With having attempted
to bribe him to stand by me in car
rying out certain plans for the re-
duction OF fares, by holding out to
him unworthy Inducements of po-
litical honOrs and emolumeDts. In
other words, am charged with
neglect of duty, demagogism and
attempted bribery; not, however,
and FOR this have to thank him
lin the interests of the railroad
companies, but of the public.
have only to say that the answers
questions of the reporter, as they
appear in the Call and Alta of
April 18th, SO far as they charge me
or In any way intimate that have
over sought the assistance OF that
gentleman to carry out my views,
except in a Straightforward man
ner aud for the public interest, as |
understood il, ia an unqualified and
unwarranted Misrepresentation,
and, as 1 believe, is inspired by the
paramount power which controls
the action of this Board.
A PLAIN STATEMENT.
The cause Of the railroad attack
through Mr.. Beerstecber is this:
Ten or fifteen minutes before the
adjournment of the last meeting of
the Board of Railroad ommission-
ers resolution was offered by the
gentleman referred to pledging the
Board to approve, accept and adopt
the present rates of freight as now
established by the railroad comb-
nation of this State. L denounced
the resolution as an outrage upon
the people of California, and believ.
ing, as i do, that the present rates
are unjust, exacting and discrimi-
Dating, shall continue to denounce
this and similar resolutions as often
as Mr.. Com issioner Beerstecber
shall introduce them and | remain
u member of this Board
am p0werless to do more, butI
can do at least this, and show the
producing and other interests of
this State not allied with the mo-
nOpoly, that l am not negiecting
their interests nor forgetful of the
obligations of my oath of Office. II
the fair name believe 1 have ever
maintained in varied and not un.
eventful life is to be destroyed now
by the tools of this new tyranny,
which, by its manipulation Of the
earnings of the people is, with its
army of lawyers and newspapers
and agents, endeavoring to change
our form of government into a Cor.
porate Oligarchy, so be it; but at
least have not forgotten the duty l
owe to the people of my country,
educated as l was at their expense;
nor will desert them now. | am
firmly convinced, after careful
examination of the present situa-
tiOn, that the great com binations of
corporate wealth now going on, af.
fecting directly or indirectly every
business interest and widening the
gap between the rich and the poor,
is threatening the integrity of re-
publican institutions, and shall
fail in the duty that 1 owe to my
present position, having the oppor.
tunity to see and appreciate the in.
fluence and power of the lew men
who control 30 many millions, not
to appriae the people that they
must make their voices heard and
their influence felt in the matter of
the action of this Com mission, and
hold Its members to a strict &C.
countability for their every act.
have been accused by Mr.. Beer.