The record-union., 1891-03-21
THE CASE OF ASSEMBLYAiAN BRU.
NER.

A majority of the Assembly commit
tee in the case of Assemblyman Bruner
find him guilty of receiving S400 from a
citizen for letter recommending sup
posed person to the San Francisco Police
Commission, for appointment upon the
police force of that city, with the intent of
selling such position, and of converting
the money to his own use, and not for
the purpose of entrapping a newspaper
and exposing a conspiracy to corrupt
him. A minority of the committee Of in
vestigation dissent and will present its
report to-day.
The majority report is given in full in
another part of this paper. 1t is judi
cial marshalling of the facts as presented
to the committee, and the conclusions
reached are fully justified. The RECORD
UNION has had no disposition at any time
with any sort of prejudice, nor has the
report of the committee at all changed its
attitude or convictions towards him. 1t
reviewed his volunteered statement of
what his defense would be, as it would a
pleading upon which defendant hinged
his hopes of acquittal. 1t found after a
judicial consideration of that statement,
that it was insufficient, and did not COM
port with the usual motives that actuate
reasonably shrewd men, and that he
must make his proofs stronger than his
pleadings to clear away the charges laid
at his door.
The committee by its majority report,
which certainly bears all the evidences Of
having had calm consideration, and of not
being inspired by bias, malice or any sort
of prejudice, finds that pair of precious
rascals in San Francisco, operating with
one of their kidney in Sacramento, con-
ceived the plan of offering police posi-
tions for sale, regardless of inability to
carry out the bargain, and that they used
Assemblyman Bruner as an instrument
for achieving their ends, and that he con-
sented to such using and took the price
offered for the exercise of his influence.
The whole testimony is reviewed by the
majority report at length and is not sus-
ceptible of condensation. The conclu-
sion it reaches is that Mr.. Bruner's acts
in going back to the place-brokers and
paying them, after he got possession of
the certificate of deposit; that his failure
to confide in anyone whomsoever after
the transaction; that his failure to rise in
the House at once and expose the alleged
scheme to injure him; his parting with
the certificate of deposit; his confer
ences with Belau; his failure to notify
anyone that the letter of recommendation
he had given Stoley was but part of a
scheme to uncover a conspiracy-that
these acts and failures are incompatible
with the theory of the defense.
There must be entertained by every
regret that Assemblyman Bruner, in
whom the people have reposed trust, and
who is so equipped for usefulness by nat
ural ability, should have been drawn into
the scheme of the place brokers who
originated the plot to fleece applicants for
police positions, and that he should have
consented to become their convenient in
strument. But this is a case that con-
Germs public interest more than it does
human pity, for the money changers and
venal agents of corrupt rings have piled
their traffic in the Capitol so openly that
the people have come to doubt their ca
pacity to defeat them.