The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-02-17
WORDS THAT BURN
Railroad Commissioners
Arraigned.
SMALL HOPE FOR REMOVAL.
The Senate Will Stand as a Block
to the VIII of the People
of the State.
Special to THE MORNING CALL

SACRAMENTO, Feb. 16.-The special COM
mittee appointed to Investigate the Railroad
Commissioners presented its report to the
Senate this afternoon. As stated in HE
CALL this morning. four of the seven men,
bers of the committee signed the report,
which reads as follows:
Mr.. President: Your special committee to
which was referred Assembly concurrent reso-
luton Z, relative to investigating the Rail-
road Commissioners, and also the resolution OF
the Senate directing your committee to conduct
said investigation. have had the same under
consideration aud respectfully report as follows:
In pursuance of the authority conferred upon
said committee, your committee caused 10 be
issued the subpoena OF your honorable body
directed TO the persons named in said Assembly
resolution as State Railroad Commissioners and
the said subpoena was regularly served upon each
OF id Commissioners; that on the 0th day OF
February, 1898, the follOw0gnamed persons.
10 VIII: William Beckman. James w. Rea and
j. NJ. Llchteld. Railroad Commissioners, as
aforesaid, appeared before your committee and
then and there. in obedience TO The direction OF
said subpoena, offered testimony TO show cause
why they should not be removed from the office
o: Stale Railroad Commissioners, upon the
grounds set forth in said Assembly resolution.
as amended by the judiciary Committee of the
Senate.
And each OF said Commissioners having APP
peared before said committee and testified in
his behalf your committee having heard all the
evidence aud the showing of said Commissioners,
find from said evidence and said showing as The
facts herein, the fOllowing
That we find that said James ". Rea Is and
was incompetent TO discharge the duties OF the
Office of State Railroad Commissioners, and that
he is now and was guilty Of dereliction OF duty
as such Commissioner. and We further find that
the evidence fully suStains the allegations Of
said resolution that said James w. Rea was and
is guilty OF derelictlon of duty as defined by the
constitution.
We further find because of msconceptlon
and misunderstanding of the duties OF said Of
fee and want of knowledge upon The business 10
be regulated by said commission, that the said
J. NJ. Lilchfeld was and Is Incompetent, al
though he was no doubt DESTROYS OF doing his
duty in said Office. and that the charge OF said
resolution as TO the incOmpeteney of said j. NJ.
Lilchneld is fully sustained by the evidence
herein.
We further find that said William Beckman.
Commissioner as aforesaid, made an honest el-
fort to acQuant himself with the duties OF said
office, and that he was actuated by good inten-
tons but because of his failure 10 make any
effort to investigate the general rates OF freights
and fares OF transportation companies In this
State. that be made no attempt TO compel trans.
accounts in accordance with the power given
said commission by the constitution, and that
said Beekman declared in the thirteenth annual
report OF such commission that his duties as such
Commissioner were solely OF judicial nature,
which declaration we hold 10 be al variance with
the constitution.
We further ind that the charge OF incompe-
tency in said resolution against said William
Beckman is fully sustained By the evidence
herein.
From the foregoing the committee finds. as a
conclusion. that said James w. Rea. j. NJ. Itch
field and William Beckman. Commissioners as
aforesaid, and each OF them. should be remove d
from The Office OF Commissioners as aforesaid.
FRANK MCGOWAN, Chairman.
We concur In the report:
J. II. SEAwELL,
ID. A. OSTRoM,
We dissent:
Z. {. SEYMOUR,
j. Il. MAHoNEY.
It was expected that GOucher, Mahoney
and Seymour would refuse to sign a report
expelling the Commissioners, and so no
surprise was manifested al the attitude they
assumed. Notwithstanding the strong and
earnest fight that has been made here in the
interests Of the people, there are sufficient
mum Der Of Senators to balk the good work
just as success seems so near at hand. 1t
will require twenty-seven votes to carry
out the provisions of the resolution and Gust
the three Commissioners, and those twenty
seven votes are moi to be had unless some
thing IN the nature OF miracle is worked
upon the minds and consciences OF some of
the Senators.
Senator Gesford, MCGOWAN and other men,
who are anxious TO bring about this greatly
needed reform. have canvassed the field
very carefully and they fail to find twenty
seven votes. Those who are absolutely sure
to vote right are: Arms. Berry, Buggy,
Burke, Earl, Fay, Ford. Gesford, Harp,
Hoyi, Langford, McAllister. McGowan.
Martin, Mathews, Mitchell, Ostrom. Sea-
well. Whitehurst and Wilson.
The Democrats had been counting with
certainty upon Dunn. but at the hour of
writing he is looked upon as hopeless.
There is a reliability that Orr will vote
right, but il is impossible to count more
than twenty-three votes at the outside.
Bailey would like TO be given an oppor-
tunity to vote to Dust jim Rea simply, but
he will not be given an opportunity, and Of
course it is out OF the question to expect
him to offend the Southern Pacific
Company, so far as TO vote to expel all three
of them. Consequently Bailey will be
against the resolution.
1t is said that Campbell even went so far
as to 90 to the railroad people and ask how
they wanted him to vote.
The members OF the old corrupt combine
all stand out defiantly against the wishes
of the people. Among them are Bailey,
Campbell. Broderick. Maher, Everett,
Ragsdae and Williams. Mahoney was not
in the combine for the reason that the men,
hers of that thrifty organization refused to
accept him as one of them. Carpenter. OF
course, is hopeless, and so 1t goes through
the whole list.
The Railroad Commissioners matter had
been made a special order for 80 o'clock
this afternoon, but when that hour was
reached it was put over till tomorrow. 1t
has been made a special order for the first
thing in the morning.
In the Assembly this afternoon Gesford's
constitutional amendment relating 10
freights and fares was submitted for God
chaux's amendment and it was then made
special order for next Tuesday Senator
Gesford told THE CALL correspondent to-
night that he did not hope to put the Leeds
distance tariff through in It's present form,
and there was only one feasible scheme left.
That IL" said he. ito amend it so as to
abolish the Board Of Railroad Commission
ers. II that can be accomplished, which Is
extremely doubtful. then bill might be
passed empowering the Governor to appoint
three Railroad Commissioners. whose duty
it should be TO prepare new schedule Of
freights and fares which would give the
people temporary relief. The bin provides
for the election OF three Commissioners,