The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-01-27
jim REA'S LETTER.
Railroad Commissioners
OH the Rack.
USELESS INcUMBRANCE.
3 High Old Time in the Assembly.
The DisorganizatiOn of Irriga-
tion Districts.
Special to THE MORNING CALL

SACRAMENTO. Jan. 26.-The railroad
question. in its various phases, occupied the
attention of both houses throughout the
entr6 dav And while the Assembly was
owing black in the face with wrath over
Railroad Commissioner Jim Rea's letter,
the Senate stood adjourned in order to give
tile Corporations Committee an opportunity
20 proceed with the railroad assessment
tangle.
So far as the Assembly is concerned
Messrs. Rea. Beckwith and Bitchheld no
longer occupy the positions OF Railroad
Commissioners.
They were ANONYMOUSLY thrown out by
more than a twO-thirds vote Of the House at
o'clock This afternoon.
There can be no doubt that Rea precipi-
tated bis downfall and that OF his brother
Commissioners in very alarming manner
by sending to Speaker Gould An absurdy
ridiculous letter, which was referred to in
THE CALL this morning.
Your correspondent has received inside
information TO the effect that had not Rea
broken loose and talked in such hostile
way the 4 ssembly would have whitewashed
HIM and his c0nfreres and let them
so uuhaTmed. for a movement was under
way to bring about that happy state of af-
fairs. Il would have been done by intro
ddcIng substitute to Bledsoe'S substitute
providing for al investigation. This woula
lave been carried, for the majority Of the
Republicans and Democrats had agreed 70
stand in. The inquiry would have resulted
in whjteTash, and Jim Rea and the other
Commissioners woul6 have held their jobs.
Mathews of Tehama IS said to have
favored this plan, but when be read Rea's
letter he showed mp in war paint and de-
clared himself. Here is an excerpt from
tie epistle which made the Tehama man
more indignant than anything he has heard
since the war closed:
Demands. however. that such Investigation
ali not be a eowsraly and un-Amercan star
chamber proceeding, attended by members Of
Tie Legislature whose eorruptness can be DEM
onstrated. aud conducted under the care OF the
manager OF tie Traffic Association, who claims
10 have members OF the Legislature bound 10 bis
purpose by written contracts.
This aroused Mathews aud made him OBJ
Iyious TO everything but burning desire
q lad to capture the scalp Of the offend
ing Rea.
And SO the ball was started rolling. Those
who agreed 10 stand in and let the Com
missiOners escape joined in the cutlery. and
in al, that body Of eighty men Anderson,
Miller and Duckworih were the only cham
pI0us tho Commissioners had upon the
floor Of tie House, unless Carlson. the San
DegaD, could be elassed with them.
lie made one of his characteristic
speeches in which he intjmated pretty
strongly that, although Rea was undoubt-
edly q pretty tough citizen and
ought to be thrown out, still he thought
BeCkmaG one OF the finest gentlemen he had
ever met. lie did not believe in hanging
people first and trying them afterWard.
Mathews Of Tehama, however. held
firmly to the proposition that all should be
fred oui. Rea had claimed in his letter that
be was equal in position TO the Legislature,
aud in other ways had demonstrated that
BE was unit to occupy the position he did.
He should vote to turn them all out per-
empt0riy as soon as lie had an opportunity.
Bledsoe added his voice to the many
others that cried for dismissal. and taken
at getheT there was a bitterness of feeling
expressed that reyer would have been given
utteTance to had Rea refrained from writ
iEg that letter
But for q man who was accused all over
the Stale with being a railroad boodler to
turn around and declare that the members
OF tie Legislature could be controlled with
coin was a little too much for them, and
they did not propose to bear it
Duckworth Of Monterey defended the cor
p1ratIon, and he opened somewhat lengthy
speech with the statement that al ;he risk
OF being called a railroad hireling and sat-
elite If the great corporations he was
going 10 oppose the amendment He was
against the Legislature mOnkeying with
railroad matters unless they were Instructed
t. do so by the people. When DuckwcTth
concluded there was an effort made to
spring tie previous question, but such
howl Of protest went up from ths unheard
orators that il was quickly abandoned.
Kennedy Of San Francisco returned
good answer to the proposition that the
Commissioners we're being thrown out with
ont trial. He said that they had been under
trial for two years past and the people of
tie State had been the jury, and on the 6th
Of November last they brought in their
verdict Il guilty. Then it was that they
elected tie Legislature as judges to pro
nOunce sentence.
Anderson Of Sacramento rose in mighty
wrath at the high-handed proceeding that
was proposed. He spoke of the terrible
blow that was being aimed at the mighty
geniuses who conceived the great trans
continental road and carried it ont to COM
peti0n. He cast his eyes heavenward and
asked what tde great Judah. who was in
the realms above, would think Of such
terrible proceeding. His remarks were ap-
plauded only by Miller Of Alameda and
Duckworth. Miller had something 10 say
in favor OF the Commissioners.
Finally the vote was taken with the result
ohopa cfo+ad