The herald., 1893-01-20
"reminiscences of an Old-Time
Legislative Attache.
How Men Sometimes Slip Into an
Unmerited Position.
McDougan and His Election to Succeed
DR.. Guin-Lstham's Sudden Rise
and His ID lift Into Sorrow
and 0bscurity.

election, but many of our citizens fall
into grave error in stating that he is
the youngest senator ever elected from
this state. The youngest senator ever
chosen from this state was Milton s.
Latham, who was 33 years OF age when
elected governor and less than "a years
of age when chosen senator in the Janu-
ary following his election to the guber-
material chair. His election to the SEN
ate made DR.. John G. Downey of this
city governor of the state. but at that
time the tenure of the Office was for two
| years only. Frederick F. Low was the
first governor elected for four years and
was, with the exception of Latham, the
youngest man ever chosen as governor.
Latham's election to the senate
seemed to have completely turned his
head and he soon forgot all his old
friends. particularly one or two men
from Siskiyou, who had carried the
primaries for him and had done him
signal service from the most unsel6sh
motives. Governor Downey put this
in very trite language to me on one oc-
casion:
Latham liked it 90 we'll that he set
up business for himself"
Let an IriHhman alone for biting
satire when you want words that
burn"
My first experience about a Iegisls-
ture was in 1867 when Broderick was
elected senator. l was correspondent
for several of the interior papers, chiefs
the National Democrat of which John
r Ridge was editor and Harry r.
hal of - q
session man named Frink had con-
tested seat and some of his friends were
making dilatory motions in the matter,
when old Jack Totman of Maripoea one
day said "Mr. Speaker, these yere
men are dodgih' the point at issue. Let
'em come to the point-let 'em come to
Frink."
Broderick has been censured very
much for having cast his influence for
Guin at that point. But here was
chance to unite the two discordant
wings of the Democratic party and
cheap Goals of fire" ON the head Of bis
old antagonist. My own idea was and
still is that it was great stroke of
policy. GUMS breach of faith with
him was what he nor no one else could
have foreseen.
From that legis lature till the one
which elected Conness senator in 1868,
kept clear of Sacramento. was there
the night that James A. McDougall
was elected to succeed Guin and, as the
telegraph lines were all down between
| San Francisco and the capital, carried
to his wife the news OF his election.
She shook her head mournfully and
said:
ssIt is not eubiect for congratula-
ton, sir. l have always wanted the
general to give up politics and devote
himself to his profession"
Poor lady, she knew her husband bet
ter than l did. Poor Mr.. McDougall
was "fuller nor goat" on all occasions,
and the wags of Washington are never
done telling stories about McDougall's
elratic ways. Here is specimen:
McDougall was going home one cold
and sleety night when John st. Paul,
great, burly Irish policeman, ran up be-
hind him and took him by the arm, in
which manner he steadied him home.
When the national inebriate got to his
own door he fumbled in his pocket and
found it empty.
"My friend, you have done me SER
vice and will some day reward you for
this kindness. By the way, what's your
name?"
"saint Paul, sor," said the faithful
Dogberry.
Happy to meet you" said McDou-
gall, grasping him by the hand, land
by the way, did you ever receive any
ansher to that 'pistle that you (hic)
wrote to the Corintbians?"
1 was clerk in the house the session
that Conness was elected senator. His
chances were nil at the opening of the
session, and everything was favorable to
Timothy Guy Phelps, now collector OF
the port of San Francisco. John G Nc
Cullough, now president Of the Panama
railway, was approached by r. H. Gas
kill of Chico and told that George Wat
rous, lobbyist from San Francisco,
was coming to the rooms of f, NJ Smith
of Oroville, to offer him $4,000 to vote
for Phelps and wanted to know if Nc
Cullough would come with him and act
as secreted witness. The latter con-
sented and on the following morning,
under question of privilege, detailed the
entire conversation between Watrous
and Smith as overheard by himself and
Gaskill while secrsted in the wardrobe
in Smiths room. OF course the scan.
dal annihilated Phelps, and as the
members could not discern whether this
disclosure of bribery was attempted in
the interest of Harvey S. Brown, Trevor
w. Park or Gilbert A. Grant Gall OF
whom were candidates), they decided to
pick out man who was furthest away
from anything like corruption. John
Connees had IL or IL positive votes in
the two houses, his chief advocate be-
ing an obstinate old Scotchman from
Yuba named Cunningham. This old
fellow was man of very high personal
integrity and he did more towards pull
ing the Republicans over to Conness,
who was elected by the biggest fluke on
record. He repaid old Cunningham and
several other friends with the deepest
ingratitude and put up the primaries
of 1867 for man who had never held a
higher position (under the state) than
engrossing clerk of the senate for the
highly responsible position of governor.
Cunningham was seething hot with
anger and contributed largely to
Gosham's defeat and Haight's election.
The election of 1866 was another sur.
prise party. was candidate for en-.
crossing clerk of the senate at that SEES
sion with good show of election when
Gosham came up from San Francisco al
a. m. and by p. m. had organized
both houses by the election OF a non
entity by the name of Wright from
Crescent City as president pro TEN o.
the senate. Everything was being done
in the interest of F. T. Low, then gov
ernor, for the senatorship; and not ar