The record-union., 1893-01-26
The Traffic Associations Substitute
Heard Again.
DEATH TO SMALL RAILROADS.
Ex-senator Cross Concludes Ills Able Argu-
ment Against the Reassessnent Bill
County Division.

Another scandal has cropped up in the
Assembly.
Assemblyman Johnson of Santa Clara
is accused by Railroad Commissioner
Rea of having offered to sell his vote on
a certain proposition for 500.
Mr.. Johnson emphatically declares he
is innocent of the charge.
The Assembly will probably investi-
gate the charges this morning.
The San Francisco Chronicle of yester-
day morning contains a letter alleged to
have been written by James w. Rea,
Chairman of the Railroad Commission,
to Speaker Gould, requesting that the let
ter be read in the Assembly. 1t is quite
sensational.
PURPORT OF THE LETTER.
The letter refers particularly to the
measures introduced asking for the abo-
lition of the Board of Railroad Commits
sioners. Mr.. Rea says that $50 far as the
abolition of the Commission is in view,
the Chairman asks that the Legislature
investigate the official acts and integrity
of the present board and of its members,
and, if found unworthy and dishonest, to
turn the rascals OUT"
Rea adds, however: 1.-THE commission
demands that such an investigation shall
not be a cowardly and un-American star
chamber proceeding, attended by mem
bers of the Legislature whose corruption
can be demonstrated, and conducted
under the care of the Manager of the
Traffic Association, who claims to have
members of the Legislature pledged to
his purposes by written contracts, and
who had the shaunelessn ess to swear be-
fore this board that his moral principle
was to serve his employers without re-
gard to right or justice, and that, as
Chairman of the Transcontinental Asso-
citation, he personally perpetrated with
out protest practices which were against
the public welfare, and which he is now
proclaiming to be infamous.
"The Chairman of this commission has
been approached by one of the pledged
members of the Assembly with the prop
osition to sell his vote upon this and
other subjects for the sum of 500, ex-
pressing at the same time his ability to
procure several more members Of the
same body for a like consideration. Fail
ing in this effort to be corrupted he has
introduced a bill before the Legislature
striking at this commission. If there are
any honest men in the present Legis-
lature, and your correspondent knows
there are, he trusts to them to so conduct
its proceedings that the vitality of this
Board of Railroad Commissioners shall
not be assailed nor the integrity of its
members questioned in ex-parte ses-
sions by their fellow-legislators, who,
having failed in blackmail, are now at
tempting extortion. The Railroad Com
mission is prepared and anxious to meet
the Legislature, or any committee of its
honest men, during the session in a most
ample investigation of its acts"
''Rea was asked to give the name OF the
Assemblyman who had offered to sell his
vote, and in answer said that it was John
son Of Santa Clara"
INVESTIGATION ASKED.
Mr.. Johnson sat all day in his seat
without saying a word in favor of an in
vestigation of the charges. His COL
league, Mr.. Thomas of Santa Clara.
shortly before adjournment, arose and of
fered a resolution that a committee of FIVE
be appointed to investigate the charges.
He told RECoRD-UNIoN reporter that as
Mr.. Johnson had said nothing he asked
in justice to that gentleman that an in
vestigation be prosecuted.
After the reading of Thomas resolution
Mr.. Price of Butte arose and strenuously
opposed the resolution. ''As newspa-
per man and Democrat p said Mr.. Price.
II desire to state that if this House at
tempts to form committees to investigate
every charge made in the hundreds of
newspapers in this State, we viii have
our hands more than full. Ifany men,
Der of this House should make charge
it should be investigated, but newspaper
charges are beneath notice.
Il would give $500 to have certain
charges which have been made in the
Oroville Mercury MIR. Prices paper1 in
vesigated,' continued Mr. Price. Every
time an investigation is asked there is
capital for such newspapers. believe
the Speaker would be sustained if he
THREW THE GAvEL
At the next man who gets up on this
floor and asks that committee be ap-
pointed to investigate charges made by
newspapers.
II make motion" said Mr. Price, in
conclusion. ''that it shall be considered
out of order for any man to ask an inves-
tgation of any such charges.'
Mr.. Mathews of Tehama asked that the
matter be laid on the table until to-day.
With the intent of killing the resolu-
tlon entirely, Mr.. Price made motion
that 1t lie on the table and stay there.
Let us have rest, and let it go over
until tomorrow" said Mr.. Mathews.
Mr.. Schlesinger arose to tell that he
thought the matter should be disposed OF
at once, but before he finished he was
commanded to take his seat.
Mathews motion was put and carried,
and this morning the resolution will be
disposed of.
JOHNSON INTERVIEWER.
After the Assembly adjourned Mr..
Johnson was interviewed by RECORD
UNION reporter and said he had fully in
tended to ask for an investigation him