The morning call., 1894-09-01


This seemed to be matter of fact, every
day piece of business, and Mr.. Pepper
smiled family as be related it. He was the
injured party to the transaction. therefore
not the guilty one.
The head of the Democratic party then
went on to explain how the Overland Trans
fer Company happened 10 get The draying
contract which he and Buckley had held
for so many years. He denied that he had
endeavored to use his pull at Washington.
He denied that he had asked the Govern
ment to let the contract to him at figure
$50, O0O in excess OF reasonable sum for
the work.
why" he said, shat is more than the
draying amounted to in three years and all
that is in Mr.. Clunie's head There were
a number of bids, hut two were lower than
all the others-the Stetson-Renner Dray-
age Company's in which l was interested,
and the bid of the present holder OF the
contract. There was slight difference
between these two bids. Our bid would
would have cost the Government $500
more than the other. but the Overland
COmpany's bid would have cost The mer-
chants more. This is because some OF the
draying is charged to the merchants and
some to the Government.
1.-The question arose whether it was better
for the Government 10 pay more or for the
merchants. The department at Washing
ton was not able to decide. or at any rate
referred the matter to the department
here. The contest over the contract went
on here, and was about TO be taken back
to Washington when We came TO an agree
ment by which the present holder was TO
have no further opposition from NE, the
consideration being that he (Mr. Tilden,
the president of the competing company
should pay me 500 month Tor three
years. At first we had negotiation by
which l proposed to have my successor
buy out my plant, but he said he had a
plant, and that fell through. So the final
agreement was that he pay me the 500
per month. And that is the 500 OF which
Clunie speaks. 1t was just compromise
of the contest over the contract"
Mr.. Pepper then said that the Stetson-
Renner bid, in which he was interested.
was not his bid. He had another bid u
which was much higher because he was
not willing TO do the work at the price he
had formerly charged. This high bid was
the one in which Chris Buckley was in
terested with him as partner.
1t was suggested that this was cutting
under Buck" and the chairman of the
Democratic committee admitted that 1t
looked that way. THAT is what Buckley
charges" he said. He accuses me of
having taken advantage OF him and he has
talked about suits. Let him bring them
then. will meet them
The copartnership between himself and
Buckley was in force at the time the bids
were sent in, he admitted, but added that
that was last March. Buckley had no
claim to the 500 a month he was receiv-
ing from the successful bidder, because
Buckley was not interested in the Stetson
contract which he Copper had with
drawn in consideration of the payment of
that sum.
Il never" said he. attempted to use
my pull at Washington. Everyb body
knows that no pull will avail az Washing
ton, and when Mr.. Hamlin was out here
representing the Treasury Department he
remarked TO me in the presence of John
ii. Wise that had not mentioned TO him
when l was in Washington that was in
terested in the draying contract. He said.
why, l didn't know that you were inter-
ested in that. If l had l might have
strained point to favor you.' Wise will
tell you that, and l have witnesses to
prove it. l never attempted to use any in
fluence at Washington, ana il would have
been useless for me to have done so.
las for going TO IIivermore to see Buck
ley when he came home, 1 admit that l
went to see him. asked him If he in
tended to 60 into politics, and he said that
he did not. He said tie Democratic party
would stand no chance to win if he were
connected with it, and that he intended to
devote his time 10 his ranch. We did not
talk bout other business.
"Clunie says that l am Independently
rich. | am far from that. am in bust
ness now hauling the mails under con-
tract. l am not making fortune out of
it either, but / am making wages
And when be says l sm going to turn
the Democratic party over TO anybody, I'd
like to know how l could do that. / CAM
even turn over a nomination. Clunie is
the man VINO can do that"
Pepper says that Clunie's incentive for
making the charges was that they had
separated in politics. II opposed Stan
ton. but he received the nomination
through some influence. You know what
that influence was as well as do. He
says l am going to try to defeat the candi.
dates of the party and a whole lot of
other things. but his motive was as l have
stated"
Pepper will call meeting of the general
committee for next Tuesday, when the
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