The morning call., 1895-01-12
FEAR THE RAILROAD.
Merchants Did Not Sign for
the Meeting.
ANOTHER CALL is ISSUED.
The Reilly Reminding Bill Will Be
Denounced.
PREPARING THE WAY FOR A LEXOW.
MOnteith Rips Up Attorney knights State
ment-Ihe Coming Police In.
YeStigatiOn.
ANOTHER CALL Is ISSUED.
PREPARING THE WAY FOR A LEXOW.

Final preparations for the great mass
meeting at Metropolitan Temple tonight
were made yesterday. Music and speakers
have been engaged and a score of wagons
bearing the following legend will traverse
the streets of the city to-day:
Mass meeting tonight at Metropolitan Tenn
pie In favor OF the enforcement OF The laws
against rich and poor alike.
The executive committee appointed on
Thursday afternoon met yesterday and
appointed the iol,owing speakers for the
meeting tonight: Henry E. Hghton.
George W. Mouteith, James H. Barry,
Judge A. W. Thompson. Rev. E. R. Ollie,
Charles c. Terrill, Rev. N. j. Ferguson,
j. NJ. Bassett, James Taylor Rogers and
Leslie w. Sprague. The Labor Council
will also be represented on the platform.
A chairman has not yet been selected. but
the committee expects to attend to that
matter this afternoon.
In view of the fact that many of the
labor organizations were apprehensiVe
that Attorney Knights refusal to arrest
Huntington would be made minor Issue
the committee selected speakers who will
address the multitude on that subject
alone, and the following comprehensive
call was issued to the public:
EQUAL RIGHTS TO ALL.
SPECIAL PRIVILEGES TO NONE.
Citizens Of san Francisco: In compliance
with ne published wishes OF the Hon. Adolph
SutrO. Mayor Of this CITY, you are earnestly re-
Quested TO attend a mass-meeting Saturday,
January r. at P. NJ, at Metropolitan Temple,
on Filth street, near Market, 10 protest against
F1 apfFi hi TniT niGfR in
ney and Commissioner, who have refused TO
grant warrant upon proper evidence ana pro-
ceediDgs.
Also TO condemn the action of the late Gov
ernOr of this State in the appolnImen Mt of NJ. A.
Gunst as Police Commissioner; also to protest
against the passage of the Reilly funding bill,
and 10 determine unOn the most effective ways
and means for securing more thorough, equal
and just enforcement OF all laws, irrespective
Of persons. Let all ctiz ms attend who are op-
posed 10 special privileges and who value the
peaceful preservation OF our liberties.
Committee on Arrangements appointed by
the Hon. Adolph Sutro, Mayor
District Attorney Knights explain alton
of his refusal 10 issue a warrant for
HunJington's arrestis generally denounced
by those VINO are cOgniZant Of the facts as
Gisingenu0us and misleading. He tried to
make il appear that one of his reasons for
refusing to issue the warrant was that the
complaint was Improperly drawn. The
fact is that the complaint was handed to
him in the presence of seven witnesses
aud he, without reading line of its con.
tents. positively declared that he would
not issue the warrant
"Mr Knights statement In I morning
paper is very amusing" said Attorney
Montieth; "but aside from the amusing
features of his argument there are num-
Der Of psipable miSstatemeDts that should
not 60 without contradiction. In the first
place. he says that never to his knowledge
has a warrant been issued without an in
vestigation by the law officers of the Coy
eminent. This may be true, from the fact
that Mr.. Knights knowledge and expert
ence are doubtless limited. But the fact
remains t. at hundreds of actions are in
itiated before United States Commits
siOneTS, and the culprlts held over without
as much as a suggestion from the District
Attorney. The law gives the District At
tor0ey no control whatever of the matter,
and / defv Mr.. Knight or any one else to
prove the contrary.
The transcript of the testimony fur
nished by me embraces all the testimony
of Mr.. Stone relative to the Huntington
matter. The law makes il a crimA for a
carrier or its officers TO give undue prefer
ence to any person or class of persons, and
the construction that we place upon it is
the exact construction that is placed by
every railroad attorney in the country
with the possible exec Dtion OF Mr.. Knight
/ think that if the files of the Southern
Pacific were examined, there would be in
Vulnerable copies Of letters found telling
importuna;e applications for free trans
portation it could not be issued them for
fear of violating the interstate commerce
act. The charge In the complaint is that
Mr.. Stone secured free passage by reason
of this pass for an interstate trip, and the
mere fact that he only went part way lie
immaterial. The crime was the INDUS
preference. and was complete when be
started upon his trip.
1.-THE statement of Mr.. Knight that no
opportunity was given him TO examine the
complaint, is wlllful falsehood. At the
time the complaint was presented to the
Commissioner | asked Mr.. Knight In
terms il he would not take two or three
days time to examine the complaint. in
order that he might pass upon Its suffi-
cheney. This, he stated, was unnecessary,
and, holding the complaint 10 his hand al
the time. he said he would c0ncede that
it was sufficient and that the only reason
that he would not consent to tho issuance
of the warrant was his desire to con-
suit the Attorney aud the short
tenure of his term of Office. | stated TO
him that we expected writ of mandamus,
and, in fairness 10 himself and he CON-
missioner, argued that he examine the
complaint, but he reiterated that il was in
proper form, and now he comes out and
states exactly the contrary, and / do not
ropose to mince words in speaking
about it.
81 am glad to see that Mr.. Knight ad-
mIts that District Attorney is charged
with impartial and semi-judicia functions.
If he would only follow up his conversion
in that particular by exercising some of
these functions there would be less cause
for complaint.
''The threat thrown out by Mr.. Knight
to indict mem ers of labor organizations
who have received passes upon the came
charge that Huntington is indicted is ex-
cellent evidence of Mr.. Knights lack of
acquaintance with the law he is sworn to
enforce. Upon his own statement the men
who went to labor conventions simply re-
ceived the passes, and the law does not
make that crime. 1t is the party that
gives the pass that is punishable and not
the party who receives it, and it is this
unfortunate fact that secures Mr.. Stone
immunity from the results of his own
asininity. The statement that asked MIR.
Stone for pass is falsehood pure and
simple.
"Mr Knights statement Is of great value
In one particular. 1t shows his complete
subserviency to the interests of the South
ern Pacific officers. 1t will be noted how
careful Mr.. Knight raises every bubble
that police court shyster would be apt to
raise were the shyster defending Mr..
Huntington. throughout his whole state