The morning call., 1895-02-20
THE ASSEMBLY SHELVES RESOLU-
TONS FOR AN INVESTIGATION
JUNKET.
A PROPOSAL BY PREACHERS
LEGISLATORS DECIDE THAT OTHER
MATTERS ARE OF GREATER
IMPORTANCE.


made this morning to force the Assembly
to take action upon Lexow committee
matter. A plea for resolution to have a
committee consisting of one Senator and
two Assem- blymen investigate the charges
OF the Civic Federation was urged and i'm
mediate action demanded. The would-be
reformers failed to gain their point, the
resolution being side-tracked to commit
tee by vote of the House.
The resolution was introduced by Cutter
of Yuba. 1t combines features of two
former resolutions, and fixes the time for
reporting as March l. 1t reads as follows:
WHEREAS, 1t has been charged and main
tanned that the Police Department of the city
and county of San Francisco is corrupt; that
grave abuses exist in said department; that in
said city and county the laws for the suppress
sion of crime and the municipal ordinances
and regulations duly enacted for the peace
security, order, and police of said city and
county are not strictly enforced by said depart
ment, and by the police force acting there
under; that said laws and ordinances, when
enforced, are enforced by said department and
said police force with partiality and favoritism
and that such Partially and favoritism
are the results of corrupt bargains be-
tween offenders against said laws or ordin-
partment and police force on the other;
that money and promises of services to be
rendered are given and paid to public officials
by the keepers or proprietors of gaming houses,
disorderly houses, lotteries or liquor saloons,
or others who have offended, or are offending
against such laws or ordinances, in exchange
for promises of immunity from punishment or
police interference; and that said department
and said police force, by means of threats and
9TH l.l,o
sideration from many persons in said city as
the price of such immunity from police inter
ference or punishment from real or supposed
violations of said laws and ord inances; and
Whereas, strong public sentiment demands
OF this Assembly a thorough and full inyestiga-
ton OF all the matters above mentioned, for
the purpose OF remedying and preventing such
abuses by proper legislation; now, therefore,
be it
Rescued, That the Civic Federation of San
Francisco respectfully urges that your honor
able body appoint an investigating committee,
TO act in conf JUNCTION with similar committee
from the Senate should one be constituted
otherwise to act alone; and that said commit
tee be clothed with all needed powers and au-
thortty TO make rigid and thorough investi-
CATION of alleged abuses and corruption in the
Police Department and other branches of the
municipal government OF San Francisco under
shall be presented; and especially TO ferret out
the instigators of the recent election frauds in
this city.
Resolved, That we offer no suggestion as to
the personnel of the committee, further than
to urge that every precaution be taken to ex-
clude from such committee every man whose
name has in the slightest degree been con-
nected by public rumor with any questionable
proceeding of whatever character; for it is
obviously Of the la eff Orta tbotv 4
mittee should command the perfect confidence
of the people OF the city and State in their in
tegrity, and in their zeal in bringing offenders
to justice.
To show the representative character OF this
Federation, and that it speaks for the good
citizenship OF San Francisco in this memorial
we append the subjoined list of the bodies in
cluded in it, and who join in the above action:
Citizens Defense Association, Good Govern
ment Club, Law and Order League, Union Tor
Practical Progress, Committee of Eleven Build
ers' Exchange, Federated Trades, Anti-Dfve
Association, Society for Prevention of Cruelty
to Children, Woman's Christian Temperance
Union, Golden Gate Union of Christian En-
deayor, Epworth League Alliance, Presbyterian
churches, Protestant Episcopal churches, Con-
gregational churches, Methodist Episcopal
churches, Unitarian churches, Baptist
churches United Presbyterian churches and
Done at meeting held in San Francisco,
January 81 1895.
/. r. Ollie, Wallace Bradford, Maurice "
Samuels, D. Hanson Irwin committee
ResolUed, BY the Assembly, the Senate con-
curing, that Senator - is hereby appointed
a special committee on the part OF the Senate,
and Assemblyman - and - special CON-
mittee OF this Assembly, with power and author
ity to investigate all and singular the above
said matters and charges, and that said COM
mittee have full power to prosecute its inquir-
les in any and every direction in its Judgment
necessary and proper, TO enable it to obtain
and report the information required by this
resolution; that said committee report to the
Assembly, with such recommendations as, in
its judgment, the public interests require; said
committee is given authority to send for per-
sons and papers, to employ stenographer and
such counsel and other assistants as it may
deem necessary, and TO hold sessions in the
city and county OF San Francisco and the
city of Sacramento. The committee shall con-
clude its Investigations in time TO report to the
Assembly on or before March / /, 1895, to the end
that proper legislation may be enacted to sup
press said evils. The Sergeantat-Arms of the
Assembly shall attend such committee and
serve all subpenas issued thereby and perform
all duties as Sergeant-at-Arms OF said commit
tee; and be it further
RESOLVED, That it is the sense of this Assembly
that it is contrary to public policy and to the
intents of good order that any person giving
evidence before said committee tending to
show that he has been party to the practices
above mentioned should be indicted or erose-
cuted upon evidence SO given or admission so
made by him.
Speaker Lynch at once referred the reso-
luton to the Committee on Public Morals
The friends of the sensational preachers
saw the opportunity for a big junket fade.
They realized that something had to be
done or their resolution would be utterly
futile.
Ewing of San Francisco objected to the
ruling OF the chair. He wanted the reso-
luton acted upon at once by the House,
and could see no reason for referring it to
committee.
at is our last hope to get this matter
attended to-" he said. 'The bills intro
duced are being changed and juggled and
manipulated in the committees and out
and thus delayed If this resolution goes
to the committee it will meet the same fate.
at fixes the time for the committee to
report as March l. If this resolution is
10y i,,f !,