The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-11-24

morning, Gambler Parker" describing
the old geutleman's anxiety to bet on him
self as the uncomfortable instinct of a
gambler, instead of, as it really was, the
bad advice of a sporty son-in law, who
thought to thus put stop to the influence
that the offers of odds made by Re
publican heelers would have on the
alliance was induced to indorse Huson.
On the day before election the fight
against Boggs and Huson made by
the Democrats, was easily won. But on
election morning the fight had all to be
begun over again. Orators were sent to
every polling-place, and strong appeals
made to voters, but the city's money,
thrown into the breach the night before, had
done effective work. 1t was hard to stem
the tide, yet it was nobly undertaken.
Thousands in gold were paid to longshore-
mems and other organizations by the
Republicans, and yet, when the polls
closed, it was conceded that the Democrats
had won and Boggs and Huson were
defeated. There was great rejoicing; but
held back, and the official canvass revealed
a majority of about forty for Boggs and
Huson.
Campbell was going to contest on the
ground of fraud, but bank pressure was
brought to bear on him and he subsidized
into private life. Boggs was vindicated
And a new Job was Immediately set up to
profit by the vindication.
AS developments now disclose BoggS
was even then short III his accounts and
the money used to re-elect him made the
breach greater. A nervy fellow, however,
he made the supreme effort, risked all to
save himself, and as is now well known
and admitted won by being counted in"
The Huson administration began the
i,,0, 6 -
OF the plant and sources of supply OF the
Tacoma Light and Water Company at
s., 100000. A strong sentiment had grown
up IN the community against this COM
pany, both for its influence in political
affairs, tor its high-priced service and its
impure water. The people wanted to re-
woke its franchise, build competing
plant or buy the company out. But when
the price of $2,000,000 was named people
saw in it the shadow of an immense Job.
At last the price was, after much fictitious
"haggling, fixed at 81, $50 900, and the
people were asked to vote bonds in the
sum of 800 900 for the purpose of pur-
chasing and extending the plant Public
sentiment was all against the proposition,
and it was never thought it could possibly
carry, hence organization to defeat 1t was
neglected. All the newspapers, without
exception, advocated the purchase, but
the people laughed wisely and at the time
the Council decided to submit the ques-
ton the sentiment against the purchase
was as two to one.
But Just az this time, in the spring of
1898, came stringency in the money mar
ket; Boggs and the banks found them
selves loaded to the muzzle with city war
rants that were unstable at the East; the
boom subsidized; flake" street improve
ments were no longer possible; there had
come change IN political sentiment; the
banks were all uneasy; Eastern money
was no longer to be had. but there was
hope Of relief in the water extension bonds
This money would go into the banks and
found 1t hard to procure accommodations,
and the bankers whispered to their Gus
toners that if the project carried there
would be plenty of money put into circu-
lation through the water extension, and
the hard times would ease up; and
furthermore, the water company and its
allied interests caused the rumor to be cir
culated that the million and three-quar-
ters would be used to build the Chicago,
Burlington and Quincy Railway into Ia
coma. G. B. Wright, the owner of the
Water and Land companies, and a very
important element in the Northern Pacific,
was said to have controlling influence IN
the 'Q'' road. In order to make plausible
this story, Wright procured control of the
headed toward the Nisqually pass of the
Cascades.
Sentiment gradually began to change.
Boggs and the banks, seeing relief in the
extension moneys, began an active cam
paign. City money to the amount of
$4,000 is reported By City Councilman
to have been used by Boggs in the election.
At all events the proposition carried.
Now came test of the validity of the
action. One Corell a lawyer, attorney for
the Light and Water Company, had been
during all these preliminaries president
of the City Council. He had drawn up all
the ordinances and all the forms and reso-
lutions. contracts, etc. He had been on
all the committees to conduct negota-
tions. and throughout had engineered the
entire deal, having had as '.cover"
weak and pliable City Attorney. This
subsequently, appeared in suits OF various
kinds against the company, Corell himself
testifying that he acted as attorney for the
company while president of the Council.
Still in the capacity of the company's
attorney suit was brought against the
city TO enjoin the issuance of bonds on the
ground that . they were above the consti-
tutional limit The City Attorney APP
peared for the city; the complaint, an
swer, notice of appeal, brief for appellant
and brief for respondent, all printed aud