The morning call., 1895-02-27
rupted once by Thomas, who iercely ques-
toned the propriety of the speakers

| tloneo the proprlety of the speakers
| remarks.
Think of il" said Mr.. Reid, with much
feeling, ''lf man buys round-trip ticket
he cannot even give it to his wife, though
| 1t is unlimited as to time. This amend
| ment can work no harm to the great cor
poration that has owned and does own
to-day this great State of California.
"They claim this bill is for the benefit of
the conductors, as if conductors did not
| have enough work on their hands keeping
| their positions, without trying to get bills
through the Legislature. But they say
these poor men need protection. Yet the
whole country knows that this very class
OF men are able to watch their own in
| terests, and even get the best of the rail-
road company at times"
| The house applauded Reid as he took
his seat. Thomas at once took up the
| challenge that had been thrown at him.
he denied that they were trying to rush
the bill through as it stood and urged that
IN opposing the proposed bill the legis-
lators were striking blow at the whole
order OF conductors. He then showed how
at present the conductors were made to
bear the brunt OF the loss if scalped
ticket is passed on them.
Osborn of Santa Cruz followed with the
speech of the day. 1t had much to do
with deciding the wavering. He put the
question squarely that the voters would
have to go on record as to their Willingness
to vote for proposition that favored the
railroad at the expense of the people.
~ had not intended to speak," Osborn
said, "but when / heard the honest intent
0f fa1l A II 10
cause they opposed this bill l could not
forbear. am opposed to the whole idea
of the bill. Look at it. 1t is nothing more
than this: At the behest of the Southern
Pacific we are asked to declare it a crime
for man to violate civil contract. Why,
gentlemen, we will next be expected to
say in our prayers, Almighty corporation,
thy will be done on earth as it has long
been done in hades.'"
AS the shout of applause that greeted
this died away he added:
"The spectacle is appalling. Were we to
consent to this would not be surprised to
hear that the statue of liberty on the Capt.
tol at Washington had bowed her marble
neck and hung her head in shame"
Then he turned to the House and cried,
warningly:
Gentlemen, your action to-day will be
recorded. Serve well your masters, be
they the people or the corporations. Obey
their behests. AS you serve them you
will be rewarded
Dodge of Alameda hoped the House
would not be deceived by the arguments
of the gentleman from Nevada He as
sured them that that orator was trying to
plaster over a mass of iniquity with thin
layer of virtue. He secuted the idea that
the bill was intended to protect the con-
ductors, denoucing that statement as a
subterfuge. Besides, he was sure that the
bill was unconstitutional since the State
would have no more right to force rail-
road company to buy back unused por-
tions of its tickets than to make a grocer
buy back the goods he had sold
Thomas called for the question, but
Judge Waymire was addressing the Houee
He said several OF his personal friends had
asked him to vote for the bill, and he had
told them he would consider the matter
''But now have read ii" said he, ~ can
not conscientiously vote for it's passage. l
find it bristling with penalties. To put it
on the statute books would be disgrace
to the State.''
Dodge, Reid and Osborn demanded
call of the roll on the amendment, which
resulted in its passage by vote of AZ to d.
Thomas afterward going over to the
affirmative in order to be able to move
reconsideration. The vote in detail was as
follows:
Ayes-Barker, Belshaw, Bennett, Berry, Bled-
soc, Boothby, ,Bulla, Butler, Coleman, Coughlin
Dale, Davis Dinkelspiel, Dodge, Dunbar,
Dwyer, Ewing, Fassett, Glass, Guy, Hall, Hat
field, ,Healey, Holland, Hudson, Johnson, Jones,
Keen, Laird, Meads, Nelson, North, O'Day,
Osborn, Phelps, Powers, Price, Reed, Robin
son, RowelI, Sanford, Staley, Stansell, Twigg,
Wade, Waymire, Weyse-47.
Noes-Ash, Bettman, Brusie, Cargill Cutter
Devine, Dewitt, Gay, Huber, Kelsey, Kenyon,
Laugenour, Mccarthy, Mcdonald, Merrill
Pendleton, Richards, Spencer, Swisler,
Thomas, Tibbitts-21.
Bledsoe then moved to strike out the
lines which make the company liable for a
rebate on ticket only when the tariff rate
is less from the point of starting to the
intermediate town than to the point of
destination.
1t was adopted by a large majority.
By this time Cutter was on his feet, but
Thomas shouted in tone that riveted the
attention of the House as we'll as the
Speaker:
"Mr. Speaker, the hour for consideration
of Senate bills has passed. Imove that we
take up the special file"
AS he closed his volume of Senate bills
with a slap, all turned to the clock and saw
that it was just $3.50. Speaker Lynch
acknowledged the justice of Thomas re-
quest and the House relaxed from its ten
sion, while most of the visitors departed.
The first big railroad skirmish found
many of the Assemblymen with railroad
tendencies unwilling to vote for railroad
measure contrary to the wishes of their
constituents.
Il SEATTLE INTERROGATION.