The San Francisco call., 1896-01-18
Lively Fight Among Democrats
on the Public Ownership
Question.
WILL HOLD A MASS-MEETINGs
Governor "Jim" Budd to Be Asked to
Tell What He Thinks About
the Matter.

A fight was precipitated in the Iroquols
| Club by the funding bill last night. Z. ,.
Reynolds introduced resolution that
mass meeting be called under the auspices
of the club to denounce the bill, and that
Governor Budd be invited to give his ideas
on the advisabiIlty of the Government
ownership of railroads.
Mr.. Reynolds spoke at length on the
subject. He told of the many wrongs the
Pacific Coast had suffered through the
iniquitous greed of the Southern Pacific,
and declared that Governor Budd had
explicitly made known his opinions on
this matter so fully that his speech would
have great effect, especially as it would
have the Endorsement of the Iroquois Club.
MIR. Reynolds had hardly got to his seat
before John Heenan was wildly protesting.
He declared that governments were not
able to manage railroads successfully.
Italy's railroads were a great source OF ex-
pense, he said, and the entire East agreed
in cond emnlng the idea of the Government
taking the management of the Central Pa
cific. He therefore moved that all that
part of Mr.. Reynolds motion referring to
the Government ownership of railroads be
eliminated. Robert Boyd seconded Mr..
Heenan's motion and the trouble was
started.
a half dozen men were demanding recog-
milton of Chairman Gildea at once. 1t
soon developed that Mr.. Heenan was in a
vast minority. Max Pepper wanted Mr..
Reynolds original motion carried. Mr..
Reynolds protested that it would De very
serious mistake to have it go out through
the country that the Iroquis Club was not
prepared to indorse the Government
ownership of transcontinental line.
Here Isidor Jacobs presented a timely
suggestion, which met the approval OF the
club, but was very distasteful to Messrs.
Heenan and Boyd. He thought Mr..
Heenan was laboring under a mistake as
to the feelings of the club. They wanted
the Government, he said, to own trans
continental line and not to run railroad.
He presented as an amendment to Mr..
Heenan's amendment that a committee of
three be appointed to arrange for mass
meeting, under the auspices of the Iroquois
Club, to protest against the funding bill,
and that Governor James II. Budd be re-
quested to address this meeting.
This, he said, wonld enable Governor
Budd to choose his own subject. Even
this did not please Mr.. Heenan. He
moved that the whole matter be laid ov er
till the Republican Congress had acted
on the funding bill. He found no one to
second his motion and Mr.. Jacobs idea
was adopted without one dissenting voice.
Mr.. Reynolds wanted the committee of
three instructed to request Governor Budd
to speak on The Government Ownership
of Railroads." As the time for the special
order of business had arrived he was de-
clared out of order. and Professor James
III. Simmons of the High School spoke on
the Educational Features OF the New
Charter
Mr.. Simmons protested particularly
against that portion of the charter which
would require all teachers to be graduates
of the State University. This, he pointed
out, would debar graduates of Stanford
from places, and would be likely to raise
religious troubles by discriminating against
those educated in sectarian schools with
out regard to their qualifications and
abilities.
Mr.. Simmons was voted the thanks of
the club. Mr.. Reynolds once more urged
that Governor Jim Budd" be asked to
speak on the Government Ownership of
Railroads" 1t was decided, on Mr..
Peppers suggestion, to have him speak
instead on 1.-The Advisa bility of the Gov
eminent Ownership of One Trans
continental Line" Mr.. HeenAn alone
voting no"
On Mr.. Heenan's motion it was decided
to discuss as the special subject for next
Friday the advisability of the people own
ing any line of railroad.
The following committee on mass
meeting was appointed: G. A. Reynolds,
Max Pepper, Senator w. H. Mead.