The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-09-08
Promises Made TO Democrats
Soon Broken by the
Populist.
DENOUNCED as A TRAITOR.
The Bimetallic Party Secretary Urges
Sixth District Voters to
Defeat Him.
Los ANGELES OFFICE OF THE CALL, !
32S South Broadway,
Los NcEIEs Cal SAINT

-
Los ANGELES, CAL, Sept. Z.
The following open letter by Alva
Uden, secretary of the American Bimetal-
lie party in California, will form the basis
for protest against the candidacy of @.
A. Barlow for Congress in this district,
which, 1t is expected, Will be numerously
signed by Democratic, Populist and BIZ
metallic voters prior to the meeting of the
Democratic County convention:
To the Members Of the Democratic Congressional
District Committees of the Si5th Congressional
District and to the Delegates to the Democratic
County Contention of Los Angeles County, Cal
SIRs: In the thirtieth Legislature of Califor-
MIA the Democracy had SO members the Re-
publicans 80 members, the Populists mem-
bers and the Non-Partisans 1 member
The membership of the joint assembly being
full, it required sixty-one votes to elect a
United States Senator for the term beginning
March 4, 1898. 1t appears that among the
Populists in said Legislature were Aaron Bretz,
elected from Alameda County, and Charles A.
Barlow from San Luis Obispo County, both of
whom, to secure their election, had given the
Democrats of their respective counties certain
specific pledges, made orally or in writing, and
OF which the following is substantially a copy;
ALAMEDA Cal, 1O-27-92.
To the erecuttUe committee Of the Democratic dele
cation Of the Fortg-seUenth Assembly District Of
Alameda County, CdL-MEssRs.: 1 hereby pledge
myself to your delegation that WILL if elected to
the Assembly from this district, support the DEM
ocratic caucus nominee for the United States Sem
ate in it is not possible to elect the Peoples
party nominee.
This pledge is made and delivered with the un-
derstAndlng that it shall be made public in no case
except that fail to keep It. 1t is also understood
and agreed by both parties that it shall remain in
the possession Of the Alameda Democratic Club,
and if am not elected it is to be returned to me
immediately after the election, and if I am
elect ed it is to be returned to as have
voted for the Democratic nominee. A. BRETT.
lam credfbly informed and stand ready to
prove by my informants. that Charles A. Bar
low made substantially the same pledge as
above to the Democrats of San Luis Obispo
County during the election campaign in the
year 1892. 1t further appears that said
Charles A Barlow, after being elected
to said Legislature but before the same had
convened, and with intention to act and vote
in violation of his pledge above mentioned,
did sign, together with all the Peoples party
representatives, an agreement to vote upon
all political matters unit, upon the agree
ment of a majority, in the words and figures
following:
December 81, 1S92.-We, the undersigned men,
bers of the legislature in Peoples party caucus
assembled, do hereby pledge ourselves to each
other that during the thirtieth session Of the
Legislature we will, in all m alters wherein the
PRINCIPLES of the Peoples party are involved act
together as a unit and be governed In each action
by the will OF majority of the caucus, expressed
by a majority vote therefor.
CHARLES A. BARLOW.
A BRETT
NJ. THOMAS JR.
w. A. VANN.
7. ]. KERNS.
c. F. BENNETT.
P. r. ADAMS.
n. J. T. JACOBSEN.
It also appears that on January IL, 1898, the
members of the Peoples party caucus bove
mentioned nominated one Thomas " Gator
for the United States Senate, to be voted for by
said Joint assembly, in which, the Populists
having but eight votes, it does not appear how
they could expect to elect their candi-
dates unless they secured for him the
united strength of the forty-two Republicans,
whose votes could not be obtained without the
consent of the Southern Pacific Company of
Kentucky. Under such circumstances it
clearly meant a sale of the Peoples party
candidate to that corporation to secure his
election to the Senate, and it is
idle to assume that the Democrats, with
only two votes to obtain, would have
broken away from their candidate, when
they held the specific pledges of more than
enough Populists to elect him. In view OF
these facts Mr. Kerns, on the 18th of January,
1898, gave his vote to the Democratic candi-
date and elected him to the Senate Of the
United States. Neither Barlow nor Bretz ever
voted for the Democratic nominee, but the
action of Mr.. Kerns in so voting caused Mr..
Bretz to charge the corrupt use OF money to
secure the election of said Democratic United
States Senator.
1t also appears that by an almost unanimous
vote the Assembly of said Legislature on Janu-
ary 49, I893 adopted the following:
Pesolued, That a select committee of seven be ap-
pointed by the Speaker Of the AS sembly TO fully
Investigate the charge and words used bg Assem-
blym an Bretz in the joint assembly for the
election of United States Senator on January
in Joint assem- bly, as follows, TO wit: 1--WE believe
this change was brought about by the corrupt use
of money, and we believe that Marion Cannon was
the negotiator"; and that said committee is fully
empowered to investigate said charge; to send for
persons and papers and is required to report the
Assembly the results of its investigation
1t also appears that on January go 1893,
said Assembly, by vote of 60 to 16, took ap-
propriate action providing for the censure of
Mr. Bretz, and suspended him from participa-
ton in their deliberations for a period of
one week. This sentence was imposed
in pursuance of the unanimous finding
by said committee that the charge made by
Aaron Bretz twas false and untrue in every
respect" and .tbat not the slightest taint Of
corruption or wrongdoing in any respect at
taches to either Hon. Marion Cannon or Hon.
7. j. Kerns in the matter of said election of
said United States Senator"
These findings were concurred in by the
Populist member of said select committee, and
all the Democratic and Republican members
thereof recommended that Mr.. Bretz be ex-
PEELED from the Assembly and his seat therein
declared vacant.
1t also appears that in making the un-
warranted and infamous accusation that