The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-02-08

fghtto the end. and is as stubborn as q
cornfield mule, as evidenced in his re-
fusing the urgent entreaties of the Repub-
llcan manager of the Senatorial fight to
break his promise to cast no vote for
Hunter till the successor to Wilson (de-
ceased) should arrive and be seated. Had
he done so Hunter would have been
elected two weeks ago.
The act to incorporate the Southern Pa
cific Company was signed on st. Patrick S
day, March IL, 1884, by Governor s. Proctor
! Knott. and the same day the Legislature
adopted resolution accepting an invita-
tion to attend mass-meeting to be held
in Louisville on the 18th, to boom the ex-
position and attend banquet afterward.
Governor Knott, his Secretary of State,
"Quinine Jim" Mckenzie, and w. G. 2.
Breckenridge were among the speakers at
the meeting. The whole Legislature went
down and they had great time. It has
been rumored here that Governor Knott
and the other two named would be here to
| fight the repeal bill, but have not yet ap-
peared on the scene. That Governor Knott,
a constitutional lawyer of great experience
who served for eight years on the Judi
ciary Committee of the National House
worldwide reputation as humorist by
his great Duluth" speech against the
grant to the Northern Pacific Railroad,
| should have signed such monstrous
measure as this Southern Pacific charter is
| wonder to most people and they cannot
see how he can have the face to come here
now in its interests. His inconsistency
has been brought to the light.
And Mckenzie, whose free quinine bill
caused his name to be household word
all over the Mississippi Valley and blessed
by all to whom the chills and fever made
quinine an article of daily diet. should
have willingly lent hand in fastening
such curse as this charter On the people
so soon after ridding them of the other
monopoly is almost beyond belief. The
lay of the ground during the session of
1884 is well remembered here. Proctor
Knott was Governor, Jim Mckenzie Sec
retary of State, James r. Hindman
Lieutenant Governor and Charles Offutt
Speaker of the House. Strong lobbies
were on the ground in the interest of vari-
Gus bills, one of which was to exempt
railroads to be built from taxation for ten
years. General Duke was here in the in
terest of the Louisville and Nashville road
against the bill. Another bill was similar
to the Graviance bill before this Legis-
lature to break up the poolrooms. Over
1000 bills were passed, and with his other
| duties and entertaining his friends Gov
ernor Knott and Secretary Mckenzie had
but little time to examine critically every
| bill sent to him for approval
| Then he was much inclined to do any,
thing asked by his friends and the Echols
crowd took advantage of this. Knott's s
Office was the gathering place of a select
coterie of witty fellows, Duke. DIR. Watken,
DIR. Rogers and others from Louisville,
Atilla Cox from Owen County, a member
of the House, and others from different
parts of the State. The Governor was a
| good raconteur and the soul OF the party
generally. He was not entirely unsus-
ceptible of fiattery and was always in a
good humor when lie had told a
story that caused applause and laughter.
AT this crisis he was usually ready to sign
anything that any member OF the party
laid before him, always requiring them.
however, to thoroughly explain the proyi-
sion contained therein. 1t was. probably.
under such circumstances that the South
ern Pacific bill was made law.
But it was not the only instance in
which the witty. good-natured Governor
was taken off his guard. There was many
] another vicious measure slipped thronqb
his hands in the same way.