The San Francisco call., 1897-03-20
EXCITING SCENES
IN THE ASSEMBLY,
Great Rumpus Caused by
the Withdrawal of a
Cinch Bill.
Jones Goes After Caminetti and
Calls Him Down Very
Hard.
"Liari" and Other Unparliamentary
Terms Used by an Enraged
Legislator.

SACRAMENTO, CAL, March 1S.-As-
semblyman Jones of San Francisco went
Oh the warpath to-day and spoke hot,
siz zling wor ds 10 Caminetti of Amador-
words of war and defiance before which
the man from Amador shuddered and low
cred his colors.
1t appeared that Jones last night stated
TO the House that he had the consent OF
Senator Androus to withdraw Senate bill
314 which be had introduced by the Sena-
tor "by request" 1t is a railroad cinch bill
and practically requires all steam and street
railroads, ferry boats. passenger boats,
mule teams and all other transportation
companies to report the innermost details
of their business annually to the Board OF
Railroad Commissioners. Assem- blyman
Jones had it Withdrawn.
Caminetti and some of his Democratic
friends were very much interested in Sc
curing the passage of the bill through the
House, and this morning the gentleman
from Amador demanded the return of the
bill to its place on the file. In making
the motion he stated that Senator Androus
had told him that he had not given Jones
his consent for the with drawal OF the bill.
After the bill had been placed on the file
Jones, hot with anger, walked over to
Caminettis desk and tiercely demanded
whether Caminetti had intended to charge
Jones with uttering falsehood.
Mo- replied Caminetti, "but Senator
Androus said that he had not given his
consent"
Senator Androus won't tell you that in
praSopoa haca,co no did c0pcantp
Jonas tells the rest of the story as fol-
lows: Senator Androus introduced the
bill at the request OF somebody else, and
asked him whether l should withdraw it.
He was perfectly satisfied that | should
withdraw it. So | went over to Caminetti
to find out if he intended TO call me a liar.
If he did / intended to hit him square in
the jaw. | told him that IL was one of the
most infamous bills, a cinch measure to
keep out foreign capital from investing in
street railroads or any other kind of rail-
roads. 1 told Caminetti that only sack
hunters were in favor of the bill, and he
said: 1 am not a sack-hunter.' 1 said,
The Examiner says you are, and walked
off. OF course l don's believe that Cam
inetti ever got cent, but the Examiner
virtually said that he did take money, but
/ don't believe it.'
mmediately after this passage-at-arms
between Jones and the Democratic fill
buster the lunch recess was ordered and
the announcement was made that the
Democratic minority would hold caucus
by way OF grace before meat. about
that railroad bill" said Dibble, with a
laugh,
Dibble's guess was wiser than he knew.
The caucus was for the purpose of out
lining a plan of action for filibustering
and the railroad bill was to be the main
spring of the movement. BLOCK Iegisla-
ton" was the result of the caucus. The
object of this agreement was to wind up
the last calls of the House. so that little
or no business might be done and so that
the session might end in disorder and
scandal. This would give the Democrats
little more thunder TO use in the next
campaign and would give the fake organ
of the Democracy text to boast upon,
now that the last echoes of the coyot s
yelp is heard In the distance.
As soon as the Sacramento Bee made its
appearance in the House in the afternoon
Camlnetti rose to a question of personal
passage-at-arms between himself and
Jones. Caminettl worked himself up to a
fever heat. 1t was evident that he felt the
more or less powerful backing of the
Democratic caucus behind him. He had
submitted meekly a day or two ago to be
called down by even North of Yolo, but
he was brave to-day against Jones. Shak-
ing his fist at the gentleman from San
Francisco he accused him of stating what
was not true.
Jones rose to reply, when Shanahan
mixed up in the contention. In the
course OF his remarks the man from
Shasta said that the fact remained tha t
the bill was removed from the files by
trickery, deceit and fraud.
~ ou are - liar" shouted Jones'"
The House was instantly thrown into
confusion. The galleries and Iobbies
were crowded with the good people of
Sacramento. men and women, whom the
Examiner short time ago denounced as
vestal virgins with down-turned thum BIS
and as the offscourlng of society. In
stantly hush settled down upon the
audience. Shanahan. swelling to the full
capacity of his lungs and reddening with
rage, EuOulcQ. Uu are al lQIernal
scoundrel.'
Jones, who had remained standing at
his desk, retorted with the most insulting
expression one man can use toward an
other: Your are --!" he said
shaking his forefnger at Shanahan.
Speaker Coombs had been rapping for
order all this time and nearly every man
in the House was on the floor shouting
for points of order, while the Speaker
gavel beat an almost deafening tattoo upon
his desk. Others were calling for the
Speaker to order the remarks of the gen.
tIemen taken down.
Robinson of Nevada County asked that
the epithet applied by Jones to Shanah an
should not be put on the record, and his
request was complied with. Then Clerk
Duckworth read the interesting dialogue,
"Mr. Speaker" said Shanahan, after
the clerk had ceased reading, II desire to
correct my statement to this extent
said infamous scoundeP instead of in
.ernal scoundrel.'
Jones was shaking his clenched fist at
Shanahan and hurling words which could
not be heard in the hubbub. Speaker
Coombs declared that the hour of recess
had arrived and the members put on their
hats and stood around the hall talking
ABOUT the exciting episode
Price OF Sonoma caught Jones by the
right elbow and urged him not to assault
6hapahan. but to keep cool. Menu bers oi
the San Francisco delegation crowded