The San Francisco call., 1897-01-26
Speaker Cocmbs Announces
the Committee on the
Temporary Roll.
1t Is Believed That an Effort
Will Be Made to Suppress
the Evidence.
Members of the Assembly Would
Rather Duckwor orth Take the
Blame Than Themselves.

SACRAMENTO, CAL, Jan. 25-Speaker
Coon BIS this morning announced his COM
mittee to investigate the scandal of the
temporary roll. They are: Waymire,
Kenyon, Strain, Keables, Boone, Emmons
and StanseII. The resolution authorizing
their appointment called for a full, free
and fair investigation of all matters con-
nected with the temporary organization
of the Assembly, and Judge Waymlre
seems determined to carry on the inves-
tigation in that way.
The com mmittee met in the library al 5
o clock this afternoon in a pokey corner
where the newspaper files are stored and
after calling the meeting to order Chair
man Waymire made a little speech call
ing the attention of the mem bers to the
importance OF the duty required of them
by the Assembly. ut is our duty as
legislators" he said, ''to allow no more
men to be employed than are necessary.
If we have permitted any more men to be
employed than are necessary we are to
blame. II Duckworth, as the clerk
charged by US to attend to this matter
that no more should be employed than
are necessary, has violated that duty we
should know IL.
Waymire went on to say that he had
heard that Duckworth had remarked that
he would EN- ploy more men the next
time. 1t would be well to inquire whether
the clerk had made that remark. 1t was
in order for the com mittee to devise plan
of procedure.
Emmons suggested that it would be
oil To b0vU rfoiT of of.
torney got to Sacramento so soon after
the warrants for mileage, etc., had been
drawn He moved that the committee
should first ascertain how many men
were employed in the temporary organi-
zation, what it had cost, by what author
ity had they been employed, and whether
in appointing them any wrong was COM
mitted and who was to blame.
Chynoweth said that he had accepted
his appointment on the committee with
the understanding that he would be al
lowed to make a thorough inves tigation,
80 as to place the blame VIII ere it be-
longed. Chynoweth was thereupon Sc
lected to examine witnesses on behalf of
the State.
Judson G. Brusie appeared as counsel
for Duckworth. Belshgw placed the COM
mittee in possession of letter which he
said he had recently received. 1t was
written on Ietterhead of the Monterey
Meat Company and was signed 'Thos.
Doud." The writer said that G. A Rod
riguez, A. Gunzensdorfer and W. H.
Kearney, who had been placed on the
temporary roll at $5 per day, were in Mon
terey during the temporary organization
~ ho in
mento at all. They were intimate friends
of Duck worth. The letter concluded, IF
you will investigate you will find that N.
Friedman, the man who cashed so many
of the warrants, is Duckworth's brothers.
political partner in San Francisco"
Brusie at this point entered protest
against the mode of procedure pursued bp
the committee. He said that it would be
very unjust to Duckworth if the commit
tee accepted evidence In his absence and
which might be used against him subse-
quently.
Emmons said that he was there as a
mem Der of the Assem- bly, to purge the As
sem bly, of the charge OF stuffing the roll.
'1t seems" he added, that we are ma k
ing good deal of Duckworth and very
little of the investigation. Wherever the
blame is there let it be placed and let
everybody know it. L believe in going to
the root and bottom of this thing"
The remaining mem bers of the commit
tee seemed to be of the same mind. 1t is
reported that an effort will be made by
Assem- blymen on the committee to star
chamber the investigation, because the
movers do not wish to have all the facts
published regarding the appointments
made at their request, and several other
matters.
But the composition and temper of the
committee are such that the effort to sup
press the facts will fail The people of
the State demand all the facts in the case
and they are entitled to have them through
the only unprejudiced medium--the press.
The committee will meet tomorrow after
the third reading of the file has been fin
ished, and will proceed to examine the
temporary roll and take evidence thereon.
DuckWorth's brother is satisfied with the
personnel of the committee. He exhibits
the following dispatch from the chairmen
of the Republican and Democratic COM
mittees of Monterey County:
SALINAS, Cal, Jan. 23 1897.
To Hon. S. j. Ducktgorth: Your friends in
this county indorse the stand you have taken
in not resigning, and believe you are right
Do not weaken for the sake of others.
NJ. R. MERRITT,
Ia