The herald., 1897-03-09
BRIBERY CHARGES AT SAL
RAMENTO


of the present assembly and senate
bribery investigating committees wi,h-
ont being impressed with several un-
p1easant things We may name them as
follows:
First-That there is an. audacious
lobby at Sacramento-not there TOT i's
health. The members of this lobby con-
fess to a knowledge of bribes being PAID
to legislators. They say that reports
of legislative vote values ran up IN one
case to $3.50. This lobby seems to be
without shame and fails entirely to real
ize the infamy of bribery to all con-
cerned.
Second-The just inference of the facts
reluctantly developed is that bribery
has been practised in Sacramento
Third-That the legislative majority
deliberately intends to prevent the truth
from being known.
This last point Is a very sad and
very serious one to admit No citizen
can do this without feeling of shame
for such a disgrace of free institutions
and of the manhood of the republic
Rumor says that corruption is so preva-
lent in Sacramento that true and cour-
ageous investigation would bring too
many party leaders into the net.
The action of the legislature 80 far
puts it "in particeps criminis' In al.
this evildoing. 1t stands now as the
sponsor and defender of men charged
with a felony. Bribery is the most dan
gerous foe to nations and to humanity.
It is a treason leading to death. There
is no excuse for condoning it. There is
nothing more dangerous than to cover
it UP, and so let its deadly fangs strike
again at the vitals of the republic.
The assembly investigating committee
dragged in after the first day another
member as an attorney, apparently to
prevent, by technicality, the testimony
of those charged with guilt from being
brought in. We regret to see that the
member thus used is Valentine. from
this county A member of the commit
tee named Hill of Humbo seems to be
particularly anxious to protect Mr.. AL
vinza Hayward of the Hale & Norcross
mine. Another party mixed up in the
the Liquor Dealers Protective associa-
ton. This is not the first time Mr..
Baker has been in shady political trans
actions. In passing we would suggest
to the liquor dealers, in the most polite
way in the world, that they have nc
particular excess of moral margin to
spare for their agents to undertake to
load up the state with corruptly pro-
cured laws or to foist bosses like Buck
ley, or the Kelley or Mahoney types,
on our public life. There is believed by
some to be popular storm brewing
against political corruption. If such a
storm breaks, beware to all who have
tempted public men or prostituted pub
lie life
The bill out of which the charge of
bribery in the legislature has come was
one to take the Hale & Norcross Mining
company's case from the court of Judge
Hebbard. The same parties had pre-
viously prevented the denomination of
this judge, but he was independently
nominated and triumphantly reelected
against the reckless and INSCRIPTIONS
opposition of several strong combines
of dishonest intriguers. The mining
case Is one Of a number and of a type
that have been brought by the stock
holders of mining companies with head
quarters in San Francisco. These are
based on charges made by the stock
holders against the officers of the par
ticular mining company for conspiracy
to rob the company The facts in soma
of the cases show that there has been
long continued, deliberate and gigantic
robbery of some of our great mines, and
robbery of the companies by their own
oftcerS. Some or the wealthiest men in
San Francisco are involved in this dis
graceful business. The Hale G. Nor
cross case got into Judge Hebbard's
court, and they found there a Judge
thoroughly familiar with the law and
with courage and force of character to
tear away binding technicality and to
resist insidious influence and plausibly
exerted pressure. 1t is, indeed, a pity
that we have not more judges of the
type of Ross, Wallace and Hebbard.
The amounts involved in these cases are
enormous. Many of the prosecuting
stockholders have compromised their
claims. Even delay is worth large sums.
to enable other compromises to be made.
Consequently just and courageous
judge, prompt to enforce the right, is
very embarrassing person to have in
the Judgment seat for the guilty Off
GERS. It was worth money to get the
Hale & Norcross case out of Hebbard's