The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-01-12
STYLE 1T A VICTORY.
Judge Mcguire and Senator White
Talk About the Defeat of
the Bill


WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. 1.-THE
defeat of the Powers bill was not sur
prise to Judge Mcguire or any other of the
Cahfornians. Grove L. Johnson, the only
California Representative in Congress
who supported Huntington, admitted TO a
CALL representative early this morning
that in his opinion the bill was doomed to
defeat. John Boyd was downeast on sat
urday night after speeches in the House
by opponents of the bill had been greeted
with applause from both sides of the
cham Der, while the arguments of the pro-
pouents of the bill were giventa FROST
Ten days ago Judge Mcguire was
anxious about the outcome, but since the
debate commenced on Thursday he has
been encouraged. THE CALL cores
pendent predicted a week ago that the bill
would be defeated, and this prediction
was based upon interviews with leading
members of Congress who had made
careful canvass of the House. Mr.. Hunt
ington worked like a Trojan yesterday,
assisted by his corps of lobbyists. The
old gentleman is always an early riser,
but he broke the Sabbath at an earlier
hour than usual yesterday morning. His
apartments were soon thronged with his
Iieutenants, and, after giving them orders,
they were sent scurrying in all directions.
He had half a dozen ex-members of Con-
gress in his employ, including Philip B.
Thompson of Kentucky and Payson of
Illinois, who are the regular attorneys
here of the Southern Pacific Railroad.
These men are admitted to the floor of
the House as ex-mem bers and the abuse
of this privilege has been the source of
comment for the past few days. The at
tention of the officers of the House was
called to the matter, but the brazen i'm
pudence CT these ex- Congressman in going
upon the floor to lobby for Huntington
was allowed to pass unnoticed. Nor was
this the only outrage permitted by the
officers of the House, some of whom were
undoubtedly working in Mr.. Hunting
toms interest. John Boyd, the chief lieu
tenant of Huntington, was permitted to
enter the vestibule of the Speakers lobby,
a privilege which should be jealousy
guarded by the doorkeepers.
One of the House employees admitted to
The CALL correspondent that several of
his colleagues had been offered money by
Mr.. Huntington's agents. The railroad
magnate enlisted the services of several
newspaper men of Washington who were
supposed to have influence with Congress-
men. Many members of Congress who
have not yet returned from their Christ
mas holiday and who were known to be
favorable to the refundng bill we're teIe-
graphed for on Saturday night by Hunt
ington's agents and were on hand this
morning.
The CALL correspondent is reliably in
formed that Mr.. Huntington's lobbyists
also enlisted the services of a corps of
female lobbyists. In former times the
female lobbyist was a familiar figure
about the Capitol and the petticoats were
important factors in shaping the legisla-
tion of Congress. The gallery adjoin-
ing the press reservation in the
House has for the past week been oc-
cupied by women, who were, professedly,
newspaper women" and it was observed
that they frequently sent cards from the
gallery to members of Congress. This in
itself would not have been suspicious but
for the fact that these same women were
frequently seen IN conversation with Mr..
Huntington's lobbyists. 1t may seem in
credible to many that Mr.. Huntington
himself would resort to such tactics, bat
from personal observation The CALL cor
respondent has no doubt that these
women were employed by Mr.. Hunting
toms agents.
When the House convened at noon to-
day there was large attendance of mem.
bers on the floor. Both sides had summed
up its full strength. The galleries were
unusually well filed. The press gallery
was crowded with correspondents who
expected lively and acrimonious debate
between Judge Mcguire and Grove L.
Johnson, but in this they were disap-
pointed. Judge Mcguire was 'Ioaded" for
Johnson, and would have sought to pun
ish him for his speech of last Friday, but
Speaker Reed decided that Johnson's
illusions to Judge Mcguire in the debate
CT that day were not sufficient to entitle
the latter to recognition as a matter of
personal privilege" Mcguire was thus