The record-union., 1897-03-02

Paid to Members of the Legislature to
Influence Their Vote
observe that the head is not that
it is SO rumored not that it is so dis
cussed, not that it is probable, but in
most emphatic and unmistakable Ian
guage it said Thousands of dollars cor
ruptly paid the members of the Legls-
lature to influence their votes
is it true that any man in this Sen
ate has received money as a considera-
ton for his vote? If such be the case
then it is the duty of this Senate-it
is the duty of every honest man in this
Senate, to know that fact. For my
part l do not believe there is a man in
this Senate who has placed himself in
that position. For nealy two months
l have had the honor of sitting with the
members of this Senate. / have found
them gentlemen of culture; 1 have
found them broad-minded, Industrious
and earnest and in my heart of hearts
| believe that everyone of them have
acted honestly and uprightly, and no
man would undertake, in my opinion,
to bribe any member of this honorable
body
Let me call your attention a little
further to this article. 1t begins by
quoting from Tennyson: The jingling
of the guinea helps the hurt that honor
feels and adds there is no immediate
danger that anyone here will cry out
in great pain, for there has been a deal
of jingling. Some good gentleman has
been toiling diligently at the Capitol as
a dispenser of bribes.'
Us that true? Has some good gen.
tleman been toiling diligently in this
Senate as a dispenser of brides? If
that be true then every man in the
Senate owes it to himself, owes it to
his own honor, owes it to the people of
the State, that we should know who
this man is, who has dispensed bribes
throughout this Capitol building.
But let me read further on: Without
a shadow of a doubt members of the
Assembly and members of the Senate
We're bribed to support the bill That
language is plain enough; that lam
guage cannot be misunderstood, Mem
bers of the Assembly and members Of
the Senate We're bribed to support the
bill That charge is absolutely direct
and certain, and positive. Is it true?
If it be true, then we owe it to the
people of the State to find out who that
particular Senator is and brand him
as he should be branded-unfit to sit
in the halls of this Senate. If it be
not true, then we owe it to the people
of California to show that we have a
Senate of men of honor, upright and
honest, who dare meet issues of this
kind and to declare that we shall not
be stabbed by false assertion Of this
character
Il believe it is with every member of
this Senate as it is with me, for l can
say with Shakespeare: He who steals
my purse steals trash. Twas mine,
'tis his, and has been slave of thou
sands. But he who filches from me
my good name, robs me Of that which
not enriches him, but leaves me poor
indeed [ have had but one ambition
and one purpose in life-that when the
hand of death touches my brow l may
leave to my wife and children that
which viii be d ray of sunshine to them
and that win reflect honor upon them.
I desire to 50 shape my public course
that when ! die there will be a halo of
glory surrounding my career; / have
no doubt it is so with every member of
this Senate.
we must all realize that this charge
is serious. l say to you, gentlemen of
this Senate. it is a charge of such a
grave nature that we cannot let it
pass by. We owe it to ourselves, to the
State, and TO the people to prove or
disprove it. / therefore move the adop-
ton of the following resolution, which
you will permit me to read instead of
sending it to the desk, so that there
can be no doubt as to its meaning"
Whereas. An article appeared in
the San Francisco Daily Examiner" a
newspaper published in the city and
county of San Francisco, State of Cali
fornia, and circulated over the State of
California and over various States of
the United States and elsewhere, which
said article so printed and published
and circulated is in the words and fig
ures following There follows the arti-
Gle, head and all as printed in the "Ex-
aminer" and, whereas, the above
cited words in said article so printed,
published and circulated directly
charge corruption of the gravest char
acter for the purpose of influencing
the action of this Senate; and whereas,
it is specifically charged that large
sums of money have been received by
the members Of this body, and which
said members are not specifically
named. but leaving the impression and
intending to leave the impression and
charging and intending to charge that
each, every and all the members of
this Senate who voted for Assemb ly
bin No. 213, amending Section 40 of
the Code of Civil Procedure Of this
state. had been paid and took and re-
ceived money amounting in sums from
$500 to $500 each for voting for said
Assembly bill No. 273; and, whereas.
the said charges are very grave and of
= serious character. and rejecting upon
the entire Senate. and were made and
published as aforesaid, and are of such
character as to render it proper that
this Senate should institute an inquiry
respecting the said charges, and the
evidence. if any, upon which they are
based. and the person or persons who
circulated. gave or reported the state
uents. if any. upon which the article
was based and the author, editor. print
or writer or person who wrote or
caused to be written or published or
caused to be published the said
charges. and all the facts connected
herewith or relating thereto, to the
end that the guilt may be exposed and
unished whether it be found to be on
The quality of legislative bribery and
corruption or Willfui and malicious
public slander. BE it therefore
Resolved. That a committee of
hree be forthwith appointed. and that
said committee be, and it is hereby au-
tho1ized and empowered to do any and
an t4.s,evs. necessary to make n fIlll and