The San Francisco call., 1897-02-09
BUDO AND
THE SCALPS
Governor and Senators Lock
Horns On the Bounty
Scandal.
REFUSES TO GIVE UP
REPORTS.
Many Dark Stories Circulated in
Reference to the Inquiry of
the Finance Committee.
REPORT OF THE STATE SECRET
SERVICE WITHHELD.
But 1t Is Said the Chief Executive Is
Laying Wire 10 Secure Con.
victions for Perjury.

SACRAMENTO, CAL, Feb. S-Gov-
ernor Budd has chosen TO lock horns with
the Finance Committee of the Senate on
the matter of the investigation of the
coyote bounty claims, and as a conse-
quence the old-time scandals relative to
this scandal breeding subject are likely to
fade into utter insignifcance.
1t had become known to the Finance
Committee through the columns OF THE
CALL that the Governor was in possess
sion Of considerable valuable and mpor-
tant information on this subject, and
Chairman Voorhels and Senator Wolfe of
that committee called on the chief exec
utive of the State this afternoon Ill order
to have a conference with him on the mat
ter and secure his co-opera ton to bring
all the testimony known to be in his pos
session before the committee.
Much to the surprise of his visitors the
Governor declined to accede to the sug-
gestion of the Senators. His reason was
that the information which he had secured
in his investigation a few years ago was
obtained through the medium of the State
secret service and that, in consequence, it
was privileged matter and not subject to
the scrutiny of any investigating commit
tee. He cited in support of his attitude
decision of the State Supreme Court.
Senator Wolfe undertook to argue the
matter with the Governor, and the dis
cussion soon assumed the violence of an
alteration. The voices of both the Gov
ernor and his pugnacious and insistent
adversary rose to a high pitch, but the
Governor refused to be moved from his
position. In the course of the contro-
versy Senator Wolfe claimed that the
Legislature had a higher authority than
the Supreme Court, as the latter body was
only creature of the law-making branch
of the Government.
The two Senators were finally com PEELED
10 withdraw without having made any
headway with Governor Budd, though
when they departed amicable relations
had been re-established all around.
This obduracy of the Governor only
made his interviewers more determined
to thoroughly probe the coyote-scalp
claims till they succeeded in touching the
fountain-head of the corruption that they
feel certain is connected with them.
The conference with the Governor took
place during the afternoon session of The
Senate. At 4 o'clock the Finance Com
mittee metin executive session and unani-
morrow to adopt the following:
Resolved That the Committee on Finance be
and they are hereby empowered to thoroughly
investigate the subject matter contained in
Senate bill AS, and in furtherance thereof to
send for persons and papers and to administer
oaths.
Senate bill No. 4SS is the coyote bounty
claims bill. In tnis bill full power is re-
served 10 the State Board OF Examiners to
examine all claims presented for coyote
scalps, and il IS further provided that
"any person swearing falsely or giving
any false testimony before said board in
regard to any matters upon which he NAV
be examined under the provisions of this
act, shall be deemed guilty OF perjury"
Significant in this connection is that
part of the report of the State Board of
Examiners which states that the number
of unpaid scalps for which certificates
have been issued is 57,523, ageregating
the sum of $287,615. The concluding
words of the report on this subject are as
follows: The board respectfully recon-
mends that an appropriation be made TO
pay these claims"
In justice to the Governor il is but fair
to state that one OF the reasons he ad-
vanced for refusing to give the ENJOYS of
the Senate Finance Committeethe full IN
formation which they desired was tha he
. was desirous OF placing those who had, as
D be believed, previously testified falsely in
position where they could be convicted
OF perjury. If they had com mitted per-
jury in the first instance they were now
exempt from prosecution under the
statute of limitations. and he wanted
them to come before the Board of Exam
iners again.
The conduct of the Governor has Gre
ated deep feeling OF Indignation among
the members of the Finance Committee
Many OF them are of the opinion that his
action is Influenced by desire to shield
some of the county officials who were re-
sponsible for the issuance of fraudulent
scalp certificates. One of the members of
the committee in an interview to-nig ht
gave his i'm pressions as follows:
ITO my mind there is no doubt that
great frauds have been committed in con-
nection with these coyote scalp claims.
and that there is a large and powerful
lobby now at work here endeavoring to
secure the passage of the bill. Those who
now hold these claims can well afford to
pay literally for the service of lobbyists
as many of the claims were purchased
from the original holders for 25 and so
cents on the dollar. 1 understand that
the Governor has taken issue with the
committee and claims that we have no
night TO go into an investigation of the
Kind We propose, and that such an in
Lvestigation is only within the province of
Ethe State Board OF Examiners. But we
Eshall fully test our powers in the matter.
YIhe resolution which we shall ask the
loenate to adopt will give us the broadest
klnd vi authority, and among those who
Will be subpenaed will be the Governor.
Then Will come the crisis. Should he
decline to furnish the committee with
the information which he has admitted
he possesses we shall be compelled to con-