The San Francisco call., 1898-07-28
J, J, Valentine Fears the
 Stamp Act.
AN APPEAL TO MERCHANTS
PRESIDENT OF WELLS-FARGO
 TALKS QUITE FREELY.
A Strong Plea That No Action Be Taken Here Until the Test Gases in the East Are
 Decided.

That J. J. Valentine, president of Wells, Fargo & Co.,, Is very desirous of having the local merchants drop the proposed suit for violating the law in collecting from its patrons the 1-cent tax that the corporation should pay is apparent from his actions during the past week. When the local merchants appealed to the Mer- chants Association for support in their protest against the injustice and the lat ter body decided to fight the corporation in the Federal courts, MT. Valentine made
 haste to call upon the officers of the as sociation and request that they postpone taking such steps until similar cases
 should be decided in the courts of the East. Several interviews were held by
 him with the officers of the body, and yesterday he was given permission to ad- dress the board of directors at a special meeting.
 MT. Valentine stated that at least a dozen suits were now pending against the express companies in different parts of
 the United States, and, therefore, he be- lieved no benefit would possibly be gained by having an additional suit brought in
 this city: He had received dispatches from Chicago that the suit pending against the express company there had already been submitted to the court, and
 that a decision was daily expected. He
 would promptly abide by the decision of the courts and would place no obstacles in the way of a speedy decision.
 The board decided to telegraph at once to the Merchants Association in New York and Chicago to ascertain whether the pending suits against the express companies were being duly prosecuted and how soon decision would be reached. If the answers to these telegrams show that the actions are being properly prose- cuted and that a decision will be reached
 within thirty days, the board decided to postpone the suit contemplated in this city If however. no early decision will be reached in the Eastern suits, the board decided to proceed with the action here. The necessary evidence has been secured
 and will be held ready for any possible future use.
 In speaking of the position of MT. Valentine as president of the express
 company, one of the directors said yes
 terday that the corporations officers de- l sire that no action be taken seemed to ! be based more upon personal pride than
 anything else. In the meeting he called | attention to the fact that the company l has always been on the best terms with
 the merchants of this city, and he would not like to have 1t go abroad that there l Is any cause for complaint at this day. | If the present troubles can be bridged
 oyer by the decisions that will be ren- ! dered in the test cases in the East il
 will look better for the local branch o1 | the company than 1t would to have an other suit on it's hands.
 Prior to the meeting MT. Valentine ad | dressed long letter to Acting Presiden Baldwin, inclosing a clipping from a rail
 road paper-the Railway Age-which, O | course, takes the position that the taJ
 upon common carriers should be paid by 1 the people, and not by the corporations
 In concluding the letter he says:
 We respect the right of private Judgment | prize the good opinion of the public and de sire the good will of the community which ] despite the contention perhaps disturbing 1 its ordinary even flow, claim to deserve and l hope ever to enjoy. With utmost respect, am | very truly VOLTS