The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-01-18
The Story Of His Baseness Told in All
Its Details.
No Chance of His Emerging From the Ordeal
With Shred of Character Left After
the Committee Closes Its Work.
BY HENRY JAMES,

he had no evidence, and had no reason
TO doubt their integrity and regretted
that their names should have been de-
manded. On this point, however, the
committee was inexorable. Mr.. Leake
asked time to consult his attorney,
who advised that there was no escape,
as refusal would be contempt and pun
1shable as in any court.
The crowd in attendance paid the
keenest attention. Indeed, this was OBJ
l1gatory, as both the witness and mem
bers of the committee spoke in low
tones. But the interest throughout was
| intense, and there were murmurs which
expressed surprise when the testimony
Set forth the methods of the Speaker of
the Assembly.
When the scathing language he had
used in speaking Of Burns was quoted.
! the people fairly gasped, for his act OF
going into the Burns camp had beer
the actual means of bringing about
+ revelation as to his deal with the Grant
forces. He had reYiled Burns, had made
! affiliations with q rival, had promised
not to vote for Burns and had told
! freely Of the promise, yet had gone
over to Burns, tremulOus, shamefaced,
but still he had gone. The Indignation
| excited by this double-dealing had been
his undoing.
The second witness was Milton Green.
AT this moment he is still on the stand,
AS to the fact that Wright had received
1850, he corroborated the previous wit
ness fully, and this, as I understand 1t,
is the meat of the contention. Mr..
Green followed the custom of speaking
in a low voice, and those who wished
to hear pressed close into the corner
where the committee sat. He said that
$500 of this sum had been for election
expenses, and the rest a fiat loan. What
followed will be found in the news col
Co. 10 NIa
right to draw conclusions rests with
any person.
What is to be the immediate effect of
the investigation is a surmise. am
not informed as to whether man
guilty of the practices charged against
Wright will have the privilege of con
tinuing in office, presiding over body
of men who have much to do with di-
recting the destiny of the State, and
most of whom are honest and honorable
men, But that there will be a change
visible in the vote tomorrow seems
likely. It is not a reasonable propo-
sftion that all this stir will merely die
away as ripple on the surface, for the
Assembly has. been moved to it's
depths. ...-~-.--.r ---.-.-.-..--~-. -----.,.
Burns men are rejoicing, but without
grounds for it. They have acquired
new zest for the pipe dream in which
they have been indulging. The show
ing that Grants manager paid money,
and as he declares, without the knowl-
edge of Grant, will naturally affect the
prospects Of the San Diegan, but it will
not enhance those of the Mexican. AS
between the two men, with every
secret of the campaign laid bare,
would not hesitate to choose Grant.
Such congratulations as may be in
dulged in may be divided among the
men whose names have not been used
as a shield for Burns vote, who have
not, perhaps, made a great showing
of strength, and who have been waiting
all these days for something to happen.
1 think it is about to happen.