The record-union., 1899-01-20
But the Burns and Grant Forces
Stand Fast.
Bulla Gains Four, Barnes One-Probably No
Change To-Day-Reporters Not
in Contempt.

The Wright Investigation Committee
ought to do it's work well. 1t has cast
all established rules for the taking of
testimony to the four winds, and no
rumor is too vague, and no clue too
Insignificant to be followed out to the
frayed end.
The committee is not court, and
nice points are not raised. Cold, cruel,
blunt, leading questions are asked, and
witnesses must either answer, or de-
cline and risk being brought before the
bar Of the House in contempt. Wit
nesses are allowed not only to tell what
somebody told somebody else, but they
are asked to give their own private
opinion concerning matters of import
or otherwise, and what they think
goes.
1t Is a crude way Of getting at the
bottom Of things. and whether 1t Will
prove success remains to be seen.
SENATORIAL MATTERS.
There was a slight shifting OF the
vote in the ballots taken for United
States Senator, resulting in a gain of
four for Bulla and one for Barnes 1t
seemed to be a go-as-you-please squirt
of few Of the members who had dur
ing the first twenty-one ballots cast
their votes for isolated candidates. 1t
was a partial punching of the scatter
ing vote
Neither Burns nor Grant lost or
gained a vote, and whether the uneasy
movement portends anything to either
Of the two leading candidates remains
to be seen.
RUMOR WAS WRONG.
Dame Rumor had it yesterday that
the followers of Grant would caucus
last night, and that an agreement would
be reached whereby the bonds that held
them would be severed. In the words
Of the gossip, "the strings were to be
united
But Rumor was mistaken as it has
often been before. AS matter of fact
there was a caucus of the followers of
Grant in Grants headquarters last
night, but nothing was united. All Of
the Grant men were not present, but
a majority were, and the reports that
came from the chamber were to the
effect that there was not so much as
an intination of any break from their
candidate. It is a settled fact that
Grant Will receive as many votes to-
day as he has received any day since
the baloting began, and that Burns
forces will stand fast goes without say
ing. The probabilities are that there
will be no material change in the vote
to-day
REPORTERS, AHOYi
If Senator Boyce desires to even up
matters with q newspaper reporter who
chanced to shock his dignity by asking
him to state how he intended to vote on
the San Francisco charter, or some 9TH
er question of greater or less irnpor-
tance, he will have to go outside of the
Senate to do it. Yesterdays proceedings
settled that question beyond the shad-
Dw of a doubt.
The discussion of the resolution which
emanated from the fertile brain of the
Senator from Santa Barbara, provid-
ing. that any newspaper reporter caught
in an attempt to interview a Senator
during session of the body, or on the
floor Of the Senate, should be in con-
tempt, showed clearly that only ia
vored few-very few-imagined them
selves so far removed from the COM
mon herd, by reason of the toga hung
upon their shoulders by the votes Of
the people. including newspaper report
ers, that they were unapproachable,
and had reached the god-like pinnacle
from which they might hold a man in
contempt because he CHANGED to ask
Them civil question which no rule Of
etiquette demanded them to answer
unless they chose.
Senator Shortridge probably struck
the spike on the head when he said that
Senators-he did not say which ones
are prone to take themselves too seri-
ously." Since, however, an amendment
was adopted, striking out all reference
to newspaper reporters, the subject
dwindles.
ASSEMBLY LEGISLATES.
The Assembly General File for the
Sixteenth Day, Thirty-third Session.
which was y,esterday-was an exceed
ingly slender one. It's meagerness spoke
loudly of the. tagging Of legislative bus
mess. In fact the files appeared for the
first time OH Wednesday, and no his
tory of bills has as yet come out. The
hindrances thus early in the session
have placed. the business of both houses
at least te1a days behind and the COM
mittees win have to dig to get even
with their work. As it stands, many of
them can not hold even their prelimi-
nary meeting, there having been no
bills or other measures assigned to
them.
But there is Indication of a purpose to
do some substantial legislation regard
less of the politics which so engross-
ingly occupies the attention of the
members.
PERHAPS A NEW BILL.
The, County and Township Govern
ment Committee, Huber Chairman, met
yesterday afternoon, organized ana
discussed the propriety and necessity OF
<,,, ,fiy,oJxy r1pvv hill to pre-