The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-04-06
Echoes of the
Last Campaign
Railroad Magnate Seeks to
Escape Responsibility for
Aiding Burns.

and would be. That was before the |
legislative deadlock had become a seri-
Gus affair and Huntington believed that !
a wish of of the Southern Pacific Com |
pany was a command to State legisla |
tors.
Huntington felt so sure of his ground |
that he forgot his customary reserve |
and made this declaration. That set
tied the case of De Young and gave
Herrin his Instructions When the leg
islative deadlock seemed likely to be
permanent Huntington shook his head
knowingly and said that "the Legisla-
ture of California will elect a Senator
and D. NJ. Burns will be the winner Of
the prize" De Young had judgment
enough not to enter the contest. Her
rim had received his orders and pro-
ceeded with due diligence to execute
them.
The head of the law department Is
political campaigner of experience. He
knows that it is not pleasant task to
explain a failure and he left undone
nothing which might contribute to sue
cess. He arranged TO be in direct COM
muncation with ]. B. Wright, the
Southern Pacific division superintend-
ent at Sacramento. Herrin had di-
rect telegraphic communication with
Wright whenever he wished it, and D.
NJ. Burns held daily conferences with
Herrin through the medium of Wright
during the Senatorial campaign. Hunt
ingtons orders were being obeyed.
AS a matter of course the Southern
Pacific Company had other interests
at Sacramento as we'll as the Senatorial
fight. The railroad has always main
tained at the capital during sessions Of
the Legislature a powerful lobby
! Money is spent votes are bartered and
only trusted men are employed in such
delicate work This year the Southern
Pacific Company Pooled its interests
The men who We're chosen to watch
railroad legislation were commissioned
also to make the Mexican's cause that
of the railroad. The followers of D.
NJ. Burns were in the service of the
Southern Pacific Company. The ex-
penses of these men, incurred in ad-
vancing the cause of Burns, were paid
by the Southern Pacific Company. The
distributor of railroad passes was one
of the trusted supporters of Burns. The
campaign of the Mexican was the cam
paign of the Southern Pacific Company.
In fulfllment of his duty William F.
Herrin conducted this campaign. He
interviewed legislators, used every
weapon of the railroad, indorsed expen-
ditures Of money that belonged to his
employers and fought with such energy
that when failure came the Southern
Pacific Company and not William F.
Herrin stood discredited with dis
F,,1l l1TA
seeks to throw upon his faithful servant
the odium of his own commands The !
crafty railroad magnate has aG'o in |
volved General Hubbard in his scheme |
of evasion, but the imposition, it is
believed, is not serious. General Hub
bard is credited with being wiser than
he talks At all events the people of !
the State do not always believe all they
hear.
Particularly is this the fact when the |
people of California hear c. P. Hunt |
ington say that William F. Herrin. on
his own responsible used railroad |
money, issued railroad passes. paid |
railroad lobbyists and exerted all the !
strength Of railroad influence to elect |
D. NJ. Burns a United States Senator. |
In the presence of witnesses William
F. Herrin declared that his personal |
choice for United States Senator was
NJ. H. de Young, but his personal |
choice counted for nothing as the in
structions Of his sUperiors were to labor |
for D. M. Burns. Herrin is reported to |
have said that he wanted De Young |
but the railroad wanted Burns and |
there all discussion must end. Even |
huntington can see the absurdity of |
the assertion that Herrin used all the |
power of the great corporation to ad- |
vance cause in which that corpora
ton was not interested. Herrin obeys |
the command Of those who employ him. |
and he is employed by c. P Hunting |
ton.