The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-01-16
SPEAKER WRIoHT's TREAcHERY.

THE exposure which has followed Speaker
1 | Wright's allegation that he voted for Oar
Burns in the Joint Senatorial convention be-
cause certain Justices of the Supreme Court favor
the candidacy of that individual throws light upon
method which is often employed by the politicians
to encompass their ends.
Wright's action in betraying his constituents
needed explanation, and he knew it. He could not
say with any prospect OF being believed that his con-
sttuents desired him to vote for Burns. He could
not, with any prospect of his sanity going unques-
toned, say that the public press an. respectable
portion of it desired him to vote for Burns. He
could make shadowy references to phantom bust
ness who favor the candidacy of Burns, but this
would bear so many evidences of fake that he was
loath to employ that method of befuddling the pub
lie. SO he brought to his aid the Supreme Court, a
tribunal which is always out of politics and the mem
bers of which usually pay little attention to
Senatorial campaigns.
Speaker Wrights idea was to give his flop re-
spectacle appearance, and he thought that il he said
the Supreme Court body favored the election OF
Burns great many people would consider that in
changing his vote he had selected the best man. It
was scarcely necessary to inform intelligent people
that Speaker Wrights statement false. All OBJ
serving persons know that the last thing the members
OF the Supreme Court would do would be to favor
the election OF such candidate Tor Senator as Dan
Burns These Justices educated, respectable
II is their business only decide the disputes of
civil litigants but to that criminals jailed
and justice done For them as an organized body to
favor the election of Dan Burns to the Senate would
be to practically subvert the purpose OF their ex-
istence Instead of adjudicating the law when ap-
piled to criminals they would have entered into the
business of promoting the political aspirations Of
those whom they often called upon to discipline
But Wrights subterfuge shows to what lengths I'M
scrupulous politicians go in making what they call
their fights" Doubtless when member of the
Legislature votes for Burns he ought to have some
respectable backing Certainly the itself is I'M
justifable Dragging the Supreme Court into the
controversy, however, is scarcely permissible, and
the criticism to which Speaker Wright is being sub
ected for his Justification is eminently proper and
should be made
There is but influence in the State of Califor-
MIA which favors the Senatorial candidacy of Burns
and that is the Southern Pacific Company. Every
other influence claiming the character of respecta-
bility is against him. The people do not want him
the newspapers do not want him; the churches do
not want him. Except few gamblers, politicians
and the railroad, nobody wants him. However it
must be said that, judged by his conduct, Speaker
Wright is in appropriate company The air of re-
spectabity which he has heretofore assumed having
now been dissipated shall in future estimate him
his true value. He should be known hereafter as
Howard E. Wrong