The San Francisco call., 1899-01-24


for them tickets or Transportation or
passes over the Southern Pacific Compa-
ny's lines?
A. l have not.
Q. 1t has been stated here that Moses
Gunst said in a conversation with Colonel
Preston that you had expended $l9,000 IN
the Senatorial fight. VIII you kindly state
to this committee what truth there is in
that statement?
A. Absolutely nothing. There is no truth
in 1t.
@. I will ask you this question, Colonel:
In any contribution that you made to the
State Central Committee funds, did you
make any limitation or conditions as to
the use that that money should be put to
with reference to the Senatorial hight?
A. No, sir.
Q. Did you put any money into the
hands of the State Central Committee
that should be used directly in the cleo
ton of the members of the Legislature
with the purpose of influencing or con-
trolling their votes, or the vote OF any one
of them, for any candidate for the United
States Senate?
A. l did not
@. Did you put any money, whether to
the State Committee or otherwise, into
with the hope or expectation of infiu-
encing or controlling their votes for any
candidate for United States Senator?
A. did not
Charles G. Lamberson of Visalia, Cal,
having had any use of your money, or
any money that you had any controI over.
for the purpose of influencing the vote
of any member of this Legislature for any
candidate for the United States Senate?
A No, sir. 1 do not think l know Mr.
Mr. Burnett-Did you ever receive any
communication from Mr.. Lamberson OF
Visalia?
A No, sir. / may in years past, when
1 have been on the State Central Com
mittee. but none within the last couple
of years.
mi %0
at this juncture ask Mr.. Lardner to be-
come the chairman of this committee,
and ask you to investigate the question
as to whether Mr.. Burns or anybody in
his behalf had used any influence by
money, or patronage, or the promise of
money or patronage, or the threat to
withhold patronage; to influence the vote
date for United States Senator, and L will
take no further part during that partic-
ular part of your deliberations.
Mr.. Lardner-ConSider the statement as
a question, and L will ask for an an
swer, Mr.. Burns.
A. | have not.
@. Do you know of any patronage, or
threats to withhold patronage from Mr..
CoSper having been used to influence his
vote one way or the other?
G. Do you know of any offers having
been made to Mr.. Cosper of money to in
fluence his vote one way or the other, as
to the Senatorial aspirantS?
A. No, sir l do not.
Mr.. Cosper-Particularly the $4,000.
A. No, sir.
rumor in the paper about an offer hav-
ing been made to Mr.. Cosper of $4,000?
4. Yes, I read it in the papers
a friend Of Mr. Grant and said that
should he decline to vote for Mr.. Burns
and vote for Mr.. Grant, he wanted the
same consideration given to l him? :.
A. / read that, yes. No truth in 1t, so
far as | know.
Q. DO You know of any offer having
been made to Mr.. Cosper of $4,000 if he
would vote for you?
A. l do not.
@. Or any ether sum, more or less, than
$1,000?
Q. Do you know anything of the truth
or falsity of whether Mr.. Cosper went to
Mr.. Grants friends any other candi-
dates friends, stating to them that If he
refused the supposed offer to you that he
should receive the same compensation if
he went to them?
A. | do not sir
Mr.. Mellick-Did Mr.. Cosper come to
you with a request for any concession,
monetary or political?
A. He did not.
Q. If he would vote for you?
A. He did not, sir.
@. Did he send to you or any of his
friends come to you with any such re-
quest?
A. He did not
Mr.. Lardner-Did Mr. Cosper or any
friend of his make any application to you
as to any patronage that might be entire
ly controlled or in the control of those
that you are very friendly with, to in
fiuence his vote one way or the other?
A. No, sir.
@. Or Withholding of any advantages or
privileges or favorable legislation that he
might hope to have in the Legislature if
he should vote for you or not?
Mr.. Meiiick-Do you have political
manager?
A, Well I have about four or five hum
dred, l think.
Q. mean a financial agent?
O. Who handles any funds whatever for
you?
Q. Would you like to have one?
Mr. Burnett-How much has your cam
paign for the United States Senatorship
4. Whatever my hotel bills and hack
hire may be here. / nave nave not OF settled settle.
them yet, Mr. Burnett. They are gener-
9. You do not consider that your con-
tribution to the State Central Committee
is an expenditure in connection with your
candidacy for United States Senator?
A. Why, certainly not. / have been a
contributor for years to the general fund
Mr.. Sanford-You say that Assembly
man Merrill has not voted for you?
9. Have you expected his vote, did you
say?
"A
expect otherwise. He was from my home
and there is very warm feeling in San
Francisco for me.
@. DO you expect his vote in view of
the fact that you had secured this trans
portation?
A. Why, certainly not.
O. Did he explain to you the reason
why he did not vote for you?
A. Yes.
O. What were his reasons?
A. He had requested me to get him the
craftsmanship of a committee and have
him placed on two or three other COM
mittees and he did not get the committees
and blamed me for it. 1 explained to him
after he had voted that l never saw the
committee list and did not have the op-
portunity. The committees were given
out to the Associated Press before | had
an opportunity of consulting with the
Speaker with relation to them. And he
thought that he had been overlooked. He
was piqued and angry; and that was the
reason that he gave me.
The chairman-When you are through,
gentlemen, / want to ask a few questions.
| do not think you have probed the mat
ter quite deep enough to. satisfy me with
reference to myself, and with your per-
mission Mr.. Lardner, l will ask some
further questions.
Mr. Lardner-I thought I had asked all
reasonable questions
The chairman-Colonel, I desire to ask
you If anybody representing himself as
coming from me or representing himself
as a friend of mine, has solicited you to
of