The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-07
RESPITE GRANTED
TO NEWSPAPERMEN
MOrehOuse Will Again Have to
Plead for Gore in the
Senate.

CALL HEADQUARTERS. SACRA-
MENTO, Feb. 6.-"The forty-year-old
reputation of Senator Morehouse must
not be torn from him. declared the
Senator from Santa Clara himself at
the top of his voice and to the extent
of an hour before the Judiciary Com
mittee of the Senate this evening. He
spoke rapidly and with much feeling
for the misdemeanors of the press and
demanded that his bill allowing the
killing of unfriendly reporters and mis-
guided editors be reported upon favor
ably by the committee. The few mem
bers of the committee who finally
voted upon the measure would not
stand for it, however, but on account
of 1.-The Santa Clara Senator'S passionate
appeal for editorial blood voted to
return the precious legislation to the
Senate without recommendation of any
kind-'so that Senator Morehouse may
fight it out on the floor"
A few bills of minor importance con-
stunned the time of the committee until
close to 10 o'clock and the Senate bill
No. 1877 was called up and Mr. More
house started in on his career of war
and reportorial slaughter.
hc JOQI4IdtlSl he aSSdll6Q were ALI
in the habit of filing their ink bottles
with gall and poison and using pens of
either the caustic or trenchant brand.
He quoted from the immortal Shake
speare to show that killing editors was
most laudable occupation and he re-
ferred to that passage in the Bible
which tells Of the Staying OF the Egvp-
tians by Moses to show that sometimes
if man only selects the proper victim
he may rise to the dignity of a king or
get into the Senate. He made no refer
ence to Mr.. Kenneally of the Assembly
nor to his efforts on behalf of the Cor
oner.
said Senator Curtin from Tuolumne,
and 1t was good roast. It raised the
price OF boiler iron, understands and
collins, and for a while made the news
paper mans field of operations dreary
waste, and the suggestion of punctured
and bleeding reporters hung upon the
room which, singularly enough, was
one OF the courtrooms OF the Supreme
Court.
Senator Davis of Jackson arose 10
back up Mr. Morehouse and kill his bill.
He said he believed in the spirit of
the measure, but he believed there were
other methods of achieving the same
end. He was not at all bloodthirsty,
and did not wish to have his path in
life strewn with the corpses of too ar
dent editors. He thought every man
who wrote for newspaper should be
compelled to sign his article and then
the injured one could fix him Both
speakers saw much that was good in
the newspaper, but omitted to mention
it; they saw much that was bad. and
spent much time on the same, and not
being newspaper men they could see
clearly the remedy for it all
When it came to a vote, however the
committee stood 3 to against a favor
able recommendation for the bill and
then it decided unanimously to refer
the measure TO promote murder under
stress of readymade excitement or
cultivated bitterness back to the SEN
ate without recommendation of any
kind Afterward, however, Mr.. More
house, having had the close attention
and uninterrupted ear Of his fellow
committeeman for so long, cooled down
a little and admitted that something
short of life and hearts blood might |
do, and he showed a disposition to go
farther into the regulation OF affairs
editorial by considering the suggestion
of Senator Davis. He even intimate1
that tomorrow he would save the lives
of hundreds of struggling reporters and
fear-stricken editors by drawing up a
bill making a mans signature instead
of his life the penalty of the crime of
criticism of public men. but ANYWAY
he is going to have another chance [
scribe-baiting before larger audience
in the Senate chamber
The only other important matter be-
fore the committee was a bill sub
mitted to the Senate by Senator Braun
hart regulating the fees of shorthand
reporters in the police courts. the hill
referring in legislative languasa par
ticuIarly to San Francisco. It vas
amended to allow the reporters s. a day
and Is cents a folio for first COPIES an6
III cents for second copies, consider
able increase over what Mr.. Braunhart
wanted AS amended it was reported
upon favorably
No Nepotism in School Boards.
!. CALL HEADQUARTERS SACRA-
MENTO. Feb. G.--AsscInblyinan Sanford
of Mendocino introduced By request In
the Assembly this morning a bill which
,.,.ox,idac thor no RcorI Of E.dIir1 tfprl az