The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-01-17


MFNTO. Jan 16-Speaker Wright
stepped down from his elevated dais in
the Assembly this morning and de-
manded of his colleagues an investiga-
ton OF the charges that The Call has
made against him. He asked that the
rules of the Assembly be suspended
that he might be heard. and he called
upon some one of those on the floor to
introduce the resolution necessary in or
der that an investigating committee
might be appointed
To fill his vacant chair he called, upon
Speaker pro tenn. Anderson, and it
transpired that when he called for
some one on the floor to present a res
olution" he was conjuring Grove L.
Johnson, who stands for virtue and
Sacramento on the floor of the Assem-
bly,,
With the alacrity expected OF a well
oiled programme, Mr.. Johnson came to
the front with the necessary document.
He prefaced the reading of it with a
stock Johnsonian speech -(made in Con-
gress).
The resolution he handed UP to
Speaker Anderson with the statement
that he has been voting for Burns right
along and was glad Of it, but that he,
and he was sure he spoke for all the
others who, with Wright, had gone
Mexican, desired that no Burns man
be appointed to act on the committee.
4 mighty ring of applause from the
right of the house, and Mr.. Dibble, and
then Johnson closed his peroration and
the resolution was adopted.
Speaker pro TEN. Anderson asked for
fiv minutes recess in order to give him
time to select the members of the COM
mittee.
Kyle had scarce had time to record
the roll call when the names were read
off. Cosper of Tulare was made chair
man. The balance of the body was
made up of Wade Of Napa, Mellick, La
Baree, Meade of Los Angeles and San
ford of MendocinO,
Meade at once declined to act. La
Baree followed with a request to be ex-
cused and Wade objected that he was
already very busy with three election
contests that are engrossing the atten-
ton of his committee. In the after
noon, after the joint ballot, Mellick also
asked the same privilege of withdraw
ing There were Just two left of the
original list who still had stomach for
the task laid out and of these Cosper,
the chairman, closed the Withdrawals
with his own.
Dibble of San Francisco moved that
no one appointed on the committee be
allowed to withdraw and he found an
immediate second. Meade rose to a
point of order and contended that it
was optional with the members whether
they act on the committee or not, but
he was promptly overruled by Ander-
son and Dibble'S motion prevailed.
When Speaker Wright came on the
floor he was permitted to speak under
suspension of the rules His words
were not many, but he said them in a
1T
well and was confident that the pro-
gramme would go through as arranged
during last evening and this morning.
Every one of the Burns push knew be-
forehand just what Would~be said and
what done and they were on hand to
lend their new-bOught pal moral sup
port and offer up much acclaim when
he should come bravely out and face
the completion of his political wreck
ing.
It was ten minutes before noon when
he got up TO speak. 1t was promptly
noon when everything had been said
and done. even to the appointing Of the
committee.
Said Speaker Wright:
Mr.. Speaker and gentlemen Of the
House, it has no doubt come to the
knowledge of you all, as members, that
my honor has been seriously impugned
by a San Francisco newspaper. There
fore, dis the chief officer of this house,
in that a reflection upon me is re-
Election upon this house and affects the
privileges Of it, l wish this house to
request of the Speaker pro tenn. and
authorize him by resolution to name a
committee to investigate the matters
set out in that article"
Then Mr.. Johnson offered his resolu-
!: ton and the clerk read as follows:
Whereas. Direct charges have been
made that improper means have been
used TO influence the action of Hon. How
ard r. Wright, a member OF and Speaker
Of the Assembly, in the election Of a
United States Senator by the Legislature
p and
Whereas, It has been charged that
some persons have used and are using IL
legal methods TO influence the action of
members of the Assembly in said election;
and
Whereas, 1t has been indirectly charged
that members of the Assembly have been
improperly Influenced in their votes for
Cnited States Senator; and
Whet cas-, Such charges have been given
wide publicity and should be investigated
TO the end that if found to be true the
guilty should be punished, and if found
to be untrue the originator thereof should
be punished; now, therefore. be it
Resolved That select committee Of
seven members of the Assembly be ap-
pointed by the Speaker pro TEN. to imme-
diately and fully, thoroughly and careful
" investigate each and all of said
charges, whether direct or indirect and
also to investigate in like manner the
HneIhods USED 10 lnnuence members Of the
Assembly In their votes for United
States Senator, and that said committee
have fun power to send for persons,
books, kilograms and papers. and to en-
ploy a clerk and stenogra pher, and that ii
have leave to sit during the session of the
Assembly, and that said committee report
fully as speedily as possible. with such
recommendations as it may deem proper
Then said Mr.. Johnson:
Mr.. Speaker move the adoption of the
resolution. And, in doing so, ] desire ia
express briefly the reasons that impelled
me 10 offer the resolution. For some time
II has seemed to me and 10 others in this