The San Francisco call., 1899-10-31

~ ONE. surprise was occasioned by the
publication in The Call Sunday
morning Of all the facts concern
ing the conference in the Southern
Pacific Offices last week between II.
+. Huntington. j. c. Stubbs and the eX-
ecutive committee Of the Pacific Coast
Jobbers' and Manufacturers Association.
The facts were correctly reported. Mr.
Stubbs then and there declared that he
had nominated General y. 7. Chapman
and further said that he would not with
draw his support from Chipman. That IS
q part Of the current history Of the move
ment IN which the mercantile interests
Of the Pacific Coast are concerned large
". But there is another chapter that has
not heretofore been told. Stubbs knew
earlier than did the merchants that there
would be a vacancy upon the Interstate
Commerce Commission. The merchants
received the information through him. The
story Of he meeting, when they learned
the facts, is one of unusual interest
Two leading merchants were requested
by Mr.. Stubs to call upon him on the
50 day of October They went TO the yell
low building and there met Stubbs.
The subject matter was made known
with Nttle delay. Mr. Stubs told them
that he had received q letter from the
East and that therein the news came that
". J. Calhoun had sent in his resignation
as a member Of the Interstate Commerce
Commission and that It was to take effect
upon the LIST day of October. The news
had not vet reached San Francisco by
wire Stubbs had requested the mer-
chants to come and talk about the Inter
state Commerce COmmissiOnership, so he
said. He considered that 1t would be
good thing 10 have the vacancy on the
80 1el nv
resenung the Pacific Coast. He need not
be a professional man TO I'll the position
well; not necessarily" said Stubbs,
"but he should be a business man-one
well acquainted with the business and
traffic peculiarities OF the coast.
Stubs then invited the two merchants
to express their opinions in the matter.
They both concurred with Stubbs that
the coast ought 10 be represented by an
Interstate Commerce Commissioner. Ihen
one of the merchants asked STUDIOS II ne
had any choice for Commissioner.
No" said Stubbs, emphatically, no,
I have no one TO offer; all that l want Is
"a good man for the place.
The merchants believed that Stubbs was
acting in good faith, and that he meant
what he said.
THE first thing to he Done SAID
Stubbs, is to get the commercial BODIES
Of the whole coast to petition the Presl-
Qent to recognize the Pacific Coast in
making the appointment. Some one must
rolling. ! cannot do that, for the news
papers are in such rabid mood concern
Ing the Southern Pacific company that
they would not listen TO me.
Some additional conversation took place.
Finally the merchants went away, having
II firmly impressed upon their minds that
Stubbs had no candidate. They realized
fully, then, that the selection of a busi-
ness man, cOuvcrsant with conditions
upon the Pacific Coast, would be Of bene-
tit to the commercial community. II
them
Stubs acting for the Southern Pacific
Company, would be guilty Of trying TO
have the company's own attorney select
ed as member Of a commission before
which the company might have TO appear
10 answer charges, as a defendant, al any
time. The sequel shows how badly they
were mistaken.
The mercantile organizations Of this
city held meetings and recommended to
President Mckinley that some Pacific
Coast man should be nominated as Com
missioner. While they We're doing this
and securing the cooperation of the COM
mercial bodies in other cities, 1t may be-
or may not be the fact. that Stubbs
"snickered,' as the saying is "in his
sleeve" Certainly, the Pacific Coast
Traffic Association, the temporary body
that Immediately preceded the Pacific
Coast JObbers' and Manufacturers Asso-
CiatOn, did not know that Stubbs even
then had a Joker in his hand, when they
were preparing to enlist the cooperation
When The Call first made known the
fact that the Southern Pacific Company
was taking advantage Of the situation to
try to get the President to name the rail-
road company's attorney general aston
ishment was OCcasioned. A large num-
ber Of leading business men Of the city
IN interviews named the requisites for a
candidate who could do full justice to the
business and transportation interests of
the Pacific Coast.
He must be a business man; one ac-
Quainted intimately with traffic matters
not lawyer or politician"
The last provision was dwelt upon
by many merchants who are leaders In
commercial circles.
Mr.. Stubbs, who says that he nominated
Chipman, justified tho opinion of many
public spirited men in California and else
where, concerning the ethics of the yell
low ''knockery,' by getting out and into
circulation a petition to President Nc
Kinley 10 name Chapman for Commits
sioner and the merchants knew nothing
Of the matter. A number of merchants
and others were induced to sign the Pc
tition in behalf Of Chapman, when II was
taken around In this city by r. b. Car
penter, and in Sacramento by D. o. Mills.
upon the same sort of representation