The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-01-19

Mr.. Green, who lives in Oakland, and
was watching the campaign with good
deal Of interest The question , as to Wn lat
procedure to take was often discussed by
all of US who were interested in the out
come, and it was determined that IN or
der to win the delegation at all a great
deal of hard work and the expenditure
OF money would have to be had. one
morning in crossing on the boat met
Mr.. Green.
9. This was in September, understand?
A. Yes, sir; before the primaries. And,
as was usual at our meetings, we DIS
eussed politics, and he said: Howard,
pe Sse gh you over are gqhg sad yes
Mtlt; it is in pretty hard position.
don't know whether we are going TO WIN IN
the Seventh Ward was opposed to ours
and they were very strong. Well, ne
said, in case you need any assistance at
ton why let me know and l will help
you" We'll" L said, "Milt, we are init,
mate friends, but what does that involve?
case Of y the he said
mot particle He said: II am interest
ed very largely in the success of the Re
tive ticket--and you and are strong per
sonal friends. 1 am interested doubly in
you, in that want to see you In the nrst
place elected: in the sec9no place , 1 Wan !!
We'll" | said, 81 don't know Whether L
could accept that assistance without com
PROMISING Ing mysef ne4sonal ne sr6ands Be
tween you and me. Rob it of the Sena--
torial situation altogether and leave IT
there Well" said Il VIII THINK "a ABOUT out
and told him that I had thought 1t over
and that with the express agreSnent ana
condition between us that IL would not al
feet my vote in the Senatorial matter, II
he as my friend wished to help me out In
that campaign over there | would accept
his assistance, and l did ana EXPENDED the
money throughout the district ana &C
complished the success of our delegation
by winning the Seventh Ward by the mar
row margin of six votes: ~ ,,
q. Now, to what amount were you SO
assisted?
A. Nine hundred dollars.
Q. And how was that obtainedY
A. That was obtained from Mr.. Green.
Q. In cash or by check2
A. In cash.
Q. And all at once?
A. No, sir; $500 at one time and $500 at
O. Was that money expended in your
race subsequent or prior to the prlmariesT
A. Prior.
o. In what manner was it expended?
A. 1t was expended in hiring workers.
We had an army of them over In the
Seventh Ward and carriages and adver
Using and the rest of 1t.
A. Bands and bonfires and everything
of that sort. And also in Berkeley there
was a split delegation in Temescal, where
d
The situation was pretty we'll split up:
Q. Was any of that money expended
any of the $9O0-after the primary?
A. Not a dollar.
ceive any assistance from Mr.. Grant
through Mr.. Green or otherwise in your
political aspirations?
A. No, sir; in no way whatever.
@. Did you know at the time that you
received this money from Mr.. Green to
whom it belonged?
A. No, sir; l did not.
Q. Did you know at that time that Mr..
Green was the financial agent and mana
ger of Mr.. Grants candidacy?
A / did not know that the relationship
existed in that particular until long after
ward, when he himself told me of his re-
@. In these talks preliminary to the
offering of assistance and at the time the
assistance was offered you, did Mr. Green
say anything to you to the effect that he
would probably or would be the manager
of Mr. Grant in his Senatorial race?
A No, sir, not at any time-well, at
my first conversation he said he was in
terested, through Mr. Perkins, in Mr..
Grants campaign, but In what capacity
he did not state, and was going to help
Q. Did he say in what manner he would
help him?
O. You knew at that time that Mr..
Green had been something of a manager
of Mr.. Perkins fight, prior to this?
"A.
campaign with him in Mr.. Perkins fight
and 1 had known that Mr.. Perkins four
wears ago had all over the State of Cali
fornia assisted in this same manner legis-
lative candidates; that not only had he
done so, but l knew that six years ago
he and Mr.. FELTON, in my district and the
other Senatorial and Assembly districts
had expended $500 apiece for the purpose
of electing Legislature that would De
Republican.
o. At the time that you asked Mr..
Green what the matter involved II you
were TO accent assistance, was not that
question prompted by your knowledge
that such had been the manner of dis
tributing money in the Perkins fight?
@, And with the suspicion that Mr.
Green was offering you Grant money?
A. Yes, sir.
Mr.. Bacon-Mr Chairman, on behalf of
Mr.. Green desire to object to SO pal
pably a leading and suggestive question
as that and / desire to leave it to the
sense of fairness that must be present In
the breast of every American citizen 20
bear me out in asserting that it is wrong
to put words in the witness mouth in
that manner. l am sorry to have to rise
and make that objection, but my. sense of
duty to Mr.. Grant, my sense of duty to
these gentlemen who are sitting here will
not allow me to sit still and see the chair
man of this investigating committee put
the words in the mouth of the Speaker of
the Assembly of the State of California,
The witness-I would say Mr. Chair
man. and Mr.. Bacon, that the question
to me did not appear to be leading or re-
fleeing In the slightest degree on Mr..
Grant, because / will explain to this COM
mittee my conviction that Mr.. Grant has
not been engaged in the corrupt use of
money to influence legislators. That is
my feeling and / shall give expression to
1t before my testimony is over.
Mr.. Bacon-Mr. Chairman, 1 desire to
apologize If / have said anything that was
unseemly, but it seemed to me that that
was wrong for the chairman to put that
question as he did If did wrong in max
ing that suggestion L desire to apologize.
The chairman think it is very proba-
BILE, Mr.. Bacon, that you and myself
would very materially disagree as to my
prerogative in the matter of putting these
questions. 1 do not understand that this
committee sits as a court. l do not I'M
derstand that we sit here in presenting
the case in chief, as a court, and must
therefore be bound by the ordinary rules
of evidence; nor do I understand that a
question that is distinctively o leading
question in court can be objected to be-
cause 1t is leading in this kind of an in
vestigation. I may be wrong, gentlemen,
but | think I am right in the proposition
that a question that will get at the facts
the closest, quickest and most pungentIy is
a proper question. You will take cogni-
Zance, Mr. Bacon, of the fact that LIr
Wright stands in a somewhat different re-
lation to this committee than almost any
other witness would. for the reason that
this committee is here at his suggestion,
because of charges made against him, and