The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-01-20

Q. Do you know from what source 1t
came?
A. 1 was trying to recall that, too: It
was several days ago and my mind has
been full of very many things since that
am lmf My either Assembiyman
Dale or j. w. Wiley attorney of Bakers
field, who was here for some time, said
to me, do you know that our people -
they were friendly to Grant" assisted in
your fight?" n ow ] cannot tell you,
gentlemen, that those were the men, be-
talking to me, all the time insisting that
it was my duty to- vote for Mr.. Grant,
because l was the only man in the Sew
standing out against him; and which one
of those numerous mlen that were insist
ent on that point it would be i'm
possible at this juno ture for me to tell
q. One reason that they gave why you
should vote for Grant was because
Grants money had gone into your dis
trict and assisted in your election?
A. That was the question exactly. do
you know that our people assisted you in
''if they did it was without any consulta-
ton with me, and | don't feel myself
under any moral obIga ton to vote for
Mr.. Grant, therefore. L like to be con-
suited by neople that desire to assist me
in my fights" Ana that was my uniform
answer whenever a ques ton of that kind
was raised.
Mr.. Bacon-I want to- ask the chairman
if 1 could be permitted to cross-eXamine
Mr.. Cosper with reference TO his state
ments about Grants ca mpaign?
Mr.. Mellick-So far as l am concerned,
if he is willing.
The witness-I desire tc, say this further,
Grant and none of Mr. Grants friends
have asked me to vote fer him in consid-
Grafton of any assistance that they have
given me. That is fair to Mr.. Grant. If
they insisted they did not use that as an
inducement to me further than what L
have stated to you from these outside
hfrNcr 1.fNfff
their authority to speak for Mr.. Grant or
Mr.. Green. 1t was a matter so foreign to
my liking that ! did not care to pursue
the thing and did not pursue 1T.
Mr.. Bacon-May [ ask you some Ques-
tons now, Mr.. Cosper?
A. Certainly.
examination or in your direct statements
prior to any mention of Mr.. Grant, you
said that no candidate and no friend of
any candidate had ever made any offer
to you of anything, of any consideration,
either of patronage, money or influence,
to secure your vote for any man for
United States Senator?
A. think it amounts to that.
Q. And that nobody had solicited your
vote for United States Senator, giving as
A. l do not know that 1 said that, but
l think that is true.
Q. You have also said just now that you
did not know whether or not these
money having been put in Mr.. Boones
campaign were friends of Mr.. Grant or
not?
A. do not know that said that
Q. Boone's district?
A. But / knew they were friendly to
Mr.. Grants candidacy; but said that
did not know that they had any author
ity to speak for Mr.. Grant or Mr. Green
in the matter.
O. And you do not remember who it
A. Not with definiteness, no, sir. 1 have
given you my best impressions, or given
the committee. rather.
Q. Do you enjoy being examined in an
inquiry of this kind, Mr.. Cosper?
A. Oh, Mr.. Bacon, l am apt to take the
world as it comes, and l will take this
with the rest of II. 1t is not particularly
unpleasant to me.
Q. 1t is not?
Q. You enjoy It, then?
A. Well, I do not know why you should
assume 1t.
Q. Well, you say it is not unpleasant.
Mr.. Mellick-I do not think that is
A It is a matter of indifference; solely
a matter Of Indifference.
Mr. Mellick-That is hardly a proper
The witness-You ought to know, Mr..
Bacon, that did not invite 1t nor did
avoid it.
Mr.. Bacon-Certainly; I understand
that. Now, Mr.. Cosper, usually to the
ordinary man it is a very unpleasant
thing, is it not?
A l am not sure what you would con-
slider an ordinary man.
O. A man with keen sensibilities, with
respect TO his name and standing in the
community in which he lives.
A 1 think there are a great many or
binary men who would not be so keenly
sensitive.
@. You think there are?
A Yes, sir.
@. Then that is probably the reason that
you connected the name of some Assem-
blyman with a rumor of having made
statement and you cannot remember
whether he was the fellow that made 1T
or not?
A 1 am not responsible for your pre-
sumptions, Mr.. Bacon.
Q. Well, / am just trying to get al your
reason for making that statement,
A. Mr.. Bacon, 1 am under oath. I am
asked to give these things, and 1t is my
duty to give them as nearly as / can. can
not say positively, and so clearly indicated
1t to this committee that / could not say
positively, that either of the gentlemen
have named was the gentleman who made
that statement to me. You ought by this
time to have understood that fact.
Q. do understand that, sir. 1 under
stand that you made that statement.
A. 1 would not voluntarily bring the
name of any man into transaction of
this kind, but cannot avoid my RESPONSE
bility under oath. / would not If / could.
Q. Now, then, you say that no one con-
nected with Mr.. Grant has ever made any
improper proposal to you with respect to
your vote?
A. I say that not only of that individual
but of all individuals.
@. Then why did you detail this state
ment that you had just made here, that
you were solicited to vote for Mr.. Grant
because Mr. Grants money had possibly
helped to elect you?
A did not so detail nor so state.
Q. Did you not say that somebody had
said to you that you probably ought to
vote for Mr.. Grant because you were
under obligations possibly to vote for Mr..
Grant.
show.
O. What GOES 1t show in respect to that?
A shall have to ask for the written
record to tell you exactly, but l know
that that was not the truth-the form of
the statement.
O. Now, with respect to Mr.. Wiley, If
it was Mr.. Wiley-I do not know who 1t
was, but If it was Mr.. Wiley-will you
please state to this committee what Mr..
Wiley said to you?
A. have stated it as near as can re-
member it, and my best memory of my
former statement Is this, and of what he
said is this, if he be the man, and l do
not say that he was: Upon urging me
to vote for Mr.. Grant because / was the
only man in the Seventh Congressional
District in this Legislature that was
standing out against Mr.. Grant he said,
Don't you know" l think was his Ian
guage, that our people assisted in your
| fght?'' l think that is the way stated
II and think that ia the wav n was stat