The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-01-31

Mr. Wright or any. other man, but the
preservation of the integrity of this body
and the honor of California. That, Mr.
question, and / submit that if that man,
by his personal acts, has rendered him
self unfit to preside over this body he
has by those acts untitled himself TO be
member on the floor of this House.
Furthermore, Mr.. Speaker, you have no
right to create in this body a privileged
class, and l want you gentlemen of the
Assembly to weigh that matter. LII the
Speaker of this House, or the Speaker
pro tenn, or any other member occupying
a position above the common level has
light to permit Mr.. Valentine to resign
or. rather, to do those things which would
require expulsion of a member not occu-
plying a position of that kind-that you
create here privileged class.
What wish to make plain by that is
this: You have decided to prosecute this
investigation; you will call Mr.. Green to
the bar of this House and compel him
II this House, by the power invested In 1t,
can compel hin-to answer certain ques-
tons. Those questions involve the honor
OF certain members on the floor OF this
House. They may involve the honor of
some man who does not hold position
separate from his membership, and In that
event that man would be expelled; but
men-we will say Mr.. Valentine here
that questions were raised against him
that his honor was questioned and that
those charges We're proved to be true;
right to do those things with impunity-
the craftsmanship of the Ways and Means
Committee and thus maintain his position
on the floor when perhaps L, II the
proved, would be expelled? Why? Be
cause occupy no position except the po-
sition of member. 1 would have no no
Sition to resign.
The Speaker of this House has resigned
the position of Speaker, and, in my mind,
has done it to escape the full penalty or
L. Iof- Low n fhnf
man can, without sacrificing his honor
take the course which our late speaker
has taken, the sooner this Assembly
places the stamp of disapprovai upon that
man from San Francisco has told us that
these practices were common. nd he says,
Let US stop them" l agree with MIN
there. If they are common, SO far as
am concerned, / will say that l have run
for the Legislature the second time, ana
l have never taken a dollar from Sena-
toriaI candidate, and that man VINO taxes
a dollar or any sum Of dollars upon the
express or implied understanding that he
as to vote for that candidate that man mas
accepted a bride; and candidate for
United States Senator who advances
financial aid to any candidate for the
Legislature with the idea of obligating
that man to him, that man is briber, L
care not who he is or where he came
from, and the bribetaker and the brlpe-
giver should be damned together. II the
State of California has any representa-
tives in the United States Senate that
have abused their duty to the extent OF
buying their way to the United states
Senate, those representatives, should be
breaking rock at Folsom instead OF repre-
senting this great commonwealth upon
the floor of the United States Senate.
Those are my sentiments, ana peneve
Mr.. Speaker and gentlemen of the Assem-
bly,, that those are the sentiments or the
great common people of California Poll
ticians may overlook what L deem Did
-; +9os.a Osah 1XrC nf
name; politicians, perhaps, have got too
used to those methods; but they have
been denounced, and they have always
met the disapproval of the great masses
of the people. They have always been
looked upon by the great masses
of the people as bribery, pure and simple,
and no amount of sophistry, no amount OF
argument, can ever convince the people
of this State that it is anything but brib-
cry. Now, gentlemen of the Assembly,
ask you to adopt this resolution. l ask
whole State of California are upon you'll
ask you to lay aside every consideration
except the interests of California-this
great commonwealth that love and that
L believe all of you love.
Consider the interests of California. Do
not be swayed by any sickly sentiment of
sympathy for any individual-an individ-
ual caught at his own rascaatty; but if
you have any sympathy to give, If you
have any sympathy l say, you ought to
extend that sympathy to the hundreds
the State of California that are entering
upon public life. Let the young men of
the State of California understand that
that man who goes crooked; that that
man who can stoop to such methods as
the late Speaker of this House stopped to-
that that man will be damned politically
and socially. Let the young men of the
State of California understand that thew
cannot trifle with bribery; that they can
not trifle in that matter.
Gentlemen of the Assembly. l ask you.
in the name of this great commonwealth
in the name of the honor and the honesty
and the virtue of this great States-I ask
you to-day to set mileStoneS along the
highway of this State-upon the highway
of time-to set a milestone there that
the young man passing along may read
upon it that it does not pay to be crook
ed: that it pays to be straight; that it
pays to be honorable; that it pays to be
honest.
GROVE TALKS AGAIN.
After the speech making was at an
end Johnson of Sacramento again de-
manded the floor, this time on a ques-
ton of personal privilege He spoke as
follows Those who know Mr.. John
sons reputation for truthfulness may
give whatever they please to his re-
marks:
Mr. Johnson-Mr. Speaker, I rise to a
San Francisco Call of the edition of Sun
day January 20, 1899, in the report from
The Call headquarters, as 1t is called, in
Sacramento, in reference to the Dill NO.
400 known as the bill in reference to pre-
venting the publication of portraits and
caricatures without the consent of the
person whose portrait or caricature is
published, occurs the following: John