The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-01-13

in East Oakland and his old home
at Berkeley, which two places consti-
tute his Assembly district, were more
shocked than if an earthquake had Wis
tied them.
This Assembly district is one of the
most substantial and conservative in
the county, and it has always sent TO
the Legislature man with record for
honesty and steadfaStness. Two years
ago Mr.. Wright was elected to the As
sembly, and his career in the last Legts-
lature led his supporters to believe that
the estimate they had formed of his
character was correct, and when he ex-
pressed a desire to succeed himself he
found little difficulty in being re-
elected.
Throughout the campaign Mr.. Wright
made many. speeches and caused it to
be well known that he was against Mr..
De Young for United States Senator.
He made this declaration in the streets
of Berkeley and on several occasions he
declared that no one affiliated with the
railroad company should be accorded
his vote for Senator. Mr.. Wright's
initial vote on the question for Senator
Bulla was regarded as evidence that he
intended to keep his ante-election prom
ises. When he followed this up by vot-
ing on the second day for Bulla his dis
trict was satisfied that it could trust
him.
When he was assailed by the Burns
followers, and charged with being a
traitor to Burns, to whom it was al
legged he had promised his vote, hum
dreds of his warmest supporters fiocked
to his defense, and were perfectly will
ing to go on record as expressing their
utmost confidence in their Assembly
man. More than this, they repudiated,
on Mr.. Wright's assertion that it was
so, the statements of the Burns men
that he was tied up to the railroad COM
pany, aid that as time went by he
would be found in the Burns camp.
These assurances of support and these
many offers of defense were hardly ut
tered ere the news came that Speaker
Wright had fulfilled the prediction of
his enemies and had disgraced himself
and betrayed his district
When the first spasm of surprise had
passed away indignation was rampant,
and hundreds of the very best men in
Mr.. Wright's Assembly district de-
nounced in unmeaSured terms the ac-
ton of their representative. No one
acquainted with the public feeling in
Berkeley or East Oakland can possibly
argue that there is the least kindly
feeling toward Mr.. Burns IN those dis
tricts. Mr.. Burns character and meth
DDS of doing politics are as far re-
= moved from the character of the men
whom the Seventh Ward and Berkeley
would have to represent them in the
United States Senate as Maguireism is
removed from McKinleyism. Having
lived in the district many years, and
having ably represented it in one LegiS-
lature Mr.. Wright knew, and It was
his duty to know, perhaps better than
any other individual, that Mr.. Burns
is not the choice of that large district
Further down in this article will be
found expressions of opinion concerning
Mr.. Wright from men who stand high
est in the Republican party in the
Speakers Assembly district These
men are neighbors, and have been sup
porters and admirers of Mr.. Wright
In their own words they express sur
prise, indignation and adherence Of
the action of their representative at
Sacramento to-day.
After surprise and Indignation. Curl
osity was aroused, and everybody was
/ demanding to know why Mr.. Wright's S
position on such an important matter
had changed. No valid reason could be
suggested and several arguments were
made that would not have been pleas
ing to Mr.. Wright, and which that gen
tleman might consider liDelous If he
saw them in print.
Neither was the situation improved
to any marked extent when an after
noon paper published an explanation"
which Mr.. Wright had given to re-
porter in Sacramento Mr.. Wright's
explanation is as follows:
For over week I have been engaged
in investigating carefully the charges
made by the newspapers against Colonel
Burns. and I am ready to say that I be-
lieve them to be unqualifiedly false.
mean the charges that he was short in
where and that he is a desperate GRIM
inal.
"Yes, had opportunities for investiga-
tion this week which L did not have be-