The San Francisco call., 1899-01-24
DiametricaIIy Opposite Stories Told by
TeStifying Politicians.
Burns Has Captured the Committee and Is Work
ing 1t Greatly to His Advantage and COnse-
Quent Detriment of his Opponents.
BY HENRY JAMES.

Committee as he had heard that they had
amounted to 1900 or $4,000, and his ref
erence had been solely to this circum-
stance. He admitted that his relations
with Burns were intimate, but that the
latter hSd told him of an intention to be-
come a Senatorial candidate he explicitly
denied. Burns. he said, had been driven
into the contest by the abuse of the news
papers. l gathered from his remarks
that on his own account Gunst did not
love the newspapers much, and he said
some real mean things about The Call.
which has done so much to point out to
him the way to lead a better life Gunst
quit munching the end of his cane and re-
tired AS no tumult ensued in the hall
probably Preston had left.
There was a whisper and craning. Of
necks as Herrin came forward. Those in
terested in this matter should read his
testimony in full. He stated that the
Southern Pacific had done nothing what
ever TO promote the candidacy of Burns,
that it was not in politics, anyhow. The
witness told of the application of AS
semblyman Merrill for passes or special
rates for an impecunious pair and of his
refusal to issue them. Later he had is
sued two tourist tickets on the written
request of Burns, and the next time he
had met the colonel Burns had paid him
for the tickets, Merrilrs name not having
been mentioned in the transaction. Bur-
nett wanted to know il money had been
put into the newspapers, but Mellick shut
off this line of research. Mellick is an
got him laughed at. He wanted to know
if an Assemblyman desired a pass the
proper officer to whom to apply. He is
still in the dark. The summary of Her
rims testimony is that the railroad is not
engaged in making Senators, that Green's
statement of Wright having sought fnan-
cial aid was unutterably false, that no
campaign expenses had been paid, that
James Copeland was not and never had
been a Southern Pacific attorney, and he
brought IT apparently as an incident that
General Barnes was one of the company's
lawyers and had recently obtained passes
for clerk. This was neat attempt to
create an impression but l doubt its eff
fectiveness. Before he left the chair he
had denied every allegation which had
been made concerning the interest of the
road in Burns, and he had avoided hurt
ing Burns little bit He was not rat
tied, and the committee made no attempt
to rattle him. They let him off gently
and soon. They did not jar him with dis
turbing questions. Did he not represent
the Southern Pacific and had not that be-
nign corporation declared through him
that it did not care a WhOOp either way?
When Cosper excused him. it was as
though he was grateful, although a man
who is voting for Bulla cannot logically
be glad TO have the path smoothed for
rival.
1t was here that Major Mclaughlin
projected his sworn eulogy of Burns and
denunciation of De Young and snatched
a few laurels for his own brow. The ma
jOr was warm. He declared that Burns
contest. or since determining to enter 1t,
and remarks concerning the papers were
thrown in literally, as the colonel throws
money into the Golfers of the party.
Colonel Burns told the tale of having
been forced into the campaign by the
wicked press and how he had not spent
cent since his candidacy nor sollclted
vote Every intimatiOn that he had vio-
lated any tenet of morals. that he had Of
fered patronage, money or threats ne
quietly denied, never hes:tating. He did
,O+r nit he excitement and his
demeanor contrasted markedly with that
of the preceding witness. The longest eX-
PLANTATION he had to make was OF the rail-
road tickets he had paid for, and under the
lucid beams he threw upon this 1t chang
ed TO a beautiful charity. He expected
the support of Merrill, but never from
having extended this favor. He had given
tickets to strangers because the stranS-
ers needed them. At no place did his tes-
timony fail to fit that of his witnesses
who had preceded him, the nicely OF the
fit almost suggesting rehearsal. 1t was
also his duty to state that Wright had
evaded the truth.
In leaving the chair Burns met Grant
and shook his hand Grant was the last
important witness of the day and had
the most uncomfortable time His prlncl-
pal work was in defending Milton Green
in whom he expressed the utmost con-
fdence No money he believed had been
illegitimately spent in his behalf; The
$3.50 loan to Wright was only for the pur-
pose of accommodating friend OF
Green. AS Burns had done, he denied
having sought any pledges or obtained
any. He has wished to help the whole
ticket Matters were so entirely in the
/ hands of Green that he did not know
how money had gone, and no accounting
had been asked for. 1t was here that
Burnett asked the question as to the to-
tai and got up to $50 900, where he struck
a snag. Grant admitted that the investt-
cation had harmed him. He charged
Governor Gage of being guilty of an un-
truth, but he did so mildly. He is not
violent man. Indeed, he was suffering
under the ordeal, and they let him go.
The day was finished by statement
from Jlson that he had received $i00 from
Dan Cole, but as everybody knows this
it was not really important. So stands
the investigation, its mechanism captured
| by Burns. and its position SUCH that
vision of whitewash looms up in the near
future.
The committee did good work at first,
but grew weary in well doing, and in
stead of being a reformative agency has
been perverted.