The San Francisco call., 1905-01-15
Speaker of Assembly Is Not
Going to Rest Under the
Charge That He Proved a
Traitor in the Bard Fight
IMPORTANT BILLS
ARE INTRODUCED
Revision of the State Consti-
tuition viii Be Taken Up
by This Legislature and
the Defects Corrected
Special Dispatch 10 The call.

SACRAMENTO, Jan. 14.-With the
greater part of his flock scattered in
various directions throughout the State,
Speaker Prescott of the Assembly is
still in Sacramento, hard at work 1t
is not legislation alone, though, that is
occupying Prescott. The charges made
against him by certain of his constitu-
ents of San Bernardino County that he
had proven traitor to them and false
to his pledges by throwing his support
to Flint instead Of Bard in the United
States Senatorship fight are ranking
within him and he is mott going to quit
without a fling back. The bones of San
Bernardino politics are rafting under
this fight and it will be many day be-
fore it ceases to come to the surface in
some shape. Speaker Prescott has kept
to his room most of to-day preparing
a document that he thinks will shake
up his accusers in the southland.
DO you think 1 am going to lie down
under all these accusations?' he asked
in speaking of the reply he was about
TO send. His tone left no doubt that his
desires were to hand his opponents a
document that would wither them.
Il am something of a fighter myself
and ! will not allow myself to be
abused when l do not merit it. / was
left free to vote as / wanted to in case
just such an emergency as developed
should arise. I've won out on every
thing yet and you'll see me on top right
along"
will be prominent before this LegiSla-
ture. Under this instrument as it
stands the tax legislation proposed by
the Governor will be difficult and it is
supposed that he will favor a conven-
tion to renovate the States organic
law. Assemblyman Goodrich, who in
troduced a concurrent resolution that
forms the first step toward calling such
d convention, said to-day:
DEFECTS IN CONSTITUTION.
There are many defects in the con-
stitution of the State. 1t is too long
ion one thing. 1t contains too many
provisions and tries to cover too much
ground. Amendments are being con-
stantly introduced by members of the
Legislature until the constitution is be-
coming cumbersome instrument and
very different from what a State con-
StitutiGn should be-a terse document
covering vital points and free from
complexity. Many of the amendments
. that have been added to it have been
carelessly prepared and passed without
proper scrutiny. A number of them
have been introduced, not because the
authors thought they were particularly
wise, but because their constituents de-
manded it for some local reason. New
York reViseS her constitution every
twenty years. Ours has stood with con-
slant accumulation of amendments for
twenty-five years"
The prison bills introduced by As
semblyman McKenney are to receive
the especial support of Speaker Pres
cott The Speaker has great confidence
in McKenney's ability to frame meas
ures that will reach the existing evils.
Prescott's aid will help obtain the ap-
propriations asked for to begin carry
ing out the new plans if the Legisla-
ture passes the bills, and the beginning
of q complete change in CALIFORNIA;
penal methods will very likely take