Los Angeles herald., 1907-05-24

lines reaching nearly every section of
the city and will open more lines to-
morrow, Mr.. Calhoun read in part from
a manuscript, lengthy protest to any
action of the board looking toward
revocation or forfeiture of the fran
chises of the United Railroads.
Mr.. Calhoun charged that the super
visors were we'll aware that the object
of the resolution was to aid the striking
carmen by compelling the United Rail-
roads to yield to their demands. He
said:
mo self-respecting public officials will
lend themselves to the effort to hold up
the United Railroads and coerce 1T into
yielding to the demands OF body of
men who are no longer its employees and
whose leaders are responsible for mob
violence and bloodshed, for daily and
repeated disturbances of the public
peace, for Illegal restraints of trade, for
cowardly assaults upon individuals and
for foul and indecent insults to the
women who ride upon the cars.
lyon know that the very considera-
ton of the resolution before you tends
to give encouragement to the ex-em-
ployes of this company in their law
less acts and encourages them to be-
lieve that you will be coerced into fore
ing the United Railroads into yielding
to their demands.
"Reassert Your Manhood"
IT am not responsible for the general
public opinion that you no longer act
on your own initiative, but under the
control of those who hold over your
heads the constant threat of punish
ment. 1t is they, not I, who have pro-
claimed you good dogs to do your
masters bidding. I urge you to re-
assert your manhood. Defy the men
who call themselves your masters and
proclaim that as representatives of the
people you stand on the side of law
and order and will not permit your
selves to be made tools in the effort to
injure the United Railroads by those
influenced by malice and the hope to
profit.
''The time has come for plain speech
and for the assertion of common de-
cency and common honesty. You must
enroll yourselves on one side or the
other-among the ranks of assassins
of character and the insulters of
women, or among the ranks of those
who would maintain the law and pro-
tect personal liberty and individual
right.
Protection Asked
I'VE are prepared now to place in
service every electric line we own If
proper protection is given. The man
ner In which the United Railroads has
met the requirements upon 1t within
the past two weeks has never been sur
passed in street railroading and de-
serves your highest commendation."
An incident very full of color hap
pened right after Mr.. Calhoun had fin
ished his statement. Chairman Boxton,
whose name appears on the district at
torney's fist of supervisors charged
with accepting bribes to grant fran
chises to the United Railroads and
other corporations, and who is num-
bered by the prosecution among those
who have made confession to the grand
jury, stood up at his desk and, facing
Calhoun, quietly said:
You imply in your statement, Mr.
calhoun, that this board is controlled
by some unseen body, which directs it's
acts and compels them to be carried
OUT
"That is the substance of my
charges" replied Calhoun.
Then said Boxton, II want to tell
you and all others, that SO far as I
know, this is not true-the
condition you describe does not exist.
Let me remind you that the resolution
for the forfeiture of your franchise was
introduced by Supervisor Tveitmoe,
(who was appointed after the alleged
briberies). "Mr. Tveitmoe is not sub
ject to the big stick If what you
intimate were the fact this resolution
would have been introduced by my
self rather than by him."
81 am very glad to learn" replied
Calhoun, laughingly, that your body
is acting with entire independence"
II assure you," replied Boxton, that
it is"
The board of supervisors will meet |
tomorrow, at which time the resolution |
os forfeiture may be acted upon.