The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-01-22
RACETRACk MEN.
SAY THEY WERE
DOUBL[CROSS[D
Opponents of Otis Bill Secretly
Charge Stanton With ViO-
lating Program
Speaker Declares He Made No
Pledges and Place Came
Without Strings
Public Declaration Is Not Made
by Enemies of the Anti
Gambling Bill

N-<A4-A~ I1E@AONlO<AIAI 1r1AMbE
OF COMMERCE BUILDING. SACRA-
MENTO, Jan. 21.-That Phil stanton
double crossed them after agreeing to
take the racetrack program as the
price of his election to the speakership
is the charge being circulated by the
opponents of the Otis-walker anti
racetrack gambling bill. who hold Stan
ton responsible for the passage of that
bill by vote of 81 to 10 in the as
sembly this morning
That he made no pledges to any one;
that the speakership came to him with
out any strings. and that he never
agreed or was asked to take racetrack
or any other program, is the answer
of the speaker, who appointed the as
sembly committee on public morals and
who, as sponsor in the assembly for the
Wright-Stanton direct primary cleo
ton bill, has assumed responsibility to
the people for the passage by the lower
house of a proper and adequate direct
primary measure.
Will Not Make Public Charge
The double cross story is in free
circulation, but naturally enough none
Of the men who are industrially cir
culating it is willing to stand for
public declaration that stanton pledged
himself against an anti-racetrack gam
bling bill and broke that pledge after
the votes of the racetrack assembly
men had helped boost him into the
seat of honor and control in the lower,
house,
Assemblyman John w Mott, chief
spokesman on the assembly floor for
the opponents of the Otis-walker bill,
was willing to give public expression
to his grief to the extent of saying
stanton is the most disgraceful thing
that ever sat In the speakers chair"
No Strings on the Job
The story which has been going the
rounds for several days gathered new
headway after the Otis bill was passed
| includes mysterious conference, place
and time unfixed. At this conference it
is charged that Stanton pledged himself
to come through for the opponents of
the anti-racetrack gambling measure
to be proposed. Moreover, that the
pledge was the only one exacted
Stanton said this afternoon:
1 was never in any conference touch
ing the speakership and the anti-race-
track gambling bill Tile speakership
came to me without any strings, and it
could not have come to me otherwise
l never agreed to take any racetrack
program, or any other program There
has never been the slightest room for
! doubt about my attitude on the anti
racetrack gambling question since the
campaign of 1906. 1 was bound then by
the instructions of the convention which
nominated me and similarly instructed
by the convention in 1908. / went be-
fore the convention two years ago and
asked for instructions; moreover, asked
that they be unequivocal.
81 am always ready to be programmed
by the people of my district. BY their
unanimous vote and work they in
structed me to vote for the abolition
of racetrack gambling. They gave me
the same Instructions last fall. I have
obeyed them"
No Contention on Rate Bills
The attempt to stir up row and an
atmosphere of bad faith about the
reference of all the pending railway
rate bills to the committee on cor
porations will not successfully attain
4 to- -
in teapot The contention that the
committee on corporations was COM
posed of men who had bad records and
were controlled by the Southern Pa
cific company fell fiat when it developed
not only that the authors or sponsors
ures first considered in the committee
on corporations. and that subsequently,
the work of the committee would go
to the judiciary committee, where the
governors bill introduced by Senator
Stetson and the Campbell bill were
originally sent upon their introduction.
The Wright and Miller bills were re-
ferred originally to the committee on
corporations.
The Wright bill and the governors
measure, introduced by stetson, are
very similar. and Stetson asked that
the Wright bill be taken from the COM
mittee on corporations and sent to the
judiciary committee for consideration
with his bill.
Campbell finally agreed with Wright
and Miller and they co-operated In se-
curing the transfer of the Campbell ard
Stetson bills to the committee on cor
porations. Public hearings win be The
order from and after Monday night
and when the corporations committee
whips a bill into shape, it will go to
/ the judiciary for further consideration.