The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-01-21
PEOP[E'SLOBBY
. IS DEALT BLOW
BY LEGISLATORS
Representative Barred From
Assembly for Daring" to
Question Member
Courteous Note to All WheeIan
for Failure to Vote on Rae
ing Bill Is the Cause
S0l0ns Place Selves on Record
as Disappearing Public
Scrutiny of Acts
BY George Van Smith
Especial Dispatch 10 The Call

CALL HEADQUARTERS CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE BUILDING, SACRA-
MENTO, Jan. 20.-With a yelp of out
ragged dignity the assembly rose UP in
its sensitive might this morning, de-
nounced the impertinence of any set of
men which should dare to ask questions
about the acts of any of its members
and avenged dastardly attempt to
secure an explanation of Assemblyman
Al Wheelan's failure to vote for the
racetrack interests by ejecting the
peoples lobby. as represented by George
B. Anderson, editor of the Pacific Out
look, from the sacred precincts of the
assembly chamber
Assembly Ridiculous
Carried away by the plants of As
semblyman Al Wheelan, who resented
any one other than the racetrack in
terests inquiring into his failure to be
present yesterday to record his vote
for the recommitment of the Otis
Walker bill, and by the vigorous ora
tory of Bob Beardslee and Grove L.
Johnson, the assembly demonstrated to-
day that it would rather be ridiculous
than to concede that the people had
any right to ask questions. Inciden-
tally, it gave concrete expression to the
resentment of some of its members over
the presence in Sacramento of the so
called peoples lobby" which has sent
agents to Sacramento to record and
preserve the votes of all assemblymen
and senators on all questions of public
interest.
For years Jere Burke, Walter Par
ker, George Hatton, Frank Daroux or
any other lobbyists representing in
terests inimical to the people have
been permitted to stalk around the
floors of both house ordering senators
and assemblymen. nominated and elect
ed by the machine to vote or not to
vote, with all the assurance of section
bosses and with the same explicit and
unquestioning obedience that the sec
ton boss would receive from his gang
of navies.
Denounced as Disgrace
A situation which Governor Gillett
denounced as disgrace to the state
developed. Upon the organization OF
the -eighth session both houses
adopted stringent anti-lobbyist rules.
and be it said to the credit of Speaker
Stanton that the rule has been strictly
enforced in the house. No spectacular
or fnr Of fLa
pected in the senate.
The peoples lobby is not a lobby in
fact. 1t savprs of the right kind Of
espionage and is not resented by the
great majority of the right thinking
men in either house. The public has a
right to know what its legislators are
doing and a civic organization calling
itself the peoples lobby placed George
B. Anderson, editor of the Pacific Out
look, and accredited representative of
the Fresno Republican, in charge of
its Sacramento Office
Al Wheelan, assemblyman from San
Francisco, was among those absent
when the showdown between the race
track and anti-racetrack people was
precipitated yesterday by the attempt
of Assemblyman J. w. Mott of Oakland
to secure the recommitment of the
Otis-Walker bill to the committee on
public morals.
Courteous Letter
He received last night courteous
letter signed by George B. Anderson.
as secretary of the peoples lobby, in
which it was stated that it was the
purpose of the lobby to keep a perma-
nent record to be placed in the hands
of newspapers and civic organizations
and concluding with these words:
I'VE wish to ask if you have any
objection to furnish us the reason for
your absence so that we may enter it
upon our record"
James T. Feeley of Oakland and p.
f. Coggsweli, one of the straightest
Couffux.ad