Sacramento Daily Union, Volume 45, Number 6988, 27 August 1873 — JUDGE WALLACE ON THE RAILROAD QUESTION [ARTICLE]

JUDGE WALLACE ON THE RAILROAD QUESTION

Tbe following letter was .written in reply to an inquiry about a subject matter fully explained in the communication of Judge Wai" lace: San Fkasouoo, August 21st, 18"3. G. R. Minor, Esq., Dixon— My dear sir: Your note of the l&h instant is received. I was already aware that some of my enemies bad made the charge against me, that 1 am " the candidate of the railroad company " for the United States Senate. I had not, however, thought to publicly deny the accusation, as l have of tea been led to observe that the evil disposed can make charges faster than '.lie most diligent accused person, however innocent he may be, can answer them. It is ordinarily better to leave to time and future events the vindication of one's motives and purposes. You state, however, that in this instance my alleged sympathy with the railroad company is being used to the injury of McCnne, the worthy Democratic candidate for joint Senator from the district composed of the counties of Solanoaud Solo, and it is rather to prevent Injustice being (ione to that gentleman, than for the mere purpose of Vindicating myself, that I so far depart from my usual course as to write this answer to your letter. 1 beg, then, to state unequivocally to you, and through you to my friends, and to those of McCune, that there is not the slightest degree of truth in the charge. ( ■ i am not, in any sense, in sympathy with the railroad company, and I give no sort of support to its pretensions. My sentiments open this subject are, and have long been, wtiH known to my personal friends, and to those with vhotn I am intimate In social life. Governor Booth, whom I highly esteem as a personal friend, is well aware of those sentiments, for we have frequently— both before this struggle for a seat in the Senate began and sine- then — conversed freely in reference to railroad questions. I trust that I may safely refer to him in this behalf, for I esteem him too highly as I man of honor to suspect for a moment that he would become a patty to the injustice which some of his professed friends are endeavoring to inflict upon me i-.v persistently misrepresenting my views upon this question. In order to give some color to this charge, it has been sometimes suggested that it is believed that in certain contingencies the railroad influence in the Legislature will support me in preference to certain other persons. If this be so (and I only learn it from rumor) I assure you that it is not the result of any negotiation made, or pledge given, or understanding of any sort had with the railroad company on my part, or upon the pa of any of ray friends, so far as I know, or have any reason to believe. It will be remembered that in th; last gubernatorial election this same railroad company supported Governor Booth against Haight ; it was not then supposed, however, nor has the event proved, that in supporting the former it supported a friend to its schemes.

I heard, until • [>■[>? a recent period, that the friends of Governor 13 oth would also support me for the Senate in a given contingency. I supposed that this preference, if it existed upon either hand, was founded upon a mere personal partiality for myself, and that neither in the one case nor in the other would my honor and good faith toward my fellow citizens be compromised in the slightest degree. I have no desire for an election to the Senate unless it can be fairly and honorably accomplished without bribery or corruption, or the suspteton of either. Whether In public or private life my personal independence is of the first consideraiion , nor will I consent to wear the 'collar of any corporation as a means of reaching any position, however high, nor lend myself to any scheme to promote the interests of private parties at the expense of those of the people. Above all, whether elected or not, lam and will unalterably continue to be opposed to all corporate domination or interference in governmental matters.

1 believe in t he regulation of freights and fares upon railroads, and llioir reduction to a just standard, ;i;id in 'lie imposition of taxation upon the property at the railroad, in proportion to its value, as other property is taxed ; and 1 am opposed in toto to all subsidies wnat-i ev.r, ai.d have always voted against them. I hope this unequivocal declaration of ray view 3 will satisfy my Mends and nil others, exepting, of pow ie, those whose purpose will act permit them to be satisfled. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, WILLIAM T. WALLACE.

Attempted Lynching. — Tbe Gold Hill Newt of August 25th has the following :

Last evening our town was the scene ftf un unuual excitement, owing to the attempted lynching of a man who had !>ee:i amsted and lodged in the calaboose on a charge of incendiarism. The following is a brief bis tory of tiie affair : At about 3 o'clock yesterday inorninjj Hurnphr-y Symoni' honae, situated in Crown Point Rivine, was discovered to be on fire. The gentleman who made the discovery alarmed the inmates of the ii OK, md by the prompt application of a few Inuket.of water put out the fire. The flic was lighted dlrect•,t of the kitchen door. Close by a pillow cage v-,i- <!i>-covered stuffed with shavings aud saturate J with coal oil. As soon as the conflagration had been exMii^uished a search waa instituted aud the iueendiary was tracd to the Crown Point Ravine shaft. Circumstance? led to the belief that the guilty party was a man named BuiTington, who was entr.iaed in driving the wliun. Upon arriving at the sliaft working 'ii>! r;itioiia were found to be suspended. Tlie fact that an old feud has been existing between the j.arnes working the mine and S.viiwnrs tbe owner of the house, lent strength to the conviction concerning the guilt of Bufflngton, and at 7 o'clock last evening, upon complaint of Henry George, Constable Tom Harkin arrested Buffiugton and lodged him in the calaboose. It was the Intention of the officer making the arrest to bring the prisoner before Justice Wright, for an examination the same evening. While Constable Harkin was waiting for Justice Wright to return from church at a few minutes after!), six men, disguised with handkercb'e r 3 tied over their face?, entered the station-house and took the prisoner out of his ell into the hallway leading to the officers' quarters. The men brought with them a large rope or cable, to one end of which a hangman's knot was attached. The first and only question proposed to ISuffington was, " Who set fire to Syrnons' house? " Tbe prisoner stated that he knew nothing in regard to the origin of the fire, whereupon the masked men commenced clipping the noose over his head, with a view of hanging him then and there, the other end of the rope being attached to the cross-timbers of the upl»or portion of the building. Bufflngton fought like a tiger, and yelled terfifisaHj. Huudreds of people who heard his shriets hurried to the station-house. Constable Harkin, who reached the place a moment after the alarm was given, informs us that tbere were alr«i>iy fiTty men or more collected al>out the siatlon-hotne, soiiie of whom be thinks were in co'l'.ision with the " vigilanters.'" The latter, as «oon as the alarm wa3 given, decamped with the utmost precipitation. A gentleman wuo attempted tc unmask one of the gang w.ii confronted with a navy revolver. Bufiington is confident of being able to id.ntify one of his would-be uurderers. His examination was arranged to take place in Justice Wrkht's court at 4P. M. to-day. The officers having charge of the station-Douse were unavoidably absent from the premises at the time the attempted lynching took place.

Madame Limartine has published a volume of ber husband's unedited poems.