Story of the Session of the California Legislature of 1909Hichborn, Franklin
History
Story of the Session of the California Legislature of 1909
Hichborn, Franklin
California -- Politics and government
However, the spirit of no compromise which gave Senator Wolfe so much
concern saved the Walker-Otis bill, and has given California an
effective law. The lesson of the incident is that if effective laws are
to be placed on the statute books, there can be no compromise with the
machine. There was compromise with the machine in the direct primary
issue, with the result that the Direct Primary law is in many respects a
sham. But that is another story to be told in another chapter. The
anti-machine element did not compromise with the machine on the
Walker-Otis bill, with the result that an effective law was passed.
From the beginning, the anti-gambling element let it be known that no
suggestion of compromise would be entertained. They announced boldly
that if the machine succeeded in amending the measure, they, the
anti-gambling Senators and Assemblymen, would work to prevent the
passage of the amended bill. The position of these members of the
Legislature who did not propose to be sidetracked by machine trickery is
well illustrated by an interview with Senator Walker, which appeared in
the Sacramento Bee on January 19.
"If the Hughes bill can not pass the California Legislature in the form
that it was passed in New York," said Senator Walker, "I shall vote
against the compromise or the amended bill. The people of California
have made clear their desire that an effective anti-gambling law, such
as New York enjoys, be placed on the statute books. To substitute
anything else would be betrayal."[25]
So there was no compromise with the machine on the Walker-Otis bill, and
the people were not betrayed, as they were to be later in the passage of
the Direct Primary bill and the, Railroad Regulation bill, where there
was compromise with the machine.
When the machine found there was to be no compromise, a curious series
of mishaps became the lot of the Walker-Otis bill, particularly in the
Senate. The measure, when introduced, was, in the ordinary course of
legislation, referred to the Senate Committee on Public Morals. But it
did not reach that committee until several days after its introduction.
When the discovery was made that it had not reached the committee, a
sensation budded but never bloomed. The facts, however, were brought out
that the measure had been reposing in the pocket of a clerk instead of
going to the committee. This "error" was corrected, and the bill turned
over to its proper custodians.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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