PREFACE.

In writing the Story of the Session of the California Legislature of
1909, the purpose has been, not only to show what was done at Sacramento
last Winter, but, what is by far more important, how it was done. To
this end, the several measures are divided under three heads, namely,
those dealing with moral, with political and with industrial issues.
Instead of scattering on all the measures introduced, or even a
considerable part of them, the principal issue of each group, that which
meant the most to The People, and upon which the machine centered its
efforts, has been selected for detailed consideration. On the score of
the moral issues, the Anti-Racetrack Gambling bill has been taken as the
most important; while the Direct Primary bill is dealt with as the chief
political issue, and the railroad regulation measures as involving the
chief industrial issue. The story of the fight over these bills is the
story of the session of 1909. The events attending the passage of the
Anti-Racetrack Gambling bill, the amendment of the Direct Primary bill,
and the defeat of the Stetson Railroad Regulation bill, with the
attending incident of the passage of the Wright Railroad bill, show, as
nothing else can, how the machine controls and manipulates a
Legislature - and such is the purpose of this little volume.

The efforts of justice-loving men to simplify the criminal codes, to the
end that rich and poor alike may have equal opportunity in the trial
courts - not in theory alone but in fact - and the successful efforts of the
machine to block this reform, have made detailed consideration of the
defeat of the Commonwealth Club bills and the passage of the Wheelan
bills, and the so-called Change of Venue bill timely. And the story of