"Our State," says the Governor on page 12 of his message, "has not kept
pace with the majority of the States of the Union in the enactment of
laws regulating railroads in their business as common carriers."

"I can virtually promise you," said General Webb at a meeting of the
Senate Committee on Corporations, held on the evening of January 25th,
"that in the event of this (the Stetson Railroad Regulation bill)
becoming a law, and the Railroad Commission refusing or neglecting to
act under its provisions, the Governor will call the Legislature
together in extraordinary session for their impeachment."[63]

There was no question of the aroused public sentiment in favor of the
passage of a railroad regulation measure. Even before the Legislature
convened it became evident that some sort of a measure would have to be
passed; even the railroad lobby saw that. The Legislature accordingly
divided on the question. As the fight was carried on in the Senate - the
Assembly in the rush of the closing hours of the session merely putting
its "O. K." on what the Senate had done - the division in the Senate
alone will be considered. The division in that body was:

(1) The minority, made up of the out and out machine Republicans and
Democrats, who were prepared to pass a measure which under the name
railroad regulation would leave the railroads practically independent of
effective State supervision.

(2) The majority, which stood for the passage of an effective law.

The minority had the best captains in the Senate and was backed by the
machine lobby made up principally of Southern Pacific attorneys.