Arthur Samish
Encyclopedia
Arthur "Artie" H. Samish (August 9, 1897 – February 12, 1974) was the most influential and powerful individual lobbyist in the history of California
, representing movie studios, racetracks, lawyers, insurance companies, fishing, cigarette, liquor and brewing interests. Governor Earl Warren
said of Samish that "On matters that affect his clients, Artie unquestionably has more power than the governor."
in 1897, but he grew up in San Francisco. His father, an Austrian
(or German) immigrant, abandoned the family when Arthur was four years old. His mother devoted her life to raising Arthur. Their home was destroyed by the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake
, when Arthur was eight. After the seventh grade, Arthur quit school, working as a delivery boy, errand boy, and grocery store clerk until, at about age sixteen, he became an office boy for a law firm. Later, he met the San Francisco Tax Collector, Edward F. Bryant, who gave Samish a job that also brought him into contact with Sheriff Thomas Finn, the political "boss" of the city before and during the Prohibition era.
Samish's tenure in the Tax Office ended when it was discovered that he was not old enough to register to vote, a condition required by law for employment. During World War I, he secured a position as Secretary (and "accountant") of "Allied Interests", an association of saloon keepers and retail liquor outlets organized for political action against temperance legislation. Samish collected contributions to fight Prohibition
.
, where he met the private secretary of Hiram Johnson
, Governor of California
, Through this connection, Samish got a job with the California Department of Motor Vehicles
. There he met his future wife, Merced, daughter of Dan Sullivan, State Printer and President of the California State Federation of Labor
.
Samish became a page in the California State Assembly
, moving up to a clerical position before becoming the Engrossing and Enrolling Clerk for the California State Legislature
. Control over the movement of legislation was important for politicians and others who wanted to affect legislation. Samish learned the procedures of the legislative process so well he could hold up legislation on technicalities. As Engrossing and Enrolling Clerk, Artie Samish prepared and corrected versions of any bill that had been modified during debate or reconciliation before final passage. If a bill that started in the California Assembly was modified in the California State Senate
, it had to be sent back for rewrite. The amended or modified versions were checked in every detail, including punctuation and spelling. When a bill passed both houses, it was printed before delivery to the governor for signing. If the bill was vetoed, it had to go back to the legislature where a vote for overriding the veto could be held. If a bill passed and became law through signature by the governor or the overriding veto, it was delivered by the Engrossing and Enrolling Clerk to the Secretary of State for filing. Thus, each step had to be verified or performed by the Engrossing and Enrolling Clerk. Samish knew all the critical points where legislation could be expedited or stalled. Later, Samish got a position in the California State Division of Markets. This organization was set up to encourage creation of cooperatives in the marketing of agricultural products.
In time, cigar-smoking Samish, 6 feet 2 inches tall and 300 pounds in weight, wielded more power on some issues than the Governor of California, holding power by distributing campaign funds, calling it his "select and elect" policy. Samish spoke frankly about those he worked for and the power he enjoyed. Following Frank Merriam's
successful 1934 election
, Samish, who had served as Merriam's chief campaign fundraiser, said to Governor Merriam after being denied a favor, "Why, you bald-headed son of a bitch. I helped you get into the governor's chair. And I'll get your ass out of it too!" Samish was also known to say, "I'm the governor of the legislature; to hell with the Governor of California
."
There were two other elements to Samish's power. He could deliver a large bloc of votes of friends and relatives. The interest groups he worked for, when he became a full time lobbyist, gave Samish control over large funds, what are now called "slush funds," that he spent at his discretion.
included his photograph with a ventriloquist's dummy, saying, "This is my legislature. How are you, Mr. Legislature?" Naturally, State Legislators were incensed. In 1949, legislation regulating lobbyists and requiring disclosure passed the legislature and was signed by the Governor; and Samish was denounced by the Sacramento County grand jury
.
Samish was convicted of tax evasion in 1953, forcing him to pay a million dollars in tax penalties to the Internal Revenue Service
. After losing an appeal in 1956, Samish began a three-year sentence at McNeil Island
Federal Prison.
Following release from prison, Samish retired from politics. He died in San Francisco in 1974.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, representing movie studios, racetracks, lawyers, insurance companies, fishing, cigarette, liquor and brewing interests. Governor Earl Warren
Earl Warren
Earl Warren was the 14th Chief Justice of the United States.He is known for the sweeping decisions of the Warren Court, which ended school segregation and transformed many areas of American law, especially regarding the rights of the accused, ending public-school-sponsored prayer, and requiring...
said of Samish that "On matters that affect his clients, Artie unquestionably has more power than the governor."
Early life and family
Arthur H. Samish was born in East Los AngelesEast Los Angeles, California
East Los Angeles is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Los Angeles County, California, United States...
in 1897, but he grew up in San Francisco. His father, an Austrian
Austrians
Austrians are a nation and ethnic group, consisting of the population of the Republic of Austria and its historical predecessor states who share a common Austrian culture and Austrian descent....
(or German) immigrant, abandoned the family when Arthur was four years old. His mother devoted her life to raising Arthur. Their home was destroyed by the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake that struck San Francisco, California, and the coast of Northern California at 5:12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. The most widely accepted estimate for the magnitude of the earthquake is a moment magnitude of 7.9; however, other...
, when Arthur was eight. After the seventh grade, Arthur quit school, working as a delivery boy, errand boy, and grocery store clerk until, at about age sixteen, he became an office boy for a law firm. Later, he met the San Francisco Tax Collector, Edward F. Bryant, who gave Samish a job that also brought him into contact with Sheriff Thomas Finn, the political "boss" of the city before and during the Prohibition era.
Samish's tenure in the Tax Office ended when it was discovered that he was not old enough to register to vote, a condition required by law for employment. During World War I, he secured a position as Secretary (and "accountant") of "Allied Interests", an association of saloon keepers and retail liquor outlets organized for political action against temperance legislation. Samish collected contributions to fight Prohibition
Prohibition in the United States
Prohibition in the United States was a national ban on the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol, in place from 1920 to 1933. The ban was mandated by the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, and the Volstead Act set down the rules for enforcing the ban, as well as defining which...
.
Political career
Later, Samish moved to SacramentoSacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
, where he met the private secretary of Hiram Johnson
Hiram Johnson
Hiram Warren Johnson was a leading American progressive and later isolationist politician from California; he served as the 23rd Governor from 1911 to 1917, and as a United States Senator from 1917 to 1945.-Early life:...
, Governor of California
Governor of California
The Governor of California is the chief executive of the California state government, whose responsibilities include making annual State of the State addresses to the California State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that state laws are enforced...
, Through this connection, Samish got a job with the California Department of Motor Vehicles
California Department of Motor Vehicles
The California Department of Motor Vehicles is the state agency responsible for the registration of motor vehicles and boats and the issuance of driver's licenses in the U.S. state of California. It is responsible for regulating new car dealers , commercial cargo carriers, private driving...
. There he met his future wife, Merced, daughter of Dan Sullivan, State Printer and President of the California State Federation of Labor
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
.
Samish became a page in the California State Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
, moving up to a clerical position before becoming the Engrossing and Enrolling Clerk for the California State Legislature
California State Legislature
The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...
. Control over the movement of legislation was important for politicians and others who wanted to affect legislation. Samish learned the procedures of the legislative process so well he could hold up legislation on technicalities. As Engrossing and Enrolling Clerk, Artie Samish prepared and corrected versions of any bill that had been modified during debate or reconciliation before final passage. If a bill that started in the California Assembly was modified in the California State Senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
, it had to be sent back for rewrite. The amended or modified versions were checked in every detail, including punctuation and spelling. When a bill passed both houses, it was printed before delivery to the governor for signing. If the bill was vetoed, it had to go back to the legislature where a vote for overriding the veto could be held. If a bill passed and became law through signature by the governor or the overriding veto, it was delivered by the Engrossing and Enrolling Clerk to the Secretary of State for filing. Thus, each step had to be verified or performed by the Engrossing and Enrolling Clerk. Samish knew all the critical points where legislation could be expedited or stalled. Later, Samish got a position in the California State Division of Markets. This organization was set up to encourage creation of cooperatives in the marketing of agricultural products.
In time, cigar-smoking Samish, 6 feet 2 inches tall and 300 pounds in weight, wielded more power on some issues than the Governor of California, holding power by distributing campaign funds, calling it his "select and elect" policy. Samish spoke frankly about those he worked for and the power he enjoyed. Following Frank Merriam's
Frank Merriam
Frank Finley Merriam was an American politician who served as the 28th governor of California from June 2, 1934 until January 2, 1939...
successful 1934 election
California gubernatorial election, 1934
The California gubernatorial election, 1934 was held on November 6, 1934. Held in the midst of the Great Depression, the 1934 election was amongst the most controversial in the state's political history, putting conservative Republican Frank Merriam against former Socialist Party member turned...
, Samish, who had served as Merriam's chief campaign fundraiser, said to Governor Merriam after being denied a favor, "Why, you bald-headed son of a bitch. I helped you get into the governor's chair. And I'll get your ass out of it too!" Samish was also known to say, "I'm the governor of the legislature; to hell with the Governor of California
Governor of California
The Governor of California is the chief executive of the California state government, whose responsibilities include making annual State of the State addresses to the California State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that state laws are enforced...
."
There were two other elements to Samish's power. He could deliver a large bloc of votes of friends and relatives. The interest groups he worked for, when he became a full time lobbyist, gave Samish control over large funds, what are now called "slush funds," that he spent at his discretion.
Downfall and death
In the late 1940s, Samish's interview in Collier's WeeklyCollier's Weekly
Collier's Weekly was an American magazine founded by Peter Fenelon Collier and published from 1888 to 1957. With the passage of decades, the title was shortened to Collier's....
included his photograph with a ventriloquist's dummy, saying, "This is my legislature. How are you, Mr. Legislature?" Naturally, State Legislators were incensed. In 1949, legislation regulating lobbyists and requiring disclosure passed the legislature and was signed by the Governor; and Samish was denounced by the Sacramento County grand jury
Grand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
.
Samish was convicted of tax evasion in 1953, forcing him to pay a million dollars in tax penalties to the Internal Revenue Service
Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
. After losing an appeal in 1956, Samish began a three-year sentence at McNeil Island
McNeil Island
McNeil Island is an island in western Puget Sound, located just west of Steilacoom, Washington, with a land area of 17.177 km² . It lies just north of Anderson Island. Fox Island is to the north, across Carr Inlet. To the west McNeil Island is separated from Key Peninsula by Pitt Passage. The...
Federal Prison.
Following release from prison, Samish retired from politics. He died in San Francisco in 1974.