The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1878-07-05

y POLITICAL revolution as remarkable as
it was unexpected was brought about at the
State election in California last week for
delegates to convention to frame a new
constitution. No such sudden and sweep
ing change in popular sentiment in any
State has perhaps ever before taken place.
Only a few months ago a young man.
named Dennis Kearney, was in the employ
Of firm in the grocery business in San
Francisco as a carer, or drayman. All
that we have learned about him is that as
n politician he was unknown beyond the
limits of the city in which he lived that
his education was very limited, but that
like many another young and impulsive
Irishman, he was endowed with more than
an ordinary share Of the faculty OF speech.
Whether he ever becomes eloquent, or
whether he possesses any power as an agi-
tator beyond that Of merely tickling the
ears Of the groundlings, we are unable to
say. Kearney identified himself with the
workingmen's party-attendcd its ward
meetings aud made speeches-organiZed
new clubs-was ever on the alert, in.ent
only on the success Of his party, aud either
flom superior ability or from sheer impu-
dencc and iudomitabIe will became not
only the recognized leader Of the party in
San Francisco, but It's governing and ac-
knowledged head throughout the State.
His principal hobby his harp OF thOus
and strings, upon which he necessarily
[ played during his travels through every
part Of the State-was bitter and outspo-
ken opposition to the Chinese, whose cheap
labor he denounced as a blighting and
+ whitening curse to the white mechanic and
+ w0Ikingman. He was abused and de-
nounced with an unsparing hand by the
leading Democratic and Republican papers
as a communist, a blatant demagogue, and
a deadly foe to the peace and good order
of society. His doctrines were stigmatized
as ''kearueyism, another name for agra
rianism, aud the property holders Of the
State were appealed to to crush him anG
his followers to powder through the ballot
boxes. lie had a workingmeu's ticket fo
delegates to the convention in the field il
every district in the State, as well as thir
=. ty~two delegates at large, while in NAM
united on fusion ticket in other district
sure TO be Democratic the Republican
made no nominations, and in Republican
districts the Democrats pursued a Simla
2 course. But Dennis Kearney. the late Sai
Francisco carter, triumphed over all oppc
sitiOn-swept that city clean at the polls
elected twenty of the thirty-two delegate
at large and will have a large majority O
his followers in the convention. The shocl
of an earthquake, not an uncommon occur
, renee in That State, could not have caused
more CONSERVATION than has resulted from
this complere trirmph of "Kearneyism,
and the people stand dumbfounded auC
= exclaim, ''What next ," Several of KeaT
ney's delegates elected from San Francisc,
were only uaturalized in 1919, and a liberia
supply of men Of that sort i'm the eonven
tion will hammer out a State constitution
: that will be curiosity in its way. With
out pursuing this strange popular upheay
al any further at present, it is very mani
fest that the proceedings Of Dennis Kear
ney's constitutional convention VIII attrae
very marked attention throughout the
country.