The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1879-08-22

Ahg AN5AeetetoA aAVtohAS AStteA " bhV
people.
The adoption of the New Constitu-
tion was the first grand step in The
right direction. by its provision a
commission is to be formed which shall
stand between tho railroads and the
people, and which will not permit one
party to the transportation contract to
dictate all the terms or TO impose any
unjust restriction upon the commerce
and prosperity of tho State. It is Of
the greatest Importance that Railroad
Commissioners of known and tried in
tegrity, men who can neither he bribed
or swayed by the influence Of the rail.
road corporation upon ono hand, or by
the preindices of the people on the
other, should be chosen.
If l am elected, and vacancy should
occur in this Commission during my
administration, / viii appoint no man
unless l am fully satisfied of his worth,
his intelligence, and his integrity, and
that he viii impartially decide between
the railroad and the people, giving n
fair return FOR the investment, and, at
the same time, protecting the people
against determinations and excessive
charges. Believing that when a man
becomes a candidate for so high an Of
Tee as Governor, the people have a
right to know, and it is his duty to dc.
clare, his views upon the great issues
in the canvass, and as the matter Of
railroad abuses is the overshadowing
issue in this campaign, l have endeav-
ored to state, in my homely way, my
views. III unmistakable and definite
terms.
When l announced that believed,
from the published reports OF the rail
road, that freights and fares could be
safely and Justly reduced at least TWEEN
ty-five per cent, was mt once ass,iled,
misrepresented and villified by every
railroad organ and hireling in the State.
have been told that this railroad was
too powerful FOR any individual to
dare to provoke its hostility; that it
could lay its iron hand upon any ciii-
zen and destroy him in reputation and
in fortune in other words, that !
could not afford to make this fight in
the interest of the people But have
no fear. ] believe in the power and
honesty Of the people. l have enlisted
in their cause, and there shall be no
turning, no retreat.
have been charged with being a
land monopolist. Every foot CT land
which possess in this State has been
purchased from private owners, and
paid for with honest money, and every
acre capable of cultivation is now pro-
ducing crop. give employment to
hundreds of white laborers. The
wheat produced on my ranch this year
viii load twenty large-sized clipper
ships, and over million Of dollars
viii be distributed through my tenants,
laborers and creditors, and added to the
material wealth and resources Of the
State.
And my land is assessed for taxes at
the same rate per acre as that Of the
adjoining smaller farmers. / do not
believe that any candid man vii con
slider me land monopoIist, in the OBJ
jectionable sense OF the term. The
kind of land monopoly Of which the
people of this State, with good reason,
complain, is that which seizes and holds
lands for purely speculative purposes,
but does not cultivate it. Hundreds Of
thousands Of acres Of swamp and tide
lands have thus been gobbled up, and
are now held in this way. They pre-
duce nothing add nothing to the gen
eral wealth pay but little to the sup
port of the State and county govern
ments. Millions Of acres are held in
railway and Mexican grants not an
acre in thousand being cultivated,
and the taxes on them being next to
nothing
The railway corporations, as Mr..
Gorham has truly said, own 100000
acres. They pay taxes on but a small
per centage, refusing to take patents
for the balance, and leaving the title to
the land in the United States, 30 the
State cannot tax it.
This is the kind of land monopoly
which has retarded the prosperity and
settlement of California, and which is
paralyzing her industry, and operating
as severe burden on the honest tax
payers, who are over-taxed to make up
for the non-payment of taxes by these
land-sharks.
OF all the rank evils and pests which
the New Constitution seeks to root out
Of the soil Of California, there is none
ranker, or more deadly, than the Chi
nese. And of all the great and manful
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