Daily Los Angeles herald., 1879-05-06
Tremendous OutpourinG
in Favor Of the Pho.
neer's Consti-
tuition
Eloquent Speeches by
Hon. &C. Marshall and
Maj.Frank CanahI.
The Thing Of Shreds and
Patches Torn to Still
Smaller Shreds.
Los Angeles Against the
New Organic Law.

| NHW SISQtIIS 6Q"s
An audience of many Thousand
assembled in front of the Cosmo
politan Hotel last night to lister
60 orations from Hon. e. G. Mar
shall and Major Frank Ganahl
All the numerous balconies adjoin
ing were crowded with ladies ant
the side walks for great distance,
were thronged with opponents t
the new novel.
| The meeting was called to ordel
by J. De Barth Shorb, who read the
following list of officers who wer.
elected:
President, 4. M. Ross; Secretary,
w. w. Creighton; Vice. p residents
J. d. Bicknell. J. 8. Slauson, G.
Hargitt, Antonio Coronel, Henry
Hazard, Louis Lichtenberger, O.
w. Childs. r. F.. del Vale, G.
wiley Wells.
(Three cheers were given for the
President.)
Fellow Citizens:-The occasion
OF your meeting is of more than or.
diuary Importance. There is no
higher duty of the citizen than
thst Of determining the organic
law Of the State. For thirty years
California has lived and prospered
under the present Constitution.
(Three cheers.) In the course OF
lime some changes become neces-
-ary, but these may be determ ined
by amendents; but the new effort
Is SO full; of crudities, absurdlties
aud monstrosities that it would be
disastrous to the State and its pros
perity. Thanking you, gentlemen,
| have the pleasure to Introduce
Hon. E. q. Marshall, Three
cheers.)
Mr.. Marshall said: II shall have
to ask your Indulgence, at least for
y few minutes, as I am hardly able
to be out of doors at all and began
this campaign out Of sick bed.
But l would have had to have been
dead more than ten years and
buried under more than eight feet
OF California soil had I not begun
this fight. This occasion Is one of
the most momentous in our history.
I do not think that any Constitu-
tion or law would be fatal, but a
rag like this, which was construct
cd to cinch somebody, a Constitu-
ton OF that sort does become u mo.
ment0us question, and does involve
the States honor. That Constitu.
ton is not calm consideration of
organic law. 1t Is u fact that de
bates on that instrument were
handled at the end Of u club and
the point Of u bayonet. To get u
hearing In the capital city OF the
State it is only by the breaking
Of few Sand Lot heads. I don'i
like this sort of thing. IA voice.
"Nor do any thinking peoplr."]
1t Is the most uBgrammattcal, un-
reasonable, unthinkiDg, damnable
thing ever Invented. CCheers. l
do not think that any Constitution
mo piece of sheep skin-no drop
Of ink-no barrel Of ink, dropped
on the back of u mastodon, sealed
with a barrel of wax-can give
. perfect guarantee to the people.
No document of that sort or OF any
other sort will make any people
better than they are. In 1898 the
French adopted q Constitution.
Did 1t secure their liberty? Every
body knows that in less than fifty
years they were under depot ism.
I state 1t as q historical thesis that
liberty and human progress always
come up from the bottom, not from
the top, to the masses. A C0nsti-
tuition will not guarantee liberty.
II 1t did, how easy to draft one and
secure universal liberty and equal
ity. Those gentlemen who think
they can lay them down under
q, 900 ungrammatical, foolish and
savage words and secure their hap
piness and prosperity are mistaken.
rhe best Constitution can do but
little. The best Ia the shortest
Organic law means that system by
which the organism foi carrying
out the will OF the people is best
secured.
The fault Of the present Constitu-
tion is that 1t Is too long; but
hnd no faults and it needs no
amendment. Six months of hon
est legislation would correct its
few evils, and 1t needs no amend.
ments. The Constitution Of the
United States is only half as long
as ours aud one-fourth as long as
tho new one.
1t was bad time to call Con
vention. Frequently recurring
wars In the United States aud Eu-
rope had given an inflated value to
everything. Shriukage aud bad
crops hat produced hard times
had struck California with great
severity. There were many very
poor people In this State Just now,
and of all the unfortunate times
that could have been selected this
was the worst. Among other evils
making this an unfit time was that
both the great political parties had
forfeited the respect of the people
The peoples grievances ought to
be corrected but this Is not the
proper time. A few people were too
rich-insoIently rich-but we can
hardly correct that ny q Constitu
tion. Put a devil on horseback and
he Will ride to the devil. The for
tunes of the country were not as
we'll distributed as I wish they were
aud as they will be la course of
time. II we had rnguish officers,
whose fault was it9 Were they not
elected by the masses? And who Is
responsib b'e? Politicians were de-
graded, but by the same party Of
Saud Lot reformers who sold their
votes
lam paying my own expenses. ne,
out Of money made In California,
but kentucky greenbacks sent by
express. ! want you to understand
that most Of the advocates of the