Daily Los Angeles herald., 1879-04-17
COMPTON BULL-DOzING.
Mr.. ]. W. Potts's Experience "A scathing
Screed.

EDITOR HERALD: I have just re
turned from the famous settlemen
of Compton, the present owner o
one of the most egotistical, bull
doing demagogues of any one o
the late delegates to the Constitu
tional Convention. 1 make thi
statement, not that I am personally
acquainted with all the delegates
but because of my extensive expe
rience in political demagogueism-
as / have been through politica
campaigns with the border ruf
fans of Arkansas aud with the
Texas Rangers, whose ideas of civ
ilization were frightened by con-
tact with the Comanche India, s
L have lived in Ell Monte, when
they were In the height of their ex
citement with the idea of seeding
from the American Union; but
never, in all my experience, have
found any man who exhibited so
much Of the spirit of ruffian as
did this man West, who was lately
engaged in framing Constitution
for this great State, which Is an in
separable part Of the great Ameri.
can Union, that boasts of its thous-
and years advance in modern civ
ilization and Christianity in a
quarter of century.
This language may seem severe,
but cannot modify it. In order
that you and your readers may
know that this statement is not too
marsh, 1 will tell you why l make
it.
l became acquainted with the
fact that there was to be public
meeting at Compton for the pur-
pose of discussing the merits of the
proposed new Constitutions; aud,
being opposed to that instrument,
aud being unaccustOmed to public
speaking, and being cognizant of
the fact that the Constitution of
the United States, as also the old
Constitution of the State OF Califor-
MIA and the proposed new one, each
declared that all men are free and
Independent and have iualienabIe
rights, amongst which were
the privilege of going to
a public meeting at Comp
ton, or any other place where
the public Leet together to discuss
the best Interests Uf the people of
this free government, prepared
myself with some documents set
ting forth the Objectionable fea-
lures in my view of the new Con-
but, to my surprise,
was denounced by Mr.. West and
hoodluIn crowd Chat I am credibIy
informed he has been instrumental
in getting up) as an intruder-a
tool Of Railroads.&c. sneak and cow
ard that had been bought up by cor
u lickspittle that should
be spotted, and every other bad
name that u low vulgar demagogue
could think of. This wasthe KIND
Of argument used by Mr.. West In
favor of the new Constitution. In
fact, his arguments We're as forcibIe
ard conclusive as the darkey
preachers who declared to his bret th.
rem while preaching u sermon that
Jonah swallowed up a whale, in
proof of which he exclaimed, with
emphasis, "He did do 1t my bred.
rem" and when one old brother ex-
pressed his doubts as to this mat
ter, the rest of the brethren cried
out in concert, "You fool, what do
you know about it2" These old
Virginia negroes were awful for
fish. Now, Mr.. Editor, for the ap.
plication: I am sorry to say it, but
1 cannot withhold the truth, but
the ma jority of these boosters of
their great advance in civilization
and Christianity ars following Mr..
West, as bliudiy ~ did the breth-
rem OF the old Virginia darkey
preacher. More than u quarter of
century ago "a period that these
( )lks claim to be u thousand Years
away FROM as evinced by such ex-
CARNATIONS as these, "We don't
want any explanation. We don't
want to read any document against
the new Constitution; any one who
says anything against it is a tool of
the railroads-bought up by corpo-
rations. We cannot be any worse
off" All men are free aud have In
allenable rights, but no one has a
right to go 10 Compton to speak, or
to circulate documents against the
in;allible new Constitution. / can
very well understand the saying
of Edmund Burke. after visiting
Compton, that the people never
give up their liberties but under
some delusion, and these delusions
are always gotten up by designing
politician in times Of feverIsh tx.
element. In addition to this, the
spirit of this man who Mingled
with his speech low filings at all
who opposed the new Constitution
may be- seen In the effect on the
crowd who we're there by a call for
meeting for the purpose of dis
cussion especially inviting oppos-
ers-that whereas Mr.. West was
listened to and cheered it was with
great difficulty that the President
of the meeting and othefs could
maintain sufficient order for Mr..
Stump to be heard, who carefully
presented the view of the instru-
ment as it struck his mind, in op-
position without, In a single In
stance, abusing any body, or BAN
dying epithets with Mr.. West.
whose speech was full Of them. In
concluding this article, I should
like to ask the people of Compton,
for whom 1 have always entertain
ed u high regard, and whose calm
deliberations on all subjects in the
past have been models of our ad.
vanoed civilization, would 1t not
be the part OF wisdom for you to
listen to and closely examine the
objections offered to the new Con.
stituti0n by those who are as pa
triotic as y ourselves, and as much
interested iu good and wholesome
a n e