National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-05-04

enough to pay their freight bills. Fertile
fields went bare in Tulare Valley because
men could not afford to pay S24 a ton for
freight on seed wheat, to be carried two
hundred miles, Flaxseed was charged
three times the freight charged for wheat,
because it was more valuable. Farmers
were laughed at or abused if they COM
planned, because there was no remedy by
way of competition.
Unable longer to endure these wrongs,
the people of California, in May, 1879,
adopted a new constitution, by which
they hoped to be able to obtain relief
That instrument contained much that
was crude, undesirable, and experiment
tai, but what redeemed all these faults in
the general estimation was provision
that placed the whole power of the State
in regard to railroad control in the hands
of three commissioners, to be chosen by
the people by districts. The constitution
was adopted by majority of eleven
thousand against the most vigorous
moneyed fight ever made in the State.
The people, thus divided upon this ques-
ton, found political party lines for the
time obliterated. The Central Pacific
Railroad Company bought, bullied, and
coaxed, threatened opposition and prom
ised support, until all newspapers and
politicians, without regard to party, who
could in any manner be controlled, were
enlisted on the side of the railway COM
pany. Indeed, the choice of delegates to
the constitutional convention had been
struggled over in the same manner.
The constitution having been adopted,
the Sacramento Record Union, daily
paper owned and printed by the railroad
company at the capital of the State, inso-
lently proclaimed that the constitution
would be nullified by the men who were
soon to be elected to carry it into effect.
The policy thus openly avowed by the
railroad masters was logically followed
by determined efforts on their part to
control the conventions of the several
political parties The Republican con-
vention was held first, and was captured
by them. OF course, the candidates for
Governor and railroad commissioners
were thick-and-thin railroad adherents.
The nominee for Governor was at the
head ofa coast-navigation company which
had once been in competition with the
railroad people, but had long before his
nomination pooled rates with them. A
State Central Committee was made
in the railroad interest, and the
was presented to Repub-
licans either of opposing the party in a
State contest, in which the support of the
State constitution was the real issue, or
to join the railroad company in aiding to
elect their ticket, which meant three
years more of railroad eXtortion and dis
tress for the people of the State. There
were but few Republicans who were not
disgusted with the situation and ashamed
of the action of their convention. The
brazen mercenaries of the railroad mag
mates, who worked for pay, were of course
most enthusiastic, and majority of the
party men concealed their chagrin and
the ticket. Estimating the
railroad Democrats who voted for the
railroad Republican nominee for Gov
ernor at eight thousand "a small esti-
mate), and the returns show that
twenty-one thousand Stalwart Re-
pu blicans voted against him. These
voted for an independent candidate,
Clam hn ,1ollyy
nominated by "the new constitution
party" and subsequently indorsed by the
Democracy. The new constitutionalists
we're denounced by Dennis Kearney at
the Sand Lots and by him nicknamed
Honorable Bilks." Kearney and his
crew ran another candidate named White
is a workingman," to divide the anti
railroad vote. The trick succeeded, and
he ninety-two thousand votes cast in OPP
position to the railroad tyranny were so
divided that sixty-eight thousand votes
;ufficed to elect the railroads trusted in
struments.
Such is the true story of the California
of 1879 George c. Gorham is
alluded to as having bolted the
party in that contest and
gone over to the Democracy. He did
vote with the twenty-one thousand Re-
publicans for the "new constitution"
candidate for Governor, and opposed the
railroads henchmen for commissioners
He earnestly advocated the election of
The Republican candidates for Congress,
and everywhere declared his hostility to
The Democratic party and his determine
ion to labor for Republican success in the
election the following year
His promise was faithfully redeemed. He
never believed that any considerable por-
ion of the Republicans of California were
willing to serve the Railroad Company at
he expense Of the people, although
majority of them preferred to support OBJ
ectionable party action in that regard
'ather than oppose the organization. No
body in California doubts his Republi-
;anism, and the outcry of railroad hire
ings, assuming the guardianship of Re-
oublicanism there, is simply ridiculous.
Whenever the Republican party shall
carry California it will have to be by the
aid of the twenty-one thousand who in
1879 refused even at the party's command
20 aid in compelling her as |" discrowned
sovereign" to follow in chains the tri-
lmphal chariot of her " conquerors."
The election of Republican Legis-
ature last fall, in the face of Democratic
victory on the electoral ticket, is at
5ributable to the popularity of General
Miller, the ne% Senator, and the indie
atigable exertions of himself and friends
n closely contested counties
If the Republican party in California
an free itself from railroad control in |