Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-11-02
RoUsING DEMOCRATIC RALLY.
The Questions of thc Day Ably
Discussed at santa barbara by
Hon. James u. Ayers.

SANTA bAkBAhA, OctoDer ou.-A large ana
enthusiastic Democratic meeting was held
ia Cranes Hall last night, Mr.. Russell
Heath presiding. Hon. James ]. Ayers, of
Los Angeles, Superintendent OF State Print
ing, was the principal speaker, and deliv-
cred the following instructive and eloquent
address:
In addressing you this evening shall
confine my self as closely as possible, to top
les that are of immediate interest to the
people of this coast Believing that the
principles OF my party are the best for the
country-that the faithful carrying out of
the doctrines of equal rights and equal priv
ileges to ali men; the restriction of the great
corporations within the limits of the law
ana their charterr; the subserviency OF
every department of Government to the iu-
tcresis OF the people; the elevation of the
masses to the true standard of intelligent
citizenship by free education; the mainten-
| ance of the sovereignty OF the SAFE over the
waters necessary for It's agricultural devel-
opmeht-believing, l say, that all the great
OBJECTS of state and National Government
Will be more fairly and more faithfully car
ried out by the Democratic party than It's
competitor, shall submit TO your calm CON
sideration a line of argument which l hope
will induce ME to think with me, aud cast
your votes for the ticket which am here to
advocate.
sToNEMAS's ADMINISTRATION.
As g member OF the present State Govern
ment, / would be derelics to my sense OF
j site and wanting in self-respect did not
vindieate il from some OF the ISLANDERS
which have been industriously circulated
against il. The Republican eandldate for
Governor, in mis- opening speech at the wig
wan III san Francisco, constituted nj nself
the responsible agent OF these ISLANDERS,
wnen he declared that TO elect the Demo-
cratic ticket would be 10 indorse ana per
petuate the present Democratic administra-
tion. The innuendo conveyed by Mr.. swift
is that the administrator OF Governor
Stoneman has been an unworthy one, and
should oe publicly condemned. He fails to
specify in what particular manner that ad-
ministration has earned the Just reprehen-
siou of the people But | presume, II ne
were closely questioned, he would answer
because it mas had two abortlve extra ses-
sions. This is the extent of It's offending
no more. Although these extra sessions
proved abortive, the motive of the Governor
in calling them i'll each case was goou one.
He called the first one for the purpose of
securing the passage OF laws to compel tle
railroads to pay their taxes, the same as you
and |, and every honest citizen does. The
railroads, however, were 10 strong Tor mint
and they defeated his object. II is not the
first time that the great carrying monopoly
has shown its power in the Legislature.
But that is no reason why it is wrong i'll a
Democratic administration TO try 10 curb
that power. The last extra session Was
called at the request OF over two-tnlrds OF
the members of the Legislature, pledging
themselves to vote for measures thai would
counteract the effect, as far as possible, OF
the decision of the supreme Court, declar.
lug the common law of England the law OF
this state with reference to the control of
the waters OF the State. The Republicans
had large majority OF the entire mem ber-
ship ot both houses, and by their pledge TO
the Governor 10 pass irr1gatlon laws, De.
came responsible for the extra session. II
a.. al.. traa Lot m
where it belongs, on the head OF the Repub-
lican party. On the other hand, the state
Administr alton has conducted the ahalrs OF
government in an economical and business
like manner. The Controller department,
at the head of which is Mr.. John T. Dunn,
has returned to the treasury over twenty
thousand dollars that had been wrongfully
diverted from II by Repu9llcan ofhclals:
Bunker, the Republican COMMISSIONER OF
Immigration, was compelled 70 olsg9rge
he had placed in his own pocket:
mother Republican Commissioner, will
have to fork over seven thousand dollars,
and judgments for ABOUT one hundred
thousand dollars more against Republican
Harbor Commissioners and Republican
Secretary OF State, will be secured before
Mr. Dunn goes OUT of office. He also
brought to book another defaulting Repub-
lican secretary OF State ana his deputy, Dnt
a Sacramento jury was found to be; 100
amiable to open the gates OF San Quentin to
them.
THE SCHOOL TEXTBOOKS.
Whilst this administration has done all in
its power to punish and compel restitution
from Republican defaulters, 1t has also IN
stiluted and carried to success one OF the
most important and beneficial public enter
prises ever undertaken by any State. 1t has
compiled and published series OF text
books for use oil the school children OF this
state. These books are now being turned
out OF the bindery of the State anu Will be
distributed to the several COUNTIES during
the coming year. The effect of this great
public work will be beneficially felt by
every father OF family in California. A
uniform system OF books Will be introduced
into every school, and the books Will be
had by parents at less than onethlrd their
present cost. Not only this, but it will
hereafter be possible for mau to move
from one county to another without having
to buy an entire new set OF school BOOKS 10r
his children, as he must now. Tor the DOCKS
being uniform throughout the State, those
bought in Santa Barbara county can be
also used in San Luis Obispo county And
there will be still another saving effected In
favor OF the poor man VINO mas cnlluren
at school. As the older ones rise ~ tnelr
grades, the younger ones can fall heirs
to the books they bave gone through with
something utterly unknown heretofore, Tor
IL has been the custom 10 change tne ext
books SO often in every county that new
books had 10 be procured at every stage tor
every child, and the youngest c0nld never
utilize the books of the eldest, for the very
GOOD reason that there was no permanency
in their adoption Hereafter the chlldren
win have not only cheap books, but good
books for the character OF the WORK upon
them is not surpassed by any school publ
cation in the United States or elsewhere.
| therefore feel justified in replying to
Mr.. Swiit's sneer, by saying: suppose that
the election of the Democratic ticket should
be al endorsement OF the Preseht Stale
administration. What then? 1t would be
the endorsement of an administrator that
had uneartned and brought to light the
stupendous rascalities OF the Republican
State officials, and compelled them TO make
at least partial restitution of their ill-gotten
gains; and which had given to the children
Of the State boon which Will be gratefully
acknowled ged by every father OF family
in the commonwealth. Ii 1T should be the
misfortune of California to have John f.
Swift and his fellow candidates in the State
Capitol during the next four years, happy
will their friends be ii they shall be able
to say truthfully at the end OF their term
that they had left as good record behind
them as that left by Stonenan's admins
tration,"
EXTRA SESSIONS.
Now, would like to have a little plain
talk with you about extra sessions. Has IT
ever occurred to you that extra sessions
have been made an unavoidable necessity,
by the provision in the New institution,
which limits regular sessions to sixty days.
No body of i20 men, divided into two
houses. can perform the legislative duties
required by this State In a session Of sixty
days. IL takes at least thirty days for the
members to get sufficiently acquainted with
the routine Of business, ana with each
other, before they get down to the serious
consideration OF bills. Then, If there are
any measures of great importance upon
which opinion liz divided, the entire bal
ance of the session will be consumed in
passing them, or in fighting them to defeat.
The whole bulk OF necessary legislation Is
thus crowded into the end of the session,
and there is no time left to thoroughly de-
bate any one measure of unusual i'm
portance The session closes without sat
isfaction to the members or the people, and
very loud demand for an extra session.
tc consider the hali-debated measures
cut off by the sixty days lin
it, The pressure on the Gov
ernor becomes irresistible, and the chances
are that he sees himself the propriety OF
the legislation demanded. and yields to his
own Judgment and to what he conceives to
be the popular demand and calls an extra
IA dc In ta