Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-09-28
MR. FoLLETs FoLLIEs.


Mr.. Follet, Democratic orator i'm
ported from the East, addressed the people
of Sacramento on Wednesday Mr.. Follet
won distinction upon that occasion by
c.amming into two hours of speech-making
more Of error and misconstruction more
unsupported statements and political
fapdoodle than has been accomplished by
any Of his predecessors. Let us look at
some of his demagogic propositions and
false statements.
He discovered here in Calirurni; -ror-
derful affection for the odd Roman" In
what way has it been manifested? Can
Mr.. Follet point out when and where Mr..
Thurman has been exalted in public esti-
nation in California? Most Californians
remember him as an uncompromising en-
emy of free labor in the South; as an i'm
placable foe to Unionism as one of the
authors of the platform of 1864, declaring
the war failure and wrong; as the un-
swerving friend of the most rabid Bourbon
ism of the war period.
The history of Chinese legislation is
better known to the pepole of California
than to Mr.. Follet; they, better than he,
understand that the sentiment at the East,
regardless of political faith, was for wears
opposed to the California idea of the Chi
nese question, and that only in recent
years, and after long and persistent plead
ing, has there been brought about a
change; they know-if party is to be
dragged into the matter-that it was due.
fist to the courage and perseverance of
Republican Representatives and Senators
from California that any legislative atten-
ton was secured to the Chinese evil.
When Mr.. Follet said that General Har-
rison is untrue to the anti-Chinese senti
ment, he knew that he was repeating un-
profitable and exploded campaign asser-
tions that are utterly devoid of truth. He
knows that General Harrison's committee
reported unanimously and that he voted
for the most rounded, complete and salts
factory Chinese exclusion bill ever intro
duced in Congress. 1t will not do to show
that upon questions of legal construction.
of treaty obligations and of details in the
building of bill, General Harrison voted
as he as lawyer and a statesman, be-
ileved to be his duty, and wise. 1t is
enough 10 know that standing upon an
anti-Chinese platform and by letter pledged
to restriction, he had already voted for a
complete exclusion bill, that the bill
passed the Republican Senate and was
throttled in the Democratic House by a
Democratic committee.
Mr.. Follet asserts that General Harrison
naturalized seventeen Cinnamon. Where
was conscience when the orator uttered
this exploded libel? Mr.. Follet ought to
know, probably does know, that Demo-
crat more sensible of the ethics of fair
play and more sensitive concerning the ap-
proval of his conscience, had the courage
IN the House, bat a few weeks ago, to arise
in his place and admit the mendacity of
this same story, and to say that neither
General Harrison, nor his partner ever
did anything of the kind, or bore any re-
lation to any such transaction.
Mr.. Follet possibly imagined that his
hearers are ignorant of his chiefs position
on this Chinese question. He forgets, or
wisely ignores the fact that Grover Cleve-
land played into the hands OF the man
dealers by peremptory orders concerning
the issuance of consular certificates in Chi
nese ports for the admission of Chinese to
American landings. Against this outrage
Consul Mosby protested, and pointed out
to the Administration that such orders
were conservative of fraud, and in defeat
of the Restriction Act. Consul Mosby's
protest was ignored, and for his duty-doing
he was removed from the position he ably
filled.
Mr. Follet forgets-possibly he never
knew-that Mr.. Cleveland expressed to a
Californian the idea that the Chinese
could be Christianized and made good citi-
zens. Mr.. Follet forgets for he knows
nay, he evades purposcfully-th fact that
Mr.. Cleveland's Administration has played
fast and loose on this Chinese question in
negotiating weak-baclzed treaty, value
less, enervate and lacls-a-daisical. When
the Republican Senate injected vigor into
this treaty, this same Cleveland Admins.
tration, as Mr.. Follet well knows, but pur-
posely ignores, faced about and gave birth
to a radical exclusion bill, trotted il
through the House, presented il to the
Senate, and Immediately upon that body
passing it, whipped about and sought te
undo the work it lad solicited At the
same time this action of the Senate. ii.
vited and asked for by Mr. Cleveland and
his Cabinet, was made the excuse for rejec-
ton of the treaty by China. Can Mr.
Follet explain by any possible line of ex-
cusatiye reasoning why Mr.. Cleveland
does not sign this same Scott bill, the child
of his own Administration why he hesi-
tates and delays, and refers the matter to
Mr. Bayard, the well-known opponent OF
exclusion?
Isxigeneies of space forbid us to 80 into
detail concerning Mr.. Foilet's aspersions of
Mr.. Morton, and the revamping of charges
against Senator sherman, and the specious
argument that the Republican parry is nos