Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1889-09-10
duced and delivered an address full of
interaet He eo;d

NuOC0 duu QcllN0IGQ du EQQIo91 Iull oil
interest. He eaid:
Mr.. President, Ladies and Gentlemen:
This day celebrates the admission of
California into the Union. Until today
the laws of this State did not recognize
the day as holiday. But the last Leg.
lslature unanimously passed laws which
have resulted in the 9th of September
being recognized as Cslifornia's holiday.
This has been done by the efforts of the
Native Sons OF the Golden West. 1t is a
day set apart; a day upon which the
californian stops to think of his heritage.
The organization Of Native Sons is
now quite large, numbering between
1000 and 5000. In San Jose today,
5000 and 1900 Native Sons are
in line. l call attention to this to
show the deep interest taken in the
order. | shall not detain you to make
extended remarks, but will briefly state
the main objects of the order. In the
first place, love of country is always
considered laudable exercise for the
human mind. We are living under a
flag from which no exile except one
who has committed crime need flee.
Surely If ever people had cause to be
thankful for the great good that God
has given them it is our own people.
Our organization being a young organ
ization it must be supposed that there
is great deal of enthusiasm in it. We
feel that Il ere is history back of us
not belonging to US in the sense that
we made it. 1t is history we can refer
to with feelings Of exaltation. 1t is in
the contemplation of those from whom
we sprung that we find subject for
thought and reflection. From their
achievements we can get lessons. Let
lib deduce from their lives of matchless
energy lessons that will be of value to US.
Let us in this year reflect whether or not
1t is in our power to do better than we
have done. One hundred years ago the
first Chief Justice took oath of Office, and
there has been nothing torn down.
Looking at the great instrument
handed down to us, the Constitu-
ton, do not let us be still. Let
us preserve it uptainted. All history
teens with lessons of the danger
which comes from vast aggregations of
money, and We must see that the right
OF property is guarded with jealous care.
Ii there is any reason in the Native Sons
for more than social intercourse it is to
hold these maxims of liberty and gov
eminent dear. hope the day is not far
distant when it can be said of the native
SONS that they play prominent part be-
cause OF their examples as good citizens.
We are attem pting to make the order of
such a character that none who are I'M
worthy may be in it. We seek 10 do
nothing not in consonsnce with the aims
of good citizenship, and trust that,
through all the years of it's existence, you
will mark its growth, increase and further
usefulness" Applause
Miss Frances McCreery, President of
La Esperanto Parlor No. "a, Native
Daughters of the Golden West, gave a
vocal solo entitled "Yellow Roses"
COL. AYERs's ADDRESS.
Col. J. j. Ayers was then introduced
and delivered the following address, dur
ing the delivery Of which he was repeat
edly Interrupted by the applause Of the
audience:
Nottue Sons of the Golden West.
take great pleasure in addressing you
upon this anniversary of the admission
Of California into the Union.
This pleasure is enhanced by the fact
that as q pioneer look upon you as the
successors Of the Argonauts-the custod-
ians OF their archives, the chroniclers of
their times, and the guardians of their
fame.
1 had the honor of personal acquaint-
ance with the founder of your Order
General A. M. VIM. He was a typical
representative of that hardy race, fast
passing away, which moulded the insti-
buttons of our young State. Untiring and
unsel6sh, he devoted the declining years
of a brave and active life to the noble
work of elevating and lettering the con-
dition of his fellow men.
He was a natural organizer, and in the
contest between labor and capital, which
began in this State early in the sixties,
he took the lead in forming the working
classes into compact associations so as to
make Themselves felt in the halls of leg
islation. He early gave the weight of
his advocacy in the Congress of Trades
to the eight-hour law, and was among
the first to agitate, through organized
effort, the opposition to Chinese immi-
grafton which eliminated two years ago
in the Exclusion act.
But the browning effort of his busy
career was the founding of the or
ganization which l now have
the honor of addressing. By this happy
inspiration he perpetuated in the State
he loved 80 we'll an institution which
would hand down to posterity the stir
ring traditions Of an era that has chal-
lenged the wonder and the admiration of
mankind. If an American Virgil shall
arise to sing in lofty notes the epic OF the
Argonauts, his task will have been
smoothed and facilitated by the crystal
ization of the sublime conception of Gen
eral A. M. VIM.
1t is not easy to realize that in the
short span of one lifetime changes have
taken place in California that represent
and illustrate centuries of mutation in
older countries. There is included be-
tween the years 1849 and 1889 in this
State q progress which if applied to
European development would mark the
ages that transpired between the crude
pastoral life of the nomads and the high. |
est order of modern civilization.
Let us for moment glance at the two
pictures. Ia 1849, if we omit score of
Spanish settlements in the vicinity of
tho old missions, the whole territory of
Alta California was wilderness. San
Francisco was city of tents. Sacra-
mento and Stockton were mere embar.
caderos and starting points for the mines. |
Los Angeles was an adobe pueblo, as |
was Monterey, and these two settle |
ments we're at that time the most con-
siderable places in point of civilized &C.
commodation in the whole State. Small |
hamlets had gathered around the mis-