The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-08-03
THE LEAGUE OF PROGRESS.
Large and Enthusiastic Meeting
Last Night in the Bijou.
Il. T. vogslssng Makes 6 Vigorous spseoh.
Addresses by Harry E. Wise and w.
L Merry-Mr. Lsed's Letter.

OF or sympatOiZers Win lne OdllAOI III"
League of Progress, which held a public
meeting in the theater.
The stage was occupied by the members
OF the board Of control Of the league, and py
the speakers of the evening.
President Frank Harold opened the pro-
ceedipCs BY taking the chair Immediately
after the playing of an overture by the
orchestra. Mr.. Harold stepping to the
footlIghts read an address OF which the FOL
lowing is the substance:
Ills my duty 10 inform you Of what has been
dene by the boAId Of control what We are doing
and what We are going 10 do
We have devoted most OF our Tune IN success
fully launching cur ENTERPRISE and we are also
well along IN the investigation and considera-
ton OF matters OF mpoI lance.
We have successfully canyassed for member
ship and Tie members at large should do like
wise. We have invited the mercantile commu-
nifty 10 become honorary members. Some have
promptly by letter and check given their COM
meBdation aud support, but Others Will have 10
be personally interviewed before our roll has
that membership whlcH we desire and expect.
We are considering the necessity Of establishing
branch leagues In every county
We are about 10 Investigate the charges fire.
quently made thar our Supervisors are orbed,
courts prOsJituted, juries stuffed, and that our
public servants without exception perYet Ilelr
eflceS 10 their own personal ends
The poor pavements OF city also is being
looked into, and II Is our purpose 10 inYestigate
out by tie press as being wrong.
II Is for US 10 decide whether we shall undo
The contracts our fathers signed which shut out
ouT commerce and placed Il elsewhere.
Shall We encourage The formation aud opera
ton of Observation-Disclosures steam and clip
per lines2
Shul We indorse the Nicaragua canal enter
prise and above all, shall we encourage the
building OF competitive local railroads?
TheSe questions are fol US to solve In the near
future, and BESIDES the objects mentioned there
are many other grave and important matters
which VIII come upfO our consideration. Among
one OF the recommendations / would make IN
closing is that We aid the founding OF schools of
finance and economy Tor the higher education Of
young business Mon for commercial life.
W. II. Nelson. the first vice-president of
the league followed Mr.. Harold. He br lefty
announced the objects of the nesting, which
be said were that in view OF the business in
the city being paralyZed an organization
had 10 be perfected whose purposes were to
educate the people et large and the parties
interested directly TO the needs of reform
alton. For that reason We hold these
meetings. We want ideas and we Invited
you all to come and help us TO develop sOme-
thing which will be of benefit TO US ALL"
ar. Nelson put il, aud then he introduced
Captain w. L. Merry, who was the next
speaker.
Captain Merry spoke as follows:
Uis an auspicious omen for our State when its
young men organize for the general welfare. Our
pioneers are passing over 10 ihe majority, and
utOn YOU viii soon devolYe the duties OF citizen
ship and he responsibilities OF what should be a
rapidly growing commonwealth. | need not as
ssrt that the great problem OF California Is cheap
tTauspoi tatOD. Our position Is Isolated aud our
seaports are 90 the outskirts OF the worlds CON-
meTce. Railways cannot, on account of the geo.
graphical position Of Sau Francisco fully develop
It's CONNIE ce; they can and should, however,
contribute greatly 10 the welfare Of our city, and
We want more OF them - they develop
our interior and viii create a healthy
competition In transportation by land Re.
gRTdlng RiteBtiyeiy tie position Of San Francisco
/ have been convinced that her greatness
..frirx hnr
commerce mOie than anything else. San Fran
cisco Is not "OD the wrong side Of the bay" as
Was formerly stated by her enemles she Is on
The wrong side Of the continent II she ia 10 be
satisfied With Der inland transportation. Before
We had railways We had great and prosperous
city. What has brought comparative siagnHtiOn
sud arrested development? The diversion of her
ocean commerce 10 inland channels with The
consequent high rates FOR transportation. Where.
then, Is { ief 10 b. found Obviously In tie deye-
opnenl Of cur ocean commerce and by the intelll-
gent use OF The great advantages OF our maritime
position. An attentive consideration OF Tie ques-
iicn for many years has convinced me that cur
most pressing need is a short water route 10 The
marhets OF The world and this conviction has
mad me an ardent advocate OF the nteroceanic
canal. l thought so over % years ago,
and l think nOwI The elimination OF
nearly half the earth's circumference from our
water route 10 the markets Of the world is the
full solution Of the great
QUESTION OF CHEAP TRANSPORTATION.
We cannot Increase eur population without It.
20 any extent. There Is no laGucement for peo.
pie TO come here TO increase our products when
they cannot lie marketed and leave profit to
the producer as encouragement Thousands
OF acres OF potatoes, FOL Instance. rot In the
ground, when thousands Of people are starving
IN Russia. NhyH High transportation forhids
them being marketed. IL costs TOO much 10 get
10 California, it costs too much 10 market our
products, and reople will rot submit themselves
eOnd itions which they know 10 be oppressive
Climate is something; soil is something; but
bread aud butter is almost everything to the
settler and bis children.
Ii is pleasure 10 realize, also. that the canal
aEn ants fg.r1fTC
terest. II Is for the benefit of all interests In
our StRie-Done more so than the railways,
which viii be called upon 10 distribute from ana
naui 10 the seaports through a rapidly develop
Ing territory. Where II viii deprive them of one
dollar in pro rata traffic il Will gain them 10
dollars on the short haul. To oppose the canal
on account Of railway interests is policy SO
shoTtsighied that in frw years such n thing
VIII be considered fsllacy In human judgment
born Of prejudice ike that which opposed
railways because they would depi eciale The
value OF horsef1eshi So, gentlemen, permit
me 10 say to you that We should encour-
age more railroads; we should open aud improve
our inland warehouses;; but we should, above
all, aim 10 obtain for San Francisco her old as.
cehde ncy as great seaport, as a disiributive
point for The commerce of the Pacific Ocean. It
Is vain aud fruItess task TO Try the building IN
Of great city here By shipping goods eastward
that We have already paid a tarin westward TO
get here. IL Is unnatural and not safe founda.
ton for business. / have great 1sith In San
Francisco, based on AZ years observation. Her
iutnIe Is assured as great seaport, and the
lnleToeeRnic canal Will b. 10 her the harbinger
OF wealth and permanent prosperiiy. 1t will
place her al the commencement OF q short haul,
Instead OF az the end of a long haul Let our
young men DO their duty, and the reward will be
theirs 10 en1oyi
President Harold, at the close of Captain
AerTys speech, introduced the following
resolution, which was unanimously adopted:
Resolved. That the Grand Jury of the city aud
county OF San Francisco be requested to allow
me CsiiIo =, MA Leagne OF Progress to name an
said appointment 10 be betrayed by the Califor-
MA League OF Progress.
A. I. Vogelsang next addressed the meet
Ing, and Ia powerful speech, free from
dry statistics, gave as comprehensive view
OF the field as possible without going too
much into detail. Stripped OF its rhetorical
flights the speech urged a calm discussion
of the matters in dispute between the asso-
citation and the Southern Pacific Company.
The methods OF the fakir should be avoid
ed; unreasoning denunciation should not
be made use of; neither should menace be
employed. The association should frame
It's creed In fairness and publish it in hon.
esty and temperateness. BY doing so it
may hope to achieve greater measure of
success than has yet fallen TO the lot Of any
agitation of this question.
10 cure the wrongs OF railroad oppres-
sien the speaker suggested that after exer-
oislng due discrimination in the nomina-
ZION ana election Of members of the Ma
tIonsl, State and municipal governments
these members should afterward be- held to
strict accountability for their official action.
linen the National Government should ba
called upon to improve the WATERWAYS Of
the two great valleys. The active and per-
sistent efforts of our Congressional derega-
ton could secure the means necessary fer
the work. the completion of which would
open up 1850 miles OF waterway TO payjga
ton aud afford the relief which merchants
Snd farmers are now endeayoring to obtain
by means Of a competing railroad
Mr.. Fogelsang closed his address by ad
y0cating some suitable recognition of merit
for those public officers who, notwithstand-
ing corporate Establishments, remain faith
full to their trusts. Virtue ought not to be
Its own reward in these days when there