The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-05-19
HONE TRUTHS, PLAINLY TOLD.

Convention speeches do not usually
abound in thoughts The first lesson which
a politician learns is the art of speaking
without saying anything; presiding officers
Of conventions generally show that they
have learned It carefully. Mr.. Murphy Of
San Jose adhered TO rule to the extent of
avoiding cOntr0verted issues and new ex-
positions Of doctrine which might provoke
argument. There is nothing absolutely new
o what he said. But the manner Of saying
it was pithy, h0mely and sympathetic. On
the fundamental principles which lie at the
bottom of self-goyernment honest men are
agreed. but in the evOlutions Of practical
politics people are led so far from their start
ing that it is wholesome, once in a way, to
be brought back to the cardinal doctrines
which are essential "a the safe and honest
conduct Of public affairs. Mr. Murphy said {:
While we have made strides ia material pros
Verity, we have not made The SINE moral strides
I'll Tie good old days there was an O.d-fashlOned
style Of honesty-hOnesty OF purpose, honesty Of
acts, honesty OF WOrds-that has given place 10
tiCkeTy dupiety aud sharp practice. This has
been more conspicuous 10 the political field than,
perhaps, any other, and 1 am sorry 10 say lt has
lot been confined 10 any political party As a
result the conscientious and intelligent man has
been driven from The Geld Of politics, and the
uickSler and tme-seryeT have been in the high
places OF lie synagogue. Good men have bean
fearful OF the result
Friends Of the republic have taken a gloomy
view Of the future. 1 thank God that 10 the last
year or two wave OF morality has passed over
this STATE. As much is expected Of Us, let Us not
fail to do our duty. Let Us meet everything ia
the Old-IashiOned STYLE Let Us mean what we
say. and say what we mean.
There could not be a better motto for the
ReOrganizsd Democracy over which Mr..
Murphy presides than his terse sentence,
LET us mean what we say and say what
we mean" The trouble with his party
and it is not peculiar 10 this respects that
lis leaders have not been in the habit of
meaning what they say or saying what they
mean. With the inyeterate propensity of
politicians to believe that the public at
large are fools aud can only be handled by
deceiying them, these leaders have habitu-
ally appealed to the lowest instincts of
humanity when they asked for votes. They
have assumed that the road to popularity
was to pander to the blunders and preiu-
dices Of the ignorant, taking for granted
that the utteTance Of the truth would be
fatal. Ia line with this policy they have
habitually said that which they did not
mean, intending, when the time came, to
eat their words and repudate their profess
sions. A steady adherence to this double
faced policy has eugendered profound and
general lOathing and contempt for poll
ticians Of all schools and the consequence
has been that when a political leader has
advocated a course that was right and
honorable he has been suspected OF secret
designs which were neither right nor hon.
Orable, and has found it difficult to carry
the public with him.
Perhaps the most honest leader Of the
city Democracy Of late years was Chris
topher Buckley. he held up corporations
and individuals and cut their purses. But
he did it openly and did not lie about it
unless it was absolutely necessary to lie
Around him we're a gang Of men-they are
f0uTishing at Fresno nOW-Who when they
could, shared in the spells Buckley gath
cred, voted as be bade, stood by him in con-
yentIons and at the polls. and yet set up to
be gentlemen Of honor and pr0bity. They
we're accompliees in Buckeyes crimes, but
when they got on their legs they denoun ced
crime in the language Of a saint and be-
dewed their shirt fronts with tears over the
degeneraev of the times. Those must have
been the men whom Murphy had in his eye
when he admOnished the Democracy to say
what they meant and to mean what they
said