The record-union., 1892-05-30
A STUPID BLUNDER. I"
That is the Opinion of a Leading
Democratic Editor,
On the Work of the Late Democratic
State Convention
at Fresno.

AT the dlctatlOn OF lew mercnantS,
most of whom are Republicans, and the
CdA and Bulletin. who may be depended
upon to oppose the Democratic party,
no matter who the nominees may be or
what principles may be enunciated in the
party platforms, the l30 delegates from
San Francisco to the Fresno Convention
committed the Democratic party of Cali
| fornia to an Endorsement of the Traffic
Association. OF those 1870 delegates it is a
perfectly safe estimate to say that one
half of them knew absolutely nothing
concerning the purposes of the said asso-
citation. That the others We're pefectly
sincere in their efforts to do something to
solve the railroad problem in manner
that would inure to the benefit of the
people, we have no doubt, but we are
confident that they have been deceived as
to the real purposes of the association.
The people Of the interior are suspicious
of the San Francisco merchants, but the
| influence of such a large body Of men
! voting one way was so great that many
| interior delegates were induced TO cOunte-
nance the Endorsement, while, at the
same time, they confessed their utter
| ignorance of the question.
! Now that the convention is over, what
/ have the CGjt or the BttLetiR, or even the
members of the Traffic Association, done
that indicates that they will support the
Democratic party? Neither of these
Journals have uttered one word of APP
proval, nor are they likely to do so.
Whatever opinion they have so far eX-
pressed i'll the matter has tended to dis
credit the Democratic party and question
the sincerity Of its motives.
1t is perfectly absurd to say that all
] I
working in sympathy with the railroad
company. There are sturdy farmers who
express their approval Of such action,
and who are known TO be i'll favor OF Il
! competing railroad and d reduction of
fares and freights. There is not q single
act in all their public or private lives
upon which can be based a charge that
they are under obligations to the railroad
company. There were men who opposed
it whose integrity has never been ques-
toned, and who were ranged on the anti
monopoly side and fighting the battles Of
the people when some of those VINO are
now SO clamoroUS in demanding rabid
anti-railroad legislation were the Obse-
Quious tools OF the corporations, and Vot-
ing against the Archer and the rcassess-
ment bills. Their opposition was based
on solid reasons. 1t has been said that
the object Of the association is to cut Off
all terminal facilities outside Of San
| Francisco. There is good reason for be-
| lieVing that that is the real purpose, for
IL is q weil-<nown fact that few years
! ago some of the merchants who are now
! the most active "mbGrS of the Traffic
! Association Went to the corner Of Fourth
| and Townsend streets aud made an effort
! to have all terminal Facilities abolished,
except those enjoyed by San Francisco.
Four months ago the Secretary of the
/ Woodland business Mems Association
] L.
! Assoc iatlOn If hey were willing to assist
in maintaining all terminal facilities now
! enjoyed by interior cities OF California,
| and also TO assist in securing the same
| facilities for other cities that are entitled
| to them. That communication remains
unanswered to this day. Interior mer-
chants hays q right to be suspicious of an
| association that declines to answer such Il
! pertinent question as that.
There must have been some object that
! is not apparent on the surface in insisting
| that the name OF The Traffic Association
/ should appear in the platform. Here is
| the clause as it was finally adopted:
! IeeSojCed, That the Democratic party de-
! nounceS the Board of Railroad Commissioners
| Of the state and earnestly sympathi2eS with
and cUlamCndS tie efforts OF the Traffic 4 sssj-
! citation 20 omFel tEGin TO perform their con
/ sututiUnal duty, and accomplish q much
needed reduction III railroad fares in Cahtor-
MIA.
The substitute proposed by the minority
| reads:
I3esoIre9, That the Democratic party de-
nCuncCs the inactivity of the Board of Rail-
| road commissioners Of this State and earn
! estly sympatai2es with and commends all
efforts to compel them to perform their CON
stitutional duty by accomplishing q much
| needeG reduction il railroad rates in this
| State.
1t Will be observed that the language
employed is almost identical. The diff
/ ference is that the minority report COM
mends ali efforts, no matter by whom
made, while the friends OF the Traffic
| Association arroganly assume that all
anti-mOnOpOly sentiment in the State is
embodied and personitied in the mem
| berS of that organization.
There is another circumstance that is
worthy OF note at this time. Before the
Fresno convention, Manager Leeds, who
! is endeGgOring to make show of earn
ing his ten-thousand-dolla -per-annum
salary. was very emphatic in the decara-
ton that the Traffic Association would
carry the transportation question into
politics, and he intimated in very strong
/ language that so far as the association is
| concerned, party lines viii be brok ell
! down. Now that he has secured the in
! dOrsement Of the Democratic party. his
| patriotism has apparently oozed out OF
his finger ends. Not a single Republican
! member OF the association has said any
thing about supporting the Democratic
! ticket, and the man who thinks that anv
/ Of them viii do so, is too unSOphisticated
to be a successful politician.
The campaign will soon open. The
| CaU and BUtietin will, as usual, support
! the Republican ticket. When it is too
| late, the Democrats of San Francisco will
realize that in forcing an Endorsement of
an association with which the interior is
not in sympathy, they committed a stupid
| blunder.