Los Angeles herald., 1892-09-05
SOME STRAIGHT DEMOCRACY,
A Consideration Of the Fusion
Question Pro and Con.
what Is to Be Gained by Ventura
Member Of Congress
Reasons why Democrats Will Not Vote
for Cannon-A Clear Analysis OF
the Question in All Its
Lights.

views on the fusion question j
An endorsement Of the Peoples party
candidate has been suggested as good
policy for the Democrats in this con.
sgressional district.
Let US look this proposition squarely
in the face while we yet may.
The candidate to be endorsed is Mr..
Marion Cannon, from Ventura, against
whom personally nothing is to be said.
The district has had ono old man
from v entura. not Of the Democratic
faith, and found itself soaked in soup,
and this, too, with majority OF his
party in power. What can the district
hope for from second similar expert
ment, without favorable majority in
congress? The fact is. that with q
choice reduced to Cannon and Lindley
many Los Angeles Democrats will vote
for Lindley as business proposition.
Many Democrats will not vote for Can
non because he represents paternalism
and class legislation, besides several
side issues, as prohibition and female
suffrage, all at variance with Democratic
doctrine. And this opposition amongst
Democrats will grow with every day the
campaign lasts. He cannot carry full
Democratic vote. Cannon opposes,
bounties, subsidies, land grants and
class legislation for manufacturers and
trusts.
On these points the Democrats al
ready have safe majority in the lower
house. But in the most contradictory
and illogical manner he advocates q
aka~nnl;cv,, nd nj 1oui al lot tiov, Ia
vor of farmers. These favors are not for
laboring men, not for farm hands or the
masses in any way, but for employing
farmers and almost wholly for class OF
farmer.employers that are in small
proportion in this district, that is for
those who produce imperishable pro-
ducts. The fruit farmer is not in it.
How can Democratic speaker advo-
cate the election of Cleveland, the
champion of the whole people, against
that kaleidoscope greenback statesman,
the versatile Weaver, while endorsing
congressman on the Weaver platform
By such dilemma, our campaign
must be stultified and our sincerity just
ly doubted.
OF the side issues, we may consider
only two; first, government ownership
of railroads.
It is matter of common observation
that the government requires more men
for the execution OF project than does
private enterprise. This is true of all
countries, as it has been of all times.
Consequently the present army of rail-
road employees is no criterion
of the addition to political
patronage which government own
ership OF railroads would require.
Judging by the hold of the Union League
in this county and by the federal-pa-
tronage convention that nominated Har-
rison, we cannot but presume that such
vast increase of federal Office holders
would not stop short of the perpetuation
in power OF the party to whom their
places were due. Political activity and
personal service would be more consid-
cred than the public interest, and ra-
tional expectation would be the inef-
ficiency of the railroad management.
The same surplusage OF public servants
would, presumably, occur that we see
now in the federal departments, where
employees open the day at or 10 O'Clock
and stop at 3-the same crowding and
tax-devouring we see in our own county
court house.
An experience in countries where the
railroads are all government owned, as
in Victoria, Australia, where they are
partly owned by government and partly
by private enterprise, as in France, and
where they are wholly in private hands,
as in England and America, enables me
to say that IN the matters of courtesy,
accommodation and speed the contrast
is altogether in favor of private railroads.
If you want discourtesy and favoritism
go to political pull; if you want poor
service, slew time and Indifferent accom-
mediation, take government railroad.
Nowhere is this more noticeable than in
France, where the two systems run
side by side. In Victoria, under the
paternal system, we see over half the
population concentrated in the city of
Melbourne, to the weakening of the
country. We see the community mon
strously tax ridden. We see an army
of unemployed looking to the state for
support. We see the community on the
verge of bankruptcy and socialism |;
not indeed an encouraging picture for
the populist.
1t is true that California is pecu-
liarly unfortunate in it's railroad
situation. We have been and still are
dominated by the Republican class
party Auu NY lth BOVoIumoub lOetcIou
railroad monopoly.
Here is an exemplification of the dan
gers OF class legislation had under the
most plausible pretexts.
Here is concern that has had city,
county, state and federal bounty, subsidy
and land grant. Here is a concern that
has used the government machinery to
defeat the governments own lien for
the coin advanced to build the road
over and above the clean gift of the land
grant; that has refused to pay it's taxes
that chokes off land competition and
subsidies away water competition that
cinches the people on every side and
holds the state back; that is reputed to
be constant corrupter OF our politics
that has its own representative in the
federal senate, and that is said now
to have opened sack for the election
OF congressman and legislative ticket
in this district, to secure another SEN
ator.
The strongest argument for fusion is
the report that this sack is being used
to prevent it.
Whether this report has been circu-
lated to stop the nomination Of straight
Democrat or not, can not be considered
material. We know that all criminals
furnish the rope that hangs them; we
know they become politically blind, and
eventually destroy their interests and
themselves, 30 that we can consider
nothing but what is honest and true to