The record-union., 1893-02-03
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE.
CONTINUED FROM FIFTH pAeE.7

INO-' In O44D GKOM ELF lii PAGE.
would be greatly raised. Fresno,
he said, had been big boom
town, but now it was undergoing bad
spell OF financial EN- mbarrassment-the re-
action. Property now sold for fifty per
cent. less than it did two years ago.
Everything was heavily mortgaged and
the additional taxation that would be
necessary in order to fill up the deficiency
caused by taking out the land for the new
county would cause untold hardship to
the already oppressed property owners.
Mr.. Grady incidentally told the COM
mittees about the recent meeting held in
Fresno for the purpose of declaring
against the proposed new county. The
city. he said, hired a hall and a band and
prepared to receive Senator Goucher in
style. Those who had charge OF the af-
fair went to dinner, and before they ap-
peared at the hall the MADEIRA folks took
possession of the hall and were about to
pass resolution in favor of the new
county when the crowd which had got
ten up the meeting arrived. The result
was big row. MIR. Grady said the re-
port that the resolution was adopted was
mistake. The meeting broke up in a
iuss. and no resolutions were adopted at
all
In conclusion Mr.. Grady said he did
not believe that the new county could
muster up 1,300 voters in the whole dis
trict.
T. c. White of the First National Bank
made an argument against the new
county. President Einstein of the Cen
tral California Bank also spoke for the
opposition. President Colson of the
Fresno National Bank spoke i'll the same
vein. An attorney named Church from
the city OF Fresno spoke to some length,
also for the opposition, and Mr.. Lee, a
taxpayer, who was formerly in favor of
the scheme, but Topped, also made a
speech. The latter is the fellow who had
an article published in a Fresno paper
against Senator Goucher. and whom the
latter branded as falsitier on the floor of
the Senate.
NJ. f. Tarpey, who owns considerable
land in Fresno County, had his say
against the new county, too.
This closed the argument for the oppo-
sition.
Assemblyman Mordecai then talked for
the new county. He said he had resided
III the section proposed to be included in
the new county great many years-he
was pioneer OF the plains-and he
thought he understood thoroughly
what his constituents wanted. He
was one of those who helped build
up Fresno County and was proud
OF his work. He had had the honor of
representing the whole county, and was
IL.
He believed the bill creating the new
county was in the interest of progress.
The same feeling would crop out in years
to come as now affects the opposition, and
he believed that there should be no de-
lay-the bill should be put through now.
lie had not arrived at his conclusions
hastily. He had looked into the matter
thoroughly, and his long residence there
made him familiar with the wants of the
country. MIR. Mordecai referred sarcas-
tically to the statements of the oppoSi-
ton, namely, that most of the land of the
proposed new county was OF little value.
Why then, he asked were the opponents
of the scheme so 10th to give up this poor
and cheap section of their county. He
accused the other side OF misrepresenting
the divisionists' arguments grossly,
while on the other hand the divisionists
had been lar throughout. The opposi-
ton had claimed that three-fourths of the
people in the proposed new county were
opposed to the scheme, yet they had
failed to produce one person from that
locality to address the committee in
opposition to the measure.
Nestor a. Young, who has property
interests in the proposed new county,
made a brief but eloquent argument to
the committee in favor of division. He
first presented petition signed by l ,l42
voters and taxpayers north of the San
Joaquin RIVER. There were no dupli-
Gates, he said, and every name was bona
fide. He also presented certificate
showing that the property within the
boundaries of the new county was as
sessed for S7,000,0O0. Mr.. Young ridi-
culed the statement of the opposition to
the effect that they didn't hear anything
about the proposed division until lately
why" said he, six months ago there
was mass meeting at MADEIRA, at which
the plan was discussed and declared for
enthusiastically. 1t was talked about all
over the county, even by the school chill
dren way down at Selma. And then they
say they didn't know anything about it!
Katsl That kind of talk doesn't go now
adays."
The committee then adjourned until
o'clock this morning to hear more argu-
ments.