The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-11
OUR DUTY REMAINS.

The loss of the Republican National
Convention should not be permitted to
discourage us in urging the needs which it
was hoped the bringing of the convention
would make clear to the country. These
are:
l. Any and every proposition before
Congress looking to the extension of the
debt owing by the aided railroads to the
Government should be contested with I'M
failing energy, as otherwise the bond that
has held the richest resources of Califor-
MIA in check will be perpetuated and the
whole Nation will suffer with our State.
2. National legislation is necessary to
unlock the treasures which suitable irriga-
ton measures might render available for
the prosperity and happiness of our people.
This is all the more urgent in view of the
fact that the Federal power in this State is
arrayed against our efforts to utilize this
source of wealth, and that nearly half the
territory of the United States awaits only
such National legislation to become the
most prolific area in the world for the pro-
duction of articles necessary to human
existence.
3. The depression of the silver mining
industry through National policy making
the production of this mineral unproft-
able has turned attention to gold mining,
with the result that. especially in Califor-
MIA, Colorado and Arizona and more par
ticularly in California, gold mining has
recently assumed an Importance hitherto
unknown in the history of the West
This brings to the surface the fact that
within the land grant OF some of the aided
railroads, particularly in California, lie
vast areas that more than presumably are
rich in gold bearing ore, and that in all
probability these will be patented to the
railroad as agricultural lands unless Con-
gress institutes just measures for an ascer
tainment of their proper character.
4. California, by reason of it's peculiar
climate, produces articles of agriculture
which are grown nowhere else in the
United States and must be imported from
foreign countries if the production of like
and even better articles in California
is not fostered by wise and patriotic
tariff protection. Principal among these
articles are raisins, wine, figs, citrus fruits,
olives and other products of semi-tropical
countries.
5. A reasonable protective tariff would
not alone be sufficient. Under existing
conditions the determination of the pros
perity or failure of these extraordinary
natural advantages lies with a powerful
transportation monopoly which the Gov
eminent has been the principal instru-
ment in creating. This means the over
land railroads which have come into ex-
! af hn
Government. These roads have exercised
their power for elf-aggrandizenent and
without any regard whatever for the pros
perity of our peculiar industries or for the
desire and readiness of the people at large
to benefit themselves by these advantages.
This brings us back to the original propo-
sition that an extension of the railroad
debt would be an extension OF its power,
and that this power will be exercised in
the future, as it has been in the past, to
the detriment of the interests of California
and the entire Nation.
6. The disasters which have attended
some features of our coastwise traffic,
taken in connection with the restoration
OF trade which the policy of the Pacific
Mail Steamship Company with regard
to our traffic both with the Central
and South American countries and
the Orient, and considering at the
same time the fact that in general
our trans-Pacitic trade has gone largely
to the Canadian steamship and rail
way concerns, call urgently for Ma
tional legislation to regulate these indus
tries and make them in a measure instru-
for the advancement of Pacific
Coast and National interests.
These are the matters of pressing local
interest. The Nicaragua canal might be
included, but that is an affair more of Ma
tional concern. The loss of the convention
means merely that our people, largely
through their Representatives in Congress,
have only harder work to do.