The San Francisco call., 1896-01-18
Mayor Sutro Thinks Some Have
Been Influenced to Stay
Away.
PROGRAMME OF THE MUSIC
Some Strong Arguments That Will Be
Advanced by Mayor Davie of
Oakland.

Those who attend the great anti-funding
bill convention at Metropolitan Temple,
which begins at 10 O'Clock this morning,
Will hear some of the foremost opponents
of President Huntington of the Southern
Pacific Company tell the audience why the
bill should be defeated and how the object
can be accomplished if the people stand
together and demand from Congress the
action that the committee of fifty believes
the people of California have the right to
expect.
The delegates, who come from all parts of
the State-one from this county and many
from that-began to drop in yesterday and
number called on Mayor Sutro to confer
with him and learn just what action is ex-
pected to be taken. DR.. Robert Brown of
Sacramento, who heads delegation from
that place, had long conversation with
the Mayor and told him many things re-
garding the feelings of the people of the
capital city that pleased the chief execu-
tive and some that did not
lie said that there was no questioning
the fact that the people of Sacramento are
almost unanimous against Huntington
and the funding bill, but that through
fear of the railroad power and influence
many are afraid to express their senti-
ments, believing that some punishment
will surely be visited on them if they do.
This aroused the Mayor and he declared
that the days of the railroad power were
about over, and that in the near future the
citizens OF California could lift their heads
and voices and call their souls their own
without fear OF consequences.
AS matters now stand" he said, ''we
are IN worse condition than we would be
III q fOrPlPn fleet ar Hnnrc
A foreign enemy might lombard San
francisco and burn q few houses or DESTROY
a few crops but with the octopus we have
an enemy that is slowly strangling us and
giving US no chance to fight back.
That enemy must be defeated this time
or we will be slaves for the next fifty wears.
L cannot understand the apathy OF tue
people IN this matter. They must know
what they are coming to with the ventila-
ton Huntington S schemes have had in the
press, and yet they stand idly and allow
the saddle in whicn Huntington will ride
for fifty years to be fastened on their
backs.
The railroad has been working to choke
Oft this convention and may succeed in
keeping some delegates away, but the re-
suit will be the same-we shall have
prominent men enough, who can neither
be bullled nor bought into staying away, to
show Congress the feeling on this coast,
d'Io tIidb 10 al We WANT. vi course Ine
public will be there, and | expect to see q
crowd that will not be able TO get into the
galleries.
at may be that the railroad will send
some of Its hirelingS to disturb the con-
ventlon, but that will only have the effect
OF helping us, as it will show what desper-
ate straits the octopus has arrived at.
Governor Buqd has been asked to pre-
side over the convention, but as yet we
have had no word from him -
A number of speakers have been selected
Tor the occasion. among them being John
I. Doyle, Henry E. Highton, Morris NJ.
Estee, ]. NJ. Bassett, Mayor Davie of Oak
land and Taylor Rogers.
The music for the occasion will be fnr
nished by Cassasa's band, ard the pro-
gramme is as follows:
Overture, American. n'.....C CatIin
March, "Kine Cotton" n".............,...,.. Souza
Red, White and Blue. ....................
"Cocoanut Dance ce''.................,.....H Herman
Waltz. Jolly Fellows" VoIIstndt itian
Selection, plantation Echoes" ......... Conterno
Marching Through Georgia..
Galop, "Old Times Coach". Came
Mayor Davie OF Oakland, who will be one
OF the principal speakers will have many
arguments to advance against the passage
OF the bill. In recent interview he said:
am opposed to any refunding bill, said
Mayor Dayle. The Central Pacific should be
compelled to pay up when its obligations fall
due, or the Government should take the road
and operate it as public highway. Here the
Government IS now endeavoring to borrow
o00oO000 for thirty years at 4 per cent
ana IL proposes under this funding bill to give
the railroad company the loan of $50, ,00O, 900
for 100 years at 2 per cent. This is character
or 1aYorltlsm that is totally unjust.
II the Government cannot make the Central
Pacific come TO terms then let it step in and
pay pay me me 1rst mortgage bonds Of $27 100000
ernmental Indebtedness The Government
ought to operate the road as the State of New
ork does the Erie canal. The State built the
waterway and appointed collectors TO coll oct
mileage tolls from every vessel that navigated
the canal The vessels took out license and
were charged so much for every mile Now If
every sDy community district or individal on the
racine Coast were given the same privileges in
operating trains over the Central Pacific Rail
road IL would result in material reduction in
the cost of transportation. Motiye-power com
panies would be formed to haul trains from
the various sections, and every neighborhood
could JOIN IN the ownership of one or more
cars.
Take. for instance, Fresno. with its raisins.
Napa and Sonoma counties and the Liyermore
Valley, with their wines Haywards Wonld
nave IT'S own fruit train, They could have slow
or 1ast freight, just as the shipper pleased. On
the Erie canal there are a dozen or more tow
Ing companies who pay the State of New York
SO mueh Tor the privilege of operating on that
waterway. They charge vessels so much per
mile and the system has proved very satisfac-
tory and transportation is very low.
= Ley the same principle be applied to the
central Pacific If 1T is operated by the Govern
ment.. 1t would prove to be great advertise
ment tor the Pacific Coast and the people of
TINS State could get their products to market
with some margin left over the cost of trans
portation 10 repay them for their labor ex-
pended and capital invested. The Government
ought TO own all the great rail highways be-
tween the Pacific and the Atlantic We do not
want any refunding, whatever happens. The
burdens borne by the people of this State on
account OF the railroad rates already too
heavy, and the idea of continuing them unto
lhe next TWO generations should not even be
thought of.
nNTNN TEAnYTE NTup