The San Francisco call., 1896-04-23
The State Mining Association
Presents Him With an
Address.
WAS A PIONEER IN MINING.
The Appropriations That Have Been
Gained and the Laws Enacted
for the Go,d-Diggers.

Club. Attorney wright presented W
Charles G. Yale. one of the leading organ
izers and member OF the executive COM
mittee, handsomely engrossed resolutions
commencing him for his untiring work IN
aid of the California miners.
Mr.. Wright made an eloquent speech.
jacob Neff also made brief address, COM
meuding Mr.. Yale's work. The latter
gentleman replied in very feeling way.
Mr.. Wright's address, with the resolu-
tions, was as follows:
Mr.. President: In the year 1873 blow was
struck which crippled and has almost de-
stroyed the silver-producing industry in the
United States. Ten years later the gold-mining
industry OF California received an equally Sc
we're stroke. The Nation has not recovered
from the one, the State still suffers from the
other, while the miner is the heaviest indi-
vidual loser by both.
The necessity for policy so destructive to
the interests of this particular guild is not ap-
parent to my mind in either case.
After much careful study of the subject am
firmly convinced that the wisest American
policy is that which would result in securing
full value to the product of every American
mine and check upon the unlimited power
of gold, now fast becoming a tyranny. have
entire confidence in the abundance of Amer
lean resources and in the wisdom of American
craftsmanship to accomplish these results.
When We reflect that in the domain of
diplomacy the simple writing of letter by an
American President to an American Congress
resulted in the immediate surrender of cher
ished and vaunted policy by the proudest and
most aggressive nation on earth, it is no
longer difficult to believe that in the world of
finance the power of this Nation is equally un-
derstood and feared.
The United States and not England should
be and will be the worlds arbiter in finance
and in bu siness as well as in war.
Equally difficult is it TO understand the
necessity for that policy which has reduced by
one-half the product of gold in California dur
the rivalry between Califo rnia and Colorado
as to which is the banner State in the matter
of gold production, and our friends, the Colo
radans, have even had the temerity to call
theirs the New Golden State.' Mr.. President,
such rivalry would be unknown if the miners
OF California were permitted to work their
mines.
BY moderate estimate, the product of gold
| in California has been curtailed not less than
$3.50 ,0OOO since the North Bloomfield de-
| cision was rendered, and but for that decision
who doubts that the product of California
| would now equal $50, 900. 900 per year?
| 1t is significant OF the lawsbiding character
| of the miners of California that with such pa
| tience they have submitted to a system of laws
which brought them poverty for riches. and
desolation and ruin. where formerly existed
| prosperity and abundance.
Stunned and helpless after the first ruinous
blow they submitted to the law as 1t was de-
clared by the courts with but little hope of
| ever regaining the privileges they had lost,
while their enemies OF the valley rejoiced in q
| ruin which, by natural processes, eventually
became at least in part their own. But there
is limit to all things, even to the patience of
miner.
Up in that mountain county which, Mr. Presi-
dent, is honored by your residence within its
borders, q few Observation-Disclosures in the latter
part of the year 1891 gathered together and
reasoned somewhat after this fashion: The
guilds of London have been power with in
| that city for centuries, and the Lord Mayor is
always selected from among their mem bers.
Their power is the result of organized effort.
| The farmer of California has his grange and
boasts of the ability of his class to dictate the
| political and business policy of the State He
| too derives his power from organization. Why
| should not the miners of the State organize and
! stand together IN an effort to regain something
of what they, have lost, and even to advance
| beyond their former condition of prosperity?
/ 1t was fortunate for the miners of the State,
Mr.. President, that among the little group was
a gentleman, now here present, member of
| the committee-the son OF man eminent
among the many eminent men who have iol-
lowed the profession of the law and the bust
ness of mining in this State-who had not
only. the knowledge to comprehend but the
! administrative ability to carry to success the
plan outlined at that meeting.
refer to the gentleman whom this night we
delight to honor Charles G. Yale.
| Soon after the little meeting have spoken
| of, Mr.. Yale returned to San Francisco and
| called meeting here, which was attended by
| sixteen gentlemen 1t seems strange, Mr.
| President, to think of the California Miners
Association with a membership of only six
| teen, while now half that many thousands
| have their names upon its rolls. The work
/ begun by those little meetings was not allowed
/ to lag. From that time till now it has gone
| on with eyer.increasing success until the full
fruition OF the associations labors seem near
| at hand.
! The Camineth law, making the business of
hydraulic mining again lawful and respecta-
Bile and providing for the United States Debris
| m Ia Ar,,ia Gtota nal.r rio n
mission law. providing for the appointment OF
! State Debris Commissioner and condition
ally for the expenditure of $250,0O0 of money
| by the State in the construction of impound-
| ing dams; the Ford hydraulic mining laval
these are facts made possible and accomplished
by the efforts of the miners of California in
association assembled; and we are assured
! from the Nations capital that once more the
appeal Of the miner has been heard and that
| within q few short weeks may certainly
count on the following enactments: First, a
| clause in the rivers and harbors bill appro-
| priating $4,000 forthe expense of the United
| States Debris commissioners; next, clause in
| the same bill appropriating $3.50, 900 to be
| used in connection with the like amount ap-
| propriated by the Legislature of this State in
| the building OF impoundlng dams, and last,
! but not least, in its Importance to the miner
| the mineral lands bill, preventing the appro-
priation of mineral lands within this State by
/ the railroad companies,
| I note in the morning dispatches, Mr. Presi-
| dent, statement by the attorney of the Anti
Debris Association to the effect that he admits
| he has lost the fight against the appropriation
| l have named, but that his association will
| contend with the miner against the building
of such dams as will permit offurther hydraulic
| mining. Mr.. President, for one give myself
no anxiety on that score. / noted, sir, that
| Mr.. Devlin on his recent visit TO Washington
soon found he had but little business in that
busy city. A change came o'er the spirit of
! the little dream he had cherished when he
| found q united delegation working in the IN
! terests OF the miner, and he left for New York
| And, Mr. President, think we can trust the
eminent lawyers of that delegation to so word
| the statute as to give the miner the benefit he
Graves.
Think of the change, Mr.. President, in the
/ position of the hydraulic miner of California
| from what it was when that little band was
/ called together by Mr.. Yale. Then ssnone so
poor to do him reverence" now, Congress
sional delegation united in advancing his most
reasonable requests.
Such, Mr.. President, is the result of organ
lied effort. Sir, from that little beginning
! until now this movement has had no more un.
tagging friend than Charles G. Yale, while
stlll his services are given to the cause without
stint and without weariness. To multiply
words in this connection, Mr.. President, would
/ but belittle their power. l can but express
the truth by reading the resolutions which
on behalf OF the Miners Association of Cali,
fornia, IL is now my duty and my pleasure to
present, Mr.. Yale, to your good SELF,