The herald., 1898-10-03
THAT MYSTERIOUS SPEECH

xAAx N A40xG&AVO0 01 GG<A&
That interesting campaign production,
the speech published by the San Fran
cisco Call as having been delivered by
Mr.. Gage at San Diego, has not yet been
explained.
The voters of the state Of California
have a right to have this mysterious
business cleared up. They are, In Ger
tain sense. parties in interest to the af-
fair, since the bogus literature In ques-
tion was intended for their special con-
sideration and expressly published by
the Call, with the deliberate purpose of
infiuencing their action at the polls In
November next.
During the tendency of the present
campaign the words and acts Of Mr..
Gage, as a candidate for an office with
in the gift Of the voters of the state,
are amenable not only to fair and i'm
partial public criticism but to the strict
est analysis and investigation as to their
honesty and sincerity of purpose. And
of this the Republican candidate for
governor should not at all complain. 1t
is simply legitimate incident Of his as
sumption Of the role of candidate for
public office.
Now The Herald has shown by con-
elusive proof, to wit: the stenographic
report Of the speech which Mr.. Gage
actually made on the occasion in ques-
tion, that the speech published In the
Call is supposititious production-that
Is to say, spurious edition put by trick
in the place that should have been occu-
pied by the genuine speech. The Calls
'fake" publication IL not without lite
rary merit. and it's obvious purpose was
to offset the prejudice begotten In the
public mind by reason of the free-and-
easy superf1cialities Of Mr.. Cages pub
lie utterances. 1t may have been in
tended to cover his failure to discuss
In his speeches questions of grave i'm
portanre to the people Of California,
touching which they had the right to
know the extent of his Intelligence.
From this point Of view, the action of
the Call In this matter-unless that
journal was imposed upon-assumes the
proportions Of q deliberate imposition
upon the voters Of the state. 1t was
simply placing the Republican candi-
date in a false light before the people
whose suffrages he sought, and mislead-
ing, or attempting to mislead, public
sentiment in regard to his fitness and
capacity for the office of governor. The
gravity Of this offense against honest
politics and good morals cannot well
be overestimated. 1t strikes at the very
roots Of the elective system in that 1t
attempts to "fooP the people"-to use
the strong, homely phrase Of Abraham
Lincoln-into voting contrary to their
honest purpose and belief. Carried to
logical conclusion, 1t is tantamount
to a notification of the ballot box.
Mr.. Gage, as an honest man, was bound
to take note Of and repudiate or ex-
plain the Calls fake publication. Our
readers are aware that The Herald
brought this matter to his special atten-
ton before he made his Hazards pavil-
lon speech on the 29th ultimo. Our pur-
pose was friendly to the Republican
candidate, so that he might be apprised
at the earliest moment of the expecta-
ton of the public to have the dubious
affair explained. It will be remembered
that Mr.. Gage, while declining to say
anything definite at the interview with
the reporter, promised to give the mat
ter attention in his address Of that
evening. But he failed to make any
allusion whatever to the subject in his
formal address.
Now, the public cannot be expected
to let this matter rest in an element of
such mystery and uncertainty. Nor can
Mr.. Gage afford to remain silent or in
different in a situation of such delicate
implication and suggestiveness. He
should shake the Calls dust froh his
feet and show that he is too manly and
honest to even indirectly indorse the
tergiversations of that journal. Or if
that paper was imposed upon by bogus
report Of his San Diego speech-as has
been claimed-Mr. Gage should at least
interpose the plea Of non est factum.
Again, there may have been some SEN
timents expressed In the bogus speech
which he cannot conscientiously in
dorse. and it would be unfair to Mr..
Gage if he were to be judged by words
put into his mouth, so to speak, by a
yellow journal.
In the presence of this serious predic-
ament, to stand mute" would be Mr..
Cages weakest line of action.