The herald., 1898-10-16

B
| 'It is known" says Mr.. Estee, ito
every public man, Democrat or Re-
| publican, that the Southern Pacific
Railroad company has for many years
tried to control the politics of this
| state. Its vast influence and unlimited
capital is used in politics full as much
as in business. 1t places money ahead
of men, and its own greed In advance
of public morals. If this thing is longer
permitted to continue 1t will imperil
alike the rights of liberty and prop
erty. 1t is a menace to the republic and
good men of all parties should unite in
defeating its influence" (Applause)
Now that is an exact statement of our
opinions and that Is what we have done.
(Applause) Why doesn't Mr. Estee bring
his party into our combination against that
monopoly dominion and make the opposi-
ton unanimous! (Applause.) But that was
not all he said on this question. Continuing
he says:
THE political power Of the Southern
Pacific railroad corporation increases
as new and additional favors are ex-
tended to It, With all its railroad
mileage and its vast business interests
1t is 4 political machine. 1t Is a power
within the government greater than the
government itself. 1t is now entering
upon both state and national politics"
A Vast Political Machine
How is 1t entering? With whom is It en-
tering? What represents 1t In state poll
tics? Behind what party does 1t stand in
state politics. which 1t is unquestionably
entering, as Mr.. Estee says? He proceeds:
1t is now entering upon both state and
national politics and all parties should
unite In opposition to Its nefarious boss
rule. 1t aspires to elect United States
senators and congressman. So open
are its acts that disinterested people
attending political conventions intui-
lively ask How does the railroad COM
pany like the ticket?" Chat question
was not necessary after the nomination
of the Republican ticket) (Applause.)
rather than how are the people
pleased with it?'" Candidates for Of
flee look furtively up, to- the. yellow
building.
Do you know what the yellow building
Is? The yellow building is the Southern
Pacific building at the CORNER of Market
and Montgomery streets IN San Fran
cisco. the political asj'well as the business
headquarters OF the Southern Pacific com
pany.
Candida tes for office look furtively up
to the yellow building and wonder
whether they will be beaten or elected.
If it is for Gage 1t is because 1t hates
some one else more. (Applause.) If for
Mcguire. because 1t prefers Mcguire
for governor rather than for congress-
man or for senator. In any event its
friendship or enmity is controlled by
self-interests. He who will do the most
for the railroad will gain its support,
and the last and best bidder gets the
office. "a voice: "And the whistle')
The whistle, my friend, goes with the Of
nce or rather with the nomination for the
office.
"'The Fight Is On"
1.-The fight is on. Let Republicans lire
up for the great contest" Gaughter.)
Now I would like to know where he wants
them to line up for a contest of that kind.
They had better line up under the Silver
Republican banner If they are going to line
up on the side of the people. (Applauss)
1.-THE fight is on. Let Republicans line up
for the great contest You cannot serve
the Lord and please the devil at the same
Brother Estee is trying to do though
am inclined to think that instead of serv-
ing the Lord and pleasing the devil, he Is
putting himself in the attitude Of serving
the devil and trying to serve the Lord
daughter and applause In this particular
matter. You must choose Sides" he con-
cludes.
How Mr.. Estee, after making that
speech-and 1t certainly represents his hon.
est convictions and his honest sentiments
could get behind the Republican ticket in
the present campaign Is a thing that
amazes and puzzles me- GA voice: HE
changed on the silver question suddenly.')
Yes, he changed his position from being
leading advocate of silver in 1894 and down
to the meeting of the Republican state
convention in 1896, and then went over to
the gold standard, but he says now in JUS
tification of that course that the silver
question Is dead. Mr. Barnes says 1t Is
dead. Mr.. Gage says 1t is dead. But If it
were not, Mr.. Gage says he is for the gold
standard anyhow, SO it does not make any
difference whether the silver question Is
dead or not. daughter and applause)
But l cannot enter tonight into discus
sion of the money question. l dealt with
that question very largely in my last ad-
dress here.
General Barnes second keynote OF the
campaign of winch l have spoken fills
some twelve columns of the San Francisco
Call. I read the first six columns without
discovering anything that seemed to me to
even remotely touch upon the real issues
of the campaign. and it seemed to me
from the reading of the speech and consid-
ering it as a keynote to guide The Repub-
iican speakers in the campaign that the
purpose was to try to evade the issues
and to go through the campaign seeking
success upon entirely irrelevant ques-
tions.
The first part of his speech Is very
beautiful rhetorical and oratorcal essay
on the war with Spain. At the conclusion
of his essay on that subject he draws the
conclusion that because this country had
a war with Spain which Is over therefore
the Republican party is right in It's stand
on the domestic issue now before the peo-
ple GaughteD; therefore the Republican
marty ought to succeed in the present cam
paign.
I really cannot see any logical connection
between his major premise and his con-
clusion. I studied logic little when I was
a boy and one of the things that the books
and the teachers condemned was syllo-
gisrn with an ambiguous middle. General
Barnes sylloesm, which commences with
the major premise that there was war