The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-09-28
SILVER LOST IN THE SHUTTLE.


~ they meet the cement which holds together
these homogeneous and uadapted angles, is the free
coinage of silver at IS to The Silver Republicans
are protectionsts The Populsts income takers.
Mcguire is single taxer. These several principles
OF the fusion trinity are at war On them the par
ties to the pinto ticket cannot meet on common
ground 1t is equally true that they cannot get to-
gether on the anti-raroad issue. Some of the most
ardent Silver Republicans railroad men, Some
of the Populists at peace with the Southern Pa
cifc On this issue the trinity divides it does on
taxation The three-headed party is at peace with
itself on one issue alone, and that is free silver
This being true, why does not the candidate of the
fusion support the terms of the treaty which made him
a candidate? Why does he not expound free silver
in his campaign?
reference to the discussions which preceded fusion
shows that free silver the for which flu
sion was urged. That was the cement that fastened
the piece OF political crackle together. 1t was
the shibboeth which every politician had to humble.
But where is it now? 1t has faded and disappeared,
and Judge Mcguire is out seeking office anti
railroad candidate pounding the same thrashed straw
and making the old stock promises which have been
the market for thirty years.
Why is such an issue still alive? In 1882 Stoneman
elected on that issue, and won by promising to
settle it AT the end of his the same old promise
put in issue, unredeemed. Four years ago it was
renewed. Every stump rang with it. Magure's party
it, eectng a Governor and majority of the
Railroad Commission Yet if we are to believe the
fusion candidate, nothing has been done, and the
burning issue is still burning Since 1882 the Demo
cratic party has had full power, repeatedly, in the
executive and Legislative branches of the State govern
nent, and has always gone into power the same
extreme promise which it makes now and has done
nothing. If there be an issue which justihes such
prominence in every campaign it should be settled.
If it is not settled and ended by those who so per-
sistently raise it, two Prescriptions of fact are Gre
ated-one, that the issue is not to be adjusted by
politics; the other that those who continually
make it and get from the people the power to settle
it neglect that duty in order that the railroad issue
may remain to be the Of getting power again.
to betray the promises by which it is obtained While
this policy of promise and betrayal the railroad
issue goes and on, in every Democratic conven-
tion platform and campaign; while the candidates OF
that party charge that the railroad the Republi-
cans before election, it must be true that the rail-
road owns the Democrats after election for they have
not hurt nor harmed it when in power. Meantime the
railroad issue, in whatever form it is presented
settling itself The issue raised the funding of the
debt of the Central Pacific settled by Democratic
Senator Morgan, with the approval of every Populist
and Democrat in the United States Senate
The internal issue in this State involving freights
and fares, has been settled for the whole from
San Francisco Bakersfield by the Valley Road and
overland problem by the connection made by
that line with rival and competing overland system
the Tehachapi. We call the attention of the
business and producing community to this fact and
to the further fact that politics. Democratic politics. in
California having failed miserably and perhaps
rptly settle the railroad ISSUE it has been taken
Il
by the enterprise and energy and faith OF business
men.
The raising Of the railroad issue made the Southern
Pacific mighty political power. Of it might have
been said, at saith to CO. and he goeth
and to another come, and he cometh,' but that day
is past.
The Democrats who have got office on the railroad
issue, and the Southern Pacific which took them into
its tepee after election, will those fair fat days no
more They will not again execute the war dance
in public and the dance in private together
These things will have for them in the future only the
pleasures of memory. The Valley Road blows new
tune on a new whistle from the bay to Kern River
and will wake the echoes the mountains
The Southern Pacific must hereafter reckon with
competitor, and must quit politics and go to rail
reading.
These being the facts of the situation, Judge Ma
guire should keep his bargains with the three par
ties which he represents and they fused on silver
he should line the cloud that hangs over him with
that metal at