The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-08-28

has not accepted, but they are entirely un-
important until my party does accept them.
or some great party. (Applause). Ishould
be sorry indeed If in period in which mil
lions of my fellow citizens In the richest
and greatest country on the face OF the
earth, blessed with boundless, measureless
and inexhaustible natural resources, should
be suffering for want of the means neces-
sary to support life in comfort and barred
from an opportunity for independent self
employment. 1 would feel that was mis-
erably out of sympathy with my fellow-men
If had not tried at least to think out some
solution of that paradoxical situation.
(Great applause).
1 do entertain opinions, opinions that
spring from desire to benefit every man
among my fellow-men who is less advan-
tageously situated than I am. They are
based upon sympathy for humanity, of
the pleasure and satisfaction of which
would not exchange for any Office in this
land, or for the mental condition of any
man who has no opinion that is not in his
platform. (Applause.)
1 do not know whether Mr.. Gage has any
opinions or not, and 1t don't make any diff
ference to me whether he has or not, unless
his party has declared for them. Then
they become important. When the opin-
ions of man have behind them the support
of his party, they become public questions.
Until then they are private questions. No
man, no governor, no combination of gov
eraor and legislature and judiciary, can
put into practice any opinions that 1t re-
quires constitutional amendment for them
10 bring up for practical discussion at all
until the people have determined by popu-
lar vote that such authority shall be given
by constitutional amendment. Now, how
absurd it is for men Of intelligence. for
party leaders and candidates for great
Offices to attempt to drag the private opin-
ions of a candidate into a campaign as issues
upon which they expect to ride into office. I
shall have nothing further to say on this
subject
Barnes and His Watermelon
I was further honored there by refer
ence made to me by the man who created
the only genuine enthusiasm that was
created in the Republican convention, Gen,
w. H. l.. Barnes Of San Francisco. Gen.
Barnes created enthusiasm and hope for
his ticket by saying that he took no stock
in the general talk about the strength OF
Judge Mcguire before the people
OF California. The convention was
glad to hear him say that he
didn't take any stock in that claim,
and they applauded, and I appreciate the
applause as we'll as the speech. He said
Judge Maguire's apparent popularity and
the fear 1t was exciting among Republicans
reminded him of a practice existing among
boys when he was young, of going out into
a field and getting watermelon, scooping
out the inside, cutting holes in the water
melon to represent eyes and nose and
mouth-a horribly grinning face-and put
ting a candle inside and frightening other
boys with It. That was his idea of the
character of popularity that l happened
to have in the state of California, and he
thought 1t was as harmless as the water
melon with the candle in 1t.
1 remember Gen. Barnes for over TWEEN
ty-five years. 1 have enjoyed his personal
acquaintance and his personal friendship.
1 would not myself permit any asperities
of this campaign to interfere with our
friendship. Certainly I would not permit
any of the rumors of the campaign to in
terfere with 1t. But as Gen. Barnes has
made the suggestion am sure that ne will
pardon me for an innocent little reply 1
remember when Gen. Barnes was very
popular man in this state. remember
when the Democrats of California looked
with horror upon the proposition of the Re-
publicans to run Gen. Barnes as a candi-
date for the United States senate. They
look with perfect complacency upon that
threat now. Uaughter)
The general when first became &C.
Int cd Wi nj 40 1oad n q
lawyers of California great man, great
in intellect, great in his power over the
minds Of men, brilliant-I was going to
say logical, but take that back Oaugh-
teri clever, earnest, forceful speaker. He
has retained some Of those qualities.
Barnes Candle Gone Out
But, do you know, as I think back over
the period of my acquaintance with General
Barnes, know of nothing that better il
illustrates the great fear in which Demo-
Gratis held him than his own suggestion of
the watermelon with the face cut on it and
the candle in 1t. have watched him since
he fell out of the practice In which he was
prominent and linked his efforts with the
Southern Pacific car and became its regu-
lar attorney. and gradually his political
opinions somehow assimilated to his en-
ployment. daughter and applause.) And
now at the end of twenty-five years, TAX
ing up the smile again, 1 see in his case
the watermelon with the hole still in 1t for
eyes and nose and mouth, but the candle
has gone out. CONTINUED laughter and
applause) The watermelon still emits a
peculiar sound that might frighten some
people. Never mind 1t; it is merely the wind
whistling through the deserted vacuum.
daughter and continued applause.)
A Lie Nailed
In the Republican state platform a dec
laraticn is made absolutely false in fact
and without the slightest foundation, that
at the beginning Of the war 1 had said that
the taking of certain Spanish vessels by
our navy was no better than piracy. That
statement in the Republican platform is
falsehood. (Applause.) The man who
wrote 1t knew that 1t was false. (Applause.)
A statement to that effect, written by a
young man in Washington and telegraphed
TO some of the San Francisco papers, was
denied as soon as it came to my knowl-
edge 1t was not true.
One Of the newspapers that has since re-
peated frequently the statement, directed
Tits representatives in Washington to in
vestigate the matter. They did, and found
the statement to be false, and then came to
me and got letter from me to the Call
which the Call never published. Now all
that have to say to that is that the state