The San Francisco call., 1899-04-28

in those things which round out charac-
ter and excite the best energies of
humanity. 1t is with the go-ahead bust
ness men of San Francisco that the fu-
ture and fortune of the city, as a city,
must always rest. 1t depends upon them
whether San Francisco shall be an eX-
the people of the whole State or whether
there shall be brighter lights for them to
follow.
l believe in the future of San Francisco.
She has magnificent harbor near the
center of our coast line and Is right at
the gateway of the open sea, and as her
civilization and commerce grow greater
and greater she must forge ahead,
whether she will or not; but there are
voices in your midst which do not help
you; there are agencies which rend and
tear down, rather than create and build
up, and the railroad interests which |,
with my associates who are present here
tonight, and others, represent, is not one
of those drawbacks.
1t has been my constant statement in
the past, it is the same to-day, and will
be tomorrow, that the interest of the
railroad is so bound up with that of the
whole State that what affects the pros
perlty OF the one must reflect directly
upon the welfare of the other If Cali
fornta to-day accommodated all the pop
ulatfon which she is able to support, and
support generously, the beginning of a
splendid era would be upon US; and by
us L mean the people of the whole State.
There is nothing 1 so long to see in Cal
1fornla as the logical development of the
State; and, though L know this rightful
development would rebound also to my
personal benefit. | can say this without a
particle of selfishness and without the
spirit of self-seeking in any respect.
have lately had brought to my notice
and have urged the attention of my peo-
pie here to the recent action of the Czar
of Russia, which is likely to result in a
more liberal countries. These thrifty peo-
pie ought to find in California a benefi-
cent harbor Of refuge. j wish we could
get them here; but, if we could, what
to offer them? Land? Yes; but can we
give them what they will need at a price
at which they can afford to acquire it?
That is the real question. England will
offer them great inducements; and so
Will other countries. In the United States
the cold countries of the Northwest will
present fiattering inducements. In Cali
fornia we are concerned with the problem
OF great ranches, the owners of which
have been unwilling to divide them up
These people need small farms: and if
they take them, they will take them only
at reasonable prices, for they cannot af-
ford to pay more.
What California needs to-day is more
people. What you merchants neeed to-
day is more customers to buy your goods;
and the only way you can get them is by
having them here. California is a com
munity of large landholders. and vast
region of lands that produce little-not
because they are unproductive but because
they are held in such large quantities that
they cannot be cultivated as they
should be-
One little colony of hard-working, eco
nomical, virtuous people like these Firms
would leaven the whole lump, for their
example would be an incitement to thou.
sands of Others who, seeing their good
works and their good fortune, would
strive to share in it, So far as the Firms
at their far-away home are concerned
neither you citizens of the State nor we
railroad people would need to advertise
further, for letters received at home from
the kindred who had successfully wan