The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-10-04
STUMPING IN CALIFORNIA


The steamer Uncle Sam on her up
ward trip from Panama to San Fran
cisco, in August, 1860, contained among
her passengers several returning from
the national political conventions, and
in the smoking room and on the PROM
enade deck political discussion ran
high. A glass-eyed and wooden-leg-
ged schoolmaster en- route for Oregon,
me to discuss the political
issues of the day. I probably knew as
little about them as he did, but I ac-
pull lie speech on the forward deck of
the steamer. One of my auditors
CHANGED to be a member of the State
Central Committee of his party. and
after we reached San Francisco, this
gentleman arranged meeting at
Platt Hall, which 1 accepted his in
vitation to address.
The death of Senator Broderick, at
the hands of Judge Terry, the previous
year, was still topic of public an1
private discussion. At this day am
inclined to the opinion that the duel
between these two gentlemen was not
the opinion of many of the friends of
Senator Broderick, in 1860, and the
speaker, whether Republican or DEM
ocrat, who was most affluent in the use
of vituperative English, in speaking of
the affair, was likely to receive the
largest measure of applause.
Carried away by the enthusiasm of
the occasion, and unmindful of the
adage which classes the intellectual
status of those who rush in where an
gels fear to tread, my remarks con-
corning the gentleman-who acted as
second for Judge Terry on that occa-
sion-were more pungent than parlia-
mentary.
Early next morning T received a visit
in my bedroom, at the hotel where I
was stopping, from two members of the
State Committee of my party.
'Have you received any challenge
from Calhoun Benham, on account of
your speech last night" said one of
the committee "Why no. I replied,
wonderingly DO they usually send
challenges here before breakfast, to
a man to fight, because of references
to a public matter, made in public
speech the night before?" Some
times" replied the other committee
man, "but I do not think you will be
troubled in that way. They know
that you are northern man, and they
will assume that you do not recognize
the code. They will probably, in your
case, make it a street attack.
eve have brought you something.
with which to protect yourself" said
the first speaker, cheerfully, pulling
from his pocket a pair of Derringer
pistols. ''These are all loaded and
ready" said he. You had better
carry one in each outside pocket of
your sack coat. In that position you
can get at them readily, or you can
shoot through the pockets. Don't at
tempt to use them except at close
quarters. They are hard on the trig-
gers, so when you fire he sure and
keep the muzzle down. ct think"
remarked the other committeeman,
that at close quarters you will find
this more useful'-and he pulled from
his pocket a long, glittering, ivory ham
died bowie knife, and laid it upon
the bed alongside the pistols.
For a moment I suspected my callers
of indulging in a practical joke at my
expense. but look at their faces
convinced me that they were in
dead earnest Nevertheless the ridicu-
lous side of this welcome to Califor-
MIA struck me keenly, and 1 could
not help laughing as I replied" thank
you kindly, gentlemen, l shall pre-
serve your valuable presents as souVe-
Mrs of your political vigilance and
personal friendship, but really I shall
feel safer if I cary them in my trunk,
rather than in my pockets.
was not troubled. however, either
by a challenge or a street attack. I'm
der the auspices of the State Central
Committee, I made sixty-two speeches.
mostly in the mountain counties. The
democrats in California were EQUALLY
divided between those who supported
Breckenridge and those who supported
Douglas. the first being designated in
the political organ of the day, as the
| "chivalry,' and the latter as the
"shovelry." Gilbert A. Grant, who
managed the Republican State Com
mittee, declared that there were two
kinds of democrats-"those who threat
ened to shoot the top of your head off,
and those who promised to knock the
stuffing out of you" 1t was this same
gentleman who was appealed to by his
colleagues to cooperate with them in
removing from the Republican electoral
ticket. a nominee who had been indie
ated in Michigan for DEMONSTRATING
Keep him on growled Grant. 'keeI
him on, he will strengthen the ticket
Half of his constituents have taker
horses
A A
I shall never forget my introduction
to an audience at Chico, now flourish
ing city, but then a collection of a few
houses and shops about Bidwell's mill.
The meeting was held in the afternoon.
and was attended by hundreds of
farmers, some of whom had come many