Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-29
VOTES TO IGNORE
PARTY CAUCUSESS
DEMOCRATIC LEAGUE WILL
NOT PARTICIPATE
ALMOST UNANIMOUS ACTION AT
LUNCHEON
Colonel Thomas Parish Tells of Time
When Southern Pacific Hog
First Got In the
Trough

With only one differing voice the fifty
members of the Democratic league who
met at the regular luncheon at the
Westminster yesterday voted to ignore
the caucuses called by the district COM
mitteemen for Saturday night to select
tickets for the primary election next
Tuesday.
Just before Col. Thomas Parish was
introduced to address the league John
H. Foley rose and said that he had
gathered the sentiment that members
of the league ought not to participate
In the caucuses. He moved that the
sense of the meeting be expressed that
mo member participate so that none
might be bound by the action of the
caucuSeS."
This was Immediately seconded by
w. r. Burke, who declared that eau
cuses were made up of opponents of the
party and non-residents and were in
tended to prevent a free expression as
to delegates.
Vice President o. e. Parish, who pre-
sided, put the question and there
seemed to be unanimous affirmative re-
sponse in the rising vote until Milton
K. Young was observed in his chair.
When the negative was called Mr..
Young rose and said he had not voted
for the motion because he wished to
reserve his individual right to deter
caucus in his district or not.
The league then heard Col. Parish in
a recital that, though relating to facts
forty years past, sounded very modern
to the men who listened. He related
the same old story of Southern Pacific
interference with legislation, of its
greed and it's desire to forever fasten
itself mercilessly on the commonwealth
of California.
Forty Years Ago
Col. Parish spoke from his own ex-
perience in the legislature of 1858. He
told of the isolation that California
felt during the war and the desire for a
transcontinental line that would unite
the two shores. 1t was then that the
few men, headed by Huntington,
Crocker and others, begun the scheme
of the Central Pacific railroad with its
subsidies from congress and its sub
sides from the counties of California
through which it was to pass. 1t was a
scheme that begun and was maintained
by public confidence and public gen.
erosity.
In the legislature of which Col.
Farish was member the first boss ap-
peared. He was Jesse Carr, and he
seemed to be the same type as the rail-
road boss of today. The tide lands bill
was before the legislature and the
entire harbor frontage at San Fran
cisco. This meant that any other road
would be forever excluded and the
establishment of gigantic monopoly.
"It was then." said Col. Parish. that
the Southern Pacific hog got both feet
in the trough, and he has been feeding
in it ever since"
He told how the enemies of the rail-
road bill had to fight to sustain the
governors veto of that measure after
it had passed the legislature; how all
sort of pretexts were employed to de-
tain the Democrats who wanted to sus-
tain the governor; how they were met
and how even sick members were
brought into the legislative chambers
on coucheS to register their votes. In
the end the veto was sustained.
Good SteaIers and Hiders
Then he told how the Central Pacific
leased the Southern Pacific piece by
piece as it was built and how, when the
bonds of the Central Pacific, backed by
the United States government, were
about to mature the Central suddenly
leased itself to the Southern Pacific.
'The men who manipulated those
schemes said Col. Parish, "were not
only good stealers but good hiders,
too"
He declared San Pedro harbor would
have been closed If the Southern Pacific
had got what it asked for. Eternal
vigilance was necessary on the part of
the people to circumvent the aggres-
sions of this corporation which, he said,
had usurped the government of the
state for many years by controlling the
legislatures.
TO the end that this domination
might end he urged the union of all
forces and that the Democracy stand
firm in its fight for a government that
would wear the collar of no corpora
ton.