Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-25

can accept railroad passes and still
do their duty, I know they cannot,
because they are either reasonable
to the people or they are ungrateful
to the great power that reaches out
and bribes them with a dirty little
railroad pass and expects them to do
their work.
NEVER SOUGHT FAvORs
During the seven or eight years I
served the people as prosecuting at
torney and afterwards when they had
promoted me to a seat in the United
States congress--during all that ten
years I never asked a favor at the
hands of public service corporation,
because l had no right, and for that
reason I have reserved the right to
myself to go upon the public rostrums
of this state and defy the railroad
bosses of California, in my own Ian
guage and at my own sweet will, be-
cause / am under absolutely no obli-
cation to them.
II have not fought the Southern Pa
cif1c in this state upon personal
grounds. I have fought 1t because
ever since / have been old enough to
understand the history of the railroad
have realized that the only great
curse that has fallen, upon the ancients
or antiquity of the middle ages or of
modern times, that the only great
curse that has destroyed the light Of
these nations has been the curse Of
special privilege, and the state Of Call
fornia creates no wealth; 1t has no gift
to give you or me, but simply stands
there as the arbiter among the people
obligated to enforce the law as to all
alike. And If the state of California
showers favors of any character upon
any special class Of citizenship, what
ever it gives with the right hand 1t
steals from the people with the left
hand. And If the corporation en1oin
favoritism and special privilege it
means just so much loss to you in the
exercise of your dearest rights. I have
fought the Southern Pacific in Califor-
MIA as Democrat who believes In the
doctrine of equal rights to all and spe-
cial privileges to none.
FIGHTS s. p. VIGOROUSLY
at have fought the Southern Pacific
company with the same determination
and with the same vigor and with the
same consistency as it was fought In
this state more than twenty years ago
by one of the greatest statesmen that
this country has ever produced, a man
here within your own state, and sent
by this state to an exalted seat in the
United States senate, where he was
the peer of any man that had ever
entered that august body of our coun-
try, the Hon. Stephen M. White.
"And within the last year or two they
launched their new propaganda, and
they would have it appear tonight that
Democracy is just beginning to fight
the Southern Pacific. Why, 1t has been
a Democratic fight in this state for the
last half century. 1t was fought by
White. 1t was fuoght by men who
followed him. 1t was my fight four
years ago. can remember very well
when that convention nominated me at
San Francisco four years ago, and
when upon the platform 1 defied the
railroad bosses of this state my friends
came to me and said. Bell, no man can
be elected governor of the state of Cali
fornia unless he goes first and makes
his peace with the Southern Pacific
"There is no office you can confer
upon me, no office the American people
could confer, that I would take at the
price and at the expense Of these COM
victions now hold.
'I went out and approached this
great campaign and went up and down
the state of California, but now 1t
would appear that the hour has struck
It would appear that the time has at
last come when the people of this state
may feel sure that with the next ad-
ministration these, evil influences will