Year: 1878

| AT the Grand Rally at Platp 8
Hall, San Francisco, Wednesday
night, in the interest of the nom
partizan ticket, our townsman, Col.
J. J. Ayers, made ringing speech.
After being pleasantly received by
the audience, Col. Ayers said:


1t is ten long years since stood
on this rostrum. Ten years is al
most o generation here though but
a short time in older countries. 1
am, therefore, not astonished at
not seeing more familiar faces be-
fore me. am here as a candidate
at large endorsed by my southern
people. shall go to Sacramento,
ii elected, so far radical as to be
in consonance with the progressive
uess Of modern ideas and the pre-
cepts of good government.


AS one of the candidates for dele
gates at large on the Non-Partisan
ticket, 1t affords me extreme graft
hcation to appear before so large IN
assemblage of my fellow-citizens.


1t has been objected in certain
quarters that the two great parties
should set aside their political an
tagonisms and come together for
the purpose of selecting candidates
for the Constitutional Convention.


l would ask you if there could be
a more august or suitable occasion
than this for men to cease TO be
partisans and to rise to the dignity
of patriots?


The policies of parties are pre-.
sumed to be based on great under
lying principles OF government;
but they are only in the formative
stage. They are certainly expert
mental, to the extent that the pub
lie mind is divided as to their
soundness or expediency. They
are the subject of debate before the
great Court of the people, and
hence are not conclusive, however
each of US may be convinced of the
truth of his own political tenets.
If this were not so, there would be
no issue-nO division between the
people on political questions. Par
ty platforms may be instinct with
the essence of political truth, but
they lack practical demonstration.
In framing a new Constitution,
we are doing something more seri-
Gus than platform making. We are
| determining the spirit and the let
Ter of the great Charter of Rights
of the whole people, for perhaps
generations to come. With new
Constitution, debate is closed and
practical effect commences. What
there is of pure metal in the prin.
ciples of all parties should be trans
muted from the dross of its sur
rOundings and encased in the Or
ganic Act. Time will then prove
or dlsprove the truth of the princi-
pies thus projected into the funda-
mental law.


How proper is II, then, that in
framing new Constitution we
should endeavor to avoid the strife
and prejudices of narrow pastisan-
ism. l do not feel that L surrender
my Democracy when l assist In a
bipartisan movement for pur-
pose so pregnant with Importance
to the whole people: l feel rather
that l crown my political princi-
Piles with a sacred halo when for
the time being I waive my partisan
prejudices SO as to join hands with
my fellow-citizens, irrespective of
their political creeds, for the pur-
pose OF framing Constitution
which will promote the welfare and
happiness of the whole people.


1t has been asserted that the Non
Partisan ticket is in the interest of
the railroads and the monopolists.
This cannot be true. For myself, 1
have persistently and consistently
opposed the pretensiOns and ag.
gressiOns OF corporations ever since
they became an active and oppres-
sive political power on this coast.
L am known as the most uncom-
promising anti-monopolist in my
section of the st te, and the candi-
dacy l now have the honor to hold
was demanded by the people of Los
Angeles, because of my attitude on
this subject. You may rest assured
that ii the monopolisJs had con.
trolled the nominations of the Non
Partisan ticket, my name would
not be among them. And will
say from this rostrum, in words
which can have no double mean
ing, if any one is deeply in love
with the aggressive corporations,
he had better not vote for me, for 1
am now, always have been, and
shall be to the end, the friend of
the people against every com mbina-
tion of capital power which op-
presses or attempts to oppress
them. My'public record, symmet-
rical as it has been, shall be round
ed out and harmonious to the close
of my career.


We are living in an age of prog
ress-an age that is almost revolu-
tionary in the celebrity with which
new Ideas are sown, fructify and
mature. l hold that a Constitu-
ton which is not in line with the
progressive developments of the
people, intellectually and materi
ally, is not the one the State should
have. Our Constitution should
come up out Of the people, instinct
with their needs and their aspira-
tiOns. We are on the eve of great
changes. Sigma! strides in advance,
both in Constitutional and general
laws, must be made before our
State will return to healthy con
dition. We must bride the AFRO
CANT pretensions of the aggressive
corporations, aud cure the over
Swallowing evils of monopoly of the
public lands. We must not m ereiy
proclaim the idea of equal taxa.
tion, but we must provide the ma
chinery which will surely accom-.
plish this vital object.


We must lay the basis of such
Legislation as will make our beau
tiful California State filled with
happy homes---in which the subdi-
vision of lands will give us farms