Year: 1872

profits of your farms and knowing the utter
insincerity OF the leaders of the opposition,
did not do right to vote for the bill 7
voices yes, yes. Would you have
thought me just or wise or faithful re-


preventative if had yielded to the clamor


Of these vultures, and aided in keeping


these unjust burdens upon the producers


of the great southern valleys of the State |!


DO you say the farmers of this State shall


60 to. San Francisco and dump their grain


in place remote from shipping, and pay


the draymen and warehouse men 50 per


ton for carting it about the streets Or that


he shall send it to Oakland and forever rely


on wooden wharfs with no place where his
grain can await shipment at the waters


edge, and with no insurance, for no comp


any will insure grain on such wharf.


Surely the citizens of this district are too


fair minded to favor any such outrage


I did what was right, and whoever
thinks he can show to the contrary let
him do it by argument, and not by reitera-
ting the stale cries of "railroad' and mono
poly [Applause] I acted solely in the
interests of the producers of this State,
and where they have personally felt
the burdens my vote was given to re-
move They understand and appreciate
it. The farmers desire easy, rapid and
cheap transportation. From every region
where the face of nature invites population
to cultivate our rich lands, we want to con-
struct railroads by the nearest and mcst
practical route to deep water alongside the
ships. And keeping this rule in view, it
will not be long before at Benicia and at
Saucento we shall see generous rivalry
with Vallejo-not an opposition, but
growth which will create no envy and abate
! nothing of our Own prosperity


have dwelt too long, perhaps, on this
subject, but it seemed best that it should
be understood, and now few words in re-
gard to another matter.


I pledged myself in the canvass thatpre-
ceded my election to oppose all grants Of
lands to railroads. This was no idle dema-
goguism to strike upon the prejudices of
the people 1t was the result of calm
delibcration upon the great national ques-
tion of the disposal of our immense public
domain. AS 1 thought then, think to-
day. I now renew that pledge, and [
stand here tonight, and pointing to my
record with pride, assert that no man
can truthfully say that have in the letter
o. in the spirit violated the pledge then
given you. [Applause.


Yet calumny being the chief, and, 1
may say, only, weapon of the opposi-
tlon in this canvass, am neither surprised
nor daunted to find that as the representa-
tive in this District, l, too, must bear my
share of this Greeley-cratic style of argu-
ment. | am charged with being in favor
of railroad subsidies. That an obscure
Democratic scribbler might recklesslyi or
ignorantly make such charge, or that a
paper which half reveal and half conceals
its compact with the Democracy, by pre-
tending to be for Grant, now that Grant
is virtually elected, should. willfuly and
maliciously tell this falsehood among others
in the interest of its allies is not surprising;
but that political convention which
ought to be intelligent and honorable
should in their published resolutions
their platform-state what as representa-
tives of once great party they should be
well enough informed on public matters
to know to be false, is to me perfectly
wonderful And yet, find that the con-
vention that nominated my opponent, after
doing me the honor to copy nearly verba.
tim my proposed constitutional amendment
forever prohibiting'the selling of public
lands to other than actual settlers, which
all men at all conversant with public af-
fairs know l have been zealously pressing
before Congress for nearly a year, they
repay me for having furnished them thsir
Npiatform by saying that they particularly
condemn the action of our present Con-
gressman, who voted for donations of pub.
lie lands to lready-subsidized, over grown
and dangerous corporations, etc." If this
false charge was made with knowledge of
its falsity, it was unworthy the representa-
tives of any party If it was made through
Ignorance, the tinge of shame that must
mantle the cheek of every honest Demo.
crat to see an OPPONENT thus basely SANDER
ed by the mouth pieces of bis party should
teach US all to be careful to whom we
commit the utterances Of our organization.
They cannot be $50 ..senseless as to mean
that the Goat Island bill was "donation
of public landS' to railroads. Putting
aside the fact that that bill is more in the
interest of the farmer than in the interest
of the railroad cotnpany, because that comp
lany gets as much pay from the farmer for
taking his produce to its present terminus
as it could if it carried it alongside the
ship at deep water the bill is 10 no sense
"donation." fpassed, it simply leases
| to the company for full value the use of
one half of the Island. Itdonates nothing.
Neither does it asell pnblic lands in any
sense in which anti -subsidists use the term.
No settler is deprived of a homestead, be-
cause no man can settle on the island
The Government has reserved it for mill.
tary purposes, and it is not open to settle
ment l simply say it Is false in the letter
aud spirit. l opposed to the best of NV
ability every proposed grant of lands to
railroads that came before Congress during
the session [applause] and every one was
beaten.