112 



CALIFORNIA. 



position to any attempt on the part of any class to dis- 

 turb the ownership of property ; and while it would 

 disfavor the accumulation of great landed estates in 

 the possession of individuals or corporations, it would 

 as firmly protect all the rights of all persons to all the 

 wealth that they may legally and honestly acquire. 



Whereas, The regulation of fares and freights upon 

 all inter-State railroad travel and traffic is subject to 

 the action of the Congress of the United States, and 

 the regulation of fares and freights within a State is 

 subject to local legislative jurisdiction and control ; 



Resolved, As the opinion of this Convention, that 

 the Railroad Commissioners who shall be nominated 

 by the District Conventions should make such reduc- 

 tions in the rates of fares and freights upon all local 

 travel and traffic carried over railroads which have re- 

 ceived national or State aid, operated within this 

 State, as will reduce the same by a certain specified 

 percentage upon the rates declared, collected, or 

 charged by published rate-bill in force upon any such 

 road on the first day of June, 1879 ; and that such 

 Commissioners shall hereafter make such further re- 

 ductions as may seem to them just and demanded by 

 the interests of the people, but shall in no case author- 

 ize or permit any increase thereafter upon such rates 

 so ordered. 



Mr. Gorham moved that all the report ex- 

 cept that referring to railroad matters be 

 adopted. Carried unanimously. 



Mr. Gorham then read the minority report 

 at great length. In substance it sets forth that 

 the figures of the annual reports of the Cen- 

 tral Pacific Railroad show it has received 

 $132,000,000 for transportation of freight and 

 passengers, and that the cost therefor has been 

 bat $58,000,000, leaving a net profit of $74,000,- 

 000 on property derived through Congressional 

 and State legislation, and valued by the company 

 at $100,000,000. That the people have paid on 

 the average per year to the Central Pacific 

 Railroad $15,522,714. That during six years 

 the average operating expenses of said road 

 have been but $6,856,091 per annum. That 

 the net earnings have thus been $8,666,623 

 per year. That the condition of the country 

 demands that the power vested in the State 

 to regulate tolls on the roads between points 

 within the State be exercised. That there 

 should be no longer a waiting for voluntary re- 

 ductions of rates by the road. That to circum- 

 vent fraud and corruption, every candidate for 

 Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, the Legisla- 

 ture, or Railroad Commissioner should take a 

 pledge to afford the relief demanded. That 

 the rates between points within the State, for 

 freights and fares on railroads which have re- 

 ceived national or State aid, should be one 

 fourth less than the rates actually charged 

 June 1, 1879. That as only experts can make 

 a tariff of equitable rates between various 

 kinds of railroad service, and fairly adjust the 

 discriminations which should be made on ac- 

 count of the difference in kinds of freight, 

 quantities carried, grades, distances, curves, etc., 

 the meaning of the resolution is that for each 

 dollar usually and actually demanded by the 

 railroad companies which have received na- 

 tional or State aid for any service whatever, a 

 reduction shall be made of 25 cents. That 

 until these results are accomplished transpor- 



tation is of the most vital importance, and 

 must be settled in advance of all other State 

 questions. That pledges be exacted of the 

 candidates, and that they can not be broken 

 after election without endangering the peace 

 of society. 



PLEDGE OF EAILEOAD COMMISSIONER. 



I do solemnly pledge my word of honor that I will, 

 if elected a Eailroad Commissioner, faithfully support, 

 without any modification or change whatever, the fol- 

 lowing order: Ordered, that the rates of fares and 

 freights on all railroads between all points within this 

 State which have received national or State aid, shall, 

 from and after the 1st day of February, 1880, be fixed 

 at three fourths the usual rates demanded and received 

 on the 1st day of June, 1879, or at any time during 

 the six months prior thereto, and the words usual rates 

 above used shall be de_emed to mean the rates usually 

 and actually charged in each case, whether the same 

 be nominally fixed or special rates ; and it is further 

 ordered that no change shall be made in the mode of 

 computing charges or in the weight and measurement 

 of freight, or on the classification of service which 

 shall anect the substantial rights of parties under this 

 order, the true object being to reduce all charges for 

 services rendered by railroads, between points within 

 the State over road's which have received national or 

 State aid, one fourth below present rates. And I fur- 

 ther solemnly pledge myself that during my term of 

 office I will never vote for any increased rate of charge 

 for any railroad service, but that any charge voted for 

 by me alter February 1, 1880, shall be a reduction. 



PLEDGES FOB GOVEBNOB, LIEITTENANT-GOVEBNOR, AS- 

 SEMBLYMEN, AND BAILBOAD COMMIS8IONEBS. 



I do solemnly pledge myself to the earnest and 

 faithful support of the new Constitution, and that I 

 will exert all the influence I possess to aid in the elec- 

 tion of Eailroad Commissioners pledged to a reduction 

 of one fourth on all railroad tares and freights on 

 roads which have received national or State aid, and 

 if elected I pledge myself in the performance of my 

 official duties to act in accordance with this pledge. 



A delegate of Solano moved to lay the re- 

 port upon the table. Mr. Gorham claimed 

 that he had not yielded the floor, and moved 

 the adoption of the minority report as a sub- 

 stitute for that part of the majority report re- 

 ferring to railroad matters. 



Mr. Gorham then spoke at length in favor of 

 the adoption of his substitute. Afterward Mr. 

 Houghton of Santa Clara offered as a substi- 

 tute the following resolution, which was 

 adopted : 



Resolved, That in the opinion of this Convention 

 justice demands that the present rate of freights and 

 fares upon all lines of railroads in this State that have 

 received State or national aid ought to be reduced at 

 least 25 per cent. 



At the same time the subject of Mr. Gor- 

 ham's remarks and the original railroad reso- 

 lution were referred to the District Conven- 

 tions yeas 205, nays 200. 



The State Convention of the New Constitu- 

 tion party was held at Sacramento on June 

 26th. Marion Biggs of Butler County was 

 chosen President. The following nominations 

 were made : For Governor, Dr. Hugh J. Glenn, 

 by 128 votes to 115 for Jonathan V. Webster; 

 for Lieutenant-Governor, J. P. West ; for Sec- 

 retary of State, Lawrence E. Crane ; for Comp- 

 troller, H. M. Larue ; for State Treasurer, Cy- 



