TWENTy;-NINTH FRUIT-GROWERS' CONVENTION. 



109 



stand he makes the same argument again here, that we can not afford 

 to encourage home-seekers to come in and help to build up the State. I 

 think it is mainly because he merely keeps his eyes on the future, across 

 which is nothing but a black curtain, because he fails to look around 

 and observe and study the progress in the past. I do not believe that 

 Mr. White agrees entirely — at least I hope he does not — with the posi- 

 tion that has been taken frequently by Mr. Stephens in this Convention, 

 that we should discourage entirely any further upbuilding of the State 

 through the means of home-seekers. My own opinion of the raisin 

 business is, that we can not flinch from the duty before us until all the 

 school children of the whole land and of many foreign countries have 

 stopped eating poisonous candies on their way to school and have dis- 

 continued buying these little nicknacks that are filthy and poisonous to 

 them, until the raisin industry has been organized and systemized to a 

 point where every dealer in candies will have for sale little packages, 

 in oiled paper, of seeded raisins at a penny a package, until raisins and 

 other healthful fruit products of California have been so produced and 

 so marketed that they have, by their cheapness and their delicious- 

 ness and their value, driven from all the channels of our trade such 

 unhealthful commodities as are now consumed. 



MR. STEPHENS. I occupied a good deal of your time yesterday 

 and I have no desire or disposition to occupy more, and certainly would 

 not if it had not been for my worthy friend, Mr. Hartranft. I don't 

 know that I owe any thanks to him, for referring to me, as it necessi- 

 tates my getting up and saying something. Now, I will preface my 

 remarks by saying that I had the pleasure, a few hours ago, of taking a 

 ride through the suburbs of Fresno and of observing the great prosperity 

 which exists in this city and its vicinity. It is an exception to any other 

 territory of equal size in the State of California. You gentlemen, you 

 residents and property owners of Fresno city and vicinity, are favored 

 more than those of any other locality in the State, and I attribute it to 

 your organization, which brought forth prosperity from the ruin that 

 existed before. I say to you, stand together upon the principles which 

 you have already adopted, and if you can add to them anything that 

 will be beneficial, add to them; but do not abandon that which has 

 brought you prosperity. I say again, there is no city or town in the 

 State that evidences the prosperity which your city of Fresno does. 

 And why? Because you have brought millions of dollars into Fresno 

 county and vicinity which has been distributed among the producers 

 instead of having been gathered together in the coffers of those who 

 have handled the products of others. That is the reason why, gentle- 

 men, you are prosperous here: because the money that your raisins have 

 brought has returned to Fresno and vicinity and has been distributed 

 among the producers. Don't abandon your organization. If it is 



