Спрут: Каліфорнійська історія

           Bydegrees,inthecourseofhisspeech,hebegantoinsinuatetheideathatthewheat-growershadneverexpectedtosettletheirdifficultieswiththeRailroadbytheworkofasinglecommission;thattheyhadcounteduponalong,continuedcampaignofmanyyears,railwaycommissionsucceedingrailwaycommission,beforethedesiredlowratesshouldbesecured;thatthepresentBoardofCommissionerswasonlythebeginningandthattoogreatresultswerenotexpectedfromthem.Allthishecontrivedtomentioncasually,inthetalk,asifitwereaforegoneconclusion,amatterunderstoodbyall.

           Asthespeechcontinued,theeyesoftheranchersaroundthetablewerefixedwithgrowingattentionuponthiswell-dressed,city-bredyoungman,whospokesofluentlyandwhotoldthemoftheirownintentions.Afeelingofperplexitybegantospread,andthefirsttaintofdistrustinvadedtheirminds.

           “Butthegoodworkhasbeenmostauspiciouslyinaugurated,”continuedLyman.“Reformssosweepingastheonecontemplatedcannotbeaccomplishedinasinglenight.Greatthingsgrowslowly,benefitstobepermanentmustaccruegradually.Yet,inspiteofallthis,yourcommissionershavedonemuch.Alreadythephalanxoftheenemyispierced,alreadyhisarmourisdinted.Pledgedaswereyourcommissionerstoanaveragetenpercent.reductioninratesforthecarriageofgrainbythePacificandSouthwesternRailroad,wehaverigidlyadheredtothedemandsofourconstituency,wehaveobeyedthePeople.