hese controversies. Land monopoly is an
evil of large proportions in California to-day, but it is due to the
laxness of the United States government in enabling speculators to
accumulate holdings and not to the original extent of Mexican grants.

In state gubernatorial elections after the Civil War the Democrats won
in 1867, 1875, 1882, 1886, 1894; the Republicans in 1871, 1879, 1890,
1898, 1902, 1906, 1910. Features of political life and of legislation
after 1876 were a strong labour agitation, the struggle for the
exclusion of the Chinese, for the control of hydraulic mining,
irrigation, and the advancement by state-aid of the fruit interests; the
last three of which have already been referred to above. Labour
conditions were peculiar in the decade following 1870. Mining, war times
and the building of the Central Pacific had up to then inflated prices
and prosperity. Then there came a slump; probably the truth was rather
that money was becoming less unnaturally abundant than that there was
any over-supply of labour. The turning off of some 15,000 Chinese
(principally in 1869-1870) from the Central Pacific lines who flocked to
San Francisco, augmented the discontent of incompetents, of disappointed
late immigrants, and the reaction from flush times. Labour unions became
strong and demonstrative. In 1877-1878 Denis Kearney (1847-1907), an
Irish drayman and demagogue of considerable force and daring, headed the
discontented. This is called the "sand-lots agitation" from the
favourite meeting-place (in San Francisco) of the agitators.

The outcome of these years was the Constitution of 1879, already
described, and the exclusion of Chinese by national law. In 1879
California voted against further immigration of Chinese by 154,638 to
883. Congress re-enacted exclusion legislation in 1902. All authorities
agree that the Chinese in early years were often abused in the mining
country and their rights most unjustly neglected by the law and its
officers. Men among the most respected in California (Joaquin Miller,
H.H. Bancroft and others) have said most in praise and defence of the
Chinaman. From railroad making to cooking he has proved his abilities
and trustworthiness. He is found to-day in the mines and fisheries, in
various lines of manufacture, in small farming, and in all branches of
domestic service. The question of the economic development of the state,
and of trade to the Orient, the views of the mercenary labour-contra