The hydraulic press., 1859-04-23
CONTEMPORARY OPINIONS.

CONTEMPORARY OPINIONS.
| INDEPENDENT CANDIDAcY.-TheS Sonora Her
| aid regards the convention system OF NOM
( mating as radically corrupt, inasmuch as it
| takes from the people and places in the hands
of a few designing men the selection of cam
didates for Office As regards State and Con-
gressional Offices, it is doubtless proper that
each party should place representative OF
its peculiar tenets in the field; but to make
it the business of convention to say who
shall fill the little local offices, which have
no connection with the political action of
the country, is no more ner less than contemp-
tib!e trickery, organized for the purpose of
quartering members of some particular set
or clique on the public. 1t would be well if
this thing could be entirely abandoned or
rejected; would result benefcially to COM
malnity, if all candidates for local offices
were simply to announce themselves and
run on their own merits, leaving it to the
people and not to the little crowd composing
convention, to decide upon their fitness.
This would be truly democratic. Let the man
aspiring for position appeal to his fellow-citi-
zensgenerally, Il not to a coterie ofhis friends
for an endorsement of his honesty and capac-
ity. Were this system of independent can
didacy adopted; the best men would be cho-
sen, our offices would be filled by the honest,
the capable and the efficient, the revenue
would be collected and disbursed carefully,
and not peculated and squandered by parti-
zans, in serving the ends of party organi-
Zation.
CHRISTIANITY AND PoLITIcs.-That able re-
ligious paper the Pacific Methodist remarks
that Christianity does not require isolation
from the world. 1t does not allow indiffer-
ence to anything that concerns the political
or social well-being of mankind. Under
government like ours, every intelligent citi-
zen must of necessity to some extent be a
politician. The people elect their own rulers,
and the prosperity and happiness depend
upon their making proper selection. Total
Indifference to politics cannot therefore be
compatible with enlightened patriotism, phi
lanthropy or religion. The corruption of
party does not absolve the Christian from
his public duties. If parties and the major
ity of voters are corrupt and the political
conventions and field meetings are scenes of
violence and vulgarity, the good man must
step in with his influence and purify them.
1t is the duty of Christians to aid in the Sc
lection of good men to maintain sound prin-
ciples. Patriotism is Chistian virtue. The
more jealous the Christian, the more patri-
0tic should be the citizen. The Christian
citizen must be in some sense a politician;
but he must not be a mere partizan. Of
course every man has his party preferences,
which control his votes, and to this there is
no objection. A Christian should be
Christian, however, even in politics.
"H0ME is THE SCHOOL FOR ALL THE BEST
THINGs."-With this quotation for text, the
Nevada National thus pertinently discourses:
To the young generation growing up around
us, in ignorance, vice and idleness, the word
home has no meaning. The dirty, profane
and idle class of boys that infest our streets
know not the charms and beauty which, to
each of us reared in other climes, have made
it the dearest name and the fairest spot on
earth. A California boy has no manners
no home altar at which he can learn aught
of the beauty of social intercourse.
1t is sad to think of the condition of the
lads who, in time, will give character and
tone to our State. Their mouths are filled
with the most profane oaths, they are con-
tinually engaged in broils at night, one may
see, around the rondo and gaming tables of
the saloons, lads young enough to be at home
in bed, but they are enjoying the game with
the gusto of an hdbitue. The streets, the bar
rooms, the saloons, are the homes where
boys learn their manners.
Neither old age nor station gain respect
from the boys of this day. Had they lived
in Elijah's time, loud would have been their
cry, sgo up, thou bald head"
Mothers you are responsible for this. The
rude word, the defiant air, the act of disobe-
dience, are learned at home-recklessness
crime and punishment, follow as night the
day. Mothers,a nations glory and pride rest
with you. Are you using proper discipline
at home? If not, you are sowing a crop of
tears, and in time will reap abundantly,
coming home weeping, bringing your sheaves
with you.
The rod and reproof give wisdom; but a
child left to himself bringeth his mother to
shame
MOUNTAIN TIMBER.-The San Andreas In
DEPENDENT in the course of sensible article
on the value of our mountain timber, men,
tions the fact of its rapid disappearance from
the lower mining regions and up to the high
region of the sugar-pine, which must here
after afford all our supplies of lumber for
fencing, building and mining purposes. This
sugar-pine region, extending to the very
summit of the Sierra Nevada, for hundreds
of miles in length, will prove the source of
immense wealth to the State, and the Inde-
<yo..t, |, j Al. IL