Weekly Trinity journal., 1873-11-08
MODEL REFORMERs.

agreeable TO us as a public journalist, tC
find in the character of the honorable
gentlemen whom the people have SC.
lected to administer the State Govern.
ment, everything TO praise and nothing
to condemn. The present State Admins
tration came into power the first choice
of the Republicans of Trinity, ourselve.
included. AT its mead was Governor
Booth, who, in those qualities essential
to the performance of the duties devolv-
ing upon the Executive, seemed to stand
high above all competitors. His admin
istration went into power with the full
est confidence of the people of all par
ties. They thought that if corruption
forced its way into the Legislative halls,
it would be met with stern rebuke at the
Executive Mansion. We shared fully in
this belief. We were panied at the
course that the Governor saw fit to
pursue, and could not follow him when
he ranged himself in opposition to the
party to which he owed his honors but
were disposed to believe it an error in
judgment rather than course prompted
by selfish motives.
When the charge was brought that
Governor Booth was q " Salary Grab
ber," that he had signed bill increasing
his own salary one thousand dollars a
year, part of which was back paw
we felt assured there must be some mis-
take. He was the head and front of the
great reform movement which, beginning
in this State was to roll onward with re-
sistless force until the last back pay grab
berwas swept out Of political existence.
That Booth, the great anti-corruptionist,
should sign bill increasing his own sal
ary, and that Of the Attorney General
(another great reformer), and Secretary
Of State, when the Constitution express
ly declares that the. Governor and State
officers shall be paid stipulated sum,
which shall be neither increased nor di-
minished during the term for which they
shall have been elected, was thing too
preposterous for belief. But the charge
was made in explicit terms and could not
be denied. A dead silence fell upon the
organs OF the great reform party-then
some Of them began to feel their way
cautiously toward a justification of their
pet. The Sacramento Union had rallied
at the Republican Judicial Convention,
for not passing resolutions denunciatory
Of the salary grab, etc. But soon after
the judicial election had been decided,
the Union veered short around. Their
great reformor was found to be a back
pay grsbber, and was in the same boat
with Butler and Coghlan, whom it had
been denouncing in unmeasured terms
The " back pay steal" became at once a
matter of no consideration. This rail
road question" says the Union, is the
great and only political question Of the
future" at is this that will rally or
separate political parties, and not the
dead issues Of the past, or such petty
matters as the back pay question or the
scandal Of official dishonesty" Here
was change Of front with a vengeance.
1t was the Uatoa'S own OK that was be-
ing gored, and that is what ails the Uii-
ion. This was shortly afterwards follow
ed by remarkable leader in the Union
Of Saturday last, headed Who they
ale." For deliberate misrepresentation
Of facts the article cannot be excelled.-
1t claims that the law under which Booth
draws the increased pay, had ar exist
ence "prior to the formation Of the new
code, and was only adopted into the code
by the Commissioners" and that in this
case the law had prior existence to the
Governors term Of office, and there was
reason for it in the increase of the duties
Of the Governor. If this is not "de-
bauched journalism" we confess that we
do not know the meaning Of the term. -
The truth is that the law was passed
when the salary Of the Governor was six
| thousand dollars. The law of 1861 rails
ed the salary TO seven thousand dollars,
repealed the law which gave the Cover
nor one thousand dollars additional pay
| as Chairman OF the Board of Examiners,
and expressly declared that the Governor
should receive no other compensation for
duties he might be called on to perform.
Stanford, Low and Haight each discharg-
ed the duties Of the office for the sum
defined by the law and the cons Ntution,
but the great reformer, the man whom
we are told is pronounced for by the pee
pie for Senator, since minority Of a mi
nority succeeded in electing the Dolly
Warden candidate for Supreme Judge
draws his extra pay, procured by his own
act, with the nerve Of Christian mar.
tyr. The salary grab of Congress met
with the universal condemnation of the
press and people Of all parties, but the
salary grab of Governor Booth receives
justification at the hands of journals
claiming to be devoted to the advocacy
of measures Of reform. How much long
er will people allow themselves to be dup
ed by designing journals and demagogic-
al politicians. who first create and ther
pander to a false public sentiment
solely to minister to their own persona
advantage.
Booth is not the only one of the grea
reformers who has overreached himsel
and shown the cloven foot. Attorney
General Love has increased salary to Tho
amount Of fifteen hundred dollars per an
mum, which he draws with commendablt
punctuality. And State Treasurer Baehr
third roformer, keeps one clerk ant
draws the salary Of two. The last named
gentleman announces his intention to ap