Pioche daily record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1872-1876, 1876-02-10
PLAYING WITH 1IRE.


PLAYING WITH HIRE.
II Is . common Saying that "a burnt
child breads the hre." This may be
true q regards children but there sre
adults Who appear TO be 10 irrsclaimably
stupid that neither advice. teaching or
or all three combined. has or
have any eject In dsterring them from
following the bent Of their foolish in.
clinations. A notable instance OF this
10 often afforded BY the acis Of our Ma
tional and many State Legislatures.
Judging from the conduct Of number
Of the members Of these bodies. u would
seem ~ II thor were selected on account
Of their ingrained FOLLY. or else that some
msEtal epidemic fastens it's deadly fangs
upon them Immediately, and as natural
and inevitable consequences Of commsno.
ing the discharge OF their duties. There
must Is homo occult agency OF this char
acter ct work. for on no other hypothesis
can the moon-struck, stark. staring folly
OF the California Legislature be ex-
planned. OF prsospt they. il not blind
or deaf, surely have had enough. and
more than enough. OF example. could
there bs moro striking and pertinent
illustrations than Poland. Chandler,
shepherd and the Forty-third Con-
gress. They and it, tried and tried
again the experiment OF gagging
the press. What was the result? A stern
unmistakable cry Of anger and reproof
rose spontaneously from oil parts OF the
country. Poland in oil other respects
In accord with the constituency who sent
him to Congress, on that account was
ienominiously defeated. Chandler has
NO political friends left except corrupt
gang Of Office holders. Shepherd found
only few thievipg carpet-baggers and
Emgy Sargent to say word 10 his be-
half. Not only this, but all who sup.
ported the obnoxious enactment except
brazsn Ben Butler were oil repeating
with Macbeth, and with about as much
truth, "Thou canst not say did it,"
Ono would have thought that this storm
Of anger. stern and implacable as 1t was.
would have acted as o caution to others
not to offend in like manner. But
"fools rush in where angels fear to
tread" and the California Legislature.
undeterred by the terrible fate Of those
who before them had endeavored to stiae
the voice Of public opinion. again under.
took the odious task. Now. what the
little kot Of pot-house politicians assem-
blsd at Sacramento may do in
the matter. will have no more
effect than a child attempting to
dam the Mississippi at New Orleans
By throwing into its rssistless current
few mud pies. Conceding that; the in
fanny Of the effort Is not lessened nor
should their punishment be decreased.
Lot all the members Of the California
legislature. who thus seek to bstray the
dearest privileges Of their fellow citizens,
b marked - utterly untrustworthy. and
no Office Of honor trust or emolument
should ever be allowed to be disgraced
BY their inoumbsnoy. Let them and all
officers whether executive. judicial. legis-
lativs or administrative, remember and
ponder upon this fact. That they are
only the paid servants OF the people.
chosen to perform certain duties, and
that employment is sacred trust which
il betrayed. covers with unspeakable
iniamy those who thus offend. What
consummate impudencs, what folly is
exhibited, when clique or coterie of
the employees. swslled mp like the frog
10 the fable. with false notion Of their
power and dignity. attempt to reprimand
and to punish the sovereign people,
whose will and authority gave them their
Official existence. Yet Congress tried
this and failed and now a provincial
Legislature attempts like hideous crime.
They will not succeed, but clothed in
mstaphorioal sack cloth and ashes, they
will bitterly repent their folly. Like
children playing with fire. they will find
that their pastime will destroy them.
The one single and only safeguard OF the
peoples liberties 10 an unfettered public
press and the people will see that IL is
protected in ell its freedom.