The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-06-25

be the avowed object OF speculation,
| the fundamental principle OF trade; had
ceased to carry any stigma. and had
passed into n joke. In q country tainted
through and through with the greed OF sud
den wealth, where every tradcsman. farmer
| artisan and laborcr risks his savings in
mining scrip, it grew to be an axiom that
| honest gains for small shareholders were
impossible. To own less than onc-half the
stock In given company was to own worse
than nothing, for the disclosure OF bonanza
was only the signal for fresh imposition
We need not say that no railroad corpora
tions could pretend to eclipse those Of Calf
fornia in cynical contempt of fair dealing
and rcmorseless exploitation Of their mo-
nopolics But IL is not so generally known
that the same INSCRIPTIONS methods have
been practscd in the grain business. the
wine business, the fruit business under
Whatever circumstances. indeed. n man
OF modest or scant means tried to sell the
product OF his farm or the labor of his hands
No doubt the friction Of competing claims
can bc reduced to minimum under equal
laws and awell-informed public opinion but
what hope OF protection had the working
man In state where his antagonists owned
the newspapers, bought Legislatures, and
controlled the courts II Is not strange
that he should fail TO appreciate
the competitive principle thus disguised.
and should snatch at any theory which
promised to wipe out the old order and open
free field. When we consider how the
existing economical conditions shaped by
railroad sharks and stock gamblers, have
crushed the workingman OF California we
are not disposed to view too harshly his
hcadlOng ardor To do away with them
Tho peculiar state Of things on the Pacific
coast explains the anomalous fact that In
the recent contest all the cohesion and
momentum derived from organization seem
To have been on the side OF labor. Tho
workingmcn had been guided and mystillcd
and overrcachcd so often that 1t proved
sheer impossiblity to swindle them again.
In this unique instance dlstrust OF their on
ponents was so invctcratc aud intense as to
control and stillc intestine jealousy and dis
cord. In the early phases of the movement
there appears To have been some detection;
but Mt the polls the opposition against the
successful ticket was altogether inconsidcr-
able in the ranks Of labor. On the other hand.
the energies of the opposition were tram
mellcd and frittcrcd by mutual suspicious too
vol justiicdby the prevailing code OF polit-
zeal land social ethics. The attempt to combine
all the machinery Of influence including all
the newspapers. against KEARNEY. seems TO
have been launched with the sanction of all
the leading politicians. including the State
Committees Of both parties yet it gricvous-
ly miscarricd Both Democrats and Repuh-
leans ran what is known as a straight
ticket, and drew of thousands Of voters
from the Fusion or, az IL was speedily
dubbed, the Concrete" or Mule" party
Moreover, the event Of the contest is said to
have utterly dishcartcned and dispersed the
Fusionists. On the morrow Of the election
according to n telegram from san Fran
CISCO everybody was a workingman.
One thing Is made obvious by the success
Of this popular movement in California.
In this country the questions at issue be-
tween labor and capital are to be settled, not
by paving stones on the one hand and bayo-
nets on the other but by the peaceful arbt-
ramcnt of the ballot box The regular
army will not be called upon to qucll riots
and keep the peace; the man on horseback
will be entirely superiluous. The American
NoIkHlan ~ no 1901, ne Is not llkely 10 COM
promise his cause by threat and violence,
when he learns that whatever changes he
thinks nccdful in the organic law of the
State can be- effected bywalking to the polls
The right of every citizen to ombody his
views Of the social structure and Of cconom-
ical relations in the fundamental law Of the
State cannot be questioned or INSTRUCTED
provided, of course, he can persuade "a ma
jority Of delegates toa Constitutional Con-
Vcntion TO concur aud cooperate with him. |
But whether the labor party are 10 be !
signally advanced or hopclessly discrodted |
in public opinion; whether hereafter in any |
other State they shall attain TO the place Of |
vantage which they have reached for the |
moment in California, hangs on the wisdom |
and moderation they may cvincc under the |
grave responsibilities dcvolving upon them. |