Daily Los Angeles herald., 1879-03-18
Rne second Dissineslve Demagoxic G
featOre.

Hhs second Dissineslve Demagoxtc
FeatOre.
s We stated, in our article of Sun.
: day. thats with one exception, the
article of the projected sans cul-
Iottes Constitution of California
which treated of "consolidated city
aud county governments of more
than one hundred thousand popu-
lation', was the most dangerous
feature OF the new Constitution.
There is one far more dangerous
feature. 1t Ia that which surrenders
all the railway interests of Califor-
MIA to the control of three Railway
Commissioners. This act. If Kear-
ney and his followers could control
the Fall elections, would simply
amount to demagogic campaign
being rewarded by two Sand Lot
ters commanding all the money
they desired. OF course, bypothet-
ically, the gentlemen of the Sand
! Lot only blow their own horn, like
! the angel Gabriel, to waken the
people from the sleep Of death
which has characterized California
until the advent of Kearney. The
4 whole business is disinterested-dis-
Interested In the extreme. But we
! confess that we should be PERSONAL
" and profoundly sorry to give
two Kearneyites, with all their os-
tentatious professions, an oppor-
tunity to make one hundred thous-
and minted dollars apiece. The
probability is that, with their REM
iniacence of carriers wages, they
{ would not sell out the people. But
callous, unsympathetic persons
will remember that they them
selves (the Workiugmen) charged
that poor Bones-not an end man
In a nieger minstrel combination,
but the first man whom the Sand
Lot ever elected to dignified Of
fice-sold out the people at the first
opportunity. II Bones was really
bought his price was small one.
Elect Kearneyites to a majority OF
the Railway Commission and two
of three can at any time command
one hundred thousand dollars
apiece If the Railways are SO fond
OF buying people us has been
charged.
Mark the language of the project.
ed new Constitution. See the tre
mendous extent of the powers con
ferred on the three Railway Com.
missioners. Here is article II, sec.
tion %:
1.-THE State should be divided into
"three districts as nearly equal in
population as practicable, In each
s'of which one Railroad Commits
s'sioner shall be elected by the quail.
s'ined electors thereof at the regu-
'slar gubernatorial elections, whose
"salary shall be fixed by law, and
"whose term of office shall be four
''years, commencing on the first
"Monday after the first day of JAN
''uary next succeeding their cleo
'tion. Said Commissioners shall
"be qualified electors of this State
land OF the District from which
"they are elected, and shall not be
interested in any railroad corpora
"tion, or other transportation. COM
''pany, as stakeholder, creditor,
"agent, attorney or employee; and
"the act of majority of said Com
"missioners shall be deemed the
TACT Of said Commissioners. Said
commissioners shall have the pow.
"cr, and IL shall be their duty, to
establish rates of charges for the
transportation Of passengers and
freight BY railroad or other trans
'.portQtion companies, and publish
"the same from time to time, WITH
"sUcH CHANGES AS THEY MAY
MAKE
We beseech every citizen of the
State If California to read the i'm
perIal power delegated to these
Commissioners. OF course no
kearneyite, especially if he
has never been in the
habit OF handling large
sums Of money. could be tempted
by bribe of one hundred or five
hundred thousand dollars. But if
he could be, how will it pay the
railway company to tempt him?
It is true that these Railway
Commissioners can be removed by
atwo-thirds vote of both houses Of
the Legislature. How often this
two-thirds vote OF both houses may
be commanded Is another propo-
sition.
The fact Is that in the article on
cities, and that on municipal cor
porations, the new Constitution is
the most signal betrayal OF the peo-