Daily Los Angeles herald., 1879-04-29
Why we Do I..

Alta as to the effect the adoption
of the new Constitution would have
upon the Democratic party of Cali
fornia. And why should we not?
A brave enemy is always more re-
liable than a sometime treacherous
adherent. The Democratic party
in this State (thank God California
is not the almighty American ma
tion) is undergoing the melancholy
process of being killed in the house
of its friends. We witness the Spec
tacle with disgust rather than dis
may. The outright dissolution of
the Democratic party would leave
us free to form new and perhaps
more profitable political connec-
tions. But it is something incredi-
BILE to us to see this grand old party
abandoned by people whom it has
championed for about hundred
years-people who owe all their in
solent status, with its opportunity
of political suicide, to the magma.
nimity and manliness of the Dem
ocratic party. There is not Re-
publican alive to-day in the whole
length and breadth Of the United
States who is not conscious of the
devotion Of the Democratic party
to the rights of the com mon people
especially of the foreigner. There
is not Republican who does not
know the full resonance aud diapa-
son of the voice which it always
raised in behalf of the elem ents
which are now betraying it. We
are now confronted by the spectacle
of Democrats loudly cheered on to
cashier hold.over Democratic
Senate, Democratic Supreme Court
Judges, Democratic judges and Of
fcials in every county of the State.
1t is dirty work; and no matter
where we find the manly repudia-
ton of the traitor programme, we
shall caeerfully reproduce and en-
phasiZe it.
Having quoted the Alta on the
Democratic aspects of the present
situation, we give its views on the
Republican "lay.out." The one is
just as true as the other, and we
give both simply because they are
true:
Yesterday we showed that the
Democratic party would lose much
and gain nothing by the adoption
of the new Constitution, and we
propose now to present some rea-
sons why the Republicans, as a
matter of party policy, should vote
| in the same way.
The Republican leaders and the
Republican journals, as class,
were enemies of the Conven.
ton scheme from the time
when it was started-a quar-
ter of century ago. Tue
OOuStltuIiOu 10 uot IuCiI WOIhy anu
they could scarcely have charge of
| its installation. 1t is Kearney's
baby, and his party would natural
| ly be entrusted with the nursing of
| 1t, and with the possession of State
and county offices, all of which
would be filled at the next election,
thus making the greatest grab for
political plunder in the history of
California, Kearney having the in
side track by the natural influence
of his success in framing and adopt
ready spoken boastingly OF the
vast power that he will have to ex-
ercise in selecting the men who are
to fill all the offices. A nice set
they would be! The success of the
Constitution in May means the tri.
umph vf Kearney in September.
The Republicans would lose two
Justices of the Supreme Court,
Rhodes and Niles, who would
otherwise hold until 1881. Five or
six District Judges and as many
County Judges would be treated in
the same manner. They would
also lose seven hold-over Senators,
with a good chance, amidst the
Democratic decentralization, of
electing majority of the Senators
to be chosen in Septem ber. The
temperance question must not be
left out of consideration. If the
new Constitution should be adopt.
ed, every township and town would
be the scene of contest for the pro-
hibition of the sale of liquor at re-
tail, and the Republican party
would suffer more decentralization
than the Democrats from the in
PRODUCTION of this disturbing ele-
ment into q multitude of the local
elections.
The Constitution, in its provi.
sions relating to the immigration
and employment of Chinese, pro.
vides for violating the Burlingame
Treaty, and thus might bring the
Stste into conflict with the nation.
A loyal Convention would have
made the Chinese clause condition
al upon harmony with Federal &C.
tion. A clause asserting that the
American Union is nation and
denying the claim of the right of
Secession, was voted down, against
the protest Of the Republican dele
gates. In many respects the docu-
ment is unsatisfactory to Republi-
cans. Let 1t be defeated.