Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-05-01
POLITICAL PANAcBAs

There has seldom been period when the
demand for political reform was more gen.
orally recognized than at present, or when
more hopelessly different remedies were
proposed in greater profusion. In the
Nav number of the International Rerie,c
Mr.. George w. Julian and MIR. Albert
Stickney have papers, the first on The
"Abase of the Ballot and its Remedy, and
the second on Government Machinery.
Each thinks the plan he proposes can alone
save the country, each thinks his plan the
one important consideration, yet neither
agrees with the other regarding the causes
of the existing evils, or the methods Of
abating them. Mr. Julian declares, in a
very energetic manner, that" the sovereign
"remedy for all the evils connected with
popular government is popular gooeIn-
70 e,7anent" This he appears to think
quite profound utterance. 1t is in fact
equivalent to saying "the best way to
cease being i'll is to get well. " The evils
connected with popular government are
each and all the necessary results of the
normal operation of the principles and
practices which together constitute popular
government. Mr.. Julian therefore tells us
that we can only expect to do better by
Kidding ourselves of the inevitable conse-
quences of natural law, and this is nonsense.
The abuse of the ballot, which supplies
the text for his article, is not the result OF
any special perversity on the part of the
American voters. The abuses of the ''ma-
chine" system have not been produced
through any abnormal development of wick
edness in the American political classes.
But on the one hand steady flow of for
eigh immigration has swamped the intelli-
gence of our voters, while on the other
hand a multiplicity of elections and a
method of choosing public employees in to-
tai disregard of their fitness, have estab-
lished class of professional politicians,
and compelled them to such an expertness
that the control of political machinery has
fallen quite naturally into their hands.
When we look to Mr. Julian for remedies we
are tempted towonder that anyone should be
capable of taking so hopeful view OF the
situation, whose dependence is so frail.
Among the aids to reform he mentions the
following ''The necessity for better sys-
tenn of household training, having spe-
cial reference to the great moraities of
90 life the need OF thorough reform in
'our system of education, in which less
g attention shall be given to the study
e of ancient languages and more time de-
''voted to the branches of knowledge
e bearing directly upon the practical inter
% ests of life, such as the science of gov
eminent, political economy, and moral
{" ity; thorough revival and more practical
q assertion of the power of the Church as a
"moral instructor and guide; and the duty
" of the better sort of men in all parties to
bear personal witness to their interest in
&c the work of political reform by doing
&c their share of the hard and disagreeable
"worl required for its accomplishment "
We do not think there is any hope of re-
form, if it can be attained only by such
methods as these, for they are one and all
e in the air, and altogether irrelevant As
to our schools, where does Mr.. Julian
imagine that the ancient languages are
taught too much? Certainly devotion to
classics has never been the fault of our
public schools, and as for our few colleges
and universities, they educate such mere
handful of our youth that their effect
upon the tone of national sentiment is
very slight As regards the influence OF
the Church, it is abundantly evident that
it has passed its meridian, and is declining
rapidly. 1t will never again be accepted
as an instructor and guide, for the sufficient
reason that the majority of men no longer
recognize it's credentials or acquiesce in
submission to its authority. Whoever ex-
amines the existing situation must realize
this change, and must accord it due con-
sideration. But, independently of the
actual decadence of the influence of the
Church, it is plain that even if that in
fuence existed as of old it would not affect
the abuses which are now in question.
Human nature will under all conditions
inevitably struggle to adapt itself to its