Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-04-13
THE VALUE OF CULTURE IN PUBLIC
BUSINESS

SHdH . mel tudb tiSlS 10 Z" oOiS "a
lence in ignorance, in fact and that the
nearer men approach the intellectual con-
dition of the savage, the more likely they
are to be capable of great things. This
doctrine, it need not be said, is not held
by educated men, but it has been advanced
by uneducated men of a kind very infuen-
tial in modern American politics, and it
has been employed by them as iustifca-
ton for treating all efforts toward higher
education with open scorn and contempt.
The school which exults in its freedom
from the trammels of culture has had many
opportunities during the past twenty years
of manifesting its real capabilities, for it
has very commonly succeeded IN acquiring
the control of politics, and has had much
to do with shaping legislation and admin
istering the Government. Viewed from its
own chosen standpoint. and judged by its
own canons, this so-called "practical"
school cannot be admitted to have achieved
much success. 1t has certainly made
more blunders than any other element, it
has assuredly been more easily handled
by sinister agencies. and it has
unquestionably failed in securing either
more economical or better government. At
the last general election held in this State,
good many of these practical" politi-
clans were elected to the Legislature, and
to their influence must be ascribed the
present necessity for prolongation of the
session fact which is not difficult of
| demonstration. It is characteristic
of the school under discussion that it has
very little respect for parliamentary rules.
1t believes in what it calls straightfor-
ward way of transacting business, and it
despises the restraints and the courtesies
which experience has shown to be very
useful auxiliaries to legislation. What
this impotence of prescription leads to has
been shown very plainly during the present
legislative session. SO turbulent and
quarrelsome session has never been held
since California became State Scarcely
day has passed without bringing its GUS
tomary disturbance in one chamber or the
other. The Assembly has naturally been
the most unmanageable body, and there the
proceedings have repeatedly been of the
most extraordinary character. Now it is
possible that the members whose practical
turn of mind has prevent them from SUBJ
uniting quietly to parliamentary rules,
think that they have somehow vindicated
their manliness and independence by these
constant outbreaks. But it is very clear
that they have scandalously wasted the
time for which the public pays them, and
that in these frequent chickering's and quar-
rels they have consumed so much of the
session as to render the transaction of the
business they were sent here to do, imposi-
BILE without an extension of their sittings.
1t must be evident to all who have fol-
lowed the proceedings with any attention
that this is the true cause of the lack of
time which has been complained of, and
that if business had been attended to
strictly from the beginning, and parlia-
mentary rules and practices had been OBJ
served, all the work could have been
finished easily within one hundred days
It is one of the drawbacks of the 'prac-
teal school in politics that its contempt
for knowledge prevents it from availing it.
self of the experience of the past. But for
this it would have been able to recognize
the fact that the restraints used in legisla-
tive bodies among civilized people have been
adopted, not from any fanciful or fantastic
notions of decorum, but in order to secure
the greatest economy of time and labor.
at very early stage of civilization it was
discovered that deliberative bodies could
not afford to allow quarrelling among their
members, and so forms of address and refer
ence were adopted which assumed the ex-
istence of mutual respect and courtesy. 1t
does not follow that real respect exists in
such cases, but by common consent it has
to be simulated, to the end that the pur-
poses of the session may not be thwarted
by irrelevant disputes. During the present
session all these wise deductions from
venerable experience have been thrust
aside, however, and day after day the pub.
lie time has been squandered in wordy
combats, and the public money has been
misapplied in paying for this kind of thing
But there is very obvious moral to
this case, and it is to be hoped
that the public, which has been
made to pay so dearly for its enlighten-
ment, will take the lesson to heart. It is,
that the election of ignorant and undisci-
plined men to such positions is bad policy.
Their ignorance and want of discipline much
more than counterbalance their practical
| ity." They do not know how to conduct the
public business, and they do not know how
to take part in discussion without quar-
reling. Their disregard for parliamentary
customs renders them bad Lawmakers.
Their want OF education afflicts them with
a self-consciousness which causes them to
be continually obtruding their personality
in debate. They are far more easily cir
cumvented by shrewd schemers than better
informed men. And their practical
sense invariably breaks down when put to
the test. We think that when the people
of California have had time to reflect upon
this matter they will determine to try no
more experiments of the kind, but that
they will perceive the advantage of some
degree of culture even in so completely
practical matter as the management of
public affairs.
THE DEBRIS QUESTION AT WASHINGTON.
Congressman Berry is said to have ex-
pressed great surprise :" at the argument
'made by certain journals in California,
" that the passage of the debris bill by the
California Legislature would have a