Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-05-08
already shown that it is quite possible to
establish system of political brigandage
by prostituting and travestying American
governmental forms.

governmental forms.
The control of more than one Of our
great cities has passed out of the hands of
native Americans already. Those who now
exercise municipal sovereignty in these
cases are foreigners without property, with
out intelligence, without regard for the
rights of others in fact neither better nor
worse than the proletariat which in the
decline of old Rome brought the name of
freeman" into contempt, and paved the
way for despotism. Nor is this at all to be
wondered at. 1t is the inevitable outcome
of system of naturalization which takes
for granted an impossible power of assimi-
lation. 1t is not just to lay the blame
upon the foreign element That has merely
availed itself of the opening prepared for it,
and has acted after its kind. But even
where no such fragrant and disastrous con-
sequences have appeared, it is equally ap-
parent that the dilution of the voting
population of late years has had evil
effects. For whereas, In homogeneous
nation the lessons of experience have
only to be learned once, and the
whole country then proceeds step by
step in civilization and enlightenment,
the constant influence of ignorance de-
stroys all continuity of progress, and rem
ders it necessary to go over old ground
again and again, and to repeat the stale
experiments of more advanced countries
instead of taking warning by them. Thus
it has happened that many doctrines and
fallacies of the most mischievous character
have had to be fought out here long after
they had been exposed and abandoned else
where, simply because our Ignorant ele-
ment possessed so much political power
that they were able to compel compliance
with their demands. 1t is also apparent
that the more ignorance there is among
the voting masses, the more demagoglsm
there will be among politicians and office
seekers. These will seek to put themselves
in accord with their constituents, and will
not contend against the prejudices or err
rors of the latter. And the increase of
demagogism in politics is even now strik-
ing feature of the times, to the con-
firmation of this hypothesis. 1t IS re-
cognized and lamented, but few perceive
the true cause and the main sup
port of it. The fact is that the country
is being weakened as to its judgment and
It's patriotism by the flow of immigration
which threatens to overwhelm the much
slower growth of national intelligence and
national sentiment, and that if immigra-
ton increases as at present, all these dam
gerous and damaging influences must be
expected to increase in proportion. Our
object at this time is not to advocate a
remedy, but to point out the evil, and to
show how inseparable it is from the exist
ing situation. We do not anticipate
quick recognition of the need of remedial
legislation, but we wish to familiarize the
public with the ideas which a contempla-
ton of the actual facts is calculated to
engender. Ultimately there will have to
be a radical change in the national policy,
and it is assuredly not too soon to begin
the demonstration of its desirability.