Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-04-21
sELF.DEsTRuerIvE CRITICISM.


SELF. DESTRUCTIVE oRITIcisM
The San Francisco Chronicle is singu-
lar journal in some respects. It appears
to be conducted, editorially. on the prinei-
pie OF not letting its left hand know what
its right hand is doing. It has general
vague purpose OF hostility to al the rail-
road corporations in the State, but it de-
nounces them in so peculiar a fashion That
its diatribes of one day are often the most
complete refutation of their immediate pre-
decessors. For example, On Tuesday it
published an article giving table Of freight
rates from various points in the interior to
Port Costa and San Francisco. which table
we took the liberty OF reprinting in our
last issue. The figures OF the Chronicle
showed conclusively that the reduction in
freight on grain recently made by the Rail
road Commissioners would save the farmers
$500, 600 on that staple alone, while another
$500, eco would be saved to them By the
superior economy of shipping their wheat ct
Port Costa. Thus the immediate effect OF
these changes would be, according to the
Chronicles own figures, to effect saving of
81 GOO 600 year to the farmers, putting
the total crop at l,000, coo tons. Oar con-
temporary did not itself take the trouble
to calcuiate the outcome Of its own figur-
|
ing. It's only object being to make it appear
that the farmers had somehow been deeply
wronged by providing them with such re-
auctions in transportation and warehausing
rates as would save them 81, 600, 600. Yes
terday, however, having altogether misun-
derstood the driit of its argument of the
preceding day, this astonishing Journal
turned squarely round, and concluded
furious Safeguarding CT the Railroad Com
sion with the sage and consistent remark
" Clearly there will be no reduction in
rates az long as Beerstecher and Cone re-
main in the Board It may be said
without danger Of exaggeration that the
spectacle OF a newspaper thus solemnly
writing itself down an ass, is very seldom
witnessed.
Evidently the Chronicle should not print
! tables unless it has mastered their signii-
canoe. To print table which refutes all
the arguments which go along with it, is
what the world usually characterizes as
silly. To contradict statements which one
has grayely made twenty-four hours pre-
viously, without rhyme or reason, is apt
to be regarded as fatuous. a journal
which undertakes to criticise everything
and everybody in the slashing Tor slashingl
style, cannot afford to make itself ridicu-
lous in these ways. The Chronicle, how
ever, appears to have lost its head in this
connection, and in fact to be, like Giant
Pope in the Pilgrims Progress, incapable
Of anything but muttering and mumbling
in senile fashion At this moment it
occupies the curious and novel position of
condemning the Railroad Commissioners
because they propose to save the farmers
81 600, 600 year and condemning them
on the peculiar ground that they ought to
have guarded the interests of the San Fran
cisco middlemen instead of reducing the
freight on grain. According to our remark
able contemporary the chief il not the sole
end and aim of the Railroad Commission
is to drive all business TO San Francisco,
no matter what interests outside that city
may be injured in the process. It will be
somewhat difficult to convince the farmers
in this case that the Commissioners have
done wrong or have betrayed their trust,
in putting the reduction of grain rates
above the demands Of San Francisco mid
dlemen in Importance.
The table which the C2sroaic!e published
the other day made it apparent that it was
to the interest of all grain-growers to ship
their produce to Port Costa instead OF TO
San francisco. That fact seems to have
been regarded by our contemporary as in
some mysterious way an outrage. Bnt
upon whom: Is it in any way incumbent
upon the farmers to pay toll to San Fran
cisco if they can do better fer themselves
by shipping their grain to some other
point? Is it not plainly their interest to
ship to any other point which offers them
greater advantages than San Francisco
And is not that distinct benefit to them
which enables them to save 81 Gee, 600
year by shipping to some otaer point
We should like our eccentric contompo-
rary to try and answer these simple
questions, il it can bring its powerful
mind to bear upon them, We should
also like, and the farmers would
doubtless ike, to hear what it has
to say in vindication OF its position that
the Railroad Commissioners have done
grievous wrong to somebody by reducing
rates on grain and o.ner staples.
1t is net easy to understand how this
can be, and certainly the Railroad Com
rnissioners are entitled to at least clear
explanation of the grounds upon which
they are condemned-if they are to be
/ condemned. As the recent reducHons
chiefly affect the farmers, moreover, and
as they seem to be appealed to by the
Chronicle to rise up in judgment against
the officials who are responsible for these
changes, they certainly ought to know
why they shoald resent the practical
presentation to themselves Of 81 COO 600,
and for what reason they should abuse and
swear vengeance against the authors Of
this deed. Anti-railroad babble has beer
used for 4 great deal moro than it was
worth heretofore, but we do not think it
has ever before been employed 50 absardly
as by our San Francisco contemporary in
/ the present instance.
BLAIEE's HEALTH.
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