Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-05-13
ASSEMBLY,.

SACRAMENTO, May IL, 1881.
The House met at 10 A. M, Speaker Parks in the
chair.
Mr. MCCLURE offered resolution that the Legis-
lature adjourn this day at P. NJ. Objection was
made that the road bill would not be enrolled in
time. Mr.. MCCLURE said he had made inquiry, and
it would be ready in time. After some debate as to
whether all the business would be completed. by 30
to "a the resolution was laid on the table on motion
of Mr. HALE On motion of Mr. Bosr, the widow OF
the late j. E. Baker authorized to draw the per
diem of her husband, payable out OF the contingent
fund of the Assembly. Two resolutions, for extra
pay to porters, were sent TO the Committee on
Contingent Expenses. Mr.. GRIFFITH, speaking
to question of privilege, referred to an editorial
in the San Francisco Chronicle of Wednesday, in
which the legislators were spoken OF as bummers,
and that the body was feared as was the French
Monarchy, and the Legislature spoken OF with bit
terness and vituperation. He said the ESdnltner
had said the Legislature was worthless body; the
RECORD UNION had advised the Legislature to go
home as they were doing nothing and even the
Sunday-school convention had attacked the body, as
he heard Mr. Smith last night go for the legislature
the Wasp and Neies Letter had attacked and stung
the houses a'so Ii all be true that is said the peo
pie ought to hold their noses-but he remembered
that the good hook says, BLESSED are You when men
shall reve you. The Chronicle man had written
with pen dipped in the venom of hell The
stream cannot rise higher than its source
IL the l. gslature is wrong are the people, for 1t
is the represen rative body Of the people II there
is corruption hare 1t has its origin in the people
II we desire to be great people we must begin
reform among the people lAppause.l III you
want TO send men who will stand firm amid the
wreck Of matter, let the people do 1t. He had no
desire to throttle the press, but 1t IS prosttutlng
itself to base ends When elections come on it sup
ports earnestly men who are mostly elected, and
when they do in Office just as the press must have
known they would do they raise howl against the
Legislature. He charged it against the Cal aud
Aitd and Chronicle and every paper that claims to
be respectable that it is doing all it can to lower
the public standard OF political morality. ca voice,
Except the RECORD USIoS.D Yes, except the
RECORD UNION 1t stands out like cross
against the sky, immaculate, consistent and
pure "a voice: "0h r'l Yes; l except the RECORD
UNION He was not ready to say this was the
worst Legislature that ever met in California, nor
vet that it 10 the best; but he dared t. face
the ISLANDERS uttered against this body. Its mem
bers knew whether ornot they had stven TO do their
duty 20 the people. They knew whether the men
in this body stand, as he believed they did,
on 4 level with the best of citizens for honesty, in
tegrity and faithfulness to the Government and the
people. The Legislature may have to wait for his
tory to do it justice, but the day will come when
justice will be done It,, and its members
will not have cause TO be ashamed of the verdict.
Mr. PLAT in favor OF the liberty OF the press,
but also favored curling its license by severe crit
icism, when IL steps down from its high position
and reviles the Government and its lawmsking
branches II IL must attack, let il name the men
worthy OF contempt, but withhold its hand from
injury TO the legislative department-the highest
in the Government, and which exists still when
the men temporarily filling its seats have gone.
Let the press remember that when it attacks Wiley
this department it assaults the Government which
pro tects it. There shoEld go out from these halls
unsperiug denunclatiOn OF the unbridled license,
misnamed criticism, which has characterized many
Journals in their assaults upon this Legislature,
He stood in the Assembly III an impersOnal char
acter, representing CO stitueney OF good cltzens,
aud in their behalf he protested against
the unbecoming and unwarranted assaults OF
the press
Nr. REYNOLDS indorsed what the two last speak
ers said and thanked them for their eloquent
orda NJ defencp
Mr. HESDRIcK said the present Legislature is
more sinHed against than SHINING. Impartial
critics had declared it the equal in intelligence and
integrity to any of its predecessors. There had
been differences Of opinion, and party differences,
but the houses had been marked prominently by
individual independence, and hence the whip ef the
press, which and that was the real truth-had
been " able 10 purchase or control the members.
The chief reason Of the deadlocks, so much COM
planned Of, is, tecause we have not in this State
good stable evil service system. 10 its absence
party has sought to rule and the question on eyerF
bill has been, How will it affect the party z This
is the simple truth, and the sooner it is realized the
better.
Mr.. WuPPLE said he could paint no more graphic
picture than had been done of the state OF affairs
in California. The mountain Of abuse from the
press heaped on the houses is undeserred. He did
not believe il came from the people, and the voice
Of the press not the voice OF the people giving
a verdict Of the people relative TO this Legislature.
The great body Of the people would judge wisely
and truly and in the light Of the facts but the jour
tons TO attain. II there is complaint it is the
outcome of the representative system Of the govern
ment. 1t brings the lawyer from the desk, the
farmer from the piow, each from constituency
which believes its political horizon to bound the
whole State. Members know that each of them
came here charged by his constituency with special
messages and duties utterly impracticable outside
the bounds Of that constituency. These men come
here unknown to each other representing different
systems Of education, differing inter ss, differing in
political views, and the press should remember that
these elements widely differing not TO assimi
late in hour harmouEe views in the brief
time allotted 10 the Legislature. The true system
would be to place the legislators under an annual
salary Let them meet at will md become
quainted, and harmonic, to the end that wise laws
may be made, and such body would be less
pensve the State, and OF less anxiety the pso-
pie, than under the present system. All know, who
are willing TO examine into ce facts that there
given the House that to do which It was
impossible for i, to do in the limited time
allowed by the Constitution. This Legislature
had done the very best that could be
done under the circumstance. The departments of
this Government should be held up until some IA
grant wrong takes from them all claims to respect,
for these departments represent the highest plane
Of our system OF government. He would welcome
the day when the Legislature, as the Supreme Court
now cln may punish for contempt and curb the un-
brdIed attacks OF the press. The press should re-
member that il is part Of the Government system
and IL is its duty and privilege TO add TO the
Government majesty, and not make IL q ot-bal
for every man TO kick at. Probably the press thinks
il is doing its duty that 1t IS necessary to lah the
Legislature for fear the people viii think them dull
and lagsard otheraiss. 1t was mistake. For
HIM elf he felt that nc could go home without a |
tinge 81 shame for this LEGISLATURE. The people |
would nd In the end that every Legislature of sixty
DAYS will be afailnre &r. MAY said that he seldom
IL ever attacked the rcess, for he migkt have one
moments say about il while the press could have |
s6s ticks at him. The press, IN fact, had abused |
him for doing this winter exactly what 1t praised |
him for doing the winter before. Now, he was |
proud OF his consistency. The press is in |
a business il furnishes the goods asked for. Nine
times out Of ten it sets cut the food demanded by
the people who read the p pers. 1t abuses the |
Legislature because the people want it to- that's
the truth You 20 aud ask the editors and pro-
pretors and they will tell you half the time they
are not in sympathy with what appears in their