Daily Los Angeles herald., 1881-02-18

THERE IL something simply APP
pailing In the career Of corruption
into which the leaders Of the Re.
publican party have forced that or
ganization in this State. The
Speaker, one Parks, is really the
unblushIng and shameless attorney
Of the "Slickens" corruptionists.
The fsrvid and supsrheated adject-
ives applied, . short time age, by
Denis Kearney to every one who
had any decency or respectability,
collocated by ADLER and better In.
structed men, are really what are
needed to describe the unshrinkipg
political and official profligacy of
these Debris manipulators. It 10 q
lamentable fact, but none the less
grave and menacing one, that
"Boss" Tweed even, In the plenti-
tuds Of his power, had the sagacity
and good sense which prevented his
challenging the Indignation Of the
people of his State with the ia.
grant and flsgitious audacity
shown by Parks and his robber
crew. 1t is q strange and CHASTITY
DOM m sntary upon the futility of
excited human hopes that the new
Constitution, which was to abolish
jobbery and the lobby, has given
Us. in the person Of Parks, q Speak
or of the Assembly who is
"Sliokens" connubiator. The
HERALD was quite anxions to see
the Republican party retrieve
itself. We were more than willing
to forfeit the tremendous advan.
tages which would accrue to the
Democratic party from Republican
perseverance, in this matter. No
newspaper, not even excepting the
Chronicle, has handled the
"Slickens" question with more per-
severing vshemencs than this
journal. From a partizan point Of
view our cue was to lie low and see
the Republican party wreck itself.
But we disdained to take this
narrow and bigoted view Of
the matter. Until lately We
had hoped and almost be.
lisved that the Republicans, pos
sessing all departments Of the gov.
eminent, would stamp. out this
enormous iniquity and insult to
the people of California, and we
did our best to help on the work.
But, to our sorrow, we find that an
almost unanimous public senti.
ment has no influence whatever
upon the lobby-ridden Republican
powers at Sacramento. Gov. Per-
kins, who is naturally an amiable
and, In private business transac-
tions, a scrupulousIy honest man,
was engulphed in the corrupt
stream and carried out of his bear.
ings. He has shown great agility
in jumping on the first pile of So
lidified "slickensn which be has
encountered on his downward trip,
and is loudly calling for help to
extricate himself. Gov. Perkins,
ia writing his debris message. has
simply wrecked his personal polit-
cal fortunes. 1t is just possible
that he might, by contrlte role,
and by going for time on the pen
tents bench, be forgiven, but it is
very doubtful. No single scandal,
since the United States first entered
into the devious ways of corrup-
ton, jobbery and chicane, has tax.
en- on the hideous proportions of
this "Slickens" job. Buildings
have been erected and charged for
three-fold; roads and streets have
been graded and paved, and charg.
ed for out Of all proportion to the
sums actually expended; but, after
all, and when the disproportionate
were audited and
paid, the public buildings and the
streets remained. There was 1T
least a partial guild pro quo ac-
corded by the jobber to the people.
But In this "slickens" enormity
the money of the State has been
and will continue to be
wasted, without the return of q
dollar-without any residuum that
would sell for five cents. From
every side on which 1t can be con.
sidered the debris iniquity is q
unique and unexampled outrage
upon the taxpayer, and woe unto
those by whom 1t was brought
about and shall be maintained.