Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-10-13
PLATFORMS AND CANDIDATES.

on the SUNDAY law question: he Day 'ha'
when the Convention refused TO adops
clear and unambiguous resolution on this
issue, those who were dissatisfied with its
action were assured that the candidates
would rectify the defects OF the platform
in their speeches during the canvass. But
he has received intelligence which compels
him to doubt whether this is being done.
In fact he mas been informed on "excel-
Silent authority" that some of the candi.
dates have been promising to support the
vinicultural interest, whenever they found
themselves in wine, growing district. Mr..
Hills letter ia quite a refreshing piece of
innocence. The people who are capable of
believing such an assurance as he speaks
of-who could be got to accept the state.
menu that the candidates would be holder
than the platform On the Sunday law
issue-are, however, slEaost too verdant to
be intrusted with the management of their
own affairs. 1t is pity that Mr. Hill and
those for whom he speaks have not rea.
soned little upon political phenomena.
II they had done so they would have long
ago reached the conclusion that the same
considerations which prevented the Re-
publican Convention from taking a bold
and definite position on the Sunday law
must influence the candidates also. The
Convention shirked the issue because it
was afraid the party would lose votes if it
took the position demanded by Mr.. Hill
and his friends. The men who were nomi-
mated by the Convention entered the can.
vass with one object-namely, to secure as
many votes as possible for themselves.
They are not called upon under party ethics
to so beyond their platform and they are
not the material from which martyrs are
made
Mr.. Hill may consequently rest assured
that when these candidates enter a wine.
growing district they hasten to put them.
| selves On good relations with the voters.
They do not denounce viniculture and ex-
press belief that the vines ought all to
be pulled up by the roots and "fed to the
"hogs (who by the way do not eat viues)
They do not eApatiate upon the evils of
intemp9rance, or declare that viniculture
ought to be made criminal offense. On
the contrary, they congratulate their hear.
ers upon the rapid growth of that noble
industry they exul5 over the opening
made by the phylloxera in France for Cali
fornia wines they predict period when
wine-making will be the leading industry
OF the State and they assert that their
most ardent hopes will be gratifed if they
are spared to witness that halcyon condi-
ton of things. The same candidates,
should they by any chance find themselves
in district where there are no VINEYARDS,
and where all the voters are Good Tenn
placs, may be counted upon to advance the
most radical temperance doctrines with the
greatest appearance of esrnestness. If
there are no reporters present their zeal
for Prohibition will know 10 bounds. 1t
is true that there are not many places IN
California where they are called upon to
express such sentiments, but Mr.. Hill may
depend upon it that the average candidate
is quite equal to either fortune" and that
be is prepared to be a Prohibitionist or
contemner of Prohibition, according to the |
exigencies OF the locality.
Just so in regard to all other issues
which divide the community without ref !
erence to party lines. The Debris ques-
ton is another of these awkward ques-
tions, and how does Mr.. Hill suppose that |
the Republican candidates, and for that |
matter all the candidates, deal with it q?
In the simplest manner imaginable. In |
the mountains they declare themselves in |
favor of protection for the hydraulic |
miners. In the valleys they declare them
selves in favor of exkerminating hydraulic
mining Il is 30 much the easier to do |
this kind OF thing because in the presen! |
campaign the speeches are not being re.
ported at any length. But that is the
common method of meeting the difficulty. |
Candidates, at least in these degenerate |
days, seek to be all things to all men.
Having 40 convictions OF their own, they |
desire to assume harmony of views with |
whatever community they happen to be
in at the moment. They are after votes,
and principles are only used to bait their
hooks with. Mr.. Hill aud his innocent |
and too.confding friends have been
grievously misled if they seriously be-
IL :. i - ! L l
than the platform. When the latter was
adopted the Republican party in Conven.
ton assembled refused to give the tenn
perance and Sunday law supporters the
assurance they asked for. That was the
end of the affair. There never was the |
least possibility that the candidates would
take it upon them to amend the policy OF the |
party. They were even less likely than
the Convention to run any avoidable |
risk of losing votes.
We pointed out, Immediately after the
Convention, that the Sunday law plank
was nothing but shallow subterfuge, and
that it really promised nothing more than
the Democrats had pledged themselves TO.
Mr.. Hill and his friends, however, appeared
to think that it was safe to accept the
work of the Convention, and though that
body had really given them not single
crumb, they argued very illogically that
"half loaf was better than no bread
Now they are beginning to realize that
they were mistaken, and that they have
nothing to hope for from the Republican
platform. They learn that the candidates
are not better than the platform, but
rather worse; aud naturally they are dis
gusted at the Developments. Yet they
ought to have foreseen this, for there
never was anything else to be expected.
Neither party at any time had the slight
est intention of doing anything more than
shutting out of the Sunday law business
with as little friction as possible. The
Prohibitionists had the political sagacisy to
realize this, and to perceive that they had
nothing to gain and much to lose by
submission to the hypocrisy and fraud of
the politicians. They went TO work and