Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-10-23

ticians who are rapidly degrading and dis
gracing American politics, and who, in
their reckless and unprincipled greed are
sowing the seeds of trouble which will at
no distant period convulse the republic.
They think that the methods by which
they are endeavoring to commend them.
selves to the public of California are OF
little moment. They have taken up the
anti.railroad cry as they would have taken
up any cry that seemed to promise votes.
They have not the sense to perceive that
however iHsincere they may be, they are
creating and fostering spirit of hostility
to property rights which is almost insensi.
bly, changing the popular beliefs SIS to the
foundations of civilization. For it is i'm.
possible to preach the confscation of one
kind of property without weakening the
general regard for property rights of all
kinds. In the calumnious, false and ma.
levolent attacks upon railroad corporations
are embodied the seeds of rampant Com.
munism. The doctrine which is being
taught is far broader than our demagogues
realize. 1t extends to the justification Of
whatever acts of legislative confiscation the
majority may be induced to sanction.
Upon an air-drawn theory of the right of
legislative regulation has been erected q
monstrous fabric of wrong and injustice.
eff hat he Re
solemnly entered into by the people With
corporations are void; that the question as
to what railroads shall earn is simply and
solely question of popular caprice; that
whenever men have by the exercise Of
sagacity, energy, pluck and persistence,
acquired wealth, that fact shall be held to
warrant the confscation of their property,
and the bounding of themselves as public
enemies.
All the enormous and perpetual bene.
factions which the State has derived from
the railroads are thrust out of sight. They
are held up everywhere as monsters Of
| greed, rapacity aud dishonesty. The PEG.
pie are invited by rabid speakers to de.
test them Every falsehood that malice
can inventIis put forward against them.
The grosssst Misrepresentation are made
by figures. Facts are distorted to foster
fallacious views. The one lesson that is
taught is that in California it is crime to
be successful. And this is after all neither
more nor less than continuation Of
Kearneyism. The same shameless dema
gogues, the same blackmailing newspapers,
the same ,onscienceless otfice.seekers, have
been conspicuous in both movements. The
agitators sre without principle. They seek
only personal advancement Every man
of them has his price. But they have moi
the brains to comprehend the real and
ultimate effect Of their work, and 30 they
go on bl ndly. Yet there are men SC
hopelessly stupid as to wonder why it ii
that Cali iornia does not prosper. The
plain and most apparent truth is that Cali
fornia ha for years been hag.ridden by
the worst gang of political and journalistic
Vampires that ovor attacked community
These villains have all this time beer
assailing every considerable enterprise and
industry in the State. They have opposed
every measure and undertaking calculated
to help the State. They have discouraged
immigration, prevented settlement, driver
away capital, given the State a bad nams
all over the world.
California is now looked upon IN the
East and Europe as place where there ii
too much Communism, too little regard
for property rights, too much demagog
ism, too little justice and regard for Law
and equity, to be an inviting field for set
Element. If it had not been for the benef
cent operation of the railroads, the State
would long ago have sunk into hopeless,
stagnation under the blighting influence o.
the public enemies who have been engaged
in this detestable work. But the malig
nant band of sharpers and blackmailert
canpot rest until it has brought ruin upor
the community that tolerates it. And sc
year afta year the best energies of the
| people are worse than wasted in prose
cutting these intestine wars, and C. I'll:
close of each fierce struggle both sides are
weaker than before. The rascals who are
doing all Che mischief think it easy enough
TO patch up peace when their immediate
purposes have been served, but they are
mistaken there. The effect OF their evil
work goes far beyond their jurisdiction.
They have sovn the seeds of Communism
widely and deeply, and the State will have
to do the harvesting sooner or later. Everp
campaign Of calumnies and false reason.
ing and reckless assaults upon property
rights tends to cap the popular regard for
all such rights, and tends to render less
secure the barriers which alone keep out
anarchy.
Our demigogres are as short-sighted as
they are Interruptions. They imagine
that because they do not mean what they
say nobody will believe them or re.
member their doctrine. They think that
vixen ths campaign is over everything is
over; that aaimosities may be put away,
and that society will return as calmly as
ever to its accustomed occupations. But
they are building worse than they know.
They area educating the ignorant masses
into contempt for and hatred of all prop.
erty rights. They are maintaining the
right of the majority to declare everything
moral aud lawful which suits its pur-
poses. They are unhinging the minds of
thefeeble, and encouraging the most sinister
tendencies of the evil disposed. They are
in fact sowing the wind, and they think
that the whirlwind will not be resped.
Such shallow knaves may 60 on in this
delusion, but thinking men must per,
csive that the kind of campaign we are
passing through menaces the best hopes
of the public for the future of the State,
aad must also see the necessity of doing
what in them lies to manifest their dissp.
proval of the fraudulent methods employed,
by condeurning the most conspicuous and
offensive dsmagogues at the polls.
When all are alike bad there is, indeed,
but little room for choice, yet even be.
tween evils there can be found distinctions,
and certain justification for selection.
The TAX on BOOKS.