Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-06-22
TIE DEMOCRATIC STATE PLATFORM

the ensuing campaign is to be maae' IL
must be admitted that the time is not pro-
| pitious for the framing of such declara-
ton of principles as would suffice OF itself
| to justify the existence of the party. The
Democracy of California is in fact in an
embarrassed position. 1t decided to hold
its State Convention early because it
thought that the Chinese question would
be the one great issue Of the campaign, and
because it believed that the Presidents
veto of the twenty-year Chinese bill was
fnality. After the call for the Convention
had been issued, however, the ten-year
bill was passed, and the President signed
it, and 80 the heaviest gun the Democrats
had was silenced, and they were compelled
to cas-. about for other issues. There are
at present no national questions which our
Democratic politicians are inclined to take
rp. 1t is true that they might have had
something to say on the tariff, but they
appear not to be aware that there is any
significance in that subject. They desired
to confine themselves to local issues, and
the result is that their platform deals with
the Chinese, the railroads, the Sunday law
and the debris problem, and winds up
with snarl at the present State Admins
tration in regard to the management OF the
State University.
As to the Chinese question the Demo-
Gratis, of course, have undertaken to say
every thing that remained to be said. Con-
gress having already taken measures to
suspend Chinese immigration, there was
no further opening in that direction. 1t
was, however, possible to 60 a step
further by demanding the expulsion of the
Chinese row in the State, and this has
been done. We do not believe that it
will catch many votes. The idea that all
California is burning to get completely and
suddenly lid of the last Chinaman is fall
lacious. In the interior there are many
places in which Chinese labor is found to
be essential to production. The farmers
are well aware that if the Chinese were
all driven out OF the State it would be
difficult to get in the crops, and impossible
to cultivate berries and the small fruits
generally. For it is not true that there is
any element of white labor ready to take
the place of the Chinese in agricultural
occupations. On the contrary, it is well
ascertained fact that the untrustworthi-
ness of large proportion of the white
labor available for this kind of work has
long since compelled the farmers to employ
the Chinese. Outside of the cities, there
fore, this sweeping proposition for the ex.
pulsion of the Chinese will arouse no en-
thusiasm, aud may very possibly excite
some opposition.
The Sunday law plank is an experiment
which perhaps ought, in the nature of
Democratic doctrine, to be successful, but
which, judging from the discussion of it in
the Convention, and the final vote on the
motion to strike it out, will be of doubtful
utility to the party. It received its chief
support from the San Francisco delegation.
Outside of San Francisco the negative vote
was much larger than the affirmative. Set
ting aside the los San Francisco votes, it
appears that the interior delegations cast
los votes against the plank, to l03 for it.
This is significant, for it shows that what
ever may be Democratic traditions regard
ing sumptuary legislation" the majority
OF the interior delegates believe the taking
of pronounced position in favor of the
repeal of the Sunday law to be injudicious,
at least, while it is open to assumption
that this majority goes SO far as to prefer
that the law should remain on the statute
book. In fact the vote on this resolution
indicates that the position of the party on
the Sunday law is more likely to be a
source of weakness than of strength, since
it is clear that the party itself is divided
on the issue.
The railroad plank expresses the opinion
that fares and freights should be materially
reduced. No doubt most people would
like all prices TO be materially reduced.
An attempt was made to introduce a reso-
luton which Fowler of Tulare brought for
ward, pledging the nominees for Railroad
Commissioners to reduce all fares and
freights 20 per cent. as their first official
act. 1t was a very absurd proposition.
They were to make this reduction without
reference to its justice, and then they were
to begin to make inquiry, and were to re-
duce rates still further, but in accordance
with equity. The fact that the Railroad
Commissioners exercise judicial functions,
and that this was equivalent to pledging
candidates for the board to decide certain
cases in particular way, was pointed out
to the Conventioa by Bayne of Colusa.
The point might also have been made that
Fowler's resolution was not in order, since
Railroad Commissioners, and since the
District Conventions, which do, have a
right to arrange their business to suit |
themselves. After considerable debate,
much of which was completely irrelevant, !
the 20 per cent. plank was rejected, and |
the Convention Endorsed the original reso.
luton, which is very much less rampant,
and therefore in all respects safer. 1t is
pity, however, that Conventions should so
frequently take up mere demagogue cries
about "exactions and injustice" without
in the least knowing what they are talking
about, or for that matter, caring what
they say.
The debris plank is as -committal as
the most nervous candidate could desire.
All it asserts is that I" the rivers and har.
bors of this State belong to all the peo-
"ple, and that it is the duty of the Fed
" eral Government to protect them from
" destruction, and SO improve them from
" time to time as to keep them forever
open as channels" This was as much
however as a State party could afford to
say. L. was no part of the business of
the Convention to shoulder sectional quar-.
rels and it exhibited some sagacity in con-
fining itself to an expression of friendliness
to all the interests concerned.
The remaining resolutions are of no
special significance, unless that may be
termed significant in which our Democratic
friends solemnly declare themselves in IA
vor of civil service reform. We should be
glad to welcome them as helpers in that good
cause if we could believe that they meant
what they now say, but they have been
too long deprived of the Federal offices for
it to be at all safe to put confidence in their
of disinterestedness. Asawhole,
the platform is anything but strong, and in
some points is positively weak but until
we see what the Republicans can do in the
,,-ov of declaration of pripoinIaz - Ill |