Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-01-02


drive great number of Eastern operatives
to the West to seek new occupations. 1t
is indeed new thing for American farm
ers to be afraid of the competition of their
own countrymen, but the fact only shows
how much need there is for missionary
work in this direction. The most ter
rible event of the past year, the
assassination OF President Garfield, brought
into strong relief the deficiencies of the
Constitution in regard to the Presidential
succession, and this is matter which will
have to be settled promptly and effectively.
The need not only of a national Bankrupt
Law, but of national Marriage Law, is
becoming more apparent continually, and
of the two the second is the more import
ant. Owing to the discordance of the
various State laws in this matter it has
become possible for scoundrels to commit
the most fragrant immoralities with CON-
plete IMMUNITY; and it has been well said
that before we legislste against Mormon
polygamy we ought to take steps to remove
the abuses which practically result in The
legitimation of concubinage and the
breaking down of the marriage bond.
A specimen of Jingoism" very closely
resembling the English type, has been
started by Mr.. Blaine's reckless and fool
ish circular on the Panama Canal. The
only rational conclusion to be drawn from
the European comments on that amazing
piece of diplomacy is, that the American
position will not be accepted, and that
European Governments will insist upon
being consulted in the control of canal
which must be the avenue of the whole
worlds commerce. and which we have no
more right to monopolize than we should
have to monopolize the Pacific ocean. The
Monroe doctrine indeed has of late been
employed very rashly and IN a very exag-
gerated manner. 1t has been thought by
some to demand the extension of kind Of
protectorate over the whole of South
America That, however. is clearly out OF
the question, and would be so even if we
had navy, which at present we do not
possess.
The tendency toward the rehabilitation
of American merchant shipping is proceed
ing in a purblind way The plain truth is
that it is impossible to revive our merchant
marine unless we are prepared to enter
foreign markets on equal terms with
European manufacturers. We cannot
have an ocean transportation interest
without foreign trade, unless we can
build and sail ships considerably cheaper
than England. In the absence of capacity
for this, and also in the absence of a
foreign trade, we must remain without
ships; nor can they be supplied by the
subsidy method. We are, however, ex-
tending our foreign trade in live stock and
cereals. There is no protection on these
articles, and therefore they 20 everywhere.
They are driving the English farmers to
the wall, ard before long must lead to rad
ical changes in English agriculture.
On the Pacific coast the most important
event is the completion of the Southern
Pacific Railroad to st. Louis and New Or
leans. The road is not quite finished to
New Orleans, but it will be in running or
der before the summer, and considerable
part of this years wheat harvest will find
its way to Liverpool by the Gulf of Mex
leo. There is in fact no longer any doubt
that this is feasible The Southern Pacific
must henceforth control ocean freights;
and it is probable that very few producers
who transact their own business will care
to send their wheat the long voyage when
they can put it on the Liverpool market in
80 days from San Francisco. The new
route is destined to revolutionize the whole
wheat trade of the coast, in fact. 1t will
prove the greatest boon the farmers have
ever enjoyed. The Southern Pacific more
over will bring immigrants to the southern
part of the State, and viii build up New
Orleans as it never could have been
built up In any other way. This
new route indeed gives the Southern city
for the first time in twenty years an oppor-
tunity to enter into competition with New
York, and under circumstances which give
all the advantage to New Orleans. The
Southern Pacifi, must injure San Francisco
to some extent, though it much more than
compensates for this by the benefits it will
bestow on the rest OF the State and coun-
try. twill no doubt turn South large guam
tity of wheat freight which formerly would
have gone by way of San Francisco. 1t
will crowd cut some OF the middlemen. 1t
will break down the shipping corners. 1t
viii put ocean fire ghts at discount. But
tits the most beneficent enterprise the State
has witnessed for many years, and its FIRST
development viii make the new year mem
Il