Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-10-21
A s1rRospEcrryE REVIEW.

RETRoaPECTlVE REVIEW.
When the people of California agreed to
revise tire Constitution they wers per-
suaded to this step mainly by the consid-
Grafton that they would in SO doing put an
end to the railroad question. When the
Convention met, however, it was found
that it contained majority of stupid and
obstinate fanatics, who, under pretense
of settling the railroad question finally, in
sisted upon regulative measures 30 unjussin
principle, 60 discriminating, and SO vicious
in their arrangements, that the only pur-
pose they could serve was to make the
whole question more intimately connected
with politics than ever In fact the Con-
stitutional Convention did more mischief
in this regard than all the preceding legis-
lation, and instead of settling the railroad
question it unsettled it more than ever.
Yet the Railroad Commission was
avowedly intended to take the question
out of politics. Certainly the conception
was brilliant one Three Commissioners
were to be elected by districts, and it was
so ordered that nobody could become
candidate for these offices without being or
pretending to be positive enemy of the
corporations. In this way the rankest
demagogism was fastenedupon the tribunal,
and it was rendered almost impossi-
bic for it to be dignifed, impartial, trust
worthy body. From the beginning, how
ever, the men who had shaped the
machinery set themselves to make it
failure. They demanded that the
enormous powers vested in the
Commission should be at once exerted
without the least inquiry. They insisted
that the Commission should Immediately
proceed to confscate the property of the
railroads. And because it felt the neces-
sity of cautious procedure, and of fuller
information prior to action, they began to
denounce it as having sold out to the cor
porations.
And this is inseparable from the character
of the machinery adopted. 1t is impossi-
bic to obtain rational government in a case
where sn irresponsible element is allowed
to constitute itself at once judge, jury and
witnesses. There never has been any
demonstration of the reckless charges
levied against the railroads. There never
has been any confirmation of those charges
which Court could accept as proof. Yet
IT q the ctrpnnfh Of thaca
statements alone that the Railroad Com.
mission has been required to proceed
Nothing could be looser or more opposed
to every principle of justice than this
whole procedure. Under the pretext of
constitutional forms, an irresponsible and
utterly INSCRIPTIONS gang of knaves has
been allowed to demand the confscation of
railroad property upon the strength of the
most impudent falsehoods. Evidence and
all the guarantees and projections of evil
dence have been brutality thrust aside
Venal newspapers have assumed to over
ride the Courts, and marshalIing an ignor-
ant mob. opinion have called this fraudulent
exhibition the voice of the people, and
have required that it should be respected
as such. From first to last, throughout
the storm of abuse and Misrepresentation
and demagogism and cant and rant that has
swept over the State, actual proofs, actual
facts, will be sought in vain, and nothing
will be found to justify all the claInor but
unsupported, unverified assertions, for the
most part emanating from journals known
to be venal, and from men known to be
unprincipled.
Observe, moreover, that the Railroad
Commission is supposed, theoretically, to
represent the will, Judgment, sense, JUS
tice, equity, of the people of California.
Now it is perfectly clear that it must be
the duty of such tribunal to investigate,
to act cautiously, to hold the balance
evenly, to avoid even the appearance of
unfairness. But from the first this tribunal
has been bullied, dictated to, threatened,
abused, and treated in fact precisely as the
Partisan mob treated the Convention dur
ing the Reign of Terror. 1t has never
been permitted to act judicially. It has
been coolly told that inquiry was unneces.
gary. The impudent varlets who play the
part OF popular attorneys have undertaken
to lay down the law for the guidance of the
Commission. Journals whose columns are
VIGOROUSLY for sale have arrogated the
right to put aside the constitutional machin-
cry, and decree the confiscation of railroad
property by the million. The question
whether railroads should be allowed to
earn this or that percentage has been
discussed with Arctic GOODNESS by Bohem-
ians for whom the word property" has
but shadowy meaning. These persons
have voted away the possessions of their
fellows with great JUNCTION, and at the
same time they have done their best to
cultivate in the popular mind belief that
the ownership of property is somehow
wrong to the community, and that who.
ever has wealth is fair game for the
spoiler.
Thus the original purposes of the Rail-
road Commission has been frustrated, and
the tribunal has been altogether dis.
credited. The same sinister agencies
which did this have further contrived to
render it certain that the scramble for
these Offices hereafter will be mere con-
test of demsgogism. Nothing more dis
graceful than the tricks employed by Foote
and Doyle, for instance, has ever been per.
petrated by Office, seekers. The former is
the most shameless and dishonest dema.
gogue, according to his own showing, who
has ever appeared on the political stage of
! California, The latter is self.convicted of
the most hopeless contradictions and incon.
sistencies, and has evidently repudiated
all his original beliefs because he wants an
Office. Now it is clear that when men are
willing thus to play the knave in order to
get office, they are sure to play the kuave
still more if they do get it. Demagogues
are always corrupt. Whoever will lie aud
cog to gain votes will also sell himself to
4 L /