Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-03-14
THE REAL ISSUES.
Some Thoughts About To-day's Election
and It's Possible Results

and Its Possible Results
4 city election occurs to-day. A fair and
candid consideration Of the real issues that
uuderlie the contest should engage attention.
It is square and undisguised struggle for
ascen5ancy between the Republican and
Democratic parties, as they are represented
in this city. All disaffection in the ranks,
therefore, should disappear when political
enemies are face to face on the battlefield.
| The political significance of to-day's cleo.
ton is far greater than casual glance will
disclose. The head Of the Board of City
Trustees is Democrat. Associated with
him officially are two Republicans. One of
these is retired by to-day's vote. To-day's
| election, therefore. will determine whether
the majority of the Board shall become Dem
ocratic or remain r publican. If Mr.. Gutten-
berger is elected, he and the Mayor will con-
stitute Democratic majority. While Mayor
Brown is as fair.minded a man as could be
selected from his party, yet if the Board be-
comes Democratic he will occupy new reia.
ton, and there will be brought to bear upon
| him pressure from his own party that few
men could resist. Whatever party patron
age can do, therefore, for the advancement of
the ends of the party will, it is perfectly fair
to assume, be done by the majority for its
| own party.
The State is approaching elections of vital
| Importance to it, when State and county Off
GERS will be chosen, as well as representatives
of the people in the Congress of the nation.
| In Sacramento and to-day, the first engage
ment of the impending battle is TO take place; ;
and it is a part of it. as mu III so as any other
part of it can be, as it is to test the question
whether the Republican party will retain
control of the municipal government, or, in
this first brush of the political battle, yield it
| to its enemy.
The Democrats have already one Trustee,
who is at the head of the city government.
| He belongs to well known, skillful and
| influential political family. tits well known,
| too. and it is therefore legitimate to refer to
| it here, that W. B. G. Brown. the brother of
the Mayor, is prominent Democratic can
didate for Governor. Under such circum-
stances partisan action on the part of
the Mayor it is not fair to expect. With
Democratic Chief OF Police and Democratic
Board of Trustees, and Democratic Police
Judge, it is certain that whatever advantage
resides ir that situation is to bs ayaled Of to
further their party ascendancy. But Mayor
Brown, as minority member Of the Board
of Trustees, is q very different person from
Mayor Brown of the majority, because of the
new relation, and the pressure that will be
brought to bear on him in the first instance
To the candid and thoughtful voter to-day
| it will occur that the Police Department Of
Sacramento is now controlled by Board OF
| Police Commissioners, consisting OF the
Mayor, Chief of Police and the Police Judge.
| The Mayor and Police Judge are now Demo
| Gratis The election of Democratic Chief of
| Police places the police department wholly
under Democratic control, and carries with
it all that is thereby implie3-its influence
and patronage for the furtherance of the
party ambition. and thus touches directly and
| Immediately the State and Congressional
elections now approaching.
| Whatever of policy the people may find
fault with in the conduct of the police de-
partment toward any special vice, as gam
| bling, houses of prostitution ETC., it should
| be remembered that the department ia under
| the legislative and administrative control of
the Commissioners, who direct the same, and
not the Chief of Police. Whenever the moral
sentiment of the community demands that
the power of that department shall be di-
rected against any special evil, il is certain
| that the executive head Of the department,
who to-day bids for re election, will be found
as efficient and prompt an officer as any Dem
ocrat who can be named.
AS to the irritation within the lines of the
| Republican party, consequent upon the late
abnormal situation in one voting precinct at a
primary, it is well to remember that Mess:s.
karcher, Anderson, Giifftts and Jackson r. :.
| ceived the majority support of their party
independent of the vote OF the First Ward,
| ara the only change that the vote of that
ward could mako in the resuls, was as to the
nominee for Third Trustee. So the great
! body of the Republican party expressed its
preference for the ticket az now made. 1t is
| apparent, then, that as to the great body of
the ticket, no reasonable dissatisfaction can
| exist. So far as the Republican nominees for
Chief of Police and City Attorney are con-
| earned, they are experienced and tried men.
The public know what they will do. As to
the other gentlemen on the ticket, they are
well known business men of established repu
tation, and the public has right TO expect
that they can and will discharge the duties Of
the offices to which they aspire with fidelity
and to the greatest advantage 10 the city.
ELocal municipal issues generally relate to
the levee system and the treatment of the
public revenue. On these to- day there exists
no special issue for settlement justifyirg par
tisans in abandoning their party. There are,
in fact, no local municipal issues underlying
| to-day's election-it il simple strue gle for
political advantage, for on all other questions
all the candidates would pledge, and have
pledged themselves to the sane enei a! line
of policy-in fact are unit in opinion on
those matters.
On the whole, then, there is no good reason
why all the Republican candidates should not
receive the support of all the adherents of the
party, and all who desire TO see its ascend
ancy in State and national politics main