Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-07-26

transportation Dusihess HUH 1Oih AO"iSA,
or some equally enlightened individual, but
it is a perfectly safe assertion that the can
didates who declare themselves willing to
promise what these people demand OF
them will never, even if elected, mako
a serious endeavor to fulfill their pledges.
In fact no sensible and experienced man
would require any more conclusive proof
of the unreliability of candidate than the
fact that he had been willing to indorse
these propositions.
The first pledge is " Immediately upon
taking Office to reduce the present sched-
"ule OF fares and freights over the Central
land Southern Pacific Railroads at least
twenty per cent. below that in force
january l. 1882; and thereafter to make
| "such other and further reductions as
careful investigation shall show to be
'just to the people and not unjust to the
railroads." This shows the spirit of the
whole thing. The candidates promise in
the first place con6scation, not reduc-
of the railroads and having made this
confiscation without any inquiry, investiga-
ton is to begin, and Justice is for the
frs. time to be thought of. 1t is curious
circumstance that men who no doubt
think themselves honest, should, under the
influence OF passion and prejudice, thus
/ 1,y ,1,,kS ha,r bondo IN a nronnnlfI0n N.
volving the most barefaced and naked rob.
berry, and still more curious that they
should think it possible to find self.respect-
ing candidates to accept such pledges. The
fact that w. W. Foote has cheerfully SUBJ
scribed to this and al the other impossible
demands of the Tulare League, sufficiently
confirms all that we have said heretofore
concerning that brassy demagogue. The
Tulare League, however, are very evidently
in fair way to fall into the pit they have
digged for their neighbors.
The second pledge is, "To at once abol-
ish all rules and regulations upon any
land all roads by which any persons or
"places shall, under any circumstances, have
"any advantage over any other person or
place, similarly situated, either in rate or
expedition OF shipment, price or any other
"manner whatever" If the Labor League
| had examined the State Constitution they
would have discovered that the substance
OF this pledge is there already, and we do
not suppose that they expect to do more
by pledge to candidate than the organic
law can compass. The fact is that there
are no such rules and regulations as they
speak of, and that the only advantage
places have over one another in respect Of
transportation, is that which is due to
superiority OF natural location matter
over which neither the railroads nor the
State have any control.
The third proposition is; To at once
"provide that each and every point on
leach and every road shall be a shipping
"point that, as such, each and every
"person shall have the full right to use it,
"and that in approaching any given point
son the road, each place shall have re-
"duction from the through rate to the ex-
"tent of the rate between the two given
"points on the line." This is preposterous
nonsense. If it means anything, it means
that all way rates shall be the same as
through rates; a principle which, if ap-
piled, would either compel the general rails
ing of through rates, or oblige the roads to
discontinue way business. The League
might Just as well have resolved that
every point on every road shall be consid-
cred to possess the benefit OF water compe.
tition or that every point on every road
shall be considered to be on level ground.
1t is unfortunately but too evident that it
is impossible to consider that every person
in Tulare county possesses the rudiments
of common sense, however.
The fourth pledge is to abolish all re.
bates, reductions, special rates, special
contracts, and any and all special arrange.
ments, and to render void all contracts.
The Railroad Commissioners would have
rather difficult time in fulfilling this un.
dertaking. 1t would probably consume
good deal more than one term. But of
course W. w. Foote was perfectly willing
to agree to this or any other absurdity, for
the sake of securing the Mussel Slough
vote. The fifth and sixth pledges are Of
piece with the preceding ones, but it is not
worth while to cumber our columns with
any more of this kind of stuff. The whole
series of propositions has been evolved ont
of spirit OF communism which would if
it could confscate the whole of the rail-
road property, and this spirit is 50 palpable
that the very extremity of the demands
defeats itself. 1t is not by such means
that good is ever effected. The demand
for a sweeping reduction of twenty per
cent, without investigation or inquiry, is
SO outrageously unreasonable that every
fair-minded man must be revolted by it,
and every fair.minded man must at the
same time feel that candidate who will
promise to carry out such a demand is
dishonest.
The pledges of the Tulare Anti Monopoly
League will undoubtedly encounter the fate
of all such experiments. The Tulare voters
will cast their ballots for the candidates
who accept these propositions, and that
will be the last of the whole matter.
| Whether these candidates are or are not
elected, the result will be the same. We
put this assertion deliberately on record
now, to the end that we may, if the occa-
sion arises, recur to it hereafter. We tell
these foolish people that they are only pre-.
pairing defeat and disappointment for them
selves by pursuing system of politics
which makes it impossible for honest men
to be their candies tes. They will of course
disbelieve this for the present, but when
the election is over we may have an oppor-
tunity of refreshing their memories, and
perhaps they will then be open to convic.
ton. AS it is they will, according to their
kind, go on imagining that they have made
the future certain, until they are forced to
realize that it is impossible, by pledges, to
make silk purse out of sow's ear.
A DEMAGoaUE DEFEATED.