Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-11-07
THE REAL ISSUE is HONEST POLITICS

THE REAL ISSUE Is HONEST POLITICS.
What the people of California are to de-
termine at the polls to-day is whether or
not State politics are to be honest. The
campaign Just closed has been the most
shamelessly dishonest one on record, and
the Republican managers are responsible
for its degradation. Thsy chose to ignore
the one honorable course which was open
to them. The Democrats had committed
themselves to sham issues. The Republi.
cans were urged to take manly and can
did position. But the demagogues were in
the ascendant, and so they proceeded to
| copy the Democratic humbug, aud to go
farther in the same direction. They ex.
hibited most incredible cowardice and
insincerity in the formation of their plat
form. They put at the head of their
ticket time.serving, coat-turning rene.
gade and political adventurer, who had
been all things to all men, and whose last
conspicuous political action had been the
reputation of the party which now made
him its leader. By SO doing the Republi-
can managers insulted every faithful mem.
Der OF the party, and made the campaign
! one Of fraud and falsehood. Estee has
done nothing from first to last but dis.
seminate gross Interpretations concerning
the railroads of the State. He has allied
himself with those sinister elements which
have been the curse of the State during the
past ten'years. He represents the malignant
fanatics who during all that period have
been doing their best to retard the progress
of the State. He is not Republican, to
beginiwith, and he is not an honest man,
tosconclude with.
The election of such On impostor, upon
so fraudulent a platform, would be dis.
aster. 1t would put a premium upon
demagogism, and would hand the Govern.
ment of the State over to the worst set OF
political knaves who ever plundered a
public treasury under the pretense Of
patriotism. California has had enough and
to spare of the kind of politics represented
by Morris M. Estee. She has had enough
of kearneyism and Communism, and of
assaults upon her material interests, and Of
intestine warfare, and of class enmities.
She knows how all these sinister apen.
cies have injured her. She knows
that they have driven capital out of the
State, prevented settlement and immigra.
ton, encouraged dishonesty in politics, put
bad men in Office, filled her Legislature
with venal rascals, and degraded the Gov.
eminent generally. Between Kearneyism
and Esteeism there is no material differ.
ence. They both signify rampant impost.
ure and unprincipled greed and rapacity.
Estee is not friend of the people. He is
the friend only of himself. He has no con.
victions, no principles, which he is not
willing to bargain away. Every vote for
such man is therefore vote in favor Of
dishonest politics and bad government.
If those who have hitherto upheld the
Republican party cannot today give il
their votes, the Republican leaders are re.
sponsible for the fact If Republican votes
are cast for the Democratic ticket, it will
be the fault of the same Republican lead.
ers. They had an opportunity to carry the
State by larger majority than ever, bu,
they deliberately threw it way and took
the basest course that was open to them
They have forced upon the people the ne
cessity of repudiating their work, and Of
making it clearly understood that hence
forth demagogism and false issues cannot
be made to win in this State And this is
the most important demand of the hour.
1t is OF course to be regretted that the
Democrats had not put up better ticket
but under the circumstances there remains
one other alternatiYe.. Those who believe
that Estee = ,lnnd, yet do no,
care to vote fcS cast thei,
ballots for Mcdonald, in the full conscious
ness that at least they are voting for ar
honest man on an honest platform.
The thing to be done however is to re.
Duke demagogism as emphatically as posi-
BILE, and that can only be done by beating
Estee as badly as possible. Self-respectine
men owe it to themselves to contribute ts
this result by all the means in their power.
We trust that when the polls close this
brazen impostor will have met his Water.
loo, aud that he will have received con.
demnation which will silence him for the
rest of his life. California has too long
been the favorite hunting grounds of the
class of political fiee.lances and advent.
urers of whom he is specimen. She has
too long allowed these cantiug hypocrites
to fool her with their shameless subter.
fuges. If she hopes to have honest govern.
mept hereafter she must once for all put
her foot down upon all this vile brood, and
there can be no better time than the pres.