Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-09-29
THE DULiEEss OF THE POLITICAL
CAMPAIGN.

JOIN CluUs. IHey tuIh ous W sOue SAtcut
to hear the candidates, but they are OBJ
viously not impressed by what they hear,
and they 60 away yawning. In the cities
this apathy is specially marked. There is
no formation of clubs. There are NO
"young mems" organizations. There is no
general discussion of issues. The press
also feels the effect of the prevailing indif-
ference. 1t finds neither pleasure nor
profit in discussing the alleged issues to be
found in the platforms. Occasionally local
personal contests impart little life to the
campaign here and there, but it is the yer.
dict of the politicians everywhere that it ia
dragging dreadfully, and that it becomes
more dead and heavy as it goes on. Now
it is very certain that this is new oondi.
ton of affairs in California. As rule our
State campaigns are very lively and full Of
enthusiasm, and when once the ball has
been started they continue to gather mo-
mentum until the eve of election. The
last State campaign was of this kind. Both
parties were aggressive, active, Astounding
in interest and enthusiasm. It was an ex-
citing and well sustained struggle from be-
ginning to end. No quarter was asked or
given. The people were deeply moved
everywhere. Clubs were formed in every
voting precinct and township. The meet.
ings were marked by enthusiasm. But
to-day change has come over the scene
Every step of the campaign involves a
painful effort. There is no spontaneity
about the movements of the politicians.
The people look on with their hands in
their pockets, and as unconcernedly as
though the election was to be held in some
other State. What is the explanation OF
this general lack of interest and enthusiasm ?
The explanation is that both parties have
gone before the people upon false issues,
and that the people understand this.
The Republican Convention threw away
the opportunity of making winning cam
paign when it servilely copied the Demo.
cratic platform, and branded itself with
the brand of demagogism. The RECORD
UNION predicted all that has happened
thus far, before the Convention met. We
pointed out the inevitable results of copy
ing the Democratic platform, and we
showed how all this mischief could be
avoided. Il was assumed By the politi-
cians on both sides that the one thing
needful was strong anti-railroad platform.
They have both got this, and now they are
finding out that their estimate OF public
sentiment was altogether fallacious. For
it is perfectly clear that if they had been
right the public would have accepted their
work with the most uuexampled en-.
thusiasm yet what are the facts Has
the Republican platform, which aimed at
going farther than the Democratic one,
been received with much effusion? Are
there any indications that the people re-
gard the men who occupy that platform as
their deliverers? Is there any evidence TO
show that any popular confidence exists in
the loud professions which are being made ?
There is nothing o; the kind to be seen
anywhere. On The contrary, The literal
truth is that the Democrats were diggusted
with the work of the San J ose Convention,
and that the Republicans were diagustsd
with the work of the Sacramento Conven-
ton. This is the measure of the sagacity
and foresight evinced by the politicians
who controlled party action on both sides.
General apathy is the outcome OF the
mastery policy Of these people. They
thought that they were proceeding with
superlative cunning, and that they had
hidden their real motives and purposes
from the voters. Nothing of the sort was
the fact, however. All the denagogism
and 5aseness and vulgar sslf-seekiDg which
characterized their course was perceived by
the public they hoped to dupe and hood
wink. The truth is that this thing has
been done too often before. No doubt the
voters are very credulous, but no matter
y
be, he cannot supply taem with wooden
hams and nutmegs more than few times,
and when they DO discover the frauds
practicsd upon them that grocer'5 oppor.
tunities for deception are gone. just so in
the present situation. The demagogues
have played the same trick so often that it
will no ioageT take In anybody. Their in
sincerity and dishonesty are at last fully
recognized. And tie consequence Is that
the people do nos take any interest in
them, and they fiId it impossible to excite
any enthusiasm in their campaign. 1t is
further evident that the politicians did not
interpret the popular sentiment correctly ;
that there really was no general hostility
to the railroads; that the public did not
desire a malignant crusade to be waged
against the corporations and that neither
was it prepared to accord it's confidence to
the party which howled the loudest in the
anti.railroad key.
All this the politicians are now finding
out for themselves, and as a consequence
they have very uphill work. Il is notori-
ously difficult to keep on laundering anath-
emas at the railroad before audiences
which plainly do rct believe what the
speakers are saying, and who are destitute
of confidence in them or their programme.
Yet viewed from philosophical stand.
point the Indifference which doubtless
pains ard distressss the politicians greatly,
is real evidence Of popular advancement
and growth in intelligence. Indeed we
know of nothing so well calculated to eu-
force reform in politics as the adminis.ra-
tion by the people Of sharp rehuke to the
demagoguea. That is form Of punishment
which demagogues cannot but feel for they
are wholly dependent upon the breath Of
popular favor, and if they lose that they
are ruined. And this year they have evi.
IDENTIFY encountered popular skepticism
which threatens TO be fatal to them. The
patience and receptivity of the masses are
proverbial, but even their elastic creduiity
may be overstrained, and it has been this
time. For once they indicate TO the crafty
rogues who have so often fooled them, that
they have their eyes open. And ths
asEopIsbad and bayriIdsrad r,oJ;Iso;,,, -,