Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-09-20

the same degree inefficacious. Some alb.
surd attempts have been made by servile
party organs to make it appear that the
phrase s. similar laws" does not mean the
same kind of laws, but better ones. 1t is,
perhaps, unnecessary argue that point with
any one who possesses competent knowl.
edge OF the English language, but the Re.
publican Convention fortunately supplied
all the necessary evidence for demonstrat.
ing the exact nature of its position on this
issue. A Los Angeles delegate, who
perceived that the resolution reported by
the committee was of no force OF signif.
canoe, offered an amendment to the effect
that the Republican party pledged itself to
the enactment of an effective Sunday law.
This proposition ,cas rejected, and after that
he must indeed be easily satisfied who be.
lieves that the plank as it stands was in
tended to mean anything.
But there are still other methods by
which the sincerity and earnestness of the
Convention may be gagged. In reading
The platform it will be observed that there
are several degrees of emphasis employed
IN presenting the various issues and propc-
sitions embraced by it. When the platform
comes to the anti.railroad question it "de.
"clares," and affirms," and "pledges
the party to this, that and the other thing.
1t says, "We hereby pledge our nominees
"for Railroad Commissioners to the en-.
forcement Of these principles" That is
plain and strong. 1t cannot be mistaken.
Again it says "we demand of Congress
such and such legislation. Again, it says,
"the Republican party is unalterably op-
posed to Cninese immigration" There is
here nothing doubtful or equivocal. But
now examine the fifth resolution, and see
how timid, and double-faced and nervous
1t Is. "We are in tIuor of (oRly I" in favor
"ot y observing Sunday as a day of rest
land recreation !" trest and recreation are
words which do not even suggest family
the purposes to which the Christian AdUo.
cate thinks Sunday should be devoted) !;
land while we expressly disavow the right
" or the wish to force any class of our citi.
"zens to spend that day in any particular
manner, we do favor the maintenance of
" the present Sunday laws, or similar laws,
providing for the suspension of all I'm.
necessary business on that day." Is that
satisfactory plank to those who believe in
the Christian Sabbath, or to the friends of
temperance Ii it is, we fail to see what
they have been agitating about ali this
time.
Observe that the Republican Conven-
ton deemed it necessary TO placate the
liquor interest by assuring it that the
party was as far as possible from wishing
or claiming the right to interfere with it.
1t expressly disavows any purpose of
this kind; and having thus given due no.
tice to all whom it may concern that it
intends to fire nothing but blank cartridges,
it proceeds to evolve its meaningless and
hypocritical declaration. 1t pledges the
party to absolutely nothing 1t does not
declare, "We therefore demand that all
Legislative candidates be pledged to sup.
port effective Sunday legislation It
does not say, "The Republican party will
support effective Sunday legislation. {"
All it does say is that, providing the liquor
interest will permit it will be in favor of
keeping the present useless and nullifad
Sunday laws on the statut,, book, or of
enacting in their place similarly useless
and Ineffective laws. II the clients of the
! Christian Adcocate are cent,nt with tb;s
plank they must be entirely satisfied with
ehhee existing situation, and it must remain
perfect mystery why they should have
appealed to the Convention to, do anything
at all in the premises. For il. is perfectly
clear that the Republican platform does
not pledge the party to make any changes
whatever in the law, while on the other
hand it may be fairly deduaed from its
expressions that it renounces all claim to
any right of further legislation on the Sun.
| uay luSStiohs
The ChriStiun Aduocdte, however, holds
very curious positions. 1t is not content
with accepting the abortive plank referred
| to, but it denounces all who may venture
to repudiate the plank, 1t says: "Men
who pretend to be temperance men, and
now threaten to bolt the Republican
party and defeat it, are simply tools and
"agents of the League of Freedom
Tha. is very strong language. We may
even characterize it as censorious and I'm.
charitable. It is also unjust seeing that
nothing can be more natural and consist.
emit than for the temperance men who re-
| gard that as the dominant question, to re-
fuse to support party which has in the
plainest manner betrayed them. Indeed
tie Christian Adrocdte itself stands in need
of defense and justification thousand.
fold more than do the disaffected temper.
ance men. If they bolt the party they are
certainly justified. But we cannot admit
that our contemporary is justified, from its
pos' ~ sePpoitihS tue party. vi
course if the Advocate was secular par.
tisan journal it would have a perfect right
to say that it cared more for the success of
the party as whole than for any special
interest. We had supposed, however, that
the Christian Advocate was published in
the interest of religion, temperance, and
the higher life generally, and if this be SO
we cannot understand upon what princi.
pies it accepts platform which most un-
questionably refuses to the temperance and
Christian elements the legislation they
have been seeking. We are, in truth, dis.
posed to think that the Christian Aduocate
has in this matter mistaken the tendency
of the public opinion it is supposed to rep
resent. II it has not we shall be COM
PEELED to conclude that after all the clamor
of controversy over the Sunday question
there really exists no appreciable desire
among the church-going and temperance
elements for any reform in the existing
| statutes.
SIGN OF THE TIMES.