Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-04-26
A CASE OF MENTAL ABEREATIoE.

When our San Francisco contemporary,
the Bulletin, entitled recent leader ''The
Future of Politics in This State there
was reason TO expect comprehensive and
able consideration of subject of much
breadth, and pregnant with suggestion as
TO the policy to be pursued in the conduct
of the Government There is, there.
fore, a sense of keen disappointment at the
discovery that all the Bulletin can find in
the future politics of the State is the
doubt as to whether the State Senators
from the odd.numbered districts can hold
over, and whether we may not be afflicted
with two Legislatures next time, to use
the Bulletins inelegant expression. But
the very-much involved consideration of
that question might be passed over if the
Bulletin had not coupled with it the veriest
bit of solemn nonsense of which journal
istic history bears any record. Surely
prentice hand must have stolen into place
and have succeeded in getting its "copy"
to print. 1t is very difficult to conceive
that the Bulletin would seriously put its
editorial sanction TO such remarkable dis
play of misconception of our laws. Yet it
deliberately declares that because 1--WE
may have two Legislatures next
time" we may also have "two sets of
Electors" and thus, in case of a close
Presidential contest, the whole nation be
thrown into confusion, and all this be-
cause of suspected Irregularities in the
passage of the superintendent bill" and
the doubt raised by the bill being made
non.effective until 1886. What earthly re-
lation the legislative apportionment bill
has to the choice of Presidential Electors
we fail to comprehend. The Electors are
chosen by the people, and the number
must correspond to the number of our
Senators and Representatives, and the
Electors chosen swill meet and discharge
their duty prior to the assembling of the
Legislature in short, as every schoolboy
knows, the choosing of Presidential Eject.
ors has nothing whatever to do with any
legislative superintendent. Irregularities
in the passage of the Congressional appor-
tionment bill are not suggested. But the
Bulletin informs us that "there is not
much cause for alarm" Certainly not
The legitimacy of the State Government
cannot in the least be affected by anything
that may happen in the future" For
this promise of peace on that head
the people should be thankful "The
Secretary of State will not canvass the
votes, and the Governor will not sign the
certificates of any Electors but those whom
they consider have been regularly elected y
Probably not, although what that has to
do with the matter is the puzzle. " If the
Republicans should vote for Electors on a
different programme from that of the party
In power, they might simply be throwing
away their chances in advance all which
is darkness and obscurity. What is or will
be the programme of the party in power?
We venture to suggest that Republicans
will 90 to the polls and vote for their nomi.
nees for Electors, as provided by the Con-
stitution of the United States and the
laws, with supreme disregard of what their
Democratic neighbours programme may be.
To thus confront the Democratic pro.
gramme, continues the Bulletin, would
certainly appear to be very foolish bust
ness with the Democracy in possession of
the sword and purse. It would be
tough Job to make Roadway against them
merely with a fragmentary Legislature -
and this leads us to the inevitable conclu.
sion that our respected contemporary has
all this time bsen laboring under the mis-
take that the Legislature appoints the
Electors It adds "It is a further fact to
be considered in this connection, that the
next House of Representatives will be
largely Democratic. Il will have the
counting of the votes in the next Presi-
Dental election. 1t viii not be likely to
admit doubtful Republican votes from
California. The votes of States by Elect
ors. the Bulletin forgets, are counted in the
,rs,ence of the United States Senate and