Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-01-11
GOVERNOR sToHRmAs's MESSAGE.

/ Lney DO not entertain. he lutlmsLeS In
effect that he has Mission aud that this
Mission is to lug the railroad question into
politics at all hazards, and to keep it there.
He says that the question Of fares and
freights is the great living issue of the day.
This only shows that he does not under
stand the times in which he lives. He was
elected for DO other reason than because
the Republican Convention had undertaken
to make the railroad question the one dom.
inant issue. Had the people of California
really wanted reliable enemy" of the
railroads for Governor, there can be no
question that they would have chosen
Estee. The truth is that Governor Stone
man was elected because it was believed
that he was less of demagogue than his
opponent, and becanse-and he will
do well to bear this in mind-his
course as Railroad Commissioner in no way
justified the belief that he was anxious TO
make that question "tho great living
"issue" AS Railroad Commissioner
General Stoneman, however, had shown
himself too INDECENT to investigate the sub.
ject for himself, and when, for electioneer-
ing purposes, he had at one time proposed
reduction of rates, it was promptly
demonstrated that the rates ne proposed
would, if adopted, in many Instances in
crease rates instead of lowering them. We
are sorry to no.e the same carslessness. the
same disregard of facts, and even the same
desire to. obtain capital By seeming to do
things, II his message. His illusions to the
tax cases of the railroad are characterized
by fippant assertion which is deplorably
out of place in such paper. He miarep-
resents the matter, in fact, and for this he
certainly has No excuse.
1t is not true, as he represents, that
the railroad companies are trying to escape
the payment of their just taxes. In fact
the statement is grossly and iniuriously
untrue. The companies have invariably
testified their readiness and willingness to
pay all Just taxes. What they have sp-
pealed to the Courts for is protection
against the scandalously and aagrantly un-
just system of taxation by which the franz
ers of the new Constitution sought to es-
tablish broad discrimination against them.
The State undertook to rob the corpora
tions. That is the plain truth. And now
that they avail themselves of the rights
which are guaranteed to al citizens, they
are abused. We suppose that according to
| Governor Stoneman the railroads are bound
to submit to whatever impositions may be
put upon them. But unfortunately for
them they know from bitter experience
that the more they submit thu greater will
the impositions be. They are within their
legal rights in resisting the unequal as
sessment to which it is sought to subject
them, and it is by no means creditable to
Governor Stoneman that in referring to
these cases he should have imported the
loose, irresponsible, extravagant and mac
curats language of the stump into his first
state paper.
His remarks upon the late Railroad
Commission are, however, if possible, in
still worse taste. He was a member of
that Commission, and he was useless
member. Not because his colleagues were
always opposed to him, but because he
never once made a proposition looking to
the reduction of freights and fares which
was founded upon knowledge of the trans-
portation question, or which was practical
BILE in any way. That he does not now
understand the subject he is supposed to
have been studying for several years, is
fully proved by the language of this mes
sage. The report of the Railroad Com
mission which he so suicidally condemns
is accompanied by series of tabular state
ments showing that there has been a steady
and extensive reduction of freights and
fares proceeding since 1877, and that in
the interval it has amounted to upwards of
80 per cent. Now no intelligent person,
acquainted with these facts, could have
possibly used the language which Governor
SLOVENIAN has employed in his message,
because it is apparent from these facts that
the reduction of freights and fares is not q
"grest living ISSUE" demanding popular
and legislative action, but question which
can safely be trusted to regulate itself, and
which cannot be tinkered ignorantly
without producing infinitely more harm
than good.
We do not know what Governor Stone.
man means when he speaks SO pompously
of my policy" Since when, we may ask,
was the Executive required to have q
policy" Does he, perchance, imagine
that he is military ruler, and that he car
decree things as he would have them? Il
he does he will have to be taught that hs
is in error. He will have to learn that hi
can rightfully have no other "policy thar
to execute faithfully the laws of the State.
That he is neither judge nor legislator
And that if he attempts to override the
limits of his proper jurisdiction, he will b.
promptly checked, and compelled to re-
strict himself to the legitimate duties o
his Office. So far, also, his alleged "policy'
appears TO be nothing more than an echo
from the stump in the last political cam
paign. It is mere brutum .fulnaesl, which
would have been far better omitted, and il
assuredly does not tend to dissipate any
of the apprehensions which his own party
friends SO freely expressed during the can
vass, as to his singular lack of Judgment.
There is scarcely anything else worth
mentioning in the message. The Governor
recommends the repeal of the Sunday law,
perfectly needless Recommendation, a.
everyone knows. He speaks of the ap
portionment bill with an affec.ation Of i'm
partially which will obtain 20 approval
from Democratic Legislature. He venti
lates sone crude notions about prison
management, which he appears to compre
bend less of than even the railroad ques