Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-03-22
mile on passenger traffic. Throughout his
official career General Stonemar had &C.
ouired the maximum of

official career General SLOVENIAN nau &C.
ouired the maximum of
ANTI MONOPOLY REPUTATION
Ueon minimum of snti-monopoly action,
and in this he has exhibited the only kind
of ability for which he has been distin.
tinguished or will be remembered among
men-abilitv in the line of low cunning,
the capacity to maintain the plausible
seemings of something he is not, and thus
achieved success through the arts of dema-
gogism and the tricky evasions Of the
issues he pretended to espouse. II the
evidence of this characterization is chal-
leuged, it will be found in the fact that he
served two full terms as Railroad Commits
sioner of California without advancing a
single proposition which has thrown light
upon the great problems arising out of the
questions of trans portstion that no act of
his corresponds with the professions he has
made. but on the contrary. in the face of
the resolution before the Board of which
he was last member TO reduce the legal
maximum from 10 to cents, he resigned
with the generalization and intention
of defeating that action, and thus delaying
the relief the people who have supported
him clamored for, and which he was
elected distinctly pledged to afford. This
statement is supported by evidences which
will not be sought, but if they are sought
will not be found to be wanting in any par
ticular. The kitchen cabinet Of our NOM
inal Governor were cruelty Indifferent to
his consistency when they procured his
signature to proclamation calling for the
reduction of rates of transportation by con-
stitutional amendments as of such urgency
as to create an extraordinary occasion for
converting the Legs l4ture ia extra session,
when the name signed to that proclamation
is that of a man who, even two years ago,
declined and refused to hold the office of
Commissioner three days longer because
his retention of the Office would oblige him
to vots for or against reduction OF the
maximums, and thus expose all
THE HoLLowNEsS OF THE PRETENsES
To which his elevation has been wholly
due. Cunning never imposed more un-
gracious task upon simplicity, and herein
General Stoneman's advisers have reason
to be ashamed. But with the real objects,
purposes and plans of the extra session,
General Stoneman has nothing whatever
to do they lie deeper than his capacity
for contriving. The superficial pretext
was the enforcement of the collection of
State revenues derived from the taxation
of railroad lines. As originally designed
by the real Governors of the State, the call
was to embrace four features Frat, the
collection of State aud county revenues de-
rived from the taxation of railroads; Sec
ond, an amendment to the Constitution
fixing constitutional limits upon the maxi
mum charges of freights and fares; third,
declaring vacant the offices of the present
Railroad Commissioners and, fourth, to
inquire into the conduct of State officers
The payment by the railroad company of
the full sum of taxes, and the consent
given by the attorneys of the company to
have the remaining matters in controversy
appealed to the highest tribunals, elm.
mated all features OF xisency under that
head. 1t was apparent even to General
Stoneman that legislation could not relate
back to the matters now in controversy
before the Courts, and that the taxes for
1884 become lien upon property after the
first Monday in March that legislation
touching railroad taxation could relate
only to the assessment and collection OF
taxes which attached and became lien on
the first Monday in March, 1885; and
since regular session of the Legislature
interveues between this date aud that, no
extraordinary occasion growing out of the
railroad taxation could, by
ANY POSSIBLE DISTORTION
Be made to appear. But the real object
of the call must be achieved in some man.
ner. That object, plainly and simply
the offices OF three Railroad Commission
- 81 uIa ~
cratic Governor the power to appoint
three successors. This power so lodged
was, in the designs of the political cabal,
to be so used as to control the action of
the railroads in the State and Presidential
campaign just opening. The special SEES
sion is in no sense a public measure. 1t
is simply high-handed political partisan
measure, designed first to elect Demo.
cratic majority in the Assembly in the
interest of Mr.. Hearst for United States
( Senator and secure the election of the
Democratic electoral ticket in the Presi-
Dental campaign. The Constitution does
not require the vacation of the office of
Railroad Commissioner by processes OF i'm
parchment. 1t declares plainly ARTICLE
| w., Section Isl "the Governor, Lieuten.
ant Governor, Secretary of State, Con-
troller, Treasurer Attorney General, Chief
ustice and Associate Justices of the Su.
preme Court and judges of the Superior
Courts shall be liable to impeachment for
any misdemesnor in Office" In the article
creating and defining the duties Of Rail.
road Commissioners it says The Leg
islature shall have power, by two-thirds
vote of all the members elected to each
| House, to remove anyone or more OF said
! Commissioners from Office for dereliction
| of duty, or corruption, or incompetency ;
and whenever, from any cause, a vacancy
! in Office shall occur in said Commission,
the Governor
SHALL FILL THE SAME
By the appointment of qualified person
thereto, who shall hold Office for the resi-.
| due of the unexplred term, and until mis-
successor shall have been elected and quail
| fled" In the first instance the proceeding
is judicial in the second instance it is
purely a legislative Act. For the mpeach.
| able officers the Senate becomes Court.
The Assembly formula tes articles of i'm.
parchment and trial is had before the
Senate sitting as Court of Impeachment.
As relates to the Railroad Commissioners,
the removal may be accomplished By Joint
| UT COuCuETeut IeoOluSlOll, auu even DeloTe
any judicial determination as to whether
the corruption, the incompetency, or the
neglect of duty has existed or does exist.
The originstors of this political design
depend upon political reasons for it's sue
cess. They will appeal to the Democratic
majority in both houses by showing the
partisan value in State and national poll
tics of placing in the hands of the Governor
the appointment of three r ,ilroad Com.
missioners. Such power in such hands
will have the exact quality and the coer-
Give effect upon the great transportation
inter' SITS of the country that attaches to
shotgun in the hands of the highwayman.
It is then the shotgun policy of Mississippi
in new form, but with the same object
and aim-the restoration of Bourb onism in
America 10 writing this we have prom
issd to be judicially fair, even ideally just
to General Stoneman, and, in pursuance of
that determination, we declare our belief
that with the conception or execution of
this scheme he has nothing whatever to do.
/ =. al Ill II,