The Labor enquirer., 1885-12-26
.J.nn Paul co.gr.,e.

For the Enquirer
IN your is ue of Nov. rs appears an article
over the 81 mature of tZeno" and headed
aAt the NJ ,etin,' ~ in The course OF which
the writer t kes issue with ne on the sub
iect Of the ballot. would not reply TO
"Zeno'so e od-narured criticism were 1t not
for the fact that he attempts to make your
readers bell ,ye that said something that
did not mesn, or that meant sometning
that did n it say. BE says: when ma
iority dema ads It (the governmental owner
chip and &C atrolof railroads and tine teie-
graph) by ae ballot and are refused, then is s
the time tosondemn the ballot, and the fault
even then may lie with the executive ap-
pointed by he majority" would state, IN
the first pit se, for 'sZeno's" information that
under the rsesent political system the ma
iority does ,aot rule at the ballot box, either
in respect the election ofpersons who may
be the choice Of the majority, or in respect to
the making of laws demanded by the major
ity in a pea cable manner. California, IKE
every othCt state in the union, is divided
into congre sicnal districts, and their bound
aries are et anty geographical lines. Inc
district in Which Stockton is situated EN-
braces aboLt thirteen counties which are rep
resented congress by one congressman.
Charles A. Summer was our best candidate
for congres ], and although this is a radical
anti-monop }ly district he was beaten at the
ballot box by decided majority through the
united Unfit ence of .ths railroad and the tele-
.rraph moneplies. New, if the anti-monop-
olists Of Sd i Francisco and OF other counties
not In this district had been allowed by law
to vote fe7 Sumner he would have been
elected by {overwhel lining odds against any
competitor that could have been brought
forth.
The labo ing and middle classes of Cali
fornia are rgely and intensely anti-monop-
DIV and ant Chinese in feeling, yet the Cali
fornia legi Nature at its last session elected
: I,a,and Sta ford (the PRESIDENT and control
5inv snirit O, the Central Pacific Railroad COM
panyl to II present these anti-monopolists in
the senate Of the United States. Would
stanforf, h We been elected IL the people had
been allow ed to vote directly for their own
senator, irr lead of through the medium of
gilded aad I,ack-paTalyzea raseaise l't'
A thing lamed Beerstecher, who was a
,ron,inentE member of the anti-C Chinese, anti
r.,lroad wtrkingmens' party and q pretended
socialist al well, was elected as one of three
sa,,rcad 6. Inmissioners. He betrayed his
trust and q slivered the people over 70 'lie
railroads
Several ears ago, pY tne grace OIL uoo anu
:, ! consti ntional amendment. the people of
, Gs,;sornia were allowed to express their
..,asv. thra lgh the ballot upon the issue:
'.ror @ chin Sc immigration against Chi
- rmmi ration Out Of the whole vote
~. - az stati of California only fraction over
., co ~ votas are cast in favor of the Chinese.
- -. since 4he passage of the so-called Res
..s"4.o,, al 1900 Cinnamon have landed at
!. . s.,o-4 a San Francisco, and 1000 of these
s-s 80 G. 80 hficates, but were smuggled in
.sronrh az. = Ii : loopheles of the courts.
.,,,t ia that the ballot Is a sham, a
.nV .nd forgery Of s.the will of the peo-
a,. = p. member that speak of the ballot
Pc. .ha. .,resent system, The people can
..e.nda unu. @ nothing through it. As I said in
.e.. g u.sscf the power Of the ballot is simply
my 49, to mt 4 thief into the place for
tho PoMg sSaG by q Earroter. It Is simply
meEly oecl paea -