Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-06-05
STICK TO THE TRUTH.


1t is now definitely ascertained by a
committee appointed for the purpose, that
$4,000 men of the Grand Army will take
part in the Encampmeht in this State next
August We may fairly assume that there
will be, in addition, not less than 10000
other visitors But if there are only 15,
900, outside the Grand Army, we shall
then have an aggregate of 10000 strangers
with us. If there is wise administration
of the affairs of entertainment, these will
constitute 10000 intelligent advertise
rnents for this State, and they will inform
not less than million of people directly,
and more indirectly, of what they saw and
heard here, and will, on reaching their
homes, express opinions If the country as
all returned travellers do. We hope for
much of good from all this, and it is a
hope with reason. But let us look at it
calmly, and we will realize that we take
good share of risk also. We know that no
man who comes here on purely pleasure
trip can form a proper estimate of the
State in ten days or a fortnight. These
birds of passage are likely, therefore, to
! do us some harm by the haste with which
| they will proceed. The harm we antici-
pate may not flow from adverse accounts
and enormously disparaging and hasty ex-
animation, but may result also from too
happy a view of things. Under the
warming influences of hospitality they
may see us so much at our hest as to create
anticipations that cannot be realized. 1t
is the right thing to do to put good foot
forward, but let us not hide any defects in
! the other foot. We shall in the end gain
great deal more of confidence, trust and
material profit by being honest in this
matter, though the disposition to excuse,
or, as some would say, "to falsify," will be
strong upon us. And this is said without
challenging any mans honesty, for with a
guest at our board it is natural to put
skeletons out Of sight, and human nature
deems it right to do so. California has
been in the past sadly injured by being in
considerably doomed" We believe in
booming" the State; California can
stand it; but there is Boon" material
/ enough in the truth, and we do not need
the stimulus of particle Of fiction. 1t
ought to be the aim of every adult person
to prevent exaggerated statements being
made to our visitors. Their stay is to be
brief, so brief that they will not have time
to take in the whole truth. They will be
crippled in judgment if there is much of
the SAVIOR of poetry in our recitals to them.
\ distinguished citizen of Sacramento,
who was United States official at the
East representing this State, insists that
when he was on the Atlantic side he in
variably confined himself to recitals about
California just 80 per cent. below what the
truth justifed-told only half the truth
and still he says he ranked there as "the
champion llar," and there is as much of
sober verify as wit in this story. What we
must do in August is to tell the exact
truth about our soil and its products, its
! capacities and its Drawbacks :" our eli
mate, its advantages and its ills; our COM
merce, its prospects and its hindrances
our society, its composition and its vices;
our system of government, taxation, edu-
cation, etc, and needed improvements in
them. The man worth informing will
thank us for our frankness, and even then
will be great deal more than astonished
at what he sees and hears. The truth is,
that here in California we fail to realize
what wonderland" it appears to the
man from the regions of snow and ice,
cyclones, tornadoes, crop-bllght, storm,
hard necessity and stubborn resistance of
nature to the effort to wiring sustenance
from her. Here, the stranger finds us liv-
ing with what appears to him is the
minimum of effort while we reap the
maximum of reward. He does not under
stand at first the difficulties that environ us,
because of distance from markets, and great
centers of population, etc. We can afford
to enlighten those needing it upon all
these topics and still the advantages we
have to present are so much superior to
those of any other section of our country,
that we will be justified in expecting from
the visitation of August large addition
to our population, and most material
enhancement of our working capital.