Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-06-11
A TERRIBLE INDICTMENT.

The time was when it was left to the in
dependent press to denounce political
ward bossism. 1t has come to pass, how
ever, that men Of independence within
party have had the courage to do the
saRae Here we have Colonel Stuart NJ
Taylor, a Federal officeholder in San Fran
cisco, a prominent Democrat, and a man of
known probity and tried integrity, stand
ing up in a Democratic meeting in San
Francisco, Wednesday night, and scoring
bossism as never a journal in the land has
dared to do. Taylor, who is a power in
his party, singled out Buckley, pronii-
nent boss in the Democracy, and said:
In the interest of his fellow citizens, taxpayers
and non-taXpayers, he stood up there fear
lessly and in the interest of common right
common Justice and common decency to expose
the vlllainous system which polluted the politi-
cal system. He stood there to denounce the
contemplate creature and his contemplate
gang who are trading on the corruption of po-
litieal office. When a pirate attacked a ship it
was the duty of every other ship cruising with
il to aid ana assist until the piraical marauderS
were hustled into the deep. He was there not
TO deliver an Grafton or indulge i'll rhetoric or
figures of speech he was there simply TO give
them some facts and figures. He would read TO
them atiiduvitS made by honest men in the in
terest of honesty and trnth which would dis
close state of things in their midst which
would make each individual hair on their heads
stand on end. He would startle the public with
some facts and figures which would, he be-
lieyed, be telegraphed to the President of the
United States. to show how this vile creature
and his gang had crushed out the Democratic
vote in this State at the last Presidential cleo
ton. He was there to tell the facts, to reveal
the truth-the pitiiess truth-and when he had
done so he thought that few would gainsay him
when he said that the time had arrived when
the system of bossism should be effectually
stamped ont from their midst.
The speaker then proceeded section by
section to indiet the boss referred to. in
such manner and with such particularly,
as has never been equalled. He
charged him with attempting to corrupt
Courts by" fixing iuries :" with dishonesty
getting wealth; with betraying his party
with debaSing the tickets by substituted
scratched ones used by his tools; with ex-
acting portions of the salaries of officials
under obligation to him; with secret
connection with high crimes and mis-
demeanors; with swinging the lash of the
political slave master; with trading to his
own gain municipal patronage and official
station, and he fortified many of his state
ments by aflidavIts which he read, but de-
clined to give the names of the witnesses
to the public in order to shield them from
the wrath of the boss whom he frequently
denounced as an unconvicted felon." In
concluding he said:
l respect a man who makes his money in
legitimate business, but loathe worse than a
hooded snake the man who makes riches from
the blood-money of men who are capable of
hlllng offices and from whose wages this YAM
pre- eXacts toll. Such men ought to be driven
homeless and roohess beyond our Golden Gate
To what are we coming in politics if justice is
10 be polluted our rights invaded. politics de-
bauehed by men and methods such as these2
Do they not appall you to think of them to con
template Them can hardly believe / live in
Tree America when recount these facts
Ex-Judge Ferral followed in similar
strain, though less Importance is to be at
tached to his arraignment of bosses. He,
however, declared that unless bossism lets
go of San Francisco, vigilance committee
might be expected TO rise up and inaugu-
rate bloody reform. All this occurs
within Democratic lines, and may prove
fruitful of Republican victory in San
Francisco. But it has an importance
reaching beyond party concern. 1t be-
comes the business of all citizens when the
party charged is in control of any part of
government machinery. 1t therefore be-
hooves citizens to consider whatever there
Is of verify in all this Taylor is a man
of truth. He is moi open to the charge of
eSaggeration, or of trumping up charges
for effect. He evidently believes what he
says, and belief with SO capable and bold a
public man as he is moi matter of sud
denness. If municipal and State politics
are controlled to as vile ends as these men
named charge against the bosses-Eot
open-handed, ehivalrie leaders, but selling
and trading bosses-if these masters con
troll affairs as is charged, there has come
the time when reform must be worked, and
that right speedily If this control is as
absolute as is alleged by Tayler and Ferral
in their party, which dominates San Fran
cisco and the State, then democratic
form of government is at an eIad practical
ly, and can Only be restored BY partisans
taking back the control of party inte their
own hands. The simple question aud the
only one is. will they do it?