Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-03-14
WEDNESDAY -. MARCH IA, 1888
THE PEOPLES VICTORY.

interests of the city, but destructive Of
them. 1t was victory achieved in the
face of obstacles that appalled, all but the
men who have unwavering faith in the
right and are mistaken in their loyalty to
free institutions. The splendid triumph
yesterday-unparalleled in our State his
tory-is not that of any party merely;
neither Republicans nor Democrats claim
it as such, but it was victory for cleanli-
ness and the inalienable right of the gov
erned 10 determine for themselves the pol
icy Of their government.
For more than fifteen years both parties
in Sacramento have been dominated by
vicious influences that prevented free
expression of the will of the voters. Very
few indeed have been the instances in
which the iron hand of detestable bossism
has been shaken off; revolts have, it is
true, taken place, but they have in no in
stance risen to the dignity and Importance
of that which resulted Yesterday in the
complete overthrow of the tyranny of
bossism that has ruled this city
for nearly two decades in n manner that
has literally enslaved every man, woman
and child in it.
Every department of municipal govern
ment and nearly every department of
county government has been under the
control of this debasing influence, and
from school-room to the bar of the Courts,
from the grated windows of the prisons to
the wards of the hospitals, odious bossism
has asserted and maintained its tyrannous
sway.
The simple truth is, that the people of
Sacramento have been, in all but private
affairs, at the beck and call of the bosses.
They have dictated nominations to con-
ventions, sold elections, determined poll
cies, named subordinate officials, parceled
out the patronage of offices, shared in
official salaries, and intermeddled even in
public educational schemes The barefaced
frauds at the Republican primary of the
Sd of March, perpetrated in the interest
Of the corrupt bossism that has until to-
day ruled the community, reused the peo-
pie to indignant protests. The consumma-
ton of these outrages in the Republican
Convention of March 9Th was the
last drop that caused the over
flow OF popular wrath which cul-
minated in the inundation of yester-
day. Thursday, March Sth. the Republi-
cans met in mass meeting, declared their
independence of boss rule, effected reor-
ganization of the local party and named a
committee to represent it and carry on its
business. The Democrats of Sacra-
mento, equally disgusted with boss
ism and recognizing that bosses
have all things political in common,
nominated clean ticket on the same
night, and the next day the reorganized
Republicans Endorsed it, and yesterday,
four short days after the announcement
of the new declaration of independence,
and after an unprecedented hot cam
paign, in which party politics cut no
figure and was not even mentioned, the
people ratified and confirmed the action
by an overwhelming majority.
The RBcoRD-UNIoN takes honest pride
in the aid it contributed towards the ac-
complishment of this result. 1t labored
to that end from conviction of duty to
the city where its interests lie, and believ-
ing it was the only means of rescuing the
Republican organization in Sacramento
from the wreckers who controlled it, that
it might in this city again be put upon
the highway to the full attainment of its
lofty destiny. 1t does not believe that
boss rule and political slavery is necessary
to contests between the Republican and
Democratic parties upon great questions of
governmental policy. Leaders are neces-
sary, organizers are indispensable in party
direction; but when these assume to rise
superior to their creators and employ
methods unclean and tyrannous the party
that does not prove equal to their over
throw becomes their slave.
That was the condition of the Repub-
lican party in Sacramento. Its machinery
being in possession of its self-appointed
masters and used to do it injury in its own
house, it had no other recourse than to
join hands with its political opponent
equally oppressed, and with it make COM
mon cause against common foe Thus
the masses of the people were united in
contest between liberty and despotism,
waged war, irrespective of party, for the
attainment of freedom from odious domin-
alton.
This has been achieved and Sacra-
mento's future rs a city is to-day hun
dred-fold brighter. The atmosphere has
been cleared, the money-changers cast out
of the temple, municipal economic reform
inaugurated, the Fire and Police Depart
ments taken out of politics, and the Re
II Do,,ooro+,o no rf,os &c &C.,