Los Angeles herald., 1890-07-30
THE COUNTRY MUST NAME THE NEXT
GOVERNOR.

The last legislature of California was
a saturnalia of corruption, of wild ex-
travagance, and consequent grinding
taxation.
Controller Dunn, before the session
opened, with every item of state expen-
diture provided for, estimated that it
would be necessary to raise $1,000, 900 to
cover the expenses of the fiscal year
1890-9l. The boodlers, without distinc-
ton OF party, at the instigation Of the
bosses, appropriated over 1900, 900!
of which $7,000,000 were for expenses
and $5,000,000 for Doodle. 1t was not
until their tax bills were presented last
December that the farmers and prop
erty-owners fully realized the enor-
nifty of the burdens imposed
upon them for the blessings of
state government. Then it came home
to them how audaciously they had
been robbed by their so-called repre-
sentatives, and loud and deep were the
curses showered upon them.
I Never, perhaps, in the history of leg
islation, did legislators (of course with
some noble exceptions) show SO little
fear OF being called to account by their
constituents. They were absolutely
reckless of consequences. Their only
fearwas of the displeasure of their bosses.
So indecent was their greed, that there
was scarcely an attempt to veil it, and
SO odious have they become that the
Examiner has declared that "they
should be looked upon as as ineligible for
election to an office of honor or profit
as felon who has lost his civil rights
by conviction of an infamous crime"
These men were simply owned by
their bosses like so many cattle, and
were not ashamed of their masters
brand. Some of them even gloried in it.
And, after all, their profits were only
those of a petty larcenist, while their
bosses bagged the bulk of all the sacks.
Fortunes made so easily will excite
only greed for more, and another legis-
lature of the same kind will be elected
this fall, if the bosses can accomplish it,
and in practice they can often poll more
votes than the people.
But this year the people are aroused,
and seem determined to send men to
the legislature and to elect a governor
who will stand between them and the
brlgands. The professional boss has his
pets and his natural enemies. He seeks
to reward the one for services rendered
or for favors expected. The official who
has made a record for rigid economy in
public life, and for reduction of taxa
ton, is his natural enemy, and him he
will destroy ii his well-known arts and
methods can accomplish it. In ninety
nine cases out of a hundred, citizens
who have anything to lose cannot adopt
safer rule than ''to "copper"" as the
gamblers call it, the boss's likes and dis
likes. His pet is sure to be their foe,
and his enemy their friend and cham
pion.
Mayor Pond who, while scorning the
arts of the demagogue, has gained a
state reputation as an able and incor-
ruptible executive officer, and so popular
with his fellow-citizens, irrespective Of
party, that for eight years he has been
elected by overwhelming majorities far
above his party strength, despite the
enemies he had made during so many
years OF resistance to schemes of cor
ruption and robbery, will have but little
support from his own county in the
Democratic convention. Out of the 144
delegates from San Francisco, he will be
allowed but corporaPs guard. The
rest have been promised to favorites,
who are not even citizens of San Fran
cisco. The influences which sent
legislative delegation like that of last
pear to Sacramento, to plumber the tax
payers, are all against him. As that
gallant old soldier, General Black, said
in reply to the attacks of Tammany
upon Grover Cleveland in the Chicago
Convention. "We love him for the enc
mics he has made" We are satisfied
the farmers and property-owners of the
country districts can safely "copper""
the city bosses this year.