Sacramento daily record-union., 1890-03-09
YOUNG MEN TO THE FRONT.

will mean.
YOUNG MEN TO THE FRONT.
States, like countries, are to be judged
by their products, but not alone by their
ability to produce the goods of the soil,
but by their men and women. California
is famous for the luxuriance and the equa-
bility of her climate, for the marvellous
fertility of her soil, for its capacity to pro-
duce the maximum of good things with
the minimum output of energy. The
State has been known far and wide as
more favored by nature than any other.
She has been the gold mine of the nation,
the tropic of the country, the eternal
summerland of the American flag.
But she has also gained distinction as
mother of genius, as the producer of ener-
getic, capable and conquering business
men. She has built up in briefer time
than any other State wonderful COM
merce and has laid the results of her
achievements in trade, science, art, in
vention and State building upon the affairs
of national pride. Her men have
achieved the greatest maryels of the age
in railway construction, ia the conquering
of new land, in the founding of an en-
pire of wealth within the republic Under
their genius the State has developed
statesmen, soldiers, lawyers, 6nanciers,
mechanics, jurists and theologians, artists
and scholars, merchants and constructors,
agriculturists and educators, who have
taken rank with the best of the land in
brillianey, energy, virility, courage, wis
dom and success.
But until very recent years these devel-
opments have come cut of material that
other States and countries contributed
originally. But now the pioneer era
is at its close the picked men who came
here to carve out fortunes and build a
State fit to take rank in the sisterhood of
commonwealths have nearly run their
course. The vast majority of those who
hewed the way and made California what
she is, endowed her with institutions of
learning and temples of science, developed
the capacity of her soil and her mines,
and who unlocked the storehouses wherein
lay the constituents of her commercial
strength and the measureless possibilities
of her destiny, have gone the way of all
flesh or are seeking the retirement active
lives energetically directed deserve.
The California of to-day, must stand to
the credit from this time forward of the
young men, the original products, and the
best of California. The young men, the
sons of the earlier State builders, are
assuming charge and trust, and to these
we must look for vigor, enterprise, and
the administration of our business, social
and political affairs. How does this pro-
duct compare with California's other tri-
umphant productions? 1t is manly pro-
duct. 1t is giving us the business skill,
the mechanical art, the legal ability, the
scholarly learning, the worldly wisdom,
the vigor and the soul that is to maintain
and augment the fame of our State, and to
place it in the forefront of the nation.
Our native young men, born to the soil,
knowing no other State mother, having
here the source of their pride and the
spring of their ambition, are proving to
the world California's right to recognition
for other than the qualities of her soil
and the bleSsedness of her climate that
determines the possibilities of produc-
tion. These manly youths are filling and
to ell the political offices largely, and very
soon will occupy them wholly. For Cali
fornia has about ceased importation of
material for her civic positions, since she
has stock sufficient of her own production.
She looks no more to the favorite sons of
other States as instruments for the admin
istration of her own affairs. And we take
it that there is no true Californian, pio-
neer or more recent in citizenship, who is
not proud of the fact that we have grown
and are growing men, producing human
products fit and capable of the trusts we
have to commit to their keeping.
Sacramento has had her share of these
splendid California products, and while
flesh is fallible and some have proved
weak vessels, the city can point with pride
to her young men in Office, business, pulpit,
schools, commerce, art, mechanics, law,
engineering and all the varied activities of
life, who are honoring the city, the State
and themselves. In the nomination of
one of these young men, native to the
State, for Mayor of the Capital City of the
State, political party has done well. 1t
has, by naming Mr.. Gregory, testified to
the desire Of the people that the youth
and energy OF the State shall stand more
and more to the front.
If it is the part of age to advise, it is
the part of young manhood to act, and
action is what is wanted in California
progressive action, earnest, stalwart, fear
less action-but yet by men of gentleness
and cleanliness and respectful bearing, and
young men filed with progressive ideas
and ablaze with local pride. The truth is,
that right here in Sacramento there is
woeful need for retiracy of old ideas and
old counsels that are content with the
things of the past. We need vigorous
improvement and progressive action in
every quarter, and, while age advises, we
must look to the rising men to execute for
us, or we will become and remain torpid,
unprogressive and sluggish community.