The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-08-27
DrmoCHAr1o CONSISTENCY.

California last week, was an interesting
study. It strikingly illustrated the low
estimate which that party habitualDy places
upon public intelligence. It strikingly H.
1ustrated the extent to which that party
banks On popular credulity and forgetfuI-
ness. Il also strikinely illustrated the
aznenabiiity Of that party to drill and dis
eiplins. and its hearty. prompt acouies-
csnce IN the viii of the majority.
When on the fourth ballot, after three
close contests. the earnestness of which
was manifested by an all-uight adjourn
ment alter the second ballot, 90 soon as
Ponds success became apparent, pandemo-
MUM broke loose. Those who, constitu-
ting considerable majority Of the convcn-
tien, had within few minutes for the
third time voted against his nomination,
We'd with his original supporters in frsn-
sisd manifestations OF applause. They
waved banners. threw their hats into the
nir. roared themselves hoarse, and
every mothers son OF them was
Tsady to swear on the four evangelists that
fhe nomination of Pond was the best thing.
and the only proper thing for that conven-
tion to have done.
It Is somewhat foreign to the argument,
bat It may be well, parentheticalIy, to note
that all tnis wild uproar was incident to
the exercise Of citizen sovereignty in the
mdicafion Of choice for dignified, sfaid,
yosponsible executive officer. Would q
comparison with monarchical methods on
Ike occasions be complimentary to such
exhibitions by self-governing citizen SOW
ereigns7 What would have been thought
Of the Emperor William If he had danced
and shouted like Iunatic when announc-
ing his preference for Caprivf over
Bismarck7 Or Of Queen Victoria, II she
bad waved the Union Jack, beaten herfan
into tatters and whooped 1t up like like q
bedlamite when requesting Salisbury to
supersede Gladstone and form new
ministry
But II these wild men Of the majority
were sincere in their demonstrations, why
did they not vote for Pond at the out
set1 Why throughout the first day and
throughout an ali-night adjournment did
they vots against him, and strive to make
combinations for mis- defeat7
But this Was not the most con spicuous
Or the most shameless inconsistency of that
convention. The last session of the Cali
fornis ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS in both
branshss-was beyond all precedent loot
Ing "a IT. propensities. 1t heaped up ap-
preparations with reckless abandon. A
heavy increase in the tax rate for state pur-
poses became necessary. The Democratic
ss we'll O. the Republican and Independent
press denounced that Legislature. The Re-
publican state convention met and de-
nouncsd It. and in proof Of its sincerity,
pledged the party and its legislative candi-
dates to . state tax not exceeding 30 cents
on the 500. in lieu of the 72-cent rate made
necessary by the extravaganza Of thatlegis-
lature.
Now comes this Democratic convention
and emphasizes the Republican denuncia-
ton by pledging its party to a Accent tax
rate. "rhe point of this is in the applica-
ton of it.' In that convention sat large
proportion Of those who had served as
members Of the footing legislature. Stephen
N. White. who with fair prospects of sue
cess was an aspirant for endorsement by
that convention for the United States Sem
ate, and who by Withdrawing to avert an
acrimonious conflict became the hero of the
hour, was the presiding officer of the upper
branch of that looting legislature. A.
Caminetti, and active and influential men,
Der of the upper branch of that denounced
legislature, was nominated for congress
from the Second district The "blind boss"
who engineered the footing legislature was
1.-THE power behind the throne" at the de-
mandatory convention.
As remarked at the outset. these bold in
consistencies are illustrative of accustomed
Democratic contempt for popular intelli-
genoe. The like is not confined to Califor-
mia. 1t ioots. denounces itself lor footing,
expects the public to heed its denuncia-
tons and forget its lootings. and dares to
hope for success by the votes of an intelli-
gent people who should think and remem-