The morning call., 1891-06-05
THE NEW ELECTION LAW.

Two men, each In position to be well in
formed, agree that there were seven honest
men in the Senate fast winter Neither of
the two men would voueh for more than
seven. If their estimate is correct there
were thirty Senators whose votes were pur-
cha>abe. Whether the purchasable Sena-
tors were exactly tbirty-three in number or
not does not matter. The fact to consider
is that under our present system Of nominal
Ing and electing legislators majority of
both parties enter the body 10 which they
have been elected With the deliberate pur-
pose of selling their votes. The only de-
Tense attempted is that they were selected
to do the bidding OF certain men who held
the power of nomination in their hands. In
most cases members vote as they are d-
rected But a small percentage of the
money realized from the sale of votes goes
TO the voters. The bosses WHO procured
them their nominations, and who frequently
furnished money to defray election eX-
penses with. appropriated TO their own use
the lions share of the swag. The twenty
four Senators who are accused by Taylor Of
having cheated him out of his part of the
proceeds Of a criminal conspiracy probably
never handled the money. 1t was handled
by the bosses, who only paid the Senatorial
hirelingS according to agreement.
The eyes of the people are now turned to
the new election law in the hope that it will
afford voters an opportunity to correct the
evils known to exist. The fact has been
sufficiently well established that the bosses
Of both parties place men in nomination
who viii vote as they are told to Vote The
bosses then go up TO Sacramento and agree
with parties bringing bills before that body
to pass them or prevent their passage ac-
cOrding as negotiations may terminate.
Money will generally pass a bill, while
failure TO put up the amount demanded is as
sure to kill one.
The next convention will be held under
the new law. The conventions will meet as
usual and in all probability nominate the
tools Of the bosses. 1t is not likely they
will risk nominating many of the men who
figured in the last Legislature. II is more
likely that part of the hold-over Senators
will be impeached than that any whose
terms have expired will be renominated.
The fact that two successive Legislatures,
one controlled by the Democratic boss and
one by the Republican, proved about equally
corrupt, opens a fine field for an honest
ticket TO be nominated by petitions under
the provisions of the new law. Voters in
both parties are convinced by this time that
good government cannot come from the
bosses. They viii therefore, without much
regard to boss conventions tickets, place
names on the official ticket who owe no ser
vice to the bosses who control the eOuVen-
tons. 1t Is desirable that men of known
character shall be selected to run against the
boss conventions nOminpas Voters should
not be left in doubt as to the comparative
merits of the convention candidates and the
independent candidates The opportunity
is now offered if the voters will take little
trouble TO elect Legislature whose record
will form pleasing contrast to tie records
Of any recent Legislature. 1t is early yet to
begin work but not too early to think over
what should be done.