The record-union., 1891-03-12
CAUSE FOR REJOICING.

ho Schale LAS coucurreu III une AS
sembly amendments to the reform ballot
bill, and it now goes to the Governor for
his approval. 1t is the belief that it will
receive the executive sanction, and thus
take its place upon the statute books of
California
Almost simultaneously with this action
the Legislature of the State of Nevada
adopted almost exactly the same bill, and
sent it to the Governor of that State for
approval. Thus California, Oregon and
Nevada. the three elder States of the Pa
cific Coast, take their places in the reform
column.
We congratulate the citizens of this and
our sister States of the slope upon these
splendid achievements. For years the
RECoRD-UNIoN has labored assiduously
and with undoubting faith to have these
ends compassed, and hence claims the
privilege of rejoicing with the people.
For long time this journal stood alone
in advocacy of the reform, doing it's ut
most to educate the public sentiment
upon this coast to the level necessary to
be attained to emphasize a demand for
the new ballot law. In time. nearly all
the press of the coast joined in the advo-
cacy, and so forced the reform upon the
attention of political parties that they
could no longer ignore it. Fortified by
the demands of the people, the reform
system thus secured its place among the
political questions of the day, and as a
result is now adopted by the Legislature
The people have now but one duty be-
fore them in this matter, and that is to
see to it that the new law is faithfully
executed; to be watchful that its enemies
are not afforded opportunity to cripple
its operation. The foes of the system will
not abandon their contest; their aim will
now be to SO manipulate the agencies
through which the new law must go into
operation, that it will be made to appear
cumbersome, costly, unwieldy and OBJ
structive. With the bosses and political
tricksters it is matter affecting their
business vitality; it means death to the
system under which they have been able
to control elections, to dominate at the
polls and to ''lord it" in conventions. The
forgotten men and the timid men now
become potential factors in State politics.;
the caucus cannot now so automatically
,o,fx,
tate nominations. The sale of votes will
not be stopped by any direct action of the
new law, but since delivery of the
goods'' cannot be guaranteed or proved,
traffic in votes will become the most
perilous and uncertain of practices.
The new law is very simple in its ex-
preston; its diction is not involved; its
requirements and directions are set forth
with perspicuity, the duties exacted of
county and municipal clerks in the
preparation of the ballots are un-
mistakably lucidly and in detail
stated. Nevertheless, it will be well
for the friends of the reform to be
oAShb ssAtt SSO W ~ tilsiI IiO Oc-
ours upon the first trial of the new sys-
tenn. 1t will be necessary, also, to look
to it that in no section are the influences
antagonistic to the new law allowed to
pile up great bill of cost against it. That
effort will be made. Already leader
among the elements that dominate in
elections by vicious means has engaged
in an estimate of the cost of putting the
law into operation with view of fright
ening taxpayers.
Of course no system that will defeat
the vicious and surround the ballot-box
with guards against their assaults can be
devised that will not involve something
more of cost than the present loose cleo
ton methods. But the increased cost is
not great, and will in the end result in
gain to the purses of the people. Elec-
ton expenses borne by candidates will
be greatly less than heretofore The
enormous output for ticket peddlers will
be unnecessary; assessments by political
parties will be infinitely lighter; the
army of strikers heretofore hired to mar
shal voters to or drive them from the polls
will be disbanded. The cost of the new
system can, by reckless clerks or those
inimical to the law, be made extravagant;
in this as in all other matters of expendi-
ture imposed upon officials, those who
are given authority can practice economy
or squander money. It will be the duty