Los Angeles herald., 1892-12-10

| it is the fashion to ascribe it to the
Australian ballot. Without undertak-
ing to dispute the fact that this system
of voting may have had salutary effect
in preventing the purchase of votes in
certain quarters, we do not believe that
it cut anything but a subordinate figure
in the great revolution. Just euch
changes have been W tnessed long before
| the introduction of the Australian ballot
into the United States. The great tidal
wave year of 1874 was one OF them. In
that year, for the first time in nearly
| ifty years, Democrat was elected gov
| ernor OF Massachusetts and a congress
| three.fourths Republican was changed
into one two-thirds Democratic-a
greater revolution than either that OF
1890 or this year, although, Of course, it
had not the significance of the election
of this year because no president was to
be chosen. but its effects lasted to and
beyond 1876, when Tilden was really
elected.
There we're necessarily grave issues
behind such radical change. 1t was
brought about by the gross exposures OF
the Credit Mobiiier regime and by the
back pay steal. Legislation had run to
class enactments and the national legis-
lator was up for sale. Such men az
Schuyler Colfax were scourged from
public life to anignominious retirement,
while Blaine and Garfield only saved
themselves by their superior nerve.
The back pay steal, although trihing in
comparison with the other infamy,
aroused great popular indignation, and
was fatal to whole school of promising
yenal statesmen.
In our opinion, the most pregnant
lesson conveyed by the late election is
that the people have at last reached the
point in which they are determined to
enforce responsibility and honesty on
the part of their servants. After de-
cades of laxity. only broken in tw enty-
five years by the tidal wave and the
elections of 1890 and 1892, they have
made up their minds to exact honest
service from all placeholders, large and
small. We have struck an era in which
it will 60 hard with rogues in all stations.
From president down to tidewaiter,
officials must perform their duties up
to the standard prescribed by an aroused
public conscience, or woe betide them.
When it comes to the occupant of the
White House specially exacting public
sentiment has been created. This was
grossly outraged by Mr.. Harrison in
many ways. He was little and magis-
terial. There was entirely too much Of
one Russell Harrison, with his offensive
swagger and demand for revenue cutters
to take him down the bay to meet an
incoming European steamer, about the
Harrison entourage. But it was when
it came to the Minneapolis convention
that the people took Benjamin Harri-
sons true measure. They were revolte d
at the spectacle Of man throwing
loaded dice for nomination for the
presidency. His negro and ofice-hold-
ing cohorts in that convention put the
seal upon his discontinue.
Politicians may as we'll learn, once for
all, that the people are on the alert.
They are in the saddle and pushing
things! A new order of responsibility
and conduct and character has been set
up. and only those who come up to It's
requirements will be looked upon as
eligible for public preferment. This
fact was we'll illustrated, on small
scale, in the late city and county cleo
tions. Those who are capable of dog
nosing the public sentiment have noticed
the change which we have made the
subject OF this article. 1t is a good