The record-union., 1892-10-27
PLEDGNG CANDIDATES.

Pledges exacted in political campaign
are rarely defensible, and never when re-
ferring to the discharge of legislative
functions. To legislate by pledge is to
make the legislator a mere tool; to make
of his office thing of barter; to forestall
judgment and reduce the legislator to the
level of an unintelligent agent.
Let us suppose that legislative candi-
dates are pledged by the demand of few
or many peopleupon the submitted prop
4 ositionto elect Senators of the United
States by direct vote of the people; that a
legislator comes up to his duty pledged
against 4avoring constitutional amend
| ment to that effect; that there develops in
the consideration of that question reasons
is the right position-the man becomes an
intellectual cripple and representative
without the power to legislate as sound
judgment and the best interests of the
people demand.
Such legislator will work in straight
Jacket; he will command no respect from
his fellows, and in debating the question
will occupy a position less honorable
than that of the advocate hired to speak
and act against his convictions. The
judgment of such man is put int to the
stocks; he must prove false to himself or
untrue to his pledge.
1t is more unwise, it is impertinent, to
ask one to be chosen to legislate, to form
conclusions upon the justice of measures
looking to the legal regulation of trans
portation, for instance, without examin-
ing the subject in the judicial frame of
mind that must characterize the conscien-
tious legislator. One so pledged is bound
hand and foot and precludeded from
hearing arguments, examining facts,
studying the subject and reaching a con-
! clusion that, according to his Judgment,
is warranted by the laws and justified by
reason and the common economies of
wise legislation.
Take, for instance, the exactions of the
Traffic Association of San Francisco. 1t
sends out to candidates propositions that
amount to threats, which aim to strike
down the constitutional Board of Rail-
road Commissioners, to establish freight
rates and fares by arbitrary enactments,
and to erect a supervisory board, of polit-
ical character, to carry out the rigid regu-
lations demanded by law that it is asked
shall be created to suit its selfish pur-
poses.
These enactments would be iron-bound
and unwielding; they are the eInanation
of intelligences that view the question
from one standpoint only, and that an
tagonistic to the interests of the interior
and promotive Of the absorbent DISPOSE
ton of the metropolis.
The legislator who would deal fairly be-
tween producer and carrier, between
tradesmen and transporters, cannot af-
ford to barter his judgment and sur
render his independence at the imperti-
nent dictation of the Traffic Association.
Ii he does, he parts with his manhood,
forfeits the confidence of the people and
| lays himself open to the suspicion that
lust of Office predominates over self
respect and love fer the appreciation Of
| his fellow-men.
| The Traffic Association might without
offense ask candidates. if elected, to in
quire into alleged abuses and correct them
by wise legislation, after careful investi-
CATION and thorough research into the
problem presented.
But this is precisely what the Traffic
! Association does not want. 1t formulates
! its own selfish desires into outlined legis-
ton, and threatens with it's wrath every
man who declines to swallow without
grimace the whole wild and revolutionary
scheme it proposes, and thus surrender to
its uses all that there's in manhood worth
! r1OSSaSSir0