The morning call., 1892-10-24
THE LEGISLATURE

.hot ,hara nav be two or three bad men on
tbs so-called Republican legislative ticket,
but it pleads that their ill-repute should
not initiate against the success of the other
candidates, because members OF Senate and
Assembly are elected by districts The
trouble with this argument is that people
are apt to judge by sample bricks.
1t would have been a miracle if the hole
and-corner assemblages which. under the
bidding of CTimmins, Kelly and DE Young.
chose candidates for the Legislature had
made a good selection. We were told long
ago that it is idle to try to pick grapes
from thorns or figs from thistles. The Grim
Minis and Kelly slate. having been fixed In
the Third-street hive, was ratified by men
who were recruited either from the offices
in the City hall or from the slums. How
could the nominees be decent men? Water
cannot rise above its source. nor creature
of Crimmins and Kelly prove superior to
his creator.
People stand aghast at the list published
! in THE CALL, which shows that one-half
| the nominees for the Legislature on the
| Republican ticket are either keepers OF bar
rooms or hangeIs-on at the City Hall. But
what sort Of men could be caught alive in
this city to vote for Mike de Young for
Senator? When Jake Lindo was called to
account for the brutality of his dog-snatch-
ers he grOwled TO the court: what sort OF
men do you think / can get to be dog-catch-
ers?" Wise men choose for dirty work men
who are dirty.
The present prospect is that the candi-
dates for Senate and Assembly named by
the Non-Partisans will be elected and that
the city will be saved the disgrace of being
represented by the nominees of the Third
street hive. But railroad money may do
a good deal between now aud election.
There are probably 5000 Illegal names on
the register. Ii these are distributed in
precinets where the vote is close surprising
results may follow. And yet citizens owe
it to this fair city to make an effort. this
once, to save it from the ignominy OF rep
resentation by the class which predominates
on the so-called Republican ticket.
That large body of citizens who nave
never had occasion to visit Sacramento
when the Legislature was in session has no
idea how cheap a San Franciscan feels
when he enters the Assembly chamber.
The San Francisco delegation sit by them
selves The country members feel that il is
defilement TO be near them. BUZzing round
them are lobby members with lists on which
purchasable names are licked Of with a
pencil 4 man who has a bill to pass or
bill to kill aud who requires f0rty-One votes
TO accomplish his purpose begins by putting
down a block Of say eighteen votes from
San Francisco; those he knows he can have
if be viii pay the price. On that nucleus
he builds, and consults with the San Fran
ciscans whether he can get the other twenty
three votes from Alameda, Sacramento, Los
Angeles or elsewhere. But he always
| begins with this city. Votes from San
| Francisco are always property. There is
no secret about it, When strangers from
the East visit the Legislature they are
shown the San Franciscans as the black
sheep Of the flock. and the strangers. if they
are New Workers, institute interesting COM
! parsons between their appearance and that
| OF the venal representatives of Tammany
/ Hall. They are generally in a high state Of
/ discipline When the Legislature was Dem
| ocTatic Buckley commanded them, and he
/ was a martinez At the last session the
! Republicans were in power, and Dibble-Of
wastebasket fame-was in command and
/ he showed that he had not forgotten his
military training. When measures came
up like the railroad tax bill he tolerated no
foOling in the ranks
Is 1t not sad that city like San Francisco.
in which there is so mach intelligence and
so much high principle and such vast inter
ests at stake, should go on year after yea
electng such delegations as this? TIL
CALL will not believe that the apeth,
which has led to the practice in the past i
incurable. The Non-Partisans have nom
mated legislative ticket which is believed
to embrace no purehasabls members. j
they are elected the San Francisco delega
ton will, for the first time in many year:
/ command the respect Of the country mem
bers. 1t will not be any use taking sack
] round to where they sit. How they wi
5 vote on the Senatorship no one knows; the
: are equally divided as to party; but it
I pretty well understood that the Republiea
! members are not likely to vote under an
| | circumstances for Mike de Young.