The herald., 1893-02-04
THE NEW SENATOR AND CALIFORNIA;
JUST DEMANDS.

We shall soon have an opportunity Of
judging whether the congress of the
United States can be made to do justice
to California. The appearance of Hon.
5. M. White in the senate will be new
departure in one notable sense. He will
be the first man who ever held q seat in
that body who was born in the Golden
state. He will remind the men who sit
around him that young and growing
empire lies on the Pacific coast of the
great republic, and that it has hereto
fore been treated with singular degree
of neglect. He is fortunately equipped
even in q superlative degree with the
gifts which will enable him to make a
strong presentation of our claims. He
will be handicapped at the start by the
Republican extravaganza which has en-
forced economy on Democratic con-
gress and administration, but this very
economy will in the end give the means
for many expenditures that are needed
to place this coast and the country gen.
orally in possession OF public improve
ments and defences that have been ne
cessities for years.
The government and people of the
United States owe much to California.
From 1S49 she has poured an unfsiling
stream OF gold into the channels of trade.
One of the most interesting features of
the New Orleans exposition were two
pyramids, one covered by gold and the
other by silver tissue paper. They rep
resented. respectively, in the shape of
cubes, the size of the Jumps of gold and
silver that this state, by official records,
had contributed to the circulation of the
country. AT that time the figures were
little more than a thousand million
dollars in gold and eighty millions in
silver. Since that date the gold has
been increased to eleven hun
dred millions and the silver
to one hundred millions. Those we're
great sums, but the fact must be borne
in mind that this was simply the official
record. Probably half as much more
gold was packed back east by the early
Argnnauts. who would trnst no other
means of conveyance than their own
portage. Itwas these enormous amounts
of the yellow metal that gave the first
great impetus to the commercial i'm
portance of this country. What they
signified can probably be most easily
realized by little sum in arithmetic. We
are supposed to have in this country now
$500, 900, 900 in gold. If it had not been
for California's contribution of the yell
low metal we would now have been nine
hundred million dollars worth less than
nothing as far as the question OF our
gold supply is concerned. Nor was that
all. For twenty-five years we have bsen
making enormous shipments of wheat
to Europe and elsewhere, which have
counted for at least a round Thousand
millions in our balance of trade witt
other nations. To this ought to b,
added the stimulus given to the mining
development of the whole west ant
northwest by the magical success
achieved by the California delivers 70
gold.
Cucu pArduuuut oUhSnpiono ouGh'
be recognized in liberal measure. w
ought to have Notifications, ample pub
lie buildings and improvement OF ou
hsrbors. FAvors of this character shoul'
be extended to us in ''heaped measur
filled full and flowing o'er," both for tn
} sake of the national dignity and safet.
and out OF common gratitude. We ma
J be permitted to add that our chance
we're never SO great of obtaining thes
good things as they will be with ma
. born on our soil, and acquainted wit
} our history, occupying seat in th
J United States senate.