The record-union., 1893-10-05


OF most men, for | rely on the inherent
sense OF right and wrong, which, | be-
heve, is similar in the great majority OF
mankind.
In this much-vaunted land of liberty,
and freedom, and justice, the treatment
of the Chinese is, for barbarity, on par
with the treatment Of the Jews by Rus
sia and other Eastern powers. The action
OF these foreign powers is universally
censured by all of our good men, but the
actions OF our own citizens Is Wlnked at
by these same good men. But then we
live in land. of liberty, and freedom and
justiceI
The treatment by labor organizations
to those who do not belong to their
unions, calling them scabs, and often as
saultlng and maltreating them, and
sometimes numbering them, is on par
with the worst acts of anarchists and
nlhilists. The latter are condemned
openly by all our good men, but the
actions of the former are mildly CEN
sured by those same good men. But then
we live in land of liberty, and OF free
dom, and Of justice!
The treatment in some cities by good
citizens, who think they have a monopoly
OF what they term progress, towards
those who differ with them about the
management of affairs, or for other rea-
once for improvements which may be
needed, calling them silurians and other
eplthets OF contempt, isl will name 1t
mildIy-un- Christianity.
Some of the ordinances passed by our
local authorities, to enforce the ideas OF
these same good citizens who think they
have monopoly Of progress, are on a
par with the edicts of the Gar of Russia,
or the imperial orders of any autocratic
DnRy0r (OYlyy tbaU laaI- Of
justice, which most of those edicts and
imperial orders contain).
Many years ago, when } street was first
paved, cobble was proposed. did not
like cobble, but [ was told by the then
city authorities that cobble would make a
durable pavement, and though costly (at
that timel, when it was once paved the
city authorities would take charge Of it
and keep it in repair from the street tax
fund, and that my share of the street tax
was all it would cost me, after the first
expense of paving. Some years passed
and the cobble pavement was not satis-
factory, and then came the assertion that
the pavement had never been accepted by
the city authorities, and that now (at that
time) the authorities had the right to or
der up the old pavement and relay with
anything which might be agreed upon, at
the expense of the prOperty-OWners.
To my comprehension, the city in that
transaction occupied a similar position to
that of the man who had lived with
woman openly for years, calling her his
wife, but when he wanted to make a
change asserted that he had never mar
ried her. The street work was done
under the supervision of the city author
tiles; they had accepted it from the con-
tractors who did the work, and had lived
with the street openly for many years;
but then-they had never married it.
have property in another block which
was paved with granite blocks, which [
considered good and the most reliable of
anything we have used for pavement here,
but the city had never married that kind
of pavement, so they ordered it up
and put down something which l fear is
not so good, but have to pay for it, all
the same.
And now the city authorities publish
another ordinance cOndemning all avn
ings and ordering th&m taken down
within thirty days, imposing penalty of
fine or Imprisonment.
1 have several good awnings, which
cost me many hundreds Of dollars, which
were not put up contrary to any Ordi
nance or law, and which are perfectly
safe, and the man who asserts that they
are not knows in his heart that he as
serts an untruth. They are no more in
the way OF fremen and policemen now
than they always have been.
l had legal right to put them up, and
l have tne same moral right (and prob
ably legal right TO keep them there at
my pleasure until some better reason
has occurred for ordering them down
than the mere assertion that they are un-
slightly and ought to come down, because
something might be put up which would
improve the appearance of the city. This
is the real reason for the ordinance, and
the assertions Of unsafety, In the way of
firemen and policemen, are mere subter-
fuges.
If the city authorities have legal right
to enforce that ordinance, they have the
same right to order the fronts of build
ings taken down and something more
ornamental put in. Certainly that
would improve the appearance of the
city, But we live in land of liberty
and freedom and justice!
Another ordinance which l have sub
mitted to for years, is one under which
the city authorities order portion of the
city's inhabitants out into the street to
clear away the weeds from sidewalks,
cutters and streets to the center, while
other portions Of the city are kept cleared
by the city authorities from the street tax
fund, which all of the citizens contribute
to equally in proportion to property.
/ am told that l can have redress by ap-
pealing to the courts. Are the city au-
thorities my enemies? And have I got to
fight them continually in the courts for
my legal rights? Is that desirable state
Of affairs for a land of liberty, and of
freedom and of justice?
Such ordinances are a disgrace to any
civilized community; and | say to all
men that imposing unjust burdens on
any, or infringing on the individual
rights Of any, whether it is done under
the guise of law, or plea that it is for the
public good, is treading on dangerous
ground. 1t stirs up ill-feeling in the
wronged, and stjrs up antagOniSm in the
hearts of all just men, and excites con-
tempt for laws and ordinances which
lack the element of justice. The written
law, or ordinance. is not the test of JUS
tice, but the inherent sense of right and
wrong in man is the test OF the law, or
ordinance; and when they do not con-
form to this inherent sense of justice the
sooner they are abolished the better it
will prove for the whole community.
If the city authorities carry out all of
their plans for improvement they will
have destroyed for me property which
has cost me more than 81 900, and it will
take nearly that Tor more) to replace what
they insist / shall put in place Of IT; aud
I cannot get ten cents more income, and
vet we live in land of liberty and free
dom and justice. NJ. A. BURKE.
Sacramento, October 4, 1898.
4 Call to the Ranchers.