The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-03-17
The Capital OF California.

The design Of sundry California legislators
to remove the capital Of the State from Sac
| ramento to San jose. In order that the
seat Of government may be nearer
| San Francisco. appears to have been con-
| ceived in q spirit OF resentment against
| those journals Of Sacramento which had
criticised adversely the doings Of these
public servants. The proposed removal is
thus q measure Of reprisal, aided by some
members of the Legislature who helped to
put tho bill through for the jokes sake It
will now go before the people for their rat
incation, and IL they assent. the eclipse Of
Sacramento's political greatness will be
complete, and the growth Of a jose into
national celebrity will be rapid.
A sort OF craze to submit public
questions to direct popular vote seems
to exist in California. At the late
election various questions were thus
treated. as: Should the Legislative session
be increased to 100 days? Should the
pay OF the observation-disclosures be in
creased? Should the State be prohibited
from appropriating money for the payment
OF overdrafts? Should the method Of char
tering cities be amended Should United
States Senators be chosen by popular voter
Should there be an educational qualification
for voting. whereby every citizen must be
able to read any section Of the Constitution
in the English language? Should the State
debt be refunded at O lower rate Of interest
Should the debt Of every county and mu-
nicipality be limited to the amount OF it's
annual revenue? Having disposed Of such
important subjects. a triHing matter like
the change Of the capital need not trouble
the electors OF California. They can make
short work Of it.
1t Is some years since there has beer a
change Of capital in any Of the older States.
Whenever such a change is proposed there
is apt to be q oud cutlery that the CONNER
cial capital Of a country ought also to be its
political capital. Its advocates point to
London, Paris. Berlin. Vienna. Madrid. and
st. Petersburg. and contrast with these the
capitals OF the chief American States.
Albany. Harrisburg. Springfield. Columbus.
Jefferson City. and Annapolis. Why not
make New York. Philadelphia. Chicago.
Cincinnati. st. Louis. and Baltimore the
capitals OF these States. they ask. and thus
increase their Importance?
The answer is simple and conclusive. In
European countries. and more especially in
oAASA SAto
national capital is the radiating point OF
influence and power. From it. as from a
supplying spring. percolate commissions.
orders. patronage. titles. and employments.
II you wanta anything. you must go to the
capital for it. Under such circumstances
the political and commercial capitals are
indivisible.
In the United States there is. happily. no
court capital. Legislatures meet not to
grant privileges and immunities to favored
individuals, but to max laws for all alike.
Generally speaking. the fewer laws a Leg
~islaturs passes the better it Is for a COM
munity; the less Vt NEEDLES with private
concerns the more its members are esteem
ed; the more debate and the fewer enact
ments the greater the public service. 1t is
die in a small town than in a large city.
Hence small towns or cities Of the second
grade are preferred.
Patriotic and intelligent Americans nave
no reason to adopt the European usage
in the matter Of locating capitals. Things
are very well as they are. and when 1t comes
to choosing a capital for California. may the
best town win: Sacramento. San Jose,
Petaluma, San Diego. Grass Valley. Fresno,
Gilroy, Pasadena. Modesto. San Luis Obispo.
Los Angeles. Ventura. Santa Rosa, Sonoma,
Benicia. or Susanville. it makes no differ
ence which. San Francisco's commercial
and intellectual supremacy will endure,
whether the California Legislators meet at
tho Pit. the canon OF the DEVILS Gulch. or
on the highest peak OF Shasta.