The record-union., 1894-09-24
TIE VOTE AUCTION.

We have heretofore taken occasion to
criticise the Republican candidate for
Governor, Mr.. Morris NJ. Estee, for hav-
ing charged the national administration
with the present depressed industrial
condition of the country. The charge of
Mr.. Estee is not true, and he is not justi
fed in repeating it.
Imitation and depression are the reac-
tionary points from one condition to an
other, and one condition is universally
the outgrowth of the other. Forty years
ago no locomotive had reached the Mis-
sissippi River. Within forty years the
entire railroad system of the United
States has been constructed. We are too
much accustomed to contemplate fnan-
cisl and industrial conditions in any year
as the reaction from a former year. If
last year was one of great prosperity and
the present is one of scarcity, we are apt
to say that this is the reaction from the
condition of one year ago. This is 8 great
mistake. There may be waves upon the
surface of great swell. There may be
apparent fluctuations characterizing the
rising swell of prosperity. just as ripples
may be seen on the surface of the incom-
ing tide. But one half of a century should
be correlated with another half century.
Fifty years is scarcely a yesterday in the
history of nations, or in the story of
national development.
Mr.. Cleveland came into office as the
heir of past conditions, and the influences
of such conditions are so potent that pres
ent policies have but slight effect upon
them. The present condition had fully
set up under Harrison's administration,
but Mr.. Harrison, equally with Mr..
This is so we'll known as to need no
further elucidation.
Now comes the Democratic candidate
for Governor to commit an offense analo-
gous to that for which we have been justi-
fed in criticising Mr.. Estee. Mr.. Budd
charges upon the Republican party the
crime of having administered the State
Government textravagantly. Government
in California is costly as luxury. Mr..
Budd tells the truth when he says that
the pro rata of State taxation is greater in
California than any other State in the
Union; that it costs three times as much
to administer the State Government in
California, with its 200, 900 people, as the
administration of the Government of the
State of Illinois with three times our
population. But it is demagogism on his
part to charge this extravaganza to the
Republican party. Both parties are
equally responsible.
The most extravagant Legislature was
under the control of Christopher A.
Buckley, Democratic boss. II is true
that man named Waterman was nomi-
nally Governor of California, and it is
equally true that Waterman did not in
terpose the veto power to save the State
from extravagant, excessive and unjusti-
fable appropriations. But the Demo-
Gratis carried the State when Waterman
was elected Governor. The Democratic
Governor. one of the best the State ever
had, a noble man whose orbit of honesty
could have been measured equally with
the certainty of the seasons, died, and one
Waterman succeeded by virtue of his
Office as Lieutenant-Go Governor. Here was
an illustration of the mournful error con-
ventions make in the selection of one
who. under certain contingencies, is TO
become Governor of the State. The pres
ant nominees for Lieutenant Governor
are all men who could not be elected
Governor, and yet they are to stand in a
relation which will make them Governor
upon the contingency of the Chief Magis-
trate's death, and such a contingency is
not remote. There is nothing more un-
certain than the duration of the individ-
ual life, Notwithstanding there is nothing
more certain than the average duration of
the lives of thousand or ten thousand
men.
But to resume: Democratic Legisla-
lures have not been more economic than
Republican Legislatures. The average