The herald., 1894-10-04
OUGHT TO BE BEATEN.
CALIFORNIA REPUBLICANS DE-
SERVE DEFEAT.
So Says Joseph Mediil's Organ-An Ed
itorial on Political Rottsnness in
the Golden Stats-A Sc
we're Criticism.

CHICAGO, Oct. 3.-The Tribune says
editorially, under the caption OF "Polit-
ical Rottenness in California;"
The state of California is passing
through phase OF political rottenness.
1t largely ia pervaded by demand for
''cheap money and plenty OF it," con-
dition which is all the more remarkable,
as it contrasts strongly with the fact
that the state maintained the gold basis
during the seven years that the rest OF
the country had paper currency,
measured by which gold was at pre-
MUM. The craze to vote the Populist
ticket especially ia noticeable in those
sections of California which have sui.
fered from light rains and short crops.
but nearly all over the state the people
are in a ferment over the fact that state
and county expenses are frightfully
large, Notwithstanding the dull
times. In Alameda county for
instance, with population OF
barely 100000, the sheriff receives
$4,000 year, with some perquisites;
the county clerk gets $4,000 and the
assessor $l4 900 and perquisites, while
neither OF the men who Eli those places
would command more than $250O in
business life. In one of the valley coun-
ties the sheriff is paid $4,000 year. and
personal acquaintance OF his is quoted
as saying the man could not earn $75
per month in any honest employment il
out of Office. The total expsnses of the
state and county government for the
1,210,000 people in California are fully
$l2,0U0, 900 per year. The story of reck-
~uh ,nh ,l,..
have few parallels among older commu-
mites is the theme of humorous speech
es in the campaign, and unfortunately
many of the orators talk as If they sup
posed the evil was to be cured with
cheap money. It is no wonder Cali
fornians are discovering that the cheap
suit of clothes does not make the cheap
man and want the saturnalia to come to
an end, desiring that s75 men shall be
put into $75 places.
But the leaders, both OF the Republic
can and Democratic parties, make two
mistskes in thinking that they can
meet the crisis by declaring for "free
silver" If they should get it. the pur-
chasing power Of all the money in the
hands of the people would be less than
now, and even the present Populist de-
mand for "ten or twenty times as much
money" as at present would not be sat-
isfied with "iree silver" os the Populist
paper money" the dollar of which
would be very cheap as compared with
the silver dollar under free coinage.
They want dollar which would not
have purchasing power OF anything
like fifty cents OF the present money,
though they may not put the case
in exactly that wey. The cowardly,
degraded, shinplaster political feel
ing which so largely dominates in Cali
fornia, has been catered to by the
Republicans. They have made q
weak surrender to the Populist cheap
money element and deserve to be
whipped. A beating would do them
good by proving that nothing that
is to be gained by halfway con-
ceesion to thorough-going dishonesty
and shameless knavery. 1t will demon
strate the folly OF their efforts to gather
in vote by putting that crazy free
silver coinage plank into their plat
form.
Aready the "move" is being laughed
at by men whom they tried to concili-
ste. They are being told they did not
60 half far enough, and in nearly every
county the Populists have held conven-
tions and nominated full tickets. leav-
ing the poltroon Republican leaders to
elRh over their own folly.