The herald., 1894-10-31
Arthur McEwsn on tho Situation.


Parties have often sunk into moral
bankruptcy elsewhere, but for penury
Of morals the Republican party of Cali
fornia can venly match the Democratic
party in New York city. Time was
when to be political boss here it was
necessary that he should be a saloon
keeper; now he is not qualified unlegB
he has criminal record. Buckley and
Rainey were indicted, but the Democ-
facy is no longer following them; their
endorsement is equivalent in San Fran
cisco to q sentence Of ignominious
death, unleso the endorsement has been
forced, or antidoted by non-partisan
nomination. Ia that the Republican
attitude toward Boes Burns? He was
indicted, too. 1t la true that he stood
his trial and was acquitted, but he con-
fessed to swearing to official reports that
were doctored to conceal large defalca-
ton in his offics when be was
secretary of state. Given that it
was deputy who stole the money,
and whom Burns protected, that money
has never been restored to the
treasury, though the ex-secretarv Of
the etate has become q man OF wealth.
That is his record. And with that rec-
ord Burns has been permitted by the
Republican, of California to rise to q
height of power in their party immense
ly greater than Buckley, much clev-
srer man, ever achieved in the Demo-
cratic party. Burns-under the euze-
rainty OF the Southern Pacific alwaye, of
course-is the moBt conspicuous Repub.
lican leader in California. 1t ia his
hand that is upon the lever OF the party
machine. huntington, Stow and Her
| rim are behind. him, and his political
masters, but 90 long ae he works in har-
mony with their object-which is to get
everything that ia to he had for the
Southern Pacific-he may do as he
pleases with the organization. He even
aspires to the eenatel
W hon q party has rotted to such lead-
efship, there ia but one cure-the aban
! doument OF the leaders by the rank and
| file. The fruits of such leadership are as
characteristic as they are inevitable.
Foul men must use foul Instruments.
Witness the Burns primaries, the Burns
methods of legielating, as revealed by
the story of the cooperative scheme OF
bribery that came out in court when
Taylor, the go between, swore in his
complaint that tho eenatora who took
the ruoaey given them refused to be
faithful TO their felonious bargain, or to
divide with aim. But for the assaBsina-
ton Of the Wallace grand jury by the
supreme court, Burns would have
been indicted as well as Buckley.
Note, too, the fEvorite newspapers OF the
Republican party. When the organ.
zation is offered by Huntington, Stow
Herrin and Burns, and wnen it is possi-
A bic for the last, as we'll as q De Young
to raise his eyes to seat in the senate
il is fitting that a Post should be tht
vehicle Of their appeals to the public
If there lived in California q man who
waslnot sure that the Southern Pacif,
preferred Estee to Budd as euccesso
to tho wretched Markham, that uncer-
tainty must. one would judge, have beer
removed by tho publications made dur.
ing the week by Burns and his associ
ates relative to Mr.. BuGd and the Nef
litigation in Oregon. Those publica-
tions have shocked California, but no
in the way their procurers expected
Many years ago Mr.. Budd was. unde
the instigation OF fes-hunting attor
nev, sued by humble family whom h
(! had served professionally and bsiyinds'