The record-union., 1894-05-22
SELECT STRONG MEN.

1He people OF SAcfalno o0LO must soon
select nominees from among whom will
be chosen the men who will represent
the county in the next Legislature. 1t is
essential that these nominees shall be
strong men, so that whoever Is elected
Sacramento will be represented by del
egation in the House Intellectually vigi
orous, capable of analyzing and fathom-
ing legislative propositions, having each
that personal following which character,
manliness and capacity always COM
mend.
In other words Sacramento needs in
the House delegation that will inspire
respect for its ability, character, shrewd-
ness and vigor, no matter what its politi-
cal faith.
And this may be said to be the need of
every Assembly District in the State. 1t
is of infinite importance that the intel
lectual and personal standard of the Leg
islature of California should be elevated.
1t is not to be done all at once, but there
will be no better time to begin the work
than the present. Men should be no
longer chosen to legislate because of their
availability, their serviceableness to po-
litical manipulators, nor to reward
cliques, nor to crafty passing vanity.
Our representative legislstive bodies in
California in the past, while containing a
few able men, few above small things,
have. as a rule, and notably in the lower
house, been weak, mediocre in character
and ability, and lacking in the personal
dignity, intellectual requirements and
mental virility that should distinguish
lawmakers in free government. The
history of the State discloses but
very few instances, and in the past few
years none, in which the Legislature as
whole has risen to the level of the people
as a whole
The two questions confronting Sacra-
mento now are simple and incapable Of
being misunderstood: Shall we send up
to the Assembly three men who by rea-
son of experience or study; by reason of
high personal character and freedom
from ENHANCEMENT in small polite; by
reason of their intellectual caliber, their
general capacity and their ability to de-
liberate, analyze and act with firmness,
wisdom and vigor; wiz command in the
Legislature such personal following, such
general respect, such regard for their
opinions and conduct, as will insure this
county against being either ignored in
legislative councils, or taken advantage
of and belittled and made the object of in
justice and unworthy assaults?
Or, will the people permit to be chosen
to the positions of legislators men of
mediocre ability, of limited or u 70 personal
following, of inexperienee and ignorant
of legislation; men selected as merely
lesser parts of political machinery oper-
ated for the ends of political chicane,
serviceable to bosses and party manipu-
lators, and whose ambition rises to no
MSAOA AVfSA SASA ZIG SAdt1ACat1OA "a
vulgar vsnity7
One of the Oldest. best equipped and
most influential legislators of the State,
who has for many years served large
constituency, once told us of an incident
illustrative of the central thought of this
article. Some years ago during an i'm
portant sessions State Senator came to the
delegation of the Assemblyman referred
TO, and begged it to assume control of GER
tain bills in the House in which the con-
stituency Of the Senator had profound
interest; bills in themselves wise and
just. but which without strong cham
pionship were likely TO be misunder-
stood and misconstrued by an Assem-
bly, not remarkable for its ability to
analyze and calmly deliberate.
The Senator was asked why he did not
call upon some of The Assembly delega-
tions from his own district to under
take the ''steeringn responsibility for
these measures. The reply was that
neither of the men in them had any per-
sonal following in the house; that they
could not command its attention nor in
spire its respect for any measure that
they might advocate; that they were men
of small politics. had dabbled in little
things and awakened antagonisms that