The record-union., 1894-05-25
Weather Forecast.
Northern California-Fairw weather.
THE PoPULIsT STATE CONVEN-
TION.

Unambitious poverty has nominated
ticket for State officers. The candidate
for Governor came nearly experiencing
defeat at the hands Of the convention be-
cause he was said to own a block of stock
in bank, amounting to 500 in value.
The protest against his candidacy on this
account was very earnest. "Shall we say
we have nominated banker?" vocifer-
ated one speaker.
To the conception of the average Popu-
list the ownership of anything, no matter
how honestly acquired, is disgrace. A
banker is necessarily thief. This Opin-
ion was universal as to large bankers. but
as to small bankers like Mr.. Webster the
objection was not fatal. If large banker
is great thief, a small banker is small
thief; and so the logic of Mr.. Webster's
nomination must be rendered that while
he was thief and a participant in the
thieving operation Of banking. he was
not quite skillful enough to hurt him. He
owned $500 of stock in a bank, which in
dicated that it would be $1,000 if he only
had money enough TO take that amount,
or $50, 900, or 100000. 1t may be safely
assumed that a man who owns $500 Of
stock in a bank would not need different
heart to own $500 900. His lack is not in
disposition but in purse.
The protest against Webster because he
had $500 invested in bank was an osten-
tation of sympathy with poverty more
disgusting than any exhibition wealth
ever makes of itself. however disgust
ingly ostentatious.
The convention resolved against land
monopoly. 1t wanted a tax increasing in
geometrical ratio commensurate with the
increase of land holding so that the own
ership of large bodies of land might be
taxed out of existence. Webster. the
candidate for Governor, is large land
holder. He is pretty well fixed. He
owns a ranch of 1900 acres of valuable
land on the Buero Huero River. about
ten miles east of Paso de Robles. For
the most part. it is rich. alluvial soil,
while the elegant country house, extern
sive barns, good fences, and reasonably
careful cultivation indicate that Mr.. Web
ster would not need different heart to
multiply his hundreds of acres by thou
sands.
The only thing we remember distinctly
concerning ]. V. Webster's relation to
public affairs relates to the regulation OF
freights. He proposed-and with delib-
crate imbecility-that all freight should
be carried at an equal rate per mile. At
that time he owned a farm near Hay
wards, in Alameda County. He wished
3 rate applied to wheat which would
place the distant portions of the State
under great disadvantages. He wanted
the same rate per ton per mile charged
for the entire distance carried, and he
distinctly avowed in favor OF the propo
sition: That man who lived near an
export point had perfect right to all the
advantages that fact implied. Ii was not
q matter of the slightest consequence to
Mr.. Webster that the area of the profit
able production of wheat would be very
greatly circumscribed by the plan pro-
posed; that in fact the area of profitable
production of all commodities would be
greatly circumscribed. He was in boat
and cared nothing for those who might
be in the water.
We presume that Mr.. Webster's farm
is assessed at 10000, since that is the
maximum that the Populist party per-
mits any man TO own without incurring
the rigors of the accumulative taxation
system. Whatever it may be assessed
for, we risk the statement that it is not
assessed for what it is worth; that any
statement made by Mr.. Webster as to is
value is untrue, and that the people of
the State have been defrauded in the re-
turns made by Mr.. Webster. If this
statement is not true, 1t is hbelous; and
right at the outset of the campaign the
Populists should begin the process Of
mailing campaign lies. There is method
of securing very searching inquiry as to
to the facts in this case which is too obvi-
GUS to need suggestion.
One Of the queer features Of the plat.