The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-11-21
CALIFORNIA coNdREssnEN "AFLoAr'

CALIFORNIA CONGRESSNEN "AFLOAT .
Two of Culifornia's congressman cleo t
are already in Washington City and have
been heard from through the Calls cor.
respondence. They are Grove Johnson
ern part of the state. Mr.. johnson is re.
ported as saying: 81 am ike chip
floating along with the stream; I don't
know where it will be my fortune to
land" And then Mr.. Barham said be
was in the same condition as his col
league. 1t is sad to think that two Cali
fornia representatives of the "giand old
party are simply floaters. and do not
even know where they are going to land.
However, theirs are thousands of other
Republicans who are at a loss to know
where the e. o. p. itself will eventually
land.
Mr.. Barham, the "f1oater" from Santa
Rosa, gathered himself up sufficiently to
express himself strongly in denunciat ion
of the present administration. He rep
resented California rs being in the most
deplorable condition duting the past
three years that the state had ever e1-
perienced. And it was all owing, he
said, 10 the iniqrities, shortcomings and
mistakes of Cleveland and the Democrat
ic party. He denounced the new tariff
law as inImcal to California interests
generally, and especially in the matter
OF lum Der, fruits, wool and silver. The
Santa Rosa statesman also expressed his
determ inatioi vi voting AMI working in
congress in behalf OF special legislation
for the benefit of silver mine owners,
lum Der com bines and other private IN
terests that may require or demand con-
gressional propplng up.
I: 1t is evident that Mr.. Barham, as
cha ppion of special privilege, will be the
right man in the proper spot. Though
at present q novice in legislation, he Will
soon learn from Re pu blioan congressman
of experience all the more important
sophlslr:es. pretenses and tricks OF pro-
tectionIsm. After that he can float"
smoothly along with his party without
ever being disturbed by the thought that
possibly the government has any higher
duty to perform than to tax nine consum-
ers for the enrichment of one producer.
He will learn from others in his party
that the commercial depressions, strikes,
riots and general pandemonium which
prevailed in many portions OF the coun'
try during the last years of Harrison and
McKinieyism were not due to Republican
legislation, but were caused solely by
general fear that in the event of Cleve-
lands election the country would be
ruined. He will also learn that the coun-
try has been ruined; that special legisla-
ton and plenty Of it is essential to nc-
tional prosperity; that robbery uf the
people 10 jns;itiable 30 long as it Is done
under the forms OF law and called taxa
ton; that high tariffs make prices of
goods higher for the seller and lower for
the buyer; that it is the first duty Oh con-
eress to restrict the people in the exer-
else of natural rights; that the natural
law OF equal freedom was one Of nature S
mistakes, having probably been made
when she was on drunk, and that our
forefathers erred in giving such q heresy
a place in the declaration of indepe
dence.
These things and many other valuable
tenets of modern Republication Mr..
Barham will become familiar with by the
time he has spent few months in Wash
ington and pbbed against more expert
enced mem bers Of congress on the Repub-
lican side. And so he will easily float
and vote with the majority. That is al.
ways easier than to stem the tide and
battle for the peoples rights against the
entertainments OF organized usurpers.
But while the floating" will he easy
for both Mr.. Barham and his colleague,
Mr.. Johnson, they are apparently little
worried as to where they will finally
land" So they would be if in row.
boat and pleasantly floating down the
placid Niagara river few miles above
the falls. And they would certainly pull
for the shore while It was possible TO es-
cape destruction. The party Of special
privilege is doomed to overthrow sooner
or later. and those now in it who wish
to escape with their political lives had
better plant their feet on the firm rock of
genuine Jeffersonisn Democracy.