The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-04
CALLED TO ACCOUNT.

One of the admirable qualities of the
Examiner is its fearlessness in calling to
account those Democratic office-holders
who have proved unfaithful either to their
implied or their pledged obligations. Its
antagonism to Mr.. Cleveland is explain
able on that ground and this policy may
be taken as a reason for its demanding of
the Democratic majority in the California
Railroad Commission an explanation of
its failure to reduce the freight charges
imposed by the Southern Pacific Company
in this State. AS the leading Democratic
paper of California has deemed it proper to
raise this issue, THE CALL, though strong
Republican paper, cannot be charged with
political bias in following it up. Indeed,
it is difficult to think of political bias con-
corning matter having SO direct a bearing
on the welfare of the State and impossible
to imagine any newspaper willing to sac
ritice the interests of the State for the tenn
porary advantage OF any political party.
Nothing is more notorious than the fact
that the sentiment of the State in the last
election was strongly Republican, and
that as a rule the only Democrats elected
were those who made exceedingly strong
and specific pledges to right prevalent and
obvious wrongs. In other words, it seems
clear that in order for a Democrat to be
elected to general Office in California, he
must give some pledge other than that
conveyed by the history and reputation of
his party. The Republican party seems
to rely more upon the moral lesson and
pressure Of it's history and reputation than
upon the individual pledges of its candi-
dates. Even this, however. is not always
sufficient, as the betrayal practiced by the
Republican members of the Solid Eight
has shown; but this is offset in measure
by the efforts OF THE CALL to expose their
duplicity and punish them for their be-
traYal of the people, which means the be-
trayal of their party as WELL
In its issue of yesterday THE CALL pub
lished the full text of the pledge taken by
the Democratic members of the Railroad
Commission. This pledge declared that
the charges on California local freights
paid so per cent of the $4S 600 annual
gross receipts of the entire Pacific system
of the Southern Pacific, which includes not
only all the lines in California, but also
those extending to Ell Paso, Ogden and
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compelled to reduce its freight charges at
least Is per cent; that this reduction is de-
manded by the people, and would be made
by the Democratic candidates for Com
missioner if elected; that the number of
freight classitications would be reduced
one-half; that during their term of office
the Democratic candidates if elected would
pursue their official labor unhampered by
other business or avocation," and that
they would initiate other needed reforms
in the freight schedules and classifcations
without a formal complaint being fled"
Is it true that, as charged by repre-
sentative of Holbrook, Merrill & Stetson,
1.-THE Railroad Commission amounts to
nothing" and that from its inception it
has been farce?"' In view of the fact that
in former commission a member who
stood out against exorbitant charges
became Governor on the strength of his
record it would seem that even a selfish
motive might be imagined by the Demo-
cratic majority of the present board for
doing the duty which they have pledged
their honor as men to perform.