The record-union., 1895-09-05
INCONSISTENT PARTIsANsHIP.

The San Francisco Examiner says that
the State levy will be 6S.5 cents on the hun
dred dollars, the highest figure reached
since the carnival of extravaganza in
Watermsn's administration. 1t calls at
tention to the fact that the Republicans
declared that they would keep the tax
dollars; that this has been exceeded by
ISL cents. It further excuses the State
Board Of Equalization by saying that it
is, OF course, not to be blamed for heavy
taxes. It charges this excessive taxation
10 8 Republican Legislature, when sud-
denly remembering that the State had q
Democratic Governor VINO possessed the
constitutional authority to veto appropri-
alton bills, or veto any single item in the
general appropriation bill, it hedges by
saying that the extravaganza OF the body
which sat last winter proved even be-
yond the powers OF a Governor to curb.
Thus Republican Legislature is charged
with excessive taxation by reason OF ex-
travagant appropriations. and Demo-
cratic Governor is excused.
The Examiner, however. characterizes
one single Legislature as 'the carnival Of
extravaganza in Waterman's admins
tration." That Legislature was Demo-
cratic in both houses; had splendid
working majority in both, and the ex-
cuse the Examiner now makes for a
Democratic Governor was made at that
time for Republican Governor. Then,
as now, the Legislature had one political
complexion and the Governor another
Then. as now, Republicans said that the
Legislature was responsible for extrava-
gance, and that the Governor was excus-
able; while Democrats charged that the
Governor could have interposed his veto
and saved the people from that carnival
of extravaganza. We have never been
able to observe any difference between
Republican and Democratic Legislatures
with respect of their honesty; nor has
there been any difference observable be-
tween Democratic and Republican Gov
ernors.
We are disposed to think that when a
newspaper denounces the extravaganza
.of a Congress or a Legislature, and
charges that extravaganza upon the Pc
culiar political tenets dominating the
legislative body. it is talking simply po-
litical bosh. Republicans are quite as
honest as Democrats. and Democrats are
quite as honest rs Republicans. The
opinion entertained by an individual con-
cerning a national policy of protection or
free trade-the ideas which men imbib be
concerning monetary issue-have moth
ing whatever 20 do with the honesty OF
their private character
Waterman was, perhaps, the worst
Governor the State ever had. Hewas the
worst, because he had the least common
sense and the least general ability. His
administration was disgrace TO the State.
and necessarily, in a measure, disgrace
to the party which placed him in power.
But it did not follow that his acts of mall
administration were referable to the fact
that he believed with Republicans on GER
tain national questions of policy.
Whoever attempts to make it appear
that Legislature did wrong because it
was Republican or because it was Demo-
cratic, will commit the same inconsistent
stupidity of which the E.Camlner is now
guilty. In the article in which it de-
nounces the extravagsnces of Waterman's
mal-administration, it unconsciously de-
nounces a Democratic Legislature. In
that same article it denounces the extr&v-
agance of Republican Legislature. So
that it condemns both parties, while at
tempting to hold one up as possessing
superior morals. There is a sort OF
moral idiocy in this species Of journal
istic partisanship which would be ex-
tremely amusing if it were not
thoroughly contemptible.
SOME one has said that there are few