The record-union., 1896-05-10

mere ana throughout the state Will De
compelled to take its hand from the
sheltering sandbank and face the fact,
of which it has been perfectly aware,
but studiously oblivious, that a re-
ligious war is on in California-as ugly.
malignant and shameful as any bigot
could desire 1t is not confined to the
cutters, either That would naturally
be assumed by those not aware of the
truth, and who deem religious war
in an American State in the year 1886
as anachronistic a phenomenon as IS
Brother Jasper of Charleston, who has
won fame by insisting that "the sun
do move" 1t is the loW-brOwed old
battle between st. Patrick's Day and
the Twelfth of July over again. For
one, l could not believe in the last cam
paign that the Monitor" the Catholic
Church's official weekly, was not eX-
citing itself unnecessarily until indus
trious inquiry convinced me to the con-
trary. I took it for granted that the
war did not reach above the So
cial and intellectual curbstone, that
men of education could feel only scOrn
for a quarrel of so low and repulsive a
character. But l found lawyers and
doctors and business men and politi-
clans of all ranks interested and taking
sides. Candidates for the highest, as
we'll as the humblest, offices trembled
lest they should be prescribed by the
Catholics on one hand or the A. p. A.
on the other, and their balancing
matched the deXterity of rope dancers.
Terror reigned in the newspaper Of
fees. The policy Of silence seemed
safest, and it was generally adopted.
Now this battle which was carried on
in secret will have to be fought in the
daylight, and the sooner the better.
The outcome cannot be doubtful. Both
sides will be routed by a third force
the Americans who prefer modern to
medieval politics and detest bigotry,
whether it's banner be orange or green
The agony which it will cost the news
papers of this city to declare them
selves and do their American duty is
too terrible to be described by my pen,
but the thing must be done. Dreadful
as the fact is, it yet has to be realized.
A newspaper must on occasion take the
risk of offending a subscriber.
Two planks in the Republican plat
form will mislead the outside world
as to the state of public opinion IN
California-the planks declaring Tor
free coinage of silver at the ratio or lO
to 1, and for woman suffrage. The
Republican party in this city at any
rate. is as well divided on the finan-
cial issue as is the Democracy There IS
a strong silver sentiment, but, then,
there is also a strong gold sentiment.
I have often asked politicians Of both
parties, whose business it Is to feel the
public pulse, how, in their Judgment,
California stands on the monetary is
sue. and their answer invariably has
been that they didn't know. Consist
ency required that the convention
should reaffirm the position it took two
years ago, and undoubtedly the cause
of silver has been served by its ac-
ton Party men like to believe in their
party's platform. Consistency re-
quired also that the position OF two
years ago on woman suffrage should not
be abandoned AS to Republican opin-
ion on the subject itself / don't think
ANYBODY who does not very much de-
sire to do so can deceive himself. Let
any Californian ask. the men he knows,
and if his experience is like mine, he
will not find one in ten who intends TO
vote for the amendment. Miss Anthony
and Miss Shaw and the other visiting
missionaries will almost necessarily f1g-
ure out a victory when they can point
to the Republican platform and the
great fact. which so eXcites the Call,
that the Cali has come forward as
a champion of female suffrage But
the mass of commonplace, tradition
controlled males can't be made to fall
in love with the new woman. AS one OF
these males put it, 1T amt that l have
an objection to women voting, so much
as il is my objection to the kind OF
women who want to vote" A he con-
vention seldom impresses one with a
sense Of the dignity of mankind. but
even Sacramento, where minnows sput-
tering about in pan mistook them
selves for whales lashing the ocean,
was rational, practical and improving
when compared with the Women's Con-
eress that has been in session here
The output of vanity, feebleness and
tyvaddle has staggered the readers OF
the daily newspapers that have passed
1t to print It is point Of honor with
the congress. apparently, not to insult
any lady by questioning her state
raents One ccEtended al length that
woman in the savage state is freer and
better off than in the civilized condi-
ton. and none of the great minds pres
ert said 4 word. All Seem to be under
tnc delusion that woman has slowed
s.vay somewhere a reserve store Of
goodness and wisdom which, If spilled
into politics, will, by some magical
method not specified. elevate and pur-
ffv the same. The absence of plain,
good sense at the congress is astonish-
ipe. In matter and style the oratory
has been mostly OF the sort that would
te expected from clever schoolboys:
This congress. therefore. and the propa-
gauda: otherwise carried on by the
women of the caliber Of those most
conspicuous at the congress, will not
commend the amendment to citizens
who think that what is needed in the
electorate is not more bat less ignor-
aace and conceit The women who
really need the ballot to help them in
their painful struggle for livelihood
he workingwomen, that is to say
have not as yet been invited to express
themselves. 1t is odd that the newspa-
pers do not send reporters around to
the stores and factories to ascertain
from the workingwomen themselves
what they think about female suffrage.
ARTHUR M'EWEN.
FREEpORT SCHOOL,