The record-union., 1896-06-06
LOCALISM AND STATE INSTITU-
TIONS,

We yesterday considered the evil
Of riders and traffic in relation to
river and haI'bor bills and appropria-
ton measures in Congress, and indi-
Gated how the expenses of Government
are augmented by the success with
which a large body of Congressman use
their votes as trading and trafficking
factors in securing expenditures of pub
Ho money for their districts.
A similar evil attaches to legislation
in the States, but more perhaps in Cali
fornia than in any other for reasons
peculiar to this State. The location
first and the support second of public
institutions in commonwealth Of
such large proportions entail upon the
State fully one-third more of cost 1han
is justifiable, because of the apparent
conviction on the part Of delegations
from counties having such institutions
within their lines, that they are in
duty bound TO bleed the public treas
ury to the furtherest limit of possibil-
ity for such institutions. Likewise the
communities Of California have been pos
sessed by the selfish and dangerous doc
trine that it is the duty of such as can,
to secure, no matter at what cost, the
location of State institutions to con-
serve local ends and greed, and with
little or no regard for true economy and
broad State interests.
ic rvl,oIlV- falca ,,,aar and
gerous idea that the representatives
from a county in which a State asy-
lum is located are thereby constituted
the special champions of that institu-
ton. commissioned as it's defenders
against all assault, and its promoters
for every possible cent that can be
drawn from the treasury by the de-
vices Of legislation in the interest of
that particular institution.
There is no more reason why the
Santa Clara delegation in the Legisla-
ture should set up as the champion and
special guardian of the State Normal
Schools or the Agnew Insane Asylum
than that the delegation from Inyo
should pose in the same attitude. There
is no reason whatever why any delega-
ton should especially extend its wings
over any State institution TO its de-
fense or shelter. There is no reason
with so much as a grain of sense to
support it why, for instance, the Los
Angeles delegation of Assemolyrnen
and Senators should champion the
Whittier School, nor why Marin County
should feel a special interest in the
State Prison at San Quentin, or Sacra-
mento take unusual concern about the
State Printing Office and the Capitol
building. Yet, as a matter Of fact,
these delegations and others OF like
character do assume precisely these
attitudes of guardianship and promo
ton.
The State is divided into counties as
political divisions purely for economic
purposes, and not for any sectional
reasons whatever. There is no State
institution that has any closer politi-
cal relations to a county because of its
location in one rather than another.
But as a matter of fact the custom
has grown into downright evil Of ac-
cepting the legislative delegations from
counties as the special champions, II
not the guardians, of State institutions
in their districts; nay, we have come to
expect them to assume and maintain
this championship and speak of their
successes in securing appropriations
for them as county achievements.
The result is bad in every way it may
be looked at. 1t cripples all such dele
cations for good service. 1t puts them
into the field as especially commits
stoned to rake the treasury. 1t makes
them trading factors for all legislation
in the interest of the institutions over
which they have taken UP unwarranted
watch. The disposition of all delega-
tions exercising this sort of protectorate
is to combine for mutual assistance In
the rake downs each is set upon, or as
.ometines happens. 1t arrays them in
a