The record-union., 1896-10-12
JOHNSON'S MAJORITY.
Will be Greater in Sacramento County
Than Anticipated.

(From the Sunday News.)
We think we will have to revise our
original estimate of 1900 majority for
Grove l.. Johnson. The Sunday News"
has been observing a great change in
the sentiment of the people Of Sacra-
mento in regard to the Congressman
from the Second District. We refer
especially to the sentiment among those
who for political reasons thought that
they ought to vote for De Vries. These
people realize that party bars are down
this year as they never were before and
they agree with us that we ought not
to miss the chance to elect citizen Of
Sacramento to Congress. With hum
oreds who would ordinarily vote for
De Vries this opinion is now settled and
Grove L. Johnson will get more than
1900 majority in Sacramento County
It is SO clearly the advantage of Sac
ramentO to elect Mr.. Johnson that we
are not surprised to find so many citf-
zens willing to set aside their political
preference and unite to insure his
election. Men have the right and
II is proper for them to vote in
their personal interest when that
interest is the unquestiOned inter-
est of the community, and a heavy
majority Of the people Of Sacramento
are going to assert that right in the
case of Mr.. Johnson next month We
are able to make this announcement
because we talk with the people and
have probably more communication
with them than most persons in this
vicinity
The election of Mr.. Johnson means
so much to Sacramento that it is diff
cult to give it more than the merest
enunciation in the limits of an ordinary
editorial article. 1t would be the ut
most folly, for example, to thwart the
splendid system of river improvement
under contemplation for the Sacra-
mento and San Joaquin Rivers. There
is no doubt in the world that these i'm
provements are absolutely needed to
preserve the rivers as navigable
streams and the great natural drains of
the State. A hundred thousand acres
of land with wonderful fertility will be
redeemed in this immediate region
and the rivers made secure for all
time. vast sum of money will have
to be expended for labor, and nearly
every dollar will come to Sacramento
that is paid out within thirty miles Of
this city.
We have on other occasions adverted
to the close relations between the
measure of funding the Central Pacific
oebt and the immediate prosperity of
Sacramento. We know it is never
popular to talk or write about
a possible removal of the railroad
shops, but there are times when the
truth ought to be told and this is one
of them. We realize full we'll that if
the Government seizes the Central Pa
cific instead of refunding it's debt to
the United States the Southern Pa
cific work will no longer be done here.
So We think that the plain duty OF
Sacramento people is to do their level
best for a funding arrangement. AS
Mr.. Johnson has well said the railroad
oept TO the Government is a business,
rot political matter. There is no pol
ltlcs about it. Shall the Government
take the road, first paying off the first
mortgage, which about equals3its full
value, and thus lose every dollar it has
leaned the corporation? Or shall it by
refunding put it in the power Of the
road to pay the debt? Unfortunately
for the Government it can hold only the
Central Pacific for the debt 1t cannot
seize the other property Of Messrs.
Huntington & Co. to satisfy the debt Of
the Central. So common business pru-
dence demands that 1t accept the best
possible terms to get its money back.
Long before the issue Of funding or
seizure got into its present shape the
Sunday News" avowed itself in favor
Of funding as business measure, as
the best that the Government could do
under the circumstances. With the
prospect of direct and disastrous sconse-
quences to Sacramento as an added in
centive we will not cease to advocate
funding. The interests of the people
of Sacramento are with funding
measure and with the election of Grove
l.. Johnson.