The record-union., 1897-01-31
VOICE OF TIE PRESS.
Extracts From Editorial Expression Of
Journals
OF the State and the Coast on Sub
jeCts of Living and News
interest

| Stockton Mail: There is no merit
whatever in the legislative opposition to
the stone-crushing plant at Folsom. 1t
is in no way worthy of consideration
that interferes with free labor. On the
contrary it gives employment to large
numbers of men throughout the State
and serves a useful public purpose. The
objections should not be considered for
a moment. They are trivial and unrea-
sOnable.
| PROPOSED NEW GAMBLING LAW.
| Riverside Enterprise: 1t is going to be
serious matter to be detected in the
/ business of conducting a gambling
house. or even being caught playing the
game hereafter, if bill just introduced
in the Assembly becomes a law. The
present law only makes the keeping of
a gambling house a misdemeanor, which
means that a conviction can bring as
| punishment a small fine or few days
| Imprisonment at most in a county Jail.
| Under the proposed law the offense will
| be felony.
CIVIC DUTY.
| Stockton Record: Kansas City adopt
ed an ordinance fining every qualified
citizen who did not vote 81 30, but the
Supreme Court of Missouri has declared
| it invalid, as it should. But there might
be some punishment arranged for those
who neglect their civic duties. If they
could be deprived of some privilege that
pertains to citizenship and finally, If
they persist in neglect deprive them of
citizenship itself it might be effective.
ANARCHY IN DISGUISE.
San Diego Union: A resolution has
been offered in the Colorado Senate ask
/ ing Congress to call a convention for
| the revision of the Constitution of the
| United States. on the ground that 1T
has outlived its usefulness. The pur-
pose is undoubtedly to begin move
ment which it's promoters hope will
| spread and in time become an actual
factor in national politics.
Happily there is little likelihood that
| so unpatriotic a project Will lind FOL
lowers To the average citizen OF the
United States there is something almost
sacred about the Constitution. 1t is re-
garded as embodying the wisdom and
best thought of the men who Launched
this republic, and whose memory to-
day is revered the length and breadth of
the land People are not prepared to
suddenly take up the idea that after all
this Constitution, under which this coun-
try has become the great and free ma
ton it is to-day, was only a temporary
makeshift, the work of men who could
not see beyond their own generation.
Even the most rancorous iconoclaSt will
pause when it comes to removing the
nations great political landmark.
T0T
Santa Rosa Republican,: The rock
crushing plant at Folsom furnishes en-
ploynent for some 300 convicts, who are
maint tained at the expense of the State.
| This is distressing a lot of labor reform
ers, who work principally with their
mouths. and there is a demand to have
the crushing of rock stopped. The prop
osition is unreasonable, and it should
not be needed. Great good can come to
the State from the rock-crushing en-
terprise, and, instead of reducing, it will
increase the demand for labor.
THAT PROCLAMATION.
Stockton independent: Chief Crowley,
in his note to the Chinese Consul, prob
ably overstepped his authority. He
should have addressed his note as Pres
ident Lincoln issued his proclamation
against Horace Greeley's peace confer
ence scheme: ITO whom it may con-
Germ The substance of Crowley's pro-
nunciamento is faultless, the only error
is in the address.
THE DREDGER.
Modesto Herald: incidentally, we OBJ
serve that the dredger project is dis
cussed as a new idea. Years ago, when
the writer was in the thick of the fight
between the farmers of the Sacramento
Valley and the hydraulic miners, we
pointed out the absurdity of the existing
system of building levees with earth
taken from the land itself, instead of
serving a double purpose by building the
levees with earth dredged from the river
bed. This system has been followed un-
til the beds of the Sacramento River
and its tributary streams have shall
lowed to a level Gin some instances) with
the towns on what was originally their
banks, and the waters are only kept
from inundating the towns by the arti-
fetal banks alone.
THE CONVICT LABOR QUESTION.
San Jose Mercury: Concerning the
argument that the use of rock crushed
by convict labor and sold at a cheap
figure to counties or cities would give
employment to many more men than
would otherwise be employed, they con-
tended that it would be necessary to