The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-06-05

the farming population except that it
has postoffice, then that town is a
superfuity, a leech on the farming
community.
DELAY AND CRITICISM.
Fresno Republican: The Senate has
not been as prompt and persistent in
pressing its work on the new tariff as
the country would like to have seen
it, but in comparison with the record
made by the last Democratic Congress
il framing the Wilson bill, it is getting
there at lightning express speed. There
are inevitable differences of opinion and
conflicting interests to be considered
and reconciled in fixing a tariff sched-
ule, and considerable time is unavoid-
ably consumed in reaching conclusions.
That there should be as little delay as
possible at this time goes without say
ing, and the upper house cannot do
the country better service than by
sidetracking every other question in
so far as possible until such time as its
work on the tariff is finished.
Much captious criticism is INDUCED
in by partisans regarding the inaction
of the House during this interval, but
as the opposite course would tend to de-
lay the work of the Senate the wisdom
of the course pursued is apparent Con-
gress was assembled in extra session
for the specific purpose of revising the
tariff, and that work should be given
full right of way until completed.
So far as the Cuban matter is con-
cerned it is well understood that the
President is awaiting the return of his
special commissioner before taking de-
cisive action, and there is every prob
ability that both wisdom and patriot
ism will mark the course which will
then be pushed. The people are nat
urally impatient of delays in these
questions which are pressing for solu
ton, but a little delay is often much
better than action hastily taken. The
Republican" has faith in President
Mckinley that in this matter he will
not only guard the interests of the
country, but also those of the strug
Cling Cubans. and that the final out
come will be in the main satisfactory
to both
THE ROAD LAW FIASCO.
Stockton Mail: 1t is not very cred
it provides itself with a aw-making
body that biennially inf1icts on the peo-
pie a system or series of laws which
neither itself nor the people nor the
courts can understand nor properly in
terpret. The bungle Of the road laws
is case in point Many of the legis-
lators were chosen directly on the is
sue of improved State roads 1t has
been up for discussion in the press for
years. Political conventions have res
oluted' about it, Grand Juries have
pried into it, the Bureau of Highways
eXhaled wisdom upon it, cyclers have
doomed it and a called convention of
Supervisors last year marked out a
definite programme. Notwithstanding
all this, the Legislature has passed and
the Governor has approved (and we
believe he pretends to be a lawyer,
too a parcel of road laws so carelessly
punched together that not an attorney
nor Supervisor nor a Judge in the
State can tell what law we will be
operating under next week or whether
we will be operating at all.
AS long as men are sent to Sacra-
mento to further private interests,
whether the public is served or not;
and as long as political parties pick
up anything and everything for legis-
lative timber, merely for the sake of
winning; as long as fusion or confu-
sion prevails in conventions where
power and spells are sought rather
than the public welfare; as long as the
people themselves continue pennywise
and pound foolish, so long will Califor-
MIA continue to be the laughing stock
of the world on account of its Legisla-
lures and of it's laws
THE LAW TO BE TESTED.
Marysville Appeal: The new road
law is to be tested. The Supervisors of
Alameda County have determined on
that step before letting any more con-
tracts. Every county in the State will
very likely refuse to do any more road
work until this matter is determined.
ind they will watch the proceedings by
the Alameda Supervisors with much in
terest. The so-called Clarke law is now
in force under its dating, Tuesday, June
list, being the day set in the enactment
The action now directed against it
should be pushed rapidly and it is to
be hoped the Supreme Court viii have
early date. Assemblyman Clarke, the
author of the bill, expresses confidence
in the measure, and says that a year
from now the many attacks being made
upon it will be withdrawn, but he
stands almost alone in his opinion, for
from almost every direction arise COM
plants of the inequalities that will re-
suit from the new system. 1t is well.
therefore, to have the law tested at the
very outset.
The mere fact that such a law is on
the statutes is hampering and delaying
improvements in every direction. At
Stockton, for instance, on Saturday last
the San Joaquin County Supervisors
We're compelled to return unopened a
large number of bids which had been
presented for work throughout the coun-
ty. Some OF the offers were in connec-
ton with urgent needs. but the District
Attorney advised the board that it had
better do nothing one way or the other
until a judicial determination has been
made of the situation
Here in Yuba County there is a dispo-
sition on the part of the Supervisors,
backed by a very healthy public senti-
ment, to provide for the funds neces-
sary to make a complete and compre-
hensive survey for a road system
Throughout the county and then submit
the matter to the people for the purpose
of determining whether they want to
bond and build at once. The Super
visors will do nothing. however, until
the questions arising from the existence
of dual road laws have been passed
upon 1t is therefore the wish of all
that the Supreme Court get a move
on when the Alameda case comes be-