The record-union., 1897-04-12
VOICE OF TIE PRESS.
Extracts From Editorial Expression Of
Journals
vi the State and the Coast on SUBJ
iects of Living and News
Interest.

Riverside Press: The tender-heart
ed people in Riverside who signed the
petitions in behalf of the Cummings
boys are largely responsible for the
Communication of their sentence, but we
doubt if the general sentiment OF RlV-
erside County approves this act OF
clemency on the part OF the
Governor. Almost every one who saw
much of the Cummings boys while
they We're on trial and in jail here, was
impressed with their coarse brutality
and stolid Indifference to the results of
their crime The danger is that in a
few years pardon will follow this COM
mutation and then two most reckless
and hardened criminals will be turned
loose on society.
GOOD IDEA.
Oakland Times: Boston's Mayor has
introduced a novel feature into munlc-
ipal affairs which should produce ex-
cellent results-the formation of an ad-
visory council composed of representa-
tives of the leading commercial, reform
and charitable organizations of the
city Before this board he lays all
matters of municipal policy, and with
its members he consults as to the con-
duct of municipal business. He stands
as the representative of the people of
the city of Boston. Those whom he has
gathered around his council board are
representatives of some element in mu-
nicipal life and are authorities upon
some phase of municipal government.
STOP THIEF.
Los Angeles Times: 1t is a notice.
able fact that the most strenuous and
vehement advocates of ''civil-service re-
FORM just now, are those Democratic
office holders who have got into office
through a violation of civil-service
rules. 1t is proverbial that nobody can
yell stop thief" so Justify as the thief
himself. Jealous reformers of this
kind will bear pretty close watching.
The louder they decaim against the
''spoils SYSTEM" the closer they should
be watched.
BAD ROAD LEGISLATION.
Santa Rosa Republican: 1t is prob
able that the last Legislature made
some mistakes in legislating on the
read question. If the Clark bill on this
subject that was approved by the Gov
ernor is full and complete and can be
carried into effect it is certainly a step
backward. The measure undertakes to
transfer about all the power in regard
to public highways from the Super
visorS to three directors to be elected
in each road district, and to make all
roads merely neighborhood affairs.
Thus we go at one step from the eX-
IRENE Of supervisorial control to the
minimum of authority of these Off
GERS.
So far as mere neighborhood roads
are concerned, it would seem well to
have them controlled by local author
ity. With trunk lines, it is different.
AS no chain is stronger than its weak
est link, so no road is better than its
worst place. Lines of road extending
through more than one district cannot
be any better as a whole than the least
progressive of these districts deter
mine.
The law should certainly recognize
three classes of roads = State, county
and neighborhood. Especially should
there be provision for the two latter.
and we place the county road above all
others, so far as the general develop
ment of any particular section is con-
cerned. That the Supervisors should
have charge Of the county roads under
proper limitations seems reasonable. In
fact. this plan has given the best re-
suits everywhere.
This new legislation interferes very
seriously with the plans of the Super
visors of this county. With sprinklers
and pumps purchased and arrange
ments made for keeping down the dust
the coming summer, road business Will
certainly be considerably complicated.
The road legislation of the past winter
will not prove satisfactory.
FALSE DEDUCTIONS.
San Jose Mercury: The San Fran
cisco Post in discussing the movement
that has been inaugurated in this State
against the manufacture of adulterated
food products arrives at the erroneous
conclusion that the pure food crusade
is taking on all the characteristics of a
campaign against the sale of California
food products. That the testimony
which we are giving against ourselves
in the canned fruit line viii be extended
to our wines, raisins, dried fruits and
perhaps wool and wheat, by the I'M
scrupulous Eastern dealers, need
scarcely be admitted. The work of de-
stroying our trade may safely be left
to them especially in the line of jellies
and jams, wherein California has a
competitor in nearly every State in the
Union"
This is certainly an exaggerated view
of the case. Besides, il is a practical
assertion that the practice of adulterat-
ing foods is not a bad thing in itself,
and that rather than temporary in
convenience should be suffered by the
men VINO are guilty of thus deceiving
the public they should be permitted TO
continue unmolested their nefa!ious, IL
legal and harmful business. This view
of the question cannot be accepted.
aside from the immortality of the prac-
tiee which is a base imposition upon
the public. and the evil consequences
that are likely to enSue from the con-
sumption Of impure food, 1t must be