The herald., 1897-02-03
Copious Rains Of More Account
Than McKinIeyan Prospects
OUR JEALOUS LEGISLATORS
Want to NEEDLE With the Rights Of Bust.
ness Men
A Bill to Prohibit Lottery Schemes In
Business Transactfons-The Consti-
tuition Growing Ponderous.


| have gladdened the hearts of the peo-
pie, especially the farmers. fruit raisers
and livestock men, Of whom Sacra-
mento and Yolo counties have very
large percentage among their popula-
tion.
AGRICULTURAL INTERESTS.
The agricultural interests of these and
other counties in the north are so great
and far-reaching as to effect one way or
another all other business interests.
Hence It is that the recent rains in this
section of the state are causing the peo-
pie to be actually jubilant over the pros
pect of abundant crops for the coming
season. 1t is hardly stating the case
too strongly to say that Sacramento and
the surrounding territory could do bet
ter without a legislature than without
rain. Crops result from each of these
factors in production; but the substan-
tial crops of cereals, fruits and other
products of the soil are Indispensable,
while large percentage of the crops
of bills, resolutions, Investigations ana
speeches, emanating from the average
legislature could be dispensed WITH anu
the people would survive. Everybody
seems to regard these copious rains as
more prophetic of prosperity than even
the inauguration Of Mr.. Mckinley will
be.
POSSIBLE FLOODS.
Amid the general rejoicing over the
rains that have fallen, up to date, there
is an occasional expression of fear lest
jupiter Pluvius may overdo the thing
ana produce a destructive flood, or sew
eral floods, such as have on occasions in
years past caused the Sacramento river
to overflow its banks on either side and
destroy a great deal of property. How
ever, should there seem to be imminent
danger of such watery catastrophe
this winter some wise member OF the
legislature will probably introduce a bill
to stop the proceedings and severely
punish the guilty party.
AFTER THE STOREKEEPERS.
1t is impossible to foretell the extent
to which certain styles of legislators
may go in the direction Of trying to In
duce a legislative body to intermeddle
in the private business of citizens guilty
of no worse crime than that of trying to
make an honest living. Propositions to
restrain citizens from exercising their
natural rights in business mat
ters are piling up almost hourly, in
one branch or the other of the legisla-
ture.
One of the latest and most absurd bills
| Of this character figures in the assembly
proceedings. 1t is bill not to prohibit
| lottery schemes in business transac-
| tons, but to make it unlawful for any
person or firm to offer any purchaser
| bonus or prize as an inducement for him
| to buy merchandise of the party thus
| offering special inducement The PEN
atty for such a dastardly crime is fine
not exceeding $1,000, or Imprisonment
| for not more than six months. or both.
IL tv&af n
piece of petty tyranny as this bill pro-
poses will be enacted into a state law,
| or even receive favorable report from
any committee; yet as strange things
| have happened outside of Connecticut
and Delaware, and since the days of
| the famous blue laws"
A PONDEROUS CONSTITUTION
Proposals to amend the state consti
| tuition continue to arrive at the capitol
almost daily. The total number already
| in, with numerous precincts to be yet
heard from, is nearly fifty. This indi-
Gates that the people are not altogether
satisfied with the organic law of the
state Some of the ablest lawyers in
each house who have given the matter
careful attention express themselves
freely as to the necessity of freely
amending the present constitution or
having a new one. 1t is probable that
decide to submit a proposition for con-
stitutional convention. But as the pro-
cess of getting a new constitution and
putting it in force would necessarily
cover period of about three years, If not
longer, the advocates OF the various
amendments now in hand very naturally
object to having their hopes deferred
and their hearts made sick by adverse
action.
The fact is, the present constitution,
which is an output of the old sandlot
element of 1879, is a ponderous document,
replete with restrictions and provisions
calculated and designed to forestall leg
slation. It's trainers evidently intended
to warn the people against the dangers
of self government through such repre-
sentatives as might be chosen from time
to time. So the constitution makers of
seventeen years ago tried to include in
the instrument nearly every probable
and possible phase of legislation, in
stead of concisely proclaiming few
| fundamental principles of government
and leaving the people free to make their
| own laws. This is why so many acts of
| our legislatures when contested are de-
| clared by the supreme court to be uncon-
stitutional AS Senator Bulla, of the
| amendment committee in the senate,
| said last night: mo matter what kind
| of law the legislature enacts. we are
| always lldDle 10 run against SOIIlS cOIl-
stitutional restriction, and the supreme
| court is obliged to nullify the law"
TAXATION AND REVENUE.
Nearly one-half of the pending
| amendments pertain to the subject of
| taxation and revenue. This indicates
| that the people are largely dissatisfied
| with the existing system of taxing prop
| erty and raising public revenue. The
| amendment committee in each house is
wrestling with the tax question and try
| ing to reach a conclusion as to which
| of the numerous amendments before
| them will most likely insure the rails
| ing of necessary revenue in accordance
| with justice and without imposing
needless burdens on the wealth produc-
| ers of the state.
One amendment proposes to exempt
all the property of the Stanford uni
versity from taxation whether state,
county or municipal. This scheme has
| it's advocates, but it will meet With
strong opposition. ! heard it discussed
| last night by the senate committee
where, it seemed to be rather unpopular.
| Two or three committeeman failed to
see why one educational institution
| founded and owned by private enter
prise should be selected for tax exemp-
| ton. 1t was a benefit to the state, they
| admitted, but the same was true cf
| every other well managed educational
enterprise in California large or small,
| and arguments in favor of exempting
one would apply with equal force to all.
TIIL1 DnAD COMMTCGTON