The record-union., 1897-01-19
Sacramento Evening Bce.)

A GENERAL BOUM' HOLIDAY.
The proclamation of Governor Budd,
issued on Friday last, declaring the fol-
lowing day to be a legal holiday, was
one of those spectacular effects de-
signed to startle ar up-gazing State,
which transformed the usual order Of
events because it commenced with a
boom and ended with a fzz. 1t was
the intention to order out the National
Guard to give due magnif1cence to the
event, but the officers of that arm of
the State Government rebelled thereat,
and the most important portion of the
programme had to be omitted In fact,
were it not for scattering speeches
made to scattering audiences in scat
tering localities by scattering politi-
clans, which were scattered over a
great deal of space in some Of the San
Francisco journals, the average citizen
enamored of attention to his OWE bust
ness would not have known that any
legal holiday had been proclaimed.
And what great event was this fzzled
legal holiday designed to commemorate?
What valiant act by sea or land of
American heroes was it supposed to
honor? What triumph of American
genius. invention, enterprise or indus
try was it created to cap with the eli
max of popular approval? For what
patriotic purpose was it belChed from
the Gubernatorial Office, long cared,
weak in the back, but strong of wind?
| 1t sprang into existence, full-jawed
for the fray, to give vent to the exuber-
ant joyousness of a great number of our
citizens over the victory achieved in
Congress by their ideas conc rDIng the
| settlement of great State and Nation
| al question, over the views entertained
| by other good citizens as to the proper
disposal of the same vital topic. In
| fact, it was legal holiday declared
| by a Governor of a great State in order
/ to give State sanction to public rejoic-
! ings because the opinions of one por-
| ton of the citizenry of that common
wealth had been defeated in a contest
| in Congress by those of oti1er por-
tion And though the rejoicings We're
like unto the popping of one solitary
| and decayed fire-cracker when the
| thunderous cannonadins of artillery all
over the State was promised, still that
/ did not detract from the General
Roum" pomposity with which Governor
| Budd ordered California, to rejoice
when she did not feel the least bit like
rejoicing.
There are thousands upon thousands
OF people in this great State who be-
| lieve that funding the debt &C the Pa
cific roads is the only way 5ut Of the
difficulty, provided Government owner
ship is not to be considered. There are
thousands vho threw their hats il air
because the funding bill was <illad,
who do not know what It's provis-
ions were nor what foreclosure really
means Even the leaders THAI are re-
! spCnsible for the death Of the funding
| bill are in quandary now to know
which way to turn. Some Of them be
/ gin to wonder whether the State has
not really been jumped from the frying
pan into the fire
This is d question of vital Importance
and of many sides 1t IS not one TO be
| decided on the one hand by dogmatic
assertion, nor or the other TO be def
/ iaitely solved by a wild blast upon the
/ trumpet Of an erratic Governor, follow
Ell by an appearance upon the platform
at Metropolitan Temple Of the same old
automatons pulled by the same old
wires 1t is difficulty and a problem,
upon the proper solution Of which the
people Of this State are greatly divided.
/ Let Us suppose that, in place Of Gov
| ernor Buid some man was in the Gu
! bernatorlal chair who. while recogniz-
| ing the indebtedness of the Pacific roads
and insisting that such Indebtedness
must be paid. held that the Government
would stand a better business chance
10y funding the debt than in any other
way. and that to refuse to refund
would be to injure the best interests
of the State of California. Upon the
receipt Of the news that the funding
bill had been defeated, would not that
Governor have had the same right to
declare a day of mourning throughout
California as Governor Budd had to
proclaim day of rejoicing?