The record-union., 1898-11-25

~~~- fs0sR <A~L 1tkA Ry kltC C1kldQQ Ell
quirer, the gains made by the Demo-
Gratis were In the Eastern States where
the silver plank was generally dropped
OUT from their State platforms. and in
tne South, where the suppression of
the coiored vote counted for more than
any declaration of policy. In the West
the Democrats have decidedly lost
ground
A VAST IMPROVEMENT.
Vacaville Reporter: An exchange
truthfully remarks: The Australian
ballot system may be somewhat cum
Drous, but it is a splendid thing none
the less. When one remembers how
IN the past voting was done; how men
were given ballots whose character
could be told at a glance and marched
up to the polls and voted like sheep,
receiving their bribes as soon as they
left; when one remembers how en-
pioyers of men used to keep tab on
the votes of their employees by the
same method: when one remembers
that there was absolutely no secrecy
TO the ballots, he can appreciate the
present system. 1t is far from per-
feet, but it is a vast Improvement
upon the old method of voting.
MANY SIDED.
Placer Republican Argus: When the
principles for which Judge Mcguire has
stood are abandoned by our people,
then will the destiny of this great ma
ton be endangered.-H
Which set OF principles do you refer
TO? Mcguire is a many-sided man.
Do you mean his Jeffersonian De-
mocracy, his Populistic initiarendum,
or his Henry George single tax prin-
ciples. We beg pardon We didn't ex-
pect to refer to them again, but our
neighbor suggested the question The
fact is that the whole sandlot and
Herr Most ilk We're crystallized in Ma
guire, and California has just quietly
laid them under the daisies.
THE FISHERIES QUESTION.
San Jose Herald: The American and
Canadian Joint Commission has now
taken up the fisheries question. That
is question so long mooted between
this country and Canada that it has
truly an ancient and fish-like smell"
1t has cost a vast amount of negotia-
tion, first and last, and at times has
come near to disturbing peaceful rela-
tions between the United States and
Great Britain. 1t is not likely that
they will quarrel over the matter at
this time, when community of inter-
ests Is drawing them together, and
when any falling out between the two
great English speaking Powers would
be hailed with delight in nearly every
court of continental Europe. In fact,
the conditions were never more favor
able for the settlement of this long
vexed question on a basis that will be
just and honorable to both nations.
THE JURY SYSTEM.
Oakland Tribune: Louisiana is try
ing a novel experiment as regards the
jury system. A law just passed there
provides that if the punishment may be
Imprisonment at hard labor, the case
must be tried by a jury of five in or
der to render a verdict; if the punish
ment must be Imprisonment at hard
labor, then the jury shall consist Of
twelve men. nine of whom must con-
cur in order to. render verdict: If
the punishment must be death, then
there must be a full jury of twelve,
and the verdict must be unanimous.
In cases where the punishment may
not be at hard labor, the trial Is to be
by the Judge without jury. The new
system is to have a test of seven
years, and if by that time it is found
to be no Improvement. the former
method will be, resorted to again.
THE COMING OF THE SOCIALISTS.
Oakland Enquirer: The question,
whatswi1l become of the elements COM
posing the Peoples party throughout
the country now that the break-ups of
that organizat ton seems to be at hand,
is a timely and not unimDortant one.
The view generally taken by those
Populists who have lost faith in the
future of their party is that large
section of it, embracing all the more
radical members, will go over to the
Socialists, and we might say, basing
the assertion on the election returns.
that considerable part of the Popu-
lists has already gone over. In many
parts of the country the Socialists ex
perienced quite little. boom. In Cali
fornia, where in 1896 the Socialist
Labor candidate for President p0lled
only 1,611 votes, the Socialist vote this
year will be several thousand. In San
Francisco ,331 votes were given to
Hartman for Governor, and in Ala
media County about 500 In Los An
geles the Socialist vote showed an in
crease of 100 per cent. The gains of
the Socialists in the Eastern States
were still more remarkable. In Mas
sachusetts they cast 10000 or $4,000
votes and elected two members of the
Legislature. In Connecticut they cast
several thousand votes and outvoted
the Prohibitionists, while from other
States we have similar reports. All
of these signs indicate that the next
third-party boom which the country
will see is going to be that Of the So
cialists. The disintegration OF the
Populists. which had only begun in the
recent election, will be complete by
1900. and then the Socialist vote In the
country will mount UP into the hun
dreds of thousands, or perhaps reach
a million. The nation will see for the
first time numerous Socialist members
of Legislatures and Of City Councils,
and possibly a few Socialist Congress
men. How far the Socialist move will
go in the United States no prophet is
wise enough to predict with certainty,
but 1t is reasonable to believe 1t Will
never carry a national election. So
cialism and the American spirit do not
go well together There is in the rep
resentative American sense of indi-
viduality and spirit of adventure
which viii long operate as a bar
against any commanding development
of Socialism. The recent vote does
not prove that there are more Socialists