The record-union., 1898-01-03
VOICE OF The PRESS.
EXTRACTS FROM EDITORIAL
EXPRESSION.
State and Coast Opinions on Sub
jects OF Living News
Interest.


terest, will probably be precipitated in
Congress Immediately after the holiday
recess. For several weeks past oppon-
ents Of the civil service law have been
organizing and laying their plans Their
purpose is to overthrow the Act entirely,
or, failing in this, to render it practically
a nulllty. The truth is that the civil
service regulations, and the Presidents
rigid adherence to them, are gall and
Wormwood to a very large number Of
political leaders. Each extension of the
rules has embittered an increasing num-
Der OF patronage-loving politicians, In
exact proportion to the effect in with
drawing from them opportunities for
pensioning their henchmen upon the
public treasury. The idea of distribut-
ing offices on the basis of fitness can
never be anything but offensive to
spoilsn,en Of all parties; and there has
not been day since the first civil serv
i've reform rules were promulgated that
these men would not have overthrown
the Act, if they could. They see their
opportunity now in the increasing
clamor for office and the very prevalent
desire to reward political services.
SENATOR DICKINSON'S COMMIT
TEE.
| Stockton independent: Preparations
are being made in San Francisco for
the commencement on January 10th of
the work of Senator Dickenson's legisla-
tive committee which was appointed at
the last session of the Legislature and
empowered to visit the State institutions
| during the recess of the Senate. The
special committee was by resolution in
| structed to visit every institution re-
| ceiving State aid examine it's condition,
/ its needs, its accounts and everything
else connected with the management.
| The committee will make q full report
| to the next Legislature and if the work
is thoroughly and fairly done it may be
of some value in considering the de-
mands biennially made on the treasury.
There was much opposition to this innO
walton in legislative methods and it may
be expected that new legislators, when
they learn the ropes and are told of the
fun to be had in junketing trips, will give
little consideration to the recommen-
dations OF the Senate committee. The
proposed investigation can be made
profitable to the State if it is desired to
do SO, though the cost of the trips and
|
to somewhere near the grabs of the
many junlSeting committees, but it is
hoped the charge to be taxed to the State
will be made light. The legislative COM
mittee has undertaken a large task and
the cost of the inspections will be heavy
so it will be necessary to accomplish eco
nonical results if the Senators hope to
have public support in their reform
| movement.
| SAN FRANCISCO CHARTER.
| Bakersfield Echo: Something akin to
direct legislation has been having a
| trial, or at least the preliminary steps
/ thereto, in San Francisco, and the out
come will be worth watching. For some
years the body polite of San Francisco
/ has been trying to create q new organic
Act or code of laws for that city and
so far nothing but failure has resulted.
The present struggle for a new board Of
freeholders is the renewal of the same
| effort and there is grave doubts as to
whether anything comes of it. Mean
while the city is badly governed largely
because of the bad foundation on which
| her Jurisprudence is constructed.
DO WE WANT A SLICE?
| Tulare Register: We note with satis-
| faction that the Registers" suggestion
that this country should secure a port
| on the Chinese Coast is taken up by
other papers with favorable mention.
! The time is opportune and Congress
| should act The dismemberment Of
| the Chinese Empire is to be a good
| thing for the Chinese people, and as
| our trade with that people ought to
| exceed the trade of other countries SO
! ought our country to have a port on
| the western coast of the Pacific Ocean,
| have it fortified and equipped for the
! repair of American vessels whether be-
| longing to the navy or the merchant
| marine.
PELAGIC SEALING
San Jose Mercury: The President has
signed the bill prohibiting pelagic seal
| ing by Americans. The new law pro-
hibits the killing of seals by American
citizens except as they may be taken on
the Pribyloff Islands by the North
American Commercial Company. 1t also
prohibits the importation of sealskins
into the United States raw, dressed
dyed or manufactured" It is good
law, If the Government will follow it
up by knocking out with shot and shell
every Canadian schooner found engaged
| in pelagic sealing.
FlVE-DOLLAR SYMPATHY.
| Stockton Record: II there is much
genuine sympathy for Cuba in this
country as the weeping and wailing
would indicate, the opportunity is now
presented to render relief to the suf-
ferers with the assurance on the part
of this Government that all supplies
will be applied to the purpose for
which they are given. The response
to the appeal issued on Saturday should
be so liberal that no one can question
the sincerity of the sympathy ex-
pressed for the suffering revolution
ists.-Fresno Republican.
And yet our dispatches tell that
only single subscription of S5 has
been received There is a suspicion
that Secretary Sherman took cum
ming way to disarm the Jingo critics
of the Administration policy. Five
dollar sympathy makes good political
material, but would not suffice to fire
many cannons. If the sympathy fac
tories that have been so industriously
in operation for three years can't
make a better showing than this, the
subject had better be dropped
A LESSON.
Mail of Woodland. The total cisrup-
ton of the great old Chinese empire
and its division among the strong and
aggressive nations of the world is an
event that seems about to transpire.
And, coupled with 1t will be found one
Of the strongest reasons yet advanced
why the Hawaiian treaty should be