The San Francisco call., 1898-08-18
THE FUSION CONVENTION.

A STUDY of the proceedings of the Democratic / \ convention at Sacramento presents It as meeting held to ratify the nominations all ready made by wing of the Popullsts and the dstri button of offices arranged by the State committees o the Populists and Silver Democrats and Republicans The convention is not, therefore, a body met to deliberate upon matters of principle to present high issues of living force to the people tor judgment. About nine men, representing the three State com mittees had decided upon the nominees and the al lotment of the offices and all that the convention had left to it was action upon its organization AS this was its sole part in the play, its energies, all of the pentup oraory that is usually kept in hot storage, were spent upon such petty questions as the tempo rary and permanent oficiary of the body itself. Inn passioned oratory was emitted upon the grave sub feet of whether delegate having been offered rail road pass, which refused carried suspicion over to the candidate he might support for chairman or member of a committee. On this issue tar-and- feather speeches had to be made and had to be an swered by sapolio oratory, intended to be cleansing to the man assalled.
 No issue of principle being raised personal issues sprung up; the lie passed and re-passed between men, and 1t turned into laundry meeting for the watering of great stock of dirty linen that has been accumuating during the six months of in- trigue and plot and counterplot, made necessary in
  domination of its committee.
 The horses of the party were not in evidence, but the polo ponies there and the Popuist com mittee hand to that they kept clnched and bted, and did not back nor balk under the bur den put upon them by the Populist convention.
 There much in the convention to discourage a good citizen who looks upon parties as the expres- sion of popular government Candidates for the Su- preme bench were there logging it for nomination, with all the used to promote the ambition of town constable and the bench dragged through the mess and muss and mire irreverenty if it had been a hog yoke.
 There were no signs of that reserve which formerly made judicial candidacy seek the The office was hunted and harred like ackrabbit chased by a coyote
 In the midst of such and incidents the Dem ocratc party was transferred to the Populists Judge Magure having said that there nothing objec- tionable in the Populist platform from Democratic standpoint it was demonstrated that the Democratic standpoint had changed from that of Jefferson and Jackson Tilden and Cleveland, to make it certain that the party they led longer exists It has gone into history and anarchy communism and Populism have cast lots for its garments.
 It remains to be seen whether the party can survive a campaign and defeat Judge Mcguire "new Democracy is the fruit of attempt build
 political party on the diseases o1 society instead or upon the social health.
 It is like summoning army to consist of those who cannot pass the medical examination and filling its ranks with the physical failures thus sending forth rickets and rheumatism, dyspepsia and appen- dcitis to fight the battles of the country and uphold its flag
 As long as society s long the social diseases will be- and we upon the policy of building politi- cal institutions and public administration upon them popular government will fail will army selected s- .L-< IL. 4