The record-union., 1899-01-23
legislative and executive branches of
the State Government. and we doubt
not that they will receive it.
A LAME DEFENSE

|. Senator White has seen fit to ex-
plain upon the floor of the Senate why
he will VOTE against the ratification Of
the peace treaty. The fact that he
felt it to be necessary to do this is in
itself sign of weakness, since the
Senator had already, and at length,
discussed the treaty and pronounced
against it. But in this instance his
explanation was directed to the express
sion of reasons why he should disobey
the instructions of the California Leg
islature
White comedies that under some cir
cumstances it is proper for the Legis-
lature coming fresh from the people
to consider Senators as agents, and
that they should in such cases follow
the instructions. He does not, however,
throw light upon the class of cases
he would permit to pass under the
custom or rule. 1t is sufficient for him
that the case of the peace treaty is not
one of them, because the Legislature
which instructs himself and Senator
Perkins is Republican Legislature.
Besides no Legislature has right, he
declares, to instruct him in matters in
volving the exercise of his conscience
or his convictions.
He thought that if State I4egisla-
ture has a right to instruct a Senator,
then with every change of State poii.i-
cal thought q Senator would find him.
self shifting from and to support of
measures. regardless of his own opin-
ions and political beliefs. That is the
sum and substance of the White argu-
nent.
The answer to it in the case in hand
is overwhelming and crushing There
was no political question in the mat
ter. The instruction was given unani-
mously, every Democrat in the two
houses voting for it. 1t relates to a
matter of public policy, the policy of
the nation of which the people of Cal
ifornia are part and parcel. As such
they ought to be heard in the councils
OF the nation, and it is therefore their
right to instruct their representatives
in such councils
If this voice of the people is silenced
in such legislative bodies, and their
name is used there to down a policy
which they uphold, advocate and de-
sire to see made effective, simply be-
cause their agent in the council holds
personal views opposed to such a poll
ICY, representative government to that
degree fails. The nearer government
can be brought to the people the bet
ter for them and the Government The
farther it is removed the worse it is.
Senator Whites position, besides be-
ing opposed to the long established GUS
tom of the country, defeats the agency
which he admits in certain sense ex-
lists. Having confessed as much. he
ought to see that the present instance
falls within that sense" because the
instruction is not partisan; it does not
rect act of a principal, a command
from the creator of an agent to that
subordinate. Senator Perkins reply
was to the point He believes his Of
fee to be. a trust which he must dis
charge as he is instructed. If this is
true representative Government, then
the people, he holds have the right to
instruct their representatives, and the
Legislature being fresh from the peo-
pie, and the creator of Senator's, has
the right to instruct them how they
wish the vote of the State to be re-
corded. I