The San Francisco call., 1899-05-05
GOVERNMENT IN BUSINESS.

N Los Angeles is sort OF Aaron's rod club,
called The New Democracy" which is organized
for the purpose of swallowing all the other fac
tons fragments, crowns scepters, creeds Platforms
muniments OF power and evidences OF authority in the
party.
In conformity to its high title it is new if not
fresh
There have been new movements in the party be
fore, but they simply in the form OF changes in
its drill, tactics manual OF arms and field formation.
Such was Vallandigham's Dayton PLATFORM in
which, after the war, he amnested and forgave the
Republican party and advised taking up issues of
and matters that did relate to the Civil
War, its cause continuance and result But the Los
Angeles newness is newer than anything that has
heretofore been proposed The club had announced
itself for all the new ideas in finance 1t must be
confessed that these ideas very old, have been
often tried and abandoned as unscienthc and un-
tenable But the Los Angeles club has just heard OF
them and therefore they new to it. 1t has been
known since the trogodytes rubbed sticks to-
gether and made fire that it would burn any finger
that is stuck into it. but this knowledge is new to
every child that is born and finds it out by trial
The club, however does not stop at its financial
discoveries 1t is with its childlike faith
that the stamp OF the Government turn fifty cents
worth OF property into dollars worth 1t Graves for
the form of public ownership OF public utilities On
Wednesday night he appeared before the club and
exhibited his list, whereupon the club, without leaving
its several seats amended its constitution so as to cali
for Government ownership OF telegraphs, telephones,
transportation, wharfage facilities and postal savings
banks and municipal ownership OF water, lighting and
street railroad plants
One is surprised that the club stopped with this
sumptuous programme. If there is anything neces-
sary to human existence it is food fuel and shelter
Why chase monopoly out of the freight business, run
it off the wharf and drive it away from the we'll and
the gas house and leave it monopolze tenements,
clothing and food supply?
Already the pernicous principle of the trust has
seized the prune and rasn product OF this State and
henceforth our mince pie is of the humble variety
eaten in tribute to trust and stewed prunes are
fed to us out OF the hand OF the monopoly The wool
and cotton trusts may be on our backs
and against whom have reormers said harder things
than the landlord who criminally erects houses and
wickedy rents them to the poor?
may live long and never ride on street
car, and may nightly retire by the Pickering candle
or the moonbeams misty light. But he must have
some "duds' and house to live in. One is aston
ished that the progressive Mayor paused in the mid
career of his state communist fight. He should in
clude the real utilities, without which life is impos-
and butter and beesteak Government potatoes and
gravy Let the state longer conhne its tailor bust
ness to the striped msht that cover those who serve
it nvountarily and without consideration but let it
set up as snip to all mankind and womanknd too
When lady wants taior-made suit let her file her
plan and specifications with the Secretary OF State
and receive her vestments at the hands Of Govern
ment messenger boy who travels over state rail
road and gets his pay out of the treasury.
The noble Romans did as well. The state bought
trticum and triturated in state mill and baked
loaves in state oven. and the grangers all went to
town to feed state bread, and had nothing to do
but talk politics and mash the heads OF each other
The Democracy is at Los Angeles far on the
road to the Roman plan. Can it be taken as an ac-
cident or shall it be accepted sign and portent
that there is also at Los Angeles general who has
crossed the Rubicon?
Where be the soothsayers? viii not some one bag
and unbowe gull and study the peristaltic signs Of
its interior? The new Democracy is abroad in the
land, and so other troubles. Where is Zadkie
and his almanac?