The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-02-20
Senatorial.

(From the San Francisco Bulletin.)
The Senatorial situation in this State
is peculiar. With somewhat more than
two-to-one majority in joint conven-
ton, more than fifty Intellectual ballots
have been taken, and there are at pres
ent only remote indications of ma
terial change in the number of votes
cast for each aspirant. The fixity of
purpose displayed by the Senatorial
electors is due largely to the reckless
assaults made upon such electors as
show a disposition to make sacrifices
of personal preferences to elect a Sena-
tor by the Chronicle" and Call"
What object these papers have in pre-
venting the election of a Republican
Senator can only be conjectured. The
proprietoTs of the two papers must
know that if a Republican Senator is
not elected by the present Legislature,
Democratic Senator may be by the
succeeding Legislature. Mr.. de Young
and Mr.. Spreckels are, therefore, TAX
ing upon themselves a grave response
bility in SO exercising what influence
they possess as to prevent the election
of a Senator this year. Both the pa
pers have their roll of honor and their
roll of infamy, and a change of vote
from one Republican aspirant to an
other carries member from the roll
of honor to the roll of infamy.
There seems to be a concerted pur-
pose on the part of the two journals
to make a change from the present or
der of voting impossible. The latest
example of journalistic bulldozing is in
the case of Senator Simpson of Pasa-
dena. Mr.. Simpson voted fifty times
or more for Bulla, who would make an
excellent Senator if he could be elected,
but who can command only about thir-
teen Of the eighty-fve Republican
votes. Mr.. Simpson, a, Republican who
prefers the success of the party to that
of any particular man, changed his vote
from Bulla to Burns. The next morn
ing Simpson must have doubted his
own identity. He was held up to the
gaze of the people of the State as a
monster of depravity. From the roll of
honor he passed in an hour to the roll
of infamy. The reckless "Call,'' under
the management of a Democrat, de-
scribed Simpson as combination of
imbecility and alcoholism" He is
charged with having violated a sacred
pledge" and having covered himself
with everlasting dishonor. If the strug-
gle between parties had been close, and
Simpson had gone from his party to
the opponents, he could not have Jared
worse at the hands of the paper of the
party he would in the supposed case
have betrayed.
In the nature of things, a pledge to
give support to an aspirant in con-
test where several aspirants belonging
to one party are entered has Its easy
limit. There are four Republican as
pirants for the Senate who have a con-
siderable following. Manifestly, if all
the friends of each aspirant stay by
their first choice there can be no cleo
ton. 1t is only by sacrifice of in
dividual preference to the good of the
party that Republican Senator can
be elected. But when an elector makes
a movement in this direction he is de-
nounced as party renegade. A news
paper has right to change its politics
and some have in so doing given an
example of the highest patriotism, but
there can be only contempt for a. news
paper which seeks the defeat of the
party to which it processes allegiance.