The record-union., 1899-12-14
AN EXTRA SESSION.

AN EXTRA SESSION.
It is Of far less interest as to who
fills the vacant California chair in the
United States Senate than that it shall
be filled, and this States voice be heard
in the counsels affecting State and ma
tional interests. No party is entitled
to leadership that does not demonstrate
capacity for it. Failure to fill the va
cancy will be demonstration of inca
pacity to lead, and the voters in the
next election will 80 record their YER
dict.
Personal se1fishness and the small am
billions of small men must not allowed
to cheat the party of the fruits Of the
victory for which it contended, and
that it won in the last campaign. That
the reason there is a vacancy is that
small ambitions of petty men, not them
selves in candidacy before the houses.
stood in the way at the regular session
is undeniable. That the storm center
Of the contention which shamed Call
fornia in the creation of the vacancy
was in two newspaper offices is notri-
Gus. From those influences emanated
the scheme that has shamed California
by leaving her without due representa-
ton in national councils and exposes
her dearest interests to the hazard of
legislation that has small regard for our
local interests.
The Record Union" said as far back
as last February, and it repeats to-
day: The Republican party is in the
presence of a great opportunity. For
the first time in the history Of this
nation the current questions Of states
manship involve in their solution the
entire future Of the Pacific Coast States
and Territories Of our country. At last
we have a Pacific Coast question so
broadly and so distinctly drawn that
our interests in the solution are un-
mistakable. In the late campaign the
Republican party presented issues as
broad as State and national life, and
the people OF California conferred upon
it victory because of this. - The
Senatorial term of six years was the
capital prize Of that campaign. 1t was
to give the expansion policy additional
Senatorial support that Stephen M.
White was rebuked and relegated to
private life. and the Republicans placed
in a position to elect a. United States
Senator
There is still opportunity to do this;
to repair in greatest part the errors
due to the mean contentious Of small
ambitions Of smaller men to dominate
the party and dictate to it who shall
represent the State in the Senate, the
dictation being, of course in the direct
interest Of the personally selfish inter-
ests and aspirations of these men.
The people have rights in this matter
chicane of politicians who owe all they
are in political life to the people, and
the Republican party in particular. One
OF these rights, one that cannot be
punishment, is to have the seats of
the State in the Congress of the nation
filed. and filled by procedure accord
ing to the honored and traditional party
method, in which the will of the ma
jority is the chief rule of action.
California must be represented in the
Senate by two Senators. Just at this
time, when the interests Of the Pacific
Coast are at stake and most in the
thought of our people; when our COM
mercial interests are matters of ma
tional concern; when the policy of the
Federal Government, which must have
the approval Of the Senate, is to deter
mine the destiny of this and its sister
States of the coast, California needs
full representation in the Senate. What
ever prevents it will be in the nature Of
a crime. 1t is not a question, We re.
iterate, so much as to who the man
shall be, as that some man shall be
chosen who is agreed upon as the can
didate of the Republican party, and
that the Legislature in early. extra ses-
sion shall proceed to elect him. Even
then he may be late to protect by his
vote some of the most vital interests
of the State.
Mr. Goupers tells tba convention over