The record-union., 1899-01-23

=
ing machine, upon the State at heavy
cost is not a reason against all use Of
ballot machines" Practical machines
are made, and the State would save
money by adopting the best, after MAX
ing an honest. test and safeguarding
the transaction against the machina-
tions Of political boodlers.
THE DAKOTA EXPERIMENT.
Oakland Enquirer: Prospectively the
best feature of the initiative and refer
|endum in an American State is that It
will promote thoroughness Of discussion
before the people, since everybody who
has measure to pass will realize that,
instead of going to the Legislature and
eoaxing hundred and fifty men,, he
must convince a majority of the people
and that he cannot do this until the
principles OF his measure are thorough
ly understood. The result will be to
minimize the Importance of electing
certain men rather than other men as
members of the Legislature and to
magnify the Importance Of exhaustive
popular discussion
A GOVERNORS MANSION.
Colusa Sun: There is again talk of
a Governors mansion to be erected by
the State at Sacramento, and we can
see no good reason why it should not
be done. The only objection has been
that we occasionally elect a man for
Governor who would not be able to
live in fine mansion finely furnished,
but we do not acknowledge the force
of the objection. 1t is, or used to be,
a great honor to be Governor of so
great a State as California, and no
one should seek to make money out of
the Office. If a mansion is furnished
by the State, then the poorer man
may live in it for his salary, and If
he does not go out rich in money he
can go out rich in honor, which is bet
ter. Any Governor is expected to live
in some better style than the ordinary
citizen, and the poorer man has no
show to do so if he must rent a house
at ell suitable for a Governor. We
understand that the Governor-elect has
rented a house at $3.50 a month This
is half his salary. Now, who believes
he can get off with the other half?
Then, what poor man will want to fol-
low him in the Office? If the house
We're furnished it might be possible for
a man to maintain the dignity of the
Office for $1,000 or $4,000.
BUTTE COUNTY ORANGES.
Napa Register: Naval oranges from
Oroville Butte County, are on sale at
fruit stands in Los Angeles. This sur
prises no one familiar with the fact
that fruit grown in the northern citrus
belt natures several weeks earlier than
that grown south of Tehachapi.
DROP IT.
Marysville Appeal: In view of the
fact that various associations of ex-
Confederate soldiers have emphatically
resolved that they do not desire and
will not accept pensions from the Gov
ernment, would it not be as well to
drop the subject? Especially when
neither Congress nor the President have
any right under the Constitution to give
these pensions, and wouldn't it they
could, under the circumstances.
THE FEDERAL TREASURY.
.Yreka Journal: The condition of the
United States: Treasury now and one
year ago furnishes an object lesson to
the world of the almost linitless finan-
ciaI resources of this country Most
nations emerge from a war with their
finances in a more or less crippled con-
dition. Not 50 with this country. We
fought victorious war, all on a cash
basis, and we have a cash balance in
our Treasury of about so, 100000 more
than we had one yeart ago. Here are
the exact figures, which will arouse the
envy of the richest nations of the
world: Cash balance on hand January
!, 1898. S235, Al, ,769; cash balance on
hand January /, 1899, 1920, 100000