Los Angeles herald., 1907-01-20

TIME campaign OF grating which
has been carried on at Sacra-
mento from the opening Of the
session of the legislature almost
to the present moment is evil
IDENTIFY shocking the moral senses
of the people of the state. The willing
ness to be a CRATER runs all the way
from the worst type of newspaper re-
porter to the worst type of political
preacher. In the legislature 1t runs
from the page to the chaplain. Among
the assemblymen and senators the
members who are not heart and soul
in favor of the campaign of grating
and who are not aiding to promote
the numerous schemes are few in num-
ber.
Now while this scandal is at red heat
and the eyes of the voters of the state
are turned to Sacramento. 1t is just
as we'll for us to have a political class
meeting and for each one to rise in
turn and give his experience Now,
brethren, let us make clean breast
of 1t, and to do this 1t will be neces-
sary for us to get down in a body on
our knees and thump vigorously on
our breasts. and each one cry aloud,
"Peccavi! Mea culpa, mea magma
culpa We have sinned! 1t is all our
own fault, it is all our own most hor-
ribe fault" The legal maxim, what
a man does through others he does
himself, is applicable here, If we may
be permitted to turn from the confess
sional to the court room.
These falsely-called Legislators who
are spending their time, which really
belongs to the people, and the peoples
money, too. not to promote the well
fare of the state by the enactment of
well-drawn, well-considered and wise
legislation, but to pay their political
debts to the gang of ward heelers and
shouters to whom they stupidity imag-
inc they owe their election, are in
their seats at the state capital because
we either directly put them there, or
by neglect of duty suffered them to
be put there. Fellow citizens, that is
all there is about it,
Let us not, like children. drop nerve
less hands alongside our hips, and
weakly proclaim: I'VE could not help
it; these conditions are inherent in
our political life under present con-
ditions" Is there an intelligent and
entirely sane voter in all the state of
California who will be bold enough to
make a declaration like the above?
Our acts would seem to indicate that
that is the view we entertain of poll
tics. But will any American give ex-
preston loud enough to be heard by
the nearest of his neighbors to that
view? We sincerely hope not. Do you
not see that such a declaration is a
full and unqualified proclamation that
our laws are without force to safe
guard the commonwealth?
To err is human, and to try to un-
load our own responsibilities, especial
ly when things go wrong, on the shoul-
ders of somebody else, or on some cir
cumstance, is as old as the story of
| the parents of mankind in the Garden
of Eden. 1.-The woman gave to me-"
said Adam. "The serpent tempted
me-" said Eve. Now you know both
of these distinguished heads Of the
human race were guilty of falsehood
when they tried to shirk their respon-
sibilities and throw the blame else
where. We are just as untruthful,
just as insincere, just as unfair when
we say that it is in our politics and
not in ourselves that the Legislature
is composed of grafters.
Let US not blame others. We can
not leave the caucus, primary and
the nominating conventions to be man
aged controlled and manipulated by
a few pestiferous bosses or a COM
mittee of fifteen dominated by one,