The San Francisco call., 1907-01-22
Press of the State Denounces
the Patronage Thievery

I inc on fine subject OF graft. And Demo
Gratis need not charge the act 70 ras-
cafly Republicans 50 long as the
minority Joins IN the raid proposed oy
the party in power IL IS not III Z pos
tion to call the kettle black But Is ~
not most fndefensible, this -nultiplica-
zion Of the legislative membership 0y
three IN order to furnish per dleIn 20
an army OF useless attaches ana tnus
Epay off political debts?-Napa Register
The California Legislature is in ses-
sion and the people will be on the
rack until IL adjourns. The Southern
Pacific machine Is in complete eontrol
and it is supposed that everything mas
Z been fabricated sufficiently 10 nave
harmonious session ihers So.
/ things that were promised in the plat
I forms of both parties but awning
detrimental to the man behind the
machine will meet with cold favor.
The people put them there and those
who voted for the Southern Pacific
ticket should take their medicine
neutrality-suspicious. Journal
| The California press has been prac-
/ tfcaIly unanimous in denouncing the
shameful steal OF public money In
volved in placing a horde Of useless
attaches on the payrolls OF the Legs
lature But few OF them are
ever actually present. save when the
I payrolls are being signed. and many
/ are never seen save at that time, FOR
they do no work whatever.
/ If at every session a number OF mem
bers would sternly set their faces
against such robbery Of the public, IN
/ der the guise OF employing attaches.
I and absolutely refuse to touch any or
the DOODLE the example could not De
/ lost. and in the course OF time a sweep
\ ing reform might be had--Saeramento
/ Bee.
I Every one who has been about legis-
Iative halls knows that under the guise
/ of paying out money for cleTK hire
/ a biennial raid is made on the state
/ treasury. and the loot is appOrtioned
under the name OF patronage
/ If candidates Cor legislative honors are
going to conduct their individual cam
paign with the expectation OF reward
/ ing all hangers-on through state ap-
propriation legalized by their own
votes. what is the limit. and where Is
it going to stop?-Pasadena News.
Those six lone Democrats in the As
sembly were as greedy for little OF
/ the patronage as the seventy-odd Re
publicans. They reached for a chance
/ 10 distribute $13 a day for attaches
with the greatest eagerness- The ques-
tion of right or wrong being eAminat-
4 ed. here was an opportunity to do some
\ sane and effective politics. but appar-
/ entity the six could not rise to the oc-
casion.-Bakersheld Californian.
! Of course the Legislature will not
pay the slightest heed to the recon-
mendation of the retiring Governor
that the railroad commission be abol
ished. 1t is unreasonable TO expect
that a party which will deliberately
increase the patronage OF each Senator
TO s25 a day will separate itself from
a sinecure that yields more than $15.-
Is it not about time to hold another
/ constitutional convention? The rob-
/ berry complained OF will never end un-
\ der the present State constitution.
Could the Senator's and Assemblymen
pay themselves from SIS 70 $50 a day
each they would undoubtedly do so
/ Not more than dozen OF them expect
I 10 be reelected. and the motto is.
/ Rake her. boys; rake her.'-Santa
/ Cruz Sentinel
/ Instead of being an Improvement on
i the Legislature of two years ago in
the matter Of square-toed honesty the
present bunch seems likely TO break
all records for indecency in hlchinE
money from the State treasury-and
/ otherwise.-Los Angeles Herald.
/ Altogether there will be something
/ like 500 attaches on the legislative
/ payroll this winter and they will
/ cost the State at least S125.00O.
The whole business is a piece OF gross
/ and inexcusable extrava gance; but no
/ Legislature has yet had the courage
/ to lop OF the useless attaches and put
/ the clerical work OF the two housas
+ on business basis. California
seems to have acquired the attach4
habit in a very extreme form. and the
/ only way a cure can be effected Is to
/ elect a good bunch OF members to the
I Senate and Assembly who will use the
/ ak and use 1t freely on this patronage
/ payroll.-Riverside Press.
/ The State Senators and AssembIymen
/ at Sacramento have proceeded to raid
/ the public treasury in the old. old
way. This is an evil in our
State government Of long standing
and it seems to thrive with age as
/ each year the patronage graft is IN
/ creased and the dear people must foot
the bilIs.-Sebastopol Times.