Year: 1861

been spent in an Intellectual attempt to elect
a Speaker to the California Assembly
Whether one man is worth fifteen thousand
dollars more than another for the position
of Speaker is question of not much doubt.
A great deal depends upon the honesty and
efficiency of presiding officer. A compe-
tent chairman can shorten session and
save a vast amount of expense if he will
But whether Conness is worth 81, 900 more
than Wood, or Wood $4,000 more than
Conness, or whether Fargo is that much
preferable to his competitors, or rice UerSa,
is the important point the Assembly ought
to decide In the present aspect of parties,
and condition of the State treasury, the
question of who ought to be Speaker is one
in great degree of dollars and cents. Of
Wood we know nothing. Fargo is a prin-
ter and any man who manages a newspa-
per has to be prudent and economical
Without knowing more of the Republican
nominee for Speaker, we are led to believe
he would not willingly indulge in any ex-
travagance judging by the school in which
he has been trained. OF Conness we know
more. He favored last winter, the most
enormous monopoly scheme that was ever
concocted in the State. He was a prime
mover in all plans to increase salaries and
deplete the treasury. If report does not
belle him, he has been one of the most for
tunate in receiving more from the county
of Ell Dorado than he ever paid in taxes
Be the latter as it may, his antecedents for
economy in the use of public funds are not
favorable. Granting that he possesses the
requisite knowledge of parliamentary rules
to fill :he seat of Speaker, and passing over
his Buikhead and extravagant record, there
is another blot on his character as a Legis-
lator which by no means should be over
! looked. We undertake to say more un-
reasonable or fouler law was never proposed
than the Libel law of last winter, and Con-
ness was one of the supporters of it, dam
nable as it was and always will be. To
elect him to the Speakership is no encour-
agement to Legislator 10 establish an un-
tarnished record, but rather encourages
reckleesness if nothing worse.


While, then, the House ought to organize,
it really should not do so by the election of
Conness. We regard him as one of the
most Objectionable men in he whole body,
not on account of his ability for that is
unquestionable, but for the unsatisfactory
course he has hitherto pursued towards the
people and their rights.


a disposition seems to be evinced to eff
feet union between the two wings of the
Democracy in the settlement of the Speak
ership question, if we are to judge from the
tone of some of the debators. While every
indication in the east goes toproyc that the
breach is widening there, the hope of spols
or something else would draw the bellige-
rent wings of Democracy together here
! Nothing could be more in contrast than the
attitudes of the President and Douglas. The
war Of factions, Notwithstanding the sooth-
ing remarks of De Ia Guerra, is not over
| While Buchanan Is blubberlng like BOBBY
or praying like Pharisee, Douglas scowls
and is "spilin for fight" And these in
dications show us that parties are in great
measure soon to be dissolved. California
Legislators may patch up q compromise
between the wings of the Democracy for
the time being, but soon after the 4th of
March, when the new President shall have
declared for Union and the integrity of the
States, the conservative men of the country
will rally to his support without distinction
of party. If the members of the Legisla-
ture are desirous of changing politics and
political phases as often as possible, spell
of harmony between the Democratic wings
may do.