Year: 1879

The curse of Kearneysm has come home to
roost The new Constitution of California,
that strange compound of feudal tyranny
and Sand Lots lawlessness, has been adopted
by a majority of several thousand votes, IN
spite of the opposition of two-thlrds OF the
press of the State and of great number OF
responsible citizens, including most OF the mer-
chants of San Francisco. CuTiOusly enough,
however, it is the failure of that city to cast the
vote against the Constitution. which was ex-
pected, that has served, with the solid farmer
vote in the country, to secure majority Tor
the Constitution. This result IS wholly uh-
expected, quite as much so in California
as throughout the country. All the decent
prophets on the Pacific coast are discomiited'
and the political devil is loose.


A few provisions of this extraordinary In
strument will go into effect upon the Fourth
of July next, but the mass of it does not be-
come law until January 1, 1850. After that
day, it will be unlawful for any corporation
organized under the laws of the State to en-
ploy Chinaman IN any capacity, directly OF
indirectly, and unlawful also for poor
All Sin to be employed upon any
public work, whether of the State,
or of any county or city, except as convict
All contracts for cody labor, formed alter
that date will be void and all contracts Tor
the importation of such labor are made un-
lawful. The Legislature will proceed to del
egatc to the cities and towns all the neces-
sary authority for the removal of the Chinese
from the municipal limits, or to coniine them
within certain quarters of the cities and
towns. The Legislature is even directed to
prohibit the introduction of Chinese into the
State. There is plenty of work for the courts
in these provisions.


The lot of the poor Mongolian Will be hard
one under the new Constitution OF California
but it may well be asked whether the Cauca-
sian will fare much better. The excellent let
ter from Mr. David A. Wells, which we
printed the other day, showed what reckless
and oppressive system OF taxation the new
law will inauguTate. During the year 1880,
all adults male and female, capable OF mold
ing property-which means about One-half OF
the population of CalifOna-wiil be re-
quired to make out under oath
statement of all their property, including-if
the law is strictly enfOrced-the very clothes
they wear while making it, Merchants will be
taxed both on their cargOcs and their bills OF
lading a receipt for grain will be taxed, and
the grain also a leasehold will be taxed, and
the land also. The taX-gatherer will lay
heavy hand Oh corporations, and will pass by
individual capitalists engaged in precisely the
same business. Corporate capital is taxed
over and over again, and yet curiOusy
enough. that other black beast of
Kearneyism, the mortgage, virtually es-
capes through the clumsness of the at
tempts made to Over-tax it. 1t seems
strangely out of place to find in this instru-
ment some most excellent features but here
they are-the veto power over items in ap-
propriation bills, a breathing-space after
legislative session, in which the Governor
may act upon bills and some others. But it
is not likely that the new Constitution will
stand. Ii can hardly be that a civilized peO-
pie viii be content to 1--we under it.