Year: 1876

we luOSt COTuidiiy SuuOISc luuCu
that the Alta says in regard to the


Centennial, and our representation in


Philadelphia in condemning the ac-


tion, or rather the non-action, on the


part of our last Legislature in regard


to the Centennial appropriation asked


for, but We do not accept it as just on


the part of our contemporary to lay


the blame upon the Democratic party.


The original request from the Com
missioners was for fifty thousand dol


lars, and the Senate, before whom the


bill first came, from an economical
point of view, passed bill granting
an appropriation for twenty-five thou
sand dollars. This change was sup


ported by both Democrats and Repub-
licans, and we think both were in


error in their action; but it was not a
partizan movement, for in the Senate
the original proposition, which we
think was modest, had as many ar
dent advocates among the Democrats
as among the Republican members.
Yet morbid mania for economy de-
| feated the measure. The attack upon
the Democratic party on the ground
of lack of patriotism is ungenerous
and uncalled for in the extreme. In
the Assembly the amended, or rather
the reduced proposition, was defeated,
1t is true, but many of the ablest and
most faithful of the Democratic repre-
sentatives voted in favor of the meas
ure. There were many in that body
who contended that the State could
not afford to levy tax upon the .peo-
pie to make display at Philadelphia,
and while We do not agree with that
notion, We can but commend the pub
lie spirit of many who held this opin-
ion when they offered to contribute
from their private means toward the
creation of fund for Centennial pur-
poses. The idea prevailed with the
majority that our State should be
represented, but they failed to recog-


nize the fact that the small sum of
fifty thousand dollars was but trifle
in itself, inasmuch as it would simply
be nuclues for the formation of a
proper popular contribution which


they favored. We fully agree that a
blunder has been committed, but the


error is not attributable to the Demo-
cratic party. In point of fact
California is the genuine Centennial


State. Her existence, which began


with the last quarter of the century


is living testimonial to the advance
ment Of the last hundred years, in art,


civilization, literature, commerce and


all that contributes to the well-being
of mankind. Our population is pure
ly cosmopolitan, and whether recog-
nized or not by the elder members of
the Union, she has contributed in her
brief existence moe toward the gener-
al prosperity of the world, in many
respects, than any other State during
its existence of century. Her popu-
lation is composed of the bone, sinew,
muscle and intellect that sprung from
the development of three-quarters of a
century of education. Her fields furn-
ish food for nations, as statistics will
show, in manufactures she equals the
ancient East, in art she has produced
the second finest painting that has
been exhibited to mortal gaze during
the century. Her capital has furn-
ished the means that has opened up
the wealth of our sister State in the
great "bonanza.u The seas are COW
cred with every article of production
that the enterprise of our people have
brought forth from nature. And yet
at the grand celebration of the centu-
ry, we are standing, as it were, alone,
without properrepresentation where
the eyes of the world are looking for a
demonstration of the great idea OF
American progress. The Alta is in
error in charging this grave mistake
to the Democracy; it was a common
blunder, and we are not surprised that
the friends Of progress at the East are
disa nnoi N al Of tho waut of rofriof,