Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937, May 25, 1900, Page 6, Image 6

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

    THE MOTTCTS'G- OREGONIAtf, FRIDAY, MA 25, 1900.
;hs x2Qomaxt
t the Poctofflce at Portland, Orefoa.
la Moond-claw matter.
TELEPHONES.
kt Bocm....lGu I Buclnea OCle....M7
IEED SUBSCRIPTION KATES.
Ill (portage prepaid). In Advaac
sthbunday, per mcsth. ...-.....u so
Lnday excepted, per year..... 7
h Sunday, per year........... w 00
per year ........ a w
pkly. per year 1 30
ekly, 3 months..................... CO
ity Subacrlbr
per week, delivered. Sundays exceptd.l5
per week, delivered. Sunday i lncluded.203
News or discussion intended for publication la
The Oregonlan should be addressed Invariably
"Editor The Oregonlan," not to the name ot
ny Individual. Letters relatlnr to advertising,
subscriptions or to any business matter should
be addressed simply "The Oregonlan."
The Oregonlan aoea not buy poems or stories
from Individuals, and cannot undertake to re
turn any manuscripts sent to It without solicita
tion. No stamps should be inclosed for this
purpose.
Puget Sound Bureau Captain A. Thompson,
office at llll Pacific avenue. Tacoma. Box 953,
Tacoma postofflce.
Eeatern Buslnees OfTle The Tribune build
ln; New Tork city; "The Itookery." Chicago:
the S. C Beckwlth spe2cl agency. New Tork.
For sale In San Pracclsco by J. K. Cooper.
70 Market street, near the Palace hotel, -and
lit Goldsmith Bros.. 230 Sutter street.
For sale In Chicago by the P. O. News Co..
SIT Dearborn street.
TODAY'S WEATHER. Increasing cloudi
ness, with showers; westerly winds.
PORTLAND, FRIDAY, MAY 25, 1000.
The issues of the Oregon election are
two:
1. Bad money or good money.
2. Pacific expansion or Pacific stag
nation. Hbthing else is at stake. Nothing
else is worth worrying about. The Re
publican nominees are, it is to be
leared, weak and imperfect human be
ings. We could all pick out more ac
ceptable men, beginning, of course,
very near home. But unfortunately
there Is no other way to support honest
money and trans-Pacific development
than to vote for these very nominees.
That is the situation that confronts
the voters of this state. Every vote
cast for a candidate in opposition to the
Republican ticket is a vote for silver
and for "anti-Imperialism."
Something like this has appeared In
these columns before, and upon each
occasion of its appearance the Fusion
papers- of the state have been observed
to Jump and howl as if hit In a vital
part. "Without pausing to reflect upon
this delicate tribute to accuracy of aim.
It Is desired now only to Invite some of
these Bryan organs to demonstrate how
a man is to advance the cause of hon
est money, and strengthen the hands
of the Government in the Pacific crisis
now confronting us, by voting for Fu
sion or Citizens or Independent candi
dates. And on this point we pause for
a reply.
If a mistake has been made In this
matte, there Is Just about time to set
It right before election day. It has
been assumed that the people of Ore
gon take pride in the achievements of
the Oregon volunteers; that they do not
relish characterization of those volun
teers as rapacious assassins, or char
acterization of their service as an en-
frprise of bloody conquest. It has
ken assumed that the farmers of Ore-
U would like wider and stabler mar
kets for their crops in Asia, that the
millers would like more sale for their
Hour, the brewers more sale for their
beer, the sawmills more sale for their
lumber, the factories more sale for
their manufactures, the jobbers better
markets for their wares. It has been
assumed that all these understand and
appreciate the advantage of the Phil
ippines as a gateway into Asia, the
advantage of a larger Pacific Navy,
l& larger Pacific merchant marine, more
-locks in every Pacific Coast seaport
Iwarming with incoming and outgoing
earners, more trains on all the Pacific
llroads giving employment to thou
Lds of employes. It has been as
hed that the men of Oregon will wel-
e the opportunity to assure the
rntry that the two steps to this end,
;old standard and Pacific expansion.
to which the Government at present
stands committed, meet their ap
proval. If these assumptions are false,
there Is yet time in which the error
may. be pointed out. And here again
wo pause for a reply.
The statement that a vote against
the Republican ticket is a vote against
Pac'flc expansion always excites, as we
ha e cali. howls of rage and grleff rom
the Fusion papers. But will any of
them offer an Indemnifying bond to the
effect that in the event of a Republican
defeat no Fusion paper would greet the
result as a triumph for Bryan finance
and Bryan anti-expansion? Has any
one cf them the hardihood to deny that
a Republican defeat In Oregon would
be greeted by the entire silver and
antl-lir.perlalist press as a rebuke to
the gold standard and a rebuke to Pa
cific expansion?
If a man wants to drop the gold
standard for silver, and close the Pa
cific to American enterprise, the best
way he can do it is to knife the Repub
lican ticket June 4. A reduced Repub
lican majority or a partially defeated
ticket w ill tell the country that Oregon
is weakening on these two questions,
and that the Pacific Coast sees Iniquity
in the gold standard and wants the
Philippines abandoned. The conse
quences of such a verdict upon the
country at large and upon the destiny
of the Pacific Coast are dangerous be
yond calculation. "Whoever has any
thing at stake in this country confronts
in this choice a serious crisis. If he
trifles with the anti-Republican cause
in any shape or form, he is playing
-with fire.
Some material amendments In the
National bankruptcy law are urged
upon Congress. The chairman of the
Association of Referees In Bankruptcy
points out that the discretion of ref
erees regarding sales of property, and
of Judges regarding discharges of
bankrupts, is too much restricted. The
exemptions allowed under the home
stead acts of some states, Texas espe
cially, are altogether excessive and un
reasonable, judged by the standards
prevailing in the Eastern States. The
prolonged delays resulting from the ne
cessity cf taking appeals from hundreds
6f referees and from no less than sixty
four Judges to the Supreme Court of
the United States, give force to the
euggestlcn that a special Court of Ap
peal in bankruptcy cases should be con
stituted. Among other suggestions
lade by the association are that farm
ers and wage-earners should not be
ktempt from the application of the law.
kat corporations should be either made
bject to the law or clearly excluded,
that bankrupts guilty of palpable fraud
should be properly dealt with, and that
reasonable compensation should be al
lotted to referees and trustees. The
association declares that the law Is
worthy of amendment; that it has put
an end to the ancient abuse of prefer
ences; that It has released many debt
ors from disabilities which resulted In
no good to their creditors; that It has
prevented those about to fall from
selecting too friendly assignees; that
It has made the administration of In
solvent estates uniform; that it has re
duced controversies between debtors
and creditors one-third; and that it has
"pricked the bubble of inflated cred
its." The law, that is, is here to stay,
and the most that discontented pre
ferred creditors can hope for is its
amendment.
DnUNKEXNESS IX THE ARMY.
Much comment is Indulged upon the
recent order of the French Government
prohibiting th sale of brandy in the
army, and the prohibition of the sale
of spirits in the British Army in South
Africa, and most of It is founded in ig
norance. It Is asked why the United
States should be behind France and
England In this matter and the army
canteen be continued and our soldiers
in Manila be permitted to get drunk,
and then comes an arraignment of the
Administration. To be sure, much of
this criticism is insincere, being in
spired by politics and to be found in
papers whose editors are not beacon
lights on the heights of morality and
temperance. Yet It is .entitled to an
answer, even though the answer affect
not at all the attitude of those senti
mental degenerates who delight to be
lieve and to assert the worst possible
moral condition of their fellow-Americans
serving in the Army.
In the first place, the United States Is
not behind France and England In this
matter, but , has been in advance of
them for years. The new rule just
adopted by the French and English
Armies has been in force in the United
States Army for years. The Army reg
ulations do not permit liquor to be sold
in the canteen. Even beer and light I
wine can be sold only when specially
authorized by the commanding officer
of the post The Army of the United
States is not selling liquor. All the
whisky Its soldiers get is purchased at
saloons not located on military reserva
tions or at Army posts. "What drunk
enness there Is at Manila, or In the
Army anywhere, is due to the sale of
liquor by civilians. In this matter
France and England have just caught
up to us, and in the latter country the
rule seems to have been only adopted
locally in South Africa. Does any one
Imagine that the soldiers of France and
England, even those in Africa, cannot
procure liquor at all; that an order has
been Issued forbidding them to drink
or forbidding civilians to sell to them
when off duty? Doesany one imagine
there are no saloons In South Africa or
no brandy shops In France? Does any
body Imagine that the soldiers do not
drink liquor and become intoxicated at
these civilian resorts?
With the Army in the field, of course,
there Is no civilian saloon, and the sol
dier Is compelled by circumstances to
keep sober, unless he is able to smug
gle enough liquor into his kit to get
drunk upon. It is the same In the Phil
ippines. The soldier out in the field
gets little chance to go on a spree. But
In France, in England, In the United
States or In the Philippines, the sol
dier stationed In or near a town has
the same access to saloons that private
citizens enjoy, limited, however, by his
few opportunities to be absent from his
quarters.
There Is no regulation In the Army
against a soldier's drinking or becom
ing intoxicated, nor is there any law
preventing civilians from doing the
same things. A soldier who misbe
haves himself, whether drunk or sober,
is punished. So is a citizen, or ought
to be. A soldier who is drunk while on
duty is punished. Off duty, he is given
at least some of the freedom of Indi
vidual action enjoyed by other citizens.
The canteen was established in the
Army to lessen the tendency of the sol
dier to spend his spare time in saloons,
whero he might become Intoxicated,
and thus commit offenses for which he
must be punished. It was thought, and
practical experience has proved the
theory, that the sale of beer under
strict regulations and supervision, and
not in quantity to Intoxicate, "would re
duce the patronage of the saloons and
curtail drunkenness and court-martial
offenses In the Army.
The trouble In Manila is that the
Army is quartered right in the heart of
the city and the men have access to the
saloons too easily. We should have the
same trouble In Portland under the
same circumstances. To be sure, the
military government, being all power
ful and absolute, might prohibit the
sale of liquor In the Philippines, but the
civil government might do the same
In the United States. That Is another
question. The point The Oregonlan de
sires to make is that the Army is not
selling liquor to its soldiers, and in this
respect it Is In advance of the army
of France and England, instead of be
hind them, and that the American sol
diers In the Philippines are no bettei
nor worse than the American soldiers
in the United States.
FIATISM IX THE OPEX.
Twenty-five years ago the battle for
the Issue of unlimited greenbacks was
fought. The election of General Ruth
erford B. Hayes as Governor of Ohio In
1S75 was the turning point of that crit
ical campaign. This verdict In favor of
honest money was accepted as final
until the fall in the price of silver
brought the advocates of unlimited
cheap money again to the front. They
chose cheap money In shape of free
silver at 16 to 1 as a convenient sub
terfuge, but their ultimate purpose has
always been unlimited paper money.
In 18SC the friends of sound money
held that the demand for the free coin
age of silver was only a cover, and that
the real demand was for the restora
tion of unlimited greenbacks; that with
the right gained to coin silver freels
at the ratio of 16 to 1, the next step
would be the authorization of unlimited
greenbacks. The correctness of this
prediction is confirmed by the plat
forms adopted by both factions of the
Populists, for the "MIddle-of-the-Road"
Populists demand "a scientific and ab
solute paper money based upon the
wealth and population of the country,
not redeemable In any commodity, and
to be issued by the Government; but
until paper money is secured, free sil
ver at the ratio of 16 to 1 Is demanded."
The Bryanlte Populists demand the
free coinage of silver at 16 to L and
declared that they would never cease to
agitate until the "Lincoln greenbacks"
are restored. This Bryanlte populist
platform Is to be the model for the
Democratic platform to be framed at
Kansas City, so that the real object of
the Bryanlte Democracy is to revive
greenbackism, using the demand for
free silver' only as a cover for the ulti
mate design, which Is not free silver,
but free paper. They are not content
with the "metallic greenback"; they
want unlimited cheap paper money.
DIRECT XOHIXATIONS.
One of the most important questions
that will come before the Legislature
at Its next session will be that of a
primary law, by which the people of
the various political parties may ex
press their preference for party nomi
nees. This is a reform in election pro
cedure of more Importance than the
Australian ballot system, whose adop
tion a few years ago, after strenuous
labor against Indifference and secret
intrigue, was hailed as a great victory
for purification of the ballot. Under
our present primary system the people
have no real opportunity to express
their preference for party nominees,
and party tickets are put up and ma
nipulated In back rooms and inner of
fices by men who arrogate to them
selves the right to make selection of
candidates. The present system Is
provocative of bolts, splits and dissat
isfaction among the masses of party
voters, and has a tendency to breed In
dependent candidates, who would not
bob upso freely had their claims first
been passed upon by direct popular
vote.
An Ideal primary law Is one which
gives the adherents of each party an
opportunity to vote directly for the
party nominees for every office, from
Constable to United States Senator, In
cluding delegates to all necessary con
ventions. It should embrace the feat
ure of the new California law, which
holds the primaries of all parties at the
same time and place, a separate ballot-
box and Judges being provided for each
party, and the voter electing which box
shall receive his ballot, the voting be
ing strictly by registration, the same
as at the regular election. Under such
a law, party nominations might be
made, and each party put up for the
suffrages of the people the men who
are the strongest among the voters of
that party, and not those who make the
most satisfactory arrangements with a
few self-constituted party leaders. The
present system falls to register the will
of the people, whether tickets are nomi
nated at 'straight party conventions,
whether they are the outcome of con
ferences between different party con
ventions, or whether they are put out
by organizations or cliques of individ
uals or petition of voters. In none of
these ways do the great mass of voters
of the various parties have a real voice
in determining the persons whose
names shall appear upon the official
ballot under party designations.
Georgia has Just held a Democratic
primary somewhat upon the direct
nomination system, by which Augustus
Bacon has been chosen as the party's
preference for the United States Sen
ate, and other nominations have been
made. In speaking of this new depart
ure and its practical operation, the At
lanta Constitution says:
Tho people, in the exercise of their personal
sovereignty, have met at the ballot box with
all of the formalities attending their presence
in the statute election, and have indicated
those -whom they wish to serve them, as well
as the policies by which they wish tho future
to be guided. This departure from the haphaz
ard system. In which chance and flnesso placed
a larger part than the will of the people,
amounts to a, new era In our politics, and
marks a new Interest on the part of the people
In the affairs which concern them.
The primary Is the fountain of pure
politics. It Is the only place where the
voters have an opportunity to select
from the people at large the men they
desire to place in office. Under the
present system this fountain is defiled
and the voters are practically denied
the privilege of saying who shall be
their party nominees. A proper direct
nomination primary law would be the
longest step ever taken In Oregon
towards registering the real will of the
people at the polls.
JACK FLYXN'S LATEST.
Mr. J. T. Flynn's announcement
through the press dispatches that the
Russian Government had submitted
plans to the United States by which
the wheat prices of the world could be
dictated is interesting, coming, as it
does, at a time when the wheat mar
kets are at a low ebb all over the world.
Mr. Flynn has not yet divulged the
plan by which this "dictation" Is to
be carried to a successful conclusion,
but If any of his own economic theories
are to be engrafted on the scheme it
will bear watching. Mr. Flynn Is the
author of a political text-book which at
one time promised to divide honors
with Coin's Financial Shcool, and his
financial theories generally are not un
like those of the man -who demon
strates (by words) that he can lift him
self over a fence by a strong upward
pulj on his bootstraps.
The wheat market, by perfecting
such a combination, could be "lifted,"
no doubt, to the entire satisfaction of
every graingrower. But that prices
can be advanced by any combination
of men or countries, so that the perma
nent effect will prove beneficial to
growers. Is a matter of doubt. The
withdrawal of all of the grain produced
In America and Russia from the mar
ket would send prices soaring skyward,
and so long as this wheat was kept off
the market the growers of other coun
tries would receive record-breaking
prices for their crops. The object of
this Russo-American alliance, however,
is apparently to benefit the American
grower, and If he could not sell his
wheat It is not altogether plain where
he -would gain a direct benefit through
assisting in advancing prices for the
rest of the world.
Mr. Lelter, of Chicago, came the near
est to making a success of an attempt
to corner the markets of the world, and
as long as his money lasted he kept
prices moving upward, but the moment
he attempted to unload the market
broke and left him "up In the air."
Practically the same results, or pos
sibly worse ones, would follow an at
tempt to take all of the wheat of two
such countries as America and Russia
from the market. Not only would
there be a reaction In prices as soon
as an attempt was made to sell, but
the growers would find that in elevat
ing prices for the rest of the world out
side the combine they had driven a
large number of the consumers to using
cheaper food, and the demand would be
more restricted than ever. Supply and
demand regulates the price of wheat,
and even the famous Lelter deal, with
all of its millions behind it, would not
have achieved even the partial suc
cess which it seemed to enjoy for a
time, had it not been sprung on the
public when the world's wheat stocks
were at the lowest ebb and poor crops
were the rule everywhere.
The course of the wheat markets for
the past two years shows plainly that
there are people all over the world who
are willing to sell wheat at the price
now prevailing, and until some of them
become weary of growing wheat at
these prices and retire from the busi
ness, nothing but famine and bad crops
will cause an improvement In the mar
ket. Old World stocks are somewhat
scanty at the present time, when com
pared with those of former years, but
this is one of the results of modern
methods. Steam and the electric tele
graph have brought the granaries of
the world within easy access of the
consuming markets of. the Old World,
and It is no longer possible to frighten
them with the bogle of low stocks. The
only method by which the Russo-
American scheme could attain a great
measure of success would be In prohib
iting a- certain, percentage of the farm
ers of the two countries from raising
wheat. Even this has its drawbacks.
It might cause a bigger howl than Is
now going up over the low prices of
wheat.
The gross negligence shown by the
authorities at Seattle in permitting a
steamer to leave port In such an over
loaded condition as was the Aberdeen
Is nothing short of criminal. The
steamer may reach Nome with her
closely huddled human cargo, but If
she does it will be through a special
dispensation of Providence. The Aber
deen is well known in this port, and
people familiar with her diminutive
proportions and cramped quarters read
with wonder that 268 passengers and
sixty head of stock had found even
standing room aboard of her. The con
fession of guilt by the agents of the
vessel could not be more open. The
alacrity with which they refunded the
passage money of the fortunate few
who left the vessel at Clallam Bay, to
gether with a small remuneration for
their trouble. Is all the proof that is
needed to show that they had been
guilty of an outrage In selling so great
a number of tickets In excess of the ca
pacity ot the vessel. The negligence of
the Inspectors who connived at the ras
cality of the Aberdeen's agents Is all
the more reprehensible when the per
sonality of the victims Is considered.
A very large proportion of the gold
hunters now rushing northward are
people whose lives have been spent far
inland, away from the ocean and lt3
perils. They accordingly have not the
slightest knowledge of the dangers to
which they are being subjected by the
men who regard human life so lightly.
Unless the authorities on Puget Sound
awake to a realization of the duty be
fore them, we may expect to hear of
some ocean tragedies which will startle
the Nation, and for which all of the
gold in Alaska will not make amends.
While the rush to Nome now fairly
under way has something of the heed
less character of a stampede common
to all mining excitement, a degree of
deliberation in getting ready for the
start and of care in providing them
selves with appliances for their com
fort, and for the vocations in which
they expect to engage, is noticeable
among those outward bound from this
city that was almost entirely absent
In the Klondike rush of several years
ago. Men now realize that they can
not meet the conditions of mining in
the Arctic region barehanded, nor force
the deliberate movement of the Arctic
Spring. While the exodus of goldhunt
ers from this and other Pacific Coast
ports for Cape Nome will, within the
next few weeks, be tremendous, there
Is substantial proof In the heavy freight
lists of vessels .engaged In this traffic
that they are sensible of the fact that
when they reach Cape Nome they will
be a long distance from the markets
of the world, and will need a good
many things that are not among the
products of the Arctic zone.
Including the permanent annual ap
propriations, Congress will provide for
the expenses of the Government for the
next fiscal year the sum, approximate
ly, of 5710.000,000. An Increase Is noted
all along the line. For the Indian serv
ice, for pensions deficiencies, for diplo
matic and consular service, for the
legislative, judicial and executive ex
penses of the Government, for the Mili
tary Academy, for fortifications, for
the Army and Navy, for tho postal
service, for the Improvement of rivers
and harbors, more money is to be
given than for the present year, the
aggregate Increase being about $37,000,
000. There Is evidence, however, that
the items have been carefully scanned,
the Increase being, for the most part,
demanded by National growth, the re
quirements of which must be met.
A bill Is pending before the Massa
chusetts Legislature which provides
that no one shall sell or expose for sale
any firecrackers more than four Inches
long and three-quarters of an Inch in
diameter; or any firecrackers contain
ing dynamite or other high explosive
other than gunpowder. This bill is
aimed at the giant or cannon cracker,
whoso introduction Is responsible for
the large Increase of accidents at
Fourth of July celebrations In recent
yean:. The Commissioners of the Dis
trict of Columbia have prohibited the
sale or use of this giant cracker. Any
person caught in. the act of firing this
giant cracker on the Fourth of, July
next in Washington, D. C, will be ar
rested and kept in confinement until
the holiday Is over. ,
It is seriously proposed to run James
J. Corbett for Congress In the Twelfth
New York City District, now repre
sented by George B. McClellan, son of
the General. The. prizefighter John
Morrlssey, who defeated Yankee Sulli
van and John C. Heenan, was elected a
member of the fortieth and forty-first
Congresses after he left the prizerlng
and became proprietor of two gambling-houses
and owner of Saratoga
racetrack. A prizefighter, named Gully,
was once elected a member of the Brit
ish House of Commons.
The late ex-United States Senator
Hill, of Colorado, was an advocate of
the free coinage of silver at 16 to L
His education at Brown University,
where he was professor -of chemistry
for several years, of course, taught him
better than to be a believer In the gos
pel of dishonest money, but when a
man is anxious to be elected United
States Senator from a silver-mining
state he Is apt to consult his sense of
personal self-interest rather than his
scholastic intelligence.
Senator Hale, on the floor of the Sen
ate, speaks of the American rule in
Cuba as "fraud, peculation, cheating,
appropriation of revenues, stealing, a
carnival in every direction of corrup
tion and fraud," all based upon the
postal frauds engineered by Neely.
Somehow, in Oregon, the Impression
prevails that It takes more than one
merry-maker to make a whole carni
val. Moderation of speech seems to be
a lost art with the antls.
There is a trade union In Philadel
phia, the Brotherhood of Carpenters,
which works willingly with mechanics
who prefer not to be members of a
union. The Brotherhood of Carpenters
Is what a labor union was originally in
tended to be, a benevolent organization
formed to help its own, not to hurt oth
ers. Must Dr. Leyds account to Kruger
for every time he treated a European
diplomat to a glass of beer? An ordi
nary American drummer has more lat
itude than that from his employer. To
whom does Kruger account for the
profits on his dynamite monopoly?
It requires no assurance from Sec
retary Long that the Buffalo, Essex
and Lancaster are not being sent to
European waters as a threat to Tur
key. The wonder Is that such vessels
are even permitted to be seen in Euro
pean ports as samples of the new
American Navy.
It Is noted in the dispatches that a
friendly spirit prevailed during a dis
cussion of creed revision at the General
Assembly, Wednesday. That Is. fortu
nate, because the St. Louis police are
kept busy with the street-car strike.
The halls of Congress give back the
echoing sounds of sonorous sentences,
and then the Government printing
presses set to work on them. There
must be campaign material in abun
dance if the whole business of legisla
tion has to stop.
Agonclllo has killed off 500 more
Americans by special cable. Would It
not be well for the Democrats to enlist
his powerful aid In reducing the Army?
How long Is It going to take the Boer
commissioners to estimate crocodile
tears at their real value?
Transvaal Before the Jameson Raid.
Thomas B. Shearman In The North American
Review.
As It is untruly pretended that the com
plaints of foreigners relate to regulations
Introduced since the Jameson raid of De
cember, 1S93, we confine our -statements to
the condition of things as they were before
the Jameson raid was thought of. No
local municipal government of any kind
was allowed. The City of Johannesburg,
with 60.000 Inhabitants, was not merely
not allowed to elect a municipal govern
ment. It was not allowed to have any,
whether elected or appointed. Everything
had to be referred to President Kruger
and his First Raad. Every Boer was com
pelled to keep a rifle, and no foreigner was
permitted to' have one. No Roman Cath
olic or Jew was allowed to vote or to hold
office; and for a iong time not even a
Protestant was allowed to vote, unless he
belonged to the orthodox Dutch Church.
Although two-thirds of the residents of
the Transvaal could neither speak nor un
derstand the Dutch language, and al
though all educated residents understood
the Enellsh language, yet English and
American children were forced to learn
Dutch, to the exclusion of English; while
the use of any other language than Dutoh
In the courts or In any official proceedings
was strictly prohibited.
It frequently happened that the Judges,
all the counsel, and all the witnesses un
derstood English better than Dutch, and
that the technical phrases upon which the
Issue turned were in English, and could
not be expressed correctly in Dutch. Nev
ertheless, everybody In court was com
pelled either to talk In Dutch, or, having
spoken in English, to listen while hl3 lan
guage was mangled by a Dutch Interpre
ter. Occasionally a Judge so far forgot
himself as to allow a case to be stated to.
him In English, where both parties spoke
English only. For this ho was promptly
punished by a fine, and threatened with
removal if he repeated tho offense. A
Judge of tho highest court was called
upon to decide a controversy between an
American resident and the Transvaal Gov
ernment. Being an honest man, he made
a preliminary decision In favor of the
American; whereupon President Kruger
promptly caused his removal from office,
and passed a law forbidding any similar
case ever to be brought Into court. Find
ing that upon another question the major
ity of the highest court would not accept
his dictation, President Kruger caused the
court to be abolished and fresh Judges
substituted of a more subservient nature.
An Immediate Xaval Xeed.
The Forum.
There is no question In connection with
the Navy which deserves more careful
consideration than that of a proper sup
ply of seamen. We have very few, if
any, native watermen now to call upon;
and while the state governments are in
a measure endeavoring to meet this want
by their Naval Militia organizations, Con
gress should Increase by at least 10,000
men the present limit of enlistment, and
continue to encourage the Naval Reserve
force by liberal appropriations and assign
ments of war material.
While the enormous Increase in our pop
ulation has not in any way diminished the
fear of some of our people that a hand
ful of the rank and file of the United
States Army and Navy may follow the
precedents of history and usurp the reins
of government, our constantly Increasing
wealth has seriously augmented the dan
ger of rupture with other nations. And
while there is not the least doubt of the
ultimate success of any war Into which
It may be our misfortune to be drawn,
we must not lose sight of the fact that not
every conflict will be as short and victori
ous as the recent one, but that immense
damage to our property and great loss ot
life may result before final victory. One
of the most pertinent assignments of the
Naval Militia Is to coast and harbor de
fense. Had the demands and petitions for
a proper-sized Naval Reserve been heed
ed, and a force averaging 1000 men per
state been authorized, batteries of them.
Instructed by the regular artillery in time
of peace, would have provided a splendid
seacoast defense force, which, with sub
marine torpedo-boats, would have released
the regular artillery and the northern
squadrons for Immediate service in the
West Indies.
i
President Krngcr.
Harper's Magazine.
For two full minutes I stood there look
ing at the man whom the historian of
the world may some day class as among
the few men whose names signify decades
of history that have changed the politi
cal trend of the world. Although that
may not be true, he was the man whose
name was attracting more attention
throughout the whole world at the time
than that of any other individual. He was
sitting In a big chair at the corner of
the table. I could only see his back and
prome; nis masstve snouiaere were
stooped, and his head was bent forward
on his breast. He was wearing a pair of
blue goggles with close-fitting screens to
protect his eyes from dust. His iron
gray hair was combed directly back from
his forehead over his head to his collar.
Once seen, his face could never be for
gotten. I have never seen any other like
It In pictures or among living men. That
face Is a prototype of Oom Paul's char
acter. From what I saw, and from what
I have heard from men who have known
him nearly all his life, there Is no coun
terpart of bis character in the world.
A SOCIALIST BUBBLE PRICKED.
In a little booklet recently published,
entitled "Other People's Money," Robert
P. Porter tells ot a movement In England
against municipal ownership, which rudely
shatters the claims of the advocates of
the movement in the United States. It ap
pears that In over 100 instances local au
thorities in England have obtained and
are holding "provisional orders" granted
by Parliament for electric lighting, etc.,
without doing anything to carry the pow
ers into effect- Dog-in-the-manger-like,
these powers have "been taken to keep
private and individual effort out, and the
natural result is to retard enterprise and
stop the progress of the towns. Further,
it is saldUthat the English municipalities,
not content with going into the business of
supplying water, light and transportation,
are seeking power to branch out into other
trades. No less than 70 municipalities
have applied either to Parliament or the
Board of Trade for power to trade in elec
trical fittings, thus coming actually Into
competition with private manufacturers,
and in addition to that a large number of
bills are before Parliament from muni
cipalities seeking to become trading cor
porations. In one case the application was
to manufacture and sell paving and paving
materials; In another to supply cold stor
age. In a third to do a fire Insurance
business, and in a fourth case, to transact
a patent office business. In all these en
terprises the wretched ratepayer will be
called upon to pay whether the business
is successful or not. The local debt of
England and Wales represents the enor
mous sum of $1,260,000,000, over half of
which represents various trading plants,
which may or may not be worth the or
iginal capital Invested therein.
Not only have municipalities obtained
"provisional orders" in order to prevent
individuals from entering the field of com
petition, but they have an organization
known as the Municipal Corporation As
sociation, formed to oppose all efforts on
the part of private enterprise to extend
the services or lower the prlce This body
raises Its funds for such extarordinary
proceedings by a rateable levy over the
whole of the affected towns, so that, al
though ostensibly preserving Its local
character, the opposition Is centralized.
Thus the-North of Scotland and the South
of Ireland are whipped Into line to defeat
measures .which would be ot immense
value to Lancaster, York and some of
the Midland counties. This powerful or
ganization, equipped with learned coun
sel and a well-organized lobby In Parlia
ment, is the barrier against the initiation
of individual enterprise, and the risk of
having to face such an opposition practi
cally debars even the attempt. The tax
payers and commercial bodies of England
are up in arms against this scheme for
the suppression of fair dealing by the un
limited enlargement of the functions of
government, and on April 15, 1SO0, tha
English House of Commons, by a majori'y
of 141 against 67, voted for the appoint
ment of a joint committee of both houses
of Parliament to Inquire Into the ques
tion of municipal trading. The London
Times in an editorial on this subject says:
It is hoped by the Government and by the
supporters of the proposal generally that the
joint committee will be able to lay down soma
general rules which will put an end to what
Mr. Balfour has condemned as "random deal
ing with great Interest." No one desires to
prevent the extension of municipal work, under
reasonable conditions, where It is shown that
the public needs are not otherwise supplied.
The evil that has to be guarded against is that
of ambitious projects entered upon without anj
real neceaslty. Involving waste of the rate
payers money, the creation ot new places and
salaries, the Increase of a privileged class ot
workmen, and the total exclusion of private
and competitive effort.
These faots are given as a warning to
American ratepayers against the fiction
spread all over the United States as to
the gratifying results of municipal owner
ship In the United Kingdom. Including
Glasgow, there Is not a single such en
terprise In England which has given, or,
under present conditions of operation, can
give as good and as satisfactory results
to the community as can be obtained by
properly regulated industrial manage
ment. General
Schoficld'M Estimate of
Grant.
General Schofield is the only survivor of
the distinguished subordinates of General
Grant In his last great campaign of ZS65.
General Schofield was a fine scholar at
West Point, a severe student of the science
of war, and so able a soldier In the field
that his great ability won the warmest
praise from both Grant and Sherman. In
his "Forty-Six Years in the Army," pub
lished In 1S37, General Schofield gives an
admirable estimate of Grant's military
character, from which the following is
an extract:
Grant possessed that higher moral courags
Rhich Is undisturbed by excitement or pas
sion in a greater degree than any other com
mander of our time; and Longstreet agrees
with this Judgment, confessing that Lee some
times "lost his head through a strain of
hereditary pugnacity, as he did- at Gettysburg.
Grant's most extraordinary quality was
the extreme simplicity of his character,
which is one of the most prominent at
tributes of greatness.
The greatest of all the traits of Grant's
character was his moral and intellectual
integrity, sincerity, veracity and justice.
He was incapable of any attempt to de
ceive anybody, and, above all, was Inca
pable of deceiving himself. He possessed
that rarest of all human faculties, the
power of a perfectly accurate estimate of
himself, uninfluenced by pride, ambition,
flattery or self-interest. Grant was very
far from being a modest man, but his just
self-esteem was as far above modesty as
It was above flattery. The highest praise
he accepted for what he believed it was
worth; it did not disturb his equilibrium
in the slightest degree. While he knew hlb
own merits, he also knew his own Imper
fections. When Grant's attention wad
called to any mistake ho had committed
he could see It and admit it Is quickly
and unreservedly as if it had been made
by anybody else; his love of truth and
Justice was so far above all personal
considerations that he showed gratification
when any error Into which he might have
fallen was corrected. While Grant was to
tally without any false pride of opinion
or of knowledge, no man could be firmer
than he In adherence to his mature judg
ment or more earnest, on proper occa
sions, to make it understood that his opin
ion was his own and not Dorrowed from
anybody else. His pride .In his own ma
ture opinion was very great; in that he
was far as possible from being a modest
man. This absolute confidence In hta own
Judgment upon any subject which he had
mastered and the moral courage to take
upon himself alone the hJghest responsi
bility and to demand full authority and
freedom, to act on It according to his
own Judgment, without Interference from
anybody, added to his accurate estimate
of his own ability and his clear perception
ot the necessity of unrestricted author
ity and responsibility In the conduct of
military operations, constituted the founda
tion of the very great character of Grant,
a very great man, the only one of our
own time, so far as can be known, who
possessed both the character and the mil
itary ability which were, under the circum
stances, Indispensable In the commander
of the armies which were to suppress the
great rebellion.
Grant, like Lincoln, was a typical Amer
ican, and of the highest type, for the sol
diers and the people saw In Grant and in
Lincoln the personification of their high
est Ideal of a citizen, a soldier or states
man, a man whose greatness they could
see and understand as plainly as anything
else under the sun.
Matchless courage and composure In the
most critical hour of a doubtful and des
perate battle, magnanimity In the hour of
victory, and moral courage to compel all
others to respect his plighted faith to
those who had surrendered to him,
were the crowning glories of Grant's character
K0TE AxND COMMENT. f
If there is anything in a name, Martin.
Maginnls of Montana, Is a Corker.
Hark from the tom6. Joubert Is repoftedr
a3 pleading for American Intervention.
Agonclllo's name begins with the same
letter as Ananias' and there are othen?'
similarities. -f
Is Richard Harding Davis in south Af
rica? And If he is, why doesn't he square:
himself with the censor?
Jupiter Pluvlus oughtn't to make sucn.
a fuss just because a few of us put on. '
our last year's straw hats.
Tho candidate who coughs up his money
Is usually obliged the day after election
to swallow his disappointment.
Now Jim Corbett wants to go tb Cong- r
ress. These prizefighters always think,,
there Is one more fight left in them.
Though Clark may not be Senator,
Although he has tho price, (
Consoling thought: This Summer ha
Can buy a little ice. i
A man has been fined $10 for calling a '
Chicago lawyer a lobster, but he need not ,
worry. Truth crushed to earth will, rise
again.
If the Knnsas City hotel men keep oa.
bulling rates, the delegates to the Demo
cratic Convention will have to sleep on
the party platform.
No need to groan.
If your boy's In Nome,
Tou know right whero to And him;
Just let him alone.
And he'll come home.
And leave his coin behind blm.
England may be all the Angiophoblans
say of It, but it hasn't any party that lb
passing resolutions of sympathy for the
enemies of tho country-
The truly poor ner of the Senate, that
Is, tho men who have scarcely anything
above their salary of JC000 are: Allen oC
Nebraska, Bate of Tennessee, Berry ot
Arkansas, Beve.if'ge of Indiana, Burrows '
of Missouri, Tillman of South Carolina,
Chilton of Texas, Clay of Georgia, Onok
rell ot Missouri, Cullom ot Illinois, Deoc e
ot Kentucky, Heitfeld of Idaho, Jones of
Arkansas, Kenny of Delaware, Kyle ot
South Dakota, Lindsay of Kentucky, Vest
of Missouri Tillman of South Carcltiia.
Shoup of Idaho, Prltchard of North Car
olina, Mason of Illinois, Morgan of Ala
bama, Mallory of Florida, McCumber ot
North Dakota and McBride of Oregon.
The late Lester Wallack once told a
story of his still more famous father,
James W-, that as either an actor or a
manager he could never tolerate tho bal
let, even where it was seemine.1 neces
sary according to castors, ns part of ar. en
tertainment or In the opera. One day
there came to him a friend, a man about
town, who said: "My dear W'Ulacc, It Is
very curious that you do not see the beau
ties of imagination shown by the poses
of the ballet." Going on m this strain
the visitor at last wore out the patience
of the actor-mat ger, who replied; "Lok
here. It is bad fret gh to stand these ab
surdities In an opera, but thougn I can
comprehend people singing their $oy, I
am d d If I ran their dancing their
griefs."
A patriotic band ara we
Four little candidates.
We're fuslonlsts of high degree.
Four little candidates
We have got the nomination.
And have Mitchell's approbation,
And tie soon will own creation.
Four little candidates.
The tlrst little man Is the good Jim Hunt,
Four little candidates;
Whose nerve has brought him to the front.
Four little candidates.
In the Senate (If we get there)
Folks who see us four can bet their
Money we'll do more than set there.
Four little candidates.
The last little man is one F. P. Mays,
Four little candidates.
He's plugged for Mitchell all his days.
Four little candidates.
His thirst for otllce he can't smother
Had one once and wants another
Meanwhile he has "placed" his brother
Four little candidates.
P. S. It don't make any difference about
the other two. H. & M.
PLEASANTRIES OF PARAGRAPHEHS
"I sold newspapers when I was a boy." de
clared tho statesman, proudly. "And now you
are selling the public," remarked an unsympa
thetic auditor. Philadelphia North American.
"What was the disposition of those lemons I
saw here yesterday?" asked the grocer of his
clerk. "The disposition, did you say, sir?
Sour, sir," said the quick-witted clerk. Yonk
ers Statesman.
"Why do you call him a good Populist states
man?" "Because his Congressional record shows
that he has Introduced more resolutions of In
quiry than any two other men." Chicago
Evening Post.
Startling Ingratitude. Mr. Newkld Uncle.
Thomas has lost his entire fortune In Wall
street! Mrs. Newkld Oh! tho ungrateful
wretch! Right after we had named the baby
for him! Puck.
"I have noticed that marriage seems to make
a man more content." said the Sweet Young
Thing, with the air of one waiting for an an
swer. "Yes: there Is nothing like knowing tho
worst," said the Savage Uachelor. Indianapo
lis Press.
A Vital Distinction. "I'll just bet,"' said the
nervous little man; "111 Just bet you can't
point out the difference between a Democrat
and a Populist this year." "Er well," said
the placid fat man, "fer one thing, you won't
hear of the Democrats gittin' any of Marie
Hanna's campaign fund3 in the close districts."'
Indianapolis News. ,
As a man entered a picture gallery the at
tendant tapped him on the shoulder, and, point
ing to a small cur that followed him, said,
"Dogs are not admitted." "That's not my
dog," replied the visitor. "But ho follows you."
"So do you!" replied the old gentleman sharp
ly. The attendant growled, and removed tho
dog with entirely unnecessary violence. Tit
Bits. A Xebraj-ka Precedent.
Lincoln Journal.
The revocation of Clark's appointment
to the Senaite from Montana by Governor
Smith as soon as the locomotive could
bring him back from the Pacific Coast
and the appointment of Martin Maglnnls
In his stead, will add something to the
muddle in Washington, as It will present
another question for the debaters, th
power of the real Governor to revoke an
executive act performed by the acting
Governor during his absence.
In Nebraska years ago there was a ra.
mous trial of this question, when acting
Governor No- 1, James, revoked the proo-
lamoion of aclng Governor No. 2. Has
call, calling a session of the Legislature
to provide for the filling of the vacancy
in the Governor's office.
The case was tried before the Supreme
Court on a writ of mandamus brought for
a test by a member of the Legislature, ar
rested for nonattondance by the Sergcant-at-Arms.
James, the Secretary of State
and acting Governor, after the Impeach
ment of Governor Butler, was absent In
Washington, and Haaoall. the President
of the Senate, acting Governor in his
absence, slipped down from Omaha, Issued
the proclamatin, attached the seal of the
state to it, and the Legislature prepared
to meet
James hurried home an3 "revoked" the
proclamation of acting Governor Hascall
as he didn't want the vacancy filled. Pan
of the Legislature met and sent out tha
Sergeant-a.t-Arms for -the others. Tlw
oourt sustained the "revoke," Judge O. P.
Mason dissenting.