The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1885-03-26
NO LONGER covErs EMPIRE.

No LONGER COVETS EMPIRE.
The Barrios revolution has proba-
bly, expended itself without ever hav-
ing displayed any energy. He has
undoubtedly, by this time, concluded
that it is best to hold on to the presi-
dency of Guatemala, rather than to
struggle for greater empire. The
course of our government in sending
war ships to Central American waters
and concluding to preserve, if neces-
sary, the autonomy of the Central
American states, is greatly To be
commended. Similar &C in o.
the part of the n xican govern
eminent has aided, 10 don't, in Senior
Barrios' mind being made more su3
ceptible to argum Mt. The suspicion
grows stronger that Dafri7o was led
to his rash move by Finch influence,
though our Government has had no
proof of such influence being exerted.
The French people have an immense
stake in Central America They have
already contributed 70OO0O,0C0 francs
on the Panama Canal, on which the
annual interest is nearly 23OO0,000.
The work is really not much more
than begun, and the affairs of the
company are getting desperate.
1t is not improbable that bar
gain may have been made with
Barrios, by which he and the compa-
ny were to unite their interests,
though in-What manner can scarcely
be conjectured. The failure of the
suspected partnership at its first step
removes all immediate danger of revo-
luton and of European aggression on
the American continent. But the un
dertak1ng is warning which will have
to be regarded; for it may not be very
long before the United States, with its
Democratic administration, will have
to uphold by force the policy declared
by a former Democratic admiuistra-
tion---that of Monroe. The fact is, there
is no diversity of opinion among our
people of both parties as to
the enforcement of principles set forth
by Mr.. Monroe. Americans must and
will rule America.
PROFESSOR ELACKIE, OF Edjnburg,
Scotland, has been applying phylo-
sophie reasons to the English land
question. He says:
Historically and naturally there is
no land that is not the property of the
whole people. An earl or a lord OF
the land in the old time only existed
as a father of the population. He
was not put in possession Of the LAND
as an Individual, but as member OF
the social body, for whom he held il
in trust. The main object of the ar.
rangement was to insure population
as large as could be maintained fol
state service comfortably and wisely
Still the Professor would not confess
| to sympathy, even in the slightest
degree, with the scheme of Henry
George. In the first place, he is
strongly convinced that it is not good
for the state that it should be the
universal landlord. 81 think the
country benefits considerably by the
private enterprise manifested by
the landowners as a body. Tit
state would not spend upon the
land anything approaching the sums
spent by the present land owners
Take the Duke of Sutherland. Would
the state spend half the money he has
expended over his estate? The lane
of this country, as Frederick Harrison
remarked when he was here, has real
ly been manufactured by the land
lords, who, it should be remembered
invest their money in the soil for less
than they would get out of the funds
It is all very well for the State in new
countries to assume a controlling
Ownership IN the land, for by thai
means undesirable monopolies may be
prevented, but the stimulus of private
interest applied to the land will al
ways be productive of greater results
ownership on the part Of the State,
which, in such relationship, wouId
become machine, and such an
anywhere throughout the world
But were the facts and proba.
bilities of the case quite other.
wise, Professor Black would still
be staunchly opposed 10 the George pro.
have approved of the compulsory sale
of estates where the land-holder &c
fuses or fails to do his duty by the
soil or the people associated with it,
| But in the abSer ce of such failure OF
comp 3nsation, would be simple rob.
berry, and regard the proposition as
noDse 1sical aud pernicious in the ex-
treme. think Mr.. George has had
| far too much attention paid to him;
such wild talk should be allowed to
blow over"
| COURTESIES between the retiring
and the incoming Presidents was the
rule until johnson went OUT and
Grant came in. These two men were
at dagger's points, and never even
spoke as they passed each other. Grant
1t was rumored, had declared that he
would not ride to the Capitol in a car
riage with Johnson, BY latter did
not give him an oppd When
the Inauguration prc> IN reached
the White House it haltss., and mes
senger was sent In to summon the
President. He returned word that he
was busy with his cabinet and begged
to be excused. The procession moved
on, and while the ceremonies were in
progress Mr.. johnson left the White
House never to enter it again. None
of his cabinet ministers witnessed tn
Inauguration. 1t is interesting to
| pofn that two of them arc now hriohf