St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1889-10-31
PRESS COMMENTS.
MuzzIed Newspapers.


ftheleading republican newspapers
cannot express their views, because
such expression would involve "ad-
verse criticisms upon the administra-
tion," and it would be unseemly for
an editor who is an Office holder I'M
der the Administered ion to make such
criticisms, and exceedingly risky for
an editor who is seeking office to in
dulge in them The result is that
editors of republican newspapers like
the New York Tribune, the Utica
Herald, the Burlington (Vt.) Free
Press, the Iowa State Register, and
the Burlington 0a.) Hawkeye al
ready wear the office muzzle and are
silent, while the editors of others, like
the Rochester Democrat, are equally
silent because they are seeking office
and must behave as discreetly as
though they had already got it
New York Evening Post.
Prohibition or License.
1t may be doubted whether Chica-
COS $500 fee is really more restric-
be. A fee of $1,000 would probably
reduce the number of licenses slight
ly; $4,000 very greatly, and $4,000
or $4,000 might sweep away fully
three-fourths But what would be
the effect (the law not being other
wise changed and public sentiment
being lax, as it isl? The springing
up of scores and hundreds of unlicens-
ed saloons, as in Pittsburg. In such
a case the higher the fee, the worse
the state of things likely to result.
High license can only be effective
when accompanied by severe restric-
tons. There is sort of craze for it
as though it were the only effective
remedy. When the popular feeling
can be used to secure a law which
contains plenty of restriction besides
the mere increase in the amount of
the fees, temperance men, prohibition
being for the present out of reach,
may safely and wisely accept high IL
cense as a temporary eXpedIent.-
New York Independent.
The Negro Problem.
The negro problem is upon the ma
ton, and, like Banquo's ghost, will
not down, though demagogs, for the
delegates to a gubernatOrial cOnven-
ton from few backwoods counties,
would suffer every negro in the state
to be killed. You must present your
case to the world and appoint COM
mittee to wait on the president and
Congress of the United States, and
tell them to scale the representation
in Congress for Georgia from 10
members to five or six. Tell them
that you are for years willing to do
without voting. but insist that men
who are not entitled to that repre-
sentation given you shall not have
it. Expect nothing from any politi-
cal party except from that which
does most for you. Urge our breth-
rem in the North to study the ques-
ton here and vote accordingly. AS
to leaving the South, let all mankind
know you are Americans, were born
here, reared here, and expect in some
way to solve the problem here, and
here you expect to die and sleep by
the side of your fathers, where you
had one. Agitate, and continue to
do so till you get every right you are
entitled to- William A. Pledger,
chairman of the negro national exec
utive committee.
No PretenSe About 1t.
Says the New York Tribune
President Eliot's attitude confirms
what the Tribune has always main
the mugwumps were
democrats in disguise. Few of them
have yet had the honesty to admit it.
Now that one of their foremost lights
has thrown off the mask, let there be
an end of further pretenses of indie
pendence.
This is as unwarranted cOnclu-
sion as it would be to assume that,
because such distinguished independ-
ents as Whitelaw Reid and Murat
had become acknowledged
radical republicans, the independents
of their day were republicans in dis
guise, or that because such mug
wumps as Theodore Roosevelt and
Henry Cabot Lodge have thrown off
the mask and become republicans
other mugwumps should put an end
to further pretenses of independence
All of us are acquainted with indie
pendents in our own locality, who
have become, temporarily at least,
straight party republicans, and with
others who have become straight
party democrats. The tendency to-
ward party utilization which is
part of human nature is at present
toward the democratic party But
it is the privilege of independence to
act with one party or the other, Or
with neither, as the condition of the
times seem to require. The idea of
or deception, which the
mode of expression would
Impute, is not suited to the feeling or
the habit of independents as a class.
They act according to the lights of
and conscience with which
they are blessed, subject to such
weakness and prejudice as they are
afflicted with, but whether they act
wisely or foolishly, they usually act
boldly and openly, with little mask
ing and pretense.-[ Waterbury (Ct.) |
American
NEWS IN GENERAL.