davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
, 1890-11-20
HISTORY RECALLED.

The causes that brought about the
loss of the Serpent, the most terrible
naval disaster that has befallen the
British fleet in many years, will al
ways remain mystery, since all
the officers who knew the circum-
stances pcrished and left no record
by which the responsibility might
be placed. For a little while the
English papers will be filled with
speculation and criticism of the YES
sells construction, and then the dis
aster will fade from the public mind
and the terrible loss will be forgot
ten, save by the friends and relatives
of the host of sailors who perished
upon the rugged coast of Spain.
Great as was the disaster, the
number of British seamen who gave
up their lives is insignificant in
comparison with the number of
Spanish sailors and soldiers who
perished upon the stormy coast of
England in the reign of Elizabeth,
when the Spanish Armada, the
mightiest fleet that had ever swept
the ocean. was wrecked by terrible
storm in an attempt to conquer En-
gland. This powerful fleet was dis
patched by Philip l I. for the con-
quest of England. It's success would
have altered the entire current of
history. Its ruin dated the down
fall of the Spanish empire.
This mighty Armada, which set
sail in May, 1888, comprised 1870 ves-
sells, and carried $500 cannon aud
20, 900 soldiers. The Queen of En-
gland, unawed by the invlncible
reputation of the fleet, placed the
command of her navy, much smaller
in number and inferior in the size
of its vessels, in the hands of Lord
Howard, of Eiiingham, who boldly
engaged the Armada as 1t entered
the English channel, and by adopt
ing an harassing policy and avoid
ing general engagement, SO wor-
red the mighty fleet that 1t almost
entirely lost its effectiveness. AT
night the commander of the Eng
lish fleet sent fireships against the
enemy and threw the invaders into
panic and the following morning
captured twelve of their ships.
Abandoning his plan of invasion,
the Spanish admiral endeavored to
return, but discovered that the Eng
lish had blocked the channel he
hind him. He then endeavored to
sail around the Orkney islands, but
encountered a terrible storm, in
which the greater part OF his fleet
was lost. Only fifty-three ships re-
turned in safety to Spain.
From that day England has ruled
the sea supreme, where hitherto
Spain had been mistress. Ten
thousand Spanish sailors and mu-
rines found'a last resting place IN
the stormy caverns Of the shores Of
England. Now fate DEGREES that q
, 1890-11-20

WONDERFUL CHANGES.

The enterprise and importance of
a city can always be determined by
n careful study OF its leading news
paper. If the columns of its daily
are lean of news and barren of local
advertising, you may rest assured
that town or city is not on the high
road to prosperity. This indication
never fails. 1t is the Thermometer
by which Eastern bankers and in.
vestors sit In their distant offices
and infallibly determine the safety
of their investments and the general
tone of Western business.
Nothing could more accurately
illustrate the development OF the
West than the growth and pros
perlty of It's newspapers. A dozen
years ago but q single journal in the
entire Pacific Northwest was pub
fishing press dispatches. 1t was the
only journal between the Mississippi
river and the Pacific ocean that
could be truthfully called n news
paper, that Is, one supplying its
readers with even small share of
the worlds news on the morning
following its occurrence. After the
traveller left the Mississippi river he
bade farewell to press kilograms
until he arrived at Portland, Oregon.
In other words. within IL scope of
territory including more than one
sixth of the area of the entire United
States only one newspaper was
published which gave its readers
telegraphic dispatches. This may
sound strange to the -comers,
but 1t Is true.
Ten years ago neither Washington
nor Oregon had railroad communi-
cation with the outside world. The
Portland Oregonian obtained it's
kilograms over shaky wire running
north from San Francisco. Often
the storms of winter beat down the
line, and for a week at time the
people of the Northwest would
be deprived of news until the arrival
of the San Francisco steamers.
To-day how changed the condi-
tions. Within the broad scope of
territory then boasting only u single
paper taking the dispatches nearly
fifty newspapers are published which
sul ply their readers with the press
kilograms. The leading daily of
that broad region then gave cm-
ployment to less than half the force
that is now employed by the
REVIEW. The country Is covered
with a network of telegraph and
telephone lines, and the public is
served every morning with more
kilograms than 1t can find time to
read.
The press of a city or state Is u
sure indication of its life and bust
ness. And still the people of towns
turning out miserable excuses Of
newspapers often fold their hands
and wonder why the boom circles
all around them. But the keen
minded Eastern investor is not sur
prised.
, 1890-11-20

be warped by corporation influences,
and from the character OF the owl
dencc 80 far taken, 1t seems probable
that their decision will go against
the company. Some of the tinbers
were decayed, and others were Inn
properly put together This much
IL clearly shown by the testimony OF
Commissioners Colvig, who made q
personal examination of the wreck,
aud whose testimony goes to show
that the story of the missing rail
aud its removal by unknown men
is largely the creation Of the iinagi-
nation of the interested officials.
The public Is not so much inter-
ested In tho award Of damages to
the victims, though they are Justly
entitled to such 1t can be shown
that the wreck was caused by the
negligence OF the company, rs In
pinning the officials to response
bility, and thereby guarding against
repetitions of such scenes of death
and ruin. Railroad officials are
DTOuctO pION calcitSS ~ Wv ''''''
against carelessness ure not vlgor-
ously enforced. For this reason, If
for no other, Washington needs u
railway commission. As matters
now stand, an accident like that at
Lake Labish, occurring In this state,
could easily be covered up and the
responsibility avoided by shrewd
and energetic railway officials.
Experience has shown that small
bodies of men can bc trusted better
than large numbers. The action OF
the harbor line commission, In COM
parison with that of the recent leg
islature, is a case In point.
The reasons for this are simple
and apparent. 1t is much easier to
choose three upright men than
fifty, and small bodies are more inn
pressed with a sense of duty and re-
sponsibility than are fifty. An
army will dare treason and rebell-
ion, mob will murder and pillage,
u Legislature will sell out to corpo-
ratlons and money-bags, but three
men dare not do these things, be-
cause the responsibility can be easily
laid at their doors. A weak man In
the legislature will sell his vote be-
cause others are doing 1t. Corrup-
tion Is contagious. Conscience Is
stilled by the reflection that what
others are doing can not be very far
out of the way.
Still men cling to the old fallacy,
exploded o thousand times in re-
cent history, that large bodies are
safer than small. At the same time
experience has demonstrated the
necessity of entrusting to small
bodies, and often to individuals, the
power of sitting IN Judgment upon
the acts of larger bodies. The courts
pass upon the constitutionality Of
all laws, and the president of the
United States and the governors Of
many states are equipped with legis-
lative powers equal to the vote of
one-sixth of congress and the legis-
latures.
, 1890-11-20
SPOKANE FALLS REVIEW. THURSDAY NOVEMBER

crops instead of helping out the
Barring Brothers. z a 1 ~ n -"
The West will suffer, because the
panic, or decline, comes at the most
inopportunemoment--when Ii has
everything to sell. But Eastern
Washington ought to DO protected
by tho prevailing low prices paid
for her products, prices out OF all
proportion to those paid In the
worlds markets before the decline
SGT in.
OF course no one can fathom the
depth of the pit. There Is reason
to hope, though, that Washington
will not suffer to any considerable
extent. If we are forced to sell In II
declining market, we also gain the
the advantage of buying advanta-
geously. The difficulty will probably
be short and sharp, and we may en-
tirely esaape the spasm of contrac-
tion. Our obligations are of definite
date of liquidation, whereas stocks
and bonds can be thrown upon tine
market at any day. AS result we
shall not be called upon to con-
tribute to the money conters.
After the bottom has been touched
we may expect considerable re-
action, but prices will not soon go
to the old figures, for the simple
reason that we can not carry on the
worlds commerce ut the old figures
with the visible supply OF gold. If
we want the old prices we must re-
monetiZe silver,
, 1890-11-20

these pressing requirements. Inh.
excitement attending the first olas '
tion of two United States seno,o''
matters of greater importance !.
the prosperity of the new state Nv
in danger of being overlooked
hot and bitter senatorial fight ia =,
ways demorallzing. 1t was so whas
the Washington Legislature cbo..
.he first senators for this state 4
Idaho escapes similar experleno.
she may congratulate herself
The matter Of choosing senators .
of minor Importance. There ia ~
probability Of the Legislature ovs'
looking that part of its duties. IN,
they may neglect to give due CON
sideration to other matters of MOI,
pressing importance. Idaho's wealth
Is largely locked In mountain ra
cesses. Not only mining camn,
but many of the rich valleys ar,
still dependent upon toilsome and
circuitous trails. To unlock the.a
treasures OF nature, to afford caplt,l
and enterprise safe and iuvitino
means of development, should be
the chief aim Of the Idaho lopls.
lator. There is no immediate pros.
pect of railway construction in many
parts of the state, and the scattereI
and sparse population can not solve
the problem of transportation. In
q number of instances this has been
demonstrated by many years of ex.
perience.
The new state needs roads. Where
there is no indication of the imme-
diate construction of lines of rail.
way, the people must depend upon
wagon roads. The last Legislature
did much to pave the way. The
new one should follow up the work.
, 1890-11-20

coats arrive at the American sen.
,,orta they are to find the same OLD
protective barrier. That means
that the wool-grower will sell ms
wool at free trade prices, and puy
his coats in q protected market.
This was the cunning scheme de-
vised by Mr.. Cleveland In the last
campaign. 1t worked In Conhecu-
cutand d New Jersey, because the man.
ufacturers were on to the snap, ana
1t worked in New York city, but tue
wool growers of New York state ana
of Ohio objected with their ballots
even though Judge Thurman was
running for vice president.
MIR. Cleveland Is painfully dema-
gogic. He puts imaginary words In
the mouths of nNmeless and inag-
mary republicans, and endeavors 10
arouse the passions and pre)udice'
of tho ignorant classes. The repuo-
lean party, instead of sneering at
cheap clothing, declares that Amer
lean products, the fruits OF Ameri-
can intelligence and American IN
dustry are good enough for any man
that walks the earth. The levying
or the removal Of II tariff can not
materially affect the prices of Amer
lean goods, but they do affect the
cost of the finer fabrics woven IN
English and French looms.
The republican party declares
that mon or women who are not
content to wear raiment manuiact-
ured by their countrymen must
pay for the privilege OF clothing
themselves in imported goods,
and that the price of this vanity
shall go to clothe and feed the old
soldiers of the land, to maintain
the widows and orphans of the men
who met their God upon the glor-
ious fields of Shiloh aud Gettys-
burg, and in the Wilderness and the
Southern swamps, to open our
rivers and harbors to navigation,
and to construct those extensive in
ternal Improvements of which
Judge Thurman speaks so elo'
quently, and which would never
have been created had 1t not been
for the protective tariff, against
which Mr.. Cleveland and his pollt-
ical fellows are railing so furiously,
, 1890-11-20
THE RAILROADS

The farmers of the Palouse coun-
try are terribly In earnest In their
demand that the next legislature
pay heed to the mandates OF the con-
stitution and throw adequate re-
strictions around the great transport
tation companies. 1t Is not likely
that the legislature will longer neg
lect this important duty. The repub-
lican party Is strong but 1t can not
play fast and loose game with the
people. Nor will 1t. The next
legislature will attend to these duties
overlooked by the last, which was
so occupied with the work of elect
ing two United States senators and
voting away the tide-lands that 1t
entirely forgot the following pre-
scription OF the constitutions:
Section 18-1he legislature shall pass
laws establishing reasonable maximum
rates of charges for the transportation of
passengers and freight, and to correct
abuses and prevent discrimination and
extortion in the rates of freight and pas
senger tariffs on the different railroads $
and other common carriers in the state,
aud shall enforce such laws by adequate
penalties. A railroad and transporta-
tion commission may be esta olished and
its powers and duties fully defined by
law.
The contention of the farmers is
for an elective commission with leg
islative powers. We do not believe
that such body could run the
gantlet of the courts, for the reason
that the constitution is quite clear
ana explicit upon this point, declar-
ing that the legislature shall pass
laws of u restraining and regulating
nature, and supplementing this
mandate with a provision for the es-
tablishment OF q commission If the
legislature so desires. The courts
would probably hold that the con-
stltution vests exclusive legislative
powers In the Legislature, and that
the functions Of railway commits
sion could not transcend executive
and judicial powers. The state can
not afford to take any false steps,
which could only serve the purpose
OF playing directly into the hands of
the transportation companies by
giving them an avenue of escape
and postponing proper and effective
legislation to a future legislature.
The manner of creation of the
commission is a subject for future
determination. Perhaps the better
plan would be the nomination of
it's members by the governor, and
their confirmation by the senate.
The farmers, it appears, prefer the
election mode, fearing to trust the
matter to the legislature. After the
loss of the tide lands their distrust Is
not surprising.
1t Is almost an assured fact that
the legislature will create such a
commission at its next session,
and equip 1t with the necessary
laws. Such course is demanded
by the people, directed by the con-
stltution, and encouraged by the ex-
perience and precedent of older
states.
"In this fight" says the RE-
VIEWS travelling correspondent,
''the business men of the country
towns are with the farmers" 1t
can likewise be reliably asserted that
the business men of Spokane are
also with them.
, 1890-11-20

little army Of Englishmen must
sleep upon the rocky lshoresl of
Spain.
Time has brought u wonderful
revolution in naval warfare since the
destruction Of the spanish Armada.
One Of the worlds modern battle
ships could easily destroy the entire
British fleet that saved England
from Invasion. But there Is one foe
that no war-shlp can ever conquer
the Storm King. Great as are the
destructive powers of the war vessels
of to-day, they are almost defense
less against the gale as was the little
bark Of the Morse viking.
, 1890-11-20
-----l------7ll|77-l7777
TWO Old ROMANS.

The world grows gentler year by
year. We treat our old Romans
much better in the reign of Benjamin
Harrison than they were trea,ed In
the time of Justinian, Judge Thur
man Ia the recipient of distinguished
honors and Is lionized to a degree
that would turn the head of an ordi-
nary man, all because he has passed
his nth mile post, and is still peg
ging energetically along in the ranks
of the democratic party.
The REVIEW cheerlully agrees
that Mr.. Thurman Is an admirable
old man, simple in his tastes, a good
judge of whisky, well informed and
thoughtful, and in general n man of
sound ideas. True, he never has
done much for his country, nothing
that has added to his glory. When
the cruel knife of war had severed
the ties of friendship and split the
Union in twain the judge forgot to
buckle OH the sword of his ancestors
and help pcrpetuate and uphold the
government under whose glorious
ensign he was born, the best and
freest, the most magnificent govern
ment that this old world has ever
seen. But, then. he redeemed him.
self in fashion-the democratic
fashion-by sitting in the United
States senate alongside a number OF
Southern gentlemen who strove to
their utmost to disrupt this govern
ment, and again he threw himself
into the breach and endcavorcd
vainly to carry Ohio for Mr.. Cleve.
land and himself.
The democracy vcnerates and
reveres the old Roman, and the
republicans look on good-naturcdly
at their demonstrations of love and
enthusiasm, and agree that this is Il
very fine country which Mr.. Thur
mans friends endeavored to wreck.
Thirteen hundred years ago the
ruling empire was less kind to its
old Romans. Poor old Belisarius,
who fought his country's battles and
added fresh glories to her name,
became n common beggar in his old
age and died of want. Judge Thur
man has not fought very many
battles, but he will hardly die OF
want so long as the democratic
party can round up 5000, 900 or
5000, 900 voters and sell tickets to a
democratic banquet at so each.
Not long ago Germany manifested
her. gratitude for unforgottcn
achievements by honoring the gal
liant old Won Moltke upon the oc-
casion of his Goth birthday. True,
Bismarck, the greatest OF that ma
.iestic triumvirate which cemented
the German Kingdoms and carved
therefrom mighty empire, was not
there to add fresh luster to the old
soldiers glory. But the young em-
peror fears Bismarck. Very likely
when the iron fox has lost his cum
ming, and can no longer pose rs Il
menace to IA y ung rulers ambition,
he will cu'ne in for his share of lion
izing.
All of which indicates that it IL
much better to be IAN old Roman
In the year of our Lord 1890, and
wave II bandana handkerchief, thnn
to have fought for the gloiy of the
Roman empire in the reign of Just
inian.
, 1890-11-20
THE PANIC.

F1nanciai storms are similar 10
wild displays OF weather. They
sometimes brew upon single
mountain top, and grow from II
small cloud to appalling proper
tions. G,H
The existing panic, IL develops
from the failure of the Barings,
originated in the Argentine Repub-
lie several months ago. The distant
cloud, unheeded by the financial
world, and attracting only the
briefest mention in the press dis
patches, has grown into black
bank of storm clouds, extending
over two continents, and dragging
down one of the greatest and most
conservative OF the worlds banking
firms.
If the Barings had not lost their
heads and gone into wildcat specula-
tion in an unsettled South Ameri-
can country, we should have heard
nothing Of the prevailing panic,
though the shortage of money
would probably have developed
itself sooner or later. One firm,
perhaps single mind, erred in
judgment, aud in consequence of
that fatal error the whole world
must suffer. Here is fresh proof of
the uncertainty that hangs over the
transactions of men.
In their endeavor to measure the
worlds commerce with the smallest
possible amount of gold, the bank
ing world has built structure OF
such delicate equilibrium that a
single hand hos overthrown it. The
Barings threw too much of the
worlds gold into the Argentine Re
public, and brought about a
stringency in London which led to
liquidation of securities, and as the
measure of gold was insufficient to
carry this out, the prices of securities
had to adjust themselves to the
amount of gold in sight.
When the end of this panic has
been reached. and securities touch
their bottom notch, the world can
figure out the decline in securities
and all other valuables, and learn
how much money was needed at the
beginning Of the existing decline to
avert the prevailing disaster. 10
put the matter still more simply--as
the worlds financiers insisted upon
the decentralization of silver, and re-
fused to adjust the worlds circulat-
ing medium to its commerce, the
latter was forced to adjust itself,
The difficulty in the United States
was brought about by England and
other European countries, large
holders of American securities
throwing their holdings upon the
American markets and demanding
their money. American money
centers could not endure the strain.
The bulls could not bear the burden
and the inevitable decline followed,
The situation is hardly encourag-
ing. In their desperate efforts to
save themselves and carry the
Barings, the foreigners will drain
all the gold from America that is
possible. The efforts of the Ameri-
can bulls to support the market
only aggravate the difficulty and
increase our danger by encouraging
other foreign holders to liquidate.
Somewhere we shall find astopping
point for all this llquldation-that
is, we shall reach prices so low as To
influence the security holders to re-
place their bonds and stocks In their
pockets. 1t would have been better
if this stopping point could have
been reached at one sharp drop, for
that would have saved, the exporta-,
tion Of q great deal Of American
gold, which ought 70 be moving our