The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-01-28
EDITORIAL NOTES.

The brief Of Attorney General Miller in the
BehIiBg Sea case will give the Canadian Mini
slef of Justice something TO ponder over. The
Attorney Generals assertion, that "thls is
political question to be decided by the political
departments OF the Government, tho Executive
and Congress. both OF which have decided
against the petitioners contention" and that
this decision must be conclusive upon the Judi
| eiary," is backed up by presidents established
| by t he Supreme Court IN the case OF Foster VS..
| Elan, Chief Justice Marshall maintained that
'the judiciary Is not the department of the Gov
! eminent TO which the assertion OF its interests
against foreign powers Is c0uided and its duty
commonly Is TO decide upon Individual rights ac-
S~'ii---'- s'-~S~ Fs-i---'t-- --'-'-- -~i'.s-'
| departments OF the nation have established
| Again the learned Chief Justice declared. "If
those DEPARTMENTS, which are Entrusted with the
foreign intercourse OF the nation. which assert
and maintain ITS interests against foreign powers
have uuequyOcaly asserted Its rights OF domin-
ion over a country of which it is in possession.
aud which it claims under a treaty; if the Legis-
lature has acted on tie construction thus as
serted II is not In its courts that this con-
structlOn is TO be denied" The interpretations
placed upon the rights of sovereignty and domin-
ion in the lar north by the Executive and Con-
gress are consequently conclusive upon the
judiciary.
Regarding Kalakaua's death the press OF this
country take views that are widely divergent.
| The Detroit Ne,Cs says: 1.-The most interesting
| point 10 connection with his death Is that IL
| brings his nation step nearer 10 consolidation
with the United States, a course which the peo-
pie would not be ayerse to and which old Kala-
kaUa himself would not have strongly opposed II
tile time was ripe for il in his own days" The
Toledo Blade declares There is possibility
that tile ath OF King Kalakaua will cause
change in the government OF the island kingdom.
The heir to the thro1e Is the late Kings sister,
but II Is not beyond the bounds OF possibility
haf hp wi he all m
an elective head 10 the country similar to our
| President, will be chosen" The Des MoInes
| Register takes more hopeful view, saying: mo
serious disturbance in the sugar producing ISL
| ands Is expected. The power VIII be Inherited
by the Kings sister, and so, while the King Is
| Dead long live the Queen OF the Hawaiian ISL
! ands" The Toledo Commercial adds: HE was
| friendly to this nation. The probabilities are
that his successor will be more friendly to Great
Brt1in." The Pittsburg Times goes 4 step FAR
liner, with the declarations 'BOth English and
| German activity IN the Pacific has been the &C.
| casion OF much comment lately, and the sum OF
| II has been that the Sandwich Islands ought to
be American, or that no foreign power should be
| allowed 10 plant Itself there"
The revolt In Chile will have a very depressing
effect on the financial affairs OF the country for
some time to come. The value OF Chilean paper
money has been steadily diminishing and silver
and gold have long been out OF circulation. The
that the bankers and merchants who know what
the trouble is feel that nothing Will save the
country from tremendous crash, 10 which the
humber classes will be involved as well as the
banks and great commercial houses bur getting
metallic money foundation under their paper
money, which is in forced circulation "What
Is feared, was the Financiey's prophetic declara-
lion, sis that when the Chilean laborers discover
tue cause OF their misery to be the evil OF paper
money without auy metal behind 1t, they will
rise ike Samson and pull down the pillars of
Chilean society," precipitatng 4 sanguInarv
revolution"
Another advance has been gained by the Ans
tralian ballot system, this time in Oregon whera
| the lower branch OF the Legislature has nassed
Dill inauEurating change In the method Of
conducting elections. The desire to down the
bosses IS spreading in all directions, aud In A
number OF the States reform measures are now
uDoer consideration No doubt Andrew ID. White
thought OF the Tweeds and the Buckleys when
he wrote his article for the December Forum.
declaring the city governments OF tbs United
States the worst IN Christendom, the most expep-
slve, the most inefficient and the most corrupt
whose City Halls were the acknowledged centers
OF the yilest corruption. The cry " The bosses
must go!' is constantly increasing in volume.
No wonder the young men of Europe con-
sfantly strive TO evade their military duties by
migrating TO this and other lands. Recently a
sergeant OF the Third Uhlau Regiment OF Guards
at Potsdam, angered by private's failure 10
drill properly, gave him cutting and then Or
dered six men to spit in The offenders face.
rive obeyed, but the sixth had the manliness to
refuse. i he five Obedlent soldiers were then or
de1ed to spit in the face of their dsobedent COM
tade and did 1t. Soldiers that are treated like
dogs soon lose respect for their superiors and the
,uiet 10 whom they have taken the oath OF
IoyatY discipline is essential, but such unwar-
Iahled treatment will only result In The spread
Oh socialism in the ranks.
Inc coaimlne disaster near Mount Pleasant
ra.' SHOWS the constant necessity of strictly nh.
serving the ordinary precautions designed to
guard against explosions OF fire. damp A British
report on the mining disasters OF the mast
year, which resulted In the loss OF 2s5 lives de.
clares that In nearly every Instance the explosion
OF fre-damp resulted from failure 10 nse The
safety-lam or from blasting AT the Llanercb
colllery, where 176 lives were lost the miners
worked without safety-lamps. and at the Morfa
colliery where 81 lives we're lost, the INQUEST
disclosed the fact that the disaster was caused
by blasting.
Examples have been found in this country
ry4I Il.