The morning call., 1892-12-20

The Panama scandal in Paris gets deeper
and deeper. II now becomes American in
a sense. Cornelius Herr acknowledges that
he received two checks for q million francs
each from Baron Reinscb. aud asserts that
he used the money for his own private af-
fairs. Now comes pretty point about
which inquiry should be probed. Herr
says he applied Tor passport at the AmeTi-
can legation. There is said to be some
question as to his right to passport, but it
was finally issued, yet not before some
amount of generosity had been displayed by
Herr in subscriptions to American charities
on lavish scale. How Baron Reinach and
Herr came together SO intimately in trans
actions involving couple of checks fer
Two million francs may be explained lucidly
II not satisfactorily when the investigating
committee Sits matters. Very few business
men are privileged to receive checks of this
amount.
Mexico is parting with its birthright at a
great rate when il hands over concessions
for almost nominal sums to concessIonaires
for every kind Of game in fish, flesh and
fowl TO be found on the Pacific Coast. AL
ready this mas been done for certain prod
ucts of the sea useful for dyeing, but il
the principle is to be carried much farther
the whole land might as well be sold into
bondage. ShellfiSh, pearls, aliigatoTs and
seabEds are included into the bargain, and
those who obtained the concession Will
stick to the bargain. This description of
huckstering way a country's territory can
not be commended. bat Mexico is not in q
position TO make very rigid choice of Gus
toners. 1t is sacrifice TO hand over 200 or
800 miles of coast line to a merchant, bnt
what can country do when enterprise Is
OF the lame duck character?
The Lyric Club in London, a species of
Bohemian Club, on the banks Of the Thames
at Barnes, has received a startling shock
from the prosecution, conviction and sem
tence of lis manager, DR.. Scoit-Sanders.
This man of culture and respecta bility has
been sent to Jail for forgery. he forged
the name of the Earl of Londesborough to
a cheek for about $4,000 and he has been
sentenced TO penal servitude for six years
The Lyric Club is not what it was. The
rich men who were wont to control il in
every form of extravaganza are no longer
able to afford the money and the club is
now weighted down by poverty and obliged
to consider the kind of flag il should host
when there Is boatrace on the river or a
fay0rite actor 10 be entertained. The club
is not in London, strictly speaking, and an
occasional Sunday or Saturday outing is not
enough to Dstain il. especially when thea
tiers and concert halls are filed with paper
and times are dull.
While the European steamship companies
may make light of the dangers 20 this coun-
try from cholera, and would gladly resume
the business Of transportation for the sake
of its profits, we have TO be on our guard
against too loosely relaxing tie regulations
OF passenger traffic. The cholera scare has
diminished, but has by no means dsap-
peared. There are still cases of the disease
in Hamburg, and 1t would be miraculous
wera there not "A great inprpagp N tho uurp
Der OF cases when summer and fostering in
cubation come round next year. Quite
apart from the question Of immigration, this
country should be careful TO keep out per-
sons who bring disease 10 our shores. The
steamship companies are anxious to have
free trade in this description of traffic.
Over and above cargo there Is always room
Tor cheap passenger by the herd across
the Atlantic, but at least restrictions
against the importation of disease should be
imposed.
The recent exposures of the methods of
conducting business between lawyer and
client in the Probate Court show that there
is need Of a thorough reform. The lawyer
who makes a bargain with the client to re-
ceive 80 or Is per cent of a claim as fee
should have no consideration in court. His
bill when presented for taxation should SIM
ply be considered as bill, and the charges
SDOulu De reduced TO n lair proportion In
relation to the services rendered. Under
the present lax practice the oyster too often
goes to the lawyer aud the shells to the liti-
giants. A little finn exercise of justice, such
as Judge Cofey has recently displayed, is
needed to correct this predatory disposition
OF lawyers wnen they get bold of rich es-
tate. The legal profession itself, for its own
honor, should exercise the right of striking
men off the roll Of the profession who are
found 10 fault. But where is this done? A
lawyer apparently has immunity from dis
grace. The public may distrust him, but lie
remains In the profession.
A Russian agent has been travelling to
and fro in this country studying our rail-
road engineering and equipment. with
view 10 utilizing any information he may
acquire in constructing the trans-Slberian
railway. 1t is not time misspent, but when
turned to account in Siberia number of
years must be reckoned. The value of the
great Asatic highway will not be evident
In profits for many years to come. Its value
viii be OF little moment in military strategy,
Tor what is there TO gain across thousands
of miles OF this route? But there may be
benefit to mankind indirectly. When the
Siberian road is open and there is rapid
touch with Europe, China will awake from
her dream of security and isolation. China
will also take up railroad communication.
and during many years the railroad en-
gineer will have all the work he can do
This country may take "A hand in giving