The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-03-29

seems 10 De 10 nold the act imperative
until Congress makes an appropriation.
The failure of Congress to pass an appro-
priatiOn at the last session was due to a
general belief that one would not be needed.
The Democrats started in to make a record
for economy. and if they did not succeed
very well, the fact that they had economy
in their minds may be held responsible for
law for the enforcement Of which no pro-
vision was made. There is no means of
knowing what course the administration
will pursue, but it is not probable that so
important a measure as this will be prac-
ticaily nullifed for want Of few thousand
dollars.
In official circles the success of the pneu-
matte guns of the VesuVius appears to be
doubtful. The trials recently held were
only partly satisfactory aud the reports
-thereupon are being most carefully weighed
by the Naval Bureau of Ordnance. In firing
high explosives from this kind of weapon.
with its long tube and complication OF
valves for air storage, the primary idea was
that high explosives can only be dis
charged in this way: But this assumption
has proved quite fallaclOus. They can be
fired quite safely from ordinary rified guns,
and the advantage of the latter is obvious.
A rifled gun has an immense range, low
trajectory, and great rapidly OF fire. and a
shell carrying high explosives from such
weapOn is immeasurably more destructive
than one which travels slowly with high
trajectory, has an uncertain aim and barely
has range OF mile and a half II rifled
guns were not available the pneumatic gun
might at least be useful for harb0r defense.
but that is about all The VesuviuS has
great speed. and with rifled guns she would
be terror.
a1ic LAT hne tod
new excuse for commission. 1t has been
proved that the deadly microbe hiberDates
in ice and comes into activity again with all
the vlgor Of a spring freshet The mcr0be
of feyeTs, cholera, smallpox and other
diseases may Turk in Ice formed from
tninted water. Equipped with this ounce
of fact to carry his point an Albany sOlon
proposes that the ice companies should be
assessed to support a commission cos ting
$4,000 a year, the principal business of
which is to Indicate where pure ice may be
found. The companies are no doubt obliged
to him and the public perhaps would regard
such a commission as an aggravation Of mi
crobe disease.
Mr.. Seligman, the banker, recommends
Americans bent upon travel for pleasure to
come to California instead of going to
Europe. If once they had season In the
Golden State they would come again and
Europe and no part Of the East can match
this Stale. On this point there is no room
for dlsparagement. But crowds of people
90 TO Europe Tor other reasons. They have
acquired a taste for European cities and
society and cross the Atlantic every year.
Others make one trip and long for another.
But California has good share Of tourists.
The Comte de Paris considers it oppor-
tune to infiict a mOnsrchical appeal upon
France. He makes use of well-worn
phrases. and can expect only irreGutable re-
plies to his pretensOns. OF course the re-
public IS discredited in his eyes. Only the
monarchy can save France. The Chamber
has lost credit. The Government has as
much backbone as jellyfsh in dealing with
socialists. 1t is feeble at home ana without
prestige abroad. Ii candid, however, he
would be forced to admit that the republic
has the power to put down the Royalists. 1t
| has even beaten down royalism and BOu-
| langism together and survived Panama
| gutter corruption. The honor of France
| can only repose upon monarchy. says the
| Count, and at the same time he stutifes
| himself with the remark that the mon archy
| must not ''repudiate any political alliance
! required by the interests of the nation and
| for the defense of religious liberty" No
| political alliance can beSmlrch q monarchy.
| A crown bauhle on the head sanctfes all.
| The effect of such logic will not be remark
a few weeks ago the English Premier de-
| clned to receive a deputation from Ulster
on the home-rule bill and was blamed for
! discourtesy. The deputation laid their
| views before Lord Salisbury, Mr.. Balfour
and Lord Randolph Churchill, who re-
! sponded as 1t was anticipated they would.
| MI. Gladstone has now atoned for his err
! TOR by receiv ing another deputation. They
| predicted disaster from the course he is
| pursuing. and the Old Man Eloquent lee
| tured them on the innumerable benefits lie
| hopes 10 see showered upon Ireland from
autonomous government. They had the
courage OF their opinions, and SO had he.
Another lady has started on long tour
| by rail by way OF Chicago from Portland,
Or, and thence east and south to Mexico.
She is to Put the sole of her foot to the
| ground at Washington, however, a luncheon
with the President and Mrs. Cleveland being
| In the conjectured programme, and at Mex
| leo President DiaZ Is 10 do tie honors. Ii
| the trains are on time she hopes to surpass
! the feat OF the rival who Is making another
| continuous tour. What these Journeys prove
is not worth much, and the shaking up which
one must receive on a trip of ak or eight
| thousand miles Is no compensation for the
| bad air inhaled and the unappetizng food
| bolted In Pullman ears. A ride In the cab
of an engine would be healthier.
A little CLEAN Of sunshine has broken over
| the relations between Canada and the United
| States. 1t is announced that the 80 per cent
ad valorem reduction on non-sparkling wines
| provided under the treaty with France will
| not be discrimiDatlve but general. Under
| these circumstances California wines, and
| also some fruits and nuts. will enjoy the
| privilege of a better market. 1t may be
| easier Tor France to reach Canada than CAL
| ifornia, but the market should not be neg
nd ron IN ~ faofli
proving.
The language which was to suppress Eng
fish in commerce, and was to put
business men of all natlonalities on a
common footing Of intelligence in cor
respond.nce and bargains. has. after an
erratic Pickering life, persisted. Volapuk
has been given up by its warmest friends
/ 1t had enthusiastic votaries W no had dreams
| Of seeing literature esta blished, but IL h al
had no more continuity as a practicable
common tongue than the jargon of parrot
The dictionary had become bulky enough
TO Incorporate 1900 to 10000 words, bu I
people grew tired of building upon roots in
an artificial jumbling way, and probably
! nobody ever did his thinking in Volapuk
| The thinking was done first ia a genuine
tongue and then transla ted into the so-called
universal language. 1t appears TO be no
! more possible to create language than to
mold a conntry's literature tn order. Both
are dependent upon growth and not upon
pTeconceiVed design.
A tragic mystery of an uncanny weird
| ness. such as might enthrall Robert Louis
Stevenson in fiction writing. awaits a
practical solution in San Mateo County. On
the top of hill 1900 or 400 feet high, over
| looking the ocean beach. a CORPSE has been
found in very peculiar position. II case
Of suicide, the eccentricity Of the deed is
very remarkable. The victim of self
| slaughter must have been at great trouble
to wind up his career. If a case Of murder,
| the deed Is hardly less strange hnnt a