The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-12-17

ds 10 mucn or IL L really cOuIu hot soii
whether admired it or no. as l could not
understand it," To which Browning made
answer: "Ah, well, If reader OF your
caliber understands 10 per cent OF what !
write think he ought to be content.
Inc point which Browning societies mignt
ascertain is whether anybody understands
100 per cent or So The average Browning
enthusiast wakes in ecstatic appreciation
with obscurity.
If ex-King Milan of Seryia carried on
his pranks in any of the Western States OF
America he would be tarred and feathereo
promptly as reprObate and lrredeemaDie
scamp. The country is going to the dogs
through improvidence and squanderlng OF
finances. Everywhere there IS death ana
dissatisfaction, and the army and state
ofhclalssare all In arrears of pay. Milan is
Intriguing with his son Alexander TO pot
yer somehow with the constitution, 10 oitcD
IL or suppress II, In the hope that the treas
ury may fill again mysterlousiy ana per-
maps enable his ex-majesiy TO Nil his own
depicted pockets. He has run through
3,OOO,OO0 francs lately and has enough OIL
royal vlclousness to get through thrice the
money. As raveuOus wolf he comes
back TO gnaw bone.
The California river improvement con-
Congress to proceed with the improve
ment OF the Sacramento and San Joaquin
and the bay of San Francisco. The Sac
ramento River can be rendered fit for
navigation during at least the greater part
OF the year well up to ReddiDg, and there
are no obstacles worth naming in getting
navigation 10 within few miles OF
Fresno. The most should also be made of
oakland harbor. 1t may well be asked
what would have happened had there been
no railroads IN this State. Does anybody
doubt that both the Sacramento and San
Joaquin would not have been kept In good
condition for trade? Il has been wretched
policy TO neglect the facilities OF water
transportation.
A favorable report on the appoint
ment Of joint committee Of Congress TO
investigate the status of the Nicaragua
project has been agreed to. III investiga-
ton Is not stratagem for delay it should
not take long TO find out all that is neces-
sary. The fact that the canal is entirely
feasible at a moderate capitalization rem
ders ii project which will be carried to a
finish in spite Of every bugbear obstacle
that may be opposed. This country should
have the benefit and prestige Of the canal.
and the Government should give II the
necessary encouragement
The Russian officer who committed sui
eide at Chicago from fear of arrest and
extradition may have had good reasons 10
dread punishm ent in Siberia, but he might
have postponed self-effacement until he
found out what the Russian Government
proposed to do. 1t by no means follows
that every one whom Russia demands to
be given up will be surrendered. There is
right OF asylum which no treaty can
override. and the United States would be
slow to act upon any charges but those
which put specific criminal acts In Ques-
ton. A test case of anything approaching
nihilism would have been Interesting.
Though the cruiser Olympia has not
rubbed off the extra half knot so as to
make her average twenty-five knots. she is
yet conspicuous credit TO shipbuilding in
San Francisco Bay. She is a knot and
half per hoGr above contract requiem nts,
and has earned handsome premium.
There is good hope that she may exceed
her trial speed, for she gave indications of
better work fortnight ago. Something
may have gone wrong with the quality of
coal or tritling adverse difference have
arisen In some other way. When in COM
m ssion the Olympia is sure to be a
triumph.
The Chinese Six Companies announce
that the people whom they rule are pre-
pared to register when the machinery of
the law is ready TO rum. Ii Is understood
that instructions have been issued from
Washington which will result in affording
them every facility. There were rumors
that the McCreary act would also be re-
sisted on some preteXts. but If the CON-
panies are sincere in their intention to
comply they show a right appreciation of
the situation. When the Geary law was
pronounced valid they saw their error.
What excuse could they have for further
evasion under the new law?
The hair-spli;ting about the meaning of
Zine" as applied to railroads. whether it
means a road owned by one company or is
a physical road, no matter whether owned
by one or many companies. illustrates the
lengths to which lawyers 90 in fencing in
the meaning Of terms. Ii 1t were possible
to drag in a whole dictionary TO give pre-
cision Of d. finition they would do IL, with
the general consequence that the more
copiOus the explanation the more cloudy is
the meaning. Congress must split this
hair from Iowa properly.