The herald., 1894-01-09
WANTED TO KNOW. you KNOW.

Wu6f6 Jus uODlklty ehb p1bbc Win LQelT
fingers because they are OF more antique
origin than spoons, is something that
does not suit the American people at
large. The whole attitude OF the ad-
ministratlon in this affair is an imisa-
ton of that historical utterance of Van
derbilt, "the public be d-d!" That q
certain amount OF secrecy should
properly surround all the public offices
of the nation, is eminently correct and
proper. The mere fact that man goes
into retail grocery for two pounds of
crushed sugar and pays the requisite
cash for it, gives him no right whatever
to walk into the grocsr's counting-room
and run his eyes over the ledger. Just
go with the departments at Washington.
They are not open to the scrutiny of
every man who crosses the long bridge
over the Potomsc; and in proper
amount OF this secrecy lies one of the
strongest safeguards OF the American
government.
But there are those who have the
right to know and whose clamor for in
formation should not be disregsrded by
the president and his cabinet. These
are the direct representatives of the
people, the senators and members of the
house, whose power ls coordinate with
that of the president, and who are above
him, in one sense OF the term-that is,
they are vested with the power of inn
peachment and removal from Office
and it goes without saying that if An
diaw Johnson, in 1866, had done what
Grover Cleveland has done in 1898, salt
peter would not have saved him. Such
open defiance of the powers of congress
would have alienated Trumbull, an
thonv and Fessenden; and it was to
them that the grand old Tennssseean
owed his acquittal of the most disgrace
ful and unwarranted charges ever
brought against any magisterial officer.
Why all this secrecy about the Corwin
and her mission? Did she bring good
news or bad, on her return to the homs
port? Bad, beyond any possibility of a
doubt. The secrecy enveloping the mat
ter removes all chance OF doubt. Had
the newa been favorable, there would
have been no just reason for its sup
preston; and the president, who is not
as strong man before the people by
200, 900 votes sH he was on this day a
year ago, would only have been too glad
to reveal it to the public and claim
triumph for American diplomacy as ex-
pounded by himself and his misft-
Republican premier.
But if the news from the land of the
taro patch is bad news, 30 much the
more reason why it should be given to
congress at once and through it to the
people. The presidents attitude in its
retention is subversive of good govern
ment ss we'll as defiant of the duly &C.
credited representatives OF the people.
1t is repugnant to the very foundation
of the government. the principles laid
down in the constitution, by which the
prima facie governing power is vested in
congress-. tho president Laine marAi,- --.
executive officer.
Here Mr. Gresham goes to work and
sends naval vessel off on a voyage the
errand of which ie veiled in secrecy.
She burns IS tons OF coal per day, or 800
tons for the round trip, and can make
but 10 miles per hour. The steamships
of the Spreckels line make 1872 miles
by the terms of their contract with the
postal department OF New Zealand, and
can realize Is knots by an excess of 20
tons per day over their regular con-
sumption, which is 48. Their regular
sailing, day is Thursday, and their
schedule time to Honolulu from San
Francisco is 6 days and II hours. Any
one of the four ships can make it in 5
days and hours if allowed 6S tons per
day and the two American built ships
alameda and Mariposs) could probably
do it on less consumption than that.
Hence with a naval vessel capable oi
making but 10 miles per hour (snd it il
a grave doubt if the old Mohican can
do that she might leave San Francisco
on Monday at p. M, and then not beat
the regular mail boat which leaves there
on the following Thursday at pm.
In 1856 John Neely Johnson, during
the vigilance committee outbreak, sent
Ferris Forman and R. A. Thompson to
Washington to inform President Pierce
that the city of San Francisco was in I
state of insurrection. He promised them
S2500 apiece, and when the bill to pro
vide for their payment came up at the
next session of the legislature old Gil
bert A. Grant, then state senator from
San Francisco, said: "This seems TO m,
a useless expenditure OF money, this
$4,000 for two special commissioners
Wells, Fargo & Co. would have carried
the same information in one OF theil
envelopes for % cents" This applie
largely to the extravsgsnt fitting out o
the Rush to carry Envoy Blount owe
there, and the subsequent sending of thu
Corwin with special dispatches. TIL
Spreckels line would have carried tn
bearer of dispatches there just as quickl
and for q good deal less money. Th
price of roundtrip ticket to Honolulu
is $125, and the bearer OF dispatche
could as easily conceal mis- errsnd on
passenger steamer as on war vessel.
Last nights kilograms up to 8 o'cloc
throw no new light on the subject.
rumor was current in Washington, dul