Birmingham state herald., 1896-01-18
OPINIONS OF THE PRESS.

Some people have the courage of their convictions. John Bull has the courage of his acquistiveness. Indianapolis is Journal
 Russell A. Alger's estimate of himself as a presidential candidate serves one useful purpose. It keeps alive knowl- edge of the fact that every native born citizen is eligible to the presidency.-Ter- re Haute Gazette.
 But in limiting the offer to gold and in extending the time to thirty days the president has taken the surest way pos sible to make the popular loan plan a failure and to play into the hands of his Wall street friends, which, in our opin- ion, is precisely what he intended.-New York Press. Rep.
 Some of the industrial journals of New York are inclined to sheer at the pro- posed exposition at Chicago of the prod ucts of southern cotton mills. They have permitted their jealousy of Chicago to run away with their judgment, but they have hurt nobody but themselves.-At- lanta Journal, Dem.
 A pension list becomes a dangerous thing when it Is increased for favored widows. The government cannot afford to begin to take care of the family of every prominent man who dies. If 1t takes care of the families of the prom inent," why not also of the families of the obscure I-DeS MO1nhS heB1SteT, It suggests the thought that United States senators are too far removed from the people to keep them in proper check. Humiliating, however, as 1t may be, there is at least some consolation in the fact that the American people are becoming increasingly appreciative of men Of mer- 1t in public service, just as they are be- coming growingly resentful toward those who betray them.-Brooklyn Eagle, Dem.
 The decline of s4,O0O, 900 in the annual appropriations for pensions shows that the ranks of the veterans of the war are rapidly thinning out In 1894 the ex- penditure for pensions amounted 60 Sl31.- 77,2S4, and the house bill for pensions for the next year will carry $127 000, 900. The appropriation for pensions consti- tutes more than one-third of the entire ordinary expenditure of the government. In the course of nature this expenditure must undergo heavy decline in few years; but, instead of recognizing so ob- vious a consideration. the tax-mongers in congress insist that more revenues must be provided, notwithstanding the fact that the treasury receipts are all ready overtaking the expenditures Philadelphia Record, Dem.
 If this congress Is capable of an act of statesmanship: if it possesses enough patriotism to rise above mean partisan motives and address itself to the task of TelleNlnS lHe u-iliCuitieS, IL SeShlS to us that the time for demonstration in that direction is almost more than ripe. Whether the administration be act ing wisely or unwisely; whether or not better expenditure be within its reach, the fact remains that congress has both the duty and the authority to deal with the problem, and that every obstacle now confronting the government is due to it's delinquency. Congress could now, by prompt and patriotic and intelligent ac- tion. apply a successful and conclusive remedy to our financial troubles, and congress will be criminally derelict if it fails to do so.-Washington Post Ind.