The record-union., 1896-07-22

All doubt has now been removed con-
cerning the guilt of Cecil Rhodes and
the African Directory of the South At
rican Company for the Transvaal raid
by DIR. Jameson. 1t is confessed before
the English courts by virtue of report
of the special commission that there is
guilt, that the leaders must be brought
to trial, and they have been arragined
already. He1e, now. is curious lesson
in the art Of stealing a country. Sup
pose Dr. Jameson had been successful
and the Beers had not repulsed the
Jameson advance. In that case the
column would have been welcomed in
Johannesburg. and the Beers would
have attempted a rescue of the place.
killed, and Immediately the plea would
have been advanced that English sub
jects We're being massacred and the
Government itself would have inter-
fered, and the Transvaal have become
an English colony."vi ct armis." AS the
matter now stands, the London Dlrec-
tory of the South African Company is
exonerated by the report, while the At
rican Directory is held responsible, and
all the leaders must stand trial The
company is but another name, however,
for the English Government, as we read
the history of British chartered compa-
nies, and thus the English Government
is placed in the singular and embarrass-
ing position of trying and Furnishing
men who were really working in the in
terest of the Government. But the neu-
trality laws must be maintained.
Neither England nor any other civil
lied country can afford to excuse viola
ton of them; the precedent would be
altogether too dangerous. 1t is prob
able, however, that if the men are con-
victed royal clenency will save them
from serious punishment.
No one will pretend that he does not
see in consideration of financial issues Of
the hour division within nearly all par
ties. There is a side alignment in each
that Is throwing those into sympathetic
contact on one point who have hereto
fore in Presidential campaigns remained
partisans to the end. Both of the two
greater parties suffer this division of SEN
timent within their ranks. We believe
that it will in the end have good effect.
It will tend to break down the hard
walls of party politics and soften the
asperitaes of a heated campaign 1t will
bring men together upon g. plane where
they have not before met and make
them more tolerant It will serve to
correct 4n a large measure In each party
errors of management, and to make par
tisanship less a factor of success. 1t is
developing greater interest in study OF
government economics. 1t is conserv-
ing the distribution of political htera-
ture as has not been done before, and is
engaging larger reading of 1t than ever.
It is therefore not campaign in which
anyone can brazenly deal sophistically
mlSrepreSent, comfort expression VI
falsely interpret. The people are read
ing, studying and thinking along many
lines relating to governmental prob
lens, and are not to be deceived or mis-
led. In truth the people of the United
States are with each year becoming
more and more students Of political
economy. They are sitting to-day at the
feet of the wisdom of all time on gov
ernmentaI questions. Such study must
result in betterment where needed and
the rebuke and rejection Of error when dt
presents, and hkwise in the conserva-
t7on Of true patriotism and the spirit of
loyalty to free institutions.
nation