The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1896-03-13
SPIRIT OF THE PRESS.

THE SPANISH DEMONSTRATIONS.
The cbullitions of popular sentiment
that have occurred within the last week
in Italy and in Spain seem to indicate that
the Latin races are by no means so capa-
bic of self-government as the Tcutonlc,
and that the political institutions which
will fit one will not fit the other. If one
or even both houses of parliament should
express sentiments adverse to an Amerl-
can claim, we should probably express
sentiments adverse to the bodies in ques-
ton. 1t is quite certain that we should
not 90 mobbing the British Consulate, and
that it would not be necessary to call out
the police, much less to close universities
in order to prevent violent actions Tor
which the Government might be called
upon to pay damages. Neither would the
corresponding consequences ensue III
London from distasteful action by Con-
gress.
What is most curious about these Span
| ish demonstrations is that the Spanish
| Republicans seem to be taking rather more
than their share in them. Now the claim
of the Cuban revolutionists, which Con-
gress has supported, is a claim to 90 IN
| Cuba precisely what the Spanish Republl-
cans would like to do in Spain, and 1t
is obstructed in the same way-by military
power. 1t is also obstucted, we are in
| clined to believe, by the body OF Spanish
public opinion In Cuba, however, there
is no question OF this. If the Spanish
troops were withdrawn from the island
and poll of the inhabitants were taken,
there is no question that the decision
would be in favor Of Cuban independence.
The inference is that the Spanish Repub-
licans are not Republicans in our sense at
ALL but are simply persons discontinued
with the existing state Of things. At any
rate, the sentiment in favor of holding the
last remnant of the Spanish possessions III
the New World, without the slightest re-
| ference to the wishes of the persons imme-
diately concerned, seems to be so perva-
ding and overwhelming as not only to in
duce hot-headed youths to engage in rio
ting when it is threatened, but to induce
the Spaniards to submit with cheerfulness
in the hope of holding Cuba against its
will to military burdens which, to So poor
a country, are almost beyond the limit OF
endurance.
THE NEW STAR IN OUR FLAG.
The New York Sun says: The concur
| renee of Secretary Lamont and Secretary
| Herbert in ii new arrangement OF the stars
in the flag disposes of that question in d
way that secures simplicity and symmetry
Although Utah has for weeks and months
been state of the Union, represented in
both branches of Congress, her star is no,
vet on the flag, because a law, enacted
nearly four-score years ago. provides that
no new star shall be placed there until the
4th of July next ensuing after the admls
sion of a new State The A stars now or
the flag are arranged in six rows, with
eight in the top and bottom rows and sew
en- in those intervening. 1t was at tirs
proposed to put Utah's star on the right
end of the fourth row, but the better solu
ton, now reached, is to make the six rows
alternately of eight and seven stars, begin
ing with eight at the top. This will dis
pose of the 40 stars in a regular way, max
ing the field or union pleasant to look upon
In the first national flag containing the
Is stars, they were arranged, we believe
in a circle, and the union itself was made
square But when Vermont and kentuc
XIV came in parallel rows of stars were re
sorted to, there being three of them will
five stars each. The rectangular field ant
the horizontal rows have always since helt
favor, although ingenious geometrical de
vices have at times been proposed, in com
binations of circles, diverging rays, and Sc
on; and one bill in Congress wanted then
to take the shape of a pansy, with view
to making that the national flower.
Here's luck to Utah's bright new sta
and the other A,