The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-02-17
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY IT, 1897.
ARTHUR ROPES. General Editor.

CRETE bears to Greece a relation sim
liar to that which Cuba has to the
United States. The geographical rela-
ton is very like, and the political con-
dition of the two islands is strikingly
alike. In both there is a community Of
misery, and between the Spanish and
the Turkish oppressor there is lille
room for choice. We regret to add that
the chiyalrous action of Greece iods no
counterpart in the cold, calculating,
merciless attitude of the Grover Cleve-
land administration toward the Cuban
patriots. In taking up arms for the
Cretans, Greece has put to shame all
Europe, and the United States govern
ment also. -
REPRESENTATIVE WooDMAN OF Hi
nois has asked the House Ways and
Means committee to increase the v
nue. tax on cigarettes from fifty cents to
$50 a thousand. Mr.. Woodlands OBJ
iect is to stop the smoking of cigarettes
by children, "a habit" he says, "that is
destroying our youth, filling u insane
asylums, and s%hrouding in gloom, by the
destruction, mentally, morally and phys
ically, of their young sons, many of the
best homes of our land" Mr.. Wood
man said in his speech to the commit
tee: "As long as boys can buy the
death-dealing article at a cent apiece or
two for a cent, 80 long will the evil n
tinue. When they are taxed so as to
produce a larger revenue, which tax
will place them out of the reach OF
school children, then we may look for a
mitigation of the evil. Then may we
look for a protection that protects.
Then may we congratulate ourselves on
having performed one act, the results OF
which the whole nation with one accord
will approve" -
The democrats are beginning their
howl about the total amount of the APP
preparations that will be made by the
fifty-fourth Congress. 1t is true that
the total of the appropriations for the
two years will exceed 81, 1000, 900,
but the democrats would show more
wisdom if they would point out a single
appropriation made, or to be made in
the short time remaining of the session
that is not needed, or that the govern
mept will not get full value for, instead
of yelling''extravagant appropriations.
like a lot of parrots. The Senate is not
a republican body-would that it were
yet it has not only approved all of the
appropriations made by the House, but
has in nearly every bill increased them.
Besides, it should not be forgotten that
considerable amount of the money ap-
propriated by this Congress was made
necessary by continuing contracts made
by the last democratic Congress for riv.
er and harbor improvements, public
buildings and the increase of the navy,
Chairman Cannon, of the House com
mittee on appropriations, correctly stat.
ed the situation when he said that con
tracts previously made had to be OBJ
served; that Congress could not allow
unfinished public buildings to remain
exposed in all kinds of weather, and
that the pension laws could not be
ignored. In short, that no a%ppropria'
tions have been made that were no,
necessary for the conduct of the Gov.
eminent and the preservation of its
interests. Mr.. Cannon's ideas of eco
omy in public expenditures are so rigid
that he has offended many personal
friends by refusing to sanction PROPOSE,
tions for appropriations which have
come before his committee. There is
no item in any appropriation made by
the %ffty-fourth Congress that any repub.
lican need be ashamed of; the appropri.
atoms are all needed, and the money i;
all to be spent among the people and
for the people.