The record-union., 1897-04-12

the ground of policy. Suppose this
principle had always prevailed, where
would be the heroism of smaller nations
that has shone so brilliantly in history
It looks as though We We're beginning to
have too much policy, too many COM
binations and not enough individuality
To the dogs with all this! Let's go
back to the old natural plan of brave
fighting and survival of the fitteSt.
If the Greek is a better man that the
Turk, let him wipe him off the face of
the earth, and don't hold him back
through any pusillanimous mercenary
motives. There is no question IF prin-
ciple in England's interference; it is
only one of money.
THE DO NOTHING PLAN.
Red Bluff News: Men of all parties
would hail with satisfaction the accept
able settlement of the money question,
but little hope of such a settlement can
be based on President McKinley's prop
osition for the creation of a monetary
commission, which Republican organs
are urging on Congress.
There might be an advantage in the
work of commission composed of able
men. 1t COULD at least secure and lay
before the people in simplified form a
mass of valuable information. It could
point out the inherent weakness of our
currency system and might propose
beneficial reforms in minor points. But
to expect of it solution of the money
question, which will take it out of poll
tics, is to indulge in vain hope.
Any commission appointed by a Re-
publican President under an Act of a
Republican Congress would be parts
an commission. If it's members were
divided between the parties it would
be as vain to expect agreement In their
conclusions as to expect agreement in
the party platforms. There would
probably be a majority and minority
report for the consideration of Con-
gress, and the report most pleasing to
the majority in Congress would be the
report upon which Congressional action
would be based.
TRUTH WINS.
Yreka Journal. Leaders may come
and leaders may go, but the cause OF
freedom endures forever. This truth
will be illustrated in the Cuban cause
In very few great popular movements
in the worlds history has any single
man been Indispensable. Nearly al
the historians, American and English
intimate that the result of the war OF
independence would have been different
if Washington had died before the lat
ter part of the struggle, and perhaps
this judgment is correct. OF course
this would mean merely the postpone
ment of the end which Washington
helped to bring about for the separa-
ton of the colonists from England
could not have been long delayed in any
event Cuba's cause is greater than
any of her sons. Only for the moment
will Rivera's loss hurt Cuba and helI
Spain.
ARTISTS AND THE TARIFF.
Oakland Enquirer: There appears tc
be but one class of producers in the
United States whose members are Wig
orously and heartily opposed to the
protection of their business by the
tariff, and these are the artists. In the
new tariff bill there is a quite heavy
duty imposed upon foreign paintings
and the American painters are sending
in protests by every mail. 1t is not
that the home artists would not like tC
sell more of their pictures-heaver
knows they have reason to wish fol
more patrons-but they believe thell
product is an exception to ordinary
rules and that the more the taste fol
art is cultivated by the importation Of
foreign works, the more demand there
will be for the home article But II
any duty is imposed, they want it spe-
cific and not ad valorem, so that good
paintings will have to pay no more
duty than poor ones. This is the stand
which artists have always taken wher
the tariff question came up, and If il
were purely a question of protector
there would be no reason for putting
paintings and satuary on the dutiablt
list, but the desire to obtain revenue
usually leads to the taxation of art as
being a matter of luxury.