The record-union., 1897-12-21

is a tough community, and that wick
edness is rampant here.
GOOD THING.
Fresno Republican: The proposition
| TO cut off the expectations of thrifty
| young women who marry pensioned
veterans for the purpose of becoming
| widows and drawing the pensions
| themselves is a good one. Marriage
| for revenue only should not be en-
! couraged by contributions from the
| public funds.
THE lone SCHOOL.
| Stockton Independent: While this
farce is being played the Trustees. SUI
| perintendent O'Brien and Governor
Budd Will hatter themselves that the
public will be satisfied because unable
to see through the fog they have raised
arourd the reformatory scandal. The
| people are beginning to believe the
| stories of both parties to the scandal
and conclude that neither dares to have
a full and complete investigation. The
| lone institution is an example of a
public charity demorahzed by politics
LETTER CARRIERS TINE.
| Oakland Tribune: The bills for over
time presented to the Government by
the letter carriers amount to more than
So,OOOO00. Their point is that the Fed
eral eight-hour law should certainly
apply to the nations own employees. If
! there is one branch of the service too,
where every cent paid as wages is
| earned, it is in the postal department,
for no weather is too inclement and no
epidemic sweeping enough to prevent
the mail carrier from making his
rounds.
CIVIL SERVICE LAW CHANGES.
Tacoma Ledger: Some of the pro-
posed notifications of the civil service
law would seem to appeal to reasonable
men, without regard to political af
! hl1ationS. Among these a change of
examinations so as to make them more
practical instead of theoretical, and in
stead of life tenure making appoint
mentS for stated term. 1t is claimed
on good grounds that the Civil Service
Commission, which was originally only
an examining body, has taken upon it
self ministerial functions. and AFRO
gates to itself authority greater than
that of the powers which created it.
There is plenty of room for reforma-
tion of civil service as at present car
ried on, and the new law, or the amend
ments, should SO explicitly define the
authority of all concerned that there
can be no possible excuse for the con-
f1icts of authority that now occur.
SCHOOLS AND CHILDREN.
Oakland Enquirer: A school curri
culum which imposes equal tasks on
unequal minds and bodies is always in
danger of doing some injury; the
schools are not responsible for the orig
lnal differences in mental and physical
vigor between different pupils, but they
must pay some attention to them in
the assignment of tasks. A great deal
can be learned by children, but the
smaller the doses instruction is broken
into the better it will be- While all
children who can safely do so should
go to the public schools, there will al
ways be residue of pupils who will
be better off in private schools, where
they can receive Individual attention,
or at least can have their tasks gradu-
ated to their strength
GOD BLESS SUCH.
Los Angeles Times: God bless the
grand, old American mother. whose
r. S'1~AANN Al tAiS W OIiu HAS ever De6n
a blessing and a benediction: whose
loyalty sustained the nation in its hour
OF peril; whose hand soothes the brow
OF pain, and who by fine example and
splendid courage has endowed the life
OF her children with recollectfons sweet
ef than the most soulful music. and
whose going hence leaves q memory
mat to them is better than riches and
greater than earthly glory. To have
a mother like Nancy Mckinley is great
e1 and more blessed than to be Presi-
dent, and the son of such a mother Is
richer than kings
NOT a GOOD PLAN.
oakland Tribune: The plan pro-
posed by Congressman Johnson of
North Dakota to settle the seal oues-
ton by discriminating the entire Beh-
ring Sea herd is something on the line
OF cutting off ones head to avoid the
toothache. 1t would be pity to sweep
out of existence the few seal. for
properly handled it ought to furnish
very profitable industry Mr.. John
sons turn -me-loose" act is not very IL
able to come off, though. for the nation
has about tired of this constant exter
minatiOn of valuable indigenous ami
mails.
WHEAT SUPPLY.
Sutter independent: 1t is assumed
by those who have given the subject
close attention that the worlds supply
of wheat will in a few years be below
the demand. although more land will
be brought into cultivation for wheat.
yet there will arrive a time when the
yield Of wheat must be increased or the
supply will be inadequate. The aver
age yield Of wheat per acre in this
country Is thirteen bushels, while in
Europe the average is thirty bushels
In some sections of the United States
forty bushels per acre of wheat is not
unusual for large farm, but the use
of the same land for wheat Par after
year Will result in diminished yield in
the future unless some change occurs
in fl,a n,,l+ fx-ofs - 14a+