The record-union., 1897-12-23

/ mortgage cancellations, showing that
the real estate holders are well nigh out
| of debt; and furthermore. such evidence
| Is in the line OF what is needed TO re-
| store the reputation OF Kansas, which
has been badly shattered by the shy
sters who have robbed Eastern in
vestors of their money by mortgages
on sandhills ard in boom cities, and by
her own delna agogues of the Populist
variety who have been going through
| the country declaring that her people
| We're starving poor, and that it was
| impossible for them to pay their debts
| without free silver.
STATE SCHOOL BOOKS.
Red Bluff Peoples Cause: From al
most simultaneous appearance in many
papers of editorials attacking the Cali
| fornia school book series, it is painfully
apparent that the old school book ring
! is still in existence, and that it pro-
poses TO make another desperate at
tempt to regain CALIFORNIA; patronage
/ Our school books may not-are not, in
| fact perfect, but that is not the
| fault of the system, but the abuse of
| il.
LET HER HAVE IT
San Diego Tribune: Mexican jour
mails advocate the annexation of Cuba
to the republic of Mexico. If any an
nexing is TO be done by all means let
Mexico do it, It would cost Uncle Sam
more to annex Cuba than she's worth.
| Our political campaigns are bad enough
under existing conditions, but if We had
a gang of shrieking, hot-headed Gu
| bans added to the disputants in our
national pow-wows, then heaven help
US. Let Mexico have Cuba. She can
better assimilate the natives of that ISL
and than can the United States.
TO PREVENT IT.
| Tulare Register: To prevent the
farmers of this country being systemat-
ically plucked by gamblers nothing
could be so effective as to have our
Government establish a highly perfect
ed system of crop and consumption
statistics from all parts of the world
and have them published and posted in
! Postoffices. Our Representative in
Congress should use their efforts to es-
tablsh such policy.
AN OBJECT LESSON.
Redlands Facts: A striking object
| lesson in the Importance of good roads
was given in the outcome of the great
! bicycle race last week in New York.
| Three of the contestants Travelled over
| 9, 600 miles within period Of 142 hours.
That was good railroad time a genera
! ton ago. OF course such an amazing
result was possible only upon road
way made as nearly perfect as possible.
1t shows. however that the utility of
the bicycle is largely dependent upon
| the condition of the roadway, and the
same principle is clearly applicable, in
some degree, to all wheeled vehicles.
| The good road question is destined to
| be a potent factor in the politics Of the
| near future.
TINE TO PUT UP THE BARS.
San Diego Union: There are hope
| full indications that the present ses-
sion of Congress will enact needed leg
islatiCn for elevating American citi-
zenShip There is little doubt that
bill will be passed requiring educational
| tests for immigrants. 1t is now pro-
posed to supplement this by thor
ough reform of the naturalization laws
| This latter subject is at present before
| the House Committee on immigration,
and will probably be reported in the
| form CT a bill.
It is high time that precautions were
| taken to prevent people from becoming
| citizens of this republic, who through
| ignorance or bad character are untitled
| TO assume the duties of citizenship
| The present laws on this subject are
very lax. and there is practically moth
| ing TO prevent any foreigner, however
| Objectionable, who succeeds in getting
| into the country, from acquiring all
| the rights and privileges of citizens.
OF ROADS AND WHEELS.
| San Jose Herald: The League Of
American Wheelmen have made ar
| rangements to push the good roads
| movement on a new and extensive
scale. A pamphlet is being prepared
which will set forth the condensed re-
| suits Of the Inquiries made by the Gov
ernme1t Good Roads Bureau; will ex-
| plain the losses due to bad roads, il
| lustrate the different methods of con-
! structiOn, discuss the best ways of
raising funds etc. About one million
| copias OF this pamphlet will be distrib-
uted.
| Our California wheelmen have had a
! falling cut with the Eastern organiza-
! ton over certain questions of disci-
/ pline, but that should not prevent them
| from standing in with such a movement
| as this. To be sure in Santa Clara
| Couaty we feel pretty easy on the road
| question, but even our highways are
| not always up to the best standard
and we do not want to get in the way
Of thinking that we know it all and
| have nothing to learn.
PUT UP THE BARS.
| Humboldt Times: The Sacramento
Record Union" with true American
ring sounds again the note of warning
! with regard to the free and easy way
this country accords the right of citi-
Zenshlp to foreigners. 1t seems strange
! that when the evils of the immigra-
tion and naturalization laws are recog-
nized as being so pernicious to the well
! fare Of this great nation and it's citi-
| zens that there has not been a strong
| er effort put forth to rectify the evil
| The Record Union" voices the senti-
ments of every native born American
| when it says: "in no country on the
face of the globe is it so easy to be-
come citizen or q subject as in this
One must reside in England five years
before applying to be made a subject
and the matter is then left to the arbi-
trary Judgment OF a department.
| France and Denmark each require ten
years residence, while Germany pre-
sents so many obstacles and so few
inducements to citizenship that few