The record-union., 1897-11-12


money that is in it, just as Weyler Was
His policy is continuation of that o1
| Weyler's. He does not offer autono-
my, and autonomy would be refused il
he did. He will be whipped. as Wey-
ler was whipped, but in the meanwhile
he will pocket million or two of coin
and that probably is all that he ex-
poets to win from the situation.
A QUESTION.
| Placer Herald: Henry George alive
was fiercely fought as a man with dan
/ gerous ideas to put into practice, but
Henry George dead is praised by al
classes as a philosopher, reformer and
/ wise political economist. Why can
not some of the merits men earn be
muted out to them while they live?
CALIFORNIA AT PARIS.
Vaeaville Reporter: California spent
three hundred thousand dollars in the
| Worlds Fair exhibition. In nineteen
| hundred the Congress of the Nation
will be held at Paris 1t is a duty of
the State to prepare for it by making
the necessary appropriation at the next
session of the Legislature. Probably
an appropriation of not over one hun
dred thousand will be asked for 1t
will accomplish more than did the iarg-
er appropriation in 1893. Those who
are likely to have the matter in hand
now understand just what to do 1t
| may be said, the science of exhibiting
California's possibilities, has been
learned Less money is needed to-day
and better results are secured. See
what was done with a comparatively
small sum at Atlanta and again at
| Hamburg. But whatever may be
| needed should be granted by the Leg
| islature. Search the world around
there is no place offering the attraction
of California. 1t is the sanitarium of
the world. The only reason why peo-
pie do not rush in here until the pop
ulation doubles and thribles is because
they do not know the advantages of
| dwelling in California. 1t must be the
object of the State to impart to them
the knowledge they lack. An exhibit
ton on the banks of the Seine in 1900,
will reach more people than could by
| an possibility be reached in a decade
in any other way.
QUEER
Los Angeles Times: About the big
|
Francisco Examiners" claim that the
election of Van Wyck in New York IS
defeat for Dick Croker. Yellow
| Journalism has had some very queer
spasms, but this is the most unique
contortion yet to develop. Richard
Croker will be wearing Van Wyck as a
| charm on his watch chain the moment
the latter assumes the place of Mayor.
SECRET BALLOT
| San Diego Union: An Illinois Judge
has rendered decision upholding the
right of voter to secrecy as to his bal
lot. The case arose out of a contest
over the election of a Mayor for the
town of Evanston. The contestant al
legged that certain men had been per-
mitted to vote who were not qualified.
To make this contention material ii
| was necessary to show that the Illegal
ballots We're cast for the candidates
who had been cAunted in. One of the
voters in question refused to answer a
query propounded to him concerning
the person for whom he cast his vote !;
whereupon counsel for the contestant
asked that the voter be committed for
contempt of court. This the Judge re-
fused to do. He declared that the law
directed that the ballot should be Sc
cret, and that all the election machin-
cry was provided to attain that end !;
much mischief would result should a
court undertake to compel a voter to
declare how he had cast his ballot. No
doubt this ruling will find favor with all
who believe in the Australian system of
conducting elections.
UNFAIR PESSIMISM.
Los Angeles Herald: Predictions are
very common in certain quarters that
Judge Van Wyck, Mayor-elect of Great
er New York Will be SO under the con-
troll of the Tammany machine that he
will give the city an expensive and cor
rupt government. The English news
papers all join in such forebodings.
Such predictions may or may not be
fulfilled, but it is unfair to smirch, in
advance, an untried official. 1t would
be more generous and Christian to give
him a trial before indulging in con-
demnatory criticism.
1t is true that in the past the gov
ernment of lesser New York by Tam
many has deserved the scathing censure
it has received 1t has been just con-
demnation and, judging the future by
the past, there is ground for apprehen-
! sion. Conditions, however, have
changed. New territory and new peo-
pie have been added, and political
forces have become more nearly equal
lied. In fact the election shows that
Tamanny has not majority of the
voters and would have been beaten had
the opposition beenunited, by more than
DC, 00o votes If the Tammany chiefs
have 10 honesty, they have never been
accused of lacking sense. No doubt
they will do what will seem necessary
to maintain political ascendency; but
crediting them with ordinary discre-
tion. it is fair presumption that they
will iced the warning that has been
given: that they will fully comprehend
the situation and do something at least
to break the force of attacks from the
reform and good Government elements,
which have developed so much strength
within the last few years
Judge Van Wyck is evidently man
of more than mediocre ability, and
there have been no assaults of weight
against his personal character. 1t
would be harsh to presume that he does
not realize his responsibilities, or that
he has no regard for his reputation.
| His position in the municipal world
will be second to none except that of
the Lord Mayor of London-and here
only in pomp and circumstance more
conspicuous than that of the Governor
of any State, and in some respects of
greater power for good or evil than
that Of President of the United States.
ON THE WHOLE.
Los Angeles Express: The Republi-
can party is feeling very well, thank