The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-05-11
VOICE OF TIE PRESS.
Extracts From Editorial Expression OF
Journals
Of the State and the Coast on SUD-
iects of Living and News
Interest.

Interest.
Woodland Democrat: About month
ago Mr. Mckinley instructed the mem
bers of the Cabinet and the heads OF
all the important bureaus presided over
by the Republicans to submit TO MIN
at an early date confidential reports
showing the workings of the civil ser
vice law in the various departments
These reports are now being laid before
the President and they all concur III
recommending the most sweeping MOD
ifications of the reform rules lnauSu
ated under the Cleveland administration.
1t is claimed that such officials as INC
heads of principal bureaus conhdehtidi
agents, Deputy Internal Revenue LII
lectors, Gaugers, Storekeepers, Deputy
Marshals, Postoffice inspectors treas
ury Agents Inspectors of CuSloiils'
Pension Examiners and all other EN-
ployes Of the Government VINO occupy
confidential relations or exercise eXecu-
tive functions properly belong III inc
non competitive class. Some Reports
favor the abolition of the merit syS-
TEN. but most of the officials tnlnk
the system should be retained suggest
ing, however that it should be limited
in its application as far as possible
strictly to clerical positions. The truth
is that all of them will be the most
ardent advocates of civil service as soon
as they get their friends into office.
THE PURE FOOD CONGRESS.
Ukiah ublican- Press: There is
possibly no more important proposition
before the people of the country to-day
than that of pure food. The recent in
vestigations by officers of the State
Board of Health have demonstrated be-
yond a doubt that the purchasers OF
edibles and drinka bes are at the alb
soIute mercy of the manufacturer. 1t
has been shown by competent chemical
analysis that there is scarcely thing
we eat or drink that is not subject to
adulteration-and, in fact. adulterated.
If a person buys a glass of currant
Jelly, the analysis discloses that 1t has
not been within a mile of a currant
bush. If he buys the best article OF
coffee he finds that the manufacturer
who labels il never saw a coffee berry.
Now this would be all right providing
the purchaser did not part with his
money under false pretenses. Chicory
d
doubt more healthful than coffee, but
1t is not fair to charge customer Tor
the latter when he is given the former.
Apple jelly may be better than jelly
made from currants. but it is swindle
to be given the latter when the former
is paid for. SO it is all along the line.
Let the grocers who sell adulterated
goods be prosecuted. and they will soon
force the manufacturer TO sell them
what they are willing to pay for.
PURE FOOD.
Healdsburg Enterprise: California
has stepped to a higher plane of COM
mercial honesty and industrial prosper
ity in enforcing the law against the sale
of impure or adulterated food. The
Pure Food Congress held in San Fran
cisco last week viii do much toward
enlghtenng the people and discourag-
ing the compOunders and vendors OF
poison for human food. If We had a
national pure food law, vigorously en-
forced. the cry of hard times would
be greatly diminished.
SILLY INDIGNATION.
Stockton Independent: 1t was to be
expected that British papers would ex-
press Indignation at the rejection of
the arbitration treaty, but the blunders
of the st James Gazette" make the IN
dignation ridiculous to Americans. Its
confusion of free trade, tariff protection
and arbitration shows that il either does
not understand the question on which II
presumed to speak or that hidden in the
treaty was some clause or provision
which it believed would affect the right
Of the United States to impose import
duties that would operate against Brit
ish trade in this country. That 1t does
not understand the motives of Senators
in defeating the treaty Is evident from
its attributing it to the influence OF
Michael Davitt which had no more to
do with the matter than had the infiu-
ence of any ward politician in san Fran
cisco. The spiteful spirit betrayed by
the London press is in ludicrous con
trast with the pretended objects of the
treaty and shows that the editors who
wrote the articles are far from being
peacefully inclined. There is no need
Of such a treaty between two nations
that are peacefully inclined and one
evidence that il is not necessary is the
fact that during Seventytwo years
Britain and the United States have beer
at peace and all disputes between them
have been settled by arbitration or di-
plomacy Reference to twisting the
British lions tail are very silly and can
only affect the ignorant. Very few
Americans banker for that kind OF
pastime. but they have a decided liking
for scorching that lions paw whenever
they find it intruding on American
ground, whether that ground is within
the United States or elsewhere on this
hemisphere beyond the limits where its
rights are undisputed. So long as the
lion only presents its tail it is safe from
annoyance. 1t is not the lion that