The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-08-11

ObiJ w hhohO paw IVA ebSbh0Ns'NNt
has strengthened the one weak spot in
the civil service and is commended by
those whose only interest is the welfare
of the nation and of the party.
ANY one who contrasts present con-
ditions under President Mckinley and
the Republican administration with
those of four years ago under a Demo-
cratic president and congress viii! real
ize to some extent the value of Repub-
lican methods as compared with those
of the Democratic party. -Four years
ago banks and business houses were
tumbling in every direction, people
were confronted with low prices, gene
raj depression, and threatened with
financial panic, yet the democracy did
nothing except to add to the depres-
sion and distress by passing tariff act
which closed thousands of factories and
threw hundreds of thousands of men
and women out of employment. With
its new tariff law and its prompt action
on international bi-metalism,, the pres
ent administration has given new life
to the country and it is probable that
the Secretary of the Treasury will pre-
sent to congress, when it meets next
December, currency measure which
will ensure sound money and continued
prosperity and safety to business inter-
ests, and to working men and women.
rnUNDER the Dingley tariff law the
duty on diamonds is much lower than
it was under the Wilson law. Under
the latter, cut diamonds were taxed
twenty-five per cent and rough dia-
monds ten per cent. Under the pres
ent law, rough diamonds are free and
cut diamonds are taxed ten per cent.
With the admittance of rough dia-
monds free of duty, the business of
cutting and polishing in this country
will be built up and the government
will lose no revenue, inasmuch as I'M
der the Wilson law diamond smuggling
was carried on to such an extent that
nine-tenths of the diamonds brought to
this country escaped duty. Under the
present law a business interest will be
protected and developed.s
MASSACHUSETTS would probably re.
sent any imputation upon her civiliza
ton. She would consider herself libel
ed if her rank in civilization among the
States of the American Union were
placed anywhere else than at the very
tip top of the scale. If, however, one
should form his own judgment of the
condition of things human in the ole
Bay State from its leading newspapers
and particularly from those at the
Club" of this northeastern part of the
universe, he might reasonably conclude
that Massachusetts is still groveling il
the depths of darkest barbarism. Loci
at copy of the Herald, or Journal o.
Globe, for almost any, if not every, day
in the week. 1t is quiet day in crime
if anywhere from one to half dozer
CHASTITY murders, or murderous assaults
or other heinous offences committed
within that Commonwealth are not EN-
blazoned on the first page, with all the
internal publicity of double column
scare headlines, and biggest and black
est type. The revolving story of blood
or of the fall of this man or that woman
is told in double or triple leads, and il
details and surmises and eliminating
guesswork long drawn out. Massachu
sets needs to reform her morals or he
newspapers. Most likely both.
IT is asserted that the discovery o.
gold in the Klondyke district may leat
to reopening of the old dispute be
tween the United States and Grea
Britain regarding Alaskan boundaries
There seems to be no doubt that the
gold fields of the Klondyde district are
in the Northwest territory, across the
Alaskan boundary, and that the bound
airy line near the gold fields is fixed by
a meridian of longitude. But for al
this the route to the gold fields liei
through section of territory claimed
by the United States as part of Alasks
but which British maps represent as ,
portion of the Northwest territory
Should the British government uphold
the claims made by their maps anothe
dispute would probably follow. Eve
since the year 1884 the British govern
ment has been pushing, on paper, thei
boundary claims, and inasmuch as tn,
Canadians object to being forced t,
traverse American territory in order t,
reach Canadian gold fields, the govern
ment of Great Britain may now attemp
to enforce the claims made in thei
maps.
| Rest and RIGHT SattIamant