The record-union., 1897-12-09
VOICE OF The PRESS.
EXTRACTS FROM EDITORIAL
EXPRESSION.
State and Coast Opinions on SUBJ
jects of Living News
Interest.

|
are not going to be sufficient to do more
than pay running expenses, has passed
the word along the line to cut down the
estimates, and already they nave been
reduced about $20O00,O0O. This means
among other things, that there Will be
no money for new Postoffices neither
for Oakland or other cities, and that
harbor appropriations, too. will be kept
down to the lowest limit. Another thing
which is indicated is that the Nicaragua
canal must wait another year at least
before Congress will venture 10 pass q
bill looking to its construction.
POLITICS AS A CORRUPTOR.
Los Angeles Herald: What is the in
fuence in politics and office-holding that
causes the ruin of so many men? How
many times it has occurred that men
| who ranked high in the estimation of
the community in which they lived, who
enjoyed the confidence and respect of
all with whom they came in contact
in business and social circles, have been
unable to Withstand the temptations and
unlawful allurements of politics and
| place holding.
| There are men who take uO politics
and secure Office merely as a means 60
an unlawful end. They would be dis
| honest in any other occupation. Their
opportunities or their predictions may
have led them into the political field as
one takes up any business. Such men
are scoundrels according to their ab'l-
ity, as they would be anywhere. They
make it their avocation to prey off the
community.
To hold office is an honorable ani5l-
ton, and in a republic like ours, where
honors and emoluments of office are
conferred through the suffrages of the
people, where the private citizen of to-
day may become the public official Of to-
morrow, such ambition is quite general
and properly SO. The trouble with
many men is that they do not have the
right idea of the duties and the respon-
sioilities of ffice-holding.
TWO VITAL POINTS.
Stockton Record: The Presidents
message will be disappointing to many
members of Congress, at least III one
particular. More radical measures re-
garding the relations of Spain and Cuba
were expected in his reconlme ndatlons
| We have no doubt that the extreme
iingoes like Senator Morgan will raise
| a @reat cry. but that the Presidents $
views are sound will not be questioned
by the better and wiser forces uf the ma
ton. 1t was certainly not our place to
condemn the new scheme Of autonomy
before it is tried. The Government Of
Spain, at least its immediate policy has
been revolutionized in response 10
American sentiment, and the President
has taken the statesmanlike course in
declining to inaugurate an active in
reference that may be seriously re-
gretted.
The recommendations respeatins the
currency have been so entirel-' fore
shadowed by press dispatches and by
Secretary Cages report thai they Will
occasion no surprise. In faeJ it has been
known ever since Mr. Gage was selected
for the Treasury Department just what
course the Administration would take
in financial matters. His views will he
iu3orsed by majority Of the House. but
there is no prospect of legislation on the
subject at the present session of Con
greSs.
HOW EASY.
Tulare Register: What a simple
thing it is, to be sure! And why aid
not we or some one of our readers think
of it? very long shaft Of vibrating
decline, a mountain of low grade iron
ore ground into powder and sent sift-
ing down the shaft, powerful magnets
stationed along at certain places to
draw the particles of iron ore toward
certain side chutes which lead to i'm
mense bins and, presto, the iron ore is
extracted and ready to be melted and
cast into pigs, one of the most import
ant inventions of this eventually inven-
tive age, but it took the wizard, Thos.
A. Edison, six years of hard work ana
cost him a million or more dollars to
perfect the device That is one reason
why we did not undertake the ven-
ture. The other is that we never
thought of it.
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
San Jose Herald: The Presidents
message has one especial merit 1t
starts in on business almost from the
first paragraph, and it forbears to re-
hash the departmental reports. 9th
erwise it is of fair business character
as messages go, making some definite
recommendations but emitting others
in matters of more Importance.
Regarding the work of the extra ses-
sion, the message commends it, admit
ting that it has not yet had it's full eff
feet, but that the prospects are hope
full.
On the currency question the mes
sage is remarkable for what it hints at
rather than for what it says 1t does,
to be sure. make a definite recommen-
dation that whenever the condition of
the treasury permits, greenbacks re-
| ceived should not be re-issued except
for gold. Beyond that it states at
great length and with much force the
danger of further bond issues unless
something shall be done TO prevent that
result. The inference is inevitable that
the President expects to have to issue
bonds under the operation of the Ding
ley law. He also proposes TO let the ma
tional banks issue notes up to the face
| value of their bonds, but to issue none
smaller than SO. This is presumably
to give silver a show. Curiously enough
the President manages to extract some
comfort from the visit of his pet bimet-
allie commission to Europe. and pro-
fesses to believe that its object may yet
be accomplished. This will cause a
| smile in European financial circles.
| There is no further suggestion on the
monetary question and really nothing
| further was to be expected. Repub-
| licanism has no policy to offer, and no
| Congressional action can be expected.
except, possibly. some patchwork
| measure.
The President has great deal to say
about the Cuban imbroglio bur it is
not very satisfactory to the friends of
| Cuba. Briefly his attitude is that here
%NfO ind n1 Nv III N4s a.aI