The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-02-20
I ak Of the Editors

Talk Of The Editors.
Railroads are taking advantage of the
disruption OF the street rail pool and the
low prices OF rails as compared with the
trust prices. Pow long the present sit
uation will la is n question. The Phil
adelphia hecord says: ''Messrs. Carnegie
and Rockefeller, having smashed the
steel billet pool by undertaking it, have
joined hands to conquer the steel trade of
the world; and since both men are mas
terful by nature, and have Mt theiI com
mand a practically unbounded supply of
the sinews of war, nothing is more likely
than that they will prove conquerors
But history records no conquest that was
not followed by its day Of DOOM and it
can only be a question of time when the
new pool shall go the way of the old.
Meanwhile one happy effect of the battle
of the giants has been to enable the rail
road companies to make contracts for the
renewal of their roadbcds. Another effect
should he to convince the House commit
tee on ways and means that an industry
which feels strong enough to reach for
the trade of the earth can no longer claim
to Inc an infant in need OF government
wet.nursng. Knoxville Tribune.
The death of VIM. p. St. John was, we
doubt not, attributable to the political
contest OF last fall He was in receipt of
II salary of $4,000 per annum when he
was forced out of the presidency of Che
Mercantile National Bank, because of his
free silver views His services as treas
urer of the Democratic Campaign com
mittee were arduous and valuable: but
the defeat of Bryan left him a--crushed
man. Sunday afternoon he had stroke
of apoplexy, and on Monday night he
died. He was born in Mobile, Ma. in
lS41, and was unmarried. Richmond
Dispatch.
There is something to be admired in
the sturdy manner III which the New
York sun stands up for the unpopular
trusts. Newspapers, as Il rule, wish to
he on the popular side, whether it be
right or wrong, and any departuresfrom
that rule is extraordinary, indeed. Ii *
certainly interesting TO hear both sides of
Il question. however. and AS the sun i
now trust paper, avowcdly and openly,
we will no doubt be cnliyhteI ed. The
defense OF trusts is certainly hcrculcan
task, even for their able dcfcnder-.\l.
toona, Pa, Times.
Oklahoma is still clamoring for admis-
sion to the ssterhood of States but il
now looks ais if the territory will he com
PEELED to remain outside for quite IL spell
longer. Recent events in the Senate of
the United States have crystallizcd pub
lie sentiment against sparsely Settled
territories, and If anything were needed
To strengthen the opposition To Ok lahOma
it has been supplied by the freak terrific
rial legislature, which by its attacks
upon property and public order has dis
gusted the people of more conscrv ntive
communities l,lueiield Telegraph.
The New York Herald in IL dispatch
from Denver, Col, reproduces IL letter
written to II labor organ III that city by
General Master Workman Sovereign, of
the knights of Labor. Mr.. Sovereign
states that in the rect mt election one mil
lion voters in this country lost faith in
the ballot, and that secret revolutionary
societies are being organized in every
part of the United States Their doe
trinc is armed resistance to the alleged
evils which they would abolish, and they
would prefer bloody war against their
"oppressors Mt home Ia conflict with Il
foreign nation. Mr.. Sovereign says his
voice il for peace, bat ii revolution
SilAJilAl tplnt Ill SpIlc Oh ait EFFORTS To llrp-
vent it, he will not be found among TIE
towards, nor on the side OF the putocratic
classes Possibly there may be n few
revolutionary agitators in this country,
for there is an anarchist propaganda in
New Y Ork t'.at meets in the most con-
vcnient saloon and IL similar propaganda
in Chicago. But they are at best noisy
humhugs, while tile only element in the
country which could make revolution
possiblc-ihc bone and sincw OF the
land are not rcVOlutionistS, but want
peace and IL long rest from all agitation,
which leads to mischief and violence. The
revolutionary societies say the tendency
is toward Imperialism and the hdlot
cannot countcract it, y greater fa.lncy
WAS never uttered If this alleged inn
pcralism were overthrow by force. we
should have to substitute stronger form
OF imperialism To maintain ii stable Gov
eminent The sureSt way in which to
bring about dcpotism would he u dis
card the ballot and To resort to force
Baltimore Sun.
It is said that the Vesuvins was ac-
cuscd by admiral Buncc's squadron of
taking IN unfair advantage when She
successfully ran the blockade under cover
OF fog ana darkness. To one unfamiliar
with naval warfare this would seem cx-
nctly the opportunity likely to be seized
IN a state of actual hostiitics -Jackson-
vile, Fla, Times. Union.