Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-09
Annotated EDITORIAL. From The Star.

From the Springhel0 edAss.) Republican.
Civil service reformers are warned by
The Washington Star that they have q
big fight on their hands to prevent the de-
parchment Of the census service at the
coming session Of Congress-" The bill now
on the Senate calendar providing for the
taking of the census in 1900 mails down.
the several Thousand places. so that the
hated reform and merit system shall not
apply. and, according to expectation, this
Dill VIII pass the spoils-loving Senate. In
the House reforfders may win their battle,
venor. will be there to battle them, if pos
sible; Even II the House Endorsed the
merit system, the spoilsmen would have the
conference committee stage to fall back
upon, and there doubtless some compro-
mise would be made. The last census was
made on the spells basis. Shall we ever
have ono that will rot be furnished by the
hunger of the office-seeker?
From the Staunton va.) News
The Washington Star is advocating the
adoption of continuous rails for the Wash
lngton street railways. 1t seems that on
some roads rails are now welded at the
ends, making continuous track, and
AVOIDING the sinking and humping at the
joints which have heretofore seemed I'M
avoldable, no matter how well braced and
supported the rails may have been.
II TINS system of welding is successful,
as Claimed by The Star it represents a
considerable advance in railroad construc-
ton.
From the Richmond Va) Dispatch
The Washington Star says: War against
an armed foe is terrible, and is always in
tended to be, but war against the helpless,
such as General Weyler has been wagirg
against the non-combatants in Cuba, is
without veSt1ge Of excuse among civilized
people All OF which Is true. But doesn't
The Star remember the famous or rather
INFAMOUS, Order No. II, issued by General
EWlng IN Missouri, during the war between
hNyxr J, f11% ~2r
E:en ana children Of large rural section
OF that state were driven into the cities and
lEelr MONIES razed? Has 1t forgotten that
1eneral Hunter burned the houses of the
women and children in Virginia over their
heads. or General Sheridan's heartless re-
pert about his work in the valley or the
.Wenty-miles wide swath of fire and rapine
tEat General Sherman cut through Georgia
ana MS order driving the women and chill
dren of the confederate soldiers of Atlanta
out OF that city and into the desolate will
derness into which he had transformed a
large portion of that state?-The Alexan-
oria Gazette.
Yes, and the Gazette might have added
that General Grants inhumane order for
biodlng the exchange of prisoners probably
cost more lives than have been lost in the
cuban war. Talking about war against
the helpless" who could have been more
helpless than the thousands whom Grant
leIt TO slcken and die in military prisons?
me Spaniards and Cubans may not be
Will bear comparison with many things
done for "Old Glory and to save the
Union.'
From the Philadelphia Press.
The Washington Star calls attention to
the fact that the new marriage law of the
District Of Columbia which requires all
persons authorized to perform the marriage
ceremony to make returns to the clerk of
the court, is not well observed The same
complaint Is made elsewhere and will con-
tlnue to be made probably until there is a
national law on the subject and it is en-
forced by severe penalties. Many states
nave laws, but they are practically a dead
letter except in a few cases. In Massachu-
sets, Michigan and Minnesota statistics are
well and Systematically collected. 1t is not
at all to the credit of the eastern states
mat the western states are far ahead of
them In the matter of complete and intelli-
g:bie marriage returns. 1t is unpleasant TO
say II, but 1t Is probably the truth, that
ministers are largely responsible for the
practical failure of the marriage laws in
many cases Their course in this matter
and the exhibition minority of the minis
tiers gave of their hostility to q marriage
license law in New Jersey does not
strengthen popular trust in their good juic-
ment and farsightedness
From the Eagle River (ws.) Republican
The Washington Star says: THE police
are still looking in vain for murderer
FaultZ Naturally, as they are constantly
on a Faultz trail.
From the Trenton (N.J.) American.
Commenting upon the remark of the
Washington Star, that nothing more pain
FULLY ludicrous can be possibly imagined
than Richard Cookers attitude of condo
lence" on the death Of Henry George the
Philadelphia Ledger says:
Not less painfully ludicrous, nor offensive
ly 1mpertinent, were the precisely similar
efforts of Boss Platt, his machine candi-
cate, Tracy. and Cookers Tammany nomi-
nee, Van Wyck. all of whom sought to use
the death of Henry George by public ex-
pressions of regret and coincidence for their
own political advantage.
From the burlington Qowa) Hawkeye
The Washington Star finds that in admin
istration circles there is some concern over
the result in New York, Maryland and
Kentucky, but that the republicans seem
to have things a good deal their own way
elsewhere in spite of the Indifference Of
the republican voters. 1t seems that in
most states where there is an election the
OPPOSITION is even more apathetic and only
inclined to laugh when the silver question
is mentioned
Optimism in Crop ReDOrtfnr