The record-union., 1897-07-14

of the asylum in a thoroughly satisfac-
tory manner, and, though Republican,
is not a partisan. The new man is a
very active partisan, but il is held that,
under the law, he is not qualified for
the superintendency of the asylum. DR..
King and his friends have decided to
have the courts pass on the eligibility
OF the new man and are confident that
he can be kept out of the office.
A COLLAPSE.
San Jose Mercury: The sudden coll
lapse of the Social Democracy Common
wealth was doubtless due to the abund-
ant and oyerfiowing lack of coin where
with to pay Mr.. Debs salary for steer
ing the concern through the State of
Washington woods. Mr.. Debs believes
in equality, with a mental reservation
to the effect that he must be made
very considerably more equal than the
est of 'em.
TWO PAIRS.
Los Angeles Times: The Atchison
Globe" mans idea of a thoroughbred
IS fellow who has two pairs of good
pantloons, with suspenders for each.
1t has been the general impression that
Kansas man rugged out like that
would not only be considered thor
oughbred, but a jim dandy. But who
ever heard of a Kansas man having
two pairs of trousers at once-eXcept
Mrs. Lease?
NEVER BEFORE.
Pasadena Star: Never until the ad-
vent of our present reform Governor
have the insane asylums of the State
been conducted on political lines. But
all the Republicans are going and in
rapid succession. Stockton is the latest
TO feel the heavy hand. Employees are
being discharged there in squads. But
there will be day of retribution. Our
turn is coming.
NOT A GOOD PLACE TO EXPERT
MENT.
Oakland Enquirer: The Texas Farm
erS' Alliance men, who are soon to meet
in general convention, are now engaged
in building a State railroad-in their
minds. 1t is to run from the Indian
Territory line to the Gulf of Mexico,
and the means to construct it are to be
obtained by taking the school funds
and issuing bonds for them. If built
according to political methods the State
railroad will cost a pretty price, and
If rates of freight and fare are fixed
on a basis of paying interest on the
bonds the farmer will not be benefited,
while if the rates are cut to the figures
the farmers would like to pay the State
school fund will suffer. Texas is pretty
thoroughly railroaded, and is not a good
State in which to try the experiment
of public ownership of railroads.
WAS IT A TRIUMPH?
Stockton Record: Bryan has been
here. 1t is estimated that 5000 peo-
pie gathered on Hunter Square to gaze
upon him and hear his voice. AT least
half of the auditors We're women, not
over a third were voters. In a city of
10000 population, surrounded by
rich agricultural district that contains
a large population, the intended cham
pion of the next campaign attracts one
fourth of the inhabitants to the square
is greeted by less than a third of the
number of voters in the city itself Half
at least of the audience was moved by
curiosity, and half of the remainder by
the strange disease-herO-w worship.
This, then, is the triumph of the man
who is said to be the idol of the people,
the champion of the one, controlling is
sue. There was no particular enthusi-
asm, except among such Democrats as
grow enthusiastic from a sense of duty
to their party. In fact, there was
much less enthusiasm and much less
interest than We expected. The meet
ing thoroughly demonstrated the fact
that the public is not anxious for Mr..
Bryan's four-year campaign for the
Presidency.
MEN OF STRAW AND HARD TIMES.
Redding Free Press: How easy it is
to set up a man of straw and then be-
labor him with any old thing in an ef-
fort to knock him down again. This is
pleasant amusement for many news
paper writer's who seek to delude the
unthinking of the dear people, and
many are constantly being taken in by
the trick. Unfortunately hard times,
or depressed conditions, always hatch
out a brood of demagogues and trick
sters with enough shrewdness and cum
ming to delude some of the people with
arguments In which there are a leaven
of sense and a great deal of deceit and
nonsense. How easy it is to quote
from competent authority and then
twist these quotations to suit present
conditions. 1t is an easy matter to
quote from the United States Monetary
Commission that "A shrinkage in the
volume of currency has caused more
misery than war; famine and pestf-
lence,'' etc, but it is not so easy to
prove that there has been shrinkage
in the volume of money. On the con-
trary the per capita of money has kept
steady pace with our population for
twenty years. OF course it must be
admitted that there should be a suffi-
cient amount of money in circulation
to meet the demands of trade; but it is
equally true that this money should be
good money, or else trade becomes de-
moralized. But if the United States
it has, production of all kinds of
products would still maintain business
depression and hard times 1t is not
true that the scarcity of money and the
private control of transportation are
the greatest evils against which the
producer must contend, for as a mat
ter of fact there is plenty of money in
the country and transportation never
has been SO cheap in the history of the
United States; but it is true that there
has not been proper inducements for
the investment of capital, and not
sufficient demand for products to keep
up prices of transportation.
A LESSON.
Riverside Press: Kings County is
selling hogs at 211a cents per pound and
buying them back in bacon at 91a and
ham at 121a cents per pound This OBJ
ject lesson suggests a moral on the
methods of California farmers that is
to1era bly clear without anv ella boration