The record-union., 1898-01-10

significance. that the opposition to the
project of publishing a list of all pen
| sioners, together with the disabilities
for which they are being paid, is par
| ticulariy noticeable among resident pen
sioners of that city. There has been
no such general opposition TO the plan
from other sections of the country.
! There is good reason for this local
opposition. During the pension de-
bauch in which the country has indulg-
1 ed for the last few years, some of the
clerks in the Pension Bureau have
taken advantage of their positions to
| help erch other to secure pensions.
They have been able to obtain pensions
ranging from $40 to $50 a month, while
/ at the same time they were receiving
salaries as able bodied Government en-
ployes, ranging from 81 900 to So, 600
year.
In order to obtain these pensions the
| clerks in many cases had to make oath
to the effect that they were so disabled
that they could not support themselves.
| If these men had not been in a position
| to aid each other in obtaining pensions
/ they would in most instances not have
obtained them.
Even among themselves the clerks of
the Pension Bureau have tried to keep
secret the fact that they are drawing
| pnsions in addition to their salaries.
/ The proposition now to publish pen
sioners has alarmed them and they
are doing all they can to prevent con-
summation of the plan
CLARA PALMER CASE
Tulare Register: The Alameda ar
gus" is indignant that the jury should
have found innocent Clara Fallmer,
who killed her lover in cold blood, and
calls the jurors bats" The Argus"
seems to have forgotten how irresistible
the smiles and tears Of a dimpled six
teen-year-old are to lunk-heads, and
the jury was doubtless made up of
about that sort of material Clara
lover probably needed killing and af-
forded her some provocation, but to
turn the girl loose on the community
is a radical wrong, as the Populists
would say.
PENSION FRAUDS.
San Diego Union: 1t is probable that
| a bill will soon be introduced in Con-
gress providing for the publication of
the entire list of persons who draw pen
sions from the Government It is pro-
f PoSCd ~ lidhG ILLS lie lllSl SlSp toward
striking from the rolls all persons
whose names are not legally there. For
some time past the suspicion has been
growing that pension frauds, of which
from time to time cases are reported.
are shamefully prevalent Public SEN
timent certainly favors a thorough in
quiry into the matter. AS to the publi-
cation of the list of pensioners, a va
1 RTE e vic
The plan is certainly not free from
objection, but on the whole it would
seem to be a good one. 1t may be
SAID mat those who are honestly en-
titled to pensions can have no reason
able objection to the publication of their
names, while on the other hand. it is
due TO the Government that those who
are unworthily feeding on the treas
ufy should be exposed. OF course there
may De individual cases where the pub
icatlon OF pensioners names might not
be desirable, but these are probably
few
WOOL AND PROTECTION.
STOCKTON independent: Some of the
/. Tree trade papers chuckle because it is
asserted that the wooden factories are
hnolng the supply of American wool
ihsuInclent and have to import large
amounts. Just wait a bit until the
American ffocks that were decimated
during the four years of Cleveland-W Will
on-Gorman ruin are replenished One
Montana man writes that he sacrificed
5000 sheep during that period of ruin.
and he was not one Of the largest wool
growers. He is again increasing his
focks, but says he will reduce them
again in 1900, because he doesn't know
what the people may do at the next
Presidential election, and doesn't want
to be wholly ruined after narrowly es-
Gaping bankruptcy by the folly of 1892
His is but one case OF thousands ali
over the wool-growing regions. and
they will soon reduce the necessity OF
importing wool to the minimum What
the Wilson tariff destroyed in a few
days will require many months to re-
store, but ii is being restored on the
confidence that the people have had
enough free trade and short rations
INSPECTION OF BUILDINGS.
San Jose Herald: The terrible acct
dent at London, Ont, reminds the pub
lie, city officials and architects that
timbers in old buildings will get dry
rot and become dangerous. Only a
short time ago a similar instance oc-
CURED from the breaking of a girder
in the roof truss of a theater. The
soundness of timbers should be assured
by frequent examinations. No doubt
in California the risk in such cases may
! be reduced to a minimum by the use of
! redwood which by it's durability gives
comparative immunity from danger
arising from rot
CHINA'S TRADE.
San Diego Tribune: The foreign trade
of China amounts to SOS, 900 600 an
nually. England's commerce with
that Empire is S172,000,0O0 In 1895
J 81, 49, ships entered and cleared at the
treaty ports of China, and of these
l19,579 We're British and 2,642 were Ger
man ships. Great Brtain's enormous
interests in China naturally make that
Power DESTROYS of having that EN-
pire remain unpartitioned unless John
Bull is to receive the lions share, and
T it now looks as if England's wishes in
the matter would be respected.
; CHOKE HIM OFF.
Fresno Expositor: Some one should
! choke off Jim Corbett His flow OF
CAB is disgusting. He held Fitzsim.