The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-01
1903.

O. 80 Wv eeees
for the House Of Representatives, how the
American people regard the present Ad.
ministration; whether Hawaii is to become
q part Of the national territory; and
whether the Cuban revolutionists are to
remain unrecognized and unassisted by our
Government. The coming t~welvemonth
will throw light, also, upon the destiny Of
China, and upon the question whether the
European Powers, instead Of maintaining
the concerted action which In Europe they
have pursued lately, shall, by reason Of
conflicting interests in the Middle King.
dom, be arrayed against one another. In
other parts of the world, moreover, and
especially in Austro-Hungary, in Spain and
In Africa, the New Year seems likely to
evolve events of unusual interest and
moment.
In the United States we need not expect
to witness any monetary legislation, for
there Is believed to be a small majority
for free silver in the Senate, whereas those
who believe in meeting our national obi.
cations In gold dominate the House Of
Representatives. Neither is any material
change in our customs duties to be looked
for. Should the tariff, even when supple
mented with the public income obtained
from other modes of indirect taxation,
fail to answer the national needs, the
fault must be placed where it belongs,
on the vast and steadily increasing burden
imposed upon us by our pension system.
There are signs that the people are awaken
ing all over the country to'the absurdity
and ~iniquity of pension laws hat are sweep
ing us to deficits and bankruptcy; avs
which force US to pay on account Of a
war ended thirty-two years ago a sum
which will presently amount to $3.50, OOO,-
600 annually, a sum far larger than
Germany expends upon the strongest
standing army upon the globe. No coun.
try relying upon indirect taxation could
long support such a strain. Either it
must be relaxed or else we shall be re-
duced to a choice between two odious alter
natives: We must live by loans from hand to
mouth, and hus impair our national cred.
It, or resort to direct taxation on a large
and Objectionable scale. If, on the other
hand, the pension list were cut down
to reasonable proportions, there Is no
doubt that even the existing revenues
would show a considerable surplus over
outgo. To bring about such a state Of
things, 1t is only necessary to convince the
people that the pension laws, as now
framed and administered, constitute an In
~Burmountable obstruction to the nations
~solvency and prosperity.
With regard to the composition of the
next House of Representatives, there are,
no doubt, already premonitions of the po-
litical oscillation which is wont to mark
the middle year of a Presidential term. The
pendulum swung backward last November
in New York, Kentucky and elsewhere.
1t was otherwise, however. in Ohio, and
even Maryland stood firm in the Repub.
lican column. Should the Dingley bill not
d%isappoint the yet mistaken hopes of
It's Trainer, and should we witness a con.
tinuance of the prosperity evinced by the
rise in the price of wheat and by the re.
newed activity of factories, the Republi.
cans may reasonably count Upon retaining
control of the House of Representatives,
although they must expect a lessened ma.
5ority. An efficient safeguard against re-
action would be a foreign policy adjusted
not to the timidity and selfishness of col
lege professors and stock gamblers, but to
the patriotic traditions and deep control
ling sympathies Of the masses of the COM
munity.
With regard to Hawaii and to Cuba the
current of popular feeling Is unmistakable
and Irresistible. If there has been any
doubt anywhere concerning the Importance
OF Hawaii as a protective outpost of Cali.
fornia, Oregon and Washington, it must be
dispelled by the seeming intention of Euro
pean powers to partition the coast of China
and en- cnpnnafa fnr the oont,ol - A.. nj.
6c. That the Cuban revolutionists, who
decline to be deluded with a sham proposal
of autonomy, deserve at least to be recog.
nized as belligerents, and that our Govern.
ment should exhibit, what it has not vet
exhibited, complete neutrality between
them and the Spaniards. has become so
patent to American citizens that, II their
votes could be polled on the subject, not
more than the fraction of one per cent.
would be recorded in the negative.
So far as the domestic interests of the
United Kingdom are concerned, these seem
certain to remain In the charge OF a Union
ist Government not only during the twelve
month now opened, but for at least four
years to come. The majority in the House OF
Commons, with which Lord SALISBURY re-
turned to power in 1895, Is the largest ever
seen In England since the first reformed
Parliament met in 1888. 1t seems to be,
also, compact and practically homogeneous,
the entrance of the Duke of DEvoysHIRR
and Of Mr.. CHAMBER LAIN into the Cabinet
having checked the d~iverging tenden.
cles of the Conservatives and Dissi.
dent Liberals. 1t Is true that Lord
LONDONDERRY and a Knot OF men repre-.
senting the older Toryism nave denounced
Mr.. CHAMBERLAIN's measures to insure
workingmen against casualties in certain
trades, which measures, nevertheless, have
bean embodied In law and It Is true. also.