The record-union., 1898-12-29
VOICE OF THE PRESS.
EXTRACTS FROM EDITORIAL
EXPRESSIONS.
State and Coast Opinions on Sub
iects of Living News
Interest.

expensive, but as they are more rapid
than the present system fewer polling
places are required. They require fewer
| officers to run them and for shorter
hours. They would pay for themselves
soon wherever population is dense and
possibly even where it is sparse. They
would introduce certainty, rapidity and
ease into our elections and guard
against fraud or error on the part of
either voters or election officers. 1t is
only a question of time when they will
be generally adopted.
A UTOPIAN DREAM
Colusa Sun: The thing Colonel Bry-
an proposes would be found, after the
| expenditure of a thousand millions or
so, to be a Utopian dream, and it is
more than astonishing to find a man
who can talk like Bryan so thoroughly
and completely impracticable. We have
got cuba and it is to be a hot-bed of
corruption and fraud. We are to give
the people a stable government, and
the first thing we find is a Governor of
the island, a Governor of the province
OF Havana, and then a Governor under
him, all under the military law, and, as
| N~~N~~A ~ "a 4ACSCSo1lJ 1O1 OO,OOO SO1oICl ,
for an Indefinite time! Now, if it takes
so many Governors and SO many SOL
dlers right under our educated noses,
for people We declared were already
capable Of self-government, how much
| Will 1t take for 400 islands situated
10000 miles from Boston and inhabited
by 100000 of people who never
dreamed of freedom? Mckinley has not
yet told us what he proposed to do with
the panther he has by the tail. He
simply says, in the language of the ex-
pert Snowman: Ladies and gentle
men, l have caught for your special
amusement a first class panther, on the
tail Of which have firm holdi Now,
ladies and gentlemen, what do you pro-
pose to- do with the animal?"
A SOUND VIEW.
San Jose Herald: Daniel Webster was
called the Great Expounder of the
Constitution" and he held in the Sen
ate: THE precise question is whether
a Territory while it remains in a terri
torfal state is a part of the United
States. I maintain that it is not The
Constitution is extended over the United
States and nothing else, and can extend
over nothing else. 1t cannot be extend
ed over anything save the old States
and the new States that shall come in
hereafter when they do come in.
This view has been maintained historic
ally and is still actually illustrated in
our territorial administration. It's lead
ling principle is that all under it's com
prehension shall be represented in the
legislative body which it establishes
with the right to debate and vote and
to partake in the choice of President
and Vice President. The Territories dc
not come within those provisions OF
the Constitution. We may go ahead
and govern the Philippines as Con-
gress and the President see fit without
bothering ourselves about constitutional
objections.
A GOOD MANAGER.
Oakland Tribune: The report sub
mitted to Washington by General
Wood, the military commander of San
tiago, shows what splendid work has
been done there since the American
forces assumed control. AS complete a
system Of sanitation as is possible
under the circumstances has been
placed in all the towns where our troops
are quartered, gambling has been sup
pressed, agriculture encouraged and
everything possible done to restore the
prosperity the island enjoyed before it
was devastated by war. There is much
yet to be done, though, and it is all
uphill work, but as General Wood has
got everything moving in the right di-
rection, it is sure to be accomplished.
A SENATOR'S PROTEST..
Tulare Register: Senator Smith of
the Kern Echo" has addressed an open
letter to the newspaper fratern-
ity Of the State asking at their
hands something besides carp
ing and ignorant criticism of leg
islators and legislative acts. Perhaps
the Senator does not fully realize what
he is asking. A reform of that sert
means work. What can be easier for
instance, than to familiarize ones self
with bakers dozen of epithets and
apply them to Legislature in gen
eral, and what can be harder than
to take a bill and dig the meat out
of it, find out what it means and
| whether it is a good thing or not =?
Why Smith would actually have his
brethren of the press haul off their
coats and get right down to legisla-
tive work the same as he has to do!
If held within such narrow confines
there would be no criticism at all and
the people would begin to suspect that
the newspapers We're subsidized intC
silence. Don't be unreasonable
brother Smith. What is a Legislature
for if not to make faces at and to guy
and to be branded as an assemblage o.
petty larceny thieves and windy bIath
|
reform the press of the State, but pu
on your summer clothes and take tht
air these chilly mornings so as to de
velop good, thick hide
A PROTEST.
Santa Rosa, Republican: Colone
Bryan has resigned from the army JUS
as his regiment was ordered to Cuba
and We are of the number who think
there should be no criticism of him il
consequence. He has doubtless found
himself better fitted for civil than mill
tary life and has rendered his resigna
tion in consequence of this discovery
NOT A TREATY ISSUE
Stockton Independent: 1t does seen
as though Senators like Hoar anc
Hale should know that the cession g
the Philippines or any other posses
sions to America does not settle tht
destiny Of the islands or of the United
States. It is within the power of Con
gress to dispose of territory at any
time it sees fit. There is nothing il
the constitution to prevent the United
States abdicating government in tbs
Philippines in favor of Germany OF
some other power at any time tha
possessorship becomes a burden ol
whenever another power offers suffi
cient inducement In fact the consti-