The record-union., 1898-06-01

from Washington no one can doubt.
but that there is too much Of it in
every department no one familiar with
the manner of doing business has any
doubt. There is now being much impa-
tience shown with the Washington au-
thorities because the Spanish have not
been whipped long ago, and while there
is no doubt much reason for some COM
plant on that score. the demand that
the Admirals or the Generals be turned
loose without restriction is again un-
reasonable. There has grown up at
Washington a system of gathering all
authority into the hands of the de-
partment clerks that is pernicious in
the extreme, and from this practice it
is natural that the first operations OF
war shall be too much governed from
Washington. 1t is not the fault of any
particular man or any party. The
Democratic party is as subject to it
as any other. Power. it is said, is
sweet, and the power to control large
operations in which great regulations
are to be made is hard to surrender,
and especially hard for little men to
give up. Let the President be ever SO
big man and ever so willing to place
authority and responsibility in the right
place, it would take time for him to
get it out of the routine hands in the
departments
THE SOUTH AND THE WAR
Alameda Argus: The statement is
even seen that this war has cemented
the North and South in fact, finally
and forever, and that as much as the
seam where they are joined is no Ion
vic
hope it is; but it would be empha-
sized if the Southern cities had all re-
sponded as readily to the President S
call for troops as the Northern States
did. They haven't done it, and some of
them haven't filled their quota yet. The
situation is the more noticeable from
the fact that the principal scene of
hostilities lies at their very doors, and
in certain contingencies their seaboard
cities might be in danger. What is the
matter with the chivalrous South
Their Generals seem to be pretty war
like, but their rank and file do not come
out of their tents
WILL BE HELPFUL.
Los Angeles Express: Reports about
ineffectiveness of the Cuban army
should not be hastily credited No
doubt the insurgents would present a
sorry sight compared with well equip
ped and thoroughly trained troops, for
their fight has been waged under the
most discouraging circumstances.
There were times during the rebellion
when Confederate troops were ragged,
poorly armed and half fed, but history
tells how they fought. There is one
indisputable fact in considering the
probable usefulness Of the insurgents
in the coming struggle in Cuba. For
years they have held Spain at bay, sue
cessfully resisting large armies of the
best Spanish soldiers. They have not
only waged a defensive war, but they
have aggressively pushed the Span
iards back to the fortified towns, in
several instances, and have even
Haunted the Cuban flag in the environs
of Havana All that we now expect
is that the insurgents shall maintain
their ground as effectively as they have
done heretofore. If they succeed in
pressing the Spanish rear the American
army and navy will do the rest. For
this service the Cubans are especially
adapted. No matter if they are called
bushwhackers they have proven to the
entire satisfaction Of Spain that in
bravery and stubborn determination
they make up for any shortage in
military appearance