The record-union., 1898-01-21
VOICE OF The PRESS.
EXTRACTS FROM EDITORIAL
EXPRESSION.
State and Coast Opinions on Sub
jects Of Living News
Interest.

/ new poilt1cal party that has Just been
formed at st. Louis represents what
may be termed the quintessence of Pop
uhsln, the middle of -the-roaders of the
most pronounced stripe These people
nave been sore ever since the last Pres
ldential campaign. They like Bryan,
but they adore Tom Watson and they
nave never quite gotten over the side
] tracking of that truculent Georgia
statesman. So the middle-o of-the-road-
/ ers have got together by themselves
and propose to go it alone hereafter.
| How much of a political figure they
may cut remains to be seen. In the
/ meanwhile the country at large has not
| the sHghteSt objection to the Populists
dlsintegratlng their party as rapidly
as they please. 1t may be suggested,
however, that it is prosperity rather
tnan poht1cS that most people are now
striving for, and if these middle oft the
readers We're to go home and till their
farms they might do more to save the
country than by passing resolutions at
! ST. Louis.
HAWAIIANS ARE NOT ILLITERATE,
Tacoma Ledger: The arguments made
in some quarters against the annexa-
/ eiOia VI Id " dlI tIdl lis Mli1dU1ldIltS dIt
illiterate is shown by statistics to be
without foundation There is a COM
pulsory educational law compelling all
children between the ages of and ID
years to attend school. The Forum"
has some interesting facts and figures
on the results of the working of this
law. 1t Is shown that the whole num-
Der of children within school age was
a. $50, and that of these 1920 per cent.
attended public schools.
| OF Hawaiians over years old there
are 26,495, of whom 1897 per cent. can
| read and write. In the case of part
Hawaiians. who number 5,S95, the per-
centage of illiteracy is even larger. OF
| the S,OS9 Portuguese 27S4 per cent
can read and write; of the %, 1S9 Jap
| anese, $3.50 per cent; Of the 1887
Chinese, 4S.47 per cent; even of the
407 South Sea Islanders, more than
40 per cent can read and write. A
normal training school is attended by
fifty native students who will become
teachers. English is practically the
only language used in the schools. and
that language is generally in use on the
islands.
THE JUDICIARY SYSTEM
Yreka Journal: There is probably no
provision of the Constitution of the
United States that furnishes more proof
Of the wisdom of its makers, or that
is more revered by our people, than
that which provides for our judiciary
system. But nothing suits the Pop
lists, except personal notoriety or gain
for themselves, and Senator Butler OF
North Carolina, who aims at being the
Populist boss, wants an entirely new
judiciary system, the Judges to be
elected for terms of eight years, and
has offered a joint resolution propos-
ing to amend the Constitution in ac-
cordance with his ideas. There isn't
the slightest probability of any such
change, but that it should be even pro-
posed is a warning to the country of
what might be expected should the
people ever allow the Bryanites to get
on top.
PENSION TROUBLES.
Portland Oregonian: Commissioner
Evans has recently received letters
from a number of pensioners, request
ing the cancellation of their claims
against the Government. Some of them
became CONVINCED that they were not
tlillliGu lO lllG SUM tlfEy were TtC6lNfD
and others voluntarily surrendered their
pensions because they are in comfort
able circumstances and do not need the
money. One of the first class, a Michi-
gan veteran, proposes in the depths Of
his conviction, to make restitution of
all the money he has received from
the Pension Bureau since 1895 the date
at which his name was enrolled upon
the list These incidents are significant
as showing the salutary effect of the
proposed publication of the pension
list. There are able-bodied men in
every community who don't mind being
rated by the Government. "for revenue
only" as decrepit, diseased, totally dis
abled or in poverty-striclzen condition,
as long as their neighbors don't know
it.
A ONE-SIDED AFFAIR.
Oakland Enquirer: The Cali de-
votes half page to a description Of
the glories Of the new ferry depot,
which it calls San Francscos depot,
although the money Of the State went
to build it. Perhaps the metropolis
is right In exulting over the new struc-
ture, which is certainly a great deal
better than the old one, but there is
shabby side to the business which
will be regretted and resented as long
as the building stands. When the
first effervescence of pleasure is over,
San Francisco people will recognize
that as a piece of architecture the
new depot is a pitiable failure, because
it is a one-sided structure, when a
two-sided building was demanded by
its situation Or If there was money
enough to pay for but a single front
it should have been on the water side
where everybody approaching the city
would see ii first. AS it is the depot
presents toward San Francisco a fine
front of cut stone and turns a sheet
iron back to the rest of the world. If
this is not a monument of bad taste
and ingratitude, then we don't know
such a thing when we see it.
IS OUR CLIMATE CHANGING?
Alameda Encinal: The climate of
California is decidedly changing Re-
ports from the south speak of heavy
snowstcrms. We read of San Bernar-
dino, Redlands and Riverside havine
all the way from three inches to five
inches of snow, and the branches of
orange trees breaking down beneath its
weight. This Is in the choice orange
growing section. 1t is certain that If
the men who have planted those beal-
tiful groves had ever thought of pros
pectiva snowfalls, not dollar would
ever have been put in there. The town
of Redlands. and there are few pref
tier in the State, has been built up by
the ,.ich tourist. who, falling in love
with the location and the insidious sto-
ries told by the landsellers, purchased