The record-union., 1898-03-17
VOICE OF The PRESS.
EXTRACTS FROM EDITORIAL
EXPRESSION.
State and Coast Opinions on Sub-
jects OF Living News
Interest.


Missouri took occasion to declare that
the purchase of Alaska was one OF the
worst bargains this country ever made.
He declared that over 100000 had teen
expended in that Territory FOR ednca-
ticnal purposes since it's acquisition, and
left the conclusion that the country lad
never realized anything from its pur-
chase. AS a cold matter Of fact, the
Government has received back every
dCIIal it paid for the Territory. This
has been in payments for the seahnS
privilege. Besides that however there
has been contributed by Alaska to the
general prosperity of the country III the
way of furs fish and other products no
less than 500, 100000, while turing
the next few years the output OF gold
dust alone is bound to at least equal and
perhaps far exceed that amount Alaska
is destined to prove one of the best pay
ing bargains that any country ever
made Vest only aired his dense igEor-
ance by the display he made IN the sen
ate
THE HARBOR COMMISSION SCAN
DAL.
Martinez County Paper: The Dig vel
low rumpus over the suit against tie
Harbor Commissioners has turned our
just as we expected. That is to say, IT
is now evident that all the mean nnu-
ellGoes and scandal directed against
Commissioner Colnon was inspired by
malicious disappointed San francisco
contractors, because he would not do
business" with them. OF course the VIE
and unfounded slanders of the contract
ors was made much of by the %enal
yellow papers of the city, ana conse-
quently it began to look serious. 1t
now appears that no evidence whatever
was offered at the trial to verify the
Iibelous rumors published by The papers.
In brief. the suit that has inspired so
much lying is entitled the Para fine
Paint Company VS.. The Board of State
Harbor Commissioners. This action Is
merely an injunction suit by which the
Paraffine Company seeks to compel the
Harbor Commissioners to use its paint
instead of creosOte to preserve piles.
This is the only matter involved. There
is no charge of bribery or crookcdpess
in the pleadings, and no evidence has
been introduced that even by implication
squints of crookedness. And yet me
unprincipled yellow papars have Sc per
being a part of the suit, that there is IN
impression abroad that the suit has de-
veloped something of the kind. The san
Francisco contractors are pad set
and they are enabled to be worse ma to
vi!ify and rob people owing to the back
ing they receive from a venal press. II
yellow Journalism continues to expand in
wickedness as it has in the last decade,
something will have to be done TO
throttle it. In spite of our proud and
boastful allegiance to free speech and a
free press, if yellow papers-the char
acter massacres-do not reform, they
must be throttled. Probably the best
cure would be to put them under the
SUI veillance of a strict censorship.
THE RIGHT KIND TO BUILD.
Mendocino Beacon: The superiority
of the monitor type of fighting snip Tor
harbor and coast defense is admitted by
many naval experts at home and abroad.
Such a vessel carries the heaviest guns,
and at the same time presents a small
target Her light draft permits her TO
mar euver in shallow water where bat
ticships cannot rush in. A few months
ago a British naval officer who came into
San Francisco harbor on a listing
cruiser pronounced the Monterey and
Nor adnock the two most formidable
ships on the Pacific Ocean. If he was
right, as there is ample reason to believe
he was, a defensive power ike the
United States ought to have a fleet OF
such vessels ready to cover any and
every exposed point.
FIRST MAKE READY.
TuIare Register: The latest dis
patches are to the effect that President
Mckinley is about to send a message
to Congress advising intervention in
the Cuban affair 1t is not likely that
this will be done until the Maine mat
ter has somehow been brought to
determination, but it is entirely pos
sible that something of the sort may
develop before very long, the more es-
pecially if, as has also been reported.
the principal nations of Europe have
been sounded and will acquiesca. The
public opinion of the great nations can
not well be ignored by any one nation
however strong. First make ready and
then intervene with such power as will
make Spain see the futility of further
resistance, that is the Registers" doc
trine.
A QUESTION.
Biggs Notes: Does the fact that
Spain owes John Bull S400,000,000 cut
any ice in the Cuban war? Some people
seem to think it does. Brann's 'Icona-
elast' thinks America would have long
since acknowledged Cuban independ-
ence had it not been for this debt TO
our Cousin John and says that if the
curse of Heaven does not fall upon this
country for thus conniving at this
bloody crime, not against Cuba alone,
but against civilization itself, then
there is no longer a God in Israel OF
punitive justice in the universe.
CONSTITUTION. AND PEOPLE.
Los Angeles Express: Many for
eigners have the impression that our
national form of government is cumber-
some and unwieldy. and that in an EN-
ergency it is impossible to secure quick
and united action. They seem to think
that in a country like the United States
where every citizen has mind of his
own and uses it, harmony and unity
of action upon any issue cannot be had.
They hold that these qualities are Dos
sible only in monarchy.
This opinion regarding the United
states has doubtless been emphasized
by the fact that few years ago the
nation was rent by a civil war whose
wounds were slow to heal.
Such a view of American institutions
must have been thrown into great con-
fusion by the unanimous action of Con-
gress this week in placing in the hands
of the President. without reserve, the
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