The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-02-05


United States cannot busy itself collect
ing other peoples debts, nor in guar
anteeing that American sellers are hon.
est fellows. 1t has no power to pun
ish the rascally Texan either, for mis-
despicable cheating of the contiding
Russian. The Moscow man may not
understand this, but he will in time.
He can come over here and go for that
will see that he has fair play. Or he
can come and thrash him well, and So
ciety Will justify him, even if he lays
him UP for life All this and more
the Moscow importer may do in safety
But the Government can do nothing
for him save in one way. 1t can in
vestigate the case, find out who. the
cheat Is, ascertain the facts and pub
lish him to the world, and this we hold
the Government should do, not in the
interest of the Moscow merchant, but in
the interest of American trade abroad.
One such shameful transaction as that
referred to is enough to cripple the
trade of a score of honest Americans
with foreign countries. 1t is, therefore,
in the interest of the whole public that
this particular case should be investi-
gated and reported upon.
OF course the Russian was too con-
fiding. He should not have paid for
tho coodS in advance NOR should he
have failed. to exact sufficient guarantee
in the transaction. But his failure to
be wise does not reduce the infamy of
the trick, or lessen its influence upon
eign countries.
Fraudulent shipments ought to be
prevented as far as it Is possible for
the Government to go in that direction,
but when such a case as that set forth
above is before the Government Off
cially, it should have profound atten-
ton and speedy action, and the Russian
be thus impressed with the truth that
the American Government does not
sanction sharp practices nor fraudulent
shipments, and that the Texan swind-
Ter is not a fair sample of the class
known as American exporters
An article in the Atlantic Monthly"
by our late Minister to Hayti, concern
ing the trade unions and the negro, is
certain to create a good deal of dis
cussion. According to the writer in
question, the negro in the South, where
he has been the chief labor element,
has been crowded out by the laws of
the unions, until now one-tenth of our
tons requiring skill. Fifty years ago the
white and the colored artificer worked
side by side without any trouble. But
Of late years the unions have been
steadily refusing to admit the negro
to the trade or to permit their members
to work in them if colored man is
employed in the same line. This coer-
Give power has so far succeeded that
now the negro cannot have employ
ment in the South in any skilled trade
or indeed in any vocation over which
the unions take Jurisdiction. This vast
army of men are therefore reduced to
the lowest levels of labor, or are shut
out entirely. The essayist alleges that it
is purely caste line, and has no rela-
ton whatever to any question of capac-
ity or of the fitness Of the colored man
for the place in which his employers
may see fit to hire him. The situa-
ton, the eX-Minister asserts, has be-
come so grave as to be one demanding
the very earnest and profound attention
of thinking men, as it runs to the well
fare of vast body of people closely re-
lated to the welfare Of the whole ma
ton. Mr. Durham fortifies his charges
with detail and specifications that
maintain his contention, apparently,
and give to his paper unusual gravity
and Importance.
A Populist writer in Seattle paper
argues that everybody would be ever
so much better off il money was so
plenty that every workingman could
earn and receive 81 600 day. We
hardly think so. When money is as
cheap as that it will have no purchas-