The San Francisco call., 1898-12-18

The editor of Denver paper, lady of distinction, remarks with pride that two women, Queen Victoria and the Dowager Empress of China, rule over about half the population of the world. She might have added that the Queen is an amiable person who has about as much to do with affairs of state as with the phases of the moon, and that the Chinese she-tiger would be but moderately recompensed for her in- iquity if boiled in oil; but this would have destroyed all the force and beauty of the point.
 No Chicago Aldermen were hanged on the eventful night of last week when ropes were ready for them, because they had seen the ropes and taken warning. Lad the iniquitous bill against which the people were fighting been passed every official voting for it would have deserved the promised fate. It is time to quit trif1ing with the thieves who get into public position only to abuse it. Students of social economy observe the spirit of discon- tent, the murmur of disapproval, and prate of anarchy. They do not seem to think for an instant of the long se- ries of robberies which the people have patiently endured, of the mockery of justice when the larcenists have been brought to bar; the possibility of pub- lie servants being less corrupt, as legitimate contribution to reform, does not seem to occur to them. They only moan that the citizens who pay the taxes and see their money scattered by set of conscienceless rogues should presume to demur in the only effective way. The threat at Chicago was enough, and happily so. It is far bet ter that the rascals should have been scared into decency than noosed into it. I would not like to see the lamp posts of San Francisco decorated with the carcasses of members of the Board of Education, and yet to be thus utii- ized would serve some of the members rightly. They have been false to every trust, have sneered at justice, stripped the schools of needed funds, leaving the teachers to wait indefinitely for salary and the children to shiver because there is no coal to warm the buildings. Of course, to hang them would be tenn porary disgrace, but to tolerate them and allow them to go unpunished would be permanent disgrace.
 gentleman writes from Santa Ma ria for advice as to the disposal of a pet coon. The letter has been referred to me, as the coon editor is on a vaca- ton. If the animal is attractive enough to fit the description, I do not see how the owner can bear the thought of part ing with it. Why not take out adop- tion papers and keep it in the family? Besides, I cannot discover that there is market for coon on the hoof.
 
 Whether Spain has got into frame of mind to be grateful for the loss of the Philippines is a question, but the inevitable second thought will bring this about. Spain had learned to lean too much upon its colonies. Instead of developing it's great home resources it had chosen to squeeze the colonist, to his distressful undoing, and it's own. Spain is big enough to assume a greater inn portance now than before stripped of it's islands Whether stronger nation than Spain can take these same islands and not have occasion to repent of the bargain remains to be seen, and gives rise to natural doubt, but for Spain it is a certainty the islands were clog. Spain should brace up now, and grow. It has an area of 196,000 square miles, population of 170OO, 900, while France, with 204,000 square miles, has 38, 100000 people. There will no longer be excuse for sending soldiers from Spain to die in the tropics. They can T for Uncle Sam seems to have soldiers to burn under the vertical sun" to which The Call editorial columns contain oc- casional allusion. It is surely better to thrive within a limited space than to die all over the globe, as France is try ing to do and Spain was in danger of doing.
 "It Is more correct to write the full word Christmas, instead of the much used Xmas" Thus remarks an ex- change concerning crime heretofore denounced in this column. However, conscientious man cannot indorse the expression more correct" If a thing is correct it cannot be more so. Still, as the expression conveys the idea meant to be conveyed, much may be forgiven.
 
 While tolerably free from a tendency to toot personal horn, I must confess to thrill of pride at reading some lines written to me, the fact of dedication be- ing announced in large letters. Core spondents do often send pleasing mes sages, but few of them fall into poetry. Probably if they fell into the kind which swells my estimate of myself they would not know what had hap. pened to them anyway. The following are the lines:
 look with pity on the man
 Whom natures given gall;
 But, heavens! how I scorn the chump
 Who thinks he knows it all.
 Editor Glider of the Century thinks people should read great poems instead of the newspapers. He does not carry this belief to the extreme of pub fishing poems of the sort he professes to admire. Indeed, some of the prose in