davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-03-01
THE. FACTS IN THE CASE.


Il rum lile
In the bewildering floodtide of sensa-
tional and false rumors of war given by
utterly reckless journals, it would be well
for all consderate citizens TO give sober
reflection to the following facts:
/. That neither the government at
Washington, nor the newspaper press.
nor any other individuals, have knowl-
edge of the testimony taken before the
board of inquiry now investigating the
cause Of the disaster to the war vessel
Maine, outside of the members of the
board themselves.
2. That the public have had from the
administration each day all information
on the subject that the government has
received. Every important item of in
formation that has been received by the
navy department from Havana has been
properly furnished to the public through
the press.
g. That until the board OF inquiry shall
have made known its Judgment, neither
the president nor the public will have
any knowledge of the character of the re-
port that is to be made.
4. That the report of the board of in
quiry will certainly not be concluded for
| several days and may not be furnished
to the secretary of the navy for q week
or more.
5. That naval boards are governed by
laws which make them entirely independ-
ent even of the appointing power. rs to
the communication of any information re-
ceived before final judgment is reached.
s. That all newspaper dispatches as
| suming 10 give information as to evil
| dence presented to the board of inquiry,
or as to the views of any member Of the
board relating to the destruction. of the
| Maine, are either wholly false inventions
or reckless assumptions without any sub
| stantial basis of truth whatever.
:. That the government is exhaustively
! preparing for war, not because war is ex.
| pected, but as the surest method of pre-
| serving peace between the nations.
| s. That is Spain has given this govern.
nent any just cause for war. or shall
| hereafter give 1t just cause for war. II
will be promptly accepted and the dig.
nifty and honor of the nation heroicaliy
| maintained.
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-03-01
Eyading Taxation.

In his felcitous address before the
Union League CLUB of Chicago on
Washingtons birthday eX-President
Harrison said "One of the conditions
of the accruity of wealth is a proper
tionate and full contribution to the ex-
nenses of the state and local govern
lnents. 1t is not only wrong, but it is
unsafe. TO make a show in our homes
ana on the street that is not made in
the tax returns. The duty of the state
to protect life, liberty and property is
conditioned upon fair contribution to
the cost nf government. n full and
conscientious discharge of that duty by
the citizcn is one of the tests of good
citizenship. TO evade that duty is n
moral delinquency. an unpatriotic act"
In recent issue of the Independent
Professor Bemis, formerly of the Chi
cago university, gave some examples Of
tax evasion in that city with the de-
tails Of which he was personally famil-
lar. Among them he asserted that n
Chicago ieWelry firm, rated in Brad
streets at over half a million, is as
sessei for Sl2,joO. A Chicago gentle
man. alsc rated at half a million, who
has a library worth $4,000 and horses
ana carriages worth over $4,000, be-
sides a private Yacht and other evil
deuces of comfort. is assessed at 5000,
while Il poor woman of the same city
comes t g the Taxpayers Defense
league and says that she cannot afford
to have carpets upon her floors and her
assessment has been raised from 5000
TO $1,000. Que of the largest makers of
sweat shop clothing in the country
Prof Bemis said, rated in Bradstreets s
at over 81 900 600, is not assessed a cent
ON personal property. A Chicago cor.
poration which early in August went
into a great trust on capitalization
of $6,5OO,OO0 has been assessed this year
on personal property at only SS0,000
OF course these examples might read
lily be duplicated nearer home; but il
is less embarrassing to use the Chicago
examples. The main point is to beai
in mind General Harrison's words
Taxes are a debt of the highest obli.
cation, and no casuist can draw
sound moral distinction between tn,
man who hides his property or make.
false return in order to escape the
payment of his debt to the state, ant
the man who cOnceals his propert!
from his private creditors" With tn,
final adjustments of "a new assessment
about to be made in this city thes,
words have a special significance fo
Scrantonians.
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-03-01

advantageous and close acquaintance
broadens the American citizen very
much to his benefit. But in the great
majority of instances It were better II
the actual schooling itself were ac-
qulred in the Americans own country,
under surroundings which tend to put
him into better ard closer touch with
American impulses and ideals. So
that, should the emigrant Yankee
school boy be barred out of the Father
land it would not prove an irreparable
loss
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-03-01

Kansas will this spring plant 100000
trees as soon as the frost leaves the
ground. Had this work been performed
a century ago. Kansas might have
been a blooming garden today. Even
Mt this late day. however, much good
may be accomplished. Kansas needs
trees if for no other purpose than to
keep Populism from becoming sun
burned in these days of bright pros
perity in the land OF wheat and grass
hoppers.
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-03-01
SCRANTON. MARCH /, 1898.

There is one verdict which it is hoped
that the Maine board Of inquiry will
not bring in--the verdict of don't
know" Such finding would be cruel.
The American people desire to be in
position when the verdict lie announced
to fish or cut bait.
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-03-01
IT OUGHT, INDEED.

From the Wilkes-B Barre Record.
A city that can boast of so good reGi
ment as the Thirteenth, N. G.. p, Of
Scranton, ought to show its appreciation
and pride by erecting a decent home toc
it.-one like the armory of the Ninth
regiment i'm Wilkes-Barre.
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-03-01

the slgsbee type that America is a great,
powerful, Christian nation. He repre-
sents the highest grade Of American oiti-
zenship. and is true representative OF
tho class that commands the American
navy. lie is a type for the emulation OF
American youth
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-03-01

charged for the carriage of postal
packages of identical size. Mr.. Loud
is aware of these assertions and
knows whether they are true or false.
Would It not be good time for him
70 communicate his knowledge on that
point to the public?
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-03-01
WILL DO ITS DUTY.

From the New York Sun.
our country will do its duty when the
result of the investigation in Havana
harbor is made known, and need not let
any apprehensions for the security of it's
own coasts stand in the way of that duty
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-03-01

The best news which has come from
the national capital in a long time is
embodied in the assertion that this
year there will be no river and harbor
bin Let us hope this good resolution
will be kept.
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-03-01

Emperor William says II isn't true
that he dislikes Americans. ION the
contrary" he adds, there are traits In
them which like" This is indeed re-
freshing. 1t deserves to be rewarded
by the confession that William has
esty, for example.
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-03-01

Congressman Boutelle says he would
like to pack the whole brood of news
papers reporters off to Cuba in the first
regiment should war with Spain be
declared. Well, we'll wager the re-
porters would GO
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-03-01

A Blnghamton cigarette fiend at
tempted suicide the other day by
hacking at his throat with a case knife.
This is a trifle unusual. The average
victim of the habit is generally salts
fed to do il with the cigarette.
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-03-01

II is significant that many Americans
who prior to the Maine blow-up op-
posed the proposition to recognize the
Cuban insurgents as belligerents now
frankly admit in the light of subse-
quent events that failure to confer that
recognition was Il mistake.
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-03-01

Senator Quay again reiterates that
he has no choice for governor. Pos
sibly he has not. But it is evident that
his lieutenants nave, and it is widely
suspected that their choice is not the
peoples choice. in which event his
nomination would be suicidal.
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-03-01

Brother Wanamaker is probably
studying the political weather indica-
tiOns
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-03-01

The Tribune's telegraphic news
is from three to five hours fresher
than that OF any Philadelphia or
New York paper circulated in its
field. Those papers go to press at
midnight; The Tribune receives
news up to 3 a. m. and sometimes
later. All the news in The Trib-
une while it is new.
ENTERED AT THE PosToFFICE At SCRANTON,
pa, AS sECoSD.CLASS MAIL MATTER
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-03-01
Representative Johnson's Speech

The recent speech Of Representative
johnson, OF Indiana, in opposition to
the annexation of Hawaii is being OK
tensiv ely circulated by interests hos
tile to the pending treaty, 1t derives
interest from the facts that Mr. john
son is leading Republican: that in
1898 he criticized severely the action Of
President Cleveland in hauling down
the American flag which had been
raised by Minister Stevens to the sum-
nit of the nag-pole in front of the
Hawaiian government buildings; and
that, these circumstances apart, it is
an exceptionally able, lucid and effect
i've summary of the case against an
nexation.
Unlike some of the outgivings Of the
opponents of this treaty Representative
Johnsons speech bears the stamp of
sincerity He is evidently in earnest
in his fear that if we shall annex
Hawaii we will take in not only Il
complex and troublesome population
afterward difficult to govern, but also
an endless series of complications with
other powers, great expense in land
and naval fortifiCation and, above all,
the temptation to abandon the SYM
metry. compactness and splendid iso-
lation" of our mainland territory for
career Of colonization which will mark
the beginning of our decline. The elo-
quence with which he warns us against
these dangers is genuine. The reader
delivery upon the floor of the house
should have created a temporary sem
! sation. drawing applause even from
those who differed absolutely from the
speakers premises.
But critical examination of the mat -
ter of this speech will disclose TO the
analyst that it advances not one new
argument; that the objections (which
it raises To- annexation are largely hy-
| pothetcal and contingent, having to do
| with apprehensiong more or less i'm
| probable in point Of fact; and that II
| utterly fails to refute the contentious
of naval and maritime experts that the
annexation of Hawaii would strengthen
almost immeasurably our future STRAIT
| egic position in the North Pacific. Mr..
Johnson derides the talk about Hawaii
| being a key to the North Pacific
| hut he offers no fact or inference which
| tends to minimize Ilawaiis strategic
| importance. That there are risks con-
nected with annexation has never &c
our knowledge been denied; but To pre-
sent an argument magnifying these
risks from ten to a hundred fold with.
out giving serious consideration tC
the vastly preponderating advantages
which offset them is to bid rather fol
applause than for reasoned and medi.
tated concurrence.
If Mr.. Johnson's argument is the best
that the nti-anneXationists can do the
sooner the vote is taken the better.
-------- -
Speaker Reed has opposed Hawaiian
| annexation. but not in his official ca.
| l.
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-03-01
DYNAMITE.

From the Philadelphia Press
There is an undercurrent of public opin-
ion to the effect that somebody is plant
ing a number of submarine mines in the
vicinity of the Pennsylvania political sit
uation.
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-03-01

The court of inquiry at Havana is
liable any day to take the wind out of
the sails Of the yellow journals.
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-03-01
Splendid Type OF
american Manhood
From the Times. Herald.

m s INCIDENTS of the Maine dsas-
IAN aster continue to reveal tine char
!ul acter of Captain Charles ID. Sigs-
Inl bee, the admiration of the Ameri-
can people for the qualities of
heroism he has shown continues to in
crease. His dispatch reporting the de-
struction of his ship was a model of
terseness and official diplomacy. 1t car
ried with it the unwritten assurance that
the sender was master of the awful stu
alton, cool in the face of an unparalleled
disaster, and cautious against inconsil-
crate action on the part of his own peo-
pie.
With the echo of a thunderous explo-
sion and the cries of the manned and
dying ringing in his ears; with visions of
beautiful ship that was the pride of his
| soul torn and dismantled and sinking in
| the black waters, carrying down with it
hundreds of brave men who served their
| country under his command, Captain
! Sigsbee had the self-control and presence
of mind to appreciate the probable effect
| of the disaster upon the American people
| and to his coherent and accurate account
| of the calamity he added these words of
| caution: Public opinion should be sus-
| pended until further report From the
moment that dispatch was read by the
people Captain sIgsbee had their confi-
| dence and admiration.
Since then he has received and dis
| pensed official courtesy with diplomatic
! punctilio; publicly calm and dignified in
| his bearing toward Spanish officials, and
| in' private moved to tears at the suffer-
| inEs of his seamen in Havana hospitals.
To supplement all these admirable quali-
| ties comes a dispatch revealing yet other
sides of his sterling character. In report
| ing progress OF work on the wreck he
| says: "Will take all immediate RESPONSE
bility, but invite departments wishes"
This is the language of leadership OF
men born TO command But more admir-
| able st,ll are these words OF Captain
| Sgsbee; Sturgeon Of the Maine -
| commended that all bedding and clok
| should be abandoned Might go
| acclimated poor" With respop
| to overwhelm the average man
table heart OF Captain Sgsbs
J to the suffering DOOM
| Is quick TO take tn
palliate their miser
1t Is because THO
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-03-01

Speaker Reed has opposed Hawaiian
annexation, but not in his official ca
pacity as the presiding officer of the
house. 1t is asserted that he is now
opposed to a further expenditure at
this time of money for prudential pre-
parations for war and that he will use
his power as speaker to check the
wishes of the administration in this di-
rection. We cannot believe 1t. Mr..
Reed is a man of strong convictions,
and he has the courage of them; but
it is obviously for the house of repre-
sentatives, of which he is only one
member to pass on the question Of in
creasing the navy
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-03-01
tBe Scranton trt6une

Published Daily, Except sunday, by the Tribune
Publishing Company, at F1fty Cents Month.
Smyrna times., 1898-12-14
The Matters Before Congress.

The session of Congress which
began Monday promises to be as
busy, If not as memorable, as anv of
its predecessors: At the threshold it
will be confronted with the necessity
of making appropriations for the in
crease of expenditures caused by the
recent war, all of which will expire bv
limitation on December 81. OF course.
the total amount necessary will not he
so large as that required at the last
session, but to ascertain just what pro-
vision must be made will tax the in
genuity as well as the industry of
Congress in no ordinary degree.
Later it will be called on to deal with
the important subject of the increase
OF the permanent military establish
ment, inasmuch as the act authorizing
the volunteer army did not provide
for It's continuance in service after the
termination of the war.
Another matter which the war
brought more prominently into view
and gave more practical bearing than
ever before was the necessity for the
building and completion of the Nicara-
qua Canal at earliest practicable date.
The acquisition of the Philippines
makes this necessity appear even more
urgent than did the obiect-lesson
furnished by the long and hazardous
voyage of the Oregon from San Fran
cisco to reinforce our naval vessels en-
gagged in operations against Spain in
the Atlantic.
The annexation of Hawaii, as well as
the acquisition of other possessions in
the Pacific, emphasizes more strongly
than ever not only the Importance but
the actusl necessity of early provision
of means of telegraphic communication
under the auspices and protection of
the United States, between the Pacific
Coast and Hawaii and beyond.
Here, then, we have three important
measurers, aside from the regular ap-
preparation bills, one of which must
be, while the other two may be, dealt
with by Congress before its expiration.
Oh March 4, 1899.
Smyrna times., 1898-12-14
WHOLE NO. 2,28I.
A ltc IHIInnrnI

All night long the ceaseless mnf4ed
beating OF the medicine tomtom had
come 10 US across the hot, barren.
alkali flats; all night long the dismal
walllng OF the bereaved squaws and the
lonesome howl of the masterless dog
crying like lost spirits, had come to M
out OF the darkness, plaintive and weird.
all night long we had rolled and tossed
Oh our blankets, spread upon the broad
Dreast OF mother earth, underneath the
silent, watchful stars, and now, as the
hrst pink blush Of breaking morn be-
gan to revolve out Of infinitv into n
newborn day, we rose, unrefresbed and
weary
a blood red sun thrust his scorcbing
rays across the rugged peaks Of the
BOOK plateau. All nature seemed aflame.
and as our tired, aching eyes sought
what rest there could be found in the
dlngy green of the few scrub rpdars
that marked the single variation 70 the
otherwise unbroken glare of Wilderness
strange, sad procession emerged from
them and wended its wav toward rs
AS 1t approached we could see the cor
tege plainly. There were the patient
SAD eyed women, their faces blackened
by charcoal, their hair disheveled. their
garments rent and covered with ashes.
There were the favorite dog and horse
OF the dead warrior, the latter fully
equipped as though ready for Jour
ney' and so he was. There was the
corpse itself, borne, all bedecked and
enshrouded, to its last earthly resting
place.
Smyrna times., 1898-12-14

II can't find my cap anywhere, " is a
sentence more or less familiar in the
household, that being what the boy saws.
looking for his cap, when he wants to
go out to play. Early in the search he
enlists his mother, and that may make
a serious business of it. She has to drop
her busting or whatever household work
she may be engaged in, and the search
may take long time.
"Where did you put it when you
came in:" isa aquestion sure to be asked
sooner or later, but all the boy can an
swer is:
Il don't know
And then the search goes on every
where, over and under, in all sorts of
places, all at a great loss of time, if not
of temper. 1t is found at last, as most
things are i'll time, and in some simple,
easy place, which makes the finding Of
1t all the more eXasperating.
The boy takes it and goes out to play
and straightway forgets all about it;
but it may take quite little time to
restore the normal calm i'll the house.
1t is mystery how the boy manages
to lose his cap as often as he does, but
it appears to be boys way, and COM
mon to almost all.-New York Sun.
Smyrna times., 1898-12-14
UnlOaded Guns.

"Unloaded guns are the deadlies,
weapons in the world,' remarked a
clerk in Royal street curio shop.
They are always going off and killing
somebody. Yesterday fellow brought
an old horse pistol into the shop. It was
one of the dragon model; loads with
powder and ball, you know, and uses a
percussion cap. The thing was as big
as small cannon and hadn't been
fired, | suppose, since the year /. The
owner assured me it wasn't loaded.
and, as there was no cap on the nipple,
l handled it a little more carelesslv
than l otherwise would have done. We
were standing at the back door, and I
raised the hammer to see whether the
lock was still in working order.
When L pulled the trigger, there
was an explosion that shook the house
and scared us both half out of our wits.
while the bullet hit a packing case over
there IN the corner and knocked it iutO
smlthereens. How the confounded ma
chine happened to go off was IL mystery
until closely examined the lock. Then
l saw that All old cap had evidently
corroded and attached itself to the ham
mer, which was slightly cup shaped at
the end. and when l cooked the weapon
1t simply lifted off the nipple and came
up too. 1t was only one of the little
tricks OF unloaded weapons. They are
mighty good things to let alone. -
New Orleans Times Democrat.
Smyrna times., 1898-12-14
4 Natural Fog Horn

At the Farallones the erosive agents
nave worked with queer caprice. This
rock, being granite, has been acted upon
by the sea at all levels and throughout
the long period when it has been rising
out OF the watory depths Through a
long narrow hole, slanting and commu
nlcatlng with the ocean, there comes at
intervals terrific stream Of air, forced
by the spasmodic heaving Of the waves
against the lower orifce. The govern
ment, which uses this island for light
house purposes, inclosed the upper end
with the nozzle Of "a fog horn, and everv
few seconds there was blown an ear
splitting brawl, which was heard far
out at sea and above the din of the
breaking rollers.
1t was allowed to roar only in foggy
weather, but it was eccentric in that il
would only sound at high tide. When
the tide was low, although the weather
might be very thick, the thing was 81
lent. For lack Of its warning a ship
went ashore upon the island rocks, and
then 1t was that the government aban-
doned its location on the wind hole and
erected steam siren or mechanical fog
horn, which has since very faithfully
performed the necessary service.-"Our
Seaboard Islands on the Pacific" by
John Il. Bennett, in Harper Magazine.