The record-union., 1898-06-06
VOICE OF THE PRESS.
EXTRACTS FROM EDITORIAL
EXPRESSION.
State and Coast Opinions on Sub.
jects of Living News
Interest.

Oakland Tribune: There is no occa-
sion for those versed in International
law to wrangle over the question of
whether or not we have the right to re-
tain the Philippines. OF course we
have-the right of conquest is as
clearly recognized in the worlds his
tory as the right of discovery. The
only question Is whether or not we
want them We started out on this
war solemnly declaring to the whole
world that it was not to be a war of
conquest yet the very moment we OBJ
tain an advantage of that description
there is a clamor for a violation of our
pledge. 1t is easy to understand why
1t comes = the commercial instinct Of
the nation is a strong one, and having
obtained something for practically
nothing, we are not inclined to let it so.
THE SPANISH PROGRAMME.
Humboldt Standard: The programme
for the Spanish feet has at length been
disclosed, and proves to be amazingly
simple Admiral CerveTa will first de-
stroy SIMPSONS ships and then raid
our Atlantic coast cities. The date
when he will move on Washington and
carry off Mckinley and the statue on
top of the Capitol he has not yet an
nounced
OUR COMPENSATION FOR THE
WAR.
Los Angeles Times. With war comes
death, suffering and the expenditure of
vast sums of money. 1t returns to the
nation a great army of crippled soldiers,
heroes manned and wounded for their
coUntry'S cause. 1t makes countless
widows and numberleSS fatherleSS chill
Gren, putting out the light of gladness
in thousands of homes, and the bright
ness of joy in desolated hearts. We
rightly regard war as an evil to be de-
plored, as Inherently inhuman, and d
relic of barbarism, and every Christian
soul prayS for the time when strife
shall cease and the nations shall learn
war no more. Yet still, even war has
its bright side and its compenSationS,
when war is conducted for the purpose
Of maintaining great principles. Ma
tions which battle for the right take
grand forward leaps and progressive
strides toward higher realRs of ac-
tion. The better principles which un-
derlie a Government if that Govern
ment is fighting in a righteous cause,
and is panoplied with justice, are GER
tain to be strengthened and to be
come more prominent as controlling
fcrCeS in the national life of the people.
War makes a free and intelligent peo-
pie think. 1t makes them close stu
dents of causes and effects. 1t leads
them to discriminate between the good
and the evil. the principles and the pol
icy which tend to the welfare of men,
and those which are obnoxious to the
general good.
EARTHQUAKE AND TORNADO.
San Jose Mercury: All the earth
quakeS in California during century
have not destroyed so much property
OF killed so many people as the single
tornado which passed through three or
four Of the Eastern States last week.
Nor was that as destructive and fatal
as many that previously have occurred.
We need no cyclone cellars in this
State. and as for the earthquakes, they
do no harm beyond frightening the
timid.
A CASE IN POINT.
San Diego Union: The War Depart
ment showed great shrewdness during
the early COS in giving out or with
holding news concerning the great
struggle then in progress. In the cur
rent number of "McClure's Magazine"
is published a chapter of the late
Charles A Dana's "reminiscences. which
tells of the methods then employed The
narrative is of especial interest from
the fact that the Government is now
pursuing much the same course that
was taken at that time in dealing with
the newspapers. Mr.. Dana relates
that the plan was to announce briefly
actual occurrences of Importance, nut