The record-union., 1898-03-26


Commenting upon the action of Con-
gress in voting fifty millions of dollars
for the national defense, Mr.. Bryan pa
tr1oucally says that the sum might as
well have been made a hundred mill
ions, ito show the world that Congress
and the American people, without re-
gard TO political differences, are ready
to support the Administration in any
action necessary for the protection Of
the honor and welfare of the nation.
That is the kind of talk that shows the
true Americanism.
ANOTHER DE LONE.
Willows Journal: A. Burlingame
Johnson, United States Consul at Annoy,
China, has made himself famous by a
| two column letter to the Bulletin
giving his opinion of the situation in
| China and criticising other Govern
ments who are playing for keeps in
that country. Mr.. Johnson may have
a medal from Congress or decorations
from the Shah for all we know. but he
| evidently don't know that represent
ative of the Government in his posi-
ton ought never to express an opin-
ion. He probably wants to be sent
home.
NOT IN THE GANG INTEREST.
Los Angeles Herald: The participa-
ton in the primaries of the party by
more than 30 per cent. of the Demo-
cratic voters of Chicago, on Wednes-
day, confirms the conviction that the
| people generally take a deep interest
in public affairs and in good govern
ment and that they will cease to ig
/ more primary elections when they are
| safe-g guarded, as they always should
| be, by wise provisions to prevent them
| from being manipulated by designing
men, with penalties for violations suffi-
| GENTLY heavy to secure their enforce
ment. In other words, the better ele-
ment will come to respect the primary
system, and to patroniZe it, just so soon
as they are assured that their will is
| to be honestly recorded. This being a
certainty, we shall have, in time, al
most universal participation in the pri-
/ mary elections, more sincere and
/ cordial acceptance of the results, a
! greater degree of reliance upon the
| loyalty of the masses in support of the
regular nominees, and the consolation
| in defeat that it was encountered in a
| good cause, for it will never do to ad-
nit that the majority of the voters of
any party will deliberately nominate
unworthy men for responsible positions
in the public service.
WILL HAVE A HARD TIME.
Folsom Telegraph: The gentlemen
who carefully preserved their campaign
speeches in 1896 with the idea that they
could use them again in 1898 are going
to have a hard time in fitting them to
! IN, +1A;, ar1
with the people to whom they made
their assertions in that campaign They
claimed that prices could not advance
without the free coinage of silver, yet
they face upon the stump in 1898 an
advanced figure in practically every ar
| ticle of farm produce. They claimed
that a protective tariff would not i'm
prove the conditions of the workmen,
yet they find factories running where
smokeless chimneys We're visible in
1896, and wages increased and employ
ment plentiful They insisted when the
| Dingley tariff bill was under discussion
in Congress that it would cut down our
| sales abroad and would be insufficient
to produce the necessary revenue at
home, yet they find that our sales
abroad have increased, and that the
new law is producing revenue at the
rate of over a million dollars a day,
sufficient to keep pace with the aver
age expenses of the Government What
will they do about it? What will they
say now?
A FIELD FOR WORK.
Vacaville Reporter: If the new State
Library Trustees want a field for their
activity, let them devote their efforts
to securing and publishing information
why It is that California sells tanned
hides to the East, and buys the shoes
manufactured from them; why we sell
tons and tons of wool, but can't keep
| a wooden mill running on any other
| than the coarsest fabrics; why we ship
| dried fruits East and pay high prices
for expensive jellies made from them;
why it is with the possession of the
most fertile soil on earth and a eli.
mate which is indispensable we lag
behind the inhospitable prairie States
in securing either the surplus money
| or population of the East. There are
| a hundred lines which invite attention,
because they are present propositions.
| They demand the best efforts of the
new Trustees, who, until California is
a little more up to date, had better not
| spend money on a history which, how
ever creditable and interesting it may
be- has been pretty thoroughly writ
ten already. The State Library has a
wide field of activity before it, if it
will only recognize it.
NOT CLAMORING, BUT"
Riverside Enterprise: We are not
clamoring for war. Neither were 25O
American seamen who recently took a
large Interrogation up to the Almighty,
by way of Havana harbor. But there
is one thing that the plain people, who
always have to do the fighting and pay
the bills, will insist upon, without re-
gard to creed or party, and that is a
settlement Of the Cuban question in
accordance with the rights of the men
who followed Maceo and fought under
Gomez. AS for the Spanish honor,
which must be SO tenderly handled. it
Is entitled to no more consideration
| than that of any other assassin. A
Government which as military meas
ure has starved $1,000 non-combatants
to death in one town alone which has
upheld the ghoulish cruelty of a Wey-
Ter, and is rather more than suspected
of dynamiting its guests a few weeks
ago, cannot be very tender in the mat
ter of honor Indemnity for the
Maine and freedom for Cuba, or the
alternative. It is for Spain to choose,
and If she wants war, let the conse-
quences be on her own head
WILL NOT BE FORCED.
San Jose Mercury: The yellow jour
mails, and their representatives in Con-
gress, are making loud outcry because
President Mckinley will not acquaint
them with all his plans relative to the
| Maine incident and permit them to