davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-01

in the attack, the preceding summer, on the
frigate Chesapeake bya British warship.
The country was unprepaIed for war at the
time, but JEFFERSON instantly ssumed
the responsibility Of providing large sup
plies of military stores, In order, In his own
words, "to render the stock on hand de.
quate to the emergencies threatening u.s."
This action was not authorized In law. but
| Congress periodically sanctioned the act
as within the lines Of Executive discretion.
1t was one of tho memorable instances In
which JEFFERSON, for the public good,
"overstepped" the law and fell back on the
country for vindication.
~JEFFERsoS's plans of militia organize
/ ton, as an element Of national defence,
! were of wide scope and magnitude. They
| contemplated an immense force, divided
into two classes; the young, unmarried
men for distant service, when required,
and the married and moro advanced in
years for duty at home. But he failed to
obtain the support Of Congress for 30
extensive q civic.military establishment.
Had 1t been perfected, 1t would have
been OF incalculable service In the wal his
successor was called on to conduct. JET
FERsoN, the year following his retirement,
referred to this subject Of the militia and
the Notifications Of the seaboard in a letter
TO KoscIusKo. 1.-TWO measures" he wrote,
have not been adopted which I pressed on
Congress repeatedly. One was to settle the
whole u~ngranted territory Of New Orleans
by donations Of land to able-bodied young
men, to be engaged and carried there
at the public expense, who would consti-
tute a force always ready on the spot to
defend New Orleans. The other was to
class the militia according to the years of
their birth, and make all those from twenty
to twenty.tiv liable to be drawn me called
into active service at q moments notice."
These two measures were, in ~JEFFERsoN's
Judgment, necessary for an entire security
of the country at that time. Respecting
the Notifications Of the coast, he said to
KoscIUsKo: when I was called to the
Presidency, not q single seaport town was
in a condition to repel a levy of contribu.
tion by a single privateer or pirate. I left
every harbor SO prepared by works and gun
boats as to be in a reasonable state Of secur-
ity against any probable attack" On the
Republican party to-day devolves the su-
preme duty of carrying out the imperative
Jeffersonian policy of providing adequate
resources Of defence to meet the emergency
that confronts the nation.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-01
National Guard Ar,,nsrzms,.

To THE EDITOR OF H SUN-Sir: As an
ex.artilleryman I entirely concur with the argu-
ments Of Mr.. Henry E. Turner in his letter in
to-day's Sun, headed Defence of New York"
as to the advantage Of having a National Guard
regiment Of artillery. and for reasons l shall
proceed to give.
The management OF modern guns requires the
highest class of skilled labor. and 1t is a fact
recognized by army officers that generally nom
commissioned officers and men who become pro-
fcient in the handling Of them leave the army
after serving terms of from three to five years,
as the report OF the Examining Board OF the First
Artillery proves very clearly. Now, II a National
Guard regiment OF artillery was organized / am
certain that the majority OF those men would
be SO much delighted to serve in it hat the
Government would have at its command a regi-
mcnt as well drilled and as skilful as any in the
regular army. / can safely assert that there
are enough ex-artillerymen in New York city
alone to fill two or three such regiments. men
who have marched after old Glory" long
enough to love it, and who at the present crisis
would be ready at n moments warning to up
hold 1t with their lives.
J. is. ex.First U. s. Artilleryman.
NEw YORK, Feb. %.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-01
Tho First of March.

The FIRST day of March Of the year 1895
has n deeper meaning than the mere be.
ginning Of Spring. To-day begins a season
in which the American people, who fought
for liberty n century ago and rave loved It
always, hope to see the same Incompatible
blessing brought to the struggling patriots
Of Cuba.
Spanish barbarity in Cuba ought to be
stopped. Autonomy is q failure. TIL rev.
ol~utionists will take nothing less han In.
dependence. Upon that question they are
as ~incorruptible as they have showed them
selves heroic. Money has failed to bribe
the Cuban leaders, and the offer Of auton.
omy has failed to bribe the Cuban people.
All want to be free.
Another Spring that fails to bring the
peace Of liberty to the Cubans will bring
intense modification and dissatisfaction to
the people Of tho United States.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-01
Annexation Our Policy.

Where do the anti.annexatlonists find
warrant in our history for saying that
the acquisition Of territory is not our
traditional policyf Under JEFFERSON, the
third President, who is q good authority
upon American policy, we acquired by pur-
chase from France the enormous Louisiana
tract, more than a million square miles.
Our next annexation was Florida. by treaty
with Spain. Then we annexed Texas, and
followed that up by the great region
stretching thence northwesterly through
Upper California to the Pacific, acquired as
a sequence of the war with Mexico. This,
again, we supplemented a little later by
the tract included in the Gadsden purchase.
Over twenty years & we annexed Alaska.
In short, we have increased to nearly Ave-
fold, by annexation, the territory with
which we started.
With such a record within q century, how
can 1t be said that the annexation of Ha-
wall would "lead US In n new departure"
and contradict our traditional policyl Per
hars it may be meant hat the distance of
Hawaii constitutes the alleged new de.
parture In policy. Distant 1t is, but so
was Alaska, and the annexation of Alaska
oredAS uo"n any theory tnaI anneAlnB
only contiguous countries Is our traditional
policy. Alaska had a foreign dominion
interposed between 1t and the United
States, while Hawaii has not; but who re-
grets to-day that distant Alaska is oursi
JEFFERSON declared that Cuba was the
most interesting addition we could make
to the Union, and on past occasions our
Government has sought to annex it by pur-
chase. Over forty years ago 1t began nego-
t~iations for annexing Hawaii, which were
dropped through a disagreement as to the
terms, followed by the death of the reign
ing monarch. Now the terms are mutually
advantageous, and this present move for
annexation is noteworthy in the fact that
the proposal has come from Hawaii to US,
and without our seeking.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-01

great in Costa Rica, and, since Nicaragua
might, perhaps, as a member OF the Greater
Republic. call Upon Salvador n Honduras
to help her, II necessary, there arc rumors
of Costa Rica's sending a special commits.
sioner to Guatemala, which, like herself,
does not belong to that confederation, and
also OF making overtures to Colombia.
We should greatly regret, Of course, both
on general grounds and for the specific In
terests OF the canal, TO see war break out be-
tween these neighbors. Yet Dur present
duty would apparently be to take care
OF American rights and interests, and with
the Newport at or near Greytown and the
Alert at San Juan del Sur, this will easily
be accomplished, even apart from the pres
ence OF the Brooklyn. Cincinnati, Castine,
Wilmington, Newport, and Vicksburg in
Caribbean waters.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-01
A New County.

The bill now before the Legislature to
make a new county called Nassau out of
the towns of Oyster Bay, North Hampstead,
and Hampstead in Queens county has every.
thing to commend it.
The charter of the city of New York puts
Queens county in q position not before
known in this State. Part of the county
lies within a city, but the city does not lie
entirely within the county. The trainers
Of the charter disposed of the questions
which they met in the best way for the
proposed city. They left 1t to the Legis.
lature to cure the Ills which of necessity
fell elsewhere, as for example upon that
part of Queens county which remains with
out the Greater New York.
Under the charter of the city of New
York, the Supervisors of Queens county
cannot levy a tax for any purpose upon the
borough of Queens, being restricted forthe
purpose OF taxation to the towns of Oyster
Bay, North Hampstead, and Hampstead,
which constitute the portion of the county
not included In New York city. AS to these
three towns the powers of the entire hoard
remain as heretofore, and it can levy taxes as
it chooses for any county purpose. Further
more, a majority of the Board of Su-
peryisors represent the towns which
have become Wards of New York city,
md only three of the Supervisors
represent the three remaining towns. 1t
follows that the majority of the Board
of Supervisors of Queens county, hailing
from a portion of New York city, can i'm
pose any tax they choose upon the towns
of Oyster Bay, North Hampstead and
Hampstead, against the unanimous protest
of the Supervisors chosen from those towns.
The joint share OF the taxes of Oyster
Bay. North Hampstead and Hampstead in
in the expenses OF Queens county for 1897,
not including the road debt, exceeded
100000 For the new county the salary
system of compensation for public officials
is proposed in place of the fee system, and
the total annual expense for the new county
cannot exceed the sum of $35, 900. The to.
tai amount Of the salary list of the new
county will not exceed $40 900. while in
the present county the aggregate annual
takings Of three officers alone arc said to
be more than double the salary of the Presi.
dent of the United States.
No wonder the people of eastern Queens
want the bill passed.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-01
Tho Bill.

It 10 announced that che Republican and
Democratic leaders have determined that
the Ellsworth bill against the liberty of
the press shall be put through the Legisla-
ture at Albany.
Whatever motives have prompted the In.
PRODUCTION and advocacy of this measure,
the bill itself, even with the omissions
which are said to nave been agreed upon,
is as thoroughly vicious in principle as it
was in the first instance. The existing
laws Of thisS State in regard to libel and the
dissemination of pcrnicious literature are
specific enough and far-reaching enough to
procure the punishment of any journalist
or publisher who ought to be punished
provided the party injured is resolute in
the prosecution Of the offender.
These existing laws are by no means lib
eral toward the press, and NO one who is
familiar with their practical operation can
fairly conclude that they are not sufficiently
stringent to protect all the rights of the
public. To add to their stringency. in the
manner proposed by the Ellsworth bill. will
be to create an engine for the easy persecu-
tion Of the press. 1t is preposterous to pre-
tend that any public interest demands such
an enactment.
The Ellsworth bill can have no other pur-
pose than to serve some personal or polit-
ical end. A list Of the Senators and As
semblymen ready to join, for the sake of this
end, in the general assault on the press, will
have an historic value.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-01
Foreign xote. or Real Interest.

N. Dsibler. the french executioner, celebrated his
seventeen birthday recently by guillotin!ng . muir
derer at Bastia.
A $50 pound conGer Gel has been caught in LOCI
Long, Scotland. IL measured o feet lo5 inches m
length and 2 feet Z inches In girth.
Smallpox 10 ravsgins eastern Africa In both sS'
British and German protectorates. Tho spidem"
started nsc months ago In Zanzibar.
President Kruger will soon uuveil a statue OF him
self az Pretoria, Il Is the work OF n Fosr sculptor
named Van BOW, and represents Dom PAU IN h'
usual clothes. including the stoyepips hat.
There are ! ,05i students q, the Pope's GreSor'aa
University at Rome this year. 400 more than N 'uo
last year before the Italians took the city. ~ these
o6s study theology. so7 philosophy aud IS canon II"'
". Frederic FarSeon. the Oldest member Of the
French bar. died recently at Mines At n" ago. 80
years. lie was counsel for the Paris Lyon Meti'"r'
rance Railroad. and appeared in court til he Wa -
years old.
British trade ethics are about TO apply to tho k'0n'
dixie. Liverpool, has sent out ON the steamer MAIL
ense, bound for st. Michael. the largest cArgo ~
liquor ever shipped. Il includes $4,000 cases and
1000 barrels of spirits. chiefly whiskey. and s'SSs
barrels Of bosz.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-01

fTOm me tntCuDO Nctct.
The law as to umbrellas was settled once for
NIL by Lord Coleridge in a leading English case.
His loriship held:
Umbrellas. properly considered. are a part Of
tho atmospheric or meteorological condition.
and. as such. there can be no individual prop.
erty right IN them. In Sampson VS.. Thompso
defendant was charged with standing on
plaintiffs front steps during a storm and
rain to which, plaintiH was entitled. But
the court held that the rain was any
mans rain. no matter where II fell. Il
follows. therefore, that the umbrella Is any
have gone together. and there is no reason why
they should be separated in law. An umbrella
may. under certain circumstances-the chief OF
which is rosscs-ion-take on the attributes Of
personal property. just as II a man set a
tno and catch a quantity OF rain water.
personal belonging while 1t is in his tub.
But IL the sur evaporate the water and IL 10
rained down again, or Il the tub be upset and
the water spilled. then the attribute of personal
ownership Instantly disappears. So II a man
hold his umbrella in his hand 1t may be consid.
ere5 a personal belonging. but tho moment it
" Ses his hand 1t returns TO the great. general,
Indivisible, common stock OF umbrellas, whittier
tho law will not attempt to pursue it"
SO far as we know there has never been q suo-
cossful appeal from this decision.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-01
REINDEER FOR The KLoSD1nE.
Tho Lapland Yukon RELIEF Expedition Will
Leave To-day.

The Allan line steamer Manitoban. which ar.
rived here on Sunday night from Bosekop, Arc
tic Lapland, having on board the reindeer. Lap
landers, Firms, and Norwegians making up the
Lapland reindeer Yukon relief expedition of the
United States Government. drew up alongside
the dock at the foot of Sixth street, Jersey City,
yesterday morning. and prepared to unload her
curious cargo. The special trains which are to
convey the outfit to Chicago over the Pennsyl.
vania Railroad were in waiting. but it was de-
cided not to begin the journey until to-day. DR..
Sheldon Jackson, who is in charge of the expe-
dition for the Government, said that there WAS
no use in tempting Providence and hustlinR the
immigrants and reindeer West at once. They
had had such wonderful luck so far that he
wanted to SEQ II 1t couldn't be kept up until
they reached Alaska.
The unloading OF the reindeer was not accom-.
plished without considerable difficulty. Several
hundred persons looked on while the work was
done, and got u good deal of fun out Of the an.
tics of the animals. From tho ship to the pens
was a distance of 200 yards. and the reindeer
made it interesting all tho way. They kicked
and hucked, got tangled up In the leather thongs.
and In numerous ways showed their disapproval
OF what was going on. II took about five hours
TO get all the animals ashore and in the pens.
The train. which Is to leave this afternoon,
will be in two sections. OF fifteen cattle cars, one
accommodation car, and one sleeping car
each. Tho immigrants will cook their own
meals on the journey.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-01
BANK FOR K1oyDIxE MINERS.
Colo Conveys 10 He Guarded by Northw est
Territory Mounted Police.

An agreement between tho Canadian Gov
eminent and the Canadian Bank of Commerce
has been signed recently, by the terms of which
the bank is to establish . branch in the Klon.
dixie country. Besides doing a general banking
business, OF which the issuing Of drafts and
letters Of credit will form a large part, the
branch will also collect all tho royalties to the
Government on gold mined In the Northwest
Territory. The branch will be under the direct
patronage OF the Government; Its offices will be
ON Government property and all its shipments
OF gold dust or currency will be conveyed b.
the Government. Dawson City is the location
selected, but by the terms OF the agi cement
other branches may lie established at such other
points as the Government decides reed them. .
II. r. Wills. manager OF the madam Bank
OF Commerce branch M Orangevillc, Ont, will
be in charge of the new branch. He Will have
four ASST itants and the five are now engaged in
se8rching for the cook 10 complete the PARTY
The hen Will all live together on Government
property ant expect 10 have n hard life OF ID,
lhc element of dancer wi'rn might threaten. cy.
cept for the Governments patronage, will be
ways be within call Of the hank and its en-.
ployces. The bank is 10 be IN running order
by June ].
A conservative estimate of the gold that will
be taken out of thedistrict this season l. 81, 900.
600. and the estimates made by competent aIi-
thoritles IN san Francisco run all the way from
BIO. 900 20 S2O,o 600, 900. II l. said thai The
bank will pass will DO down the YuEon River
to st. Michael and thence by 81 eaner 10 Seattle.
from which point the Canadian railroads. can
handle IL.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-01
The Government and the People

The explicit denial that the Administra.
ton has been keeping back important
dispatches received from the Court of
INQUIRY as to the cause Of the Maine
disaster, accords with the a~ntecedent
probabilities. Some European observers
suggest that any official news that sus-
tanned the accident theory would have
been eagerly given to the public, and this
is unquestionably true; but dispatches an
nouncing the opposite conclusion would
also have been given, although, no doubt,
with far different feelings.
From the first nothing has been more ap-
parent than President MoKINLEY's reliance
on his fellow countrymen in this matter.
If the Administration has said little, it Is
simply because 1t has known little. The
Court of Inquiry is not only to collect facts,
but to reach a conclusion on those facts.
Knowing that on its findings peace or war
may depend. it is not likely to dribble out
speculations, Impressions, or half conclu-
sions, based on the work of single days,
and liable to be contradicted by later testi.
mony. It's judgment will not come piece
meal, nor will it be premature. and no one
need be surprised il days or even weeks
should elapse before it Is announced.
Meanwhile, it Is well to reflect that no
Administration for years has been In closer
sympathy than the present with the great
body Of the American people. Grave, de-
liberate, peace-loving, and yet a brave
soldier. the President is likely, we believe,
to think as a majority Of Americans think
on the great matters at stake, and to act as
they would have him act. We believe, too.
that this Is true not only of the Maine dis
aster, but of the Cuban problem as it would
have existed Independently of that dis.
aster. The time for the announcement by
our Government that the experiment. with
autonomy is a failure, and that the republic
of Cuba is an established, belligerent power.
cannot be very far of.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-01
sUPnEME ooURr DEcIs1or,
Utsh's Eirht-Iusur law Declared valid -su,,.
souinn nnsittutiou's Title to n rtear.,,

eoutnu unsfttuttou's Tito to = 1teauest
WASHINGTON. Fob. 2s.-The Suprem. Co,-.
to-day, Justices Brewer and Peckham diss.r,'
ing. decided that the Utah Eight. How law 90,
valid and constitutional. 1t applies only to ,,ho-
in underground mines and In smelling and re-
1ning works. In announcing the opinion o, m.
court Justice Brown said that the State. in ~
exercise OF its police power. had authority n
~legislato regarding the number OF hours OF lnbo,
in those c~mployments, regarding which It had
authority and right to l~cgislate for the pro,.r
tion Of life of the laborcr. These particular am.
pigments came within that class. and, Uithou,
expressing any opinion rs to the VALIDITY NJ
cight;hour laws in general. the one in issue was
The court affirmed so much of the iudrm.n,
OF the Court OF Claims as gave to Lewis A. Ia.
ton the salary OF Minister Resident and Consul.
General to Siam for the term that 5. ii, Boors
was absent from the post in 1892 %. Boyd WINS
taken suddenly il and compelled TO leave
sionary, to act for him. and the State Depart.
ment accepted the substitute, but the Treasury
he sued the Government in the Court OF Claim,
and received Judgment for the full amount
askcd-S3,21i. or this sum S63 was for fees in
settling estates of Americans who died within
the consulate. This amount, the supreme Conre
said, should go to the Government. a. by consu.
lar regulations OF 1888 such fees are official
fees.
The Smithsonian Institution was totiny con.
made by the late Robert s. Avery OF the FSoosessss
Survey. to be known as the Avery fund Tor The
extension of sciences. Mrs. Avery's brothers
and sisters contested the will on the ground
that the property had belonged to her and
although she died before her husband and iet
no children. BY contestinR the will the brothers
and sisters deprived themselves of a small be.
quest made to them on condition tina, thew
acquiesce in tho provisions of the will. Tbs
Supreme Court, disposinR OF the case, said that
~legatees under a will. in the face OF a specIfo
instruction to the contrary, could not take the
testator's money and use 1t to defeat his inten.
tipna