The Advocate and news., 1898-09-14

N' '.o OANAO"ASu hAH6 VI Cue COLu-
monWealth. a
Wichita Beacon: The reason that
American sailors came out of the war
with so little suffering is because they
were led by trained seamen. Political
pull could not give a rich mans son
commission aboard ship, because the
whole country would laugh at the land
lubber trying to manage ship. It was
equally ridiculous to subject our soldiers
to an unframed commissary department
but the farce was not so apparent to the
people. The soldiers in the field realized
it fully.
Arkansas City Democrat: The terms
initiative and referendum are used to
express the initiation and final confrma-
tion by legislation by the people. When
the initiative Is taken the people in mass
meeting or otherwise propose legisla-
tion, sometimes preparing a bill to be
sent to their representatives The refer
endum is the reference Of legislation
completed by the law-making body to
the people for final vote and confirma-
tion, as in this country is done in the
case of an amendment to the constitu-
tion.
Kansas City Star: If an attempt to
establish a summer resort fails and only
one railway runs to the place, and the
same stockholders own the ground and
the railway, and this spot is selected for
the reCuperatiOn of disabled soldiers,
would 1t seem possible that public trust
could be made to serve the purpose Of
a private snap? II seems rather sig
nificant that, after this pointed public
query, recently made, Gen. Joseph
Wheeler should include in his list Of
points to investigate with reference to
Camp Wikoff this: "Why, since there
was but one railway leading into the
camp, were boats not used to carry men
and provisions from New York city?
Nonconformist Omaha is hard up
Omaha can't pay its taxes. Omaha
hasn't paid its taxes for twenty years
and it never will pay them again under
existing conditions. Omaha ought not to
have any taxes to pay nor would it have
any If 1t owned all its public utilities,
but 1t only owns those that are a con-
tinual expense and gives away those in
which there is tremendous profit. It is
no different from other towns in this
respect, but Omaha ought to be wiser
than the older cities and it should have
improved by virtue Of their experience.
The city levels the hills to build the
roadways, 1t builds bridges, culVerts,
sewers, and everything else, that causes
it a continuous oUtgo, and no income,
but 1t gives away to corporate greed its
water, its gas, its electric railways, its
telephones, and every other single public
utility in which there is a dollar of
profit 1t builds smooth roads over which
private corporations run their cars and
rob the people by wholesale. Result, the
city is getting poorer every day and fa-
vOred monOpOlists are getting richer
every minute. Suppose all these paying
natural monopolies were owned by the
municipality, how long before our city
would be freed from debt and have an
immense sum in it's treasury for the
prosecution Of badly needed improve
ments?
Philadelphia Public Ledger (Rep.):
1t is generally recognized that there
would be no difficulty despite the usual
partisan antagonism in securing large
Congressional majority to support the
policy Of the executive were it not for
the common indignation of the country
which the errors and offenses Of Alger-
ism have provoked. While Mr.. Alger re-
mains Secretary Of War the widespread,
deep-seated anger Of the people will not
be allayed. 1t has been aptly pointed
out by one shrewd and influential Re-
publican newspaper that the soldiers
who will be mustered out prior to the
day Of election will, in remembrance OF
the direful sufferings inflicted upon them
by Algerism, stand in solid ranks at the
polls against the administration If the
President should continue Secretary AL
ger in Office regardless Of the popular
demand for his removal. Not only would
they, because Of the just resentment they
feaI IN account Of their treatment inn