The record-union., 1898-08-27
| the apostle of a new and radical social

the apostle of a new and radical social
program.
THE NEW IDEA.
Bakersfield Californian: The initia-
tive and referendum are plans by
means OF which the people will be self
governing in fact as well as in theory.
In other words with such a govern
mental Improvement at hand the people
might institute legislation and also dis
pcse of it either affirmatively or mega
lively. That it would be used on all
occasions is not to- be expected, for rep
resentatives would study the desires of
the people and attempt to do their will,
knowing that acts contrary to the ag-
gregated mind might be undone.
AN INEFFECTIVE ARGUMENT.
San Jose Mercury: One Of the most
weighty arguments against the annex
alton of lands distant from this coun-
try is to the effect that the countries
sought to be annexed contain a large
class of cheap laborers; that it would
be possible for American capital to in
vest itself in manufacturing enter
prises in such countries, and by utiliz-
ing this cheap labor produce manufac-
tured products cheaper than we do in
that we could undersell our home man.
ufacturers and could even import the
same class of goods into the United
States and capture our own markets.
The argument might have weight
were it not for several reasons. The
lands sought to- be annexed contain but
little of the raw material needed in the
manufacture of most commodities. 1t
Cno
raw material such long distances mere
ly to take advantage of a cheap labor,
which is unskilled, uneducated and un-.
intelligent.
A MIXED STAFF.
Los Angeles Times: 1t is doubtful:
whether any officer in the recent war
has had a staff of more remarkable,
makeup than that of General Fitzhugh
Lee It comprises Algernon Sartorls,
a grandson of the late General U. ).
Grant; Major Hobart, nephew OF
Vice President Hobart; Russell Harri-
son, son of ex-President aiarrlson'
General Lees own son, and Lieutenant
Carbonel, husband of Evangellne Cls-'
neros.
THE DOLLAR STUPIDITY.
Stockton Independent: or course
every Democrat that is* intelligent
enough to think for himself knows that
the Bryan theory of money is either
based on error or is directly an advan-.
tage to the working man. That theory
is founded on the oft-made assertion
that gold has appreciated while silver
and other commodities have deprecated
only when measured by the gold stand
ard. 1t assumes that gold has appre-
ciated over 100 per cent. in the last
twenty-five years, or that a dollar OF
the money of to-day is worth two dol
lars Of the money of 1878. All statisucs
agree that the average wage rate has
increased. Men with memories know
this without statistics. The productive
value of labor measured in the gold DOL
lar of to-day is greater than the pro-
ductive value Of labor in 1873, measur-
ed by the gold dollar of that time. NO.
well informed and truthful man denies
this. 1t can be demonstrated as con-
vincingly as that two and two make
four AS the gold dollar of to-day, ac-
cording to the Bryan theory, is worth
double thegold dollar of 1873, the labor
which it requires is worth more than
double the labor which a gold dollar
would pay in 1873. But the same law
applies to everything. The sounder
and more valuable the dollar the better
it is for the man who has labor 20 sell
or wheat to sell or any other product
to sell. So it is that the Bryan theory
destroys itself The intelligent Demo-
Gratis understand this and never probe
that branch A the subject. Their con-
tention is founded on the assumption
hot Of bo Ay,oo ri
are too stupid to comprehend it.
DESTRUCTION OF FORESTS.
San Diego Union: According to For
est Commissioner Allen, some of the
forest reserves in this State are in poor
condition, great damage having been
recently done by fires and marauding
sheep. This is due to the fact that
while the Government established res
ervations in Southern California and
appointed Commissioners, no funds
were provided for the enforcement Of
forest laws until about a month ago.
In the meanwhile the lack of protection
has been disastrous. There have been
many fires, some of them burning over
hundreds Of acres. In some Of the
Southern California reserves the sheep
have eaten up and killed all the grass,
and the trees and bushes are stripped
of foliage as high up as a sheep can
reach standing on it's hind legs. The
owners of the sheep, it appears, were
fully aware Of the fact that by lack OF
an appropriation the reserves were. un-
protected, and they acted accordingly
Last month, however, the sum of S75,-
OOO became available for enforcing the
forestry laws, and there is now a pros
pect that some show Of guarding the
reservations will be made.
California, however, is not the only
State where superb forests, needed both
for timber and for the preservation of
the water supply, are the object of
almost every sort Of depreciation. Com
plants come from all over the Union.
The present laws, even when vigorously
enforced, are far from adequate for the
protection of the forests. The need of
additional legislation is clearly recog-
nized
The SpelIing-Bee at Angels.