The record-union., 1898-11-28

would be to invite trouble. No half
way step is safe
AN UNDERSTANDING.
San Jose Mercury: The declaration
of an open door policy in the Philip
pines shows that there is a friendly
understanding between the American
Government and Great Britain. This
policy will be advantageous to the other
European Powers, but SO jealous are
they of the United States and England,
and SO strong are their sympathies with
Spain, that they will manage to find
some excuse for harsh criticism.
AN AMERICAN MERCHANT MA
RINE.
Santa Barbara Press: One Of the di-
rect results of the war with Spain has
been a revival of American interest IN
commerce, and the up-building OF an
American merchant marine. Several
fine vessels for the Hawaiian trade are
building on this coast, and 1t is but
the beginning. With the Philippines
| under American control, the strides will
be still greater. Now foreign vessels
carry our grain and bring our coal; In
few years these commodities will be
| taken to and from our ports under the
Stars and Stripes.
THE open DOOR,"
Fresno Republican,: The informal
| announcement of President McKinley's
| policy in the Philippines will be pleas
| ing to those who believe in basing
practical decision on practlc.-- facts, but
somewhat of a disappointment to those
who prefer to base 1t on abstract theor-
| les. The first announcement in the
| Chicago Times Herald" which has
/ been taken as semi official, was that
| the islands would have, for the present,
military and not territorial govern
ment, and the second, in the conditions
| offered to Spain, is that we will open
the islands to the commerce Of the
| world on equal terms.
Both propositions are eminently prac-
| tical; both are accused of being illogi-
cal. A colonial government is the
only one at all workable in the Philip
| pines and a military government is it's
| best preliminary form. But mill
| tary or a colonial government, 1t is al
| legged. is inconsistent with our tradi-
tional theories and practice, which it
| doubtless is, for the sufficient reason
| that our previous acquisitions were all
\ tAAoAS 1lPiopl lclCly 6oNO 1ACd III dliolllCl
way. But the alleged consistency Of
! applying old ways to new conditions is
| like that of the man who would use
| bird shot to kill a bear simply because
he had been shooting birds all day.
The tariff policy in the Philippines
| follows the same argument. In spite
of the taunts of Cobdenites, there is no
| Inconsistency at all in excluding such
| distant colonies from the privileges of
| free trade which the States of the
United States enjoy with each other,
| or in charging a revenue tariff on
American imports into the islands. In
dustrially the Philippines are as separ-
ate from us under American control as
under any other. We can derive our
profit from them, as England does from
her colonies, while permitting them to
have tariff policy consistent with
| their needs and not necessarily consist
ent with our domestic policy
NO JOKE, PERHAPS.
San Diego Tribune: The manifesto
tions of friendship on the part of the
English are 50 intense just now as TO
cause surprise which might be called
almost suspicious surprise as it relates
| to the report from London of a desire
| to erect statue of George Washington
on Trafalgar Square Such a report.
evidently, emanates from the brain of
some journalistic practical joker.
LOOKING AT HOME.
| Los Angeles Herald: Isn't it about
time for some, foreign Power to inti-
mate that the cause of humanity
| demands interference in the United
70
unchecked in the race war" shooting
and lynching are reported from vari-
Gus quarters and in some places there
are conditions of local anarchy This
| lamentable state of affairs has been
going on for several weeks. 1t is about
time for some member of the European
class to hold up a finger and remark
that the United States needs enlighten-
ment, and needs it bad.
VIGOROUS EFFORT NEEDED.
San Diego Union: There are ample
Indications that the coming winter is
to witness a tremendous struggle in
Congress over the Nicaragua Canal
question. While the sentiment of the
country, and of the Administration it
self, is unquestionably in favor of i'm
| mediate and decisive action for build
ing the waterway under Government
control, there are unmistakable signs
that the opponents of the measure are
united and that with the aid of we'll
paid lobby they will make a strong
| fight.
| Under these circumstances. friends
Of the Nicaragua Canal cannot afford
| to trust their cause either to popular
sentiment or to the well-known wishes
of the Administration. There must be
a united effort to overcome the COM
bined opposition. It now only lacks
a few weeks of the meeting Of Con-
gress. This is the time when the
| American Nicaragua Canal Associa-
ton should do its hardest and most eff
fective work 1t should have a power
full representation at Washington DUR
! ing the coming session, and to that end
| it should lose no time in urging cham
/ bers of commerce and other bodies IA
vorable to the canal to see to 1T that
men shall be on the ground, who will
meet at every point the efforts OF the
i opposition.
THE VOTING MACHINE.
Los Angeles Times: The report OF
the voting machine commission, ap-
pointed by the Governor in April OF last
year, in accordance with an Act of the
preceding legislative session, will, it Is
said, soon be in the hands of the mem
bers of the next Legislature. There Is
a. natural prejudice against the use OF
mechanical devices for voting because
of the fact that they are called ma
4 chines.' Nevertheless it is not only
possible, but probable, that a more ex-
peditious and reliable system of ex-
pressing the will of the people than now