The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-12-29
VOICE OF The PRESS.
State and Coast Opinions on SUBJ
jects Of Living News
Interest.

Los Angeles Express: There is not
a legitimate newspaper in the country
that will not be glad to see Congress
pass law that will stop the abuse
of the second-class mail privileges.
which abuse now costs the Government
in the neighborhood of $20.0OO.OOO q
year. The privilege has been perverted
from it's purpose of aiding in the cir
| culation Of newspapers, not all kinds
| Of advertising matter.
NEWSPAPERS.
| San Jose Herald: No doubt news
papers make mistakes. No doubt some
| newspapers exercise an injurious infiu'
ence, bat that the press as whole
| exercises a highly beneficial influence
! few will deny. Newspapermen, for the
most part, are as Jealous to promote
| the public welfare; are as refined and
| highly educated and as great a. power
! for good as are any professional men
| in either religious or secular walks OF
| life. Conscientious newspapermen are
proud of their vocation. They realize
| that they exert a power helpful in
| leading people to- a higher plane OF
thought which acc6mplishes far great
| er practical good than the narrow
minded exhortations Of those who de-
nounce the press.
| ADVANCING WAGES.
San Diego Tribune; The telegraph
tell us that the prosperity of the year
has struck the manufacturing centers
of the East SO hard that an increase
of wages of mill operatives has been
| decided upon. Among the mills IL
make the advance Is the Amoskeae
corporation of Manchester the largest
cotton manufacturing concern in the
country, which will advance the wages
of its 1900 operatives 10 per cent De-
cember 18th. A similar advance will
be made in the cotton mills of the
Annoy and Stark Manufacturing Com
panies of Manchester Saturday. The
Stark Mills employ nearly 1000 hands
and the Annoy about 500. The China,
| Wassito and Pembroke mills of Sun
cock, N. H., will also raise wages IL
per cent. The Suncock Mills employ
about 1000. Some other mills where
notices of an advance were posted WERE
Taunton, Mass, at the Corr Manufac-
turing Company mills, Pawtucket, r.
l.; Lawrence, Mass; Atlantic, Pa. and
Pemberton mills. The new rate al
these points affect about $4,000 hands
TWO WARS COMPARED.
Stockton Independent; Even yellow
| journals are almost awed to silence re-
garding the management of the war in
the Philippines, now that results of the
American operations there are con-
trasted with the results of British oper
ations in South Africa. OF course, it is
to be conceded in advance that the
Beers are much more stubborn fighters
than the Filipinos. But beyond this
all the advantages are against the
Americans and in favor of the British
in making comparison of results. At
every point the Americans have fought
against overwhelming numbers and in
every action they have been victorious.
The British, in some of the worst de-
feats, have about equaled in force the
Boer enemy. The Filipino has heen
we'll armed and is thoroughly familiar
with every foot Of the country, while
| at most stages the American has been
poorly armed and a perfect stranger ia
the character of the country In Africa
the British have at all points been bet
| ter armed than the Beers, and most
have had a thorough knowledge of the
country, for they have surveyed it in
all directions, built railroads through 1t
and have had commercial, financial and
| industrial control of it for years The
| British have exhibited no such dash as
has distinguished the American opera
lions in Luzoh, where frequently small
detaehments have made mastery coups
by false marches or superior strategy.
Bachelors march to Apart. with a
handful of colored troops, Bell's capture
| of 500 insurgents in fortified camp
ON mountain top, March's defeat of
Pillar in the mountain pass and Young's
numerous victories while actually on
the run through a strange and hostile
and almost inaccessible country, with
a handful of men, are all instances of
the spirit that animates the American
soldier and attests his loyalty to the
flag and his confidence in the authori-
ties and officers. No such work has
been done in South Africa.
But if We go direct to those matters
in which the yellow press made loudest
complaint, We find that the British in
South Africa have exceeded Americans,
with odds at all points. Their censor
ship is more strict than 1t was ever
dreamed the American censorship
might become. They have reduced their
soldiers to simpler and harder fare.
They have allowed less liberty to minor
commanders. In fact, the true record
OF American operations under General
Otis in the Philippines, in hostile eli
mate, amid hostile fevers, across hes
tile floods and morasses, through hos
tile mountains, in hostile season.
among people all speaking a hostile Ian
| guage. and against force that Is as
elusive, irresponsible and savage as II
Is hostile, will shine with ever increas-
Ing luster when compared with the
British operations in South Africa OF
any other war record of the century,
And the beauty of it all is that the yell
low journals are beginning to see ii
and have found other topics to discuss
that they may not excite the just ami
mostly of the American people.
THE BOOK RING.
Alameda Encinal: The Bakersfield
| California" wants the ''Encinap. to
demonstrate the existence of the book
ring. Very well-for example, which
ever way the advocates. of the State
text book system turn, they encounter
the solid and united opposition of the
paid and other advocates of the private
book system. There may be and doubt
less are different concerns engaged in
that business, but when it comes to op-
posing public book system each of
these concerns Is but a segment in the
ring that forms that opposition. And
1t Is very singular fact that many Of
the strongest advocates of ring books