The record-union., 1899-04-30
EXTRACTS FROM EDITORIAL
EXPRESSIONS.
State and Coast Opinions ON Sub
jects of Living News
Interest.

lew years ago eX-GONeruOT LOFu OIL
Oregon, under somewhat similar cir
cumstances, appointed a well-known
banker of Portland to fill the vacancy
caused by the failure of the Oregon
Legislature to elect a Senator. The
gentleman was refused seat under
the ruling that it was the province of
the Legislature to elect and their fail
ure to do so left the State with only one
representative in the Senate-a condi-
ton which the Governor was not au-
thorized to alter by appointment. They
will hardly reverse themselves in this
instance.
THE WHY OF 1T.
Colusa Sun: The husband of Quin-
cy, ILL.,, woman deserted her and she
followed him to Chicago, where she had
a dream that he was at work in a bicy-
Gle factory. She went in search of such
an institution and after a while recog-
nized one as the place she saw in her
dream. She then went to the officers
and told about the dream and had a
search made which resulted in finding
the truant husband. Such things have
happened, and the question of the abil-
ity of the mind to wander off in sleep
has been discussed. Some people at
the why of it has not been explained.
But she evidently was in earnest in
her pursuit whether the incentive was
love or revenge.
THE TRUSTS.
San Jose Mercury: How are we to
get rid of the evils of trustism? Can
we do anything by getting up a politi-
cal issue and bowling down with the
trusts!'? Besides, how are we going to
make this a political issue? Every
sensible man admits the evils of trust
organization, and where all men are
of the same mind how is it possible to
formulate a negative and an affirma-
tive? Republicans, Democrats and
Populists are all willing to occupy the
same ground, and it is more than prob
able that all political platforms will
contain declaration in opposition to
the so-called trusts.
1t is, therefore, not at all likely that
the Opposition to trusts will be a poll
teal issue in the next campaign. 1t is
more likely that the intelligent men of
all parties will unite to seek, by non
partisan action, some adequate means
by which further evils flowing from
trustism may be averted without him
dering the spirit of the progress of the
age.
A SCARECROW.
Yreka Journal: The Democrats are
raising up a stuffed scarecrow issue in
the name of trusts, as though it was
something new. Most of the biggest
trusts in the country are headed by
millionaire Democrats, such as the
Standard Oil Company, and others.
While many so-called trusts ale frauds
without any backing, although having
plenty of shares, but no financial foun-
dalton.
STILL AT IT
Fresno Republican,: The notorious
signature law has received more news
paper prominence this week than all
other subjects combined, but not a whit
more than it deserved. The newspapers
of a State would not devote half their
editorial space, day after day, to the
same subject merely because that sub
J6ct is a newspaper subject, in which
newspaper writer's have AN intense per-
sonal interest The same feeling which
causes newspaper men to object to the
individual notoriety imposed by the sig
nature law causes them to avoid thrust
ing upon the public the business and
professional problems of newspaper
life, though many of these are of public
interest as well. But the attempt to
throttle the press by imposing ludi-
crouS restrictions enforced by insane
penalties is a direct and deliberate at
tack upon popular liberty, which the
newspapers resent in their public ca
pacity as the organs of public opinion,
as well as in their private capacity, as
business enterprises. The first few
days enforcement of the law have nat
urally brought forward it's ridiculous
features most But these are not its
most serious features. Nothing is ri
diculous to which we are accustomed,
as witness the hideous garb. barbaric
footgear and idiotic social customs of
modern civilized man. A newspaper
Sprinkled with signatures is not half as
ludicrous as one printed in red, yellow
and blue, blotched with impudently ir-
relevant pictures and maniacial head
lines, and yet those who are accus-
toned to the New York Journal do
not regard it as ridiculous. Neither
would signed newspaper articles con-
tinue ridiculous if the people were ac-
customed to them The evil goes deep
er both by giving to professional
blackmailers a power that would grad
uaIly destroy the liberty of the press,
and by so changing the whole character
of journalistic work as to undermine
the influence of the press. These evils
are slower in developing, but their
growth is very sure, and can only be
prevented by the overthrow of the law
which engenders them.
THE MAN WITH THE CLUB.
Vacaville Reporter: The writer of |
The Man With the Hoe has gained |
celebrity. His poem is already famous
and the author is on the highway to |
prosperity. 1t seems, however that |
there should be less interest in the
poem in America than there seems to !
be. If Markham were writing of the
delectable peasantry, who are photo |
graphed on the pages of Zola's nasty |
La Terre," it would be applicable. De-
spite our annual influx of labor from |
Europe, it is nevertheless true that |
the agricultural labor of any of the |
States of the Union will present an /
average intelligence that will compare
fairly with any of the trades or pro- |
fessions. While Markham has made a /
sensation, he has done little else. and |
even in his hating lines has shown a I
capacity for verse which cannot be |
matched by a more rhythmic produce
ton from one of those he describes as
dumb terrors." What we desire to t
hear about now is 1.-THE Man With the
Club" Let us hope that he will be
abroad and swat" Professor Markham