The record-union., 1899-04-17
VOICE Of THE PRESS.

/
EXTRACTS FROM EDITORIAL
EXPRESSIONS.
State and Coast Opinions ON SUBJ
jects Of Living News
Interest.
stockton Mail: Apparently the trouble
In Jamaica is over and the silly talk
ABOUT the possibility of an exchange
OF the Leeward and Philippine Islands
py Great Britain and the United States
VIII therefore cease. The JamaicanS
nave done wisely to submit to the in
eVltable They stood for the old days
anu old ways as gailantly as did the
CailIofnla pioneer for the long bit and
against the invasion of the mean and
plep-an nickel: but, like him, they had
TO give way. The trouble with the
Jama1cans was that their boom time
was over, and that good many of
them would not concede the fact. In
the good old times, when a sugar plan
tatlon was a bonanza, Jamaica was
very prosperous it's revenue was large
and places, salaries and various public
services were made to correspond. OF
course great many people became in
terested in the continuation of that con-
dition of things. When revenue de-
clined and retrenchment became neces-
sary they declined to cut their coat ac-
cording to their cloth, and proceeded to
fight the home Government for policy
that would give their sugar more value.
Instead of imposing new taxes to Ill
crease the, coleny's revenue and reduce
ing expenses, so that income and outgo
might balance, the Jamaica office hold
ers and planters insisted that the Brit
iSh Government impose a countervail-
/ ing tax on all bounty fed sugar I'M
ported into Great Britain. That would
have made a better market for ia
maica sugar and enabled the Jamaicans
to live in the style to which they had
| been accustomed As an alternative
they would offer the islands to the
| United States. But the British Govern
ment was firm in its policy of the
greatest good to the greatest number
of Britishers, and apparently the ia
maicans have decided to take the world
as it is, accommodate themselves to e1-
listing conditions, and as a telegram
said yesterday, '1et bygones be by
Cones" including the days of old, the
days of gold
PROMPTNESS.
| Stockton Independent: One of the oc-
casions when Americans are disposed
to admire, if not to envy, the power
and energy of the British Government
occurred yesterday. The news from
Samoa was followed promptly by the
tidings that two British warships had
been ordered to the island. Many thou
sands, if not millions, of American
eyes were strained to discover the dis
patch that told of American warships
or troops being ordered to Apia - but
none such came. And the distressing
thought followed that had an order
been issued there would be a delay to
coal or refit the vessel. Americans must
continue to blush until we have navy
that is always ready and equipped for
such an emergency.
WHAT WE NEED.
San Jose Mercury: What California
needs is. more men of the Roosevelt
stripe, who understand the dignity OF
citizenship and the obligations it i'm
. poses, WHO QELSSl 0lSHOACSly ia pa
itics. and who act as well as talk. When
the mass of honest citizens attend the
primaries and vote at all elections, and
thoroughly identify themselves with the
political interests of their State, county
and city, the spoils politicians will find
themselves without a livelihood and
the machine will be sent to the political
junk shop.
CITY OWNERSHIP.
Kern Echo: And so Tammany has
declared for municipal ownership OF gas
for New York. That is a proposition
that is worth thinking over twice. Other
large cities appear to be enlarging the
scope of municipal ownership and for q
great city like New York City to enter
upon the task Of supplying all its peo-
pie with light, and to no small extent
fuel as well, means that this Populist
demand for municipal ownership of
public utilities is growing apace.
Two interesting questions arise at
once in this connection. If municipal
conveniences, including water, light,
power, transportation, and, possibly
/ heat, pass out of private ownership.
whence will come the field of activity
for the private funds now invested IN
way, where Will this movement end?
| The plea for public ownership Of water
and light works and street cars is that
| they are natural monopolies and conpe-
tition cannot be relied upon to regulate
prices. But it may be remarked that
flour and sugar are rapidly coming I'M
der the control of unnatural monopolies
and the result is the same so far as
prices are concerned. Every we'll kept
| family pays out more for bread and
sweets than for light and water, hence,
why should not the Government step
in to furnish them at cost? Then would
come other articles of diet, followed ly
| clothing, medicine and so on to the end
of the list.
| The owners of the present gas plants
in New York may be willing to sell to
the city, take long time bonds in pay
and settle down to a life of coupon
clipping. The same plan for other in
dustries would very quickly give ma
| ton of bond holders, a genus homo not
| highly esteemed by the Populist mind.
| FINLAND LIBERTIES.
/ San Diego Union: American citizens
| who We're born in Finland, or are The
| descendants of Finlanders, number
nearly 60,0O0. They are now asking the
country of their adoption to intercede
with Russia against the latter's pur
pose to curtail further the liberties of
| Finland. The DEGREES recently issued
| by the Car prohibit the Finnish Diet