The record-union., 1899-08-18

untenable as we know it to be, that
American citizenship isn't anything to
be proud Of The United States is well
rid of Astor, but it is a matter of re-
gret that it cannot as easily. get rid
of such Americans as those who COM
osed the recent New York mob.
CANNOT GRASP 1T.
Los Angeles Express: The liability
of the Democracy to grasp the idea OF
| the true destiny of the United States
of America will be forced home at the
ballot box next year. At that time
! the Democracy will see what the people
of this country will do to the party
that is just as surely lining up on the
proposition that our operations IL the
| Philippines are a failure as the same
party did in 1864, when in it's national
convention it formally denounced the
war for the preservation Of the Union
as a failure-seven months before it
was brought to a successful termina-
/ ton.
THE FARCE ENDED.
! Stockton Independent: The peace
| conference at The Hague has ended
It was called by the Gar of Russia,
the most despotic ruler Of Christen-
dom, with the ostensble purpose of
/ providing a plan Of disarmament. Be
| fore it met it became apparent that no
such object could be attained and as
| a matter of fact the subject was not
! considered. Some good may result
| from the conference. Much evil may
! result. With all the pretensions Of
Russia it is impossible to restrain the
| foreboding that an ulterior purpose
! was behind the call. Russia is the
most astute and the most subtle civic
agency that exists or ever has existed
| in the field of the diplomacy. She has
never arranged a treaty or formed an
alliance, or entered into compact that
she did not sooner or later derive some
! direct benefit from it, and tie the
| hands of the other powers at the same
time. Aside from the designs of Rus
| sia are the designs of monarchical
Europe against free institutions, and
the designs of continental Europe
against Great Britain and America.
The victories gained by the candid and
earnest efforts of American and Brit
| ish representatives of The Hague are
either empty victories or are positive
| boomerangs. The American delegates
seem to have displayed extraordinary
caution in guarding the relations of
! this country in order to preserve its
! traditions, but it is too early to say
that they have avoided all traps. It
| is very doubtful whether America was
! justified in accepting an invitation to
! the conference without insisting that
a similar courtesy be extended TO Mex
! leo, Brazil, Argentine and Chile. It
/ is true that those governments have
little power, influence and standing in
! the international polity of the world,
but they are certainly as important as
| the Balkan States, which were repre-
sented
AS to the scheme of arbitration, it is
cumbersome and impractical and moth
| ing but a spectacular farce. Every
one of the chief powers interested
would subordinate the compact to the
demands of local politics in case of
emergency. The conference does not
mark the beginning of a millennium.
+ War will ocur among some of the sig
natory powers in less than five years
and probably inside of six months.
LACK OF WORKERS.
San Diego Union: Judging by the
statements appearing in papers pub
lished in the agricultural districts of
this State, there never was time in
the history of California when labor
was more in demand on the farm. In
many localities. the supply is quite in
adequate and in some places there is
actual danger that crops may be lost
because of lack of hands to gather
them. Similar conditions prevail in
many other parts of the country, and
especially in the great grain growing
States of the middle West where the
farmers are nearing a crisis in the saw
ing of their crops. According to the
Chicago Tribune" "they are in need
of hundreds of laborers and are offer
ing the highest wages ever paid for this
class of work-from So to S325 per
day-and still cannot secure the need
ed help" The paper adds: "One sta
tion in South Dakota, Bowdle, asks for
fifty laborers and offers 81 per day and
board. Other towns in Iowa, Mime
sofa and South Dakota are sending ap-
peals to the railroad companies to send
them laborers, and the railroads are
unable to respond. They advertise for
men, few come and inquire go away,
and that is all that is heard of them.
The conclusion the railroad companies
have come to is that there are few idle
men in the country now except from
choice, and this conclusion probably is
correct. Employment agencies con-
firm this impression. Not only are
there few mem seeking employment, but
wages are high and advancing. This,
on the whole is a most satisfactory
state Of affairs to everybody but the
farmers who see their crops threatened
with ruin because they cannot save
them, and the railroad companies
themselves, which cannot secure men
| for their work of grading and track
| laying"
| WHY STRIKES ARE FAILURES.
Portland Oregonian: During eight
years, according to the statistics of the
Commissioner of Labor. there were B.,
453 strikes In these strikes 1878, 292
men engaged. The men lost ST, ,53S,-
324 in these contests. while the COM
panies did not lose half that amount.
Strikes are foredoomed to failure be-
cause the labor market is thronged
with a cheap supply of non-union la
Dor, and when it comes to a fight cheap
labor is sure to be accepted. The
strikers soon find out that there are
plenty of unemployed men ready to ac-
cept employment which the strikers
have relinquished. Then the strikers
take the position that they not only
will not work themselves. but refuse to
allow anybody else to work in their
places; they insist on the right of all
men to strike, but deny and resist the
y