The San Francisco call., 1899-09-24
EDITORIAL VARIATIONS.
BY JOHN McNHUGHT.


learn that Captain Evans of the United
States navy has been detailed to patrol
the course in the coming race between
the Columbia and the Shamrock, and
that for the performance of the work
he is to have under his command a
small squadron of revenue cutters and
other light naval craft"
The supervision of the race by an off,
Ger Of such rank and of the well-known
fir1nness of Captain Evans will assure
fair play for the yachts. He can be re-
lied upon to keep the course clear and
to prevent any interference on the part
of excursion steamers or pleasure boats
of any kind that may go down TO see
the sport.
That much is excellent. There is,
however, an after thought sure to rise
sooner or later in the minds Of reflect
ing citizens Why should a naval off1-
Ger Of Evans rank be deputed with a
number of United States cutters to at
tend yacht race?
The Prince Of Wales is a yachtsman
in Great Britain, and yacht races there
have been interfered with by steamers;
but as yet his Royal Highness mas
never ordered a British naval officer TO
attend his sports. Kaiser William is
yachtsman, and he also has known ex-
cursion steamers to crowd the course of
the yacht races In Germany; still there
has never been any report Of the Kaiser
detailing a. SQUADRON from his navy to
supervise them.
We are getting a nice little display or
imperialism in this performance. If the
a hn
of millionaires on the sea, why should
not the army be used to attend their
sports on land? Golf clubs frequently
complain of trespass on the part OF the
country folks, and farmers have been
known to interfere with the noble sport
of fox hunting or chasing the an1se-
seed bag. Why not detail General Shaf-
ter with a squadron of cavalry to at
tend the games at Burlingame, or send
General Merritt to lackey the amuse-
ments of Newport? The thing is feas-
ible Since we are to have imperial
sports under the patronage Of the Gov
ernment and at the expense of the ma
ton, let us do it in the fashion of old
Rome and provide for military guards
on land as we'll as naval escorts on the
sea
The office, the dignity and the re-
sponsibilities of the position of admiral
of yacht racing will probably not be
displeasing to Captain Evans, for
Fighting Bob as devotee Of rod
and gun, is in all likelihood a votary of
all sports, and would as soon command
a yachting contest as to direct con-
fiict with the navy of a f1rst-class sea
power. He declared at the outbreak OF
the late war he would make Spanish
the court language of hell, and he is
doubtless now arranging to start the
New York excursion steamers in the
same direction. Possibly when he re-
turns from the races he Will receive
triumph, have a memorial arch in his
honor and be mentioned as candidate
for the Presidency by several newspa-
pers. Let US accept the situation as 1T
stands with unfretted minds and be
thankful the detail was not assigned to
Sampson or Schley or to Dewey him.
self.
Concerning Sir Thomas Upton, who
has come to this country to advertise
if he can, there are wide differences of
opinion. He has been greeted in New
York with something like an ovation
and welcomed with the hearty words:
I'VE like you, Sir Thomas" In London
he is not so much esteemed. One of the
aristocratic weeklies of that city in
discussing the yacht race, said recently:
THE man can be of no interest what
ever except to his family and the
shareholders Of his grocery business" "
The American appraisement of the
challenger is undoubtedly the more cor
rect of the two. Sir Thomas is decid-
edly of interest to more people than
London aristocrats think, and the judg
ment pronounced upon him by the
weekly which circulates in the clubs
was probably due to the neglect on his
part to judiciously place his advertis-
ing Certainly a man born In such
humble circumstances that 1t is dis
puted point whether he had his birth
in Ireland or in Scotland, and who,
starting as a homeless waif has worked
his way up to the proud position of a
challenger in an international yacht
race, must be interesting to all persons
except those who are blase and those
who like to talk about the weather. He
has no blue blood in his veins, but he
has what is better-the rich red blood
of q vigorous, sanguine manhood. He
knows his worth, moreover, as well as
any self-made man in our own country
and though British clubmen sneer at
him the iron will never enter his soul
as long as he has tin In his purse.
Professor Bacon Of the State Univer-
sity, in an address before the Unitarian
! Club, set forth the imperialist justifi-
cation Of the conquest Of the Philippines
in this way:
THE theory of the white mans bur-
den may briefly be stated as this: 1t Is
the business and the interest and the
duty of the white man-that is, the man
of civiHzation-to rule, to care for, to
uplift, to enlighten and to bring If pos
sible into the light of modern civiIiza-
ton the other man wherever he Is
found; that it is at once their interest
and their duty to do this, with violence
with tact, with kindness, as each may
be necessary; to do it whether the other
man likes 1t or not; to do it at infinite