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The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-02-15
LITERARY NOTES.

The Fortnightly Reviews brilliant arti-
Gle on Lord Rosebery as the Disraeli of
Liberalism win be reprinted entire in the
Living Age for Feb 49,
one of the features of the March Wom-
ans Home Companion will be the begin
ming of John Kendrick Bangs serial,
1.-THE idiot at Home" wherein all the
characters of Coffee and Repartee" are
reintroduced, and the Idiot proves him
self droller as a married man that in the
witty table-talk of his bachelor days.
"Are Long Marriage Engagements Ju-
dicious?" Is discussed from various
points of view in the February issue OF
the American Queen by Margaret Sang
ster, the editor of Harper's Bazaar; Ed
ward Payson lngersoll, ID. D.; Lucy Hall
Brown, NJ. D.; Herbert l.. Brldgman, of
the Brooklyn Standard Union; Helen
Lee Sargant and Susan Hayes Ward.
The question of handling the wires and
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-02-15
I An Inadequate Remedy.


The lament Of the war inquiry COM
mission concerning the lack of a clear
definition of the respective duties
and authority Of the secretary of war
and the major general commanding can
be echoed by every citizen, but it is
not so certain that public opinion will
ratify the proposed remedy which
would make the general of the army a
kind of little Tray dog under the GUS
todianship of the secretary of war. This
is the remedy which woulG naturally
be proposed by the friends of the secre-
tary but it is easily conceivable that
in operation it might prove anything
but fair or advantageous to the army.
Political accident determines the
name Of the secretary of war. Some
times he is fit; moro often he is not.
In recent history we have more than
one example OF the appointment of a
war secretary on the familiar principle
that something had to be done for the
appointee and in the belief that in the
war office he would have comparative
ly little to do beyond office routine and
could not, therefore, get the country
into serious trouble This has been the
rule Of politics under both Democratic
and Republican administrations; no
man or party in particular is to blame,
the fault is largely one of indifferent
public opinion.
Not so, however. with the general
in command. A man cannot rise to the
position of major general in the regu-
lar army of the United States without
knowing something about the army
about it's needs, its capabilities, its
personnel, its duties in peace and its
possibilities in war. Soldering in these
modern days is no mere hit or miss pro-
fession but one necessitating careful
special preparation and ripe experience
The man who can rise from one of the
Junior commissions to the first place
in army rank and carry himself with
| credit in the ascent is necessary for D
| man having fitness for command which
cannot be expected Of civilian secra.
taries chosen under the peculiar eXlg.
encies of party politics.
If a man wanted a tooth pulled he
would not go to a blacksmith, MOI
would success in commercial specuIa.
| tion qualify a person to prescribe fol
| the sick or handle the delicate instru.
ments OF scientific surgery. In private
relations We recognize the need of spec.
ial preparation for special service; it 1:
only in public affairs that the notion
obtains that the political Jack of al
trades knows more about soldering
than the trained soldier and Is a safer
man to have command OF military op
eratlons than the experienced genera
who has made military operations {
life study
The president of the United States
as the cOmmander-in-ch chief of all tn,
military and naval forces of the nation
and as the responsible head of all tn,
nations federal activities, should, o
course, have authority to pick his gen.
eral in command ana to replace a poor
general with a better one at his discre
tion, But satisfactory results will no
follow in army administration so Ions
as the attempt is made to clothe witt
| autocratic powers transient civilian.
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-02-15

tion has had in it's possession and has
kept out of print the text of the in
tercepted dispatch from Agoncillo to
Aguinaldo advising the latter to begin
hostilities against the Americans be-
fore reinforcements for the latter could
arrive at Manila. Writes william u.
Curtis, one of the most trustworthy
of the Washington correspondents, to
the Chicago Record:
"If the secret work of Agoncillo's ac-
completes in this country is ever fully
made public certain United States
senators and their unofficial associates
will appear in a bad light. In the
civil war people were locked up in
Fort Lafayette for much less. The
American branch of the Philippine
junta got into working order soon after
the treaty was signed at Paris. 1t
had its surface and its secret meth
DDS From the beginning the govern.
ment has been in receipt of eonfiden-
tial information that much more than
moral support and encouragement has
been given to the insurgents. Agoncil-
10 and his companions have been
given substantial assistance by money
contributions. Their successive steps
at Washington have been taken after
counsel with United States senators.
Proclamations, protests, appeals and
ultimatums have been put out in quick
succession to influence public senti-
ment in this county. Productions pur-
porting to come from the Filipino jun
ia at Washington were inspired and
written by the American sympathizers.
Agunaldo's name has been signed to
papers of which he never heard. Agon-
clio has been simply the puppet of
men of wealth and high official posi-
tion in this country. The purpose was
to prevent the ratification of the
treaty. All of this is plainly demon
strated by the confidential information
now in possession of the government
and there is a strong disposition to
make it public, so that the people may
know who have encouraged the Flip
mos to resist the authority of the
United States"
limitations of this character have
been made before and they are becom-
ing dsquieting. 1t is sincerely to be
hoped that in the interest of justice
the administration will soon divulgc
all that it knows concerning this mat
ter. On the face of things the recent
opposition in the senate to the peace
treaty was inexplicable. Equally so
is the persistent effort of certain sena-
tors, now that the treaty is assented
TO by this government, to nag az and
embarrass the president in his requests
for authority to deal with the new
duties which have arisen and which
have to be met. Common sense teach
es that this perversity is not born OF
any principle. 1t is evidently partisan
venal or malicious. A.e good of the
country calls for a show down of the
inside facts bearing on this humiliat-
ing and exasperating spectacle and il
it puts some of these sapheads senators
in the pillory SO much the better.
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-02-15
High Time for n Show Down

While William e. Mason and a num-
ber of other sapheads in the United
States senate have been calling Cen
eral Otis and Admiral Dewey liars
by protesting to believe the assertions
OF Aguinaldo, Agoncillo and the other
Malay half-breeds that the American
troops at Manila began the recent
fighting under orders from Washing
ton, issued with a view to facilitating
the ratification of the peace treaty,
1t is an interesting coincidence that
during all this period of insinuation
and fire from the rear the administra-
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-02-15
NEWS HND COMMENT

The American flag has been raised on
the Isle of Pines to stay, says the Chi
cago Record. When the president and
Secretary Day put into the protocol Ihat
Spain cedes TO the United States the
island of Porto Rico and other islands
now under Spanish sovereignty in the
West Indies" it meant everything above
water except Cuba, which was taken
caro- of in another paragraph. 1t includ-
ed permanent possession OF the Isle of
Pines. which gives us a naval station
several hundred miles nearer the en-
trance of the proposed Nicaragua canal
than Porto Rico and a colony of which
little has been said or written, but which
promises 10 be Of great importance. The
Isle of Pines is directly south of Iia-
yana, and is reached by a railroad which
runs across from Havana thirty miles
to chain of small islands like the Flor
ida Keys, the journey is made in few
hours. From q naval point of view 1t IS
extremely important II not only COM
mands the south coast of Cuba, but the
Yucatan passage to the gulf of Mexico,
as Key West commands the passage be-
tween Florida and Cuba. The harbor ia
cilities are not good at present, but the
coast survey is now making an eXamina-
tion and has already discovered two or
three good bays to which navigable chan
nels may be easily made. The Isle of
Pines is about one-third the size of Porto
Rico, embracing 1,2li square miles, brCk an
up into hills and mountains, with an eS-
cellent climate, and has been used as a
sanitarium by wealthy Cubans Gem
eral Lee has been ordered to make prep
arations for a summer camp there dur
ing the sickly season to which our SOL
diers may be sent. The interior is noun
famous and heavily wooded with ma
hogany and other valuable timber. There
are two or three small towns, which were
used as penal colonies for political pris-
oners during the Spanish regime.
If you live in Madagascar, according
TO a correspondent of the New York Her
aid, you must have children, or else pay
tax to the authorities. This is the
latest decree issued by the government
Of Madagascar. For some time the popu-
lation of that island has been decreasing.
The government authorities sat in council
a short time ago and decided upon a tax
to be levied upon every man who, at the
age of twenty-five, is unmarried and
upon every married man who, at that
age, has no children. The tax is S375
year. Every girl must pay tax Of SlSO
a year as long as she remains single af-
ter she passes her twenty-fouth year and
every married woman does the same un-
! til she has children as the result of her
marriage.
The fool practical Joker is apparently
a permanent feature of colleges lite
Here is his latest exploit as told in press
dispatch from Wooster, o.: ERNEST
Weld, a freshman from Marysville, O.,
was initiated into the CoccyX club of
Wooster college, last night. He was
placed in box, gagged ana handcuffed.
An expressman deliver ed the box to his
sister at Hoover cottage. The box was
| left standing In the cold. When Weld
was taken out he was almost dead from
| exposure and his ears were 30 badly
/ frozen that he may lcse them"
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-02-15
OF GREAT MERIT.

From the Syracuse Post-Standard.
The Scranton (Pa,) Tribune Year Book
is a work of great merit and one that eX-
ceeds by far the efforts of many more pre-.
tentious institutions. In addition to a
large mass of local and general informa-
tiOn, it prints fine half tone portraits OF
a number of city and other officials resi-.
dent in Scranton, and is, as far as known
the first instance Of an artistically Illus,
trated almanac. 1t is creditable piece
of work.
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-02-15
For School Directors.

The school board in an institution
which rightly commands the alert in
terest of every intelligent citizen. 1t
touches the home at q sensitive spot.
There may be wastefulness and job
berry and incompetence in other
branches of the city government and
the average citizen suffers chiefly to the
extent of a few extra mills on the dol
lar of taNati0n-the price of few eX-
ira riperuls of tobacco or drinks of
liquor. But msmanagement of the
schools rasps parental feelings and Is
a handicap through life to every pupil
whose educational opportunities are
abridged by it, For this reason GUS
tom founded on common sense has
made the selection of school controllers
matter of very marked concern on
the part of the individual voter.
The courts may at any moment hand
down decision vacating the present
board of control and giving power over
the city's educational interests to the
board OF six school directors elected at
large but not yet effective. Most stu
dents of the legal points involved in
this controversy for authority incline
to the opinion that the board of six will
win. Should this expectation be real
lied, each member of the board will
have three and one half times the pow
er now vested in the average controller,
who is only one among twenty-one;
and the election of two directors next
Tuesday is equal to n ballot for seven
controllers under the old system.
For the position OF school director
the Republican party has presented
two names of men well known to the
people of this city for long and credit
able Identification with school inter.
ests. John Courier Morris was for two
terms a school controller representing
the Fifth ward and for two terms sec
retary of the board. During these
years and throughout his long CareC!
as a journalist and public worker in
this community he has displayed q
fidelity to school interests and mind
for progress well fitting him for cleo
tion next Tuesday. The same can with
equal truth be said of his colleague
George II. Shires, than whom the city
has not had more efficient controller
The election Of these men is a duty OF
al friends of public instruction.
---.r.-.- . ------r---
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-02-15

Whatever the ultimate form of the
concentration, it has been apparent for
some time that the individual coal op-
orators would sooner or later be forced
to combine for mutual protection on a
basis which would insure unity of ac-
ton. There have been numerous at
tempts at combination without unity;
hence it is not surprising that the pro-
ject Of a combination by purchase and
merger is now to receive trial as a last
resort.
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-02-15
at the expense of the trained soldiers
in positions of responsibility.

Agoncillo claims that he had nothing
to do with the attack on Manila, and
insinuates that he has been the victim
Of the yellow newspaper man of Amer
a quality that would have permitted
him to remain in Washington until
news Of the attack had reached this
country, some converts might have
been made to this hypothesis, but it is
doubtful If even the Filipino's good
friends in the senate will credit his last
statement.
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-02-15
REPUBLICAN NOMINATIONS.

Mayor-JAMES MOIR.
Treasurer--THOMAS r. BROOKS.
Controller-F. ]. WIDMAYER.
School Directors -- JOHN COURIER
MORRIS, GEORGE II. SHIRES.
Assessors-GWILYM JONES. PHILIP
RINSLAND, c. S FOWLER.
Election Day-February 81
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-02-15

The war investigating commission
censures Miles fOc not notifying the
war department that ii had been stuck
by the beef packers. He says he did
notify it and that his notification
passed unheeded. If this is true the
civilian war Investigators owe him an
apOlOgy
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-02-15

Anti-eXpansionists will make note of
the fact that an alarmist has suggested
that the American soldiers at Homo
lulu will probably spread leprosy
throughout the country when they re-
turn home.
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-02-15

Under Republican administration the
aity of Scranton has invariably thrived;
on the other hand, Democratic admin
istration has been like Il wet blanket
1t is time to give the Democrats a rest
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-02-15

Among the appointments to office
recently made at Washington is
that Of exRepresentative Moses
a. Foltz to be postmaster of
Chambersburg, Pa, and it is
sufficiently creditable to deserve spec
ial mention. Mr.. Foltz is the editor and
proprietor of Public Opinion and one
of the best citizens of the Cumberland
valley.
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-02-15
TOLD BY THE STARS.
Daily Horoscope Drawn by Ajacchus,
The Tribune Astrologer.
AstrOlabe Cast: 4.lS a. M, for Wednes-
day, February, Is, 1899.

AstrOabe Cast: 41S a. m., for Wednes-
day, February, Is, 1892
sSs; az: q &&R
y child born on this day will prefer
that the zero weather should come now
rather than when the blush is on the to-
mato.
The military spirit which makes men
want to fight after the war is over Is
much better for the health of the subject.
There is apprehension in boarding.
house circles that reports of the failure
of the peach crop may precipitate a dried
apple trust.
a movement to celebrate the birthday
of the author of Beautiful Snow" ought
to be popular.
Has any cne heard the first robin?
Ajacchus' Advice.
Do not offer garden rakes for sale on
this day.
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-02-15

The whole trouble in the Philippine
country is the result of Uncle Sans
unwillingness to run the show and al
low Aguinaldo and his friends to
pocket the boX-ofiice receipts.
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-02-15

AS the report of the failure OF the
Delaware peach crop comes by the way
of Chicago this year. there will be no
reason to doubt it's authenticity.
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-02-15

The division in the senate on the
Mcl2nery resolution shows that the Re
publican leaders supported it in pref
crence to swallowing q bitterer dose
cleaning out
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-02-15

Mr.. McKinley's critics illustrate how
easily a small man can point out the
grave mistakes of the great.
The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-02-15

Do not eff
this day.
The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1899-10-21
Japan of Today.

The better class Of Japanese do not
live in the treaty ports of Japan, which
they frequented by the casual traveller.
Life in these towns is so different from
the real life of Japan that it is impos-
sible to get an idea of the country from
them. Formerly when a man went to
a hotel he was charged a small price
for his food, just enough to cover the
cost. He was not charged for his
room, but on arriving made a present
OF money to the house and another to
the servants, the size of the present be-
ing determined by his wealth and So
cial standing. A large sum insured
good rooms and excellent attendance.
When he left there were no tips to pay.
Practically the same idea is prevalent
today. The foreigner can most always
count on being justly treated by the
Japanese shopkeeper. Except in GER
tain Industrial concerns in the treaty
ports owned by foreigners there is rare
1y to be found foreign executive head
to business. = 49,
The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1899-10-21

So magnificent a palace is the Paris
Opera that the Parisians long ago
ceased to consider whether other ma
tions have good music or good artists.
1t is temple for music SO SURPRISING all
others, with such troops of government
tai priests, all decorated with the rib
bon of the Legion of Honor, with such
throngs of worshipers in diamonds,
silks and black dress coats, that good
old favorites like Faust" and Lies
Huguenots' suffice it. It is true that
lately they have taken up Wagner, so
that the tourists of the. summer may
near such novelties as 'Tannhauser"
and 'The Valkyrie;" but this must be
taken as an extraordinary innovation.
The Paris Opera is for French COM
posers. And as French composers just
now are not making great successes the
repertoire is made up from the good
old ordinary. Owned and patronized
by the government, the Paris Opera is
administered on well-considered civil
service principles. No disloyal rivalry
may mar it's decent regularity. No
unripe enterprise disturbs its mild Sc
renity. 1t is content to bring out two
new failures every year, and say that
all is well.
The public of the Opera would not
have it otherwise. The orchestra and
parquet chairs, reserved to men in
evening dress, make calm digesting
stools for clubmen, where the we'll
known arias comfort them and aid
their calculations for tomorrow's races
and tonight's baccarat. Between the
acts you stand up, put on your hat, ad-
just your opera glasses, and stare upon
the ladies in the boxes with prolonged
and comprehensive familiarity. ''Tiens
Nine. X" Her diamonds are imita-
ticns!" "The belle Mme G.. Quelle
decol,etage! Why does she keep he1
gaze lowered?"
They talk aloud now, having whis-
pered through the act. To do otherwise
is to show that you have no acquaint-
ances around you, and to be alone in
the orchestra indicates that you are an
outsider.
A la bonne heure! as they say in
French, a great change comes over the
scene on the afternoon of a free rep
resentation." Really, these free per-
formances at government playhouses
the Opera, Opera Comique, the Theatel
Francois and the Odeon, present one Of
the most remarkable spectacles of up
to-date Paris. They take place regu.
larly on the various grand fete days o1
the year, and cost heavily in breakages
and cleaning up. They are no newer
than the idea of socialism itself. An
cient Rome offered free spectacles at
the Colosseum to it's citizens, just as il
made gratuitous distributions of wheat
Panem ct circenses! was the word
The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1899-10-21
TERROR OF THE ALPS,
New and Fatal Disease to Which
the Swiss Mountainers Are Subject.

New and Fatal Disease to Which
the Swiss Mountainers Are Subject.
Travellers recently returned from
Switzerland give their Chicago friends
interesting accounts of their Alpine
experiences. Among other things they
speak of a new disease that has been
developed there. They state that So
riso and Gargallo, two villages of lit
tie over 1000 inhabitants each, stand
ing on the top of one of the most
picturesque and smiling points of the
Alps near Novara, have been attacked
by this mysterious and fatal disease,
which the doctors have not yet been
able to explain Or alleviate, but to
which travellers have thus far been
immune The illness begins with fe-
yer, which lasts about forty-eight
hours, accompanied by shivering, di-
lation of the pupils of the eyes, low
temperature, hemorrhage under the
skin, nose bleeding, blood splitting, in
1ammatiOn of the glands and death in
two or three days. The disease ap-
pears to be contagious, and the great
est care has been taken to isolate those
attacked. The terror of the peasants
is, however, so great that they cannot
be induced to help the authorities in
any way, and SO the mayor, the parish
priest and the doctor are obliged to
carry the patients on litters to the hos
pital. The ignorance of the peasants
is almost incredible. The doctor, for
instance, who has really given proof
of the greatest courage and abnega-
ton, has to be protected every moment
by carabiniers, so great is the fury
Of the people, who declare that he has
been ordered by the government to
poison all who are attacked by the mys-
terious illness. At first it was thought
that the epidemic was a kind of car
buncle, but after study the idea was
abandoned. Then it was supposed that
it might be a variation of the plague.
as one of the two villages, Soriso, is
a great center for tanning leather and
manufacturing boots $50 much so that
it is called ..the village of the shoe
makers"), and most of the skins come
from India. However, even this sec
ond hypothesis has received no confir-
nation, and the doctors are still work.
ing in the dark Chicago Chronicle.