The record-union., 1899-03-14
VOICE OF The PRESS.
EXTRACTS FROM EDIToRIAI
EXPRESSIONS.
State and Coast Opinions ON Sub
jects Of Living News IS
Interest.

end of the next Presidential cafnpaipn
of the Silver Democrats. is very prolific
in the production of schemes for the
relief of a depleted treasury. His
monthly subscription idea. in which all
of the faithful were to join, proving un-
successful. he put Jefferson cigar OH
the market, the profits to accrue to the
campaign fund, and now he has pressed
the endless chain system into service.
AGAINST POOL ROOMS.
Stockton Mail: By the decisive vote
of 10 to the San Francisco Supervis-
ors yesterday passed to print an ordi-
nance prohibiting betting on horse or
dog races, both within and without such
racing Enclosures. There is reason to
believe that the ordinance will be final
ly passed this week, and in that case
it will certainly receive the signature of
the Mayor. Both horse-racing and
coursing are now both thoroughly dis
credited in California; they have passed
out OF the realm of sport and are mere
gambling and swindling devices, with,
in-the case of coursing, bloody and cow
ardly, brutality added
THE NEW PRIMARY LAW.
San Diego Union: The purpose Of
the new law is to throw about primaries
all the safeguards that protect regular
elections. In brief, the Stratton Act
places primaries under the provisions
of the Australian system, and directs
that the State shall furnish the Austria
ian form of ballot, on which the col
mns Of all the political parties appear.
The voter, who must be duly registered
before he can vote at the primary, goes
to the polls, gives his name to. the
judges, receives a ballot, proceeds to
the secret booth and there expresses his
choice for delegates to the convention
about to be held by writing or pastfng
the names of the delegates he favors
underneath the general party heading.
AT the conclusion of the voting day the
ballots are counted, as at general cleo
tlonS and the Judges certify the results
to the Board Of Supervisors Of the
county.
1t is further provided that all parties
have the same time and place for hold
ing their primaries and one set of Off
Gals serves for all. These officials
consist of two judges, two clerks and
two inspectors who are appointed by
the Supervisors from the ranks of two
political parties receiving the highest
number of votes at the last preceding
election Primaries for county, State
and Congressional elections are to be
held on the second Tuesday of every
other August; for municipal elections
on the sixth Tuesday before the election
is to be held. The panel laws which
apply to general elections are applica-
BILE to primaries, although the author
af tho hill CT n fhof fbo oh Of t1a
measure is not to penalize frauds, but
to prevent them. Primary election days
are holidays.
GOVERNOR GAGE AND HIS VETO.
San Bernardino Times Index: Gov
ernor Gage is entitled to the thanks of
the people Of California who pay the
running expenses of the State He has
exercised the veto with good Judgment,
and has saved large sums that would
otherwise have gone into the expectant
pockets of seekers after fat things The
attack upon the Treasury under various
guises has been vigorous and persistent,
but the Governor has met the advanc-
ing legions of boodlers with resolution
and healthy veto.
SMOKELESS CRITICISM.
Los Angeles Herald: We congratu-
late Santa Cruz on it's evidence of pros
perity. A dispatch from that place
cheerfully tells us that 1.-The powder
mills are again running with full
force of over 200 men, A daily out
put of 5000 tons of smokeless powder
for the Government is announced
1t will be remembered that
our soldiers, with their old-fash-
Ioned Springfield rifles and sunudge
powder, were amazed to find that the
Spaniards were supplied with smoke
less powder and the deadly long-range
little Mauser rifle. That was Algerian
War Department management a year
ago. But now, probably at the special
request of our devout Christian Presi-
dent, smokeless powder and all the
other modern appliances win be used
in banging Christian enlightenment
into those miserable Philippine heather.
IS LENT OvERDONE?
Oakland Tribune: This is the ques-
ton suggested, with an attempted re-
ply in the affirmative, by the Rev. ]. T.
Sunderland of the First Unitarian
Church. With so refined and high
thinker as DR.. Sunderland the 'Tri-
bune' would hesitate to differ upon al
ject which perhaps DR.. Sunderland is
less qualified to monopolize than almost
any other He belongs to a denomina-
ton which, for reasons satisfactory to
itself, does not believe in Lent Still,
there are several other denominations
that do believe in Lent Criticisms OF
their mode of observance of this feat
ure of their faith, it might be thought,
would come with a better grace, or at
any rate with more effect, from some of
those in. sympathy with the observance.
The main points raised against len
ten fasting are, first that it is overdone
by the devout poor to the detriment of
their physical vigor, and second, that
the frivolous rich make the approach
Of Lent a pretext and q. spur for what
the newspaper stereotype society report
ers call ''society's mad whirl."
The answer to the first point is that
i'm aff1uent America, there are few of
the laboring class who are not bene-
fitted, from the hygienfc standpoint, by
such restraints upon their diet as their
church and their scruples impose, say
ing nothing of the moral effects of self
denial undertaken for conscience's sake
The answer to the other point is that il
is based almost wholly upon a figure of
speech, or trick of expression, invent
ed and employed by newspaper writer's
who know about society only so much
as they can guess. 1t is to be feared
that the good DR.. Sunderland is uncon-
sciously initiating them on the pres
ent occasion. He probably knows as
little about the domestic economics of
the very poor as he does about the ex-