The record-union., 1899-08-19
VOICE OF THE PRESS.
EXTRACTS FROM EDITORIAL
EXPRESSIONS.
State and Coast Opinions on Sub
jects Of Living News
Interest.

ton an issue. 1t is probably too early
TO commit the party to it, whatever
may be the necessity for something to
dlscredit the Administration, but from
present appearances the American peo-
pie will not be impressed by any sort
OF arralgnment of the Philippine policy.
Even those who We're not enthusiastic
about 1t at first realize that there is
now nothing to do, if the national honor
is to be vindicated, but to go through
with the program. Less and less is
heard of the Atkinsons, and here AT
home the Valentine thunder is confined
to obscure papers.
CROKER'S REVELATION.
Los Angeles Herald: There is ground
for suspicion that the political meta
morphosis of Richard Croker was not
inspired wholly, as he intimates, by a
revelation in England. Ominous rum
blings from the inner recesses of Tam
many Hall may have had an influence
in the change of heart. However, it is
said that IAN honest confession is good
for the soul,'' and as Mr. Croker's con-
fession is apparently honest and man
ly, it is not fair to question his SINGER
ity. He certainly manifests a wonder
1
ure for Europe a few months ago, but
probably the change is similar to that
which has been wrought in many other
Americans by recent national events.
| THE LYNCHING HABIT.
| Los Angeles Express: The recent
numerous lynehings in the South, es-
pecially in the State of Georgia,
have attracted widespread attention
| throughout the union State officials,
as we'll as eminent attorneys, have been
interviewed as to the prevalence of the
'lynching habit and all sorts of rea-
sons have been given, the great major
| ity, however, of those interviewed think
| that it is largely owing to the lax en-
forcement of the criminal laws. And it
would seem. too that statistics bear
out this view of the case.
Within the past fifteen years fifty-six
homicides have been committed in
Richmond County Ga.,, and only four
of the murderers have been convicted
and put to death. All of these four
We're negroes.
Taking these and other similar statis-
tics as their text, the leading newspa-
pers in Georgia are discussing the lax
enforcement of the criminal law in, its
bearing upon the prevalence of lynch
ing, and many of them maintain that
the courts are to blame for not punish
ing homicidal crime with sufficient Sc
verify. They insist that it is hardly
possible that out of fifty-six cases of
homicide there could have been only
four which were properly punishable
by the infliction of the death penalty,
and they criticise the Judges for per-
mitting undue delay in criminal pros
ecutions and for setting aside convic-
tions on trivial grounds of purely
technical character, not affecting the
merits.
There are so many able and conscien-
tious men on the bench and at the bar
in Georgia that united action on their
part, with the aid of the press, which
now seems thoroughly aroused on the
subject, ought to be able to make the
administration of the criminal law SO
effective as to leave no excuse or pre-
tense of excuse for lynching.
Los Angeles Times: Governor Roose-
Welt put the truth in nutshell in his
Asbury Park address when he said:
THE greatest enemy the Common
wealth has is the man who lets the
buke at the polls" 1t is, however,
gratifying fact that the voting masses
are gradually coming to a realizing
sense Of their political duties, and the
political boss is gradually losing his
| power.
A PROBLEM IN LIBERTY.
| Stockton Independent: Will the self
called anti-imperialists answer one
question relative to the much talked-of
independence" of the islands recently
trelinquished by Spain? Cuba, under the
distinct pledge of our declaration of
war, will have an independent form of
government and will govern herself.
| But it is understood on all hands, by
Cubans, by anti-imperialists and by ex-
pansionists, that Cuba will be virtually
under the protection of the United
| States and will have no power to dis
pose of her sovereignty to a European
Power. In any quarrel she must look
to the United States for justice. Now,
is that kind of independence superior
to the independence enjoyed by one of
the United States or, by an organized
territory of the United States? If the
Philippines become permanent posses
| sion Of this country, with self-execut-
ing local government, which will have
the largest measure of liberty, the
truest independence, the Philippines or
Cuba?
THE LABORI CASE.
Santa Rosa Republican: The shoot
ing of Labori may prove a fortunate
occurrence, even for Dreyfus The
wounded man said to his wife when she
reached him: Il may die from this,
but Dreyfus is saved" and this remark
may be applied in more ways than one.
1t will arouse additional sympathy for
the prisoner among all classes, and
this will be to his interest. And it will
have it's influence directly on the trial
of the case. That Labori intended to
crowd Mercier to the wall in cross ex-
animation is well understood. His
wound kept him from doing this and
Monday was comparatively quiet day
at the trial Thus MERCER and his
friends are not made more vindictive,
and the acquittal of Dreyfus will not
result in the political difficulties that
have been feared. The Republican"
expressed the opinion some time ago
that Dreyfus will be cleared with the
least possible sensation, and that his
accusers will go unpunished as a re-
suit of existing conditions in France.
The less excitement there is in the trial
the more likely will they be to reach
this conclusion of the case.
TEA GROWING