The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-01-11
VOICE OF THE PRESS.
EXTRACTS FROM EDITORIAL
EXPRESSIONS.
State and Coast Opinions ON Sub
jectS Of Living News
Interest.

San jose Herald: Inc cry again
| comes down for Government aid to the
miners on the Yukon. By and by If this
thing keeps up it will be the regular
order of business to start a Government
relief expedition up there every year to
aid the miners who have taken the
desperate chances in their greed for
gold and their childlike confidence in
the belief that the Government will see
them through anyway
JUST AND SUFFICIENT.
Portland Oregonian: The widow of
Brigadier General Haskell, who died
September 10th, from the effects Of a
wound received at the battle of Ell
Caney, has been allotted under the gen.
eral law al pension Of $50 month This
is the maximum allowed to a widow
under this law, but special legislation
will, it is said, be evoked to increase
the pension in this case
Since precedent will be established in
these first pensions granted on account
of the Spanish war, it will be we'll il
Congress tempers patriotism with pru-
dence in dealing with such claims Cen
era1 Haskell was brave and gallant
soldier. Like many another brave and
gallant soldier, he took his life in his
hand and went to do battle for his
country. All loyal citizens honor him in
this, all regret that the mischance Of
war befel him, and all sympathize with
the wife who was made a widow
through this mischance. None will
grudge her portion from the nations
storehouse of plenty sufficient for her
needs. This pension of $50 month is
therefore conceded to be her just due
from the country. But since this is
enough for that purpose, and no sum
of money could recompense her in any
degree for the loss of her husband,
special legislation looking to increase of
pension would be unwise because i'm
properly based.
PRIMARY ELECTION LAW. =
Tulare Register: One of the hard
jobs to be undertaken by the present
Legislature will be the new primary
election law. Such law is much
needed, especially in the larger towns
and cities, and it is to be hoped that
a primary law can be enacted that will
not fall of it's own weight and will be
reasonably expensive and not more. Our
elections cost too much, but an honest
election is worth having. Nothing is
SO expensive as rascally government,
but that fact will not justify making
elections more expensive than they need
to be-
IMPRISONMENT FOR DEBT.
Stockton Record: San Francisco re-
tailers who are trying to have a law
enacted to imprison debtors on charges
of contempt of court have hired some
literary feller'' to write in defense and
explanation of the proposed legisla-
ton. While he doesn't overcome the
objections to- the law he makes one i'm
portant statement. That is that there
are in San Francisco alone 1900 dead
beats" who are abundantly able to pay
their bills but will not and cannot be
compelled to do so by law as it exists.
The Independent" of yesterday de-
nounces the scheme as outrageous, but
it seems only foolish. 1t viii be folly to
enact such a law, because it would be
knocked out as easily as were the tug
boat marriages as being in avoidance
of the Constitution as those marriages
are in avoidance of valid law. The
best way to avoid loss by dead beats
is to refuse credit to all who cannot
show that they are worthy of it.
A GRAVE MISTAKE
Santa Ana Blade: There seems no
doubt that the Boards of Supervisors Of
the various counties of the State who
entered into an agreement to pay GER
tain attorneys a commission for recov-
ering certain sums alleged to be due
by the State to the counties have made
a mistake. For the counties to agree
to pay a commission for collecting
money from the State when the money,
if collected, would simply have to be
Immediately collected again from the