The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-06-30
VOICE OF THE PRESS.
=
EXTRACTS FROM EDITORIAL
ExPRESsIoNS.
,jects Of Living News
interest.


a speech to Philadelphia Quakers, vio-
lently opposing President Mckinley s
Philippine policy: I'VE are a great
assassin nation and the slaughter OF
patriots stains our hands," Those who
can call Aguinaldo. the thief and pur-
| chased traitor, and the thugs under
him, who fire on the Red Cross and
flags of truce, patriots" are past be-
ing argued with
ATTACKING THE PRIMARY LAW.
Oakland Enquirer: The San Fran
cisco Non-Partisans propose to begin
suits to test the constitutionality of the
Richard election law, which, it will be
remembered, introduces the party group
/ plan of printing names on ballot and
practically prohibits Independent in
/ dorsement of party nominees, and also
| to test the Stratton primary law. All
friends Of good government will wish
! the Nom artisans sodspeed in destroy
| ing the Richard abomination, if it can
/ be done, but whether they do wisely in
attacking the new primary law is quite
another question. Both the new pri-
mary law and the Richard election
law" George K. Fitch is represented as
saying, come from the same unclean
source'-which, to the best of our
| knowledge, is a mistake. There was
strong popular demand for a primary
election law, and three years ago the
! attempt to meet it was made by the
first Stratton law; but the Supreme
Court declared 1t invalid and reduced
to very marrow limits the power of the
Legislature in the premises. Last fall
a committee of lawyers met in San
Francisco and endeavored to draft a
law which would not be in conflict
with the Constitution as interpreted by
the Supreme Court; a thoroughly good
law could not be framed for lack of
power, but the committee did the best
it could, and the bill thus originated
was introduced by Senator Stratton,
and passed after being amended in va
rious ways. TT has always been the be-
lief of the Enquirer that in practical
operation this law will be found defec
tive, but also that it is better than no
primary law. To get satisfactory
primary law 1t will be necessary to
amend the State Constitution, but the
program now proposed by the San
Francisco Non-Partisans is not the
right way to- reach that end; the wisest
course would be to give the Stratton
law a trial, find out by actual expert
ence wherein it is unsatisfactory and
then take steps to cure its defects.
IN THE SOUTH.
Los Angeles Express: Agricultural
conditions in the Southern States are
said by James Barrett, Vice President
of the Georgia State Agricultural So
ciety, to be worse than ever before in
their history. The trouble with the
tSouthern farmer or planter is that I'M
der the industrial system in vogue he
| is eternally and everlastingly head over
heels in debt. Debt has chained him
hand and foot, and he has small chance
of ever escaping its clutches.
HEALTH OF OUR TROOPS IN THE
| PHILIPPINES.
/ Les Angeles Times: Statements were
sent out recently from Manila and from
Hongkong, to the effect that the Ameri-
can soldiers in the Philippines, and
especially those in and around Manila,
are dying from disease at an alarming
| rate, and that the War Department
has been compelled to suppress the
regulation health reports The mis-
chievous rumors are shown by official
reports to be gratuitously false. AS a
matter of fact, the health of the Amer
lean troops in the Philippines has been
far better than was expected. The i'm
munity from death or serious illness
of the troops fighting outside of Manila
as compared to the conditions in Cuba
last year, has been remarkable. The
| first detachment of American troops,
under General Anderson. landed near
Cavite June 80, 1885, From that time
! IN hn loo 1y No
! jor General Otis, under date of June
9th, there were only 1854 deaths from
disease, although the total number of
men sent to the islands is more than
10000. The number Of men who have
died from wounds within the same
period is given as sixty nine. This is,
indeed, remarkable showing. Espe-
cially is it remarkable when we take
into account the conditions to which
our troops in the Philippines have been
subjected. The men sent from the
United States to Manila went from the
temperate to the torrid zone, and this
change Of climate, in itself, was suff1-
Gent to have caused much sickness
under ordinary conditions. There is no
avoiding the conclusion that the Amer
lean troops in the Philippines have had
! the benefit Of the best modern medical
skill and knowledge. If such had not
been the case, the death rate would
necessarily have been much higher.
| EXAGGERATIONS.
/ Alameda Argus: It is astonishing that
writers and public speakers do not more
generally perceive how exaggerations
weaken their case. Much that is put
forth as discussion is not discussion.
but Mysteries and shrieks. The light
of intelligence cannot shine through the
| fog and cloud of passion As feeling
rises. the ability to say or write that
which appeals to the reason and judg-
ment of men declines. Articles in
i which distinguished men representing
the two great ways of viewing the
lation to the Philippine Islands are
villified, abused and spoken of in OPP
probrious and offensive terms, do not
effect their purpose. And their action
is sure. When man loses his calm
ness and speaks habitually in the SUI
perlatiye degree all that he says is
proportionately discounted. When he
is most rabid, people are apt to sus-
pect that he has no case at all.
INCREASING FOREIGN TRADE.
Tacoma Ledger: The foreign trade Of
this country for the fiscal year 1898.
the first full year under protection,
shows most encouraging results. The
exports of 1898 averaged 100000. O00
per month and were nearly 5000, O0O,-
coo greater than those of any preced-