The record-union., 1899-08-18

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a strike when the strikers obstruct rail-
road tracks, assault motormen and
conductors. blow buildings up with dy-
Mantle. commit arson and murder The
American public is fair when it's blood
is cool and it has had time enough to
master the facts to a particular con-
troyersy between capital and labor.
THE PHILIPPINE MARPLOTS.
Ukiah Republican-Press: No war has
ever yet been waged since the days
when newspapers We're first represents
ed in any of them in which some OF
the correspondents did not think that
mistakes were made by the command
ers. Sherman was accused OF many
blunderS in his campaigns. Grant was
vilified by correspondents in the Held
with him. Sheridan, the most plctur-
esque and dashing soldier since Ney,
was attacked by writer's in his army
and at the general headquarters. II
there had been half a dozen neWspa-
per correspondents with Caesar, some
one or other of them would have point
ed out many blunders in his campaign
in Gaul or his battle at DyarrachluIli,
in which he was temporarily beaten py
'Pompey. HannibaPS refusal to attack
Rome when he arrived in front OF the
city, after the battle of Cannae, would
have been held up as mark OF cow
ardice or incompetency by the military
critics of his day and petitions would
have been sent to Carthage demanding
his immediate removal from the com
mand AT the time Alexander was SAID
to be mourning because there were no
more worlds to conquer, the yellow pa
pers, If there had been any at tnat
time, would have shown him that there
were several spots not yet conquered in
the world he had. 1t is well, says the
"Globe-Democrat," to bear in mind
that there are many things connected
with a campaign which military ext
gencies compel the commander to with
hold from the knowledge of even his
own military family. There are Sc
crets connected with his plans and the
movements and strength of his antaG-
onist which he does not feel free to
proclaim from the housetops. He is
necessarily in possession of facts which
are denied to the correspondents, but
which put a different face on the situa-
ton from that which is presented to
them. In general, the newspaper men
with the armies print things as they
see them. There are many things,
however, which they cannot see, and
which the military commander does not
feel at liberty to communicate to them.
This is the case in all wars. Something
in the situation has always to be con-
cealed temporarily, for the very best
of reasons. Not knowing these things,
the critics point out alleged blunderS
which have not been made, and make
charges which they would refrain from
making if the whole situation were re-
vealed to them. There is one fact
which the country ought to keep con-
stantly in view in weighing these crit
icisms of General Otis and the general
management of the campaign in the
Philippines. The melting cause of many
of these attacks is partisan. They were
started by Democratic politicians for
effect in the canvaSseS this year ana
in 1900. Not all the newspapers and
the correspondents that are criticising
the conduct of affairs in the islands
are influenced by partisan reasons.
THE ONE POINT OF ATTACK.
Portland Oregonian: In dealing with
the trust question, or in the PROPOSE
tions for dealing with it, one fact OF
prime Importance usually is overlooked.
That fact is the wide dispersion OF
trust securities. These undertakings
have been managed by men who have
sold the stock to all sorts of investors,
small and great. So, when legislation
is aimed at the trusts, there is no
knowing who may be hit. Hence the
votes may not be forthcoming against
the trusts, to the extent that many
suppose. People have simply been
crazy for investments, and small in
vestors have taken corporate and trust
stocks, to an incredible extent The
Pennsylvania Railroad, for example, re-
ports that it's stock is held by over
10000 persons; that of the Western
Union telegraph has 13, ,43S owners; the
stockholders of the Havemeyer sugar
trust number 12,000 the New York,
New Haven and Hartford Railroad
Company has S,135 stockholders; the
Atchison, Topeka and Fe Railroad has
1900; the Federal Steel Company
5000; the New York Central Railroad
$4,000, and SO on.
Selfish.
Santa Rosa Press-Democrat: They
have just burned Aston in effigy in New
York City, and the press of the country
continues to denounce in unmeasureu
terms the act of the traitor" in de,
serting his mother country and becom.
ing a British subject. Just why SO
much fuss should be raised over a small
matter it is hard to understand. Con-
sidering the number of Queen Victoria's
subjects that swear allegiance to the
United States every year, it is truly
selfish to deny her the right of getting
one occasionally. Astor has not left
such tremendously big hole in thia
country that sufficient good material
cannot be found to fill it.