The record-union., 1899-06-19
VOICE OF THE PRESS.
EXTRACTS FROM EDITORIAL
ExfREssroNs.

State and Coast opinions ON Sub
jects Of Living News
Interest.
Oakland Tribune: Things are COM
ing to pretty pass when they indict
the Governor Of Kentucky for drink
ing whisky with his staff The millen-
most people imagine.
DECREASE OF CRIME.
Alameda Argus: Those who believe
that crime is increasing overlook the
fact that population has increased, that
the law now specffes as crimes many
things that formerly were not SO con-
sldered, that the police is more effec-
tive in bringing crimes to hight, and that
public opinion is more sensitive. But
even the crude figures begin to- show
diminution. In France the records are
exhaustive and accurate. Crime against
persons and property are both decreas-
ing. The official report attributes this
largely to new legislation. '"The men-
ace of punishment, according to the
present regime, seems to be more efti-
cacious than it's execution, at least in
the first Offenders" This has also been
the experience of this country. Those
cities which have tried the method of
suspended Sentence find it unnecessary
to insprison more than about 20 per
cent. of the first offenders. OF the so
per cent. thus saved from prison infiu-
ence large proportion would, under
the old regime, have become habftGal
offenders. The fact that they are un
der surveillance until the suspended
sentence expires and that any lapses
into evil ways is a sufficient warrant
for their rearrest. after which they
must go to Jail. is to most a sufficient
warning. Imprisonment is dreaded un-
til once experienced. Afterward it's de-
terrent power is greatly lessened. 1t
should therefore, except in case of ha-
bitual offenders. be the last resort.
THE EAST AND WEST.
Alameda Encinal: 1t is quite the
fashion in the Eastern eenters of "cul-
chaw'' to sneer at the West as wild
and wooly,'' and to believe that the
people of the outlying provinces beyond
the Mississippi are a sort of half edu-
Gated tribe of savages But w. E. Cur
It's of the Chicago Record has been
making some researches into the matter
and has unearthed startling state of
facts-startling for the SNUG compIa-
| cency of those who hug the delusion
that in them and their surroundings is
bound up all that is wise and good. Mr..
Curtis states that the percentage of IL
| litera'tes in Massachusetts is 622. in
New York 553. in Connecticut 5.2S, in
| Ohio 5.24 and in Illinois 5.25. But in
Kansas the percentage of illiterates is
| only $3.50, in Nebraska 81. in Wyom-
ing 341 and in iowa 3.61. The mum
Der of people above the age of 10 un-
able to read or write in the Eastern
States is from so to 100 per cent higher
than in the WESTERN States. I'm the
Southern States. with colored popula-
| tion largely uneducated, and in New
Mexico and Arizona, with considera BILE
Mexican population. the percentage of
| illiteracy is greater than in the East In
the big cities and manufacturing cen
ters of the East is a large foreign pop
ulation. The lower class of Bohemians.
! Hungarians and other foreign immi-
grants often cannot read or write. and
| little attention is paid to education by
them. In the West the farmers and
all other classes know the value of ed
ucation and seldom fail to send their
children to school.
SPECULATION IN THE TRUSTS.
| Oakland Enquirer: There are signs
THAT the trust craze is abating, and the
newspapers of this, morning contain IN
/ formation of the failure or serious en-
| barrassment of three projected trusts
An -S1S,000,000 corporation to control
1 the manufacture of street car appE-
! ances has been abandoned, and so has
a S50,000,000 p1ow trust. The $75, ,0d0.-
/ 600 tfhreshfng machine combination is
very shaky.
| The trouble with these undertakings
was that not enough persons could be
found with sufficient faith in the sue
cess of the trusts to put their money
into them. When the first trusts Were
organized the method employed in do
| ing it was the getting together of the
owners of existing esta blishments, who
pooled their issues; this was a natural
| economic movement. But presently
/ the speculator came in as a middle
man, and began the work of trust pro-
4 motion for the profit there was in it.
| Trust organizations ceased to be the
| spontaneous work of manufacturers,
and became a mere speculation or gam
! bic. Nest of the recent combinations
have been effected by buying cut the
manufacturers at a high price, the
! money to do so being obtained by the
sale of stocks and bonds on the open
| market.
For time the appetite of investors
for this kind of stocks was enormous,
and the promoters perhaps obtained the
| idea that there was no limit to it. But
! there was a limit, after all, and now
! that couple of billion dollars have
! been soaked up by the trust sponge,
| there is a scarcity of financial m moist-
ure. The trust promoters cry their
/ wares in Wall street and other money
centers, but there are few takers, and
from this time ON the business viii be
4 slow. 1t was time for the reaction.
/ because the craze had gone very far,
| and not a few of the trusts are SO
largely composed of water that they
/ 4nave no more solid fibre than O. ;slly
| fish.
ANGLING.
| San Jose Mercury: The experience of
anglers this season is that a large pro-
portion of the trout have rot yet
| spawned, and that is more often the
rule in April than the exception. 1t is
| evident that the open season begins
a month too soon, and this is one reason
why trout are becoming scarcer every
year. The close season ought to con-
tinue until May.
! MIGHT AGAINST RIGHT