The record-union., 1899-08-16
VOICE OF THE PRESS.
EXTRACTS FROM EDITORIAL
EXPRESSIONS.
State and Coast Opinions on Sub
jects of Living News
Interest. go

JScts Oh Living news
Interest. go
Stockton Independent: While it is
conceded that the experiment of en-
ploying native troops has succeeded
admirably in Porto Rico, where Cen
eral Davis has conducted affairs so we'll
that we no. longer hear a single note
of discord from that island, it is
thought by the Washington authori-
ties that the time is not ripe yet for
trying the same experiment in Cuba.
In Porto Rico there was no rebellion.
and consequently no organized army of
natives with horde of aspirants for
commissions. The theory of the War
Department is that some of the anbi-
tious Colonels of the Cuban army will
soon get tired of waiting for a COM
mission and will attempt some other
occupation. At least the probability is
that the howls of the disappointed ap-
plfcants will have a less disturbing eff
feet after a period of peace and pros
perity has interviewed. There is no
reason to distrust the Cuban private,
but there fssreason to guard against the
Cuban politician.
A MEANINGLESS WORD.
Portland Oregonian: Ex-Governor
Bo1es of Iowa says: "a gold standard
IS not Democracy. 1t. never was; it
never can be. To insist upon it is to
cut the vitals out of the Democratic
party" But, he says, Sixteen to one
is not an essential of Democratic faith.
1t never was, it cannot be made so
now because the Democratic party will
never be united in it's favor Having
thus disposed of the two standards,
taken separately, Mr.. Boies asks:
What is democracy on this question:"
And he answers this pertinent inquiry
by the one word, ''bimetallism.''
But Mr.. Boies, just like many more
who use this term, has no precise no
ton of what it means. Bimetallism re-
qu1res a ratio of coinage between the
two metals. But no ratio that may be
adopted will stand. The thing then is
impossible. One metal will become
cheaper than the other, and then with
unlimited coinage it will become the
single standard. This is universal ex-
perience.
FORESTS AND RAINFALL.
San Jose Mercury: It is only in re-
seriously taken up the subject of forest
preservation, and it has not applied it
self to this highly important problem
any TOO soon. The forests of the
United States are disappearing with a
rapidity that insures their total de-
struction within the next half century.
or century at the extreme. The time
has arrived when it is absolutely es-
sentfal that steps be taken to stay
these wholesale ravages by the pre-
vention of forest fires and by the
adoption of some general system of
forestry whereby there may be a SEN
sible supervision of timber cutting and
continuous replanting as the old
trees are felled.
The most serious phase Of forest
denudation is the effect it has upon the
ralnfau and upon the conservation of
the natural water supply and this is a
phase that speaks with telling force
to the people of California, because all
| of the varied products of the valleys
and foothills of this State are depend
ent upon the forests of the Sierras and
the Coast Range, which not only pro-
mote rainfall but act as storehouses
| for the winter moisture. to be gradu-
| ally expended during the later months
| for the benefit Of the valleys below.
These facts are well known, yet the
wanton destruction of Californian for
| ests goes steadily on.
As the San Francisco ''Post" says in
a pertinent and comprehensive article
upon this subject, the people of Cali
| fornia need soberly to ask themselves
| the question as to whether they are
not destroying the State. "As found by
| the American settlers, California pre-
| sented the richest and most extensive
natural resources ever found on an
| equal area of the surface of this earth
| We have in the relation of the noun
tains to the valleys the ideal condition
| for artificial fertilization by irrigation
We have in the forested region of the
western flank of the Sierras,s from Te-
| hachapi to Shasta, the ideal rain pro-
| ducer, a conseryator Of the river stages
throughout the season. The destruc-
| ton of the forests means the destruc-
| tion Of the State. Shall this destruc-
| tion proceed?"
| EVENED. UP.
| Fresno Democrat: Americans no
| longer ask the price of an article. but
purchase the most expensive objects
displayed" So reads a London dis
patch in another column, telling Of the
| thrush of Americans to dear old Lun-
num-" and that they are lavish pur-
| chasers of everything that strikes their
fancy. 'Tis pity tbs true that the
American abroad is the veriest chump,
and tbs true tbs pity that continental
Europe forms it's estimate of the char
| aeter of Americans from what it sees
OF the chump representative class
whom the fates have blessed with more
money than brains. They are on a
par with the "h" dropping and loudly
| dressed "cockneyS' that on this side of
the herring pond are ignorantly taken
| as representing the English gentleman
or the beer-can. rushing, hod-carrying
Pat as representing the Irish yoeman-
ry. So that after all things may be
pretty well eyened up, though it is gall
| ing that the practical sense, progress
| and energy of American manhood
should be represented abroad by such
addle-pated individuals as do the con-
tinent" yearly and take an insane de-
| light in advertising the worst feature
| of this country in the class that has
been suddenly elevated to riches and
has not the breeding or refined tastes
! TO live up to them.
A MORAL QUESTION.
| Fresno Republican: From the
amount of attention that has been at
| tracted by the announcement of the