The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-08-28

their hearts the departure of the last
American from the island"
Is not this sorry picture? Should
such administration be continued?
Other correspondents corroborate the
foregoing, and Miss Astor- Chanler says
there is a lack Of surgeons, of nurses
and hospital supplies at Manila. Two
weeks ago General McArthur's official
dispatch reports 50 deaths in a week,
4,sS6 sick, 3,755 in hospitals and 1,0S1 in
quarantine. He cannot spare more
Troops for China without weakening our
hold on the islands. We may see in
all this the result Of our policy of sub
jugation and assimilation. "Is free sill
yer less serious than free slaughter?"
is late eplgram from Boston.
While there has been no war in Porto
Rico there is a loud cry against Repub-
lican mlsrule. A leading newspaper in
the island in a recent article compared
the past with the present, and gives the
need of praise to Spanish domination
We here give its summary:
1--WE had a system of education toler-
ably well organized, with sufficient
room for the introduction of reforms
tending to its perfection. We today
boast Of an educational system through
whose errors the pupils have Just lost
one full year, and will probably lose the
successive ones, If God does not come to
their rescue.
I'VE had daily mail communication
with all the towns of the island. Now
the communication with quite a num-
ber Of the towns has been reduced to
three week, while the postal and tele-
graph rates have considerably in
creased, and the stations closed at
night and during the holidays when
formerly they were open day and night.
I'VE had a budget always showing
a surplus, despite the fact that the war
and navy expenses, as well as the pen
sions for the descendants Of Christo-
pher Columbus, were paid from 1t. To-
day we have a budget with deficit
amounting to one million dollars.
I'VE had native employees exclusively
in all government offices, and the money
coming from our purses thus found it's
way into the purses of our countrymen.
Today all the offices are nearly held
exclusively by continentals, who have
been assigned fat salaries. And why
not, II they themselves fix those salar-
les and they themselves collect them?
1--WE had a suffrage available by all
male persons over 20 years of age, with
out regard to their being or not tax
payers or their ability to read and write.
Today we have a restricted and ircom-
plete suffrage. which deprives the
masses Of that very right which self
government granted them"
Under Spanish rule gambling did not
flourish publicly as now, and there was
not one law for the rulers and another
for the ruled, and the people were not
compelled to emigrste to escape starv-
alton. They had more liberty under
Spain and less oppressive tariff. Is
not this a shameful picture for an
American administration? Ought there
not to be change? AS for Cuba the
Rathbone and Neely developments
tell tale also, that shows change
at Washington is much needed.
An old song said each had his hobby
from cobbler to king; and political
campaign like the present shows how
prone newspaper men are to yawp on
some thing till possibly they believe
1t, however false IL is. It has been
claimed, too, that in a campaign, q
lie well stuck too is as good as the
truth. The song of prosperity" SO
constantly sung by Republican papers
is case in point. They harp on these
times Of glorious administration pros
peTity. and refer by way Of contrast
to the hard times of four years ago.
But let us refer and compare:
during the month Of May. 1896, were
s17, while for May. 1900, they were s37.
being the worst May in failures for
many years. This Is a true and sure
test as to our general prosperity. There
Is no getting away from this. In addi-
ton. we may refer to great increase
in taxation and government expenses,
and these are assuredly adverse to pros
perity, ever and always. Our army and
navy expenditures are far more lavish
than European governments. Econ
omy does not seem to be thought OF
in our administration. And yet the
organs harp on the great prosperity
their policy has brought. This admin
istration and It's policy deserve nc
credit for any prosperity the people
generally have had. Combines and
trusts and the few others favored, owe
this administration. and on these Mr.
Hanna leans for help and to contro
votes.
An organ says. 'Mr. Bryan can't &c,
away from 16 to L." a. though Mr.
Bryan wanted 10. This administration
has not got away from 10 to 1. 70.
they have beer coming 1t that $4,000.
900 Of bullion since 1888 at the isga