The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-08-29
CURRENT TOPICS.

Mr. William J. Bryan was asked by a
New York Herald correspondent ut Lin
coin, on Monday night, whether, if elected,
he would make payment in silver on all
the Government bonds that on their face
call for COIN Mr. Bryan's reply to the
reporter was that he declined to be in
terviewed on that subject.
The Philadelphia Record says that it is
of ten times more Importance to the peo-
pie of Philadelphia that they should have
decent and honest municipal rule than
that either Mckinley or Bryan should
be elected to the Presidency
The New York Evening Post says that
the League for Good Roads, in Oneida
county, reports favorably on the expert
ment of employing convicts on road
making. Under the direction Of the Board
of Supervisors and the superintendent of
Il trained engineer, the county prisoners
have constructed a macadam road, one
and three-tenths miles long, through the
village of New York Mills. near Utica.
The county authorities made a contract
with the road district, whereby it was to
furnish luborers at twenty-five cents a
day, and allow the use of its stone
crusher, steam roller. etc.. free of charge.
The road district furnished the necessary
fuel and material, and paid for super
vision. The cost of the road was about
$3.50, or $500 a mile, nnd the total cost
was only three times the amount of the
annual road tax
Referring to the condition Of the farmers
of the West, Hon. ]. Sterling Morton,
Secretary of Agriculture under Mr.. Cleve-
land, says that the corn crop of the coun-
try has increased in value from s544, 9S:3, SO
in 1895 to $629, 30 10 in 1900. or 16 per cent
wheat from 1921, 1888 to s319, 549, 269, or "a
per cent; outs from $163, 655,06S to $685.
$3.50, or 16 per cent; cotton from $780,
53S 096 to $50, 00o. 600, or q per cent. to-
bacco from S355l4, go TO S45G00.000, or 80
per cent, and flax from $12, 100000 to
$4,000, 600, or 100 per cent. 1t thus appears
that the value of the staple crops above
named has increased more than 1928. 900, 600
during the period mentioned. Mr.. Morton
also estimates that the live stock in the
country has gained s6333, OOO,G 900 in the same
time. In other words, the leading pro-
ducts of agriculture are worth S926,0oo, 600
more this year than they were in 1895.
We said the other day that We did not
rejoice over the race riots that had oc-
Cured in the North and West Repro
ducing in part our remarks, the Newport
News Herald says:
And yet don't you feel us if, well
suppose it is true that what IS to be will
be, and that all things are predestinated
and that it was foreordained that there
should be three race riots in this country
in the good month of August, 1900. and that
the negro was to get worsted, IRE you not
prepared to be glad that those 'foreor-
dained race riots We're 'predestined' to
break out in New York, Chicago and
Akron instead of down South?
"Or, to put it in another way. If riots
had to come anyhow, are You not glad
they were predestined to come in ocnli-
ties where our northern friends could get
the advantage of an object lesson that
will teach them how the old thing works
the wide, wide world over?
We are sorry that there were race riots
at the North; we are glad that these riots
did not occur in the South.