Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1902-05-09
BRIEF COMMENT ON CURRENT
TOPICS.

q
method similar to the Marconi sys
TEN.
The remarkable success of the
United States Weather Bureau in its
experiments with wireless telegraphy
may have considerable bearing on the
question of a Pacific cable.
On the calendars of both the Sen.
ate and the House are bills providing
tor the reorganization, on a business
basis, of the consular service. The
commercial welfare of the nation de-
mands their passage.
Senator Carmack said in the Sen.
ate: "The President is not vindic-
tive but simply strenuous. He re-
sembles in his habits of speech a GER
tain Tennesseean's horse Of which it
was said that his natural gait wa.
running away"
The announcement made by Col. r.
NJ. Johnson, that Mr.. Bryan does not
wish to be the party's standard bearer
in 1904, may be taken as correct. Col.
Johnson's close personal relations with
Col. Bryan place him in a position to
speak authoratively.
Senator Hanna is the logical candi.
date OF the Republican party. He is
thoroughly in sympathy with its
monopolistic idolatry. OF course he
would be even more easily beaten at
the polls than Mr.. Roosevelt, but the
Democrats do not object to that.
Senators Rawlins and Carmack have
ably demonstrated the rottenness of
the Republican policy in the Philip
pines. The people are now looking to
Senator Bailey to outline the Demo.
cratic policy along lines that may re-
ceive the support of every true Amer.
can.
The Attorney-General will prosecute
the Beef Trust under the Sherman
Antitrust law but the party in
power will do nothing to make the
antitrust law more effective notwith-
standing the fact that it has been pro-
nounced detective by some OF the
ablest jurists.
Mr.. VIM. H. Chadwick of the Chi.
cago Board of Trade has presented a
new argument in favor of extensive
irrigation Of the arid lands. Mr.. Chad.
wick maintains that such irrigation
would largely obviate the hot winds
which now devastate the more east
ern farming lands.
1t is earnestly to be hoped that
Congress will take some action to.
wards carrying out the recommends
tiens OF the President that the forest
reserves, now under the jurisdiction oil
the Department OF the Interior, be
transferred to the care of the Depart.
ment OF Agriculture.
Thore seems to be some likelihood
that Mr.. Geo. b. Cortelyou, Secretary
OF the President, may be promoted to
q Cabinet position. Mr.. C. has won
his promotion from the position of q
stenographer in one OF the depart.
ments by the sheer force OF his per.
sonal ability and industry.
The effrontery with which Ameri.
Can officers attempt to excuse theil
torture of Filipinos by the statement
that the latter tortured American
troops is lamentable. The Indians
scalped American troops but we never
knew OF American officers resorting to
a similar mode of retaliation.
The latest cablegrsms from Manila
tell OF 81 500 cases of Asiatic cholera
and l ,169 deaths therefrom. Evident.
ly to the dangers of bullet and bolo
to which the administration is sub
mitting American boys in uniform, in
its unholy war OF conquest, is to be
added the scourgs of the plague.
Still another attempt will be made
to get the Ship Subsidy bill passed by
the House of Representatives. The
prospect that the next House will
! have Democratic majority is sc
strong that it is maddening to Sena
tors Frye and Hanna to see this op'
portunity of " caring for their friends
missed.
The late J.. Sterling Morton will be
chiefly remembered as the bitter op
pOnent of the free.seed distribution
Mr.. Morton took the extraordinary
ground that Congressman should Sc
cure re election by their own merits
, rather than by the distribution OF gar
: men seeds at the expense OF the gov
: ernment.
General Funston should take te
heart the statement Of the Army Of
ficer who when asked for an inter
view said: "You ask me TO talk il
the hope that l may be indiscreet and
consequently interesting; but 1 am
not going to be indiscreet and there
fore there is no reason why 1 shoult
, say anything"
1t is rumored that the widespread
, popularity Of the suit begun agains
the Beef Trust has led the Presiden
to consider the advisability of bring
ing legal proceedings against all th