The semi-weekly messenger., 1904-05-17
CURRENT COMMENT.

II there IL De a scratching at the winter
palace door and Nichols will find his
l little Aleck come home again from the
| war, with the japanese only five thou
| sand miles away.-Charieston Post.
There is always something doing when
| the kaiser is at home. He has return
| ed from his sea outing. and Immediately
| the news from Berlin become readable
| It seems altogether likely that his
health is much improved. AT any rate
he is talking like man whose interest
| in affairs is keen, and who expects to
| continue to take a hand in them for
/ some time to come. AS a rule the
| kaiser's public deliverances are search
| ed for some anti-F'rench meaning. and
his latest have undergone this inspec-
! ton. He is suspected now of desire TO
| 'cut out" France in the affections OF
Russia But what is offered in support
| of that opinion is far-fetched and not
likely TO make strong impression any
where. The German emperor knows
and plays the game of politics well. and
when the time comes will probably not
be behind other sovereigns in a plain
say about matters in the far east
Washington Star.
Through Judge James McCabe of
indianapolis, an ardent advocate of
Mr.. Hearst, Mr.. Bryan has written a
letter to Indiana democrats. 1t is
not so frank nor so dignified as should
be letter from the man twice given
great honor by the party and for the
third time attempting to dominate the
party. From first to last it is an at
tack on the man endorsed for the pres
idency by the democrats OF the state
of New York and demand for the
readoption of the Kansas City platform.
frnr -afn 11,,I -
silence of Judge Parker" Mr.. Bryan
says: 1t is impossible to conceive Of a
democratic campaign fought on mean
1ngleSS platform under the leadership
OF muzZled candidate. Quite impos-
slble. The campaign will be fought on
a platform built at st. Louis by the
democrats of the United States. Judge
Parker will then stand on that platform
and speak for democracy. Mr.. Bryan
will have an opportunity to help con-
struct the platform on which Judge
Parker will make the campaign.-Co-
lubia State.
Whatever else may be said against
the inhabitants of Iowa, it cannot prop
erly be charged that they are at
all backward in coming TO the front
where politics is concerned. There
was a day when the republicans of
Ohio were regarded the embodiment
of everything that was shrewdest in
the line of politics and office holding
but in these latter days the Buckeye
citizen has had to make way fer Iowa.
The state which appropriated 10 :tsels
the tenets of tariff reform and claimed
this as an Iowa idea. now comes to
the front with another idea. The post
master Of the city Of Des Moines has
given to the world the announcement
hot
shown to clerks who are married, es-
pecially those with large families" If
there was any doubt heretofore of the
reappointment of this particular post
master. the promptness with which he
has jumped upon the Roosevelt anti
race-suicide band wagon would seem to
indicate that he is an apt pupil Of the
Allison school of political leaders, and
continuance Of his grip upon official
salary is accordingly Observation-Disclosures
Constitution.
If it may be accepted as true. the
most important piece OF news that has
yet been received concerning the war
between Russia and Japan is that which
states that General Kuropat tkin, il
pressed. will retreat to Mukden. and
If necessary to Hardin. The report
comes from st. Petersburg by way Of
Paris, and this gives the stronger prob
ability that it is true. The japanese
can be counted on to press General Ku-
ropatkin They have certainly showed
no lack Of energy so far. If the Rus
slams retreat to Harbin they viii give
up half of Manchuria. If the japanese
should take Hardin they would control
the railroad leading to Vladivostock
as we'll as to Port Arthur. If they
should approach near HarGinthey
M; ;pht H.
berian road. Russia would not aban-
don half Of Manchuria without a strug-
gle if she were not hopeless of success
fully defending It. She would find it diff
ffcult to reconquer the territory thus
given up, for it is mountainous and
easily defended. 1t would be strange if
the Russians should fail to take ad-
vantage of these mountains to make the
Japanese conquest cost as dearly as
possible.-Times-U Union.
There is no doubt that the canal strin.
with Secretary Taft as its dictator, is in
excellent hands. Yet, as matter o.
principle and precedent, one regrets ID
see one peaceful possession after anoth-
er turned over to the war department.
To the canal commission. secretary
TaftS appointment must seem very
much like a slight, and il is character
towards Panama matter that he de-
clines to trust anything 10 those on the
spot, and prefers to rule the isthmus
directly from Washington. Because
secretaries of war have for five years
past been discharging the functions of
colonial secretaries, is no reason why
that makeshift should be continued in
definitely. The appointment Of a civil
governor for the Philippines undoubt-
edly marked a stage in advance, and
now it would be better treatment Of our
Panamenos TO pay them the compliment
of an ad hoe government, rather than
TO slip them in as incidental business OF
an already over-taXed department.
Secretary Taft knows from painful per-
sonal experience the disadvantages OF
military government, and il would be
surprising if his views on that matter
have changed simply because the posi-
ton of military governor has been
thrust upon him.-New York Post.