Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1909-02-11
CURRENT COMMENT.

the irate governments are Obliged 90
wait for the snow to melt. This gives
them time 90 think and 90 count the
cost With the melting OF the snow
their wrath melts. and they set about
putting In their spring crops May
we not hope, as the snow melts. for
like dissipation Of ;he anti-Jap blus-
tering on the Pacific Coast and the
Rocky mountain tops? What few Japs
there are I'm California and Nevada
will then be needed for sowing and
rcaping."
The Washington Post says: There
should be no curb upon the speech
OF Mr. Tillman or Of any other Sen
ator, excepting the curb he may place
upon himself and the curb OF public
opinion. n the Senate should adopt
the rule. there would be unseemly
wrangles over the alleged offensive
ness OF language used. and the out
come would not be satisfactory TO
anybody. The Senate Is a place where
free speech-the pure. unadulterated
truth-may be uttered by any Senator
brave enough to utter Il, and he may
not be questioned in any other place.
There should be no step taken to
shackle free speech in that high forum.
Public opinion will see to IL that this
free speech does not degenerate Of
fensive license"
The Baltimore Sun says: The law
ish extravaganza Of this Government
is the wonder and establishment Of
the world In 1850 the army cost $685.
100000: I'm 1908 IL cost $4,000. 600.
The cost Of the navy grew In the
same years from S13.5OO,OOO to Sl1S,-
600 900. The total ordinary expenses
OF the Government in 1850 we're S264,-
$4,000. In 1908 they we're 1868. 522.-
600. The Fifty-frst Congress appro-
priated in two sessions something like
a thousand million dollars. Il was
called the billiOn-dOllar Congress, and
the extent Of the extravaganza so
shocked public sentiment that at the
next election a political revolution &C.
CURED. But since that time the peO-
pie have become less sensitive and
they now view a twObilliOn-dOllar Con
gress with equanimity. The question
for the party in power TO consider Is
whether the people will view with
complacence and Indifference a bond
issue and war taxes in time of peace"
The Philadelphia Record says: 1t
was at one time the law In all the
States that an alien could not take
nor hold title to land. Though almost
universally repealed. and considerably
modified by treaties. a disposition has
manifested itself I'm recent years to
re-enact the statutes against alien land
ownership. Both Illinois and Okla
homa have recently adopted laws for
bidding foreigners from becoming free
holders Of agricultural lands, and
abridglng their privileges to the ac-
Quirement OF leasehOlders for strictly
commercial purposes. The enactment
Of a similar law by the California
Legislature. II made applicable TO all
aliens. could not reasonably be made
a cause Of complaint on the part OF
japan. particularly in view Of the fact
that the ownership Of land by foreign
ers In Japan is closely restricted. The
modification Of the proposed California
statutes in the sense indicated should
satisfy all objections, since II Is the
present intent 20 follow the provisions
OF the japanese law on the subject
Il is an easy but inoxcusable thing
10 run down the place In which one