The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-12-25
CURRENT COMMENT
Looking q Gift In the Mouth.

Already putting up the bars against presents.
which. and often in the aueerest FORMS are
sure to be offered or even sent without per-
mission TO a president by many of the gen
erous easy. careless-should we add ''irgespon-
sble" american tribe, Governor Wilson IL
said TO have warned shooed away the COW
which middle Western farmer sought to give
him. According to the dispatches the gov
ernor will make 1t rule to refuse valuable
gifts.
The rule is none of our business. but is
COW. aye, though she be milky Orsini OR CO.
lonna, "valuabie in the hands OF an innocent
third party not bucolic in his habits? How
many blameless urban souls have pinned for the
greenwood tree and horned Amaryllis in the
shade thereof How many OF them have beg
ged bought, mortgaged, stolen and got their
little patch Of land and stocked 1t with COW.
fancy or otherwise, in price always fancy"
Mcious relation? Was this lactiferous beast of
their dreams valuable to them7 Was 1t not
rather responsibility. cause OF continual
trouble and expense?
The COW moos all day. II kept at home. and
decent regard for the neighbors forces the
amateur to drive the DANCED thing afeld He
can't feed 1t or milk 1t, he has to hire man.
usually incompetent, to chaperon 1t to and from
the pasture. attend to its board. milk II. tele-
phone for the vet now and then. The COW
caretaker doesn't know his business. The gift
cow knows he doesn't know his business. AND
milk Is not of the gifts OF the gift cow
The COW Is always getting you into hot water
You can't sell 1t or give 1t away to an enemy
You don't dare to shoot 1t. You haYe to
pass that cows life in lying to the giver.
Governor Wilson does well to buy his milk
He would have to buy 1t just the Same IL he
had u gift cow.--New York Sun.
What Is Really Back of the Canal Controversy
There has been almost endless discussion OF
the question OF rates in the Panama canal, and
the exemption Of American coastwise vessels
from tolls Many comments OF an extremely
bitter and blatant nature have appeared IN
English newspapers, which have formerly man
Tested a spirit of Journalistic decency. One
we'll known London paper has gone to
hn awtr NJ TInffad
States government officials who have charge
of the canal arrangements have been corrupted
by the American steamship companies. Such
a statement would be dismissed with laugh
by most intelligent readers as an amusing ex-
ample OF British density and petty spitefuIness
There Is, however a certain Importance to
remarks of this nature not on account Of what
is said for knows better than the writer's
the complete absence OF truth In editorials OF
this nature. but rather on account Of the spirit
which prompts them. For many decades Eng
land has been supreme on the sea. Her navy
has been the greatest one. and her merchant
marine has been the largest and most pros
porous. The matter of the navy Is simply a
case of pouring out money a little faster than
her nearest competitors will do The merchant
marine. however, presents another problem.
Shortly after the Revolution, In the days OF
the clipper ship era, the United States was rep,
resented by an enormous feet OF merchant YES
sells.
For time 1t looked as II England would be
forced into second place in the ocean carrying
business. England that is the English adj
miralty, watched things with a jealous eye
and so bitter was the feeling that it by
no means small factor in bringing the
War Of 1912 Shortly after that various causes
seemed TO conspire to in1ure the American
merchant ma~lne Much OF the responsibility
must be laid on congress for foolish legislation
which handicapped American shippers. The
increasing OF labor in the United States
was another cause of the decline.
Now, after many years. our merchant ma
rine Is lowiy gaining strength and Importance
Already some of the worst laws have been done
favorable Legislation
expected Immediately. This combined with the
tremendous pros1sieey of the country means
that It is but question Of time until Eng
lands supremacy in this field will be lost All
British statesmen realize this and 1t fills them
with a foolish and futile bitterness. They may
they literally hate the United States Narrow
minded officials such as these watch every move
mazda to aid our merchant vessels OF course