TOPICS OF THE TIMES.
A CHOICE SELECTION OF INTER
ESTING ITEMS.
Comments and Criticisms Based Upon
the Ilappcninua of the Day Histori
cal und News Notes.
The outlook for a rain-water trust is
still cloudy.
Why doesn't some wizard take up
the windless tornado problem ?
That twenty million as a new score
ought to tend to wipe out lots of old
scores with Spain.
In arranging the "spheres of influ-
H
ence" in China the powers seem to have
omitted China herself.
One way the American soldier takes
water is when he swims rivers to more
quickly get at the enemy.
Talking of "spheres of influence"
there's a certain amount of it exercised
in America by the baseball.
For a long time the Celestial Empire
5 was famous for its great wall. Now
its partition Is becoming of interest
The latest terror for tramps arises
from the smartness of a police judge ,
who sentences them all to take a bath.
Now comes the vinegar trust to sour
the spirit of the times. The concern
expects to place its competitors in
pickle.
That new laundry trust does not con
tain any Chinese. They may be used to
joint affairs , but they do not join tilings
of this kind.
Whenever a European nation finds
time hanging heavy on its hands it
makes a demand on China for some
thing or other.
England and Russia are just now
shaking hands and Kaiser is wonder
ing what it means. Royalty is always
on some kind of an anxious seat.
Here is a man who shoots himself be
cause his sister was to marry a man he
did not like. It is well that many of
us do not consider this a cause for self-
slaughter.
The consumption of quinine in this
country last year reached twenty
grains per capita. The consumption
was largely increased by the -soldiers
in the Southern climates.
A Breslau murderer , having killed fif
teen people , got a year's imprisonment
for each crime. Reckless men ! Ten or
twelve more victims and he might have
no prospect but incarceration in view.
The custom of shakings hands , which
is the most common among civilized <
nations , -coiiies undoubtedly from re
mote barbarism , when two men meet
ing gave each other their weapon-hands
as a security against treachery.
Mr. Zangwill , it seems , approved of
1h
out constitution , though he says that h
"uo people in the world could live up
to it. " And yet , we had imagined our CiP
selves as giving a fairly good imitation P
of a nation doing precisely that thing. n
n
A Western clergyman has made a E
move of doubtful discretion in insist u
ing that his women auditors remove cl
clh
their hats during the service. That h
preacher must have great confidence a
in his own powers of holding the femi 01
nine eye as well as the feminine ear. 01w
01w
The Minister of Education of Saxony fl
has decreed that all girls and young A
AC
women in public schools and colleges C
must discard corsets. It would be in 01
teresting to know to whom the enforce 11
ment of this law will be left , and how w
infractions of it will be punished when ri
riS
discovered. S
ce
"Friends at court" is the apt and sug ID
gestive name of a new philanthropic reef
organization in New York , whose ob of
ject is to help young women and girls ofw
who are brought before the magistrate ofA
lor a first offense , to see that they have fi
a fair trial , and to show them friendly cc
offices after they are discharged 'from ri
custody. riE
Experience in numberless instances
Si
has shown the difficulty in getting a
PC
jury to convict a woman of a capital
offense. This is unjust , irrational and
prolific in dangerous consequences.
The sex of the accused ought not to Yi
enter into the merits of the case , and YiWl
a woman who commits a willful murder
of
der should be held to account as strictly
of
as a man under the fsame conditions.
in
' ing
At present there is far 'too much ground tb
for the belief , on the part of angry and "I
revengeful women , that they are practically
sp
tically sure of immunity from the law's ch
ultimate penalty when they take hu Tl
man life. This simply amounts to put TlW
ting a premium on murder if the as ed
sassin happens to wear petticoats. Tl
trJ ;
"He Is only a lath painted to look-Jike trJW
iron , " Bismarck once said of Lord tic
Salisbury. The clever epigram is dis th ;
proved by the singular success with thrn
which the premier has conducted the
or
recent agreement with France. Henceforth
pa
'
forth England will be undisturbed' in
en
- * ner enlightened protectorate of the Nile re
Talley. Everywhere she is regarded as
gri ;
* a different power from what she was
when Lord Salisbury took the govern
ment ; richer , more formidable , more
- influential. The Iron Chancellor judged
4 jill men after his own metal. Unhappily rei
-the golden traits of tact , courtesy and 4
desire to arbitrate had little place sei
his conception of a minister of state. iy ,
The devotion and courage required to Pi'J
encounter the experiences of even the : 'J
ordinary missionary's life were pic- thi
with great vividness in a recent pei
speech by Senator Hoar. The words
that follow , taken from that speech ,
are as true as they are eloquent : "Therft
is not a story of heroism or true glory
in human annals which can surpass
the story of missionaries in this or in
foreign lands whom America has sent
forth as the servants of civilization and
piety. They have taken their lives in
their hands. They have-sacrificed am
bition , family ties , hope , health and
wealth. No danger that stood in their
way , no obloquy has deterred them.
In this day of pride and exultation at
the deeds of our young heroes in Ma
nila and in Cuba , let us not forget that
the American missionary in the paths
of peace belongs to the same heroic
stock , and is an example of the same
heroic temper. "
The remarkable exploit of Colonel
Fuuston in swimming the Rio Grande
"in the teeth of the enemy's fire"
serves to recall some other memorable
natatorial achievements and their un
derlying causes. Horatius , as Secre
tary Long has wisely told us , swam
the Tiber in order to get away from
the foe , although it is recorded that
with the exception of false Sextus no
body essayed to stop him or wish him
bad luck. Leander swam the Helles
pont to meet the lovely Hero , and
Byron accomplished the feat in order
to dim the luster of Leander's glory
a proceeding we have always deprecat
ed. Young Lochinvar "swam the Esk
River where ford there was none , "
thereto impelled by love of a lady , and
Captain Webb swam the English Chan
nel just to show that it could be done.
O'Grady swam out , but where he
swam or why he swam we do not at
this moment remember ; it is enough to
know that it was a memorable feat
and has been duly recognized in the
lyrics of an admiring nation. But all
these achievements were as nothing
compared with the deed of the gallant
Funston. Leander , Horatius , Lord
Byron , Lochinvar , Captain Webt
and O'Grady swam for glory , safety
or selfish personal considerations , but
Fuuston swam for the honor of hia
country. The difference between two
heroes , as Secretary Long might put it
is that Funston swam for patriotism
while Horatius swam for home.
The German Emperor , unless all
signs fail , will not be a disturber of
European peace. He is his own mas
ter < and is not under the influence of
ambitious soldiers , many of whom
would gladly accept even a slight prov
ocation as a reason for a war with
Russia , France or England. His self-
restraint is remarkable , armed as he is
with tremendous resources of power.
He is intent upon maintaining German
military prestige without quarreling
with any foreign power or striking a
AAb
blow. The empire was never so well
prepared for war as it is now. Both
the cavalry and the artillery have been
greatly strengthened since the cam
paign with France. Thoroughness is
tlti chief German virtue. Every prac
tical detail has been mastered by the
general , staff in its preparations for
scientific warfare. These military
neasures are defensive , for Germany
has nothing to gain from any great
campaign on the continent The Emperor
CiP
peror has aimed to enlarge his colonial
possessions , to strengthen the German
navy and to open new markets for the
merchants of Hamburg and Bremen.
His methods have sometimes seemed
meddlesome : , but his motive has been
clear and reasonable. The Germans
have ; shown themselves to be thrifty
and : successful settlers in America and
other foreign lands. The Emperor has tt
wished them to do under their own flag
what they have done under foreign
flags. ; He dreams of a Germanized tlSl ;
Asia Minor and a circle of prosperous Sld
colonies around the world. In carrying d
out this general policy he has acted
like ! an energetic trader , whose eyes tlq
were open to the main chance. In Af tlv
rica , China , Asia Minor and the South v
Seas ( he has either been obtaining con ti
cessions , or planting colonies , or watch
ing for opportunities. He has been
ready to pick up anything in the form
territory or of commercial advantage tl.v
which has come in his way. Neither tl.ai
Americans nor Englishmen are justi ai
fled ( in complaining of the Emperor's ccd
colonial policy. Germany has the same d
right to a share in the world's trade T. !
which they claim for themselves. The
Emperor's methods are sometimes ag lo
gressive , but the general trend of his Hi
policy is pacific. r.i
dc
Wants Her Presents Back. Jt
Jtw
A curious case will come before tne w ,
Henna law courts shortly. Some nc
weeks ago a young doctor and a girl
19 put an end to their lives in one ca
the suburban hotels of Vienna. Hav he
no money left they bequeathed cafe
their jewelry , which they described as fo
'imitation ; , " and a watch aud chain be
specified as of Abyssinian gold , to the HL
chambermaid who waited on them. he
Ehe latter , not at all delighted with this th
worthless ( and ill-omened finery , hand- In
it over to one of her subordinates , ea
rhen followed the discovery that the bo
rinkets , sofar from being counterfeit , aiF
svere ( genuine , and the costliest descrip- F (
ion , their value amounting to no less al
han a thousand pounds sterling. Re-
norse < not unnaturally overtook the erin
riginal ; legatee , who had so recklessly in
arted with her bequest , and she has ta
sntered an action against her friend to bo
ecover < the goods or their worth on the Cc
round that the gift was made through ou
gnorance. London Chronicle. po
ha
Why He Preferred It. go
"A bad excuse Is better than none , " th
emarked the first philosophic hobo. pr [
"I like it better dan a good one , " ob- a- ]
avi
ierved the other ; "it's more gentleman- ; vi
'cause" gener'ly it don't work.- Jo :
Philadelphia Record.
The man who tries to say smarf pu
hings makes more breaks than other ca
ieople. op
GETTING INTO LINE.
Formulating issues for the campaign
of 1900 , the Democratic National Com
mittee , in its St. Louis conference , put
two important matters to the front.
These two things are cognate , one de
manding the destruction of criminal
trusts and the other protection from
oppressive trusts.
Democrats are getting into line , and ,
as William J. Bryan observed , the
Democratic party is opposed to the
principle of monopoly wherever it mani
fests itself , and he clinches this with
the statement that the party has de
clared war on the trusts. Not a little
trust only , but a big trust as well. Not
against one kind of trust only , but
against all trusts. In discussing this
matter , the New York Journal says :
"Next year's contest will test the
question whether the trusts can be de
stroyed or deprived of their power for
harm. If the Democracy can win on
these lines , all will be well. If it lose ,
the question may be tested again. But
if , after thorough trial , we find that
the trusts have outgrown the power of
the Government to suppress them , the
people will have to adopt a new order
of battle. They will have to fight for
the posscssiou of the trusts and their
management in the public interests.
Those conservative thinkers who are
alarmed at the thought of such an ex
tension governmental functions will
do well to aid the Democracy in Its at
tempt to restore the old American sys-
n
tl
tl
tlm
tl :
tlci
ci
tt :
te :
teei
ei
eii
: i
ein of individual enterprise and free
: ompetitlon. "
Ir may bo added by way of caution
hat the Republican party will most as
suredly come out with a hypocritical
leclaration against trusts. The leaders
> f the administration forces know
hat the people are aroused on this
luestion , and will endeavor to catch
-otos by a lying declaration of opposi-
ion.
i in mm the Ohio Boss ,
The first Republican State conven-
lon . held to nominate candidates to be
oted for in the fall is that of Ohio ,
nd the outcome was watched with
onsidcrable interest because Presi-
ent McKinley comes from there.
here is always something of a fac-
ional fight in the party , and there was
Hid talk during the past few weeks
bout "downing" Boss Mark Hanna
nd his following. His particularly
cvoted aspirant for the Governorship ,
udge Nash , was to be "laid out cold"
rhcn it got to the balloting and was
ever to be heard of in politics again.
The convention has been held and the
andidatos have been nominated , and
eaeiing the ticket that the Republi
cs of all shades are expected to vote
Dr is the name of Judge George Kil-
on Nash ! lie had more votes than
ny other man 0:1 the first ballot , and
e became the unanimous choice of
ie delegates on the second. Hanna ,
isteacl of being "downed , " was an
iy winner. He is still the supreme
oss of the party in the State of Ohio ,
ud even his fiery colleague in the
ederal Senate , Joseph Benson For-
Icer ; , has to bow to him.
It is noteworthy , however , that in
rder to win over the oposition to him
the convention , Hanna had to ob-
lin the assistance of the Republican
DSS in the city of Cincinnati , George
ox , who has the reputation through-
Lit Ohio of being the most malodorous
alitical manipulator that the State
as yet produced , which is saying a
jed deal. That this alliance will cost
ie ticket thousands of votes is freely
cdlcted , and there are Democrats
plenty sanguine enough to expect the
ipiug out of the -17,000 McKiuley ma-
irlty of three years ago.
There are also good reasons for
atchiiig closely the anti-Hanna Re-
.iblicaus in Cleveland , where the
imlidnto of the latter for Mayor w s
jposed and beaten by the boss and his'
following , and where knives are out
for anyone favored by him , as Judge
Nash is. Taking the situation as it is
throughout Ohio to-day , much stranger
things have happened In politics than
would be triumphant election of a
popular Democrat for Governor there
this year. New York News.
Two McKinleya.
The McKinley of ' 99 , who has deter
mined to raise the standard of im
perialism , finds himself overshadowed
and discredited by the McKinley of
' 98 , who , speaking for this nation , sol
emnly declared that "extension of ter
ritory through conquest is criminal ag-
irression. " The present William Mc
Kinley has been driven to the point
where he ceases to regard patience as
a virtue , and , resolving to "fight the
devil with fire , " has ordered the postal
authorities not to carry in the mails
pamphlets which bring to the notice of
the people at large the utterances of
President McKinley of 1898. Verily ,
"the William still pursues him. " To
ledo New s.
Ajrainat Trusts and Militarism.
William J. Bryan's declaration at St.
Louis against the trusts and imperial
ism outlines the two great issues on
which the Presidential campaign of
next year will have to be fought. The
Democratic party stands ready to op
pose the Republican policy of favoring
the great combinations of capital , and
the pursuing of any policy which will
make a large standing army a neces
sity.
sity.The
The most dangerous of all the trusts ,
as Mr. Bryan pointed out , is that which
alms to secure an absolute monopoly
of the furnishing of the money of the
country by confining the government
to the coinage of gold only , while for
itself it seizes the exclusive right to
issue notes whose value rests on the
national credit. This Is a trust that
should be smashed first of all , because
it is by far the most dangerous. The
opposition "to the trusts and to militar
ism cannot begin to open the fight that
Is before it too soon. The monopolists
and imperialists are strongly organ
ized already , and they cannot be beaten
excepting after a hard fight. New
York News.
The Ohio Ticket.
With the exception of the immediate
personal and political friends of the
gentlemen who comprise the Republi
can State ticket , few Ohioans will re
gard if as having special strength be
fore the people. This would be true ,
even if the nominations had been made
as the unanimous choice of the dele
gates ; but , since they were made in
the face of a bitter factional fight that
still refuses to subside , and upon a
platform unsatisfactory to thousands
of voters in the party , the weakness of
the ticket is most apparent and the sit
uation develops fewer reassuring fea
tures than have ever been noted in this
State following the adjournment of
a Republican convention. Columbus
Post-Press.
Republican -Jisscnsions.
It is somewhat significant that the
Philadelphia Press , the organ of the
Postmaster General , should print an
editorial calling attention to Repub
lican dissensions in Ohio. It is more
significant that the Press should assert
that these dissensions are owing to
bossism. Of course , the Press is right ,
to a certain extent , in its charge that
bossism has disrupted the Republican
party in the State of Ohio , but why
should McKinley's Postmaster General
throw bricks at McKinley's friend ,
Mark Hanna ?
This attack on Hanna is not covered
up in a mass of glittering generalities.
On the contrary , the Press alleges that
the trouble began in Ohio when Sher
man was forced out of the Senate to'
make room for the new Republican
boss. It is furthei alleged that ttanna
has been engaged in the work of build
ing up a personal machine in the Buck
eye State entirely regardless of the
party interest and that the result has
been that the 'national administration
has been drawn into the fight in spite
of declarations that it deplores the di
vision. In all this the editor of the
Press sees danger to the popularity of
McKinley , who will be held responsible
for the results of Hanna's pernicious
activity. Chicago Democrat.
An Offense to Intelligence.
The Republican State platform is a
rank impertinence an offense to com
mon understanding. It embraces
impertinent resolution against trusts ,
though the convention was completely
dominated by trust and boss influences.
The vulgar braggadocio about what
the McKinley administration has done
is an assumption that the people of the
United States are a nation of fools.
The whole proceeding was shockingly
dishonest and disgraceful , and will try
the patience of the mass of the party.
Judge Nash has been exploited as a
man of gentle associations and high
character. The work of the Columbus
boss and trust convention must surely
be a shock to his respectability. Cin
cinnati Enquirer.
Census Jobs on Partition T.ines.
The Democrats carried Texas toy
over 200,000 in 1S9G , but Director Merriam -
riam allows them but six of the thirteen - .
teen census supervisors , giving the
other seven to the Republicans. In
nearly all of the States Mr. Merriam
s distributing these places on partisan
ines , and in some of the States there
s much complaint over his methods.
Springfield ( MassRepublican. - ) .
Very Un-American.
The proposed scheme for the govem-
uent of the Philippines sounds strange-
y Spanish. How utterly un-American
Tlie panic ; in the background "The old man seems to Lc takinir a iot of interest in that work. " Denver News. ccm
it sounds to talk of placing any p&rt n
of the territory of the United States
under the rule of a governor general ab
and a cabinet of administrative officers thi
to be appointed by the President at wlh
Washington. Where does the local h
self-government , which is the bulwark re
of republican institutions , receive any woo ;
recognition ? Chattanooga News. OB
of
The Sway of the Bosses. tm
There Is a big elem'ent in the Repub crc
lican party , who each year become coi :
more deeply disgusted with the bosses ofc '
and bossism , and their allegiance has c )
only been retained ) iy
, by giving them
some special and temporary sop. In places
the nature of things this cos
element is a mil
little larger and more thoroughly dis ed
gusted than ever , and the thing which edUB
troubles the boss the most is to devise nol
something that will fool them just once : in
more and keep them within the party Ge
traces. Ashtabula Standard. nt
io
hear
Treason from Abraham Lincoln.
This extract from one of Abraham arC
'
Lincoln's speeches sounds treasonable
mo
now , but it shone with the light of ab
truth and right when the words were dei
uttered : "When the white man gov
erns himself , that is self-government ;
but when he governs himself and also I
governs another man that is more than siri
self-government that is despotism. " usi
Lincoln's speeches ought to be censore- gel
ed. Perhaps they should be suppressed ver
altogether. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. ing
vet
Money Trnst thr. Worst. bu1
Those "sound money" editors who eff
are "tickled most to death"
over the sil\
idea that Bryan is willing to place the of
anti-trust plank above that made of era
free silver , in the Democratic platform , per
should not forget that he places the
money trust at the head of the ob COl
noxious list. Grand
Rapids Democrat. un
bai
, A Real avijcator.
It is natural that Mr. Hanna should silwh
be the largest stockholder In the new whi
American Ship Building Company. Mr.
Hanna's in Pet
experience holding the
. helm of state entitles him to set him ure
self up as authority g ship building gel
and navigation. Omftlia World-Herald. par
wei
Which Will Mean Nothing. as
The Republican party is such a bitter cou
enemy of the trusts that it is going to disi
wait until next year and then adopt a wa
strong anti-trust platform. Omaha" frei
We-rld-Herald. tob >
r
Currency "Reform" Scheming : .
The Republican Congressional Cau
cus Committee , to whom has been del
egated drafting of a bill to "reform" "
the currency , has been sitting off an #
on for some weeks at Altantic City , and. %
various reports as to the conclusions-
that it has reached have found their-
way into the newspapers. As it need'-
not make its findings public for months
to come , and may change them up to-
the very last moment , it is evident that
there is no reason why these reports-
should be taken seriously. The proba
bilities are , in fact , that they are inere-
y designed to get the opinions of the
people on this subject , and that the-
committee is by no means sure about
what it ought to recommend.
The last report is that the committee-
has agreed to tell Congress to declare
positively that all obligations of the-
[ Jnited States are payable in gold , and :
not in "coin" which may be either *
gold or silver as at present , and also-
: hat a Government note once redeemed
at the treasury in gold shall not be- '
paid out again except in exchange for
gold. This is what the bankers are
clamoring for to make money scarce
> ecause they can then loan out their"
hoards at greater profit. If the recom
mendations were to be enacted into--
law they would be millions more the
richer at the end of the very first year
of the law's operation.
Another reported recommendation of
the committee is that the national ,
banks shall be allowed to issue notes-
to the amount of the full par value of
the bonds deposited as security , instead :
of only up to 90 per cent , thereof , as at
present. This would give the banks ? *
many millions more paper money , guar
anteed by the Government , and it
would not cost them a cent excepting :
for the insignificant charge made for
printing the notes.
Another thing the committee is re
ported to be in favor of is the authori
zation of national banks with capital
as low as § 25,000 this to be for the
benefit of the farmers , who are said to
complain that they have no convenient
banking facilities in their own locali
ties. If any large number of such ,
banks were established the quantity
of national bank notes in circulation ,
would be increased to an appreciable
extent , of course , and would furnish ,
an excuse for calling in some more of
the Government treasury notes and"
strengthen the bank monopoly of the
country's currency , and be a great step ,
toward securing the withdrawal of the
entire greenback issues. New York '
News.
Cndictmcnt Against Monometallism.
The biraetallist members of the late
aerman Silver Commission placed on.
the record of the twenty-first session
'he fallowing solemn declarations :
A setback to German agriculture is-
nanifest , referable , on the one hand , to
he "necessity of selling a constantly in-
reasing amount of "depreciated agricul-
ural products in order to pay wages , in-
erest , rent , leases , taxes ; and , on. the otli-
hand , to the increased power of eompe-
ition on the part of other countries , silver
xmntries , that is and
, countries on ai.
noney basis of depreciated paper. In.
iroportion as their silver or paper loses
power to buy gold , these countries , en-
eying in effect a high export premium , are-
ible to throw their native products upon
he world's markets at prices far beneath
vhat it costs German farmers to produce-
hem , SQ plunging these latter in deep dis-
ress. The demonetization of silver is also-
forking a more and more visible injury
German manufacturing industry : ( a > -
n account of the ever-lessening ability-
the farmer class to purchase manufac-
ured products , ( b ) On account of the de-
rease in exports to silver lands and of the-
onsequent recoil upon the home market"
the articles hitherto exported thither.
On account of the competition offered
the rapidly developing manufacturings
ilants of silver lands , favored by the low
est of production there
and by the pre-
lium upon exportation therefrom produc-
by the fall in the gold price of silver. .
Juloss means are taken to prevent , it wiljs
be long before the manufactured pro-
ucts of the silver countries will find the
Jerman market. To import Indian yarcrV
ito Germany is already a
paying -opera-
ion. : It is facts like these which have leo
Reichstag to vote for another mone-
ary conference of the nations.
One could recite innumerable testi-
lonies of the same tenor with 'the
bove < did time permit and occasion
emand. E. Benj. Andrews.
Silver as Good as Gold
Prior to 1873 gold-using
countries ne
mng silver for shipment silver-
sing countries were obliged to sen *
old to Paris to be exchanged for sil-
, and silver-using countries desir-
gold were obliged to send their sil-
to Paris to be exchanged for gold ; .
these exchanges could always be
Efected at the rate of 15 % ounces of
ilver for one ounce of gold , burdened , .
course , with the
expense of the op-
ration , and it was to save this ex-
ense by furnishing silver to persons
ho desired it for use in silver-using :
Juntries ] that the Bank of England
nder < the Peel act of 1S44 , kept in theV
ank as a reserve a large
quantity of-
Iver which it purchased and upom 4
'hich i it issued notes payable in gold 1
"This use of silver , " said Sir Robert
in his speech
advocating the meas-
, "answered all the purposes of
, " for while the French bimetallic
continued 15 % ounces of silver
ere everywhere and in all countries-
valuable as one ounce of gold. Of
urse , this action of the bank was-
iscontinued when the bimetallic pap
broken by the suspension of the-
coinage " of silver by France in OcX
ber. 1873"-Henry G. Miller. /
