\
12 Conservative *
iu a common aversion to Euglntul and
a common sympathy with tbo Russians
under conditions wherein England alone
desires to keep the immense trade of
China open for the free competition of
the world's merchants and manufactur
ers. England's immediate control over
Chinese territory is in the south , where
with Hongkong as a base her activities
clash more particularly with those of
the French , and in the north central
region , where with Shanghai aa a base
she reaches her mighty arms over the
richest zone of the empire , the valley
of the Yaug-lso and its great tributaries.
Here her trade power threatens the as
sumed rights of Germany and Russia ,
each of whom claims exclusive trading
privilege in her own sphere. The im
mediate cause of quarrel is over the
building with British capital of a rail-
vray on the north side of the gulf of
Po-chi-li from Shauhaikwau to Now-
chwaug. This in the present is a short
and important route. But it is the es
sential link of a great system of roads ,
when these shall be completed and
will connect Manchuria which Russia
holds in her clutch with the valley of
the Yuug-tse. England , in possession ,
retains a powerful advantage , however
Russia may struggle , and the latter i
power seems determined to forestall '
this foothold. The Chinese government , I
though the concession was originally
granted to build with British capital ,
which was all subscribed for a road
partly surveyed , has , under the influence I
of Li , who has returned to ministerial
power , turned a cold shoulder to the
enterprise and practically nullified the
concession.
The change of Li , formerly the most
ardent friend of English enterprise , to
be the adherent of the Russian pro
gramme , has been the most dangerous
factor in the imbroglio. Even with this
affair temporarily settled without re
course to arms it is impossible to see
how the fierce rivals for the predom
inance in railway building and the ex
pansion of their trade interests can long
keep their hands from each other's
throats. The raw material of war is
too thickly strewn not to furnish a
casus belli at any momnt. The only
element to prevent is that Russia is not
quite ready and England is. It will
take two years yet to complete the great
Transsiberiau railway for military
transportation uses.
Legislative Experiment.
Attorney General Griggs has recent
ly decided that vessels flying the Hawai
ian flag do not acquire the American
registry under annexation unless by vir
tue of a special act of congress. The
principle at issue , he asserts , has been
settled and so declared by the Unit
ed States supreme court in the case of
Florida and those regions of territory
acquired from Mexico. In other words ,
they were rather looked on in the light
of property than as an integral portion
of the United States. Until made so
by formal legislative action , then , none
of the laws and institutions of the
United States would under this ruling
bo extended to annexed territory. Tariff
laws , navigation laws , question of Chi
nese immigration and other debatable
matters , over which the intelligence of
the laud is so greatly split in opinion ,
would not affect Hawaii , Porto Rico or
any other island which might become
our own by the mere act of annexation.
It is a subject of regret that we could
not have such a possession on which to
try experiments before finally adopting
laws in many instances for the United
States. It would be like the testing
room of a great factory , or the model
loft of a shipyard , or , to use a more viv
id and accurate simile , like the vivisec
tion department of a medical college.
It would be rather hard lines for the
inhabitants of the annexed region thus
kept iu a condition of political nonage
to become the victims of the legislative
scalpel. Yet they might glory in being
martyrs for the national good if they
properly appreciated the supreme honor
of adoption by Uncle Sam. The difficul
ty in making such an experiment use
ful would be that of finding a region
where the general conditions of living
nro quite similar to those of this coun
try. The inhabitants would probably
object strenuously to being used for
this purpose , philosophical as it is in
theory. It must be admitted that on
the whole the scheme is an impractica
ble one. It is a fascinating thought ,
however , to have the privilege of wreak
ing possibly bad laws on others to serve
as an object lesson for ourselves.
Difficulties of Sanitation.
Sir Grainger Stewart , in his recent
speech at Edinburgh before the British
Medical association , of which he is the
president of the year , made some sug
gestive remarks about the obstacles in
herent in the modern democratic tenden
cies of society which prevent effective
public sanitation. Ho cited the opposi
tion of the lower classes to submit to
vaccination and the sporadic outbreaks
of smallpox in the most unexpected
places. Yet in Germany , specially iu
the army , the disease had been almost
totally stamped out. So , too , the work
ing people throughout England could
bo forced only with the most extreme
vigilance to destroy bedding , clothing ,
etc. , in cases of typhoid and typhus fe
vers , diphtheria and certain other infec
tious or contagious diseases. He attrib
uted it to the unwillingness of ignorant
pecplo full of the instinct of individual
freedom to bo driven to measures of
which they did not fully appreciate the
value in a word , to bo compelled to
their own good. That had always been
ouo crying feature which opposed the ef
ficiency of health board work.
Such swinish resistance to public
sanitation is not infrequent of course
in the larger American cities which
have a population of miscellaneous
origin. Our immigrants from southern
and eastern Europe are notable exam
ples of this stupid attitude toward the
laws of health as enforced for municipal
sai'oty. But there is this to bo said for
the health boards of most American
cities , they administer the laws relat
ing to such nations as well as make
them with a very remarkable degree of
energy and wisdom. Many of our cities
are certainly not shining models of
municipal purity , but it is a recognized
fact that the health departments of such
communities are always vastly above the
level of the other city bureaus. Perhaps
the very knowledge of the serious ob
stacles iu the path inspires them to
that zeal and vigilance which enable
them to overcome. This characteristic
of American sanitary methods induces
one to believe that when they are ap
plied to the problems of yellow fever
involved in the Spanish habits of such
pest centers as Havana and Santiago
they will achieve a miracle in a very
short time.
This Date In History Aug. 18 ,
1702 John Earl Russell , prime minister of
Great Britain 1840-52 , born in London ; died
1878.
1803 Dr. James Bcnttic , poet , last of the min
strels , died at Aberdeen. Dr. Eeattic pass
ed the closing years of his life in London
in close intimacy with Dr. Johnson and
other literary celebrities. His most fa
mous poem , entitled "The Minstrel , " ap
peared in 1774.
1807 Charles Francis Adams , American states
man and diplomat , United Stated minister
to Engluni. during the civil war , born in
Boston ; died there 1880.
1S80 Ellen K-an ( Tree ) , widow of Charles
John Kean and a noted actress , died ; born
1800.
1895 Ex-Justice William Strong of the United
States fauuremo court , died at Lake Minno-
wnsku , N. Y. ; born 1809.
1SCO Professor Frederick William Crouch ,
composer of "Kathleen Mavourneon , " died
in Portland , Me. ; born Ib08.
1807 General William Ward , a noted Federal
veteran , died in Newark , N. J. ; born 1824.
This Date In Kistory-Aug , 19 ,
1180 Geoffrey Plautagenet , brother of Richard
Coaur do Lion and father of the murdered
Arthur , was thrown from his horse and
trampled to death in Paris.
1690 Birth at Holyrood palace , Scotland , of
Elizabeth Stuart , daughter of James VI
( and 1 of England ) , who married the Elect
or Palatine and thus founded the present
British reigning family.
1600 James Lenox , philanthropist , founder of
the Lenox library , born in New York city ;
died there 18SU.
181i ! Fight between the Constitution and
Guorriere.
1814 Count Bumford of Bavaria died ; born
Benjamin Thompson in Massachusetts 1752 :
driven away as u Tory.
1802 Troops led into an ambuscade by the
striking Tennessee minors and muuy of
them killed.
1890 Professor Joseph Dwight Whitney of
Harvard university died at JKow London ,
Conn , j born 1811) ) .
This Date In History Aug. 20 ,
1591 Robert Herrick , English poet , chiefly
noted as successor of Shakespeare , born.
Herrick led the life of a Bohemian for
many years after leaving Cambridge. Since
1810 boveral editions of his works have been
published in England and America.
1745 Francis Asbury , with Coke the first
Methodist bishop in America , was born in
Butffordshiro ; died 1810.
1794 Battle at Maumeo Rapids , Ohio ; General
Anthony Wayne defeated the Miamis and
other Indiana. .