Conservative.
Jesuits and the Benedictines from all
blauio and expressed their approbation
of both , especially of the Jesuits. What
is startling about this long list of charges
ngaiust Mr. McKiuley is that the presi
dent of the United States should hereby
offer another proof that he is susceptible
of being biased in his official conduct by
almost any persistent advocate of indi
vidual or class projects , whether political
or religious. It is certainly not the
business of the United States govern
ment to appoint Saints' days as public
holidays , nor to furnish rosaries for
Catholic soldiers , nor to grant favors to
any religions society as such , and when
it comes to giving away large tracts of
national laud to one sect , or two sects ,
or more , it is high time for the people to
interfere. The motive is unmistakable ;
its existence is a degradation of the
presidency , and a proof , if any were
lacking , that the present incumbent is
not fit for that high office.
ELIZABETH E. EVANS.
1JKYAN AND THE GOLD MEN.
"Colonel Bryan went up to Port
Huron , Hichigan , " says the San Fran
cisco Call , "to point out a way for re
turn of gold democrats to the party.
After declaring that the Kansas City
convention will stick to the Chicago
platform , free silver , divinely appointed
ratio and all , he kindly remarked : 'The
gold democrats who come back can
defend their coming on two grounds.
They can say that they are convinced
that the position taken by the party in
1896 was right and that they were
wrong , or they can say that because of
new questions that have arisen , and
which will all be included in the plat
form , they are now willing to accept the
y platform as a whole. '
"How very nice of him I It is so kind
for him to tell gold democrats what to
say , to give them the password , as it
were , by which they can pass the popu
list sentinels at the party gate 1
"Then , his politico-medical idea of
making the Chicago platform palatable
by diluting it with new issues is worthy
of study. He proposes to put the poison
of 189G in a tub full of fresh water and
, ask the gold men to come and drink it
1 'as a whole. '
Wroiiff on Every Issue.
' 'It is not apparent that any consider
able number will rush for a sup of his
diluted swash. The trouble with Colonel
Bryan is that ho has been proved to
have been wrong on every issue he
raised in 1890. Every statement he
made in that campaign is proven false ,
every prophecy has failed. This makes
the country suspicious of his judgment
about new issues. Ho desires to sugarcoat -
coat the old pill with new issues , but
there is a suspicion that the coating is
glucose.
"Hie anxiety to bring the wandering
gold sinners back to his silver home is
undoubted. It is manifest in frequent
rumors that the said sinners are leap
frogging each other to get at the mourn
er's bench. Not long ago Mr. Cleveland
was represented as on the way , clad in
sackcloth , and with ashes on his head ,
and Carl Schurz was reported as a re
turning exile.
"But not long after these rumors
thrilled the silver camp Mr. Cleveland
in his Brooklyn dinner letter gave Mr.
Bryan a backhander that made his
political jaws ache , and now Carl
Schurz is quoted to the effect that ho
regards Colonel Bryan as a curiosity , a
most active , interesting , sincere curios
ity. The same could bo said of the
living skeleton and the fat lady in the
sideshow.
Accessions Not from Gold Democrats.
"Colonel Bryan's conspicuous acces
sions are not from the gold democracy. .
He has acquired Governor Piugree of
Michigan , a popnlistic republican , upon
whom fads are as thick as ticks on a
heifer smitten with Texas fever. His
career as governor of Michigan has been
distinguished by appointment of reform
ers to office , many of whom are now
fugitives from justice , and some of
whom are in the penitentiary. His join
ing the Bryan camp is significant of a
quality therein that is most repugnant
to gold democrats. It is the sand in
which all sorts of isms , elegies , enemies
and skim-milk theories breed. Bryan is
attractive to every kind of fanaticism.
The gold democrats are a rather steady
and cool headed sort , and take their
politics straight and solid. They don't
like to touch elbows with populists , who
think the law of gravitation cau be re
pealed by an act of congress.
"They would rather have no holiday
than picnic with Altgeld and Pingree.
Therefore it is apparent that no gold
democrats need go to Bryan early to
avoid the rush. There will be none. "
POIITO KICO AND THE CONSTITUTION.
A small proportion of the American
citizens who exercise the duty of sovereigns
eigns in this country claim to be quali
fied constitutional lawyersor would care
to appear as public disputants on any
clause of the constitution , yet every citi
zen has a general idea of the powers of
the government under the constitution ,
and when those powers become opera
tive. It may be said that Judge Lochren
of the United States circuit court , in his
opinion filed in the circuit court at Min
neapolis yesterday , voiced the views of
the average American citizen.
The question before Judge Lochren ,
stated in its briefest terms was : "When
did the constitution of the United States
extend to Porto Rico ? " and the reply , as
expressed in Judge Loohren's decision ,
was : "As soon as any exorcise of gov
ernment by the United States extended
thither , " or , in familiar parlance , as
soon as the flag got there. At the
moment the flag of the United States ,
the symbol of its authority , was raised
over the soil of Porto Rico that moment
the protection of the constitution of the
United States extended over the people
and the country. The government
the executive , legislative and judicial
departments of it does not make the
constitution. The constitution makes
the government. It exists by virtue of
the constitution. The national govern
ment of the United States was created
and its power and jurisdiction granted
and limited by the federal constitution.
Where there is set up a government by
the arms or will of the United States
that government must of necessity con
form to the constitution.
"It must be held , " said Judge Loch
ren , "that upon the cession by Spain to
the United States of the island of Porto
Rico , that island became a part of the
dominion of the United States , as much
so as is Arizona or Minnesota ; and that
the constitution of the United States ex
propria vigore at once extended over that
island , and that this extension gave con
gress , whose every power must come
from that instrument , the authority to
legislate in respect to that island as a
part of the United States territory. "
What is law in the case of Porto Rico
should be law for the Philippines and
for all the territory over which the flag
of the United States is today floating as
a sign of possession. The duty of the
hour is the firm establishment in these
regions of the government of the United
States according to the provisions of the
constitution of the United States.
Kansas City Star.
LITERARY NOTES.
A life of General Isaao Ingalls Stevens ,
whose gallant charge upon Stonewall
Jackson at Ohantilly saved Pope's army
and the United States from a great
disaster , will be brought out in May by
Houghtou , Mifflin & Co. The Life of
General Stevens is the work of his son
Hazard Stevens , late brevet Brigadier
General U. S. Volunteers. The elder
Stevens rendered notable service to his
country as an engineer officer on General
Scott's staff in the Mexican War , and
from 1853 to the breaking out of the
Civil War as governor of Washington
Territory. He commanded the survey
of the Northern route for the Pacific
Railroad , and made possible the settle
ment of the now great state of Wash
ington by pacificatiiig or subduing the
Indians. The career of this brave and
capable man makes not only an interest
ing biography but constitutes a valuable
contribution to the history of the ex
treme Northwest and to the Civil War.
The work has already been subscribed
for by many historians and military
men.
