* ? '
A -
UNCLASSIFIED.
When Aguhmldo takes the oath of
allegiance to the United States , wliat
does that make of him ? Is he a citizen
of the United States , or is ho just a
Filipino as heforo ?
By the time the golden rule gets
fairly associated with the Ohio brand of
politics , it won't be able to distinguish
the truth , once concealed on its person ,
from a Holcomb resolution against
passes.
Half a column of the Commoner is
devoted to the logic of Jasper , the "sun
do move" negro preacher. The most
casual reader must be struck with the
old familiar logic , and how perfectly
congruous it seems in its setting of
financial and commercial heresies.
When it conies to marriage , the great
social reformer of other men , Herrou , is
not so much opposed to plutocracy as
his words have implied. Like the Irish
man , who had taken the pledge , when
offered his favorite drink , accepted , say
ing : "Yis , I om timperanoo , but no
doin fanatic. "
The complexity of modern civiliza
tion is well shown in the Chinese affair.
Europe will compel China to put up a
monster indemnity to pay her for
"damages and costs. " Then will turn
in , after the amount is fixed , and furn
ish the whole amount to China through
British capitalists , and everybody will
be happy.
"Poor old civil service reform is
having a hard time ! " This is a remark
made byRodenberg while in training for
his position. What kind of a time is
"poor old civil service" likely to have ,
now that McKinley has appointed this
great reformer to a seat on the com
mission. Everything points to the ad
ministration's intentions to "benevo
lently assimilate" civil service reform.
"Wo are strictly a business administra
tion. "
For a cartoon , illustrating the cruci
fixion of Cuba , the artist and publisher
have been placed in limbo by the expon
ents of American ideas in Havana. Can
the administration show any reason foi
less freedom of the press in our depen
dencies than at home ? Are the Cubans
to be civilized on different and improved
lines ? We are supposed to beat peace
with Cuba , and surely "military neces
sity" can not be pleaded for Russian
methods of establislu'ng freedom.
Judge Howard of the Columbus Tele-
frram admits that Lieutenant 'Governor
, .
° '
< nra r- * * * * "
Savage is an honorable and worthy
gentleman , and there are mighty few
democrats who would say as much for
any republican. Lincoln State Journal.
If the State Journal had remembered
the company with which Judge Howard
so long associated , it would have realized
low ho could oven view a republican
politician with complacency. All
things are comparative. The devil is
said to associate agreeably with a state
Legislature.
It is said that the foreman is the real
editor of a paper. The sense of humor
in the foreman of the Commoner is
shown by the following , injected into
the editorial page : "No money is , in a
moral sense , earned , unless the person
who receives the money , makes to
society an adequate return for the
same. " It is strange that the bitter
irony of this aphorism should have
escaped the blue pencil of the peerless.
The driver of the "Bridewell" wagon
in Chicago has the entire legal frater
nity at his heels. A criminal was being
conveyed to the court room for the
usual process of being turned loose.
The driver anticipated the action of the
court and granted a habeas corpus on
his own motion. As the criminal had
not paid his attorney fee , nor completed
"arrangements" with the "court , " it
appears the driver is to be declared in
contempt of both the court and the
attorneys.
It took nearly a column in the Lin
coln State Journal to state why all her
labored editorials upon the loveliness of
a protective tariff , were not intended to
apply to wood pulp. There is , of
course , nothing but love of country in
this recent astonishment upon the part
of newspapers , that printing paper
should advance in price when the gos
pel of republicanism requires a tariff to
benefit the consumer , while the manu
facturer has been at all the labor and
expense necessary to impress a "business
administration. "
Professor Herron's populistic methods
of social reform bear a very marked re
semblance to the political reforms of
Oroker , Altgeld , and Leo Herdman. The
more we see of them the less wo like
them. The professor might borrow
Senator Allen's friends long enough to
have them make affidavit that he was
virtuous one day. As the professor was
seriously ill a few years ago > they might ,
by "looking backwards" even do better
numerically than they did for the
senator.
Platt wants the opportunity to ex
plain to Cuba that his resolution will
convey to her the same measure of inde
pendence that he grants his own party
in Now York. The genius of American
liberty is not comprehended by the
Cubans. It is base ingratitude , for
'avors shown , for them to not permit
Platt to run their island with the same
resolution ho does the Empire statp.
This is a spirit of revolt that would
not be permitted for one moment in his
own state. The delegation should visit
New York , where Platt's idea of liberty
is on exhibition daily.
There is every evidence now that
Aguinaldo is going to take the oath of
allegiance to the republican party and
hold office. Then , where will the Com
moner stand with regard to George
Washington , jr. Aguinaldo has read
the life of Mosby , and learned that a
guerrilla voting the republican ticket is
purified , as a sinner by the blood of the
Lamb. While a patriot , who votes the
democratic ticket , is a rebel sympathizer.
The grace of God , at a Methodist camp-
meeting , is a tame affair , compared to
the grace of republicanism to a rebel
voting for a high tariff and its God-
given blessings.
It seems to be a question now , as to
which is the administration favorite ,
Aguinaldo or Funston. Aguinaldo is
just beginning to realize how much he
lost by not having formed an earlier
acquaintance with the man who "is
only a boss scout. " His future advance
ment simply depends upon his ability
to cany the primaries in the back coun
ties.
War is ended in Mariuduquo. Of
course , no one knows where Mariudu-
que is , or what to call it , if they had it
located. But , it is a pleasure to know
the war is over some place , and before
we had to display our ignorance of gee
graphy.
Poor old Illinois ! Four years of Alt-
geld and strikes , four years of Tanner
and corruption , now faces four years of
Yates and imbecillity. The son of his
father has already shown that ho is a
tool of the Lorimer gang a gang that
was actually a disgrace to Tanner. Of
a most disreputable appointment , the
News says : "There , the governor can
not plead ignorance , though , on most
questions of public policy , probably , it
will be found that he is ignorant enough
to satisfy the moat exacting tastes. "
This , in a nutshell , is the people's meas
ure of a small bore incompetent , elected
upon the sentiment of his father's repu
tation a reputation , by the way , due ,
entirely , to the time he filled the office ,
and not the ability with which it was
not graced.
"business" administration
That we have a
istration was placed beyond doubt by
the late reduction in the tobacco tax for 5
stock imported from Porto Rico. We t
