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"Che Conservative
Mi Booker T. Wash-
EXCLUSIVE. ington is to bo the
coinmcucomcut or
ator for the University of Nebraska.
A half-dozen of the students draw the
color line , and threaten to withdraw
from the university , should this pro
gram be carried out. It is to be hoped
that this awful threat will not be car
ried out until after Mr. Washington
lias delivered his address , as it is cer
tain that these students may learn
much from him. Among other things ,
he might succeed ia * convincing them
that a man who is good enough and
great enough to affiliate with- the lead
ing clergymen and educators of the
country , and who has been recognized
and entertained by the president of
the United States , will probably meas
ure up pretty well with the average
college student , either as a. scholar era
a gentleman.
Admitting that
UNJUST DIS the govern m o n t
CRIMINATION. distribution of seeds
is justifiable and
proper , and following the principle
further , why not furnish the carpenter
with nails , the seamstress with
thread and the hunter with ammuni
tion ? Every argument which hobbles
out with the aid of crutches to back
up this system , will apply to the case
of any of the slighted and ignored indi
viduals mentioned above ; and when the
rougher walks of life arn to be made
smootli by the application of this same
benevolent principle , the editorial
fraternity should make an humble ap
peal for free pens , to be distributed at
all seasons of the year and in generous
quantities. A fair and impartial in
vestigation would convince any body
of intelligent men that the average
editor's supply of these useful and
mighty implements , falls far short of
the ideal , both as to quantity and
quality. This should be made the
subject of congressional investigation ,
as soon as the government lias entirely
absorbed the seed-raising industry ,
and the carpenter , seamstress and
sportsman have been supplied with the
tools of their respective trades.
There was a rat-
CANADIAN tie of drums and a
JINGOISM. blare of trumpets
in the Canadian
house of commons , one day last week.
The war fever was rampant. One
speaker said :
"If it is necessary to fight the
Yankees , we will fight within twenty-
four hours , and after six months we
will capture their capital and annex
their country to Canada. ' '
This dire threat which somehow
suggests Mr. Wheeler , of Kentucky
should no't be taken seriously. It
should serve to show Americans who
are inclined to slop over , how flat and
foolish their vaporings must make
them appear to foreigners. Even us
tliis Canadian expansionist amuses
the people with his intemperate utter
ances , so unbalanced statesmanettes
in this country furnish a world of en
tertainment to foreigners by their
foaming defiance to a world of purely
imaginary foes.
It is an interesting fact that the
minority in Canada accuses the domin
ion government , and the home gov
ernment , of adjusting all disputes in a
manner favorable to the interests of
the United States ; while the minority
in this country as vehemently assails
the administration for alleged "knuck
ling under" to England in the same
controversies. This only proves that
a minority's mission is to find fault ,
and that this sacred duty is neglected
neither in Canada nor in the United
States.
Returning to the gentleman's pro
posed moonlight excursion from To
ronto to Washington , The Conserva
tive suggests that the itinerary be
marked "subject to change , " for
there are several thickets and ravines
along each of the trails which lead to
Washington , and some of them are li
able to bo rather thickly populated
when "Tommy Atkins"goes march
ing by. ' ' Very long will be the way ;
very hard the hills to climb. ' '
Some one has
ANNEXATION OR predicted that the
STARVATION. landing of Presi
dent-elect Palina ,
on Cuban soil will be the signal for
another war as fierce as any recorded
in the annals of the Pearl of the An
tilles. While the fears of those who
view the situation in this light are
probably greatly exaggerated by the
intemperate utterances of friends of
the disappointed candidates for the
presidency , it is certainly true that
circumstances are combining to bring
the affairs of the island to a climax ,
at no late date.
The disgruntled element which has
arisen as a result of the recent elec
tions and it is no small one the
petty jealousies among former patriots
and partisans , the influx of Americans
and American capital , the hatred
of Spanish residents for their former
subjects , and their fear that , once ab
solutely free , Cuba would not hesitate
to wreak summary vengeance upon
them for former indignities , the
natural desire of foreigners located
upon the island to place their lives
and purses under the protection of a
strong guardian , and last , but by no
means least , the disposition on the
part of congress to refuse concessions
to the sugar and tobacco planters , all
combine to force Cuba to either be
come a part of this government , or
break off all relations with it at once.
It is within her province to do the
former ; it is not within her province
to do the latter.
Torn by internal dissensions , bur
dened with an administration which ,
iu its incipiency is unpopular , shut
off from the only market which she
may ever hope to reach , face to face
with another internal war , though the
wounds and ravages of the last are yet
uuinended , impoverished and discour
aged by continued trade depression , the
only thing left for her to do is to
cross our threshold , and forever close
the door. Thus will fade away the
Cuban's dream of independence , a
condition for which he has hoped ,
prayed and fought , but which now
seems further off than ever before.
Could the question of annexation be
separated from the intricate maze of
weighty considerations in which it is
involved , there is reason to believe'
that the men who followed Maceo ,
Gomez , and the grizzled leaders of the
ten years' war , would not forget the
principles for which they fought and
suffered ; but , as it is , there is no al
ternative save that of ruin. It is an
nexation or starvation. Can anyone
doubt which course they will choose ?
With "our plain duty" so clearly
pointed out , is it fair , is it honorable ,
is it manly , to force a people into a
relationship distasteful to themselves ,
and burdensome to us ? Is it not as
reprehensible to draw these people in
to our fold by means of an artful ma
nipulation of the tariff schedule , as it
would be to drive them in at the
point of the bayonet ?
Upon the action of congress depends
the happiness and prosperity of Cuba ,
and the honor and respectability of
the United States.
When the Cau-
CAUTION. adian army
marches on Wash
ington , it is to be hoped that those in
command will caution the men to
keep off the grass and refrain from
expectorating on the walks ; otherwise
two or three policemen might bo de
tailed to take charge of them. Armies
have been known to come to grief in
Washington , simply because the rules
laid down by the committee having
charge * of the grounds and buildings
were not properly observed. Of course
the people of the United States have a
natural curiosity to see a real live
Canadian army , and all Washington ,
irrespective of party affiliations , would
undoubtedly turn out to receive it ,
but there must be no panes broken in
the conservatories , and the health of
the grass and shrubs must be duly re
spected , lest the gardener feel called
upon to put the army out , which
might lead to international complica
tions , and ultimately result in Eng
land's whipping us again.
