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The Conservative ;
Allowing Onbaa
BOGUS GENmere 20 percent re-
EROSITY. duotion in tariffs is
like offering a fam-
.ishing man a glass of water land a'tooth-
piok , The tariff would be as burden
some and depressing after such a re
duction as it is now , for it would still
be practically prohibitive , and when the
prohibitive point has been reached an
addition of 1,000 per cent , would not
have the least effect one way or the
other. Cold figures show that a reduc
tion of at least 50 per cent is necessary
in order to insure a reasonable , living
profit to the Cuban planter ; to offer
him less is 'but to mock him with a
shallow pretense of generosity. Ttie
real motive which guides those who
furnish the most bitter opposition to
the concessions is not so much commer
cial as political ; .more a desire to force
Cuba to the policy' annexation than
to protect domestic producers of sugar.
And there will be another "tidal wave
of patriotic enthusiasm" when Cuba ,
having been starved into subjection ,
drags her emaciated body into the
Union.
A learned wearer
CONTEMPT of the ermine robe
OF COURT. has decided that a
person criticising a
legal decision 'is not in contempt of
court , when the criticism is passed after
the decision has been made. Just how
a person can criticise a decision before
it has been made is not made clear , but
we presume the rule should be inter
preted to mean that only those com
ments which have a tendency , or might
have a tendency , to influence a jurist
are punishable. That the dignity of the
bench must be upheld and its occupants
protected from threats , intimidations
and ridicule calculated to influence
them in reaching a decision , is patent ,
but just -where to draw the line is a
matter which has puzzled the most
eminent lawyers of the past , and is still
in dispute among the judges of the pres
ent.day. From a layman's point of
View-it would seem that contempt
shown for a judge's decision after it has
been published , would be as apt to in
fluence his future acts as would a direct
expression of advice at the time the
issue is pending. " It is for the purpose
of instilling respect for law , and those
who interpret and execute it , that the
law protecting courts from being ridi
culed or interfered with , has been
passed. True , it is the bench , not the
man , which is to be respected ; yet it
seems as reprehensible , as destructive in
effect , to belittle the action of a judge
after he has arrived at a decision , as it
is to offer suggestions to him when he
has taken a matter under advise
ment.
San Francisco
EXCLUSION. has a Chinatown
and a labor union.
The union dislikes Chinatown , and the
citizens like the , union and dislike China
town and therefrom comes a wail
against the Chinese that reaches the
Atlantic coast. After assimilating Turk ,
Hun , Pole , Italian , Indians , Negroes ,
etc. , a Chinaman gorges in the throat.
Minister Wu admits that the coolies
have no place in this or any other coun
try , but before yon lay much stress on
that statement , it would be well to look
up references and see just what a coolie
is. As to the higher grades of China
men , they are making a" supreme effort
to shake off the superstitions which
have trammeled their people , and step
out into the sunlight of modern develop
ment. America offers the best field in
which they may expand their icleas.and ,
returning to their native country , give
their fellows the benefit of their experi
ences in the land of the free. The Chi
nese students in America are indus
trious , studious , energetic and extreme
ly tractable. They harm nobody , and
attend to their own affairs 'in a quiet
manner which many Americans would
find it profitable to emulate. Each one
of these , upon his return to China , does
more for the upbuilding of his race than
do all the missions in * his province. In
stead of sending missionaries across to
be butchered , and to cause others to be
butchered , would it not be better to
keep our missionaries and our money on
this side and simply encourage China to
reform hers'elf by treating her as a sis
ter , not as an outcast.
Prince Henry
A CRISIS having arrived , and
PASSED. the nation's dignity
having been pre
served during the trying ordeal of his
reception , the excitable ones in and out
of congress may heave a great sigh of
relief-and turn their attention to saving
the country in some other way. ' There
was no kissing of. the Prince's hand ; no
body's ' trousers are worn at the knees on
account of an humble position assumed
by the wearer in the presence of His
Highness ; but , on. the other hand he
was not met at the landing by a single
person who saluted him with "Hello
there Hank , old man ; come in and have
something on me , " as some seem to
think he should have been in this demo
cratic country.
The truth is that Americans realize
that while royalty must be respected ,
and treated with the consideration duo
to its position in its own country , it
must not be worshiped nor unduly
catered to.
In a word , the Prince is here , the flag
still waves ; the constitution is intact
and we have noticed no one wearing a
brass collar as yet.
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, From a strike in
SENILE SPAIN. Baroclonia threat
ens to arise a revo-
ution in Spain. General Weyler has
seen given a free hand , and has prom-
sed to pacify the country at once.
Should he prove no more successful as a
pacificator at home than he was in .
Cuba , there may be just ground for the
often-expressed prophecy that Alphouso
will never ascend the throne.
It is to be hoped that no genius in the
American congress will discover that ,
having destroyed Spain's navy , crippled
her army and drained her exchequer , it
is now the imperative duty of the Unit
ed States to protect the Spanish
liotne people from. ruin and an
archy , as it has protected the.residents
of their insular possessions. It is no
longer "bleeding Cuba" or any other
isle ; it is "bleeding Spain. " Here is
another golden opportunity to expand ,
by the "sacred duty" process.
The Conservative >
KANSAS PRO- takes little part in
HIBITION. the prohibition dis
cussion , but con
tends that in the end each community-
adopts its own method of treating the
traffic , without regard to the statutes of
the state , or the opinions of individuals <
in other communities. Topeka , Kansas /
has recently been hatohhted , and the
result faithfully advertised as a glorious
victory for the cold-water cause. In
her lecture at Lincoln , Mrs. Nation laid
particular stress upon the good work
she-had accomplished at Topeka , and
promised to go back and do it again ,
should it become necessary * The fol
lowing cold-blooded statement from the
mayor of Topeka indicates that Mrs.
Nation is about due for her return en
gagement there :
"Yes , it is true I am licensing saloons .
in Topeka. I am turning about $300ra
day into the city treasury. If my plan
as mayor is not approved by the people ,
let them turn me out at the next elec
tion. I am tired of hypocrisy ; particularly - .
larly of the Topeka brand. I am doing
my best to promote the best interests of
Topeka. I am not a friend of the joint
keeper , but have , adopted the Atchison
plan because long experience-has shown
that It is better than the Topeka plan/ ' .
In the mayor's statement can be found
the power which governs .the liquor , .
traffic in every city in the land : local -
public sentiment. When he says , "If
my plan is not approved by the people ,
let them turn me out at the next elec
tion , " he tells the whole story. He
knows that his plan will be approvedjor
he would not adopt it. In Other com-
mnnities where the opposite sentiment
preponderates , the opposite course
would have been pursued ; so it is ap
parent that , no matter what the law
may be , each state is to all intents and
purposes under the local option system. /
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