The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, July 26, 1895, Page 6

THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, FRIDAY, JULY 26, 1895. one week, by carrier.$0.15 CaLI, One year, by mi 8.00 v CALL, six months, by mail 3.00 d Sunday CALL, three months, by mail 1.50 and Sunday CALL, one month, by mail .50 s CarLz, one year, by mail. 1.50 WEEKLY CALL, one year, by mail 150 BUSINESS OFFICE : 710 Market Street. Telephone......... EDITORIAL ROOMS: Main—1868 7 : open until 9:30 o'clock. SW. corner Sixteenth and Mission streets; open until 9 o'clock. 2518 Mission street; open until 9 o'clock. street; open until 9 o'clock. OAKLAND OFFICE: 908 Broadway. EASTERN OFFICE: Pacific States Advertising Burean, Rhinelander tuilding, Rose and Duane streets, New York City. THE SUMMER MONTHS. Are yon going to the country on & vacation * It €0, 3t 1§ Do trouble for us to forward THE CALL to youraddress. Do not let it miss you for you will . Orders given to the carrier, or left at Eusiness Office, 710 Market street, Will recetve prompt attention. A SHAMELESS DEAL. Let us assume that a wealthy citizen owned a very large and populous region, cut by highways, over which the privilege of running street railways for the benefit of his tenants would be very valuable and should bring the owner a handsome reve- nue. In the handling of interests so large and valuable he would be compelled to employ a large number of agents. In that undertaking he would exhaust all possible means to secure the most intelligent and trustworthy persons. Among so many agents it is unlikely that he would find them all inspired by a sense of the highest fidelity to his interests. He expects to discover & traitor here and there. He is not always disappointed in these expecta- tions, but when he does find an employe unfaithful to his trust he punishes him— not because he might thereby satisfy a grudge or even recover what has been stolen, but as a warning to his other em- ployes that such practices will not be per- mitted. If he discovers that his agents have dis- criminated among applicants for the privi- lege of running streetcar lines over the highways; that in one case an applicant is charged $6100 for one such privilege and another only $500 for one equally or more valuable; that although in the case of the applicant who paid the larger sum an additional fixed charge ofa certain' per- centage on his earnings had been madea part of the contract, in the other case there was no such stipulation; that a certain applicant was invariably favored above all others, not only to the extent of granting it such privileges, but also with the ac- companiment of a charge less than one- tenth of that levied upon other appli- FRIDAY. .....JULY 26, 1895 THE CALL SPEAKS FOR ALL. e An honest public officer is the noblest gift of politics. It is only the knave that finds rascality more profitable than honesty. 1t would be hard to finda political party willing to father the Solid Eight. We cannot condemn the Solid Eight without confessing that we elected them. There are many of us who want some- body else to be progressive in a public sense. ‘Wages are advancing, but they are still a long way below the standard of Republi- can years. The best test of citizenship is the appli- cation of private business rules to the con- duct of public affai Let it be hoped that to-day’s hanging at San Quentin will be regarded as a rebuke both to crime and folly. While we are blaming tbe Sotid Eight so vigorously we should not forget the strength of Folsom and San Quentin. The reprieve to which Fredericks, in the exercise of the eternal scheme of justice, is entitled, will come to-day at the end of a rope. As the spirit of Americanism is opposed to a third term for any President, the Cleveland administration is naturally in favor of it. He is a hardy citizen who is willing to brave the prevalent spirit of indifference and make a fight for a people careless of its own interesgs. The California display at the Atlanta Exposition should be sufficiently inviting to induce thousands of veople to come here and be captivated. Up to date Olney’s foreign policy has confined its vigor to an attempt to sup- press American sympathy with the strug- gle for Cuban independence. The fame of the coming school of in- struction at Camp Roache has already reached the East, and Southern granges are talking of imitating the example. Every successful advance made by the Market-street Railway Company in its dealings with the Solid Eight is an en- couragement to political adventurers. Unless something is done for the promo- tion and encouragement of the American merchant marine we may be outstripped on the seas by a little country like Japan. ‘Whatever may be the influences direct- ing the conduct of the Solid Eigit, we must not forget either that we elected them or that we have the power to punish them. If it be true that the new members of the Board of Health have been offered bribes for positions they ought to name the bribers and get positions for them in the penitentiary. The pretty girls coming back from the mountains or the seashore only remind us by their yellowed complexion thatwher- ever the sunshine of California falls it produces gold. Hoke Smith’s campaign for the gold standard in Georgia has been a little bit complicated by the republication of a let- ter from him a few years ago declaring for free silver coinage. The new woman may find an opportunity for the exercis2 of her beneficent influence in an endeavor to prevent women from loading Durrant with flowers and traveling 800 miles to see him. The easiest way of slipping through life may be without discovering that there are people on every hand digging pitfalls for our self-respect, but it is hard to imagine & soul falling into these traps finding very wide wings hereafter. In offering the Valley road a choice of five sites, Fresno shows she has a full hand for enterprise. In matters of business Fresno may be even described as holding four aces and the joker. Judge Sanderson’s insiruction to the Grand Jury, “Yourduty is to act rather than to criticize, and i you see any wrong exists yon ought to indict instead of writ- ing your opinions,” is good law, good sense, and, if carried out, will have good results. That private or corporate interest which appears to enjoy the largestshare of public benefits which a local governing board can strain its power to grant must be either mesmerizing the officials who confer the privilege or, like Joshua, effecting the retroversion of ordinary forces by means unknown to econemics. In devising a scheme to sell a valunable franchise to the Market-street Railway Company for $500 the Supervisors’ com- bine has wronged the taxpayers and prac- tically robbed the City of a considerable revenue. Fortunately, however, the scheme involves a violation of law that works a forfeiture of office, and the people, therefore, may get a profit out of it after all. cants—if the private owner should see all these things he would instantly infer that his agents were diverting to their own pockets the revenues to which heisen- titled, that he has been defrauded, be- trayed and deceived, and that in a wise protection of his interests a felony prose- cution against his unfaithful servantsis necessary. When, however, instead of a private owner, ready, willing and compelled in self-protection to protect his interests, we have a municipality in control, these wise rules of business and justice are permitted to slumber. Thus are immeasurably in- creased not only the incentive and oppor- tunities for a betrayal of confidence, but a direct invitation to rogues to secure the positions of trust. If there is a single suc- cessful business man in San Francisco who would permit such conduct on the part of his agents as that which the Solid Eicht of the Board of Supervisors are practicing toward the City, and would neglect to hold them accountable under the severest penal- ties which the law provides, he would be a curiosity among business men. The Solid Eight have carried their dis- criminations in favor of the Market-street Railway Company far beyond the reach of any excuse that this company may give excellent service. That, in any event, isa ground for preference which the law is too wise to permit, for it amply meets that contingency by imposing obligations which any successful applicant must observe in order to enjoy the privi- leges of his franchise. The proper measure of the value of such a privilege is found not alone in the element of a public convenience, but in that element modified by the advantages which the holder re- ceives. Thus, however aesirable it is on the part of the public that there should be an electric road to the new racetrack at Ingleside, the privilege cannot honestly be granted to one company to the exclusion of another which desires to maintain a” rival line, nor to the favored company in violation of the laws governing the grant- ing of such franchises, nor to such com- pany on the basis of granting a privilege in which the holder will receive all the finangial benefit and the municipality none. The penal laws of the State will never command respect until they are enforced with equal severity against both private and public malefactors, and San Francisco can never claim to be a progressive city until its citizens bring to bear in the con- duct of municipal affairs those forces of justice and decency without which ordi- nary business cannot be conducted. GRAND JURY DUTY. Judge Sanderson has given the new Grand Jury excellent, important and timely advice in saying to them: “Grand Jury reports are not contemplated by the law. Your duty asa Grand Jury is to act rather than to criticize, and if you see that any wrong exists you ought to indict, in- stead of writing your opinions. If the Grand Jury has no opportunity to act it should,in my judgment, remain silent. The members of the Grand Jury are liable, like private citizens, for whatever they say or write, and they ought to use discretion.” This coursel touches one of the practices of recent Grand Juries which.have gone so far to make the system unpopular, offens- ive to justice and ineffective for good pur- poses. When a Grand Jury after secret in- vestigation, on testimony often one-sided and frequently malicious, makes a report dealing in criticism and condemnation here, there and everywhere, but fails to back up its censure by indictments, the people naturally have little confidence in the statements of the report and pay noat- tention to its recommendations. As a re- sult, we have had from our Grand Juries all the evils of inquisitorial star chambers without any benefits whatever. If the rule laid down by Judge Sander- son be followed by the new jury we may reasonably expect a diminution of the evils which have so frequently attended the proceedings of such bodies, and gain a large increase of good. To act and not to criticize is a good rule of conduct for everybody. It is particularly so for those who are intrusted under our law with the extraordinary powers of grand jurors. Less scolding and more indictments may go far to redeem the repute of the system. The new Grand Jury, therefore, has an op- portunity to distinguish itself. There are plenty of evils in San Francisco to be re- dressed, and if the jurors will give their at- tention to cases where indictments can be found against guilty officials and will find such indictments instead of scattering a general condemnation round the land, they will render good service to the public and achieve no little honor in their office. NAME THE RASCAILS. Some of the members of the new Board of Health state they have been approached by office-seekers with offers of money if they would pledge themselves to make certain appointments. The members of the board have, of course, repulted all ap- plicants of this kind and there will be no sugpicion among intelligent men that any of their appointments bave been deter- mined by considerations of bargain and sale. All this is well enough, but the ques- tion arises whether in repelling the would- be bribers the members of the board have done their whole duty to the law and to so- ciety. There will never be an end to corruption in polities until the whole corrupting ele- ment has been uncoyered and exposed. The men who approached the Board of i Health are very likely in affiliation with the bigger bribers who carry through greater schemes than that of obtaining subordinate offices. By bringing them within the reach of the law, therefore, we may get evidence against more dangerous and more insidious rascals. There is a widespread opinion that if the trail of bribery were followed up closely at this time we might be able to. have street rail- way franchises sold to the highest bidder instead of being sneakingly conveyed to a wealthy corporation for practically noth- ing. The movement for reform at this time is certainly strong enough to assure public support to any man who will make an earnest effort to defeat corruption by ex- posing its agents. If any member of the Board of Health has sufficient evidence to convict a would-be briber he should begin proceedings against him at once. The time has come to substitute action for pro- tests all along the line and make the cam- paign for honesty and law with the aggres- siveness of men who,are resolved to win it. MR. ASHWORTH AGREES. Several times within the last few months TrE CaLL has clearly expressed its dis- agreement with Street Superintendent Ashworth’s course in antagonizing the popular movement foran honest and faith- ful performance of official duties. 1t had always seemed inexplicable that a man of his shrewdness and high character should not only have failed to observe that no antagonism could repress this onmoving wave of right conduct, but sheuld appar- ently have been blind to the fact that whatever were the motives of his eonduct they could be construed only as having an inspiration of sympathy with the evil things that have cast a shadow upon the name and prospects of the City. It is therefore exceedingly gratifying to learn that he has placed himself in line with decency and reform, and that he has announced to the Mayor his willingness to open his books to inspection and to co- operate in the movement for securing an honest administration of the affairs of his department. It would be both unfair and unkind to doubt his sincerity. Time will determine these things. Meanwhile we may be sure that Mayor Sutro, the mi- aority of the Board of Supervisors, the Civic Federation and the Merchants’ Asso- ciation will relax nothing of their vigi- lance, and that Mr. Ashworth will be held as strictly accountable hereafter as form- erly. In his case it has been always a question of judgment rather than of integrity. While the openest scandals were bruited concerning streetwork under his super- vision, he angrily resented the decent, honorable and manly assistance that good citizens offered him. He proposed to con- duct his department to suit himself, keep- ing in mind his obligations to the public and to his bondsmen. He thus placed himself in a light that all but ruined him. His coming into the fold means much. In no sense does it prove that he has been dishonest or negligent, or that he fearsa ruinous prosecution. Whatever it may mean from his point of view, it clearly means from that of the people that a wise public officer will not deliberately antag- onize the forces which are making for decency in the conduct of our municipal affairs, and that his honesty and intelli- gence may be measured by his respect for and co-operation with the irrepressible sentiment that is now moving our people. The next citadel to be stormed is held by the Solid Eight of the Board of Supervisors. No such practices were ever dreamed or hinted at in connection with the Street De- partment as those which disgrace this more important body. It is learned that these complacent gentlemen facetiously call themselves “boodlers’’ and jocosely bandy jokes on their reputation. It is evident that as yet they have not felt the influence of a popular sense of decency or the pressure of honest indignation. All these things wiil come in time and then the masters of these men will have a hard task in saying them from disgrace and ruin. In making this fight against them TeE Cary is fully aware that it bas the sympathy of all worthy citizens, but that consideration, valuable though it-is, would not be suificient as a mover of our con- duct. Itis only when every citizen realizes that it is his duty to oppose corruption in the direction of municipal affairs that our great City is ready to ask strong men from any other part of the world to cast their fortunes with u: THE OLD HARTFORD. There is reported to be much regret among the officers of the navy that the Hartford, now being repaired at Mare Island, is not to be restored a perfect model of her original type—fitted, finished and furnished with historical accuracy. This regret will not be confined to the navy. It is a sentiment which will be shared by loyal hearts all over the land, for “the old Hartford,”” as Farragut called her, holds a place in our history that will forever associate her name with the truest patriotism and Americanism. As a rule the Amerioan people care little for monuments of the past, even when they serve as memorials of our own history. The starry banner suffices us as a symbol of our glory and a reminder of the valor that on land and sea has made our Nation great. Nevertheless, there are some memo- rials which even we are loth to spare. No American would willingly lose the old Constitution, which is still preserved on the Atlantic coast as an object of patriotic veneration. What that gallant ship is to the Atlantic coast the Hartford might be to. the Pacific. Her history, one of the most illustrious in the annals of warships, is forever associated with that of the im- mortal Farragut, who in her so often car- ried Old Glory to victory, and she well deserves to be maintained as long as human gkill can keep her asa memorial of the navy in the days of the great war that made the Republic a Nation. « THE DURRANT OASES. It being likely that the Durrant murder cases will be tried in this City, it becomes advisable to discuss their bearing on the morality of the community and the way in which the proceedings sbould be re- ported by newspapers appreciating their responsibility. It is advisable, in the first place, by reason of the peculiar cirgum- stances of the crimesand the lessons which an understanding of them should convey to heedless mothers and ignorant daughters, that the essential developments of the trial should be published where that may be done in common decency. % In its treatment of the Durrant cases Tue CarL will present every iota of the news that in wisdom and propriety may be put into type. It will neither expand nor pad, and will in no sense try to be either a panderer or an advocate. If there are among us those of unsound imaginations who crave the unwholesome stimulant which adroit and unscrupulous journalism could impart toa reportof such a trial, they must seek their indulgence in some source other than THE CaLy, and their mental and moral companionship elsewhere than among its readers. 1f any phase of the trial deserves a column we will give it that much space and no more; if a page be re- quired to tell the story that space will be accorded to it. The mighty energies which the race is exercising in its onward march are finding expression in countless activi- ties. It is the duty of the rational -edi- tor to weigh the value of all these, each against all the others, and to give each its due share of prominence, never losing sight of the fact that in this scheme of selection and prominence he is working as a factor either for good or evil among the thousands who may be influenced by his conduct. The cheapest of all classes of news is that called *‘sensational.” The ex- tent of its presentation is in no sensea measure of enterprise nor a gauge of cost, but in case of over-attention it is solely a proclamation of a belief that the readers are of evil minds; that their lower in- stincts desire to be pandered to, and that such pandering will bring a larger busi- ness to the publisher. / In other words Tr¥ CaLy desires it to be understood that it will not stoop to dis- graceful practices in order to coddle, en- courage and develop depraved inclina- tions; that it wante no business proceed- ing from such a source; that it will not sacrifice wholesome and proper news in order to make a strong ‘‘feature” of evil things, and that in pursuing the course thus laid out it has both self-respect and a confidence in the decency of the public. PERSONAL. Adjutant-General A. W. Barrett is at the Cal- {fornia. » J. M. Fulweiler, an attorney of Auburn,isa guest at the Lick. A.V.la Motte, a vineyardist of Sonoma, is a guest at the Grand. M. M. Gregg, a rancher of Monterey County, is staying at the Lick. W. B. Newlin, a leading fruit-shipper of Los Angeles, is at the Palace. Frank J. Solinsky, an attorney of Chinese Camp, registered yesterdey at the Grand. J. D. Nicoll, a canvas manufacturer of Scot- land, & passenger by the Peking, is at the Palace. Captain T.de L. Carrington of the regular army, inspector of the National Guard, is at the California. Colonel and Mrs. George F. Hooper came down from Sonoma yesterday and registered at the Occidental. M. M. Gillespie, manager of eirculation of the Evening Express, Los Angeles, is visiting friends in this City. Mrs. L. C. Redington and her son, H. W. Redington, returned from Europe yesterday, and are at the Palace. George Warren, the assistant manager of the Palace Hotel, has returned from his summer outing in Plumas County. Lieutenant Winterhalter and Ensign C. D. Stearnsof the navy sailed yesterday on the Ala- meda to join the Bennington. 0. Harley, ex-Chief Magistrate of Trinidad, West Indies, arrived by the City of Peking yes- terday and is staying at the Palace. E. P. Rogers, assistant general passenger agent of the Southtern Pacific Company in Oregon, arrived in this City yesterday. 7. H. Flickinger, the fruit-packer, of San Jose, returned from a three months' trip to the Fast yesterday, and is staying at the Palace. J. Stewart Bmith of Edinburgh, who is in- terested in the Distilleries Company, limited, was one of the passengerson the Peking yester- day. Captain Albrecht Heese, attache of the Im- perial German Embassy at Washington, arrived here yesterday by the Peking, and registered at the Palace. George H. Andrews, secretary of the Southern Pacific Company’s Oregon system, and acting land agent over the Oregon lines, is hereon a business visit. Lieutenant John B. Milton, U. 8. N., arrived from the East yesterday, having been detailed to succeed Licutenant Thomas S. Phelps as navigating officer of the Olympia. Ho Tung, & wealthy merchant of Hongkong, and his wife, were passengers by the Pekiag and are stayingat the Palace. He hascome over here partly for pleasure and partly on ac- count of his health. THE CHRONICLE OF CIVILIZATION. The newspaper is the chronicle of civiliza- tion. It is & daily and sleepless watchman that reports to you every danger which men- aces the institutions of your country and its interests at home and abroad. It isa lawbook for the indolent, a sermon for the thoughtless, a library for the poor.—Bulwer. IMPORTANT PERSONAL. Charles A. Dana, editor of the New York Sun, and Mrs. Dana, sailed for Furope a few days ago on the St. Louis. They will spend the summer in Holland and in the highlands of Scotland and will return to New York about October 1. OUT-OF-TOWN PERSONALS. Banta Rosa, Cal, July 25.—Musicales are becoming one of the most popular as they are one of the most delightful features in the so- cial world of Santa Rosa. There was alarge sllhe\‘ing of friends at Mrs. Dr. Wright's resi- lence on McDonald avenue this afternoon. Her parlors are large, and quite the thing for an afternoon tea and musicale, and the ar- rangements and surroundings are delightful. A constant_stream of visitors came and went from 3 until 6 o’clock. Tea was served,and an excellent musical programme was furnished. The programme of exercises contained a num- ber of classical selections and these were ren- dered with an expression that demonstrated the ability of the musicians to interpret the |, yorks of the masigrs which were attempted. The hearty applause of the audience, com- osed, as it was, of many capable musical erit- cs, showed how weil the music was presented and how much ihe'hearers enjoyed it. The pro- amme included the following numbers: iano solo, Mendelssohn'’s Rondo Capriceloso, Miss Edith McDonald; song, “Ah! 'Tis a Dream,” Mrs. Spaulding; song, “Call Me Back,” Miss Carrie Farmer; pianosolo from Beethoven, Mrs. J. P. Berry; song, “A Winter's Lullaby. Miss Florence Rutledge; piano duet, Misses Edith Brooks and Hattie Austin; flute solo, A. B. Swain; song, “Dear Heart,”’ Miss Clara Hah- man; violin solo, Miss Georgie Stewart; song, “Good-bye, Sweetheart,” Will Falconer; ' piano s0lo, Frank Dana; piano solo, “Norwegian Bridal Procession,” Miss Frances Phelps. Miss McGee, Mrs. Ware and Mrs. C. A. Wright of- ficiated as accompanists. New York, N. Y., July 25.—The Californians registered at hotels to-day were: San Fran- cisco—J. W. Flynn, St. Cloud; A. L. Maison, C. B. Thomson, Astor; S. Gladden, Cosmopolitan: H.J. Maxwell, Grand; M. Stern, J. H. Wise, Belvidere; Mrs. Castle, Bartholdi; Mrs. Dunk- house, Gilsey; Mr. and Mrs. M. A. Gerrish, Union Square; J. H. Parker, Brunswick; A. J. %"lfi"' Albert. Los Angeles—Mrs. and Miss ueller. S AROUND THE CORRIDORS. “There are several kinds of type;writers,” said Attorney Heggerty to & friend in the Occi- dental yesterday. *“Ido not refer to the ma- chine, but to the operator. Asa matter of fact there is at the present time in these United States a race of type-writing operators who are more distinet in their peeuliarities and more unusual in their beliefs than any other class of ‘professional people living.” “Well, for instance, state your case just as it strikes you, Mr. Heggerty. I have no doubt your conclusions are the result of close study. What would be better still would be to describe the kinds of type-writers you have in mind.” “I will,” exclaimed the lawyer, inserting his hands 1n his pockets and putting on a con- tented smile. “We will begin with the girl whao comes in with a satisfied airinanswertoan advertisement and declares that she is the best operator in the City. More than that, she is the best in the State and has taken testimony right from a man’s lips for four hours at & ATTORNEY HEGGERTY CHATS ON TYPEWRITERS. [Sketched from life for the “Call” by Nankivell.] stretch. She is intelligent, quick-witted and business-like. What salary doesshe want? Well, all she can get. That's thesort of a girl ne generally engages, provided he can’t get her for less. However, good operators are worth paying for. Nexton the calendar is the elderly woman, who used to be a ten-striker and who has worked for the ablest attormeys on the coast. Her salary is. generally just suf- ficient to live on and be comfortable. She has learned to explain tnat the ‘Judge has just stepped out and will not be back to-day’ with- out permitting her face to go too far. She is to a certain extent a valuable article to have on hand. Her hours are regular and she never goes to dances and oversleevs herself nextday. Aside from all that she 1is generally very care- fully about not knowing where you can be found and is too tired to talk about office af- fairs after closing hours. “Then again we have the young lady who chews gum, calls the office boy by his first name and quotes law to the clerk. When you ask her to do anything she does it as though you were one of the hired hands whom she was ac- commodating. Early in the afternoon she puts on her straw hat and veil and remarks that she will drop around in the morning and finish those depositions, providing some fellow she is expecting from Berkeley doesn’t take her bicycling. She knows all the clerks in the building and swaps gossip with the elevator- boys about othet operators. 8he is hardly the thing to have around steadily. “‘Another and much more interesting species is the demure little girl who was driven to clerical work by a long life of misfortune. Her clothes are plain and neat. Her little brother brings down her lunch and a bottle of evap- orated milk at a quarter to twelve,and she eats it behind the screen while reading one of the morning papers. She works hard and is faith- ful until one day when she annountes be- tween blushes that she is about to marry. Your wife takes compassion on her and you are called upon to make presents to the bride and groom. “Last of all is the girl who draws her salary several weeks ahead and then gets mad and quits because your clients are not all good- looking men, loaded with theater tickets or ‘bon-bon boxes. She is diplomatic, caleulating and always ahead of the game. There are others also.” “What kind of a type-writer do you employ, Heggerty?” “A tall native son, who will not blush when heis being cussed and who has a great respect for old men.” UP TO DATE JOKES. Mrs. Boardman—And what does it come to? Mrs. Clevers—Eight pounds, ma’am, at 8 cents a pound. Eight eights are 88; take it for 80 cents.—Philadelphia Times. Ella—Miss Ballad has a remarkably sweet voice. Warburton—She ought to have. It has cost me apout sixty pounds of chocolates in the past six months.—Boston Mail. Housekeeper—You think you can do the mov- ing in five loads? Mover—Yes'm. Thatis, it will be five reg’- lar loads, but I ' pose there’ll be two or three extra loads to take the things the teumsters forget.—New York Weekly. b “My hero dies in the middle of my laststory,” said the young author. “That’s a graveé mistake,” said the eaitor. “He should not die before the reader does. I've heard of three men who actually finished your book before they gave in.’—Atlanta Constitu- tion. . CENIRAL PARK IN 1896, SHOULD THE BICYOLE O (From an mmu'ag n Harper's Weekly.] JUDGE ROSS’ One effect of Judge Ross’ decision-will be to stop, at least temporarily, all projects for re- claiming dry lands in this State by means of irrigation on an extensive scale, and another effect will be to revive the doubt, suspense and animosities that characterized the discussion of the water problem several years ago. Itis singuler that & question of such almost vital importance to California has not yet been defi- nitely settled. But as Surveyor-General Green said Tuesday inan interview with THE CALL, “Here we areat the end of nearlys half a century of struggle with the question in & worse muddle than it was when the miners in the fifties found it necessary to make thelr own laws regulating tke use of water. Itlooks as if the American people, with all their boasted in- tell.gence, must admit that while they have an element worth hundreds of millions of dol- lars annually, an element on the proper hand- ling of which the very life of the State depends, they are incapable'of makinga law for hand- ling it.” 1t is possible, too, that the deecision may affect the district drainage law, in which case this county will be directly interested. Taken altogether this decision is a most unfor- tunate one, and should it be sustained many sections of the State will be set back ten years with no immediate prospect of relief.—San Jose Mercury. o The question that has been raised as to the constitutionality of the Wright irrigation law is of interest to many of our people as foreign bond-buyers. Locally we are interested, be- cause Sunset district warrants to & large amount are held by many of our citizens, who have received them in payment for services renflered, and they are not financially able to sustain the loss that the invalidation of the warrants would entail. Without doubt the case decided by Judge Ross will be appealed and be considered by the Supreme Court next fall in connection with the case taken up from the Modesto irrigation district. Judge Ross’ decision does not apply to Sunset irrigation district anyway, as the proceedings of this organization have been confirmed in the Supe- rior Court of this county, and it is held that the unconstitutionality of the Wright law would have no effect in such cases.—Selma Irrigator. It is stated that the Ross decision invalidates the $25,000.000 bonds of the irrigation dis- tricts in which confirmation proceedings have not been taken. The total amount of bonds reported to be issued under the Wright law is said to exceed 50,000,000, and they are held by American and European investors. The decision, if confirmed by the United States Supreme Court, will prove a most unfortunate one for the people of those localities in which irrigation districts have been formed. The numerous lawsuits that followed the organi- zation of districts have delayed work and caused much expense to the people included in their limits. The fact seems to be that the Wright law is full of defects, and very little, if any, effort, has been made to remedy them. It allows extravagance and jobbery, both of whicn have characterized the proceedings in some of the districts if newspaper reports be true—Stockton Mail. DECISION. Seeing that the law in question has been many times before the California Supreme Court and has been sustained by a unanimous vote every time, it is rather more than probable that Judge Ross of the United States District Court has erred and has rendered a decision which will not be affirmed by tbe United States Su- preme Court. Judge Ross was on the bench of the California court ten years ago, and al- though he was recognized as a good judge, he did not tower above the other justices to such an extent as to lead any one to believe thatin this matter he must be right and all the others wrong. As Senator Nesmith used to say, the United States Supreme Court is the tribunal which has the last guess at a case, and we pre- dict that it will guess that the Wright act is constitutional.—Oakland Enquirer. Judge Ross of the United States Circuit Court at Los Angeles has decided that the Wright irrigation act is contrary to the constitution. It appears, however, that this decision will not invalidate those districts whose organization has been approved by the State courts, only affecting those which have not been 80 ap- proved. Included in the former is the Poso district in this county, which is now approach- ing successful completion. It is to be hoped that this view is correct, as the district named promises to be a large factor in the develop- ment of & promising portien of the county which has been kept in the background be- cause of the lack of water—a lack which could only be supplied by the district plan.—Bakers- fleld Californian. 4 The decision of Judge Ross that the Wright act is unconstitutional does not necessarily destroy the validity of all the bonds issued under the act, because in those cases where the courts have confirmed the formation of the corporations and their proceedings another question is raised which the decision of Judge Ross does not settle. The case, of course, will be appealed at once to the Supreme Court, from which & decision is hardly to be expected for several years; meantime the effect of the present decision will be to prevent any more irrigation districts being formed under the Wright law. The amount of money invested in the securities of these irrigation districts is estimated at $75,000,000.—Los Angeles Ex- press. Faith in the wedding of land and water and growing confidence in the law was gradually building up the State, and Eastern capitalists were beginning to take hold of the securities offered. Under this law, with many others, the Perris and Alessandro districts came into existence, and their bonds are outstanding, many of them being among the assets of the Bear Valley Compsny at the time of its fail- ure, What the decision will result in, so far as these districts or the Bear Valley Company is concerned, cannot now be stated, but sure it is that the decision will be read all over the State with the utmost interest. —Redlands Facts. Judge Ross’ decision declaring the Wright irrigation law unconstitutional affects bonds to the amount of $19,000,000. The majority of these bonds, however, are still in the pos- session of the districts, though a large amount is held in Switzerland. The money expended by some of the districts, like the Sunset for in- stance, will prove a dead loss to those holding the indebtedness. Those holding bonds of any of the districts will be put to their wits’ ends to secure anything on them. Of course the case is not ended yet. It will be taken to the Court of Appeals, and from there to the United States Supreme Court.—Hanford Democrat. In view of the many decisions of the State courts upholding the validity of the Wright irrigation law, the decision of Judge Ross de- claring its unconstitutionslity on the ground that the property acquired under the law is 10t for public purposes is extremely surprising. It raises a question that was believed to be per- manently settled; and not only that, but it ap- pears to cut the ground from under the public RAZE OONTINUE. , acquirement and application of water for irri- gation purposes.—Fresno Republican. There have been some fraudulent schemes brought forward under the Wright law, where the intention was not improyements, but sim- ply to float bonds without a limit. All these schemes have been brought to an end. Of course the decision of Judge Ross is attacked by some of the newspapers which have had good jobs in booming certain irrigation dis- tricts. But good lawyers do not seem to be disposed just now to make an issue with Judge Ross.—Oakland Tribun The decision is & black eye for every irrigat~ ing enterprise in the State. In the long run, if itis finally held to be good law, the ditches and works would pass into the nandsof the bondholders, and they in turn would make such charges as would compensate for their present trouble. Thus it fs that the decision is the worst possible thing that eould happen for the people who want and need water.— Marysville Appeal. — THE BIBLE IN JOURNALISM, Editor Dana of the New York Sun has always held the Bible as the highest authority in lit- erature, says the Troy (N.Y.) Telegram. For grammatical accuracy he has often claimed superiority over every other work, and he has ministered many a stern rebuke to the pre- sumption which ventured to call in question its perfect correctness. In these references he has shown by unmistakable signs his rever ence for the sacred volume. In his recent lecture before the Wisconsin Editorial Association on “The Art of Newspa- ing,” which with two other lectures on {‘l:; lé‘::‘x‘l‘e guubject has just been published by the Appletons in a neat little volume, he spoke of the books & young journalist ought to read follows: 8 What books ougnt you toread? There are some books that aré indispensable —a few books. «Almost all books have their use,even the silly ones, and an omnivorous reader, if he relgu intelligently, never need feel that his time is wasted, even when he bestows it on the flimsiest trash that is printed; but there are some books that are absolutely indispens- able to the kind of education that we are con- templating and to the profession that we are considering; and of all these the most indis- ensable, the most useful, the one whose rowledge is most effective, is the Bible. “There is no book from which more valuable lessons can be learned. I am_considering it now not as a religious book, but as a manual of utility, of professional preparation and pro- fessional use for a journalist. There is per- hapsno book whose style is more suggestive and more instructive, irom which you learn more directly that sublime simplicity which never exaggerates, which recounts the greatest events with solemnity, of course, but without sentimentality of affection; none which you open with such confidence and lay down with such reverence. “There is no book like the Bible. When you get into a controversy and want exactly the right answer, when you are looking for an ex- ression, what is there that closes a dispute ike a verse from the Bible? What is it that sets up the right principle for you, which pleads for a policy, for a cause, 0 muca as the Tight passage of Holy Seripture?” T ne young journalist won & high position a few vears ago, and still holds it, chiefly by his aptness at Beripture quotations, which at- tracted the attention of the gentleman in charge. They were always appropriate and leeshe, and frequently put an unanswerable clincher upon an argument. : The majority of readers accept the Bible as absolute authority, and hence it has more power for conviction than any other classic. There may be those who question its iner- rancy, but they seldom dispute the force of its logic or the value of its grand moral maxims. And then it is & book for universal reading, and those who pass it by as antiquated or de- void of interest and entertainment makea mis- take. Much of the value of the Bible has been lost through the error of pious parents in making its reading a task or a punishment for their children, instead of pointing out its beauties, and there are many narratives that are calcu- lated to hold theinterest of children. We have always regarded that of Joseph and his brethren as the best. No grander story of fraternal and filial love was ever told; none more heroic or truer to_the loitiest conceptions of true manhood and character. The rescue of Moses, his truth to his people, and the gradual aevelopment of his character ti.l he was chosen as their leader; the wander- ings in the wilderness, in all of which he re- mained their master and retained their confi- dence and kept them true to the immortal m. is one of the sublimest chapters in all Tnerrym!h of David was also fall of thrillin incidents, and his elevation from the place of a humble shepherd-boy to become the greatest of all the monarchs of Judea is unparalleled by any success of leadership in later history. If romance of the sweetest and tenderesi kind is sought it can be found in the stories of Ruth and DiEuber, or if the reader’s taste in- clines to poetry, no sublimer strains are to be found than in Job, the Psalms, or “rapt lsaiah's wild seraphic fire.” And in the New Testament is given the great- est character in all human history; the man so far in advance of his time in all the prin- ciplesand motives that direct men that his precepts and his life have been found in all the centuries since he lived on earth to keep in perfect accord and harmony with every ad- ‘vance of civilization. There is not a department of human thought but which finds something in the Bible to fit it grandly and satisfactorily. History, science, religion, try, philosophy, law, ethics, ro- mance, all are to be found there, and he who reads it through—reads it patiently, thought- fullyand with a resolute purpose to ind out all of itsbeauties and its truths—will be aston- ished to find how much it contains, and will robably indorse Mr. Dana’sencomium, “There s no book like the Bible.” He will then no longer wonder why it is conquering the world. PROMINENT PERSONAGES. The Princess of Wales, all her three daugh- lers, and the Princess May are good swimmers. Jonas Lie, the novelist, {8 more widely read in Scandinavia than either Ibsen or Bjornsen. Queen Victoria is supplied with four dozen pairs of kid gloves per month from a certain fund, and she insists on having them. William Lester, a Philadelphia editor, can write two different paragraphs on different subjects at once, using a pencil in each hand, The Duke of Richmond disapproves of bet- ting as an institution. He keeps a private race- course (Goodwood), and belongs also to the Jockey Club, considering it due to his position. A man named Durand has won a bet at Mar- seilles by standing on a pedestal in a public place for four consecutive weeks. He was ut- terly exhausted after the performance and may not recover. o SHE LIKES “THE OALL" A Lady Friend Expresses a Cordial Opinion. Rose L. Bushnell of 31 Kell street, this City, appreciates THE CALL. She write: 1 am persuaded to inclose a few lines ex- ressive of my high regard for THE CaLL. Eheir appearance will gratify many of your friends who are subscribers to and readers of our valuable paper, which has taken the lead journalism in this City. 1n her poem the lady recounts the ex- cellencies of THE CALL that meet with her approval, and closes with the following spirited stanza: Long liye THE CALL, in trath and light— Long may its sheets be read by all: Its watchword is, “Be just; do right.” Long live the splendid MOENING CALL. Tae CALL is proud of such friendship and such indorsement, and hopes to always merit the support of good men and women everywhere. ———— FrESH butter cups. Townsend’s. » ——————— Bacox Printing Company, 508 Clay streat. * —— Buy your ladies’ and gents’ furnishing goods at Pioneer Dry-goods Store, 105 Fifth street. * ———— HUSBAND'S CALCINED MAGNESIA.—Four first premium medals awarded. More agreeable to the taste and smaller dose than other mag. nesia. For o ottles wit Ted trade-mark label. % " —————— Furlong was at first a furrow long, or the distance that a pair of oxen would plow in half an hour. THOUSANDS say that when all other medicines failed Hood’s Sarsaparilla cured. This must be accepted as establishing the fact that Hood’s Sar- saparills possesses peculiar merit. R “Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrap” Has been used over fifty years by miljjons of moth- ers for their children while Teething with pertect success. It soothes the child, softens the gums, al- lays Pain, cures Wind Colic, regulates the Bowely and is the best remedy for Diarrhceas, whether arising from teething or other causes, For sale by Druggists in every part of the world. Be lnmlfl 0 | sk -for Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup. bottle. g