The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, August 26, 1898, Page 6

THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, FRIDAY, AUGUST 26, 1898. AUGUST 26, 1898 JOHN D. SPRECKELS, Proprietor. Address All Communications to W. S. LEAKE, Manager. PUBLICATION OFFICE Market and Third Sts., S. F. Telephone Main 1868. EDITORIAL ROOMS..........2IT to 221 Stevenson Street Telephone Main 1S%. THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL (DAILY AND SUNDAY) Is served by carrlers n this city and surrounding towns for I5 cents a week. By mall $6 per year: per month 65 cents. THE WEEKLY CALL. OAKLAND OFFICE.. vesessss...908 Broadway NEW YORK OFFICE ..Room 188, World Building | DAVID ALLEN, Advertisi Representative. WASHINGTON (D. C.) OFFICE. Riggs House One year, by mall, $1.50 | | the judgment of the people. THE REPUBLICAN NOMINEE. O Republican convention for years has seemed N to more nearly indorse the popular choice than in the selection of Henry T. Gage as the party’s candidate for Governor. The Call, with its ample resources for getting knowledge of the sentiment abroad among the people, was clearly conscious and well informed of the steady drift of sentiment toward the candidacy of Mr. Gage, and so announced before the convention met. Every argument that could be made on sectional and personal grounds was enlarged and frankly put long in advance, that it might go to By them each reason | was weighed and balanced against its counter reason, and when so weighed was dismissed as insufficient. This process having adjusted the party choice to the popular preference, the nomination of Mr. Gage came | naturally and without trade or combination. The gen- | tlemen of the field in competition with him for the honor and the hard duty of the candidacy were quick C. C. CARLTON, Correspondent. CHICAGO OFFICE.... -.-Marquette Building C.GEORGE KROGNESS, Advertising Representative. BRANCH OFFICES—527 Montgomery street, corner Clay, open until 9:30 o'clock. 387 Hayes street, open until | 9:30 o'clock. 621 McAllister street, open until 9:30 | c'clock. 615 Larkin street, open untli 9:30 o'clock. | 1941 Mission street, open until 10 o'clock. 2291 Market | street, corner Sixteenth, open untll 9 o'clock. 258 | Misslon street, open until 9 o'clock. 106 Eleventh | street, open untll 9 o'clock. 1505 Polk street, open | until 9:30 o'clock. NW. corner Twenty-second ana | Kentucky streets, open until 9 o'clock. AMUSEMENTS Columbia—+On Probation * _~The Merchant of Venice" ‘s —“Ordeal of Two Sisters. La Gioconda." Orpheum - Vaudeville. The Chutes—Z00, Vaudeville and Cannon, the 613-pound Man. Specialties. mming. 10, September 5. NECESSITY FOR A PRIMARY LAW.| /\(\ the great necessity of the State is a rciorm’ primary election law. Both political parties have felt | the need of the purifying influence of such a statute, and all the people who have sought to represent their parties in State, county and district conventions, and who have been “turned down,” have observed that the radical defect in our system is the absence of a legal method of electing delegates. A large number of faithful men in both parties are | sore this y Th not exactly dissatisfied with | the nominees of their respective conventions, nor do | they disagree with the platiorms which have been framed for their entertainment. The trouble with them is that they have been refused an opportunity | to represent their constituents in a party convention. 1f they had been deprived of this privilege after a fair contest at the polls or by being outvoted in a political club the condition of their tempers would be differ- ent. But they have been routed by a boss or counted out at an unfair primary. It may be, as has been stated, that even if a primary law under which every faction would be guaranteed fair treatment were enacted, the people would not go to the polls and vote, and that consequently conven- tions would still be rent and torn by disputes and fisti- cuffs. But with this argument the State has nothing to do. If a primary law were passed under which a “fight” could be conducted with some show of fair- ness all excuse for the dissatisfaction which is now felt among the partisans of both political parties would be eliminated. If the people refrained from voting at primary elections they would have only themselves to blame for bad nominations and Corrupt government. It is probable that the Legislature of 1899 will be ANY events of the political campaign now in progress have conclusively demonstrated that | e | | | | | | Republican, and if it is it-should at once set to work |- on a primary law. The credit of enacting such a sys- | tem ought not to be a matter of competition among Republicans. The entire party should unite in a de- mand for a statute under which all factions, as well as the people, may have a fair chance to. represent their political party in conventions. Until such a law is passed and enforced a fruitful source of partisan disorganization and trouble will continue to exist. SEMI-OFFICIAL AUTHORITY. EPEATEDLY it has been stated of fate that R President McKinley is desirous of learning the sentiment of the people concerning the policy the Government should pursue with regard to the Philippines, and that in his eagerness to obtain this information he gladly welcomes advice from all sources, communications from all sorts of public bodies, letters from private citizens and reports of de- bating societies. Whenever this statement is repeated care is taken to add that it is given out on “semi-official authority.” Such carefulness is commendable. Statements of the kind clearly need some authority to rest upon, for otherwise they would be met with incredulity. That the President is desirous of knowing the drift of pop- ular sentiment on all political questions is a matter of course, but that he is in any way eager to hear from the multitudinous writers of the country on the sub- ject is doubtful. Unless, therefore, some authority for the story were given no one would believe it and the President would get no letters. Under the circumstances it is to be regretted that the authority itself is unreliable. Since the war with Spain broke out a great deal of information has been given to the public upon semi-official authority, and without exception the information has proved to be delusive. “Semi-official,” in fact, seems to be some obscure personage whom it would be permissible to describe as an “anonymous cuss.” His versatility is enormous, but as for accuracy he is not in it even with the Weather Bureau. Why he should seek at this time to turn upon the President the full force of the letter-writing, advice- giving power of all able-bodied citizens in this coun- try, it-is not easy to understand. Possibly the Presi- dent has refused to give him an office und thus raise him to the rank of a total official, and he is playing to get everl, and possibly he is the editor of some Wash- ington newspaper who wishes to turn the tide of communications from “Veritas,” Taxpayer” and the rest from his own mail to that of the White House. In any case “semi-official” has not done the square thing in this instance either by the country or the President. He has started a report, out of which there is likely to come a great nuisance, and if he can be discovered he should be sentenced to imprison- ment and the task of reading every letter of advice on the Philippine question that is sent to McKinley for the rest of his term of office Grove Johnson at the Republican convention ob- tained the privilege of pronouncing Governor Budd rotten. Doubtless he felt repaid for all the trouble of being there days and devoting his nights to com- mittee work. The last sound heard as a train loaded with San Franciscans rolled out of Sacramento after the con- | the best safeguard of the interésts of all men, to recognize all this, and their prompt appreciation ave to their withdrawal the grace of ready assent and hearty loyalty. Each one earned thoroughly the good will and timely rewards of the party. There is no room for doubt that the impression upon the party and its convention made by Mr. Gage’s personality and qualities will be transferred to the people of the State by his presence in the canvass, and will there, as in the convention, cémmand the | favor and support of a majority. In the prime of life, for he will not be 46 until after his election, with a thoroughly trained mind, the architect of his own fortunes and so familiar by experience with life’s early vicissitudes as to feel the pinch in the: lives of his fellow-men, he is the home and fireside candidate of the people. Believing thoroughly in the principles of his party, he knows the citizen’s right to an administration of public affairs in the interest of all the people, leaving | party advantages to follow the strictest recognition of every man’s rights under the laws of the common- wealth, without regard to his party preference. As a candidate he is a Republican. He will be the Governor of the whole people, their trustee and the | instrument of their will, as expressed in the constitu- tion and statutes they have made for the protection | of their rights of person and property. He represents no wild assault on institutions, no airy plans for de- ; priving the minority of the inalienable rights secured | to them by our system of government, no scheme to destroy representative government and throw the whole body and spirit of the laws protective of per- son and property into the scale in each election cam- paign, to be changed with the shifting of majorities. He stands for that stability of government which is Of his election there is no doubt, and that it will be recog- nized as a delivery of the State from policies that would instantly injure all of the great interests of the people goes without saying. THE LEPER PROBLEM. OR some time past California has not been l: seriously disturbed by the problem of provid- ing a place for the care of lepers, and the issue i has to some extent passed out of the public mind. This is due solely to the fact that there has not been of recent occurrence any case of a leper whose con- dition was sufficiently extraordinary to excite com- ment. We have had such cases in the past, however, and they are likely to occur again, so it would be well to take time by the forelock and make provision now for the proper handling of them when they arise. It will be remembered that a few years ago the sui- cide of a leper who had been kept isolated in a cabin back of Oakland gave rise to a movement toward making better provision for the care of these unfor- tunates. At that time an attempt was made to pro- vide for the admission of lepers from this country to the Molokai settlement, but the effort was rendered futile by the opposition of the Hawaiian Government. The islands have now been annexed to this country and are under the supervision of Congress. It would | seem, therefore, that the project might now be re- newed with good prospects of success. Past experience renders it certain that by reason of the existence of so many Chinese and Japanese among us there will be always more or less leprosy in the United States, and that unless all who are in- tected be carefully secluded the dread disease may be- come very widespread indeed. The seclusion and proper care of the lepers involves the maintenance of a leper settlement, and the only question at issue is whether we shall use the settlement at Molokai for all lepers that may be found among us or establish a new one. At the present time a leper finds hardly anywhere in the United States a suitable place of seclusion. If sent to Molokai he would find himself in a com- munity where he would have companionship, and be saved from the dread loneliness of utter isolation. His condition therefore would be in every way better, and moreover the seclusion would be more complete than can possibly be attained anywhere else. The site of the Hawaiian leper colony is an ideal place for such a settlement. The climate is mild, the country beautiful and the isolation virtually perfect in every respect. The lepers confined there are not imprisoned. They have a considerable area, over which they may wander at will, and where they can and do cultivate gardens and carry on several kinds of industry. With such a settlement now under con- trol of Congress it would appear to be a simple mat- ter of common sense to make it a place of residence for all lepers in the United States, or at least for all on this side of the continent. It would be well to have such provision made at once, so that when the next case of leprosy confronts us we! will know ex- actly what to do about it. In more than one respect the profession of pugilism fails to elevate. In recent events “pulled off” in this city three of the .participants bore the names Dud, Kid and Bud respectively. This is enough to stop prize-fights. ' It is worse than an occasional death in the ring. HAEN R One sad feature of the death of three people at the East from eating poisoned ice cream is the chance it affords a lot of fool paragraphers to revivify an elderly joke, not particularly good when it was young, et L Mrs. Botkin will show good sense if she refrain from talking to reporters. She has too much at stake to risk having her words misinterpreted. Garcia's resig‘nation having been accepted, the world is ready to acceptflwith equal equanimity the resigna- tions of his marauding followers. One and perhaps the greatest objection to football is that its prevalence degrades an institution of learn- ing into a “’varsity.” The story that Huntington had been shot probably resulted from the fact that some correspondent was about half-shot. 5 Well, anyhow, everybody knows that the Seventh California wanted to fight. DISCOURTESY TO PATRONS. N the matter of miserably inadequate accommoda- | ltions the Southern Pacific always endeavors to ex- cel and generally succeeds. The latest illustration, so far as known, was given yesterday, when a special train was run from Sacramento to this city, presum- ably for the convenience of delegates and visitors re- turning from the convention. The overland, being belated, as is not unusual, the special train took the regular’s time, leaving the capital at 5:10 o'clock. It | was made up of two Pullmans and six very common coaches, all of them crowded. Of course the passen-| gers had had no dinner, and expected to secure it on a dining car. There was no such car. There was a buffet furnished with a colored attendant, a price list and not a morsel of food. Hope arose that on the boat at Benicia at least a lunch could be obtained. It was a vain hope. The wretched little lunch-counter on the boat could not supply so much as a sandwich apiece for one in ten of the hungry men who rushed in. There seemed no desire on the part of the people in charge to wait on anybody. Many had to turn away without a bite or sup. They took consolation in the fact that the city was not far distant, but the endeavor to prolong their discomfort did not abate. When “Fatty” Fillmore’s minions undertake to do the disagreeable, they are doubtless acting under or- ders, and not personally culpable, else to have tossed them into the straits would have been simple justice. The special was held on the boat until the regular, equipped with a dining car and drawing the Southern Pacific directors’ car, had come up. Then the tired and famished passengers expected to start on, but again were they befooled by the corporation. The special was still held, while the regular, of which it had had a lead of half an hour at Sacramento, was sent on. Finally it was permitted to trail the direc- tors’ car, with its well-fed officials and its passengers, who had had access for hours tc a well-stocked diner. There was much protest #mong the neglected, weary and abused people on the special, and had Fill- more heard the comments freely made the thought of paying attention to patrons might have occurred to him. They reached the mole in angry mood, justly in- dignant at treatment which in its inexcusable bru- tality and selfishness was little less than barbarous. The total run of the famine train from Sacramento occupied almost five hours, a startling speed of about eighteen miles an hour. If Fillmore does not know better than to do busi- ness in this way he needs instructions as to how to attend to it. These brief instructions are advanced only in the feeble faith that they may teach him as a start toward reform to mend his manners. POSTAL SAVINGS BANKS. INCE the recent annual meeting of the New S York Bankers' Association was made notable by an address strongly opposing the ‘establish- ment of postal savings banks in this country, it is gratifying that at the assembly of the American Bankers’ Association at Denver a champion of such banks had the opportunity of delivering the opening speech, and in doing so made an earnest plea for the proposed innovation. The question of establishing postal savings banks has long been before the people of the United States, and has been discussed extensively both by the press and in Congress. With the incoming of the present administration the issue was made one of practical politics. The Postmaster General recommended the adoption of the system, and a bill providing for its establishment was favorably reported from the Senate Committee on Postoffices. The outbreak of the war caused a postponement of the subject, so that nothing was done at the last session, but it is certain the meas- ure will be taken up this winter and if possible car- ried to success. While the bill now before the Senate is in some respects an administration measure, it is not going to be a party question. A considerable number of Re- publican as well as Democratic papers in the East have already pronounced against it, and Eastern Con- gressmen of both parties will probably be largely ad- verse to it. On the other hand the friends of the plan are many, and there is reason to hope they will be able to make a winning fight. The New York Mail and Express opposes postal savings banks on the queer ground that following the war there will be a large expansion of commerce and industry, resulting of course in an enlarged demand for money, and, it says, “Under such conditions there will be no necessity for providing Government means of caring for the savings of the people. There will be plenty of employment for money in safe enter- prises and at better rates of interest than prevail to- day.” This argument means that when the banks pay higher rates of interest than they now pay there will be no need of postal banks. It has therefore no rele- vance whatever to the real problem which the postal banks are expected to solve. It was never the idea of any one that postal banks would pay higher rates of interest than existing banks have been paying. It is expected of the postal banks that they will place banking conveniences within the reach of all classes of people; that they will gather up the savings of the whole country and make them available for trade and commerce. The very conditions which, according to the Mail and Express, render postal banks unnecessary are those which augment the demand for the system. The larger the earnings of the people the more important it is that they should have a safe place in which to de- posit their savings. The greater the demand for morney in trade and commerce the greater the need of bringing back to the channels of trade all that is paid out for wages. In the cities where banking facilities are abundant postal savings banks are perhaps not necessary, but in the rural districts they are among the imperative needs of the time, and it is gratifying that the issue has been promptly brought to the front at the Denver meeting. e ———— Spain is reported to be overwhelmed with disgust at the surrender of Santiago. The present is a little late for criticism of Toral, on the ground that, having had opportunity to act like a fool, he acted like a man of sense. He can’t be pure-bred Spanish. Pt b.cn. 8 There seems to be an idea that because Becker and Creegan are guilty of forgery they should be punished for it. Becker and Creegan do not share this view, and the question to be adjudicated is as to whether they know more than the courts. It may be true that the Kaiser has assisted in fight- ing a fire, but he had no'ax nor red-leather helmet. He needn’t try to pose as a Jim Budd. There might be meaner things said about Alger. He has not yet been accused of mailing an infernal machine to Miles. T. Carl Spelling is a candidate for Congress. Why should he not pair with J. Aubrey Jones and both stay at home? All that Captain W. H. Barnes scems to have got vention was three cheers for Gage. Nothing of the sort happened when Maguire left the capital lSherman that he is getting too old to fight. It may become neéessary to notify -ex-Secretary L out of the war was a title and a coat of tan, and the tan will wear off, s : READ NEXT SUNDAY’S CALL AUGUST 28 WILL CONTAIN: ® ALICE RIX WRITES - ON HOW . .. THE EX-QUEEN OF HAWAII PASSED THE TWELFTH OF AUGUST. .o GENERAL FITZHUGH LEE WRITES ON CUBA'S POLITICAL FUTURE. WONDERS OF THE OMAHA EXPOSITION. By OCTAVE THANET. IN IRISHMEN HIGH POSITIONS. For THE READ NEXT * X KX NN N By THEODORE WATERS. STORY FIGHT IN THE WAR. $ RIELD OF TRADE OPRUED BU THE WER RY OF THESE SNAKES GQUNDAYS (| PAGES OF OTHER SPECTAL FEATURES. R e e E R ** RN NR ODDS AND ENDS. Opmhumm:f::ax_sflfigucs, it s sald, show that Spain has more blind men than any other nation in western Europe. It is not generally known that Napoleon 11 was one of the earliest advocates of a Panama canal. He wrote much on the subject when imprisoned at A man pressing upon a dynamometer with one hand exerts a force equal to three-?unrtel’s of his own weight and a dog lifting his lower jaw does it with a force equal to eight times his own weight. But crabs and mussels are even more muscular. The pinch of a crab is no jok- ing matter, considering that it is effected with a force equal to twenty-eight times its own weight. Worse, still is it to be caught between the shells of a mussel. A mussel closes its shell with a force equal to 382 times its own weight. Ham, Cal. glace fruit 50c per Ib at Townsend's.* —_——— Speclal information supplied dally to business houses and public men b Press Clipping Bureau (Allen’s), 510 o'nht: gomery street. Telephone Main 1042, ¢ All Aboard ! For Bohemia Grove Sunday, August 28. Fare for the round trip only $l. - Last chance this season for visiting this ro- mantic spot in the midst of the redwoods of Sonoma County, where the Bohemian Club holds its annual jinks. Bring your lunch. A seat on train guaranteed for each person. Speclal train lands passen- gers in the grove. Leave Tiburon ferry. at 8 a. m.; returning .eave, the grove at 4p m L3 ———————— Races at Santa Rosa. Fare to Santa Rosa and return on Sat- urday, August 27, $225. Boat leaves Tib- ‘uron ferry at 7:30 a. m. Special leave Santa Rosa at 7 p. m. lmwa':‘flg A TAX ON LAND VALUES. BATH, Me., Aug. 19, 1898. Editor San Francisco Call—Dear Sir: The scheme of the single tax is to im- pose a tax upon the value of land; it is not a tax on land. Yours truly, WILLIAM B. STEWART, 40 Water street, Boston, Mass. ———— ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. SCHOOL—J. M., City. If there is such a school as you inquire about, it is a pri- vate enterprise and this department does not advertise such POPULATION—A. G., City. The popu- lation of San Antonio, Tex., is estimated | at 40.000; that of 1Ionolulu, Hawall, 25,061, and Manila, about 300,000 ANGOLA DISASTER—D. H. H., City. The Angola disaster on the Lake Shore Railroad occurred December 18, 1867. For- ty-two persons lost their lives. FOURTH DISTRICT-P. T. K., City. The vote for candidate for Congress in the Fourth Congressional District (Demo- cratic) was published in the Call of Aug- ust 19, 1898. FARE TO MANILA—A. G., City. The only line of steamers comveying passen- ers at this time to Manila, Philippine slands, is the Pacific Mail. The fare is, first class' $255, ‘steerage $130, both via Hongkong. ¢ CHOSEN FRIENDS—Germania, City. If you will address a communication to the office of the d recorder of the gran Chosen Friends, St. Anne's building, this :::Z(’l you will obtain the information de- THE TAMALPAIS—A. M. Oakland,’ Cal, The steamer Tamalpals, recently condemned, was once the Petaluma. She was built in San Francisco in 1857. Her measurement is length, 150; beam, 3L6; depth, 8.3; gross tonnage, 365; net, nominal horse power, 150. CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES—H. 8. A., Marysville, Cal. October 3, 1897, the Na- tional League and American Assoclation closed its champlonship season with the Boston team in the lead and the Balti- more team ranking second. The New York team finished third, Cincinnati fourth, Cleveland fifth, Brooklyn and Washington tied for sixth. On the 6th the_Boston team was tendered a banquet In Faneull Hall in honor of yinning the championship of the National Le Rmerican Associatio o e e «Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup” Has been used over fifty years by millions of mothers for thelr children while Teething with perfect guccess. It soothes the child, softens the gums, allays Pain, cures Wind Collc, reg- ulates the Bowels and is the best remedy for Diarrhoeas, Whether arising from teething or other causes. For sale by Druggists in every part of the world. Be sure and ask for Mra Winslow's Soothing Syrup. 25c a bottle. —_—— Northern Pacific Railway. First-class rate as well as second class re- duced 75 per cent to all points in Montana, Min- nesota and the Eastern States. Elegant serv- ice, dining cars on every train. Only line oper- ating through upholstered tourist cars. T. K. STATELER, G. A., 63 Market st., 5. F. First and Second Class rates again reduced via the Santa Fe route. Call at the new ticket office, 62§ Market. —_————————— HOTEL DEL CORONADO—Take advantage of the round-trip tickets. Now only 30 .by steamship, including fifteen days’ board at ho- tel; longer stay $2 50 per day. Apply at 4 New Montgomery street, San Francisco. i Only the best for the best only. Among the Barrels, §68 Market st. y