The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, January 6, 1899, Page 6

v : THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 1899 I——————— JARY 6, 1899 PRECKELS, Proprietor. JOHN D. S Address All Communication; s to W. S. LEAKE, Manager. PUBLICATION OFFICE Market and Third Sts., S. F. Telephone Main 1868. ROOMS......... 2IT to 221 Stevenson Strzet Telephone Main 1874, EDITORIAL THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL (DAILY AND SUNDAY) Is . served by carriers In this city and surrounding towns for IS cents.a week. By mall $6 per year; per month 65 cents. THE WEEKLY CALL, 16 pages - QAKLAND OFFICE... .One year, by mall, $I ...908 Broadway NEW YORK OFFICE.. .Room 188, World Bullding 22 DAVID ALLEN, Advertising Representative. WASHINGTON (D. C.) OFFICE ..Riggs House 2 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. 62! McAllister street, open untll 9:30 .-‘o'clock. 615 Larkin street, open until 9:30 o%lock. i7.1941 Mission street, open until 10 o'clock. 2291 Market street, corner Sixteenth, open until 9 o'clock. 25I8 Aisslon street, open untll 9 o'ciock. 106 Eleventh strect, open untll 9 o'clock. I506 Polk street, open until 9:30 o'clock. NW. corner Twenty-second ana Kentucky streets, open until 9 o'clock. AMUSEMENTS Columbia—*"The Man F ifor: Minstrel Alcazar—"A Midnight Bell. Tivodi—"The Yellow Dwarf. : Moroseo's—Hi Henry Minstrels. - .Orpheum—Vaudeville. Comedy—“All Aboard."” The Chutes—Gorilla Man, Vaudeville and the Zoo. Dlympla — Corner Mason and Eddy streets, Speclalties. Cooper Medical College—Lane Lectures. Metrtpolitan Templ:—Rosenthal Piano Recital to-morrow afternoon. = Central Park . Oakland Race om Mexico," The Steeplechase. rack—Races. A DELECTABLE GOVERNOR. E unhesitatingly hazard the assertion that the W history of California furnishes no parallel for the condition which exists at the present time in the executive chamber of the State Capitol. In more-senses than one that condition may be said to be entirely devoid of theory of any kind. : Not only has Governor Gage allied himself with the Senatorial ambition of a degraded political boss, | whose reputation smells to high heaven, but he is Gpenly ‘doing the dirty work of all that individual’s friends. Every ounce of the political strength with which the law invests him is being utilized to pro- mote the prospects of Dan Burns. All the power of the legislative arm of the government exerted to force the gubernatorial inauguration two or three days ahead of time in order that Burns’ gambling partner should not be dispossessed of his office of Police Commissioner in this city. It ought to be unnecessary to explain to intelligent people how this has been done. The patronage of the State, the executive veto and the favor of the boss have been exerted to produce a hurried installation of the Governor. Nor need we surmise what it all means. It means that Burns is boss and that Gage iesires the world to know that he is his creature. Out history will be searched in vain for a similar ‘evidence of gubernatorial subjugation. Mr. Gage has proclaimed all along that he was independent and .*vodild himself be Governor. His course proves that ‘tlits was mere talk. He has so far been the tool and : ‘eréature of Dan Burns. He has said plainly that he will-assist that unsavory individual to become Senator, :and if he succeeds in conferring the toga upon him 1o doubt he will enjoy the fruits of the “victory.” There is, however, one element with which Mr. (Gage in his groveling subjection to Burns has not rickoned. The people are regarding him with curious eyés; Their judgment is already partly made up. If he shall continue to be what his course so far fore- shadows—the abject tool of the corrupt and debased boss—a high pinnacle of infamy awaits him in the history of California. Playing such a role he will go down to posterity as the first Governor whose soul was bartered for the office—the first who earned the title of lackey, tool, falsifier and rogue. was THE STATE MILITIA SERVICE. NCOURAGED by the results attained by the E National Harbor Defense Convention held at .Tampa in 1896, Governor Bloxham of Florida has issued an invitation requesting the Governors of the various States to appoint delegates to another convention to assemble at Tampa February 8 to dis- cuss ways and means for a thorough reorganization af the State militia service. A circular letter accompanying the invitation states that the object of the convention will be to discuss @nd suggest methods for placing State troops on the ..most effective footing. Questions relating to arms, equipment, tactics, clothing, food and transportation are to be discussed by experts, and it is announced that special attention will be given to the subject of camp sites, sanitation and all precautionary measures riiodern science can suggest to insure the comfort and health of troops. There can be no question as to the desirability of a careful and thorough consideration of these sub- ¢ jeets. The outbreak of the recent war with Spain dis- closed the fact that only three or four States had a National Guard sufficiently drilled and equipped to constitute an effective force. It is gratifying to know “that California was one of the few whose troops were ready for action when the call came, and yet even in this State much may be done in the way of improving the service. The best that can be expected of the proposed con- vention is the adoption of some plan that will unite the National Guard of all the States into something like a consistent military force. Undoubtedly pro- posals to that end will be made, and possibly Con- gress will be asked to lend its aid to carry out what- ever plan is adopted. It would be well, therefore, to have California represented at the convention in order that the lessons learned by the experience of our National Guard may be duly considered by the delegates from the other States in making up their conclusion as to what is best to be done in the pro- posed reorganization. D e—— ’ ° - Fault has been found with the “assumption” by Americans that Cubans are an inferior people. In fact, there is no assumption about it, but the Cubans may improve with time and specific instructions. SR T There seems to be a prospect that some of the vol- unteers in Manila will get that homesick feeling kuocked out of them by a sterner duty than policing camp and fighting the Philippine mosquito. —_— Burns says that he will not spend money to buy votes. To people acquainted with Dan this declara- tion is evidence enough that he will. ‘While the Cubans are shouting for independence they are actively demonstrating their unfitness for it. ! It has no right to make such record, none to file taway. It is paid for use of its wires and phones by FINANCIAL REFORM. ONFLICTING statements come from Wash- ‘C ington concerning the sentiment of party lead- | ers as to a currency session of Congress. One statement is that the politicians regard the finzncial issue as no longer necessary to Republican success. They feel that the party has been so strengthened by the Spanish war and the questions which issue from it that it can rely on these for suc- cess far into the future, as it was helped through five Presidential campaigns by the issues made in the Civil War. up financial reform now with a view to making simple cur complex legislation and straightening that which is crooked would in effect be making a new issue that may displace those so highly prized as coming from the war. Of course, this is simply the politicians’ view of it. That class of necessity treat issues as the means of carrying elections and redeem promises or not as it may affect future campaigns. They are opportunists their hands and leadership lack that continuity of policy through which principles are established and the public good becomes permanent. it is with some modesty that we suggest that the war issues had less to do with Republican success in the war year than these politicians think. In New York the nomination of Colonel Roosevelt brought the thrill and enthusiasm of the war into the cam- paign. He had been a picturesque figure in battle, had shown the personal courage of a Paladin, the gallantry of a Templar. exceeded 17,000, and his party lost heavily in the House and barely gained the power to get Murphy’s seat in the Senate. As the political battle field stretched westward the issue changed and the party majority increased. When it reached the Pacific Coast this was very marked. In California the Fusionist and Republican platforms both indorsed the war and favored colonial expansion, so there was no issue here on those points. The division between the parties was on the financial pol- icy of the Government. The Republican position attracted the alliance of the sound money Democrats as in 1896, and they by an official proclamation of their State committee entered the campaign in sup- port of Republican candidates for Congress and for the Legislature, as well as for the State ticket. In 1896 California cast 206,503 votes for six candi- dates for the Presidency, of which McKinley received 146,170, leaving him in a minority of 3163, though his plurality over Bryan was 2837. It is clear, then, that to whatever issues moved the minds of voters here we owe the transfer of this Re- publican minority of 3163 into a majority of nearly 20,000. The vote cast for Palmer for President in 1896 in 1808 joined the body of sound money Demo- cratic votes and went for the Republican ticket. Also thousands of sound money Democrats who supported Bryan on the ground of party regularity recognized that bond no longer and joined their brethren who rejected it in 1896. These causes, rooted in the finan- cial issue alone, transformed a Republican minority into a Republican majority in California. ‘What happened here occurred in Nebraska, in Ore- gon and in the Middle West. We are convinced that politicians make a mistake when they advise the desertion of the financial issue entirely, or defer fulfillment of the party pledge to 1004. The only course for a great party is to keep its promise as soon as the people give it the power. The Republican minority in the present Senate made the party powerless to redeem its sound money pledge of 186. The people, aware of this, have removed the barrier. They have made possible a good working Republican majority in the Senate and have saved | the party by a narrow margin in the House. They ex- pect pledges to be redeemed. If they are disappointed the labors of 1896 were as nothing to those required in 1900 to win the Presidency. The country is not to be diverted from this issue. The people will not consider pledges or new issues in discharge of accrued obligations. If the Republi- can party confess its inability to settle the financial issue, to pass laws to bring that question to the angle of repose, it will disappoint the strong conservative sentiment of the country and will suffer for it. Tcity, in both the local and Sunset offices, have been set forth in detail. Instead of guarding the privacy and protecting the ownership of messages by telephone, there is no privacy and no ownership. Newspapers may pay heavily for service over the Sunset to secure exclusive news, but it is plugged on to the wire of a rival paper that pays nothing for it, except perhaps “fair treatment” of the telephone cor- poration and the cost of occasional suppers for the unfaithful operators whom it seduces from their duty. If the law is faulty and lacks provisions for protect- ing telephone patrons, it should be extended to cover their case. The Sunset should be forbidden by law to keep a verbatim record of conversations between its patrons. it TELEPHONE LEGISLATION. HE abuses of telephone administration in this the time used, not by the number of words trans- mitted. Therefore this record of conversations is not for its benefit, does it no good, is not necessary in checking its operators or keeping its accounts. The existence of such a record serves no good purpose for customer or corporation. Its only possible use must be for sinister and improper purposes. The telephone is not established to put its owners or operators in possession of the personal and domestic privacies and the political, amatory or business secrets and confidences of its patrons. It is simply to serve those who pay for it. One message wears out wires, exhausts batteries or lowers tension no more than any other message. Conversations by telephone con- cern only those who hold them. No other party has a right to hear, and any decent person would not do so even by accident or induction. No excuse can be given nor apology for these telephone abuses, and the fact of their existence calls for remedy. Let it be forbidden to make a record of conversations between the patrons of a telephone by the corporation, and let it be made a felony to plug a wire on to another wire to transmit conversation to an eavesdroper. Let the penalty attach to the com- pany, to the operator and to the receiver. It will be complained by the telephone corporation that such legislation will be a cinch. But this is not so. It proposes no interference with rates, and does nothing only gives the users of the telephone what they pay for—security and privacy in using its wires. Perhaps the gentlemen who decline to state whether or not they will vote for Burns for Senator are merely waiting to ascertain whether the gentleman is worthy. The raiment of spotless purity {n which the friends of Dan Burns are clothing him fits fully as well as a toga would. Lo o The presence of Mose Gunst at the capital did not create a furor. It merely created a stench. This being true, they say that to take | who weigh the votes to be won by keeping faith | against those to be had by breaking it, and parties in | Yet his majority but little | BACKED BY THE EXAMINER. HOSE who can read between and under the Tlines can easily perceive that the Examiner is deliberately aiding the candidacy of Dan Burns or the man behind him. In the political campaigns of 1896 and 1898 that paper was most unmercifully flogged by the voters of the State. Its eccentrical cditorials, its black lines, its magnified letters, with all its flaring headings and its artistic and unartistic illustrations and cartoons, accomplished nothing. It was beaten out of sight and the fact demonstrated that, whatever its circulation among those elements of population that feed on sensations, it was.destitute of real influence. Scandalous personalities and carica- tures may amuse thoughtless or vicious people, but they only disgust the body of citizens who determine the result of elections. With inordinate and ridiculous pretensions, paraded with the cheap gaudiness of a pawnbroker's window, the Examiner represents nothing but itself. Its treacheries to the Democracy have been so numerous that it has long been repudiated by the best men in that party. For them, for the Republicans or for the mass of solid and reputable citizens, without distinc- tion of party, it has furnished only the hide-bound emptiness of a drum. It has scolded, bullied, insulted and ridiculed without stint the men who have built up the State. It has puffed professional charlatans with the success of an emetic. It has brayed like a pharisaical ass and kicked like a government mule, and has dreamt that its noise was the voice of a Icader and its senseless contortions exhibitions of suppleness and strength. There \is only a step from the sublime to the ridiculous. This exponent of a “national policy” dur- ing the campaign of 1808 lived on a false charge that the railroad controlled the Republican party. It beat tom-toms until the whistles of declining day were al- most silenced. It filled the air at night with the sulphurous flames of cheap fireworks. Amidst uni- versal laughter and derision it shrieked till its throat became dry and cracked, and swallowed wind till it resembled an inflated but collapsing balloon. When the election was over it was hoped and al- most believed that it was dead, and, from pure sym- pathy, there was an inclination to give it at least the tribute of a Chinese funeral. But from some hidden source it was resuscitated into a feeble life, and now ic is officiating as the trained nurse of Dan Burns. What are the wages of its ministrations in this pe- culiar case of political leprosy may be conjectured, but cannot be distinctly proved. All that can be seen is that it is bandaging his sores, rubbing his back and administering black draughts, irregularly prescribed by an unseen physician. The impression that this treatment produces upon the legislative spectators in due time will be determined. If it leads to Republican obsequies in 1900 then, for once at least, this grinning specter from the tomb of November will prove the truth of resurrection and emerge from the cesspool of disgrace with the laurel wreath upon its battered head. SMOOTH PAVEMENTS. general that of all men in the city who are interested in having smooth streets, the members of the Fire | Department were foremost. It has been thought that if the city was entirely paved with asphalt several thousands of dollars a year would be saved in fire ap- paratus now rattled to pieces over basalt blocks. But it appears that all this has been a mistake. Bituminous rock is too smooth for the firemen, and they are now asking the Board of Supervisors not only to lay a strip of basalt through the center of all blocks hereafter paved with that material, but to tear up those already laid and remodel them. This, the firemen say, is necessary to enable them to get to fires. The weather sometimes makes smoothly paved blocks impassable for the engines. The horses slip and fall and the machines go in all directions. We remember that when Mayor Phelan began HE last persons from whom the public antici- pated opposition to bituminous rock pavements deal of public sentiment was created in his favor by the refusal of the Cable Railroad Company to pave with bitumen between its tracks. An interesting point of law was raised in connection with the sub- ject. Mayor Phelan claimed that the company was obliged to repave whenever ordered by the Super- visors., The company claimed that once having put the street in order it could not be compelled to re- pave until the material had worn out. The upshot of the matter was that Mayor Phelan proceeded with Market street and left the cable com- pany to its basalt blocks. Now it appears that this was exactly what the firemen desired. Market street has through the center a strip of basalt over which the fire-horses can travel without losing their feet. If Mayor Phelan had succeeded in making the cable company repave the firemen would now be demand- ing the replacement of the basalt blocks. Exactly how this controversy is going to terminate can scarcely be foretold. But if the Fire Department desire a strip of basalt laid in any bituminized block probably they will eventually get it. The people can- not afford to have fire-horses scrambling upon the pavements when their property is being destroyed by fire. But it is a curious state of affairs when all our literature concerning smooth pavements is to be up- set in this manner. The event shows that human judg- ment in some affairs is far from infallible. A judicial decision declares that the Western Union need not pay a revenue tax, but many judicial deci- sions have set forth that the Wells-Fargo Express Company must pay such. Nevertheless, one corpor- ation is paying as fast and as willingly as the other, which means that neither is letting go a cent. Tt seems almost queer. S Touts of Burns are surprising their faces with con- tributions of such viands as do not appear on the bill of fare at their customary Barbary Coast restaurants. It seems to be the Burns idea that a country member full and dyspeptic is peculiarly subject to the blandish- ments of patriotism. S The Examiner is in much distress at the prospect that Democratic legislators may have the wisdom to aid the Republicans in electing a good man for Sen- ator. The Examiner always shies at any evidence of respectability. Feniset e A watchman was arrested the other night for watch- ing the property he was hired to protect. What did the police expect him to do, anyhow? There are watchmen who watch. —_— Ex-Governor Budd may be ill, but it is easy to imagine him singing that good old song in which is the refrain, “And the Burden of My Heart Rolled Away.” ] There will be no occasion to pay excess baggage on the Knight boom when the proprietor starts for home. _— If there is any object in ascertaining who blew up the Maine Chief Lees can be addressed at the City | Hall. were the firemen. Up to date the belicf has been | agitating for the repavement of Market street a great | | be | physical ability. RANCH AND There is a deficit of 350,000 tons in ness of California should be good this golian pheasants, to turn loose in the splendid plumage, the table our grouse, quail or prairie to them and they should be tried in Fresno Society has also sent to Iowa white quail. is no reason why as much attention State with game birds. its prosperity checked. Institute that is held this winter and ture until it is acted upon. the people of approaching changes in in the citrus region is six long blasts fruit is drying on the trays would hely which is limited in the number of its STATE long unutilized. crop sold for $41 50. Oroville Mercury says will pay all the with the fruit growers {g in packing Commercial honesty pays. discussed and Mr. Rutter said that in ard, and his fruit was so fine that he fied with Sonoma County by proper product. Clara fruit. The Spreckels beet sugar factc $2,500,000. During its running se: worth of beets and pay $5000 in wag To run it will require the beets fro of beet land in Salinas Valley. ¥ n s, ployed and the run was fifty-s and the men $2 50 per day. ¢ days. oranges. boxes, or 388 carloads. carloads oranges and in the State. to his cattle. year and old stocks of sugar in Europe are low. to each blast, repeated every three miles. something in the same line with credit to themselves and profit to ranchers. A frost signal when trees and vines are in bloom and a ram signal when m 30,000 a The fruit cannery at Hanford w: shortened the fruit crop, but the pack was 42,000 cases, and $27,635 was paid out for fruit and $16,485 as wages. Necessity is the mother of invention. being out of hay gathered several tons of dry tumbleweeds and offered them The stock not only ate them but fattened on them. RURAL LIFE. the German beet sugar crop for last The beet sugar busi- year. The Fresno Game Protection Society has sent for another lot of alon- Kings River bottoms. These are very fine game birds, and by legal protection against hunters in Oregon have in- creased until they are very numerous. They are the finest flavored fowls known, excelling on The cock is a beautiful bird, with chicken. California is well adapted different parts of the State. The for prairie chickens and the bob- The State fosters the introduction of new varieties of food fish, and in that way we have acquired the shad and striped bass. There should not be paid to stocking the The general rain of New Year's day broke the long drought and put a brighter face on things in the rural districts. but proved that raining is not a lost art in California. fall in the mountains was more significant than the rainfall in the valleys. It means plenty of water for irrigation and mining. mountain reservoirs which have bevn heavily drawn upon. the outlook is excellent for a great year. The rural interests of this State should make themselves felt before the present Legislature in securing a law to prevent forest fires, and detect and punish those who are responsible for them. tains is passing away in the destruction of the forests on their flanks, and if the process is not stopped the beauty of the State will be tarnished and This matter should be taken up in every Farmers 1t did not itself assure a crop, The great snow- It will fill up the On the whole The glory of our moun- should be kept before the Legisla- This matter is quite as important as any that can occupy the attention of the Legislature. The railroads of Florida have a system of signals by which they warn the weather. The frost signal used on the engine whistle, thirty seconds Our California roads could do ) our very efficlent signal service, stations. NOTES. The County Infirmary of Butte County has ample grounds which were They were finally set out in orange trees, In 1897 it brought $171 and in 1898 $850. bore these crops were first put out for ornament and shade, but when they began to bear several acres were added to the orchard and the crop, when the trees are in full bearing, will bring s fn 1896 the first The trees that and the Hers ral thousand dollars, cost of the County Infirmary. is a hint for other counties in our leng and wide orange belt. The orange growers of Oroville took in $150,000 for their crop. At the Florin Farmers’ Institute, Senator Doty said the greatest trouble fruit so as to deceive the purchaser. In the same meeting irrigation by pumping was the drought of 1864 he borrowed $300 at 2 per cent a month to put in a pumping plant to irrigate his peach orch- paid the debt and made $800 profit. The Sotoyome Sun strongly advises that Sonoma County fruit be identi- labeling of the green, dry and canned It also intimates that the best Sonoma prunes are sold as Santa If this be so it proves the value of a reputation. growers of Santa Clara Valley from the first identified their fruit with their county and have kept up its reputation by commercial honor. The prune at Salinas is completed at a cost of it will consume every day $12,000 making a distribution of $17,000 daily. s, and there are 90,000 acres as started last year. The drought As many as 558 people were em- The women employed averaged $1 25 It is expected that this new cannery will handle 2500 tons and have a run of one hundred days this year. In the last week of December Riverside shipped ‘forty-two carloads of The total shipment from that point of the present crop is 130,557 The total orange shipment of Butte County is 275 carloads. The citrus fruit shipment from Ontario for the season 1897 was 844 239 of lemons, making it the third citrus shipping point Mr. Clark, a Fairview rancher, The communication published below | was written recently by Frederic Hall, | who died a few days ago. Mr. Hall | was formerly the legal adviser of Max- imilian in Mexico. | The work of the Peace Commissioners | at Paris has been concluded, though not | without numerous protests and bitter feel- ings on the part of Spain. It not | uninteresting to review briefly the character, the demands and the bearing of Spain in general, and particularly her transactions with powers of lesser She has not forzotten, and never will, | her former glory, her grandeur, her | wealth, and her vast domains. Her splen- | dor, regal pomp, power and influence, cre- | ated and fostered in her boundless pride, | haughtine and dictatorial bearing. Her | courts, arrayed in glittering splendor, were looked upon, as she imagined, with great wonder by other powers. The Span- ish grandees who could wear their hats | in the presence of the King were consid- | ered far superior to any English or re- | publican gentleman. No soldier of Ku- | rope ever related with more pride his dar- | ing deeds than did the Spanish knight his | tale of Spanish bravery. The gorgeous splendors of other Euro- | pean courts were fancied by Spain to be| in borrowed light, reflected from the sun | of her own glory. She has looked down with contempt upon every power she be- | lieved to be her inferior, and when ques- | tlons have arisen between them and her- | self she assumed an overbearing attitude that was disagreeable and even sufficient to destroy ali hope of an amicable settle- | ment. | Even at the commencement of this late conflict she could not refrain from ridi- cule. She pictured the Americans as “hogs,” which he seemed to think, she could easily gather in droves, and with the aid of such men as Weyler butcher them. Her plans e was unable to carry out, and the *“*hogs,” as she pictured them | to be, came near eating her up. She has, at last, taken down her pictures and we have taken in her provinces. In a finan- cial view the taking was to our advan- tage. | If Spain ever refrained from insolence when she believed she could overawe her | antagonist history has not rcorded the event. For three-quarters of a century Cuba has been a threatening isle and a menace to American shipping and pride. The shooting of Americans taken from the Virginius, some years ago, without a trial, is still fresh in the minds of many Americans. Californians in particular do | not view the Spanish In any pleasant | light. They remember that when they neared the Cuban coast, before our con- tinental railroad was built, not infre- quently a shot from a Spanish gun came across the steamer’'s bow, which brought her to. They had some complaint against the steamer which always turned out to be groundless. American ladies and gen- tlemen were insulted on board the steam- er by Spanish brutes, and no remedy ex- | isted therefor. | They believed then that the United | States were their inferiors on the sea, and perhaps not without some reason, as our navy was formerly composed of ships, in some ways, unequal to the Span- ish fleet. It has been said our Govern- ment was unwilling to test the relative prowess of the two navies. Tc illustrate Spain's treatment of | lesser powers we have but to recall her | acts in South America. During the presi- dency of General Jose Antonio Pezet, on the 14th day of April, 1864, a Spanish squadron, under pretext of obtaining sat- isfaction for damages claimed by some Spanish subjects, took possession of tne islands of Chincha, valuable property of Peru. Admiral Pinzon, commander of the squadron, declared in a public document | that, since 1824, there had only existed a | truce or armistice, or a suspension of hostilities, between Spain and Peru, and | that the mere taking possession of thuse; islands was a vindication of Spsnlsh; rights, as Spain was still the owner of | them. President Pezet, in spite of the protestations of his people, made a treaty of peace on the 27th day of January, 1865, by which Peru recognized the demands of Spain, and promised to pay an indemnity of $3,000,000. Then the Spanish squadron | evacuated the islands and paid its atten- tion to Chile, because the latter had ex- | w SPALY'S TREATMENT OF WEAKER POWERS. hibited sympathy for Peru. The Span- ish admiral was not satisfied with the ex- planations of Chile, and in consequence thereof declared war against her and blockaded her ports. The people of Peru were so humiliated by the treaty of Pres- ident Pezet that a revolution broke out nd he compelled to leave the coun- try in zlish ship. im of Spain to the Chincha Islands on the ground that the peace of 1824 was a mere armistice—a mere sus- pension of hostilities—was the most ur. scrupulous and outrageous act that ever s performed by one nation against another. The public declaration of the Spanish admiral as to the ownership of the Chincha Islands was an ostentatious defiance of justice and international law. If the peace of 1524 was but a suspension of hostilities it became the longest armis- tice ever known in history. Over forty ) psed since the armistice was Let us look into the facts P promulgated. pertaining to the struggle of 1824, great battle of 1824 between Spain and Peru took place on the 9th of December and it decided the fate of the latter. It took place at Ayacucha. It was fought with desperation on both sides. It ended with the capture of the Spanish Viceroy and all of his officers. If such a termin- ation of a battle can be termed merely a suspension of hostilities it is a perver- sion of language that no nation except Spain would have the audacity to ad- vance. On the 23d of January, 1866, the repre- sentatives of Chile, Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador formed in Lima a treaty of al- liance by which they united for common defense, promising to maintain no rela- tion with any nation that should attack either of them. On the 1ith of April, 1866, the Spanish squadron bombarded the de- fenseless port of Valparaiso. This act of Spain was viewed with abhorrence by every other civilized nation. Over two thousand shot and shell were thrown into the city and not a shot was returned. ! Over ten millions of property was de- red, belonging principally to foreign ents. A very considerable amount of c property as well as private suc- to the cannon. Every foreign and Consul protested in the str T publi cumbed Minister all to no purpose. The unscrupulous and vainglorious ambition of the Spaniards could not be’checked. Peru refused to carry out the provi- sions of the Pezet treaty. The Spanish squadron bombarded Callao, and although the place was not strongly fortified the Spaniards, not meeting with much suc- | cess, withdrew their fleet and left the waters of the Paciflc. As we pass in review the foregoing facts and surrounding circumstances we are reminded of the expression made by one of the Queens of England in the seventeenth ~ century when considering some of the laws. She exclaimed: “I did not know that there was such a differ- ence between the laws of God and the laws of man.” Let us turn our attention to the clos- ing acts of the Spanish officials at the last session of the Peace Commissioners. The terms of peace were signed by both parties, but not without several protests and with severe strictures from Sagasta. He declared that: “Never has a civilized nation committed such an act of vio- lence.” It was a broad charge against one of the most generous and law-abld- ing nations of the earth, and could not have come from any man but a Spaniard. | In {llustrating the Spanish character ‘we do not think we have overstepped the bounds of truth and common decency; and we might with every degree of fair- ness cite the language of the distinguished writer, Lord Macaulay, when he declared in his portrayal of the Spanish race that “Two things delight a Spaniard—to see a horse gored by a bull and a Jew writhing in fire.” Out of kindness for a fallen foe we might add that his Lordship was speak- ing of the race as it existed two centuries ago. And vet the love of the bullfight has not ceased, though the hatred of the Jew may have lessened The Spanish people ought to learn by this war with the United States two les- sons—to be more charitable to nations of lesser power and that industry, intelli- gence and economy bring wealth to the people and to the nation. FREDERIC HALL. The | | ° | TO AMEND THE DEBTOR LAW Editor The Call—Dear Sir: It is with a feeling of confidence that you will glve any matter which affects the in- terests of the retail merchants of this State your most careful consideration that we address you in regard to lrze amendments which we hope to have made this year to the present debtor laws. It has b urge the passage of a bil result in imprisonment for debt. ig untrue. 3 The law as we would have it would not inflict any punishment on a man because he could not pay his bills. % It will, however, result in makxqg those who can pay, but seek to a\'_cud the payment by dishonest means, reim= burse the retailer. = Surely this is only fair and right, for it is evident that the man who buys necessaries of life for the use of him- self and his family, and does sc¢ with the intention of defrauding the store- keeper out of the payment of the same, although able to pay for them, is as much a thief as the man who takes the goods without the storekeeper’s knowl- edge. - It is urged that under the law as we would have it Judges would order pay- ment from those financially unable to obey the order. This presupposes the entire bench of the State to be dishon- est and unprincipled. We think such a hypothesis hardly correct. 2 A copy of the proposed law is in- closed. We would urge you to read it carefully. The necessity for its passage will become evident to you when you learn that in San Francisco alone there are over two thousand well-to-do pro- fessional beats, who make use of our present lax laws to defraud the retail merchant. These persons, according to the latest report of the collection bu- reau of the Retail Grocers’ Association and the Butchers’ Board of Trade, owe our merchants over $30,000, which they can pay, but will not because the law at present does not enable the mer- chants to reach them. This same state of affairs exists all over the State of California. That imprisonment for debt is con- trary to the public welfare cannot be questioned. As responsible citizens and taxpayers the members of our two associations would protest against the passage of a law that would work in- jury to our citizens. At the same time we feel that we are entitled to a cer- tain protection, and we look to you to assist us in this important matter as far as you feel you can consistently do so. Yours very truly, JOSEPH A. STULZ, President Retail Grocers’ Association. SAM C. HAMMOND, President Butchers’ Board of Trade. San Francisco, January 5, 1899. AROUND THE CORRIDORS M. Rich of St. Louls is a guest at the Grand. C. A. Fitzgerald of Quartz is a guest at the Lick. . E. Compton, U. §. een falsely stated that we 1 that would This N., is a guest at the Palace. L. E. Dodd of Los Angeles is staying at the Grand. C. J. Leonard, an attorney of Merced, is at the Lick. E. J. Miley and wife of Winters are at the California. E. A. Dawson, a merchant of Chicago,, is at the Palace. Cornelius Gardiner of Washington, D. C., is at the Palace. Dr. J. F. Holmes of New York is a guest at the Occidental. E. F. Sweeney, a merchant of Seattle, is a guest at the Palace. W. Waterhouse, a capitalist of Pasa- dena, is at the Occidental. George Mainehost, a miner from Grass Valley, is a guest at the Grand. Charles King, a cattle dealer of Han- ford, arrived at the Lick yesterday. S. 8. Campbell, a well-to-do merchant of Denver, is staying at the Palace. Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm McKenzie New York are guests at the Palace. E. B. Edson of Gazelle, one of the new Railroad Commissioners, is at the Grand: R. J. Collins and C. A. Tilles, merchants of St. Louis, are registered at the Pal- ace. James Kirkland of Amador, manager of the Keystone Supply Company, is at the Lick. G. L. Lister and W. H. Dupee, both of Chicago, with their valets, arrived at the Palace yesterday. Revs. I. F. Smith and BE. G. Phillips, re- turned missionaries from wpan and China, are at the C-cidental. Lieutenant B. E. Calkins, First Montana Regiment, who returned on the Dorig from Manila, is at the Palace. Captain Steele of the Eighteenth United States Infantry, who returned from Ma- nila on the Doric, is at the Occidental. P. C. Jones of Honolulu, who is one of the most influential and wealthiest citi- zens of the islands, is a guest at the Occi~ dental. Lieutenant Colonel I. Altamira, the Mexican military attache at Yokohama, was among the arrivals on the steamer Doric. A. S. J. Holt of Cincinnati, who was re- cently appointed by the Pennsylvania road as its general passenger agent for this city, arrived at the Palace yesterday in company with E. A. Ford of Pittsburg, who is the general passenger agent of all the lines of the Pennsylvania west of the Mississippi River. ——————— ot | CALIFORNIANS IN NEW YORK. name of humanity, law and justice, but | NEW YORK, Jan. 5.—Albert M. Bendel of San Francisco is at the Imperial, H. Thorp of Sacramento is at the Albert and { J. D. Warrick of San Francisco is at the Metropole. ————— JUST THE SAME OLD STORY. “You were a long time in the far corner of the conservatory last evening,” sug- gested the mother. “What was going/ n: Do you remember the occasion which you became engaged to quired the dau “Of course L ““Then it ought not to be necessary for you to ask any questions.” Thus gently the news was broken that they were to have a son-in-law.—Boston Journal. —_———— Cal. glace fruit 50c per 1b at Townsends.® —————————— on apa?”’ in- %htsr, by way of reply. 0. Special information supplied daily to business houses and public men by the Press Clipping Bureau (Allen's), 510 Mont- gomery street. Telephone Main 1042. = ———————— “‘Fare,” sald the conductor, looking into her face. “Oh, flatterer!” she exclaimed, blush- ing fiercely. “But _do you really thinik so?’—Philadelphia North American. —_———— “Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup” Has been used over fifty ears by millions ot mothers for their children while Teething with perfect success. It soothes the child, softens the gums, allays Pain, cures Wind Collc, reg- ulates the Bowels and is the Sest remedy for Diarrhoeas, whether arising from teething or other causes. For sale by Drugglsts in every part of the world. Be sure and ask for Mre. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup. %c a bottle. —_—— HOTEL DEL CORONADO—Take advantags of the round-trip tickets. Now only mu:y steamship, including fifteen days' board at hotel; longer stay 3250 per day. Apply &t 4 New Montgomery street, San Francisco. ———— DRINK A STEEPING OF MOKI TEA BE- fore retiring at night, and see how soundly you will sleep and how Joyously you wiil :Wflke in the morning. It supplies food for the Deatifal Sompan Do igduces & clear o sick headache. At Owi Drag Cor Too o™