The San Francisco call. [volume], June 02, 1904, Image 8

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

Image provided by: University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA

                
The silly season of local sports is again at its height.
Two pluguglies, candidates for the coin of the public,
are preparing for a heavyweight, "contest" in which the
only thing at stake is the contents of the box-office.
Gudgeons are fanning interest into enthusiasm, thousands
of dollars will be paid for scats, and then will follow the
customary realization that again the- public has been
fooled.
Peas for Gold.
The London Globe reprints the fol
lowing extract from its files of the
year 1828: "This morning, in Covent
Garden- Market, green peas were ex
posed for sale, for which the price of
3 guineas per quart was asked!"
. Now at that price the^ famous
worthies. Gorging Jack and Guzzling
Jimmy and Little Billee. were' rich
when — ' :•¦••- ' .
. Noir when they got as far ¦» the equator,
?hrv'd ncth!ns left, trot one eirtlt pea. "
ELECTRIC ROAD— E.- tV. I*. City.
The United Railroads has not decided
to change the California 'street road
Into an electric one. for the reason. that
the United Railroads does not own the
California street road. The United Rall
"roads will In time change the steam car
line from the terminus of the Califor
nia street line to the Cliff in an electrid
one, but the time for the change" has
not yet been announced. ¦ j
Townsend's California Glace fruits ta
artistic fire-etched boxes. 715 Market at*
Special Information' supplied daily to
business nooses and public man by th«
Press Clipping; Bureau (Allan's). 230 C*t«
tfomla street. - Telephone Mala'19**. *
Honolulu is engaged in the very worthy task of house
cleaning,^ and with plans, and purposes well defined is
driving but the evil and worthless characters that infest*
the town. Most of the, criminal, loafers are coming our
'way, and against this we must protest. We already
have more than our share and although our breeding
ground for rascals is notoriously large and fertile it is
now more than generously cultivated."
VALUE OF FOOD— Subscriber. City.
"The. Nutritive" Value of Food," by
Professor Atwater, was published by
the Government and was issued from
the Government printing ' Viiflce at
Washington. D. C, about eight years
ago.
FROM "a disgusted member of the Stablemen's
Union" The Call has reteived a note in comment
jpon our notice of the assaults and violence inci
dent , to the dispute between stable owners and their
former employes. He^says:
"These cowardly and brutal assaults are the more ag
gravated when it is considered that they are committed
by organized bands, partly hired thugs, authorized and
organized by the union, in secret session and with full
knowledge and consent of the Labor Council. It is to be
regretted that men and' citizens of a free and, civilized
country lower themselves to such beastly doings.- and
that they are encouraged by the city officials of-; our.
community. It is a shame and a disgrace to San Fran
cisco."
This, if true, puts the matter in a very serious light,
and we publish it to the end that steps may be taken to
determine the facts.- As we predicted last week, the lack
of protection to property owners and their employes has
compelled them to resort to self-protection. These as
saults and' attacks are serious enough if they originate
only, in a spirit of riot and revenge cherished by,individ
unK H they arc deliberately and secretly procured hv'
Giant Locomotive.
Builders of locomotive engines are
steadily exceeding past achievements
and. constructing titans of the rails that
excite the amazement of every behold
er. At Schenectady a colossus has been
turned out for the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad which surpasses anything and
everything (seen before. This giant
weights 320,000 pounds, has six pairs of
driving wheels and a boiler thirty-eight
feet, In length and seven feet in diam
eter. It is estimated that this locomo
tive will be 50 per cent more powerful
than any other ever put together.
VIOLENCE AND THE' LAW.
A POEM— A Subscriber. City. This
correspondent wants to know where a
copy 1 of a poem entitled "What Christ
mas Brought to Jim" can be jobtalned*.
The first line, i's, "He came to the sta
ble at sunset.''
An intrepid but impolitic ex-member of the Reichstag
has" made public suggestion, that it will be of distinct
advantage to -the people of Germany for Emperor
William to remain home long enough to become ac-'
quainted with his subjects. There is evidently one man
in the Kaiser's dominion who believes that residence in
jail under sentence is preferable to that freedom of
movement which is dignified under the name of liberty.
¦ The long continued deadlock in the State convention
of Illinois Republicans is a reasonably safe indication to
our Democratic friends that a nomination on the Re
publican State ticket is practically synonymous with an
election. And this is a Presidential year with Illinois as
a critical battlefield of the ballots.'
Answers to Queries.
THE GOLDEN A3E— S.. City. The
steamer Golden- Age. one of the* old
time steamers that ran between jSait
Francisco and Panama, was wrecked
April 29, 1C ' at a point ~7 miles above
Panama.
A physician, employed by the city under the direction
of the Board of Health, has made vigorous defense
against the -accusation that he neglected a patient even
to 'the' point ' of death. Eliminating the merits of this
particular controversy the inquiry still remains promi
nent in the public mind whether or not our much hoasted,
modern hospital system is being refined into a very
dangerous scheme of too much science and no care for
the sick.
B\ Water Across Country.
A detachment of the Jersey na
val r.-.::itia is going to the St. Louis
fair by inland waters, embarking in a
cutter, and using only b&Hb and oars.
The route wll! be from New York to
Buffalo by way of the Erie canal, from
Buffalo to Toledo by way of Lake Erie,
from Toledo to Cincinnati by way of
the Miami-Erie canal, down the Ohio
Rover from Cincinnati to Cairo, and
from Cairo to St. Louis on the Missis
sippi. The amateur, marines will be
given a caniping place on the grounds,
through the" courtesy of the exposition
management, with wharfage for their
boat. The return trip will be made by
way of New Orleans, and from there
by merchant vessel.
It is becoming apparent to the shrewd observers'and
caretakers of state at Washington that for political and
trade purposes Germany wants a slice of Morocco. Our
German friends must permit us to suggest that Morocco
by her generally annoying conduct has given us the
right to choose and take the first slice of her unlovely
land. We might be induced, however, to sell our
potential interest at a figure that Germany must con
sider reasonable.
The Champion.
Michele Scagllone, whom the boys of
Harlem call "Flipper Mike," is the
champion bootblack of the world. He
won the title a short. time since in
strenuous competition with Billy, the
champion; Michele Luperto, who
wields a skillful brush In Harlem;
Bridge Street Tony, Luigi Riccitelli,
the artist of Madison Sauare. and
Pasquale dl Napoli, who says he is a
Count fallen upon evil days. .; « -'J. •
For h!s reward Flipper Mike got a
gold medal and a variety of curses In
three dialects. Incidentally, there was
$12 at stake. Tony Bastone, president
of the Shoe Polishers' Union, got that.
For the furtherance of art'the union
ordered the contest. It was held at
Billy's place, Ninth avenue and Ffty
first street. The preliminaries were in
teresting. Tony Bastone made an ad
dress which sounded like Rienzi's to
the Romans. He alluded to the art
of Mlchaelangelo, Andrea del Sarto,
Fra Lippo Llppl, Raphael and Ben
venuto Cellini.
Bootblacking was \ forgotten while
Flipper Mike and Pete Savine of Tenth
avenue settled a little difference which
came out of a heated argument as to
the superiority of Mlchaelangelo over
Raphael. A cop appeared In the door
way and growled.
""If yea dagoes don't ring off I'll run
in the boonch."
The critics of brush and paste shut
up until the barbarian had moved on
his way. but b<e would 1 have been a
hot cop if he could have heard the
"brutta bestlas," the "canagllas," the
stupidos" and the "accidentes" that
were. tired after him.
Then the artists got down to busf:
ness. Billy, the champion, had a try.
Then the Count, then Luigl, then Har
lem Mike.
Flipper, Mike came 'last,' and there
showed his headwork. All the polish
ing had been done on one pair of shoes,
and when it came the Flipper's turn
his rivals had put a layer of polish on
the : shoes that made It a cinch for
him. . . -
When he received the medal there was
a pretty row. Peopte came running
for blocks • along Nlntlfcavenue. Billy,
the deposed champion, who once shook
hands with Joe Grim, wanted to fight
it out in the back room. The crowd
tailed the challenge with 'glee, - and a
Wine for a Gusher.
A corrcspo-ndent from Chandler, O.
T., sends the following to the Kansas
City Journal:
Miss Ethyl Houston, a local school
ma'am, established a precedent when
she christened the oil well which is
being drilled near the town here. While
there v/ill doubtless be few young wo
men, with the* temerity which she ex
hibited, in climbing the ladder and
breaking a bottle of champagne across
the -bar at the top of' the derrick, no
new oil company In the Territory can
start out, under auspicious circum
stances unless this is done.
Miss Houston is a quiet, unassuming
little woman and had no idea of chris
tening the well when she, followed by
her classes, went to the well. Some
one* suggested that the well be chris
tened before active operations, were
commenced and Miss Houston, in a
spirit of banter, agreed to perform the
ceremony if seme one would get the
wine. This was easily done and, true
to her word. Miss Houston climbed the
75-foot ladder and broke the bottle.
When the board of directors heard
of the act a meeting was called and
Miss Houston was voted a free pass to
the St. Louis exposition and to have
her other expenses paid during her
stay there, as well as coming from
and going to the fair.
A Cat' With No Delicacy.
The Utica, N. Y., Observer " ¦ com
menting upon feline Intelligence ob
serves that the theater cat is always
obtruding its presence on the . stage.
when it is least wanted, but the feline
which keeps Chase's Theater In that
free of rats has a particularly er
roneous idea of the eternal fitness of
things. It was wlien the stock: company
was playing "Othello" that the. cat
rendered Itself conspicuous, and there T
fore greatly disliked by its friends, the
actors.
Desdemona was dead, and all the
other characters -were dead that could
conveniently die and were stretched on
the stage in various post mortem, atti
tudes, when the theater cat suddenly
made her way daintily upon the stage.
She paused at the first prostrate body
she came to, and apparently said to
herself. "Ha. how is this?" Then she
looked at the body hard and went up
and sniffed delicately at Its face to see
If she could render any assistance. "
The body opened one eye and emit
ted something very like a giggle; so the
cat went on. No first aid to the wound
ed was needed there, at any rate. The
next body was also suspiciously warm
and smiling. . «.t-
It did seem to this theatrical cat as
if grown humans ought to be able to
find something better to do than to He
rigidly on a draughty floor while- a man
held the center of the stage and .talked.
The cat moved on to another body, and
wasju3t about to tiibble the "ear of 'this
one in a spirit of spdrtlve,nes3 — 'for it
was breathing, too — when^ some one
said something In a hoarse .whisper,
and the curtain went down' -amid a
chorus of laughs. -:/--.;¦/
double reefed tops'l plowing out to<
sea.
"Says I to my mate, 'This looks
bad.' So we camps under the lea of
some bowlders and waits. Next morn
ing the gale had blov/ed itself out.
We waits for a sign of the brig, but
nary a sign. Another day and out on
the horizon she looms up, but instead
of heading in shore she squares away.
A dead calm comes on. Says I, 'That's
our last chance.' We gets one of those
turtles, which is eight feet from stem
to stern and beam accordln". Over
board we flops the critter and with
good hold on its back the pair of us_
marooned ones heads ; the big fellow to
sea. In an hoirr's*4ime that turtle had
landed us at the ship's side. All we
got out of It was a cussln' for losing
the small boat. The "old man' had
forgotten he sent us ashore, and when
that gale came up he was off.
"Well, I'm here, ain't I?" he wound
up his tale, as some of the hearers'
faces beamed incredulously.
President stopped -. to .'see any of the
' eights erf the Eternal City, |the popula
tion came 'very nfar them, so that on
'occasions not ¦ only . what the royal
. party Nyas •saying was overheard, but
'vice, versa. '•• ':
•'•• -The .other day "at the' Roman Forum,
\Vhere the King and President went to
.see the.' excavations; .the royal party
. was . . disturbed by . an Italian and
Frenchman arguing with such anima
tion-that tht-y evidently fc-rgot in
whose; presence they were. ..Broken " sen
•tenees "Were -overheard such-as, "I tell
you the. KiEg'is," "No, what non
sense'.The.President' is' quite three
•inches .taller." "No, no.. watch and you
•- wi}4 see that it is ."his tall hat which
makes the differcnce"!-""Why the King
is •••pigmy arid—," .but at this point
some one. coughed, and the men were
'forcibly reminded, where -.they were.
•The King, however; feeling for the' em
barrassment, c-f those present, as the
¦words. were' loud' and came in'a silence
when .the' excavations ¦we're proeeed
'•lng t ' •eaid with a smile- to*. M. Loubet.
, "'I think your countryman is right and
.that you -have a little the best- of it!"
M. Loubef snrfiled and said, "It is sur
prising, wfcat an importance isattach
" *<l'.to inches in this world!" "Vf
. ' When 'about to start f<jr Naples the
* Pfeeideni' .asked permission to take
•leave of his "two little ¦friends," the
youth'ftrr Italian Princesses, who had
.been suppressed by the Queen, who
" .thought that Princess Ydlanda had
been, somewhat forward.' "The. two
little Princesses rushed into M. Lou
. bet's sitting-room In high glee. Mafal
•da folding out her arm; and her mouth
to be kissed, and -Yolanda taking, hold
cfhis haAd/ Tho President, after talk
ing a minute, took a package out of
his Docket and gave It to the latter.
*• fsh» thanked- him prettily enough and
then *Eaid," with a sigh. "-I am cure- it
is ch'oeolates, and* mamma will eat
them; she will say they ajre bad for
little girls!" M. Loubet. 1 ptMing his
amusement, suggested that if that was
the case- perhaps it would be Just as
weir to taste them at once, whereupon
she tore .open the paper "to fjnd. not
chocolates, but tiny eweets made in
all kinds of fantastic chapes. "Good!"
«he cried, "jnamma won't like these,
bo they are sure to be good". for Babies!"
The chocolates mentioned by the little
Yolanda, however, pare the President
an idea, and he ordered sent to - the
Queen an immense bas.ket of them and
In the center a sjjiail box, also' of
chocolates,, on •which was written,
"Good for babies."
. Denver Youth's Feat.
/special Correspondence of The Call.
HEADQUARTERS OF THE CALL,
I HENRIETTA STREET. CO VENT
GARDEN. LONDON, May 20.— A
Denver youth has performed a swim
ming feat in London that Is described
as sensational by those- who witnessed
it and came withlrt a few Inches, of
beating all previous records.. The
youth, whose name is F. H. Smultzer,
Is 16 years of age. He has been en-
Joying a holiday in England In com
pany with his father ana on April 29
he. Balked unpretentiously into the
public bath house in Endell street and
asked (the superintendent lf>he would
be allowed facilities to attack a
world's record made by the celebrated
tumn to try for the under water swipn
ming'' record.
OVERBOARO WE FXOPS THE" BIO
CKITTER ANI> HEADS rHIM. TO
SEA. •;¦•;¦' - \ ¦-•*
PRESIDENT IyOTTBET OK FRANCE AND KING VICTOR EMMANUEL OF ITALY
CAVGHT BY THIS jCAMERA DURING THEIR INSPECTION OF THE ROMAN
' FORUM— AS reCIUEST OF LOUBErS VISIT. r - \, ¦¦. '¦
WITH the recent terrific battle and the eviction of
the Russians from their heavily fortified posi
tions on Nanshan Hill at Kinchou, and with the
sub'sequent movement on the part of the first Japanese
ann3' under Kuroki to shut "off possible, reinforcements
for Port Arthur, from Kuropatkin's base at Harbin, it
appears that the investment of "the Gibraltar of the
East" is soon to be a matter of actuality. The Japanese
army is already within striking, distance of the fortifica
tions, siege guns and additional troops are supplementing
their forces daily, they have an open and direct commu
nication both with Kuroki's army on the Yalu and with
home ports through>thc medium of their fleet on the sea.
It is conceded even by, critics inimical to the interests. of
Japan that Port Arthur will probably fall within three
month's.
* Already the question is forming in the minds of the
diplomats and the war ministers of the powers: What
will be the effect of the fall of Port Arthur upon Russia,
upon the future operations of that power in the field?
Recent press dispatches from St. Petersburg declare that
the impression prevails there, even among the highest
in the Czar's government, that the fall of Port Arthur
means the ending of the war. French military experts
add the weight of their testimony, to this conclusion.
If Port Arthur falls Japan controls the key to the whole
of Manchuria;-it will not be to her purpose to enter upon
a-.wild chase after the retreating Russians along the
northern line of the railroad.
The Czar's government will probably never admit to
itself that the capture of Port Arthur means the end of
the. war; even if much territory is lost thereby, St. Peters
burg cannot let Russian prestige slip away in defeat
without a desperate effort to recoup. Furthermore,
there are at stake all previous treaties with China where
by Russia has enriched herself enormously^and builded
high promise for the future. Already it is being bruited
about that Japan is contemplating restoring Manchuria
to its rightful owner if she wins it by force of her supe
rior arms. This means that railroad rights, mining rights,
timber rights, all that has been wrung from China by
the long continued application of the screws of a devious
diplomacy, must go.
The query remains: What can Russia do if Port..Ar
thur falls? Already Korea is cleared of the Muscovite.
Count Ito was there, at last reports, seeing to it that
Japan's "friendly influence" was paramount in the realm.
The first army of Japan is successfully clearing the lower
Yalu country of Russian forces; the second army will be
supreme in the Liaotung Peninsula if it encompasses the
fall of Port Arthur. With that accomplished the Japan
ese need feel no necessity of following the Russians
up into the north country and pushing the offense. It
will remain for the Russians themselves to assume the
offensive and bring their desperate rally to bear upon the
brpwn men when and where the latter please. This is an
outlook gray enough for that greatly feared Adam Zad
of half a year* ago, the terrible unknown of the northland.
IF PORT ARTHUR FALLS.
Kuropatkin to. Nicholas.
PORT ARTHUR. .May ' 24.-7Please
find inclosed a rumor to the effect that
we made a strong sortie and killed 75,
000 Japanese. This rumor will not be
confirmed. I just made it up myself.
But I thought it besf to send you some
cheering news even if I had to manu-r
facture it. 'Now don't say all my re
ports are discouraging. Last night I
got busy and brought fn eleven train
loads of provisions, and would have
had the twelfth one ip. only I woks up.
If you know any nevy games, Nick,
please send* them to us. . I wish there
were some way of sending a ping-ponjj
set by wireless. But the name, of the
game sounds so much like the Chinese
towns about here that the Japs would
be sure to. seize the game and occupy
it if any other method of transporta
tion were resorted to. ..C- 7
Yesterday I was out looking over
my horse. I am considerably puzzled
as to what to do with him. I had my
veterinary show me just where to cut
into him (the horse, not the veterinary)
to find the • porterhouse steak. My
quandary Is as to whether I had better
eat him before he gets so poor from
eating rice straw and the labels from
soup cans that he isn't fit to eat, or to
hold him and take chances on getting
away some time. I would rather chew
him than some other brands of plug I
know. That's the best Joke I've sprung
since the Japanese shut me up. And
another thing, Nick: Next time you
start a war start it with some nation
we can whip. This under-dog stunt is
worse than that of heavy villain in a
cheap play. It makes me sick.
Trusting" you are the same. I am
yours crampedly, - v *«\, • K.
. . ,> ; .V-. —Baltimore American.
Democratic Rulers.
Pr p £".»r Porrespond^nev of The Call
ROME. May 15.— While the King of
Italy was showing Prer Sdcnt Loubet
over • Rome recently 'the two heads
of nations made It a point to be ex
tremely democratic: but theresult was
not'. Invariably all that could, have been
desired. For instance, while driving
fa the Corso, or- when the King and
The worthy gentlemen who are employed by the
municipality to teach the young idea how to shoot have
met in serious and reflective discussion and have decided
that in our night schools, where working boys and girls'
are taught while fighting the battle for existence, all
ornamental courses of instruction shall be eliminated.
A very excellent decision, but will some one suggest
what will be left of the course of study?
rush was made to rigr up a ring.
Then the shadow of Ireland loomed
again In the doorway, and there was
nothing doing. Flipper. Mike -fled with
his medal, -while Billy hurled chal-.
lenges after him all the way to Fifty-:
eighth street.' Tony and the $12 left
early.— New York Su.n.
Another True Story.
"Did you ever hear of the Galapa
gos Islands, . down In the South Pa
cific?" queried a weather beaten old
"beach comber" as he squinted from
under a pair of bushy eyebrows at the
half dozen loungers gathered on the
sunny side of the dock. Not waiting
for reply, the veteran continued:
"Me and a shipmate was stranded
there once and If it hadn't 'a* been for
one of them monster turtles that in
habits those rock piles I wouldn't 'a*
been here to-day to tell about It. It
was this way. ,
"We was in a little trading brigf and
had run short of water. The 'old man*
got bearihgs on the Galapagos and he
runs in there. Me and my mate was
sent ashore in a small boat with casks
to get fresh water, knowin' there was
plenty on the islands. Fact is, out
side of turtles and. rocks there isn't
anything else there.
"We made fast the boat after .hit
ting the beach and unloaded our
casks. But before we got back to the
beach from the fresh water pools it
corries on to blow a gale. The small
boat went adrift and before our eyes
we see the brig under heads'l and a
Professor - Finney. That record • con
sisted of swimming 113 yards one inch
under water.
The management of the baths Con
sidered it presumptuous on the part of
such a youngster to aspire to any
thing approaching Finney's record,
but seeing he was a stranger they
agreed to allow him to test his abil
ities. He desired that the water should
be regulated at a temperature of 75
degrees. Plunging in ho did 112 yards
5 Inches to the amazement of the at
tendant and other? who came from
other parts of the building to see him.
He beat Finney's record for time at
this distance. It is also worthy of no
tice that while Smultzer had the water
at a temperature of 75 degrees
Finney's,, record was made at 80
degrees, whieh is considered among
.swimmers as a great advantage
to the latter. It is also point
ed out that If the Denver lad had es
sayed the task from the deep instead
of the shallow end of the bath he
would have beaten the world's rec
ord. The fact that this feat has re
ceived no publicity this side ' is ex
plained by the circumstances that the
•effort was bo informal and that the
newspapers are by no means friendly
to American athletes. Toung Smult
zer is coming over again in the au-
HIDDEN among the war news from St. Petersburg
is a little news. item that is suggestive. It says
that "Great Britain has collected indemnity: from
Russia for the benefit of British sealers whose ships were*
confiscated or interfered with by Russia while sealing in
the Russian half of Bering Sea. Hardly any who read
it connect it with the great international controversy
the settlement of which furnished the cause of action
which has enabled Great Britain to make this reclamation.
Just now when our fleet has been ordered to Morocco
tp protect 'the captured Greek-American Perdicaris, the
whole subject is invested with interest. When Mr.
Blaine was Secretary of State, in President Harrison's
administration, his attention was called to the seal herd
of Bering Sea. Its landing ground was on the_Pribi!of
Islands, where we had leased the' privilege of taking
seals. The lessees complained that their profits were
abridged by pelagic sealing in the open water. Mr.
Blaine conceived the idea that when we bought Alaska of
Russia we also bought that part of Bering Sea inclosed
by a line from the extremity of the Aleutian archipelago
to the continent, and by the Aleutian Islands and the
continental shore, and that all that water was under our
exclusive jurisdiction, a rqare clausum.
Upon exchange of diplomatic notes with "Russia that
Government joined in this Claim, and Washington and
St. Petersburg agreed that we owned that part of Bering
Sea, and that Russia owned the rest, and that thus the
whole water became a closed sea. subject only to the
municipal law and jurisdiction of the two governments.
In pursuance of this claim, the United States for sev
eral years seized or interfered with all sealing craft in
our half of the sea, and Russia did the same in her half.
Both nations in pursuance of this policy seized, libeled
and sold, or interfered with a large number of American
and British sealing vessels. Great Britain demurred to
this claun of a marc clausum. and claimed that beyond
the three-mile limit Bering Sea was open water, the
same as the rest of the'Pacific Ocean. After many dip
lomatic exchanges Great Britain and- the United States
agreed to arbitrate the matter by an international com
mission to sit in Paris.
The arbitrators heard the able presentation of the case
and decided against the American and Russian claim. of
a closed sea*. This decision was against the claim that
Russia and the United States had municipal jurisdiction
beyond the three-niile limit, and made all spoliations of
sealers on the open water unlawful, to be compensated
by indemnity! Thereupon a judicial arbitration was ar
ranged between the United States and Great .Britain to
determine the indemnity we owed to the British sealers.
The claims amounted to a million and a half of dollars,
and were arbitrated and paid to Great Britain by the
United States.
Then the United States demanded of her partner in
the alleged mare , clausum, Russia, indemnity for the
American sealers who had been despoiled in the Russian
half of Bering Sea. This claim was arbitrated at the
Hague by Dr. Asser, who gave large indemnity to the
Americans; which was promptly paid by Russia. Now
the British claim of like nature against Russia has been
paid, and as an international issue the incident is closed.
Just here appears the matter of final interest. The
United States seized a large number of vessels belonging
to American sealers. The Paris arbitration decided that
such seizure was unlawful. The Americans despoiled by
their own Government numbered three or four times
more than the British and Americans despoiled by Rus
sia and the British despoiled by the United States.
Their losses were so great that the most of them were
ruined outright and have since been in poverty. The
majority of them are San Franciscars. .But up to this
time they have not been paid one penny for the unlawful
seizure of their property by their own Government. It
has enforced their rights against Russia, and it 'has paid
the British dealers seized under the same circumstances,
and Russia has paid for seizing the British ships, but
these Americans, whose "rights l..cir Government en
forces againsf another nation, have asked it in vain for
the same justice from itself that it compels others r to
render.
The. case is very interesting and may well become the
subject of study for those who desire to learn the conr
stitution and functions of our Government. When i%
protects our citizens abroad only one branc.li, the executive,
acts, and acts efficiently always. But when our Govern
ment owes such indemnity to its own citizens injured by,
its own* unlawful act, the executive becomes powerless.
The President can secure justice, for American citizens
abroad, but not at home. Here-they must appeal to the
other two co-ordinate branches, the legislative^ and the
judicial, where too often, as in this case, their cry for
justice falls upon deaf cars.
In the relief of the American-for-convcniencc, Perdi
caris, we may spend twice as much as would compensate
these genuine Americans for their losses, and they, to
the extent of their tax-paying power, will have to con
tribute lo the relief of the Greek in Morocco, but they"
are powerless to get, the justice that is due from their
own Government. ¦ ' ¦.
PROTECTING AMERICANS.
any organization, they take on a far more serious and
It must be admitted: that the charge that they are so
planned, procured and incited gets support from the
fact that the criminals who commit them, though caught
red-handed, are furnished-bail and defense by the organ
ization concerned. It is. this appearance of an organiza
tion widely affiliated, and politically powerful that par
alyzes the arm of justice in too many cases, whe» punish
ment should be prompt, heavy and exemplary.
No right-minded citizen can condone such crimes, or
consider them other than interference with lawful rights
of person and property, that should* be promptly pun
ished to deter others from like transgression. At no
period in its history could, this city -afford the backset
that comes with a reputation for indifferent or partial
enforcement of the law, and it can afford it now less
than ever.
THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, THURSDA^ JUNE 2, 1904.
THE SAN FRAN CISCO GALL
JOHN D. SPFECKELS, Proprietor . ? > « ? . . . . . Address Alt Communications to JOHN McNAUGHT, Manager
PubUcatloa Office .*. '......Third and Market Streets, S. F.
THURSDAY ..) ..................:..,..........¦¦..,... ~ ... JUNE 2. iqoT
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