Life — January 5, 1899 — page 4: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

“ While there is Life there's Hope.” VOL. XXXII. JANUARY 5, 1809. No. 840. 19 West Tutery-Finst St., New Yor«. Published every Thursday. $5.00 a year in ad- vance. Pi ‘ostage to foreign countries in the Postal LOL a year extra. Single current copies, 10 ce Back oumbers, after three months from date of publication 2 cents. No contribution will be returned unless accompanied by stamped and addressed envelope. The illustrations in L1rE are copyrighted, anit are not (o be reproduced without speciat arrangement with the publishers. Prompt notification should be sent by sub- scribers of any change of address, AM an expansion- “ . I ist,” said Gover. * nor Roosevelt at the New England dinner in Brook- lyn, but this is his idea of ex- pansion: If one of the islands we have taken 1s not fit to gov- em itself, we must gov- ern it until tt ts ready for self-government. There isa mod- eration even about expansion, Nearly all of us are expansionists now within the limits that the Governor defines. Tulk of selling, swapping or abandoning the Spanish islands is idle. We are bound to govern them until they are ready for self- government. Will that time ever come? That may, depend largely upon us. If we are imperialists at heart, it wou’t. We won't let it come, and won't recognize it if it docs come. But if we are merely expansionists according to the definition of Governor Roosevelt. we may hope to sce the Spanish islands equal to the regu- lation of their own matters, and cither quit of us entirely, or attached only by a slender tie, voluntarity maintained. “<) CCOUNTS vary as to how many women Lieutenant Hobson kissed between Chicago and San Francisco. Some reports say two or three; others run the number up into the thousands. *LIFE~ Heaven knows what the truth is, but when newspapers of fair standing print despatches which represent Hobson as kissing one bundred and sixty women in one town and four bundred in another, it is hard to believe tbat there is not at least a basis of truth to their statements, We must recall, however, bow much false news nearly all the papers printed about airships in the West, and be slow about giving too much credence to such testimony. If Hobson has been lied about in this instance, it will be a great pleas- ure to learn of it, for these reports put him in a very unfavorable light. Meanwhile, the Navy Department hgs done the kindest thing it could for our young friend in sending him out of the country. The disposition to spoil him has been epidemic now for five months, and it would be almost a miracle if the victim did not show some dcleteri- ous effects from it. If it is truc, as has been asserted, that the loss of the Span- ish warship Maria Teresa after she had been raised was due to Hobson's head- strong haste in sending her tosea against advice, before sbe had been properly re- paired, there would seem to be in that a deplorable example of thedefective work- ing of a head turned by adulation, It is proper to say, however, that there are doubtless two sides to that story, which at this writing bas not been adequately EANWHILE, Admiral Sampson has got home from Cuba. He landed quietly in New York and went off to his home in New Jersey without ruffiing the public composure in any noticeable degree. It is not reported that crowds hindered his progress or that women offered to kiss him. He simply went about his business, doubtless to his own great satisfaction’ yet, so far as can be ascertained, he is the biggest man the war brought out, not even excepting Admiral Dewey. He is as quiet and un- obtrusive a person as General Grant. There is no pretense about him, no bom. bast, and, so far as is known, no vanity. He has carried an immense burden of responsibility, and has fully justified the confidence that our government reposed in him. No recognition in the gift of Congress can exceed Admiral Sampson’s deserts. It is one of the greatest pieces of good fortune that befell a lucky people that he was recognized at the outset of our war with Spain as the man to com- mand the navy in Eastern waters, + i+ © oF od HE prosperity that we have been hoping for and asking for so loag seems to have come ut last in fairly com- plete measure. Buying and selling is active and transactions gre enormous, Europe owes us very great sums of mouey, and there is more money already in our banks, if not in our pockets, than there is present employment for. Those of us who have been waiting for the return of good times before we dared to be happy have no longer any good gen- eral reason for delay. The only com- plaint that grumblers find to make now is that the margin of protit is too narrow. Within five years, the cost of production of almost all manufactured commedities has been vastly cheapened, and the prices of most things have come down. That is a permanent change, and we shall have to accommodate ourselves to it. If we are buyers we will not complain. If we are sellers we shall bave to sell ‘more than we used to, and that we are doing already. The shadow of 93 is lifting at last, and promises to pass wholly away in this last year of the century. HE more we learn about the condi- tion of Cuba, the more justifiable seems to have been the work of ousting Spain. Most of the news we get is of a devastated country, and of a population tragically reduced in number, starved, weakened, sick and homeiess, without strength for labor or capital to begin the work of reparation. Now, Spain being out, what next? Congress is in session, What is to be done to make good our claim that our war was a war for human ity, and our only motive for undertaking it the desire to put a stop to oppression and relieve distress? Oppression has been eliminated. Now comes our chance to show what we can do about the distress,