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

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While there is Life there's Hope.” XXXIV, OCTOBER 5, 1899. 19 Wes Tunury-Finst Sr., New ¥ aa year in ad- the Postal copies, the from tribution. will be returned unless accompanied by stamped and addressed envelope. The illustrations in Live are copyrighted, anit are not to be reproduced withuut special arrangement with the publishers, Provpt notification should be sent by sub= scribers of any change of address, Te seems 2 to be fair war- ¥s = rant formorehope- S ful feclings about . affairs in the Phil- ippines. For onc thing, we are to have troops enough there to get what we necd and hold what they get, A large body of troops ready for service will tend to stop the war. For an- other thing, there are signs that wiser counsels and fuller information are now at the service of the President than he heretofore enjoyed. Admiral Dewey is a member of the Philippines Commis- sion, and his opinions will surely carry weight. We think we know about what his sentiments are, and as faras we know them welike them and have confidence in them, So as to College-President Schurman, another member of the Commission. A recent statement from him which the newspapers published was well adapted to excite our hopes. He does notcall the Filipino half-devil-half-child; hedoes not say we must thrash the rebels thoroughly before we can go further. On the con- trary, ho says: “I have great confidence in the peoples of the Philippines and much sympathy for their aspirations,” and he believes it would help to stop the war if Congress would determine what sort of government the Philippines are to have. The spirit of Doctor Schurman’s statement is the right spirit, and it seems LIFE to have knowledge behind it. miral Dewcy, he is the national hero of the hour; he has seen much of the Fili- pinos, and is supposed tounderstand and. sympathize with them, Above all, bis views will carry weight, because we all have profound confidence in bis solici. tude for the honor and credit of bis country, This last consideration is very weighty. We distrust all opinions about the Philippines which seem to be biassed by the influences of domestic politics, and ail plans and professions of critics in whose cffectual patriotism we have not implicit confidence. We would be guided neither by imperialists, nor expansionists, nor scntimentalists, nor traders, nor politicians, but by statesmen who know the situation, and who believe that the glory of a nation is in its right- cousness more than in wealth or strength, The Admiral has called the present cond as in the Philippincs—the block- ade and the war—an abnormal state of things, and says it should cease. He did a great stroke of work for his coun. try when he destroyed the Spanish ships in Mauila harbor, Hecan do us another remarkably good turn now if he can kecp us out of the cmbarrassments which have followed his victory. We would like to believe that wiser counsels and better execution of them are in store, and with Dewey and Schurman in reach of Washington, and Congress about to meet, there is good basis for the hope that there are better things ahead. As for Ad- HERE is substantial solace for all fair-minded people in the release of Dreyfus, Practically, the pardon meant that the French Government recognized that the verdict of the court at Rennes was contrary to the evidence, How con- sidcrablea victory the backers of Dreyfus have won is apparent from the furious outcries of the anti- Dreyfus French news- papers. They have denounced the par- don with imprecations. As far as Dreyfus himself goes, he is pretty nearly as well off as though he bad been acquitted. The pardon restores him to liberty, family, and the pursuit of happiness. The sane world recognizes his innocence, and has a high opinion of his character, It is France, not he, who is disgraced by the failure of justice at bis second trial. Now there will be a chance for Dreyfus to recover his health and France her reason at leisure. The strain is relieved. ‘The pardon was a wise act. T continues to be doubtful if we shall ever koow whether or pot Captain Oberlin Carter robbed the gov- ernment. A court-martial, made of officers who had every appearance of veing competent and fair, spent many months on his case and found him guilty, Some able gentlemen of the law have siace dissented from the opinion of the court-martial. Nobody wants Captain Carter punished unless he is guilty. If there was anything wrong about his trial, give him another. But if he stole the money he ought to be punished, and no Administration can afford to lect him off. © we want to keep the America’s cup? Of course we do, if we have the faster boat, But what we want first and continuously is good races, with conditions all fair, and the luck as fairly apportioned as may be. We want tosce both yachts at their best, and we want such atmospheric velocities as shall test them both thoroughly. Cups are given for the promotion of sport, The America’s cup has served that purpose wonderfully. Long may its usefulness be continucd. ce HE English and the Boers ought not to fight in South Africa, and that is the chief basis for the hope that they won't fight. Neither is hot-headed. The English are aggressive, the Dutch are obstinate; but England has a con- science which is always at work and which tempers her aggressiveness, and the Boer, for all his obstinacy, can count cost. Arbitration, diplomacy, or some modern intellectual appliance, oust to settle the Transvaal difficulties without bloodshed. comicbooks.com