Life — June 21, 1900 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

Published every ‘Thursday, 85,00 0 ‘oatage to forelan countries I arte seks ane a ae No contribution will be returned unless accompanied by stamped and addressed envelope. The illustrations in Live are copyrighted, and are not to be reproduced without speciat arrangement with the publishers, Prompt notification should be sent by sub- scribers of any change of address, ENERAL OTIS last week made a triumphal entry into Rochester, his home city, and was received by his neighbors with brass bands, soldiers, bunting and every evidence of es- teem. Heisa good sol- dier, and fortwo years past has worked hard and faithfully at a bad job. There may seem to be no very obvious reason why _ he should be welcomed - home like a conquering - hero, but itis the fashion so to regard our chiet fighting men who come back from the Philippines, and there is at least as much sense in giving eral Otis a thunderous welcome as in continuing to burn powder and_ fly flags in honor of Admiral Dewey. They are both good men who have served faithfully, and it is their misfortune, and not in any degree their fault, that their energies have been spent in securing the American people in pos- session of a gold brick. Our soldiers in the Philippines have all the more valid and urgent a claim upon our gratitude, because, almost universally, they loathe their employment. As a rule they have no opinion of the Philip- pines as an American adjunct, and only a very moderate and somewhat despairing interest in the Filipinos as folks, They have chased the Filipinos because that was the duty assigned them, and they have worked hard at it because it was extremely disagreeable, LIFE and they wanted to get through. In their private letters home our officers say* “The islands are not worth having; the people hate us, and it will be a heart-breaking task to govern them, but if they must be whipped into submission, give us all possible help and support so that it may be done quickly.” That is an appeal which we cannot but respect. If the honors paid to General Otis make our brethren in the Philippines feel that we appre- ciate their devotion to duty as well as his, the Rochester celebration won't have been in vain, WE know not much more about the Boxers in China than that they are a lot of athletic fanatics who are willing to fight, and are violently op- posed to foreigners and foreign ideas, There seem to be very many of them, and, although they are mobs rather than armies, they are undoubtedly up to serious mischiefs, and are making disturbances, the upshot of which it is hard to foresee, The Government in China seems unequal to its work and sure in time to come to grief. The powers of Europe and the United States stand ready to give necessary assistance whenever the right time comes, and any considerable domestic upheaval like this movement of the Boxers may end in no one knows what. It is hard work to bring the civiliza- tions of Asia and Africa up to the standard of Europe and North America, but no less a task than that seems to confront our ambitious gener- ation, the same time we have matters AY at home that give us pretty con- stant food tor thought. For more than a month St. Louis has been agitated and disordered by a street-railroad strike, Rioting has been pretty con- stant. A dozen persons, more or Jess, nave been killed, and more than a hundred have been injured, Women have been taken by mobs from the streetcars, stripped, and pelted through the streets. Yet at this writing, the Governor of Missouri has not called out the militia, These goings-on are pretty serious. Serious too is the con- dition of affairs in Chicago where a’ strike in the building trades has brought nearly all building to a stand- still and caused grave disorders and of the peace. The trades joined in great central organi- zations, are competing with the great aggregations of capital for the custody of the goose that lays golden egi They may not kill the goose, but they are apt to chase the poor thing so hard that she gets no time to lay. That brings the cure. When the supply of golden eggs has ceased it becomes ap- parent that contention is unprofitable. We cannot object offhand to strikes, nor condemn the aspiration of work- men to work fewer hours and get higher wages, but we have a right to demand the protection of free labor from the tyranny of union labor, as well as from the tyranny of capital, and that contests between employers and employees shall be conducted lawfully, and shall not run on into war. [HE end of the Transvaal war makes haste slowly. That nice gentle- man, General Bobs, has got Pretoria, after saving the mines at Johannes- burg, but Boers galore are still in arms andabletomake trouble. Father Kruger has made good his words about the price that would stagger humanity. The Orange Free State has changed its name, and the ‘‘ Free"? has gone out of it. The Transvaal will soon be a British province with lords’ sons and soldiers to keep it straight, but a lesson has been taught, and the learners are not the vanquished, but the conquer- ors. The Jingo business is hardly what it was either in England or here. On the principle of tying adead chicken to the neck of the dog who killed it, it will soon be in order to make Mr. Joseph Chamberlain a peer with the title of Lord Chamberlain of Pretoria.