OUR AMERICAN LETTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2200, 30 April 1896, Page 55

OUR AMERICAN LETTER.

(From Oto Own Correspondent.) ( San Fbancisco, March 6. , COLONIAL OPINION ON AMBBICA. The remarkable standpoint taken by the New Zealand press upon Cleveland's famous message to Congress on the Venezuelan boundary is to the^impattial resident dl the SUtes*nore than surprising. It seems tobe-assnmerl by the Nbw Zealand press that Cleveland made a great mistake, that his action was largely condemned, that its effects were evil, and that Lord Salisbury has gained a point in the diplomatic game Now nothing could be farther from the actual

truth of the matter. Cleveland did not make

a mistake. His action was condemned by two ' New York journals only. The effect of the message was*, from an American ttandpoinfe,

Bati- factory, and Lord Sulisbury has, unrquivocaJly, had to draw in hw horns. Nor would t;hs responsibility for war had it eventuated 1 fcave rested with the United States, but with V 23i)&l<-nd, nor was there the loos of a single dollar u> a single family in the United States through Cleveland's action. The United Sates took the position tbat the Ye->- zuelan bcuadary que:-tion was a fair subject for arbitration, and that England, as a gre.it n&t'on, could well affoid to accept the tame. This view has been upheld by all the pr< mir^enb men of the English Liberal party, . and the marked change in the Government'slaUr action indicates that it, , also, is on the look out for some method whereby it-can accept arbitration without loss of dignity. An for the talk abbut ruin to cuuntless families Decaase some 6tock-j(.bbers in England ar.d New York tried to create a panic, ib ia the veriest nonsense. Families that have money bo invest in stocks do i not rush to the market and fling them away at every scare ; the only men who do that are the Bpeculattrs, and no one sympathises with them. Ordinary people hold their stocks, and when the ecare blows over they are not ono penay the worse. So it was in the so-called fall in iatermtiontil stocks following .upon Cleveland's meEsage. Silly men in both countries flaug &wx.y their stocks afc a loss, and wise men in both countries baught them up and reaped a profit. Ib was a speculator's game from start to finish. THE SALVATION ABMY. There is a little cloud no bigger than a man's band rising iv the East, and what threatens to be the fkat break of the ultimate separation of the United States branch ot tho Salvatiou Army from that of the parent country is apparent In the interests of the Army, General Booth deemed ib advisable to order a change of location to bis son and daughter, Mr and Mrs Balliugton Booth, of New York. This, is seems, was resented. The young couple are great favourite* and successful workers ia the capital city, and bad no desire to hi transferred. Amid much that is doubtful and contradictory, one fact looms out — the Balling-

mtiontil stocks following .upon Cleveland's

ton Booths no longer serve in tv» Salvation Atmy, though whether dismissed or asked to resign is a discu:aed qacatioa. The fact, howwer, is that two j>f the Army's beat, blesb and most earnest workers, -will now 'form an orgaviiation of tteir own and -continue to wage war against vice and poverty on distinct lines. Oilers of help are pouring in upon them 'from every city, and men prominent in business and political circles are u.ging them forward and Dot to fear any- anxiety as t o money.

The question remains : What is the real secret of their dismiss!*! ? And the answer is that the anti-Euglish feeling is as strong in thb Salvation Army as in any other body the country over. Dislike, amounting almost' to mutiny, «b the necessity to obey orders received from England 'has ,gro«vxk so -alarmingly bhat General Booth iioped, perhaps, a obaroge of ' post for his son might stay it. The outcome bus been to intensify this feeling. Tha soldiers . who side wish the jour»£ couple dncora y e themselves with stars and utiipes ; Mies 'Eva B )obh, ' the vicar commirjdant, was biased »ucLgrouned at upon ber ficst appearance, mud many -able* leaders will follow their old commanders into exile. From which it would seem that two Salvation .Armies are probable in the near future, and Ballingtcn Booth, whilst deprecat- *""» desertion, speak- plainly : "We will remain 'hfijce/' v "»aiia ex-comrniT l^ "We are. American .citizens. Our <cLJidr.ea aiv -t" ieri :. cans, jindiwe do not intend to go to England." Unqueati. ji>bly a decided reeling has strongly manifested iijetfiu the canks of the Salvation in thin tcity. Taken all in aU ' the cud looks ominous for ihe American Aro>y. TRIAL BY JUBY. "This ho*iry o ld relic tif the past is still held in -hi^h veneration by the criminal and depraved. li»t ply a pa c s»* but that some villain bfls to fall ,d->wn upon his bended knees and thank -{he author of his wretched" b#iog for #ivijj9»'h{ni a fair andiimpaitial trial afc Jfce ihands ofjjis fellow countrymen. The papqrs though do^ob, editorially, concur in this pkw g(At«il»tioi), but say .that trial by jury in criminal <ases is .largely a farce, that killing is «vid.3j>ft'y no piucder, k that ;h«m»n life -is immea^urajbly cheaper than property, and that mQu^aad women are- convicted .or dismissed not upon .evjuderce, but upvn wretched quibbles atkd jDid 'tbis person commit t^ fititaa charged ? is _r.ot the question, bat C*n we bjy hook or by Qroftk ,«app.*e33 .the evidence essential to tjhc .proof .? •ji&rte cases in evidence of ,the abjw .have' rfic^ytly bfijen decide^ in -this ,oi by.

jA, caretaker ;in .o.ne of the < oemetorjes .a<£-

nvuUtered * poisoned pill to a .woman, who died shortly after in great agony. ' In-addition to the lies theieUow was -.shown .to have -told, there waa the positive evidence of the woman's child, who s»w the--inangiv)B the" -pill,ibiit.inasnjuch as the child wasrtao young to understand the nature of an oath .her, evidence was ruled out, Arid aD.iwteJligenfc. jury JjiOLtghtiasa vetdipfc «f ":Not ( guilty: J ' "The second case was that of a doctor who

hAMUg .performed ** sorimiual operation with fatal reaults upon' some' poor girl, ia order to

hide bis crime out the body up and scattered it.tfboat'the'&ay. He was, tried, found jguilty,, and<sentenced.j bub upoo-BQiae quibble obtained anew JbrM, fUD9,t£fter telling the muafc.abomin»Ule'falsehoods in -the^wstaesa 'hpx, was pronouccad 'by J2 . good taen and true, "Nob guilty;" The third case ie even worse than the other two. 4. woma.n earned Skattuck invited a yoavg ltd, who b*d been esaoeiatiag with her daughter— a questionable character— up to her - room, and bacansa he refused tfcea-and there ±0 many fiiid datighiep shot him dead. She vtm tried, found guilty, and eeaienc-d to 18 years' ;impriß.ocm«at. '-6he sppliefi for a new trial, got it, and was triumphantly acquitted by tfee-jtufy. jfay.jp neither of .those coses— with a alight dopbj;, "fowteps, ia ,fche ißr«t— w»8 there Any dwbt as :to the guiltnaf .tJae This did not «jjt«r into liw qaefl&ja. It -was merely, C»n we<«ppptesß evidence -and create a doubt'? 9H»y conldjftnd the 1 jopafertion of San Fxarv oieeo-ii eobQßcedbj three criminals of known

depravity, and trUI by jury remains, as ever, the safeguard of our liberties. NOTES AND COMMENTS. The spectacle of the Governor of Chiahuahua (Mexico) returning from a gory bull fight, whereat men and horses were brutally wounded, to -issue a proclamation forbidding the boxing contest between Maber and Fitzsimmons, on the grounds that such a contest would be an outrage npon all decency and morals, is only equalled ia ito unredeemed hypocrisy by the like action of the State of Arkansas, where juiblioly burning niggers ab -the stake is regarded wilh gentle toleration. The farcical nature of the, affair .ia augmented when, despite the hundreds of troops that were scouring the country, the- fight came off as its managers predicted it would. One minute and a-half sufficed to lower the prestige of the Irish champion, aud to proclaim Fitztimmonß, the New Zealander, champion hoavy-weighb boxer of the world.

For the first time in nine years snow fell in San l<ranciFC9 on the 2nd inst. Every man, wotnHn, and child was delighted, and for a time the sport waxed fast and glorious. Paderewski's pianoforte recitals in San Francisco were, artistically aad financially, a great success. The prices of Admission ware '4*, Ss, and 12s, bub even these figures failed to check the large crowds.

The application of Rontgen's ca'hode rajs tOitheiiuoian body has been tried with cbusiderjfole SUCWB3 in this city, and the imw dicoovery appears to be bat the starting point fox many other benefits, more rapid and unerring in their speratien/ to Ttho internal when < diseased. • l

Great indignation~has been expressed by a portion of the presa and publioupon the shamefully and di gracefully inadequate sentence imposed upon Miss ' Flngler by a Washington .judge. Mis 3 Flagler deliberately, and in cpld.bloo.li, -shd'6 a Jibtle nigger boy to deifch because *he thought he was .going to climb an apple tree and ttoal therefrom. Her aim was cool, calm, and .accurate, and the boy fell dead. Nor was t» ere ttie slightest ground for reasonable causs, so Mis 3 Flagler pleaded guilty, and was seut.erced to three hours' imprisonment and a £100 fine ! Why ? Simply because Mies Piagler is a white woman, a society woman, and well connected, and her victim was a nigger ! No wonder the nigger is ccying aloud for justice.

Well, let him cry ; notody will hear him, especially in Washington ; "for are we not very busy in Bhoubing for justice for the poor oppressed blacks in Cuba P Go to, then !

Ex United States Consul W*Uor bas been released from prison by the French Government, the conditions being a recognition of Waller's guilt by the United State?, although no bar is placed agaiust Waller suing for damages for ill-treabineut if he so decides.

A few clever men made large sums of money over the rec?nt bond issue. These parties, without a cent in the world, bid for so many thousands of dollars' worth ; were awarded the same, and then, as the market price imrnediitaly jumped to a muclrhigher -figure tban-the h'ghe6t accepted bid, sold their right to some bank, or banker?, tbat had the coin. Tens of thousand*, it is said, have been netted in this way.

Some forerjrnera recently applied, in the State of New Jersey, for naturalisation papers. Their knowledge of the country of which they desired to become citizens in evidenced as uuder : To the question, " Who is theJPresident of the United Stages ? " a Rusxian answered, " The Czar of Russia," and " Atlantic City " was his answer to the question, " What is the oapital of the United States ? " An Italian who had been iv this country for more than 10 years declared that George Washington, was the President of the United States and that he m%de ruaoaroni t