Etc. [pp. 487-492]

OVERLAND MONTHLY
have had in reply a series of loudly heralded
"inspections," and an official inquiry. But
the abuses which gave rise to the conditions
complained of are still unremedied. Soldiers
are being turned adrift without a dollar in
their pockets and with two months pay in arrears, so that it is not an unusual sight to
see handsome, self-respecting Americans in
the uniform of their country soliciting alms
on the sidewalks, so as to be able to get to
their homes. The Rough Riders hung
around New York in squads for days, because
many of them had not the money to buy a
half-rate ticket for home; and when they finally did go, they owed the cost of their transportation to charity. We really have a good
deal to learn from the Chinese.
-4 ~- IF THE Overland
Monthly were a yellow
Breaking journal, it would probably
China take credit to itself for the
two warships which the ad ministration has just sent
into Chinese waters. For months we have
been insisting that the American nation had
a real and living interest in the fate of China;
but we were as a voice crying in the wilderness. It required the victory of Dewey
to make some people even look in the
direction of the Orient. Having looked,
they will now watch long enough to learn.
We again insist that every worker in the
country, but particularly on the Pacific Coast,
has a direct interest in the future of China. It
is of the utmost importance to our growing
trade in the Orient that no nation should be
permitted to so deal with China as to abridge
our commercial rights in that great and populous land. Every farmer on the Coast, every
mechanic and artificer, every tradesman and
little shopkeeper, every man engaged in transportation, has an interest in our Oriental
trade; and now that Hawaii has become part
of our political and industrial system, the lea:st
among us will soon be willing to concede
what the Overland has so long contended for.
WELCOME, thrice wel come, beautiful Hawaii!
You and the Overland are
HAlai old friends. We are glad
Ni to greet you as a member
of our family,- our youngest and fairest; henceforth the brightest jewel
in Columbia's diadem. Never has the Over
land grown weary of singing your praises, ofpicturing with pen and camnera your tropical
beauty. Now it shall be even more!its task
to make your welfare and your peace a deepl
concern of its own, so that you shall never lack
a voice to speak for you, when long leaguesof sea prevent you from speaking for yourself, and to demand with all the force that in
us lies, justice and liberality, good faith andS
honorable treatment, for you. If they make
you a county of California, or even a ward of
San Francisco, we shall not count it strange;
for your people are largely our people, your
commerce is our commerce, and your welfare our prosperity. Aloha!
IT IS an old saying that
The history repeats itself. Whern
Sth it does so in the same spot:
Sixth the result is seldom benefi Amendment
Amendment cial. Years ago Senator
Caminetti introduced ancd
secured the passage of a bill creating the so —
called grammar school course schools. This
awkward title was adopted for the purpose of
disguising the fact that these schools were
supported in defiance of the constitution,
which distinctly states that "the entire revenue
derived from the State school fund and the
State school tax shall be applied exclusively
to the support of primary and grammar
schools." The avowed purpose of the grammar school course school was to fit students
to enter the scientific department of the State
University. In other words the work of theseschools was of the high school grade. Yet
the bill provided for the setting aside'of a
special fund from the State school fund for
the support of these schools.
So firmly is the principle fixed in the minds
of people that the State should contribute to
the support of schools of all grades, that in
spite of the glaring unconstitutionality of the
law creating the grammar school course
schools, it remained in force for years and 57schools were organized and running under
it at the time of its repeal. Though the scope
and quality of the instruction it provided for
left much to be desired, these schools served
to keep alive the high school idea, until a better method of supplying the link between the
grammar schools and the University could be
found.
That better method was embodied in the
High School laws of I89I, which gave birtlt
to the County and Union District HIigla
488