People Approve Extravagant Expenditures

The Adrian Press prints a table showing how enormously state taxes have increased in Lenawee county from 1898 to now under this republican reform administration.
It shows the dear people that the taxes for state purposes were $58,603.85 last year and this year $101,144.74, and then advises the taxpayer when he goes to liquidate for his part of Pingreeism to take his tax receipt of last year along with him for purposes of comparison.
Now, the Press table of taxes is correct; the immense increase is there all right enough; but what's the use of advising the taxpayer to take his last year's tax receipt with him when he goes to pay up.
He don't care a hurrah in hades what his taxes are when he comes to vote. He will remember the amount for a day or two after paying and will growl about it, but that will all be forgotten before he comes to vote, and be will hurrah for the same gay deceivers - -Pingree et al. - again.
The Press has lived long and learned much wisdom, and it is queer that it has not discovered the utter impossibility of raising a political issue on the subject of taxation.
Outside of local taxation - that for which the board of supervisors is responsible- - no one cares what the amount is. So far as state taxation is concerned. Pingree with his record, which smells to heaven, could be re elected, hands down.
Gov. Winans gave Michigan an administration than which the state never had a better or more economical one; but two years of such administration was all the people would have, and his own party turned him down.
The people like extravagance in state and national affairs, and they are getting what they want.
It is idle, therefore, to attempt to raise an issue on that question.

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No doubt, the wish was father to the thought with the British in sending out reports of the death of Gen. Jou'oert. Germany is making as much jubilation ovei England's bid for her good behavior during Britain's unpleasantness in South África, as though Sarnoa was of some account and profit. So far as Germany is cor.cerned, she has got a gold brick. Major John A. Logan, jr., the only son of the dashing civil war leader of the same name, was killed on Nov. i2th while leading his men in battle. Young Logan's career has not always been such as could be commended, but he has redeemed himself in the record he has made since the Spanish war carne, and in his death he has roved himsel worthy of his soldier father and his noble mother. What wouid the United States do with sixteea-and-a-half knot cruisers relative to the building of which the navy department has recently been opening bids ? The bids were found to be for similar vessels, but with a speed of eighteen and nineteen knots. Congress and the navy department would better shake off a little of their Rip Van Winkleism and remember that no snails are needed for the navy at the present time. Apropos of the iterated and reiterated statement by the English press that England has the sympathy of the American people in her struggle with the Boers, the challenge has been issued by a Chicago Irishman to test the truth of the statement in any city of the country. No believer in the statement of the English press has shown any indications of acceptance. Their confidence, no doubt, will be best conceived by not accepting. Gen. Miles needs no vindication relative to the charges he made about "embalmed beef," but if he did, it is at hand. It is stated that the English stocked up with American meats, and on the way to South África they were obliged to dump a lot of it into the sea. Those meatpackers appear to be giving American meats a bad reputation across the pond. Let them rise up and explain. This fact will do more to discredit American beef than al Gen. Miles said. At last General Otis appeais to be conducting real war operations in the Philippines. The rapidity with which the three army columns have approached the objective point of the campaign from as raany different directions has astonished the natives, The crafty Aguinaldo has not yet been caged,but,in whatever direction he has gone, it would appear that he cannot have a very large force with him. The war will not be at an end, however, until he is captured. If the Boers are making the bes headway possible against Ladysmith and the other cities which they ar beleaguering now, what will be thei chances when Gen. Buller arrive with a much larger army than the combined British forces now in the field? Of course, the Boers are best at defensive warfare, but if they are unable to defeat the present enemy, it is difficult to see how they can do much more than to temporarily retard the advance of the British and make the campaign costly in lives. The campaign in Luzon is being pushed vigorously. The new campaign goes forward with the usual American hangtuiti.veness, no matter what the difficulties are. Our soldiers, even when having to advance through water waist-deep, continue to drive the Tagalas before thern. Gens. MacArthur and Lawton are closing in on Tarloc. On Saturday General MacArthur captured Bamban, next to Tarlac, the strongest position held by the Fililipinos. The present capítol of the Filipinos is under the hat of Ido, but just where that location is he American soldiers would like to cnow. The action of the board of regents n creating the position of gradúate manager of athletics is to be commended. Athletics have become so )rominent a feature of college life, hat they should be controlled and managed by some one responsable o the university rather than the student body. This move will secure to the university cleaner athetics. It will be a great advantage to all concerned. It will raise the dignity of the position of manager, and make it sufficiently independent of the foibles of the student body to leavi to a steady policy,and this will certainly improve and elévate athletic sports. The wreek of the United States cruiser Charleston is a serious loss and one greatly to be regretted, but it is scarcely to be expected that the remarkable freedom of the navy from losses should continue. According to reports, the ship was wrecked on an uncharted coral reef with thirty-five fathoms of water on either side. The Charleston was built by the Union Iron Works of San Francisco, and was placed in commission in 1889, and consequently has had about ten years of service. Apparently ho one was to blame for the accident, as the ship was caught in a northeast raonsoon. It is thought the cruiser will be a total loss. Although the causes leading to the summoning of a grand jury by Judge Person of Ingham county are not definitely known, it is understood to be for the purpose of investigating certain happenings and doings about the last legislature. Whether anything will be accomplished or not, remains to be seen That there are those who in the interest of the people and honest government should be brought to book, nobody questions; but whether the requisite evidence can be obtained against them, is another thing. That they are well known to the officers of the legislature and to newspaper reporters is true, but such evidence as will go in court is difficult to obtain. Both parties to such deals are deeply concerned in conducting them without witnesses. Exposure is, therefore, most difficult. However, if the grand jury can discover the evidence, it will deserve the gratitude of the people generally. _ . British soldiers have again been surprised in South África with a resulting considerable loss. An armored train left Estcourt and proceeded beyond Frere, where it encountered a Boer force and was forced to withdraw. But Boers were behind it as well as in front, and they derailed the train. Then they threw shells into it. The British soldiers aboard disembarked and madeaheroic defense, but several were killed and more captured, among the captured being a son of Lord Randolph Churchill. The fact s, the British feil into a well laid Boer trap again. While not more than ioo men were lost, the incident las served to convince the English that the projected relief of Ladysmith is not going to be any hohday affair. The Americans are pressing their attentions so closely upon the Fili pino government that the records of that peripatetic organization have been passed into the hands of the Americans for safe-keeping, along with the wardrobe of Mrs. Aguinaldo. Now, the government can get i along without those records all right, but how is Mrs. Aguinaldo to attend state functions without that wardrobe? She will have nothing to wear. don't yer knovv I The statement comes from Washington that Secretary Long of the navy will resign. This may be true and it may not be true, but it would surprise no one, for the present administration is distinguished above others tor thé nutnbef of lts cabinet changes. Secretary Lorig is an áble man and one of the most scholarly in public life. His administraron of the navy department has been admirable. Aboutthé only discredit o his administration is his continued efforts to cast aspersions upon Admiral Schley. Th'ere is nothing more certain than that the people are not with him in these efforts. The Germán butchers are making an effort to exclude American meats which are raising catn vrith the German raiser and purveyor. There is a meat inspection bill Ow pending betore the reichstag, called a health measure, but reallydesigned to shut out American meats, and American packers are kicking up a great bobsery about it. The measure is designed to protect the GermanObeef raiser and others concerned in the sale of meats from American competition. To do this is to follow American precedents, and just why any American believer in protection should kick is not clear. He ought to be willing to take his own prescription without howling, but he isn't and never is. Believers in protection never did believe the other fellow should be protected. However, if Germany should exclude American meats, it might be advantageous to the American consumer. Undoubtedly the present high price of beef in America is due to the effort of the packers here to force their product into European markets, and, in order to do this, beef is sold at a loss there, and enough more is charged the American consumer to make up this loss.