The Nation Should Keep Its Pledges No Matter What Gen. Wood Did

At last it looks as though the fight over Cuban reciprocity is to develop a scandal. When Mark Hanna wanted nis man Ratbbone admitted to bail, he threatened if this were not done he might expose some of the actions of Governor-General Wood. The president did not seem to want to challenge the senator on the issue for some reason and he set aside an important provision of the Cuban law rather than have the Ohio senator carry out his threat.

But now comes one F. B. Thurber, president of the Exporters' association, and says that money was paid the association by the Cuban military government to aid the cause of reciprocity and that President Havemeyer of the sugar trust had also contributed to the cause. Just what there is in all this which Is wrong or scandalous may not be apparent to all, but it is evidently the intention of the so-called insurgents to make the most of it for their cause It may be a little suspicious, possibly, that Havemeyer should have contributed to this cause for the reason that we are accustomed to find a purely selfish motive in all that the trust magnate does. But so far as General Wood's action Is concerned in using some of the Cuban money in printing for the purpose of placing before the people of this country the need of doing something for Cuba in the way of reciprocity, there seems to be little in that to investigate. There may be something in the doing of General Wood which needs investigation, but it is doubtful whether there is much capital to be derived from the charges thus far made. Undoubtedly those opposed to giving any measure of reciprocity to Cuba will catch at this straw, but thus far there seems to be very little to make a scandal out of. The American people pretty generaüy believe Gen. Wood did a great work in Cuba and that he is honest and one of the most capable administrators in the country.

At any rate, whatever General Wood may have done or left undone, our obligations to Cuba in this matter are not changed. She was promised concessions by the McKinley administration and the faith of the nation should be scrupulously kept. Why the president did not call Senator Hanna's bluff may not be clear, for if there is anything which needs exposing in the military governor's record, he should by no means be shielded, but when all that is disposed of, our duty is upon us just the same.

The Eaton county republican convention went on record in emphatic language for a primary election law applicable to all parts of the state and pledged itself to promote the candidacy of those candidates only who will pledge themselves to aid in bringing the legislature to the enactment of such a law. This is a proper stand to take and let it be hoped that there may be many other counties of the same way of thinking. The only reform that will reform the primaries is the placing of nominations directly in the hands of the people themselves without any representative business intervening of any sort whatever. "Wherever the people elect delegates to represent them in conventions they may depend upon it they will be thrown down by some boss. All such intermedíate machinery must be done away with if the people are to have their wishes, observed in nominations.

Major Waller has arrived in this country and he declares that hell is a fine winter resort compared with Samar. He claims to have left the island a howling wilderness according to his instructions. Now the American people will be anxious to learn just what the relations of heil as a winter resort, a howling wilderness, and the island of Samar are, that they may exercise some choice as to the place they patronize. Let the Major point out the relatïve advantages of each.