Long-Distance Telephone and Political Corruption
By Editor
Direct telephone communication has been opened between New York and Denver, a distance of 2,011 miles. This is the longest distance the human voice has ever been carried. The line from New York to Philadelphia was opened in 1885, and communication between Chicago and New York was established in 1892, and Omaha was reached at a later date, and remained, until this latest triumph, as the long distance telephone point “furthest west” from New York. In talking with Denver from New York, the Pupin induction coils are used to re-enforce the current, and this in connection with the “phantom” circuit enables them to transmit simultaneously telegrams over the wire that is used for speaking. Concerning the scandal in connection with the election of Mr. Lorimer to the United States Senate the National Prohibitionist says, “The Lorimer incident is a revelation of the almost fathomless wide-spread rottenness in American politics, a rottenness that reaches so high and spreads so far as to be well-nigh irrefutable testimony to the impossibility of a regeneration without a complete overturning of the present dominating political organizations.” And yet in the same issue of the paper the Prohibitionist charges their own national chairman with “bossism” and other uncomplimentary things. If the people of this world would only look honestly at the indisputable facts that stare us in the face on every side, they would be compelled to admit that we are confronted with a condition that no human power can successfully grapple with. Nothing short of the power of Him who drove the money-changers and other tricksters from the temple of old can save the situation to-day. Devout and true men ought to be able to see this, and appeal to Him who is the all-wise One to quicken the powers of mind and heart that will enable them truly to see and meet the demands of this hour. The Prohibitionists would be glad to show that their work is causing a decrease in the use of strong drink, but they are compelled to publish from time to time the facts to the contrary. For instance, in a recent issue of the National Prohibitionist it is stated that the arrests for drunkenness in 1902 were 366,853, while in 1907 they were 482,371, or an increase in six years of almost twenty-three per cent. And in making this statement the Prohibitionist avers that the percentage of arrests for drunkenness is probably lower to-day than in the past. In 1902 the people drank 17.18 gallons of beer per capita; in 1907 they drank 20.56 gallons per capita — an increase of almost twenty per cent. During the same time the consumption of whisky increased seventeen per cent per capita. These are facts that are gathered from reliable statistical sources; and yet in the face of numerous evidences like these, men will vehemently tell us that the world is getting better and better all the time. And who will say how much worse it would have been were it not for the continued and faithful efforts of our devoted army of temperance workers? On Monday, May 8, the new Anglo-Chinese agreement for the extinction of the opium traffic was signed. It is an interesting though singular fact, that Chinese statesmen have long realized that the opium traffic was debauching their people, and have been working to suppress it; and English statesmen, through the influence of the British East India Company, have insisted on perpetuating the evil, so that they might realize on invested capital. England’s perpetuating of the opium trade in the face of “heathen China’s” protest, and a similar perpetuating of the liquor traffic for like reasons, and equally as glaring governmental inconsistencies in this country, make a person feel a kind of queer sensation when listening to some of the high-sounding utterances that these are “Christian nations.” “Christian” England withstood the entreaties of “heathen” China for almost a century before she yielded to her “heathen” request to be relieved from the curse of the opium traffic. We would not in the least disparage the high ideals and the great civilization of both England and our own country. And we would ardently affirm the strong influence that Christianity has had in building up this civilization. But they have many heights yet to reach before either nation will be justly entitled to the appellation “Christian.” More than $336,000,000 is sent and carried abroad from this country each year. Of this sum, it is estimated that about $150,000,000 is sent by citizens and residents to their friends and dependent relatives in the Old World. A large part of the remainder is spent by our navy while cruising in foreign waters, and the rest is spent by tourists. These figures make it apparent, as was suggested by Governor Dix in a recent speech at Glens Falls, New York, that there must of necessity be a trade balance in favor of this country of over $300,000,000 a year in order to keep pace with this immense expenditure. Prof. W. T. Foster of the Washington, D. C., Weather Bureau predicted an earthquake for May 4, and the seismograph of Santa Clara College, California, recorded it as having occurred in the Pacific Ocean. The shock continued for fifty-six minutes.