Show A REMINDER INDER OF AN AMERICAN AN SCANDAL OSEPH CHAMBERLAIN British secretary for the colo colonies colonies Colonies J nies has been brought brou ht to book for fo allowing the war yar department de department d to favor in m contracts the concern in In which he is interested i Admitting all the facts the defense made for Mr Chamberlain is that the former ministry did the same thing allowing to revise their th ir bids so as to be sure of war department business The point of interest interest to Americans is the similarity of the British scandal and some that emanated from our own war de department department department under the Alger regime It is only a case of repetition War Var has invariably been een accompanied by prostitution of official position for financial profit The great jingoist of England Eng England England land like all his predecessors in all nations has been the loudest in his appeals to patriotism his denunciation of the men like Sir William Vernon Harcourt and John Morley because they dared criticise his policy of conquest by force of arms and accuse him h m of serving the interests of the syndicate at the ex expense expense expense pense of national honor An Englishman originated the saying that patriotism is the thelast thelast thelast last refuge of scoundrels and if he could have lived in this day ay he could have proved the truth of his epigram epi m by examples from both sides of the Atlantic Mr Chamberlains excuse may silence his critics but those thos who vho recall the glory of greatest statesmen will wonder what Pitt or Bright or Gladstone would have done if they had come corne into office and found the conditions Mr Chamberlain set forth as an apology Would Pitt have hav retained stock in in a cor corporation corporation corporation living on government contracts under his administration adminIstration tion Would Gladstone The answer defines very well yell the long longI I distance li between the standards of official l morality morality ty that govern gov r a Chamberlain anda Pitt t 1 Y |