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About The Conservative (Nebraska City, Neb.) 1898-1902 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 11, 1898)
Conservative. 13 Canon C. H. Robinson in a Nine teenth Century paper gives a very in teresting account of au African civiliza tion developed mainly from within. The country known as Sokoto is com pletely cut off from European influence , and , so far as it has known exotic modi fication , this has been derived from Arab and Abyssinian sources. The Plausa tribe constitutes the bulk of the population , and it possesses a written language , the only one evolvH so far as known , by any strictly uegruic pee ple. The characters are adapted from the Arabic alphabet , and the date of their introduction runs back more than 1,000 years. Their histories profess to cover nearly this period and are made up of a great variety of interesting tradi tions. The Hausas , though now governed by a Mohammedan dynastyunder whom they claim to have lost much of their former greatness , are energetic traders , skillful workers of cloth and metals , and they manufacture a considerable number of other commodities. Canon Robinson's description completely dis poses of the contention of the ethnolo gists that there is no example known of a substantially self derived civilization among the black African peoples. Ex-Senator Warner Miller and Sena tor Morgan , who have been from the outset the sturdiest supporters of the Nicaraguau canal , have again been urging the matter on Mr. McKiuley. The assurance of the president is that he will ask for prompt legislation from congress at their reopening. He is said to favor governmental ownership in toto. A litigant at law should have three bags one full of papers , one of money Mud one of patience. Of the three bags the first goes on increasing in bulk , while the others rapidly get empty. Yet great writers have pronounced law to be the highest and noblest fruit of civ ilization. They were lawyers , however. The Russian court ladies have been immensely exercised over the prohibi tion of the czarina directed against smoking cigarettes in the royal pres ence. The etiquette could never have been very severe if it has been allowed at any time. It is all u matter of taste , however. The bombardment of earthworks by ships offshore always proves waste of powder. Sampson's fleet fired $2,000- 000 worth of big ammunition at the batteries defended by the earthworks of Santiago harbor without dismantling a gun or doing more than knocking a few harmless holes in the earth. But it inado the Spanish artillerymen take to subterranean shelter very rapidly. The Spanish defenses were examined by the American naval officers after the Bar- render and found intact. The SpanlBh Ilurciiftcr. Ono can scarcely avoid speculating what the future of Spain , so greatly shorn of territory and prestige , will probably be. It is not that the loss of her colonies , which have long been a drain on the parent country , is any or ganic impairment. But their possession has been a reminder of past glory and a buttress of national prido. Aside from this colonial loss is but release from au intolerable burden , leaving Spain far more free for healthy internal develop ment , if that is conceded to bo possible. In spite of so many elements which make Spain a decadent people OHO is inclined to think that there may bo im mense vitality yet at the roots and that the main thing will be the cutting away of the dead wood. In the first place , Spain has a most hardy , industrious and thrifty peasant ry. In this lowest stratum may lie the seed of ultimate regeneration instantly the light of education begins to shine on its life. It is a country of ample nat ural resources sufficiently varied in character. It makes less difference whether the government be Carlist , Al- fousist or Republican than that it should be stable and appeal to the affec tionate support of the people. That there is a rich intellectual life in Spain of today is shown in its literature , which in some respects is not unworthy of the land which produced Calderon , Lope do Vega and Cervantes. The con temporary school of Spanish fiction is one of the most delightful in Europe , and there could be no better test than this of a wholesome intellectual vigor. Spain will never sink to the level of Portugal. It may bo that in retrench ment and concentration she is still des tined to a noble future. The case of the American Mrs. May- brick , condemned to life imprisonment for husband poisoning , has again been brought up before the English homo secretary , this time by Mr. Michael Davitt , on the plea that such clemency would help the new international friendship. If this is the only good ground for pardon , Sir Matthew White would bettor coutiuuo inexorable. High speed has won in the battleship contention. Secretary Long's circular to shipbuilders that in the bids for the now battleships "highest rate of speed and greatest coal endurance" will bo the winning factors , other things being equal , will insure us warships equal or superior at all points to any in the world. Twenty knot battleships are al ready smoking on the horizon. Not every Frenchman is quite cal lous to shatno over the Dreyfus scandal and the miserable things which hiivo come from it. Emilo Zola has been expelled - polled from the Legion of Honor , in which ho was a commander. At once several prominent mouin the order sout in their resignations and published their reasons in bitterly eloquent words. Certain enterprising citizens of a keenly financial turn have made appli cations to the comptroller of the cur rency for permission to establish na tional banks at Honolulu , Manila , San Juan and Havana. This is "taking time by the forelock" with a vengeance and illustrates the true Yankee hustler. SIX-IK ! August in tlic ISliiuk Hills. Go first to Hot Springs. There you can bathe , ride , bicycle , climb moun tains , dance and play tennis to your heart's content. If your limbs are si iff , your kidneys out of order or if you are troubled with eczema or any other form of skin disease , a month at Hot Springs will make a new man of you. Sylvan Lake and Spearfish are within a comparatively short distance of Hot Springs and everyone who visits the Black Hills should see them. Sylvan Lake is the prettiest and coolest summer resort , in the west. Spearfish is reached after a railroad ride that ranks among the experiences of a lifetime. There is nothing like it anywhere else on the globe. During August , the Burlington route will run two low-rate excursions to Hot Springs ; one on the Oth , the other on the 20th of this month. Tickets will be sold at one fare for the round trip half rates mid will bo good to return any time within 550 days. Organize a party. Arrange about your hotel accomodations at Hot Springs. Get your tickets from the Burlington agent and pass the most de lightful month in the year in the most delightful summerlahdon the continent. JOV MORTON < Sr CO. MANUrACTUHKKS AND DEAMJUS IN i V ARdO STARCH SAL , SODA CEREALS SALT SODA ASH General Office , Pier No. 1 , Chicago. Shipping DockH and Soda Factory Suit Works : 0. B. & Q. SLIP I. 0. PIER 1 , CHICAGO. WYANDOTTE , MICHIGAN , . BELT BY. , C. R. I. & P. SO. CHICAGO. HUTCHINSON , KANSAS. Starch Factory and Cereal Mills , Nebraska City , Neb.
