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.
