K *
10 Conservative.
TlIECONSERVA-
THE BORDER WAR. TIVE hns jn ] mnd
WHEN ? WHERE ? . . . .
a very interestmp
and uuiqno contribution , with the above
title , from the facile and pleasant pen of
Mr. H. E. Palmer formerly a , captain in
Co. A , llth Kansas cavalry and now r
citizen of Omaha where he stands very
high as an insurance expert , agent and
adjuster.
In a future issue of TUB CONSERVA
TIVE and , possibly , illustrated with portraits
traits of John Brown , Col. Jennison ,
Quantrell , Gen. Jim Lane and othei
noted characters of the border , this very
attractive and valuable contribution to
the history of Kansas , Missouri and Nebraska -
J braska will be given to the public.
I CURRENT COMMENT. !
AM iBterectlnc Experiment.
The recent plebiscite in Canada on
the question of "prohibition" sustained
that cause by a vote somewhat smaller
than was expected , but still sufficient
as an indication of public sentiment.
The experiment of intrusting to the di
rect action of the people at the polls in
itiative for legislation is a novel one on
this side of the Atlantic and shows a
stop toward the fundamental principles
of socialism. There is no reason in it
self why such a method of determining
public action should not work happily.
The "referendum" policy as practiced
in Switzerland has always been that of
submission of laws actually passed to
Iho popular vote for a final indorsement.
The Canadian measure reverses this ,
and we perceive a policy sought to bo
enforced on the lawmaking powers bv
the constitutional will of the people ex
pressed in advance. The Dominion gov
ernment , after sanctioning this initi
ative , should be deemed bound to carry
out the expressed popular desire of the
people. But it is intimated that there
will be an attempt to evade it on ac
count of the peculiar position of the
premier , Sir Wilfrid Laurior , who was
elected from Quebec , a province very
hostile to the prohibition policy. The
compromise hinted at is that the ques
tion shall bo relegated to separate pro
vincial action , and not be treated by
Dominion legislation. Should this bo
true it will suggest the absurd and dan
gerous attitude which looks at a method
of political reform as a thing which can
be put on and taken off like a coat ac
cording to the weather or evaded by
shrewd trickery.
Romance In Modern Life.
Prosaic as the world seems to have
become in so many particulars , the paa
sion for the romantic and unusual expo
rieuco of things is always aglow at the
bottom of men's thoughts. One of the
curious literary phenomena of rcccu
years is the extraordinary revival of the
caste ror talcs of adventure. Publishers
can scarcely print clean hooks of this
kind fast enough to satisfy the public
taste. The modern world , too , not only
craves to read of strange adventure , fic
titious or otherwise , but furnishes an
ample stock of hardy and ventursomo
eouls eager to undergo adventure , be it
never so dangerous. At no time , for example -
ample , has the passion for exploration
been so venturesome and assumed so
many phases of experiment as in the
present. The imaginative clement as a
factor in human experience is securing
ample recognition as a dominant im
pulse.
No revelation of personal experience
has ever more thoroughly fascinated the
curiosity of English society than the
alleged adventures of M. Louis do
Rougemout. Even the grave and rever-
pud seigniors of the British association
have listened with enchanted interest
to the story of the eloquent Frenchman ,
who has been called the modern Robin
son Crusoe. There are skeptics , how
ever , who insist that ho should bo rath
er designated the French Ananias. It is
the caving fact that no imagination ,
however daring , would ever have de
vised BO extraordinary a story , for fear
that it would at once be disbelieved and
the inventor ejected from society as a
veritable Munchausen in flesh and
blood. This is indeed the attitude of
cold blooded critics , but the majority of
judges find in Rougemont's coherence
and intelligent grasp of the fitness of
things something which baffles all at
tempts at doubting cross examination.
Do FOO'B hero pales before this living
narrator of castaway experiences on
Pacific coral reefs and among tribes of
Australian cannibals. It is fair to say
that so far as investigation can vouch
for the truth of M. de Rougemont's ad
ventures it is in his favor.
The point of interest in the present
connection is the bearing of the adven
turer's story as an object lesson in the
passion ior romanticism , which kindles
so easily and surely. It is what men do
and dare and suffer , whether in a great
cause or in pure love of adventure ,
which takes a more strenuous clutch on
human interest than what they think.
This is the common ground where men
and women of every grade of intelli
gence meet and understand each other.
It is not necessary to assume that ac
tion is the higher function of life , but
all appreciate its modes in that thrill
of flesh and blood which so instantly
quivers delightfully. So we sec a man
like Lord Kelvin or Haeckel , fresh from
abstract and erudite investigation ,
stand open mouthed before the dare
devil adventurer Rougemont , listening
with as much absorption as Desdemona
listened to her sooty charmer. Even sci
ence and philosophy love the romantic.
Darwin's greatest enjoyment was nove
reading , and the most sensational sort
of fiction at that.
i
Europe Versus America.
The two most important financial i
weeklies of Paris L'Economiste Fran- jj
cais and L'Ecouomisto European edit
ed respectively by MM. Leroy Beauiieu
and Thiery , highly respectable names in
economic science abroad , published ar-
icles last mouth concerning the United
States of curious interest. Both those
gentlemen recognized anxiously the
growing political importance of this
country and compared our status with
that of continental peoples. Professor
Leroy Beaulien seems to believe that
; hero is imminent danger of our attack
ing Europe at some not distant day and
advocates a federation of the imperiled
nations to enforce a Monroe doctrine on
the other side of the Atlantic. Ho points
to the proposed sailing of an American
fleet to the coast of Spain during the
late war as one of the evidences of an
irrepressible ambition , which , if carried
out , ought to bo met with armed resist
ance from all Europe. Ho goes on to
say that "the continental powers ought
to prevent , even by recourse to war if
need be , any establishment by the
Americans in Africa or in the part of
Asia bordering upon the Mediterranean
or the Red sea. "
The earnestness with which the
French economist charges on this wind
mill of his own creation would bo ludi
crous if it were not for a serious Bide
suggested. This is a profound jealousy
lately risen toward us in continental Eu
rope , which has marched equally with
an augmented respect. It is totally dif
ferent from the old dislike for America
and American institutions. That had
in it an element of condescending toler
ance. This strikes the keynote of fear ,
and it is the result of a war , too , the
end of which should have been a for
gone conclusion in the mind of an ob
server capable of an algebraic equation.
This French alarmist need have no
fear that there will bo any American
invasion of European shores except
through the agencies of a rapidly grow
ing commerce , making yearly strides
of a conquering progress. Perhaps at
heart this is the path which ho really
dreads. It is enough to cause uneasiness
among nations which regard their mark
ets as sacred to themselves , whether at
their hearthstones or in foreign regions ,
where they attempt to hedge in n jeal
ously guarded monopoly. The only ar
mament of the Americans will bo su
perior ingenuity , enterprise and quality
of the products which they wish to sell ;
the field of campaign in whica they
will use their strategy the free field of
open competition. Another bigger spec
ter , too , haunts M. Leroy Beauliou's
fevered vision. This is the grim appari
tion of a federation which in 1050 will
Rive the United States 180,000,000 in
habitants and England , Canada and
Australia enough moro to make 250-
'
000.000 in aggregate of Anglo-Saxons.