THE HESPERIAN.
.J
111
III
i
forfeited Cromwell's protection, nnd failed to enlist the sym
pathies of Charles. His daughter became a creature of
Charles' court where she witnessed the final triumph of her
rival, the Quaker's daughter.
Charles could play agcncious part when it served his
purpose. Karon Kclder, the Puritan, could honorably seek
nnd obtain his favor; his edicts secured toleration for the
Nfw England Quakcis when he wished to avenge the death
of his father.
The story is imaginative and lomantic in the cxticmc.
Even wickedness appears graceful and its punishment awakes
pity. The good triumphs, as it should. There is no better
novel of the type that is fast icliring bcfoic the advance of
realism.
CURRENT COMMENT,
The late Indian uprising (at this writing 'Mate" seems ap
propriate) has attracted considerable attention throughout
the country. It has been commented on by the leading
newspapcts. and by the country papers. Eastern philan
thropists and western "rustlers" have given it attention.
Militaiy men and civilian.'' have discussed it. Publicists have
written about it. Politicians have schemed on it. In fact,
every class of citizens have taken occasion to know much and
say more about it. The fact seems to be, that the country
was ciaving for some excitement. The usual enchantment
gathered in the popular mind mound an Indian war, appeals
to have satisfied this craving to a nicety. It isgoneially
understood too that the militia have had their fill of
Indian campaigning. There is not, furthcimorc, any gicat
amount o( grumbling among U. ofN. cadets that they did
not go. Campaigning in a cold bleak country againat In
dians where there were no Indians, is, to say the least, not
interesting, while if there had been Indians, it might have
been entirely too exciting for even a student.
For downright cruelty, and for brutal tyranny, Russia
ranks as the foremost nation of the world. George Kennan
has exposed to the world the enormous barbarities practiced
upon the luckless exiles to Siberia. Alter such exposures it
would be a misnomer and worse to call Russia a civilised
country. What now shall be the opinion of the world con
cerning this immense blot on the woild's face? Reports
are constantly coming over of a persecution of the Jews in
Russia that rivals the persecutions conducted against that
reviled and unfortunate race in the middle age. The Jews
in Russia are allowed to live only in certain towns. When
the taxes are gathered, these communities through the Rus
sian system of farming ut the taxes are forced to pay double
the regular rates. In the name, thank heaver., not in the
spirit of religion, bribes are offered tc the Hebrew youth to
abandon the worship practiced by their fathers, and to be
come proselytes to the Grecian church. Family feuds of
exceeding bitterness are thus engendcied. Taxes and li
cense are required from Jews for almost every act in their
religious worship. A Jew cannot pray in private in his
chamber at night wihout paying for the privilege. The
Hebrew children arc not allowed 'o go to school only to a
very limited extent. Not more than ten per cent of the
attendance of any school can be Jewish children; this, in
spite of the fact that in some places the Jews nunber over
half the population. Again, the outrages committed by
the gentiles against the Hebrews are always winked at by
the authorities. Justice for a Jew is unknown. For him
there is no redress, not in the present, at least: for rrtore
stringent laws still arc to be promulgated. The Jew in
Russia must wait for the operation of the eternal laws of
justice. Surely tyranny and oppression cannot prevail for
ever. The sees sown in the present will certainly bring
a harvest. In the case of Russia what a fearful harvest
will be leaped!
This seems to be a bad year for legislatures or better,
perhaps, a year for bad legislatures. In no less than seven
states thcic is or has been serious trouble in the legislature.
Montana, Coloiado, Kansas, Nebraska, Illinois, New Hamp
shire, and Connecticut aie afflicted with squabbling legisla
tures. In Coloiado the trouble was so serious as to result in
the death of one man, the wounding of several ollicis. The
trouble was over the appointments for committees. In Mon
tana thcic is a deadlock, and almost the same thing in Kan
sas and Illinois. In the latter two states, the election of a
United Stales Senator occasions the trouble. In Kansas, the
senate with a lepublican majority even thicatcned to adjoin n
u'iir ifir if the house did not agree on Ingalls. Such action
would undoubtedly be unconstitutional, and the talk of it
has died out. La IKK Ingalls lias been defeated. The
tluce K. M. K. A. members of the Illinois lcgislattlie seem to
be in the position of new students, who ait being worked"
by two lival fraternities. They an the flattered of all
flattcicis. Fiom piesent indications, either they do not
know what to do, or if they do, they hesitate to make a de
cision, pei haps enjoying their conspicuous position. They
undoubtedly lealie, that now is their haivest time, and that
after their decision they ill be left to shift for themselves.
In Kansas, Nebraska, and Illinois the sudden coming of
the alliance paity is piohahly the cause of the disturbance.
In the two eastern states, the govcrnoiship was the
mattei in dispute. The antiquated constitutions of those
states rcquiic a majority vote for governor. When therefore
no man icceivcd a majority, the duty of electing a governor
devolved upon the legislature. The legislature then imme
diately proceeded to distinguish itself.
The Nebinska legislature has a difficult road to travel.
The entire judicial and administrative dcpaitments arc ar
rayed in opposition lo it. The independents have failed in
every attempt to oust Governor Koyd, or even to have a con
test. They have now before them a somewhat peculiar
situation. The legislation they propose to enact cannot be
put through. Only such radical legislation as the governor
endorses will pass. The independents seem to have no
further recourse.
The cause foi this uprising of the Indians from all ac
counts, is difficult to (Icleiinine. Eastern philathropists have
declared that the notoriously bad faith of the goveinment
toward the Indians and our abominable civil service were
to blame for the trouble. Western men, on the other hand,
thinking, perhaps only of what they or their friends had
suffered at the hands of the Indians, have vigorously de
nouced the "bloody devils." The Indians, they assert have
been, are, and always will be treacherous and hlood.thirsiv
This uprising shows that it is their vcrv nature to In sn
Hence the best, the cheapest, the wisest, and the kindest
policy is to exterminate them as soon as possible. Which is
the mostblood-thiisiy, this counsel, or the Indians, ishard to
tell. The immediate cpusc ol the war (if it may be so desig
nated) seems to be threefold in character. The agents have
half-starved the Indians, the advent of a new Messiah ren
dered them frcnzied enthusiasts, and white men had ill
treated them. These three things, combined perhaps with
others of leaser moment, drove the rcc sk,ins to acts of hos,.
WMh
