THE HESPERIA N.
CURRENT COMMENT.
The farce in which the two so called civilized nations,
the United States and Germany, have been engaged in in
Samoa should now end. The great storm at that island has
fulfilled all the purposes of a war. A few ambitious officers
can be promoted, a number of contractors can gorge them
selves at the public treasury, a great deal of wealth has been
destroyed, a number ol men have been killed, and we have
numerous widows and orphans to pension at the public
expense. The two Christian nations should now allow the
speculators, who are fighting for the privilege of stealing the
island, to settle their quarrel without the help of navies.
There is much talk at the present time of the necessity of
a labor party. Men profess to believe that the election to
office of a member of some labor oiganization will right
every social wrong. They sec no particular need of expert
ence or knowledge, but insist that the officer must belong to
a labor organization in order that the interests of the work
ingman may be protected. Thay lose sight of the fact that
every man who exerts himself, cither mentally or physi
cally, to make the community cither richer or better
is, in the truest sense a laboringman. They forget that it
takes something more than good motives to run any govern
ment; that ignorance will do as much mischief as dishonesty.
A candidate's ideas arc of more importance than his ability
to make brick and lead a prayer meeting, and the party who
overlooks this fact cannot reform the community.
The American people have always thought of the supply
of public land as something without end. Besides giving a
large slue to every settler they have allowed corporations
and sp:culators to grab tracts capable of supporting an
empire. The end seems to be nearly reached. In the Okla
homa country may be seen the spectacle of a 100,000 men
fighting for the possession of 1 3,000 claims. Land has
become so scarce that men will go hundreds of miles for the
privilege of getting possession of a sand patch. If all the
Indian reservations were opened the land would be occupied
and fenced inside of a year, liut all the land of the United
States is not in use. The prospective settlers must travel
past miles of virgin land. There is not a state in the union
which has not unused land enough to supply" opportunities
for labor to all its men. This is the question for the states
men of the future. They must provide some way by which
the idle men can be placed upon the unused land. They
must put the men where they can utilize the opportunities.
There is land enough if the laborers could but use it.
By the, death of John Bright, the world loses one ho has
done much for the cause ol human liberty. Bright entered
parliament over forty years ago, and from that time until
recently, he has been one of the liberal leaders. As one of
the most brilliant ot the many brilliant supporters of the
anti-corn law league he deserves to be honored with C'obdcn,
Villiers and O'Connell. True christian that he was, John
Bright was never so carried away by the claptrap of false
patriotism or the glare and tinsel of the dress parade, as to
lose sight of the fact that war is always a trial of brute
strength, that it is destructive of wealth, life and human hap
pincss. This hatred of war may be read in his burning
denunciations of the Crimean war, and of the bombardment
of Alexandria. Some American politicians, who have much
to say about' a vigorous foreign policy, might do well to imi
tate the peace loving Quaker. A true liberal, Bright had confi
dence in the ability of the people to govern themselves, and
favored every extension of the suffrage. His unswerving
devotion to that which he considered right is shown by his
course on the Irish question. He fought for Ireland when
her friends were few and rendered invaluable services, yet
he almost severed his connection with the party for which
and with which he had fought for so many years because he
thought its stand on this question to be wrong. Most Amer
icans sympathize with Gladstone, yet they should honor
John Bright for opposing him. The secret of the success of
the Quaker statesman may be found in his lucid logic, his
brilliant oratory, his devotion to principle, and his love of
liberty. Although he became too conservative in his old
age, he will long be remembered as the enemy ol oppression
and the champion of justice.
STRA Y PICK'- UPS.
The studens
Will remain
To make arrangements
To celebrate ! ! ! !
What's the matter with the meeting?
What's the matter with Professor Hicks?
The Nebraska winds do not seem to agree with battalion
drill.
Guy Gere put in an appearance among his friends las'l
week.
Miss Snell was compelled to go home for a few days rest
last week.
"To'fish or not to fish" was the question with the Seniors
on Arbor day.
The boom aditiou of the Alliance Argus quotes Fletcher
as a nurseryman.
Allen and his free trade lecture had a bout with Dr.
Warner last week.
The University cadet band accompanied the Odd FcHows
to Beatrice, Friday.
"The hind leg of a dog is better looking than that wheel."
Captain Baughman.
Some of the Seniors are likely to be killed off by that ter
rible "Pol. Econ. exam."
"V. U. Macaulcy who was a student last fall term, has
joined the Oklahoma boomers.
The singing in the chapel is worthy ol mention. It is all
owing to the untiring zeal of Miss Cochran.
Miss Atwood was unable to be at school several days last
week, but we are glad to not that she is back again.
Once it was anarchy for the students to skip chapel.
Can't the faculty bear with the prayers of one another?
G. L. Campcn returned from a surveying trip last week.
He has accepted a position in the city engineer's office.
Herbert Marsland enjoys himself now in taking "head
eis" and various other things peculiar with a new bicycle.
Query: Was it from the effects of tennis or Hesperian
mucilage that Gerwig's shoes stuck so tightly last Saturday?
Schell and C. E. Tinglcy can make more noise in a
single game of football than Itanium's menagerie in a year's
tour.
Miss Belle Mauley has recovered from her recent 'J? ckness
but we are trry to learn that she will not return to school
this term.
