T HE HESPERIAN.
Uousscnn who infused into it vital energy, and his works, in
turn, lent inspiration to the English school to whom he owed
so much. In the violence ol their repulsion this school went
to the opposite extreme of sickly scntimcntalism, expatiating
at tedious length on the benutics of scenes in nature, the de
scription of which may be cither delightful or spiritless.
Henry Mackenzie is one of this school who is not as distaste
ful to people of to day as were some ol his colleagues. He
has copied in a measure after Struc, but fortunately has not in
full measured his literary vices. The hero in Mackenzie's
"Man of Feeling" is one of those timid, delicate individuals,
who, in their effort to approximate to an ideal conduct of life
are made the victims of the unscrupulous wiles of their prac
tical fellow men. This mojest personage, Harlcy, after re
peated urgings of friends, summoned up sufficient courage to
go to London in order to try to get a lease of some crown
lands, which lay contiguous to his little paternal estates.
When he artived in London he was made the easy victim of
the rascals who infest the great city. He placed confidence
in his ability as a physiognomist, and was fleeced by the
ccutlcman with the honest face. He visited Bedlam and was
deeply affected by the accounts made by some ol the patients
concerning the wrongs they had endured. He was thrown
into the company of the vicious, and learned much that made
him hate the social system under which unscrupulous men of
rank made use of their eminence to corrupt the morals of those
beneath them in the social scale. Harlcy did not attain the
object of his journey, the lease of the crown lands. Alter a
varied experience he reached his home and soon after died.
The circumstances of his death arc peculiar. He has long
cherished tender regards for a young lady of the neighbor
hood. But such is his nature that he dares not broach his love
till at the point of death, and dies in broaching it.
While there may be something to admire in the conscien
tiousness of this person, it is still true that a world populated
by Harlcys would be monotenous, stationary. The whole
vexed question whether in this world, constituted rs it is, it is
ever right to use means that can be justified only by the end,
was at once decided by him by determining always to do that
which his conscience prompted him to do. While this is
theoretically the correct thing to do, it often lends to inter
esting complication. Irresolution would be the chief fault of
any public man who would adhere inflexibly to such a course.
This book, along with others, written by authors holding the
same views with Mackenzie, did a great work in exposing the
shams of high life in the eighteenth century, and showing
how an artless country dweller may suffer at the hands of
those who should protect them.
not be estimated. It creates a desire for excitement and leads
to gambling in all its other forms. True some are lucky
enough to draw the prizes, but it is only a gnme of chance
and the money drawn will probably again be invested in
other things of a like nature. On the other hand the stock
holders are always sure ol carrying off the prize. It is noth
ing but a scheme to make money, and succeeds admirably in
this line or the lottery would not be operated on so largc-a
scale.
Even il the lottery docs pay a large sum of money into
the treasury the stockholders get the greater part ol this sum",
and perhaps all of it, from the people themselves. If then
some plan could be adopted by which the people could pay
the sum directly, or indirectly into the state iund it would
be a great credit to North Dakota besides raising the stan
dard of morals in the whole couutry.
The rulings of Speaker Reed are attracting universal at
tention, and arc the cause of many comments in the leading
newspapers of our country. Mr. Reed has taken the respon
sibility on his own shoulders and without precedent in the
history of the nation has made rulings in direct opposition to
established custom. For two months the house has been
without rules, thus giving Reed full control. The rules had
been ready for adoption for some time, but for several reasons
they were not brought in until the question of contested
scats had been settled. The minority was not allowed by
Speaker Reed to hinder the workings of the majority as has
been the custom heretofore. While we do not uphold the
the democrats in their action, yet wc do say that we think the
the method used by Reed in violating this long established
custom was unfortunate.
The constitution provides that the house shall determine
the rules by which it shall be governed. Why then were these
rules not introduced before important dusiness was tran
sacted? If the republicans wished to establish new rules they
had a perfect right to do so. The whole thing looks like a
scheme that had been mapped out beforehand and the only
excuse Reed is able give for his actions is that he was afraid
the democrats were going to do some scheming and he ruled
that way in order to foil their plans.
CURRENT COMMENT.
The North Dakota legislature is yet very young, but already
a bill has been introduced which if passed will be a source of
regret in the years to come. The people of North Dakota do
not want to license and legalize lotteries. Why pass laws
prohibiting gambling dens from keeping open doors and then
charter gambling on a larger scale in the shape of a lottery?
Even if the evils of this institution were not known it would
be bad enough, but with such an example as the "Louisiana
state lottery" before the people ol North Dakota it would be
the height of absurdity for them to pass such a law. The bill
has already gone through the house but there is considerable
agitation over the matter and the probabilities that the peo
ple will come to their senses and check it before it before it is
too laic. The debating lendences of a luUei of this kind may
The recent triumph of Parncll over the London Times is a
victory which may well cause any one, interested in Home
Rule for Ireland to rejoice.
Some time ago a series of letters were published by the
London Times which if they had been true, would have great
ly injured Mr. Parncll and the Home Rule party. Happily
these were proved to have been forgeries, committed by the
enemies of right and justice. Mr. Parncll then sued the Lon
don Times for libel, and that paper has compromised
by paying him heavy damages. By this compromise the
London Times acknowledges the unjustice it has done him,
and the cause which he has espoused. Mr. Parncll early took
up the cause of Ireland, and has spent his whole time in try
ing to free her people by giving them Home Rule. He has
met with difficulty after difficulty and, although the end is
not yet in sight he is confident that the cause he so strongly
champions will finally result in making Ireland independent
of England.
Politically, Parncll has many enemies who have left no
stone unturned in trying to injure him and his cause. Think
ing that by injuring the leader they may also injure the party,
of which he is the head they perpertated many underhand
schemes upon Parncll all of which have miserably failed.
J25ffl