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About Hesperian student / (Lincoln [Neb.]) 1872-1885 | View Entire Issue (March 1, 1890)
THE HESPERIAN. from ever meeting. Soon, in carrying out his plans, Marco was compelled to leave Milan. His interests he left in the care of Lodrisio, one of the Visconti, and Pclagrua, who had barely escaped the revenge of the Limontcsc. The prolonged absence of Marco from Milan was made use of by the count, and by Marco's stewards in different ways. The count's fear of Marco's parting command wore off in time and the mar riage of Ottorino and Beatrice was duly consummated. But Pclagrua had not reformed his evil ways, and Ludrisio was a fitting accomplice for him. In obedience to the command of Marco, to prevent by all means the marriage of Ottorino and Beatrice, they went further than Marco would have justi fied them in going. But they availed themselves of Marco's absence, and, while secerning to be doing nothing but obey ing his order, were scheming for their own interest. When Ottorino and Beatrice had set out just after their marriage to his castle, they were intercepted on the road, separated by stratagem, and imprisoned in separate castles. Such a pro ceeding Marco had never intended to justify by his peremp tory command to his stewards. But he was far away and they thought themselves safe in perpetrating such a dastardly deed. In time, however, word was sent to Marco of the state of aflairs at Milan. At once he relinquished the province or city, the goverment of which had been engrossing his atten tion, and hastened to return. He was astounded when the realization of the perfidy of his stewards dawned upon him. He hastened to find out where the lost ones were imprisoned; for their place of concealment was' unknown to the anxious count and countess. Beatrice was found, but imprisonment had undermined her health and she soon died. Ottorino was rescued and went to Palestine to forget his Woes tn the din of war. Pelcgrua was deservedly hurled from a tower of the castle. The despondent Marco, hoi rifled by the havoc his illtimed love had wrought, was betrayed by the perfidious Lodrisco into the hands of those against whom he had plot ted, and he was pounced upon and murdered. The author has painted successfully the horrors of life in those times of warcfarc. When one attempts to realize the true condition of society at that time, one soon perceives that there is little in it worthy of imitation. The glamour thrown around it by the chivalrous exploits of the knights is soon dis sipated. There was in those times many a Pclagrua, with abundant opportunity to practice his deeds of mischief, many a Ludrisio, who, for his own gain, readily sacrificed his mas ter's interests, many a Marco with good reason to bemoan his wasted opportunities, his dreams of joy that would never be realized. CURRENT COMMENT. Idaho and Utah have been the scenes of much excitment ami controversy within the past month. Gentiles and Mormons have been battling for supremacy, and the Gen tiles have been victorious. The Mormon quistion is one that has long been rankling in the breasts of the American people, but, in the wot ds of the Tribune, "The year of jubilee is come." For a long time the Mormons have been powerful in Utah, but, compichcnding their situation, they realized that the gentile clement was growing fast, and that they would soon be compelled to seek a new location. On this account they have been settling in Idaho expecting to be come supreme at that place. But Idaho anticipated this movement, and thwarted it by passing a law disfranchising any person belonging to any church or organization whatever that upheld plural marriage of any kind, "Terrestrial or ce lestial, spiritual or carnal." The law created a great disturb ancc in Mormon circles, causing the Mormons to contest it but they did not gain this point. On Monday, February 10, occurred a very hotly contested election in Salt Lake City. There was but one issue in the election: .Mormons versus Gentiles. The Mormon power is waning in Utah, and they threw their combined strength into the balance at this election, but were found wanting, Ac cording to the accounts the Mormons were shut out altogether. This is a hard blow to the Mormon power in America for, shut out from Utah and from Idaho, they have no other place to which they may resort. They have not lost all faith in Utah yet, and expect to meet with success therein the future. The outlook for them is not very bright, however. The objectionable feature in the Mormon religion is polyg amy. This it is that has caused the strife between them and the Gentiles. It is true that this country boasts of its freedom of worship, that one may worship according to the dictates of one's conscience, but it is also true that there arc certain things that degrade, that lower the condition of humanity. Polygamy is one of these, and when the fact that the great aim of man is to raise himself out of these ruts and attain a higher level, it is to be deplored that such an institution exists. So long as the Mormons cling tenaciously to this evil it is right that they should be allowed no part in our govern ment. The Americans are ready and willing to share equal rights with them if they will abide by American laws, but if they wish to place the church at the head of the state and obey every injunction of that body they can never become true Americans. The report of the Chicago & Alton railroad company show that their net earnings for 1889 were $3,000,000 in round num bers. In spite of all this President Blackstone complains and says the politicians have incited the people to starve the big traffic syndicates. This does not look well coming from a railroad company. The cause of their prosperity, this $3, 000,000 profit is attributed to the fact that over one fourth the gross earnings for freight trafic came fiom the shipment of farm products. And still they say they are starving. The fact of the matter is the railroads are starving the farmers. They acknowledge that the farmer is a source of great profit to them, but they will not lower their rates in order that he also may be able to make a profit. President Blackstone even goes so far as to recommend higher rates because, he says, the railroads have increased the value of land to fifty or one hun dred times their cost. This is in part true. There is much land that has been increased to double or treble and, perhaps, to fifty times its cost. But is the credit of this increase to be given entirely to the railroads? Let us see. The mere fact that railroads run through a country does not increase the value of the land. To be very valuable the land must be set tled and improved, and here the work of the railroads comes in. They furnish an easy mode of transportation, thus set tling up the country very rapidly, they also supply ready means by which the people may transfer their land products from one portion of the country to another. Hence the real reason the land becomes more valuable is because of the labor expended on it by the inhabitants. The railroads are simply a means for the end, and when we take into consideration that railroads arc instituted by the people their share in raising land values sinks into insignificance. Even admitting, for the sake of argument, that the rail roads cause the increase in the value of land, it is too late to begin talking now of raising the rates in order that they may receive their pay for raising land values. The rates have al- I ,1 Mi J ncai ESQ
