The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, October 24, 1896, Image 2

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THE COURIER.
ifl a aueetion if it be beneficial or neces
eary to entertain a beterogenioua collec
tion of delegates whom you will never see
again and who receive hospitality as a
tribute to the importance of their official
mission. It is an old custom, older than
Abraham, but emphasized by him.when
be lived on the borders of a desert and
wayfarers arrived faint and thirsty at
his tent. There were no inns and they
came with greetings from urban poten
tates whom Abraham did not care to
offend. Since that time simplicity has
become complexity, and the housekeeper
with one maid and a brood of children
opens her house to delegates with pre
monitions of backache. It is not an un
mixed blessiug, as I Baid before, to be a
railroad centre with rural districts on
every side.
The first story of Henry James book
"Terminations" is one called "The Death
of tho Lion." It details with exactness,
as to cause and so far as can be learned,
the circumstances also of George Du
Maurier's death. Tho curious thing
about it is that "Terminations" was
published a year ago and Du Maurier
died but yesterday, saying that the pop
ularity of "Trilby" had killed him. The
people admired him so that they would
not allow him to walk the streets in
peace. Society women tracked him to
his study, where they made him promise
to do the lion act for them. They made
house parties for him. and went after
him when he failed to come. Ho was a
tame lion, and when they asked him he
went. But the solitude and silence of
his lair was necessary to his health.
Caged, he died, and the world was the
loser. He was as loving, gentle and
modest as "Trilby," whose name
even, the playwright and the man
ufacturers have destroyed. Woe unto
the Philistines whose vulgarity only
hurts other people and never touches
them. There is fire and brimstone
waiting for them somewhere. Nothing
leas palpable can affect them. They
know not remorse, nor shame, nor the
bitterness of feeling onesself thor
oughly obnoxious and repulsive. Not
they! They doubtless felt that they
were making dear Mr. Du Maurier
happy when they were talking to him
about his books, which ten to one they
bad never read, and dragging him off to
their wretched tattle-teas in spite of
his mild remonstrances. The Philis
tines, Plague take them! killed Du
Maurier and deprived the rest of the
world of a cheer that was making the
journey to the grave pleasant and com
fortable. If he, perchance, meet in the
land to which he was (.riven a very
hobgoblin of a shade, I hope he may
send it to scare and haunt his torment
ors. Whenever they lay their com
placent mugs on the pillow after a day
of aaoat internal chatter and intrusion
on someone's privacy .may Du Maurier's
purgatorial acquaintance confront them
and scare them pretty nearly to death.
Not quite to death not until their vic
tim has had time to move into the next
higher sphere.but scare them wideawake
tor nights at a time. Then they may
realise what the poor author suffered
for lack of rest. For Btrange as it may
seem, some bores are quite timid and
afraid in the dark. Remorse cannot
touch them, but fear can, and here's
hoping they will shiver and shake this
very night.
Henry James calls his hero "Neil
Faraday." He dies at a country house
where he is being "entertained" for the
benefit of bis hostess. Henry James
was an intimate friend of DuMaurier's
and admired hin as only a craftsman
caa admire the master of the craft.
Henry James is a little slow himself. He
works by indirection and implication.
The swift action and movement of Du
Maurier is not possible to him. The
intimate Jones, the nearness of Du
Maurier is also impossible to him. Henry
James' style is impersonal . After read
isghim you have no idea of the manner
of man he is, except that he is an aris
tocrat and has a very contemptuous
opinion of "the west,' where you your
self live. And DuMaurir (who loved
everybody and nobody) uud Henry
James were such friends. The latter
will never die with an overdose of popu
larity). Everybody who read DuMaur
ier felt that he was a friend and that he
must be informed of their -admiration
and love. I say, everybody felt it but
only the Philistines responded to the
impulse. Neil Faraday is a photograt
of Du Maurier, though it does not seem
to have been received as such.
On reading over the foregoing remarks
on Philistines and their wages the tone
seems, at times, somewhat profane.
What is written is written. Tne cause
of George Du Maurier's death, before
his work was finished, excuses profan
ity if profanity is ever excusable.
The editor of the. "Woman's Weekly,"
the literary organ of the Federation of
Woman's clubs of Nebraska, calls the
state superintendent of instruction in
Nebraska, "Ciy baby" Corbett. She
saye that he is whining about having to
take care of his mother when it should
be his joy and pride to take care of her
who first loved him. Nothing that Mr.
Corbett has said can be twisted into a
boast that ho supports his mother. He
was accused of lacking respect for
women and he recalled his lifelong as
sociation with them. It was a cry baby
part that Miss Fairbrother played at
the Fremont federation meeting. When
a motion was made to make "The Lin
coln Courier" the official organ of the
Woman's clubs, Miss Fairbrothf-r arose
and entreated the members not to take
their support from her. She said if
they did. the paper would be ruined.
For that reason and no other she was al
lowed to retain the title of official organ
of theWoman's clubs of Nebraska for one
year more. Her friends who advocated
her claims had nothing to say of the
merits of the paper. They were Omaha
women. They said the official organ
should remain in Omaha because they
wanted it to and because the Omaha
Woman's club was willing to lend any
woman's club in the stato photografs
nearly one-fourth as large as this page
and as many as fifty at a time. Miss
Fairbrother is still the editor of the
Woman's organ.
I
A
id
POINTS
Now tho local politician
Moves about as if on eggs ;
For president lie's labored
Now for next spring's votes he begs.
The presidential campaign is practic
ally at an end. Republicans know that
McKinley is already elected. They are
correspondingly proud of their heroic
and incessant efforts in behalf of sound
money and protection, as they have a
right to be. Locally, republicans look
for a bigger majority next spring than
has been given their ticket for many
years, ai a result of the national success
of republicanism, and they do not err
much in their surmises. At that time
the "cream" of the party will be placed
before the people. The party is deter
mined that no weak or questionable
characters will grace its ticket in future
and a "microscopic analysis' will be
made of the coming candidates before a
choice is expressed by it. The party
realizes that it has made too many mis
takes in the past, and the only method
which offers strength to retrieve lost
ground is that above contemplated.
There was a time in Lincoln when
the nomination on the republican ticket
was equivalent to the e'lection . Those
days are now passed. Clean men are
imperative to republican success. The
people will not have incapable or dishon
est men foisted upon them through the
channel of party lines.
These assertions are not meant to re
flect discredit upon any of the republi
can candidates who have been defeated
in the past. They are simply meant to
impress the mind with conditions as
they really exist. While Lincoln has a
republican majority of nearly 1,500,
the independent thinkers of this num
ber bavo several times demonstrated
that they cannot bo relied upon to sup
port any man not of the best type.
City politics is just beginning to get
warm. While there is not the intense
heat exhibited which will be later oo,
the "quiet confabs" and "feelers" and
general conduct" of prospective candi
dates indicate that which has not yet
arisen to public notice. Within another
thirty days candidates for municipal
honors next Bpring will be a little more
pronounced, and within sixty days the
campaign will begin to steam .
The Courier's discussion of the Craw
ford county or Lincoln system has taken
deep root in political circles, and already
several members of the republican city
central committee have applied them
selves to the task of discovering how
the party leaders, candidates and voters
generally stand upon this question. In
this connection it may be &tated that a
meeting of the central committee, a few
montbB before the city prior arics, would
not be an unwise movement.
Last spring the committee was con
fronted with this important yet perplex
ing question a few weeks before the
primary election. At that time candi
dates were numerous and it puzzled
many voters as to whom they would
support. Asido from this worrisome
feauture, the excitement created by the
introduction of a new nominating sys
tem was infused into the muddle. And
all this to contend with but a few days
before the ptimaries! Feeling ran high.
The central committee was abused and
maligned. Hotheads held clubs over
the heads of candidates and their ward
committeemen. A brawl was narrowly
averted, and for a time there was no
ttlling what phase the matter would
assume.
And all this unnecessary turmoil and
dissatisfaction can be avoided if the
city central committee will hold an early
meeting, and thoroughly discuss the
advisability ef using or discarding the
Crawford county system next spring,
and at the same time solicit the aid and
expressions from republicans generally.
This much dene, the party members
will have ample time to ponder over the
decision of the committee. Even though
the new system were dropped, under
these circumstances, no republican
could truthfully aver that the committ
teemen were unfair. However, if the
committee fails to hold sessions on this
issue at least two months before the
spring primaries, a repetition of the un
pleasant occurrences of last spring may
be expected.
Improvements in various sections of
the city should more easily be obtained
now than ever before, to look through
the eye piece used by some men. Five
councilmen and the mayor are now can
didates for the high office of chief execu
tive. The women have never before demon
strated their usefulness and influence to
the extent that they have this fall by
their participation in political cam
paigns. Politics Is not like lifo
We can't make it what we choose:
Because we cannot always win.
But we can always lose.
'
to five. The operation of this contem
plated increase of state judiciaries would
be of the greatest benefit to Nebraskans
generally, as their legal affairs would be
given more prompt attention than it
can possibly receive at the hands of
three overtaxed judges.
It is possible that in future young
men seeking wives will find them at po
litical meetings as well as parties and
theatres.
Said a prominent Lincoln politician
the other day: "How do I view tho re
sult of the women's participating in
this campaign? Well, in the first place,
I am convinced of their great worth and
influence as assistants. I believe
further, that they have become a per
manent fixture in politics, locil, state
and national. That their aid in this
great contest will bring to them recog
nition never before accorded them, I do
not doubt. As 1 take it, this one step
alone will do more for the advancement
of equal suffrage than any step which I
can imagine or comprehend. Withal, 1
feel assured that women will henceforth
rapidly get to the front in politics, and
I do not belii ve that J am making a
wild assertion when-I say that -J- would
not be the least suprised if they were
voting within five years from now. '1 he
present voting population will hereafter
call upon the women in every cam
paign, and the women, as soon as thoy
fully appreciate the value of their ser
vices, will not be long in insisting upon
the ballot on all questions. That's my
answer to your plain question."
Sam Low is one of the shining repub
lican lights in the present campaign,
and if there is a. warmer member of tho
party in the county than he is, trot him
out.
One of the most inspiring features of
republican processions is the Railroad
Men's Sound Money club. Their uni
forms are appropriate and unusually
becoming, they are perfectly discipliueJ
and highly enthusiastic, and ate, as a
whole, pleasing to look at.
The fact that the silver men are lab
oring for only the head of their, ticket
should not be overlooked by republican
voters. By concentrating their entire
efforts on Mr. Bryan they expect to se
cure a vote for the entire ticket for
every vote cast for the Boy Orator. This
is an old game. Let the voter be wary
of such a ruse.
We often wonder how republican
bolters will feel after November 3
when McKinley will have been elected.
Few men bolt a party but what they
regret it. Voluntary and conscientious
affiliation with any organized body
brings attachment with it, and a re
spect or affection for anything can not
be easily forgotten or smothered.
The popocrats are asking themselves
the same question as did the Southern
representative when he 6aid: "Where
are we at?"
Nebraska may not go republican by
73,000, but deduct about 35,000 from
that number and you will be on "Easy"
street.
All voters should remember the im
portance of registering so that they can
vote without loss of time or difficulty.
There remains but one moro day to
register, Saturday, October 31. T.
Canon City coal at the WbUebreast
Ooal and Lime Co.
Wanted-An Idea
All parties will undoubtedly vote for
It.. sakJ naMnndmAflf inAMiDDinrr Til A
me prupuueu .uiouumtut .UUc.t, . wtojohn wkddekburn ft content Tittor.
members of supreme judges from thret Jf SSS&SrSSSiSSSr a"
Who can think
of some simple-
Protect too. Idea.: r 7 mEKS??
write JOHN WKDDEKBDRJT E"H. riTEz:
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