TH COURIER
in Cuba. The fact that the attitude
was struck because of an overt act on
tbe part of tbe Spanisb and not be
cause the time bad come to teach tbe
world a lesson in liberty, bas nothing
to do now with tbe heroism and gener
osity of our attitude to Cuba. Ger
nany and England and Russia will
please note tbat we have conceded
what is due to history by alleging an
ideal reason for declaring war on
Spain instead of tbe real one. They
will note also that when we have
licked Spain off of our continental
islands we will take our ships back to
our own harbors and let the recon
struction fsts agree and disagree as to
tbe kind of government tbey will have
in their island. If Russia and England
and Germany were not already com
mitted to a territorial aggrandisement
policy if it were not for tbe fascina
tions and weaknesses of Egypt, China.
Turkey and India tbe lesson of a dis
interested love of freedom for its own
sake might be learned by a czar, a
xueen and an emperor.
J
The life and letters of Lord Tenny
son lately published in two volumes by
his son, Hallam Tennyson, is a record
of a life speat among tbe hill tops and
by the sea. No one can read tbe
thousand pages without gaining a pro
found conviction of tbe greatness of
tbe poet. His tbougbs were of nature
and his heart was full of love for his
kin, for his friends, and for his wife
and for 'the world, with the difference
tbat with tbe latter he did not wish
to associate personally. He would not
consent to pose for and talk with
tbe miscellaneous and lion bunting
stranger who chased him over the
bills to bis borne. He would not ac
cept chairmanships of this and that
society whose habit it is to select a
mighty man to preside at feasts and
anniversaries for the looks of tbe
thing. He "would not for poetry's sake
accept the hundred and one empty,
sounding honors tbat it is society's
tiresome custom to inflict upon dis.
tinguished men. He would not be
banqueted and he would not go to re
ceptions arranged by officious busy
bodies in his honor for their own
glory. He had time to write, to walk
the downs and climb the hills, to
watch the tea and the sky, to retire a
half bourafter dinner and smokeasoli
tary pipe and thereabout him learned
while he was still a young man tbat
Alfred was to be let alone. To be sure
his refusal to join in the usual tor
tures of breakfasts, receptions, teas,
dinners, etc, gave him a reputation
of being a bear. But he did not care.
He would not and he did not chatter
away bis life in what is called "com
pany." He loved a few devotedly and
was to them a perfect host. To his
wife and children be was kind and
loving and be discharged his obliga
tions to tbe world by writing tbe best
poetry for it and by helping the needy
who applied to him. After a life of
unique separation from any conscious
ness of tbe meanness of human nature,
because of a persistent refusal to ex
amine it be died at tbe age of eighty
three. Such an existence is as differ
ent from the average flagellated lot of
man as though he had lived in Mars.
Most of us could be better and greater
in a small way if we let solitude and
reflection do their most for us, only
like a flock of sheep we get in each
others' way and do not progress.
It is curious that in a book which
contains so few intimate revelations
of the real affections and- family life
of tbe Tennyoons, we get so clear a
view of the gentle deep soul of Lady
Tennyson, her sons and her husband.
In tbe thousand pages of letters, un
published poems and friendly com
ment, all .consciously anxious not to
betray the sacred seclusion both of fam
ily and person, the person and charac
ter of Lord Tennycon is clearly and
unmistakably drawn. He was a gen
tle poet, scholar, and most lovable
man. His friends were tbe eminent
men of literature and science in Eng
land and America. There are even a
few letters from Frenchmen, but not
many. Tennyson's' character and
genius was too essentially Apglo
Saxon to be in sympathy with French
literature and tbe makers of it
Those who have -happily read tbe
biography have been lifted for the
time being into the atmosphere Ten
nyson breathed al the tjme and tbey
have gained by the change of air more
love and charity and faith, as well as
a new conception of tbe object of
literature
J
A prophet in hisown country bas to
live on crusts and water until his
fame has reached another country,
when he gets a wage tbat in his hum
ble habit of receiving nothing at all
seems beyond his deserts. In the per
son of Mr. William Reed Dunroy Ne
braska has a poet that so far she has
done nothing to deserve Tbe melody
and rythm, the genuine poetic feeling
and expression, the symbolism of Mr.
Dunroy's poems are only to be com
pared with tbe greatest' of our coun
try's poets. Mr. James Whitcomb
Riley's genre or dialect rhymes are in
comparably less poetic, less meritori
ous. The literary value of such d
poem as the one printed in last weelsji
Courier and entitled "A Prairfe
Pastel" is recognized by every one.
Because of tbe number of those who
have asked for a copy of it, it is re
printed in this week's issue. Such
phrases as "As northward fly the wild
geese in an arrow huge and black, The
only shade against an azure sky, and
the light winds lift the fragrance of
the grass and bear itf ar to some bare
land and leave their precious gift, or,
And near tbe Shallow stream that
flows through sand tbe stunted willow
lifts its lance of red, show a discrim
inating search of words for their sound
and color and exact meaning. Mr.
Dunroy is tbe only poetic authority on
prairies. He is tbe only writer in
this country who has given the prairies
their literary place. His book, "Corn
Tassels," tbe apotheosis of the prai
ries, bas received columns of apprecia.
tive criticism in the largest and best
newspapers in this country and there
are probably not three hundred people
in this city who have bought it, though
there is no other way of illuminating
our prairie home with "the light that
never was on land or sea " Mr. Dun
roy is standing unfor Nebraska all by
himself in the literary world. A little
expression of appreciation from tbe
prairie dwellers might encourage our
neglected psajmist to go on with tbe
work that only he can do.
Considering that we have alleged
the cause of war to be" disgust with
tbe savage rule of Snain in an island
colony and have disclaimed any reward
for ourexertions and expense except
those which are bestowed by an ap
proving conscience upon virtuous con.
duct, there is some question among
the ingenuous who accept official
documents as proofs of the actual situ
ation as to tbe right of the United
States war ships to capture Spanish
merchant ships. So long as no other
nation has ever declared war from a
love of fair play and to secure tbe ex
tension of freedom and at tbe same
time disclaimed any reward, the bar
barous precedents which allow nations
to make captives of non combattant
and unarmed merchant, vessels can
not be consistently followed by our
super-extra-virtuous war department.
This being the first expedition of the
kind, at least since the holy war of
riiniirn
j 1124 O St, Lincoln, Nebr. I
Send for our catalogues
a bicycle, or refrigerator, or
and
tbe crusades, tbe historical sense
which led us to select so exalted a
cants belli ought to guide us in the
practice of celestial campaign tactics
Jt
No department of the university is
so frequently celebrated by original
work of graduate student as the bo
tanical. Tbe new book on the Phvto -geography
(or plant geography) of Ne
braska by Messrs. Roscoe C. Pound
and Frederic E. Clements is a valuable
contribution by two young men who
have already distinguished themselves
by other botanical papers. Mr. Pound
as tbe director of tbe botanical survey
of Nebraska bas made maps which
those who know bis capacity forcon
.scientious and accurate work will
recognize t he value of. Work such as
this is what is giving tbe University
of Nebraska an enviable reputation.
Why thf United States Wants Cuba.
(Copied from Le Soleil Paris; April.)
According to the statistics pub
lished by a New Orleans newspaper
tbe total consumption of sugar in the
United States is about 200,090,000 tons
a year. Out of this the United States
produces 300,000 to 400,000 tons, or one
fifth or one-sixth of the amount con
sumed. The remainder is obtained
from foreign ports, thus involving an
expenditure of $100,000,000 per year.
Mr. McKinley's compatriots desire
not only to free themselves from this
importation but also become exporters
m
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hoe-any. You will like it.
Our price is very low, only
and we pay the freight 100
miles.
if you need any furniture, or
baby carriage.
FAMOUS f 00T
tuiug ui uoauty, DUI a
pretty foot encased in a bandaome V
pair of shoes from ourstylkb, well-
tittimr stock in "a inv fnnr " ). 4
nmnmtk lhav im imvil. i-9: .
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Sheldon
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in this line and thereby furnish the
old world with sugar, as they now sup
ply her with cotton, wheat, lard and
other product. In a government re
port by tbe American consul at Berlin '
there is the following note:
"It is necessary to keep account of
every pound of sugar and flour ex
ported from tbe United States in or
der to pay for the importation of
sugar. The total value of all meats,
beef products and lard exported
scarcely equals the sum paid on sugar
importations. Our enormous exporta
tion of cotton just doubles the value
of our sugar importations.
Now Cuba is able to furnish enough
sugar not only for the United States
but for the whole world.
Out of the 118,000 square kilometres,
the superficial area of Cuba, only
11,000 are cultivated. The remaining
territory is either waste or forest land.
Throughout the island the soil is very
fertile, but the means of communica
tion are decidedly inadequate and to
this reason is due the extent of uncul
tivated lands.
Thecu'tivation of sugar cane is the
principal resource of the island. Tbe
sugar plantations cover an area of only
3,400 kilometres, which produces a
million tons of sugar. Tbe extension
and perfection of this industry with
proper means of transportation would
certainly increase the annual yield
tenfold
We understand now whv the