THE COURIER.
the ersoiino of iMiss Holdon's story are
American, as well as the style, but
the vistas, which open In the story, to
other days and the tremendous e fleet
wrought In l.r.OO words Is French, an
effect as of walking through a stately
gallery with open doors on either side
through which glimpses of Interest
inr dramas are suggested, but the
gallery Is pre-eminently charming and
the visitor Is not tempted to pass out
of It until its short length Is paced.
The quality Is known as breadth and
in a picture of mountains suggests
plains and tnc rest of the world that
lies tuitsido the corner of it the artist
has painted.
o
The Omaha Midway.
The managers of the Omaha mid
way ate beginning U) rullut'L Ulilt Lnc
advice to leave the success of last
summer undimmed by a sequel had
sense. The beautiful grounds are not
thronged bv the people of the state.
The emptiness (.r the buildings re
minds visitors of a sideshow which
has all the monstrosities and trained
anlnnls on the outside in the gor
geous pictures at the entrance. Only
the midway Is spasmodically vocif
erous as night comes on and a few
citizens of Omaha stray in to spend
their dimes.
The County Commissioners.
The law requires the county com
missioners to make an estimate every
year of the county expenses for the
ensuing year, and to lix and announce
the levy for the same. So far as 1
have been able to ascertain the com
missioners are not obliged to make
any public report of how and for
what the county fund has been ex
pended. At any rate they do not and
any taxpayer who is anxious to know
for what purpose the county monies
are spent and applies at the court
house for such information is directed
to a heterogeneous mass of papers.
Reporters from The Courier have
been informed several times, that no
books containing Items of expendi
ture arc kept. As the law does not re
quire an annual and detailed statement
from the commissioners who in recent
years have ordered expensive bridges
laid on roads running nowhere or Into
private property which is the same
thing so far as concerns the county
commissioners, it should be amended.
Inasmuch as no such report is de
manded by the law the commissioners
are not officiously anxious to publish
their own mistakes unci nobody
blames them for not furnishing one,
but before the next legislature gets
down to work the right of the con
tributors to a fund to know how that
fund is disposed of, should be recog
nized by an amendment compelling
the commissioners to publicly account
for what they have spent. The annual
estimate or guess as to what they will
spend is or no more importance than
any other latter day prophesy and
receives no more attention though
some of the Items, like that of "cork
age" in a European hotel bill, re
quire an explanation or an indexed
concordance.
Madame Dreyfus.
Perhaps even more than her hus
band Mine. Dreyfus possesses the
sympathy of everybody for her persis
tent loyalty to M. Dreyfus and her
fuith.whcu his prospects were darkest,
that he would be vindicated, event
ually. Convinced from the llrst of his
innocence, she never ceased to assert,
with a woman's sentimentality, that
Justice would Interfere and reinstate
her husband In his full rights and
erase the stain of treason from his
name. M. Dreyfus himself languish
ing in his desolate island prison, re-
(Moving no letters nor news which was
not llrst Inspected by his gaoler, con
cluded from the silence that his wife
had accepted his sentence as linal and
was not endeavoring to accomplish
his recall. Hence, when the Sfax
brought him back to France, he was
not particularly rejoiced to see his
wife and showed that he was not. Long
before this he must have been con
vinced of her incessant search for the
real traitor, and her entreaties to the
senators, to the president and to all
others in authority who had anything
to do with the Dreyfus matter. His
friends and his lawyer will have told
him of the miracles his wife has
wrought. Many a time It has seemed
that a rehearing of the Drcvfuu case
was impossible. Notably at the trial
of Zola when it was shown how un
just were the laws and customs to an
accused prisoner, even one possessing
the unimpeachable patriotism of the
novelist. How much less chance had
a prisoner on a desert island, with all
the military of France arrayed
against him? Hut Mine. Dreyfus was
not dismayed though her husband's
best friends undertook to save her
from Inevitable disappointment by
pointing out to her why Dreyfus'
rehearing was impossible. She kept
on, informing the newspapers of new
details of the conspiracy and encour
aging every official who had shown an
inclination towards justice, to per
severe in hisell'orts to gain M. Drey
fus a rehearing.
The Letters in India.
London correspondents report to
New York papers that passengers
arriving from Simla on the last In
dian steamer arc talking about the
demands that Mrs. Loiter and the
Misses Loiter are making on Simla
society for the samo kind of homage
that is paid to the Vicereine herself.
We might have known that Mrs.
Loiter would have made trouble in
Simla society. The consideration she
demanded from Washington society
and did not always receive, was the
occasion of many an unpleasant con
tretemps there. Now, as It Is well
known her vice majesty Lady Curzon
basset up a court in India exactly
like the queen's in England. Every
detail of the etiquette of the court of
the Queen is copied to tlie most min
ute details, and the state functions
are the most gorgeous in the world,
thanks to the magnificence of the
uniforms of the Indian service. Lady
Curzon receives all the honors paid to
royalty. "When she drives, tiles of
sowars (troops) precede and follow her
carriage and guards are mounted at
her palace. The court moves en
masse from Calcutta to Simla in
March to escape the hot weather, re
maining until November. Since
Lady Curzon has been Vicereine there
lias been a constant succession of
society functions. The chief social
event of the year is the drawing room
on Empress' Day. Every detail of
the Queen's drawing rooms is fol
lowed, even to the trains, gowns,
feathers, ornaments and bouquets of
the ladies presented. Lady Curzon,
Vicereine of India, lias established
the same rules of etiquette that are
in force in Queen Victorias palaces,
and the wives of the officers -of the
British troops revolted at the efforts
of the Vicereine's mother and sisters,
Mrs. Levi Z. Letter and the Misses
Leltcr, to exact the same homage.
Here are some of the rules: No one
may remain seated while the Vice
reine Is standing. Every visitor must
back out of her presence. When she
rises to withdraw every one must rise,
bow and remain standing until she
lias left. No one is admitted to offi
cial society until after presentation
at a drawing room, except whore pre
sentation has been made to the Queen.
Names of candidates for presentation
must be presented to the military
secretary of the Viceroy, who will
submit them to the Vicereine.
Mrs. Leitor Is unable to see why the
mother-in-law of the India viceroy
should not receive the same awed hoin
age as his wife. Hut the white peoplo
of Simla of whom there are only six
hundred, sec the difference and with
hold the demonstrations which they
freely offer the Vicereine. On ac
count of those demands from the Loi
ter mere et soeurs the Simla season
cannot be called successful though it
has been unusually brilliant. Many
of the officers wives have refused to at
tend functions at which the Loiters
were present and the situation has be
come exceedingly uncomfortable. The
refugees have appealed to the queen
to settle th3 amount and character of
the submission the Loiters are en
titled to. The Indian papers are ridi
culing the whole dispute. Members
of the English peerage, know Just as
the officers of our own army know
those who rank them, just who the
peoplo are who go out ahead of them
todinncrand why they arc entitled
to. No one is better calculated than
Mrs. Loiter, who is never quite cer
tain of whether a plural subject takes
a singular verb or not, to enrage these
English people who are in the habit
of receiving homage and of jealously
looking out that no one else recieves
a part of what is, by long custom,
theirs. Feeling towards Americans
as even the best and kindliest Eng
lishmen do fool, viz., that we are
still not a part of the colonial property
of England only because of our incor
rigible uppisbness, It Is comparatively
easy to appreciate the indignation of
the noble English in Simla.towards an
American woman whose daughter has
married a viceroy, but lias not, by the
same token, ennobled or cultivated
her mother. Queen Victoria herself
cannot make the English men and
women of Simla many of whom date
their. patents f rom 10(50, bow the knee
to a foreign family but lately married
into a connection with a man who
represents royalty In India.
Mrs. Eddy's Advertisement.
An advocate of a new belief Is apt
to be human Objections to Christian
Science urge that Mrs Eddy is simply
a phenomenally good business woman
who has made u Duslness market for
her very high priced books. Mrs.
Eddy is certainly not less oblivious
than other yankces to chances of mak
ing a little money. A recent number
of the Christian Science Monthly con
tains on the editorial page the follow
ing advertisement under the guise of
admonition:
Ciiiiistian Science Spoons On
each of these most beautiful spoons Is
a motto in bass relief that every per
son on earth needs to hold In thought.
Mother requests that Christian Scien
tists shall not ask to be informed what
this motto is, but each scientist shall
purchase at least one spoon, and those
who can afford it, one dozen spoons,
that their families may read this motto
every meal and their guests made par
takers of its simple truth Mauy
Hakeu G. Eddy.
The possession of such a well devel.
oped commercial Instinct by the found
or of a new religion is not a trust
worthy Indication of the unreliability
of her inspiration, but to the commer
cial travelers of this weary world the
foregoing seeinsllkean inspired adver
tisement. With reading matter on
four sides of it. in the middle of an ed
itorial page, and not another ad. In
sight, the effect upon the minds of
those who take Mrs. Eddy's monthly
is incalculable. It has a slight Lydia
Pinkham llavor, however, which is
distasteful, at least to dissenters.
The President and Gov. Roosevelt.
Notwithstanding Mr. Roosevelt's
reply to many questioners that all
the President wanted of him was to
sisk him for recommendations of ca
pable officers for the Filipinos, there
is more than a suspicion that the
President intended to offer him the
war portfolio which 1ms proven too
heavy for Secretary Alger. If Gov
crnor Roosevelt is named as secretary
of war and accepts it, the department
wMll no longer be under suspicion.
The governor may make mistakes but
they will not be those of jobbery.
The conduct and methods of Secre
tary Alger lmvc been the only serious
blot upon the present Jidmistratlon.
The general verdict of Washington
correspondents is that the president
hits now relieved secretary Alger of all
direction of ntTairs in the Filipinos.
The President is long suffering but
the scandals concerning the distribu
tion of valuable franchises and prive
leges in the new territories, following
upon the beef scandal have boon too
much and from now on until his suc
cessor takes charge, the President will
do Mr. Alger's work In addition to
Ins presidential duties proper this is
too heavy a burden and nobody
blames the President for seeking to
shift them to shoulders as young and
strong and reliable ;ts Governor
Roosevelt's.
Mrs. Potter's Snub.
Mb3. Jatnos Brown Potter says sho
does not caro if sho never comes back
to America, that her friends are dead
and that she has found hor fame and
appreciation in foreign countries rather
than in Amorica. She says that her
principal memories of American tours
pertain to badly cooked food in uncom
fortable hotels, ttc. Mra. Potter's re
turn is not looked forward to with
eagorneB8. Hor talent is forced and was
cultivated for the money and fame that
may be made by a good actor rather
than from the inherent love of literature
and life which must inspire a real
genius. Mrs. Potter deserves the suc
cess and recognition which she has won.
No harder working or more determined
actress liveB. But she lacks the in
herent tasto and feeling which charac
terize the work of Julia Marlowe or
ModjeBka. The elTect she produces is
the result of perseverance and a pains
takinc industry. Teachers of the young
tell them that industry and determina
tion with perhaps a dash of good luck is
all that is necessary to make them art
iBts.authors.actors and presidonta.It is of
questionable wisdom to stimulate child
ieh ambition in this way. For the world
lies in wait just outside the kindergarten
door.to teach the pupil that one ounce of
genius is more appreciated than tons of
praiBeworthv intentions and eight horse
power industry. What Mrs. Fieke does,
inspired by the tpirit, Mrs. Potter learns
by heart and the business learned from
another loses the force of originality.
If Mrs. Fteko had Bignitiod a purpose to
remain in England or some other un
deserving place in Europe there would
be real mourning over here. But as it
is only Mra. Potter, there are others
who can take her placo and in the pres
ent state of international harmony we
do not care to bo selfleh if England
really wants her to stay.
Hypnotism in Lincoln.
The men whom the hypnotist Fiynt
selects co amuse biB audiences have
with exceptions, depraved, ignoble and
repulsi"o faces. Those whom ho calls
"good subjects" wore recontly arrested
for hypnotizing ignorant young women.
Weak rather than wicked when the
hypnotist began to practise on them and
use them, as an organ grinder does a
monkey, to colloct a fow pennies for
him, they have gradually but per.
coptibly lost tho look of respectable
young men, they had whon he first be
gan to weaken their wills. Such exhibi
tions as Fiynt gives ara objectionable
both if hypnotism is and if hypnotism is
not, what ho claims it is. If bo can put
his will into another man and destroy
his idontity, ho ought not to be allowed
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