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About The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 16, 1899)
iUJJUWBilll'MllilJlll T1 THE COUKlKb the honor of the French army! Ten years imposed on a man to whom the army has denied a fair trial and which has persecuted him already for many years both for being a Jew and because the establishment of his in nocence would prove the staff ofllcers KUllty. Although tlio French are singularly self sutllcient and insensible to for eign criticism the disapproval of the sentence which English, German and American newspapers have expressed may alfeot them, especially if it have any real inlluencc upon the attendance at the exposition. From the tone of Gorman newspapers, it is likely that tile opposition to any Gorman exhlolt Is growing The sentence is cer tainly a disgrace to the nation and ttie army, but inasmuch as tiie French do notcaro for the opinion of the rest of the world, it is only pos sible for the nations to express tticir indignation and disgust at the insult otTered to Justice by having less com mercial intercourse with France. The Jewish citizens in France, America, England and Germany are the possessors of large capital. As a race they are not Interested in poll tics and in a presidential convention the Jewish vote is never mentioned. They are democrats, populists, re publicans and their race does not ap pear to influence their choice of party. In Amer.cathcy are patriotic Ameri cans. In England they are loyal subjects of the Queen, and in Ger many they are not arrested for leae majcslc. Thus, although the race has retained its homogeneity, its groups speaking the language of the various countries in which they live, do not show much sympathy or interest in each other. If an Irishman's rights or even an Englishman's or Ameri cans had been trampled upon as Dreyfus' rights have been a storm of protest and reprisal from Irishmen or Englishmen or Americans the world over, would have beaten against the government Inflicting the wrong. Even yet It is not improbable that the Jews of the world will refuse to traflic with the Trench, and it is no less Improbable that Englishmen, Germans and Americans will inflict a punishment upon the thrifty French men by carrying out their threats regarding tiie exposition. Not being sensitive, as the decision has shown to losses in honor and self respect and having no conception whatever of the rights of man, the commercial loss is the only one by which Frenchmen can be induced to repent. Tlu re fusal of the French court to Judgo the prisoner by anything buc Star Cham ber rules, will have an inmeasurablo affect on Frenchmen. The result of the trial has already shown that the military Is superior to the civil law and that therefore, civil law and the constitution exist on the sufferanco of the military. This being so, the Republic exists until a Napoleon only as strong and as quick and as deter mined as Louis or a Bourbon brave and subtle get control of the army and at its head march on the Re public. Tito trial has shown the Bourbons, theNapoleonlsts and the revolutionaries of all kinds thar, France obeys the army. And tho crowds which acclaim the verdict, announce that France cares not for Justice or law but only for the army. Such 21 people I not ready for a re public, and the man who plans and executes the next coup d'etat and establishes a monarchy will be fur nishing tho French people with the only sort of government suited to an immature or degenerate nation. The Preparatory School, A few years ago tho preparatory school at the university wasdlspenscd with. But the year after It was found necessary to resume the pre paratory work. The state Is young and of such large acreage that the public schools affiliated with the uni versity and prepared to fit students to enter the freshman year, aro still comparatively few. The arrange ment that the university authorities have made with the Lincoln high school to fit students for the univer sity at the cost of only a dollar a semester where formerly the student paid four or five dollars to tutors for the preparation work. The prepara tory school in the university 1ms al ways been an awkward expedient though It was undoubtedly a tem porary necessity. This arrangement will add to the high school a number of earnest pupils working with a definite pusposoand it will relieve the university of a class of younger pupils not quite mature enough for under graduates. It will also leave the uni versity professors free to do univer sity workentirely and the university funds will no longer be diverted for expenses of the preparatory work which is, strictly speaking, aside from its function. Jacob North. In the deatli of Mr. North Lincoln loses a master printer of exceptional knowledge and ability. Mr. North belonged to a generation which was willing to learn In the school of Xhe apprentice how to do good work. He learned his trade of book-maker and job-printer in England. I know of no man in Lincoln who can take his place. He was an exacting employer. He was capable of taking pains, and the books, pamphlets and papers that came from his establishment when he was himself, were so carefully scrutinized and corrected that the Imprint of his publishing house has acquired an honorable and deserved fame. Mr. North lived temperately and dealt justly with his fellowmen. He did his work well for the sake of do ing good work. All who dealt with him are anxious to testify to his up rightness and to his respect for the craft he learned so patiently and thoroughly when lie was a boy. He brought up his children with the same respect for work and he leaves to them the heritage of an honorable life and a spotless name. For Mr. North clung with an Englishman's tenacity to the tradition that has made England the greatest nation in the world. It is found in tho Bible but it was said to the first man and the last man will obey it. It is, the command to labor. The Open Letter. Tho habit of writing open letters to the newspapers is much more prev alent in the east than in the west. Readers of the New York Sun and of the Boston Transcript and other papers are in the habit of thinking and almost simultaneously sending off their thoughts to one of these news papers. The Dewey parade is discuss ed by fathers and mothers anxiously and conscientiously. They desire their children of eight years and over to see Dewey. It Is impossible, of course, for a father to hold up a child of eight years old and over for very long at a tlmo, and a New York crowd will not permit a child of eight years old and over to scroogo his way to tho curbstone. S" It Is very doubtful, un less some placo is set apart for the olght year olds and overs, that they will get a sight of Dewey. Two parents,!), w. C. Ward and Hal Bell, suggest "that a largo stand bo oreet ed on tho Park side of fifty-ninth street, extending from fiftli to eighth avenue for tho exclusive use of the children of our public schools" An other affectionate father asks that Dewey be compelled "by all means" to ride at the head of the line. This is P. P. Parsons, and he says ho ex pects to have "five boys at tho land parade and they will s'and a poor chance of seeing the great Admiral unless some other way is arranged than to have him review the parade. Charles G. Hall wants to havo the parade s' art in time so that persons from out of town can see it and get home before night. One of the Vic tims is suspicious and asks in a mar tyred tone: "Who is it with windows to let on University Place that had the pull necessary Ko induce the Plan and Scope committee to march us over a rough pavement with car tracks and a back street instead of down Fifth avenue with a good pavement and no car tracks? H. V. says, "that boxes when they are placed in tho rear of sidewalks interfere with the rights of others, but. when they aro placed along the outer edge of the side-walk, as has been done, they and the people occupying them are a nui sance and the police should beordered to stop the practice." Then there are a half dozen or more communications In regard to the later beginning of school in the fall. There are other communications in last Sunday's edi tion of the Sun from the overburdened heart of tiie people to the editor on the subjects respectively of the waltz and the two step, protesting that the waltz iias not been superceded by the two-step except by young people who can not learn to waltz, on a plea for fractional currency, on theatre ticket speculators by one who believes in them and who may be a ticket specu lator himself though he signs his name (Mrs.) G. A. Wheelock, there Is another on the madness of unionism commentlfigon the edict of the Brick layers and Stone Mason's Interna tional Union which under the direc tion of President Gubbins declares that President McKlnley must join the union before ho can be allowed to lay the corner stone of the new fed eral building In Chicago as under its rules no one in Cook county can handle a trowel who is not a member of the union. The examples are sufficient to show the interest everybody takes in cur rent events. They indicate also that, far more than the editor's thoughts tho people enjoy expressing their own and seeing them in print. It is a New England trait, this one of ex pressing one's mind, and the faith that the expression may abate a nui sance, accomplish a reform or make converts. The letters arc Invariably characterized by great earnestness and belief In their usefulness. This attitude of mind which seems to be universal, is complimentary to the editors of the papers and to the sub scribers. In fact these communica tions take tho placo of the town meet ing which Boston and New York have out grown. The conscientious writers warn fathers and mothers orpitralls laid for their children, they remon strate against committees and conn oilmen who do not make suitable pro vision for the children, discuss poll tics, religion, and finance witli a dignity proper to ono addressing one hundred thousand people with tho faith that their words Instead of fill ing space will reach tho discouraged and the tempted or tho bribed with beneficial results. A community which writes so many open letters Is, If a trifle pharasalcal, at least striving to improve and It is a healthful sign of Interest and faith. In tho west It is only occasionally that a strayed New Englander reverts to his type and writes a letter to the newspapers. The man who docs ii habitually gets a reputation which In does not usually deserve of a desire for notoriety It is not notoriety which urges him but the fever of reform which Is the same that sent the Purl tans to these shores. If Lincoln and Omaha would bin cultivate the open letter habit, tin officers whose duty it Is to protect tin public and prevent it from being lm. posed upon by the savages who leav swill in alleys so long that the air is infected for miles around, or who ex tend signs Into the street and cut oil their neighbor's view. The open letter habit Is a hearty, healthy habit ami every newspaper man appreciates it. The First Nebraska. Members of the First Nebraska have little liking for parade. -As they tiled into the dining room at the fair grounds they had a somewhat shame- faced expression as though they did not altogether relish the attention and applause their appearance created. Many of them were not to be seen in the parade of Thursday and although they wore missed, the real soldierly distaste for display is another evi dence of the Integrity of their fame. As a regiment thelr's is a modesty that is appreciated. Thpy will not make capital of their service in the Filipinos and they object to forming part of a spectacle. But knowledge of what they have done will deepen the sympathy and appreciation the state feels for them. By one and an other the story of the Plrst will be told and it is hoped that it will re ceive the place in history its achlev ments merit. Because Colonel Stotz enburg is dead is no reason why he should not be granted tho honors of the Filipine campaign which he sure ly captured. Compared with General Funston, Colonel Stotzenburg is as , v Wellington or Marlborough to one of v7 their dashing reckless captains. Col. Stotzenburg had real military genius; the ability to make an army out of disunited elements and theieafter to place It in the field at the point where, and the moment when it can bo most effective. He thought ho knew at what place the Filipinos would begin the attack and lfe camped on that spot and a sentry of the First Ne braska fired the first shot of the war at a Filipino who refused to obey orders. It was not chance that the First Nebraska was always in the van and on the heels of tba enemy. Colonel Stotzenburg drilled the men to the highest degree of efficiency and as a military tool Stotzenburg and bis regi ment were recognized as being the most serviceable of any in tbe Filipinos. When history is written his work will be recognized, but in tbe mean tlmo it is disappointing to sae other officers and other men receiving tbe credit which belongs to the First Nebraska and its y Colonel. ' The Street Fair. Tho soldiers note tbe signs 'of quick ened prosperity in Liocoln. Prepara tions for the booths and tho street fair are proceeding rapidly and even rojiic ing over the return of tbe poldiers and tbeir fioe appearance, did not interrupt c the preparations for tbe street fair Tbe pretty booths are fast transforming tbe Htreets from a purely comercial as pect to a festival appearance. Tbero ia little doubt that the fair will be a suc cess, with tbe streets full of peoplo who have accepted the invitation(to cotue and be amused. Tbe city has never before been at home to everybody and tlio novelty and freedom of (be intivationa insure few regrets. Between tbe die- y plays of merchandise contortionists,nnig iciansand trained animals will atniiso tbe populace. It is hoped that thero i"i"- M