The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1888-05-19 00:00:00

,Stourbribge Oberber

SATURDA.Y, MAY 19, 1888.

WAR ALA.RMS.

THE profession of arms has of late been more
than is usually assiduous in clamouring for
a heavier subsidy, and a number of estimably
patriotic people, lacking perhaps a little in
prudence, have taken up the military plaint
with such vigour that we have been almost
on the verge of such a panic as thal to which
we are indebted for our volunteer system.
A London daily paper of very consider-
able circulation, having found the
homelier subject of the destiny of our
daughters pall upon its readers, opened its
columns to the cry of" England in Danger,"
and public men of much influence, among
them Lord Randolph Churchill, have con-
tributed to the alarmist doctrines therein
promulgated in sensational style. The theme
has also had attention in the other organs of
the press, many journals of high standing
deprecating the pessimist views of those who
are asserting that we are practically de-
fenceless at the present moment; while no.
a few newspapers, provincial as well as
metropolitan, join in the demand for military
and naval reorganisation. In both Houses
of Parliament, too, the subject has given
rise to important debates, while the Secretary
for War has been waited upon by a deputation
of mun, many of them of eminence and re-
presentative standing, who have urged the
Government to action on the points which
they consider vital; while a meeting in the
City of London has got together the most
public-spirited committee it could command
to work the agitation for a strengthened
and enlarged military and naval defensive
establishment. In consequence of all this
activity, some superficial general alarm has
arisen; but, so far as we can judge, the
great bulk of the public have refused to
attach to the industriously and elaborately,
nurtured attempt to set a panic afoot any-
thing like the serious importance which its
promoters expected or desired. The truth
of the thing is this: your taxpayer is getting
experienced in the little ways of the pro-
fessional warrior; and gives less and less
heed to the oft-repeated wails of inefficiency
and manufactured rumours of impending.
European conflict or contemplated British
invasion. We have had a needless six millions
vote *rang from us within easy memory
under what we now believe was a groundless
if almost general fear, and other ree•Alections
of false alarms in our own country which
have benefitted nobody brit the soldier crowd
upon one. There also occur to the eherewd
onlooker these passionate speeches which
"the man of blood and iron" periodically
makes in Germany when the military coffers
get low, speeches in which the necessity of
keeping armed to the teeth is insisted upon
as absolutely essential to the co itinuous
existence of the Fatherland, the war- Feeling
being meanwhile fanned by the official press
and State agents to such a pitch that B ismarck
gets his demand obstacles notwithstanding.
Many other nations, such is the power and
restlessness ot the military, have had, in a
more or less modified sense, similar experi-
ences; so that we • may well pause to con-
sider whether or not, in the nearing dawn
of the twentieth century, that speech of
world amity for which civilisation has bidden
mankind to look is likely to come after all.
Will it not rather be the age of perfection
in deadly engines of war, the period in which
the nation enter into the fierest rivalry for
the posession of the most destructive agesits
which man's wit, and the resources of
science can conjure into existence, and that
altogether regardless of their cost and of
the consequences of the diversion of so much
of the wealth and industry of every people
under the sun to lamentably useless purposes?
Certainly, if the world's war party be allowed
to have its way some such an undesirable
pAss will be arrived at. We have created a
Monster which, if permitted to have the
dominance it is striving for, will devour all
before it. We, mankind as at present con-
stituted that is adopted the system of stand-
ing armies and of mammoth defences for
our service and protection; if we do not act
with circumspection now the offspring of the
system will prove our masters and work our
ruin. Let us, for the general good, stop oar
ears to the cry of "wolf," then, and refuse
to be borne away on the wings of every
insubstantial panic which is floated by the
soldier to justify his existence, especially
bearing in mind "how oft the sight of means
to do ill deeds makes ill deeds done," and
applying the axiom to the fact that tht
setting of huge armies in battle array in
every country makes the chances of war
much greater than would be the case were
the soldier's occupation altogether gone.
Such men as Lord Charles 13eresford, in
whom the fighting instinct is strong, are the
worst offendtrs in this reprehensible panic-
raising. They are brave • nd command a
ready cheer, and their hot words re n great
danger of rousing the old charaoteristic com-
bativeness of Englishmen, wi'ich never
looktdd before it leaped, but only cared to
"do and dare." Lord Wolseley, whose high
Risition in the army gives his every utterance

tremendous weight, has also blown a loud
blast on the alarm trumpet, and the "England
in Danger" cry has altogether been raised
with undeniable vehemence : but we
sincerely trust that British ha: dheadedness
and caution will prevent any fallacious
terrors from contributing new strength to
that militaryism which is the scourge and
reproach of our time. While the humiliat-
ing sy item of standing armies remains, it is
of co r : se, we mast sadly admit, necessary
that England shuald be provided with
adequate defence; but we must sternly re-
press mischievous and unnecessary alarm,
and, in fact, do all in our power to cultivate
and bring about the adoption of the rule of
right as an universal law, as distinguished
from the bad old plan of the dominance of
might, under which the world yet groans.

COMMENTS ON CURRENT NEWS.

WHITSUNTIDE is with us, the first outdoor
general holiday of the year to which one can
look forward to with a reasonable expect-
ation of enjoyable, genial weather. Easter
is welcome always, especially if the sun
shine, after the dreary months of winter;
but Easter is never other than cold, while
Whitsuntide comes when the trees have put
on their garb of freshly beautiful green, and
when all the country is at its loveliest. Whit-
suntide is the best of all the Bank Helidays
as regards meteorological attributes, having
neither the uncomfortable heat of the first
A.ugust Monday. nor the frosty rigour which
usually accompanies the day succeeding
Christmas. The smile of "Old Sol," earth's
light and warmth giver, is all that is re-
quisite to give joy to the million, young and
old, during the brief Whitsuntide recess.

JUST now London is very full, what with
Whitsuntide visitants from the country, and
residents partaking in the season's gaieties.
The parks and pleasnre resorts are at their
brightest and best, and attracting;. their
thousands. And truly, Londoners and pro-
vincial people holiday keeping in the metro-
polis have little cause for complaint that they
are not amply provided for in a recreative
sense. All the entertainment institutions
of town, such as the National Gallery and
British Museum, the Crystal Palace, the
Zoological Gardens, Madame Tusand's, the
Royal Academy, Kew Gardens, and other
places to which everybody must go, are
having their full complements of visitors,
and eaah is in its best array. Besides these
there are additional attractions galore this
year; indeed, so many in the aggregate that
it is to be feared that the exchequers of
some must in consequence suffer. The
Italian Exhibition has risen on the site oc—
cupied last year at Earl's-court by that of
American products; at South Kensington
an Anglo-Danish Exhibition is in full swing;
and both have many attractive featares.
An Irish Exhibition, of some magnitude and
with a worthy object, will shortly be on
view at "Olympia"; and there is to be a
French Exilibition at Westminster. Though
the Glasgow Exhibition will draw many
lovers of snch-hke displays thitherwards, all
those we have mentioned are sure of many
interested patrons. The Alexandra Palace
has also again been opened, and is catering
vigorously for the amusement of the North
Londoners.

THE mettle of the Australian cricketers at
present playing in this country has been
tried now, and certainly not been found
wanting. The visitors Nen spoken of
somewhat grudgingly as likely to be pretty
fairly on a par with some of our county
elevens, but not at all fit to match with a
representative English team. This because
such fine batsmen as Murdoch, Scott, and
Giffen were not with them, and such deadly
bowlers as Spofforth and Palmer. But de-
preciative criticism of this sort was a little
too precipitous, for the matches already
played have proved that the Cornstalks can
wield willow and handle leather much more
ably than anticipated, and the match against
our champion county at Kennington Oval
this week was a heavy blow to the sap porters
of Surrey and quite a surprise to many others
who witnessed its really remarkable features
A. great deal had been said about the bow-
ling abilities of two new-corners in the team,
Messrs. Turner and Ferris, and many of the
sightseers went to the Oval on the first day
purposely to witness the performances of
this pair with the ball, an expectation which
was disappointed in a curious way. ,Nlr.
Turner posed as the most successful batsmen
of his side, obtaining 3 runs over the hundred
in free and confident style ; while Mr. Ferris
hit up, during a patient innings a total of
thirty-seven, and was then not out. Mr.
Percy M'Donnell, always a dashing bat,
played as well as ever for fifty-six of the
ninety-seven runs obtained by his side befof e
a wicket fell, while Messrs. Bannerman and
Trott also contributed considerably to the
big score of 363 made by the Australians.
Neat day Surrey went in and Afess;rs. Turner
and Ferris bowled to them unchanged
throughout a sensational innings, in which
all 10 wickets fell for the paltry total of 89
on a hard and good wicket. The crack
county did a little better in their second at-
tempt ; but the result was in the end a
defeat for the home team by an innings and
as many as 154 run 3. The bowling analysis
of the Antipodeans was most remarkable,
considering that the ground did not assist
them at all, but gave the defenders the ad-
vantage. Mr. Turner took 9 wickets for
101 runs, and Mr. Ferris 6 for 83; while Mr.
Jones, who bowled 19 balls in Surrey's
second innings, obtained 3 wickets for 4
runs. Trott took the remaining Surrey
life," at the cost of 13 runs. These are
figures for Surrey men to remember, and
the feat accomplished by the Australians
has certainly assured the success of their
tour.

THE evils of the "Sweating System," as
practised so extensively in London—and for
the matter of that, in many othec large cen-
tres —n re being brought to light by the Lord's
Committee now sitting in such a manner
that Government can scarcely refrain from
initiating remedial legislation. There are
horrible dens, kept by well-to-do task Inas ters,
in many of the poor districts of dens ~1v- pop-
ulated places, in which poor wretch., sGtil
sew with a double thread "shrouds as well
as shirts," Tom Hood's pathetic lyric not-
withstanding; and, indeed, " sweating " ii
carried on in its most hideous form in con-
nection with scores of industries. It is high
time we stirred ourselves to the end of seeing
that the poor workers get more than a garret
home, a crust of bread, and ragged raiment
in exchange for toiling from day-dawn to
star-shine.

E r Pa's COCISA.—GRATEPCL AND COMPORTING a
thorough knowlede of the natural laws which govern
the operations of digestion and nutrition.and by care
ful application of the tine properties of well-aelecte I
Cocoa, Hr. Epps has provided our breakfast tables with
a delicately flavoured beverage which may save us
many heavy doctors' bills. tt is by the judicious use of
such articles of diet that a constitution m .37 be gradu-
ally built up until strong e. ough to resigt every tend-
ency to disease Hundreds of subtlt maladies are
floating around ready to attack win,. .:ei there is a
weak point e may escape many ...4ttdi shaft by
keeping oursel, •, wed fortified with 1 0 blood and a
properly nourn . d frame." Civil Astrvi.ce Gazette, -
Made siusply h boiling water or rni,k. Sold only in
packets, by ur ',Jai, labelled `• J›lngs EPPS dc Co.,
tiou.ceopetnic Cheraw's, London,"—Slao makers of
hppe's Afternoon 02cm-law Iterence.

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and vigu r to thousands, who trivi enjoy strong nerves,
firmness of fle-h, regular appetite, ant fresh ess of com-
plexion. Price Is. 9d. per butte, sent post free on
receipt of 33 penny stamps to any part of the Queendorn,
by Mr. RUS iELL, 55, Bartholo.new Road, Kentish
Town, London.

" SPRING lateves."—Being carefully selected
from the early Spring growth, and shipped free from
adAlteration. Hornin3 an's Tea (in packets) commands
an enormous sale in E gland and abroad. The same
reliable good quality at the s‘tno fixed p-ice, is
always secured throughout the kint,rduin by
purchasing of Hornitnan's Agents. Agents in this
locality.

List of Agents in this locality .—STU U BRIDGE
Clarke. Chemist, High Street; Baker, Chemist,
fli4h Street; &Heck, 136, High Street.—Brierley
Hill :Rawlings, Chemist. —Kidderminster: Stewart,
Bull Ring.—Halesowou : Lawlor, Chemist, Murray
& Co., Chemists—Lye : Greenwood, Chemist.
Wordsley : White, Chemist.—Kingswin ford : Male.
—Brettell Lane Collins, Chemist. —Birmingham :
Bath & Co. Bull Ring. —Bewdley, Glov2r, Chemist.

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in which their beanty is blended. Great sacrifices are
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aded through illness, exposure to a noxious atinumphere
the heat of summer or the hosts winter. To bt, ob
tained all Chemists and Perfumers throughouht
World Price as. it European Depot Ild