The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-03-19 00:00:00

SATIMILIDAY MAIICW 19, 1887

OcOMMENTS ON CURRENT NEWS

rfi E event of the week has been the i
startling intelligence that another deliberate
attempt has been made to lay violent hands
upon aaitocracy- in Russia. Happily the
Czar escaped the awful death which was
planned for hint six years to the day after
his father was slaughtered in horrible fashion
by desperate conspirators. The Imperial
family is now within strong fortress walls,
seekinc, refuge from the people who owe
them loving obedience. The Shakespearian
assertion "unhappy lies the head that
wears a crown" is all too true in Russia
How our Queen that-is-to-be mast at times
1
1 contrast her lot in happy Britain, where
\loyalty is revered, with that of her sister,
dwellino. "in the midst of alarms." How
the Duchess of Edinburgh mast ever and
anon cotripard the immunity from all fear
which her husband's home affords with the
nameless terrors looming always over the
Russian court.

J.DGING from past experiences, it will be
safe to predict that, now activity has be-..,n
displayed by the malcontents under Russian
rule, the Government of the Czar will be so
absorbed for a time with home affairs that
it will refrain from belligerent action beyond
the Muscovite border. Bulgaria, then, may,
perhaps, solve the problem which has now
long troubled the peace of the Balkan Pen-
insula, without so much necessity of having
to conform to Russian requirements. There
is a report that the representatives of the
Powers at Sofia have found a way to mend
matters, a way which will go far to please
everybody concerned. The task of mutual
conciliation and the probability of general
agreement will certainly be rendered all the
easier and all the more likely, now that
Russia has the prospect of a "handful" in
keeping things straight at home.
-

WHAT weather we have been having!
Snow, on the eve of springtide, feet deep in
the drifts on the Hampshire downs. A white
mantle in mid-March, covering Britain from
Brighton and the sunny south-western shore
to the far north of colder Caledonia, Lambs
lying dead in dozens up and down in the
agricultural distri its. Suffering among the
indigent, stoppage of out-door labour, im-
pediment to traffic, damage to property, a
long table of disaster all arising from the
visitation of unwelcome weather. It is to
be hoped that at last the long-lived winter
of 1886-7 has done its work, and will retire
before the face of the • smiling spring with-
out further evidence of the strength of frost
and snow. The fiftieth winter of her
Majesty's reign will be remembered for its
rigour for many a year to come.

SIR EDWARD HAMLET has all the patriot's
desire to make his native land invulnerabe
against a foreign foe, and all the specialist's
knowledge of what is necessary to constitute
adequate defence. He tells us that Six And
and a-quarter millions would put us beyond
the danger-of invasion, and that without the
expenditure of that sum in the direction of
his own well-defined ideas we should fall an
easy prey to a combined attack from hostile
nations. Is the voice of Sir Edward the
voice of wisdom? We think so. We con-
sider he made out a capital ease. It would
be better far to calmly and with deliberation
expend six millions or even more, in dale of
peace, in the construction of necessary and
efficient defensive works than to rush head-
long into the purchase of costly armaments
and the hurried building of forts at enor-
mously enhanced panic prices whenever war
may seem :imminent. Happily, this is no
question of conflicting party politics, and
Radicals and Conservatives are alike agreed
as to the wisdom of being ready to ward off
war by being prepared for it at any time.
That is, of course, as long as militaryism is
recognised among nations. Some day, per-
haps, the thousand years of peace may be
rang in; but, until then, peace must lie down
armed if she would slumber securely.

THE Free Library movement 'does not at
this present appear to be making much head-
way. A London district the other day re-
fused to adopt its provisions, because
thereby an addition of a few pence would be
made to the quarterly rate account of each
resident. And so culture and the desire for
improving the masses mentally and morally
were checked by the question of a present
touching of the pocket. The Free Library
advocates contend with all the eloquence
that they can command that cheap literature
of the better sort, and the provision of a
gathering ground for easy culture, are
always good investments for the ratepayer,
in that they lessen the necessary expendi-
ture for the repression and prevention of
crime. 'But the small property-holders, who
generally outnumber all other classes, can-
not see this, and will have none of the argu-
ment, which they scout as sentimental and
wide of the truth. They hold that the Free
Library rate is only a further provision of
books by them for a class whose children
they are already called on to contribute to
the education of on a scale of completeness
which they consider beyond the bounds of
necessity. There are many side-issues,
stated sometimes reasonably, and sometimes
without the shadow of logic to recommend
them. As the adoption of the provisions of
the Act is optional m each neighbourhood,
however, there is a sort of Permissive Bill
flavour about it which secures the wishes of
the majority being conformed to. We think
it clecidely unwise of the pro-Free Libraryites to introduce a clause ikto the Amend-
ment Bill they are promoting, giving power
to deal with funds derived by levying the
poor-rate, undei. certain conditions, in addi-
tion to the spending of the statutory special
tax If that provision became law, the little
ratepayer would rise everywhere in alarm,
and smite to the ground any movement for
the adoption of the Act in their town or dis-
trict. Aheady protest rings out sufficiently
loud to warn those who would see the Free
Library an institution of each parish to be
wise in time. It may be noted that Captain
Colorub has blocked the Free Libraries Act
Amendment Bill in ths Commons.

TETE3 is a contention concerning the
curacy of the fixtt.re of the national holiday
in honour of her Ma.iesty's Jubilee. To be
chronologically collect it would have been
as well to name June 20th itor the celebra-
tion. At two in the morning of that date
in the year 1837, William IV. paid the corn-
mon debt cf king and pauper, and from that
moment Queen Victoria was England's
sovereign. On the 20th of June next, there-
fore, our gracious miler will have snayed the
sceptre for a full semi-century, and on that
day also commences the 51st year of her
reign. As the 20th 3 a Monday, too, it
would have made a most convenient holiday.
There are reasons though, why an interven-
ing 24 hours between the close of Sunday
and the commencement of such a high cele-
bration will be advisable, and perhaps these
weighed with those who made the fixture
more than consideration of the loss to many
of an additional day's wcrk which will follow
the adherence to the arrangement that Tues-
day, June 21st, shall be "Jubilee Day." If
this be held to we may make sure that the
celebration will be pretty generally extended
from the Saturday night to the Wednesday
morning.

. •
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A C.tan.—T.) all who are suffering from the errors
and indiscre-dons of youth, nervous weakness, early
dec y exhiusted vitality. loss of vigour, nervous debility
&e. I will ,end a prescription that will cure lon free of
elm ge. This great remedy was ditoovered by a Mission-
ary intol Mexico. Send addressed stampesi envelope
to the Rev. JosEPn Houma, Bloomsbury Mansion
B 1 )oruibury Square, London, W. C.

- The medical - proiessionare now ordering CADIVIVII
Cocos EssaNcs in thousands of cases, because it contains
more nutritious and flesh-forming elements than any _other
beverage, and it is preferable to the thick starchy Cocoa
ordinarily sold. When you ask for Cadbury's Cocoa
Essence be sure that you get it, as shopkeepers often push
imitations for the sake of extra profits. Makers to tite
Queen. Paris Depot, O. Fasborough M. Honore.

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