Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-10-28
FORCUs EB
MONDAY. ocToRER rs. 1873.

" = - y y y
MONDAY. OCTOBER rs, 1879.
MIR. FRouDE has closed his series of five lee.
lures, in New York, with such success that he
is encoura ged to deliver these lectures on Ire
land in other cities. Il is likely that he will
learn something of public opinion in the United
States, which he did not know when this lee
turing tour was prof 'cted. Intelligent Ameri-
cans have a better knowled re of the history and
present condition of Ireland than he took ac-
count of when these lectures were prepared for
our enlightenment; but they will appre-
ciate and profit by his minute and
thorough knowledge of Irish history
In New York he has had large au-
diences, which he appears to have satisfied.
He is described as can interesting speaker"
ranking above some of our own lecturers, al
though he ''does not approach the high standard
of our best platform orators" The best writers
are seldom good speakers, and Mr.. Froude, we
suppose, is not an exception to the rule. The
great attraction of his lectures appears in the
thoroughness of his historical learning, and in
his vigorous, polished, and picturesque style of
writing. He has something to say and can
say it admirably with his pen.
The New York Evening Post thinkssit would
be difficult to find ga more brilliant example of
literary Quixotism than his visit to this eoun-
try" Hecame to lay the Irish question before
the American people, in order TO enlighten our
Ignorance of Irish affairs, and create among us
sounder and healthier public opinion. He
came to encounter a condition of American
a. -. ~.
but his visit will be useful TO himself as well as
to others; even his eloquent critic, Father
Barke, will profit by it, for brilliant decama.
ton is not irresistible when employed
against thorough knowledge At the
same time some of Mr. Froudes
conclusions in regard to the "Irish question:
will be criticised by Others, particularly those
touching the right of England to govern Ire
land; but he presents one view of the question
which ought to control the British parliament
and find favor with all Englishmen. In his
Judgment the great evil in Irish affairs is the
prevalent system of land tenure. This ought to
be changed but it is, also, one the great evils
to which the English people are subjected, and
the long established prerogative of a "landed
aristocracy" does not easily give way TO justice
We have seen no statement giving an account
of Mr.. Froude's engagements, beyond the an
nouncement that he viii deliver the lectures in
Boston, beginning November It'll, Professor
Tyndall's course in Boston was concluded Fri.
day evening. We wish this course could be de-
liyered in Worcester, for it would be worth
more to us than all the lectures we are likely TO
hear for long time. But this is one of those
things, we suppose, which must be desired
without being realized.
The Springfield Republican says: "There is
something nobler than success, there is even
something higher than a seat in congress"
True; but that higher and nobler thing does not
appear nor can it be heard of in the representa-
ton that William w. Eaton is a hopeful agent
of political reform. In politics, Mr.. Eaton is
Bourbon of the Bourbons, and is about the last
man in Connecticut to be thought of as a radi-
cal relormer. If his home were in Georgia, he
would be very suitable man TO represent the
democrats OF that state; but to talk of him as a
mole suitable man than General Hawley to
represent Connecticut constituency, does not
promise much for reform of any kind.
The Greeley papers Of New York are making
themselves wrctched over the proceedings of Mr..
Davenport. United States commissioner They
declare thathis conduct is outrageous, tyrannical
and only paralleled by the conduct OF the Spanish
inquisitOn. The acts when give rise to these
complaints are the instructions issued by Mr..
Davenport, who is also chief of the supervisors
of the elections appointed under the laws of con-
20, I, = H. +.
dering the arrest OF men who interlered with the
supervisors in the discharge of their duty, Mr.
Davenport, it appears, regards 1t as part of the
duty of these officers 10 verify the registration
liss,and for that purpose he has directed them to
visit the alleged residences of registered voters
and make inquiries as to number and ages of
the persons living there and such other points
as might be material. Two persons who re-
fused to answer such inquiries and threatened
to kick the officers out Of DOORS have been ar
arrested and held to bail. These are the out.
RACES which arouse in the World a frenzy of
indignation. That journal maintains that,
while the election law, as it stood
before the amendments made at the
last session of congress made it the
duty Of supervisors to verify the registration
lists, that authority was expressly withdrawn
by the amendments; but the construction OF the
law adopted by Mr.. Davenport leaves the au-
thority unimpaired to supervisors in cities of
more than twenty thousand inhabitants. Thus
explained the outrage does not seem intolerable
nor serious menace to the liberty of the cit-
zen, even if we admit as we are inclined to do,
that MIR. DavenporPs construction of the law
seems less likely than the other to be sustained
by the courts.