The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-01-20
THE PRESS
SATURDAY MORNING, JAN. 20, 1879.
Recovery Of the Prince Of Wales and Re-
vival Of the Republican Agitation.
Correspondence of the N. Y. Tribune.l

Recovery Of the Prince Of Wales and Re-
vival Of the Republican Agitation.
Correspondence of the N. Y. Tribune.l
LONDON, Jan. 4.-Two thisgs seem pretty
certain: the recovery of the Prince of Wales,
and the speedy revival of the Republican agi-
tation. English royalists may say what they
like of Republicans, they will hardly question
the good sense they have shown during the
paroxysm of loyalty. Whether it was policy,
or whether it was a natural dislike to discuss
the Throne while the heir to it lay near
death, the Republicans have in either case
taken just the course to neutralize the feeling
which was skillfully nursed against them.
But Sir Charles Dixie and Mr.. Odger and
their supporters are very much in earnest in
their Republicauism. Does anybody suppose
they are going to abandon their views because
young man who bears the title of Prince
happened to have typhoid fever? The inter-
val of inaction has given them time to consid-
er their plans and arrange new ones, If need
be. Before the illness, demonstration in
support of Sir Charles Dixie had been resolv-
ed on by the London workingmen. They
were neither to be coaxed nor frightened into
giving it up. 1t is to be carried out. A meet
ing of delegates from numerous trade and po-
litical organizations was held this week, Mr.
Odger In the chair. They chose an executive
committee, and resolved to hold the demon
stration Immediately before the meeting of
Parliament. By way of response to Tory
threats, and to the violence at Leeds and Boil
ton, they adopted the name 'Freedom of
Speech Committee" Undoubtedly they will
have plenty of opportunity to show whether
they can make their title good.
There have been not a few stories about the
loyal British merchants who found fiunkyism
consistent with the sharpest eye to business,
and who bought up all the Grape in London
and Paris in anticipation of the Princes
death. will add one which / think
has not been in print. At least one
large mourning house had an adver-
tisement with heavy black borders put in
type, and kept it standing for several days,
with orders to go into the morning paper
which should contain the expected fatal news.
If it had happened to come late at night, this
enterprising Briton would have had days
start of his no doubt equally loyal but less
wide-awake competitors. How he, and the
Grape forestalers in general, must have re-
joiced in the news of the Princes GONZALES
cence!
Is it or is it not permissible to make fun of
Mr.. Gladstone on the London stage? May
Mr.. Bruce be held up to scon? Is an epi-
gram on Mr.. Lowe, who makes plenty of his
own, beyond the bounds of license? In one
word, is there or is there not political cen
sorship ON dramatic exhibitions, and has the
Lord Chamberlain struck out all gibes on
the present government from those amazing
productions of the British mind called Christ
mas Pantomimes? Various papers say yes
The Daily Telegraph, which is what the
French call an officious organ of Mr.. Glad
stone, declares there is not one word of truth
in the story; that the Lord Chamberlain has
assumed mol such authority; and that any
body who goeslto the theatres knows he has
not, because the government or some menu
bers of it get their full share of severe hand
ling in more than one pantomime. That
ought to be conclusive; but, unluckily, the
Daily Ne,cs publishes, on the same morning
on which the semi-official contradiction ap-
pears, one or two letters indicating that some
sort of censorship does or did exist. A mali
ager writes that last summer notice was
received from the Lord Chamberlain's Office,
directing him to expunge from a song there
nightly sung the line, MAY Gladstone keep
his temper" The manager thought this a
very natural and liberal aspiration, and did
not see why it should be struck out. This
morning direct and positive contradiction to
the semi-official contradiction is published.
"E. NJ writes: 81 am the manager of a
theatre, and all illusions to Mr.. Gladstone
| and Mr.. Lowe were excised from my Christ
mas pantomime'' The only remaining ques-
ton seems to be whether the Lord Chamber
lain did this on his own authority or by COM
mand from some higher power, say Mr..
| Bruce, for instance, who must be thoroughly
| tired of the taunts and sneers which he has
to endure in the papers, and which he might
well be glad to suppress, if he could, on the
| stage.
The actual Lord Chamberlain is Viscount
! Sydney, well-meaning person, believe, and
sufficiently accomplished in the mysterious
| duties which his postion in tho royal hUuse-
| hold devolves on him. How the censorship
of the drama happens to belong to his Office 1
| don't know, and perhaps the origin of his au-
thority is of no great consequence so long as
| it is not questioned. ga Lord Chamberlain,
says the Liberal journal above quoted, sis
nobleman who usually has done his party
| good electioneering services, and who is re-
warded for these services with well-hlled
ornamental sinecure, because the caliber Of
| his mind does not fit him for political Office"
| That lungent description is not too severe if
Lord Sydney has really been meddling as E.
| N. says he has. But it seems his authority is
not always respected. Another correspond
ent speaks of it in the most irrevereDt manner
as a bugaboo, which only needs to be defied to
collapse altogether. He relates howthe Lord
Chamberlain served notice last
year on a manager requiring the ex-
cision of several speeches from one of Herve' $
comic operas, on "quasi-religious grounds p
The objections were voted frivolous, and the
manager tore up the notice. Every speech
objected to was spoken, and nothing came OF
it. The censor knew better than to fight. Ii
all the managers had shown the same cour-
age this year the pantomime might have been
shade less dreary. As for those now play
ing, have seen two of them, and cannot
recollect that they contained any of those
filings at Mr.. Gladstone to which the Teie-
graph refers. One of them has an elaborate
conundrum at the expense of English Repub-
licans which got about as many Kisses as
cheers. 1t has been the fashion for the or
chestra to play between the pieces the air
God Bless the Prince of Wales, and for the au
dience to get up on their legs during its per
formance. Most people do, but you can safe
ly sit still if you like. There are. points in
plenty in the dialogue on the stage meant tc
raise a cheer from loyalists, but the success o.
these efforts did not seem to me to be great
| G. w. 5.