The Portland daily press., 1874-02-07
The Topic Of the Hour.

cer anu otneT sclentlhc students of the de-
velopment Of human society complain that
nearly all records available for their inductions
give them biographical sketches and personal
gossip instead of facts relating to the moral
and social condition Of the people, their gov
eminent, their customs and their industries.
All the valuable data they can obtain must be
laboriously picked out of great masses OF
composition touching individual exploits.
All that is of real value to the soc:oioglst Is
given incidentally by the historian in his de-
scription of CIeopatra's eyebrows, or Caesars
demeanor when presented with the crown,
Pericles' relations with Aspasia, the matri-
monial adventures of Henry VIII, the extra
matrimonial exploits of Louis XIV, Burr's
duel with Hamilton, Napoleon's cooked hat
and white breeches, Frederick's partially for
snuff and lovers quarrel with Voltaire, the
amours Of Burns, Rousseau's treatment of
his children, the crooked back of Richard
III, the commanding form of Washington,
the short stature of Theirs or the firm mouth
of Gen. Grant. Yet the historians have but
responded to the demands of their readers.
They have very well understood that
minute inquiry into the domestic life, the
mechanical and industrial appliances, the
trades and professions and the morals of a
whole people, ifthe narrative were not spiced
and sweetened with multitude of irrelevant
personal details, would be studied by only
here and there plodding philosopher and
would be consigned to the dryasdust shelf of
the average library. They have perfectly
comprehended the fact that the color of AL
exander's eyes or Zenobia's hair would at
tract the attention of ten readers, where an
account Of the social organization of the Ro-
mans would excite the interest of one.
1t is just so with current history. There
are very few of us who can truthfully claim
superiority to this almost universal feeling of
interest and curiosity about the rarer or more
profound personal experiences of our neigh
bors. Observe how the public went wild with
curiosity about Mrs. Waller-Waite. The lit
tie world of Portland stood still with open
eyes and raised hands while her trial was in
progress. Nor can the people of the other
towns in the state claim more correctness Of
taste or sobriety of demeanor than we pos
sess. The eyes of Maine have been fastened
upon this perhaps erring and certainly unfort-
innate woman and the stricken family groups
that constitute the mournful accessories of
the dramatic scene in which she is the prin-
cipal figure. The Legislature has been in
session and its action or non-action has al
ready touched very nearly the interests of
thousands Of people. No matter-but did
Mrs. Waite ever 60 out to service as Kate
Wallace. The capital punishment question
has been under discussion. An Association
has been formed which is intended to secure
the quick tran sit of criminals from this stale
OF existence "elsewhither" as Carl, lie would
say. Some of the ablest men in the state
have argued the question pro and con before
the Judiciary Committee at Augusta. What
OF that? Let us know how Mrs. Waite's
hair happens to change its color. There is a
new scheme of state taxation proposed, the
increase of drunkenness is striking and
alarming social phenomenon, the English
Parliament has been dissolved ard an excit-
ing election is agitating that country. But
when the daily paper reaches the city break
fast table or the rural post office the first en-
quiry is about none of these things. Every
body must first know whether a case of mis-
taken identity has been made out in the
Waite Waller case, even before learning who
has BEEN married or who has died since YES
terday.
We do not undertake to solve the philoso-
ply of this immensely disproportionate in
terest excited by affairs relatively trivial,ho
ever important in themselves. But it is
fact in human nature that cannot be ignored,
especially by those who furnish the public
with the details of current events.
To leave Mrs. Waite and the unfortunate
people whose evil destiny has brought their
lives into such state of ENHANCEMENT with
hers, out of the daily newspapers, would be to
leave Dido out of the Eneid. Helen out of
the Iliad or Eve out of Paradise Lost. The
best that he conscientious Journalist can do is
to exclude accounts of domestic scandal
where the principal source of interest is the
indecency of the details. In this respect we
believe that the most of the journals of Port
land and OF Maine are above reproach. In the
case under consideration there was happily
little that was gratifying to mere prurient
curiosity.