The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-12-14
EDITORIAL NOTES.

EDITORIAL NOTES.
For series of daStardly and cow
ardly murders and thettS covering a
space of twenty years, Frank James
Is being iOniZed by a maWklSh and
pulling public aided by press that
panders to the morbid taste.
A curious case is that of Mrs.
Honora T. Baird. Her husbrnd, be-
fore marrying her, induced her to sign
trust deed cOnsentlng to the distrI-
button of his property among his chill
dren 10y former marriage. After his
death, the widow brought suit in
equity for her legal rights in the
estate, and the court held that no act
OF hers previous to marriage could
vitiate her rights as the wIuow OF d
man of property. Here is a case
where the law protected woman III
spite of herself.
By general consent the day is sup
posed TO begin In longitude loO degrees
irOm Greenwich, the meridian OF
whice crosses the Pacific ocean. The
only known land upon this line where
4 man could stand Is In the northeast
orn corner OF Asia and two Or three lit
Gle islands. BY LOOKING at a terreS-
Crial gloDe it Will readily be perceived
CnaJ the point where the day begins
must depend entirely upon WndI
prime meridian Is CHOSEN. II we say
It Is true noon when the sun crosses
Gne meridian of W aShlngton, then the
day began ON line running through
Cne centre OF Asia.
A correspondent says of recent
Woman'S suffrage convention out
west that there were none OIL those
unpleasant eccentrIcitieS OF dress Oh
manner visible which have been pOpu-
IarIy supposed, whether justly or
otherwise, TO mark gatherings OF this
character in the past. The women
were not angular, ugly or musculine.
On the contrary, they were Tor the
most part plump, pretty and fashion,
dDly aJtIreu, presenting as graceful
anu attractive picture as the com-
pany gathered in any modern draw
Ing-room." 1t by pump We are to
understand 'dumpy," We think Byron
was right when he said: Il hate a
dumpy woman" But if they were
Just pump enough there is no room
Ior argument.
A long and active agitation of the
question of the Bible In the pubic
schools, in Canada, has eliminated IN
d formal demand upon the dominion
government by those who favor Chris
Clan exercises Tor the pupils. Tney
state their ultlmatum aS follows:
That the Bible be used not as d read
ing book, but devotlonally, in connec-
CIOn with the preScrlDeu prayer, at
Cne opening OF the school eacn morn
ing, and that both teachers and pupils
read together the selection prescribed
Tor each particular school day through
out the year. We DO not ask that Lne
Bible be used as a text book IN the
public schools. We dc not ask that
the teachers be required to give expo
sItions or explanations OF the meaning
OF Passages or Scripture"
What is known as the Royal Linn
tied Express train on the PennsyI-
vania railroad, ilS 1T is made up daily,
represents over Sl2O,OOO IN cost OF roll
ing stock. The engine Is put down at
Slz,OOO, the baggage car at Sl2OO,
smoking Car S0UuU, dining-room Car
I2,OO0, five Pullman cars, SI8,OUO
each. Ordinary express trains are
rated at SS3, 3,UOU, as: engine and tender
SlO,5OO, baggage car SlUOO, postal car
S2UUO, smoking car $0OOO, two ordi-
nary passenger cars SlO,OOO each, and
three palace cars $l5,UUU each. When
the rolling stock and the property con-
veyed are included, the average value
of a freight train is larger still A
general slnash-up is OF more conse-
quence to the railroad companies,
therefore, than the public imagine.
Two or three interesting cases of
prayer cures have been published in
che newspapers lately, and if they are
patients, as often happens in like re-
ported cures, the ageo1 miracles is not
passed. But no more practical use OF
prayer has been reported than that OF
Daniel Van Wagner, an inmate OF the
Iona prison in Michigan. On Monday
night Van Wagner made a very elo-
quent prayer in the prison prayer
meeting, and within an hour made his
escape. That subsequent investigation
showed that the escape was carefully
planned should not detract in the least
from the effect of the prayer-upon
the prison keepers. Van Wagner evil
IDENTIFY believed that works should ac-
company faith. The prison officials
should be admonished to watch and
pray"
The beatifcation of Sir Thomas
More and Bishop Fraser has been
proposed at the Vatican. Cardinal
Manning took the initiative in the mat
ter, and mas had the English state ar
chives consulted for information to be
used as evidence. In the ordinary
course of such proceedings the peti-
ton would have had to wait several
years, but a pontifical dispensation
has already permitted the first step to
be taken, and the advisers Of the con-
gregation of rites will, it is said, soon
be summoned to decide whether there
is any objection to the introduction OF
the cause. Should they decide that
there is NO such objection, the pope
will decree that the cause be lntroduc-
ed, and Fraser and More will at once
be entitled Venerable" 1t Is said that
three hundred of the martyrs OF these
worthless are included in the proceed
ings.
They do these things better in
France than in London. When the
French troops came back from the |
war with Abdel Kader the boulevards |
were lined from one end to the other |
with the troops that had remained at |
home. The great Goldsmith, who |
was at that time the director of the |
opera. had the direction of the spec
tacle. The groups of cripples upon |
crutches, lame men with their DIS
tered legs bound up in coarse canvas
rags, blind men supported between
two comrades, the officer with his arm
slung on q cactus lsaf, the Duke OF