Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-02-11
TIMELY TOPICS.

TIMELY IOA AOt5s
TpE famous pianist, Dr.. Hans Won Blu
low. has lately become the inmate of lu-
matte asylum, and another pianist of great
distinction, Herr Carl Heymann, has just
been placed in an asylum for the second
time. A ST. Petersburg critic argues that
much piano-forte playing must have driven
these artists mad and that pianoforte
playing in general is so exhausting to
nerve power as to induce insanity. To at
tain anything like perfection IN the art
good physical constitution and much nerve
power, are, no doubt, necessary; but the
number of pianists who are quite as sane
as those who listen to them is still very
large.
The Independent says: We have for
some years refused to regard DR.. Kalloch's
Baptist church in San Francisco as a
Christian church at all. 1t has been a
sand lot'' church, "hoodlum" church,
but not a church of Christ. The Baptists
found that out a year or two ago; and they
went out from it, forming a new associa-
ton for the very purpose of getting rid of
it and its pastor. Now we have the report,
which ought not to surprise US, that it was
let for the late prize fight in that city, and
was filled with such a crowd of roughs as
no church ever saw before, while the two
combatants spared over the platform from
which Kalloch has been wont to curse the
pip-tailed Chinaman. But the gate money
paid.
L. H. SAoxvILLE WEST. the British min
lister at Washington, has presented the city
of Philadelphia with portrait of his an
cestor, Thomas West, third Lord De la
War;, after whom the Delaware river was
named. During his brief stay in Philadel-
phia, after arriving in this country, Mr..
Sackville West saw a small portrait of
and wrote to his family, in England, men
tioning the fact, but stating that it was
not faithful portrait The Countess of
Derby, Mr.. Vests sister, ordered the fam
lily portrait of Thomas West, which had
been painted by billiard, of London, and
present Earl De la Warn, to be copied by
Margaret Thompson, of London, and
joining with her sister, the Duchess of
Bedford, and her brother, sent it to Mr..
West, to be presented to the city of Phila
delphia, as token of their appreciation of
the cordial manner in which the minister
had been treated by its citizens. The por
trait is life size, handsomely framed, and
bears in the upper corner the motto of the
De la Wars, "Jour de ma vie"
Mr.. PUTNAM, of ChilIcothe, Ohio, who is
a thorough going Democrat, in an open
letter, published in the Cincinnati InQuir
er, talks to the Democratic party on the
subject of Sivil service reform in way
that shows that he understands
the position of the public mind on this
question. He tells his fellowDemocrats
that, if they are understood to be opposed
to the principles Of the Pendleton bill,
they will not in the next presidential eiec-
ton be able to carry single Northern
state. On this question he says: "To say
to the forty millions of people who are not
politicians that the Democratic party has
been perpetrating sham and false pre-
tense for fifteen years, while its papers
and stumpers have been clamoring for
civil service reform, and its platforms
have been emblazoned with its promises,
is to impeach ourselves with the most stol
id stupidity, or, what is worse, with incon-
sistency, which, in the light of recent cleo
ticn events, would be disgraceful and Grim
inal. Can a party expect the confidence
Of the public which would fasten upon its
opposition IN power a system which it in
stantly refuses to accept for itself when the
mere shadow of approaching power falls
athwart its pathway? If the politicians
constituted the voting force of the country,
in party aspect, such inconsistency might
be trivial; but there are many millions of
citizens not tied to party aprons who exer
else the franchise and pay the bulk of the
taxes, and will object to their hard-earned
money becoming the spoil of political
wrangle' The Democrats, encouraged by
their success last fall, hope to win the next
presidential election, and in this event the
politicians among them would be glad to
grab all the offices as the spoils of victory.
Nothing can well be more certain than that
they will be utterly disappointed and
routed i'll this respect if the people regard
the party as false to the great principles
of civil service reform as embodied in the
Pendleton bill. The people, at last, mean
business and will sustain no party that is
opposed to these principles.
THE death of Gambetta has thrown
France into confusion. and disclosed the
weakness of the government. He was a
most powerful factor in French ruling
affairs, though not personally in the gov
eminent at the time of his death. Presi
dent Grevy wept when he died, and well
he n light for Gambetta and not the people,
was the chief prop of the SO called, repub-
lie. France never had, except in name, a
republic 1t has no real constitutional
government. Its ruling dynasty is sim
pie aggregation of leading aristocrats with