The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-04-01
ENGLISH NEWS BY MAIL.
Victory of the British in the Soudan
that Came Near Proving a Disaster.
National Demand that Baker Pasha Shall Be
Restored to the Army-Mission Work
and Alleged Reform in the Saloons.


! Correspondence OF the India napolis Journal.
| LONDON, March 15.-The week closes with
the record of another bloody battle. In this
second encounter with the British forces the
wild Arabs of the Soudan have added fresh
lustre to their fame. Drawer men never marched
to meet foe. Their herosm has never been
echpsed and seldom equaled. They fought not
only with remarkable courage, but with more
than ordinary skill 1t looked at one time
though they would win the day. Fancy these
rude soldiers of the desert breaking the British
square, capturing the British guns and forcing
| their assailants into confused retreat This
victory is by no means as credtable to England
as the one gained at FL Teb. To begin with the
generaship was at fault. The advance was too
long delayed. Firing all night without provok-
| ing return, the Arabs must have felt that
| they were getting the best of it, and
were thus strengthened for the onslaught of
next day, whereas the effect of this constant and
unanswered firing upon the English would be
! the opposite Of this, making them nervous irrita-
! ble weak. Still, as everybody expected, they
| triumphed in the end, and all will rejoice that
there is prospect now that this bloody work
will cease. Rich rewards await General Ora
ham, and, suppose, Admiral Hewett will come
in for his share, though he seems to have done
nothing but look on Valentine Bakers reward
will come in the form of reinstatement in the
British army 1t may be delayed little but it
is sure to come. The only obstacle is the reuct-
ance of the Queen. The army and the people
are more than willing to take Baker back. His
old friend the Prince of Wales. says it must and
shall be done But the Queen hesitates because
| there woman in the case. Her Majesty
however will not be able to hold out long against
! the demands of nation and the peadings of her
own children Forgiven his grave lapse and re-
| stored to his former position as colonel of the
! Tenth Hussars. which he soon must be, Baker
will become a great pet, and in case England
keeps on dabbling in blood, we may safely antici
pate for him a military career which will be
alike honorable to his country and to himself.
MISSION WORK IN THE SALOONS,
Among the agencies for reaching the masses
| of this metropolis is a society, connected with
the London City Mission, which works excu-
siveiy in the public drinking places. 1t has
nineteen missionaries constantly employed in
| visiting these places, and up to the present
| evangelical labor has been bestowed upon 5000
of them. This is not a crusade to close them up,
nor is it, properly speaking, temperance move
ment By mutual understanding between
landlord and missionary the latter topic is studi
ously avoided, the visitors simply presenting
ligion to the frequenters of such places in its
general aspects. Tracts are distributed and per-
sonal appeals made, and if possible, subse
quent visitation is arranged to take place at the
individuals home. There are in ALL over II, 900
saloons in London; so that, at present less than
| onehalf the full number have been reached in
this way; but appeal is now being made for
the funds necessary to employ twenty more
workers. when, it is expected, the whole field
! Will % covered At the annual meeting of the
society, just held, the Missionary for the Ber
mondsey district said that the landlords, and
landladies, and bar-men, and bar-maids of pub
| lie houses are no better than men and women
| elsewhere. nordid he think that they were worse
In the course of visiting such places for
| eleven years he had only been
told to leave the premises three times He
| added, however, that on two of these occasions
he was not only told to go, but thrown out.
THE IGNIs FATUUs OF REFORM.
With reference to the drink traffic your read
ers will remember that the Queens speech at
the opening of Parliament promised a measure
for the better regulation of this traffic 1t has
since TRANSFERRED that all the government in
tended was a transfer of the licensing power
! from the magistrates to county boards elected
for the general purposes of county admnistra-
ton. Naturally, this project is opposed by tenn
perance people, who fail to see in it any promise
of improvement upon the present condition of
things Recently. an influential deputation
waited upon the Home Secretary, presenting a
memorial from Liverpool on the subject The
memoralists proposed that the granting and en-