St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-03-24
FROM BONNY BOSTON.
The Athenians on Fish-New Books
Woman Suffrage.
Amusing Anecdotes of Several Prominent
People and Some Not So Prominent.
Especial Correspondence of the Globe. I

gay mere as we might be. Culture, however,
like genius thrives best they say, on least
food, which probably accounts for the i'm
mense deal of culturing we are giving our
selves by way of concerts, lectures, readings,
books, art exhibitions and the like. Every
available gallery in the city has a pretentious
exhibition of pictures. There are a lot of new
books just out. Thirteen concerts are an
nounced for this week and next; and private
lectures and conversations are too numerous
to mention.
WOMAN SUFFRAGE.
Last week there was an amusing discussion
at the state house upon the womans' suffrage
bill. 1t lasted two days, evoked nothing new,
and resulted in vote of 145 to so, being the
worst vote but one for suffragists that was ever
given in the state. You may think I speak
unadvlsedly when I say the discussion was
amusing, when tell you that it lasted DUR
ing two long sessions, and was so futile. 1t
was amusing but in rather unusual way.
One man said he was mot q prophet, not
the son Of prophet, but woman suffrage
must be-" Whereupon another man promptly
rose and said it wouldn't. One man rose in
his wrath, and said there was ''a lot of bosh
being talked about this matter" whereupon
UEc OtIleT SluG QOWleu UerlSlVelY.
Another in q tremendous burst of elo-
quence declared that he "alwavs hit the head
on the nail in nutshell Mr.. speakerp'
and thus raised counter-irritant. So they
went on-childishly, inconsistently and with
out profit To me whose first visit to the hall of
our state law makers twas, it was disllusion-
ing. 1t remined me too, of a speech l had
heard at a woman's club, on the previous
day, and by very ardent enthusiast on the
subject of suffrage. She was called upon to
tell what she saw when in Washington the
previous week and being nothing loath, she
told.
Il have been in Washin gton, she said,
land have spent one afternoon in the
capitol and | am glad indeed to tell you what
L saw The session had just commenced,
but the hall was in the direst confusion.
Fifteen men were smoking, two were drunk,
five lay on the lounges sound asleep, and the
majority of the remainder were roaming
about with their hands in their coat pockets
paying not the slightest heed to what was go
ing on. And that is the way our laws are
made! Now do you wonder that said to
my friend" (please observe the exquisite
feminine tact in scoring possible pointD |
edo you wonder I said to my friend that
women ought to be thereof
do not wonder she said it, but I doubt
very much whether the presence of one or
two or three women, unless they were re-
markably young, pretty and dignified would
so revolutionize that hall as to make it the
most congenial spot in the world to spend
"a Washington season."
AN UNANswERABLE ARGUMENT.
Some of the points made in controversy by
quick-witted or atrociously obtuse members
are the most severe commentaries on public
men and measures that reformers could
wish. Take for instance the passing of a
bill in the Massachusetts, legislature on the
question whether Watertown should have
city water or not, and whether the vote to
decide should be a majority or two-thirds
vote.
A long time the representatives wrangled,
pro and con, in what seemed the most use
less and unreasonable fashion without COM
ing any nearer to decision. At last gray
headed old fellow from ''way back'' got the |
floor and promptly settled the matter. ''I've |
been a listening to this discussion nigh onto
an hour, and I've heard all that both sides
have got to say, and can't see for the life
of me why the people of Watertown shouldn't
have water if they want It'll More than that
1 can't see why, when you let them have all
the whisky and gin they want on majority
voto, you can't see clear to let 'em have
water at the same rate!" A most unanswer-
able argument.
MIR. BLAINE's BOOK,
The Hartford firm that has for so long
dangled James g. Blaine's book before our
longing eyes, now promises faithfully that it
shall soon be Greatly and truly'' ours. 1 am
sure 1 hope SO; hope deferred maketh the
heart sick, and Mr.. Blaine's chances would
be very slim if our hearts got into such
state as is now threatening them. There will
probably be much In the book that is inter-
esting but L doubt if many of the anecdotes
will give more innocent delight than this
which comes to us all the way from Chicago.
DINNER
was given one day not long since to William
NJ Evarts, whois, by the way, amost luxu-
rious and enthusiastic diner.
One of the coursescroast stuffed goose
seemed to specially tickle the palate of this
learned gentleman, and he ate thereof most
literally. After the dinner came speeches,
and in the course of one of them gentle
man asked this conundrum:
'What great change has taken place since
we began our dinner?"
1t was given up all around the table, and
then the true answer was given"
''When we began, we had goose stuffed
with sage; now we are through we have a
sage stuffed with goose"
ANOTHER BOOK
of somewhat general interest we have already
received. 1t is by Jeanie Gould Lincoln, is
published by j. r. Osgood 81 Co., and is
called "Her Washington Season. and more
than this it was written and published with
the plainly avowcd purpose of convincing all
people out of Washington that if there is
paradise on earth, it is this. 1t is also sup
posed to confute everything that Mrs. Dahl |
gren and the author of Democracy have said
concerning the weakness and coarseness Of
Washington society. AS for settling that
vexed question it does not do it, any more
than it can be settled that shield is red or
blue, when one half is one color and one
half is the other. J. R. Osgood & Co. have
also just published, in little classic form, Mr.
Howells' pretty farce, ''The Register" which
was first printed in the Christmas Century.
MATURM BALLoU's BOOK, DUE WEST,
is the most charming book of travels as well
as the most voluminous in information of
any that ever read. 1t is having a large
sale. Another book that is soon to be pub
lished is life of Wendell Phillips, written
oy DR.. George Lowell Austin, whose life of
Longfellow is accepted as the authority to
date, and whose medical work, "Perils of
American Woman" is incompatible with
any other of its kind.
Speaking of books, there is one book 1
should dearly love to see written--and that is
one written about US conjointly by our En-
glish visitors of the past five years. Nay! I
will not set the time so! Take the last year
take Oscar Wilde-take Mrs. Langtry and
Lord Coleridge and Mr.. Mathew Arm old-take
no more than these, and yet think what CO.