The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1885-12-20

the nations of the earth-not as an indie
pendent nation. it is true, but almost as
one compared to her condition as long al
her present sons and daughters can re
member. That the day of her deliverance
will become an accomplished fact, and not
remain as possibility of the future, is the
earnest prayer of thousands who are not
Irish. 1t is no secret that the sympathies
of the American people are with Ireland
in the noble and persistent struggle she
has been making for Home Rule aud inde-
pendence. 1t has been hard. almost hope
less work, but if success should crown the
labor at last the achievement will be worth
all it has cost Irishmen leaving the
United States to go home to freedom
almost equal to that which they have en-
joyed in this country will be the eighth
wonder of the world.
The approach of Christmas gladdens all
hearts except those of the poor Theorcti
calIy the great Christian festival is the
particular season when the poor are to be
made happy. Practically it is the time
when their poverty is made keenest-thes
time when it bears down upon them with
the most crushing effect. They have their
hopes and aspirations for better things.
their little ones for whom they hope to
make the day one of glad tidings and great
Joy, but when 1t comes their pockets are
empty and the Christmas holiday fluids
them with equally empty hands. Perhaps
''St. Nicholas" has looked in upon the
humble homes of the children during the
night, but it is only beggarly array of
toys at best that he has left. Do you ever
think of this, We to whom fortune has
been kinderi If not, now is good time
to begin. And while you are thinking of
it see if you can not devise some way OF
making those poverty stricken homes
brighter for one day iu the year. This is
the whole lesson of the life of the Man
whose life you emulate, whose deeds you,
profess to have made the basis of your re-
ligion. If you can not do this for one day
in the year what are your professions of
faith, your pretences of religion worth on
the other three hundred and sixty-fouri
Not much The man who on Christmas
day makes one poor family happy will do
more to prove himself follower of Christ
than he who rears church, just as he
who gives loaf of bread exceeds in
charity the man who gives stone. There
are many who put their faith in the stone,
despite the teachings of the Master, an
error they will probably regret if there be
any truth in the Hereafter they are SO fond
of picturing to the vision of frightened
Sunday school children, but which some
how they never seem to consider applica-
bic to themselves.
A warrant has been issued at Washing
ton for the arrest of General E. A. Car
man, once Comptroller of this city, but
later, under Republican administration,
Acting Commissioner of Agriculture at
Washington. 1t is alleged that he con-
spired with newspaper editor to carry
on the Agricultural Department pay rolls
clerk of the editor, who rendered no SER
vice whatever to the Government. There
is no allegation that General Carman
proited by the deal, and the story is, on
its face, merely that he provided man
with sinecure that paid him salary
enough TO enable him to do the work of
another person without charge. 1t is not
| probably the only sinecure General Car
man gave out, nor was he the only govern
ment official that had sinecure holders in
his department.. The country was, dur
ling Republican administration, overrun
with these men, who drew pay for no ser
vice whatever. We know three or four
right here in Jersey City. So that even if
all that is alleged against the General be
so, while he will not be entitled to the
praise of having done a very creditable
thing, he will at least be shown to have
done only thing that countless of his fell
low officials did without inviting reflect
ions upon their personal honesty. The
man who lives in Rome is expected to do
as Romans do, and the Republican depart
ment head who fcrupled TO reward his
friends aud heelcrs with little work and
much pay might be reasonably accused of
not being ''up 10 snuff. :" The trouble
was with the spoils system that put up the
public places as rewards for the workers,
and that created new place, whether it
was demanded by the public business OF
not, for every unprovided worker that
came forward with demand for s'recog
nitiou.,
Those Hoboken school teachers who re-
sorted to the practice of thrusting sponges
into the mouths of pupils whom they de-
sired to punish should be treated TO a
course of their own medicine. That there
is any very acute pain entailed by the
ordeal is doubtful, unless the mouth is
crammed to the point of choking, but
there is suggestion of brutality about the
matter that is particularly unpleasant,
coming as it does from anumber of young
women who occupy a respectable position
in society, and who are naturally expect
ed to be models TO the pupils under their
charge. 1t is gratifying to know that one
of these young ladies absolutely shed tears
when confronted with the evidence of her
offense, but whether she wept from con-
triton or fear was lot satisfactorily ascer-
tanned. Let us hope it was sincere, honest
repentance, which is at all times good
thing, though fear is always more reliable
in the long run because it always keeps
the wrong doors nose down to the grind
stone and repentance don't O. ntri.ion
will sometimes wear out or be caught off
guard, but fear is generally at its post and
can be relied upon to do its work effect
ually. So long as these teachers are thor
q