New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-12


natured man, who has not the slightest idea what
a conviction is or an. opinion and never did have
any. But he was brought up in good news
paper office. He probably knows by sight or by
name three-quarters of the people in Boston, and
unfortunately he thinks he knows what will be
popular / should not, myself, know him by
sight but have been told that he asscnts to
everything that everybody says in conversation,
and that he always leaves under the impression
that his views are yours. He is the sort OF man
That you would be rather apt to select II VOW were
TO name the editor Of a country newspaper which
was to take no side in politics or religion, and
was to wound nobody's feelings in the discussion
OF the Improvement of the town. In fact, IL
would not be amiss for us if you would name
him for some such place and If he would accept 1t.
Such man, in the double business OF governing
Boston and looking forward to see that he is
elected again next December has very difficult
part Just now his difficulty is in this, that he
has sent string of nominations to the Aldermen
Tor their confirmation. For the new charter,
which | call doctrinaire instrument, does
retain that power of oversight in the Aldermen
that they must confirm the Mayors appointments,
In fact they have confirmed one set
oil his appointments, they have laid
over another set and have refused to
confirm third set The question is now: What
Will you do next? If the Mayor had any con-
vlctions about anything he would of course. be
abe to state those convictions. We should then
know what they were, and we could guess how
many of the persons who have been rejected would
he named again. There are no precedcnts. be-
cause. since the charter WAS adopted, the Alder
men have been of the same political party with
the Mayor, and have regularly confirmed his APP
pointmentS. In the present instance the Rcpub-
leans hold eight seats. the Independents" who
wouid he popularity called sorelead Democrats
hold two and the Democrats, simon pure have
only two seats In City Hall politics which makes
uOh mot "a O.
Boston life, the pending question is How will
you get on with a Mayor who does not make
appointments satisfactory to the confirming
powers
lind in conversation a great deal Of interest
IN the stubborn resistance which the white people
of South Carolina make to the oiqarchy under
Butler, Wade Hampton ard the rest. which carries
intimate. what of course the Southern press does
not say az all, very marked disposition to revolt
an the part Of the rank and file of the white voters
in South Carolina. OF course. as that State IS
now administered, the opinion of the black voters
is OF no sort of consequence. II would be very
curious BIT of righteous rctributiOn if the Strin-
gency with which the Buffers and the rest have
ruled their vaSSalS should result In their being
tipped out OF their places by revolution among
the whites.
Mr.. StRGENT's PAINTINGS
There is just now exhibition of Mr. John
Sargcnts paintings at the gallery of the st.
Botolph Club. The fact that many of the ladies
and gentlemen on the walls known to the
ladies and gentlemen who crowd the floor inter-
feres TO some extent with the hearty admiration
which is the due OF Mr.. Sargcnts amazing talent.
l should have preferred l think, to have heard
ds"u sion Of his urique and audaci0uS artistic
personality and less Of the very diverse person
atics he has rcprCs ntcd. However, on coming
away from the exhibition the painter has the best
of the argument IL is Mr.. Sargcnt'S observations
which we remember though we have never heard
his voice
Two Of these pictures are large compositions OF
figures: one Spanish dance and the other an
interior with four children They are the same
which your correspondent in Paris described at
the Salon in 1872 and | S93 Admirable as is Mr..
Sargemt's talent as a portraitist must wish that
IL would follow up the line Of work illustrated by
these two paintings. The great gifts OF com
poser in color in form, in light and shade, tran
sccnd even the generous limits Of his conception
Of portrait painters task one OF MS g Wnn
! more and we want them together However
let us be thankful for our portratlst now we have
him. Let us imagine him Bostonian and take
| to ourselves the credit Of possessing for the mo-
/ ment painter whose Anglo-SaXOn blood is only
shown by his very evident relationship to Gains
! borough and his contemporaries He has sur
passed his master. Carolus Duran, in the elegance
! which is one Of that masters most highly valued
| qualities. lie has dared, once or twice, very
! evident comparison with his masters master, the
/ out from the gods has not burnt him up. 1t Is
true he loves to paint fine people; il they are some
times not fine in every respcct whose tault Is ~
/ Mr. Sargent takes moral responsibility aD0u'
/ them as yet 1t is possible that he may WIN
/ more years, learn even more important things
! about his sitters than he knows at present, and
show another side of life. II is hard: In TACT, tc
! limit the poss Bile achievement OF tins greatest
American porraitst, who, they say, is but twenty
| eight years old. FANE"