Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-08-02

THE cause of education is skamefully
neglected in Cuba, as might be expected
in colony where the methods of the IN
QUESTION are still practiced. Spain exacts
a contribution of S25,OOo,OOO from her
misgoverned colony, but $345,0OO is re-
garded as sufficient to provide for educa-
tional purposes on the island. No pro-
vision is made either for primary or nor
NAL instruction, while the university of
Havana occupies a ramshackle building
and has 40 professorships vacant.
CONGRESSMAN KNUTE NELSON, of Mime
sofa, asserts positively that he is out of
politics for good and all, at the expira-
ton of his present term. Neither his
state nor his country can afford to lose a
mar of his sincerity and ability Tor its
councils He reminds his friends that
year agolast une ct business meeting in
Mankate, Mimi, he publicly announced
that he should never again be candidate
for any public Office, and that his part in
politics would be simply that of voter.
This declaration was made, as he phrases
it, in "piping times of political peace"
and he will adhere to it Gin pursuance of
my resolution then formed, and not on
account of any recent or current events"
READERS of history are wont to com
fort themselves with the thought that the
fortunes of inquisition belong to period
whose spirit can never be revived. What
ia to be said of Balfour's treatment of
Vaudeville? He was killed by abusive
and inhuman treatment while in prison.
He was convicted of political crime,
and, although suffering from sore
throat and diarrhsa, was stripped of
his clothing aud put upon diet of bread
and water. He remained for days in a
cold cell with blanket over his garment
less body. He went into the prison al
most giant in physical development,
and was released only to die. These
prison atrocities will remain blotch up
onshe pages of English history
PARTISAN sewers are proverb1alIy neat
as pin, so that a recent trip of a COM
mittee of the French Senate through the
passages was not the dismal sort of a
junketing trip that it might seem. The |
senators had been studying the bill for
the improvement of the sanitary condi-
tions of Paris, and they were surprised
that nothing 1nalodorous greeted them Oh
their stygian voyage. 1t appears from
the researcher of an eminent French
specialist that a sewer can really be made
more healthful, in a certain sense, than a |
public street. He found, for instance,
that Rue de Rivoli contained more germs
of disease than the drain which passed
beneath that street.
A FRESH proof of the late Emperor
Frederick's far seeing and pacific states
manship is found in his proposal, out
lined in a private letter, which was re-
Gently discovered, to give AIsace and
Lorraine a happy issue out of all their
Affections by establishing virtual home
rule there. His idea was to provide for
thoroughly representative government,
and to make Alexander of Battenburg
governor. He believed, and rightly, that
TO give the imperial territory practical au
tonomy would do much to lessen friction,
and TO recon cilo the Frepch-speaking
and sympathizing population to remain
IL ~ no.
condition of the country which would
result from self-government he argued
would be an effectual buffet against
French agitation with a view to regaining
the lost provinces. Itwould be well for
the young emperor to take leaf out of
his fathers book in this regard.
SAD particulars of the general religious
prosecution which is going on in Russia
are furnished the great French religious
paper La Christianisme. a systematized
effort is being made to crush out every
kind of non conformity TO the establish
ed Greek church. The bruta. measures
against the Jews continue, and repres
sion is now extended TO the Polish Cath
olics and to the Lutherans of the Baltic
provinces. Religious journals conducted
IN any other interest than that of the es
tablished faith is suppressed, and Luther
an pastors are forbidden to allude in any
nnfavorable way to the actions or teach
ings of the Greek church. This sort of
thing will incite assassination, which, as
the old saying has it, is the only thing
that tempers the Russian despotism.
SOME FAST WAR SHIPS.
The pending naval appropriation bill
oontemplates the construction of four
new war ships, the largest of which is to
be an armored vessel of $500 tons dis
placement and of seventeeE-knots speed
The other three are to tie unarmored, two
of them of 5000 tons each, 10 be guarap
teed TO make at least nineteen knots and
the third of $500 tons displacement, to
be capable of twenty knot rate of speed
The objection has been raised that it.
Is easier to talk about building war yes