The Washington critic., 1888-02-04
ERIKsoN OR COLUMBUS ?

ERIKsoN OR COLUMBUS
The enthusiasm which Miss Brown
exhibits in behalf of Left Erikson as
the original discoverer of America is
only equaled by the earnestness and
profundity of her researches into Ice
landic history to establish the priority
Of his claim.
While admiring the little lady for
her enthusiasm and earnestness, we
cannot see what particular relation
the voyages of that adventurous
Norseman bear to our forthcoming
celebration of the Quadricentennial of
Columbus.
The value Of discovery lies
chiefly, if not wholly, in the charac-
ter and quantity of its results. {, 1t is
by these that we measure and mag
Nifty the fame of the Genoese navi-
gator. Had his landing upon the
American coast proved as barren of
fruit as the dimly recorded visitations
OF Erikson Eve hundred years be-
fore, and had Columbus after touch
iHg at San Salvador vanished into
oblivion or tradition, simply to be
sung of by the bards of after ages,
leaving little or nothing to establish
his identity, there would be nothing
for us to celebrate in 1892. We should
be compelled to look later down the
centuries to find some settlement
10 h,r OH n1xrt hoA n1 20
a discovery, on which to base an an
niversary worthy of hemisphere's
observance.
So faras discoveries of the Morse
man are concerned, admitting them
TO have been made, his stoutest advo-
Gates and admirers must admit that
for q dreary period of five hundred
years there was nothing to show for
them, nor anything since, for that
matter. He found q bowling wilder
ness, alds.it remained bowling
can D centuries after the
upon & efr4g ID been gathered to
ed building. Is other fathers.
44lon%36 strms of republican in
stitutions which Erikson isalon 'sU
have imported into this country and.
for which we should pay Iceland
rather than monarchical Spain and
Italy commemorative tribute, we
might deem the suggestion of more
consequence if it were more clearly
established where they.were planted,
ana if the Plymouth or the James
town or'the Huguenot colonists had
found any of them growing here on
their arrival
Ag@in, the fact that Iceland soon
lost her grip on civil liberty, became
vassal Of other powers, and after all
these fifteen hundred years has de-
generated into colonial dependency
of the King of Denmark, somewhat
impairs the sense of obligation that
might otherwise be felt towards this
once model but apparently retrogres-
sive Republic.
Rather than have the Quadricen-
tennial prove failure, however, we
presume that Congress will interpose
no objection, TO giving Captain Erik
son place Of honor in the show and
Iceland her full representation in its
festivities. 1t is to be a Worlds Ex
position and all the world will be
asked to take a hand in it.
IfMissr Brown can be placated in
no other way let her be assigned an
Grafton or an epic poem on the
achievements Of her favorite hero and
the services he rendered TO the early
colonization and development of the
United States. She has the zeal, the
learning, the knowledge of Icelandic
history, the devotion to the work she
has, in hand, to make even, such. q
cold. and barren subject warm and
interesting, ~
In the mean time, a Congressional
Commission might be- appointed to
investigate the Erikson claim, with
instructions to report Ammo Domini
1904, or thereabouts. 1t is too late
now to change the programme for
1892; and we must still be permitted,
moreover, to cling to the notion that
the four hundredth anniversary of
the landing Of Columbus, rather than
The nine hundredth, or whatever it
may be, Of his illustrious but some
what mythical predecessor, is the
proper thing to celebrate.
The FOLLOWING ARE THE salaries
paid the Superintendents of Police
in the principal cities OF the country.
New York, $4,000; Philadelphia,
$4,000; Brooklyn, $4,000; Chicago,
$4,000; Boston, $500; st. Louis,
$500; San Francisco, $4,000, and
Milwaukee, 5000. At the Capital OF
the Nation the chief, who by law is
required to be ON duty twenty-four
out of every twenty-four hours, re-
ceiyes but $4,000. His salary should
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