St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-09-30
SOCIAL TOPICS.

Iflt ULObE lldu6 ul6utloH ldSG OuH-
day of Mrs, RIvEs-CHANLER's new
work "Herod," and wondered what so
amiable a lady could find of interest in
character so sinister and forbidding as
that ancient reprobate. Why resurrect
that brutal old man, who, if history be
correct, was so loaths6me corpse that
people refused to follow him to the
grave? Why not let him rest? What's
HECUBA to us, or we to HECUBA? Are
there no modern heroes to write TRACE
dies upon? Is there no poetry at all in
the life Of the age to which we belong?
We cannot help thinking that there is,
If a true poet choose to look for it. That
patient search would reveal as much
heroism and tenderness and self-denial
and devotion and silent suffering and
true love in this day of ours as in the
musty chronicle of any dead-and-gone
past age: and that such a magic hand
as the one that has clothed the romances
Of the Round Table with reality Id
weld these attributes in poem that
would certainty be popular and might
be immortal.
-
That the work, if it is ever done, will
deyolve upon an American is most
likely; that that American will he a
woman is not only possible, but almost
probable; for the course of empire in
letters most obviously tends westward.
1t is in this country that the coming
writer must be looked f0r-nOt in old
countries whose course is run. And
our modern civilization, which comedies
to the sex equal advantages in point of
education with men, while it leaves
them leisure for contemplation which
is denied to breadwinners, is naturally
calculated to develop female genius
where it exists. The date for mute. in
glorious MILLIONS has passed. In our
time, If girl or boy can wake to ecstacy
the living Tyre, he or she will have
every opportunity of doing so.
e
Old orders are constantly changing.
Money is power now, irrespective of its
origin Or use. 1t is never Intercepted
unless it plumbers itself into jail. Elec-
tons are decided by the longer and
deeper purse. Nominees are assessed
more than the Office brings. The pur-
chase of votes is done as openly as the
casting of them. People go into politics
poor, and come out rich. Business
catches the contagion of cupidity, and
buys gOyernOrships and seats in con-
gleSs and cabinet places. Society bows
TO the law of brigandage, and the mar
rlaUp ring mt al annfinn Tho
church feels the operation of the same
causes, and the pulpit is the toy of the
plutOcrat's pew. The irony of it all is
the affected horror when some nice
young man goes wrong.
-
What is the remedy? A social opinion
that will regard unexplained wealth as
probably the offspring of crime; res
toratiOn OF the habit that held marriage
to be union of hearts and not a con-
junction of wallets; a sentiment that
will outlaw brigandage from politics
and gangs from rule; moral arousal
that will forbid the churches to be made
sanctuary for contributing thieves;
a reversal of common social and fiscal
plOpOolJlOHo,
consider money and success to be syn
Onymous terms, and money making, in
stead Of character building, the chief
object in life.
-
Strikes as rule are to be deplOred.
But the Picking Gazette cites an in
stance that presents some features
wholly justifyIng cessation of work
until the degree Of responsibility is d.
minished or the rate of compensation
advanced. 1t appears that the boatmen
of the imperial tiotilla, whose duty il is
to row the empress doWager about
when she feels like taking a spin on
the river, have asked for an increase of
wages from Is to 20 cents day. The
ground upon which the advance is de-
manded relates to responsibility. The
boatmen, in case of accident, will suffer
death by decapitationsand their wives
and families will be treated in the
same way. They hold that Is cents a
day is too little for so great RESPONSE
bility. This proposition certainly does
not appear graSping and unreasonable.
*~
Every now and then the story goes
the round that some highly scrupulous
parent has adopted the practice of care
fully going through the family news
paper with scissors before handing it
over to his children. We can imagine
no more encouraging spectacle than the
picture of a great popular newspaper
running the gauntlet of tens of thou
sands of readers, each with pair Oi ugly
scissors in his hands, prepared to cut out
the base ball reports, the sea serpent
stories and the boy bandit of the
prairies.
So
The story of the forbidden fruit has
not yet lost its force as a principle of
human nature. Let the average boy
notice that the scissors have removed a
story in the family newspaper lying on
the table. and he is quite likely to slip
over to the next door neighbor to find
out what it was. 1t is 5000 years since
the fall of man, but this original weak
ness still persists in persisting.
The tendency towards masculine at
tire goes on among the gentler sex.
Suspenders are the latest adaptation
made by women from the male ward
robe. Just how the suspenders are
made available by their new friends re-
mains a secret, but it is said they will
fill long felt want. Women have now
adopted mems collars, waistcoats, sus-
renders and canes. LIZ they will now
take off their hats when they enter the
theaters, all will be forgiven.
-
English newspapers never tire of tell
ing how foul and abusive an American
campaign is, and yet here is sample
of their own idea of the way the THING