The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-11-27

is irresistible. They've got the mon. they've
got the sand" and they've got the science
too. The strength OF the elephant, the agilit!
Of the kangaroo. and the wisdom OF the sar
pint have become incorporated into tho Yal,
team. But the college OF New Jersey may ex
alt It's horn little. Princeton played an ex
cellent game.
II Princeton and Harvard 60 in for the riGol
OF the game as It is played at Now Haven
next year will be the greatest in the evolution
of football All they need is we'll organized
football! machine such as exists at Yale. Fol
the present hung be the heavens with blue
Even the Milky Way looks as though 1t had
been at the pump.
The latest census bulletin is entitled
Public School Finances" Tho figures. ne
far rs they CO. are presumably correct. because
they hive been furnished by state officers and
not guessed at or fabricated by PoETER's own
agents. But it is difficult to see what purpose
is served by this publication Here IRE
grouped together the expenditures for the
public schools In the States Of Alabama.
Colorado. Florida. Massachusetts. Montana.
Nebraska. Ohio. Oregon. Tennessee. and the
Territory OF Utah. although these States have
nothing in common. representing as they do
all sections OF the country and all systems OF
financial management. the district. the town.
and the county systems. 1t is also admitted
that several counties in Alabama. Florida. and
| Tennessee have failed to report in full. so that
| even In this curious assortment OF selected
States there is room for inaccuracy. How.
| then, is any useful comparison possible or
| any comment Of value?
| Nr. PoErEE's statistical summary Is singu-
larly unsuggestive and insignificant. He
gives only the number OF pupils. the amount
| OF expenditure for teachers wages and mis-
| cellaneous items. the amount OF this expendi-
| ture per capita Of pupils enrolled. the amount
| OF total expenditures. the amount Of those ex-
penditures per capita Of pupils enrolled. and
per capita Of population. These totals might
e OF interest il compared with similar totals
for previous years. but no such comparison is
made. But the per capita statistics can hardly
| be interpreted so as to indicate anything
| worth knowing by the most hungry statsti-
clan. What matters it what the amount Of
| teachers wages and miscellaneous is per
capita Of pupils enrol!ed2 II teachers
| wages only were included. somebody
might be entertained. perhaps. by finding
how much 1t cost in the various States for the
education. pure and simple. OF each pupil. but
the word miscellaneous is as opaque and in
definite as the word charity. What is signifed
by the statement that the total expenditures
for public schools were SO much per capita Of
population? 1t cannot be said that tho high
est cost per capita means necessarily the best
education. for in that case Colorado with
$4.U8 hos superior educational system to
that Of Massachusetts. where only So. 20 is ex-
pended per capita.
1t is another useless chapter Of the WORTH
less and extravagant Eleventh Census.
In some OF their African enterprises the
British are showing a cuteness worthy OF
Brother JONATHAN. Over year ago France and
Germany notified the world that they were
about to send expeditions to Lake Tchad and
open the Soudan to trade. Between them
they despatched five expeditions. all Of which
have come to grief through tho unpleasant at
titude OF the savaGes they met. Meantime
England got there. Nobody knew anything
about it until her expedition returned from
Lake Tchad convinced that there were more
bullets than trade for white men in that region
at present.
For months France has been talking about
the railroad she hopes to build across tho
Sahara. She did not know until the other day
that England intended to beat her If there was
a chance. and that engineers in the British in
terest were studying the prospects for rail-
road to run south from Trpoli They reported
adversely. but the enterprise proved at least
that British aptal does not intend to he beaten
in any new African field II it can help it.
For private citizen to enter saloon,
order and pay for glass OF whiskey. drink 1t,
and forthwith have the vender arrested for an |
illegal SALE has generally been deemed con-
duct worthy only OF Il hirelins and a spy. and |
yet this is what many young gentlemen Of |
eminent responsibility arc Boosting OF having |
done on last election day. They justify their
ignoble action Oh the ground that it is the |
dufv If cifivan tr hoy 1iol "a
law punished. While. even IL the law is bad
law the best way Of securing its repeal is to
enforce II.
1t is. however. contrary to the very spirit Of
legality and to tho maintenance Of social
ORDER to incite an infraction Of law in order
to punish it. The maxim OF Gen. GIANT
moreover. applies only to cases wherein tho
persons affected by the bad law have the
power to repeal it 1t does not apply to the
case OF such law as the Excise law in New
York city. which was enacted at Albany with
out regard to the wishes of the people of this
city. and which can be repealed By no effort OF
theirs. The closing of saloons on election
day III itself may not be improper. and
by itself might not be unpopular. but
the Excise laws as Il whole are SO uniustly |
imposed and so inequtably discriminating, |
that the odium excited by them as a system
attaches to any particular excise law. Until.
then, something like local option Is adopted
for the city. the efforts OF the young gentlemen
referred to will provo as Intellectual as they are
One honorable way OF enforc-
ing this particular law. and one only remains
for these self-constituted reformers. and that
Is to swear in before election day a sufficient
number OF volunteer or hired deputy mar
shals to guard every door OF every sa-
loon in the city. with badges openly dis
PLAYED. and with authority to warn every
would-be customer that II he buys an alcoholic
Triple there lie will be- arrested. warning the
bartender at the same time that he. too. will
be arrested il he sells to him. This would
cost money. but it is only right that it should
be expensive luxury to enforce sumptuary
law that makes crime Of conduct not crim-
NAL in itself and that makes criminals Of hon
est people who have practically no voice in
enacting or abrogating the law.
The Inter State Exhibition that has been |