Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1892-09-26
WE KNOW ENOUGH TO STAY AWAY

During the chill Of this campaign and
with Candidate Harrison's temperature
and caloric dispensing chilly enthusiasm
for his cause and for that Of the high
tariff paupers and the Force bill advo-
Gates Of the negro's right to sell his vote,
It is difficult to feel much interest in the
discoveries Of Lieutenant Peary on
tother end Of Greenland.
Our principal interest in Greenland has
always been developed by the missionary
hymn Of Watts. which is sung Just pre-
vious to raid on the congregation with
the hat in provincial churches. When
the good old pastors begin to read the
sonorous but ominous verses, In rich
orotund voice:
From GreenAnd's icy mountains.
From midas coral strand.
it is the universal custom for those hard
ened sinners, who sit near the door and
have, by accident, no small money, to go
out. Hence, naturally, not knowing
much else about Greenland than that it is
a cold, ehoerless place, the antipodes of
sunny India, and assoclating II with a
stern-facod collector who looks volumes,
il he says nothing, when you do not chip
in to send the gospel to tho heather, we
cannot take much interest In Lieutenant
Peary's information that it probably has
an indefinite coast line along an indefinite
sea.
The coast line is covered with ice
nd hom oNr a.
low for any body but Harrisonized
editor; so that tho opsn sea, II there at
all, is impracticable for navigation.
The artists who execute the aesthetic
distribution OF the colors on the school
aliases have'always awarded Iceland cool
and FESTIVE green color, and put Greenland
in cheerful and enlivening contrast Of
pale yellow. We never knew why these
selections were regarded as absolute,
but we have taken those things on faith
like the declarations in the hymn, think
ing that II the EslVmos made no objec-
ton that we saw no reason why anybody
struggling against the prosperity of the
Mckinley tariff here should make one.
Lieutenant Peary seems not TO have
brought any information that will shake
the faith Of the boys and girls in the
universal belief that Greenland is yellow
and Iceland Is green. He has brought
some specimens Of its earth and stone
some Eskimo utensils, implements and
carved bone ornaments all Of which are
curious. Whatever joy those things
may afford the learned societies, which
sent him to find the other end OF Green.
land. will be quite overbalanced
by the common regret among the plain
people, who are not scientists and who
care more for the one bright young man
who is probably lost. than FOR the dis.
covery Of sixteen inhospitable, useless.
tail ends Of Greenland, that he returned
minus one member Of his party.
Il may be very well to be satisfied that
Greenland has frozen or floating tail
somewhere this side of Siberia, but the
information is scarcely worth the ex
pense, the hardships and the loss of life
required to get it, The information in
the hymn and the diagram and the color
given by the atlas decorators have salts.
fed all practical demands ever since DR..
Kane came back from the Polar sea to
tell us that Sir Benjamin Franklin had
persisted cruelty and uselessly.
It is known already that no human
beings can contest the possession Of land
or sea or ice with the walrus and the
penguin because no human being can
exist there. We know by mathematical
calculation how long and how far above
, or below the horizon the sun will be.
Thore is nothing else to know, except,
how to stay away.
! /
Harry T.. Thomas a Co.
l Rl..nL. Il. -.