The morning call., 1892-05-03

According 10 Mr.. Gladstone, whose mind
dwells much in the past although he Is a
leader of Liberals and Radicals. the brain
power Of the human race is not In the as
cendant. Solar heat is doomed TO wane,
and so Is cerebral activity. Il do not
think" says Mr.. Gladstone, I'VE are
stronger, but weaker than the men OF the
middle ages" And he takes the compari-
sen down so far as the men OF the sixteenth
century. They were strong men-stronger
In brain power than our men," If these
comments apply to the average human
being, Mr.. Gladstone'S generalization will
be hotlv contested. The exceptional men
Of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries
are equally exceptional when compared with
the generations preceding as with tha gen.
eratiOns following. The world has never
had two Leonardo da Nincis, Michael An
gelus. Raphaels, Iitlans or RemOrandts,
nor two ShakespeGres. Between Archl-
medes and Newton there was an interval OF
70 centuries. and these men were taller, in
tel!ectualiy, in their field than any mathe-
maticianS or philosophers who can be
named. Dante, RabelaiS. Ceryantes are ali
exceptional in genius. They appear In
their time in human history nobody knows
why, and have neither predecessors nor
followers as eminent.
To run down the present as an age OF
decadence is surely shallow. The most
learned of the ancients would be appalled,
by the progress nf this age. In at least the
material estimate Of this universe and
what he can do in il man has climbed higher,
and will climb higher yet. Literature
and art have lost in certain domains
Of the creative and imaginative character,
but in other grooves there Is an advance.
Science has developed in lnnumerabe dlrec-
lions of speculation and practical applica-
tion, so that out Of its potentiality man may
be said TO have shaped new earth. Man
himself Is broader, kinder and more sympa-
tLetic than in the dark ages, and has not
retrOgraded in character or aspiration. And
when the matter is studied a little, there
are many exceptional men Of the present
era whose types cannot be found In the
past. The middle ages had here ana there q
bright star illumining the gloom. We also
have bright stars, perhaps degree or two
OF less magnitude, but the light Of our time
is general. Mr.. Gladstone Is too pesslmlstIc
in his contrasts.
The police OF New York appear to be
earning a reputation for earnestness in
closing saloons on Sunday. They have long
been aware that the saloons we're in ex-
istence and that the law was disObeyed. but
there was no pressure put upon them to act,
and they doubtless found il profitable not
to smile the LIQUOR retailers. But crusade
on the paths 0 virtue stirred public opinion
iolenty and the new superintendent, Mr..
ByUnes, IS compelling the saloon keererS TO
reaiZe they are under the regulation OF law,
How long this activity Will last IN city
dominated in most things by Iammauy. il
is impossible 10 say. 1t is welcome sign
that vigilance should exist at the present
moment. There is enc body the police
cannot take in hand. The Legislature Of
Kew York is unfortunately law unto
itself when in session, but some oil Us re-
cent doings with reference TO election STRAIT
egy render it desirable it should be under
some control. Perhaps honest voters at the
poll will administer the required correction
Of its methods.
Some change is needed in the law which
wauld render it impossible to procure d.
yorces without publicity. In Colorado tie
evil is rampant. To such an extent is
secrecy in the granting of divorces carried
that nearly a thousand a year are dealt
with, and il is said that 50 per cent OF them
come from other States. An effort is to be
put forth by the Bar Association of Colorado
10 stop this undeThaDd practice by dis
barring those who take up the cases. But
this move viii have to 90 further than ar
TaigninE attorneys catering for business
How comes il that Tie courts sanction a sys-
TEN which may be prolific OF injustice
Surely a court has authority TO make public
the nature Of cases pending and to an
nounce decisions when they are given.
1t is reported that an Oakland policeman
has bought his position for S100 The re-
port may be untrue, but in this age q
Doodle it is not dramatically opposed to
possibility Such things have unfortu-
nately be en- heard of. OF all forms OF IN
pardOnabIe corruption this is one of the
most unsavory and even worse in qualities
Of baseness than a public school teacher
having to bride officials in order to get en-
ployment A policeman is the trusted
guardian Of order, who has the lives and
the property of a community in bis keeping
and if he enters the force by venallty il
which others share it is evidence Of very
rotten condition of affairs. There should
be a thorough investigation of this scandal
in Oakland and punishment melted out &c
the guilty il there has been WrOngdong.