The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-10-30
1t is one of the achievements of science


1t is one of the achievements Of science
and art that a cannOn-bali can be photo
graphed in its fiight-stopped, as il were
for the millionIh part Of second. 1t is
also possible to photograph the beat of
birds wing and to take the time, at least
of bees wng-beat. TO make use of this
marvellous power of instantaneous delinea-
ton for the purpose Of recording the ugly
countenances of professional suffers is a
happy thought. 1t is quite possible, quite
realiZable, and more over, the thought is to be
carried into action by the NOn-Partisans.
There are from 5000 TO 10, 900 stuffed votes
on the register. What more certain means
can be taken to checkmate the rascals than
by securing their portraits for rOgues' gal
lery. AT every precinct there will be de-
tective cameras at work taking the portraits
of every doubtful voter. The photographs
obtained at all the precincts can afterward
be compared, and II man has voted twenty
times there VIII be twenty portraits The
suffer. therefore, is pretty sure Of going to
the peuitentiary. The reward by the Gov
ernor of 500 for the arrest and conviction
Of every suffer and similar reward by the
Non PartissnS cannot but operate as a slim
uant TO the camera operators. With
camera at every precinct there may be
astounding results, duplicating many more
people than suffers.
The Idea OF using the camera for the pur
pose of detecting crime may be traced back
TO the sensationalism Of the stage Dion
Boucicault, whose son is now on the boards
before San Francisco audiences. introduced
the conception skillfally in his drama of
The OctoroOn." and the play still holds
its place on the stage. AT the time the
play was written the idea was very far
fetched. for the period then required for the
exposure of plate was te0 long, minutes
being needed where fractions OF seconds
now suffice. To-day it would really give
little trouble to photograph every voter who
comes 10 the poll with his ballot. The pro-
cess would be expensive. 1t would also be
easy to photograph all persons registering.
In that way the register could be purified
Enthusiastically.
New York politicians are lost in wonder
at the falling off in registration. The esti-
mate is 1000 short. and it appears almost
beyond possibility TO make up the normal
figures by the time registration closes. 1t
would be credulous to assume that there
has been a return to honest methods Of reg
istration in the Empire city. There as else
where stutfing is rampant But as the natu-
raj Increase has not been realized there
must be considerable curiosity as TO the
cause, and as TO which side will loose by the
are apparently satisfied with results, but no
doubt the satisfaction would be greater
with more knowledge on the subject.
The loss of the steamship Roumania on
the coast of Portugal is a disaster oil appal-
ing magnitude. Over one hundred lives
have been sacri6ced-swept into the angry
waves off the decks and out Of boats
unavaillngly launched for safety. 1t is not
the first time the Anchor line has had grief
of this horrible description. A steamer Of
the company recently was wrecked by col
lison IN Gibraltar haT5oT and hundreds of
lives were lost, and number of years ago
a steamer from New York went down off
the north coast of Ireland with few sur
Yiyors In spite OF fogs and currents and
gales there is really little excuse Tor first
class steamer. well officered, being out of its
reckoning to the extent the Roumania was
and running ashore. 1t Is case of bad navi-
cation ard bad lookout. The modern
steamer, provided with many compartments
and with a large crew for all emergencies,
has its most serious risks in collisions at
sea or in fire. Not long ago British gum
boat went TO pieces on the Spanish coast.
There were only three survivors. 1t was
clear in that instance that the avigatiOn
was grossly at fault. The checking of the
reckoning, day by day, was utterly INSULT
cent for safety. With the increase of
seems that recklessness Is IN the ascendant.
According to an interviewer, Bismarck
was once in danger Of his life in very pc
cuiiar way. No doubt enemies have plotted
against him many times, desiring his over
throw by fair means or foul, but one plotter
adopted horribly diabolical means OF con-
summatlng his purpose. a lace bandker-
chief reached the ex-Chaneelior from Nice
Perhaps the statesman was well supplied
with that commodity at the time, or posi-
bly, the pattern OF the lace did not suit his
taste At all events. DR.. Koch made study
of its pecularities and found an abundance
of cholera germs. This Is a much moro
startling method of attempting assassina-
ton than the use of dynamite. 1t is worthy
of the poisoning exploits OF the middle ages
Even those plover eggs Bismarck annually
receives may come under suspicion. Such
are the penalties Of greatness
From number of puIpits In San Fran
cisco to-day the duty of the hour in regard
to politics viii be preached. The line that
the clergy will take may be inferred They
will not commit themselves TO any purely
party side, but will incucate the noble
feelings of love OF country, and the abhor-
renee of fraud and corruption in politics
| The misfortune is that the voices of the
! preachers will not reach the ears of the bal
| lot-box suffers If purity of government de-
pended upon congregations listening to pu Init
| eXhortatiOnS there would be no need Of the
struggle now going on to kill bossism. But
| the warnings and denunciatons NAV at
| least have the effect of making every decent
| citizen resolved to go TO the poll and exer-
else his right as q voter unfiinchingly.
| There should be no Austen tons among good
| men at this election. Apathy and derelic-
| tion of duty are too costly at this moment.