The morning call., 1894-01-06

KlnQness to me, his wise counselS, Ms
great gentleness, com bined with frmuess.
MS one thought of the honor and glory Of
the country, and his answering loyalty to
the throne, make the death of my dear
Lord Beaconsfeld national calamity.
MY grief Is great and lasting" Probably
her Majesty wrote not Jew such letters.
Ihey, no doubt. express genuine feeling.
but W at an exaggeralion to speak of any
persons death as "a national calamity"
Beaconsfield is not now missed any more
than Lord Palmerston.
W. I. Stead of the Rerie,1 Of ReUierS,
who is taking prolonged holiday of some
kind, principally in work. has put his
tongue. if not his foot. in it. by daring to
lecture high society ladies of Chicago on
their social aud charitable duties. They
are probably doing all they can according
to their light to correct the evils in their
midst, but their methods do not suit the
man who does not scruple to give his opin-
ion ON anything Mr.. Stead is compounded
OF dauntless egotism. He stalks una
Oashed into any preseD &c. and is equally
al nome In Occurring statesmen OF the fore
most rank, moDarchs and ecclesiasticS of
every degree. He secured an interview
with the Car, and lectuTed him on the
destiny of Russia with amazing aplOmb, at
which the despotie mortal must have
smiled. He has also performed some
journalistic probing in Berlin, and he
once made Mr.. Gladstone talk with un-
diplomatic frankness to the horror of bis
friends. So the ladies of Chicago may
forgive Mr.. Stead. He is a great man and
courageous.
Theodore Wores has struck good vein
in art If be keeps to japanese subjects.
The Japanese have yet to be illustrated by
the painter. though there is such wealth
OF color in their surroundings, their houses,
and their costume that the artist needs 4
bride when he spreads his palette. Japan
is now country of pilgrimage for artists.
A few In Europe have made their mark in
depicting It's life and even its landscape.
MeDpes, like Wores. passed a year or two
In Mtkadoland and returned to London
with an exhibition of work which was
quite revelation to people who are in
quest OF the new in art. But an artist
never quite gets outside of his early train
ing, and on canvas Japan is apt to be for
eign. The japanese themselves may some
day step beyond their decorative skill and
found school of their own. There will
then be Europeanized Japan and Japan
esed Europe.
Lo Bengula, the Matabele King, is the
subject OF an anecdote somewhat racy. A
missionary at his court had labored to
teach him the Scriptures and had great
success as long as he kept to the Old Tes-
lament. When he turned to the New the
King would not listen. He delighted in
the wars recorded in the historical nara
tives and could not have enough of them,
but IN the gospel of peace he had no inter
est. The missionary grew Respondent and
wanted TO get away to Pretoria. in order
10 have some new teeth inserted by dem
fist who had arrived there. The word for
setting" means In Matabele ito grow"
and the King flew into a rage at the idea
of growing new teeth and told the mission
airy, For seven years you have been tell
ing me lies and l will be cursed il / will let
you CO." So the pastor had to make bis
escape.
The report that Chicago has dropped
into the list of cities very badly governed
in its finances is startling. How a deficit
of nearly three millions could have gone
on accommodating little noticed and causing
little embarrassment is a matter extremely
strange, but the confusion has been
gradual and the exhibition year must have
been peculiarly favorable to it. The worst
of the discovery is the knowledge that the
various funds are muddled by transfers
and borrowings that will be exceedingly
difficult TO straighten out. Ii appears TO
pass this wit OF man to devise any system
TO keep municipal accounts absolutely &C.
curate; but having such big hole IN its
treasury. Chicago as a city of extraordinary
energy may wake up TO the importance of
efficient regulation. The deficit comes at a
very bad season OF distress.
1t is good sign that the unemployed
who have been given work at the park are
bucking TO their tasks with alacrity and
cheerfulness. The pay is not N magnificent,
but there is vast difference in honest
self-res pect between dollar earned man
fully and board and lodging procured by
begging. Not enough of work has yet
beer blocked out TO provide all the willing
with an engagement, but II the funds
pour IN to the requisite amount it is evil
dent the Park mmisSioners can be at no
loss to discover improvements which ought
TO be effected. 1t will be many years be-
fore the park is just what il can be made,
and then all further expense will be IN the
way OF maintenance.
Hoke Smith has at least earned the
gratitude of Californians by his letter to
the House Judiciary Committee. He
therein insists that it is the duty of the
United States to defend its title to lands as
against The Southern Pacific Company,
which, he says, is harassing settlers on
hnmesteads purchased from the Govern
ment. Clearly the Government should
bear the expense of the litigation and pro-
tect men who acted in good faith il set
thing and making improvements, of which
1t is now proposed 10 deprive them. The
whole proceeding Is about as harsh a
raid of Kurds in Armenia.
A reported collision between French and
English troops on the frontiers of the hin
terand in West Africa may very likely
have occurred. Neither France, England
nor Germany knows quite what territory
it claims in this equatorial region, and be-
fore the map can be colored definitely with
a proper patch for each country the For
eign offices will have to confer and COM
promise. Africa has now been cut up like
farm, and appropriated without the co n
sent of the natives. Very little remains
to grab. but there is so much territory that
a quarrel about a few thousand square
miles would be preposterous folly.
The principal interest Of California in
the railroad negotiations now going on at
Chicago lies in the hope that passenger
rates will not top up to forbidding rate,
which Is apt to prove the case when there
is harmony. The Midwinter Fair must