The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-08

on 1t comes from Salisbury, it is based on
brief prepared by the Colonial Secretary.
His energy in other directions continues to
attract admiring attention. he dwarfs
everybody else in the Cabinet, and seems
10 be the one to whom every vexed question
naturally drifts for settlement, like Pier
pont Morgan in New York financial circles.
Each day we hear of some new achieve
inent to his credit. Now he is stirring up
the Colonial Governors around the globe
to systematic study of foreign imports
which might be British now he is decid-
ing to help Canada to establish 20-knot
steamer line to England; now he is fixing
up the Stokes affair with the King of the
Belgisns, or consolidating, by stroke OF
his pen, the scattered states of the Malay
peninsula He and his wife have been
visiting the Queen twice in one week,
which is an unprecedented show of royal
favor; but it quite matches the popularity
that he is evidently earning everywhere
else. 1t is such novelty here to have an
administrator who actually administers
that it is not easy to set bounds to the
reputation that he may not win II his luck
continues and he does not hustle into some
hornets nest which will alter the public
feeling toward him.
1t is now said confidently that the ship
building deadlock will be brought to
conclusion next week. There are rumors
that large Chinese orders have been placed
in Germany, the difficulty about ready
money being met by political compensa-
tions in the Far East, not specified. l
have it merely as a talk among the New
castle builders; impossible to verify. 1t
is more certain that Argentine has placed
orders here for large number OF torpedo
catchers, probably at Chiswick, but the ex-
act location of the order is kept profound
secret.
Ostensibly, one of the two seats of
S outhampton, won by the Tories in July,
is vacated by the election judges, on the
ground that Tory agent gave voter
half-dollar railway fare, and the candidate
in whose interest this was done permitted
himself to be drawn about by procession
of drunken costers. The truth is, though,
that the whole election there, as in hun
dred other provincial towns, was made one
colossal debauch by free beer on the Tory
side, and if the judges regarded the spirit
instead of the letter of the corrupt prac-
chised altogether. 1t is not known if Sir
Francis Evans, whose American wife so
distinguished herself in the previous bye
election, will consent to be the Liberal
candidate for the vacancy. He might win,
but as a rule constituents punish candi-
dates who put them TO the expenses of an
election-p petition trial.
1t is understood that when the French
census is taken next year it will show, for
the first time in the history of France, a
smaller population than the British
islands. There was only difference of
about 500 900 in 1891. And this has been
made up nearly twice over by the superior
British birth rate since. Economists have
been pointing out to the French for years,
without much effect, that their relatively
diminishing population made it impossi-
BILE that they should go on spending vast
sums to maintain fighting equality with
people getting so much bigger than them
selves. Perhaps this being overtaken by
the British, who, with the beginning of
the century, had only 16, ,000,00 TO Frances
100000 will appeal to the French imagi-
nation.
No one understands here whether young
Winston Churchill is with the Spaniards
or with the rebels in Cuba, bu. in either
case it is not seen how he can escape
wigging from the army officers here. His
friends would not regard it as misfortune
if it led to his leaving the army, for they
have high hopes that he will do remark
able things in politics. His excited speech
to the midnight swell mob, who rioted
in the Empire Theater last year to
show their disgust for the County Council
puritans, though hardly adapted for pub
lication, is still recalled fondly by them as
revealing oratorical talents hardly inferior
to those of his father at his best.
Carlyle's centenary has called forth a
rather notable speech from John Morley
and great flood of appropriate comment
from lesser essaylsts, who differ stormiIy
concerning the eventual rank that the sage
of Chelsea is to receive in the British
pantheon. The booksellers report con-
siderable revival in the demand for his
works, especially "Sartor Resartus" and
the essays, but whether this is a tenn porary
furry or a permanent sign it is hard to
say.
The decision in the Queen Bench that
no trademark monopoly in 'Trilby'
aprons could be asserted by one manufac-
turer against others is solitary indication
thus far of the tendency here to rebaptize
things IN honor of the new vogue, and per-
haps it will go no further. The Pail Mall
Gazette makes final appeal to the self
respect and common-sense of the British
nation not to go mad like the Americans
over the "Trilby'' craze, and this may stem
the rising tide.
Hall Gaines report of his Canadian copy
right arrangements in a column and a
half of the Times to-day has not yet been
commented on here. The writers whom
l have thus far talked with have come to
no definite conclusions as yet, but lead to
the notion that compromise will not be
acce pied with enthusia SIN here.
William Morris is now putting through
the Kelmscott press vellum edition of
Chaucer, which will cost the purchasers
$500 per set. probably an unequaled price
for new book. All the 425 copies of the
paper edition, at $100 each, have been sub
scribed for in advance. His own 1.-THE
Earthly Paradise is also to have vellum
edition, the price of the eight volumes
being s275.