The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-01
THE GROUNDS Of FEDERAL INTERVENTION,

Just. Practically, every press comment,
however, treats it as necessary vengeance
for the ruin he wrought among scores OF
thousands OF confding poor people, and
admits that in his trickery in dealing with
other moneyed men involved he only did
what others are doing in London every
day with entire impunity. There is a gen.
eral feeling that stringent amendments to
the company law ought to be insisted on
at once; but, unhappily, the influence of
the bar is against this, as well as the ira
ditions of the bench, and these are apt to
be more powerful with Parliamentary
committees than any expressions of public
feeling.
The death of Barthelemy Saint Hilaire
has left Paris entirely cold. The people
understood that he was excessively wise,
and knew that he was incredibly old, but
he always produced the popular impress
sion of prig, which Is not good charac-
ter to bear on the banks of the Seine.
Dumas, on the other hand, was perhaps
the most typically Partisan of his genera
tion, and Paris for the week was pro-
foundly stirred by his departure. Since
Hugo no literary figure has disappeared
amid such q tremendous loosening of
journalistic tongues. Rochefort's savage
attack on his memory led the Paris NUM-
cipal counsel to refuse to name street
after him or to be represented at his fune-
raj, because in 1871 he insulted the COM
mune. There were many other ways in
which he aroused animosities, as numer-
Gus Paris papers show. His last play, in
deed, remains unacted, because it is SO
violent an attack on Paris journalism that
the manager of the players shrank from
the thought of producing it. BY his last
command he was buried to-day in his Or
binary working clothes, refusing public
burial at the hands Of the republic, for
which he never concealed his hostility, or
of the church with which he never had
anything to do in all his life.
Count Taafe gets fully as long obituary
articles in the London papers perhaps be-
cause of his curious, remote connection
with the Irish peerage. When l was in
Vienna il was told to me it was an inter
esting fact that the Taafes alone of the
numerous British refugees of the Stuart
period in Germany managed to preserve
the pronunciation OF their name, which is
in one syllable, long A, and SO called
everywhere, whereas Keith has been called
Kite for a century, and no Scot would rec
ognize the Berliner's conception of Douglas.
Quiller Cough, who is not only a novel;
ist of distinction, but devoted yachtsman,
says in the Contemporary Review what
practically all fair men here think, that
Dunraven must either prove his charges
quickly or apologize at once. He also
thinks that very little legislation would
remedy the evil of steamers crowding the
| track, which is perhaps not so obvious.
The Speaker to-day in a leading article
on the American political outlook for the
next year says it Isl most probable that
some respectable Democrat like Mr.. Whit
ney will be no minated.
| Charles K. Tuckerman's personal Rec
objections" gets "a very cordial column
| from the Chronicle to-day and is being
commended in private talk as we'll as a
book not to be missed. Henri de Bernier's
| ''Le Fills de Laretin'' has been talked of
for a long time as a coming play destined to
make a sensation and achieve a place
among the classics of the world in drama.
| It's final production at the Theatre Fran
cais is said by critics to justify the highest
of these expectations, but, unfortunately,
| its story has been so long familiar to many
that several of its principal situations
have been forestalled by readers and writ
ers. Meantime, it is understood in Paris
that Irving has the English rights, but.
from the frankly romantic-poeticaln nature
and mold of tie drama. as described here,
it seems an open question whether the
| English will care much for it.
"The Manxman" comes off the stage to-
night. The play itself was not regarded
by the critics as equal in merit to the
novel. but even if this had been otherwise
it was fatally handicapped by Lewis Wal
| ler at the head of the cast and manage
ment. London playgoers have been very
patient with numerous queer actor-man-
ayers am bition, but they draw the line at
this depressing, fourth-rate person.
Yvette Guilbert, whose peculiar talents
had an enormous vogue in London a year
ago. sailed to-day by the Etruria, accom-
panied only by maid to try her fortunes
in America beginning with the Olympia.
HAROLD FREDERIC.