The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-05-25


trived to relate himself to you, there is
the mystery. True men Of all creeds.
it would eeem, are brothers."
DIR. Henry M. Field, of the Evangel-
ist, has rounded out forty years OF edi-
torial service. 1t is fact of some in
terest and significance that the editors
of the religious press uniformly have a
long tenure. Nearly all of the promin-
ent editors of the religious journals have
been in the chairs they now occupy
more than twenty years. Only few
have protracted their term to DIR. Fields
limit; but there are a number who have
been continually in the editorial harness
over thirty years. One reason why there
is 80 little rotation in the editorial Office
is because the style of talent and the
capacity for work which are requisite to
make good editor are not common
combination. Another is that the
knowledge of details and of contempor-
ary events gained in the work becomes
of 80 great practical value that it is diff
ficult to retire an editor and equally diff
fcult to find an equipped successor.
The adaptation by the Legislature
of New York and it's endorsement by the
Governor of the Gray Racing bill, illus.
trates forcibly how far the average leg
islator and "Christian Statesman" in
tends to keep us from the millennium.
The law now enacted prohibits the direct
forms of gambling heretofore practiced
on racing tracks and in pool rooms. But
it carefully leaves open an indirect door
through which as much gambling as
may be desired can be practiced. The
secular press generally favored the bill
and the agricultural interests were, so
far as heard from, loudly for it. Coupled
with provision for distributing a
bounty from the racing business to the
county fairs of the State. the measure
was as irresistible as high license law.
1t is we'll known to all who are ac
quainted with them. that our county
fairs are little more than elaborate pop
ular devices for getting together crowds
of people" to witness horee-racing. The
pumpkins, chickens and cheese are still
exhibited in diminishing quantities and
variety; but it is we'll understood that
they have had their day. Racing is the
business of the county fair. When the
gambling inseparably connected with
racing all the world over.is mentioned as
an objection. we are blandly assured that
this feature of the fair" has resulted in
vast improvement of the stock. Pos.
81 IDLY it has; though the price Of horse
flesh for sometime prevailing would
scarcely support the enthusiastic proc
lamation. One thing is indisputable; it
has resulted in making gambling, by
bets and otherwise, nearly as common
throughout our country districts as
tobacco and profanity are.
The Gray bill was introduced as
reform measure. 1t is, on it's face, an
attempt to check the shameless scandal
of race track gambling. But it seems to
have been drawn by an expert. We
should scarcely need to be told that it
was formulated by the counsel of the
State Jockey Club. The holes he has
left in the prohibition are at just the
spots indicated by the profession" The
gentry whose business the bill was de-
vised to spoil are said to be satisfied
with the measure. They will not he so
open as heretofore; but their trade will
go on just the same. Perhaps, as Mayor
Strong and Governor Morton seem
agreed in thinking, legislators, newspa-
pers and the public should eagerly ac-
cept any measure which is not worse
than some other measure. But on such
a basis of reform. municipal and State
administration will always come just
enough short OF actual right to be prac
tically wrong.
Among the curiosities of statistics
are these facts: The colored population
is found in every one of our thirty-nine
States and Territories. The proportion
of native whites is largest in West Vir-
ginia, of foreign born in North Dakota.
South Carolina has the largest colored
and the smallest foreign population
One-tenth of all the Irish in the United
States are in New York City and one
thirteenth of all the Germans. There are
20,664 046 church members. little more
than one half of whom are in the Catho-
lie and the Methodist churches. The
Germans lead in the foreign class. The
Irish come next and the Hungarians
bring up the rear. There are million
and half more males than females in
the country--a proportion that has been
pretty uniform for fifty years. Women
are in the greatest excess in the District
of Columbia and in Massachusetts.
Ninety-two per cent of our criminals are
males, only 8 per cent are females.
Criminals number only 13 in ten thous-
and. Two-thirds Of our criminals are
single. two. thirds are moderate drinkers.
to which must be added one fifth for
hard drinkers. Four-fitths of the white
criminals are able to read and write, but
only about one fifth have trade. The
wealth per capita in 1850 was s308; in