The San Francisco call., 1896-02-23

tural fruit of the popular habits here.
"nele practlcally the whole people culti-
Vate and glorify their muscle at the ex-
pehse OF their brains, and the jockey
Archer Is mourned by millions in the
same week that Matthew Arnold goes to
the grave almost unnoticed. Undoubtedly
IL makes fine fighting race but it also
makes race stupid enough not to see
that Jameson, instead of being a hero, was
treacnerous flibusterer, who brought
MS country into disgrace at the bidding of
mllllonaire group OF promoters.
There is absolutely nothing new about
the Venezuelan business. The official
British resume of the case will be out early
next week, that is to say only a fortnight
later than was promised, and some seven
months behind the time when it ought to
have been ready, but considering the
ordinary methods and movements of the
British foreign Office this is almost hur-
ried promptness. l get no further in
formation as to Lord Salisbury's personal
attitude, but there is no doubt that he was
at the beginning of the week in an
obstinate frame of mind. 1t is precisely
at this point that this incessant newspaper
discussion across the cable does harm. 1t
annoys Salisbury, and would exasperate a
much meeker Foreign Secretary, as such
officials go in Europe, to have propositions
for settlement alleged to be officially in
spired, and journalistic ultimatums of
what will happen if they are not accepted
spread out every morning in the news
papers week after week.
These are things for foreign officers and
ambassadors to deal with in decent and
courteous confidence, and it will be time
enough for the public to interfere when
these appointed agencies confess failure
to agree.
The daily assumption that it is the busi-
ness of journalists to settle the whole dis
pute IS not only wearisome 10 the flesh,
but it involves real danger OF provoking
impulses OF resistance and friction in the
inner circle Of diplomacy charged with the
task OF arranging a settlement. Parlia-
mentary interest this week is almost en-
tirely concentrated on Balfour's PROPOSE
ton to alter the rules so that the supply
will occupy twenty consecutive Fridays,
and then whatever is left undiscussed will
be automatically passed.
This has sort of academic popular in
tereSt, because it destroys the most ancient
OF all the parliamentary principles, that
redress of grievances precedes the supply
but it cannot be said that the public dis
plays the faintest concern in the fate of
this historic formula. Curiously enough,
the Radicals in the House of Commons are
the ones who like this iconocIastic scheme
most, and If they can get the assurance
that private mem bers in return for ceding
their Fridays to the Government can have
Tuesdays guaranteed to them they will
support it. Such opposition as is discern
lble comes from the crushed old Tories,
whom James Lowther is striving to organ
ize, but it is not likely that he will succeed
in upsetting the measure.
In day or two Petersburg expects
written details from the Siberian officials
about the story of Nansen and the north
pole. These will at least clear up, it Is
hoped, the question whether Kuchnareff
to whom the report is ascribed, is
the well-known trader of that name at
Yakutsk, in which case much weight
will attach to the rumor, but it happens
that Kuchnareff is an extremely common
name at Yakutsk and further on, so that
the tale may have really no parentage
worth considering. AS for getting news
from 1akutsk itself even If the Governor
sent off messenger from Yakutsk as soon
as the report reached him that would be a
matter OF nearly month. But the drift
of speculation meanwhile is increasingly
toward crediting the rumor.
So much has to be printed every day
about the developments in the line of
Roentgen's discovery that the question of a.
name for the thing has become one OF i'm
portance.
Thus far it is called the new photog-
raphy, but that is both clumsy and mis-
leading. and the suggestion is now made
by severa! English scientists that it be
termed eleclrography. This, however.
raises the objection that all sorts of things
are being done a la Roentgen without the
use of electricity at all. Among the myriad
reports of fresh experiments during the
week that from LIE Gaulois' Office is
most striking. Two journalists there sue
ceeded in photographing letter through
the thick MANILA envelop used by the
French Parliament by wrapping it in a
sheet of tin foil off chocolate packet In
France, where private documents Just now
play chief part in the Government OF the
country, this ought to be especially useful.
HAROLD FREDERIC.
Fire In the MissOurps Hold Put Out.
LONDON, ENG, Feb. 22.-The fire in the
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