The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-28

speech, devoted most Of his time 10 defending
tho muzzlinK law. Ho did IL by means OF statis-
tics. We all know what statistics can do, so
there 10 no need to say how completely Mr.. Long
proved his case.
After Prime Minister and Long CANT the
Times editorial, and this combination Is SUM-
Client to stamp the dog as a great political power.
Tho Times took up tho cry very seriously, say
ing:
There 10 abundant evidence, rendered by the
malcontonts themselves, that many owners OF
dogs are so deeply offended by the muzzlinR
order that, though they generally belong TO q
class which Is In sympathy with the present Gov
ornment, they are ready to vote for Radical
candidates In order to wreak vengeance
on Mr.. Walter Long. No more ludicrous In
stance of that lack of q serse Of proportion
which is one of the vices OF the ago has
ever been exhibited. A cynical humorist once
remarked that there was a type Of person who
would sacrifice his Oldest friend for his newest
dog, but even ho did not imagine that dog
lovers would ever be powerful and determined
enough to influence electoral contests and to
disturb tho peace OF Ministers. But, as tho
question has been raised in this serious form.
1t is well that it should DO %grappled with in q
practical way"
Then 1t quotes Mr.. Longs statistics.
or course, tho other side has statistics, and
equally OF course, their statistics prove their
case as infallibly as Walter Longs prove his.
This has been tho weak point Of statistics from
time immcmorial. A curious case was made
much of n few weeks ago. A man was bitten
by q dog. Tho man died and the dog was
killed. The Coroncr's jury found that the man
died Of hydrophobia. but all the doctors who cx-
amined the dog and performed a careful au-
topsy. declared that they could find no trace Of
rabies; in fact, tests which had never been
kno1yn IN fail fatlad utterly IN this inatapce
And the anti.muzzler triumphantly argued that
II a perfectly healthy dog can kill a man with
hydrophobia Mr.. Long had better issue an order
at once for the wholesale slaughter OF the inno-
cents.
Henceforth, when bye election after bye cleo
ton shows a decrease of the Unionist vote. as
all the bye elections do show, we shall be told
that the reason is not to be found in Lord Sails.
bury's foreign policy. The Englishman will
suffer quietly the jibes and jeers OF foreign
countries. will SEQ his trade absorbed by Ger
many and the States, will applaud his states
men as they from time to time take their favor.
lite exercise of =" climbing down" but he will not
have his dog muZZled. And when the strongest
observation-disclosures numerically, that is
shall fall at last. 1t will literally have been
least to the dogs" And really there is q kind
of poetic Justice in Salisbury, the cynic, going
to the dogs.
Tho good people who still think tho ordinary
theatre q sink Of ~iniquity, yet banker after the
glamour OF the footlights. are indulginE this
week in the mild dissipation of O religious play.
performed by clergymen and church workers.
in the holy, historic town of Canterbury, with
the sanction Of the Primate of England. An alb.
normal infection OF the matinee hat is the only
presentment likely to suggest to the lay mind
the frivolous, worldly playhouse Of the present
!, day Tho feminine admirers Of the pale young
curate are evidently in the midst Of n debauch
!. OF wide brimmed, wide-ribboned. wide.feathered
/. headgear; otherwise their appreciation Of the
/. present drama shows them to be most
!. mild and proper in their tastes. 1t IL
really no drama at all, hut a succession
Of tableaux. divided by hymns. and strung
together with sermons and episodes from cccle
~siastical history. In place of dramatic move
ment there is the quaint archaism in Language
and thought which makes the otherwise rather
1 dull speeches often sweet and novel to the car
The players copy none Of the ways Of mummej
worship or self.adyertisement. They remain
nameless. and figure on the programme simpl!
as =" divers persons connected with tho Church
of St. Peter, yauxhall.'" Onlookers familia
with clerical society and with q good glass
, claim to identify q lady of title, a County Cour
1 Judge. a member OF Parliament, an officer IL
. the guards. n popular clergyman's wife. and par
r sons and laymcn galore. Onlookers less famil
lar with these circles can only identify a stand
l ard of elocution strongly reminiscent Of pulpi
: exercises upon long.suffering congregations.
The singing might be q little less funeral
4 Happily the dialogue Is simple and clear, so tina
1t is impossible for a robustious character I
take the middle of the stage and tear a passion
3 to tatters In rant, Of which there is none. Tn
t story begins when Gregory-afterward pro TOT
deacon. Pope-enters as a monk across tn
N Roman Forum nanstpu near tho 0nptlcmn
criticising the slaves from England, the rulin
6 price of which at that time was fully $50. Th
2 little Angles, Edwin and Alfred, are offered bt
Q fore our eyes to my lady Theodore. 1t Is her
t begins the enthusiasm Of Gregory to convert tn
e Anglo.Saxons. The play is called THE CONVEX
( sion of England" and the subsequent tableau
9 illustrate its progress. Great is the contrIs
between the busy Forum, with its me
chants and hucksters and its distant vie
o Of the slope OF the Capitol. and the Sacred Grow
y in the forest Of Kent IA. D.. 595). 1t Is heathe
England. with its circle of monoliths, alta,
moss-Grown stones, priestesses gliding to slo'
music around the sacrifice, and a doomed Bri
ish youth bound and guarded. The crowd d.
mands the death penalty for one who has pr
famed the sanctuary of Wooden, the Christian
u lied Queen Bertha in vain interfering on b
u behalf.
ID Another scene shows st. Augustine's mil
blOnarleS 10 Enblanu uetalneu IN tue lSlHnu
y st. Honorah. showing an autumn day. mona
j. terry garden. and distant view of the Medite
ranean. At the rising Of the curtain is "di
covered" a travelled Frankish Count enjoyir
81 his fruit and wine, Augustine's companion
o. looking on. This Count is a bit of a humoris
D. and his views on human character have the
~ modern application. He says to the missio
~ aries:
40 Heaven help you. monk. il you are going
III try to teach them. They are a people most 1
r disposed to learn from any one. The Englis
III sir. believe nothing right but what they
themselves"
40 Placidus Ia missionary observes-We we
IL told that the climate Of the country is insu
~ portable; that there is nothing there but 70
y. How did you find thatf
81 Count-Well. sir. all the time I was in En-
Vi land II rained.
az Placidus-Can you tell US any particulars
No their religion