Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1897-08-31

is the object OF trying to make the ma
ton celebrate this long forgotten day
when the national hero was killed by
the farmers of Norway? What is the
use of this church festival in an age
which is Kidding itself of the head of
the state church? Even advanced lib
erals admit that the whole affair is
artificial, and that its longevity is very
doubtful in spite of Bjornson and his
hypnotic power over the minds of the
Norwegian people. But they are salts
fed if the St. Olaf festival can do some
service at the summer and fall cleo
lions. And they hope it will accom-
plish that much. I attended the
celebration of St. Olaf's day at the
Christiania Tivcli. cannot deny that
1T made peculiar and lasting impress
sion upon me. Both Rev. Chr. Brunn,
and Lovland, the president of the
storthing, proved to be very good pub
lie speakers, whose equal can hardly
be found in Sweden. The former
speak as one of the Old Testament
prophets. There is passion as well as
severity in his marked, ascetic face,
and there is depth of thought, logic,
and color in his words. President
Lovland is somewhat dry, but ne is
both pithy and cutting. He seems to
be a sensible and gifted man, and there
are certainly good reasons why his in
fuence among the liberal members of
the storthing at present perhaps is
greater than that of any other man.
But what struck me more forcibly than
anything else were the obvious tokens
of the spirit of democracy. Rev.
Brunn. minister of the state church,
speaking in variety theater, his fell
low citizens eating beef and drinking
beer right under his nose, and his
words accompanied by the din of
knives, forks and dishes! The sense
of national unity and the abandon of
variety life had made compact for
the evening, and each of them seemed
to be perfectly at ease. To be shocked
at this would be as narrow as to look
upon as insignificant. It simply proves
that politics and the struggle for COM
plete national independence engrosses
everything and adapts itself to what
ever the Norwegian people does or
leaves undone. In this respect there
is no difference between the two polit-
ical parties, they both employ the
same means.
Something akin to McKinleyism must
have struck Norway. Look at the fol-
lowing items from the tariff bill which
the storthing has just passed: Horses,
over six months old, apiece, $3.50;
live stock over six months old, per
pound, "a cent; calves under six months
old, apiece, 500; sheep and lambs,
apiece, 1871 cents; live hogs and pigs,
per pound, IL cents; turkeys, apiece,
~ cents; geese, % cents apiece; ducks,
1917 cents apiece chickens, cents
apiece; flour, 4 cents per 100 lbs; print
ed cotton cloths, Is cents per pound;
sailed meat and pork, IL cents per
pound.
A daily paper very properly deplores
the fact that IS old. mostly medieval,
church buildings have been torn down
during the past so years. In some
cases the material was used for fuel.
An open-air mass meeting took place
at Stiklestad July 81 in honor of King
st. Olaf. The patriotism of the $4,000
attendants ran high, and some of the
speakers were received with thunder
ing applause.
1t is now asserted on good authority
that the LIBERATION of the 8Oth birth
day of the queen, Sept. 2, will be
chiefly a ladies' affair, the rulers re-
lated to the royal house of Denmark
having given reasons why they cannot
attend on said occasion.
The empress dowager of Russia ar
rived at Copenhagen a few days ago.
She was met by the king on board the
Dannebrog, south of Dragon.
The coast railway running from
Klampenbork to Helsingor, was opened
for public traffic Aug. 2. The cost of
this line, including the ground, is ST.
456, 900.
Princess Alexandrine, the fance of
Prince Christian. has made her first
visit to Copenhagen. A tremendous con-
course of people was awaiting her
when she arrived at the depot, and
most of those present were surprised
because she looked older than they ex-
pected, but also much prettier. A
hearty ovation was given her. but she
did not pay much attention to what
was going on around her, the memory
of the death of her father evidently
lingering in her mind. Even a tear
stole down her. cheek as she rode from
the railroad depot.
Over $4,000 had been raised by pri-
vate subscription up to Aug. l for the
sufferers of the Gentofte railway acct
dent.
Up to Aug. all attempts to close
the strike in the machine manufacture
ing and related industries failed. The
real trouble now seems to be that the
employers are afraid of pledging them
selves to observe the rules which the
committee of arbitration is preparing.
The employers have evidently found
out that said rules will grant at least
some of the demands made by tho
workingmen.
Castor, a Danish trading vessel,
which left South Greenland Oct. 9TH
last, and from which nothing has been