The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-02-28
THE SENATE AND THE BROWNING
SOCIETY.

The debate in the United States sem
ate over the Sanguilly resolution re-
minds one irresistibly of an exceeding
~ funny occurrence in a London
Browning society that appeared in It's
transactions and was related not long
ago by witty gentleman Of this city
to an appreciative audience AS told
soberly by the society's record. it met
to consider that remarkable and much
studied poem Of Mr. Robert Brown
ing which begins with the line, "Childe
Roland to the dark tower came" The
poem is one Of glowing imagery, the
practical meaning of which is not a
little obscure. The first person on the
programme proceeded to read long
and carefully argued paper to show
that by "the dark tower Mr.. Brown
ing means death, and, to interpret the
poem accordingly. After this was con-
GUIDED Mr.. Furnivall the president Of
the society, was cruel enough to rise
and say that, having been interested
in this question himself. he had taken
the trouble to ask Mr.. Browning per-
SOnally what he meant by the dark
tower, and that Mr.. Browning replied
he had not the faintest idea. He had
written poem. as all inspired writers
do, in which the half formulated
thought contained ideas and sugges-
tons in such vague dress that each
reader could interpret them according
to his temperament and his needs. The
idea that the whole poem was, there
fore. a carefully constructed bit OF
symbolism, a sort of Browning cryptic
gram, so to speak, out of each line
and word Of which you could puzzle
obscure meaning, must be rejected.
This statement by Mr. Browning, in
stead Of squelching the discussion. as
might have been expected, fell abso-
lutely fiat. The next person on the
programme. who was lady, rose. and,
without any reference to the presiding
officers explanation, read her paper,
equally long and cogent, to show that
the dark tower meant love. A third
person was equally sure that the dark
tower meant death, and, in the general
discussion, there were as many views
of the intent Of the poem as there were
persons present Finally, at the close
Of the meeting, the gentleman who
had opened it rebuked the president
fearlessly and firmly, asking of what
value the proceedings of a Browning
society would be if any member were
mean enough to get an advantage by
going and asking Mr.. Browning him.
self what he meant
This perfectly delightful perform
ance is parodied precisely by the
United States senate. A member in
PRODUCES a set Of resolutions based upon
the supposed indignity and outrage Of
fered to one Sanguilly. an alleged
American citizen. Thereupon, Aeolus
broke loose. Morgan rallied and Lodge
threatened and Call harangued and the
air was heavy with the scent of blood
and the vision was INSTRUCTED by the
waving of innumersble Tags. The gall
leries were crowded and the peanut
gods shouted to high heaven. 1t was a
scene Of indiscriminate carnage. in
which no word of mild-mannered mien
or Of less than five syllables had a
chance to survive. When the hour
of adjournment arrived it was under
stood that the performance would be
renewed with even greater vfgor the
next day, and the public was invited
to the show. When the senate as
se1nbled the next day, however, to re-
sumo denouncing the president and the
administration for their iniquities In
general and their neglect of Sanguiily
in particular. the news dispatches had
brought word that Sanguilly was al
ready released. through the interven-
ton of our state department, which