The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-10-16

@ e q q e q x g q g q 90 90 % % 90 90
! Perhaps some Of the anonymous
criminals who write to me think tneli
illusions go amiss because unnotlceo.
l beg to state to the set of humans
| towards, cranks, blackguards and oe-
generates addicted to the offense men
toned that the waste basket bulgeS
with their illusions as the Jail ought 10
bulge with their carcasses.
1t is not clear to the lay and conse-
quently but partly enlightened MIND
how the Rev. John Hemphill can sup
port his contention that the Philippines
are ours by divine decree. There is not
apparent fairness in ascribing to divine
decree responsibility for everything
which happens to please, and ascriblng
the undesirable phases Of life to cir
cumstances beyond control. If, for in
stance, the acquisition of the Philip
pines had seemed to the gentleman un-
wise, to what agency would it have
been accredited by him? If divine de-
cree may be viewed as a spec1hc
cause when an effort is observed to be
satisfactory, to exonerate it when the
effect is of a contrary nature would
seem to be an acknowledgment that
there is some potent agency In conflict
with the divine will, and as visible eff
fects are more often bad than good in
this wicked world the evil force is hav-
ing greater influence than it merits.
An italian has perfected a process of
marketing the dead so that bodies
tenantless of soul may be preserved for
an indefinite period. They are said to
resemble carved images, and the
mourner is supposed to have the priv
| ilege of gazing on them and thus keep
ing grief fresh and interesting. Posi-
| bly, when the grief shall at last have
passed away the marbleized deceased
| can be utilized as a Sutro Heights style
| of characterization. Yet there is diffi-
| Guilty in discerning the usefulness OF
preserving the dead in the shape OF
| bogus statuary or anything else. The
mortal frame from which disease or in
| jury has induced the spirit to vanish
| is not left in a condition of attractive
ness. Some people even decline to look
upon their beloved dead, preferring to
remember them as they appeared when
blood was coursing in their veins and
light shining from their eyes. When
body has served it's term as the abode
| of a soul it should be permitted to re-
| turn to dust, and all processes en-
ployed in it's treatment ought to be in
| the direction not of retarding but hast
ening the process. For my part L ap-
prove Of Poet Miller's funeral pyre, and
could name a number of persons whom
| could cheerfully observe contributing
| their ashes to the winds which sweep
Miller's home. Science is wasting time
when it makes marble out of the hui
man cadaver. Let it rather try the
decentralization of hearts which still
| beat, but that rattle against the en-
vironing ribs like stone in barrel.
An interesting feature about the
CHARGE that on the transport carrying
| Colorado soldiers Red Cross supplies
were sold is that it is not true. In
proof of this Colonel Hale has made an
! extended statement. AS further and
final proof, the fact may be cited that
the charge was made in the Examiner
In support of it's allegations the paper
printed July IL Manila letters bearing
date of July 16, indicating that the
! letters in the absence of a cable had
come from the Philippines at cable
| gram speed. The absence of news
never balks yellow journalism, but it
| sometimes causes a smile So practiced
| a faker as the sheet mentioned ought
| by this time to be able to manufacture
| information and print it without
stamping it all over as fictitious.
G. w. Stevens, an English CORE
spondent who was at the battle of On
durham, told to the world the best war
story it has read for many day. The
| slaughter of the Dervishes as related
by him becomes to the reader an actual
spectacle, full of life and death. One
seems to hear the roar of guns, the
clashing of steel, to see the clouds
hanging somber above the crimsoned
hills where natives fight to the last
gasp. The ferocious courage Of the
fanatics is portrayed by Stevens as no
writer could have portrayed it without
the wine of war hot within him. Yet it
would be unfair to compare the work
of this correspondent with that Of
American special commissioners in
Cuba during our recent scrimmage.
There were opportunities for good
work, mostly neglected it is true, but
there was no magnificent finale to be
|
| impressive as a battle hymn. Yet it
may justly be said this country has no
such war correspondent as Stevens, or
| if 1t has, that he has been kept from
the scene. cannot even make an ex-
ception of Hearst, but may add that
England has no such correspondent as
Hearst, either.
Perhaps my view of the matter Is
wrong, but 1 confess to a total lack of
sympathy with persons who stick their
heads in the mouths of lions and have
the same bitten off. Such an incident
occurred recently in a Virginia town.
The man In the cage yanked open the
| jaws of the beast and stuck his smil-
ing countenance within. Just then the
/ jaws came together. Details may be
omitted. Enough to say the perform
! ance was spoiled, and the lion got a
generous taste of the performer. I
never could understand why anybody
should try to gaze down the throat of
! Hon Lpowine tho TreitIdioa or the