davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-06
Z n on,y h shu.tl.o.cn or Fate.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sir: The letter
of Hope in your issue Of Feb. 4 concerning
life and Immortality expresses tho thoughts Of
innumerable intelligent mon and women tho
world over.
Hope says he is looking for help. an assur-
ance of the divine origin and end Of all things"
This assurance he will never receive IL no &C
cepts the verdict of his reason after giving to
the subject his most profound consideration
There is not on earth to-day one incontestable
proof that the world is Of divine origin or 10
under divine guidance; nor is there q solitary
indubitable proof that man survives the grave.
Theology and science may safely be chal-
lenged to demonstrate the contrary. 1t Is tho
habit of man to demand from nature an answer
to every question he may PROFOUND to her: and
when nature 10 silent. man, In the sublim-
ity of his self-suflciency. answers it for
her and pronounces the answer right!
We arc but the shuttlecocks of fate. and
every mans experience verihes the truth OF the
assertion. We are the helpless victims of hered-
ity, environment, and circumstance. How we
got here. what we came for, and where we are
going are questions that battle fool and sage.
As an agnostic. happy in his aRnosticism. ur-
fettered by dogma, superstition. and bigotry. I
counsel Hope" to dispossess his mind of the
agoniZing doubts engendered and nurtured by
the Church; to live according to the dictates Of
his reason and mis- conscience. doing his duty by
himself and his ncighbor. and he will know that
ineffable content that men call happiness.
BROOKLYN, Feb. 4. w. B. D.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-06

The Providence Journal watches the
Hon. Potato PINGREE reverently as he ICON
tinues his fight in behalf of the plain people,"
By ''plain people" is meant the persons who
think that property. not their own. has no
rights. RINGREE "is endeavoring to compel
the railroads Of Michigan to furnish Transports.
ton at two cents a mile. and it must be said
that there are q good many plain people who
will appreciate this kind of reform who never
have been able to solve. in their own minds. the
intricacies ofthe tariff and currency discussions"
How would the Hon. Potato PINGREE like to
have his shoe factory compelled to furnish shoes
to the plain people at twenty cents q pair : How
would the proprietors of the Providence Journal
like to have the Governor of Rhode Island labor
to compel them to reduce the price of their
paper from two cents to one cent a oopyl
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-06
German ana French Theatres.

Some p~ublic-spirited German.American
citizens are making arrangements for cele-
brating the services of one of the German
theatrical managers of New York during
the past quarter of a century.
Before 1864 German stage performances
were known in a desultory, spasmodic
way, but In hat year the Stadt theatre
for plays In German exclusively was es-
tablished, and since then performances
In German have continued. Some of the
best-known foreign stars from Vienna, Ber-
lin, Hamburg, and other German cities nave
appeared here during the winter seasons, In
many cases with success 80 remunerative
as to lead them to return to New York.
The historic Bowery Theatre, the "Old
Drury' of that neighborhood, when aban.
doned for the melodramatic perform.
ances of which 1t was the home, was
turned over to the Germans and became
the Thalia Theater, a title which 1t still
bears, though its performances are not now
In German. When LESTER WALLACE re-
moved from what had come to be regarded
by many New York playgoers as the
huh of our drama, -Yallack's Theatre,
at Broadway and Thirteenth street, the
second Of Its name, and moved up
tow to the present site of Wallack's.
Broadway and Thirtieth street, back in
1882, the theatre which he had occupied
for more than twenty years became the
second Germania, devoted to German plays
under the direction of a German manager,
Mr.. NEUENDoRF, who died recently. There
are now two German theatres In town, and
In the newer of the two. the Irving Place
Theatre, the managerial anniversary 10 to
be celebrated.
More than thirty years ago. when the
French. speaking population of New York
was less than It IL now, there was. as there
had been for many years, = distinCtiyely
French theatre. bat that has passed away.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-06
Look to the stars FOR a. Answer.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sir: Yes. there
is a future life; but IL will be q life of work and
of grand achievements. as great as any in this
life. Let Hope" look at the stars and read
there depicted where that future life will DO,
and what 1t will be like.
II will be just such another life of work and
victory and noble endeavor on one of the mil
lions Of planets clrcling around those star suns
as the present life is. That Is the heaven
where We will all be born again. som on one
planet. some on others. Tho human soul
never dies, but 1t Ia born over and over again.
each time on a different planet; in each life
doing the work that God. through His managing
angels, assigns 1t to do. rendering that life SER
vice each time better and moro wisely. each
time rising in tho scale of rank and wisdom.
or else going lower and lower till that soul Is
destroyed for its evil. 1t will not be a heaven
of singing and music and idlcness; we would
not be able to stand that a year; we need work
and change and constant victories over evil
Himself is never idle; He works constantly. We
are not WORT Ter than our Master and Creator
to have q future life OF idleness.
In this / disagree with the preachers pictures
Of the New Jerusalem. ! would not fancy wear
ing a crown unless ! was busy doing something
all the time. doing some share of Gods work
that would put the light of conscious and de-
serving dignity and daily worthiness on the
wearing of that crown. I trust this may help
compared to that description OF 1t which he
hears in his church from the lips OF his parson
and church elders. ETERNITY.
NEW YoRK, Feb. 4.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-06
A curious bill to restrict and l~ocallze en-.

A curious bill to restrict and ~localize en-
joyment of the m%ayfiower. or trailing arbutus, a
Plymouth county plant Of some fame. has been
introduced into the Massachusetts Legislature.
The bill provides that mo person, except a citi-
zen or real estate owner. shall gather or disturb
the plant of the trailing arbutus or send the
flower or plant from the town in which 1t grows,
under penalty of $50 fine or twenty days impris-
onment in the House of Correction" The protec-
ton of the mayfiower is not sought by the bill.
for the folks In the towns where 1t grows can
pluck 1t to tho extent of the crop. Evi.
IDENTIFY pot-hunting outsiders have been In.
vading Plymouth county in tho mayfiower
season. carrying of the flowers and SELL
ing them. But why should Plymouth coun-
ty repinei She should think of tho pleasure
which the exported arbutus gives to outsiders.
Some of 1t even reaches this town, or used to
reach 1t. Perhaps the Society OF Mayhower
Descendants Is trying to control the whole out
put. Even under the best conditions there can't
be nearly enough m%ayfowers to give each do
scendSnt one.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-06
New HAVEN
It IL OF Ne Consequences.

To THE EDITOR OF H SUN-Sir: "Hopc'sr
letter in to-day's U 10 evidence OF the unset.
tied state in many minds on tho most vital and
elemental Of all questions in religious teaching.
namely. is there n life after so-called DEATH He
seems to think 1t is a very important matter.
and asks for light. He will not get II, for abso.
lutely there Is no evidence which would DO nd.
mitted In. any ciyil tribunal OF "A future lifo.
What then Nothing. 1t IL OF no conse0uenc.
whatever. II there arc those who think other.
wise. permit me to ask. them why 1t is that Chris
tians and pagans, spiritualists and matcrinlists
are alike SO reluctant to leave this wicked and
painful world and to enter an alleged other
world, where some pretend TO believe ali IN
peace and delight Paul, by. many %artiices.
kept away IRON .hase VINO sought to XII him.
last, but neither faith nor n~on.faith in any
dogma has the slightest effect on their rcsoln.
tion or resignation, whichever II may be called.
Normal human beings, each one Tor himself,
have In large measure tho power OF making the
world In which they 1.-Two, and tho very large
majority seem quito content with the world
which they have made. AGNosTIu
BROOKLYN. Feb. d
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-06

one have now exchanged these for the cor
responding Radcliffe degree. It Is inter
esting to observe the part which women
are now taking at Harvard in the technical
work of various sciences. In b Cam
bridge Observatory, for instance, nearly
one-half of the assistants are women. In
the psychological laboratories women are
now employed successfully In examining
specimens Of water, milk, meats, etc.
Their fitness for photographed work has
been demonstrated for some time.
In his comments on the athletic side OF
Harvard life, the President reports that
479 students were engaged during the year
in the various sports for which q physical
examination is required. How many OF
these, however, took athletics seriously is
not stated definitely. The opinion Is ex-
pressed that q student who takes an active
part In athletic sports is unlikely to win
good standing as a scholar. though, on the
other hand, IL IL conceded that q smaller
proportion of the athletes than Of the other
students get put on probation. This Is
true, however, Of the college proper only,
and not of the Scientific School. The fact
Is recognized In this report that the evil OF
excessive training has not been cured, and
President ELIOT suggests that the nervous
strain resulting from prolonged training,
many exciting contests, inc an anxious
sense Of responsibility has not been con-
sidered sufficiently.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-06

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sir: We must
disregard our feelings and look at tho facts In
order to arrive at reasonable and logical con-
illusions. Every agnostic admits there Is a power
that comprehends and controls the universe.
but what 1t is we do not know, any moro than
We know what electricity Is in substance. We
know how to produce 1t and that is all.
What Is lifef We do not know. But we do
know that under certain conditions matter Is
organized according TO natural laws into forms
OF life. Man 10 only a form of life who has I'M
dersone notifications but who still bears the
indelible stamp OF his lowly origin.
Why should there be a heaven for man alone I
What claim has he against the unknown power.
while all other forms of life have monet 1t
seems TO me supreme seIhshness for US to say
we are to enter a life eternal because wo are
forms superior to other forms which nature has
created.
Ecclosiastes, ill.,. 10. 20. and 81. contain more
sound common sense than all other passages in
Holy Writ:
For that which befalleth the sons OF men befalleth
beasts, even one thing hefall6th them; as one dieth
so dieth the other; yea, they all have one breath, so
that a man nAth no preSmlnsnce above a beast; for
all Is vanity.
All &c. ilto ons place; all are of the dust and all
turn TO dust again.
Who knoweth the spirit Of man goeth upw ard. and
the spirit or the beast downward TO the esrthf
The average Christian solves q mystery with
Amystsry. the latter OF which 10 ~ unthihkAbiO
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-06
The Visit of the Vizcaya.

In sending one of her best warships to
New York, as a response to the Names
presence at Havana, Spain has undertaken
a counterstroke.
1t is useless to deny that, while the
Names was called, properly enough, a
peaceful errand, It's real purpose was to
make a precedent, at a favorable moment,
for sending our ships to Cuban ports In ex-
igencies when sterner duties might pos
sibly await them. There is little doubt,
too, that the Names visit to Havana was
not welcomed by Spain, and that she would
greatly have preferred to see our former
calling custom continue to be honored In
the breach rather than in the observance.
But when abe foun that the President
was determined, when she saw the Maine
actually within gunshot OF MORO Castle,
Spain accepted the situation. greeted the
ships officers politely. and then, in q
burst OF diplomatic inspiration, treated
this as an act Of conspicuous international
eOdgtssy. which had at ones 10 be respond
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-06

Bishop VINCENT of the Methodist Epis.
copal Church told the Kansas temperance Union
the other day that "the foundation of temper
ance reform should be laid at the chewing.gum
age Of childhood. as the habit was a sort of
self-indulgence that should be restrained -
He called upon his hearers to drive "the
chewing.gum vice" out OF Kansas. The
friends of chewing gum can be depended upon
to come to its defence. and the best defence
they can make will be to say that chewing
gum Is not a form of self.indulgence. but of
suffering. Tho world is altogether too full of
persons who chow gum in the sight OF the
public. Did anybody ever see any other ex-
preston than one of straining. anxious, hope
less misery on the face of n gum-chewer 7
Doubtless there are many persons with
whom the process Of chewing gum takes the
place Of thought. But why do these chewers
thrust this palpably painful substitute for
thought into the gaze of gum.eschewersi II
gum Is a necessity to certain jaws with a taste
for continual movement, at least the sufferers
should suffer in private.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-06

"a 10 In kind. Hence the visit OF the VIE
caya, whose departure from Cartagena was
arranged for with p%romptness.
Possibly Spain had q purpose besides that
of CLOSING with her own Interpretation, In
the worlds eyes, the Maine's mission,
and Of keeping up her dignity. She
may have thought q good specimen OF
her naval strength would mako a timely
exhibit for our waters. In that view abe
has chosen we'll her representative. The
Viscaya Is one of half q dozen 7,0O0-ton
belted ships, which constitute, with the
9,O9O.ton Emperador Carlos ", the armored
cruiser class Of SPANS navy. or the six
7.OOO.ton vessels the three already built
are the Vizcaya, the Infanta Maria Teresa,
and the Almirante Oquendo. The three
under construction, which will have, 1t Is
said, somewhat moro horse power, and per.
haps improved armor and armament, are
the Cardinal Cisneros, Cataluaa, and Prin-
cesa de Asturias; but these need not be
considered now. These six vessels, prop
erly called cruisers from their high speed,
sometimes, also, like our Maine and Texas,
are rated as second.class battleships, from
their thick belts and barbettes.
Spain has one modern battleship, the
Pelayo, of 5000 tons, which is beyond
doubt her best fighting craft; but the
vizcaya, for various reasons, 10 deemed a
suitable envoy for the United States. We,
in like manner, did not send our heaviest
vessel to Havana. The Vizcaya has a
length between perpendiculars Of $40 feet,
O beam Of e6, and q draught Of 21lo. Her
horse power 10 $4,000 and her speed is put
at 20 knots. Her water-line belt is IL
inches thick, and her barbette 1O1a
inches. while she carries two 11-inch
Hontoria guns and ten 519.inch, besides
eight 6.pounders and eight 1.pounders.
Compared with the Maine, she Is longer
and broader, or the same draught, having
somewhat more displacement, the same
thickness of water-line armor, and greater
speed. Tho Names battery consists of four
smaller pieces.
On the whole. the Vizcaya makes aigood
response to the Maine; but, considering
her as an armored cruiser, we may properly
put her In comparison with Dur New York
and Brooklyn. The Brooklyn displaces
9.271 tons, being go feet longer than the
vizcaya on the same beam and greater
draught, while she carries eight S-inch
guns, twelve b-inch and twenty smaller
pieces. The Vizcaya has the thicker water
line belt and t~urrets. but the Brooklyn is
much the faster.
The Vizcaya will, of course, be an object
of great interest here, but as to a contest
between her fleet and ours, SPANS wouldn't
be in it long.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-06

changed character Of its congregation.
Fifth avenue and It's neighborhood would
be supplied with a suficiency OF Presby-
terian churches to accommodate the de-
mand even IL DR.. HALLS church retired
from that particular field and removed to
modester surroundings.
At any rate, It seems to be Inevitable
that the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church
will have to rely for its maintenance here
after on the great body OF its congregation,
people OF moderate means, rather than on
the rich men who attended it In the past as
q church Of fashionable distinction.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-06
Germany and Our Horses.

Perhaps 1t is only q coincidence and not
o concerted tariff war that has produced
three attacks in Germany upon American
exports within the past week, on our fruits,
on our living plants, and finally on our
horses. But the coincidence of these moves
is at least remarkable and suggestive.
The latest of them, that against Ameri-
can horses, has taken the form not of q de.
cree of prohibition, as in the other two
cases, but of a warning and threat from the
Minister of Agriculture, who is reported
as having said hat the animals develop
influenza after importation, and that an
increase in the imp~ortations must be fol-
lowed by establishing a protective quaran.
tine upon them.
A quarantine is not. of course, a prohibit
tion, but 1t is a hampering of trade which
can only be justified by well ascertained
facts and our own Secretary of Agriculture,
MIR. WILSON, Is credited with saying that
the German Minister'S views seem to him
unwarranted, and that the alleged develop
ment of influenza in Germany indicates
that our horses contract 1t from animals
there, instead of carrying it's germs over
with them. However, with the products Of
our stock farms as with those of our orchards
n nurseries, the first essential Is to know
the facts. We admit the right of any coun-
try to make proper sanitary regulations as
to its imports, yet We can't submit to the
mere color of pretexts for excluding our
exports.
There are two things to be specially noted
here. One is the prodigious increase of our
shipments of fruits, plants, and horses
within a very few years, the horses alone
exported to Germany rising to a value of
$s22,250 last year, against only 1919, $50 in
1893. The other point is the direct charge
of several Berlin newspapers that the new
edicts against American products have
been made with a view to pleasing the
agrarians, or, as we should say, the
Rrangers. 1t is particularly strange to find
the Minister of Agriculture credited with
making the imposition of n quarantine on
horses depend on whether we increase our
exports, since, IL there is any danger, it Is
to be feared now.
There already exists on the statute book
q provision giving the President ample
powers to deal with any unjust discrimina-
tion in foreign countries against our prod
ucts. 1t declares that whenever he shall
uc buliSLSu tihb sum u DISCRIMINATION ID
made he shall, by proclamation, exclude
from importation here "such products of
such foreign States as he may deem proper
1t should be said, however, that a German
quarantine against the horses would hardly
come under this statute, and. indeed, al.
though an~tagonistic, it might hardly be a
subject of retaliation. But in the matter
of the past weeks sudden and surprising
attacks on our products. the first need is to
ascertain all the facts.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-06

There will be a feeling of satisfaction
almost everywhere to know that the Hon. Bob
HENRY uttered his full heart on the Teller
resolution. At present Bon represents tho
"toiling masses" Of tho Seventh Texas Con.
gress district, but his highest fame was won
when he was Mayor of Texarkana. He is the
most famous ex-Mayor of Toxarkana to-day.
The rest of the country will join Tcxarkana in
congratulating the orator and statesman who
rose to these heights in uttering his full heart:
NJ Speaker. the Republicans have the power to
thus throttle the voices OF the representatives of
millions of toiling patriots in this country; they may
thus brutalize all parliamentary proprieties; they
may cruelty this relief for the masses. but there is an
enlightened public conscience that will bring swift
vengeance on the wings of the wind against them"
BOB has applied to the Texas Legislature for
leave to change his Christian name TO PATRICK.
He feels that no deserves 1t.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-06

the building, once called the Irceum, being
now the Fourteenth Street Theatre. More
over, even the transient visits Of French
opera companies which formerly were n
feature of every theatrical season, have now
been discontinued, the Gallo stars visiting
HADINe, and others, appearing at the reg.
ular theatres and appealing generally to
Americans for support. The reason for the
decadence Of theatrical performances In
French and the increasing popularity and
frequency Of plays in German is easily ex-
planned, but the fact Of the change will ap-
pear the more strikingly by the proposed
celebration of twenty-five years of German
theatricals in New York.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-06
The NIohican for snmon.

From the beginning to tho end Of Mr..
CLEvELANDis Administration no vessel of
our navy visited Apia. 1t was not through
lack of occasion for visiting. On the con-
trary, MATAAFA's rebellion, which occurred
within that period, was SO alarming that
England and Germany, c~o.signatories with
us OF the Berlin treaty, caused their war
ships to aid the Government which had been
established in Samoa by the three powers.
Mi. CLEVELAND, however, SO far from
sending a ship to represent us at that time,
made this rebellion a ground of complaint
against his predecessor for having under
taken n obligations regarding Samoa;
and again, when the German Ambassador
ut Washington, Baron SAURMA-JELTsoH,
asked what our Government proposed to do
about the rebellion, Mr.. CLEVELAND trans
mitted his inquiry to Congress as another
argument for our abrogatlng the tripartite
agreement which he was meanwhile studi-
ously neglecting.
But now another policy, It appears, has
been adopted. Moved by representations
that our interests and prestige in Samoa
have suffered through the methods of the
past, the President is to have our flag once
more shown in those waters on a Govern
ment vessel. The Mohican, which has been
selected for this purpose, is not a very for
midable cruiser. She is a wooden craft
of 1000 tons displacement, now fitting
out at Marc Island for use as q training
ship. But she will be sufficient for her con-
templated errand. which is peaceful. Sa-
moa is tranquil, and the visit of the Mo-
hican will show the natives that we have
not forgotten them, while suggesting to
England and Germany that we do not pro.
pose to give up our foothold there.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-06

.,, -oy.
10y" 'n.eFe.ns - AZ 80. a..
known iac'S puoii. 1880"
arc Oh y
"aen. H.nhisos mas IN .no : .us.,;on W.,
s SmU !. oos. ~,,S onr sr.pro.,d,nts, ne l.f, the
white House and returned to the practice Of his pro
fession in his old home. He is to-day Just what he
was before he became President OF the United states,
q lawyer who ASKS no eons,a.,ssos anra,.n.,ons
oeen ,nra ~. p.s.,a.r,,., t.rm b.rsp. and has the
sblli,y to mako just a. much money as q private oiti.
sen as the Government paid him for his services as
Chief Magistrate.
"rhere "a NO omnou'Y eo0us
.on - - aan p.,n,,o, n. b,. ansver,d II
nv RETURNING 20 private ciurenship o. BrsJA,mH
HARRISON of indianapolis, without any reference to
his political career. He has been In Wasnineeon TOT .
week, ana cfowas nave zen esaer os.o mss.ah.
49, =, ~. Ip,,no,. ,ns.,,s,no. ,sI case"
-...... .,.A.u ,,..a ,o,,.
IN. p@sa s.-o.,.,,a r.n H.n.
1ioi"n 70 -. a. ,..a,I..tr.,
H nlsu. 10 A.s.a.u ~ n,hii. r.cord sY'
aol,''' oe, as...,,.L.S - ~.
pNN ~ 4, .n,r,t