The San Francisco call., 1898-05-29

 | There seems to be no doubt that General Merritt is to marry Chicago girl, and that she is in all respects charming person nobody has inclina- tion to deny Announcement of the coming event has been made in so many papers that even the fact of its publication in the Examiner cannot cast over it that uncertainty which naturally clusters about any statement made there. The relation of the man. fold attractions of the prospective bride, however, leaves the reader in state of indecision. She is described by the correspondent who projects ra- diance into the Examiner, thus: Miss Williams is a tall and pretty blonde" But as the article proceeds confusion arises. The writer in his enthusias- tic admiration for the lady finds cc casion for describing her again, and does it in the following terms: Miss Williams is a brunette, graceful and petite, but of striking appearance, with jet black hair and eyes, Happy cid warrior! For a Chicago girl to be a blonde in one paragraph and bru- nette in the next would in itself stamp
 
 but to be both tall and petite marks. her as a wonder.
 While not of a suspicious nature, a fear arises within me that the removal of the soldiers from the Presidio to the Bay District is the outward and visi- ble token of that reprehensible thing known as a job. There are hundreds of acres at the Presidio, and if they are not availa ble for camping purposes their use is not clear. Rather than be held for the ocean zephyrs to dis port in they should be turned into a pleasure ground or their verdant slopes dedicated to the sustenance of the cow. But the Presidio is at one dis advantage. It is reached by two car lines, which have not made any ar rangement for dividing nickels with the Southern Pacific. These lines were garnering nickels fast. The fact was enough to create bangs in the yellow building from which the destiny of the local nickel is ruled. Then the troops were ordered to the Bay District, to which access is had only by Southern Pacific lines. Of course, this may te a coincidence.
 
 When Grant said Let us have peace" he spoke words destined to be immortal. Yet nobody thought the, sentiment based on desire to have peace at the cost of everything else worth having. The sentiment of tne general found an echo in each Ameri- can heart. It did not imply that ne
 
 while the nation calmly assented. He did not mean that the stars and stripes were to be trailed in the dust. and no sword drawn. He had no thought that treachery should be permitted to nlur- der our seamen and no cannon thunder rebuke. For Grant was a patriot sol- dier. I read with astonishment and regret and even a shade of unfaith that there is in this country an organ ization which also says, Let us have peace" but says it with craven lips, and transcribes 1t with a traitors pen If the president of the Universal Peace Crion has, as reported, sent mes sage to the Queen Regent, expressing on behalf of the body he represents sympathy for the cause of Spain, and deprecating the course of this country in taking up arms, he deserves to he hanged If the organization indorSaS suck an act on his part 1t is made up of fools and vicious poltroons, who, if caught In session, should be driven 10 jail at the point of the bayonet, and exiled to the benign realm of Castle.
 
 It may have been observed that in an Oakland church scandal the princi- pals are going about their pockets bulging with pistols, and threatening to blow through the opposition such numerous bullet holes that the gospel of peace may unobstructed percolate and edify. The idea strikes me as an excellent one. If half told about the parties concerned is true they ought to be shot for the good of the community. Much trouble would be saved by an adjustment of these unhappy differ ences through judicious pressure of the trigger. Such rows belong in the Po- lice Court, and the easiest way to get them there would be by pulling weap- ons and doing less talking. So long as the squabblers continue to gabble some reporter is sure to overhear, and then we all get a dose of it while looking through the papers for legitimate news. And in the absence of gore it is not even interesting.
 
 Some months ago the duty of coun- selling the Rev. Bovard to be less ob- noxious came my way and was cheer fully accepted. I think my remarks on that occasion did him good, but reform was not complete. He has not yet learned to deport himself as beseems a minister and a gentleman. Lately he was stirred to the depths of his soul, depth I fancy to be fnconsiderable, by a report that Mrs. Mckinley had attended a theatrical performance on Sunday. The improbability of this, the certainty that in any case it was none of the Bovard business, do not appear to have occurred to him. So he wrote the lady and made direct inquiry. submit that the act was an imperti- hence. It has never come to my knowledge that Bovard has been ap- pointed censor of Mrs. McKinley's con-