davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-23
Art in

A regrettable lawsuit is making "artis-
tic circles" in Atlanta spin with emotion.
MIR. w. H. NJ. Cox of Peachtree street, an
artist of distinction, is suing the Hon.
JACK SMITH, 1.-THE ~well-known builder of
unique houses and citizen of picturesque
views" for the price of one portrait of said
SMITH painted by said Cox. The circum-
stances of the controversy are depressing to
all the lovers of art. The Hon. JACK SMITH
is not only "most widely known and pic
turesque," but never in his life has he
stopped to e~ncircle his free neck with a tie
or cravat. This popularity Of his seems to
be the original cause of the present troubles
In Atlantis. Whether this is the case or
not, a man who never wears a necktie is a
man worth painting. He must feel that
nature has given to him such comeliness
and grace that he can bid defiance to the
articles Of the haberdasher.
Unique, picturesque. without a tie, the
Hon. JACK SMITH wanted to be painted.
He felt that it was his duty to transmit the
true ef1gy of himself to the future. So
he went to Mr.. Cox, with whom, to use his
own phrase Of art, he CONTRACTED" for q
l~ife-size picture. ~ wanted one," says Mr..
SMITH. "showing all there is Of me from
the ends of my toes to the top Of my head,
and all Cox painted was a bust. I wanted
a picture I could die by something to leave
my family and friends to look at and know
1t was me. / did not want to pay for the
picture of old nan JIM DUNLOP, which one
Of the witnesses swore 1t looked like" 1t
doesn't appear that this witness was IN ex-
pert, whereas the Hon. JACK SMITH, az a
citizen of picturesque views and a builder
of unique houses, must be considered as
uncommonIy expert.
The Hon. JACK SMITH told the artist
that the picture didn't suit and was not
what was ordered. "Come and take 1t
away and I'll give you $780," said JACK.
The artist came and took the picture and
the twenty-dollar bill. Then art reasserted
itself, and he sued. Here Is Mr., SMITHS
summing up:
"In tho nrst trial Judge ORR decided against me.
and then I appealed to . jury and gained tho case,
The Jury took . good look at the picture aud they
agreed to . man that It was not like me at all! Judge
BLEcKIEY said 1t looked like me, but the Judges eye
sight Is bad, i think. Why, men who have known
me for twenty-five years could not recognise the plo
ture rs mine. The picture made me appear a. II
hHu "eon "ounueo IN the nose WIN u pfoAuaAo.
when In fact ! have got a. sound and well preserved
nose Is can BIO found in Georgia The man In the pic
ture needed his shirt sent to the laundry. The bosom
was all splotched and smutty; l wear clean clothes.
Tho other side carried the case up TO the Superior
Court and got a new trial. but III DO nxed for them
when the time comss."
Mr.. Coxis story of his side of the case is
too good to amputate:
"WheA I aEst met Me- snIH I took him 20 be Q
Methodist camp msetiaE sKhortsT. bat I later learned
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-23

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sir: I was
amused to read in the Evening Post last night
the startling declaration that there has not been
n Democratic nominee for Governor OF New
York from New York city" for thirty years.
or since tho election of John T. Hoffman,
the implication being that it is about time that
New York city was recognized by the Democrats
In this respect.
John 7. Hoffman was a resident, officially, Of
the city of Albany when elected Governor Of
New York for the second time, in November.
1870, and his term expired on the 31st of De-
ccmber. 1872. twenty-five years ago. Though
the Evening Post may not have heard of 1t,
Samuel J. rilden, elected Governor OF New York
on the Democratic ticket in 1874, was a resident
of this city: 30 also was Roswell r. Flower.
elected Governor in November. 1901, less than
seven years ago. Mr.. Flower at tho time of his
election as Governor WAS the Representative
In Congress of tho Twelfth New York district.
which included that portion of the east side Of
town north OF Fortieth street and south of
Eighty-slxth street.
While these instances furnish, OF course. no
good reason why "A resident of this city should
not be selected to head the Democratic ticket
for Governor this year, they show that such q
nomination ia not requisite for the reason put
forward by that persistently inaccurate news.
paper. LOCUS.
NEW YORK, Jan. %.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-23
Ourselves ana Cuba.

SPANS own testimony that she has falsely
denied that the Cuban revolution exists,
and that Spanish power in the island IL
contested by q revolutionary government,
10 very impressive. Cuba could not have
exhibited the strength Of her rebellion
moro wildly than did Spain when b 10.
sorted to the desperate act OF assassination
and stole the life Of MAoEo like . thief.
Since then she has exchanged prisoners
with the rebels. and yesterday h reported
with unconcealed exultation that tho Span
iards had captured the Cuban capital, the
seat Of the Cuban Government.
Yet nothing within Spain's power can
shake the Cubans' resolution to drive out
tho Spanish tyranny, which squeeEes the life
out of the island the moro inhumanly be-
cause the horror of 1t il not within sight
of European civilization.
President MCKINLEY is q cautious man,
but he is loyal to the duties Of his place.
He knows as well as ny one that American
sentiment looks with indignation upon the
physical and political atrocities continuing
In Cuba. And he Is also aware that n the
middle Of the platform upon which a ma
FORTY of the voters made him President Of
the United States there is a plank demand
ing the termination Of the Cuban var II
necessary at the hands Of the United States
Government.
The time for Executive response to this
powerful and characteristic feeling cannot
be very long delayed.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-23

upon the teachers al their homes, bringing
their own cake and pickles, indicated the
existence Of q perfect soul-sympathy.
That In the high schools alone there
should be q want of soul-sYmpathY, and
that IL should there be sought to impart
the truths of trigonometry and the Latin
grammar without any accompanying offer
Of psychological encouragement, seems
strange indeed. Apparently 1t IL not wise,
and certainly 10 Is not agreeable, that high
school teachers should refuse soul-sym-
pathy along with their material work. To
do that is to occupy q doubtful II not q bad
pregminence, and 1t Is to be hoped that the
high schools will hasten to given them
selves to the humaner practices OF the
grammar schools and the colleges, IL what
DR.. GILBERT says of them IL really h case.
One thing must be said, however, and
that Is that mother-sympathy alone will
not enable ono to learn Euclid by heart.
The element Of isolated and strenuous en-
deavor is necessary to the accomplishment
Of certain ends, and this fact will DO
impressed doubly upon the thoughtful
student after he has finished with Euclid
and got into the dry goods business.
Mother|sympathy Is o great and wonderful
thing. 1t Is hard to say at what period or
in what concerns Of life its influence ends.
The remarks Of DIR. GILBERT concerning
the needs Of the divine element In freckled
urchins Of 10 apply equally to the needs Of
tho same element in many others who are
not urchins and not freckled. There can
be little doubt that the mother-sympathy
only family touches the problem Of selling
the greatest possible quantity Of printed
c~alicoes and satinets. That, however, is
not an argument against mother-sympathy,
or against the desirableness Of 1t In high
schools.
Finally, 1t is to be said, that DR.. GILBERT
was right, and that his critics at the school
teachers meeting were right also. Great
CESAR would have sunk IL CAssIUs had
not helped him. 1t is further true that
every tub should manage to stand on its
own bottom.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-23

An esteemed Lowell correspondent quotes
as follows from the History of the Ancient and
Honorable Artillery Company. Massachusetts
Vol. H., D. 2s6:
PRESCOTT 17se) went to China. where he pro-
cured a large punch bowl cen gallonsl TO be made.
with the company's name. &C.. thereon; but. dying on
the passage homewsrd, the intended present did not
come to the knowledge OF the artillery company for
many years. It was preserved by his widow. who
became poor. Nearly thirty years afterward 1t was
accidentally discovered and purchased by the Hon.
JONATHAN HUNNEwELL for e15 and presented by him
to the corps. 1t has been kept with great care, and
is used only on the anniversary"
"On the opposite page" continues the corre-
spondent. "is q picture of the bowl. AS 1t is
only a ten.gallon punch bowl. THE Sun must
confess It has done injustice to this honorable
corps-at least on the anniversary" Why in
~justicef The ten-gallon punch bowl 10 used as
a liqueur glass.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-23
Senator Vests Resolution.

The preamble and concurrent resolution
offered last week by Senator VEST, and
which will probably be passed by the Sem
ate as soon as o vote upon them can be
reached, present O correct statement Of his
torical facts, but draw o most illogical con-
olusion from them.
The r~ecitals In the preamble show that
all the bonds of the United States issued
under the Refunding act of July IA, 1890,
and the Resumption act of Jan IA, 1875,
are, according to the literal terms of those
acts, payable, principal and interest, in sill
YER dollars containing 412l2 grains each Of
standard silver. In this category are COM
prised all the bonds at present outstanding,
except the few unmatured currency bonds
issued In aid of tho Pacific Railroads.
Tho il~logicality Of the conclusion, which
the resolution draws from the preamble,
namely, that to restore to its coinage
such silver coins as q legal tender In pay
ment Of said bonds. principal and interest,
Ii not In violation of the public faith, nor
in derogation of the rights of the public
CREDITOR" consists in its proceeding upon
facts which are true, but which are not the
whole truth. It is an illicit assumption of
q false major premiss, namely. that since
July IA, 1890, no change has taken place
In the bullion value of the silver dollar of
41212 grains, and that its restoration to
unlimited coinage would not depreciate 1t
In purchasing power.
All the bonds to which the resolution
refers were issued in exchange for gold
dollars or for currency equal in value to
gold dollars. To repay to the ~bondholder
dollars Of half the purchasing power of
those which he lent, while it would literal
ly fulfill the contract. would be, substan.
TALLY, Gin violation of the public faith"
and ain derogation of the rights of the
public creditor"
Hero is the whole controversy in a nut
she'll: Shall the United States take advan-
tage of a technicality, which u%ndeniably
permits It to do so, and cheat its creditors
out of half their honest dues, or shall IL
obey the spirit Of its contract, In spite of
the permission which the letter gives to
violate it,
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-23
Uncle Sam and Siam.

The controversy between our Government
and King CHULALoNGKoRN. over the at
tack made by Siamese soldiers at Chieng-
wal upon Vice-Consul KELLETT. has been
settled by the arbitrator in our favor.
Siam is to apologize and to punish the Of
Tending officers by reprimand and degrade
ton In rank, and their s~ubordinates by the
loss of three months pay.
The affair occurred 30 long ago as Nov.
10, 1895. 1t grew out of the claim of an
American named CHEEK, who had entered
int an arrangement with the Siamese Gov
eminent for getting teak wood out Of the
forests. After CHEEK's death his executors
made a claim of 5000, 600 damages against
Siam. and our State Department was called
upon to urge it. Mr.. KELLETT was engaged
in looking up this matter when his investi-
cations were forcibly rebuffed by some
Siamese soldiers.
But the main point of interest in the
taken by our Government to secure repara-
tion for the offence. Siam is a weak king
dom, not quite as helpless perhaps as
Nicaragua compared with England or
Hayti with Germany, but with a very
small army and o fleet composed OF only a
few cruisers or ~gunboats. Instead, how
ever, of seizing one of her ports, as Eng
land seized C~orinto. or threatening to
lombard one, like the Germans at Port
au Prince, our Government presented its
grievance, and on Slams request for its
reference to q third party, promptly &C.
coded. In this course our Government diff
fered from the methods of England and
Germany when dealing with Nicaragua
and Hayti, both of which countries asked
in vain for the judgment Of an arbiter on
their alleged offences, and yet a consular
officer was concerned in our case as in
England's.
AS was expected, the arbitration has re-
suited in our favor. We have suffered no
loss of dignity from resorting to it, and
have the satisfaction of knowing that we
did not bully a weak antagonist or refuse
to allow an impartial judgment of the case.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-23
The Boston Record AYERS hat the repor

The Boston Record AYERS that the report
ofthe Secretary of the Massachusetts Board Of
Agriculture sis devoted to a review of the
weather of the State for the year." To what
better purpose could it be devoted, especially
as the Secretary shows that the weather was
quite pleasant" Few things are moro I'm
portant than the weather, whereas any
thing less important than n Board Of
Agriculture would be hard to find outside of q
conventicle of Mugwumps. 1t Is good for q
Commonwealth to have pleasant weather. and
stimulating to the sense Of gratitude of tho In
habitants to be reminded thereof. Still,
weather is a subject too gcrmane to agricul-
ture to deserve to be treated In an
official report on agriculture. Dispositions
on the game of stickknife among the Ancient
Aryans, on Chinese Instrumentation on tho prog
ress Of the superporception OF the illimitable
in Oklahoma, on the worricows In the Scottish
highlands, on the probable ways of counting
before the invention of fingers: these are such
things as the reader of official documents on
agriculture has a right to expect to find; and
he is defrauded II he fails to find them.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-23

THE Suns despatch from Denver says
that one purpose Of the Hon. GEoRsE FRED
WILLIAMs's visit to Lincoln was to have his per
manent yearning for the Vice-Presidency patted
on the back by Mr.. BRYAN. The latter philoso-
pher will have TO be careful about doing any
thing of the kind. The tenderest feelings of
the Hon. Bob TAYLOR have to be considered.
BoB's boom for tho Vice-P Presidency has
been launched amid profound emotion and is
now sailing melodiously down the stream, rae
ing with the swans. The arm Of the Hon. JOE
BAILEY is still enwroathed about the neck of
the Hon. JOE SHELLEY. whom he Is seeking to
force to become a candidate for Vice-President
Whatever he may deserve, the Hon. GEORGE
FRET WILLIAMS will not get that nomination
without dust and heat.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-23
The Trial of Mr. Nfenooal.

There Is no question that the trial by
court-martial of Civil Engineer MEMO
GAL, which the Navy Department. Is now
arranging, will arouse an unusual pub
lie interest, because of his prominence
in the Nicaragua Canal enterprise. His
name more han any other stands asso-
ciated with the plans adopted by the Mari
time Canal Company, not only as to calcu-
lations of cost, but as to the route 1t has
adopted and the feasibility Of its most i'm
portant details. Secretary LONG has even
delayed the trial three weeks. at the Canal
Commissions request, SO that Mr.. MENocAL
might continue to aid the commission's in
vestigations in Nicaragua.
With regard to the unfortunate Brooklyn
dry dock, built by the contractors under
his supervision as Government inspector,
no question Is raised by the authorities as
to his integrity, nor is any suspicion enter
tanned of O collision on his part with the
contractors. He is reported, it IL true, on
hearing of his m home from Mica
ragua, to have praised the Messrs. WALSH,
and to have urged in their behalf their
offer to repair the dock when the leak was
discovered. Blu whether his confidence in
Uucm was VI Wd6 uOO VOL lOuuuou, DeyOuu
doubt 1t was honest. The utmost that 1t is
expected to prove against him Is that he
ought to have been able to discover defects
which he did not discover.
Mr.. MEMORIALS friends expect him to
show that, as to the grave charge of failure
to drive the outer sheet piling to the con-
tract depths, so necessary in this treacher-
GUS ground, he was absent at the time this
work was done, on Government duty else
where, a subordinate being left in charge
at Brooklyn. Thus, accordingly, the ques-
tion may be only as to the adequacy Of the
instructions given by pr. MENooAL to this
subordinate, and as to the inquiries he
made on his return, with the report made
to him, and, finally, as to whether there
was also a failure to drive the inside piling
to the contract depths. or any other fail
ures In work done while Mr.. MENooAL was
on the spot.
The question of the feasibility and the
cost of the Nicaragua Canal, however, does
not now rest on the professional reputation
of MI. MENooAL. Fortunately, the Govern
ment has appointed two commission of its
own on the interoceanic waterway, consist
Ing of eminent and capable engineers Of its
own selection. The first commission did
exceedingly valuable preliminary work and
made a very interesting report thereon.
The present commission is continuing that
work, and, we may trust, will complete 1t
and make a final report. These two inves'
LEGATIONS will be the basis for the action OF
Congress.
The first commission threw aside Mr..
| MENooAL's figures Of cost and said that
possibly some of his plans were not safe.
yet 1t favored the enterprise as a whole.
It's successor will In like manner lay out
q route and make estimates OF the cost
quite independent of what was done by the
private corporations engineer.
Wholly apart, therefore. from the consid'
| Grafton that the cOurt-mArtial may vlndl.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-23
Tho Theatre Improving.

II there is justification for the sharp
criticism Of certain plays now upon tho
stage in New York, on the score Of immor-
ality and vulgarity, which has been going
on Of late, the evil will correct itself, moth
ing having been demonstrated more thor
oughly than that attendants on theatres
here are intolerant Of anything savoring
Of downright grossness or indecency. The
mere circumstance that the plays against
which such an accusation has been brought
continue to draw large audiences Of men
and women suggests that they are not as
bad as they are represented.
The improvement in the artistic quality
Of the acting and Of the staging In New
York theatres offers a better theme for dis
cussion. Formerly q well-balanced and
thoroughly trained theatrical company
stood out conspicuous in singularity, or, at
most, II there were two or three ~playhouses
al which such could be seen, the full meas
ure of attainable artistic excellence in the
dramatic representations Of the town was
regarded as reached. That the run Of the
actors supporting o great star should be
bad, was accepted an inevitable. ALI the
really good actors Of subordinate parts
were we'll known, 80 few were they.
Now, however, there are eight or ten
theatres in New York simultaneously
producing plays in which the acting
Is uniformly artistic, and actors whose
anne are entirely new to tho public gen.
orally are filling parts of greater or less
Importance with a histrionio ability Inc q
refinement Of taste satisfactory to exacting
criticism. Tho whole presentation of
plays is vastly better than 1t was, with
the consequence that play going has be-
come far moro agreeable than when the fin
ished art of histrionic genius was Offset by
i%ncapacity and negligence In the support
ing company.
The consequence is that the theatres,
numerous as they have become, are now
attracting audiences greater than ever.
Playgoing has become more general among
people who seek entertainment, for they
find that their enjoyment is not destroyed
by the irritation Of witnessing acting In
which the old contrast between excellence
and ipferiority destroys all Illusion.
In other words, the improvement in the
theatre in New York during recent years
has been one Of the most notable features
of the artistic development Of the town.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-23

The people who are claiming distinction on
NeiU Britain Herald.
On the contrary. they must be the hardest
worked folks in the world. 1t is no easy job for
the American Of 1898 to find his eminent ances-
tors on tho other side of the water. Genoa
logical trees grow quickly in tho Carbon
of Fakirs, hut when your man has bought
a tree and paid for It and carried 1t
homo, what q Job to climb It'll What an
awful shadow 1t must cast over him! What a
weary weight upon him must be tho conscious.
ness that he has a tree which most OF his irrev-
erent friends and countrymen would club and
Girdle IL he exposed 1t to them! Depend upon it.
the fellow who orders q select line of ancestors
has troubles.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-23

only been consistent In courhgeously with
drawing before the onward pressure Of
Russia and France" The natural inference
was that England would likewise with
draw before the onward pressure OF Ger
many. This was assumed by the Cologne
Gazette, which, In an article on the future
policy Of Germany in China, averred that
"H German ambitions are confined within
reasonable limits, there is, then. the pros
pectof q friendly understanding with Russia
and France. The remaining factor In sit
uation IL Japan, as England, apparently, can
be safely left out Of account, being too
much occupied with other enterprises, M
having long ceased to possess the power OF
initiative, or tho energy required in order
to carry out O policy on q scale common.
surate with her imperial and commercial
interests in the far East" It IL Of course
understood hat at the tin when MIR.
HALLETT was writing, Lord SALIsBURy
had not yet taken the resolute stand
against the despoilment Of China which
has COMPOUNDED German expectations.
1t Is, however. pointed out in the Mine.
tenth Century that, in his haste to profit
by an opportunity, tho German Emperor,
although warned by the Cologne Gazette,
omitted to take into account the impor-
tant fact that Japan was still occupying
Wei Hal Wei, and was unlikely to view
with favor the plans Of WILLIAM II. as
%elucidated by the German press. The
mailed fist of Germany has no terrors for
Japan, which possesses o feet far stronger
than that Of the German Empire and Is
able to put q hundred thousand we'll
equipped and well-drilled men In China in
the course Of o few days. H'