The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-09-18
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BY HENRY JAMES.

| 1t has pleased the Stockton Record
/ to enlarge upon the inconsistency OF
men, particularly of newspaper men"
! While the distinction is not one to
which a member of the craft should
call attention, it may be fair. Con-
sistency is a jewel, and the possession
of jewels is boon not for the humble
| journalist.
For my sins 1 have this week re-
ceived two pamphlets filled with ''po-
etry." One Of them is entitled Slaves
of the Triple Alliance" although it
might as well have been called any
thing else. While just in a mood to
pronounce 1t the worst ever written, I
CHANGED to catch sight of "Sor"s and
POEMS" by Grin O'Harrow. This
changed the outlook. The "Staves"
constitute simply the next to the worst
| ever written. O'Harrow is not to be
blamed for lack OF ability to write po-
etry. There are plenty more, but some
of us realize the truth, and don't try.
O'Harrow's crime is In deporting him
self as though he had an idea of meter
and in his soul glimmer of melody
Neither does his ignorance of grammar
endear him to the reader. If there is
in his town vacancy in the position
of car driver l advise him to apply for
it. But quit writing, Grin. Oh, har-
row no more.
An interesting article lately appeared
in the New York Journal concerning
the wickedness of j. P. Morgan in own
ing $4,000 dog, and rather glorying in
the fact that plebeian cat, by way Of
rebuke, had scratched an eye out of
the high-priced purp. Not only was
the article instructive, but the pecu-
liar appropriateness of its appearance
in Hearst's favorite paper is worthy
Of remark. 1t brings into prominence
the virtue of that engineer of the uni
verse. True, Hearst once owned a
$4,000 dog, but he was not so sunk in
iniquity as to retain it. No, he gave 1t to
an actress, and it did her more good
than the theft OF many paste diamonds.
AT the same time it left him free to
excoriate the wantonness of owning a
$4,000 dog while there were so many act
resseS unsupplied.
1t seems to me there is considerable
useless discussion as to whether ship
should be christened with wine or with
water. Certainly the good ladies who
object to the wine are actuated by a
sentiment which reason fails to sus-
tain. No ship ever got drunk on a
bottle of wine and nobody ever got
drunk on the contents of a bottle
spilled into the sea. 1t is well In the
discussion of this subject to talk more
sense and less sentiment, and fight shy
of being silly.
Several people have been thoughtful
enough to accuse me of having been
retained in the interest of Ms. Bot
kin. They are mistaken. I never saw
the woman, never want to, and cannot
summon up for her the slightest de-
gree of admiration 1 merely objected
to the unanirity with which people
who knew nothing about the matter
have adjudged her guilty and the Gag
erness of members of her own sex to
say something. damaging has been
shocking. 1 am inclined to the belief
that the prisoner is guilty, but would
not sentence her on the strength of
any information I possess. Others
HdNS SSclIltu WliilDS " w Ills DUl
whether innocent or guilty, 1 venture
the prediction that she will never be
tried for murder, and that if tried her
able lawyers will bring about such a
glorious tangle that when tie heavens
shall roll up as scroll they will still
find it unraveled. My knowledge of |
the law is even less than that of the |
average attorney, but 1 recognize the |
fact that this condition of affairs is |
scandal and shame. 1t is certainly |
a reproach to the legal fraternity into |
whose hands has been given the MAX |
ing of the statutes that there is any |
chance that a person in California can |
deliberately plan and execute the muir
der of a person in Delaware and not |
be brought to punishment. Perhaps |
the Botkin woman is innocent, but I'M |
less she be brought to trial belief in |
her guilt will be general and reasona-
BILE. If she should be prosecuted mere
ly for misuse CT the mails, the fact will |
constitute an arraignment of the code |
and proclaim it's impotency. If she is
guilty of misuse of the mails, she is |
guilty of murder. If there is no pos
sibility of Furnishing her for it, let us
have a few laws for the checking and |
discomfort of the criminal instead of |
designed to throw shield about the.
assassin To common sense it Is an
absurd proposition that a murderer to
be safe must only work his or her evil |
intent across a State line. If State
Legislatures have not the brains to de-
wise method of protection for citizens
there should be a Federal regulation |
covering interstate cases Surprising |
Californian were to send an Internal
machine to the President, resulting in
his death According to the legal and |
nonsensical construction, there would be |
nothing to do but express regret and |
perhaps ask the builder of the machine
not to do it again. If, after more than
century of existence, we are such a
precious pack of idiots, the rest of us
would best eat poisoned candy, get off |
the earth and give intelligence a
chance Mrs. Botkin is not fugitive
from Delaware, but set of laws pre-
scribing that for this reason she shall
escape trial, or punishment if convicted,