Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-07-06
LIGHT FROM UNEXPECTED SOURCES.

Philadelphia Times. July Sd. ftasf
The meetings of the Phi Beta Kappa
men, of Harvard, have taken on some
thing Of Importance beyond tho original
spirit of the organization. just AZ tho
Lord Mayors dinner in London has
passed from fino feeding to high
politics. 1t is at the latter tho
Premior, or one who can authori-
tativoly speak for him, defines the
national issues, and IL very frank and
genial has important things to say
about foreign policy. It is at the
former that the thinker tells what he
has thought, and relates to the alumni
and society fellowship his conclusions.
ltis not bad way to do these
things. 1t is proper to make dinners
the incident OF great thinking lest we
grow obese by much feeding, and the
Phi Beta Kappa's reunions are valu-
able for tho reason that many OF Its
eminent membership may find these
opportunities to deliver themselves not
otherwise offered. 1t was at one Of
their meetings that Oliver Wendell
Holmes poem beginning 'Ay, tear
her tattered ensign down" was first
read and Old Ironsides was saved to
the country. At another meeting James
NusSeli lUWeil ptRdH niS Spooph WIN
Liberty is greater than life," and
raid his glowing tribute to young
Winthrop. who fell at Little Bethel
Longfellow read to the society his first
draft of Gods Acre, and the gather
| ings of the fraternity have been fruited
with other of the great treasures OF
American letters.
But until recently we have not heard
from its assemblages the political
criticism that applies to men and
events of the day so sharply defined as
those which Charles jerome Bonaparte
spoke there on Wednesday last In his
long address he said that the President
was the victim of moral obliauity, and
| with great spirit and some force took
up Washington's farewell address to
establish his contention. it would be
interesting to follow his argument IL
our space permitted. As printed in
the Boston Transcript it requires five
solid columns, and common sense Is
the fibre of it. But we will content
ourselves with one extract and one
comment:
Treason in such form as Benedict
Arnod's is too unusual to be greatly
feared, but a failure in official duty
which would differ from it morally less
in kind than in degree is, to say the
least, by no means uncomfortable. Can we
be assured that some future president
will not give aid and comfort to the
public enemy by selecting or retaining
in some position of the highest re-
sponsibility, even as the administra'
tive head of the army itself, some
influential politician grossly ano
VIGOROUSLY unfit to be thus employedi
And If this be possible, is 1t any the
less possible that at critical times higt
military command may be unworthily
held as the fruit Of political intrigue
or personal favoritism? May it mo-
happen that our soldiers shall bt
shamefully neglected, that recognized
abuses shall remain without remedy
that detected misconduct shall be con
J doneG, because TO right these wrong
may be or may he thought BAG
. politics?' Painful as is this odioul
picture, even to the imagination, VI
J must endure its contemplation il W,
would do our part as good citizens, al
, honest men, to make certain that GU
country shall never hereafter offer it +,
! a disguised world.'
Here is the recognition of condition.
that the imagination of Mr.. Bonapart
! is not needed to supply. Presiden
Mckinley has in fact in the Wa
} Ofics the figure SO distinctly frame'
, by Mr.. Bonaparte. Our troops hav
! been misled and misfed. Persona
, favoritism has thousand instances il
> public view. Gen. Miles has suffere,
, by reason of jealous incompetents AM
in the iungles of Luzon our troops ar
7 winning honors without victories.
More power to your arm, Mr.. Bona
parte. We do not go with you far o
D always, but in this matter you arc i
D the middle of the broad road. t
The Wilmington & Northern tu
. Laura B. has been raraired by th