The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-05-07
bUSTON POST LETTER BOX.

xN,u department 10 intended TO answer
's,ors that are OF general interest Its
Il .h,.ct IA 10 supply out-of- the-way facts
curious information. Questions OF per-
:, interest only will not DO answered. No
-,r.,s or personal addresses VIII DO given.
correspondence should BIO addressed 10 The
-, Hox. caro- Houston Post. Owing 10 the I
:. numbsr Of questions received answers
l not always DO given promptly
ruhv IA there no inquest held over person
IA dies In a conventF n.S-n'
q. ~. death is under suspicious circum-
a,., the fact that It occurred In a convent
!. not preyent an inquest being held.
w ", aid public schools come ''' B.i sis',
IN sparta, under the system Of Lycurgus.
s,sts undertook the education OF the chill
an In Attica there were public schools for
4, classes. making Athens the universal city
ths universe. The education OF tho chill
=, WAS a religious duty smong the Jews.
usr the captivity they developed an excel
=, svstsun of psrochisl schools In connection
an tho synagoguss. The third Lateran coun-
,r 117g ordained the establishment of
r,mmar school In every cathedral for the
ra,v,tous instruction OF the poor. This idea
noruIar education has been carried out by |
i. jealous efforts of the Jesuits and other
Se,,pious orders. Luther, In 1898, with the aid |
III Melanchthoa. drew up the Saxon school sys- |
en-, for tho education OF the young of all
S,asecs in free schools. In Prussia. the move
h,snt in behalf Of a thoroughly popular sys- |
en- of education. though moro fully sustained
tban in any other country on the continent,
Ia not commence until the early part of the
resent century. Enactments rendering the
attendance OF the children at the schools COM
usory had been upon the statute book since
III Scotland is the only other country OF
hIurope which had at an early period a sys-
ham Of common or popular schools. These
kchools. which have diffused more general
Elementary education among the people OF
|scotand than exists In any other nation OF
Europe. except. perhaps, Prussia, have always
been under the charge of the kirk.
Is It the law Of the United States that presi-
&dertial electors be chosen in each State by
#pcpuar vote? A.B.C.
1t was not until 1928 that presidential elect
Hots in all the States (South Carolina was an
a exceptlon) were chosen by popular vote In
their respective States. Originally and for
many years there were no National nominal
z ins conventions, and prior to 1900 the general
custom was for the legislatures of the several
4 States to choose the requisite number OF
electors, who voted for such candidate as they
4 favored the nominee receiving the largest
vote becoming president and the man receiv-
/ Ing the next highest vote becoming vice prcsl-
dent, The legislatures of the several States
have, under the constitution, the same right
4 to choose presidential electors, without refer
ence to the vote OF the citizens, II such q
4 method Of election be lawfully prescribed by
4 the legislatures; and as late as 1876 Colorado
A legislators chose the three electors to repre-
4 sent that State. without any popular vote, In
4 the electoral college. 1t was the three votes
a o, Colorado which turned the scale from one
party to another in that year
q What is the origin of the word admiral. and
10 whom was the title originally applied?
AVN.
4 The word admiral is derived by the die
tionaries In rather roundabout fashion from
n the Arabic Emir. q word which has been va
Il riously translated lord. commander. general
An emir was officer in the Saracenic and
81 sfterward In the Turkish army. and. as thes,
q were composed mostly Of cavalry the emil
was originally a cavalry officer. AS the con.
quests Of the Turks broadened the Turkish
sultans began to make war upon the sea- a,
4 well as upon the land. and the officers WHIT
commanded vessels and fleets retained thu
A title that they had when directing sauadron
of horse. The title is found among the AL
4 gerine and Barbary pirates. and is first no
ticed in English use during the reign OF Ed
81 ward III, when officers were commissioner
a as "Amyrel OF the Sc or "Admirall OF tn
81 Navv."
81 Why is a citizen of the United States Gale
# an American, while citizen of Mexico, Cana
1& ia, Brazil. Peru. etc. is respectively a Mexi
ri can, Canadian. Brazilian. Peruvian. etc.
W ALL.
81 The only real Americans are the aborigine'
IA who were found here by the discoveries. I
ia the sense the term is applied to citizens
III the United states 1t is equally applicable
any one in North or South America. The re
strcton of the term to people of this coun
try is merely survival of tho time whe
this part OF the continent was the best know
to Europeans.
Does Germany's navy rank higher than thu
OIL the United States? N.V.k,
II ships under construction be alone consit
eied. the navy OF the United States ranks
high as that OF Germany. This. of course, e.
II cudes the ships authorized by the Fifty-h
congress, for II those should be included Y
would. without doubt. be superior to &c
many III all the clements OF ngntlng stronst
torpedo craft excepted. During the recent vi
~ tie total number of vessels flying our PEI
E# nant was 3l2.
M Does census taking begin Immediately aft
"a January !, 1900 aud continue until completes
nj BON.
II II you mean the enumeration OF the popul
ton, the answer Is, 1t commences in June
1893 and is finished as expeditiously as posi-
bic. There is much preparatory work to
cono, and the clerical labor continues som
times for several years.
What IN the rate OF pay IN tho regul
army for privates. corporals. seigeants. m
sieians and wagoners? Lawrence
Privates cavalry artillery or infantry a
paid at the rate of si3 per month corpori
SIS, sergeants SIS excepting the FIRST ST
Reant of company. who receives $50. h'
musicians sls. principal musicians SEE. CHI
uumpeter of cavalry s2s, wagoners sl4
What Is the meaning of the letters F.
that are seen on so many English coins
THE
They stand for the Latin words. Fedei
fensor. Defender Of the Faith That ii
was given to King Henry VIII by the Pc
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