The times., 1899-11-05

HotlClnE, WIN Is IQdue mere. however. -
that the evils of what are called the days
Of reconstruction were quite as great in
Northern cities as in the Southern States.
There was an immense iIliterate vote at
that time in both sections. The author
says:
Negro Suffrage was declared by the New York
Evening Post 10 have resulted in organizing the
ignorance and poverty OF the State against its prop
eIty and intelligence" This took place all over
the South. and also in Philadelphia. New York,
and other Northern cities. Here the iiterate vote
was largely European; and the corruption OF
politics facilitated by the absorption Of
pToFtug-holderS in business There was great
need that intelligent citizens OF all races parties,
and sections should work together TO reform
political methods sufficiently 10 secure honest
government. some progress has already been
made but by NO means - much as might have
been gained II the plundered taxpayers Of the
south had made common cause with those of the
North in establishing constitutional buwarks
against all swirdltrs whose strength was in the
iIlitsTate and yenal vote
Here again human nature is left out Of
the reckoning. The Southerner, bitter
against his conqueror. was not likely TO
make common cause with him in anything.
Prejudice was active on both sides.
Then comes the best chapter, perhaps,
in the whole book; that on Emerson. The
author fully recognizes the influence which
this tremendous thinker had on public
bAtAEHt- AG4IlIH dl q time anu III Il place
full of Journalism, repression. and con-
formity, he preached independent thought
freedom of action and truth in word and
life. II may be hard for the American of
today TO realize just what the society of
the aute-bellum era in the North was. The
church had so dominated society that
dancing, card playing, and theatregoing
We're still, TO some extent, under the ban,
as they never were in the South. The peo-
pie were therefore ready for new gOs-
pei; they wanted a live religion, and this
Emerson gave them.
In touching on the subject of vivisec-
tion. Mr.. Holland expresses the opinion
that the TTanscendentalists who created an
agitation against this were somewhat Un-
reasonable. and points out the fact that
this agitation prevented the possible dis
coyeTy Of antidotes 10 cObra-bit He does
not attempt, however, TO answer such ar
guments at any length. He then discusses
the history OF the woman's suffrage agita-
tion in that decade Of revolutions, 1S40-50
It NAV be well for those who laugh at this
now TO notice the paragraph about the
convention called by Mrs Stanton and Mrs
Mott in 1913. They protested against the
exclusion of girls from high schools and
colleges, the closing of almost every re-
munerative employment against women,
and the laws forbidding a married woman
10 own any property, whether earned or
inherited by her, even her own clothing.
Rather an amusing anecdOte is given in
this connection:
How the clergy generally felt was shown in
1851. al Akron. In northern Ohio There Episco.
Talian, Presbyterian, Baptist Methodist, and
JnlveFsalist ministers appealed 70 the Bible in
justification Of the subjugatIOn OF women. There
was no reply until they began TO boast OF the
intellectual superiority oi their own sex. Then
an lllieTIte old woman who had been slave
arose and said:
What's DAT got 10 do with womeu's rights,
or nl-gCrs' rights either. If my cup don't hold
hut pint and youn holds a quart, wouldn't
We be mean not % iet me have my little hall
measure frllE'
In the chapter Platform versus Pulpit
eminent speakers men and women, are
mentioned, some briefly some at length
lnSeTsoil receives appreciatiye mention
though more space is given to Bradlaugh,
Underwood, and Francis Abbot.
Then comes a chapter on The EYolu-
tionists-' in which some facts are re-
corded which seem rather laughable to en-
hghtened people OF to-day The effect of
Darwin's Origin Of Species" upon the re-
iigious world was something extraordinary.
Cardinal Manning called it "the brutal
philosophy which taught there is no
God and the ape is our Adam" When. in
1871, The Descent of Man" was published
there was more wrath from the churches,
and Gladstone entered the arena Some
Princeton professors warned those who be-
lieved in evolution that they would. after
death, be punished as inidels. In 1894
twenty years later, a professor of biology
at the University Of Texas. was dismissed.
in violation Of contract for teaching evo-
luton. Winchel, the geologist. was re-
quested TO resign a prOfessorship at Nash
vile, Tenn, for expressing a doubt as 10
the descent OF all men from Adam The
chair was suppressed.
Such things as these viii probably seem
Incredible TO future generation. So viii
the fact that in the summer of 1895 eight
Seventh Day Adyentists were made TO worl,
in chain gang in Tennessee for the crime
Of breaking the Sabbath. One Of them was
. clergyman. The Sunday laws come in
for particularly earnest protest from Mr..
Holland, and his remarks about Sabba-
tarianism in this city Will probably inter
est Washington readers:
None Of the Sunday laws is so mfschicyous as
the decree OF Mrs. Grundy against all forms Of
recrcatiou not praelced by the wealthy and
fashionable. These people have so much time
on sly dats ot the week for active outdoor sport
and indoor public entertainments that thev make
little attempt IL indulge ia such recreatIons on
sunday. People who haye only this one chance
oi PLAYING ball. or dancing, OF going TO stere0p-
So
health Toy having thr-a rggeatiou- made un-
popular weiI 49, Illegal. The climate OF New
England and New York a> well rs OF Great
Britain and Canada las unfortunately been so
arranged That tHle sre q great many cold and
RAINY Sundays when much time cannot be spent
pleasantly iu walking riding This matters
Iiic 10 people who ger all Iie amusement they
want 10 their paIloT- But what becomes Of peo-
pie "ho have H5 paripg-s For instance, OF servant
girls Who have no place whore they can sing
or even laugh2 shop gi.l- and factory girls ind
Their little rooms, SUNDAY after SUNDAY loo much
hhe prisons b odns men are perhaps even more
alioI iIiilaie- Tor they 90 10 she saloon. though
tins is often closed without auv better place
Of amusement beng opened. Why should every
week IN democratic country begin with an
mainly ioF tLe rich
Libraries aud museums are blessed places Of
IgIHEe nut w hat are tu"v among so manyl''
Ihe residents oi the District of CoIumbis are
particularly unfortunate. as the Smithsonian
Museum, National Library. and other buildings
Nhieh are open during SIX days are kept shut
on suncay- Congress seems to be of the opin.
ION iha- working people need no knowledge Of
natural history, except what they can get from
sermons about Jouahs whale and Noab's ark
So far as Sunday plays are concerned
Mr Holland takes the very sensible
ground tnat the people who wish to stav
away from the theatre on Sunday need
not be considered. They can stav away
without help from the police The people
who have right to be heard are those
directly concerned in the question of get
ting innocent amusement on their dav of
leisure, and they ought to have il. That
is this authors opinion. and from a com
mon sense point Of view II seems TO be a
good one. This book OF his will be inter
estlng and profitable reading for any one
who is troubled about the progress Of lib
erty or the slow defeat of persecution. Ii
hot