Evening star., 1899-02-02
mitted into the boxes without shoes or
stockings
Is Growing SeriouH.

Is Growing Serious.
The war against ritualism progresses and
the ritualists are beginning to realize that
the movement is becoming serious. They
have been disposed hitherto to treat it as
an outburst of extreme Professionalism, but
1t Is evident that it is deeper and wider
than that. 1t has been taken up by large
numbers of the laity. and the whole of the
non-conformist bodies, whose members in
theory belong to the national church. are in
sympathy with it. A marked tone of alarm
pervades the utterances of the high church
papers, and the ritualistic clergy are be
ginning TO organize In their own defense.
IneFe has been meeting of some of the
chief members of the rituaistic party for
the purpose of considering the position and
defending their right to hold certain Cath
olc' doctrines which are attacked Rom
| ish. 1ney have decided to make a stand
| on confession, reservation of the sacrament
where necessary and the ceremonial use
OF incense These practices they resolved
10 maintain at all costs and to make no
further reductions of ritual even under
Episcopal pressure. These are strong res
olutlons, which may well bring the whole
matter to a crisis. There will doubtless
be some stirring scenes in the next session
OF parliament. 1t is stated that Sir Will
lam Harcourt will pilot a drastic measure
through the commons in the shape of a
church discipline bill, and that he will
have the assistance of the Protestant fol-
lowing of both political parties.
state Rules the Church.
To Americans this must seem the most
hish-handed proceeding possible the use
of the legislature to suppress ritualism in
the church. But it must not be forgotten
| that in this country the state rules the
church. even over the heads of the bishops
Any one but determined adherent of state
religion could see that the invocation Of
secular law to redress religious grievances
J,ri,, al.
er memorial TO the queen is being drawn
| up by the National Pro testant Church Union
praying her majesty to take such measures
as may in her wisdom seem to be required
10 preserve this nation from the reimpOsi-
tion of the SacerdO;al yoke which was cast
aside in the sixteenth century and thus re
store confidence and quiet in our midst"
This memorial has been signed by a large
number of peers and members of parlia-
ment of both parties This. however is de-
cidedly unwiss. The queen is nomnaily
the defender of the faith" but as a consti-
tutional monarch she IS above all parties,
ecclesiastical well as political Besides
it would be bad precedent. The queens
subjects belong to all religions. Protestant,
Catholic, jew and Moslem. while among
her Protestant subjects are aaherentS of
the established church. high and low and
many nonconformist bodies. She must hold
the scales of justice equally between all.
Personally l do not fear the ''reimpostion
| of the sacer1otal yoke" There is too much
intelligence among people for this. Educa-
ton and reading have done away with the
possibilities the sixteenth century contained.
May Have Queer Results.
Meanwhile the strengthening of parties
goes on. The remarkable increase in the
ranks of the English Church Union-the
high church body-which took place during
the last half of 1898, and which can only be
explained by the anti-rtual crusade, shows
no signs of abating. Between the end of
June and the end of November last year
the average increase was GOO a month. This
level is still being well maintained. The re
cruitS gathered from all classes of So
ciety and from all points of the political
compass. 1t is probable that the line taken
by the union will be glad to advise its men,
bers to work and vote against every cand-
date who will not pledge himself to resist
the proposed Legislation. If this policy be
followed there will be some curious cross
voting. and some singular results in many
constituencies, which may upset purely po
litical calculations.
Cairo to the Cape.
The greatest living expansionist and inn
peralist has arrived in London in further
ance OF his project, Mr.. Cecil Rhodes; and
has come for no less an object than to en-
deavor to obtain a credit from the govern
ment OF slo,0 1900 for the extension of the
railroad in Africa from Bulawayo to Tan
ganyka. He has also in mind the trans
continental telegraph scheme, and will dis
Cuss both projects with the colonial secre-
tary, Mr.. Chamberlain, after which they
will be laid before the cabinet. There Is
little doubt that the ends of the African mil
lionlire will be gained, and that the now
popular cry, From Cairo to the cape will
be realized In the almost certain event of
the desired ministerial support being prom
ised, Mr.. Rhodes will personally visit Egypt
and the Soudan to exchange Views with
Lords Cromer and Kitchener in regard to
the work. the primary idea being to COM
mence the construction of the telegraph
line from Sobat and join with the telegraph
party from Tanganyiha. The railroad will
be built as quickly as possible to TanSan-
yika from the south and the gap between
this point and khartoum whenever and
however the expansionists mind is able TO
devise. The telegraph first, the railroad
next, but communication of some kind from
Cairo TO the cape" must be had at what
ever expense of foreign opinion and foreign
opposition.
A Great Improvement.
Americans who come to London next
summer will be delighted when they re-
visit Whitehall and find that they are able
to see Westminster Abbey long before
they reach Parliament Square. The solid
block of old and dilapidated houses that
narrowed the broad Whitehall into Parlia-
ment street and hid the beautiful build
ings beyond have now all disappeared The
whole place has been leVeled and the street
made 130 feet wide, to conform to White
hall AS quickly the houses came down
on the Parliament street side the ground
was laid out, rolled and asphalted uniform
with the Whitehall building line. that
when the job is finished all that will re-
main to be done will be to take down the
boarding and the widened road and new
sidewalk will be there In this connection
it would enhance the value of the improve
ment if the name of Parliament were now
abolished and the whole of this magnifi-
cent thoroughfare from Trafalgar Square
to Parliament Square We're now named
Whitehall instead of the Westminster end
being labeled Parliament street. This,
however, is popularity of London. where
a long and continuous street will have
several names, as, for instance the thor
oughfare which starts at the Bank of Eng
land and leads out by Hyde Park 10 the
country beyond 1t is practically one
street, but it is known as Poultry Cheap
side, Newgate street, Holborn viaduct,
High Holborn. New oxford street, oxford
street, Bayswater road and l cannot say
how many more names it bears before it
reaches the open fields.
An Important Bequest.
Baron Rothschild's bequest to the Brit
ish Museum is greater than was at first