The San Francisco call., 1899-04-02

WITH ENTIRE FRANKNESS.

BY HENRY JAMES.

Dr. Selfridge of Oakland has been
convicted of cruelty to animals, and
deserves to get a severe sentence. l
like q good horse and have no respect
for the man who drives one to death
or incapacity.
To offset the case of Selfridge, White
Hat McCarty has been acquitted Of
similar charge. The verdict is enough
to make a horse cry. Hereafter any
man who does not want to feed his
stock can inclose them in a pasture
bounded by a sueculent fence and if
the diet Of splinters fail to stick to their
ribs the fault will plainly be with them
and not the owner.
The Appeal of Marysville does not
think a young woman who accepts an
engagement ring and then bounces the
young man should retain the bauble. l
do not accept this view. No man wants
to present to his new girl a second
hand ring, and with the jewel in his
possession he would be constantly re-
minded of broken heart, which other
wise he might forget.
In its comments upon current events
the Bulletin has not learned to under
stand the beauty and utility of truth
1t could no more be fair than a full
blooded African could be white. l do
not understand why this city should not
have at least one passably good even
ing paper. The Post is the best, and if
1t were to eliminate its foolish con
tests might be forgiven. The other
sheet is not worth mentioning and 1
refrain.
For the credit of the city and of Cali
fornia, who are proud of their soldiers
now on duty in the Philippines, rela-
tives of the members of the First ought
to cease their meetings and their idle
cianlor for the boys to be brought
home. All this noise is worse than in
effective; it is foolish and tiresome and
a reflection upon the very Californians
in whose behalf it is supposed to be
made.
Hon. ]. Sterling Morton of Nebraska
is the editor of a paper which he calls
The Conservative. That it is an able
publication, that it speaks the sincere
"a Vic pLOpIlClOig lHdI II Is
clean and manly, all goes without say
ing. 1t is my privilege to differ from
Mr.. Morton as to almost everything he
advocates, not as to the manner of the
advocacy. The name conservative"
jars on the ear of the younger genera
ton. This is no time for conservatism,
but the contrary. We can be conserva-
tive and so can a sheep, driven to the
slaughter, but there is nothing in it for
the sheep.
A Chicago minister has given his
hearers a shock by telling the truth
about our social system. l read his re-
marks and was gratified to find them
exactly similar in spirit to remarks
which appeared in this column a week
ago. He thinks that present conditions
are thoroughly bad and so they are. He
does not, however, propose a remedy.
AT present the gentleman occupies
chair at the University of Chicago. If
he can name remedy 1 move that he
be given two chairs.
Professor Morse of Massachusetts is
discredited with having said recently:
1t has taken our race a million years
to climb up from the beast to the man;
it takes just fifteen minutes for a man
to go back to the beast again" The
professor must be proud of the race to
which he is a shining ornament. 1 am
glad to be able to think that he is mis-
taken, although the speed with which
he would go back to beasthood is some
thing to be estimated only from his
own remarks. If what he says Of the
rest Of US is true I would bet on his
making the sprint in seven minutes
and half.
There is some talk of arming the
natives of the Philippines and training
them to fight against their own liberty.
This would be a dangerous experiment.
No sooner would the natives learn how
to fight than they would select their
own targets. These would be Ameri-
can soldiers. 1t seems to me our boys
are being killed fast enough without
starting "a kindergarten in the art of
war for the purpose. or rather, with the
inevitable effect, of increasing the NOR
tality.
1t is with great interest l have read
"McTeague." While the book is not by
any means the great American novel.
as an enthusiastic critic has pronounced
it, it is rich in promise. Frank Norris
of this city is the author. / predict
that he has just started upon a career
that will bring to him honor and fame.
A criticism of the book would be out
of place in this column, and anyhow
have not time TO do the subject justice.
Enough to say that as a character
study "McTeague" is great. The only
question arising is as to whether the
characters so minutely portrayed are
worth the trouble. After carefully read
ing the book am convinced that they
are worth it. There are touches of
tragedy, too, suggesting a Dickens, that
grand old writer, deemed by the new
school out of date, but far more valu-
able to the world of literature than all
the Conan Doyles, the Anthony Hopes
and the Hall Gaines who could be
fenced in q forty-acre lot. where, by
the way, would be glad to fence them
The distinct San Francisco flavor Of
''McTeague" gives it an added interest