Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-01-02

1901 Diseus-ion necurs ut ,hs
cio>o or Each Pcriod.
The New York Herald's European
edition publishes the following:
1t would appear that Germany is to
celebrate the end OF the nineteenth CEN
utry and the arrival of the twentieth.
a proclamation announces to-night,that
the government will light large bon
fires in the public squares at midnight,
and at the same moment cannon will
thunder from the surrounding for
tresses. while military bands perform
around the bonfires in farewell to the
departing century and welcome to the
new born one.
The German theory is that the TWEEN
tieth century begins tomorrow.
Every hundred years, toward the end
of each century, this question of the
date OF the change of century is dis
cussed. I have before me documents
of 1893, 1909 and 1899, which pose the
problem and turn 1t over and over.
DISCUSSION REPEATS ITSELF.
Again, a hundred years hence, in the
year of grace 1999-which, by the way,
will be favored by a very fine eclipse of
ehC sun, toloi tIic uSlBnDOrllOOu OIL
Paris OIL August IL. at twenty-eight
minutes past 10 o'clock in the morning
our at-grandchildren will put the
same question. Again, in the fin de
steele newspapers of the period there
Will still be distinguished minds to re-
peat the centuries old confusion.
Progress is slow in the human race.
a hundred years ago the discussion was
very keen, and was even reflected on
the stage. In 1900 there was played at
Il little theatre in the Boulevard du
Temple piece entitled "En ouel Steele
Vivons Nous. Bon Dieu?" which had
some little success-a title which would
again be an actualite next year.
In what times are we living?
Certainly not in those OF the age OF
reason.
VICTOR HUGo'S BELIEF.
Moreover. the discussions of the last
century have not convinced everybody.
For example, Victor Hugo was born on
February 26.1S02. At that date the CEN
tury was thirteen months, twenty-five
days and a few hours old. 1 do not
think that any one ever says OF child
of that age that it is two years old Yet
the immortal poet. speaking of his
birth at Besancon, wrote, as every one
knows:
Ce steele await deux ans; Rome rem
placait Sparte;
Deja Napoleon percait sous Bonaparte,
Et du premier consul: deja par lnaint
endroit
LIE front de rEmpereur brisalt lie mas
que etroit.
In spite of what Is called poetica,
license, Victor Hugo would not have
written these words unless he had
thought that the nineteenth century
began in 1900
POETS MODE OF RECKONING.
Poets, perhaps, reckon otherwise than
astronomers.
Did not M. De Heredia, OF the French
Academy. say recently. In October 1896,
in his greeting TO the Emperor Nicholas
In ection with the Pont Alexandra,
which viii be opened during The exhi-
bition OF 1900:
ct auand faube du steele venlr aura
Paris, en- un transport universal. de joie,
Ouveira fierement Ia triomphale vote
Au couple tromphal quiz acclame
aujourndhui
Francisque Sarcey also called the
year 1900 ..Taube du steele"
w Gil. tiO llIG OiiWH OIL the twentieth
century will not yet have shonc in 1900.
Although we hear the exhibition of
1900 spoken of every moment as the in
auguraticn OF the twentieth century, it
is the end-the twilight-of the nine
teenth centuy.
1t ought to be called not the begin
ming, or the dawn, of the twentieth; 1t
is the eve of the century of to-mor-
row. The dawn does not begin until
after midnight.
DISCUSSIONS OF THE PAST.
have before me several works of
the year 1863.
First. a dissertation on the beginning
of the next century. to ascertain which
OF the two years, 1900 or 1901, Is the
first of the century
Second, critical letter to the author
of the dissertation.
Third. fresh dissertation on the
next century, in which it is shown that
the year 100 is the first Of the century,
Fourth, 1.-THE authors quarrel on the
beginning of the next century decidedr
These four little books were printed
in Paris in the year 1859. They con-
sist of endless discussions with argu-
mentS drawn from the Bible from the
fathers of the church, from the Chris
tian dogma, from Noah's deluge, from
the institution of jubilees by the Pope
the interminable gossip of advocates,
which confuses the question to such an
extent that it Is impossible to make
anything of it, in spite of the subtle
distinctions drawn between ordinal car
dinal numbers.
EVEN GEOMETRY DRAGGED IN.
The authors have evan taken the
trouble to insert geometrtcal figures to
show how the years should be sepa-
rated and counted.
Dissertations Of the same kind are
met with in 1899.
Even the Pope. who was mixed up In