Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1900-04-21

erful currents of air. driven by steam.
but 1t Is said that they are seldom so
thoroughly treated as to remove the
danger of infection. Unless railroad
authorities take prompt measures, 1t
seems to be the duty OF State boards of
health to interfere for the safety of the
travelling public. This Is only one case
among many In which new occasions
teach new duties" Almost every In
vention or advance In modern life ere
atcs situations which require the fresh
application of old. eternal principles.
1t requires the strong pressure of law
or Of public opinion to secure the adop.
ton of new and needed methods. even
when health. comfort and life are at
risk. Only the nlmblc- minded can keep
up with the inccssant demands for re.
adjustment.
~6
According to the Chicago Journal 1t
has been impossible to locate RESPONSE
billty for the demand for half.cent
pieces. This Is strange. for It was
thought there could be no proposal In
connection with the cheapening Of our
monetary system too small for some
one to father 1t. 1t IL gratifying to
know, however, that there Ii difficulty
IN locating the man who wishes to
bring the United States down to the
level Of that OF China or Turkey. The
Ottoman monetary system Is evidently
the beau ideal Of the man who would
Introduce the vulgar fraction into our
subsidiary coin. In Turkey tho unit Of
value Is the .piastrc, which Is divided
into " paras. while the para IL di.
vided Into 3 aspes. Az the piastre Is
only worth A. cents, the para IL worth
little more than tenth Of u cent
and an aspe Is worth u tribe over one
twenty.seventh Of cent. When an
American In Turkey wants to feel rich
he goes forth and buys some 200
aspes, which he spends with lavish
hand over the bargain counters Of the
oriental bazars. But Turkey Is an
aspe country and America IL the land
Of the eagle, the dollar, the dime and
the cent. The United States once tried
the half.cent In imitation Of the cheap
and nasty farthing Of England. For
more than half century. from 1903
to 1857, II INDUCED itself In coming
haif-cents to the magnificent aggregate
Of 1885, 222, worth $30.020.1l. Then,
having reached the age Of discretion In
small things. 1t put away such childish
things as half.cents. and has never re.
GREETED II. There Ia no call nor reason
for giving the half.cent another trial.
1t was nuisance before and would be
a greater one now. The Journal Ii
right. this Is not half.cent country.
The history Of the times is the most
wonderful record of the ages. Readers
ought to follow It closely week by
week. for It Is the story OF the worlds
progress from darkness into light. Here
Ii Germany converted from a military
into an industrial aud trading nation.
and no longer drawing It's inspiration
from the parade ground and military
barracks. 1t Is building a great navy
In support Of commerce that Is
whitening every sea, and is preparing
to open a new trading route between
the Mediterranean and the Persian
Gulf by way Of Bagdad. German com.
merce Is a great modern force brought
to bear upon Aslatic Turkey and the
ancient seas Of empire In the valleys of
the Euphrates and Tigrls. Russia,
under cover Of the British war In South
Africa, Is approaching Persia, lending
money to a bankrupt government, &C.
curing privileges for the Central Asian
Railway from the Caspian, and casting
covetous eyes upon Bushire or some
other port on the Persian Gulf. Russia
aims to convert Persia. which was once
q powerful empire. into a vassal state;
and owing to the resistance which will
be offered by Germany and Great
Britain this once mighty realm will be.
come a center Of European interest.
China completes the circuit Of old-wOrld
empires in Asia. Every great Euro.
pean power Is interested In the future
of the Celestial Empire, and the Amer.
lean government has headed q move.
ment for securing all nations equal
privileges in trade In the far East. All
these things are signs that Asia, with
its memories of ruined empires and
ancient civilization, Is passing out OF
darkness into the circle of European
enlightenment. Darkest Africa re-
veals the same truth. The coasts are
borlered with EurODean aettlementa
with spheres OF influence widening
constantly in the interior. The Nile
valley has passed under English con-
troll to the equator, and whatever may
be the issue OF the war In South AZ.
rica, there will be white race there