The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-01-31
CURRENT TOPICS.

CURRENT TOPICS.
a bill been introduced in the PennsNl-
vania Legislature to regulate the nomina-
ton of public officers at primary cleo
tons The Philadelphia Record heartily
favors the bill Party caucuses and con-
ventions,' it says, would be eliminated
if Senator Films bill should be enacted
into law Candidates for office of all re-
cognized political parties would be named
by popular vote at the regular polling
places, under the direction of the regu-
larry chosen election boards. The pal
loting would be conducted substantially
as at present under existing election laws,
with an official ballot TO be furnished
by the county commissioners. Accord
ing to the provisions OF the bill the re-
turns OF the election officers as 1iled with
the Parliamentary are OF be computed ana
certified by the judges of Common Pleas
Courts in the various districts, and all
contests are to be heard and determined
then and there. Only the names OF duly
certified successful candidates are to be
printed on the official ballot for the sub
Sequent general election.
The Record thinks that the bill has
little chance Of being passed, but adds
that in any event the bill represents
and embodies a public sentiment in Penn
sylvania that grows stronger and strong
er with each succeeding year. Some time
and in some way the people will resume
the control over primary elections that
has been wrested from them for base pur-
poses by an arrogant system of Self-per-
petrating political machines. However
the result shall be accomplished, it Will
be a great day for the Commonwealth
when nominations for elective offices
shall come before the people with the
same judicial warrant and sanction that
attends the result Of general election
Few people to whom the title of the
Prince OF Wales is familiar ever stop to
consider, says the Chicago News, into the
history of Wales itself or the condition
of its people. This little principality enjoys
a unique distinction in giving title to the
heir-apparent of the throne of England.
but, except to the student history, very
little is known of the country or its peo-
pie. Such students as Prof. Rhys. pro-
fessor of Celtic literature in the Univer-
sity of oxford, and Mr.. Brimner Jones
have in recent years written valuable
works on the history, literature, and an
tiuuities of Wales, but these also have
never found their way into general read
ing or information. Welsh history from
Cadwalader to the Norman conquest ana
the time of the Stuarts is Very interesting
and likely TO attract more attention in
the future than in the past as the study
OF Institutions becomes populariZed. It
may surprise many, for instance, to learn
that Prof. Rhys asserts that antl:ropo-
logically ION the whole the Welsh OF to-
day are not Aryan.' though they shaEc
learned to speak an Aryan tongue. Ac-
cording to this latest and ablest expo
nent of Celtic history and literature the
abongines of Britain We're not Aryan but
Pictish in race. 1t was some time in the
sixth century &. c. that the first wave
of Celtic Immigration overran most OF
the southern half of England. These
We're the GoidelS tGiels} who overran the
native population and made them slaves
or serfs. In the second century y. Z.
another wave, that of the BrythonS or
Britons proper, arrived and in turn con-
uuereG from the GaelS most OF the coun-
try the latter previously conquered from
AborigineS. NIid-WaleS in particular was
settled by these conquerers, leaving the
southern and northern portions to the
conquest d Brythonic chieftain from the
north, where he had been defending the
Roman wall, conquered Wales and
brought all of ii under his rule. In other
words. the framework Of Welsh history
is Ssuperimposed upon these successive
waves Of immigration and conquest. Civ
+ ing rise to the diversity so pazzling to
the modern student of that Interesting
country and people. The Welsh language,
with its traces Of the successive elements
noticed, is now spoken by about half .
million and half a million know no other
tongue
In the second number of his paper, The
Commoner AIr. Bryan pays this tribute
to Queen Victoria:
ut is a high, yet deserved tribute to
her to say that no one exercising royal
prerogatlves could have done better, and
that the world at large has cause to
mourn her demise. "
He discusses at considerable length the
Suppression of Independent Though
at Stanford University, but perhaps the
most interesting editorial in upon the
Cleveland proposition to increase the
Presidents term to six years. and limit
him to one term. Upon this he says:
..To lengthen the Presidents term is
simply to enlarge the stake for which
great interests play. The trusts could
increase their campaign fund so per cent.
if they could secure the control of an
administration for six years instead of
four a four-year term is long enough
for good President and too long for a
bad one.
Ai.TERNlATH.
Five negroes have been convicted in