The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1901-08-01


1t huns about the family tree.
To sting it oftentimes contrives,
And on a dish of gossip thriveS.
Whenever its baleful buzz | hear,
If possible | disappear
THE HALL OF FAME.
On the New York University Heights,
writes George MacAdam in an "Open
Letter. in the August Century, there
is now being built an editice wherein
shall be gathered the memories of the
greatest of America great. The names
of these elect are to be immortalized
i'll the walls. 70 make this Hall of
Fame thoroughly national, it has been
determined that none but native-b born
Americans shall be eligible candidates
for tablets The rule seems unneces-
sary, for History herself has already
enacted this law of limitation. Those
in authority, however have decided to
erect what might be known as Sup
Elementary Hall of Fame for the ac-
commodation of those whose foreign
birth excluded them from the main
hall. But if they measure the great
ness OF the foreign-b born by the same
standards that were used to Judge the
native-born, whom shall they find? Be-
yond question Hamilton and Ericsson
are each worthy of a tablet among the
immortals; but how many more of
those who are dead? And this hall that
is intended by its builders to be a mon
ument to the achievements of Ameri-
cas- foreign born will by the very
meagreness of the inscribed tablets be
transformed into only another monu-
ment to the glory of the native Ameri-
can stock
OWNING BOOKS.
In d newspaper was recently printed
letter from book-lover asserting that
books were of little use to those who
only borrowed them or received them
rs gifts He objected, as Ruskin also
did. to cheap books, and said he was
almost convinced that if the cheapest
books cost five dollars or more the world
would be better Off
No doubt, says the editor of st. Mich
olas. this is an extreme statement, and
would have to be expressed more eau
tiously to be true. Yet there is some
truth in the idea that books may be too
plentiful and too easy to buy. There is,
possibly. likeness between libraries
and schools in this respect The boy or
girl in d big school is not SO likely to
form friendships as if in a smaller
school, When there is too wide choice
ry. A large library is not so likely to
become familiar and valued as a small
er collection well chosen.
The very company of books is educat-
ing. As one sits before the bookcases
and glances at his favorite volumes, it
is as if each said word OF two or Sug-
gested a thought. Thus boys eye
may fall upon his copy of tom Brown
at Rugby and in his mind rises the re-
membrance of the great hare-and-
hounds run in which Tom and East and
the Tadpole struggled so pluckily, and
at last held that delightful little inter
view with DIR. Arnold: or visions Of
East's tricks on old Martin. There is
no need to open the book-one breatheS
its healthful air at the mere sight of it's
title So from each old favorite there
comes a friendly greeting, and we recall
the pleasant hours spent i'll its COM
pany.
A great orator said: "Books are the
windows through which the soul looks
out. a home without books is like a
room without windows. No man has a
right to bring up children without sur
rounding them with books if ne has the
means to buy books"
'INTLLIGENT PREJUDICE
Prof Brander Matthews gives spell
ing reformers some sound advice in the
Century Magazine for August:
They must bend their energies to
combating the notion that 1.-The existing
printed form is not only symbol, but
the most fitting symbol Of our mother
tongue" There is an almost super
Stitious veneration felt by most of us
for the spellings we learned at school !;
they seem to us sanctifieG by antiq-
uity and perhaps even an inquiry into
the history of the language is not al
ways enough to diseStablish this rever-
ence for false gods. Yet knowledge helps
to free us from servitude to idols; and
when we are told that the accepted
spelling has dignity" we may ask
what dignity there is in the spelling of
harbour" with an inserted which is
not pronounced, which has been thrust
in comparatively recently and which is
etymologically misleading.
In his effective answer to Mr.. Her
bert Spencer's argument against the
metric system n which, oddly enough,
is like spelling reform in that it finds
its chief opponents in Great Britain
President Mendenhall remarked that
ignorant prejudice is not so danger
Gus an obstacle to human progress, nor
so common, as what may be called Gin
telligent prejudice" meaning thereby
IAN obstinate conservatism which make
people cling to what is or has been
merely because it is or has been, not be-
ing willing to take the trouble to do
better, because already doing well, all
the while knowing that doing better is
not only the easier, but is more in har-
mony with existing conditions. Such
conservatism is highly developed among
English-speaking people on both sides
of Che Atlantic" 1t is just such con-
servatism as this that must be over
come by those of us who wish to see our
English photography continue its life
long efforts toward simpliication.
SIR THOMAS LIPTON'S AMBITION.
About forty years ago, ragged little
boy named Tommy" used to sit on the
piers at Glasgow and watch the boats
Swimming over the waters. He was
neglecting the messenger service, for
which he was paid sixty sents week;
but he could not help that, for the
yachts fascinated him.
One day he said: when grow up
n bo a c;ob mon T,11 bovo q vooht of