The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-10-27
IN THE GossIP's CORNER.

In 1dE GUOS1F COhNEh.
1 am glad to note that the Springfield
Republican speaks good word for Captain
b. F. Tilley, L. S. N, Governor of Tutuila,
who is to be tried on charges affecting his
character as a gentleman and his bearing
as an officer. In these days Of courts
martial. Investigations and inquiries the
plea for a suspension of judgment is timely,
especially in the light of Mr.. Park Benja-
minis intimation that the charges are in
Stigated, IL they are not brought, by
English missionaries in Samoa. The South
Sea island missionary is full of proneness
to stir up trouble, as a general thing. His
zeal in making converts usually is eX-
ceeded only by his earnestness in acquiring
copra. and any official who interferes with
trade methods is sure, soon or late. TO be
marked as victim of wrath
Some OF the newspapers are getting a
good deal of fun out of William Dean How
ells's advice to novel readers 10 read no
book that hasn't been out for at least a
year and stood the test of experience; yet
to those who are not prone to bubble over
trifies. the wisdom of his advice is apparent
For the last five years there have been
at least two books a. month (and / would
not miss il much If / said one book
week., each OF which has been touted as
''the book of the century," 1.-The most pow
erfuI novel yet written" 1.-The most thrill
ing historical novel of the age" and in
kindred other arrangements and disar-
rangements OF adjectives. Manifestly, ii
is relative to these works that Mr.. Howells
speaks. The average novel reader cannot
buy all these books. To do II would i'm
poverish him, at least entail privations
Qn most cases. and would weight his book
shelves with trash. Let him wait a year
Within that time he probably will be able
to glance through friends copy or get one
from the library. Then, if he deem the
book worthy, IT will be time to purchase.
At all events, he can make a selection
among the fifty or more pre-eminent novels.
For my own part, 1 go Mr.. Howels one
better With the exception of "Trilby''
and the further exception of those books
1 have read for review. as a part of my
work, 1 have read none of the leading
novels of the last fifteen years until they
were at least TWO years old and have
thereby not only kept vast amount of
trash off my book shelves, but also large
amount out of my mental recesses. The
in which he evidently meant it, is the most
concise uterance of literary wisdom of re-
cent years
Among all the evil things said OF JEFF
freys, George Jeffreys. the Infamous JEFF
freys," who sent 331 of his fellow English
men to the gallows transported $40 others
to the American plantations and whipped
or fined thirty-three others, two good
things also were said: That ''he had ra-
tional views on witchcraft'' and was too
honest to turn Catholic" because he served
Catholic King. So let us give this ju-
dicial monstrosity the need of praise
which is his due. There were certain
things he would not do. even to please the
King he served, albeit the King could ad-
vance him to even higher honors than were
his by word, or by word strip from him
even those honors which he had: nay, even
more-strip from him life itself. The re-
ward or the punishment barring the inter
vention Of death. was certain. His judicial
robe. which might be compared with the
senatorial toga OF American political ambi-
| tons, did not depend on the temper of the
proletariat nor yet on the manipulation of
a legislature. Yet there were some things
Jeffreys would not do.
We are safe, therefore, I'm assuming that
these SS1 judicial murders (some of
which, doubt. were simple justice.
though carried out without much regard to
forms Of law. were not for the purpose to
further his own ambitions Treason"
was the accusation on which the 3S1
were executed; "sedition' was the charge
on which the $40 were deported and the
thirty-three fined or whipped. He was not
looking for a high seat In Parliament
house. even If he was trying to fasten an
| oligarchy on the body polite His service
mistaken, villainous though It was-was 10
the state and not for himself Moreover.
we not told that the same farcical trial
was repeated, with added evidences of
farce and injustice, over the same unfortu-
nate individual; there is no evidence that
any of these victims Of the political hatred
Of that time lay in a noisome Jail, only to
go through the same farccal proceeding
once more, while his body was weakened
by insufficient and ill-prepared food or
racked by persistent, if infinitesimal, toxic
medication.
do not wish TO pose as an apologist for
Jeffreys. but it has been quite the fashion,
lately. in certain portion OF the press, to
hold him up as the past master Of judicial
corruption, tyranny and blood thirstiness.
| In the interest of justice. therefore. 10 a
man who was bad enough at the best,
simply wish TO call your attention to his
good points, as history records them, and
to his singleness of purpose. as we can see
z