Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-01-05

on the fires of religious rancor But
modern education and expanding race unity
have wrought more surprising reforms than
the right Of self government which India
seeks.
Concerning Ibsen and his wife. some in
teresting anecdotes are related in new
book, ''samliv med 1bsen," by the Norwe-
gtan author John Paulsen. II was owing
to her influence that the poet became to a
certain degree champion of womans
rights. On the other hand he denied women
certain capacities usually attributed to
them. ''No woman can write a good
cook book" he said. and another OF his
mexims was: mo woman can sew on a
button so that 1t will stay on" OF this he
was 80 much convinced that whenever he
lost button he retired to his room and
sewed one on himself. His wife told this
to Pauisen, and then she added, with a
smile The reason why he thinks his own
buttons stay on forever Is that afterwards
go over them and finish his Job II he has
not done II properly. But do not destroy
this delusion In him, for II gives him so
much happiness" One day Ibsen said to
Paulsen: do you black your own shoes?"
Paulsen said he did not; whereupon Ibsen
remarked: you really ought to do that,
Paulsen; II will make you feel like quite
another man. We should never let others
do for us what we can do ourselves II
you have once begun to black your own
shoes, you will soon learn TO keep your
room In order. to make your fire. etc. In
this way you will finally become a man
who is entirely independent of servants
and Others"
The decline of the birth rate IN certain
countries Is regarded by most writer's on
sociology as a symptom of national de-
cline. In France II has even received gov
eminent attention. Investigation of the
births in England for the last fifty years.
made by an English statistician. Heron. in
a pamphlet issued by the Diapers company
of London. brings out the fact which has
often received adverse comment that the
decrease is greatest in those social classes.
where Increase would be desirable. The
aim Of this investigation was to ascertain
whether reduced birth rate in England was
associated with conditions or poverty dis
ease and generally unhealthy and IMPROVE
dent surroundings. and this was found not
to he the case. Says an editorial writer
In the Medical Record, New York:
ut Is quite generally acknowledged that
the working classes contribute the largest
relative number to the population, not
withstanding the high infant mortality
among them, and the present investigation
again demonstrates that there IS close
relationship between social status and the
birth rate. In districts where there is
overcrowding, where there is a super
abundance OF the lowest types OF labor,
where 1t is needful to employ many young
children in order to earn daily bread for
the family. where infantile mortality is
greatest. there the wives of productive age
have the most children. Where there is
more culture and education, as shown by
higher proportion of professional men,
where there is more leisure and comfort,
AS shown by a higher percentage of do
mestic servants. there the birth rate IL
least" In such words the writer describes
conditions which are duplicated here as
well as In all other large cities. and as the
ratio between inferior social status and
high, birth rate has practically doubled
during the last fifty years in London, 1t is
quite clear that the reduction in the size
Of the families has begun at the wrong
end of the social scale and is increasing
the wrong way.
Apropos of the recent unwilling of the
monument to Count Andrassy at Budapest,
Ludwig DOGGY gives in the Neues Poster
Journal some "reminiscences of the Hun
garjan statesman. As Characteristic ex-
ample of the counts friendship for the
Hungarian Jew, the author publishes the
following statement made to him by his
former chief in 1876: II have been selling
for years all my products through my old
Jewish friend X, and / know that 1 Jared
best in so doing. I have less faith in the
employees of my estates. The Jew who is
a native of our country is not only intelli-
gent and honest. but he is also ambitious
He is frugal. sober and industrious. In
brief. he has all the virtues the Hungarian
lacks, and last, but not least, the money
even as the Hungarian possesses all the
virtues that the Jew still lacks. once
told this to his majesty. adding that inter
marriage OF these two races would prop up
our aristocracy and make a happy mixture.
Civil marriage was therefore urgently to
be desired His majesty looked at me in
surprise and thought l was only joking,
but told him that spoke in earnest, and
my opinion has not changed to this day"
The st. Petersburg correspondent OF the
Berlner Tageblatt writes: 'Terpsichore
relgns in St. Petersburg society. and the
navy was among the first to do homage
| to her Despite the fact that Russia has
no navy. the impossible happened, and a
naval ball OF great brilliancy opened the
season There was much doubt at first
as to the result. but the shame OF Russia
was forgotten at the command: Thou
shalt amuse myself and 5000 people at
tended the ball and danced TO the point
OF exhaustion. The fact that among the
dancers there were some officers who had
taken part In the Port Arthur and Sea OF
Japan tragedies did not disturb any one.
and nothing seemed TO be missing to make
the enjoyment complete. save a minuet with
Admiral Rojestvensky and General Kuro-
patkin among the dancers"