The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-10-21
FRON OTHER PENS
GUERRILLA peril, IN THE FACT

GUERRILLA PERIL IN THE Fast
If peace or war in the Balkan penin-
sula turned upon lthe action of cabi-
nets and councils Of war, peace would
20 certain IN southeastern Europe. But
the mountains and suplands between
the Adriatic and Black sea. rugged and
halI.empty of people are the last part
OF the world under flags held to be
civilized where tho revolutionary
leader and few rifiemen can still
precipitate peoples into war.
All these small states owe their ex-
istence to revolution. Servia began a
century ago with swineherds' revolt.
A street mob turned the Turk out of
Bucharest. A few students founded
free Bulgaria. Greece owes its exist
enco to men halt brigand and half
patriot.
Tho war between Servia and Tur-
key, 32 years ago. was precipitated by
Serb bands before the Servian prince
acted. Bulgaria owes Rumelia to a
like movement, and its position and
prospects in Macedonia have been
won by wandering bands of intrepid
rifiemen. If Greece suffered when thu
frontier bands brought on war with
Turkey, IL years ago. it is the only
case where a Balkan land has not
gained rather than lost by sending
out its guerrilla bands into coveted
territory. Press.
80
NEEDLESS DEATHS.
The Pennsylvania State Railroad
commission has issued it's first month
ly bulletin. 1t reports 80 persons
killed and 1,101 injured in August. Six
of the deaths were due to grade
crossing accidents and four to col
lisions. Forty-eight trespassers on
railroad property were killed. 1t is a
peculiar fact about railroad accidents
that most of them are of a preventable
nature. Collisions are due to care
lessness, either on the part of the
telegraph force or on the part OF the
train hands. Disobedience of orders
is too common to arouse interest;
every fatal accident due to this cause
points to the fact that the manage
ment might with advantage choose
men for intelligence and faithfulness
as well as for good eyes and ears.
Trespassers on railroad property have
always furnished a large proportion
of the victims in reports for stated
periods. Confusion, paralysis from
fright and preoccupation explain
hundreds of cases, but do not prevent
others from occurring unless they
keep people off the right of way who
have no business upon 1t Every
succeeding report of railroad ac-
cidents points the same lessons. and
shows that there are people who re-
fuse to learn.-Buffalo Express.
A wOMAN'S REDEMPTION.
A good word for the Thaws is so
rare in these times that one is eager
to point to an act of a member of the
family to show that it is not wholly
degenerate and the behavior of Alice
CopIey Thaw, the former wife of the
Earl of Yarmouth, furnishes an ex-
cuse. Under the English law the
wife of the bearer of an English title
of nobility is permitted to retain her
title after divorce, but in this case
the woman has notified the family of
her thoroughly disreputable and con-
temptible husband that she has re-
signed it. She expects to be known
in the future as Miss Thaw." Her
marriage with the earl was one of
those foolish and vain performances
of silly American girl brought up in
luxury, and as the saying goes,
| spoiled to DEATH" When her mis-
cradle brother murdered Stanford
White she restored herself to a great
degree in the respect of her own
American people by coming to this
| side and attending the trial in spite OF
| the remonstrances of her honorable
English "in-laws'' This courageous
| action is supposed to have fastened
her happy divorce, and that she has
| followed it by renouncing the empty
| title obtained through her early folly
| stamps her at least as woman OF