The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1909-11-25

i
ultimate triumph of liberty is
firm belief of Americans-liberty
OF conscience and Of speech; but it
should not be forgotten that liberty,
owns no allegiance to any partic-.
ular soil.
WHEN w. T. Stead, editor Of the,
English Review of Reviews, who.
occupies position in Eng is b.
journalism akin to that of Marse
Henry Watterson on this side,
claims to have held an interviews
with the spirit of W. E. Gladstone,
on the Governments new financial
policy, he goes too far. Mr.. Stead
is an honest man, but credulous.
That Mr.. Gladstone would have.
approved of the measure while he,
remained in the flesh is doubtful.
Great liberal as he was, be had little
in common with Lloyd George and
Winston Churchill. He stood for
justice and progress, but never for
revolution. That his shade has
grown more radical is more doubt
ful yet, when one considers h Q
company it would be likely to keep.
The first section of the world of
spirits to which his spirit would
take it's flight would be that re-
served for the early church fathers.
Now, while fathers were innoyators,
nobody has accused them Of social
istic tendencies. Mr.. Stead asserts
that he has proved beyond doubt
that communication with the de-
parted by the usual means-ta able
tapping and mediums-is an assur-
ed fact. This is a distance which
psychical research societies have
by no means travelled. The famous
Eusapia Paladino, whom Lom-
broso believed SO implicitly, has not
been proved innocent of trickery:
and where trickery has once been
found, it is but human nature to
suspect that all her manifesto
tons" can be explained by natural
causes. In an age of wireless tel
ephony, it is not difficult to believe
i n telepathy, but communication
with the dead must wait until their
existence is definitely
lsREL ZANGWILL is one of the.
puzzles of the literary and dramat-
ic world. His novel, The Mas
ter, was undoubtedly a remarkable
work Of art. But ofall the dramas
which he has written, from The
Children Of the Ghetto to T he
Pot, not one seems to be
of the first order. The worst of
defects are his lack Of
humor and his occas onal incIina-
ton to melodrama As far as char
scter. drawing is concerned, there
is always in any work of his at least
one person whom it is worth while
10 remember. Matt Strang, the
slavey, in Merely Mary Ann, if re-
ports may be trusted, the musician
hero of The Melting Pot, are all
striking figures. Yet many of the
minor characters are as absurd as
the young millionaire in this latter
play, who cares for nothing b u
dinners. There is much
racial prejudice against the Jewish
genius, and one feels tn at, like
Heine, he returns it in full meas
ure. Z he critics have always
treated him badly, yet his appeal
is not to the masses. Possibly he
has an incompetent pressagent
The death of Cadet Byrne has
public attention on
the dangers of football once more.
Judging strictly by analogy, |
should imagine that the game is
dangerous. I never saw game Of
football played, but from
the contempt IN which the English
games, soccer and Rugby, are
held in this country, it is evident
that Vassar will not be p laying
football this year. But soccer
which draws huge crowds in Eng
land, Is one of the beat of all games
to watch. Neither is it young
ladies' pastimr, though it may seem
so to one accustomed to wedge
plays and flying tackles. Speaking
of young ladies games reminds me
Of the time I played in mixed
game of hockey, and one blushing
but muscular damsel gave me the
full weight of a hockey stick across
the nves. Since then. I've stuck