The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-12-02
FRON OFFER PENS
MONTE CARLO.

The contagion known as the grow
ing unrest which now threatens the
peace of Europe has spread from the
erstwhile kingdom of Portugal to the
still smaller principally of Monaco
famous, like our own smallest state,
assumed the form-alwayS alarming
when it breaks out on the body polite
of absolutisrn-of a demand for a con-
stitution. It may yet develop into re-
publicaniSm in its most rabid form.
And yet it would seem to many of us
that the Monegasquez, as the natives
of the country are called, have a great
deal to be thankful for apart from
the fact that the gambling interest
pays all their taxes. The area of the
principality is about eight square
miles, or six and a half times that of
Central park. It's favorite imports are
people with systems" its chief ex-
ports brokendown gamesters-both the
dustry of the inhabitants is detaching
money from visitors. It may be said
of them that they have raised the
business of charging for things to an
honored place among the fine arts. 1t
was here that a hotelkeeper replied to
an American millionaire protesting
against an extortionate bill: zone
does not come to Monte Carlo to save
money!" It is a significant fact that the
country raises all its lemons, immense
ing the gaming season. The inhabit-
ants are never permitted to enter the
gambling rooms, the result being that
their sleep is unbroken and all the
money earned is kept in the country.
In the pursuit of their peaceful
avocations they receive important as
sistance from their reigning prince,
whose deepsea researches have con-
sisted largely of careful studies of the
shark and other predatory fish and
) {e IN al hot
what his restless subjects really crave
is not a constitution, but a share Of
the 100000 francs that he receives
annually rs "concessiona from the
gaming tabies-Newl York Herald.
COCKNEY AS A DIALECT.
The efforts Of the London county
council to drive out the Cockney speech
from the schools of the English metro
polls hardly needed the opposition
given in a book recently issued in de-
Tense of the dialect. This book, which
named Mackenzie .MacBride, contends
that Cockney is no modern dialect. but
that 1t possesses an ancient and hon
orable lineage running back nearly
1000 years.
When one born within sound of Bow
Bells says '.thet'' for that "benk', for
''bank' and "bylyffe" for ''bai1iff." he
Is using no modern corruption OF the
English language, but the pronuncia-
ton of those words which has obtained
not only in London, but in Kent and
Surrey for hundreds of years. More
over, in ancient times the words were
spelled as the Cockney now sounds
them.
So, too. are "abaht" and ahtside'
justified for about" and outside ac-
cording to Mr.. MacBride. He says that
many Londoners have been laughed out
of these ancient pronunciatfons and he
advises them not to change their
speech because of outside prejudices
against it. Certainly Cockney would
seem to be a dialect or it would not
have survived for SO many centuries
in the midst of speech which calls
itself more cultured. It is a curious
fact that in the Bahama islands, which
were settled more than 200 years ago
by Londoners. the Cockney dialect is
as strong as IN Cl1eapside. Chicago
Tribune.
REFLECTIONS OF A BACHELOR.
IFrom the New York Press.l
Any man viii go home If every other