The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1917-02-02
NOTES AND COMMENTS

Convention of the 18th of June, 1898,
when the famous Clause of the
Constitution was passed, which de-
clared that "the French people does
not make peace with the enemy still
on its territory" How extraordinary
the scene in the Convention must have
been can only be realized when the
position of France at the time is re-
called The country was invaded.
Condo and Valenciennes were be-
sieged by the Austrians. The immi-
nent fall of Mayence endangered AL
SAGE. The Spanish troops had pene-
trated the Rousillon. Internally Par
is was the prey of factions; revolt was
threatening in Lyons and Toulon, and
the Vendee was raging.
1t was in such conditions that the
Convention debated Clause a, and Ro-
bespierre, mounting the tribune amid
the applause of the Assembly, rebuked
Mercier, who wanted it deleted from
the Constitution. LET it be known"
he said, "by all those who do not un-
derstand the energy of free people,
that this clause is the expression of
this peoples will. To enter into peace
negotiations with enemies on ones
own territory is worthy of a people
already conquered" And he conclud-
ed with the magnificent reply made
by Bazire earlier in the session, wor-
thy of the great tragedians Of the
Grand Steele.
A Ministry of Munitions is quite
novel institution in England, but
there is evidence that it would have
been welcomed by Queen Victoria in
the early days of her reign. She
would have appreciated the fact that
the output of shells and guns is great
err during week, at the present time,
than it was in the whole of 1915, if
one may judge from the tone of let
ter addressed to Lord Panmure in
1856 "The returns of the different
departments for the last quarter"
she wrote, "show a lamentable def
cheney in small arms. Fifty-two thou
sand three hundred and twenty-five
for the whole of the United Kingdom
is sadly small reserve to have in
store; we should never be short of
100000" And of the amazingly linn
tied production at Endfield, she says:
at appears that during the whole
quarter this new and extensive es-
tablishment has completed only three
muskets!"
Governor Milliken of Maine, in a
message to the Legislature, makes a
plea for stricter adherence to the pro-
hibition measures Of that State The
Governor would have the enforcement
of the laws obligatory on officials and
not dependent on local sentiment. APP
parently he recognizes the fact that
the friends of the liquor traffic have
no intention of stopping it, if they can
avoid it, and that they must be helped
toward reform from the outside.
People of the northern nations will
be able to tell almost the exact stage
of motor vehicle development in Bo-
Iivia from the announcement that
there are now pending before the Be-
livian Congress no fewer than twelve
proposals for the establishment of
freight and passenger automobile SER
vice between various cities and towns
of the country. And there are vol
umes of Typographical description in
the statement that a certain enthusl-
asst, recently making a trial trip from
La Paz to Sorata, covered the greater
part of the distance, as far as Achaca-
chi, by motor in four hours, but from
that point found it necessary to pro-
coed on horseback, requiring seven
hours additional to reach his destina>
ton.
Among the outworn conventions
that cling to the theatre, in the Unit
ed States, there is probably none more
absurd than the custom of actors COM
ing out of their roles at the end of
each act to acknowledge the ap-
plause. Whatever the justification of
the custom in the old days of the
"apron" stage, when the player was
in close contact with the audience, it
is indefensible today in plays that
pretend to seek both artistic and
realistic illusion.
In this connection American play
goers remember pleasantly E. S.
Willard, whose practice it was to vary
the pantomime of the closing tableau
of each act when the curtain was
raised in response to handclapping.
Henry Irving did not acknowledge the
applause after his exit as Shylock in
the trial scene of "The Merchant of
Venice" but, as rule, appeared at
the close of the last act in conventional
evening dress, with Miss Terry.
Richard Mansfield used to rub the
makeup from his face, at the end of
the play, before responding to the APP
plause.
Mrs. Laura ]. Starcher, who de-
feated her husband, has qualified as
Mayor of Umatilla, Oregon, and she,
board of aldermen, and other city
officials, mostly women, are now in
full control of the municipality. May
or Starcher, in her inaugural address,
said that she would not appoint
marshal, as she would see to it that
the city had no need of one. This was
good beginning. A well managed
community should not need mar