Year: 1875




the two branches of the British Parliament.
Among the various contests that yearly take
place at Wimbledon none attracts greater at
tention than this one between the Lords and
Commoners; not 50 much, perhaps, on account
OF the skill displayed as of the social
position of the contestants. The public
Is pleased to see grave lawmakers
throw aside the pomp and circumstance of
Office and descend into the arena where the
representatives of the masses struggle to gain
the honors that are showered upon sue
cess!ul craftsmanship. Wimbledon has grad
ually grown to be of national importance,
and the Briton, like the ancient Greek, what
ever may be his position in lite, desires to
win spray of laurel in those trials of skill
that are to the moderns what the Olympic
games were to the ancients. 1t is to
thus feeling that we owe the rivalry
in craftsmanship between the House ofLords,
with its blue-blooded and exclusive aris-
tocracy, and the ardent aggressive
House of Commons, with its keen
rivalry and deep-seated jealousy Of the
Upper House. AS in the struggle for
political power the democratic Commons have
constantly defeated their aristocratic competi-
tors, so in the struggle for the honors Of marks
Upper House tar behind. Yesterday victory
settled on the standard of the Commoners
for the eighth time, and the pros
pect of the Lord Chancellor gaining pos
session of the coveted cup seems as distant as
ever. 1t must be confessed that the
shooting was not remarkably good on
either side. The Commoners did fairly,
but the aristocrats made very poor
show. Indeed an ord dinary team from New
York volunteer regiment would be ashamed
of the score made yesterday by the noble
lords of England, and even the sec
ond class marksmen Of Creedmoor
would laugh at the record made by so
august body as the Lords team. Only a
few centuries ago earls and lords were
mighty men, and few dozen of them clad
in their coats OF mail could defy and put to
rout a thousand of the commonalty, but that
day has passed and the commoner is now the
lord of creation. The quick intellect and the
steady nerve are found chiefly among the
people, who year by year surge over
the barriers erected by ages of ignorance,
superstition and despotism to that tulness of
power which God destined man in his collec-
tive capacity to exercise. In these peaceful
contests of the eye and nerve, as in the higher
struggles in the field of intellectual thought
the same lesson is being taught everywhere to
humanity, 'that rank is but the guinea stamp
and that it is manhood which must triumph
in the end. In the midst even Of this ma
tional holiday at Wimbledon we catch
glimpses of the class distinctions and
castles that still divide the Brit
ish people. They affect us strangely
as remains of dead past, something tnat
was in our life, but has happily disappeared
and forever. We cannot but feel thankful
that we Americans can go to rife
match without being made to feel
that we are after all only an inferior
sort of creatures whose existence is tolerated
because we are useful to the superior beings
who by some accident of nature were born
with coronets and coats of arms, men who
eat and drink as we do and die as we do, but
who by some necromancy are. of another caste
and rank in humanity, whose blood is not
red Ike the healthy blood of those who make
the earth fruitful with their sweat and
tears, and without whose strong hands
this fair world would be desert.
The lesson taught by the triumphs
of the English Commoners is emphasized by
the splendid achievements of our own rife
men, They went forth as the representatives
of land where there are none noble save by
purity of life or by grandeur of useful work
achieved, and they have nobly upheld the
standard of humanity in the contest with
privilege and birth.


The splendid work accomplished by our
rihemen in Ireland and in England entities
them to some solid testimony of the nation s
esteem and gratitude. The victories they
have won are the result of much hard ork
and of many personal sacrifices, and 1t is only
lust that we who have shared in the honors
reaped by their skill and industry should con-
tribute something to indemnify our rifemen
for the many sacrifices they have been COM
pelled to make. 1t has been suggested by
gentlemen prominent in shooting matters that
a grand reception should be rendered to the
members of the team on their return and
that this honor should be supplemented by
the presentation to each member of the team
of q valuable trophy in recognition of the SER
vices rendered to the country. We do not
doubt that this suggestion will recommend
itself to the country and be promptly acted on
in the generous spirit so characteristic Of our
countrymen. In view of the work done there
ought to be no hesitation, no delay in creating
fund that would represent the gratitude OF
the American people for the victories won by
our representative rifemen against heavy
odds; victories more complete and glorious
than had even been hoped for by their mos
enthusiastic friends