Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, May 31, 1874, Page 8

THE CHICAGO DAILY TRIBUNE: SUND TERMS OF THE TRIBUNE TTAMB OF SUBFCAIPTION (PATARLE IN ADVASCE). Sunda $2.50 912801 W 2:00 1 Woek Parts of & year at the samo rate. To provent delay and mistakez, be sure and give Post @ ceaddress in fall, including State and Countr. Timittances mey be made eitber by dratt, ozpress, Post Ofcw order, or in registared lotters, at our risk. TERME TO CITY GUDSCRiBERS. Dafls, deliverod, Bunday excepteq. 25 cente per week. Ly, celivered, Bunday included, B0 cents per weok. THE TRIBUNE COMPANY, Chicdzo, IiL aadsess Corner Madison apd Dearbora-sts. TOMORROW'S AMUSEMENTS. FAOOLFY'S THEATRE—Randaloh street, between lork and TaSalle. Engagement of the Strakosch Opora- upe. Selsctinns frum ‘¢ Fanst,” ** Lucrozia B ia," und ** The Huguenots.” or- State. Engagement of E. A. Bother. M'VICKER'S, THEATRE—Madiron street, betwcen born aud E. Al Bo Qar American Cousin.™ ACADEMY OF MUSIC— Halstad ptreot, botmeen Mad- A O D ammont. ol e Vokes Famlly- o Wrong Maa in the Hight Place. ADELPHI THEATRE—Corner of Wabash, avonno o reot. ~ Variety performance. -Lo, S R o o ATRE—Nos. 916-223 West Madison A i tnca. T JacEloss, oté. Lakoshore, foot of Adams 7 Afterouch and avening. "SOCIETY MEETINGS. &T. GFORGE'S BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION— ontbly maetisg will be held on Mopd=y even- iar. Jare, at8o'clock, tn Caledonia 167 and 183 fall’ mertiog Cesircd, #s & report Vzahi o A ill be made. L Bl Sommtog rll B Rl e, Secctae. T.A TAYETTE CHAPTER, No.% R. A. M —Izll Special convocation oh Monday evcoing, oclock, for work en. th M o e P, and AL B By ordorofthe L ¥y, v TUOKER, Seo'. [ 4SONTC, —Regular mecting of the Masonto Board of Relict il be beld o Slonday Evening, dues 1 ats lock, n the Parlor of Orientsl, Hall, No. . - nea’of tho reprraenta- at., forbusiness. A full sitendencoaf thosprrens tives roquested. AL ORANGE INSTITUTION—Rod, White, and AL O e Lodge, No. 5, will hold s sriscial smneting on Friday ovening, Juno 5, at the hall southeast o ‘curper of Frankiin and Van Buren-sts., at 8 p. m., shearp. Pun 1 attendance fs nested. | Viait brethren L cvicedsE- HULSE, Secrotary. DUANE LODGE, No. 11, 1. O. 0. F.—Offcors and ancmbers £re bereby notified to be present at lodge rovm B Mereing, Tacsdar aventog, Janos, for work in do- PretsHR. HOPEINS, Secretary. CALEDONIAN CLUB—THE REGULAR MONTHLY m-fl.iu; ‘Xg Iée‘ hcl‘dvlnhl'lldr hl"':Clledi'\:tlg B“ged;n\n:g‘ 1-: it Washingion-st., on Taceday e 2oty 3t 8 o'clock. 91064, Fourth Chlotiatn. COMMANDERY, No.18, K. T.—Atften- chte—Statad couclzvs Mouday evening, ‘o'clock, for business of impartance and . Order. - All membors are roquested fo bo ‘siitag Sir Knights invited. By order of the GEOQ. F. SINCLAIR, Recordor. CHICAGO Sie K e Chicage Tribune. Sundsy Morning, May 31, 1874. o ) CHRBISTIAN RATIONALISM. Some, who think they shall be heard for their much epeaking, try to make us believe that the designation “*Evangelical” escludes every de- gree of rationalism, or of that habit of mind whick subjects the Bible and the creeds to the ecrutiny of reason. But thore is no dispating the fact that there has grown up & recognized and outspoken school of Evangelical Rational- jsm. The Romsn Catholic Church is the only pection of the Christian world where the rational- jstic instinet may bo ssid to be inactive; and cven this statement may be called 1 question gince recent utterances of Bishop Strossmayer in Hungary, and of Fethor Terry in Chicago. In the section of the Protestant Christian world called Evangelical, rationalism may be found in every stage of dovelopment, from the chrysalis to the butterfly. The Luthoran Chursh of Gar- many was represented at the late meoting of tho Evangelical Alliance by one of the German pro- fesrore, who no more accept the evangelical idea of incpiration or faturo punishment, as taught by tue orthodox chairs of theology in this conn- try, than they accept the authority of the Church ea taught at the College of the Propa- ganda in Rore. They reject the infallibility of tho Seriptures os issned by tho Bible Societies a8 decisively as they repudiato tho Syllabus as pro- malged by the Pope. Prophesies, History, Pealms, Gospels, Epistles, and all, sre subjected to the same rationalistic crivicism by the evangelical theologians of Ger- many which they apply to the writings of Poly- carpor Euscbius. Conseqaently the German ‘professors rationalize away much of what is de- clared inspired and indispensable by theteachers of evangelical doctrine in this country. The famous and cantious evangelical cholar Hagen- bach, inhis work on * German Rationalism,” soye: * The language of the Bible is variously understood ; every one interprets it after his own manner. A great deal of it depends upou the reader's natural constitution, degree of cul- ture, and personal experience. It may be said that, with a common groundwork of religious ‘elief, every ono has a special crood, a separate theology, aud inner experiences and views differ- ent from those of any one else.” ‘ihe Church of Ergland abounds in the same liberty of prophesying. Dr. Thirlwall, Bishop of St. David's, the oldest and most learned pre- lato on the English Bench, pronounced ““the doctrine that unbelief is a sin™ to bs “subver- sive of the firet principles of religion and moral- ality,” snd adds: ““Ican conceive no greater dishepor cast upon the Divine character than is implied in the supposition that any one is re- eponzible in the sight of God for intellectual any more than for physical infirmity."” Tucse and kindred scotiments aro fro- quently heard in England and Scotland from eminent preachers of both Es- tablished Churches and tho Nonconformists. Among these the Primate himself is classified, togetber with Deans Stanley and Hovwson, Chbarles Kingsley, Stafford Drooke, Haweis, Pulsford, Principal Talloch, Dr. Wallaco, of St. Giles® Cathedral, Edinburgh, and the late F. W. Tobertson, Dean alford, and Dr. Norman Mec- Leod, who was once arraigned for rationslistic interpretations of the O Testament, but lived tosce his views generally adopted and himself unseimonsly chosen’ Moderator of the General Assembly of the Established Cburch of Scot- land. In his last days he made no concealment of bis repudiation of the dogma of everlasting runishment. Dean Stanley recently contribnted 20 articlo to tho Contemporary Review de- signed to prove that the duration of future pun- ithment is an open question in the Church of England. During the Isst week Principal Tul- Joch, who is now the foromost Prosbyterian di- vine of Scotland, if not of the world, in a epeech in New York, *regretted that Prof. Srwing, of Chicago, had severed his connection from the Church, but hoped soon to seo the churches allowing free acops to this spirit of in- quiry and yot retain ovangelical truth.” Turning to the sects that surround us, we find that what is evangelical meat to one donomins- tion is rationslistic poison o another. There is s much difference botween the Evangelical Ar- minianism of the Methodist Quarterly aud the Evangelical Calvinism of the Princelon Review asthereis between the Liboralism of the Old and New and the Arminianism of the Methodist Quarterly, Rationalism 18 indulged to a peritous degree by Evangelical Andoverin the estima- tion of Evangelical Princeton, by the Congrega- tional Dr. Bushnellin the estimation of the Presbyterian Dr. Hodgo, by Henry Ward Beecher in tho estimation of Dr. Bushnell, by even Brother Moody in the estimation of some more pronounced Esangelical Clristians of this city. The Earl of Shaftesbury attributes the same origin to * Ecce Homo,"” written by a follow-churchman, that s Boston reverend did o Theodore Parker's sermons—** the mouth of hell!” The late Dr. Joseph Haven is known to bave left in manuscript some very liberal theo- logical opinions, which he intended to substi- tute for some he had formed and taught in earlier years. The orthodox Quakers rationalize away both of the ordinances which every other Evangelical body sees plainly commend- ol in the New Testament, mot to mention the rationalism which, so far from see- ing & prohibition of woman's preaching by the Apostle Paul, hears the very voiceof God calling upon women_to toach ard preach in our cities. And euch is the vacillation of tho exegetical mind upon this subject that the Rock River Presbytory have ssked tho Genoral Assombly, now eitting in St. Louis, whether they are to ttake Poul's words about the preaching snd praying of women in public litorally.” Judge Drake had no hesitation in declaring that, if the Scriptures ssid No to woman's preaching, he would ssy no, but if they said Yes, bo would say ves! Dr. Crosby was almost cqually lucid and explicit whon he afiirmed that Paul meant what he said, “except in special casos, to be decided by the pastor.” Tho Evargelical Quaker regards as an imperti- nence what the Evangelical Episcopalian looks upon a8 a revealed obligation. Whai is obodi- ence to an explicit command with one is an in- hibited * subjection to ordinances” with the other. Here, indeod, are tho two poles of the ovangelical sphore—tho rituslistic pole of the High-Churcn Christian, and the rationalistic pole of the No-Church Christian. The one doclares & creed indisponsable, the New Testament being what it is; the other declares a creed indefens- ible, the New Tostament being what itis. The one eats and drinks at the communion table with sincero adoration of the * real presonce”; the other practices a total abstinence from the table on exegetical warrant. Between these two poles the degrees of ovangelical rationaliem are in- numerable. ‘Whule the Philadelphia Baptist ministers are uncharching all Pedo-Baptists for a deficiency in tho water question, tho fect-washing Baptists rebuke their brethren for neglect of another branch of the samo question. Tho Dunkards zore bafiled in their obedicoce to an equally posi- tive command sbout tho * boly kies,” by tho presence of & new convert guilty of lips “ not colored liko their own ;" and the Southern Meth- odists resolve to make teetotaliem a condition of ovangalical orthodoxs. Itis plain to bo scen then that thore is sucb a school of thonght as Evangolical Rationalism. THE CIVIL-WRONG3 BILL. The action that has been takea in Tennessee towards tho closing of the schoolsin case the Civil-Rightsbill is passed by the Hougeis probably” but & type of what will happen throughout the South. Tho tax-payers there are white. In two or three of the States, 8 negro majority can force thom to still sustain the schools. Inmost of the Ktates, howover, the whites have now tho con- trol. Itis safe to say that theso latter wii, without exception, shut up their schools rather than bave social equality enforced in them by United States law. This may be unworthy prej- ndice. Butit exists, unworthy or not,—exists 08 a fact that the legislation of a century cannot change. You cannot alter a man’s feclings 2t Nashville or Galveston by passingalaw at Wash- ington. The country would sneer at the propoeal of a bill which should read: * Beitenacted, etc., that every white man in the South shall love every negro.” This is absurd on its face, but itis only the reductio ad absurdum of the Civil-Righta bill. The difference between the two is ono of degree, not kind. We have no wish that tho negroes should be proscribed. It is for precise- 1y this reason that we object to the bill. It will revive the old prejudice by persecuting it. It will cleavo the two races asunder in every South- ern State. Even such & man as Senator Brown- low pens with paralytic hand tho statement that 999 out of every 1,000 of the white Republicans of Tennessce are bitterly opporod to it. This is not the way to reconcile races. If the bill passes, itis but e longer way for Congress to cry: “Down with the schools!” If we are really bound to fix the social rela- tions of tho Bouth by law, let the work be thoroughly done. The present bill needs sev- erel important amendments. We submit the followiog suggostions, trusting that the House will incorporate them in tbe law, and provide for their enforcement by appropriate penalties. We must promise that they all dopend upon the central idea of the bill,—that & black man's feelings must not be hurt by & white man. i Let it be enacted, then, that when a negro runs for office, no votes shall be cast against him by Caucasians. Thus his sensitive spirit can be spared the agony of defeat at the polls, and all he will havo to do will be to buy up the nomi- nating Convention. Let it be enacted that et every social optertain- ment equal numbers of whites and blacks shall be invited. This would be real equality, and no humbug. The African heart would no tonger throb with pain at being condemned to wait at the tablo, instead of sitting at it; to open the door, instead of stalking majosti- cally throngh it. To be sure, this would result in closing all hospitable doors; -but what of that ? If you abolish the school, why not abolish society ? Let it be enacted, again, that “ colored gen- tlemen ” ghall be tho only phrase used in refer- ring to our fellow-citizens of African descent. Lot “ aunty,” and * uncle,” and * contraband,” and * nigger,” and ** freedman,” be banned for- ever. The old colored womsn who replied to the greeting : ““How ' ye do, aunty ?” ** I ain't your sunty, Iaint your uncle, I'se your ekal,” was but foreshadowing the future social millen- nlam. And, fioally, let us have a constituticnal amendment {o the effect that cvery alternate President shall be & colored man, Tarn about is fair play. Having done this, wo can watch with a calm sense of having done onrduty and kent 500,000 voters faithfol to the Republican party. — The Superintendent of Polico has been kind enongh to notify the doge of the South Division that they will hereaficr be Lillad on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. The dogs of the North Division are to be dispatched on Thurs- days and Fridays, and the dogs of the West Side on every day in the week oxcopt Esturdays and Sundays. Now, why would it 2ot be well o devote Baturdays and Bundays, the dogs’ off- days, to the cata? The latter are fully as trouble- some, much more noisy, and have always en- jogod immunity from the sttentions of the police. e can sse no resson why cats should bo allowed the privileges of American ocitizens if dogs ean’t havo them. ] ) BATLWAY REGULATION IN ENGLAND. In view of the present unsatisfactory condi- tion of the railway queation, whatever previous experience is to be had of attempts to regulate the action of railways by legislstion must bo of great intercst to those who, animated neither by favor nor malice, are desirous of arriving st & fair estimate of the situation. From su article in the Contemporary Review we condense a somowhat elaborate statement of the experience of English railways, in which, in spite of the many differences between the railway systom of England and that of the TUnited States, there are ‘many points upon which information is desira- ble at this juncture. Asintroductory to the subject, it may be stated that two different causes have contributed to the active warfare againat the railways. The first is the apparent increase of accidents which bave Dhappened of Iato years. Regarding this it is ghown that the increaso is but apparent only; that in viow of the enormously increased traffic the ratio of safety is mot diminished; and that mearly sll classes sgreo in holding that regulations and penaltics concerning tho safety of the troveling publio are wise and judicious. But when the matter of the reguls- tion of the trade concerns of railways is ap- proached, widely opposite opinions provail, and, in viow of the testimony of the railway officials thomaelves, and also prominent and competent persons entirely unconnected with railways, there sesms to be but one solution of the ques- tion, namely: that, aside from the political dan- gors to bo apprebondod, railsays aro to bo treat- od more and more a8 ordinary branches of trade. As an instance of the extent to which inter- forcnce would be carried by & class at present oxtremely popular and clamorous, the following 1ist of suggestions to the Committes on Railway Affairs in Parlisment is given: 1. Equal mileage rates. 2. Rates to be fixed according to cost of car- riage, after adding o certain profit on capital. 8. Determination of terminal charges. 4. Immediate reduction of rates and fares. 5. Subsequent periodical revision of rates and fares. 6. Absolutoe limitation of dividend. 7. Reduction of rates after dividend has reached a certain percentage, 80 88 to divide ex- tra profit botweon the company and the public. 8. Classification of rates. 9. Publication of rates. 10. Consolidation of acts. 11. Workmen's traius. 12. Arrangement of districts. 18. Construction of branch lines. 14. Interchange of trafiic, through rates, and running powers. 15. Revision of fares for conveyance of troops. 16. Additional facilities to Post-Office. 17. A railway tribunal, Certainly here ia reguletion with a vengeance. Monopoly is & frightfully expreasive word. Con- solidation is another, and yet tho testimony shows that 1t has been impossible to prevent consolidation. Furthermore, the surprising fact has been brought out that consolidations have not brought with them the evils which were BUUCIPBL 5 eat Loy Lmve haon folloved. on the contrary, by o lowering of fares and rates and increased dividends. And the testimony of Mr. Farrar, the Permanent Seccretaryof the Board of Trade, is to the effect that hitherto neither amalgumation nor monopoly has tended to the inconvenience or prejudice of the public. Mr. Robert Walker, being examined before tho Committee on bolialf of the public in relation to cortain advantages asked for by two com- papies at Bary, stated that the citizens desired profection from Parliament, and, upon being asked by the Chairman, ¢ Pro- toction against what?” replied, ** Against excessive charges, and we want some part of the adeanfages which tho companies will derive,” ete. Another witness, insisting on a *reasona- bl deduction,” was ssked by Lord Salisbury, By reasonable, do you mean muking a good dividend, or making no dividond at all " Next, a8 to the actual exporience of regulating fares and rates. Mr. Walker says the *‘rail- ways can perpotrate any kind of injustice, under and within the limits of what are called maxi- mum rates.” The Board of Trade asserts that the attempt to limit fares and rates has always faued, and that the statotory maxima go for very littlo; that the companies seldom increase their rates, but, on the contrary, are always diminishiog thom ; and, farthermore, that the witnesses are always falling back upon some natural rate to be charged, as if there were any means of getting atsuchs rate. The arrival and departure of certain trains are under control of the Bosard of Trade, but practically thoy are helpless in the matter. “The companies know so moch more sbout their correspondences, and abont the times at which they can conveniently run their trains, that the Boardof Trade find it much bet- ter to leate them to themselves.” Regarding the non-inferference with railway companies the testimony is as follows: First, the Committee. * It1s the interest of the com- panies to dovelop traffic wherever that trafiic will prodace them profit. Itis their interest to encourage now and promising traffic, even if the immediate profit maybe little ornone; itis their interest to foster new routes ani to main- tain them against exieting competition; to do- velop new ports or harbors; and to promote competition between distant seats of trade or manufacture, by pentralizing the distances which nature has placed between these sests and the various markets for their products. In all these cases the wealth and resources of the companies enable them to incur present loss for the sake of future advantage; and although, in 80 doing, thoy may be exposed to the charge of making some parts of the systom pay for others, their action is probably, on the whole, advai tageous to the public zs well as themselve: Secondly, the Railways. Mr. Thompson, Chairman of the Northeast- ern Company, says: ** The strongest inducement (to lower fares andrates] is the same which in- duaces a farmer to manure his farm in order to i crease his returns. Laying out money toim- prova a district a0d reducing the charget Iates production and develops the resources of the district. And Sir E. Walkin, as to the self- interestof the companies in the matter of fares, %8y8: “ Wisely and safely ; just as a tradesman fixes his prices, not for the customers of to-day, —not to squeezs the last farthing out of the cus- tomers of to-day,—but to establish a connection, and to extend it.” The conclusion, after s careful study of the report of the Committea. is: * The Governmant onght to regulate the railways, or the Railway Companios onght. A mixed systom of carrving on the trade, a double government in the fecld of commarcs, can produce nothing but confu- sion, iritation, expeciation on the part of the public which cannot be gratificd, an unfair con- dition of uncertainty on the part of sharchold- ers, and discontent, from the Bench downwards to the humblest passenger, who is taught to be- lieve the companies aro ‘ fair gamo.’ " With this experience before us, the prospect is certainly not flattering. On all grounds it ia a most intricato problem. Despite the agitation of the agricultural mind, it is doubtful if tha ‘honest yeomanry aro possessed of the far-soeing Lnowledge and sppreciation of the question which will enable them todo more than diract the attention of thinkers, who will eventually finda way out of the presont difficulties which shall be in accordance with the natural, though often hidden, principlea of & sound political economy. ————— THE FINE-ART EXHIBITION. The circular from the Fine-Art Committes of the forthcoming Exposition, which was printed in Friday's issue of Tnx TRIBUNE, was & timely and enconraging document. It shows that the Commit- tee have entered promptly upon their work, and that the doplorable fiasco of last fall will not be repoated next September. AIr. Derby, the Com- mittec’s General Agent, is a connoissour who 18 woll and favorably known, not only to all the prominent artists in this conntry, but slso in Europe, and a gontleman in whom the Commit- teo have perfect confidence. Whatever is of value in paintings and statuary ho has the means of obtaining, and it may safely be trusted to his taste and judgment that nothing unworthy will be allowed to pass through his hands. If the home Committee also oxercise s fearless and intelligont scrutiny of what goes throngh their hands, there will be little danger that any daubs will find their way into the gallery. To fully carry ont the idea of & Fino-Art Gallery, nothing but fine art should be allowed in it. Last year the gallery was filled up with all sorts of litter,—chinaware, feather flowers, hideons Japanese idols, the cheapest chromos, advertis- ing-signs, snd show-cards ; the chirography of card-writers and penmen; school children’s drawings, which wero only of interest to the parents of the prodigies, Everyamateur paint- eror dauber was allowed the privilege of the walls ad libitum. Pictures of no great merit, which had done duty in this city for years, were pressed into service. The result was & beterogeneous collection of stuff, arranged without much regard to systom, simply for the resson thst sny method in arrapging it was impossible. The fei good pictures were lost in the multitude of bad ones, and their effect thus dostroyed. Tho Memorial Picture, by Armitage, was of itself enough to kill snythiug within fifty feet of it. Mr. Dorby’s long experience and good taste will remedy many of thege draw- backs. As the gallery will be enlarged, the very large pictures may be given a place by themselves. This should be dono, as they invarisbly harm smaller pictures hanging near them. In tho work of organizing and establish- ing this gallery, thers should bo intelligent co- operation between Mr. Derby and the Com- mittee. The Committee may rely upon Mr. Derby that his part of the work will be done, and well done, but Mr. Derby should also be enabled to rely upon the Committes in turn. ‘There should be no favoritism, and no accept- avco of pictures, simply brcause they are puinted in Chicago. Whatever is done for advertising purposes snowa nerigidly excluded. It is under- stood to be the purpose of the Committee to ex- cel the oxhibition made in Cincinnati last year, but to do this will require much labor and the ‘most rigid examination of what is contnbuted. A creditable five-art exhibition is of more im- portance than appears upen the sarface. It is now many yoars since wo have had ono which could be thoroughly commended. Indeed, tho exhibitions of the past five vears have not equaled those which preceded theln in the days when art was young in Chicago. The firo almost annihilated art in this city, and, although thres years have elapsed, it can hardly be said even mnow to have recovered from the effects of that disaster. Artists, as a rule, are doing but little. Our best artists are away, because they cannot make a living hero. Toadd to the disater, tho floods of cheap chromos and the disgraceful daubs which are sold almosat every woek at pablic ealo have kept real art down, and are vitiating the taste of the public. Thero is no more effectnal ‘mothod of educating the public taste in art-mat- ters than by exhibitions of fino pictures, and at & time like this, when the gallery will be brought to the notice of thousands of people, nothing ehould be left undone to securs a large and creditable display of pictares. If art is ever to geta foothold in Chicago again, it must be by agencies of this kind. We are glad to know it is the determination of the Committee to excel anything over een in this city, but they must uot underestimato tho labor involved. It will require hard work from now until September. COMP ULSORY EDUCATION. The report of tho Hon. Joseph White, Secre- tary of tho Massachusetts Board of Education, troats, with great clearness and force, tho sub- ject of compulsory education. The right of the child to instruction in what arecommonly re- garded as the rudiments of an English education is maintained by strong, 1f not convincing, argu- ments. Tho duty of tne State to secure to him that right, ss against the ignoranco, bratality, or avarice of parents and guardians, is clearly maintained. It is oot only a moral duty the Btate sbould perforra to ths individual, but 1t is essential to the safety of the State itself. The Secretary gives an analysis of several laws of Massachusetts, passod during the year 18734, relating to differont departments of this subject. By an act approved May2 of that year, in regard to truants from school, it is provided that * each city and town shall make all needful provisions concerning habifual {ruants,” and absentees from school, and if need be they shall 1lso provide suitableplaces for theirconfinement, discipline, and instruction. Fines are notat- temptod, but the whole spirit of the law shows that it is intended to be reformatory. The truant is not to be treated as a criminal, nor is hetobe confined with thom. Ho is to be dis- ciplined simply to secarc his acquisition of valu- able knowledge. Two discreot porsons are to be appointed under the law as truant officers, with & suitable compensation, to take the im- mediate charge of tho casos arising under the law. Any minor wandering abont the streots in idleness and growing up in ignorance may be commtted toa reformatory institution fornot more than two years. Three or more cities or towns may unite in sustaining such reformatory institution. Other promsions of the law are devoted to the details necessary to give it efficlency. By another act, spproved May 13, 1873, it is provided that *every petson having undor his control a child between tho ages of 8 and 12 sears shall annually cause such child to attond some publio day-school in the city and town in which ho resides at loast twenty weeks ; and for every neglect of such duty the party offending shall forfoit to the use of the public schools of such city or town 2 sum Dot exceeding $20.” Exceptions are made in favor of children that are kent to approved private schools, or if abso- Into poverty or sickness prevent the requisite attendance. No objection can be mado to any school on account of its religious teachings. | It is made the duty of the truant officers to see to the oxecution of this law, and Justices and other officers are given jurisdiction in all ceses that may arise under the law. " Mr. White regrets that the sge up to which & child is required to have twenty months’ school- ing wes not left as in a formor law, at fourteon yoars. He thinks the child should be protected by the Btate thus far in life, for the reason that e cannot protect himself against the rapacity of unnatural parents and guardians, if such he is g0 unfortunato as to have. Massachusetts Is therefore engaged in testing tho merits of compulsory education. That they will be salutary there can be no doubtin the minds of thonghtfal men. Tho total number of children in the State between the ages of 5 and 15 years is 237,090. Average attendance, 202,882. Ratio, 70.67 per cent. So it seems thereis room for compulsory education even in Massa- chusetts. Tho largest ratio isin DBarnstable County, 75.69, and the smallest Berkshire, 63.11. Thoresults of compulsory education in Massa- chusetts should be carefully studied by the other States, and by the frionds of education gener- ally. EXEMPTION OF CHURCH-PROPERTY FROM TAXATION. Tbroughout the United Btates millions of dollars’ worth of ecclesiastical property escapos taxation. This is unjust. Itis unjust because it incresses the tax upon all other property. If & city’s rovenue has to be raised by the taxation of 100 pieces of real estate, and 10 of these are exempted, the remaining 90 must pay as much a8 the whole 100 would have paid. If the churches of Nllinois paid their rightful dues to the Btate, the people of Illinois would escape s good part of the prosent grinding taxation, A gentleman of this city pays $175 in city taxes upon his home, against §74 last yesr. A few doors from him there is & gigantio church, worth his house twenty times over. It does not appear in the Assessor's schedoles. Is this justice? “One of the principsl business streets in St. Lonis is owned almost wholly by one denomination. The buildings are now let on long Ieases. When theso oxpire, and the Church reassumes ownership, it cao rent its storesand offices at lower rates than any one elso, because it will have no taxes to pay upon them. It will thus Lave an unfair advantage over all other property- owners in St. Lounis. The exemption is wrong, again, becanse it amounts to a direct grant of money in aid of denominational institu- tions. Thus the State is lesgued with every Church, instead of with only one. Alliance with one, much more with all, is repugnant to the spirit of our Constitution. Itisnot the part of the State to foster religion. The Cathedral of St. Peter, Ebenezer Chapel, the Freo-Thinkers® Hall, and the Chinaman’s Joss-House should be to it on & par with each other and with all other taxable things. Let it tax Trojan and Tyrian alihe. Muscory enows that the cxemption of church-property from taxation is apt to result in the accumulation of g0 much of it that the State is finally forcoed to confiscate it, and 80 got its arrears in a Jump. England, Franco, Spain, Austris, Italy, and Mex- ico have done this. Tho lessons of the past in other countries are corroborated by those of the present in our own. Botween 1830 and 1870 the number of church-members in the United States did not double, but the value of church-property quadrupled. It was $87,832,801 in 1850, and $354,483,581 in 1870. At this rate of increase it would be, in 1890, over $1,400,000,000. e can- not afford to let such o mass of wealth escape tho taz-gatherer on the ples that it is used in promoting various forms of faith. 3fost sdvo- cates of taxing chureh-property make one curions oxcoption. They would not asscss ** property ab- solutely noedful for church purposes.” Whois to decido what is absolutely needful ? The true. principle is that everything that is protected by the State should pay for that protection. Church-property is protected. Thersfore lot it bo taxed. WHAT BEVEN WOMER HAVE DORE. Arecent English book, “Facts, non Verbs,” contains the history of the philanthropic labora of sevon English women. Itis full of interest, Dot only for ite facts, but for its inferences. Be- liovers and disbelievers in the enfranchisement of woman oan draw arguments from it. Iswill delight the former by proviog—to their satisfac- tion, at least—that women can plan and execute a6 well as men. It will convince the latter that the proper field for feminine energy is philan- thropy, not politics. The Athenceum says: “If the volume doos nothing elso, it at any rate gives us a now notion of bow much thers is for women to do, and how much & woman can do if she is in earnest about her work.” Miss Rye began her efforts a faw years ago. She had & capital of £750. Its lasting capacicy bas been as miraculous as that of the Widow Crase's 0il.” She has helped 178 governesees to emigrate to the British colonies, where theyhave all, mainly through ber offorts, found employ- ment. She has put 1,500 Englieh women into good places, a8 domestics, in Australia and New Zealand. Sho has personslly taken to Canada and plnced in respectable famities 1,200 children of the London strects. Nine-tenths of them are girls, ““ who, but for their benefactress’ ef- forts, were condemned inovitably to a life of tho lowest degradstion.” Miss Macpherson has done the same good work for 1,800 childran. Miss Chandler decided, some years since, to found a charity for the paralyzed. There was then no euch thing in London. She began by taking care of a poor paralyzed carpenter. As fast as she could, she assumed charge of mors paralytics, one by one. She has now opened a Hospital for Paralysis and Epilepsy in Queen's square, London. It isnot excelled by any of the same sort in the world. She has aleo established a Convalescent Hospital, which is doing great good. She has, moreover, secured the endowment of forty-eight permanent annuities for incurable paralytica and epileptics. She is now collecting & large amount of money to be applied in this same way. Misa Gilbert, & blind Iady, opened a blind- school in a Holborn cellar, for which she paid eighteen pence s week. She bas mow 1,000 pupils, whom she has tanght to support them- solves. Thoy maintain the inatitution that gives them & home, 8a education, and an occupation. Its maintenance costs £8,000 & year. Thia work of poor blind woman msay fairly be compared with any of tho marvels history records as wrought by blind men. Woadmire the sightless King of Bohemia, with his blazoned motto “Ich Dien,” for his dauntless ride to doath on the battle-fleld of Crecy ; but here is a blind woman who puts that motto into practice, and saves lito instead of destroyme it. Mrs. Hilton has built np o day-nursery st Rat- cliffo. Itisonoof the bestof its kind, and has sorvod a8 a model for many. Bliss Cooper bas opened and managed a combined club, reading- room, and lecture-course for costermongers. Misa Whately has organized great schools for Mo- hammedan children at Cairo. The author closcs his acconnt of the work these seven women havo dons in these words: *‘It may bo said that there are many others who would have furnished me with good types of tho philanthropic En- glishwoman, quite equal in the magnitude of their labors to those I have mentioned, but those whom I wish to take as my types are thoso who have had to fight their way up against diffi- culties, frequently themsolves in rostricted cir- cumstances, and not those whose position and wonlth render philanthropio efforts less oner- ous.” These great works aro tho fruit of parely fem- inine effort. They have been planned by women and wrought by women. Tho author of * Facta, non Verba” considers them s a proof fthat women can do better by thomselves, unfettored by conventual rule, than when organized in masses. Itis, ho says, a simple rule-of-thres sum. If Miss Rye and Miss Macpherson have cared for 8,000 children, fifty women ought to care for 75,000. What sisterhood, fifty strong, hasdone so ? Tho economy of the good work is another strong point. If thke London charities which are sopported by taxation wore mapaged sa well, the taxpayers of the city would save £500,000 vesrly. The fact is of moment here, in view of the damaging disclosurea Jamea Gordon Benuott has made in regard to the charitablo organizations of the East. Some of them pay €3 in salaries for every dollar spent in their nominal work. There is Bible Society in Virginis which is said fo spend $9in order to induce its self-denying agents to buy and distribute one dollar'a worth of Bibles, Thera are few moen who would be disposed, save for fear of establishing & precedent that might be abused, to deny the suffrage to the seven women whose work we have here outlined. There are fow who would wish to deny it to 3 feminine lawyer who had gained a suit for them, or a feminine doctor who had cured their wives when masculine skill bad proved vain. The moralis not hard to draw. American women will find that the franchise is to be gained by Jfacla, not verba,—deeds, not words. A NEW PORTRAIT OF SHAKSPEARE, Tho attempts of the Shakspearean critics to attribute to the bard certain personal defects are growing to ba very curious, and, if they are per- sisted in much longer, will make the great dramstist s fusus nature, quite as unique and remarkable as Caliban or Polyphemus. Cspell has made use of two of the sonnets to show that Bhakspoare was lame. He writes, in Son- net 37: 50T, made lame by fortunc's dearest spite, etc. And again, in Sonnet 89 : Speak of my lameness and T straight will halt, etc. No less than four eminent critics—Capell, Malone, Harness, and Thomss—havoe applied theso lines to a physical defect in Shakspeare's lega. Thus two of the sonnets make him lame. Onr readers will remomber that the Becker mask, over which Ar. Page, the artist, has made s0 much ado, represents Shakspearo as haviog an ugly gash over the left eyo, and, adopting this as the trath, he has painted & portrait which represents the poet with a scar across the fore- hesd. Thus far we have Shakspesre lame and scarred, which is sufficient of itself to give the impression that he may, at some period of his life, have indulged in a prize-fight. But if we go thus far, we may certainly go still farther. A correspondont of the American Bibliopolist improves upon the hints already fornished and quotes a line in Sonnot 90 : Join with the spite of fortune make me bow, It appears, then, that by *fortune’s dearest spite " he was & hunchback, and by ** fortune’s dearest spito” be limped. We have thus got far enough with the picturo to know that Shakspeare waa lame, scarred, and hunchbacked, bearing, in fact, & very close resemblance to his own Richard II. But wecan go yot farther. The picture is by no mesns complete. In Sonnet 15, he says : That this huge state presenteth nougat but shows. This evidently indicatos that Shakspeare not only was large, but was monstrously large and fat, or he would never have used the adjective “huge.” Bo we have Shakspeare lame, and gcarred, and hunchbacked, and monstrously fat. In Sonnet 27, he writes : Bave that my soul's imaginary sight Presents thy shsdow to my sightless view. 1t his view was sightloss, of course the poor creature was blind. Lame, scarred, hunchback- ed, monstrously fat, and blind! That all this might have beon truo is confirmed by two lines in Soonot 29 : When in disgrace with fortuns and men's eyes Yall slono beweep my outcast tato. Thoze lines also conve & suspicion that be may have been a pariah, o beggar, ors tramp. A line in Sonnet 34 confirms the suspicion : To dry tho rain on my storm-beaten face. Thus far we have satisfactorily established the divine William to have been lame, scarred, hunchbacked, monstrously fat, blind, and a common tramp, with a storm-beaten face, which of course would give him & vory rusty com- plexion, somewhat resembling an old picce of parchment. But there are other tonches to this Tovelv picturo. In Sonnet 44, ho writes: 1t the dull substancs of my flesh were thought, What elso can “dull substance” mesn than slowness, grossnces, and laziness? The saddest is yot to come. In Sonnet 83, ho says: This silence for my sin you did impute Which shall be most my glory, being dumb Thisis pointblank, categorical evidence that Bhakspoare was not only blind, bat also speech- less. InSonnct110, he says: Alan1 ’tis true, T have gone here and there And made myself & motley to the view. This shows unmistakably that he was a clown. In Sonnet 111, he writes: Whilat, like a willing patient, Twill drink Potions of gysell, 'galast my strong infoction. Any pbysician will inform us that bilious peo- ple cravo acids, and, if Shakspeare was in the habit of drinking *‘ eysell,” which is vinegar, it shows that he must have been extremely bilious. In Boonet 147, he says: Past cure I am, now reason Is past cure And frantic mad, with evermore unrest. This 2dds the finishing touch to the sad pic- ture, and presents the gentle Buakspeare to our view as & limping, scarred, hunchbacked, bilious, monstrously fat, blind, rusty-~complexioned, groee, lazy, dumb, and inssneclown! And. if all this can bs poseible, then indeed was Cali, the *freckled whelp, not honored with g j.” shape,” a thing of besuty and s Joy forer, compared with Shakspeare. —— 'WOMER AS PREACHERS, There is a poseibility of moro work shegg 4 tho Pattons of Presbyierianism. Prof. py x 85 will ba remembored, won his first polegiey Iaurels in his contest with Dr. Cuyler, whoby sllored the eminent 0d good Quakerass, iy Smiley, to preach in hispulpit. Ho ronteq g Doctor, and vanquished the Iady. Inhiy et bout, however, he tackled & man, and got yor, od. Now the question has been sprusg gy, the Genersl Assembly at St Louls, comigg gy the shape of an overture from the Eock g (TL) Presbytery, desiriag o know if Pauly 14y guago concorning the preaching and praying o women in publio should be interprated litery, and whether it applion to the Praying of wor,, at the weskly prayor-meetings. Dr. Hopy Crosby, of New York, a very radial Pregy, terian, whose views have been much commentey on of late in the Church, was in favor of gy, atfrmative. Judge Draks, the represeattin Calvin, was opposed. Dr. Aikman thosght 5, men shonld neither preach nor Pray in pobf and Dr. Blain thought they should; nd thes gy discuesion went on, pro and con, unti it fisy, ened to disturb the newly-cemented union of two bodies, whon it was relegated to o mittee. The Persian poet Saadi eaid woman wasst b, bottom of everything. The discussion on tzy question partially confirms tho truth of tuy Oriental poet, and, before the General Auug. bly gets through with the guestion, they sig find that woman i8 not only at the bottom of s Church, but tht sho g0 thoroughly perndas, and is so closely interwoven with it, and thattiy succoss of the Chureh is so'dependent upo ber, that they cannot evade the issue, It iaaqus tion which the Assembly should seriously eqa. sider, How long the Church svould exist withent women? The men go to General Assemblin, Ssnods, and Prasbyteries ; attendbusinessmes. inga of the Church, and wrangle ; go to religiony services, and sleep ; pay pew-rent, and grumhls at it. But woman goes to the prajer. mestings; looks after the religions eds. cation of youth ; cheors the minister; composs the large majority of church attendsncs; keeps up the music; p:fcviflu for theworksof chasiiy; manages tho Sabbath-school; snd does thework without which the Church wonld becomes fina- clally and epiritually insolvent. If women, the, are expected to do the real work of & Church and bear the heat and burden of the day; if they aro good enough and smart enough to provids means for paying for the mausic, for fumishing the church, for devising ways to mest ita current expenses, for consoling and sustsin- ing the minister, for keeping up the religionsiz. terest,—why are they not good enough to prexch and pray, if they aro so disposed and havaths requisite talent? No one will deny that the public prayer of & truly good woman has mars effect than the prayers of adozen men. Thme is no reason to suppose that the sermons ol ‘women would be less effective. Religioniscat athing of the bead, but of the heart. Itdoes not appeal to the resson, but fo fifh hopo, and the emotional in humm m ture. Woman is peculiarly full of failh, hopeful, and emotional, and is, therafors, better fitted by mature for advocating the clsim of religion than man. There is scarcely & Presby- ter in this Goneral Assembly who is not in favor of women doing crusade work. and praying fn saloons, on sidewalks, street-corners, and othet public places. If thoy are roady to ssddle sach work upon them, why in the name of all thatis ressonable shall they not prayand presch In church ? Daut, say tho sapient Presbyters, Paal has forbidden it. It is not irroverent to say thst Paul s no more to do with it than Gen. Grant. And, if he has, Paul's admonitions spply with equal forcs to the crusading operations. Ttmay be that the Presbytery is disturbed by the pros pect that, if women go {0 proaching, they msy take a large part of the business out of the hands of men. Baut, if they can do tho work betie than men, then it is for the intorest of religioa $hat they be allowed to do it, and the intereits of religion are paramount to the interests of tk¢ CEH minietors. ' The Staats-Zeilung of yesterdsyhad s lesdet on * Secchi and Terry.” Secclt is a Bomu Catholic priest, and one of the greatest astroto- mors of the age. Father Terryis a Catholi priest, and not ono of the greatest astron omert of the age. The Sants-Zeilung connects their names in this manner because both are Catho- lics and still shars in the culture of thesgs There is, however, a vast differonce betwsen tbé twomen. Secchi, spite of bis great eminence & a scientist, has never takon issue with it Church on the interpretation of Genesis, -Lik Proctor and Mivart, in England, o ia strictly orthodox, and finds a way, eatisfactory to hiz- self, asa Catholic, to reconcile all discrepsacies between Astronomy and Genesia. Father Terry is not an astronomer, in which he differs {ro0 Secchi, and rojects the interprotation of Genesis received and tanght by his Charch—in which be differs from Secchi again. If Secchi gaventter- ance to the views expressed by Terry, thoy would find an echo outside of the limita of the Catho- lic Young Mon's Library Associsticn. 1t is atrange that anything eaid by Father Ter- ry in hus loctaro shouid excite the wonder of 4oy one able to read in this pineteenth centurT. Thers was nothing said by bim which others ksd not waid thousands of times before him. Origio- ality, thers was none in his discourse. It wasthe place in which the sentiments were attered, sod the soures from which they came, not the ntar- ances themselves, which produced the sensation. The relations of the Duchess of Edinburgh to the Roya! Family begin to grow iateresting. Her non-appearance at the last drawing-room of tke Queen was explained in tho next morning’s Lou- don Times by the announcement of an eves calenlated to bring particular joy to the Duks of Edinburgh and corresponding, pleasare to the people of England. Unfortunately it did nob bring any joy to the Duke; on the other han he publicly stated that be was not responrible for its publication. The question then ars® Who did aathorize its pablication? Publio opia- iou Isys the blame upon the Queen, aod, 8s b Queen does not deny it, she in regarded a3 the author. The Duke of Edinburgh Laa flared P about it. The Prince of Wales is very mad sls9 and altogether thero is o prospect of &.¥er7 bandsoma family row. If the Czar, who s 18 London, thinks anything about it, be keeps bis counsel; but, considering his well-nowa tex per, it is not improbable that he will make b far fly when he geta home to St. Petersburg. A34 all bacauso the Duchess can't sit so farop Lh‘fl tablo as some other folks! These royal Peop* are very hard to pleaso. —— e One of tho laws passed during the present 83 sion of Congress is ‘“an mct to suthorize. the President Lo accept for citizens of the Unit States the jarisdiction of certain tribunals i3 the Ottoman dominions and Egypt, established or to ba established under the suthority of 18 Sabiime Porte and of the Government of EgYPt- Hitherto. the Consular courts have had excls- sive juriadiction, civil and criminal, over the §ab- Jocts of their own nations, Tho preseot 1a¥ Zrows out of the rovosition of the Kbedirs of it T M S P S S T AL AL L 5 AT e e T T TP ST £ 351 1 7 e e <