August 24, 1891
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Dec. IS, 19 € 3]0 . . - ~-~~ - - inhuman as to take the risks they did take maliciously. Yet it is not at all impossible for Just such hoax to Cause destruction of life and Property. SUP- pose that another- vessel had actually been on fire or in distress, and sending out wireless calls for help. These calls might have falled to reach the vessels racing towards the Rio Grande, owing to theirgettmgout of range of the mes. sages; or they might have believed their first duty to be on behalf of the steamer first summoning their aid. Indeed, the calls sent out as a hoax would be likely to picture an especially dangerous con . dition, such as to lead vessel to turn its course inthe direction of the ship I that did not require help rather than in the direction of the one that did. least that the Government can do is to make the thorough investigation that is promised; butsurely no one ‘%perating ,the wireless “for fun” will Indulge in pranks of this sort, if once realizes the peril in which he may be placing whole shiploads of human beings. Members of society saw themselves in moving-pictureslastnightandenjoyed the novelty immensely. Robert Burns’s famous prayer has been answered. The gift has been given us to see ourselves as others see us. If soci- ety has enjoyed the revelation, it is to be congratulated. It is not always that the sight of one’s own unfamiliar profile or the sound of one’s unfamiliar voice is conducive to satisfaction. The motion film, in conymction with the graph, thus directed to self-study, can be made of enormous educational value and factor for the increase of human happiness. Take the after-dinner speak. er. A cinematograph presentation of himself, erect above rows of heads bent in submission, reinforced by phono. graphic reproduction of himskf stagger, ing on through a Serbonian bog of plati, tudesand imbecilities, would make an extraordinary impression in the cold light of the morning after. The swelling tide of oratory will experience a remark. able subsidence when a speaker begin2 wondering whethw he really been so big an idiot. as he looks and sounds. Said Mr. Taft the other night with re gard to Mexico: ,. - All that those of us are not in the Government can do is to support the hand: :of the President and the Secretary of St&c :The Nation and to present to the European and the world a solid front, with the prayer that the policy whlch 1s being pursued, whatever it may be, will be a successful one and relieve us fromtheawfulburden of such a war as I have descrlbed. One can only contrast the manly tone of this plea for calm and conscience in the face of a great emergcncy wlth the par- tisan outcry from Progresslve quarters against President Wilson’s “do-nothing” policy: Repeatedly we have been asked to consider how the Mexican question would have been settled in jiffy if af- fairs were in the hands of some one who shall here be nameless, but who is now the way from Paraguay into the Amazon forest. Just what would have been done to settle theMexican difficulty off-hand, we are not told. Apparently, Interest lies less in the point that some- thing mould be done by this nameIess statesman than that there would be something doing. The defeat of the rebels at Tam- pic0 emphasizes the obstinacy of the present struggle- as compared with the two prevlous campaigns, since the out- break of clvil war in Mexico. It was in November, 1910, that the forces of Fran- cisco Madero began operations. By May of the following year President Diaz had abdicated and Madero made his en- trance into the ‘capital. The counter- revolutionheaded by Orozco came into bemg in February, 1912, and met dis- comfiture in about half a year, the Felix Diaz at Vera Cruz in October be- ing in the nature of an isolated demon- stration. The present campaign against Huerta began in March and has now been nearly ten months under way, al- though it is only within the last three months that the rebel offensive has as- sumed considerable proportions. It is notable also that the fate of Porfirio Diaz was decided in the northern States. This was true of the revolution head- ed by Orozco. whose downfall came Torreon. Thepresent fighting is much more obstinate. The Constitutionalists have pressed closer to the capital than in the two earller uprisings, and have felt themselves strong enough to under- take an assault on a sea-coast town. But Huerta, though yore closely pressed than either of h i s predecessors in office, is fighting back valiantly. To describe the actlon of the British Trade-Uniod Congress, in reJecting by heavy vote the proposal of a general sympathetic strike ~n support of the Dublin workers, as blow at “Larkin- ism,” would be hasty. Thereby the meaning is conveyed that Larkinism is a species of blatant demagoguery, a campaign for personalaggrandizement, without justiEcation in the facts of life and labor in the Irish capital. The truth is that Larkin’s is a passionate and pos- slbly unrestrained voice, which neqer- theless the conscience of the British na- tion at large has recognized as volce crying out against the well-nigh intoler- able conditions to which the working class of Dublin is subjected. In voting down Larkin the man wrath, the Brit- ish trade-unionists have simply declared that the spirit of wrath is not the state of mind in which to carry on a success- ful campaign of any kind, and especially so formidable movement as a general . strike. British labor in recent years has had experience with general strikes more or less complete, and has discov- ered, as labor all over the world has discovered, that the general strike is a weapon notlightly to be broughtinto Play. Viceroy Hardinge’s recent speech at Madras defending the Hindus in’ South Africa contains some statements so straightforward that it is not strange much of the English press characterized it gra.ve Indiscretion.He spoke of the Hindus’ “passive resistance” to laws which they regarded as invidious and unjust. “They have the deep and burning sympathy of Thdia, and also of those who, llke myself, without being Inaians, sympathize with the people of the country.” And the Viceroy went on to mentlon reports of repressive mea- sures “whlch would not be tolerated for a moment inanycountry claiming to be civlhzed,” adding that these reports had been imperfectly denled by the Gov- ernment of South Africa. Such a speech was certainly not calculated to allay feeling, but there is no doubt of the Viceroy’s sincerity. he could display such heat, it is evident that native sen- timent 1s acute indeed. When news of the speech was received in South Africa, Gen. Botha replie’d with much resent- ment, challenging Lord Hardinge to bring any alleged cruelties under inves- tigation. Thus the Empire has the spec- tacle of not merely two & its peoples, but two of its Governments, at odds.
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Transcript of August 24, 1891
Dec.IS, 19!3]0 . . -~-~~ - - ~ inhumanasto take the risks theydid takemaliciously.Yetitisnotat all impossiblef orJustsuchhoax t o Cause destructionoflifeandProperty.SUP- posethatanother-vesselhadactually beenonfireorindistress,and sending outwirelesscallsforhelp.Thesecalls might havefalledto reach thevessels racingtowardsthe Rio Grande,owingt otheir gettmg outofrangeofthemes. sages;o rtheymighthave believedtheir firstdutyt o beon behalfofthe steamer firstsummoningtheiraid.Indeed,the callssentoutas ahoaxwouldbelikely t opicturean especiallydangerouscon .dition,such as toleadvesselt oturn itscoursein thedirectionoftheship Ithatdidnot requirehelprather thanin thedirectionoftheonethatdid. least that theGovernment candoist omake thethorough investigationthatis promised;butsurelynoone %perating ,thewirelessforfunwillIndulgein pranksofthis sort,ifoncerealizes t heperilinwhichhemaybeplacing whole shiploadsofhuman beings. Membersofsocietysawthemselvesin moving-pictureslastnightandenjoyedthe novelty immensely. RobertBurnssfamousprayerhasbeen answered. Thegift hasbeengiven us t oseeourselvesasothersseeus.Ifsoci- etyhas enjoyed the revelation,it is t obe congratulated.It is not alwaysthat the sightofones ownunfamiliarprofileor thesoundofonesunfamiliarvoiceis conducivetosatisfaction.Themotion film,i nconymctionwiththe graph,thusdirectedt o self-study,can bemadeofenormous educationalvalue andfactorf o r the increaseofhuman happiness.Take the after-dinnerspeak. er.Acinematographpresentationofhimself,erectaboverowsofheadsbent insubmission,reinforcedbyphono. graphicreproductionofhimskfstagger, ing on througha Serbonianbog ofplati, tudesandimbecilities,wouldmakean extraordinaryimpressioninthecold light ofthemorningafter.Theswelling tide oforatory willexperience a remark. ablesubsidencewhenaspeakerbegin2 wonderingwhethwhereally beensobiganidiot.ashelooksand sounds. Said Mr. Tafttheothernightwith re gard t o Mexico: ,. -Allthatthoseofusar enotinthe Government candois t o supportthehand: :ofthe President and the SecretaryofSt&c :TheNat i on andtopresenttotheEuropeanand theworldasolidfront,withtheprayer thatthepolicywhlch1sbeingpursued, whateveritmaybe,willbeasuccessful oneandrelieveusfromtheawfulburden ofsuch a warasI have descrlbed. Onecanonly contrastthe manlytoneof thispleaforcalmandconscienceinthe faceofa greatemergcncywlththepar- tisanoutcryfromProgresslvequarters against PresidentWilsonsdo-nothing policy:Repeatedlywehavebeenasked t oconsiderhowtheMexicanquestion wouldhavebeensettledi njiffyifaf- fairs were in thehands ofsome one who shall herebenameless,butwhoisnow thewayfromParaguayintothe Amazonforest.Justwhatwouldhave been done t o settletheMexican difficulty off-hand,wearenottold.Apparently, Interestlieslessinthepointthat some- thingmouldbedonebythisnameIess statesmanthanthattherewouldbe somethingdoing. ThedefeatoftherebelsatTam- pic0emphasizestheobstinacyofthe present struggle-ascomparedwith the twoprevlouscampaigns,sincetheout- breakofclvilwar inMexico.It was in November, 1910,thatthe forcesofFran- ciscoMadero beganoperations. ByMay ofthe following yearPresident Diaz had abdicatedandMaderomadehisen- tranceintothecapital.Thecounter- revolutionheadedbyOrozcocameinto bemginFebruary,1912,andmetdis- comfiturei n about halfayear,theFelix Diazat VeraCruzinOctoberbe- ing in the natureofan isolateddemon- stration. The presentcampaignagainst Huertabegani nMarchandhasnow beennearly ten months underway,al- thoughitisonlywithin the last three monthsthattherebeloffensivehasas- sumedconsiderableproportions.Itis notablealsothatthefateofPorfirio Diaz was decided in thenorthernStates. Thiswastrueoftherevolutionhead- edbyOrozco.whosedownfallcame Torreon.Thepresentfightingismuch moreobstinate.TheConstitutionalists have pressedcloserto the capital than inthetwoearlleruprisings,andhave feltthemselvesstrong enoughtounder- takean assaulton a sea-coast town.But Huerta,thoughyor ecloselypressed thaneitherofhi spredecessorsinoffice, is fightingbackvaliantly. Todescribethe actlonofthe British Trade-UniodCongress,in reJectingby heavyvotetheproposalofageneral sympatheticstrike~nsupportofthe Dublinworkers,asblowatLarkin- ism,wouldbehasty.Therebythe meaningisconveyedthatLarkinismis aspeciesofblatantdemagoguery,a campaignforpersonalaggrandizement, withoutjustiEcationin the factsoflife and laborin theIrish capital.Thetruth isthatLarkinsis a passionateand pos- slblyunrestrainedvoice,whichneqer- thelessthe conscienceoftheBritishna- tionatlargehas recognizedasvolce cryingoutagainstthewell-nighintoler- ableconditionst owhichtheworking classofDublinissubjected.I n voting down Larkinthemanwrath,theBrit- ishtrade-unionistshave simplydeclared thatthespiritofwrathisnotthestate ofmindin whicht o carryona success- ful campaignofanykind,and especially soformidablemovementasageneral. strike. Britishlaborin recentyears has hadexperiencewithgeneralstrikes moreorlesscomplete,andhas discov- ered,aslaborallovertheworldhas discovered,that the general strikeisa weaponnotlightlyt o bebroughtinto Play. ViceroyHardingesrecentspeechat Madras defendingthe Hindus in South Africacontainssomestatementsso straightforwardthatitisnotstrange muchoftheEnglishpress characterized itgra.ve Indiscretion.Hespokeof theHinduspassiveresistanceto lawswhichtheyregardedasinvidious andunjust.Theyhavethedeepand burning sympathyofThdia,andalsoof thosewho,llkemyself,withoutbeing Inaians,sympathizewith thepeopleof thecountry.Andthe Viceroy wenton t omentlonreportsofrepressivemea- sureswhlch wouldnotbetolerated for amomentinanycountryclaimingto becivlhzed,adding that these reports hadbeenimperfectlydenledbytheGov- ernment ofSouth Africa.Sucha speech wascertainlynotcalculatedtoallay feeling,butthereisnodoubtofthe Viceroyssincerity.hecoulddisplay suchheat,itisevidentthat nativesen- timent1sacuteindeed.Whennewsof the speech was receivedinSouth Africa, Gen.Botharepliedwithmuchresent- ment,challengingLordHardingeto bring anyallegedcruelties underinves- tigation. Thus the Empire has thespec- tacleofnotmerelytwo&itspeoples, buttwoofits Governments, atodds.
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