Show CURRENT TOPICS AN IN EUROPE the italians have often been called superstitious and the nu number in of reputed holy hold places which thia the traveler finds in the city of rome borne rather tends to prove this assertion yet now and then we see an incident which leads us to ask if it if is not true that americans do not ert er in the opposite direction As is well viell known that strange medley of cowboys and indians known aa a buffalo bills wild west show has hag during the winter been exhibiting the fantastic side of rocky mountain life to the inhabitants of southern italy in the gay city of naples the wild west has been a great attraction and the I 1 indians themselves it is said felt an unusual interest in the picturesque and gay colored costume of the half moorish inhabitants of naples now as the spring is approaching it is proposed tur tor exhibit the wild west for a few weeks in the city of rome borne in connection with this idea mr cody better known as Bu buffalo fralo bill has made application for the privilege of exhibiting in the ruins of the coliseum to this proposal the italian government object it is not that the exhibition would in tiny way damage the hoary old ruin that thoA stands as a silent reminder of the grandeur the wealth and the cruelty of ancient imperial rome it is not dot that the war dance of north american savages or the rade yells or of the cowboys would be any harsher than the plaudits pl audits of the roman multitude when the blood of such gladiators as spartacus dampened the Coli coliseum arena in day davs kofold go of fold old it is not that the scene is it too tame when the wild west show represents an overland stage attacked by indians there are other considerations that have doubtless prompted the italians to decline mr codys clodys application it was this same coliseums Coli arena that was dampened by the blood of christian martyrs same old walte lla re sounded with the shouts of th atie frenzied pagan multitude when thousands of ot christian Chriatian men women and children were torn in pieces by famished dlan lions here it was that mystery baby too the mother of harlots 11 was wa drunk with the blood of the saints ficat at length the apostolic church banished from the earth and an other dofher church a hideous hybrid of heathenism and au superstition rotation roti tion had risen in its stead les yes it is well that the hoary old ruin should remain in solitude not dot desecrated by the frivolities of the wild west show better far that sentinels should guard this old ruin the as it were of early by the way it strange that british and americans are the most addicted of all people to the vice of relic stealing french germans and italians have generally a passion for scribbling their names on every oll oil monument they come to but they seldom carry anything away as aft a relic on the other oth r hand the sentinels of italy have to keeps keep a sharp harp eye on anglo saxon tourists only the other day an aumerl can lady was by the american consul at naples to view some recent excavations at pompeii and while there wo waa caught in the act of taking and secreting a little bronze cupid that had just been excavated scarcely two months ago an englishman at verona was viewing what was said to be the tomb of Shake juliet it so happle happened fied that this eug eng ih traveler trav fler was waa the only person except the guide so after viewing the grotto and its contents for some time he offered the guide a ten franc 2 bill from which to take his fee the guide was thus compelled to go away to get change and while he be was away this vandal drew out a little hammer and quickly broke offa off a fragment of rock weighing nearly three kilograms kilo grames 6 pounds luckily the custodian was a little too sharp and compelled the return of the coveted spoil numbers of anglo saxon travelers carry little hammers with them for obvious reasons the late convention of railroad magnates in rome to arrange the rates of travel during the comin coming season has revealed the fact that t at more than four million dollars were paid to italian railways for round trip tickets and more than one hundred hu dred thousand tourists visited rome during 1889 during duriac last week antonio antonie died at venice though educated for an advocate will be best remembered as the promoter of venetian art especially the manufacture of venetian glass as every schoolboy will remember has long been noted for her manufactures in glass but it was not till about 1453 when the turks captured constantinople that venice profiting by the greek refugees arose to eminence as the fabricator of ornamental glass an ancient times byzantium afterwards ter wards called constantinople exported vast quantities of enamels 9 mock pearls and glass gems to I 1 egypt abyssinia and persia but it was not till after the capture of constantinople by the turks that venetian glass workers were able to produce in perfection the vases ewers cLande chandeliers liers lusters goblets alwer flower stam la tables and even bedsteads of fantastic forms and a nd varied hues which take especial rank as venetian glass f specimens of which may be seen at the Salvi emporium in st james street london inthe sixteenth century the various glass glas works of venice were gradually all removed to or collected on the island of murano and about this time was invented that beautiful filigree work a device by which the white or transparent glass was covered with a network of glass of divers colors this invention brought both fame and envy to venice to en courage her inventors the venetian government caused a book to be made with leaves otreal of real gold in which the names catnes of all master workers were inscribed and are stil carefully preserved provided always that thai they were ever true to their country cou and never carried the art to other lands in 1573 king henry lit of france visit visited hd 1 venice and granted french titles of nobility to the leading artists artiste in glass the french minister colbert induced some venetian glass workers to leave their country and go to prance france they were granted patents of nobility and only received as apprentices apprentice i the sons of noble families in french viktory vig tory the title of gentil homme gentleman glass blower is as respectable as that of count the great poet moliere th taj lord byron of prance france belonged belong red claw class of nobility those who have stood in venice on the plade place st sf mare marc and looked down the long perspective towards the sevenfold gates and glowing domes of the cathedral the mosaics glittering in the sunshine with glorious prismatic hues will ever forget that scene under austrian rule venetian art dwindled it was to restore it to its former excellence that lived and tolled toiled prince Bis marcks resignation as minister of commerce and its possible consequences are still the almost exclusive theme of discussion in berlin and indeed in many parts of the continent to suppose that prince Bis marcks retirement from frem the ministry of commerce involves no modification of policy is a mistake for the contrary is the case the semiofficial semi official papers are unquestionably cor correct in stating that there is entire harmony between the emperor and the chancellor in reference to the lat resignation the chancellor has only chosen the most favor favorable rable moment for resigning the fact I 1 is public opinion i on has haa undergone a great change in germany during the last few years and the emperor in his through the empire must have seen that many of the leading minds of germany were in opposition to prince Bis Bisi marcks commercial policy it was noticed a few montas months ago that the emperors speeches had changed in tone the downright rebuff that prince Bis marcks policy received from the reichstag on the bill has no doubt had its influence the prince manifesto his displeasure by resigning the lesser office while he still retains the portfolio PO of minister of state no doubt the german reichstag in its rejection of the anti socialist bill has shown a wise consideration for the principles of constitutional liberty and a remarkable courage and freedom from prejudice in vindicating di those principles the circumstances cum stances were not favorable to this denouement the reichstag has registered its verdict meanwhile each member must have felt that he was taking his bis fete fate ju in his own bans ban Js on the eve of a general election it has been called upon to decide a question supported by prince bismarck anti and endorsed by the chief men of the nation etwas it was impossible however not to recognize that the bill aimed a serious blow at the liberty of the subject and would place in ill the hands bands of prince orifice bismarck and hits his successors an all immense persecuting power the reichstag saw this and to its honor refused to wink atit at it with every personal inducement to follow the gowern government ment it threw out the bill by ra an overwhelming majority the preparations for the general election ire are now DOW in full swing owing and the cry of the down wit with the democrats like many another election cr this is delusive the issue before the electors was put very plainly and dd with chivalric fairness in forcible speech of prince zu Scho naich last saturday the actors ec tors are now practically called upon to choose between fairplay for german progressive thought on one lone hand and the grasping place hunting aristocracy on the other democracy is a form of idealism which can contribute its quota to the forces of national progress and to shut its mouth is to establish a dangerous precedent a dangerous limitation on the rights of the people but the peril is 18 not dot confined to the curtailment of personal liberty it also involves a degradation of political Piti call ideals men mein who are no DO longer permitted to labor for their country count rys Is good according to t the bedic dictates of their conscience cons clence become a dangerous element in society the government cannot afford to treat its subjects harshly to lose the moral force and energy of so many of its ito people the opening of the british parliament does not seem to attract that attention which one might expect owing likely to the fact that no do dominant issue will come before it peace still stands guard all over the continent a heavy sword by her side and ponderous armor ocher on her limbs avery year adds to the national burdens and develops international apprehension of the dread results the british portuguese imbroglio em broglio seems to be in a fair way of settlement by arbitration lord salisbury howe however has been ablerto able to distract public attention from the faults fault of g his is administration by alleged outrages on the british flag some where in the heart of africa by posing himself as the brave defender of british interests salisbury has renewed his bis lease of power tn in fact there are those who claim that political capital was made of the gordon celebration in trafalgar square on the of january As all will remember gordon was killed at khartoum Jan and in 1888 a splendid statue of him was unveiled in trafalgar square the late pilgrimage to the shrine of the lamented gen gordon was not necessarily politic albut the speeches that were made pla pia aly intimated that if a salisbury ministry had then held power gordon would not have died J H WARD EUROPE fe feb b 3rd ard 1890 |