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Show SARCASM DOES IT. Not long ago (to be explicit it was the last anniversary an-niversary of the Gunpowder Plot) some people in England raised their voices against the old-time ceremony of hunting for Papists in the parliamentary parlia-mentary buildings at London. This amusing fiction fic-tion was carried out by lackeys m the king's service pretending to find Catholics concealed under floors and in places -that a cat could not find room. The British sense of the ludicrous is subordinate subordi-nate to its veneration of law and custom. " Denunciation De-nunciation had no effect, besides such hurt the feel- ! " ings of old Queen Victoria. Then "Punch" got after the humbug, and somebody else took it up in rhyme, King Edward came to the throne. The law creating and observing the annual ceremony of hunting Papists and searching for gunpowder Mas repealed. The lords were laughed into doing, it. Sarcasm was effective where denunciation failed. - - - There is an ancient law in Russia which court-martials court-martials an officer for surrendering a fortress to the enemy, no matter how acute the sufferings of the besieged, no matter how grave the folly of remaining re-maining until the last man is shot. General Stoes-sel Stoes-sel will have to come home and stand courtmartial for surrendering the fortress of Port Arthur. The ancient law is to be carried out, just as the English for centuries carried on the monkey game of hunting hunt-ing Papists .on the anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot. Nobody expects General Stoessel will be punished. Everybody has reason to expect that he will be received with open arms and probably decorated dec-orated by the Czar,' But there is that, old Russian law, and Russia does not laugh absurdities out of court. The czar, and he- alone, can blot it out, or hang the laughers. Will ho wipe out this, absurd decree of Peter and Catherine and stand-upon the common sense of his people? We think he will. After all, the courtmartial is only horse play, but the people are in no mood for such. They bitterly resent the law, and the announcement that General Stoessel could be made to feel its penalty comes with the same bulletin containing the hero's appeal to the czar for "lenient judgment on a garrison reduced to such straits, soldiers ' vhohad done all possible to uphold the honor of Russia in the face of her enemies.", The Novoe Vremya is a Russian newspaper published at St. Petersburg. The cunning of the Russian tongue is best observed in sarcasm. This is what the Russian editor said, and it may be the last lines he will write this side of hell or Siberia: "B.vvill nVan leti.us have a courtmartial and make it, if possible,- severe. The crUel jude will, ' perhaps, deal leniently with those who have given their blood and lives for their country. Perhaps tho court will bring to light many dark, hidden things' and expose the creeping, underground cue- i j mies of Russia, who are infinitely more dangerous to the nation than a foe who fights in the open." I If that doesn't touch the spot, then the czar is a I fool instead of a despot. i - |
