4
Election Bonfires
H O U S A N D S of years ago, when
barbarian man lived in a more
precarious way than now and
knew nothing of the teachings of science,
he peopled the earth, sea and sky with
demons who were able and willing to do
him harm. They would prevent the dis
covery of game, they would bring destruc
tive storms and droughts, they would keep
the fish from his net, they wou'd bring
diseases upon himself or his cattle. What
could he do to prevent their anger and
secure their good w ill? His first thought,
naturally, was that of bribery. He would
give the god something to be let alone,
something more if the god would show
actual favor. How he hit upon the de
vice of burning his offerings to the gods,
who never deigned to appear in person to
accent his gifts, cannot certainly be said,
but there are a number of possible ex
planations. The most probable is that the
utter destruction of the article offered im
plied giving it a spiritual quality like the
soul of the dead. Numerous articles of
food or use were burned or buried with
the distinguished dead for use on their
long journey, showing a belief that the
most material things nad a spiritual rep
lica. In other cases there was a belief
T
Just Between You
and the Editor
that the meat went up to the Rod in the
form of smoke, that the god smelled a
sweet savor and was vastly pleased with
the gift and the giver. Possibly at first
the sacrifice by fire was to some terrible
fire-god only and afterward spread to
other deities. At any rate, it was always
the favored mode of sacrifice.
The hunter, when he had made his kill,
would express his gratitude by giving the
god a little of the meat. The herdsman,
when lie slaughtered, would make an of
fering in like manner. Then, upon any
occasion of special undertaking, rejoicing
or danger, there would be sacrifice offered,
an animal being slaughtered for the pur
pose. But even then those undertaking
the sacrifice thought that the god might
well spare them a little of the meat and
gradually it came about that when solemn
sacrifice was offered the makers took all
the best cuts and the gods got what was
left. Finally, a few bones and perhaps a
little fat and the entrails constituted the
meal served up to the gods. The rest
went to the devout worshippers.
This liberality of the faithful in bestow
ing bones upon the gods while eating the
meat themselves could not fail to attract
the attention of tile irreverent, \ ho have
had their existence in every age, and the
sacrificial fires were named bone-fires
when out of hearing of the priests.
A fter the introduction of Christianity
sacrifices fell into disuse, but the features
which gave them popularity still survived.
The political barbecue, with its ox sacri
ficed, roasted and eaten, is a lineal
descendant of the old sacrificai feast. At
certain seasons i r ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ jc ^ a n d and
a few places i
to the
present day fires are lit in commemora
tion of the ancient sacrificial fires lit with
great ceremony at those very seasons.
Now the only relics of the ancient cus
toms are to be found only in the fire it
self at the same season as of old ; in the
fact that everybody engaged in keeping,
Barbarism’s Last
up the custom understands that it is es
sential that there should be a bone in the
fire, though they do not know w hy; and
finally, in the name which they give, that
is, bon-fire. It is the bone-fire, neither
more nor less, o f the days of ancient sac
rifice.
Victory over enemies, in those early
days, was always followed by sacrifice and
to this day the tendency to thus celebrate
remains. The sacrificial gift no longer is
cast into the llames, but still the victors
gather round the fire as did their ances
tors thousands of years a g o ; and the name
bonfire still remains. In New York and
perhaps other cities the custom has de
generated into a nuisance, in which there
is no thought of celebration of victory.
The small hoys simply think that election
night is the time to start bonfires. So,
without a mention of politics, these little
rascals work together, appropriating and
stealing boxes, barrels, etc., and as soon
as the sun has set on election night thou
sands of fires are lighted, the asphalt pave
ments are damaged to tile extent of thou
sands of dollars and the fire department is
kcjlt busy looltrng after buildings endan
gered or actually burning. Such is the
perversion of custom which ignorance
brings.
Stand
Written expressly for this Magazine
H O S E readers of this magazine
who went to school in the ’sev
enties may remember the classifi
cation of peoples into the sweeping cate
gories of civilized, half-civilized and sav
age. In the first category were placed all
people of European race, wherever found.
In the second were placed all Asiatic and
North African people, while the negro
population of Africa, the American In
dians with a few exceptions, and a ma
jority of the Malay race were roundly
set down as savage.
Profound indeed has been the change
which thirty years have wrought. The
old classification no longer can be consid
ered. Barbarism is being swept from the
face of the earth. In another thirty years
every land will be civilized in the sense
that was understood thirty years ago. The
savage races, instead of undergoing the
slow process of semi-civilization, pass at
once to civilization. For a time, of course,
there are grotesque lapses among the new
ly civilized, which is not surprising when
we consider how large a streak of primal
savagery we ourselves possess.
In America the Indian problem has
been settled finally and forever. The In
dians have accepted the inevitable, settled
down to the occupations of civilized life
and by intermarriage with the more num
erous race are fast losing their identity
as a people. In Central and South Am er
ica and in M exico the Indian blood pre
dominates in the mixed race which is de
stined to remain in permanent control of
those lands.
In Central Africa the naturally peace
ful disposition of the negro race has en
abled European civilization to penetrate
without any of the sanguinary wars which
marked the conquest of America. The
railroad, the steamboat and the school are
now found where a few years ago the
maps marked the territory of the unex
plored.
Japan, of course, is the classic example
of a nation abandoning an old, fantastic,
artificial and non-progressive civilization
T
fur the living, progressive civilization of
those lands which have frankly accepted
the necessity for continuous change.
China, since the Boxer rebellion of a few
years -go, when some of the conceit was
taken out of the ruling officials, has been
taking active steps to save herself by a
like opening of doors and minds. It has
been promised definitely that a constitu
tional form of government will be adopt
ed within a few years. Persia has forced
upon an unwilling ruler a constitution, but
like the Russian Czar, he is trying in
every way to cheat his people and render
null a concession rendered in a moment
of peril and fright. Turkey has obtained
free government by a revolution and in
a few years more will have a far more
civilized
administration
than
Russia,
which long has been considered one of
the family of civilized nations. W herever
freedom of religion, speech and educa
tion goes the self-interest of the intel
ligent leads to the adoption of the best
features of civilization; and barbarism
and ignorance speedily decline.
One spot where barbarism is making
its last stand is the kingdom of Morocco,
where there has been a successful though
not fully consumated revolution, not, as
elsewhere, against ancient wrongs, but
against a ruler suspected of having a lean
ing towanl civilization. Three years ago
it seemed that Morocco speedily would
gain civilization through peaceful pene
tration on the part of the Fren ch; but the
unexpected action of Germany, actuated
by jealousy at a move in expansion which
she could not share, gave the Mahometan
fanatics the needed encouragement and
from that day to this Morocco has been
engaged in war and steeped in misery.
In time civilization will triumph here as
alsew here: but meantime, it is interesting
to take a look at the country where bar
barism is making its last stand.
The ancient name of Mauretania was
applied to the present Morocco and a part
of Algeria, the country to the eastward
being known as Numinda. The native
population, stretching westward from mereial wav, but there was once a time
Egypt to the Atlantic, between the Great when the Barbary States were the gran-
Desert and the Mediterranean, was a dark ary of Europe. Once the country was
but
people,
one of ' the u-----
branches
*“
"* not black -----
* * -------
L" well wooded, but the forests have been
of what is generally called the Caucasian wastefully destroyed, with resultant dam
race.
age to the soil. Whole tracts have been
These people, where they have pre turned to desert, to remain such until
served a measure of racial integrity, arc civilization undertakes irrigation and re-
e n lla / l D n > k . . .
-,,..« i h . ’ . -------- -- --- ------ i t . _ f n r o c t l i v r i n '1 •-! A w in M n ! . .« _____
t.
_ _
The
popu
calleij Berbers. I?
From
this name came the foresting in an extensive way. 'r
general designation Barbary States. They lation is supposed to be not far from
are a naturally peaceful people and ever five millions. They have no national
have been the prey of the conqueror. They spirit
_
....... ........ being divided into iii-
whatever,
were conquered by the Carthaginians, the numerable tribes and claps
Romans and the Vandals in turn, always other t„ , v .. ew wo n k
■
being despoiled and enslaved, V
« O g W»>
^
' ot ,H nk the
.„ a ir e d
it all the Berber has survn .«the audience. 1
suna.i-to-be was able
never having anywhere a shadu.. ui
successfuli* to appeal in his warfare
tional existence.
against the sultan who, at the moment of
In the year 747 the Mahometan Arabs writing, still clings to his tottering throne,
conquered the wretched country and the I here is a sprinkling of negroes and
Arab commander, Akba, arriving at the many of the Moors have an infusion of
west coast, rode his horse into the waves negro blood.
and bombastically, exclaimed: “ God of
The prdouctions are those of a sub-
Mahomet. Thou beholdest that but for tropical country, where everything is done
the elements which arres. me, I would in an extremely primitive way. There is
have proceeded in search of unknown na- no agricultural machinery and but few
tions, whom I would have forced to wheeled vehicles are to be seen. For-
adore T hy name.”
eign machines are considered as forerun-
The Arab conquerors had no difficulty ners of opposition to the sacred religion
in imposing their language and religion1* °J the prophet and work goes on in the
upon the Mauretanians or Moors and a °Jd toilsome, profitless way. Not more
fusion of the two races rapidly took t*lan a hundreth part of the soil is cul
_ I _
T7 _
. .
1 .
...
(li/ n fp rl
oi-w l n f
♦ 11
•«. !m * 1 . «
—
tivated
and
of this
it
is the custom
to
place.
From .1.
these
mixed people
came
the Moors, who cut so large a figure in allow each field to lie fallow two years
the history of Spain. During the time after one year of cultivation.
of their ascendancy in Spain these Moors
The Arabs arc more or less nomadic
arrived at a considerable state of civil in their habits, but the Berbers are in
ization and learning, but with their fall clined to live in houses. They inhabit,
a period of stagnation and decay set in for the most part, the hilly country. The
and the Moors are now a degraded peo women arc unveiled; and in other respects
ple, living under a government which is they are lax in. following Mahometan
a villainous compound of tyranny and customs. When the time comes, as come
anarchv. For centuries Morocco, like the jf w ;n
other
n i l - Barbary Slates, maintained
........... ...... « “ piracy mo'unt' in^M orocco'the l Æ ^ o u b T s '
and the enslavement of Christians and will learn rapidly and at last become a
it was not until i8zz that this finally civilized people.
Meantime, under the
ceased.
leadership of Arab fanatics in this cor-
Under the wretched native government ner of Africa, barbarism is making its
the country amounts to little in a com- last stand.
« Mr. Katzenlieb” on Receiverships
Written expressly for this Magazine
M V H A F hear that this wass the age
B
of electricity, of steam, of combi-
■ *" nations and of scferal other things
already." remarked Mr. Katzenlief, as he
laid down the daily paper. "T h at wass
all wrong. It wass the age of receifcr-
ships. There wass going to be a council
upon the affairs of Turkey and the great
powers a little wass going to make them-
selfs the receifers yet of the assets by-
Turkey and the rest of that crowd. They
wass going to preserfe the peace by T u r
key. When they wass through, there will
not only be peace by Turkey, but efery-
body wiil haf a piece of Turkey. That
wass the European way of obserfing
Thanksgifing Day. That wass an Amer
ican holiday yet, but Americans wass not
the only people who haf an appetite few
Turkey. This wass not the first time that
Turkey wass in the receifcr's hands a
little. There wass one time, thirty years
ago, when the Czar and the Sultan make
a war and haf a lot of men killed and
then the great powers make Bismarck the
rcceifer by the affairs of Turkey. The
great powers sit themsclfs down to con
sider a little and when they get up they
wass greater powers already. They wass
receifers and they haf received.
“ Now there wass a little Turkey that
was ofcrlookcd at that time and the re
ceifers wass called in once more. When
they get through this time, maybe they
leaf the platter und some bones, no?
"That wass the way by receivers. They
wass there to receif That was their busi
ness. I helr motto >• ass not that it 'wass
more blessed to gif than to receif.’ Their
motto wass that findings was keepings,
already yet. Their next principle, when
they haf any princinles, wass that 'sharitv
begins at home.’ When they haf no prin
ciples there wass not much difference by
fhe results once. The debtor wass lifing
"There wass a receifer by a street rail*
by allowances. The creditors were lifing way company vet, who has put up a no
by hope a little and the receifers wass
tice by the i
that a man who will re-
lifing by the fat of the land.
ceif a ride and not pay a nickel wass a
"The creditor wass hafing the satis
faction that the debtor wass not lifing by dod-gasted tief, or words to that effect
the creditor's moneys. The rcceifer*wass already. But he say that it wass all
entitled to his pay for gifing him that sat right for a receifer to get two nickels
isfaction. The debtor wass allowed to for one ride because he need the money,
life und keep out by the chail and what lh at wass not tiefing, he say; it was re-
more wass he wanting? The earth, a ceifing. What wass the use of being a
little? End the receifer goes on receif- fief when you can be a receifer already
yet?
ing.
I haf hear that the reformers wass go
"A t last the affairs bv the debtor wass
wound up. Tt wass different by a clock. ing to put all the trusts by the hands of
receifers
a little. O f course, the reform
When a clock wass wound up it goes, but
when a business wass wound up it stops ers wass going to name the receifers.
going. The reason wass that the feller A ch ! The receifing that will be done!
who winds up the clock takes away the Und when the receifers haf received all
key and leafs the works, while the feller the assets by the trusts, they will be
who winds up a business leafs the key ready to receif all the moneys of cfery-
and takes the whole works.
body else. Iss it or iss it not?’’