4
Election Bonfires
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 will? 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 had a spiritual rep
lica. In other cases there was a belief
T
h o u san d s
up the custom understands that it is es
sential that there should be a bone in the
fire, though they do not know why; and,
finally, in the name which they give, that
is, bon-fire. It is the bone-fire, neither
more nor less, of 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 flames, but st'll the victors
gather round the fire as did their ances
tors thousands of years ago; 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 boys 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., aul as soon
as the sun has set on election night thou
sands of fires are lighted, the asphalt pave
ments are damaged to the extent of thou
sands of dollars and the fire department is
kept busy Ioolling after buildings endan
gered or actually burning. Such is the
perversion of custom which ignorance
brings.
Just Between You
and the Editor
that the meat went up to the god 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,
wouid express Itis gratitude by giving the
god a little of the meat. The herdsman,
when he 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 the irreverent, who have
had their existence in every age, and the
sacrificial fires were named bone-fires
when out of hearing of the priests.
After 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 sacrifical feast. At
certain seasons in Ireland, Scotland and
a few places in England even 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 arc to be found only in tile fire it
self at the same season as of old; in the
fact that everybody engaged in keeping
Barbarism’s Last
Stand
Written expressly for this Magazine
H O SE 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
eople of European race, wherever found,
n 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 he 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 Amer
ica and in Mexico 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
P
for 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 ago, 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 Tong has been considered one of
the family of civilized nations. Wherever
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 consumatcd revolution, riot, as
elsewhere, against ancient wrongs, but
against a ruler suspected of having a lean
ing toward civilization. Three years ago
it seemed that Morocco speedily would
gain civilization through peaceful pene
tration on the part of the French; 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
alsewhere; 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
Egypt to the Atlantic, between the Great
Desert and the Mediterranean, was a dark
but not black people, one of the branches
of what is generally called the Caucasian
race.
These people, where they have pre
served a measure of racial integrity, are
calleij Berbers. From this name came the
general designation Barbary States. They
are a naturally peaceful people and ever
have been the prey of the conqueror. They
were conquered by the Carthaginians, the
Romans and the Vandals in turn, always
being despoiled and enslaved. Yet through
it all the Berber has survived, though
never having anywhere a shadow of na
tional existence.
In the year 747 the Mahometan Arabs
conquered the wretched country and the
Arab commander, Akba, arriving at the
west coast, rode his horse into the waves
and bombastically exclaimed: “ God of
Mahomet, Thou hcholdcst that hut for
the elements which arrest me, I would
have proceeded in search of unknown na
tions. whom I would have forced to
adore Thy name.”
The Arab conquerors had no difficulty
in imposing their language and religion
upon the Mauretanians or Moors and a
fusion of the two races rapidly took
place. From these mixed people came
the Moors, who cut so large a figure in
the history of Spain. During the time
of their ascendancy in Spain these Moors
arrived at a considerable state of civil
ization and learning, but with their fall
a period of stagnation and decay set in
and the Moors are now a degraded peo
ple, living under a government which is
a villainous compound of tyranny and
anarchy. For centuries Morocco, like the
other Barbary States, maintained piracy
and the enslavement of Christians and
it was not until 18.24 that this finally
ceased.
Under the wretched native government
the country amounts to tittle in a com
mercial way, but there was once a time
when the Barbary States were the gran
ary of Europe. Once the country was
well wooded, but the forests have been
wastefully destroyed, with resultant dam
age to the soil. Whole tracts have been
turned to desert, to remain such until
civilization undertakes irrigation and re
foresting in an extensive way. The popu
lation is supposed to be not far from
five millions. They have no national
spirit whatever, being divided into in
numerable tribes and clans who hate each
other and who are united only in their
hatred of the infidel. It was this hatred
to which the rebel sultan-to-be was able
successfully to appeal in his warfare
against the sultan who. at the moment of
writing, still clings to his tottering throne.
There is a sprinkling of negroes and
many of the Moors have an infusion of
negro blood.
The prdouctions are those of a sub
tropical country, where everything is done
in an extremely primitive way. There is
no agricultural machinery and but few
wheeled vehicles are to be seen. For
eign machines are considered as forerun
ners of opposition to the sacred religion
of the prophet and work goes on in the
old toilsome, profitless way. Not more
than a hundreth part of tile soil is cul
tivated and of this it is the custom to
allow each field to lie fallow two years
after one year of cultivation.
The Arabs are more or less nomadic
in their habits, but the Berbers are in
clined to live in houses. They inhabit,
for the most part, the hilly country. The
women are unveiled; and in other respects
they are lax in. following Mahometan
customs. When the time comes, as come
it will, that the French authority is para
mount in Morocco the Berbers doubtless
will learn rapidly and at last become a
civilized people. Meantime, under the
leadership of Arab fanatics in this cor
ner of Africa, barbarism is making its
last stand.
“ Mr. Katzenlieb” on Receiverships
Written expressly for this Magazine
M W HAF hear that this wass the age
M of electricity, of steam, of combi-
*
nations and of seferal other things
already." remarked Mr. Katzonlief, as he
laid down the daily paper. “That wass
all wrong. It wass the age of receifer-
ships. There wass going to he a council
upon the affairs of Turkey and the great
powers a little wass going to make them
self« the receifers yet of the assets by
Turkey and the rest of that crowd. They
wass going to preserfe the peace hv Tur
key. When they wass through, there will
not only be peace by Turkey, but efery-
body will haf a piece of Turkey. That
wass the European way of obserfing
Thanksgifing Day. That wass an Amer
ican holiday yet, bnt Americans wass not
the only people who haf an appetite for
Turkey This wass not the first time that
Turkey wass in the receiver’s hands a
little There wass one time, thirty yean
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
receifer by the affairs of Turkey. The
great powers sit themselfs down to con
sider a little and when they get op they
wass greater powers already. They wass
receifers and they haf received.
“ Now there war« a little Turkey that
was oferlooked 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 hones, no?
"That wass the way by receivers. They
wass there to reccif. That was their busi
ness. Their motto wass 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 principles, wass that ’shanty
begins at home.' When they hal no prin
ciples there wass not much difference by
the results once. The debtor wass lifing
by allowances. The creditors were lifing
by hope a little and the receifers wass
lifing by the fat of the land.
“The creditor wass hafing the satis
faction that the debtor wass not lifing by
the creditor's monevs. The receifer wass
entitled to his pay for gifing him that sat
isfaction. The debtor wass allowed to
life und keep out by the chail and what
more wass he wanting? The earth, a
little? Und the receifer goes on receif-
ing
“ At last the affairs hv the debtor wass
wound up. It wass different by a clock
When a clock wass wound up it goes, but
when a business wass wound up it stops
going. The reason wass that the feller
who winds up the clock takes awav the
key and leafs the works, while the feller
who winds np a business leafs the key
and takes the whole works.
“ There wass a receifer by a street rail
way company yet, who has put up a no-
tice by the cars that a man who will re
ceif a ride and not pay a nickel wass a
dod-gasted tief, or words to that effect
already. But he say that it wass all
right for a receifer to get two nickels
for one ride because he need the money.
That wass not tiefing, he say; it was re-
ceifing. What wass the use of being a
tief when you can be a receifer already
yet?
“ I haf hear that the reformers wass go
ing *0 put all the trusts by the hands of
receifers a little. O f course, the reform
ers wass going to name the receifers.
Ach 1 The receifing that will be done!
Und when the receifers haf received all
the assets by the trusts, they will be
ready to receif all the moneys of fiery-
body else. Iss it or iss it not?”