Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, November 30, 1872, Page 2

p— THE SOUTHWEST. Desperado Life in That Country. The Career of Cullen Baker---Assas- sination and Justices A Onachita Hero---How They Arrest People. From Our Oun Correspondent. WasmvGrox, Nov, 20, 1872, Every few months, the papers from Missouri, or Memphis, or off Texas-way, relate the career of some unusual rofian whose name msy bo wused to scare honsckeepera. During the campaign, I went to the Sonthwest, and picied up & good deal of this kind of mate- rial, new to me, which I reproduco,—particalarly since the Supreme Court of Arkansas has got to instigating bratality, and threatens to cat off the band of tourists who may venture into that State o tell the truth. THE ARKANBAS-TEXAX. - General B. B. Marcy, writing as recently as 1866, says that The ideas, habits, and language of the population upon the borders of Arkansas and Texas arc eminently peculiar, * * * They constitute an anomsalous and detached ele- ment in the socisl structure. Their sparsely- ecattered forest-habitations, being far removed from towns or villages, and seldom visited by travellers, almost entiroly .exclade them from intercourss with the civilized world, and they are nearly as ignorant of what is transpiring outgide of their own immediate sphere as the savages themselves. They seldom or never seo a newspaper, and could not resd it if they did.” General Marcy instances the lawless character of these people in the case of Sam. Houston once attempting, while in the plenitade of his popularity, to rebuke a youthfnl volunteer, just disbanded: “Are you Sam. Houston?” gaid the young man. : “Y gm, gir? # Are you the President of our Republic?” “Yes, my young friend, I have that honor.” The loyal young man at once knocked Houston @own, brutally, exclaiming : 3 *Well, &—n you, Sam. Houston, you aro the very man I wanted to see!” STORY OF CULLEN BAKER. Texas ig, in some degree, an intensification of Arkaneas in the matter of violence; but, from either side, offenders slip over to the other, and are secure; while if, by any possibility, they be- come insecure in both Btates, there is the Indian Territory, with its vast solitudes, plentifully timbered, its game, and its partly civilized tribes, to entertzin the oxiles. Cullen Baker made such a’repatstion in Texas and Kaneas that his life has been published at ‘%;_itt 1e Rock by his own brother-in-law, who shot im. 1t seems that he was born in Tennesgeee, in 1885, and was, therefore, only 84 years old when i was shot dend, mear the Staic line, Jan. 6, 1868. Baker was an illiterate poor white, who ran bare-footed, and with only one suspender, for geverel years after his fomily moved to Texaa. X9 his youth, he had heard a good deal of the two gangs of * Regulators " and “ Mod- erstors,” commanded by two Western dema- gogues and murderers, Porter and Rose, re- epectively. These fellows filled the land with their bands, which hm%;i and shot each other whenever they met. ¥rom childiood, Cullen Baker spent his time in fighting, and g ocery-whiskey. His haunts were two little ‘exas villages, at the edge of Arkansas, named Courtland znd Forest Home. EAPPY CHILDHOOD HOURS. Vhile ho was yetnboy, he was often seen whippin& some quiet old farmer aronnd the town with a switch, or poking him slong &t a trot with & poisonous bug on the end of a stick, simply to show the villagers that he conld “bhogs ™ that country. In oneof his early fights, be hed his ekull broken, and this brought ona religions turn, during which he married, at the ageof 19. His head was bandsgedat the time of the mm-rinis; but, soon after the honey- moon, he took torum and fighting again, and one of his pastoral amusements Was mounting on the shonldersof old men and boya to make them carry him about the streois, pegging them meantime on the hesd with a kmnife or pis- . tol. These people could do nothing but carry him 88 long as he liked, in order to avoid being stabbed. % About six months after his marriage, he took a l;.u.thmgr wlaip out, ;:.n. ‘;atore at 1::&;3]: gora:, and whipped an orphan-boy unmen y, in the gresem:a of many people, who pexs\méed the 0y to have him arrested. FIRST MURDED. 3 The only citizen who ventured to give testi- mony in case was followed home by .the oung bridegroom with s double-barreled gun oaded with ehot and ball. He ordered the man out of his house before his family, and told him he was going to shoot him throngh the lega. The man got behind a post, but Baker threaten- ed to ehoot him in the head if he did not stand out. The poor fellow took the latter al- ternative, and the young villain raised his fowl- ing-piece with g‘:sflect solicitude end with great , and dil s double load in the lower extremities of the man, who fell upon the und and died in s fow days. Tho sseassin ought he wonld ride out of the country for a short time, until the thm%blew over, and he wis nover arrested forit. ‘He rotired, instead, to Perry County, Ark., 30 ormiles from Little Bock, where he an uncle. BECOND MURDER. His wife died at this place from bad treat- ment; and he killed, just about that time, a Mr. ‘Wartham for interfering with Baker, who had cutabundle of switches to whip Wartham's vife with them. The deeperado had ordered the womsn out on the porch to let him whip her, and the husband, secking to pacify him, was stabbed with a knife, andfell dead on the spot. Bsker then went back to Texas, and married a cecond wife. Soon after this, he was made a conseript by the Rebel suthorifies, and ‘marched to Little Rock; but he was_go. desper- ste and insubordinate that he would leave the command and go home whenever he liked, and nobody dared interfere with him. OTHER MURDERS, On one of these occasions, he rode past & agon Where a8 Negro woman was sitting amongst come of the emij ts, and, without saying & word, he raised his piace aud hot her desd. The book says that the woman's master was ¢ greatly mortifiod at his loss.” Nexthe shot six bsfl’a into & megro boy whom he had been for several months trying to whip, and had once tied to s tree_ for that purpose. After s while, the consciipting authorities pursued 80 closely that he went voluntarily to_Little Rock, took the oath of allegiance to the United States, end was employed £8 an overseer of freedmen. MORE BLOOD, He had not held this place very long before he drew his six-shooter and shot an inoifensive ne- prodesd. Running away, he was overbauled by & military squad, cal “*Independent Rang.rs," ptherwise bushwackers ; and he so distin ed himself by atrocity amongst these that he soon became the natural lesder of the band, After this period it is almogt impossible to relate his murders in detail. On one occasion he pursned & number of poor peopls who were trying to get out of the 1and of the Jayhawkers {0 emigrate Bouth, and, in cold blood, he and his band mur- dered the entire body. Tho houses of all quiet »itizens and “ Feds.” of Perry County werenext purned to the ground, and the women and chil- fren driver to the woods, while household goods, mules, wagons, and stock were carried off to the Texas border: . HIB WIFE, who had been in Texas for some time, heard, on pne occasion, that he was in the hands of the Federal authorities, condemned to be shot, and the rode from Texss to Little Rock, tofind him, d back again, and then returned asecond time 1> Perry County, meking totsl distanco of tbout 600 miles, which-ahe rode perfectly alono; Ind yet, when she came in the presence of this angratefal desperado, he damned her, and said Ihat he wished, when sho started, she had been 0 gick that she could not move hand or foof. Eowcvar, after besting this poor woman for ears, snd compelling her to lesd his sort of life, @ went nearly insane when she finally died, an several weeks after her death, diessed the dea body in effigy, and set it upon the floor in his aouse. In two months geven days after she island in the Bulphur Red River, and took Carge of a ferry. His first exploit was to attach his rival Orr, and break his head with a pine-laot; | it Orr kept school in that conntry, years had to go to the schoolhonse with & par of revolvers and s double-barreled’ shot-gun, hfiemllg teaching the young iaea how to shoot. Baker became such a terribly desperado that the whole community whe p he- lived was outraged ; but the Justid™. 37 the Peace xg\mid to tm:t b!in t‘qud ‘m:téer, mntgd b 1zens gent an obsequious delegation 8 villain, beseeching him*to beliove somewhat more quietly and lkill none of the neighbors. He gave a sort of verbal promise to this effect, but excepted several whom he enid he must kill “‘any way.” He was n grest stickler for his reputation, and always Lilled any person of either gex who had told any story about him. Sometimes, when ho wonld kill 4 man, he would Xill two or three more for intimating that he had doneit. He used, at times, to hunt down his enemies with 2 pack of hounds, and, when an- other party bid off his ferry, he defied him to bring & boat to the place. Hearing that Gome of the citizens moditated waylsying him, he swore GENERAL VENGEANCE sgainst the county, and all the people had to fortify their houses, and nobody dared mention his name, even in the mildest terms. He pro- ceeded to kill all the hogs in thatregion, robbed the stores when he liked, and, when he had robbod & Mr. Rowden's storo, 2and heard that Rowden had spoken disrespectfally of him for it, he called nfifis ‘honse one night, agsked Row- den to come on the porch, and thers shot him in the loft side 80 that he fell dead. Next he at- tempted to employ some fresdmen to work for people to whom he was _obligated, they refused, they were The Federal authorities turned the military on the fellow in the year 1867; . but, for one year or more, he bade them defiance, took to the bottoms, and had several encounters with the troops, some of whom he shot. Bome of his encounters with the Gov- ernment troops gained him g0 grest a roputa~ tion amongst the old Texas Rebels that they forgot his private orimes.and called him the “Bowie County hero” and the great Yankee- Killer. - At one time, Baker met a Government wagon, entirely shot the driver from his saddlo, ran off the guard, and seized the team. One day, on a en_spres, he led a crowd of 'poor whites, all armed, to the resi- dence of a Mr. Howell Bmith, who hed given ehelter to a family of freedmen, and they mur- dered two-thirds of all the people in the house, amongst them the old man; snd they also cobabiting with the negroes. In this fight, Baker wes wounded and closely pursued; buthe survived, and picked up two boon-companions by the names of Matt, Kirby and Seth ed. Rames was caught and hanged by the Federal soldiers. Baker then want off to Boston, Texas, 2nd aseassinated Captain Kirkisnd, Freedmen's: Buresu Agent, and, roturning to_Kanses, killed two Government officers named Andrews and Wil Governor Clsyton ordercd the militia out against him. Then he slippod back to Texas, and immediastely decoyed some freedmen to join his militia, wunder tho pretence of being & Federal officer hunting Baker. When ho got them off alittle Piece, he ordered his band_to fire on them, and Bix were instantly killed. Next they shot James Salmon, taking him out of bed and tying his hands while they robbed his house. Salmon was shot on the charge of being implicated in the murder of Rames. Lven after this, the citizens proposed to treat with him, and ho offered to give a bond of $200,000, with the bLest security that Bowie County afforded, for good behavior,— Imowing that no men dared to refuse to enter upon his bond if he should askit. Before the bond was given, however, ho killed two nogroes ; and, when he did offer it, he exeu]-x&*.ed three per- sons whom he said he should kil if they re- mained on the earth. DEATH OF DAXER. He next resolved to capture Little Rock with 8 band of brigands ; but, inatoad of leading them north, he took them back to Sulphur River, and proceeded to assassinate such persons 88 he had piques ageivst. He visited the house of his father-in-law, where his old enemy, Orr, was sleeping by tho side of his wife, and he took the husband and his other male connections off, be- ed around Orr’s neck. A little way from the houee, the rope was thrown over a limb, and the other man rode out, leaving the pinioned victim stroggling in the air. Baker was s0 snxions to hang one of the other prisoners, however, that ke cut his brother-in-law down to get the rope for that purpose, so that the first man was resuscitated. A few days afier this, the persevering Orr, sccompanied by threa other persons, pursued ‘Beker 80 closely that they canght him camping_ by the roadside, and shot hali-a-dozen pieces into him and his asso- ciste, Kirby. Baker was armed at that time with a double-barreled shot-gun, four six-shoot~ ers, and three derringers; Kirby had a double- barreled shot-gun, ‘two six-shooters, and & e. L Suoh is the history of one of the most des- perate sconndrels who ever lived in sny country or any age, and who was o terror both o Arkan- sas and Texas. THE VENERABLE MANSLAYEE. Tn slmost every county in Arkansss, thers ex- ists at this time Some one pre-eminent desper- ado. As T left Little Rock for Memy , in the latter part of September, 1872, I fell inwith a young men from the town of ington, Hempstesd County, where the Confederate State Government was revived in 1872, He was on his way to college at Lexington, Va, © What character of county officars have you in Dempateed ?” I said. “BSulky and worthless rascals, who won't oblige anybody. Our County Clerk is named Martin, an imported Radical from Texas. I don’t much he's a Northern men. He'sa case!” “ How 507" ““Oh! you ean't get county scrip or money ont of him if he don’t like you. There’s Andrews, the richest man in our county. I reckon he don’t know how much he is worth, he's got so much property. He wanted some county scrip to pey taxes with, and tried to get it from that Martin. The man wouldn't oblige him nokow / So he goes to old Elijah Ferguson, and offered him a percentage to get it. Elijah went over and hesays: ‘Martin, I'want you to payup this serip!’ ¢ Whoseds it?' said Martin. “It's An- drews'; but I've coms for it!" Martin took it and just peid it_over without a word.” 4 Why,” ssid I, “ why should Ferguson get it azy more than Andrews ?” Ny Becanse Martin's afraid of him. He's just scared the raoney out of him. We all use Old Elijah Ferguson to collect debts. He's killed his'man, and he has got six boys, each of whom has killed two. If that family get downons ‘man, he's got to leave the country. Old Elijah says, if he can kill two or three of these carpet- baggers, he'll rest easy in his grave.” this was calmly said to me by s Joung Ar- kansan on the way East to be educated. LIFE AT THE FOOT OF TEE OZARKS. Nowhere in America, except perhaps in Texas, is life teken with 8o little compunction as in Ar- kansas. A few instances will show this: Some time ago, Poyuter and John Haile, the two men who killed Hickox and Browne, in Pope County, resolved to lgll another person, about the little county-seat of Dover. One day they -esw him go into a grocery, or, &8 it is called in Arkansas, o ‘‘ doggery,” to take s drink. Each follow at once alipped be- hind s couple of trees which wero separated some little distance and right cggusita the ehoj door. As theman came out, both assassinsfired, snd he fell dead in the street. In & short time, these chaps were before a magistrate, demand- ing instant releaso, and swearing that the other ‘man had ssid that hie would kill them “on sight.” They were dismissed immedistely, and the thing blew over in six hours. THE LAW'S ASSASSINS, A still later murder will make plain to you the extreordinarily mixed condition of right and wrong amongst this popalation, e While the gang of Hogan, Ben Young, Haile, and Poynter were lurking behind a mountain where they hide, to the west of Dover, some Sherifl’s officers came over from Johnson Coun- ty, and asked them to go into Dover and arresta murderer by the name of Glover, a Missourian. This was three days after the shooting of Will- iams, and before the time when General Upbam occapied Dover with his guard, 50 that the ot~ laws went in and came ont of the county-seat 2 they pleased. Glover was a professional murderer, who went sbont freely saying that, after he killed two or thres more men, he wounld leave Pope County and relird to Missour.. He had & pique sgainst & man b the name of Allen Drake, and he took flmyflvorim position for assassinating planters and farmers in that country, narely, at Drake's barn, where the victim would have to come out to put away his horse at night. Glover waitod there, with his horse tied in the woods close at hand, for a dsy or two, quictly and perseveringly intent upon doing this murder; sud, whon Drake | walked ont of his house, one evening, to look at Tiod, ho addressed her sister, Who was 16 years ad, and proposed marriage to " her. fhe woman refused him, and me- copted Thomas Orr, and this led oF bushwhacking wer befween the two, wherein Drr was hanged once by Baker to a tree, but he survived, shot the outlaw in his tracks. THE LONELY DESP! >ERADO. At tho close of the Tan Baker moved to an the horse, Glover fired both barrels of his gun into his body. Then, jumpingon his horse, he rode right back into Dover, where he told of the de and said that now he only had one or two more men to kill in Pope County, when he should bid them goufl-ls'e. It happened, strangely eno: that Glover Was the man who murdered Sherift Morris , and for seveal | therefore, to & degres, exculpated from _the former murder. Johnson County, and & couple of Sheriff’s depu- tieg rode over the line, amongst the Poynter and Haile g0y and said: we. You do not want to get the reputation of hnrbvri;xf for b over' into Dover, and let him fraternize with | you, Wo ¥ strucktheno political outlaws as & good one ; 8O they sturted into Dover, and thers was Glover, fall of Yood, snd triumphant in tho number_of his victims, quietly moying about town, with & Bpencer rifie in his hands and s pair of pistols over his hips; He greoted the boys familiarly, and they 13plied in & genial country fashion, ant asked him 30w he did, and about his horse, eto. good gun ycu have got there. How much dic you pay for i ?" gogd gun, and shat i only had ono or tromento can produce a gun a8 good as that around Dover. LBL‘S look at itgi‘?}’ B minutely, and_acmiringly looked atit up and down, and heftedit, and all ab once presonted it st Glover; and, juat at that moment, John Hzilo slipped up behind him, and drew both pistols out of his pockets. Glover,” szid Haile, ** Wo don’t want you in Pope Couaty. Youdon'tkill people from the same high motives we'do.” town tovard Clarksvill behid him, and, when they got near the county lire, delivered him up to the twvo men who had’ Theso last men, fully armed, Glover, after they had expressed their thanks 0 10 ed by soyeral soldiers, and he, keflv lone, dl other r gate, where the murder had_been committed, two or three nights before, There, looking for an instant at each other, without seying a word, both men raised their guns and shot Glover transversely from behind, so that, 28 Genoral Upham relates, you could hsve put your arm through him two ways. Thoy quietlyrode on to stabbed his dsughters, whom they accused of lcmkmua afier the commiseion of the act, and on when the carpet- Arkansas writes in this spirit. (I allude to the Dotorions John McClure, an importation from fro‘mwths ‘hop-pole region of Ohio.. it d be they be entitled to registry ; or to those heretofore res corded in the American Herd-Book, save those with to. Tates granted delegates to this Convention. dte, and aro hereby tend Indiana for the use of their resolutions defining terms of cattle, as set forth in our r:{oxh of of the Convention, were taken from the.table, and ot only necesary, in oot Houned. cattley that we should secure animaia. of fine form, pedigres. stc., but that they should be well fed xnd cazed for; ot t1b sum time, wo Iook upon ihe Practice of keeping up cattlo wif Feeding them to the utmost capacity, for the purposs of eale, 83 njurious to their health and usef Dreeders. = s the same person, and the Dover people are, The farm of en Drake is in “Boys, Glover means to slip into your band wnd get under your protection. Now, you are @mly fighting the Sheriff and the Redicals over a man like Glover, who kills motives; 8o supposs you go _and’ bring him out to us. wait for him right here.” The idea “ Glover,” enid Poynter, * that is & migh Glover answered, and sdmitted that it was a in Pope Couxty. “T Qo bende, suid Poymter, © thot we Poynter took the gun, and very curiously, and ‘“We don't like men of your sort here, They put Glover on Lis horse, and rode out of been oll this time waiting. also_followed political omlaws, and they t close sfter bim, saying nothing to each until they got nearly opposite Drake's oft the carcass in the road. TINIS. Buch a state of things may be expected to go gsggem‘ Chief Justico of He says: will gladly join the Ku-Klux and Brin- dle-Tails, and help them cut off the ears of the mnext newnml" correspondent who enters the Stats, espe and ly Smalley, of New Yorkz “ GaTm” CATTLE-BREEDERS. Corvention of the Raisers of Short= Horn Cattle—Final Proccedings. Special Deapateh to The Chicago Tribune. Ispranaports, Nov. 28.—The Convention of Shoct-Horn Breeders brought its deliberations to s close this evening, the proceedings having been marked by all the highest qualities of & de- liberative assembly. The question of the Herd-Book was the prom- inent stibject of discussion; and, this evening Mesara. Porter, of Illinois ; Miles, of Michigan ; Christie, of the Province of Ontario; Kennard, of Kentucky; Patterson, of Iowa; Babbitt, of Wisconsin; Pickercll, of Ilinois; Bedford, of Kentucky; Allen, of New York ; Jones, of Ohio, Welch, of Towa; Dancan, of Illinois; Bacon, of Tows; Matthews, of Indisna; Coffin, of Ken- tucky, and others, took part. Atthe terminstion of the discussion, the ro- portof the Committee, 23 amended, was adopted, sides some neighbors, all tied with ropes. Orr | and is as follows : was put on horeebeck behind one of the gang, | Resolved, That for the better management of the and Cullen Baker held o rope which was fasten- | American Herd-Book in the future, the Committee bog Ieave to make the following recommendations 3 ‘Resolved, That, in the xecord, the namo and address of both breeder ynd owner chall be-given, together with the date of birth aud the color of the animal, Reaolved, That the ancestry of tho animals should on both sides to imported animals before digrees not false or spurious, before they can bo en- Titled to regiatry. “Regolted, That family names ought to belong to the ‘brocder first claiming that name in _some ugricultural per of tho United States or Canads, or the Herd- . Resolved, That tho personunder whose direction the animals are coupled should be recognized as the breod- er of the produce. Resolved, No females ehll ba entered in the Herd- Book until they have produced s _living calf, except 28 the produce of the dame and Lost, ‘Resolved, That s Committee shall be appointed by tho President and Directorsof this Association, whosa duty it shall be to e: any member of the Association as errors and forgerics, or believed by them to bo errors and forgeries ; an when decided to be wrong, that the fact bo publishe in » chapter of errors, to b attached €0 each succeed= ng volume of the Hefd-Book. o sll .podigress charged by Resolved, Thaf Lewis F. Allen be ested to_con= requ tinue tho’ publication of the American Short-Horn Herd-Book 8 acoordance with the above recommendan tions, THE CHICAGO DAILY TRIBUNE: SATURDAY, NOVE IBER 30, 1872 : —_————————— Ty ‘William, brother of John Williams, six or seven years before. General Upham adinits thet this a8 he discovered that the Committes even Javored such enforcement. Secondly, while T admut the invalueble services of the clergy in inaugurating the movement, I beg tc suggest that it is_the Polico Depariment that has en- forced the Iaw, aided, as they have beem, by sbout twenty enthusiastic citizens, called “gpies” by onr German friends. I also wish to say that, if next Sunday ig to be no worse than Inst, there will be less than 100 saloons even clandesfineéf selling liquor on that day, leaving o fally 2,000 closed in good faith, instead of open, 88 yOU 535, K would also observe that, if the members of the Personal Liberty League, or any other 1,400 saloon-keepors, dare to defy the lsw and open their f‘““ next Sunday, as you suggesied yesterday they would do, they will find it the most unsuccessful price of Btrategy they can possibly attempt. They will be miot by & flank movement they do not in the lesst expect, which witl be 1o less effectual than surprising. I counsel all those saloon-keepers that have come to me for leniency in prosecution, and have obtained it on promise n!p obedience to the lew in futare, to carefully abstain from a course that would be bad faith and ruinous policy. ‘Yours, OBSIAN. Chicago, Nov. 28, 1872, VETERINARY SCIENCE. The Proposgd Veterinary Miedical Ase sociation, To the Editor.of Ths Chicago Tribune : Bm: At the present moment, fortunately, the whole oountry is turning its attention to sauitary questions, in which the veterinary profession ‘must pley » most important part. The oteriga- xy surgeon will be needed now where he was not needed before. As far as our localify is concerned, the Mlinois Humane Society, in its praiseworthy efforts to ameliorate the animalsuffering occasioned by the epizootic induenzs, has {aken steps toward in- vestigating the efficiency of those persons into whose hands these animals are given for treat- ment. In order to fa ite correct discrimina~ tion between regular veterinary surgeons and such persons as have unqualifiedly sssumed the title, this Society has proposed thata com- potent Board of Medical Examiners should set~ +le the question of qualification, and also that a Veterinary Medical Association should be formed, to consist only of such recognized practis tioners. 4 In my letter of Nov. 20 to Tee TRmuUNE, I had -occasion to mention the requirements for a Vet- erinary Modical Association, as proposed,—one of its objects being to work hand in hand with® the Illinois Humane Society. I will not yet speak of the prospectsin terms of discourage ment. But a suspicious silence on she part of the brethren leads me to fear that the proposi- tion of the Tllinois Humane Society is thought |° slightingly of. With the proffered aid of this Society,—which certainly descrves to be noticed and appreci- ted,—are we to continue tiws inactive? Can nothing be done to arouse us from our mental slumbers, and cause us to promote the onward progress of our art ? Purposes, to be available, must ripen into offect aud vigor of action, or they will subside into nopentity and rottenness. ‘Sucecess or discomiituro !—thers is no half way distance ; wo caunot bave both. We mustdo something ; wo may not be rapid or brilliaut and effective at once, but let us be doing.. Success il not possibly attend a primary effort, but let us try. Thereis matter for rejoicing even ina first attempt, feeble though it may be. We noed not De discouraged ; facility comes with patience. Such are the principles which pervade and omanate from tho greatest minds of the present age; and the evidenco naturally suggests to us tho ‘question, “Are we making tLut progress and nssuming that position which, with the present state of things beforo us, and the march of intellect in allits phases, wo are called upon todo?™ Tt hos been argued that & vetorinary surgeon is not called npon to take any part in the com- etitive raco of mankind,—his professional call- ings doos not admit of it or that, once boing duly installed, with the necessary qualifications, the career of doubt, difficulties, and perplexi- ties is, or should be, a. an end, and what remains is for esch {o ceck out means most occossible and offering the greatest facilities for the attainment of afluonco,—the greatest professional success being measurcd only by well-filled pockots, and the respectability of the man judged by the amount of indc- pendence ho exhibits to thoso around him. My bolief is, that such is too true an aspect of the profession st the prosent moment,—a state which constitutes the important elemexts of our “ Opprobrium Medicina Velcrinarius.” The generic gigna of the * cow-leech” and * horse- Tarrier” stull cling to us, and upon every ocession e do not omit to exposo the indications of our ancestral rise. ‘I'he present age demands activity and open demonstration £5 ovidences that wo aro earnest and honest in our desires to work for the gen- eral weal. All selfishnees must be thrown aside, 29 unworthy of men whose minds have been lib- eralized and oxpanded by scientiflc truth. It is by thus acting, and thus ouly, that we shall in tho end reap our just reward. Diclusivencss becomes not men of soience, and Eecresy is worthy only of the charlatan, who is always bold and presuming becanse he Bas nothing to loseé The following resolution was offered, which was adopted : Resolved, That this Gonvention tender their thanks all rallroads entering Indiansopis for the half-faze The same gentleman offered another resolu- tion, which was also adopted, a8 follows : That the thanks of this Convention are to the Leglslature of On motion of Mr. Mills, of Michigan, the { fixing tho status of the firat day Resoloed, adopted. < Mr. Porter, of Tllinois, offered the following: Toed, That, in the opinton of this Convention, it Bemies T g ‘breeding of out exercise, and 58 08 The resolution was sdopted. Mr. Hostetter called up a report of the Com- ‘mittes on Veterinary Matters; and, with somo amendments, it was adopted. The report, s adopted, 18 8s follows : ‘WHEREAS, Tho General Government of the United Btates has madc largo and liberal appropriations to the respective States for the establishment of Agricultural Colleges ; and Wi s, The live stock interest of the countryis of vastand growing importance, and catitled to”its just share of such sppropristion with other agricul- tural interests ; and WaEREss, Comparatively littl isknown of the dis- eascs of domestic animals, and their treatment and cure; therefore, Redolved, That we, the breedors of Short-Horns, recommend the establishment of an eflicient Professor- ship of Veterinary Practice in esch Agricultural Collego; and that s2id Professorship receive 5 liberal endowment from the College fund. Resolved, That wo invite the breeders of horses, and the breeders of other domestic animals, to unite and co-operate with us in promoting this object, On motion of Mr. Clsude Matthews, of Indi- ania, the following resolution was adopted : Resolved, That Mr. Allen be requested, in recording pedigrees sent by one breeder, that,when quite & num- ber are recorded, of the same pedigree, in one volume, the first shall be recorded in full, and that those follow- ing be abbreviated by reference to the first. Mr. De Shay moved the adoption of the follow- ing, which was agreed to : Resolved, That the thanks of this Convention are dac, and ate hereby tendered, to the President, for the impartial and dif ed monner in which he has dis- charged his duties; and to the Becrotaryand his assistant, for the eficiency with which they have discharged thelr duties. Mr. J. A. Patterson moved the following : Resolved, That wo tender the editors ond reporters present ot this Convention our thanks for the interest they have tsken in this Convention; and that we Pledge ourselves, each and every one of us, to make In effort to securo s large circulstion for their ers, PRr. Allen tendered his thanks to the Conven- tion for the renewal of their confidence in his Herd-Book; after which the Convention ad- ourned. S ‘At a meeting of the Board of Directors after- wards, it was decided to holda meeting one year hence, the placo not being decided upon. THE SUNDAY LAW. T the Editor of The Clicago Tribune : iz : In your editorial to-day, headed “Thanks- giving,” yon uso the fallowing words : “ Let us be thankful that the clergy and Mr. Greenebaum havo at Iast succeeded in enforcing the Sundsy law, and that next Sabbath only 2,000 saloons will be open.” Let me call your attention to the fact that you have curiously forgotten that it was not Mr. Greenebaum who has tried to enforce -the Sundsy law, and thet he resigned the Chairmanship of the Committee as soon ‘while by him a pri.ncliyle never yet was develope: and never will be. Ho works not to accomplish it. His aims are purely solfish. Thisis the little circle by which all his desires are inclosed, and here his thoughts and wishes centre. Such conduct is altogether unworthy of. o gro!eaniom.l ‘man, who shonld ever be sctuated y higher and nobler motives,—motives condn~ cive to the general good of his fellows, and the amelioration of the sufferings of those animals that are placed lower in the scelo of existence than he is, since this - lntter constitutes his par- ticular domain. There has not been that mnion which is strength, There has been no practical way of bringing it about; end the only way in which it can be brought about is by our combining to- ether under the banner of a Medical College. t is essential that we shonld have well-educated men in the profession, and that wo should have the same rights as are claimed by the sister-pro- fession. V?hnn that is attained, we will have & better class of men joining us directly. T am extremely gratified with the ateps taken by the Hlinois Humane Society to remedy the existing veterinary evil, and to meet newly-dis- covered requirements regarding the health of live stock generally, and their relation to_the health and interests of the community. It is surely required of us, 88 a profession, to be up and doing, lest we should be overtaken and dis- tanced in the race of mind. Fast are the chil- ling f105t-mists of iinomnee being dispelled by ‘the bright rising of the sun of Acience, which, in this our day, seems to have put on the seven- leagned boots of the fairy tale, so rapid lmf:nde are its strides. What has been said of Truth may also be said of her hand-maiden, XKnowledge: ‘‘It may be obscured, may be veiled, may be hidden; but it shall “nev- ertheless be sscondent. It shall fill the universe with a flood of molten glory. It shall bathe the monntain-tops, and crest the ocean- waves, and light up the valleys with & glow of heavenly besuty ; and Ignorance shall flee into the depths of fathomless abyss, for it shall not find a resting-place for its foot upon the earth.” Yours, N. H. Paszey, V. 8. CHicAGo, Nov, 27, 1872, PorTAGE CITY, Wia., Nov, 25, 1873, To the Editor of The Chicago Tribune: Bim : Inoticed a very excellent letter written by N. H. Pasren, V.8, in Toe TaisuNe of ‘Wednesday, Nov. 20, urging the establishment of & Veterinary College, also Veterinary Medical Associations throughout the the State. I see no earthly reason why our profession should not rankas high in America ss in England and France. The losses which are continually occarring among horses and cattle are & mon- strous and growing evil; and, in view of preventing unnecessary diseases and pro- maturo desths, there ought to be a Veterinary College in every BState in the Union ; but it is almost impossible.to interest the right kind of men, so that they may use their influence for the purpose of directing the attention of the General Government to the value and importance of Veterinary Science. 1t is very important that our science should attract the notice of legislators, for it bears a veryintimate relation to socialacience, inasmuch asmen and animals are subject to similar dis- eases, which are communicable one to the otlier, and which often arise spontaneously and are tranemitted from one to the othor. - For theman of aducation, there is no field that offers more inducoments than that of Vetérinary Science. The opizootic which is now spreading rapidly all over this conntry is begin- ning to open men’s eyes to tho fact that we must hevo educated veteriaary surgeons to attend to their noble animals. ‘oritis a fact that the lossos from this disease, and from every acute disease, are far greater than they ought to be; and theso losaes are felt by the berd-working farmer, and by those who depend upon the earnings of the horse for & living; and they must certainly hail as a great blessing _any attempts to itroduice an improved medicer Hitar. ature, and a rational system of practice, which §1|tull remedy the great evils which now ex- ist, Tt is no wonder that public opinion is down on all ¢ horse-doctors,” a3 they are <alled, becanse there are but very Tew edceated veterinary sur- feons in the United Btates, and especially inthe Western States; and the people wha Ppractice veterinary medicine in emall towns are the most illiterate set of men that I ever saxw, The majority of them cannot " read or write, and are too lazy to work for & living, and they. turn their attention to doctoring horsen, A man may understand aunatomy, gl\gmology, pa- thology, and chemistry, and have all other scien- tifio qualifications necessary for the Ylmd;ica_of the veterinary art, and spend a whole lifefime in the study and practice of it ; thex be don’ know one-twentieth part as much about the practiceof Yeterinary surgery as these mum pretend to Lnow, who never .studied the art & momientin their lives. These empirics pretend tc)know more sbout the horse than our \Jrestar, who made the whole machinery, and Jmows th & rele- vant strength of oll its parts. Wo have 28 many empirics, who never studied medicine & moment in their fives, who are trav- clling about this country, and preseribimg for tho human subject, and killing thsm by 1thou- sands, a8 we have who prescribe for horsea and cattle; therefore the mecessity for a law that will protect educated and honest practitiol1ers, and oblige & man to pass sn examination and! ob- tain a diplome, or bo subject to a heavy fin o if found practicing. 1I mnd ehthu nsa;irfiindn that there are more p eo- ple and horses killed annuslly with rpedic;: than die with disease. - By ,m (.lw :ua —_— THE RED MEN. Statement by a Quaker Official ay' to the Working of the Indian Pe:ice Policy. 2 Oz AGEXCY, Neb,, 11¢h mo,, 9th, 1872. Freexo : I cheerfally comply with thy requost to furnish a few facts, in relation to the working of President Grant’s ** Quaker Peaco Policy,” n faras myown personal observation hos ex- tended, in an intimate gssociation with the tribe placed under my charge for sbout thres and o half years pest. It hes so hap- pened, in the ordering of Providence, that mylot has been cast among the Omaha Indians, and T am free to confess that all my preconceived no- tions of Indian character have undergone a complete metamorphosis, 5o far ot least as this tribo is concerned; having been taught from myvery childhood to regard them as o base, treacherous, and bloodthiraty people, fearfully addicted to all the low vices that too much pre- vail amongat the more degraded of our own ace. The Omshas are a mild, aminble people, very tractable and casily inuonced. In their social interconrse, they are frank and cordial. Their remarkable truthfulness has often been a mat- ter of surprise to me, considering the infinences ‘with which they have been swrrounded. Their ordinary conversation is cheerful and sprightly; yet I have observed that they rarely indulge in jesting, and are very careful not towound the feelings of another. Nearly every member of the tribe is a pattern of abstinence from the in- dulgence in strong drink 8s & beverage. I havo mingled with them freely for more than three years, bat I have never yet seens drunken In- dian. So much for their ocial habits. Of their industry as a class, I cannot speak 80 favorably, though'I can fectify to & very marked and hopeful improvement in that direction. The great necessity in the work of Indian civiliza- tion is a stimulus to individualoxertion; & lack of which is always to be found in the communi- ty system that has heretofore provailed amongst them. So long as their subsistence was pro- cured mainly from the buffalo-hunt, the lite of the Indien wss one of relaxation and indolence. The Lody of the animal, in addition_to a little corn, cultivated mainiy by the female members of Lis family, eupplied Dim with bis necessery food ; while the thick, warm hide furmished him with comfortabia clothing end bedding, and a tent beside, to uhelcu%zim from the atorms. The rapid influx of the white men into his hitherto eacred hunt- ing-grounds Las precipitated tho crisis upon the uow helpless Indian. He reslizea that hence- forth he must walk in the samo path as the white man. Tho oxpericace and obser- vation of the past three yoars have amply convinced me of his capecity and willingness to adapt Limself to his new situation. Already a deep interest is manifested in the cducation of his cluldren. He reslizes tlot mcatal cnlture is one of the necessities of his new position. Nearly #ll the Indisn children of a auitable age to attend school are now receiv- ing the boufits of instruction from earnestand capable teachers; and strangers who visit the schools uniformly testify to tho sdmirable dis- ciplino and wondrful progress of the pupils. The average attendance 24 ihese schools is rarely equalicd at the publis nchools of the country. First-dey or Sabbath schools aro also kept amongst them ; where Scripture-readings, an other exercises calculated to foster a devotional feeling, are introduced. These school-children are furnished with suitable clothing by the liber~ ality of the Society of Fricnds. Since the intro- duction of the new schools amongst them, with- in the epace of two years, many of the children have learned toread well and write a very legi~ blohand ; they are alto very expert at figares, and able to master quite intricate calculations. The grown-up Indians have also improved much faster than their most sanguine friends were led to expect; and, instead of the life of idloness in which these lords of the prairie in- dulged a few years ago, many of them may now be found engaged in agricultural pursuits, such as plowing, cultivating their crops, building fences, meking roads and bridges, etc.; whilst others diag]ay their cepacity for mechanical pursnits by butlding comfortable houses for themselves on the farms recently allotted to them, in place of holding their lands by o common tenure, s heretofore. ‘[hese Indians, bein, poasulsnci of more land than they need on the .reservation sssigned to them Dy the Government, have recently petitioned Congress, and procured the enactment of alaw providing for the sale of a portion of their sarplus lands, 50 a6 to enable them to become successfully established in agri~ cultural pursuits, without eny pecuniary aid from the Government. I wish hero to esy & fow words in rela- tion to an error that have found to prevail very gemerally in the public mind in relation to Indiens being sup- ported by a_grotuity from the Government. I ellude particularly to Indians in what is known as_the Northern Superintendency, embraced principally within the Stato of Nebraska, with whoge condition I am most familiar ; though I believe the remarksI am about to male will n&ply equally well to other semi-civilized tribes. Tho reservations now occupied by these gseveral tribes, and the " annuities paid to thom for a certain saries of years, instead of being gratuities from the Government, are, in reslity, & small consideration in lien of the peace- able_surrender of immense tracts of the most fertile land, perhaps, tobefound anywhere in ‘America,—{and which, it is admitted, this great Government could wrest from them by force, but at what a fearful cost of blood and treasure the history of the past can testify. The humane policy adopted by President Grant is calculated not only to mitigate some of the evils that have long been crushing down a race of people to which we are so largely indebted for many of the comforts and blessings enjoyed by the teeming millions of this great country, but likewise reflects o Nstional credit npon the administration of the ofiicors of the Govern- ment. Very truly, thy friend, E. PAINTER. e — ABOUT THE ABSTRACT BOOKS. To the Edilor of The Chicago Triburne: 8m: Before paying half a million of dollars for an article, it may bo profitable to inquire what we are getting for our money, and what it will be worth when paid for. Meny seem to think that these sbstract-books do in fact coatain, in & brief and comprehensive form, all the essential points necessary to be kmown relative to ench instrument or convey- ence spread upon the original rocord-books in the Recorder's offico. This impression has been derived from obgerving thecontents of the ¢ ab- stracts,” or ‘‘examinations of title,” which were issued, from time to time, from the ab- stract-ofiices, before the fire. But this is a mis- take. The real contonts of these abstract-books fall far short of answering any such purpose. The method of keeping them is this: The number of a particular lot or section of land, or some reguixrly-described part of it, be- ing first given at the head of & page in the book, 8 singlo fine across the page ordinatily sufiicod tostate all thatisto bo preserved or shown in regurd fo each instrument or convesance men- tioned. Tt professes to give the names of the partics, but frequently states only the first named out of several grantors or.grantees ; also, the date of the instrument, the consideration, general character, whether deed, release, trust- - deed. or mortgage, together with. date of -filing, and perhaps the volume and page of _the raco: This is all that the indexes may be depended on to show. Nothing more. And what is this all .worth? and what practical use can bo mads of it? How aro titles to be established merely by such memoranda? Of what use is it to know that & decd has been given to some one unless we Imow its contents, and how executed? - And even the items, o3 given, are not always relisble. It is & common practice in these inde¥es to designatoas a “warrantes deed” & mere quitclaim with covenant against acts of the tor, as well any deed, short of & full cove- nant warrantes, which contains any covenant at oll. These books.are no guide in this respect. At the best, they show no more than a simple’ chein of paper-title. Nor were they ever in- tended for anything more than to aid the com- Efler_ in the examination of the xublm records, by directing them where to find any particular instrument, 80 as to learn its contenta. All of the special matters and the essential features in each conveyance, those things which Impart toit and determine itsreal value, are geldom or never mentioned in those books. Rarely do they give the boundaries or dimen- sions of any irref;u]nr parcals; scarcely ever the full names of all the parties, if more than oms of each; uo statemont of the special covenants con- tained ; nor of the liens or encumbrances re- cited; nor of the particular estate conveyed ; nor wheher the grant is made by virtue of any con- tract or agreement, or under any will; mor what are the conditions of & trust estate, or the terms prescribed in a trust deed or mortgage, or in That manner o power of sale shall be »xercised. No notice is taken of theze mattors. They 'were all left to be sought for in the remords. Any defecis in matters of date, names, or description of parties, description of Iands, or of the estate conveyed, or in mention of homestead waiver; any failure in the mode of execation, such a5 omission of tho seal to signaiure, ab- sence of witnesses to the signaturs of ,grantor his marf;, non-idontification of grintor by the acknowledging officer, omission of no seal, or, in fact, any mention whatever of the mode of acknowledgment, or whether acknowl- edged at all, none of these matters are noticed in the abstract-books. And vet what opinion can be formed of the validity of any deedin which these things are unknown? In tho “abstracts of title* furnished from thess offices before the fire, these items wara ‘supplied the =abstract mem from an examination. of the blio recorde, Since the fire, they are altogether omittad in their abstracts, except in casss where these * items have been preserved in impressions taken from former abstracts. That is, the abstract- books furnished a Zey & e public recordsso. long as they existed. Since those are destroyed, they are s o nothing, because there is noth- ing by which to verify them. - Aguin ; these books, such as they are, are full of figures, characters, symbols, contractions, and abbreviatiors, adapted for convenience, which have a menning to their compilers ; bat, to the ‘uninitisted and uninstructed, they have no sig- Tification, or their meaning r.3:s only in con- Jecture ; and no Court can recognize them, or give them any definite construction, ~—aless supported by testimony. Shall we have & glossary appended to the books? or who shall a0t a8 standing interpreter to the Courts, when these books shall become evidence under the statute ? And who will commit his title to the hances of uuch testimony ? Besides, although these throe ssts of books have a common orngin, yet, as they are the resalt of as many different compilations, each set does, in faot, contain many items of information rola- tiws to the instruments recorded which are wanting in the others. And. as each itemis of soms value, in the event of purchase the connty is entitled to the denefit of sll the infor- mation comprebended in the several sets. And a new and complete set should be ineisted on, as a_condition of the purchase, which shall be made to include everything found. in each and all of these sets of books. lis ab- stract men themselves admit that it would new be quite mpossible, since the loss of somo of these gets by the fire, to furnish a complete ab- etract from any one et alone; and hencethe coneolidation of the three firms as a matter of necessity. In this way, also, the regular busi- noss of these firms would suffer no material disturbsnce nor their means of living b des- troyed, by the sale of sual copy, of their books ; andno such grice a3 helfa million of dollars 2 could be thougnt of for a copy, exeept on the ground of speculating on the public misfor- Tunes, So far as providing the means for investigaé- ing titles is concerned, theyis abstract oftices have something of more real and permanent value to the publio than these abstract books, unleas the fire has destroyed this also. It has been tho uniform practice of these offices to take o copy, by impression, of every absiract of titla issucd from the office. Probably every parcel-of 1and within tho city limits, 25 well 23 In the sub- divisions made within the county, and much more besides, has, at some time, been examined Dby some one or 21l of these offices, and ebsiracts made, showing the result of snohi examinations from the public records, many of them down to a very late period. In case the impressions of these have been presorved from the fire in their copy-books, they would bo of more value to the country than all the abnbract- books now offered for sale; since these gintasin the precious information which thoes books have failed to preserve, why nof male) those coples the object of purchase by the county? The statute makes them evidence ; thus every one whose titleis affected by them will reap substantial benefit from real abstraci of all the conveyances mentioned in them. But let us pay no half million of dollars for that which is sure to disappoint eyery one who trusts to it, and which will tend to nnsetklo titles rather than confirm and establish them. : W. T. Brezre. CrcAGo0, Nov. 28, 1872, GENERAL NEWS ITEMS. 3 On the 20th inst., Governor Booth, of Califor- nis, issued pardons to eighteen comvicts. —The Kansas Pacific is now eperating 794 miles of railroad, and will be increased shortly to0 1,000 miles. —The 8t. Paul & Bionx City Railroad was opened just before winter set in; and now, for two weoks, two thousand men have been at work ra-o&;lningn. e new town of Eearney Junction, where the Burlington & Missouri oad taps the Union Pacific, was started Sept. 29 last, and is ‘building 150 houses to-day. —During the month of October, 86 news- papors wero established in the Uniled Statee, and 41 suspensions were announced. —The Boston, Hartford & Erie Road will re- place its Boston depot, which was burned in the grest fire, with a corrugated iron structure to cost 520,60 X —Tha stereotype plates in the Bostoa Pilot building were valued at $100,000. Although they were in vaults, the plates were melted down, and less than 10 per ‘cent of them are serviceable. % —The dtioflnflinnnpofin hes ceded to the State & block of ground adjoining the present State-House Square, and the Legislature will take immediate measures for the erection of a new State-Eouse, —Shanghae advices report that multitudes are dying from the famine in Corea. Tens of thousands of Chinese at Amoy are sufforing from an Indian fover called eengue, —Vote of some of some of the principal cities of Iowa: Dubuque, 8,068; Davenport, 8,039; Bm-l.iugtm:é 2,657; DesMoines, 2,145; Council Blufts, 1,3%7; Clinton, 1,829; Ottumwa, 1,255; Cedar Rapids, 1,071. —The Superintendent of B8chools in Van Buren County, Iows, has revoked the certificates of 92 school teachers, who refused or neglected to attend the Teachers’ Institute, a3 they were required to by law. i Z.0f 500,000 people within the ares of the North Alabama_Conference, 245,000 belong to no church. At least 175,000 have no churches, and 100,000 children neverattend Sunday School, About 400,000 are whites, and 100,000 are negroes. A large proportion of whites can not read or write. —In the case of George D. Wright, of Fond du Lac, Judge Miller, of the United Siates District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, has decided that & bankrupt cannot sell his home- stead and claim his store 28 a residence by mov- ing into it, and orders that the store and ‘lot be delivered fo the bankrupt's creditors. —The Grand Trunk Railway was accommodat~ ed by the Governmont of Canads with s loan of $15,000,000. It has never paid principal or in- terest, and at current rates the accumulation of the latter would now probably represent a sum not less in amount than the principal. —The authorities of San Francisco recently offered a reward of 28 for every human body re- covered from the bay. This excited a lively competition between the Bogue Riderhoods of the city, and in & short time the crop of cadav- era was all harvested. But a8 these reapers of men continue to gather in the bodies, the papers intimate that some of them aid in supplying tho bay from the ranks of the citizena. = —The Art Asgcciation of San Francisco ap- plied through M. De Breuil, Consul-General of France in tiat city, to the Freach Government for information of the termson which such lastor casts as those usod im the State Art chools of Paria could be obtsined. The re- sponse is that France has not forgotten the lib- erality of Ban Francisco during the late war, several me inent citizens of Jefferson County, West Virginia, and Messrs. R. C. Johnso James K. P, Lealio, W. A. Reed, and G. W. Rhineman, have been arrested charged with has forged the will of N. O. RBoper, lately do- ceased. The sole legates under this is Charles Goens, & colored man, who waa not &r- rested, and it is rumored that he will appearasa witness on behalf of the prosecation. The Winona Republican of the 25th says the pouliry diseasa is carrying off anumbor of fowls 1n that vicinity. E. C. Curtis has lost fifteen or iwenty chickens ; Dir. Caaler has lost fifiy fowls inside of & wesk, all young chickens ; and Mr. Wheelor, on the south side of Lake Wirons, hag also lost several fowls. The chiokens are taken with & swelling throat and sores on the sides of the head, from which they die in a day or two. —1* i eatimated that 600,000 beaves have bsen driven from Texas into Kansas, Nebrasks, ard tho Western Territories during the past year. It takes about Zofldglflshaad of beeves annually to support the Indians ; for these the Government pays._In all the ‘ranges of country betwcen the Rocky Mountsins and_tho AMississippi River, as high up as British - America, they receive cattle from Toxas. It takes w0 seasona to get a drove through from Texas to Washington Territory on the Facifio; but the rice obtained there yields a heavy profit to-tha overs. Texas, a3 yet; is the great breeding district, and Kansas the recrniting and grazing Tied on principally at Kansas City, Missouri; one ‘bank last year passing over its counter $3,000;« 000 cattlo money alone. CUMULATIVE SYSTEM OF VOTING. The Hon. Jossph Medill’s Opinion as to How Kt Works in Xllinols. Crmaaec, Nov. 21, 1872, General Comly, Editer Okio State Journal: Dz 812 : You eak me, firat, “Is it too early to Exdga a8 to the etloct of cumulative voting in f“to?i‘e #' Becond. ‘“If not, what do you think of i It is too early 40 tell whether the cumnulative system of voting has given us a better body of legislators than the old method would have done —thatis, more talented, capable, and hones members. It will take several elecsions and trisls before we can judge with cer« tainty as to the working of the new system in this respect. The _mosh I am prepared to say now is, that the new Housa elocted by minority representation will compara favorably with the last or any preceding one, 80 far as I can judge by appearances. Inuiis coun= ty, which embraces one-seventh of the State, our best men of neither party could ba inducet to be candidates. They coald not consent to spare the time to aitend the sessions of the ouse, and we were obliged to run the best men who would accept, If we have not a strong delegation from this big county, the fault is not with minority representation, but must be at- sributed to the preswurs of professional and Susiness engogements of tho ebler men. Siill, ‘we have secared ihe services of several gentle- men of very respectable abilities. But in another respect the new system has reslized the most sanguine anticipat®ny of its friends and others. For the first time in the hise tory of politioal organizations, each party is represented from every portion of the Siate; and the sggregate representation is exactly in proportion to the numerical atrongth of each jarty. Thus the Republicans bave elocted eighiy-six mombers of the House, and the Demo- crats sixty-seven. The Republican vote of the State was 240,437; the Democratio vote (in- clading 0'Conar's) w6-187,250. This woald give an average of 2,800 Ropublican votes cast for each Ropublican member, and 2,790 Democratio votes cast for ench member of that porsuasion. What could bo more equal or matnematically exact? ‘The majority party . have comyiete con- trol, but the minority parsy have just the rapre- sentation they are enfitled to on principles cf equality. Had the House been elscted .on tha old ““ grab all” method, it would stand, Repub- lican 59, Demhocrat 54, We elected our Senmate by single distriois, aud tho Republicacs carried toiriy-ihree distvicts snd the “Democrats bub eighteen. Divide the totzl Republican vois by tho number of Seustors clected, and the quo- tient is about 7,300 votes to each. Divide the Demacratic vota by thair Seustars clected, aad the quotiont is 10,400. Thus vou perceive tho Demoerats are not nezrly represeutad in the Senate in proportion to tneir surengch, but in the Houss, wuich was eclectsd on the minoricy representation plen, they Lave secured precisc.y the nusber of membery they should have, on principles of right and justco. ‘i practical working of the two syatems, the **grab-all” and the proportionsd, wad into soven_Benatorial Districis. 'the Repuuii- cang carried 3!3 .7 them and the Dowocrats only ona; Lut for the other house, the Democrats clected eight and ths Republicans thirteen mem- bers, and that is exactly the number of memvers each party was entitled to in proportion to its strength at tho polls, in this county. For the first time for many years will the Democrats of this ciy be represented in the General Assembly by mon of their choice and seutiments ; and for the firgt time sinca the Re- publican party was oxganized in Illinois (in 1834) have the Democrats secured a Tepresontation from Northern or the Republicans from Sonth- ern linois, with rare exceptions. The szong- est and bitterest Democrenic distriots down in *Egypt” hava now, for the first time in the hise tory of existing parties, elected Republicans ta the General Assembly. %I send you a list of tho members elect from all fhe digtricis—beginning with Chicago &ad end- ing with Cairo. Mark the number of Kepuir licans who hava been chosen to the Huuse from the Thirty-third to the Fifty-first Diseriot inclu- sivo. These, with two or three exceptions, havo heretofors constituted the Demcerat stronghalde of our State Also note the number of Democraty who have been returned in the districis from the First to _the i (This territory is called in contradistinction to “Egypt,” at the opposita end of the Btate.) From this Canaan’s fair and happy land, Democratic members have theres fore been as scarce as white black-birds. Some of the politicians, before the election, predicted that cumulative voting would cause 8o moch confusion and mischief hat it wounld have tobe abolished right awsy. The people, they said, would never comprehend it, or know how to vote by that mathod ; snd the judges of the election, they predicted, would be um- able to count up the votes and make cor- rect retnrny. But mone of their evil prognos- ticstions came to pass. Tie ycupla seemed to understand their_new power of cumulative vot= ing, and exercised it freely. In quite s number of instances they elected two Republicansin a Democratic district or two Domocrats in a Re- publican district. This was done by * plump- ing” for favarite candidstes, or tranaferring a part of a vots to » political opponent on account of h.irsdpsr!onl! morits or popularity. But the general rosult did not changa the proportional Tepresentation of parties. Since the election I 866 10 asesults on the new system in the Ilinois papers, and my opinion is that the prees and ‘poople ‘are well pleased with the operation of the experiment of cumulative voting and propor- tional representation; and unless it develo) some hidden weskness or ovil, in the future, it will be dparmmently retained’ in our Constita- tion, and extended to other branches tod- de- pariments of our State Government. Respecte ZTully, yours, Josepr MeDITL. General Loomis’ Remains Burned in a Baggage Car. From the Detroit Free Press, Nov, 27, As wes announced Sunday, the remains of Generel Loomis left New York Saturdsy, and would arrive hers on Mouday but fora chiin of circumstances which enlded in consigning the body to the flxmes. The remains lay over s the Bridge until Monday, and_were then deposited in the car, and freight riled upon the box in such quantities that, when the train reach Detroit Mondsy might, the messengar put off all .other freight marked to_thi point, but forgot the corpse. It there- fore went on with the train. When within five miles of Niles s fire was digcovered in the ‘baggage-car, catching from sparks thrown out by the locomotive. It had made such headway when di:fl;vere% that t%:axa vang 10 hope of say- ing anyl . Every pieco of baggage waa lo: a3 well a8 6 way-bAla OF the mecgengor. ‘Tho Association wers apprised of the accident yesterday, but did not succeed in learning wheth~ er the remains were consumed, or only partially borned. They will be here at 7 o'olock this morning, and, to say the least, will not be in condition to be exhibited. Therewas considera- ble excitement when the faots were known yes- terday, and much regret that the remains which elept once in the earth should be resurzected for teburial and then meet such a fate. The acci- dent will not, of couree, stop any proceedings for the faneral to take place on Sunday. Those who would turn out to honor the de'adywill turn out to honor his ashes. —_——— —william L. Gilbert has recently off contribute 100,000 towazd the eudo\r{nen?oafd :: educational institution, at Wiusted, Conn., pro- vi‘fiad iliat an oqual sum shall ke contributed by othore. _—There has been a rumor current in political circles, for some days past, that President Gract intends to make the tour of Europe next June, and will prosent » set of casts to the agent of the Association in Parls. —A serious charge has been preferred against leaving the Executive duties to performe: %ungg l:_x: absence by Vice President Wilson.—, region. The money branch of this trado is car- - ingly exemplified in this connsy, which is divided - v