Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, July 6, 1874, Page 4

ST ol S R NGRS ' TERMS OF THE TRIBUNE TEANS OF BUDECRIPTION (PAYADLE IN ADVANOE), 12,00 | Bunday, S00 Wesay rat the same v lay and mistakes, be wnro and give Tost drona in full, inotuding Biate and Counitys Remittancos may bo mada elthor by dratt, oxrass, Post Office eador, or in registored Jottors. at oue slsk, o TENMS TO CITY RUNRORIBENA, gllly. dellverod, Bunday ax:lnn}cn‘ :lu t\vln:: m :::]t‘n aily, od) Bundsy tncluded, fu conts por wesk, rorets BU iR TIIDUNE COMPARY, d Dearborn-ata.. Ubicago, SOCIETY MEETINGS, A ARD OF RELIEF-REQUTAR MERT. e s s oL i R T R e I’!!Imhnflllu"l 18 roquasted, Retary. EDWARD GOUK, Sau ] 'S AMUSEMENTS. TO:DA’ ACADEMY OF MUSIO—ITalsted atrock het weer M1 . oment of W, Hoskius, SR ST o de **Tlio botweon OLRY'S_THEATREKandolol strogt, befweon and LaSalle, fngugomont of Tony I'a Troups. 4 R TCATRI—Madlson streat. e o, Hpgagoisunt of 49 Troupo. ** La Tontatlon.™ 2 I THEATRE-Comner of Wabash savonue oo niraot. oneht of Leonard Grasor, © Comie 235 Tards, aud paatomimo, o sty batwoon Lingard LAKR-SHORE, FOOT OF MADISON-ST.—Souller's Real Romnn Hippodrowe, RXPOSITION BUILDING- Lakeshoro, foot of Adama jet. ** Paris by Moonlight." Attornuon and ovoming. _THIRD.ST. BASE BALL GROUNDS— ORI Anbip s bobrac tho Nostons and Chlcagos. e The Chitags Tiibune, Monday Morning, July 8, 1874, — An audlonco of 8,000 poraons greeted Prof. Bwing in McCormick Hall yesterday. This popu= lar rospouso to thoinvitstion of the Fourth Church oficlals muet have boon gratifying and ronssuring to them ; wo may olso prosume that it oxcooded their oxpootations. Now thattho foar of failurc, moro or loss comyplate, is past, thore can bono good in donying its existenco. ‘The Professor preachad Fourth of July sermon, as did nlso tne RNov. Bobert Coliyor, of Unity Church, sud tho By, Dr. Thomae, of tho Firat Mothodist Church. Boaide thoso sermous wo print this morning an abuiract of one do- livored by tha Rev. Lomuel Moss, D. D, tho now Presidont of Chicago Univorsity, and one by Rabbi Adlor on Imprecation in tho Old Teatament. Dr. Adler says that there were good hiatais in thoso dayas when they cussed, they oursed 8o ay to be undorstood. Thoro was no time lost by.them in polito nonsonse of any description. ——eee Tho political situation in Michigan is cloarly sot forth in o lotter published in auothor column, Our correspondent believes that the most promi- nont issue in the coming oampaign will be the ¢ gindleation ® of Mr. Chandler, who, by all accounts, noods something of tho kind as soraly asany man in high political station, Evory- body knows that Chandlor has heretoforo boen {n Michigan what Camoron is in Ponnsglvania § that he originally secured and has retained of- fico by moenus of his great possossions in silvor and gold,—hisintellcotunl and moral attainmenta not boing taken into the acoount. Indeed, thoy aro 80 nearly imponderable a8 to bo worthless for purposes of calenlation. Tho pooplo in Michigan liave boen ropresented in the Sonate by Mr. Olandlor during tho laat six years in mpito of themeelves; oud if ho-fe re-olected it will bo agsin in spite of the majority'a wishos, Present indications are that he will have o hard strugglo for it, tho chancea now bo- ing agoinst him. Gov. Bagley will probably be xouuuated by the Itopublicans. Alw Con- grossional candidatos and their prospeets are fully troated of In tho letier nlready mentioned, which Is tho first comprehensive aud acourate statement of Michigan politics that has been published in suticipation of the full campaign of thus year, SBlnca tho Kellogg-Durell-Casey usurpation, the clemonta of revolution bave been confined in tho Btato of Louisiana; and thore is scarcely room for doubt that these would have combised and brought in & uew Government but for the intorvention of tho Federal power. Such o con- dition of affairs in ono of tho American States s wholly without procodent. In view of 4%, any contribution to the hlstory of tho usurpation possceses peculiar Inter- ozt and value, We give such o contribution this morning. It1s from the pen of o thoughte ful obgorver, who has had somo advantagos for gotting at the facts. Mo finds that tho faction in power is gencrally huted, except by the poorer and loss reputable classes, There s, howover, little bope of chnuging the admintassation, Qougress will not luterfere furthor. It bna interfered just enough fo place and wustain Kellogg and his coadjutors in powor; now tho peoplo sro placidly ad- visod to look out for themselvea, Tho die- couraging fontura in Louleisna politics is that the people bave no loaders and no hope, It will not be wonderful if thoy vote for n third- torm and & fourth-term, and thon join in a ple- biscile in favor of tho Emplre, with Gon, Grant 18 tho first Emperor. They live under o Repub- Uean govornmiont which ia worse than despotism, fn that it {8 s dlsgraceful and monotonous le and fraud. AMr. Charles Yrancla Adams, Jr.'s, article on tho OCurroncy Debato of 1878-74, in the July bumber of the North Amerloan Review, s a genuine Bhip of Fools. It consiste of chofco morsels of financial unwisdom uttered during tho pest sesslon of Congross by Mossra, Morton, Logan, Boutwell, Ferry, Pratt, Morrimon, Oglosby, Bogy, and othors of the Sonate, and Afesara, Butler, Kolloy, Holman, Mellish, Fiold, Bundy, snd & host of incapables in the House, with somo introductory remarks, and just enough running comment to show tho idiotle material of which the inflationist party in Con- gress waa mado up. Wo learn from this patieut ocollgeation of the Jecord how many Congrous- mon exprosrod tho opivion thut paper currency 18 wealth ; how many held that pepor is ugood ayg gold if the law onlydeclares itiobosa ; how many affirmed that greenbacks are roelly preforablo to gold; how many ngroed that gold ina frand; how many concurred in the view thatgroonbacka are aealod with blood, and that thoy maved tho country and aro canonized in the broasts of tho people, aud should thorefora bo perpatuated ; how many discovered that all the prospority of the past ten years was dus tolrredcomable currency ; how many belleved that the Boptembor collapse yesulted from an insuficlenoy of such ourrency ; anda groat multitude of oqually ludiorous con- celta, Ay, Adamu Lina rendered s real servico to Listory by washing the gravet of tho last sesuion and “ panning " these nuggots, In order to ob- taln thorn 1t was necessary to examine no less .ghes 1,700 volumed of the Cengressional \ Tiecord,~an amount of ronding matter cqual to tho whole of Gibbon’s History or to the com: plato worke otEdmund Burke. £ Norvous Iadles and gontlomen wio have ba- guu lately ta attoud prayor-mootings with unu- sunl diligonco aud zoal will bo relloved on learn- ing thot tho teil of the comot will not como noarer to the earth than 21,000,000 miles, At ihis distanco it will bo difloult for tho “flukes to reach suy- body in this nolghborhood. Prof, Safford lias mado tho estimate given above, Ife i a compe- tont natronomor, and may safoly bo trustod- Even if tho oarth should pasa through tho tail of the comt, thero would probably bo no sonsi- blo phenomenon, Prof, Safford furthoerinformed » Tninuxe roporter who questioned him on theso points that tho porihelion passago s likely to Do Jator xathor than wooner; tat thore 18 mo cstablishod rola- tion between tho distanco of & comet from tho sun at tho timo of its passago and the Jongth of ils tail; thnt the owtlno of the tafl Lns moro the shapo of a catenary than of & conoid fu rovolution; that wo cannot equato tho length of the tail egainst its DLreadth by any system of co- ordinates. If this is not enough to dissipato all alarm, there 18 no uso of talking moro about it. Homo peoplo will not lston to & cloar, simplo statoment of facts, when once sn approhonsion of bodily injury is aroused, Dayton, 0., had n Postmaster uamed William M. Greon. Mr. Green was, aftor o very long strugglo, romoved in tho month of January, 1874, Thoro was an immonso political pressure to keop bim in, a8 thero Lisd been for long timo toprevent Investigation. Tho Dayton Journal of July 2 publishes the ofiicial roport of tho Pogt~ Ofiico Agont sent to invostigato tho affairgof tho oltico. 'That report found that be was guilty of falsification of the pay-rolls of the omployes of tho ofico. Tho clerks signed tho pay-rolls in blank, and received certain wages, while tho pay-rolls were fllled up with larger sums for which tho Postmastor received oredit,—the Post- master swenring to the truth of his returne. Auothor charge was that the name of a lady was entorad on the pay-roll in 1870 and continued thereon, though she rendored no service. A third chergo was that the uamo of the Post- mastor's brothor was on tl:e pay-roll for nenrly two yoars, Lo nob boing fu Dayton at all. Tho noxt chargo waa that ho rontod tho Post-Oftice promises for £1,200 & your nud had a lonso mads out for 2,000; tho Govorument prid the last sum, whilo the Postmnstor kept the differouco. Othor charges woro that tho Dills for coal and various othor bills, paid by tho Goverument on account of the Post-Ofico, lacluded the privato bills of tho Postmaster. Tho Postmaster plead- od ignoranco of the transactions, and bia doputy assumod to bo responeiblo for some of (hem. Novortholess, the facts wore so distinct that tho special agent advised bis romoval. Tho Dayton Journal, & Republican paper, pertinently in- quiros why the ox-Postmaster has nover boon prosecuted, He was romoved six montha ago, but no offort Lias been made to socure any por- tion of the monoy alleged to Lnve boen wrong- futly taken, THE WISCONSIN RAILWAY DECISION. The question of the constilutionality of the Wisconsin Railway law has been docided at last, by the Circuit Court of tho Umted States kit~ iing at Madison. No more important sult has ever comoe before tho Qourts than this, Itwasa bill filed on behalf of certain cilizons of Burope and of tho United Htates to restrain, by injune- tion, tho enforcement of the Wiscovsin Railway law, It was urgod in the bill that, if the luw wan onforvud, the fullway companios would uol dorive, from all their sources of revenue, o Sum sufliciant 1o pay oporating oxponses and tho in- terest on theirbonds, or to keep theroads ina stato of efliciency, to sey nothing of paying divi- dends to their stockbolders, or making provisions for s giuking fund to retire the Londs which are bocoming due. If wau clauned also that, if thoy were compelled to operate tho ronds at the rates uswed {u theaet, they would have to run them at & loss, and that their value would be destroy- ed. It was shown that the Potter law was an act to confiscate property; and that it violated the contracts made between the companies and their lLondbolders. For ull thers and othor slmilar reasons, it was supposed thnt tho Courts of tho United Btates would hold tho iaw to ba not eoh- stitutional, It has turnod out othorwice, The constitu- tionality of the law Las been affirmed on the ground that, undor tho Constitution of Wiscon 8in, the chartors of all corporations 1n the State moy bo “altored or ropealed st any time after their passage,” This article of the Constitution, the Court held, was futroduced as a condition intoall the numerous grants under which the companies claim their rights of franchise and property. The owners of tho railway stock aud the holdera of its socuritics took them subject to thia condition, Tho corporations could not, by making o contract or deod of trust ot their prop- orly, clothe their creditors with any higher pow- ara than they had rocetved, for if thoy could do thia thoy might by thoir own not sbrogate the fundamontsl law of the State, All the world knows that the State of Wiscon- slu bins resorved to itsolf the right to alter or ro~ penl the charter of any corporation in that Stato. ‘Whatis tho oxact meaning of the worda * altor or reposl" was n matter of dispute until the de- cigion by Judge Drummond in the injunction cngo wad wndo koown Saturday last at Budi- son. 1t ls now undorstood that thoy menn that tho State of Wisconsin has tho powor, not to tako the property, but to destroy the revenue of any corporation in it, and to hamper it so that iv Bhall not bo uble to pny its indebtednoess,—und not for good reason shown, but arbitrarlly, be- cauge such s it good will and pleasure, The decislon moana that no corporation in Wisconsin, railroad, lifo, or firo fusuranco company, mauu- facturing, educational, oy other, has any rights which tho Biato is necossarily bound to rospocl, 1t this be the correct intorpretation of the Con- stitution of Wisconsin—and Judgo Drum- mond's authority is so high that we cannot gain- oay it—It containa the gorm of gome grave mis- fortunes to the Stato, forit isoquivalent to s pro- Yislon warning capital out of tho Biato, It strikes o blow at tho credit of the State abroad, Where thore 1a no crodit, thevo will be little on- torprine or capital ; and whero thero {s little cap- {tal, thore is Jittlo of anything that makes Yifo doslrable or enjoyable, Whoro thoro {8 no orodit, foreign capital will not come, nnd homn capital will not stay. There 1a no orodlt whoro there is no seourity ; mud there is no meourlty whore, by tho fundamental law of tho Btato, milllona of capital may at any time bo dostroyed, mullions of dobt he made {rrecoverable, and thousands of oontracts invalldated, 1P the rallway corpora- slonw of Wisconsia wers (o repudiate (auppoaing THE CHICAGO DAILY TRIBUNE: MONDAY, JULY 6, 1874. thom to have tha powor to doso) thoir dobts, thore watild bo s torriblo huo and ory againat them, But hore comoa In tho Btato and throat- ana to compol them to ropudiate uuder tho guiso of Inw. If Wisconsln porsovores in hor policy toward corporations, tho era of hor dovolop- mont Ia gono, Not n dollar would Lombard streot or Wall atreot losn in Wisconsin to-day to bLulld o milo of rallroad. Not a dollar will sho Do ablo to obtain for auch purposes if tho intor- protation now put upon hor Constitution is on- forced by acts involving practical repudintion by hor corporations. And before mouoy is lonned to any Wisconsin corporation for. any purposo the londors will thinl twico or thrico. ‘What Lbe railronds will do next may be guossed at, To avold loss thoy will cut down exponses, run slower tiaing, omploy lesd experienced bunds, use pooror carg, negloct keoping the roadsin ropair for tho presont—in fine, by every moaus in tholr powar ondeavor to mnko their outgo less than their income—and all to tho incouvenience of tho public. That tho railway rates flxod ab prosent canuot bo continued, is quita corlain, uuless wo nasume that the roilway managoers aro unblughing llars. Probably the successful par- tion to thin litigation will accopt tho hdvlco of tho Judges and not bear dowu o hiard on the roilronds 28 the law eoables thom to do, and so tho ovils will o really lous than thero is ground to approhend. Meanwhilo an appenl will be argued befors the Suprome Court st tho coming Octobor term, and tho ques- tion of inter-State commerce, which was not Inciuded in tlus decisiou, will bo honrd by Judges Davis and Drummond, in thia city, next Friday. The Biato autboritics did not seem onxious to try this part of their cose, and Judge Diummond intimated thet if o decislon wero roquired upon tho heating already had tho Court would hold that tha Legislaturo could not fix rates of tall an property coming into or going out of tho Btnto, Bince tho right to regulate commerco botwoon the States apportains exclu sively to Congrosa. Of courso speculations will b indulged m pg to the outcome of iha appenl io the Suprome Court, After a caveful readlvg of Judge Drum- mond’s romarks, we can #oo no ground to ex- pect that his decision will be roversod. NEW DECLARATIONS OF INDEPENDENCE. 1'he old-siyla celebrations of the Fourth of July scom to have beon almost ontiraly abandon- ed. Occasionally o now colicge-gradunto, or an ambitious Jaw-student, finds in a rural diatrict an opportuuity for airing his rhetorio; but, as s rulo, tho ergle does not spread his wings and soar aloft with auything like tho vigor aud abandon of former yenrs, The anniversary is now regarded a4 an occasion for making now Declaratiques of Indopondence rathor than commomorating ono which is nearly a hundred years old, Wo aro not suro but the departuro is a good ono. 12, on the one hand, we secrifico some of tho traditions of the past which ought to bo held encrod, on tho othor we look forward to roforms that may bo a4 ossontial in tho way of prosers ing American indepondonco as tho firsb Declara- tion was fn achioving it. Thore could gcarcely bo a more fitting commomoration of tho most sacred day in Amorican lstory than tho practi- cal presontations of new evidence of loyalty to the prinoiples which havo made it glorious. This may be better dono by atriking awsy new shacklos that bave been put upon ue than by dreaming in tropes &nd Lyperbole over the accomplishmeuts of a century ago. Tho favmers inauguraied tho now style of colebration last year by gathering togother in picoies and reading their now Declaration of Tolitical Indopendonco along with thub which Jofferson mado. ‘Their cxamplo, though a yoar has intorvoned, has not been forgotton; and, this year, it has beon imitated by wmen who aro uot farmers. Tho most notablo iustanco of this now spirit of independonce was furnished Dy Mr. Zobina Enstman, in Lis addross at Elgin, which we priut this morning. 1tis a vigorous protost againet party slavory, It is & hoarty appeal for theright of free voting. If men aro {o vote with the party always upon moral com- pulsion, they might a8 woll give up tho right of suffrage, Mr. Eastman nover spoke a truer word than when bo eaid: ‘*‘More political alaves votod t the Inst Presidential olection than there wero logal slaves whom Lincoln emanci- pated.” This political slavory, too, is of s more humiliating and debasing character than the former serfdom of the Southern Btates. Tho Dblacks wero slaves in thelr ignoranco and holp- losencss, White men aro elaves only by abject and voluntary submission. It i3 pot slavery to this parly rather than thet party which is ta be speciatly depra- cated; it is the elovery to party of any Lind, whioh makes ic binding upon a man to vote for candidates thrust upon bLim in caucus sgaiust his own judgment. This is the habit that the Amorican votera have ncquired irrespectiva of purty, aud 1t amounts to just what Mr, Eastman enlls {t,—slavery, It is this bondago which calls for emauoipation now,—sn eomancipstion as nocessary to the lifo aud prosperity of the Re- public a8 was tho omancipation of the American Colonies aud the emaucipation of the nogroes, To bott should bo an houor and glory to ba sought after and not a dlsgrace to be shuuned. ‘The ballot can only bo free in all truth when evory mau fools and oxerciaos the liberty to voto at ovory clection just as ho pleases, unboholden to **slate,” or caucus, or party. Tho wpriviloge of making our natlonal anni- versary tho occasion for a now Declaration of TIndopoundenco was likowiso exorcisod on Batur- day by tho women-suffragists of Doston, who gothored togetbor in Iarmony Grave to the numbor of 2,000, and mado and listeued to speechon of lament rather than glorification, Among those present who contribated to the protosts of (he day wero Willism Lloyd Garr- som, Mrs, Mary A, Livermoro, Mra, Julin Ward Howe, Lucy Stone, tho Smith eisters of Glos- tonbury, who ropeated the etory of thdir woos, and many others prominent in tho fomsle.suf- frago movement, The most virulent of the lady apoakors, though she declared she did not want to bo & man, was Mry, Abby Kelly Fostor, who submittod resolutions to this offect: That no honorable man can sustain & Government which placos his wifo and daughtor {n a placo with *‘idlots, paspers, and criminals ;" and that such cconduct {8 moro befltting an “ African buccaneer than ay Americon geutleman,” Thero won the same disposition notablo at this gathoring ns at most meotings of womon-sulfraglaty, to ignoro all the progroaa that hos beon made in tho logis- Iation of tho country toward the improvoment of \vmpm‘u condition, and to roject overything ahort of the ballot, Though wa bave no netlve sympatby with tuis apirit, tho woman-suffragoe plonio at Harmony Grove ia not tho less an illus- teation of the now style of colebrating tho Fourth of July, It cannot bo oxpooted that all Duwnrationp of Indopondence sball be right, prautioablo, aud succosutuly bub the practice of thus buorvlng Lie anmyersary of our Natlonal ' Independonce {8 movortheloss a vast improve~ mont on t4o ol sproad-caglo syl THEODORE TILTON'S8 DEFENSE, The Golden Age of July 4 has a rather re- matlable oditorial artlole, ontitled “ Mr. Til- ton's Position,"” not written by Mr, Tilton nor published by him ( asineo the samo numbor of the papor announces his withdrawal from thoe aditorship), but evidently Insorted with hia knowledge nnd concurvonco. Thia erticle, toall outward appontance, Is welghted with tho spe- cifio gravity of truth, In so far as it vindicates M. Tilton ngainst the charges brought sgainst him since bis lottor to Dr. Bacon wag published, it is calm, dignified, anduncomplalning. It brings no new acousations against Mr. Beacbor, though it snys that the Jattor was urged in duo sosson, in tho presonce of witnosses, to say nomothing todofond Mr, Tilton against the severe blows rained upon him by Dr. Dacon, bub that he omitted to doso, It eays also that tho lotter waa not published until it had beon submitted to Dr. Dacon nnd ho (Bacon) had been asked whotlier thore wae any other way in which Mr, Tilton could bo vindicated, and that Dr. Bacon conld enggost no other way. The articlo noxt doscants on the notable mant- fautation of publis eympathy for Mr. Baechor uudor the presont ncousation, Such forbear- anco and charity, tho Golden Age considors grand almost to the point of sublimity., Twenty- fivo yoars ago Mr. Bacchorwould Lave boen dragged bofors an aoclosiastical tribunal for trial forthwith, and, if ho bad continusd to oceupy tho pulpit without cither denylug tho ac- onsation or calling for tho proof, ho would prob- ably have boen mobbed, Now, howevor, ba ia Judgod by & lifetime of noblo aod wseful work rathor thon by a singlo aborzation, Tho cry of “erucify him™ is not heard in eny quartor. But—it is possiblo for Mr. Beccher to peril and lose this bigh vautago-ground by an attempt to evado or conceal, for in the ond silenco can only bo interproted 08 contession. It may bo ndded that, whou the public come to conatruo ullonco in thi way, thoy will make such addl- tious to tho real fasty as calumuy or suspleion can fuvoul, Aundeo tho lastond of this man shall bo worao than tho first. As for Mr, Tilton, he aske neither toloration nor sympathy, but only justico. Ho Lad boon branded, in tho only circlos in which he moved or could mova, a8 a slandoror, » liar, and a dog. Ho had givon thoso who could remove theso stigins from him overy opportunity to do so. Instond of doing so, they had aggravated the cnso agaiuat bim, aud thero was nothing left for him to do but o presont the proof, not that Mr. Boccher was a guilty man, but that Mr, Tilton waa an innocont ovo. accusa Ar. Lilton of unfairness in tho premisos, Nor can any complaiut of unfalimesy bo raised in behalf of Mr. Boechor 1f he is guilty. Wowever wmuch sympathy may be ox- tended to tha latter, there is no room for sn attnck on Tilton if bo has told the truth, And up to the present time the oneperson who knows whether ho haa told the truth or not, hes not afirmed the contrary. Mr. Bocchor, on his part, in his Friday ovening lecturo, indulged in some commonplaces con- corning & ketter world, whoro the wicked coaso from troubling and the weary are at rost. He “promised bimsalf tho pleasuro of shaking hands with his tlock in the boavonly kingdom, and said that he had alwaya labored with an aye alngla to tho advancomont of the Clrist’s grace among men. He gave forth many enigmatical utter- ancos, but did not say that Tilton's charges were falso. It is vory ovident that this mawner of speoch will not wear Jong, and that Mr. Beochor himself porceives it, for he added that ho did ot caro what the future might have in store for him, SOUVENIRS OF T! 'OURTH OF JULY. Yeaterduy morning wa publisbed the losal record of casualtios on the “ Fourth,” witha fow roports from outlying polnts, In this city, one young lad was instantly killed, Three other porsons wero 80 bndly hurt that thoy aro likely to dio after lingoring a fow days in intenge agony. Ono casualiy is reported where an arm was lost, togother with numerous cases of tho mutilation of hands, faces, oyes, and limbg, A varioty of other personal injuries completo tho record fn this city of accidonts resulting from tho fros uso of gunpowder. In Allegheny City, Pa,, thero wns » loss of 100 housos, and the little town of Pontiao, in this State, suffored to tho extout of 8200,000 from firo,—both cnses resulling from the use of gunpowdor in tho national colebration, Whon tho whole country shall bave boen heard from, tho record of lives loat, of badics mutilatad, aud property deatroyed, will perhiaps be sufliciont to eatisfy «il patriotio citizons for ono year to come. Of all the modos of colebrating a mational fostival, tho indiscriminato and unrostramed use of gunpowder by mon, women, and childron of all nges s the most sensoless, the most danger- ous, tho most unmeaning, aud the most repro- hensiblo. Experionce conflrms, year after yoar, the oriminal folly of this parcicular form of juibilos, It has beon butn fow years sinco the City of Portland was laid fn ashos from the oare- lesd uso of fre-crackors on the Fourth of July. Of all places In tho world, Chicago ought to bo tho most prudent in the uso of things that threaton conflagration, Two hundred millions of dollars of proporty, beside & score or two of livos lost, ought to be a. warning sgainst such reckloss hnndling of combustibles as was allowed in this city on Suturdsy Inst. Pho firing of guus, plstols, and crackors, the oxploding of rockets, candlos, and tho moro elaborate proparations called fire-works, as a colebration of the Nationa) Independenco, is o thoroughly incendlary procceding, It bse no other significance; it conveys no idos or im- vrosslon of the event cel biated, Itis & moro waste of mouey, and a peril to lifo and property which admits of no apology and uo justifieation. It Is at baest a custom borrowod from barbarlans, with whom nolso i8 a menns of warliko offenso and dofonso. Uofortunately, this froe use of powder is committed, for the most part, to thoso least qualified by discrotion and futelligonce to oxorcleo such loonse, Thoro was bhardly o newaboy or gamin i Chicago who did not havae ou Baturdey & pistol and a bottle of powdor, or some implomont capable of produo- ing Instant death. This paper yestor- day onronioled the explosion of no lews tham o dozon of | theso battles of powder, rosulting in one cago in the death of a lad who was & mers spootator, aud the burning and mutilation of & hlf & dozen other porsons, But this carcloss handling of powder was nob coufined to tho streot-Arabs; it was genoral among all claseos, nnd the wonder is that thoro were not ton times the number of deaths from that cause, Anothor evil wastho useof fire- erma by tho rowdy olass, ‘Theso did not confino thomsolves to tho mero use of powder; thoy cliarged thelr plutols #nd guns lo some ceses with bultols, in othors wiilh aliot, aud iu others Wo can sco no room to | with pebbles, and tho numbor of Injuries from this oauso was vory large, Tho froedom of the day pormitted the praotice of this kind of ruf- fianlam with Impunity, and tho numbor of victima ‘popporod In the arms, logs, And body attot how extonsively it wna used. To aupposo that theso porsons, or, in fact, any considerablo number of any othor cluss, wors influoncod or con- trolled In thoir ngo of firg-arma or firo-works by any thought of commomorating tho Deolara- tion of Indopondonca in 1770, {s wholly absurd, Tho Fourth of July has lost its pristino signifi- canco, and is now batled by chifldron and fools as & day of licouse on which every male biped is at liborty to soattor firobrauds, arrows, and denth without responsibility for any destructionof life or injury to porson or proporty that may result, All this is wrong and reprobonsible. In mauy of the Iargo citios auch demonstrations have boon prolibited for many years, and the prohibl- tlon Is rigldly enforced, If any person feol that ho must burn a given quantity of powder, and risk tho Lilling or maiming of & numbor of othor porsons, ho 1is roquired to go boyoud tho city lwits, whore thore I8 ressousble ossurance that ho will Lkill no ono but Dimeelf. DBut {n Ohicago wo scom to Invite this kind of desporate Malay folly and rackloas- nors. Wesoom to court anothor fire, and henco wo repoal or suspend all laws for tho protection of hifo and proporty ono day in ench yoar, and trust to Juck, putting ve into the hands of idiots and lunntics, to do with as they pleaso. his ia callod *fun," but there ismo escapo from tho obvious truth that it is muniolpal murder snd incoudiarism. The jutonso “fun" of tho thirly- six hours’ senson of recklees and indiscriminato flring, by which tho Fourth of July was colo- brated in thfs city, falls farshort of componsating for the lifeof the boy MoKesn so suddeuly taken on Baturday, nor will it componsato for the suffer- ing and auguish of the other viotims who have been hovering botwoon life and doath since Baturdny, GEN, HOWARD'S TRIAL, The facts about the triel of Gen. Howard have Just como out. Instead of being soqnitted by o unnnimous vordiot of the Court, as has boen commonly roported, ho escaped copsure by a mujority of only ono vote. The Auding of tho Court completely oxonorated tho acoused, and closed with tho statoment that ‘‘ho did his whole duty, and doserved well of his conntry.” Up to this point in tho proceedings all went well with tho General, but aflerward there camo o roviow of the case by Judge-Advocate Cen. Holt, which placed quite & differont faco on affairs, The Judge-Advocate cited s peculiarly applleable to Gon. Toward's offonsos the well-recoguized legal mex- ims, that **ignoranco of lawis no excuse for its violation,” and * evary man is prosumed to contomplate tho natural consaquonces of his own scts,” These being placed in view, tho Judge-Advocate advanced, mora by implication than by direct assortion, to a protty severe con- dompation of Gen. Howsrd. Tho saliout points made by him wero thet Howard, either through carelcsancsa or incompetence, ectablished an in- adequato end blundering system for the payment of moneys duo to colored troops; that ho converted funds in his posset- sion uto United BStates intorest-bearivg bonds, slthough such notion was expreesly for- bidden by law; that ho made thie inventment without tho cognizancs of hia superior oflicer, tho Secrotary of War; that Lo faited to account for interost received on tho bonde so purchnsed until two years after they hind been reconvertod into money. ‘fhe Judgs-Advocate advised, and 1t seoms to us with good roason, that the conduct of Gon, Howard sbould not bo allowed to puss swithout the making of & record that would deter srmy officers who might bave mimilar trusts confided to them from following in his footatops. And now wo would Lo ploased to have the public men who have sbused the" press for * calumuiating” Gon. Hownrd stand up and snswer, on thelr honor, whothor thoy thinlk he has been g0 much * calumniated " aftor sll. Tho difference botwoon withholding o large amount of meney from the Public Treasury for two years and a concealod dofalcation cannot bo dofinitely fixed in our language until itsro- sources are incrensed. An English Judge, s learued Judge, s Judgo of the London Divoreo Court, with s handlo to his name, haa aunounced that ho is *bound to say Lo has known meuy highly-respectablo ladics who bave smoked,” Whether the loarned gentloman meana that ho has met them fn salons and draw- ing-rooms, or 'vhether his expericnco of ladios givon to the use of bird's-cye, shag, niagor-head, and cavondish, is confined to his judicial expe- rience, does not appear. Can it bo that thero i any connection between highly-respectable ladics who smoke and divorce courts? Tho occasion for this decigion makos such a link probable, Mr. Eayros, fiddlor, potitioned for a divorce from Mry, Eayres on the ground that, in addition to cortain pardonable indulgences iu habitual intoxication and violent tomper, sho pertumod his chamber with tobacco, sud insisted upou ‘mukiug lifo disagrecable to him through o short pipo. It was this which elicited frow Sir James Hunnen the sstopishing admission that mzny highly-rospectable Englsh ladies smoke, In- dood, he considoied the petitioner’s claim too divorce so feably founded thathe sout tho discon- tonted pair away to settlo their diftioulties with- out hie asgistance. BSatisfied that many bighly- respuctable lndies havo given their sanction to the babit, Mr, Eavres will probavly face the nausen, learn to smoko himsolf, and share tho cloud undor which Mra. E, has hitherto routed. R ————— Tho doath of Dr. Fruncis I. Andrews, the conspicuous Splritualist, sy occasioned littga- tion with roforence to Lis proporty. - Somo thirty years ngo hie married a youug woman In Albany, and had by hor a very large family, Twonty yents Inter ho bocame & Spiritunlist, sud, by somo fatality not yob oxplained, discovorad that hiw companion of twenty years was the wroug ono, spd must therefore bo rolinquished. A slort remdenco in Iudiaoa procured bim o divorco, not oply from his wite, but from . his childron also, Ho provided for them handsomely, sud then uttorly ignored them. Later be traveled in Europo, wau ous of Mark Twain's “‘Ionoconts Abroud,” and re- turned to New York only to mury n socond time, and rosume tho practico of wedicine, By his will ho lott all his proper.y to s second wifo and hor children. His first wife claims that the divorco was illogal, und contests the will. It the deconsed doctor really wishes to buve the matter properly settied, ko ought to lose no time in arranging it. If he doos not know how to do 50, what is the nse of being & prominent Spiritu- alist for ton yoars ! - . The floods in Loulsiaun have loft the sub- morged distriots fn 6 far botter condition as ro- gards sugar and 1ice plantations than vonld bave Leen looked for by the mostsavguluo. Whilo In some districts the sugar crop i bopolessly loat, this is mado up by o large acrosge in cultivation und s lurge proportionate yleld elsewhere. In addition to thin the weathor sinco tho flood has boen unueuslly favorable for laylug by orops, and the senson Ju nearly u month abioad of las, yoar's, 'Lhe rice districts are inastill moro promising conditlon, Tho ovevastes iu Plaque- mines Paylsh, by far the most twportant rice- graming district, were cloned early, and tho prospects are excelleud, Altogether 6,000 sare more thnn lnst yoararo oultivated with rice. Whilo, thoroforo, the floods have caused im- monso sufferlng in the South, the disnatrous consoquencos hiave not boon as doplorable 88 was at firet supposod. —— Tho seapsgoat of Sodan, Marshal Daznaive, is having s hinrd time of it on his little lsland. The supply of [rash wator thero fu 80 scarco as to causa him great privation. Bo mocwoly 18 ho puarded, and 8o rigid aro tho couditions of bis Imprisorrment, that his aldo-de-camp had to go to Paris iy ordor to obtaln permission to have wator brought from the malulnnd. Daznlno's disbonor was a sncrifico to Fronch wational prido: but, whethier morited or nos, dopriving the unfortunate mon of the nocessarien of life sooma but a paltry way of vindieating tho nae tion'a courage. —_— Tho Canton of 'Usl fu tho Ropublic of Britzor- Innd posecsscs an oftico very much liko that or our Mnyor in Chicago, The Landamman ju not tho Chief Magistrato of a free people, but tha agent of othors, a8 is our Mayor, But mark the differonce {n publio spirit. 'Ihio misorablo 8wise shrink from such an ofiice. Lhe man who wus rocontly elocted Landamman wept profusely. Ho anid in public thnt tho duath of kis mothor, which ho supposed the worst pang of his life, was lesa cruel thun tu.s oiection to oftice, Whora is the Chicago polit.c.an that would thus woaken, —nnlogy the L'roasury wore quite ompty ? _— MICHIGAN. The State Consus. Speetal Disvateh to The Chicago Tribune, TLaxyiNG, Mich,, July 4,—~Tho following ara the latesc cousus-roturns from tho nocretary of Beate's otlice : Akron, Tuscoln Co... Alaledon, Tugham O, Autwerp, Vun Buren G0, Arlingwon, Van Baren Co, . Torrien, Olayton, Genaseo Co, Columbla, Jackson Co..... Qoldwatef, Tabeila Co Colurabia, Tuscoln C QGryntal, Ocontia Co, Duby, Tonn Ca. . Dellsh, Tughum Co Dalton, Muskogo Enstun) fonia G o East, Citiun, Bt, Oalr Co. Eibridge, Oceana Co, ... Egloston, Muskegon Co, Fuslidug, Geueres Co, Frultport, Muskego: Gladsan, idlana Co, Grant, Midiand Go. Goldoll, Oceann Co, ., Gulien, Becrien Co. Grunt, Iosco Qo,, Gillinore, Tsabells G Geuoase, Goneroe C: Higgins, Midlnd Co, Humfiton, Van Durmi Tugeraoll, Médlaud Co,.. Tughum, Toghaw Oo, Tuuvellu, Liaueila o - Juuluta, Tuacoln C Kimball, St, Ciulr Co. . Kucne, Youfn Go., Locko, Tngbam Looni, Jackson C Liberty, Juckson Co, ke, Derrion Co, Lincoln, Isabelly G Liwrence, Van Bu Muskegon (T'.), Muskego Botugue, Aikegon Co...... Muskegon City, Muskegon Co loorlaud, Murkegon Co Aontrore, Gencsea Co. Ml 8t, Cluir Co. Hayy 2, Muwkego! Rounld, Joula Co Royalton, Bortiar Rives, Jackson Co, Ononilsgy, Tugham Go, Quiseo, lunta Co,, Orleats, Touis Co, Olesta, Tonin Co, Orunge, Tonla Co. Porter, Midiind Phainticld, Tosco Co Portlaud, Tonia Co, Vionua, Geneses O Wheattield, Inghsm Co, Whita Qak, ,610 Ry erals Special Disvateh to he Chicano Tribune. Laxsixa, Mieh., July 4,—The aunusl report of the Altornev-Goneral Tor the year ocuding Sept. 110, 1878, is jnst issued, The delay 1 obunining the absteact from the Prosecuting Attorneys of The roport the Btate hindored its publication. shows that there were argued In the Supreme Court during the throe torms coverad by it, on bolal of the People, nine cases, soven of which woro criminal and two cnses of mandamus agamat the Auditor-Goneral. Inflve cases the judgments below were afiirmed ; in two casos rovoteed; oud the writs of maudainns wero de- nied. ‘The judgment of tho Cirouit Court of 6t. Olair County, iu tho famous Jobr mattor, was atlirm« od; but the amount has uot yet been cotlectod. ou account of the passage of a resolution At tho by which Inst _wession of the Logislature, the Board of Stato Auditors were authorized 10 gettlo and adjust amicably such judgment, if tho suretios eaw fit to accept such motuod. The timo, Lowover, for such seitlement bas now elapred, and proceedings bave rocently been in- stigated by the present Attornoy-Géneral, by which the costs shall be taxed, an execution 188uo, aud tho loss to tho State bo made good. "o roport also shows thot, in tho Circnit of Ingham, procoediugs in chancery have beon comnmoncod agamst Honry D. Bmith and othors who cleim to bave guwlmuod, through the Land 72, several thousand acren of land 8t private cutry, which should have been 80ld &z public knlo, or, which were altogother re- sorvod from sale, to cancol aud wot awido such eales, and othoriiso vindicalo the rights of tho Stute o enid lnnds, The cases aro now pending. By an act of the Legslature of 1878, land earmod by the Iand-grant railrond companioy Dbecamo taxablo, and the Supervisors geuorally Oflice, in the year 1 pracoeded to hist and assess them for taxation. uch railrond companivs claim thot fho lnw suthorizing such taxation ig, unconstitutional and void.. For tlo purposd of tostiug such quostion, & bill in oquity was filed fu_the United iStatos Cuemt Court for the Westora District of Michigan, praying for an injunction to_restrain the Bupervisots from listing and assessing such lands for taxation ; to which a bill in domurrer was flled, Emiuent counsol was employad, the caso fully argued,and the constitutionality of the Juw sustained ; Irom which docision un appeal to tho Suprome Court of tho United Statos way taken, whore the case is now pending, A tablo accompanying tho report shows that, during the yesr, thora woro 4,492 porsous proso- OF those, 2,217 were convicted ; 524 dischnrged; 107 cases weore dig- 0 esouped ; 230 were sont to Btats Prisou; 178 gave bonds for good cuted on crimunl charges contimod’; 419 aequitte bohavior; 806 wore sent to louse of Correotion; 65 to tho Roform_ Schoot; 270 to County Jals ; 1,638 woro flaod; 324 casos are ponding; 127 cases wero sottled, and 202 gises wers nolles proaoquicd. — THE PORK-PACKERS, Insis of Mopresentation in the Na- tionul Convention. Owyorxnaty, 0., July 6,~The Committee of tho National Pork-Paalers’ Conveution of 1873 tofix the basia of ropresontation iu the Assooi- ation this yoar, have agreod that tho bueis of roprosoutation Ju tho Uonvention, to bo beld Sopt., 1n_Louisville, shull Lo one dolegate for overy 50,000 and fraction of 50,000 hogs pncked in tho wunson of 1878.'74, us by tho official figgures of the Clricinnati Chamber of Cammarco, oxcopting New York, Pounsylvanin, Mascachu- sotts, Aluryland, and Louisiaun, where consump- tion nud oxport huve beon wade the basin, ‘I'he Comunitteo roquests pork-puckors to con- form to tlne bugis, Tho wholo number of dolo- catew will bo 202, apportionod to Btatoy au fol- lows ¢ Californie, Geur5§:. Minnesota, Nobraska, Peunousee, und Weat Virgiuo, oach 1_dolegute; Knusus and Miohigan, 2 delegates; Loumiana, §; Kontucky, 6; Wiscousin, Maryland, and Ponusyivanie, 7 oachy lows, 81 Iudiu, 14; Missouri, 16; Ohio and New York, 18 euchs 1l uots, 84, —_—— A girl's herolem saved a numbor of livea near Louigville, Ky., o fovr dava ago. A partion of 1 picaio party wont to tho pionio grounds fu o voverad furniture wagon, wud the dilvor having loft bus vout 1o fix somothing about the wagon, uhlu{; tha precaution to uwhitoh the horsa on tho #ide noxt a utoep blulf along whiol the road ran, tho horses, bucoming frightoned, startod off, aud the wagon was 1apidly neariug the blufl when Nolllo Johnsoun, & glel 14 yoars of age, climbod to the drivor's weat, reachied down over the dahbourd and seourad tle 1olus, aud by the oxortlon of all hur atrsugth brought the teaw (o » atuuduill, 2,935 Aunum foport of the Attorncy~Gens THE COMET. Aro the Intentions of That Celestial Luminary Serious ? " Will lle Pay iho Earth a Transient and Unpleasant Visit ? Reassuring Intelligence on the Subject from Prof. Safford. Interview with Prof. Delafontaino on His Speotrosoopio Discoveries, ‘What Foreign Astronomers Have Seen. Conslderable interost having boen exolted In tho public mind by tho aight of the comet and ita rapid growtl, its tall now appoaring to the 'most unpracticod observor to bo two or throo yards long, and sovoral prodictions haviog beon 1nado that tho tatl will strike tho earth in the course of iwoor throo wooks, o TRINONE ro- porter waa dotailed to iuterviow Prof. Bafford, of tho Chicago observatory, and Prof, Delafon« taine, and learn what Lho cliances wore of the happening'ot this dire ovout. Tho rosull is sp~ peudad. iy PROF. SAFFORD. TRepertor~—Therae iy a good deal of oxcltomont Just now 1u rogard to tho prodiction made thab tho eartl will pass through s TILE TAIL OF COGGIA'S COMEY, and Tre Trivuse would ko to know whothoer there is any truth in it, or any expectation of that oceurrence ? Prof. Bafford—What do you moan by passing through the tail of the comet? Reportor—Te prediction Is, that the lafl of the comot will extend so far toward tho earth, when tho comet {8 in a cortaln position, au to bo uearly onalive botweon the sun nnd tho earth—thal tho oarth will pass through tho tail, aod thal thoro will be, as n consequouco, an_acoretion to tho carth's otmosphore, and probably also tho formation of & sunilar atmosphere around the moon, a8 sho also will pasy through tho tail of tho comet, NO DANGER. Prof. Safford—I do ot thiuk thers {s any dan- gor of that. Reporter—Can you givo mo your reason for aupposing that it will nob oceur? In tho frs place, will tho oarth, and tho comot, aud the sun Lo In line at any timo iu the futuro,—thnt is, during its presont passage from the pnrlhoflor{? Prof. Satfard—Tunoy will be pretty nearly in ling, but uot oxactly. 80 faras we know, as I undorstand it, thete would be no sessinle phes nomons—none thut we should know anything about 1f we were tu paus through tha tail, BIG FIOURES, Roporter—About what will bo the distance In miles of the comet from the carth at the time the comot iy botwenn thoe oarth and the sun ? Prof, Salford—Somenhere frowa 26,000,000 te o1 | 27,000,000 witos, Hoportor—About what will bo the probable length of the tail at that time? Trof. Batford—I sbould ssy 5,000,000 milosy that is au outsido Limit, Reporter—That would make the distance of the enrth from the aud of tha tail what? Prof. Bafford—About 21,000,000 wiles under the most favorable circumstances, nu‘maulng ty earth aud the comet to Lo diractly in line, Reporter—Tho tail of the comet, then, wout not extond to tho earth if the come.shoulu have the same lobgitude s the carth st the time it posisen the piano of the ecliptic? 2'rof. Batford—It would noc reuch the earth. TReporter—While there is some doubt abony the three bodies boing in lino? Prof. Safford—Yen, & goud deal of doubt, Reporter—In which csso thoro could be ne conjunction at alt? Lrof. Sutford—I thivk the porilielion passage 18 Likoly to ba lator, rather than sooner. GRATIFYING INTELLIGENOE. Roporter—Wuat will bs the edeot upon the. projection of the tail iu thut caso with roference 10 the burth ? Drof, Suford—Tt gats the earth out of line with the comot. Reporter—ly thero eny established relation Detwoen the diglauco of a comst from the sun at tho time of porilivlion aud tue longth of ity tail ? Prof. Bafford—I know of no fixed relation, but I know that the nearer it gos to the sun the tail grows more rapidly. Roporter—Is not tho tall thrown out toa grenter distanco when the poribolion dlstance of the comet 15 lenst ? Prof. Safford—Coneta that gat very naar tha sun have very long toits. The comet of 43 gof very near the sun,—almost touchod 1te s face,— and 1t had o vory long tail. Reporter—Do you remember the porithelion diatance of the comet of '587 Prat, Satford~—About 54,000,000 miles. 8IZE OF THE COMET. Reporter—Ia Coggia's comet a largo or a small ong as compnred with thosa that have given briltisnt exhibitions of tails w the sky ? Prof. Satlord—It is stoallor than the comots of 68 nud "6L. Roporter—What would you Infor as to tho length and billinncy of it tail under like con- ditions of positiun with the comets of 1858 snd 18612 Prof. Bnfford—It would not have so much ail. 5 Roporter—Supposo the tail of the present comot should extend 80 for a8 the oarth, heve you any iden as to the nmount of tonuity—any Wuy in which to, oxpross tho dousity of tha tail, or &n approximation to fu? P'rof, Snifurd—TFhere is nothing fixod abont it. ‘The trouble is, they sometimos consolidate them- welves into shooting-stars ; aud we wmight huvo a faw moroof thom thun usual. SUHOOTING-STAIS. TRoportor—Havo you any rosson for thinking that the tail of & comot proper givoes shooling. Btura? or, in not the welght of as- tronomical autbority in favor of tho doc- trine of invisble woteors following in the waka of the comot proper, aud that tho position of the tall is dua rather to position witl regard to tho sun, without reforouco to the posi- tion of tho meteorio mutter that follows in the orbit? T'rof, Safford—TIt is hard to say how the mate- ors are formied, Thoy must bo formod from tho substance of tha comat m some way, but we do not know how, 1t is fuir to prestme that tho tail of the comet will not reach the carth, und that if {t did we should not_oxporionoo any ' ver- coptibla offect. The tail of tho comot of "Gl iy supposed to have roachiod the earth, but no of- foota aro kuown, Roportor—Was it not roported that & pecrliar phosphorercont display wap noted 1 some purts of Europo and Asia at tho time ? Drot, Bulford—T remewber woma vaports df an effect resulting from the tail of the comet, but a4 they llruvad to bo ol no cousequouco, they wore not aclontifically investigated, WHAT THE TAIL I8 MADE OF, Roportor—[s much known about the constita- 1ion of n comet's tml,—if #o, what? Trof, Sulford—DBossel, of Koulguburg, inveatl- gated Hulloy's comet in 1836, and camo 1o tha Cconclsion that tho tail postossed s vibralory motion. That doos not soom to bo now cons firmed, DProf, l'eirco’s invesugation way besed upou Beagel’s, but never completed, OR, 18 IT A UONOID ? TRoportor—Wiat do you think of the hypor- bolie theory,~—the theory of the tail belu;a ounoid ? Prof. Bafford—1Ita outlino has more the shxpe of & catuunry, Roportor—Iu that case, then, the position of tha tail could scarcoly depend upon tha position of (he wun, &3 is olgimed by somo of those who liave wiitten about the comet—that the suu i in tho opposito foous of the hyporbola ? Prof, Salford—0f coarso not. Reportor—Is thoreany known relation betweon tuo longth of the Lail und its diamoter? Prof, Bufford—1 do not kuaw of any. Toportor~-In othor worda, cun wo quate the tongih of the tall ngaiust ity broadth by sy eyu- tow of co-ordinates ? POVERTY-STHICKEN CONDITION OF THE TATL, Trof. Safford— Cortainly not i ali cases, I¢ {n somo aua case tha rulo seowms to Lold gond‘ it {8 purely acoiduntal; iv la not & 1aw, 'Tho tail ia cortainly very nttonuatod; tho hioud laln all cuses transparont,” Tho falntest stard can be ssen through it voar its centra. Reportor—It haa beon atatod by some astrono- mors that stas of the sixth magnitude ean be soen right in thoe centre of the uuvleus. Is that w0 {n the caso of all cometa? Prof, Samord—1 bavo woon stars of the ninth magmitude with unduninlshed light throukh the Lead within one or tvo minutes of the nuoleus. Ttuporier—Theu (e couskilutivn of the Lead