Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, February 11, 1875, Page 4

THE CHICAGO DAILY TRIBUNE: THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1875. —————————————SSS a a TERMS OF THE TRIBUNE. RATER OF BURBORIPTION (PATARER TX ADVAKCR). Pastage Prepaid at this OMmice. Datly, » He soe £3.00 | Sunday. Pate pen UG 88 [Beek Partaofa the same raio, provont delay and mistakes, be eure and give Post. Office address in fuil, including State and County. tances raay bemade eitherby draft, exprest, Poat- Ghee order, or in registered lattery, at our risk, TRRMS TO CITY RUBECRINENI Dalty, delivered, Sunday excer Carnot Madison and Desrborn-: Obicrgo, Lt TO-DAY'S AMUSEMENTS. M'VICKEN'S THEATRER—Madieon ateset, between Deorborn and Statr. Kngagemont of Mrs, D. 2. Bowers. **Qaeen kilzabeth."* ACADEMY OF US treet, between Mad feom and Monrose. es; ADFLPII TREATRE—Dearhorn streat, corner Mon= woe Variety cateHtalaments tthe Bvench Spr ‘M--Monroo atreat, between Dear. porn tad Brats OE Ua vas Wiakios” Afternoon and evening. HOOLEY'S THEATRE—Randoioh,, street, bi Clarkand LaSalle, ‘*Mon of the Day.” McCORMICK HALL—North Clark atreet, corner Kin- sia. Coucert iy tho Iickings-Nernard Concert-Isoupe, ———$———— BUSINESS NOTICES. ‘ WE SURAN ArT BAY. FUL ART AEST 88, in oF money refunded. Elling, Stet: Shairte usual raters McOn usa Ys Chex INDEX TO ADVERTISEMENTS. THIRD_PAGE—Olty, Suburban, and Country Real Pena Waite To Hints hon aad Rounds Alaeenh T Lodging, ‘Agents’ Wantod, Housvhold Goods, and Carriages, otc., ec; BIXTH PAUR—Reading toom, Legal, oto., ato, SEVENTH PAGX—Amureruonts, Kallroad ‘Time. ‘Table, Medical Carts, elc., ete. Che Chicana Cribune. Thursday Morning, Vobruary 11, 1875. Cnantes E. Dyrn hns been appointed United States Judge of the Eastern District of Wisconsin to sneceed J, H. Hows, Mr. Dven once before refused the appointment, A scondalous rumor is circulating in Wash- ington to tho effect that Tou Scorr and Jene- man Brack are the present owners of the Choctaw claim. Much good may it do them. Mrs. Wiirtaas, relict of Srarnen A. Dova- as, has written a letter approving the plan of removing his remains to the University grounds and paying for s monument out of tho funds derived from the sale of the pres- ent Douglas Park, A proposition of the Union Pacific Railroad Company to compromise all suits against it on behalf of tho National Government is given in some detail in onr Washington dis- patches, On account of tho Inte hour at which it was received, we defor comment. AurxaxpeR Mircurni’s frionds demand that the honor of defoating Mr. Carpenter ehall bo divided between him and Judge Doo- urrTLE. The general impression in Bourbon quarters seems to be that the Democrat who defeated Mx, Canrenter will be the successor of Hows. ————— Bira, TruTon is accused by the correspond. cuts of prompting thecounsel of Mr. Bercoen in the exemination of her husband. Whother this is true or not, it is of comparatively smell moment. What the people care to know is the true charactor of Hzyny Wanp Begourn, ‘Wholesale liquor-dealers all over the ocun- try may be expcoted to sot up their friends in tho retail business pending the passage of the new revenue law. Tho 15-cent tax on spirits in store is, of course, a consideration, It ap- plies only to stocks held by wholesale dealers and distillers. The United States Senate will almost cor- tainly meet in extra gession immediately after the dth of March to consider the Hawaiian Reciprocity Treaty, and other matters of public concern; perhaps, also, tho House will be called together, in order that the Demo- crats may havo rope enough to hang them- solves With, The Democrats nt Washington, it is said, are anxious to have the Republicans re-enact the franking privilege, in order that the Dom- cratic majority next session may onjoy its benefits, Happily, the outgoing mombors cannot be counted on to support this propo- sition, and without their help it has no chaouce of success, poor Mr, Tinron’s reputation yesterday ; and it must be eaid that thoy carried away some valuable parts of it. Mr, Evanrs and his as- sociates must not suppose, howover, that tho publio cares much what kind of a man Triton is. The main question affects tho standing of Brrcner. Frnvaxvo Woop complainsthat his chances of being elected Speaker of the next House are much injured by the Republican support he is receiving, Everybody knows, of course, that the Republicans want tho Jeast-respect- able Democrat in Congress to be put forward a the loader of the party, At any rate, Woop is a8 good a representative of the Democratia party as Buruzn is of the Republican, —_———$—— A curious proceeding in the United Statos Benate yesterday was tho refusal of the ma- jority to incorporate in a bill granting Innds ton Pranopy school in Florida a provision that no person should be excluded from its benefits on account of color, Thore is of course some other reason than hostility to civil rights back of the Sonate's action; what that reason is, we cannot venture to Boy. A motion to xeconsider the vote has been on- tered, EEE The substance of a decision by the Su- premo Court of Illinois defining champetry aud declaring it to bo an offense against the lows of this State, is givon in another column of this paper, Champerty, the unlearned reader may not know, is the farnishing by a stranger of money or other valuable assist. ance to a plaintiff or defendant, in considera. tion of somo share of whatever may be real. ized from the suit. The Court takes the broad grounds leld down by the common law, ond holds that lawyers who take suits on speculution may bo adjudged guilty of cham. petry. . The Chicago produce markets were very frregular yesterdsy, Mess pork was cétive and 121-2@150 per brl higher, olosing at 818.25@18.80 cash, and @18.40@16 42 1-2 for March. Lard wasin fair demand and 21-20 per 100 ts higher, closing at 13,55 cash, and 18.70 for March. Moats were moderately active and firm, at 6 5-80.for shouldors, 9 1-20 foe short ribs, and 97-80 for short clears. Dseased hogs wore nicderately active, and 5 @100 por 100 tos higher, closing at 87.500 6,00, Highwines wore eaciied, selling at $1.05, and closing with buyers at 81.07 per gallon, Flour was quiet and steady, Wheat was active and f«fc lower, closing at Sic cash, and 84 3-1¢ for March. Corn was active and declined 1 1-4e, closing at (2c cash, and G0 8.4¢ for May. Oats were duil and 3.8@ 1-2c lower, closing at 517-80 cash, and hee for March, Ryo was inactive and nominal at 17@98a, Barley was quict and 1¢ lower, closing firmer nt $1.11 3-4@1.12 for March, Hogs were in better demand and were firmer; sales at $6.00@7.25, The enttlo aud sheep markels were unchanged. Three heroic members of the Tlouse op- posed the clause of the Post-Oftice approprin- tion bili which ropealed the Pacific Mail sub- sidy; and theso members were from the Pa. cific Coast. It is remarkable, too, that the gentlemen who yoted for repeal objected toa statement of tho reasons why they did so, They: believed no good would come from spreading the shameful story more at length upon the records of Congress. A part of the Ways and Means Committco’s now Revenue bill not reported in the after- noon papers yosterday is the section provid- ing for tho roeimposition of the 10 por cont “ horizohtal " reduction of duties ordered by the last Congress, The effect of this section, if it shall be adopted, will be to tax tho people twice or three times over, first for tho benetit of certain manufacturers, and next for the benefit of the Government. The House Commerce Committee has re- ported favorably that Narrow-Gauge Railroad bill which the Senate Committee killed, and which wo hoped would sleep comfortably in the lumber-rooms of legisintion until the Democrats became masters of the House. Unfortunately, it is notso to be. The House may pass the bili for effect, well knowing that it has no chance of getting through the Senate. Tho idea of throwing out in rail- yond and canal construction some hundred inillions of dollars ata timo when taxes are being incrensod to meet ordivary expenses is onits faco absurd, Mr, J. W. Minarzy, who is now in the Solicitor’s office of the Northwestern Rail- way Company, read beforo the Legislature of Wisconsin yesterday a memorial on behalf of the Northwestern and St. Paul Companies for relief froin the operations of the Potter. law. Ilis plea was, by all acconnts, able and exhaustive, abounding in concise and apt comparisons of the rates prevailing in Wis- consin and in other States ond countries, and establishing tho hardships of the Wiscon- sin tariff. The Legislature, it is hoped, will repeal or essentially modify the Iaw before adjournment, So much has been snid abont the Hoosac Tunnel that it has been a great boro in both senses of tho word. Itis a relicf to know that a train bas at last passed through it. The tunnel is 25,080 feet long, a trifle loss than Jive miles, ‘This puts it next to the Mt, Cenis bore on the seale of length. Work on it was begun in 1852. Its cost to date has been $12,000,000. The cost of its entire comple- tion will be $1,000,000 more. Massachusetts has perhaps pnid too dearly for her big boro. Still, the West now has o new route, in part, to the East. Tho lino through the Hoosac Tunnel is only 12 miles shorter than tho Boston & Albany Railroad, but the grades aro muuch lighter, so that the cost of transporta- tion will bo sensibly less, ‘The Tunnel will doubtless be of substantial value to our grow- ing trade with the Hub. ————————=z—z=z:E= At the recent meeting of the Temperance Alliance in this city it was decided to pre- pare an address to employers, asking them to change their pay-day from Saturday to Mon- doy. The important influence of this change upon the habits of employes has been more than once pointed out by Tue Trung, and, asitisin every way practical, it ought to commend itself to employers, It would occasion very little troublo in the routine of business to pay on Monday instond of Saturday, and it would work no hard. ship to the employes, ‘The influonce of tho change woud bo that, in- stoad of squandering his woek’s earn. inga in rioting and dissipation on Sunday and often Innding in the Police Court on Monday, the workingman would be more likely to devote his wages to the support of hia family, and by the time Sunday came round he would not havo a whole wook's wages in his pocket to be tempted to squan- dor, It would bo better all round—better for the workman himself in keeping him sober and out of trouble, better for his family, and better for tho employer by giving him asteady workman, Itisto be hoped that tho om- ployors in this city will co-operate with the Alliance in securing this simple but offective reform, ———— Apropos of the proposed increase of the internal revenue tax on whisky from 70 cents to $1, it is worth while to recall to the Com- mittee of Ways and Means that former ex- perience has shown it to bo impossible to col- ject s high tax on highwines, although the English successfully collect an excise of $2.60 per gallon, ‘Ihe whole subject was exhaust- ively discussed by Davin A, Weis, when Special Commissioner of tho Revenne, in his reports, which are accossible to the Commit- tee. He showed that a reduotion of the tax ono-half doubled the revenue, hat a reduc- tion of excessive taxes tends to an increase of xeceipta, ia a familiar principle; that it in. crenses consumption, and stops evasion, adul- teration, and other forme of cheating; but it is especially applicable to an article of wide and easy manufacture and general consump. tion, like whisky. Tho moans of evading the daty oro so numerous, ond, under o ‘high tax like that proposed, the reward of succeaaful ingenuity is so great that overy re- source of unscrupulous cunning will be ex- hhausted to escape the duty, The great suc- cess with which theso whisky frauds wero attended during the Civil War, when the tax was high ond the revenue low, is part of our fiscal history. Under tho present decreased duty of 70 cents, the collection of the revenue has been attended with difiicuities, and the vigilance of the honest part of our internal revenue officinis has been taxed to its utmost to circumyent fraud, An extract from the Cincinnat! Lnguirer in our financial columns describes some of the practices by which it is belleved an illicit profit is made at the ex. penge of the Government. If those things are resorted to when the profit is only 70 cents a gallon, or part of it, common sense and oxperlence teach that when the profit may be $1 a gallon rascally distillers will be more venturesomne and more successful, Nothing would suit unscrupulous distillers better then tho proposed increas, for they know that with 40 centa more a gallon profit they could control the inspectors, and roturn to the hnicyon days of wholosale tax-stoaling, whon with @ ta8 G8 @3 4 gallon’ they paid the Government less than 15 conts on the aver- ago, If, then, Congress yeutures to increase the tax to $1 per gallon, they should mako such amendments to the law as would fur. nish a reasonablo probability of the tax being collected. The defense in the Bercuxr cnso on Tues- dny last struck ite tirst material blow at Mr. ‘Tinton in securing from him the ndmission that ho was the first to give currency to the seandal himself. This does not affect direct- ly the question of Mr. Bexcuen’s guilt, but it fornishea tho defenso a vory impor- tantelement in its theories, and will wn- doubtedly be used with great effect when the timo comes, In this connection Mr. T1xtox testified that all his interviews with MovuTon woro for the purpose of keeping secret tho adulterous rolations between Bercuen and Mrs, Turon; that Mr. Bercuzr did not communicate the facts to Mra, Woopnunn which she made public, but that Mrs. Woop- nun obtained them ‘ through the open gate of the lips of Mrs. Naraan B, Monse,” his mother-in-law, and that this Intter found out what had pnssed confidentially between himself, Beecnen, and Mouton, “because I told her, and she told all the world.” What are we to think of a man who, after pretend- ing toshield the reputation of his wife for two or threo years, and threatening to shoot Mr. Bercuen if he divulges tho terrible seeret, deliberately goos ond tells the whole dreadful, scandalous story tor woman, know- ing the weakness of the sox when possessed of n secret, and that woman, too, a mother- in-law, who had all the infirmities of the con- ventional mother-in-law in 9 most unusual degree. Had Turovore Tizron desired to find the surest and spoediest medium of dis- seminating tho scandal he could not have made a mora fortunate selection, Airs. Monse, the mother-in-law, did the work in the most thorough manner by handing it over to the most inveterate seandal-mongers in tho whole country, viz.: the Woopnurzs, Such afact is, tosay the least, very damoging to Mr, Turuzon's sincerity and his assertions of anxicty to drown or strangle the secrat. THE STATE REVENUE LAWS. Yesterday we pointed out that in the Legis- lative inquiry now going on as to the reform of the State revenuo laws the injustice of cortain provisions in the present system should be remedied, no matter whether the system itself be radically changed or not, These three provisions were the tax on mort- gages, the tax on credits, and the discriminat- ing tax on capital invested in corporations, In considering the justice or policy of theso tnxes, tho Legislature may find much truth pertaining to taxation generally that will enable them to vote intelligently. ‘The Constitution of the State provides that the ‘General Assembly shall provide such revenue as may be needful by levying a tax, by valuation, so that every person and cor- poration shall pay a tax in proportion to the valuation of his, her, or its property.” This is the rule for oll general taxation, whother by Siate, county, city, town, or district authority. ‘The Assessor has to find, liat, and value the property of all kinds subject to taxation, and tho low specifically enumorates real and personal property ; moneys, credits, bonds, or stocks, oud other investments ; shares of stock of incorporated companies and associations; and all other personal property, including property tn tranaitu to or from this State, used, held, owned, or con- trolled by persona residing in this State; the shares of capital stock of banks and banking companies doing business in this State, and tho capital atock of companies ond associations incorporated under laws of this State. Tho swecping character of this law is duo to tho demngogiam which treats the possession of capital as criminal, and holds the man who pays the wages of labor to be an enemy of the humnn family, Tho law was passed with the alleged purpose of bringing these malefactors to punishment, and the result is, as we have shown, a sub- stantial failure to collect revenuo from that source, and in compelling the people of Iili- nois who havo occasion to borrow moncy to pay from 8 to 4 per cent moro as intereatthan they would have to pay wore there no such low. E A few yenrs ago the Pennsylvania Legisla- ture abolished all taxation on mortgages, bonds, notes, dite-bills, and bank accounts, ‘Tho result was that the rate of interost immo- diately declined on all money offered for loan on real estate socurity. Six per cent is the ugual rate in Pennsylvania for mortgago loany since the repeal of the liability to taxation, wherenaa it was previously 8 to 9 por cent, Peoplo in that Btate can now borrow all the money they want at 6 per cent on landed se. curity, and 6 per cent has also become the common rate of interest aince taxing notes and ecredita was abolished, In the assossment for 1874 the property specially sought as capital and credit was thus valued; Moneys of bankers and brokers. Credits of bankers and brokers, +8 9,399,494 © 127 yds 5,418, Bonds and stocks,,., Tuveutmente in real estate. 1,620 “A958 Susres of Nationa! Banks, » 12,426,419 $74,217,929 Here is the total of the money, and capital, credit, and investments of every kind found in Ilinois, and liated for taxation, That is the aggregate accumulated capital which is supposed to be In the State. Now let us compare it with two items only of othor 3,378 Total horaes and cattle. 87407794 Here we have ihe apparent fact that the value of the money, credits, stocks, mort. geges, time-notes, national and private bank capital, and all the other forma in which capi- tal ia invested, does not equal, though asscss- ed at full cash value, the GO per cent valua- tion of the horses and enttle of the farmers of the State! The law fails, o9 all such laws must fail, and have always failed wherever tried, in reaching thisdescription of property; but the fact that it is taxable by law fur- nishes the occasion for the demand of rates of interest at least 50 per cont greator than the actual value of the money at loan, A atriking instance of the operation of these laws aimed at capital was fur- nished by somo ,countioe in New Jersey, Tha law of the State imposed these taxes, but several counties obtained from the Legislature an exemption of capital trom taxation in such counties, The result ‘was, that, while the people of one part of the State wore paying enormous rates of interest and with dificulty obtaining money at all, the people of the other counties had an abundance of moucy offered them for invest- ment at the lowest market rates, Bfon land. ing monoy, and taking the risk of losing the principal, will not lend whore the tax on the investment is ab the discration of the local Govornmont, and may bo raised so as to con- fiseate the half or the whole interest ; if they lend at all under such circumstances, they protect themselves against all hazards by ox- acting a rate of interest which is fatal to the Lorrower, aud cripples all industrinl outer- prise. Wo submit to the mombers of tho Legisla- turo of Illinois that they calmly consider tho effect of a repeal of all Inwataxing mortgages, notes, and other credits, Would it not be an offer to capital to como here from abroad nnd seek investment? Hlinois would stand prominontly before the conntry aa, having reached that poiut of enlightenment that it repealed all restrictions on tho free hiriug of money within her borders. Tho argument made in defense of this law agninst loaning enpital is that the Constitu- tiofl is maudatory,—that it says that the Gon- eral Assombly “shall” provide revenue by a tax so that every person “ shall” pay n tox in proportion to the value of his property. We reply, first, that when capital is loaned to any person it goca on tha tax-list as prop. erty found in tho hands of the borrower. The borrower reccived it in the form of money, but immodiately proceeded to corre- Inte it into a house, barn, fencing, cattle, horses, implemonts, stock of goods, or a manufactory of some kind. In any of theso shapes money becomes visible and is taxed; but the evil done is also in taxing the person who has parted with his money by loaning it— taxing him not on property in his possession but on the promise of his debtor to restore tho capital to him upon a certain day in the future. This ia the blunder in taxing tho promise to repay tho capital os well as the capital itself, 2. ‘Tho only thing mandatory in this pro- vision of tho Coustitution, as we intepret it, is, that when a tax is levied on any specific property, every person holding that class of property shall pay u tax in proportion to the valug thereof, Therois no ditliculty in the way of dropping dogs or horses from tho list of taxables, provided all horses or dogs aro dropped; sewing machines, agricultural im- plements, tools, machinery used in manufac- tures, or any other article, or all of these, may be dropped from the list of taxables withont doing the least violence to the Constitution. If the Legislature shall find that all the ‘‘ needful” revenue required inay be produced by a tax on a singlo article of property, such as hogs, or pianos, or steam engines, or dry goods, there is no constitu- tional objection to abolishing the tax on all other property. If the State can got all its needful revenue from a tnx on one description of property, why should it spread the tax over several hundred varioties of property to raiso the same amount of rovenue ? In dovising any system of taxation or fram- ing any revenue law, it should never be over- looked that the wealth and prosperity of tho people of the State depond on production, and that, while Iabor is the machine- ry of production, capital is the power that puts Inbor in motion. Labor must bo ect at work and componsated ; Inbor must have the materials upon which to apply its skill and strength, and theso can only be supplied by eapital. We repoat what we said yesterday, that every five thousand dollars invested in what the English call tho‘ plant "and in payment of wages, furnishes a support to at least ono family who otherwise would havo nothing to do and remain idlo; and any law or system of taxation which prohibits or dis- courages such investment, and excludes such capitol from the Stato, hinders the employ- ment of labor, cuts off the support of those willing to work, arrests production, retards tho increaso of wealth, and substitutes atag- nation and poverty for active industry and prosperity. Honce it is wicked or barbarous legislation, TEMPORARY END OF ONE JOB, On the 20th ult. the Mouse rejected the In- dian Appropriation bill rather than pasa it with the provision for paying about £3,000,- 000 on account of the ‘Choctaw claim.” On ‘Tuesday tho bill and claim reappeared. This claim originated in 1830, and therefore at- tained its majority in 1851, twenty-four years ago. It was based on an alleged right of the Choctnws to compensation for the failuro of the Government to grant thom certain lands, In 1852 the Choctaw Council received $872,- 000 from the Governmont, and in return gave a receipt in full for all claims to any of these innds or compensation thorefor. Nevortheless, the claim did not die. It shored the immortality of its class, The lobby got hold of it. In 1861, skillful lobbying squoezed $250,000 more out of tho Troasury on account of this fraud. Having tasted blood in this way, the lobby has worked the matter ever sinco. Thora isno protensa that any sum now paid willever reach the In- dians who have, or alleged to have, unjustly suffered, oven if such Indians exist, Gen, MoNutta, of Illinois, of the Committee on Indian Affnirs, declared, without contradic- tion, during the debate on the claim on Tucs- day, that every effort in the Committco to adopt an amendment which should pro. vide that the money granted should be hold in trust for tho bonetit of in. dividual Indian sufferors was dofeated! Ife said, moreover, that all the amendmonts adopted by the Committeo “made it certain that the entire fund would go into the hands of the lobby.” Mr. Fonr, of Illinois, said ho knew one attorney who had a claim of $120,- 000 on the proceeds of the swindling job. After a short debate, the wholo claim was ro- jected by a vote of 88 yens to 187 nays. We have called this the end of the job, It is the end—unutil the Forty-fourth Congress nests, Under our prosant system, this job con be brought up for a con- tury, ba rojected ninety-nine times, and then, when all the original witnosses ura dend and the original papers are lost, can be passed and paid, principal and interest, Lf it fails the hundredth time, it has only to start afrosh on its second century, sure of success before 2000 A.D. ‘The remedy for this must be sought in a limitation of tlie time for presenting cluims. Tho Hon, Witt. wut Lawngnce has already introduced a bill which provides that no claim shall be audited or paid unless it is fled with the propor officials within six years after the right of action accrues. This iz good iden as far as it goes, but it does not go far enough, Tora & fraudulent claim can still be filed and then pushed -for years innumerable, The reat remedy is to be sought in taking this claim business out of the hands of Con- gress entirely, and transferring them to a high Court. It is not logislative, but judicial business. Congress is physically incapable of passing, with exact justice, upon these pro- tended liens on the Treasury, Jizsides, the opportunities for corruption and the conse. quent tomptationa are too great. Every one of theao petitions should be decided by the Bench. If Congress should transfer them ontirely to its jurisdiction, there would be an enormous saying in logislative thaw and publlo monay, Judge Lawaxscu ‘ thinks this cannot be done without a con- stitutional nmendment. If his view of the cnso ia correct, then let us have the amend. ment, Not the least of the evils which es- eaped from the Pandora's box of tha Wor is the crowd of fraudulent claims, 1.300 of which, amounting to. over $20,000,000, aro now pending before the Louse Committee on War-Clains, while the Senate is overrun with others. Congress might sit half-n-centwy without disposing of all of them, as new ones will forever bo springing up like drag- on's teeth, THE NEGRO VOTE AT THE SOUTH. We havo already expressed the opinion that tho surest solution of the political complica- tions at the South will be found in a division of tho colored yoto between existing partics. ‘There is no reason why there should not be a diversion of political wentiment among colored. voters ag well as among white voters, ‘hero would be now if tho uegrocs at the South were not afraid to trust the whites, If they were not, they would range themsclyes on differ. entsides of National issues, State Government, aud municipal affairs, Some would conceive it to be for their best interest to vote the Conservative ticket; others to vote tha Republican ticket, ‘Ihe colored proporty-holders and tnx-payers in Louisiana would probably voto nagninst the extortions of the Keztoae Government, while the colored office-holders and their non-tax-paying con- stituency would probably vote to sustain the Ket1oaa Government. There is not a coun- ty, city, or township in the South where tha interests of all the negroes are tho same, aud collectively opposed to the interests of all tho white men, But nogroes and whites are alike restrained from combining with each other for political advautages or local improvement by tho ‘color line” which has been arbitrari- Jy and foolishly drawn between them, It was instituted originally by tho natural antag- onism felt by the blacks against the raco who had formerly held them in slavery, and the contempt of the whites for former serfs ; but, slavery having been abolished for all time, this nataral antagonism would avo disappeared before this hour if it had not been fostered and encouraged by design. ing fire-eaters on the one side and cnrpot- ‘bag politicians on the other, Had tho negro voto been distributed between the two par- tics, tho Southern whites would long since have been disunited politically. They would uo longer have had the common purpose of combating the combited supremacy of the negrocs and carpet-baggers. They would have divided (1) on the old ante-War dificul- ties of the Southern people, which were radi- cal and fundamental, and which have already begun to crop out again ; and (2) on the new issues of local governmeut which cannot fail to arise in 8 populous and. progressive community. The anomalous position of tho colored voter at the South is almost :n exact counter- part of the foreigner’s place in politics twenty-two years ago. The two grent parties of the country nt that time wero the Whig and the Democratic. The Democrats wero loud in their dissemination of Jeffersonian professions of equality, and claimed to be the special friends and protectors of the forcign- born population. ‘Chey also mado a practico of naturalizing the foreigners as soon ns they Junded in the largo cities to which they flocked, The very name of the party— Democratic—was a political magnet to the ignorant emigrant; it embodied in one word all the principles ond hopes which led him to abandon the land of his birth and sock political frecdom and fraternity in America. ‘Ihe other great political organ- ization was the Whig party, What did “Whig” mean? It had no specific sig- nificance for the foreigners; it gave no prom- iso of what they sought, Thoy could only constrite it to mean an opposition tothe Dem- ocratio party. In fact the Whigs, in tho eyes of the foreign-born, camino to be regarded as aristocratic and exclusive, ‘The result waa that the gront mass of foreigners, the Irish, German, French, Scotch, English, cast their political fortunes with tho Democrats, Tho alleginnco of such foreign element to this party was, in addition to the other at- tractions, @ rondy inducement for every new-comer to join his fellow-country- men, The result was that the for- cigners became the controlling element of the Democratic party ond of the politics of the North, In somo of the largo cities they wero in on actual majority ; in nearly all communi. ties they hold the balance of power. ‘Their political supremacy soon made their lenders aggressive nnd obnoxious, ‘Choy assumed to dictato, and ignored tho claims and rights of the native-bora Democrats, Thoy seized a large share of the oftices and could enforco thoir own terme, as they have recently dona in a similnr combination for running tho City Government in Chicago. There nat- urally came a reaction. There was a strong native-born clement in the Democratic party which resented the high-handed and insolent dictates of the foreiga element, There was & numerous native-born element in the Whig party willing to sacrifice their own organiza- tion in order to defeat the foreigners who bad 80 frequently defeated them. Tho rosult was the union of Democrats and Whigs into the political combination known aos “Know- Nothings,"” who, despite the un-American nature of their bonds, swept the country for atime, from one end to tho othor, like o whirlwind. Hore was a nativity-line corresponding in character and effect to the color-line at the South. It was the organization of one home race of mon against soveral foreign races banded together for offeusive operations, ‘The new combination threatened dire results, and it is not possible to tell what catamitics might have como if it had not been broken up by tho overpowering slavery question, Riot and bloodshed, church and gchool-house burning, hed already been begun in some large Atlontio cities, At this danger. ous juncture, & now issue intorvened to divide and scatter, the foreign-born combinetion, The great question of abol- ishing human slavery to save the Union, first taking the shape of limiting it to the territory it already occupied, became a prac. tical element in politics and broke the com. pact ranks of the foreign-born alliance, ‘The naturalized citizens were divided on this issue according to their associations, educa. tion, ideas of human rights, and porsonal interests, The Germans, Scotoh, and En- glish generally joined the anti-slavery party, while the great bulk of the Irish re. mained with the pro.slavery Democracy, But the important fact is, that the foreign-born cozmpact for political supremacy was broken up, the nativitylino” was blotted out, Aw soon as this had been accom. plished, the native-born combination for ro. sistance was diasolved, and the race-issue disappeared from American politics, There was no longer any nutive hostility to forelgu. ars, the color-lino out of osistence, as tho slavery issue destroyed the nativity-line in the timo of tho Know-Nothing excitement, Tt may not require any great national issue like the slavery question to accomplish this; it may be brought about by various lecal issues, such ag taxation and administration, There nro already indications of it, though as yet faint. In the last election in Lonisi- ano, several thousand = blacks — voted the Counervative ticket, and the — testi- mony before tho Congressional Committees showa that it was not on account of intimidation, Oneo started, the natural divis- ion of tho blacks of the South between ex- isting parties will work itself out rapidly. ‘Tho division of the whites into two parties will follow immedintoly, Tho contest over tho election of Axprew Jounson to the United States Senate from Tennessee showed how strong the old political divisions of the South are to this day ; they were the issue of Jouxson's election. Tho division between tho Conservatives of the Louisiana Legistature on the proposed compromise is another in- stance of their readiness to separate into two camps, When the color-line shall be once ob- literated, tho whites of the South, now prac- tienlly united, will be divided, and the negro voter will reccivo an equal consideration from all political partics in the field. 'Lhere will bono more talk of intimidation or ter- rorism. Both sides will bid for and court and electioncer colored voters, each side offering thom a share of the offices; and the dema- gogues of ench faction will be seen shaking hands with the colored men, flattering the women, and kissing their brbios THE LOUISIANA COMPROMISE, A few days ago things looked more hopeful n Louisiana, ‘The action of the majority of tho Conservative members of the Legislature, in submitting a compromise to the Congres. sional Committee, afforded n hope that atlast the wretched deinagogical agitation would cease, But tho skies are again clouded over. It will be remembered that tho original com- promise was pressed by the country members of Louisiana, whoso interests were suffering by this constant turmoil, and was opposed by the New Orloans members, headed by tire. eater Wirz and the maudlin McExery, ‘Tho country members mado an honost effort to re- store peace ond order, nnd ona which would probably have been accepted except by the extreme Ketioaa partisans, Tho 27 yotes which were cast against it were mainly from New Orleans, aud were the votes of po- litieal speculators, partisans, and ward- buminers, secking for political aggrandize. ment and figuring for offices. ‘Tho crowds which mot in public meetings to protest agniust tho compromise were the political rif-raff and scum of the city, whose interest it is to keep alive the agitation and excite- ment for partisan purposes, This mischief- making element of the Democracy in the City of New Orleans has at last, it scems, been able to intimidate the country mowbers. It has called them “ traitors,” menaced them, bullicd and badgered them, and at last whee- died them into the acceptance of a fresh proposition, which was adopted in the Demo- cratic caucus on ‘Tuesday, and handed to Mr. Wuteexzn, of the Committee of Investigation, on the eve of his departure for Washington. Tho exact contents of the proposition aro not known, but it is intimated that it demands o reorganization of tho House, and propose; certain measures which would result ina refusal to recognize I:eutoca or his Governmont, As neither MoEnxny nor Wrtz aro reported as oppusing the proposi- tion, and the Now Orleans Pulletin, which hith- erto has been a violent fire-eater and incen- diary, has suddenly become an admirer of the Democratic proposition, it may bo assumed that its genoral purport has beon correctly reported, and that the Committeo of Seventy and the political bummers of Now Orleans have succeeded in committing the country members to a plan which they know cannot be carried out. If such be tho character of this proposition, the situation reverts to ita original chaotic status, and we may look for a renewal of the confusion nd disorder. Meanwhile, it ia to be hoped that the princi- pal cause which induced the Committes to go to New Orleans, namoly, the investigation of theaction of tho Returning Board, will not be lost sight of in the general noisa and confu- sion. THE CIVIL SERVICE OF HINDOSTAN, A few years ago, tho method of choosing the subordinates in the Civil Service of Hin- dostan was changed. Before that time they had been appointed much os ours are now, Relationship or favoritism had caused the se- lections. ‘There wero two important distinc. tious, however, between. the English and the American system,which prevented the former from sinking to the depth of the latter. In the first place, the appointments wero mostly anado from among the younger members of the aristocratio ring which rules England. ‘The appointees were, therefore, apt to be gentlemen,—at least on the outside,—and wero honest, The ward-politician, who is bribed by 8 place in our standing army of office-holders to work for a par. ticular candidate, is not ropresented in the Civil Service of the British Empire. In the second place, a moan thus F appointed kept hia placo during good behay- jor, His retention of it did not depend upon the politionl success or failure of his patron, ond he was not called upon to contribute to that patron’s campaign-fund. Still, de. spite those two radical differencos, tho ovils of the system of appointmont wero felt, Competitive examinations were introduced. ‘The new method has not been a completo success, The proud, keen Hindoos complain that some of their recently-appointed rulora are not gentlemen. Tho examinations have not always resulted in the cholce of the boat scholars, ‘These points have been used to decry the whole roform. It is worth while, since the adoption of substantially the samo plan is urged in this country, to see whether theIndian experimont has been, on the whole, 8 success or a failure, and whether the onuses of auch failure as there has beon do not bo- long to the manner, rather than the substance, of the reform. In Maomiltan's Magazine for lnat August, Mr, W. B, Scoonzs published the text of a paper submitted by him to the Indian Coun. cil on the presont method of selecting candi- dates for the Civil Service of Hindostan. His position givoa great weight to his views, He regards the roform as of great practical value, and attributes its oocasional failure to outside causes, Among the disturbing influences he pute the constant change of examiners, s0 thot marks are given on different goales of merit each year ; the narrow limits of age a7 to 21 years of age) within which the compet. itora muat be; the hurried method of exam. ining ; and the exclusive attention paid to in- tellect, while charactor, tact, and refinement ara ignored. ‘The frst throes of these objections can bo Something must ovous at the Bouth to rub | remilly samoved ‘Lhe lesb presenta sine. what moro difficulty, It ia s gronter dis, tdvantyyo in Hindostan than it wonld he here, beennso the Tindoos aro aanbject race. keen, proud, and sensitive. ‘They have to Le trentedl with great tact and finesse, At the saine time it must be acknowledged thnt com. petitive examination throws the door into the Civil Servieo open to any rough or knayo with braing, unless romething more thag wero intellectual aequirement is asked of eqn, didates, It is true that education Mrings some refinement with it, but tho amount varies, So does the concomitant honasty, Perhaps tho best safeguard agninst the dan. ger would be to require satinfactory contig, cates of good character, and to give tho ex. aininers power to reject any candidate, hoy. ever high his marks might be, who ra,.6q to them deficient in the requisite moral quali. ties. ‘Nhe removing power of the President is an additional safeguard. It ia evident that the defects in the ney method of making appointments to the Indian Civil Service can bo cured. ‘Thoy are not, thon, ax American believers in tho “ spoils-of. war” doctrine have claimed, arguments against Civil-Service Reform here. We o:9 glad to know, on the high authority of yy, Svoongs, that the new method, despite its¢y. fects, Las been o substantial success in Hin. dostun, SMUGGLING AT NEW YORK, A few days ago the merchants of Ney York were terribly shocked by tho fancieg discovery that Chiengo importers were hay. ing their goods appraised at too low rates, A special agent of the Custom-ILouse came ont here to investigate the matter. Ifo did 5 and the bubble vanished. Now it Appears that these New York men, who were so uns. ious about Chieago tricks, Lave been cally | buying smuggled goods, knowing them to la smuggled, themselves. Consistency makes no show in their jewel-enses. The New York Bulletin is busy expesing the various schemes of these respectable smugglers or their confederates, A commun trick is to import several eases of goods, two or three of which are packed with a disirent quality, and sometimes with an entirely dit. ferent article, ‘Tho driver of tho bonded cart is bribed to take theso particular cares to the Appraiser. Hedoesso, ‘Lhe whole it is thon passed according to theso misleading specimens. By a mere chance, eight cnies of “hosiery” wero lately seized at Hoboken, Thoy proved to be filled with sill. Had they passed, the duty on them would have be Jess than $300. ‘The duty on the sill woud have amounted to $12,000. The margin of 311,700 was large enough to justify ugool + deal of “hush-money.” When articles have beon smuggled into the country, in this or somo other way, they a sold to “reputable” firms. The Luil.tin of Feb, 4 contains a report of tho oxamiuntion of Winntam H. Tancorr, mannger of H, 2, Crarun & Co,’s business, in which Tarcon testifies that ho haw bought nt least three los of silks from a man named Gnarr at pricesti per cent “‘less than silks could be insportid for.” Tho aggregate of the three purchexs was $96,000. ‘he intelligent Vancorr swor that his suspicions were not excited by tls price Grarr put on his goods. Such sweit confidence in hunan nature is rare. Tle Bulletin has the following report of an inte. view with H, B. Cuariin on the subject: In answer to inquiries mado by a Bulletin report, H, B, Crarzi, Esq,, stated that he had, ae seproxu od, been inthe habit of purchasing ailke offered bis 1n this market at less than they could be {imported fa and sold without ruinous loss, He aid his firm, a4 fact most others, had been compollod to do this it self-protection, to which course he had been advited by high officers of this port, As to the motive fx auch advice from revenue ofiicer, whose Dusiuasd ia ts protect the revenue, he sald {t was for the pur pose of lotting these ovidently-smuggled gonds goin tho bands of well-known merchants, who wool assist the officers in detecting the smugglers andi manner in which the zoods were got into port, We agree with the Bulletin that the reas given by Mr. Cuartiy for his connivance with the revenue officials and the amugglors is m markably “ thin.” Two or threo Custom-House officinls hart admitted that smuggling cannot be entin!y stopped, ‘This isa noteworthy admission a noteworthy truth. It cannot bo stopped As long as the tax is so high that it will a7 to run the risk af trying to evade it, emu. gling will goon. English and French es rience has shown this, If the duty on sili wore reduced from 60 to 80 per cont, thor enue yielded by it would probably bo greatct. and wo should be spared the unpleas:! knowledge that the best firms af New Yai are encouraging smuggling. some members of the Legislature at Spry field, incidentally suggested the possible 1 constitutionality of laws passed since sit amendatory of Jaws in force prior to tho ue? Constitution, The practice has becu # amend these old Iawa by mere reference!) {4: them, without setting them forth at large @ the amondatory acts, Tho Judge di. notio dicate that such was the opinion of tl Court of which he is a momber, nor th! such would be tho decision of that body, but his suggestion is sufficiontly important © direct the Goneral Assembly to exercise co ‘Tho provision in the new Constitution relth ing to this subject ia in the thirteenth # tlon of the fourth article, and reads : And no law shall be revived or amended by rie ence to ita title only, but the law revived or ameu shall be inserted at length in tho new act, Tho object of this provision was a wise 00% andits propriety has been establisled by porionce, Tho present city charter of Cle cago is a spovimen of the reaults of ameul- ing ond reviving laws, and parts of laws, by roferenco to their title only. ‘Tho Constilt- tion sought to correct this evil of patebed and complicated legislation by requiring Jaw revived to be in fact re-enacted, aud a emended sections reproduced as amended ~ length in the new act, How far the Les Inture has disregarded this provision we not know ; but the impression is that 0) laws are dofective, if not void, because of Fe neglect of this provision, The suggestio2 a Judge MoArxisren will bo of groat value : the Stateif it has the effect of compelling ( Logislature to a strict compliance with We moat excellent requirement of the Conitl tion, A rural Boron from Edgur County us Patnrox O'Ham, has introduced o bill i3 # Ilinola Legislature to abolish that fone vial and peculiarly American custom “treating.” Br, Parnrox O'Har's Dill vides that any person asking another too" any intoxicating drink aball be ned 0) where from 20 to 8100, Mr. P, O's! purpose is undoubtedly a good ont flects great credit anon his moral hate and hia humanitarian aspirations, bub " modium by which ho proposes to coy ie his reform is as dolightfully indefinite if amount of fine which he proposes to lt upon the hospitable drinker who 4 bears and unhappy drinking alone, His fe fear will be olroumyented by 4%} Cn drinker; and ven @ tyro is tis 3