Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, February 23, 1875, Page 4

Uibei ve serie en emer ei THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1875. TERMS OF THE TRIBUNE. RATES OF EUNECRIPTION (PATAN E TH ADVANCE). Postage Vrepald at this Ofice. HI.00 2.00 2913.00 [Sundar 3813.08 | Woekiy:: bihe m0 Fate ‘To prevent delay and mn‘atakes, ba sre and girs Pott. ‘Office address in fall, incIndiog State and County. Temlitancas rey be made eltherby draft, express, Post Offre order, or in razittered letters, at our risk. ‘TERMS TO CITY ACHIDERS. Ww, delivered, Runday e Ballz, delivered, ed, 23 cente perweek 80 cents per wook HE TRIBUNE UOMPANT, Chicago, Ill. Banday included, TH TO-DAY'S AMUSEMENTS. MY OF MUBIO— Halsted atrent.detwreen Mad~ Pie a aes Rngagement of Frank Cbantrag, +The Oatoroon."* MYVICKER'S THRATRE—Madivon street, botwoan Hestborn and Ktate. Kngagement of Charlotte Cushinay. u Queou Katharine." ADEL Dearborn street, corner Mon- tO ENby eulecainmonte The Hoodlum. tat 1D OPERA-HOUSE—Clark stroct, Ruarhiat Honuer teslly & Leon's Mitnatrolse Frow.” MOOLRY'A THRATRE-—Nantolph street. between eee sale Ee Dore and * denuy Lis,” MUSEUM—2 treat, between Dear. POUCA OO MUN gnemos Moblasene? Atternoog nd Pa eee “SOCIETY MEETINGS. SHDAR LODGE, No. O19, A. Ft A. aaa R onic (racniny) broninirin tiate Kigsone® ftail) 32 ra for Work ut te jontoe-st, trea, ‘The fiatornity cordially invite WE MBAN ATI WE SAY. <IULL 4 ‘tion oF munes refit Mase! at bait the usunl rater, MECHLRNE pa Che Chitage CGribune. Tuesday “Morning, Fobruary 23, 1875. A-very dismal holidsy was yesterday, and indifferently observed. _—— et The Chicago, Danville & Vincennes Rail- yond has gona the way of all feeble railroads, nto the hinds of a Receiver. Bteoling and gambling and bullying ore not as profitable pursuits in Chicago as they onco wero; and Mr. Mies McDoxaxp thinks of omigrating. His occupation is gone, ——_ The Hassett murder-case becomes moro mysterious on longer acquaintance. All that seems to bo clearly established now is that some member of the family has been in the murdering business, but who the man is nobody can tell off-hand. 'The National Senate yesterday adopted an amendment to the Post-Ofico Appropriation bill allowing the passage free through the mails of tho Congressional Record. This measuro in itself considered is not mortally offonsive ; but it is dangerous as the entering wedge for a restoration of tho franking priv- Hege, Mr. Boave has introduced in the Lower Houso of tho Llinois Legislature a bill for choice will fall upon the former, and regret that the Repnblicans of Connecticut have not beon the first to nominate him, Mr. Wexzs, though in no sense a party man, is moro of a Republican than Democrat. If he hos acted with the Democrats of Inte, it is becanae he fonnd in that party in his own State more sympathy with his idena of revenue reform than he found among the Connecticut Republicans, On all purely political issues involving freedom and civil rights, howover, he is a Republican. But, aside from all this, he fa a national char- acter, whono advent in Congress will ho of great value to tho country whichever party sends him there, Heis a public instractor on the snbjects of revenne, currency, com- inerco, and all the great questions of political tho better government of banking associa- tions, and wo print it entire this morning in the financial column, ‘The bill differs from the one. conjointly prepared by the Senate and House Committees in requiring the pub- lished atatemonts of State institutious to bo verified by ofticiat examinations, pospensainaianessnanerasoenanane If the Tax bill is rejected by the Lower House of Congress, the Protectionists and the Whisky-Ring will blame Mr. Dawes. His temporizing policy has been most trying to his scheme of taxation ; it hasallowedtime for tho sounding of weak spots, in which the bill abounds. ‘Iho safest way to get such o bill through the Houso is by the operation of tho new mnjority-rule and the previous ques- tion. It can bo talked to death in short order, Tox Scort’s Terns Pacific bill is virtually defented for tho session, the House having refused to mako it a special order for consid- eration, Not oven a majority ryote was given for the proposition, and it required two-thirds to bo mado effectual, How delightful it will bo for the Roformed Democrats of the noxt Congress to stamp out this pieco of corruption, and whet an easy time they will havo with it, especially singe o majority of the Democratic caucus will bo composed of ex-Rebels and Southern sympathizers, We beg to remind them now, that “the majority is responsible” for the acts of Congress, as wo were often informed when the back-pay business was under discussion. ‘Mr, Breese will offer in the Illinois Senate to-day a series of resolutions rociting the dis. agreement of the two Houses of tho Legia- lature as to tho time of adjournment, and enggcating 4 prorogation by the Governor. Very likely this advice will bo acted upon by Goy, Bevenipor, and the regular session will end the firat weok in March, An oxtra session will thon bo called for tho consideration of the Appropriation bills exclusively, Woe suppose tho experi- ment of “giving the Democrats a chanco” has satisfied tho people of Illinois, It has shown them that the Democrats are, as they have always been, truo Bourbons, who learn aothing and forgotnothing. The Democratic House at Springfield hos absolutely frittored away the whole winter, ond has brought af- faira to auch @ pasa thatthe Appropriation bills can only be got through by a legal ma- neuvre, ‘The interviow of tho Louisiana Conserva- tives with President Gnanr and Mr. Weer. en is noticeable as a proof of the lenionoy with which the most cantankerous of the White League banditti aro treat. ed by tho Notional authorities. Pauw, the loader of the late rebellion in New Or- Jeans, and Lroxanp, the editor of tha Shrave- port Zines, which counseled tho nsgnssina- 5. tion of certain members of the Returning Board, wero the conspicuous members of tho Conservative delegation, The Presidont is reported as having been very firm, but kind, He expreused earneat desiros for the settle- ment of the difteulties in Louisiana, and referred tho visitors to Mr, Wunezzn, in whose integrity and ability ho placed the greatest confidence, The Prosidont fur- ther sald that if ho had been Governor of Louisiana at the time of the White Leaguo insurrection, he would have turned tho of- fenders over to tho Courts for punishment. It is probable thatthe Conservatives will dually come to Mr, Wuexrzs's terms of comproniisy, aogreoing not to molest Kez1oce or distarb tho Benoto, and taking the organization of tho Lower House of the Legislature, The atatenient is made that the Domocrats of the Third Connecticut District will take up + elther Mr. Davm A. Wexzs, the eminont oconomlst, or ex-Senstor Fostex, who wos Vice-President of the United States while Soumaon was President, ag their candidate tat Congress, We aincorely hopo that thelr economy, upon which thero is a lamentable ignorauce in our Congressional halls. Lf ho goes to Washington, he will bo an authority nnd referenco, in such matters, nnd of tho greatest possible benofit to the conntry. We hopo he will bo sent thore, whothor as Re- publican or Democrat is not very material. —=—_——— The Loniainna Sub-Committes, of which Mr, Woar was Chairman, bas propared n re. port, They find that there is a disposition among the white mon of the State to got control of the Governmont, by fair menus or foul; that, in tho furtherance of this design, recourse has beon had to murder, fraud, and coercion; that the general adhesion of tho whites to the Democratic party is due to the control of tho negroes by tho Re- publican party, the maladministration of Republican officinis, ond repeated election-frauds in the Republican in- terest; that tho white people are largoly to Diame for their own sufferings, having ag- gravated their complaints by the application of injudicious aud inoMcient remedies; that, althongh Krttoag received a legel majority in 1872, and although there was intimidation in many parishes in 1874, tho illegal action of Judge Dunett in the one case, and of tho Returning Board in the other, have furnished substantial grounds for complaint ; that lawlessness now prevails in meny parts of theState; that Ketroagshould borecognized; and that the five Conservative membors de- prived of thwir seats by tho Returning Board should be reinstated. This is doing pretty well by Mr. Kren.oaa, and by the Conserva- tivo members too; so that, if Congress should adopt the report and embody its reo- ommendations in a law, neither side would have much cause to complain, oxcopt on grounds of abstract justice, The compro- miso suggested by the Committoe is prao- ticable, if it be not just. — HARD TIMES IN ILLINOIS, Tho importance of having the revenue sya- tom of this State placed on some sound and equitable besis is onr apology for again ask- ing legislative attoution to tho deficiencies and incongrutties of tho Illinois revenue laws. We concede that the tax systems of other States are moro or less defective, aud hat tho number of States which have re- modeled their system and corrected the abuses is less than that of the States which have not done so; but that is no reason why this grent State shall not reliove itself of the burdens and oppressions which are due to tho ignorance of tho past, Our National system of revenue partakes largo- ly of tho barbarism of other ages, and, between tho National and State and local systems, the people aro terribly plundored. It was stated in Congress the other day os ‘an authonticated” fact that in the past ton years the American people have paid in taxes 37,000,000,000 to tho National, State, and!ocal Governments, This aum is nearly oqual to one-half of the total assessed wealth of the country in 1870, and averagos $700,000,000 a year, or & por cont of our whole taxable valun- tion. In other words, at this rate evory twenty yonra the taxes aggregate the assessed. value of tho taxable property. Whatever changes thet can be mndein the existing forms of taxation that will mitigate this enormous consumption of the products of Inbor must always bo a timely and beneficial mensuro, ‘Thus a tax on imports may bo go arranged as tobes great or on insignificant burdon. A tax on ten and coffee will produce $18,000,000 of rovenue without any waste; whilo o tax on cotton goods to produce 318,000,000 of revenue would require the payment by tho people of $70,000,000 bounty to cortain per- sons in addition to the tax. Tho substitution of tho ono article in place of another for the purpose of taxation, without changing the amount of revenue to the ‘Treasury, makes a diforence of throc-fourths in the amount of bounty and tax paid by the people. So with reference to the levy of State and local taxes; that systom of taration which yiolds tho largest revonue at the least cost of collection, and in attondod with the least incidental or consequential taxation, is the wisest and the best, Every locality in thoStateof Ilinoisissuffor- ing for the want of working capital, We havo the Inbor, the raw matorial, the skill, and the market ; what is wanted is the capital to invest in the purchase of raw material, and in wages for labor to convert those raw matorials into merchantable products, fon want money to erect buildings, to purchase machinory, to in- veat in live stock, tolmprovo their farms, and incrongo their products, For the want of this money the raw materials have no market, and labor is unemployed, aud consequontly “ hard times" ore supposed to exist, hore is no need of scarcity of money in Ilinoia, It always flows to where there are security and demand for it, provided there be no legal pro- hibitions and rostrictions to keop it out, ‘Thera ig an immonge amount of unemployed moncy which would come to this Stato if proporly encouraged, Thoro aro many thousands of men in this State itself having five hundred ora thousand dollars each which thoy would readily investin any productivo enterprise, ‘There is not a city or village in tho State that has not its proportion of these men, Enoch man hag too sinalla sum to engnge in any coneiderable undertaking by himsolf ; and tha Jaw of Ilinots provides that if a dozen, or twenty, or fifty of those mon club their un- employod capital, and undertake to employ labor, purchase machinery, and convert yaw materinl into soleblo fabrics, these men ‘are to be regarded ns a epeoles of public cnemles conspiring against the publio welfare, and to be hunted down and persecuted, and have their property confiscated, or, which fa the seme thing, taxed out of orlatonce, Do the gontiemien who logislate and moke laws for this State rofloot upon the fact that the tax law of Dllnols in effect prohibits the aggrogation of small capitaliets for any industrial produc. tlon, and actually threatens the confisootion of any capital that may be sont into Iinois to ba thus invested? To unite the spare means of sevorul persons it fo necossary to or- ganizo a3 a private corporation or company, ‘Che moment this is dono the Assessor steps forward ond taxes this prizilge which the law grants often at far moro than all tho tangible property of tho company ig worth, What ever dabis tho company may owe aro added te the estimated value of the stock, and both are taxed! The right to fuane certiileates of shares to the several owners iscalled a “‘valu- ablo franchise,” and is heavily assessed and taxed ; so that in fact the Inw taxes the mero legal right or privilege which snother atatuto gives to citizens to unite their means undet a corporate name to carry on nn industrial enterprise. Do legislators reflect that this prohibition of sitch consolidation of rmall sums prohibits the employment of labor, prohibits the con- version of raw material into finished fabrics, and isof itaclf one of the great causes of hard times? Yet two hundred and moro gentlo- men aro in session at Springfield, sent there to legislate for the welfare of the Stato, and not one of them has proposed to repeal the legal prohibitions against the union of small trade, He publicly exprossed the wish that ho had o plantation in Alabama ‘ well stock- ed with fat niggers.” He sympathized with the slavo-holders in their hatred of tho free North, When tho Rebellion for slavery broke out, ho Tont hia offorts to break up the Union and freedom, and throw all his influence and cnergios against the canso of American liberty. Ilo conducted the pro-stayery Richmond Wiig in the most vitu- porative and ontrageons manner against the North. Ho placed hia sons in the Rebel army, and ono of them was killed fighting to brenk up tho Union Government and establish the elavo oligarchy in power. He was recreant to his own professions of principles, recreaut to liberty, reoreant to the principles which Daniex O'Conner. had taught, for one of the most eloquent specches of Dante O'Con- charter and asssniling Mr. MacVeaan. It in well known that there is a bitter personal foud botween the editor of the Zimcs and the owner of the Staate-Zeitung, but upon what principle of equity or justice doos the Times mnke this the occasion of assailing the pro- posed City Charter because Mr. Hrstna ap- proven somoof ita sections and of assniling Sir, MaoVeaait because he and Mr, Mama happen tongreoupon these points ? If the T¥meawero to follow out this line of policy of dononncing every public measure that was favored by those whom its editor happens to dislike, whero would it stop and what measure would escapo its denunciation ? It would be much nioro consistont for the 7'imex to support the unobjectionable parts of the bill and urgo their pasungo upon tho Legislature, and, if tho bill needs amending, to point out the enpitalista nnd the combination of their means | NEL waa directed against American | particular points and show tho reasons thore- for the purpose of industrial production, If] slavery. It is on this account that} for, Personal abuso and Billingsgate aro there were on the statuto-book a Inw pro.|the American people who believe in} poor arguments agaiust any public monsure. hibiting the migration to this State of labor. ora, or the omploymont of laborers now hero, there would be n raco among these legislators for the honor of proposing the repeal of the prohibition ; but the samo men take no notico of the law which provents the combination of small capitalists, or the introduction here of eapital with which to employ the thousands who, willing to work, con find no employ- ment. The bad policy and iniquity of the one prohibition is only paralleled by that of the othor, Another and striking peculiarity of tho low of Tlinois ia, that it imposes a sovero penalty on any mon who dares to borrow money, It trents the farmer or the stock- raiser, or tho tradesman, or tho builder, or merchant, or manufactnrer, who borzows monoy, 43 a man dangerous to society, and one fit to be punished by heavy penalties. The mon who wants $5,000 on ten years’ time, proposing to uso the monoy in in- crensed production, finds that the marketable valuo of money on real estate mortgngo is about 7 per cont, which rental ho is willing and able to pny. But tho law interferes, and says that the crimo of borrowing moncy to bo invested in increased production is of such mngnitudo that it must be pun- ished by such taxation that the borrower will nover bo able to extricate himsclf from the consequences of his act. In addition to tax- ing him on the land or capital he obtain, it subjects him to a tax for.Stato, city, county, town, ond all other purposes on the loanand onthe additional property he has socured with tho proceeds of the loan. By an amusing fiction, it requires this tax to bo paid nominally by the lender, who ses this fiction to add 8 or 4 per cont to the ordinary valuo of the money, and, to protect himself against unforeseen taxes and other exactions, requires that tho bor- rower pay him 10 per cent o year intorost, with commissions, ete., equivalent tol or 2 percent per annum additional, Tho bor- rower has no alternative; he must pay thie ruinous rate or go without the money, and the result is that tho people of Illinois who have borrowed money on mortgago pay from 10 to 12 por cont interest annually,— compolled to do so by the law of the State, ‘We know of nothing so productive of ‘hard times” ns to require avery man borrowing money to pay from 10 to 12 percent interest. If the law of the State, in express terme, pro- hibited the borrowing of monoy at a less rate of interest than that, it could not be more effectual than the presentlaw. It is ono of the curiosities of tho enlightenment of the prosont day that this law, which compols bor- rowers to pay from 8 to 4 per cont moro for the uso of money than its roal market value, is espocially championed and dofended by the represontatives of the men who want to borrow! They cling with devotion to the weight which is bearing thom tothodust, And yet any person with throo grains of common sense must porceiva that all taxes lovied on the lendor’s right of repaymont or return of his capital will invariably be added by him to the rato of interaat, no matter whether he actually pays any taxes or not, Henco it is that the borrower—the debtor—is doudly taxed, first on the property or capital which he obtains from tho londer, and next he is made to pay another tax in the form of in- creascd interost to the amount the law threat. ens to tax the note or mortgngo of the lender, which note or mortgago is not tangiblo prop- erty, but merely the promise of the borrower to return the property ata future timo, with interest for its use, to the actual owner of it, This wrongful, barbarous syatom of doubla taxing the same thing is what does the mis. chief, and oppresses the debtor classes, and discourages industrial enterprises, univorsal froedom, who hold that the black citizen of America hns na much right to bo a froomaon in his native country as the Irish. man hag in his native land, who not only de- sire to sco Irishmon enjoying tho blessings of civil and political equality, but colored men also, and who hate and oppose bondage whother of white mon or black mon,—it is on this account, wo repent, that the Union masses of tho American people have so little sympathy with Joun Mrrcuet. Ho could plead for Irish liberty and con- spiro and fight against American liberty, Ho could appenl to the world against British op- pression of the Irish peoplo, bnt could join hand in hand with tho Southern slave-driver in the oppression of colored Americans, and publicly wish that ho could own slaves him- solf, and advocate tho revival of that foulest blot upon the history of civilization, the Afri- can slaye-trade, in order to bring moro inno- cent victims under tho yoke of an oppression infinitely moro cruel, galling, and tyrannical flan the British oppression, In Jonn Mirenet’s election to Parliament, Americans hove little intorest, and, if it is a thorn in the side of England, they will shed precious few tears on hor account; but it is useless to ex- pect freedom-loving Americans to havo any poraonal sympathy for Jomn Mircncn, His record is ngaiust tho liberty of the colored man, His lifoin this country was dovoted, so faras ho was able, to overthrowing its Government in order to perpetuate alavory. ‘His frionds might as well understand that all their abusive and scurrilons epithets againat those who do not feel disposed to admire him, do not alter the facts in the caso, Until they can wipo ont that record against froc- dom in this country, Jory Mrrenen will fail to receive American sympathy. =e THE GAG LAW. Tho Detroit ost affects to boliove that Tre Cuicaco Trinuxe opposes tho Potann Gag law because wo do not want any law to pun- ish libel, ‘Tho Post is utterly mistaken, ‘Tho cago of tho correspondent Buexu for the libel of Senator Cranpien illustrates the injustice of tholaw. Buzzin communicated certain written statoments to the Detroit Free Press, which published them. We will admit, for iMustration, that they were false and slander- ous, Mr. Cranpzen lives in Detroit, and the libel was publishod not by Bueun, but by the Free Press in Detroit, Tha laws of Michi- gan, wo suppose, furnish ample remedy, civiland criminal, for any wrong done in tho libel, and the Free Press isan ostablish- ment of responsible means, Instead of pro- cceding against the publishors of the Jree Press in Detroit, whore the alleged libel was published and circulated, o criminal prosecu- tion is began against the convspondent Boueux at Washington for a publication mado in Detroit! That prosecution was dropped fora time, and Buxus, returned to his orig- inal residence in St. Louis, Tho prosooution against him is now revived, not at Dotroit or St. Louis, but at Washington, under tho Pozaxp law. In like manner tho editor of the New York Tribune is held to bail to ouswor at Washington for an offense which, if committed at all, was committed in Now York. Against the Inw, whether Ponanp law or any other, which toloratcs, sanctions, or warrants any such abuso as this, wo protost. The Dotroit Post says theao ar- rests wore made “under the District local law, and not under any law of the United States," There is no “local law” in force in tho District of Columbia that hos not been enacted or put in force by act of Congross, We object to this law further because tho time may come when a Domocratiq Congress and Administration may by its enforcemont sock to suppress criticlum of Democratic measures and Domoorntic men, The time may come when the publishors of the Dotrolt Post may find themsolvos subject to arrost os fogitives from justice in the District of Columbia for alleged libels in Detroit, The law is wrong in principle, is Hable to groat abuse, cannot promote tho ends of justico, and ought to be repealed, THE TIMES AND MB, MAC VEAGH, Tho Times has taken ocession several times of Isto to nssail Mr. Faanxuin MacVzaar, the Chairman of tho Citizona’ Committee, in & gross ond indecent manner, imputing to him sordid and unworthy motives, and asso- ointing hig name with gamblers and political bummers, because of his efforts to framo and obtain the passage of a reformed charter for the City of Chicago. Theso attacks upon Mr, MaoVeaan aro entiroly unjust. During the last eix months ho has unselfishly given his time for the benofit of tho city, with no other object in view than its political, moral, and material advantage. The chargo mado by tho 2¥mes, that Mr, MucVesom ‘has tho Mayoralty maggot in his ear,” is too absurd to gain credenco among those who are acquaint- ,ed with tho gentleman, During all hia con- nection with the Citizens’ Committee, he has expressed himself in the most open and pub- lic manner to tho effect that no one connected withthe Committce should be a candidate for ofilce. Wemay stato for the information of the Z¥mea a fact which it ought to know, that Mx, MaoVgaau could not be induced to take the oftice of Mayorif he could get it. Ho hos no desire or ambition for it, no time Yor it, no taste for it, He hes & lorgo and important business upon his hands which is of more consequence to him than all the offices in the city, The animus of the Z¥mes in making this attack is apparent. It seoks to break down Mr, Mio- Veaow's influence with tho Logislature in bo- halfof the roformed Incorporation aot, by moking it appear that it is a personal wcheme which ho has devised for the furtherance of his own interests or am- bition, and not an honorable, unselfish ef. fort for the best good of tho city, To still further effect this object the Zimes couples his name in an offensive manner with that of My, Heaixo, seeking to make {t eppear thatho is a protege ond tool of the Iattor bo- cause it has hoppenod thot he end Mr, Hx Ina ogrea upon dome points of the bill, aa numerous others do, We submit that this is @ poo xeanow for opposing the proposed alty Those who know Mr. MaoVeaan will not need any assurances of hig impersonal and unselfish Inbors upon the Citizona' Committeo, 'Thoso who do not know him, however, should bo informed that the charges of the Times are maliciously unjust. THE GERMAN BANKING BYSTEM. After the now Empire of Germany had provided for an uniform speole currency, it undertook tho provision of an uniform paper currency. Tho task has been one of consid- erable difficulty, There are about fifty banks of issue in the difforent States of the Empiro, and very fow of them print notes which cir- culate beyond their immediate neighborhood. A fow are private corporations with special charters, ‘Tho latter cannot always poss their notes within tho limits of one State. Tho former can do this, but can raraly give thom enrrency in any other State. Persons passing from one small reolm into an- other haye to exchange their paper thalers at a considerable shove, ‘This atato of things, much like that of our State banks bofore 1862, has been o serious hindrance tointer-Stato business, A bill was accordingly introduced into the German Parliamont on the 18th of last November for tho regulation of banking throughout the Empire. It has been substantially changed in committee and in the House, Its amended form provides for the issue,of national bank- notes to the amount of 385,000,000 marks (892,400,000) by the different banks now in existence, A certain amount of this issuo is allotted to cnch bank, ‘Tho lion's share falls to the German Bank, a now institution, which takes the plnce of the Bank of Prussia. Its chartor extends to 1891,nndis remarkablo. On the expiration of tho chartor of any other public or any private bank, the concern is to bo wound up and merged into the German Bank, Tho shares of the latter aro divided between tho Government and the public, Each bank of isaue snust receive the notes of all others ot par, Although the aggrogate issue is limited to 885,000,000 marks, the lim- itation ia not absolute. Notes to thia amount aro not taxed, but any issued in excess of it must pay 5 per cent duty, Tho wisdom of this is not apparent. If at any time thero is an absolute need for more money and moro ia to be issued, it will bo bad policy to tax borrowersin such desperate stralta 5 por cont oxtra, Such a duty would advance tho rate of discount to s ruinous figuro, The effect of the bill will be good and bad. It will give the Empire an uniform paper our- roncy, and will thoreforo !quicken trade. On tho other hand, it will centralizo powor at Berlin, Prussia, controlling theo German Bank as sho will, can control the monoy mar- ket of the Empire. She will have it in her power to seriously affect tho commercial pros. pority of all tho other States, No membor of a confedoration, least of oll a momber too pow- erful to bo called to account, should be in- trusted with such power, 2 FROM QOEAN TO OOFAN, Since Conrnz climbed the mountain penk whonco he cought his first view of tho great Pacific Ocean, men’s minds have been full of achomes for joining the two great sens which aro soparated at half-a-dozen points between Moxico and Now Granada only by narrow ridges of rock, A canal from ono to tho other would save the long and dangerous voyage aroung Cape Horn, would mako the discovery of the ice-bonnd Northwest Passage a matter of ovon less moment than it is now, and would do away with the present necossity of wast. ing money, time, and labor by unlonding weatward-bound freight at Aspinwall, sending them by rail to Panama, and there reloading them for the ports of Californin or far Cathay. Sovoral routes for the canal have beon pro- posed and English and Amorican engineers have mado sovernl surveys, The choico now sooms to lie botween three lines,—tho -Nicar- agua, the Panama, and the Darien. The Isthmus of Panama is midway botweon the othor two. The Nicaragua routo has beon fully surveyed and has been pronounced foas- ible, Its groat advantage ts that Lake Nicar- agua would furnish an inexhaustiblosupply of water, On the other hand, thore arono good harbors on olther ocean, and the route would benearly, if not quite, 200 miles long, fiva, timea the estimated length of the Panama Canal, and sevon times that of the Darien. It was decided to make a docluive survey of the two compotingroutes this year, Two partios of United Statosengincera landed at Aspinwall on the 16th ult, Both aro now at work, ~ The route proposed via Panaina usca the River Chagros ag 4 channel for 20 miles, Thenco it passes over aridgo tho hoight of which ia estimated all the way from 200 ta 1,200 feat toa pointon the Paciflo 10 miles north of Panama. ‘The total length is rook. oned at 48 miles, 20 of which will boon tho Chagres, ‘This river winds and twista ola Mississippi, Its watera from rain torrents sometimes rico 26 feetin awingle day. It meanders through swamps and builds up gandbars, These are grave objections to tho route, The proximity of tho railroad, tho comparative chaopness of the cutting, and the good harbors, aro, however, strongly in its favor, Tho natives aro busily engoged in manufacturing arguments in ite bohalf, Tho Inat reported is that the policans always fly from ocean to ocean over the Chagres, This proves, it is aid, that the lowest summit isto be found thore. The Darien, othorwiss the Atrato-Napipl, route was the one taken by the Spanish buo- eanecrs nearly two centuriegago. ‘The trails thoy cut for their light cannonare still visible, Phe country is healthful, Both the harbors are good. ‘The longth of the proposed canal fs only 28 miloa, But 22 miles‘ from tho At- Jantio are the Cordilleras, Tholr holght for- bids outting @ channel down through them. A weries of locka up and down would greatly delay vessels, Besides, a supply of water could not be scoured, unless gigantio pumps JOHN MITCHEL, ‘Tho cable dispatches from England report that although Jom Mrronex has been onco rojected by Parliament, and o new writ of election issucd, ho will run again, With his olcction or non-election Americans have but little interest, and so faras be may succeed in rasping and worrying tho British by pre. sonting himself as a condidate for Parlia- mont, notwithstanding the issue of now writs, Americana will havo little sympathy with tho British, but on the other band will ‘be disposed to look upon it as a» poetical sort of justice for the past English ill-treatmont of Ireland. To ask Americans, however, to sympathizo with Joun Mircnzs is as absurd oaitis to abuso them for not sympathizing with him, There is one reason whichis now, and always will bo, sufloient to provent any goneral American sympathy for him, nome- ly, that, whilo protending to bo the advocato of liberty in ono country, he waa false to it in another. When Mr, Mrrourz was arrested by the ‘English Government for tho offensive articles which he published in the United Irishman, and for the bold mannor in which he followed in tho steps of Danren O'Convexr, demand. ing Irish rights, ho had the sympathies of this whole country, When tho English Govern- mont expatrinted him and sentencod him to fourteon years’ imprisonmont, its notion was universally denounced, not only by the Trishmen, but also by the Amorloans of this country. Ho was justly looked upon as o martyr to freedom, and a man who had boen wrongfully punished for his devotion to lib- orty by a tyrannical Government. When he mado his escape from Australia and landed in New York, ho was warmly welcomod. All classes of citizens did him honor, and greeted him as the friend, condjutor, and disciple of the groat Danizx O'Connezy, His paper, the Citizen, wos handsomely supported. Society opened its doors to him. Lovers of liberty welcomed him asa brother, and the wholo country regarded him with warm odiniration as the hero who had sufferod for denouncing England's cruel abuse of Irland, What, then, did thisinan do? How did this champion of liberty in Ireland treat liberty in America? Having fought and suffered for the oppressed. in Ireland, how did he treat the oppressed in Amorioa? Hoe removed to Tonnaasee, where ho atartad the Southern Citteen, in which ho advocated the reopening of the Afrivan alavo ‘wero used to sack it up from tho lower lovels to the higher, Wherefore itis gravoly pro- posud to excavate @ tunnel B miles long shrough the solid rock, of sush great sise that An ocean steamor can para through it! ‘Tho project looks like engineering run mad, but Coinmander SenFntivar, who ranks high aso practical engineer, fs enrnestly in favor of it, 'Yhin is tho state of things at present. ‘Tho two expeditions will return before the very hot weather begins, ‘heir reports, submit. ted at the first session of the noxt Congress, will forin an interesting choptor in tho inter. oceanic canal controversy and may decitlo the mottor in favor of one of theso three routes. WORK FOR THE POLICE. If the Communists of this city shall en- denvor to carry out, noxt Thursdey, the pro- grammo Intd down by them in a meeting held Sunday afternoon, we sincerely hope that tho Mayor and polico of this city will havo sufl- ciont cournge to provont n repotition of the disgraceful scones enacted by tha samo class of coniiscators something over o year ago. At that time a raid was organized on the Ne- lief and Aid funds in much the same manner as is now proposed, and the cowardico or im- becility of tho present City Government pre- vouted it from taking such measures as would havo frustrated thelr purpose, unjust in itself and unlawful in tho manner of its prosecution, ‘ho failure of tho city authorities promptly and efficiently to como to the protection of the Rolicf and Aid So. cioty forced tho oficors thorcof to distribute something like $100,000 more than thoir own judginont approved. Tho demand of tho Communists was that tho Relief and Aid So- eloty should turn over the wholo of their funds to mon to be selected by the Com- munists; and the city authorities permitted a lawless mob, urged on by a few reckless dosperadocs, to go so far in their menaco that tho Suciety was forced into the degrading at- titude of partially suconmbing to threnta and intimidation. Asaresult of this terrorism, tho Relief and AidSocioty disbursed during tho months of December, 1873, and January, 1874, @112,124, while during tho months of December and January just passed they have distributed but 223,980, which thoy havefound sufficiont, This year they exercised their own judgmont and sense of duty in the dis. tribution of n sacred trust; Inst year thoy acted under threats against their lives and property,—pormitted by the present City Governinent, which had then recently suc- ceeded to power, and wero afraid of tho Com. munist mob. It wasn disgrace keenly felt, as wo believe, by the officers of the Socicaty who wero helpless, as well os by all good citizens; but, worse than this, it was a precedont full of o danger which is now im- minent. : Tho same fellows who raided tho Relicf and Aid Socioty Inst year held a mocting Sun- day afternoon, at which Kunvas and others of like ilk made incondiary speeches, when reso- lutions were adopted to the following effect: To distribute cironlars calling meass-meotings in tho threo divisions of tho city for Wednes- day evening; to choose mon in whose honda the relict funds shall be tranaferred/ to dine isa all tho visitors of tho present Associa- dion and choose successors from their num- bors! and to organize a demonstration for "Thursday which shall overawe the Socioty and enforce thoso these demands. One fel- low at tho Sunday meoting, in his harangue, reforring to a possible encounter with the po- lice, is reported as saying that ‘if those uni- formed bandits, those hirelings of a corrupt administration, those lawless exeoutors of the low, dare to assail them,—ihem the sovor- oigns of this country, the poople,—then he would oxpect avery man of them to stand and fight, and if so be to die in defonse of tho good causo, and in the intorest of their fellow-sufferers.” Whercat, it is said, there was tromendous applause. Now this rabble has aright to hold mass. meetings, make speeches, and pass resoln- tions to their hearts’ content; but, if they attempt to carry out the same programme which they succeeded in cnrrying out a year ago, wo hopo, for the credit of tho city and the safety of the community, that the Mayor and Police Commissioners and polico officers will have the courage and manliness to do thoir duty in the promises, Evory effort ata riotous demonstration must be put down on the instant. A mob that assembles with threnta must be disporsed without parley, and its ring-leadors arrested and punished, Tho rascals who aro st tho bottom of this affair are not workingmon,—they areloafers, They belong to the vagrant class, and must not bo permitted to lend on the workingmen to acts of lawless violonce which thoy will after- wards rograt, The funds of the Relief and Aid Socicty aro entitled to. tho samo protec- tion as the property of private individuals, and tho City Government must give it to them, Those funds are in the naturo of a trust, lnwfully dologated to tho Society and lawfully.ndininistored. It is as much a crime to wrest this money from theso gentlemen by violonco or threat as it is to rob a bank or a private citizen, The authorities are duly forewarned, and they themselves will be re- sponsible for the conanmmation of tho un- Jewfol plan which has beon announced if thoy permit it to make such headway as will ronder it s practical monaco. THE FRENOH INDEMNITY—EYFECT ON GERMANY, Franco's loss does not som to have been Gormany’s gain, so far aa the payment of the enormous indemnity of 1870 is concerned, Gold was sent to Gormany only to leavo it. ‘There was an overstock of the preoious met- al. It sought places whero it would pur- chase moro and be used to better advantage, The first reault of the great increaso in coin capital was a groat riso in money Wages, ac- companied by a viso in the price of provis- ions, ‘The latter, however, was not suffi. cient to offgst the former, Tho German workingman suddenly found himself carning far more thalora than evor before, He liad been ateady, thrifty, and economical with low wages, but sudden prospority turned his head. The Bortin oorrespondentof the London Times says that the workpeopla no longer labor as atendily or as honestly as they did. They take more lelsure, but they use it badly, So. ciulist follyand Commune nonsense hava mado hoadway among them. Tho dectenso in the real value of labor which has accompanied tho increase in its cost haa seriously do. ranged industry, The German monufacturer can no longer compete successfally with his foreign rivals, The rosult iy a decreaso in manufacturos and exports and an inoreass in finporte, ‘The foreign trade for 1872 and 1878 was (in thalors) aa follows: ta 2,0an bog 3,451 00n(00 Hearts "719,000,000 "787,000,000 Exoces of imports,..,,. 914,000,000 484,000,600 Aw theso aro tho Qustom-House figures, they do not show that an amount of gold oqual to'tho apparent excess of imports was actually exported, but they do show that a vory large amount of the motal waa chipped abroad, and that exports have fallon of while imports have increased. ‘We have, then, a phenomenal result, Ger many got too much of a good thing when abe fined France five millinrds of frencs and in torest thereon, bosidos a couple of province: for the crime of making war on her, 't)} sudden influx of Froneh enpitel sthontat t production xo much that the inarket was te, ie porarily glitted. Before thin overstoot 11g itself felt, however, wages nnd ralaricn & d risen enormously, and tho people hind Aeqnir ‘a extravagant habits of living. ‘These facts, in turn, increased the cost of production area!) above thut of the lovel of mtrrounding 1. : tions, and thereby cut of tho power of is portation, Whilo mnttera wero in this pr; henlthy utate, coin capital flowed ton betice markot, paying for 9 flood of imported 100K, Then the Empire, after s period of wild ape. ulation in all kinds of stocks aud business for two years, found itself about where it », ng before, It had consumed unproductivoly, i wor-matorial and luxuries, tho immense sung ithad roceived from Hrance. But in doi: a0 it had lost, to some oxtont, its old hatity of industry nnd of economy. Now, tho wapeq of its workpcople aro falling, and thoy, una'sty to resumo the old way of living, aro rostst}a, by gtrikes and suffering. Tho history vq have skotchod is of surpassing interest to the atudont of political economy, Protection in this country has produceg vory similar results, only much worse, th countries are suffering from alnormal cans, —America from the affects of too much p-o. een and Germany from too much Frerch go) Both Houses of Congress honored Wigq, INatoN’s momory yesterday by romnining ia session and doing good work, Tho Somtg passod the Indian, Military, and Pension Ape propriation bills, and considered tho Pest. Office bills by sections in Committee of the Whole. Quite a dobate took place on 8 proposition to amend the Militery Academy bill so that the number of perscns receiving instruction there might be reduced ono-half, The amendment was rejected by a closo voto, somo Senators not wishing to lua} down an approprintion bill with so important a measure, fearing its rejection in tho Hous or its veto by the President, and othors be'ng opposed to any restriction of the work of the Military Academy. Mr. Monton took the proper view of the caso when" he said that the theory of onr Gover mont contemplates the education of ofie:r at public exponso as a partial substitute for a standing army, which we cannot and onht not to maintain. It is surprising, indexd, that the prejudices of civilians shoald bre overpowered 9 considerable number of Sex, tors, or that they should so soon have forgit. ten the immonso benefits of the speci: training of tho Military Academy, experienced in the organization of our volunteer army in the Inte War, Tho Comte do Pants has some valuable reflections on this subject which the Senators opposed to the Military Acodem;'s work might read with profit, Tho public of Chicago will learn with sinco- sorrow of tho misfortune which has overiak: two of ita most highly-respectad and publio-ezir- ited citizous, Mosara. Lovis and Crusty Wau. . Tho destruction of thoir gluo-factory by firo at an early hour yosterday morning involrsd 8 lose of nearly $100,000, with inguranco of $93, 000 to relmburso them. Their lous is that of the community at large, and is the more mortitylg from tho fact that tho city, sa represonted by its Fire Commissioners, is directly rasponalble fur the total destruction of tho proporty. ‘ho Firs Marshal and his Aselatanta woro familar sib the many precautions taken by the ownes against fro; knew whero to find thea;- pilancos for extinguishing a conflagration ; ad tho fact that the building was provided wha chomical ongines, hose, aud water only odds to the delinquanoy of the Dopartmant. Thoro wer threo firo-alarm boxes in clogs proximity to thi building. A policeman turned in an alarm froo Box 83 at 3:16 o'clock, aud anothor officor sims taneously callod the Central Iire Office frow Box 82. No anawer boing given, the alarm fro Box 82 was givon nine minutes later. It wasncl unell an ofiicer had roached the Deering Siral Polico Station, and bymesns of the slow snd pre carious police dia) inatrumont had awakened tt slumbering officors at the Central ‘Station, tht an alarm wes given to tho engincs, Br tha time tho Fire Departmemt — atrired the bulldiog was beyond all hope of salvation, aud fl that could bo deus was to delay tho fuevitable destruction ct tho property fora little while. Buch an occur rence isa shamoful commontary upon our Fire Commisaionors, and calla for » scarching Inver tigation, Tho vast oxpense to whiol tho city # boing put in extending tts water supply, in pro curing additional appliances, and paying s enormous Tro Dopartment, is money throw aay ao long os tho Coutral Oflco ts noglected The intoxication or negligence af tho men charge there hoa robbed tivo of onr most teomed citizons of an onormous eum of monty ‘ —————— ‘Tho Olevelond Herald is. strong and ub wavering party-paper, and a staunch aupportr of the Prasidont; but it condemon the “Thr Term," which the Demooratio procs insiat shit Grant ts plotting to bring about, ‘Cho Hered eayos Tie third term, if adopted by the Ropoblics party, will crash that party, without o ghost cf) chance for success, whilo opposition to the thin torm eqnnot more than defeat tt, white 4 will fol ft Aefsuse of asonnd principle, But, besides tho thine term question involved in the proposed onactment tho Forca bill, the passsgo of tho bill would end Ut Ufo of any party that should enact it, I¢jt coul clearly bo demonetrated that wroug-dotny at &+ Bauch was all on ono side, the enacting of such & might be defonded, Dut it $# so bard to strike t balance ae to wrong-doing between the two parties 2 the South, thatan unprajudieed man cannot (ell o& which aide the balance would fall, Hence tbls th which susponds the Aabsas corpus at the will of Preatdont, will not mest with popalar sympathy. willeyen oxcite ten-fold more prejudice than be tho case were it mndos certatuty that Preside Guar would not boa candidate for ro-clectian, 44 Dosides tho natural Joslousles ite foaturca croate, aw added that terrible amsplefon that it fe ensoted bt tho very purpoce of re-electing the Prasident, ee Late roports from Egypt stato that ‘the o# tulueus of the Buez Canal lise become gretlly impaired of tate through tho quantity of st which haa beon blownin, and whiol, if sometbiss in not dono befora long, will All it ap complete As itite, largo vesanls cannot pass each othe: but havo to walt at the ouds of the canal uslll tho channel is clear, ‘Tilutinvolves groat er and Inconventence, Tho English make use ah moro shan any other people, and » company |? roady to tako tho responsibilty to keep {t in working order; but the Khediveiaa little jeslo# ot the English influonce and peraleta in tel Ing cborge of ft himself.” But ix wil eventos fall futo tho honda of tho Britieh. Itbse Deco almost a naval necessity ta them, Dy mene the caual thoy can dispatch troops to Indie Sie China in one-third tho time it takes to sail 10 j the Cope of Good Hope; and the ships-of-me nu well aw morcbant-vessely, gavo more mv months’ time on a voyage ta Caloutts, After i Khndive of Egypt becomos tired of keeplos a canal free of aand, the English will get pore at of it; for whtob chance they have been gull walting for along time, We did not think that the Bt Towle Dene waa independent Republican onougn 0 esP! ite notions of the Buruxx-Prrousace bus so plainly aa the following Tengaage ori pascauute'torreleud tit tne exssion of, 4S ored individu, 47 i any rolttad oars xo | and, another, Dace pe Bry ¢ Marah without objections hy ed ca tl Frsumasce wad ‘neal | | | |