Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, April 25, 1875, Page 4

- 4 THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE: SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 1875.—SIXTEEN PAGES. — TERMS OF THE TRIBUNE. RATRS OF STZSCEITTION (PAYARLE I ADVANCE). Paostzge Prepald ot chis Office, ‘Bunday deabje shest... Paitsof & yesr st the saze rats. WANTED—Uns zctive agent in esch town aud villags, Epccial arrangoments made with such. Specimen copios seat froe. To prevent delay and mistakes, be sure x3d give Post- Otce zddress in fall, including State and County. Rerwfitancesay bemado eltherby dzaft, express, Post- G.cocrder, or in registored lotters, at our risk, TERMB TO CITY SURSCRIBERS. Daily, delfrarsd, Sunday exceted, 23 cents per week. Daily. delivered, Sunday incladed, 30 cents par woek. Address THE TRIBUNE COMPANY,- Corner Madison and Dearborn-sts., Chicage, IlL. . TO-MORROW'’S AMUSEMENTS. AOCADEMY OF MUSIC—Halsted stroet, betwaen Mad- fson amd Mooroe. Engagementof the Emlly Soldens froupe. **Ganavisve Do Brabant.” K M'VICKEER'S mh'mx—u-dm rirest, betweoen Dearborn and State. Eogagement of Magels Mitchell * Jane Eyre® - ADELPHI THEATRE—Dearborn street, corner Man- fos. Varoty entertainment. ** 3iarked for Life.” BOOLEY'S THEATRE-Randoloh street, betwean Olark and 1aSatls. **Monte Cristo.™ GRAND OPRRA-BOUSZ—Clark street, opposite Ebarman Houss. Kayne; Hall & Wlm;be]'cl'l Minstrels. AMRRIOAR RACING-ASSOCIATION HIPPO- DEOME-Lake Shots, foot of Washingion strest. Aftar- 8003 and evening. EXPOSITION BUILDING-Lake Bhors, foot of Adams stceet. Lxhibition of Patnt SOCIETY MEETINGS. NATIONAL LODGE. No.5%. A F. & A. M.—A stated yommenleatfon will bs held at Masonie Temple, corncr of Halsted and Mandolph-sts., Tuseday evening. Avrild7, 1538, at 8 o'olock, for the purposs of 1aking into consider- 3tion the guestion of removal from the present place of ‘eeting. Byorderof the W. M. i A. B. STILES, Secrotamy. MASONTC.—-A regular convocation of Falrview Chap- tor. No. 161 R. A. M.. will be held at the hall, carnzrof Ihirty.seventh-st. and Cottgo Grove-av., Monday oven- Ing. April 36, 1475, a8 o'clock. A cordial invitstion s xtended to all B. A. Masons. DByorder of the M. E. H. P. - J. E. CHADWICK, Ses. LAFAYETTE CHAPTER, No. &, R. A. AL.—Stated Douvocstion on Monday evening, Sth inst., st 7:30 o'clock, for business 2ud work on ths R. A Degres, Vis- itors eordialy iavited to meetwithns. By ordorof the P R. N. TUOKES, Secrstary. ATTERTIOR SIR ENIGHTS !—Special Conclave of Chicago Commandery, No. 18, K. T., bondsy evening, April 98, 1675, for work oo B. C. Order. Visiting Sir Enights courtsously farited. By order of the Rm. Com. G. A, WILLIANS, Becorder. STAR OF THE WEST LODGE, K0. 3, A. P. A—Tbe Bocial Ball will bs hold at thoir Hall, southeast corner of Franklin and Van Bureo-sts., April 30. SAM. F. MATTHEWS, Rec. Soc. The Chitage Tribune, Sundsy Morning, April 25, 1875. Itis the duty of every cilizen who per- ponally observed any irregularities, violations of the Election law, or fraudulent voting on Friday, to communicate the fact with his neme o the Citizens® Association st once, to help in the setting-aside of the fraudulent result. At most of the polis on Friday there was but one ballot-box, though the people were voting on two separste questions,—the char- ter and minority representation. Two folded bellots were stuffed into one and the same box every iime, so that it was im- possible to tell ~whether the voter polled ons vote on the charter and one on minority representation, or two votes on the charter. The probability is, that every hired voter who voted * For the Charter” put in two ballois in this way instead of one. And sach balloting is to be permitted to ex- tend the term of a lot of official scalawsgs, with the privilege of doubling our taxes! Among the countless frauds committed ab Friday's election under the management of the Common Council Ring there was a case of ballot-box stuffing in the Twentieth Ward which can be proved. Notwithstanding the bullying of the Mm= Corcorans and Jou McHarrs in that ward a humber of gentle- men, including Mr. A. O. Besmvo, the Rev. Mr. Cmaasenramy, A. M. Pexce, L N. Ae- wowp, G. H: Ferous, and others, gathered at the polls and asserted theirrights. Theysuc- ceeded in getting two challengers inside the room, who remained at the peril of their per- sons until the votes were counted. We are creditably informed that one of thess gantle- 1men was the witness of ballot-box stuffing at the last, and will testify to it. The vuu—(—).l‘. the First Ward on the Incor- poretion act was returned as followa : 1,658 Msjority for.. flg ‘This exceeds the majority reported in-the city “For” by 248 votes. "The actusl fact is, there were not 500 legal votes cast in the First Ward. More than 1,200 -tickets were stuffed into the ballot-box. There are no such number of legal voters in the First Ward, and it is doubtful whether two put of every five went near the polls. No poll-books were kept. The names of those whovoted were notrecorded. It isalsoreport- P ed that the persons who acted as judges were not sworn. The whole election from first to last, in this ward, was irregular, fraudulent, end inpalpable violation of every provigion of * the Election Iaws of the State. The fraudulent voting in the Seventh snd Tighth Wards on Friday is attested by the best kind of evidence. Mr. R. P. DEmicr- 50N remained at the polls in the Eighth Ward till 8 o'clock in the afternoon, and st that time there had orly been 207 votes cost. Other gentlemen who remained till the polls were closed testify that there were not more than 600 to 700 votes cast in that ward alto- gether.- Yet the returns from that ward sbow 1,800 votes! Senator Mrrs Kemoe gives materially the same testimony with regerd fo the Seventh Ward. - His. personal cbservation during the day was, that the people were voting against the charter, and ihat the vole was very small. Yet the re- turns of the Seventh show over 1,900 votes inall, and over 1,400 for the charter! As there was no polllist, thero was mno check upon the ballots. How they got into the box 80 numerously it is easy to judge. ‘We Jesire to call special attention of the rmusic-lovers of Chicago to the series of five TroMAS ,eomznfls to be given at McCormick’s Tall this week. The particulars of thess concerts will be found in the musical cal- nmn ; but it is proper to say lers that no "Proxas season hes ever been given in Chi- cago which had so many ettractive features #s the present series of concerts offers. The presence of several of the soloists of the Ciccinnati Festival, and the assistance of the Germanin Maennerchor anda mixed chorus of 200 voices, will add largely to the scope and vatioty of the musio, The enjoyment of the senson will alse .be incieased Yery materially by the pampblet issued by the management, containing descriptive articles on the music produced. Altogether, this seasor offers some compensation for the lack of such a Festival as Cincinnati is to have. I8 THERE ANY LEGAL REMEDY 7 ‘We do not know that thereis anylegal rem edy for the frandulent clection of Fridoylast, yet it is difficult to understand that in'a gov- ernment of law an organized mob, disregard- ing all the forms and requirements of law, can fill ballot-boxes with tickets, or make up fietitious returns, and heve them returned as the result of an “ election,” and there should be no legal remedy or corrective of the fraud. There is a rule—and if it does not apply to elections it certainly ought to do so—that froud vitistes any proceeding, official or un- official. - In cases’ of election of officers the law provides legal methods of contesting and remedying any wrongs that may have been done. But this is not a8 cose of that kind The Common Council will probably to-morrow night un- dertake to canvass and declare the vote on Friday, and officially announce that the char- ter of 1672 has been adopted! We' suppose that any action to correct the evil onght to be hed before that declaration takesplace. Itis 2 question for lawyers and: for the Courts to determine in the first place whether the City Council may or may not be temporarily en- joined or prohibited from declaring the re- sult of the election. If such prohibitory in- tervention by the Courts be legal on the ground that when such result is declared the public are irreparably injured, and without legal remedy, then the question of the legality of the election can be heard upon evidence as to the manner in which it was conducted. ‘This is one of the most vital questions that has yet addressed itself to our citizens. It reaches the interests and property of every man in Chicago. If the charter be declared adopted, is that an end of the matter? Will the sct be accomplished irrevocably? We suppose that some action will be taken to- morrow that will test the question whether there is any remedial or preventive authority to prevent execation and accomplishment of such an act as will give legal finelity and con- firmation to this pratended and notoriously irregular and frandulent election. It is possible that the political control of the city has passéd into the hands of a small but compact organization of desperate and unscrupulons men ; but, even if this be the foct, the least that can bo done is to require that even this mob shall comply with the forms of law, and that, when thers is an elec- tion, there shell be judges and clerks, a list of the voters, the right of challenge, theright of being present at the opening and’counting of the tickets, and a general compliance with the law of the State. Tothat the public is en- titled, and for that they ought to have, at least in an election of such significance asthe radical change in the whole form of govern- ment, an sppeal to the protection of the Courts. - FRIDAY’S FRAUDS. There was probably never an election held in the City of Chicago, not even excluding the | fraudulent town elections, at which so many villainous and barefaced frauds wers com- mitted os day before yesterday in the vote on the charter of 1872, A ring was formed, consisting of Meyor Corviy, Chief-of-Police Rems, a majority of the Common Council and the Clerk of that body—JoE ForrEsT— to carry the election in favor of the reorgan- izstion of the city under the law of 1872, and in opposition to the interests and wishes of the tax-paying citizens of Chicago. To this end the requirements of the Election law were openly disregarded, from the ordimance or- dering the election down to the counting of the votes in soveral of the wards. BMr. Fos- rest, the Clerk of the Council, with the Imowledge and consent of the May- or, we are informed, instructed tho judges that they were mnot required to appoint clerks (as they were not under the illegal ordinance, but are under the Election law), and the result was that in the majority of the wards there were no poll- lists containing the names of those who voted, and no record kept of the votes. Be- sides the mass of illegal voting made easy by this official overriding of the law, there was actual ballot-box stuffing . in the First, Second, Seventh, Eighth,” and Twentieth ‘Wards, whereby the lawful vote against the charter was overcome. Fortunately for the city, wo believe that these facts can be proved by plenty of competent and trust- worthy +witnesses, who are personally cog- nizent of them, andthat the Courts will hold that the clection was null and void. . | The law of 1872, under which.Friday’s election was held, expressly provides (Sec. 57) as follows : % - The manner of conducting and voting st elections tobe held under this act, and con‘esting the same, the Leeprng of poll-lists snd canvassirg the votes, shall bo the same, 5 nearly os may be, as In the case of the clecticn of county officers, under the general Lws of this State, The judges of election shall appoint clerks, when necessary o £l vacancies, and the judges and clerks shall take the samecath and have tho ssme powers and authority as the judges and clerks of gen- eral State elections. Now, there were no clerks whatever ap- pointed, though in direct violation of this law under which the election was held. The General Election law, which the law of 1872 retaing in force, according to the text of the above section, was also violated in manifold ‘ways, of which the following are specimens : 1. The General Election law-requires that the polls shall be kept open till 7 o'clock in the evening. In some wards the polls were not kept open, and citizens tendering their votes aftar 6 o'clock, and before 7 o'clock, ‘were refusod. 2. The law also requires that the ballot- box shall be publicly exhibited In the Twentieth Ward, the. ballot-box was concealed by 8 board, so that electors could not see whether their ballots were deposited or not, until some of the citizens, late in the dsy, insisted that it be made visible. * 8. The law requires that each clerk of the election shall keep a polllist, which shall have one column far numbers, and another for the names of voters, and that the clerk shall enter the name of every voter, and num- ber it. There were no clerks at a majority of the polls, and at most of them no polllists were kept.. In the First, Second, Seventh, Eighth, and Twentieth Wards, certainly, there ‘was no record of the voting. 4. The law requires that the judges shall indorse on every "ballot the number corre- sponding with the number of the voter on the poll-books. This was mot done in mny case of which we can hear, and could not be done in those wards where thers were no poll-books. i 5. The law provides that, in the canvass of votes, -l - votes exceeding the number of. names entered on the poll-books shali be ré- jeoted. This wasnot and could not be done §n those wards where there was no polllist, and consequently there has been no legal canvass of Lh-vnfuinmd:md‘. 7 % T Iny required that the judges curi. ‘ warrants were destroyed by fire, may be con- cate shall bo returned together with ons of the lists of voters and one of the tally papers. This cannot be done, since there were no lists of voters and no tally-lists in many of the wards. Therefore there can be no legal return. 7. "The law requires that ore or two legal voters of each party to the coiitest shall be sllowed in the room where the election is held to act as challengers, and that such chal- lengers may remain with the Board of Elec- tion until the votes are all canvassed-and the result declared. Mr. R. P. DznicrsoN de- manded this privilege in the Eighth Ward and- was refused. In the Second Ward, the challerigers wero driven away before the votes were counted, and the boxes were carried o?! to a groggery to be canvassed. In other wards we are informed that no challengers were admitted. ‘We have no_doubt: that thers were other flagrant violations®of the Election law, but wo have named enough to vitiate the election tén times over, and seb it aside as null and void. 'The violations were deliberate, inten- tional, and with the express purpose of ciur- rying the charter by fraud; but the perpe- trators overreached themselves, . They have succeeded in committing their frauds, where- by they have secured a nominal majority of tickets in favor of a charter to hold their of- fices beyond the term for which they were elected, and to tax property-owners whatever they please. But in order to commit these frouds they found it necessary to ‘vio- late’ the express provisions -of the election statute of the State, and have thereby cut off the benefits their frauds were intended fo secure them. It is 8 much easier matter to establish the violation of the Elec- tion law than it would be to run down o suffi- cient number of illegal votes to change the result. This will be undertaken immediate- 1y, and we trust there will be no difficulty in having the eleclion set sside. In point of fact there was no election, but merely a series of frauds committed under the name of election. URCOLLECTED CTTY TAXES. On the 1st of April, 1875, there wero due and uncollected city taxes to the amount of $6,752,451. In detsil this arrearage of taxes was as follows : Year. \Personal| Real, | Zofal. 1871 ' osusls siauls 17,50 1372 sl 175001 362610 1873, 22,4450 edgenil 819,116 1874 658,203 4,443,180 5,001,333 Due 13,770 Dus for 1870, 168,143 Aggregats. iauie.nnd| ,167,740,$5,202,799185,75%,451 The exact importance of these fignres will ‘be understood when it is known that the tax levied annually is merely to cover the amount appropriated for that year; that the fiscal year begins April 1, and the taxes to meet the appropriations for that year are pot due until December following, and aro but par- tially collected until July or August of the following year. To illustrate: The fiscal year 1874 ended March 31, 1875; the taxes for 1874 were due in December, 1874, have been partially collected, but their great bull will not be collected until July or August, 1875. In the meantime the sppropriations for 1874 have been all expended; when the city has no money it of necessity hasto owe its creditors, issuing to them either war- rants on the Treasury or certificates of indebtedness. As the city has no resourcés save the proceeds of taxation, and as the ap- propriations invariably equil the tax levied, the amount of uncollected taxes at the end of the year is a fair estimate of the amount of the city indebtedness, properly payable on demand, butremaining unpaid. The amountof the floating indebtedness of the city onthe ist of April, was, therefore, substantially $6,750,- 000, less so much of Inst year's appropriation as had not been expended. On the 1st of April, 1874, the amount of the uncollected tax was about $5,500,000. There has been, therefors, 8 large increase of the uncollected tax, as com- pared with last year. . The misfortune of Chicago is that her rév- enue to meet her appropristions is not col- lected for several months after the expiration of the year in which the money has been ex- pended. In other words, Chicago expends her money one year in advance of its collec- tion, and any failure in the collection leaves her with s floating debt equal to the deficien- cy. This floating debt is largely in the form of interest-bearing obligations. The failure to collectthetax, therefore, sub- jects the city to the necessity of borrowing the amount due at interest, and lience the deficiency is constantly increasing from year to yenr, and the charge for interest increasing proportionately. .. & We call the attention of the public to the fact. thet the city is laboring under serious financial embarrassments for the want of this uncollected revenue,” The $800,000 and more due on the warrants of 1869 and 1876, which sidered as1dst. But the taxes of 1871, 2, '3, and '4 ought to be paid. The power of the city to coerce the collection of personal tax is deficient, and the payment of that tax de- pends on the voluntary action of the citizen. Over one million of dollars of this tax is due, and for the want of that lawful revenue the city is paying s hundred thousand dollars a year interest on temporary loans. For much of the unpaid real-estate taxes of 1872 and 1873 the city holds certificates of purchase at tax-gale, but these are not available as monay, and to supply the deficiency in therevenunethe city has toborrow money. There is & looseness in the law regulating sales: of land for taxes which renders it unsafo as an investment ‘to; purchaso at such sales; 0 the city has to buy | in the property. The legality of any title thus acquired is 0 questionable that no per- son is under any apprehension on that score. | 8till, tax-payers- should understand - that_in the end they have to pay the penaltyon these tax certificates, and have to pay in addition increased taxation to meet the interest on the money borrowed by the city to meet its cur- rent obligations. The tax-sales for the taxes of 1674 will take place in & fow months, and the prospect | is that the amount of unpaid taxes for which the city will have to take,certificates will be greater than any. preceding year. This whole system of paying taves in this city, owing to the looss laws, the imperfections of assessments, irregularity - of proceedings, . technicality of the courts, and carelessness’ of collectors, officers, and property-owners, bas fallen into a slip-shod, uncertain condi- tion, which is fnst involving .the. city in: financial confusion. - - Even if this whole sum of - $6,750,000 of. back taxes were collected, it wounld not dis- charge the unfunded linbilitics of the city and meet all the ontstanding eppropriations;' thero would be a large deficit still, the growth of soveral years' expenditure beyond income received.. This thing cannot go on forever. Thero is a limit even to financial- kiting; snd, if citizens will not psy their taxes, then the city must in time. come to has been heretofors to appropriste in ad- vance every dollar of the tax levied, throwing any deficiency in the collection upen the city, in the shape of unfunded debt. This rule they should now reverse. Their appropriations should fall short of ' the income, thereby allowing any surplus that may accrue, to be applied to the extinguishment of this float- ing debt, which has already assumed gigantic proportions. = i CHICAGO AND ST. LOUIS. 3 We publish elsewhere a lengthy review in a leading Paris magazine of what a celebrated Frenchman, M. Siafoxiw, saw in what hoe calls “the two rivals of the West. of America,” when he visited them a few months ago. The comparison he draws between' Chicago and St Louis is impartial and will probably be accepted by both ‘cities ns substantially correct, whatever errors of detail it may con- tain. Chicago, & city of 45 years of age and. 500,- 000 souls, excites his liveliest astonishment and admiration. “He says that it is the greatest marXket in the world for grain, cattle; and packed meats, and that it is ¢ the natu- ral centre of the interior of the vast region ocenpied by the American Union.” Our man- ufnctnrés, our stores, our vast magazines of food impress him. . *“The whole ‘Far West’ even to the Pacific comes there to be fed.” He predicts a possible population of 1,000,- 000 within ten years, and tells a characteristic story of a Chicagoan of whom he asked the present population and who replied: “Ido not exactly know what to tell you; I have been away from Chicago for a weel.” M. Smonty complains of the lack of & polished and cultured society here, but speaks with boundless admiration of our energy. “You will -seek elsewhere in vain,” he says, “for so many men of hardihood and sang- JSroid.” 'The streets aro full of people hurry- ing along in a *‘feverish fashion.” The great majority of our merchants, “by their loyalty, their promptness, their fidelity to their word, honor American commerce.” Our choice stock of criminals appalls M. Snroviv, and he refers to the ineficiency of the Mayor and Police Superintendent, who shut up what he calls the “pretty girls’ saloons,” and then let them open nudisturbed within two days. Passing to pleasanter themes, he speaks of “the energy, the indomitable sudacity” of Chicagoans. The lake tunnel serves him as on * instance of our marvelous command of these qualities. So does our success in raising miles of palatial ‘buildings above their miry beds and filling up the whole surface of the city with firm ground. But the greatest wonder is our recuperation from the Great Fire. *‘Chi- cago,” says he, ‘“‘rises from its rumins more resplendent than ever; nowhers else in America do you see more beautiful edifices, larger or better paved streets, more sumptu- ous residences, hotels more gigantic or more ornamental.” Ourpositionisunequaled. Our harbor receives more shipping than' that of any other American city except Now York, Oar exports and imports for 1873 were one-third those of all France. One-fourth of the whols grain product of the Waest is received here. The amount of grain handled here every year is *‘double the ‘quantity handled in the most prosperous years at Odessa and Marseilles,” the two greatest grain-marts of Europe. This, and more, M. SmroNmy has to say of us. And now for our rival. The writer gives St. Louis high praise, too. He puts its popula- tion at 500,000, and finds it, as a whole, more urbane than ours, bui less energetic. Yet the people are not idle. They all worlk. They have manufactures, commercs, business on a grand seale. St. Louis is “the worthy rival of Chicago.” High praige, but, per- haps, not undeserved. Our marvelous pros- perity has done public service by forcing St. Louis into an imitation of our energy. M. Smroxty depicts the .dangers of steamboat travel and draws some graphic pictures of the constant dostruction of the sort of boats ‘which ply to and from, St. Louis. The ad- mirable position of the city, the advantages it has gained by its bridge, and will gain by the 'improvement of the mouths of the Mis- sissippi, and its railrond communications, are mentioned in high terms. The beau- ty of . its situation, . mot of itself, (who could praise s St. Louis street when he had just seen ours?) received due commendation. Yet M. SmoNIN admires the ‘city’s beautifnl squares, its - statues, and, above all, its * guperb botanical garden ; the only one of the sort in the United States.” The rivalry between the two cities amnzes this shrewd observer. He has never séen the like befors. -Ho believes that both * will as- tonish the world.” They occupy the two natural centres of population in the West. If they continue their present rate of in- crease, they will bs, by 1903, the two largest cities in the world. Their chances are so great that M. Smrony declines to prophesy superiority for either. Yet, speaking of the fight over population, he says: * Is not the unezampled “prosperity of Chicago the best proof of the population it claimg? St. Louis counts more than a century; Chicago has only existed since 1830; with how much rapidity has it developed!"” THE CONCORD OEATION OF CUETIS. Mr: Grorce Wrzzaw Curtis’ oration at Concord is in some respects a disappoint- ment. It wasa trying time. Concord cele- “brations have not been infrequent, and some of the greatest names of American history belong to orators who have told, again and again, the story of Concord fight.” So Mr. Currs had to say very old things in a very new way. So far he did well. His limpid prosa mirrors the story, and at times the nar- ration rings with an epic grandeur. When, however, ho has brought usto the close of the first century, and seeks o' pierce the vail that hangs over the second by the light-of the first, the rare -powers of ‘the speaker desert him, and he talls inconsequentially, contra- dicts himself, interlarda- his .argument with ‘non-sequiturs, and closes with a burst of joy- ous hope to which his own sketch of the ‘present furnishes no sdequate support. . - “In this sketch he sams up ' the dangers of the Republic. - He enumerates among them raw foreign immigration, which has *added an inimense ignorance and entire unfamiliarity with republican ideas and habiisto the voting classes ™'; has produced confusion of tongues, “of creeds, and of politics; and has led to the ‘first serious attack upon th¢ . public-school system, * the nursery of the early Republic, and the palladium of free popular govern. ment.” He adds centralization, which he considers to be largely due to the develop- ‘ment of tho railway and telegraph sarvice, :aud to the concantration of one-third of the, population in 1870, against one-thirtieth in 1790, in the citics... He just mentions the ac- cumnlation " of 'capital, ~which, . working through giant carporations upon onr national and « local Tegislaturcs, is - perhaps the. greatest - preseat danger ' of - the Republio. - Ho gives this incomplete, yet appalling, catalogue of evils, fraught, perhaps, with the utter de- struction of our liberties, he remarks that we now enjoy *a closer and more perfect mnion for the establishment of justice and the se- curity of the blessings of liberty than these States have ever known.” Why? We failto see any reason stated, although Mr. CuzTIs seems to have thonght it sufficient to say that the spirit of cynicism, which forebodes the possible failure of our institutions, ought to be ““met and conquered ! 'This is much as if tho men of Concord, & hundred years ago,. had casually remarked: *‘Itis only a heart- less cynicism which tells us -our liberties are in danger; let us go home to ‘meet and con- quer’ said disgusting .cynicism”; avd had then gone home to Concord and to be con- quered. “Suppose we add to Mr. Cuntis’ catalogue the epidemic of embezzlement which now roges in America; the fact that ** irreg- ularities ” (which is American for defalcation, grab, and theft) have ‘become regular; the ever-growing necessity for safeguards against legislative corruption, which were unknown and unneeded in our fathers’ days, but which now have to be increased .in number and strengthened every year; the spectacle of ¢ the great religious newspaper 'of America ” selling its bribed editorial columns to a scala- wag carporation, and g0 ruining widows snd orphans by wholesale ; the Credit-Mobilier management of many of our great railronds for purposes of dishonest profit, and the re- sulting Granger organization, with its results of degrading the Legislatures and turning the law into .2n engine of oppression -side by side with its many good effects; the existence in every great city of an ' organized criminal class who defy law, corrupt Sheriffs and police, juries and magistrates. The management of great cities by the Tweeds and the Barnards, the bummers and tax-eaters, the thisves and the blacklegs, and the gamblers and the shysters ; the wide-spread distrust, too well founded, in the stories which stuffed ballot- ‘boxes tell ; and the despair, which Mr. Cug- 718 calls the *‘ cynicism of good citizens,"— suppose we add these evils and give the needed intensity to those ho names and does little more than name, shall we then hasten to assure ourselves that everything is gll right and lovely; that we enjoy a * closer and more perfect union for the establishment of justice and the security of the blessings of liberty than these States have ever kmown”; and that a man who does not beliove this is & “ cynic " who should be dumped into a tub and have the top of it boarded up forthwith ? This is no time to hedge and protest that ‘we are not alarmists. Alarmists! We ought o be alarmists. The Nation is indulging in bastard Saturday Reriew-ism over the ab- surdity of worthy citizens taking part in maunicipal affairs, and trying to destroy the evils that are eating out the heart of the Re- public; and Mr. CurTis, mild as ever, smooths over these ills and evils, ealls’the manly indig- nation and the manly fear they excite *‘cyni- cism.” ¢‘If we fail,” said DARIEL WEBSTER on. Bunker Hill, ¢ populsr governments are im- possible.” The wey to insare our failureis for the thinking and cultivated classes to say that the evils are past cure, as the Nation does, or-to nssert that they are irighting themselves, and that only cynics will fancy the past better than the present, as Mr. Curts does. THE CHAETER OP 1872 After some nmendment, the General Incorporation act was pasted. Tho < filosofer ¥ favored it, pro- nounced it & most swise enactment ; congratulated the inhabitants of Chicago upon its ge: advocated its imnedizte sdoption. Why? The "filosofer” was then Mayor of Chicago, A roasonable presamption would have bean that Le favared its adoption for rea- sons existing in his knowledge and experience of mu- nicipal government, . . . The General Cily Incor- poration- Iaw which he spproved, advocated, and actually assisted in framing, lie now declares to be an act designed to gubject the people of this city to over- taxation, robbery, confusion, official rascality, and all imaginable kinds of evils.—Chiago Times. 5 Ifind the apove in the midst of a column of. undignified personalities, and aa it refers to a pertod whon the undersigned was not editorially connected with THE TRIBUNE, but was serving the city in an official capacity, I cannot believe that Mr. SroreY invented those false assertions or evolved them from his inner consciousnesa. The probability is that some one,” aéting on rumor or misinformation, told him. But, both he and his informant are in errror. The aaser— tion that I ever pronounced the charter of 1872 “ 5 most wise ‘ensctment,” or *congratulated the inhabitants of Chicago upon its passage,” or advocated its immediate adoplion, is ntterly un- true. Tho fact is, I was greatly dissatisfied with the General Incorporation bill in the shape it finally passed, 28 it contained soveral provisions which I deemed bad for Chicago, and omitted gsome others which I . thought should have been inserted. For example : 1 was strongly in favor of & Common Council to conaist of two branches, one to be elected by wards or districts, and the other by the city at large. The Common Councils of -nearly ‘all the large cities in the United States consist of two bodies. It seemed o me the time had come when Chicago needed & second or ** mpper house,” to be elected on a general ticket.. Bat aa the Legslature waa intent on forming & char- ter smitablo to little citics and villages, it would: -not consent to a two-chamber Council to serve the interest ‘of Chicago, which containg more. population and pays more taxes than all the other cities in the State. . Iwos opposed fo the following provisions of' the actof 1873, and on all suitable occasions said o ¢ Y First—Sec. 19 of Art. I, which requires tie Mayor to preside ot all meetings.of .the City Council. Tho hearing of one Mayor may in- capacitate -him from preeiding, the sight orhealth of another; and the lack of parliament- ary qualifications of a third may make him an unfit person to presids ; basides, it is embarrass- ing both to the Mayor snd Aldermen for the former to preside when the latter are discugsing and voting. on a veto-message, or acting on the confirmation of sppointments made by the Mayor. |, . ¥ Second—Sec. 20 of the same -article says : * The Mayor shall have power to removo any officer appointed by Lim, on any former charge,” —whatever that mny mean, This provision seems toput it out of the Mayor's power to re- move any of the appointeea of his predecessor. If this* be fho mesning of the 'mec- tion, the appomntments mide by the pre- ceding Mayor continue in office until removed by death, unless the Common Council make their offices elective, and get rid of them in that way. Third—I was inflexibly opposed to the enor- ‘mous and irresponsible powers conferred on the Council by Sec. 73 of Art. VL, which declaros thet the Council, in ita discretion, may make oll the eity officés elective or appointive (except Mayor, Clerk, City Attorney, and Traasurer), or sny or either of ‘them. . It ‘may brezk the term of aa elected officer in the middle, and require the vacancy to be filled by appointment, or it may unseat an appointed officer, and cause the re- maizder of his term to be filled by election. An unlimited number of new offices may be croated by the Couucil st. the pleasure of its *ring," and any officer, whether elected or ap- pointed, may’ be cat off by abolishing his office. 0O1d Boards may be continued or now ones in- vented, and there is no limit either to the nom- | ber of offices which may be esteblisned, or tha axtent of the salaries thas may be voted to affice- holders. | ? 5 E If the Comptroller and Corporation Counsel - aro not aabsorvient to the wishes and schemes of e . 1§ g4 1 o the by odoring their places to be fillad by election, when creaturss or confederates can mako their calling and election sure by the sid of ropeaters and ballot-box stuffers,—there being no registry law &t such elections to interfere with illegal voting. ‘Thia system of caprice and instability in creat- ing and filling offices furnishes the temptation to make Aldermen dishonest, and contains the opportunity for perpetuating groes Wromgs on tho tax-payera in behalf of tax-eaters. It may pot cperate badly in. the rural districts and country villages; but it is not s safe system, in my humbls opinion, for & grent city like otrs, overrun with bummers and ballot- box stuffers, where corrupt men will seek seats in the Council forthe sake of the enormously en- larged opportunities of plunder and blackmail which the charter of 1872 affords them. There are other. objectionable features in this charter which need not now be specified ; bat on the otlier hand it contains many excellent pro- visions, and I have always held to the opin- ion, sinco firet reading it. that if suitably amended, it would be for the interests of the city to-adopt it. The Citizens' Association sought to do this, but failed in the attempt, a8 the Legislature would permit no changes to be made which would adapt it tathe necessities and exigencies of this graat mtropal:';. st ‘PERSONAL Barvisr altornates with. Nrssox and Oaxea- ixt in London. “Grace Groenwood” (Mrs. Larrrvcorr) will spend the summer in Europe. An autograph of the Great Narorzox sold in Patis recently for $60. An autograph letter of Queen ELIzABETH t0 Hexry IV. brought £82 at an suction. Mr. Joux. MosTox Texrosp, of New York, is registered at St. Caroline’s Court Hotel. Queen Oraa, of Greece, is the loveliest wom- an in the world, accordiog to OLIVE HARPER. AxppEw HALLIDAY'S version of *Nicholas Nickleby " was only g moderate sucoess in Lon- don, " Lourr GrrErry, of Lodi, Medins County, O, is 115, and his son WinLis is 74 They do not use tobacco. “Law and Theology " is the title of a book by the Duke of Argyll. It was little his ancestora Xknew of either. : . The 8t. Louis Globe is agitated over the an- nouncement that the St. Louis bridgehas passed into the hands of Chicago capitalists. The rope is indirectly responsible for the Intest perfame, the **Cardinal Bouquet,” which is said to be the *‘odor of sanctity.” “The Romance of a Poor Young Man ” is what they all come to eventually. J. H. BARNES, who- traveled with NEILSON, is doing it in Canada. LrsTeR WALLACK basjoined the Church. *“In France decayed beaux often retire to s monas- tery,” is the comment of the Brooklyn Argus. Let B1oREY, of the Chicago Zimes, telegraph to Fonxex to come home. The Iatter has $£25,000 which he can spare a8 well 33 not.— Rochester Democrat. The plaster model of SR, for the Boston | Citv-Hall, was so broken on its arrival in New York that it is ‘doubtful whether & bronze cast can be taken from it. BoucrcAuLt wiote in an additional act to ** The Long Strike” for J. H. Stoppanr. Judgo of the latter’s disgnst whon the critics ‘discovered it to have been stolen from ** Pickwick.” Mr. P.-L Eerrey's myrmidoms are ehopping down ons of the big trees in the Tulare grove 30 feet in diameter and 300 feet high, for exhibition at the Centennial, and the neighbors are wrathy. A hard-eyed hackman thought he would give ALETANDER STEPHENS a shot any way, and asked him why he wore two overcosts. ‘‘Because three would make me uncomfortable,” was the xeply. + Is Hesny M. Syrre preparing fo go o Ger-" many? Dr. FERDINAND HILLER, Chapel Mastor of Cologne, has been awarded the decoration of the Bed Eagle *oun the occasion.of his twenty- five years " jubilee, 3 When Jacos SroNpvERMAX was asked why he shot Lizzis SrpENWARD, in Brooklyn, the other day. he replied, “I shoots for love.” That's Curm's excuse ; but, unlike Curm, Jicos will probably be hanged for love, too. - A Now York reporter was sadly mixed when ha wrote the following personal: ** Dr. CocHRANE, Mr. Ross, architect, Dr. Jogx Joxes, and E. PowzLy (colored), of Chicago, are in the city in~ specting the hospitals.” Mr. F. D. Foss, of this city, a gentlemsn well- known and liked, will travel to the Far-West with GEoRGE M, Crerico, the sctor, in the ca- pacity of business managar. He goes to San Francisco first, and returniog, stops st the im- portant cities on the ronte. Frep. H. Gourp formerly of ‘the Gardoer House, this city, will have charge of the Sbelter Island Park Hotel, on the Hudson, this summer. TFrep knows bow to keep a hotel, and will make & grand success of his new establishment, which is located at one of the most delightfal of tho Eastern pleasure resorts. 5 ‘WaTTE, the Becretary of the New York Board of Police, who made '$10,000 on the Scorr-Upa aerial Indder, is famous already. Wall sireet operators are competing for his services, and the nowspapers are busy describing him. The Herald says he is “a dignified, serious, business- like Christinn official.” Baxxux. denounced in his insugural the *‘loungers whose highest aspirations seem to be to waste their timo in idléness,—base-ball, bill- iards, etc.,” when they might be profitably; en~ gaged in paying 50 cents admission to Barnux's Mammoth Aggregation. Alr. Banxuae cannot be sccused of wasting time or opportunity either. * Bhall women,” exclaimed Lucr StoN: in & publio lecture at Providence, the other day, “Jeave their children at home, and noglect them while they go to vote?” .Just at this pointa little infant, that had been quietly sleepifg in its. mother's arms, awoke, and, in . protess to gome motherly correction, cried out lustily, * No-o0-0!” - The Louisville Courier-Journal, hearing that a clown asked for a salary of $600 a week, or six .times that of the greatest astromomer in the 1and, asks who would be foal encugh topay the greatest astronomer $600 & woek ‘‘merely for sitting on top of a tower and looking at the stars all night through s stove-pipe with & piece of glasain the end of it © ., Miop(with much sympathy in her veice), “Only fancy, Mamma, Uncle Jaox took us to s picture gallery in Bond street, and there we saw & picture of a lot of early Christians, poor dears, who'd been thrown to a lot of lions and tigers, and wers devouring them!” Ermen (with still more sympathy), “Yes, and 2Mammas dear, thero was ono poor tiger that hadn'tgof a Christian " —Punch. This is too fuony. 'The London Daily Tele- graph, after reading the police-court reporta of the Detroit Free Press, condemns the lavity of American magistrates, but solemnly weighs the matter thus: “We may not spprove of jocu- Iarity in & magisterial court, bat, on the whale, it may be questioned whether the mirthful readiness of the American judge may not be preferable to the solemn injusiice which locat courts in Engand so frequently witness.” -’ Thformation from Lexington, Ky., thohoms of the Hon. JorN C. BRECKINRIDGE, reports hiscon- - ditton 28 not 80 favorabls as was hoped with the approach of warmer weather. He has been con- fined to his room through the winter, and his friends have at timea beon anxious as to tho re- sult of his discase. - No immediatoly serions ‘consequences are feared, but the recent severo wesather has had & very unfavorable ‘effect npon his already enfecbled constitution. Here is 8ARDOU's Iatest fling at American girls = Thesceneisat & fair. Lucngria (with a little note-book in hor hand)—* One kiss or two?” Ropxrr ‘(surprised)—*I should “prafer two.” Lycremia (writing in her note-book and then offoring kimn ber bars shouldor)—* Take thom.” Bomas? (sumprissdy—Tel—¥ Luppkrivw [ “On, Tm getting up = charitable subscripting, and every kiss costs a dollar.” ROBZET gives two gold -pieces to Lucneria, and kisses hey shoulder twice. Shocking, isn't1c? An English clergyman haviog referred to the 500,000 old maids of Great Britain as ‘‘gupar fluous women,” the Philadelphia Ledger panse; in its work of defaming the dead in unintallig:bly metre to call him *‘a venerable bangler.” A good joke is told of a certain Dublin Pro. fessor—a stickler for ventilation. Being put i & room at a hotel with another guest, he aalicé the latter to raise the window at night, as the air was so elose. *‘I can’t raise it,” eaid the guest, after working at tho window for a vhile #Then knock = pane of glass out,” said the Profezsor, which-was done. After a while thy Professor got up and broke another pane, theg he was able to sleep ; butin the mornmny he discovered that they had only broken into Mr. W. P. PrENTIS, who e7er since the on ganization of the Union Btock-Yara zad Traasit Company has held the responsible pesiticn of general bookkeper for that corparaticn, wes yesterdsy made the recipient, at the hands of his office sssociaics, of & beautifal silvor tea. set. Mr. PrENTISS' resignation of the position he has so long and so acceptably filled woa deomed by his friends a fitting. occasion to con. vey to him some substantial evidenca cf thely esteem. Mr. GeorcE T. Winriaas, Socretary ci the Company, made the presentation speech. A billinrd match was played by Messrs. Suenr. DAN Smoos, of the New York Union Squar Theatre, and STEPEEN FsEE, of tne Fifth Ave- nue, some days ago. It was written up for tae Arcadian by Mr. F1ske in a facetious vein, aad atwracted a ereat deal of attention. The writer declared that they had played for their respoot ive theatres, which in one sense they kad, and BH0ox losing, Fisxxs reminded him that he hai no theatre to play in. The correspondents tool the matter up, and 1t is now genorally bolieve that 8H00K ks sotually gambled away the Unicx Square Theatre. It is needless to inform the inteligent reader that the wholo affair wasi joke. The literary world having come to no satisfao tory conclusion regarding the authorship of SHAREPEARE'S plays save that he wrots them himself, public attention is called awsy tc consider the question of his religious be lief. Dr. REIOHENSFERGER, 8 clerical meme ber of the German Parliament, has been studying the matter, and haa attracted mo little attention by declaring him to entertsin i opinions which wonld now be called Uliramon tane, He came of s devout Catholic family, snd his father was persecuted for his religions be lief. He finds in his plays proofs of Smam. SPEARE’S belief in the efficacy of prayera for the dead, and in the existence of Purgatory, and no- tices the respectful manner in which churck ceremonies and priests are always spoken of. There are passsges which wmilitate agsinst tbit belief, but these he finds susceptible ¢f explana- tion. The Prayer-Book of the Church of England | contains, among other asefal bits of in formation, 3 catalogus of persons whom it is anlanfcl fora young person to marry. Thie catalogua commences by forbidding s man to marry h}s graodmother, and twenty-nine ofher rolationa come under thesame head, among them it mother, sister, daughter, and mother-in-law. 3 woman is similarly coostrained to avoid matii. monial entanglements with thirty relatives. This table would be more complete and satisfactery if, in addition to gtving a list of thoso whoa oo should not marry, another table et forth thora whom ons could. It seems somathiuc iike straining after a gnat and swallowin:z o camel ta forbid the marriage of & man with his deseased wife's sister as contrary to ‘*Scriptrre 2ud cur Iaws,” and permit the intermarringe of Lt cousins s entirely in accord with both. Mr. J. Wirzzaxs Trosse, who waz cxpalled {from the North Carolina Legiaiaturs last winter, is sure of being returned by an over: majority. The alleged ground of kis e: was his religions opinions, which wews siid to be atheistical. As a matter of fact, he was uot en Athoist at all. The real trouble wilh him waa an'exceedingly good quelity of Iejublicanism. ‘We are glad to know thac he has tho sympathy and support of his constituents, sud thal his vindication will be a8 complete as his disgrace was public. If the incident sball Lave tie of- fect of removing from the Constitution of North Carolins the barbarous provision nmder cotor of which Mr. THORNE was expelled, it will exiar 2l have served & good purpose. Among the new rules for the cons'ruction and management of steam-vessels recertiy promm-- gated by the suthorities at Washington in an exceedingly simple and ecientific o1e coucern- icp the carrying capadity of life-boste. 13 as follows: Multiply the length, b:aad:h, =od depth together, and divide the proouct by tec; the quotient will be the number suca & beat 11 allowed to carry. About 20 feet ia longath, 3 feet in breadth; anl 3 feet in deptl:, wouid b by this rule allowed to carry thirty parsons. We hope patriotic people will remember this rule it they shonld’ happen to be involved in a ship- wreck, and the sapply of boata shoald uut ba enough to go around. * Tt baa been well remarked by a Sou!. paper that the civilization of the mic' in Pennsylvania is a8 mach “& bastsid tion” as that of the South. Such a talo of bloodshed, and deathsheads, and bloody daggers, a3 comes from the former place it enough ta hazrow up the sensibilitiea of ihe wold. War~ TER BagEHoT £ays that the Trades-Un.ons, more than aoy modern institution, resercbls thia old commaunities which always refused to diserimi- nate between spiritual and legal penalties. Striking confirmation of his statemart may bs found fo-day in the mining regions of Pencsyl vonin. A clever article recently appeared in tha New York [ndependent under the titls, * Howand ‘When to Kill Our Relations.” It waas satire of crime, aod rother a broad one. Bat (e sober- sided subscribers to the paper took tho supzes- tion in most appalling srnest, and, though none of them actually did alay their disagreeable ro- Iations, the great majority sat down-aad wrcta leitars, faller of anger than of sorrow, to the editor. It is a troublesome and unveccming habic these religious editors have of occasionally springing a joko upon their unsuspoctiog =ad incapable readers. Comiog from s banditti organ, it i3 5ot 80 much of a compliment, bat still it viltdota repeat. -Ths New Otleans Bulletin, in thn coursa of an articleurging the establiskment of » Board of Trade in that city, has the following: * Tte Board of Trade at Chicago is perhaps iho rost striking illustration we can offez [of a s 1ccees- ful institution of the kind]. So successful sad satisfactory have itu operations been thatiis to-day the principal festnre of Chicago.” An'i King JACK, we suppose, i the grestest mcnarc in the world. . Mr. “Hueey” Rezo ran the polls of the Becond Ward, and refused, it Is atated, to givd the challengers an opportunily to discover the ballot-box stufing, by driving them away -.ufl currying off the boxes. But Mr ¢ HzumY Bzrp, in srrogating this privilege to hlmsflf. committed s flagrant violation of the Electio Iaw, of the Btate, snd thereby contributed kit share to the mass of frauds which caght to, 8ol we trust will, set azide the farcical olection of Priday. Some of our colored brethren develop s W< derful affiity for political ways thst &re dsi A wagon-losd full of negro voters wa carid abouc from polls to polls on Priday to vote fof the ring charter. We presume that they werd organizod by the colored waiters in MiXE Mo DoxaLD's and JOESNY COROORAN'S “buain'ess”™ establishments. Tho apiness with which \bey saspt themselves to tha trncks fong familiar $¢ -Ahe whits rabble i well warihnotiog, , .