Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, January 30, 1876, Page 4

THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE: SUNDAY, JANUARY 39, 1876—SIXTEEN PAGES. S — fo— TERMS OF THE TRIBUNE. PATES OF SURSCRIPTION (PAYAELY IN ADVAXCK). $13.00 Postaze I'repaid =t this Ofice. Dally Edition, post-paid, 1 year..., Py 4 WEXKLY XDITION, FOSTPAID. e, aar... Cib of ves per €007 Clab of twenty. per Gopy.. The postage is 15 cents a year, Specimen coples sent {roe. To prevent delsy and mistakes, be sure and give Post-Office address fn full, including State and County. Remittances may be made either by draft, express, Posl-Ofiics order, or in registered letters, at our risk, TERMS TO CITY SUSCEIEERA. Dadly, delivered, Bundsy excepted, 2.3 cents per week. Duly, deliversd, Sunday included. 30 cents per week, Address THE TRIBUNE COMPANY, Carser Madison and Dearborn-sta., Chicago, IiL AMUSEMENTS. at $1.06 per gallon.. Flour was dull and easier. Wheat was moderately setive and 130 lower, closing at 97c cash and 94ie for Feb- roary. Corn was quiet ang 1c lower, closing at 403c cash and 403c seller Febraary. Oats were less active and $@lc lower, closing at 30jc cash and 31ic for March. Rye was quiet, at 67@673c. Barley was active and wenk, closing at 76}@77c cash end 72¢ for February. Hogs were active and advanced 5@10c, with sales at $7.20@7.70. Cattls were quiet and unchanged,—quoted at $3.00 @5.50 for common to choice.. Sheep sold slowly at Friday's quotations. One hundred dollars in gold would buy $113.00 in green- backs st the close. Even the _Naw York IIda:’d: which, al- though professing to be an independent TO-DAY. MCOORMICK MALL—North Clarx street, corner Kinzis. Lecturs by Bayard Taylor at3p. m. Sub- Ject s “ Egypt.”” GROW'S OPERA-HALL—No. 517 West Madison street. Lecture by Prof, E. ColbertatSp.m. Sab- Ject: “ A Walk Among the Btara.” NEW CHICAGO THEATRE—Clark street, between Lake and Randolph. * Der Beste Ton.” ADELPHI THEATRE — Dearborn strest, corner Monroe. Variety performance. TO-MOREOW, 'WOOD'S MUSEGM—Monroe street, between Dear- Born and Stuta. Afternoon, “The Hidden Hand.” Evening, “ Ticket-of-Leave Man,” MCVICKER'S TEEATRE—Madison street, between Dearborn and_ State. Engzgement of Ben De Bar. “King Henry IV.” ADELPEI THEATRE—Desarborn stroet, oorner Monroe. Variety performance. ACADEMY OF MUSIC—Halsted strest, between Madison snd Monroa, * Saratoga.” HOOLEY'S THEATRE—Randolph street, between Clark and LaSalle. *The Californis Minstrels.” TUNION PARE CHUECH—Lecture by Mery A, Livemore. Subject : Cancerning Husbands.” MOCORMICK HALL—North Clark street, cornes Einzis. Von Bulow Concert. SOCIETY MEETINGS. ATTENTION, STR ENIGHTS!—Spectal Conclave of Chicsgo Commandery, No. 19, E. T., Mondsy evening, Jan. 31, at 7:3) for work on the K. T. Order. Visiting Sir Kuights courteonsly invited. By order of the Em, Com. CHAS, J. TROWBRIDGE, Recorder, VAN RENSSELAER GRAND LODGE OF PERFEC- TION—The annual assembly will be beld at Consisto- rial Hall on Thursday evening next, for the election of sdlicers and payment of daes, E. P.HALL, T PG ED GoopaLz, Gr. Sec’y. LAFAYETTE CHAPTER, No, 2, R. A. M.—Fall, 72 Eonroest.—Specal Convocstion Monday evening, at %230 2'clock, for work on P.and AL E. Degrees. By or- der of the H, P, . N. TUCKER, Sec’y. _CORINTHIAN CHAPTER, No. 63, R. A. AL—Spe. cixl Convocstion Monday ovening, Jan. 31, at 7:30 o'clock. Work on the M. and P, AL Degrees. 8, M. HENDERSON, H. P. The Ehirago Tribune. Sunday Mormng, January 30, 18786. At the New York Exchange on Saturday grecubacks ruled at $5}@8s}. The Spanish Cortes will not be tronbled by lack of unanimity. It has 404 members, of whom one (Castzraz) is & Republican, one (ANoErapa) is a Radical, soven are ex- treme Monarchists, thiry-six are followers of Sacasta, and the other 339 are supporters «of Arroxso. Baltimore hos been treated to a series of dynamite explosions which lasted helf an kour. The dispatches soy that Several families procured wagons and moved awny from the meighborhood.” This is perhaps not strange, as 6,000 pounds of dynamite went of and up in 300 different explosions. Covrviv's Board of Health asks for only $116,147 for 1876. This is very kind in it. In 1872 it was satisfied with $52,847, and in 1873 with £57,949. As Bridgeport has utterly vanquished the Board and stinks in mighty defiance of the civic health, we should liks to know what we are going to get for our $116,147 beyond the satisfaction of support- ing several amiable persons at public ex- pense. The demand for so much money illustrates the old saying that *‘Appetite comes with ealing.” Dr. Haves, the Arctic explorer, who was elected to the New York Assembly last fall, has been making use of his Arctic inowledge. On Tuesday last the Beron bill against salt- ing railroad tracks was before the Houss and was in danger of defeat, when Dr. Haves came {o the rescue, showing that the com- mingling of salt and snow produced the coldest kind of an atmosphere. The Doctor'’s familigrity with the subject and his eloguent snuncistion of it carried conviction. No one was inclined to dispute him as an expert, and the bill passed to its third reading. The dispatches in our last issue announce d the outbreak of another revolution in Hayti. The regular recurrence of revolutions in Hayti is not usually a matter of surprise or of comment, as they are only squabbles be- tween different political aspirants for power and place. In this csse, however, there seems to have been good grounds for disturb- snce. The Cabinet is very unpopular, and has oppressed the people to such an oxtent that trade has been embarrassed. Those who havo protested bave boen arrested. 'The State has not paid the salaries of the paro- chial elergy for some time past, and the churches have all fallen into disrepeir. These are the canses which have incited the revolu- tion ; but unforiunately theres is little reason to hope that things will be any better if the revolutionists aro successful, The Lake Forest (IIL) University is in <lover. Recently $70,000 have been donated toit, as follows : C. B. Nrrsoy, $20,000; C. B. Faswri, $15,000; J. V. Fanwrr, §15,- 500 ; ComNEuw J. Wrntmws, $5,000; Az Brxeprer, $5,000; H. C. Durano, $5,000 ; Wrznax S. Jomsstox, 5,000; and N. S. Bovurox, £5,000. The University now owns $300,000, bas no debts, and $50,000 out at interest. Our handsome little suburb has reason to plume itself upon the excellent financisl condition of its school. Its officers and Professors will be able to devote them- selves exclugively to making the young ideas shoot, without having any fears as to their salaries or being distracted with doubts where the running expenses are to come from, It is a happy suburb and a happy University, but we hope it will not put on airs on account of its welldined purse over its poor relations all sbout us. The Chicago produce markets were ir- regular and nervous on Saturday ; provisions were strong, and bresdstuffs weak. Mess pork wes active and 10@12jc higher, closing at $12.42} cash and $19.70@19.72} for March, Lardwasactiveand 5@74c per100 Ibs higher, closing at $12.10 for February and §12.25 seller March, Meats were in fair de- maud and firmer, at 73c for boxed shoulders, 10jc for do short ribs, and 11c for do short clears, Highwines wers quiet and anchanged, paper, has always been a Democratic sheet in all its sympathies, and has rarely spoken a ! kind or trne word for Republicans, is dis- i gusted with the Democratic members af Con- gress for removing the disabled Union soldiers attached to the House, and calls the act “‘Another Democratic Blander.” It af- | firms that it will create great indignation thronghout the country, and not unjustly, and frees its mind in the following wnre- served manner : Wo warn the Democrats that they will excite just indignation and resentment by such zcourse. The Herald, asis very well known toall its readers, has, in every way snd constantly discouraged eectional Ditterneas ar any revival of the war fesling. What the country wants is harmony and good feelng. But it is impossible to get theso unless both partiea show goood sense, and the Domocrats cught certainly to pay respect 0 the claims of the poor fellows who wers disabled in tho servics of the Union. We should be glad to sco ihe loading Democrats in fhe House take immediste messures fo restore every disabled soldier in the liet which hna been sent us to the place from which he has been expelled, They cannot pucceed on any narrow policy, and ‘they wiHl b held responsible in this matter. - . One of the heroic efforts made by the Com- ‘mon Council to ind new ways of spending the tax-payers’ money resulted in the crea- tion of a Department of Buildings, for which the city paid $14,200 last year. The Super- intendent of Buildings proposes to celebrate the centennial year by squeezing $29,300 out of our pockets for this year. - He is to grab $3,500; his Secretary—fancy AlRE Barer's Secretary !—&1,800 ; ten Inspectors of Build- ings (what is the Superintendent for except to inspect ?), $12,000; two Inspectors of Roofs (could not the ten go up through the scuttls when they were in the top stories ?), $1,200; an architect. $1,500! a messenger, $300; stationery (including, we presume, drinks), £1,000 ; twelve horses, $£3,600! contingent fund, £2,000. Total, $29,300. This will not do. The tax-payers will stand no such non- sense. The whole department was created for the sake of quartering the Chief of it on the public purse. The good it does is prob- lematical ; its cost is certain. The people were solemnly assured that it would cost little or nothing, and now, behold ! it asks for more than twice as much as it got last year. We cannot afford to be governed so much. No- body but the tax-eaters would grieve to see the department abolished and Superintend- end Barrey obliged to enrn his bread. BUSINESS PRGSPECTS FOR 1876. » A month ago we spread before our readers the annunl statement of the business of Chi- cago for the year 1875. That statement showed that, despite the comparative stagna- tion which had prevailed all over the conn- try, the aggregate business of this city had maintained its ordinary incresse in values, and, in consequence of the falling off in prices of nearly all lines of merchandise, a more than ordinary increase. in the amount of goods sold. This was due to some extent to the constantly widening area of country to which our wholessle trada is extending. The material progress of the city was greatly advanced. The prices of building materials and of labor were largely reduced from pre- vious years, and hence a building erected in 1875 represented less cash invested thana like building in 1874 - Nevertheless, the aggregate capite! invested in 1875 was near- ly 70 per cent greater than in 1874 The buildings of 1875 were all of a useful and permanent characder, stone or brick. They cost $9,778,000, against $5,785,441 expend- edin 1874. The -frontege of new buildings in 1874 was equal to G} miles, and in 1875 it reached 10} miles. Though there was seem- ingly a depression and inactivity in Chicago in 1875, there wasmore business of all de~ scriptions done, mure capital engaged, more persons employed, :moro wages paid out, and more buildings erect2d, than in the year pre- vious. The great, nnd practically the only substantial, line of trnde which was stagnant, or which did not mnterially revive, was the traffic in real estate. For this there are va- rious reasons. There is'an immense amount of renl estate held in this city on speculation. There are many thousnnd acres of land plat- ted and divided in town lots which ought to be planted in corn or potatoes, and employed as farms or market-garclens, but which have been put on the market as city lots. But a very few lots of this land are held by per- sons for prosent or future occupancy; they have been bought on speculation, and the owners hold them waiting for the good times, when other speculators will purchase them at an advence. The times heve not been propi- tious for transactions of this kind. Bat for land within the city proper there bas been moro than an ordinary demand for purposes of actual improvement. The real-gstate mar- ket of this city is a3 strong as ever for actual demands, but weak, very weak, for specula- tion. There is no decline in real values, and when land is wanted for improvement it com- mands good prices. The season of 1875 was climatically an ex- traordinary one. Practically, there was no summer, and one result was a loss of alarge portion of the corn crop, which, in turn, was partly compensated by a most prolific crop of root products. The short and cool summer interfered largely with some branches of the xetail trade, and incidentally with the profits of landlords. Now we have passed one month of 1876, and the larger part of the or- dinary winter sesson, and practically we have hod no winter—at least, such winter weather 23 i3 usual and naturl in this latitude. Compared with the winter of 187475, we have hud an extrsordinory sesson. The excessiva frosts of a Fear ago delayed the resumption of out-door work until 1ate in the spring, and navigation was postponed far beyond the ordinary time of resumption. At this time everything indi- cates that navigation will be resumed at an early date, and that out-door labor will begin sooner than it has for many years. This has 8 promise of incrensed employment for labor, increased production, ard increaséd business. If it should be followecl by a favormble sum. mer and correspondingly increasd erops, then the octivity and volume of the grain trade of 1876 will excesd that of any of its predecessors. . In the meantime, it must be remembered that the last two years have besn of unusual prosperity to the farmers. The various loan agencies report that the farmers have been prompt in payment of interest, and have paid off vast amounts of matared mortgages. Applications for renewal of farm mortgages have been few, and these mostly for re- duced sums. The amount of new mortgages, 88 compared with previous years, has been much reduced. All this indicates s de- gree of prosperity through tho agricultural districts, and the acquisition of wealth, which promises a steady increase of produc- tion and of trade. To the extent that agri- colture is carried on on credit,—on borrowed money at high rates of interest,—thera is an element of uncertainty and of waste, inter- fering sadly with profit. But as this interest becomes froe of credit when the land and all there is upon it is the property of the man occupying it, free of incumbrance, and he is entitled to all the increase and profit, then there is improved farming; thrift and en- terprise take the place of waste and eareless- ness ; production is increased, profits accumn- late, and wealth takes a permanent, form. In this way the interior country of which Chi- cagois the centre isdaily becoming richer in accumnulated wealth, freer from debt, has more to sell, and more means with which to purchase. Chicago is especially interested in ‘| this rapid improvement of the financial con- dition of her customers. Their prosperity is her prosperity. In the view of an early resumption of chenp navigation and an early and favorable season for labor and production, there is every repson to anticipate even an enlarged increase and activity in all branches of industry, with an equally increased vol- umo of wholesalo trade. WINGED WEALTH. Cranues Dickexs strung the story of ¢ Bleak House” on the thread of the great chancery suit of Jarndyce vs. Jarndyce, in which the estate was so thoroughly *‘put in chancery,” in prize-ring parlance, that-it finally vanished quite away, absorbed in legal fees, costs, etc. The lawyers laughed mer- rily over this humorous issue of years of weary waiting, of hopes and fears, and the ‘beggared heirs went sadly away. Jarndyce vs. Jarndyce set a precedent that has been often followed since. 'When an estate is stranded, like & great hulk, in a court-room, myriad barnacles fasten upon it, and it is fortunate if it ever gets afloat again. The legal records of the estate of the late M. O. Warser, of this city, seem to show that the dead man’s lands and moneys are wasting away, quite in the Jarndyce fashion. When his will was filed in the County Court, June 1, 1874, it was sup- posed to represent $1,000,000 of property. (It did, but it also represented half a million of debts, with interest and taxes accumulat- ing.) His twosons, who were given only $800 a year apiece, unless the Trustees choss to in- crease this to $5,000, naturally brought suit to bresk the will Then came more suits, and anon others, and then still others. The heirs got counsel. The widow, who had been Mr. WaLser's housekeeper, and had married him just three weeks before his death while he was on his gick bed, got counsel. The Trustees got counsel. Too many cooks spoiled the broth for the heirs by esting up what was left themselves. Outside of attorney-fees, there were the percentages of the two Administrators whom the County Court appointed. The trial ended in a dis- agreement, and after that came a compro- mise, and the only persons who really gained anything by it were the members of the five legel firms who had shared in the attack and defense. The present Administrator filed & report not long since, which was given in detail in Tee TriBUNE a fortnight ago. A cursory survey of the items would produce an impression of something like the follow- te., ote, stc. The yield of this million-dollar estate, from Jan. 14 to Dee. 21, 1875, was £35,770, of which nearly $26,000 went for fees of law- yers and Administrator and for expenses. The personal property is shrinking into nothingness, and the realty is incambered ‘with a half million of mortgages; the inter- est on which may be too much for the law- yer-ridden income. If so, the realty will follow the personalty into the limbo of what might have been, if justice were not such an expensive luxury among us. Mr. WArLxer's Tiches evidently have well-developed wings, and the fate of his estate demonstrates onco more the truth of what ought to be a legal proverb: ¢ Where there’'s a will there's o way—to defeat it."” A BLOW AT OUR OFFICIAL TOWN THIEVES. The Democratic Central Committee of ‘Cook County have done & good thing in malk- ing au active movement to abolish the abom- inable township system in this city. This should have been done long ago; but better lato than never. It should have been taken in band by the Republican Central Com- mittee; but better “gifts from Greeks*” than from nobody, nomatter how stout our Trojan hearts may be. We trust that the blanks which have been prepared for signature will be promptly filled up by our citizens with- out regard to any partisan considerations. The Ilaw provides that, after a cer- tain number of signatures have been se- cured, 8 doy shell be fixed upon which the question of abolishing the town- ship organization shall be submitted to popu- lar vote: We have a hybrid system here at present, inasmueh as we have both townships znd aBoard of County Commissioners. Other connties have either one or the other, not both. The framers of the new Constitution thought that they had abolished the town- ships here, and it 1s possible that the Supreme Court would so decide, inasmuch as there could be no tie with seven Judges. But the easiest way to eettle the matter would be to vots on it. This is what the Democratic Committes wishes to bring about, and this is what all good citizens should aid them in do- ing. At present we have three sets of official loafers for North, South, and West Chicago, Tespectively, who do little except blackmail and steal. If the whole set should die to- morrow the public would be considerably better off, and the administration of public afiaizs, instead of being interfered with, would be aided. These men are nominated by grog-shop caucuses, and they are elected ‘by drunken mobs and paid ballot-box stufl- ers. There is but one poll in each town, so that it is eesy for the loafers, scal- awags, free-lunchers, blacklegs, and crim- inal classes to toke possession of it. There is no pretense of fairness. The Towdy who can marshal the strongest backing of raseals and Pimps is elected, and the other xowd?' is defeated. On the day of election, the vicinity of each poll looks as if ithad just been the gcene of a general jail-delivery. Most of the villaing are armed, and neariy all of them drank. At the last election of offi- cials of the South Town, a party of tax-pay- ers rigked their lives in the effort to secure something approximating a fair vote, and had to abandon the attempt. They were pursued from the polls by the hootings and howls of the tax-eaters and thieves. The men ‘thus chosen do mnothing that could not be far better dome by other offi- cinls—except steal. They sre perhaps without superiors in theft. Their so-called nssessments aro a series of outrages. The Assessors are aolways for sale.” The man who gives them a jug of whisky, a box of cigars, & pair of boots, 8 ten-dollar note, can have his assessment put as he wishes. The man who declines to bribe them or who has offended the bummers and scalawags of the city is deliberately robbed by over-assess- ment. We have already published figares af the assessments for 1874 and 1875, which _are conclusive proof of the blundering, the blackmailing, the deceit, the crime, the reckless injustice, of the one of 1875. Every cent paid the town offlcials of Chicago is a premium on vice, & reward for rascality. No one has ventured upon the hopeless task of defending the township sys- tem here. It is fit only for asmall rural community. In a great city, its fanctions are discharged by other organizations, and it merely’ serves as a fortification whence the tax-eaters raid and rob the tax-payers. CORRUPTION RUN RIOT. The Rev. Mr. WnisLow, the Boston forger, appears to have been a very superior humor- ist. His humor was of a very grim descrip- tion; it involved very disastrous consequences to banks and to individuals ; it may not strike his victims as very enjoyable or genial ; never- theless it was humor, carried to an extreme so far beyond the limits of true humor that it has the same effect, just as heat and cold at their maximum of intensity produce the same sensation and cannot be distinguished the one from the other in their effects. An inquiry appeared in the Boston Herald re- cently, “Aftor death, what?” To which AMr. Winsroyw replied through the columns of his paper, the News, * We cannot answer the inquiry of our brother, the Herald, but we take the precantion to keep a valise full of thin clothing in close proximity to our sanctum.” The point to Mr. WixsLow's reply is more obvious when it is considered that a week before he decamped he purchased s quantity of thin clothing with regard to the emergencies of his case. When Mr. Wivarow was meking his preparations to leave, he consulted a lawyer to find out those countries where he would not be troubled with the operation of extradition treaties, because he wanted to write an arti- cle in his paper upon the wickedness of his fellow-forger, Poxp, of Worcester, who is now serving out a term of fifteen years npon the first of thirty-three counts in his indict- ment, and who, if he serves out all his terms, will revisit Worcester in the year of our Lord 23"1. We have spoken of the grimness of Mr. Wivstow's humor. MepmisToPmiLEs himself, prating of virtue and goodness, and consoling the widow ScEWERDTLEXS upon the death of her husband, was not grimmer or more sardonic in his humor than Wmszow, who on the Sunday prior to his departure dslivered a sermon in the morning at Auburndale, the theme being the good that is to be found among men, the nobility of human nature, and the duty of men to their fellow-men; and in the after- noon addressed the children of the Sunday- school upon their duties to each other and to their Gop. Perhaps the finest stroke of his humor was his indorsement of a note of $700 made by the forger Ponp in favor of Smer- DoN, the victim of both! There is a side to this business, however, which is not humoroys, when we pass over the detailed operations of Wmstow and his relations to individuals, and regard his opera- tions in their relation to society and to pub- lic sentiment. Massachusetts within a very short time has had the notoriety of contrib- uting to the annals of crime the rascalities of Poxp, the forger; Wmsrow, the forger; JacrsoN, the defaulter; and the colos- sal robbery of the bank gt Northamp- ton. New Jersey contributes Mr, Esrrr, who has stolen $142,000 from a corpora- tion of which his father was Tressurer, and spent it in Wall street speculation ; and Chicago adds young BUBNHAM to the list, with forgeries, the amount of which isnot yet known,—perhaps 340,000. All of these operations were upon a mammoth scale, and the first three persons named were men who moved in the highest and best society, had filled offices of public trnst, were prominent members of influential churches, and whose characters were supposed to be irreproach- able. Itwas a dresdful downfall in each case, and it must have been a dreadful shock to all people who believe in moral goodness, not to speak of religious influences and their po- tency in restraining men and keeping them in the paths of virtue. Even worse than all this, such lapses as these in unexpected quar- ters must tend to weaken public confidence, to make men distrust each other, and to far- nish scoffers and scorners with fresh argn- ments against the efficecy of the Church and the influencs of religion. Their operations, however, are but the direct reflex of the ten- dency of tho times and the natural outgrowth of the present condition of society, which are in no wise traceable to the influences of re- ligion or morality. They found their first impulse in the demoralization caused by the ‘War, which was not singular in its effocts, —all great wars leaving behind them the same demoralization of public sentiment. The War opened up new avenunes of speculation, in which vulgar men grew suddenly rich, and thus induced multitudes of others to rush recklessly into them with only one idea—that of getting wealth, no mat- ter by what short-cats or violations of the old-fashioned rules of honesty, thrift, and economy. The standard of public morality was continually weakened. Such men as Jor Fisx and Jay Gouwd were considered smart in their operations. It was smart to swindle a corporation, smart to pack juries, smart to bribe Courts, smart to keep mis- tresses and live sumptuously and sensuously, and there were thousands of young men who songht to emulate them and scquire wealth and notoriety by irregular and smart means, The corruption gradually spread from indi- viduals to corporations, and at last broke ont in the political world, and men stole from each other, stole railroads, robbed banks, and plundered city, county, and State treasuries with impunity. Great rings sprang up, taxa- tion was increased, and private extravagance ran riot. The miserable Brecrrr business was forced upon the public just in time to still further demoralize peopls and debauch public sentiment. The New York Ereming Post in discussing these forgeries points out another source of the prevalent corruption, and shows that these men, Poxp and Wrys- oW, have lived for years, like all the rest of us, under the unhealthfal influences of a false! medium of exchange. It says, with great trath : The daily use of a lying and dishonest currency has dulled men's percaptions to the worth and beunty of truth and honesty. When we shall again bave dollars that are worth one dollar each; when we shall ceaso to circulato lies and to live upon falsehoods; when the National Government sball ceass to set an example of faithlessne @ in the emission of negotiable paper, our danger from the all of such men as Poxp and Wivs- rLow will be less than it ia now. There is great force and truth in this state- ment. And yet, the causes being clearly ap- parent, what is the remedy? Are we seek- ing any remedy? Are the churches and re- ligions newspapers doing their duty in the premises? Are the moralists suggesting any remedy? Orhaveall those whose duty it is to clevate public morality given up the case as hopeless? Corruption is everywhere, both pablic and private. It has even undermined the temple of justice itself, and soiled the portals of the church with its slimy fingers. No man can foel himself assured in his per- sonal or publicrights. When juries aro packed and Judges are corrupted, when City and County Boards, and Legislatures, and even Congressmen, have their prices; when Rings mercilessly bleed the people and heap illegal and extortionate taxes upon them ; when political partisanship in- vades our highest courts and colors their de- cisions; when men of high position, who have reached the serene dignity of old age, are willing in one desperate moment to sacri- fice the honor, and character, and good name, and influence which they have earned in 8 lifetime of toil,—have wo not reached a con- dition that is fraught with dreadful danger to our form of government? Are we not rapid- 1y approaching a period when we must choose between an iron code of law and revolution as the alternative remedy ? THE MAYORALTY. The Supreme Court of Illinois has heard the application of the Citizens’ Association for a mandamaus directing the Common Coun- cil to call a special election to fill the existing vacancy in the office of Mayor of Chicago. The Court has announced its inability to make a decision in the case. ‘There being no decision in the matter, the whole business, law, and facts, remain in just the same con- dition in which they were before the applica- tion for a mandamus was made. The law Las received no judicial interpretation. Under these circumstarces, the Common Council becomes a judicial body, possessing the power to interpret the charter by order- ing an election, and leaving the Courts, in case of any controversy, to determine the questior upon a new state of facts. In April, it is conceded by all, there must be an election for thirty-six Aldermen, to be elected in eighteen wards, if the city be re- districted, or by general ticket in case there be no new division of the city into wards. In addition, there are to be elected an Attor- ney, a Treasurer, and all other officers who have to be chosen by popular election. 'The Mayor denies the clear and obvious meaning of the law, and maintains that he is Mayor- elect until April, 1877. The result of thisis that, though we have an entirely new divi- sion of the city into wards, with a reduced number of Aldermen, all to be elected, andan election for all the other city officers, the revolution is incomplete, because the Mayor, the Chief Executive, is not to be chosen. Now, the Common Council have the legis- Iative power to declare that a vacancy, with mors than one year of the term unexpired, exists in the office of Mayor, and there- fore they can call a special election, to take place at the time of the regular election for other officers, to fill that vacancy. What pos- sible objection can there be to such an ar- rangement ? It does not necessarily displace Mr. Corvry, who can be a candidate at the election, and who, if he have the support of the majority of the people, as he claims to have, will surely be re-clected. He certainly should not wish to retain the office against the popular will. He certainly should not wish to retain it on pecuniary grounds, be- cause there are few honest men in the city experienced enough to act as Aayor who would accept it with its responsibilities for the legal compensation. He certainly does not wish to hold it while perhaps nine-tenths of the community regard him as no longer legally entitled to the office, and as a mers usurper. Indeed, the incumbent might well, under the circumstanoes, relieve the question of all doubt by resigning the office, and allow- ing the new charter to take equal effect in all branches of the City Government. Mr. Corvry was elocted Mayor of Chieago in November, 1873, for the term of two years, That term has long since expired. He is therefore in office without having been elocted by the people. An election for all the other city offices takes place in April, and we should suppose that the Acting-Aayor would rejoice in the opportunity offered him to let the people by their votes either re-elect him or elect some other person, if so disposed. Bat, whatever may be the feelings of the Mayor on the subject, the daty of the Com- mon Council is a clear one. They should call the election, let the people express their wishes at the polls, and leave any controversy that may arise to be settled by the Courts. THE LOT OF THE LAWYER. The records of our colleges show that a very large proportion of their graduates study law. Three-fourths of the class of 1870 at Yale did so. This was perhaps an ex- trome case, but the percentage is always a surprising one. Even after the necessary deductions have been made for the men who study with no idea of snbsequent practice, and for those who enter the profession merely a8 a stepping-stone to politics, loan business, etc., the number of actusl lawyers is still very great. Yet, of all professions, it offers perhaps the lesst opportunity for en- during fame. The statement may surprise somebody, but that somebody can find few facts with which to combat it Will he try to npame half a dozen, three, two, eminent lawyers, whose fame, as such, has Iasted a century? Evenif heis a lawyer himself, he will be troubled to do it. Itis trme that few, very few, men, soquire in any pursuit such a fame, but yet many men are honorably remembered in their own professions, even when forgotten outside of them. Ministers remember divines ; doctors, physicians ; actors, novelists, historians, poets, painters, and journalists, all remember men of their respective professions. Law- yers do not remember lawyers. Those of the profession who gain somewhat of im- mortality do 8o by virtue of being Judges, statesmen, authors, and artists. FErvox is an example of the first clasg, WrmstER of the second, Coxe, BracksToNz, KexT, and Srory of the third, while BacoN belongs to all three. Ersnie is almost the only example of an enduring fame won by an advocate ; and how many Americans, or, for that matter, Englishmen, know who Ersirvg was? Oc- casionally & man may get his name linked with a leading case which is constantly quoted in courts and newspapers as &n authority, and 80 preserves in the publio mind the name of i the man who argued it. But thisis dubious | many homors for his gallantry, after all. How much of n figure does WEzB- sSTER, the winner of any case, make ngn.inst the horizon of the infinite past in comparison with WeBsTER, the Senator, replyingto HaxNE or expounding the Constitntion? Take ons of the grentest of celebrated cases,—the trinl of Queen Carormve: who can give the names of the great lawyers who plead for the in- jured Queen ? There are three main reasons for this curi- ous state of affairs. First, the ablest lawyer. does not originate. He creates nothing, and creation is what the world remembers, whether it be the act of God or genius. He is obliged to confine himself to yregedents,— to simply apply cut-and-dried rules to a new set of circumstances or to the repetition of an old set. ‘This is s0 true that the rigidity of the law is becoming a serious difficulty. The transcendent suthority of chancery no longer exists. Equity and Common-Law Courts nre equally fettered by precedents. The fact is fatal to sny effort at creative originality. In the sccond place, nearly all o lawyer's time is spent on matters of merely passing interest, and often of the most con- temptible nature. It makesno difference tothe world or the nation, eXcept in indirect and hidden ways, whether Syarm or Jones gains case No. 20,513 on the docket, and hence no- body but the persons directly concerned pays any heed to the almost matchless genius and learning that may be lavished on Sarra's complaint or JoxEs' defense. Thirdly, there is & certain prejudiced popular feeling for the legn! profession, which crops out continually in books, newspapers, and conversation. The moral tone and standard of honor of the legal guild is considered to be much lower than it really is, and this prevents, to some degree, the recognition of its great men. For reasons such as these, the fate of the lawyer is oblivion. The .successful author, artist, poet, romancer, inventor, discoverer, statesman, soldier, founder of & sect,—these men monopolize the names that are not born to die. THE PAUPER PROBLEM. The English anthorities have lately issued a Blue Book of 500 pages, containing reports on pauperism in nearly every European country. The information given is valunble. 1t offers cumulative proof of the doctrine so often asserted by TEe TrIBUNE, that the methods of caring for the poor in vogue in this country are not calculated to prevent pauperism, but to increaseit. Our charity breeds beggars faster than it can feed them. It is based on the fundamental error that a needy person has a ‘‘right” to relief at the public expense. This is the doctrine of the Communists of England, and it has been that of Russia, Denmark, and Sweden. There are no sufficient details from Russia, but the reports on Denmark and Swedenare full. In 1867 the former Gov- ernment recognized this right of relief and proceeded to take caro of its paupers. The latter at once sprang up like mushrooms. The formation of mutual-benefit clubs among the poor almost ccased. Co-operative in- dustry received a great check. Self-help was despised when State-help was so easy to get. The sentiment of manliness died away. At present the Danes are energetically demand- ing the destruction of the whole system. Sweden suffered in the same way until 1871, when a radical reform limited the ““right " of re- lief to the sick; absolutely forbade aid to the able-bodied ; gave the guardians of the poor aright to control the labor and property of every recipient of relief, until the amount ex- pended on him had been refunded ; and made employers ligble for the support of their em- ployes. This last provision—a somewhat dubious one—is intended toprevent the abuse that has been common in both England and Sweden, where masters have had their men put on the poor-list and have then subtract- ed from their wages the amount of money paid them by the guardisns. This is tanta- mount to giving relif to the mas. ers themselves, so that some of the wenlthiest men in the two countries have practically become willful paupers. Norway admitted, by a law of 1845, the right to relief, and psuperism at once increased at an alarming rate. In 1863 the right was re- stricted to orphens and lunatics, and the thousands of able-bodied Norwegians whohad been living on the national bounty went to work for themselves, and have since earned their own living, as they would have done all the while had they not been demoralized by the pauperizing law. France has an organized system of charity, supported mainly by private contributions and endowments, but under the supervision of the State. The system of inspection is good, but the very poor are relieved too gen- erously, and pauperism is consequently in- creasing, in obedience to the inevitable rule. The report on France gives the following curious bit of history : The successive Governments of the Great Revolu- tion, baving announced that the relief of the poor was » national debt, ordered the formation of a book of national charity, in which was to be inscribed the nime of every destitute person, who was henceforth to recetvs a pension varying from 120 to 1€0 francs. To aid the exchequer, the property af ell the loca) charities was confiscated, But it was found that the State could not carry out the task. The psupers in- cressed in number to such an extent that, had the sys- tem remained unaltered, the whole of the yearly reve- nues of France would have been absorbed in the do- mands of tho poor. Under thess circumatances . . the theory of the right of the pouperto relief was quietly ignored, Belgium extends aid to anybody who chooses to ask for it. As a result, 40 per cent of the working classes are paupers. It is also found that in every instance pau- perism increases in proportion to the funds provided for its relief, and that the richest provinces are those which have the -largest number of paupers.” Italy has a vast number of charitabls in- stitutions, which produce beggars at a fright- ful rate. M. Faxo, an authority on pauper- ism, says that these charities are responsible for Italian mendicity, and that the stock-in- trade of his country’s paupers consista “‘af lies, romances, tears, and sores.” Germany has a system of poor.relief based on rigid inspection, and aid only in cases of octusl destitution. The Elberfeld system, already fully described in thess colunns, is the best example of it. A careful study of the facts summarized here shows the need of radical reform in our plans of poor-relief. Begging on the strests should be sbsolutely forbidden. State aid should be given only to orphans, lunatics, and the disabled, and tp these only when there are no near relatives who are able to support them. There should be the most rigid inspection of applicants for relief. Or. ganized private charity should be left to do ;.ine-tem.bn of the work now bungled by the tate. The cable dispatches a day or two ago reported the death of Lieut.-Gen. Hexry WiLriay Sris- 72D, C. B., who was the firat Licntenant-Gov- ernor of Oatario under the Cansdian Dominion Goverament. He was a very distinguiahed off earin the Eogliah service, and had received career was in Indis, whers he elrnndm:fl:dw tion of Commander of the Bath. He tooy -, in the Affghanistan campaigo, served in the P, eian War, and was with Haverock in 1837 ‘: iog part in al those scrions which ld to the g capture of Lucknow. —_— By the way, it i3 erroneous to sy “08th lel,” when *¢9Sth meridian” is meant, One our weasel-eved city contemporaries picked o TrisUNE writer right pertly on the mill:k’ : But, in discussing such & swindle on the Tm: ury as Tox 8corr’s Toxas, Arizona & Sap Di Railrosd, an unusual latitude ought to Nw lowed anybody in denouncing it. —_— The first-class theatres of New York City bary paid better this season than ever befors, V‘h mention the fact io the hope that Bomebody iy be encouraged thoreby torun & first-clasy gy, atre here. PERSONAL, The lying-in-state of Vice-President Wilgoyy body in Philadelphia cost that city 86,809, Py liquors ? ‘The subscription in New York for the benagy of the dead liish patriot, John Mitchel, mougg. ed to $3,653.52. The Springfield Kepublican says it is as natary] for Bishop Gilbert Haven to be inwcmuiti. for him to breathe. Jobn Morrissey’s maiden speech in the New York Senate the other day is described 23 plag and gensible. Ho would call it & square deal of sense. Philip Gilbert Hamerion says the Frensy peasantry are intellizent and ignorant, they know they know, and what they don't knoy they can guess at. A Baltimore paper praises James Gordoa Bsg. nett's figure—3600,000 a year. A plagus of sighing and grief! It blows & man up liks 5 bladder. James Gordon is going tw be mamed, The St. Louis Dime Lecture Course, as guch, bas been abandoned, the managers finding it imposgible to give respectable entertainments for 10 cents. The price bas sccordiugly beeg raised to 20 cents. ‘The English reviews sharply criticise Mr. Ed. ward Jenkins' new temperance tale. Itwy evidently u dispensation of Providence by which that man wes named Jenkins. No other name would have fitted him so well. Hutchins invites “the exasperatsd insect™ Bowman to come on 8t any time bateen 11 and 5, the office hours of the St. Louis Times. Out. side of oftice-hours, it is underatood, Hutching bos po “honor” to maintain; or, perhaps he thinks that, &8 it is his hooor as an editor which has been assailed, it must bo officially defended. The Hon. James Knox, LL.D., of Enox. ville, Enox County, 1ll,, has given $10,000 to Hamilton College to be us2d for completing the Maynard Professorship of Law, History, Civil Polity, and Political Economy. Judge Knox gave the College 310,000 three vears ago for tha endowment arft increase nf the Enox Hall af Natural History. The New York Herald savs: ‘‘A womsn car~ respondens, who gets her chicken salad for noth. ing in Washington society, writes, in payment therefor, tbat Mrs, Babcockis very petite in stature and attractive in appearance, not through her prettiness of features, but from her dark skin and eyeslbeing set off to striking advantsgs by her hair, which is soft and gray, ltke tendrils of Spanish moss.” A colored female revivalist, Amanda Bmith, is attracting large audiences at Wilmington, Del, A correspondent writes : ** Her expositions of the Bible areso plain ana simple, andyet so clear anod forcible, that all who hear her are moved by them, while her personal experiences ars such that they caunot fail of intercss and inatrue- tion.” This event marks a moral revolutioniz Delaware, where the whites have nevar been too tractabie to negro teaching. Frederick H. Brydges, the gentleman con- cerned in the notorious Canadian elopament, has returned to his homs at Pheenixville, Pa. He is said to be the bero of the hour. **The mejority of the male populstion do not approve his cone duct, but declare him to be & trump, peverthe~ less.” * His conduct,” writes a correspondent, “ig considered thoroughly English in its charae- teristica.” We ghould tike to know what “the msjority of the female population™ think aboz it John Quincy Adams attempted ten times when he was a boy to read Milton’s ** Paradise Lost;” and he gives in his Momoira an interesting 2o~ couat of his exporiences : *I was mortified, even to the shedding of solitary tears, thatI could not even conceive whatic was that my father and mother so much sdmired in that book, aod yet I wag ashamed to ask them for an ex- planation. I smoked tobacco and read Ailton s$ the same time aod from the same motive—to find out what was the recondite charm in them that gave my father so much pleasure. After making myself foar or five times sick with smok- ing, I mastered that accomplishment. But I1did not master Milton. I was nearly 30 whon I firs? road the ‘ Paradise Lost’ with delight and as tonishment.” ~ The Mennonites in Manitoba have bsen wub- Jjected to an unnecessary fright In conseguencd of lettors from their friends in Russia repre- senting that the Canadian Government bsd collapeed, and thet Mr. Lowe, who promised them exemption from military service, was dead. It is sapposed that the stories originated with American railway companies, who wished”to secure the union of the Mennonites in Manitobs with their friends io Kansss. It appears thst the news of the change of Government in En- gland, which took place two years ago, has jost reached the benighted Russiaus in Manitobs. The news traveled from England to Rusais, fro Russia to Kaneas, from Kansag back to Bussis, and thence to Manitobs. The Rusaians ecem 0 have no idea that 8 promise msde by one Ene glish Government will be kapt by the next. Prof. Gardoer, of Weat Point, who was Judge- Advocate of the Court of Inquiry appointed {0 investigate the Babcock case, writes a sensible letter to tho New York Herald concerning the proceedings. The Court of Inquiry was s sord of an *“open * Grand Jury, whose duty it was 20 consider whether a General Court-Martial should be convened. The * high-horse ™ lstter to the District-Attorney at St. Louis was simply s re quest for the information in possession of the Hon. J. B. Henderson, on whose_authority the proceedings were based. The military suthori ties had no disposition to interfers with the %0~ tion of the civil courts. Its sessions began be- foro the indictment was found sgainst Gen. Bab- cock. Prof. Gardner intimates that, in his opit~ ion, Gen. Babcock manifestsd s creditable will- ingness ¢o stana a trisl before s court of the widest jurisdiction, which shonld have power to decide, aside from technical forms, whether be had boen guilty of **condacs unbecoming az of- ficer and a gentloman.” The San Francisco Chronicle haa » legislatie correspondent at Sacramento who is showing vicariously & good deal of heroism. He lstely made unpleasant references to s member Bomers. Now, Somers gained his legisiative ex~ perience m a blscksmith shop. He is s man of brawn and oaths,—s cruel, rongh mao. Hoe it 83 8am Cox would say. the honorable byens finm Mariposa County. When heread the scurrilous remarks about him in the Chronicle, he rose i3 his might and said he would throw the corre= spondent out of the window if the offenss were ropested. The eaitor of the Chronicle, beiog satoly disposed at Ban Francisoo, chose to regard this threat as plessantry. They invited the black #with of Mariposa to come on with his cudgels- Hecame. He beatthe correspondent about th8 head, and offered to throw him out of the Win= dow if ho insisted upon having the letter of the contract carried ont. The correspondent did not insiat. A truce has been declared. Mean= while the Chronicle urges the combatants 68 t0 the fray, aud its carreapondsa has sasiend thoughts of rasigning.