Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, December 10, 1876, Page 4

‘THE CH‘lCAGO' TRIBUNE: SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1 0, 1876~SIXTEEN PAGES desire to have the benefit this *time The Tribnwe. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPT! 1% ADVANCE—POSTAGE PREPAID AT THIS OFFICE, Daily Edition, postpaid; 1 year. $12.00 of 3 yesr, per month. .. dilress four Literary i Rellgious Doubie Clob of Subot ‘Postage prepal ‘Specimen coples sent free. To prevent delay and mistakes, be sureand give Post- Off ce sddress in full, incloding State snd County- ‘Remittances may be made cither by draft, exprest, Post-O1fice order, or in registered letters, at our risk. #ERMS TO CITY SUBSCLIBERS. Dafly, del rered, Sunday, excepted, 25 cents per week. Daily, deifvered, Sunday incinded, S0 cents per woek Address THE TRIBUNE COMPANY, Corner M: Chicago, Il SOCIETY MEET! 5 SEMAX LODGE, NO. 635 A. F. &A. M. Raflfirc&mmlfilln,i\o«m 371 be neid in thelr bail, R e Sadion aud Robey-su., Tucsdsy eventogy T2 “Fhe reparce of Treasurer and Secrelary 7 ThirdjDegree. 2t ce e fiag brethren cordially lavited. ~ Gavel 2. 0. = R. A M.—Rall JAFATETTE C"Anczzi\‘vouuon Monday evening, ~2Monroe-st. Anposl 72 A: son of officers for oo 5 o'clock for the election of oficer TaT e earuing year and otber {mportant bers %o sttend, By orderof are ereby noifeqio MGRE CREGIER, H. P. E ¥. TGCEER, Secreiary ‘BLAIR LODGE, ¥0. 35, A.F.and A. M.—Re, h.r Comm! z. Dec. 11, at 7:30. ey “‘“}f{g’fi:&ffl”flu Trethren trater- nullytovited. By order 0T 18 3 50 NNELL, Sec- can <DERT, X0. 13, K. T.-At- W SBCAG o ASvecisl Uoneisve Honday even- Dec. 11, l’z7:,‘i '\'ffiflilf ‘Sir Knights conrteously et S0k tae B taried By o Y. TROWBRIDGE, Recorder. ASHTXGTOY CHAPTEE, NO.43 R.A M —Angusl G‘;"\‘Dflflflna Fridsy evening. Dec. 13 1876, 8t 7:30 o'clock, for election of ommcers and g yIn By order JoHN O'RELLL, £.E0 T SSSLES B. WRIGHT, Socretars. APO AMMAXDERY OF RNIGHTS TEMPLAR, -5 L 8 Conciave Tuesday eveaing. Dec. 2, for installation of oficers, All Sir Entghts contte- Bty inviied. By onderof the Eminent Commander. NANT s, A. F. . +ONENT (anpial) commusication ¥Frldsy eventug: Dee. 15. 82 thizn 157 East Kinzle-st., 101 electio of oficers and paymeat of dges. A tullattend 13 iembeni Is uested. order of . g TRISHETwAL KERE, Sec'y. SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1876 At the New York Gold Exchange on Seturdsy greenbacks were warth 931@93% cents on the dollar. ——— The Democratic members of the United States Senate have united with the Republic- ans in deciding that the twenty-second joint rale, under which each House has claiined to exercise the power of rejecting the Electorel " vote of any Sate, is not in operation. There were but four Senators who voted that such role was in force. This takes the wind ont of the sails of those gentiemen who have in- sisted that such a rule was in existence, and | co; i judgments, and at the same time has | 1hat under it the House would exclude the 'ote of Louisiana and elect TrDEN. R The valne of silver still keeps creeping up pence per ounce in London, snd the price in New York has reached $1.19} per ounce of 1,000fine. At this price the gold value of the old siiver dollar would ‘be 923 cents, or just sbout the same as green- backs. Both sre advancing, the latter on sccount of importations of specie from Europe which amount to $2,500,000 per week, and the former to the increased de- mand for silver in London for exportation to India and China. —— And now, as will be seen from our city columns this morning, it is CaxEsoN, not ; Do, but our Gen. Dax, who hos fallen into | the sanguinary humor and talks in blood; minded style that recalls KeewNax, edit~ or of the Chicago Times, of What gory | business will be done dred thousand men of the Veteran Reform Associntion if TmpEN be not coanted in and the office, distributed among the members of the Associstion. * TmpEN or death” is the war-cry, and Caserox—our Gen. Dax—itis who will be on hand to fornish the corpses. Andyet we do not despair of the Republie. The person who does the literary work for the Committee of the Veteran Reform Asso- ciation has taken upon himself to indite an open letter to Gen. SHERMAN, which will be found in avother column, and which in the } sublimity of impertinence was never sur- passed. The cooluess of his assumption | that the Constitution was violated in gend- ! ing troops to South Carolina, Florida, and | Touisiana, upon requisition of the Gov- ernors of those States, to protect voters and keep the peace, is only suzpassed by his assumption that at his request Gen. Smee- »uyx, ss commanding officer of the army, will discbey the him by the President as Commander in-Chief. The literary person should possess his soul in patience. Wken Gen. SHEERMAN | wants advice as to his duties as a soldier he will doubtless know where to get it, and will scarcely seck it from anybody who advises disobedience to orders. S The Chicsgo produce markets were less active Salurday, and steadier. Mess pork closed 123¢ per brl lower, at $16.62}@16.60 cash and £16.624@16.65 for January. . closed 5¢ per 100 ibs lower, at $£10.073@ 10.10 cash and $10.12}@10.15 for Janu- ary. Meats were steady, at Gc for new shoulders, boxed, Sic for do shortribs, and , 8jc for do short-cleers. Highwines were | unchanged, at $1.00} per gallon. Flour was quiet and steady. \Whest closed Jo higher, at $1.184 cash and $1.187 for January. Corn closed j@jc higher, at 4G}o for December and 45ic for January. Oats closed jo high- er, at33}c cash and 34c for January. Rye was steady, at 72}@730. Barley closed 1}@2¢ low- er, 8t 66c cash and GGio for Jonuary. Hogs were a shade essier, st $5.60@6.10 per 100 | e Cattle were dull, at $2.50@35.00. Sheep ° were quiet, at £3.50@5.00. One hundred dollars in gold would buy $107.12} in greer- ‘backs at the close. - However much intelligent and conservs- ive people may condemn the incendiary uf- terances of the ultra Democrats who are seeking to inflame the desperate office-seek- ers to a resistance of the laws,—and 1o con- demnation can be too sweeping or severe,— there is still some consolation in the reflec- tion that the Americans do not court & crisis onso trivial a pretest as the Trench. The recent Ministerisl crisis in France was brought on by a difference of opinion be- tween the Government and the Assembly as to whether deceased officers of the Legion of ‘Honor, buried without religions ceremonies, sre entitled %o the usual military demonstra- tion. The Government held they are no! and the Radicals that they sre. Of course, the dispute involves to 8 greater or less extent the issme between the clerical nnd non-clerical ~ parties; baut, after all, it seems peculiarly Frenchy. and : trifing that a whole Minisiry should be changed, strong partisan passions stirred up. ext of dues. . steadily in England. Silver has now ad- } by an bun-| ¢ Ta! orders, issued to ! and a great nation set by the ears, in order to determine whether some old fossil who happens to die wearing s bit of red ribbon shall orshall not have drums beaten and muskets fired over his grave when the priests arenot present at the funeral After the French have tried popular government s long 8s we have in this country, they will discover that there are too many serious problems to waste time on questions of eti- quette or punctilit e ——— . 'The most valusble suggestion brought out by the burningof the Brooklyn Theatrs, and one that can be made operative immediately, is, that every theatre and public hall shall be required to have two gkilled firemen present whenever there is a performance’ going on, with proper appliances for the extinguish- ment of incipient fires. This is the law in France, where police regulations are proba- bly mors nearly perfect than in any other country. The Common Council may pass an ordinance to-morrow night which will put this plan into jmmediate execution. The firemen assigned to this duty should be regu- lar, experienced, and skillfal members of the department, subject to the discipline thereof, i and to the orders of the Fire Marshal. The expense of these assignments should be sus- tained by the theatres, and they can well af- ford to assume it. Their increased receipts from the incrensed confidence of the public, their saving in insurance and diminished loss of property, will more thaa offset the small increase attending the presence of two fire- men, with their chemical engines, ladders, hooks, szes, etc., during the two or three i hours of the performance. An instance of the dangerous and destruc- tive results of connecting the judiciary with the political strifes 'of government is fur. ; nished by the revolution ' now going on inf | Mexico. By the Constitution of Mexico the | Supreme Court is made an arbiter in certain cases of doubtful elections of President, and in certain contingencies, to be determined by the Court, the Chief Justice succeeds to the Presidency. When President Juirez died some years ago, the then Chief Justice of the Supreme Court was declared Presi- dent for the unexpired term. The new that he was subsequently elected President. During 1876 another election was held, and President Lezpo was declared re-clected. The election, however, was disputed, and, under a decision of the Court, the election of Leepo was declared null, and the present Chief Justice was pronounced President. In the meantime, D1az, the revolutionist, took up arms for the same office, and now there are three Presidents, esch with an army in the field, claiming to be President of the | Republic. The experiment of calling in the ! Supreme Court in such matters Las had the ! effect of destroying the Court and all respect left the settlement of dispated eléctions ina worse condition than before. ! The Democrats boast that TiLDEN has re- ceived a popular majority of £50,000 votes, ! notwithstanding that he is beaten by 300,000 { in the States that stood by the Union during * the Rebellion. Inmekingup their popular ! majority for Tripex, the Democrats count ; the 45,000 ‘majority returned for bim in the | bulldozed Republican State of Mississippi. | In an election held in that State free of the { shot-gun plan, the Bepublicans notoriously | have 25,000 majority. Let the reader com- i pare the vote cast in the subjoined counties | in 1872 end 1876. At the former election the shot-gun plan had not been applied; at the | Intter it was: 1872, j|__ 1976 Creeley, | Graa, | Tilden, Dem. | Rep. {| Dem. | Liep. 573 993 1,471 73 3,217 2073 2 891) 1, 1 1 2,443 7 4, 4,476 Majorities... ...] lxo.zsl;; 11,157 Here was a mejority of more than 10,000 wiped out, and & TILDEN majority of 11,157 substituted. The GraxT vote of 14,757 was oll abolished except T1. By this process Tyrpes has received his majority of the popular vote. OFf what moral weight iso majority thus obtained ? Who respects it? A BAD J0 E The Democratic managers, as appears from our Washington specials, are beginning- to | appreciste what their outrageous aftempt to steal an Electoral vote in Oregon must cost them. Up to the time that the capture of the Presidency by that bunko gume was es- ! sayed, the cmrent of public opinion—in- ! Florida Returning Boards, and the suspicion that at last Wape Hiwprox and his party | might not have been allowed exactly fair : gradually setting in their favor. Butthe I Croxx-Groves-Duke Gwisy-pickpocketcon- spiracy has reversed the popular current. It is convincing fair-minded men that what the : Democratic managers complained of in ; Louisiana, Florids, and South Carolina was ; mot fraud practiced against them, but that | the Democracy in those States was balked i in the attempt to perpetrate frauds. The E origingl pettifogging pretense upon which i the theft of the one Electoral vote wanting ! was planned by Duke Gwxy and the rest of Trox’s select coterie of managers was of ! jtself n confession of as much. There was nodoubtas to how the people of Oregonvoted; i still there was technical pretext for ** mak- ing & case” that should raise the question as ' to the right of the Democratic House to . go behind the xeturns from Louisiana, ! Florids, and South Carolina. But Czoxmy’s stupid rascality in ‘making the theft spoiled that. He might have held on to the certifi- cate of election fraudulently issued to him, ; and have insisted upon his right to cast one i Electoral vote for TrLoxx, having done which Cronty could have made his own return of ! that fact. But, having embarked in the | thieving business, CroNIN no more scrupled { as to how it should be done than would have | any sneak-thief. The two Republican Eleci- ; ors, for whom certificates had been issned by | the Democratic Governor, met at the State- | House to cast the Electoral vote of the State. Croxy intruded into the room with them, 1 and there were slipped into his hands the - certificates of election of the two Repub- lican members. Upon demand by them he refused to deliver to them their certificates, and the matter of lasting regret is, that he ! was not then and there bulldozed to such an ! extent asmight have been necessary to in- luce him to surrender the stolen property. With that in his possession he sneeked into + another room in the same building, and there, within a few feet of the two Electors, i who he knew were at the place of meeting . prescribed by law for the purpose of declar- i ceeded to declare their - places vacant, swore | in two Democzats in their stead. and cast his President was sble to so manipulate parties | ing the Electoral vota of the State, he pro- | spired by distrust of the Louisiana and | play in South Carolia—was slowly but | Electoral vote for Trrpes. His right to do it was precisely that of the thief to dispose of stolen property. Itcan bave not a particle more of legal effect, and the Electoral vote of Oregon will have to be declared as the people of that State voted it should be de- clared, and as the duly-slected Electors de- clared it, for Hayes. Thelarceny of the one vote wanted was altogether too fingrantly attempted,—so fiagrantly that there is mo concealing that it was larceny. Had it been more adroitly done, as was planned by T~ pEN'S menagers, there might have been an effort to brazen it ont. But, as CmoNm¥ did it, the “swag” will have to be disgorged. The Democratic managers foresee a8 much, and that is why, as the dispatches explain, their hopes, sobuoyant ere CroNIN's perform- ance was understood, are now below zero. NO GORE. It is very disappointing, saddening, and disgusting to the class of Democrats who swear by the New York World, Cincinnati Enquirer, Chicago Times, and other rabid old Copperhead shests, to have their South- ern brethren in Congress spurting ice-cold water upon their warlike vaporing and sul- phurous mouthings in case the Oregon swin- dle is not sustained and TipeN counted in by fraud. The Democratic members had a caucus on Friday night to consider the situs- tion and determine their line of procedure. The caucus was in session over three hours. Gen, Krevay, editor of the Times, had rubbed the ears of his Northern barkers and got them up to the fighting point. TIDEN must be insugurated at the mouth of the cannon and point of the bayonet. Blood must be spilt ; Radical gore must redden the —all in behalf of old TroeN and his hungry ;office-seekers. Such was the programme of these who played *‘home-guards” when there was fighting to do. Whet was said and done in the cause is thus described in & dispatch from Washington : *Mr. Hewrrr presented the resolutionwith a mild, brief speech. After he sat down, FERNANDO Woob rose, and sounded a blast of warlfke por- tent. 1Me fairly exceeded all former efforts, de- manded that GRaNT should be fmpeached, and showed the greatest willingnessto encourage & | civit war i anybody conld be got to fight. Proc- Tor Exorr sustained Mr. Woop, as did also MiLzs, of Texas. Foratime things looked threatening, and it secmed as if the Democracy were sboat to plunge the country into a bloody conflict, when Bes iy slowly straightened up and offered a few feeble remarks. He said he had heard people talk war before to-day, bat he had opserved that they never fought any to speal of. Fifteen years ago the Northern Democrats bad fired the Southern heart, but they didn’t fire snything else, although 'a serions unpleasantness occurred along about that time, offering superior inducements to fighting men. He confessed that thiswar talkand tnis im- peachment talk had come to be somewhat monoto- ons, coming, as it did, from the valorous non- combatants of the North, He did not cure to hear any more of it. Joux Youa BRows, of Ken- tucky, oni ex-Confederate Gen. Housk, of Ten- nessee, followed ina similar strain. This vigor- ous talk about warand impeachment sonnded well, ‘but they were not anxious to embark. Gen. WiLe- 1ans, of Detroit, the veteran Union soldier, offer- .ed a remark or two of the general tenor and effect that he had noticed that barking dogs seldom bite, and that the old soldiers didn’t hanker after gore Just au this time. A few other speeches were made, and st last3resolution was agreed to for the sppomntment of 8 committee of five on the { part of the House, to co-operate with a simitar number from the Senate, to take under advisement 2 policy to be pursued by the party in the present crisis, The Committee’s resolution was tabled. et immntmeorm: A PREMIER'S PERFIDY. Tord Brscossrierp has suddenly discover- ed himself in a scandalous pesition, from which he will find it more difficult to extri- cate himself even than when he sought to explain to the English people his ill-timed levity over the announcement of the atroci- tiesin Bulgaria. The first intimation of his scan olous conduct was brought out in a communication to the London Zimes of Nov. | 92, ghowing that it was clear from Lord Dersy’s acknowledgment, made Nov. 3, that Lord Beacoxsrmep was aware of the Czar's declarations to Lord Lorrus, the English Ambassador at St. Petersburg, six days be- fore he made his alarmist speech at the Lord Ainyor’s banquet! . o thoroughly understand the nature of Lord BeacossFELD'S extraordinary and un- diplomatic conduet, it is necessary to refer to the character of the statements made by the Czar in his interview with Lord Lorrus. The latter forwarded these statements to Lord Dessy Nov. 2, six days before Lord Bracoxseierp's speech. The material part of the dispatch concerned the utterances of the Czar on general policy, with regard to as follows: e had on several occasions given the most sol- emn assurauces that he desired no conquest; that heaimed atno uggrandizement; and that he had not the smallest wish or intention to be possessed of Constantinople. All that had been sald or wwritten about a will of PETER the Great and the aims of Catusmxt IL were illusions and phan- i toms; they never existed in reality, and he consid- i cred that the acquisiton of Constantinople would i bo o misfortune for Russis. . 1lis Majesty i pledged his sacred word of honor, in ‘the most earnest and solemn manner, that he had no inten- tion of acquiring Constantinople, and that if necessity should ohlige him to occupy s portion of ‘Bulgaria it would only be provisfonslly, and until peace and the safety of the Christian population were secured. In addition to this declaration, the Czar repudisted any -idea of Indian conquest, thus committing himself on: issues far be- yond the questions pending between the Mohemmedans and Christians, and Lord Torrus closes his dispatch with the declara- tion: *“His Majésty earnestly requested me to do my utmost to dispel this cloud of sus- picion and distrust of Russis, and charged me to convey to her Majesty’s Government the solemn assurances he had repeated to me.” - *The indignation of the Czar, as manifested in his reply to Lord BEACONSFIELD, is now safficiently accounted for. Ha had gone out of his way to invite the British Ambassador toan interview, and, without any necessity for it, had made these pacific statements with a frankness and sincerity that amounted even to humility. He had honestly un- through him to the English people, and had defined his policy not, only with regard to the local issues between Russia and Tur- key as to the Sclavie Christians, but even for the fature as concerned Constantinople and the English possessions in Asia. It wasa manly and dignified stetement of policy, and an earnest appesl to England to abandon her jealousy of Russia and to unite with her in the preservation of peace. Assuch, it was deserving of respeciful consideration, even if the English were induced by their insane jealousy to regard the declarations with sus- picion. How was it received, however? Lord Beacoxsrierp, with the fullknowledge of the Czar's pacific utterances, delivers a public speech, in which he defines the policy of the Government in such a belligerent manner that it was tantamount to a direct menace to the Czar. In reply to his con- fidences to the English Ambsssador, in which every one believes he was sincere, came the English war-note of defiance. Is it any wonder that he was indignant, and that he ' thundered 'back a note of streets ; corpses must be piled up in cords, | which he said to Lord Lorrus substantially | ‘bosomed himself to- the Ambassador, and | wrath, accepted the defiance promptly, and let England know that if necessary Bus- sia would act alone in securing the rights of the Sclaves, and that if England courtedsa war she could have it at any time? Thisisa sufficient explanation of the Moscow speech, as we have already said, but what explans- tion can be made of the conduct of Lord Bracoxsrrzrp ? The London Zimes itself de- clares, *“ Wo are amazed by this revelation,” snd seeks to explain it by the supposition that he had not seen the telegraphic dispatch of Lord Lorrus ! That the English Premier had not seena dispatch of this important character a week after it had been received, is simply incredible. The supposition of the Z¥mes is creditable to its charity, but not to its intelligence. The probable explanation of Beacoxar=L's speech, and of the action of the Government in keeping back tho dis- patch so long, is evidently to be found in its desire to keep up the anti-Russian feeling. The course of Lord BEACONSFIELD is perhaps unparalleled in’ modern diplomacy for trick- ery ard duplicit; ——e ' PUBLIC BOORKEEPING. One of the many abuses to Which the peo- ple of Cook County bave been subjected is the manner in which the records of tax pro- ceedings have been made so voluminous that one year's bookkeeping alone constitutes an. immense record. The judicisl anti-tax code which has grown up in Illinois during the last half century has necessitated a frightful code on the other hand to sustain taxation. The Revenuelaw of Illinois is a volume in itself. It has been framed to avoid, to cor- rect, tododge, to comply with, carry out, and set aside, judicial decisions made when ! courts were weaker than they are now, and wheu taxation for the support of Govern- ment was popnlarly regarded as despotism. The execution of this Revenue law—supple- mented by the abortive- efforts to run inde- pendent tax systems by local law—is expen- sive. To collect the taxes levied in the State costs 25 per cent of the whole levy, includ- ing the revenue lost by judicisl proceedings. One of the items of cost is that of bookkeep- ing. To prepare the taxlists of Cook County for collection requires more books and of larger dimensions than are required to conduct the business of any twelve banks in Chicago. To give an approximate idea of the requisite bookkeeping we will try to enumerate the several times the tax-list of this county has to be copied annually : 1. The Assessors copy into their books for 1876 the list of property enumerated in the books of the previous year. = o, The Assessors return a list of all this property, with such additions as they make, *to the County Clerk. 3. The County Clerk furnishes & list of the assessed property for each town to the Town Collectors, which lists are then re- turned to the County Treasurer. 4, The County Treasurer or Collector re- turps a list to the County Clerk showing collections and delinguents. 5. The County Clerk makes another list for the printer. ' . 6. The County Clerk makes a list for ap- plication to the County Court for judgment. 7. The Court gives judgment, and anew list is prepared and embodied in the judg- ment. d 8. The County Collector ‘makesreturn-lists of the property sold for taxes, etc. 9. The Clerk certifies to the State Aunditor o list of property forfeited to the State, ete. 10. Separate lists are made throngh all these proceadings of the’ property subject to past taxes, and for specisl assessments. Each of theso lists will fill an average of three large volumes, each volume being as much as any man of ordinary strength can lift. Fach of these lists costs to make it from $5,000 to $6,000, .not including the $20,000 paid for printing one of them. In thess various copyings it is impossible to avoid mistakes of figures, words, commas, and semi-colons, - Each.time a 1 " is copied “3”or **n. e for “n. w.,” the error is certain to be perpetuated for all time to come, and the Supreme Court of Illinois is invoked to decide that such an error is fatal 1o the collection of the tax o pay interest on the city debt! These twenty-seven or thirty ponderous manuscript volumes have so accu- mulated that in a few years a separate build- ing will have to be provided for them. To- il the collection of the city tax was trans- ferred from the city to the county authori- ties, there were duplicate volumes of all these lists for city taxes. Of course this boolkkeeping is more extensive in this coun- ! ty than elsewhere, neverthelessit is going on proportionately in each of the 101 other counties of the State at an enormous cost to the public. This bookkeeping is required by the Revenue law, which law itself is an ingenious attempt to comply with a long se- ries of conflicting and nzcertain judicial de- cisions. . Now, in the name of common sense, is there no remedy for all this voluminous book- : keoping? Thelaw of Ilinois provides for the levying of taxes for the support of the State, county, and city governments, This tax is to be levied at an ascertained rate on an gscertained valuation, The tax is not levied against the person, but exclusively on the property. Each man owning property, | therefore, knows that his property is by law subject to taxation, and that such tax, being | levied, is due and payablé on's dsy and date fixed by law. No man can justly or honestly plead a surprise, or want of notice, or want of knowledge of his tax. Every man own- ing property knows when he scquires it that be can enly have it subject to taxation. of all the cases of tax-fighting taken to or sus- tained by the courts, nineteen-twentieths are cases where the payment of taxes is re- sisted not because of any want of legality in the tax, but because of some error in one or other of the various volumes into which | the lists of property are copied. Before the fire one of the most valuable blocks in the city was held by a lessee, who, for the term of his lease, recorded a subdivision of | ‘the property. After the fire, the lease being expired, the subdivision fell with it. The ; Assessor, however, described the property (all held by one person) according to the subdivision, and the Court released that prop- erty from tazation! But the error of the Assessor in 1872 was copied: by the Assessor in 1873, and sgain in 1874, and' the lnst we heard -of it Judge Warrnace refused judg- ment again for the taxes of 1875. We sup- pose this error onca put upon the ‘books will be perpetuated with huridreds of others for 2l time to come. This extraordinary bookkeeping in this county costs the city from $30,000 to $40,- 000 & year, including the losses resulting i from errora, blunders, and mistakes. The County Clerk, Gen. Lren, has borne testi- mony to the enormity of this business, and i is prepared to establish the fact that a i large portion of this bookkeeping may be i dispensed with to the grest advantage of the ! gervice. 'Whatis needed isa simplifieation of { the'Revenue law, the consolidation of many { of its requirements, the repeal of others, and generally the reduction of the whole tax- assessing and collecting business from an elaborate science, comprehended only by pundits and philosophers, to & mere matter of every-day business to be administered in a business way. In consequence of the large amount of property in this county, this abuse has assumed proportions that are startling, and a remedy ig demanded. This is one of the particulars in which the Munic- ipal Reform Club should take earnest steps. to have incorporated in the general modifi- cation of the revenue laws. The delegation to Springfield from this connty are all famil- jar with the subject, and need no urging to Sote to sbolish this great abuse. But this jmprovement requires legal formality, and, like oll other improvements in the law, the legislation needed should be matared as far as possible Lefore the meeting of the Legislature. BROTHER MO0OD AIGN. . Brother Moopy's campaign in Chicago is nearly over, and he will soon fold his ten and take his way to Boston, where he is 50 much needed to teach humility to the Hub and rebuke the presumption and pride of its people. Before saying good-by to the great evangelist, it is pleasant to record his unpar- alleled success in convincing souls of sin, al- though he pitched his tent amongst us when the people were filled with election excite- ments, and hes continued preaching in the midst of the pending uncertainty and bitter contest in politics. Notwithstanding the pressure of the things of this world, the great Tabernacle has been jammed with anxious thousands of men and women from the city and the suburbs and has overflowed into Far- well Hall, and hundreds who came to scoff remained to pray. ‘We will not stop to inguire too curiously whether the impressions left by Mr. Moopy will be permanent. We will hope that his influences will reach far into the fature, and make men and women better, butit is proper to inguirens to the causes of Mr. Moopy'sgreat powerin thepresent,—why itis that this plain, uncoltured, simple man brings a whole city to his feet, It seems to us that these causes lie npon the surface, somewhat asfollows : 1. His plainness. Mr. Moopy talks. He does not preach, in the sense that we would apply this term to the two extremes of Prof. Swixa and Prof. Parrox, for instance. It is, rather, earnest and even pugnaciousexhorta- tion. Hetalksin the conversational style, raising his voice only loud enough to fill the building and make every ome hear. He runs along in his eshortation as if he were talking to friends familiarly in a room, like & person engaged in earnest communication, but perfectly freo and off guard. He takes the hearer to his confidence, telling him things of which he has a clearer knowledgs, and Inying béfore him facts in which he is better posted than his listener. “Thus his sermon is acrossbetween an exhortation and & familiar conversation. He spesks rapidly, with very little gesticulation, and apparently spontane- ously. He uses’ the Anglo-Saxon, speaking to his hearers in the mother tongue of the common people. There is just that degree of education and grammar one hears in the talk of an ordinary family. His grammar is not that of the collegiate, and his pronun- ciation is characterized by reminiscences of NewEngland rusticity. He is in all respects aplain man, reaching plain people by his very plainness, and cultivated people by the power of sincerity of belief and earnestness in stating that belief. 3. Hisessoof comprehension. Mr. Moopx conveys his ideas to his hearers in & manner which the wayfaring man, though a fool, cannot fail to comprehend. He always shoots low, never over the heads of the peo- ple. His arrows ars_not aimed at the stars. His illustrations are homely. He does not gointo the classics nor ride Pegasus. His quotations are as familinr as ‘hounsehold words. His anecdotes are homespun and his similes of the sort that plain people think and heed. He has not.a single original thought in the way of exalted phraseology or doctrinal mysticism. He has not the remotest suspi- cion of cant in his talk, and yet his talk abounds with quaint, sharp, piquant origi- nality. If he has 10,000 people before him, there is not one person in the.whole 10,000 who cannot understand every word he says without effort. 8. His earnestness. Heisa man whois rock-rooted in @ certain belief, and he is thoroughly in earnest in his determination that every one else shall share in that belief. Being earnest, sincere, and, vigorous, doing his work with all his might, and being withal entirely plain and intelligible in his manner, he produces conviction. A man may be ui- terly wrong, and yet, if he be in earnest and sincere in his belief, he will make a powerful impression upun people. How muck greater impression can s man make when he is not utterly wrong and possesses these qualities ! Mr. Moops has but a short time longer to remain before he will commence work in an- other part of his vineyard, where laborers are sadly needed, but he will carry away with him the good wishes of the whole city where he first commenced his work as an evangel- ist, and the prayers and blessings of those whom he has converted. P ] M'CLERNAND ON “THE CRISIS. The voice of the ex-Gen. and the Hon. Joms A. McCreaNasp is for © wah.” It al- waysis. Like a true Southron (from South- ern Illinois), McCrerNayD looks upon swah” as the grand opportunity of his ex- isterice. In the late * Wah,” McCLERNAND'S ‘brief career led him to develop an ambition to command - all the armies in the field. He wanted to supersede GRANT, and SHERMAY, and all the rest of -the fellows, and secured his commissions for special commends from | the hand of the President. He was disap- pointed in this ambition, aud reluctantly re- turned to the dreary peace of Southern IIli- nois, dreamingof what might have been, and composing for future use the most grandilo- - quent reports of his battles in the clouds. Naturally McCLERNAND longs for another op- portunity. He wants to give mankind the benefit of the glowing military rhapsodies he has stored awsy in the vessels of his imagi- ‘nation, and, having failed to supersede GgaxT and SEERMAN in the chief commands of the army, he would not be averse to fight- ing on the other side next time. It is a matter of no great surprise, there- fore, that the fretful and ambitious McCres- ~axD should give vent to his warlike hopes in a congenial organ like the St. Louis Re- publican. His view of the situation is that the President of the Senata will undertake to count the 185 votes that have been legally cast for Hayes; that the House and Demo- cratic part of the Senate will resist ; and that then will come the tug of “wah.” The usurpation must be arrested, he says, - fully if it cen, forcibly if @ must, be.” He claims that he is willing to make * every honorable concession short of the surrender of our free institutions and of liberty [viz.: the offices and undisturbed possession there- of]; Uquwuld-fiqu Jor at all hazards.” It is very evident that McCrzaNAND 18 spoil- ing for o fight, or rather for the privilege of Jictating a general oxder, and, after a com- fortable inspection of the first enconnter'nt a comfortable position up a tree and .wnh the'sid of & powerfal field-glass, to write 3 glowing report of lis first victory- > McCreanaxp has had some little expe- rience in this sort of business. Gen. SEEB- AN gives & very entertaining account of {e in -his irs.” McOrzaNayp lorded it a little.while around Arkansas Post. After Smrraax and Pomtze had acted together with success, while McCLERNAND looked on gt a safe distance in the vear, 3foCLERNAND went around saying, «Glorions! - glorions! my star is ever in the ascendant!” H? also boasted that he would * makea splendid re- port,” which he did, carefually omitting all credit to PosTER, Whose operations by water were an essential part of the success, W.lth which McCreayAND personally had nothing whatever to do. * It was this same Gen. Mc- OCrtryaxp who, at Vicksburg, sent Gen. Graxt word that “his troops had captured the Rebel parapet in his front,” and that tthe flag of the Tnion waved over Vicksburg.” GRANT seems to have known McCOLEBNAND well enough to have said immediately, ‘I don ‘believe a word of it.” Still GRANT was persuaded, on the strength of McCrerxanp's official communication, to order McPaERSON and SmEmvAN to renew the attack, only to be re- pulsed with heavy losses. Subsequently Graxt discovered that McCLERNAND had not teken a single point of the Rebel main para- pet. MCCLERNAND consoled himself, how- ever, by writing snother general order, in which he congrstulated his own troops and blamed McPgessoN and SmERMAN for the failure. As this general order was pub- lished at the North, McCLERNAND probably found some compensation in his subsequent retirement by reading and regarding it. He now wants another chance to write general orders and reports, and hence his voice is again for wah.” WHO WILL DO T GHTING ? There are a good many indications that, if any fighting is to come of the complications sbout the Presidentizl election, the South- erners propose to content themselves with the role of non-combatant spectators as far as possible. Pheir experience in the late Civil War was too costly, as it is also too recent, to be forgotten. 'They had fighting enoungh from 1861 to 1865 to last them beyond one generation at least. They ‘bore the brunt of the War precipitated by the Democrats then, and have no desire to be placed in the same position now. The War was carried into their own territory and among their own homes, It was their villages that were burned, their cotton-fields that were deso- lated, their families that were scattered, their business that was ruined, their property that was destroyed. It was the peopls of the South who made all the sacrifices, sustained all the loss, did all the fighting, in the last Democratic War, and they have no ambition to lead another forlorn hope in an attack on the American Union. This conclusion is partly warranted by the sgreed reports that all the moderation in the Democratic counsels comes from the former Rebels. Even Bex Hiux, who hes been re- garded as one of the most ulira and unre- pentant of the ex-Rebels, is reported as sdvising that the present dissension can have no resnlt that will justify a resort to arms, and that if the representatives of the people at Washington cennot settle it amica-~ bly it is their duty to return home andlot their constituents send wiser men in their places. Hr's position is virtually the same as has been outlined by large numbers of the Southern people who passed through the horrors of the late War, and who have now returned to their homes and business with & hope for o peaceable existence. Of course, there are other classes in the South that do not take this prudent view of the situation. ~The young men who com- posed the Rifle Clubs of Mississippi and South Carolina, and the reckless fellows who will not work and are not ressonable enough to starve, are ready for any change, having everything to gain and nothing to lose. But they are not, after all, the leading spirits of the South, however much they may be used to do the guerrilla work of & bulldozing campaign. The Southern people, too, are more amenable to the influ- ences of leadership than the people of the North, and if the Lauazs, and Gorpoxs, and Wape Haxproxs, and Bey Hiues, and Arex- ANDERSTEPHENSES,of the South protest against their people again taking the responsibility of breaking down the Union, the. Southern people will be inclined toheed their warning. There is another reason for thinking that the Southerners will be slow to war in the present case. There was never a body of men more outrageously swindled by their associntes and allies than were the Democrats of the South by the Democrats of the North during the last War. The Northern Democrats, - up to the firing of the first gun, maintained the doctrine of State sovereignty, involving the right of secession. They encouraged the Southern extremists to believe that, when the South should strike the blow, they would follow with a fire in the rear. This promise was never fulfilled. The South hoped for’it to the last. It held out perhaps two or three years longer than it would have held out if they had not cher- ished this fond delusion. Toward the last, they seént their emissaries North to screw their friends’ courage up to the sticking point. Meetings were held in Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois to foment the Rebel sentiment in these States. A riot was organized in New York City which it was hoped would broaden its circle so as to arouse the North- ! ern sympathizers throughout the country. VarraxpicuEax was put forward in Ohio, and was sent across the Rebel lines for his pains. Jaxe THoupsox got together a ““barrel of money,” and endeavored to work upon the mercenary ~ disposition of the cravens who would not. fight with their sympathies. Disloyal secrel™ societies were ¢ organized throughout the Northwestern -States, and thus a few foolhardy persons were excited to a visible demonstration of the latent treason. But the mass of Sonthern sympathizers lay low, and merely availed themselves of their sympathies to evade the duty of fighting for the Union without materially aiding those who were fighting against the Union, mean- time benefiting from the inflation and specu- lation at the North, while their Southern friends were spilling their hearts’ blood and impoverishing their homes. There are reasons to believe that, in case of _another civil war, the Southerners will en- .deavor to act the Copperhead role of the late War. They may hiss, as their Northern friends did before, but they will not under- u.:ke the fighting. They may enconrage re- sistance among the Northern Democrats, but ‘they will not orgarize'it on' their own ac- count. They prefer to be the surly non- combatants, and to hold their States of sny speculation and inflation that may grow out of the onplessantness,” They will take good care of any quartermas- ter, commissary, or sutler business that may openup to them, and will not reject any fat contracts that come along, but they will want to stop at this. Any burning and sack. ing of towns, any stripping of cornfields, any foraging on the:country, any forced con. tributions to'the army, any draft for soldiers in behalf of the Democratic resistancs, the Southerners are entirely willing shall take place north of Masox and Drxox's line. They will furnish the encouragement thig time if the Northern Democrats will do the fighting. One of the indications of the disposition of the South in the present troubles whict * should not pass unnoticed is the attitude as. sumed by the representatives of the Sonth in the Demoeratic caucas when the propose¢ impeachment of President GRaNT was con gidered. This insane movement wonlc probably. have been taken had it not been for the restraint exerted by the Southern members of Congress. The fact that they ‘were in & state of mind to ap. preciate the folly of such an undertaking j; significant of an intention on their part tc Jook out for their own interests. An im. peachment of GRANT Dow could only be on the pretext of an unconstitutionel inter. ference in the Southern States; that would drag them into the fight as political entities, and it is precisely this which they want tg avoid. We think the leaders in the South have made up their minds that, if thereis to e another armed resistance to the Unite¢ States Government, it must be organized in 3 the North and fought out in the North. I wise counsel, based upon & stern and sorrow ful oxperience, shall prevail, this is thestand the South will take. Then, who will do the fighting at the North 7 After Mr. TZ. LW the New York Tribune, and Dr. Rzprrerp, of the Cincin- nati Comme reial, reached New Orleans, for the first fortnight they were disposed to think that the charges of murder, maiming, whipping, and bulldozing generally, could not be sustained, and had been greatly exag. gerated. It was somewhat amusing to seo how they changed the tone of their dis- patches from day to day as the horrible rev- elations were made public. REDFIELD, 8 day or two before the investigation closed, tel- egraphed as follows: The Republicans are proving the charges of vio- Jence, murder, and intimidation in the five bail- dozed parishes straight out. The revelatijns aro horrible. It is not worth while to try to deny or cover up the facts, however disgraceful to haman- ity they may be. Sworn testimony shows that the parishes were carried by marder, assassination, whippings, and the estsblishment of a reign of ter- ror. Ihavebeen skeptical as to there having beea ‘s much violence #hd intimidation in the disputed parishes as charged by the Republicans, but Iam fastbeing convinced. The testimony brought out yeaterday, and that contained in the sworn stste- Tments of other witnesses who have not yet been ‘before the Board, convinces me that the reign of terror has been equal to that which the Republicans have charged. Here are names, de- tails, and specifications given Wwith startling dis- tinctness, If the men reported dead are still alive, where are they? The trouble about these stories is, that they are mainly true. There wass reisn of terror, and the election was earried by marder- ing men for opinion's sake. A week previously the Democratic organs were warmly recommending their leaders to put implicit confidence in the truth of the reports made by these conservative and cool- headed correspondents. Since then their space is 5o preoccupied that they can't find room for any more quotations from their etters or dispatches. —— 1t would be a satisfaction to know just what aid pass between Gov. Havesand Col. Ros3ETS, of the New Orleans Times, in the presence of Gen. CoMLY, of the Columbus Journal, at the dinner table of the latter, and the confab before and after the repast. The Cincinnati Enguirer states a great deal more than was said, and we are inclined to think that the Cincianati Com- mercial reports considerably less than enongh to cover the grouud. Sax BowrLEs thus re- marks about ft: The Cincinnat! Commercial pooh-poobs the cur rent stories of the talk between Gov. Harrs and Editor Roserrs. But it admits that its editor helped send the New Orleans editor up to Colum- ‘bus, and it does not deuy, nor does anybody elve fn. authority deny, 80 far as we observe, the easential featares of what Gov. Haves is represented jo havesald. These were, that he thousht the carpel- ‘bag policy of governing the South was & failure; that he hoped, as President, to anite the conserva- tive and bonest Republicans and best Democzats in leadership down there, and that he particalacly thought well of WapE Haxprox and. Senstor LauXr. and shonld seek their confidence and co- overation. All thisis so sensible and so creditable to Gov. Havzs that his friends onght to try to believe it, and to make no secretof it. We beliere it 18 true, and we have never had or expressed a doubt that this wonld be his policy toward the Sonth if be became President. The Boston Herald, which is anti-GRaNT and pro-TILDEN, publishes this dispatch from its ‘Washington bureau: Col. RoBERTS, now here, resses the opmion that HavEs really means to catTogee from Gmaxe and his crowd, who are now running the Govern- ment, to purify the Government. andto give peaco tothe South. "The followers of GRANT of course , refuse to believe that HaTzs will havo the courage 10 attempt such a complete departare from Grant- ism 25 to attempt to make overtures to Southem Democrats, but such is nevertheless the fact. ———————— The New York Herald is a pretty good weath er-vane, and watches the direction tke wind blows. It has watched the result of the voting by the different State delegations of Electors, and, while its sympathles are with TrLpey &od the Democrats, it comes tothe conclusion that HaYES has been elected, and will be inangursted and take his geat without bloodshed or firiog & gun in hostility. It says: The reulur certifcates, which will be forwarded 1o the. President of t! enate, authenticated bY the Governors of the several Siates, give 185 vote3 for Havzs and WiEELER and 184 for TripEx a0d HeNDricss. On the face of the certificates Hatzs is. therefore, elected, and we judge it probsble 1hat the result will stand. At ail events, the bar- den of proof is now on the side of the Democrath, Wwith the prima fucie casve 3gainst them. TUnger 07~ dinary circumstinces the certificates of the Electo ral Colleges are accepted s conclusive, and it 1& uires the strongest rebutting evidence to jmpeach their validity. Tho' Democrats wili make 3 vigor- ous struggle in Congress Lo have the certified vote® of Louisiana thrown out, but we doubt whetber they themeelyes bave any expectation of succl They may zain a_party advantage by agitating the subject and nlmdlni evidences of frand. but it 18 againat alf probapihity that they will succeed niskinz Mr. Triooex the next President of ths United States. They may lay the foundation o7 breaking up the Repablican party, but they are ot likely to prevent the inangurzton of Mr. HarEe, ‘Howerer strongly the Democrats way be convin that they have been cheated unt of the election they will not 2o to the lengthof violence o revold, tiow, but, after re-orting to every conatitntional and peaceful means of remonastrance, they will 3¢ Ieast accept the eituation and attewpt to make po- litical capital out of the frauds which have been precticed upon them. (ov. Szysorm's recent speech and #ll the utterances of accredited Deme cratic leaders bear in this direction. There will be no resort to physical force. Comptrolier GREEN, of New York, bas issued the following comparative statement of the dty debt on Dec. 31, 1873, and on Nov. 30, 157+ "Dec. 31, '75. Nor. 30, "% Punded debt payable from taxaiion and - i "$110,056,003 119,375,313 Temporary debt, pay- able wholly or in part from’ assess- ments. ... .ooeeeere. 21,302,000 22,306,400 Revenue bonds, spe- cinl 460,927 916,438 Revenue bonds, 2 30,000 Revenue bonds. 18 . 9,497,000 Total...... ......5040,52%,031 $15005.151 Dedocs sinking ane. - B TiS07 | 28,2005 B ol e Balance.... -.....! 116,773,724 $124,708,247 It appears from this statemeat that the debt of New York has increased almost eight millons of dollars during the past year. There appesrs to be outstauding & temporary or fluating debé of more than thirty-four millions of dolls® and cities as meutral temitory. They ! suda funded debs of mearly ome ‘hundred asd