Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, January 7, 1877, Page 4

TiE CHICAGO TRIBUNE: SUNDAY. J " 187=SIXTEEN PAGES. ribmne, TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. “BY MiSL—IN ADVANCE—POSTAGE PREPAID AT THs ofFICE. - Daily Editton, postpaid: 1 ye: Farts of a year. per month. postpaid, 1 sear. Parts of a year, per month.. WEEELY EDITION, ‘One copy, per year.. Clubof Specimen coples sent free. “To prevent delay and mistakes, be sure and ive Post- Oftce address in full, Including State and Counts. temittances may be made either by draft, express, Post-Oice order, or fn reietercd letters, at our risk. TERMS TO CITY SUBSCRIBERS. Taly. deltcered, Sunday excepted, 25 cents per week. Tafly, deifvered, Sunday included, 30 cents per week Addsess THE TRIBUNE COMPANY, Corner Madison and Dearhorn-sts... Chleago, fIL DIRECTORY. TRIBUNE BUILDING Rooms. Occupants. 1. CHARTER OAX LIFE (Insurance Dep't.). E ) REN' GUSTIN & WALLACE. J. T. DALE. 3. DUEBER WATCH-CASE MAN'F'G COMPANY. 5. ROBBINS & APPLETON. 6. NEW YORK WATCH COMPANY. . TO RENT. £ WM. C. DOW.. A.J. BROWN. W.ROBBINS. 9. WRIGHT & TYRRELL. 10. CHARTER OAR LIFE (Loan Dep't.). 11-12. FAIRCHILD & BLACEMAN. " E. SEELYE. W. D. COOPER. 14-15. JAMES MORGAN. R. W. BRIDGE. 6. CENTENNIAL PUBLISHING COMPANY. 17. M. D. HARDIN. 15419, D. K. PEARSONS & CG. 20. HUTCHINSON & LUFF. 21. 0. L. BASKIX & CO. 22, ASSOCIATE EDITOR. . 23. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF. 24, MANAGING EDiTOR. 5. ASSOCIATE EDITORS. ¥ 26. L. C. EARLE. 27. W. J. BARNEY & CO. ‘WILLLAM BROSS. . F. NORCROSS. J. A. McELDOWNEY 30, REDPATH LYCEBM BUREAU. 31. COMMERCIAL EDITOR. s2. W. W. DEXTER. 33. GEORGE L. THATCHER- 35, NIGHT EDITOR. 36. CITY EDITOR. 3 Offices fn the Bufidiog to rent by W. C. DOW. Foom 8. — e SOCIETY MEETINGS. grlh Clark ard Cen- LINCOLN PARK COAPTER, NI Special convocation Tucsday even enthe R, ,A:I_ui‘w Jlait commer tre-ste. Vi ‘compaalons cu! of the H. P., PRl SsY LAFAYETTE CHAPTER, XO.2 R ‘u.;l:ns‘z_- st States vocation ioa ening, Jan. A asincss and work. _Visitors conffally invied 1o . rder of H. P.. . meet with us. By order of £ FrioCRER, Secrethry. ' RULE LODGE. No. 726 A. P a0d A. M., =k n Fusiic Insatission of :Em‘fi? in Orlenudl £ st., Tacsdsy crentug, st Hall, J=Lasalleest, Taeslay oy FADYEY, Sec. PLEIADES LODGE, No. 473, A. F. a0d A. M.—Spe- ol o manicatton Thursday’ Evening, Jan. 13 ~in- Staliation of Officers by District De | Avery. Ter order W. M. E Y L, Sec. THE ANYUAL COMMUNICATION OF BLAIR Lodge, 3o, 305, A. F- and A M... fur the electlon of 3 Vel . 8. et NNELL, Secretary. NATIONAL LODGE, No. 598 A. F. aud A, M.— smePcnmn’funlmlnE' will e licid at their hali. cor. Halsted and Jtandolph-ets., Tuesday Evenfag, Jan. 9. 1877, for Installation of Officers. Visiting brethren {ally iu . By order of W. M. AlE conlisl Bisliel. Ry U TEnn. sen. THE ANNUAL CONVENTION OF THE CHICAGO Council of Princesof Jei lem, A. und A., Scottish Rite i‘lnfiiflll& ;’“Allx! Xxgl-l;n Tllllh?l);\'lcnl'n: neat for T oot nicers and pasment of dacs. s e o .mn.\"g L S PG M. e ED GOODALE, Grand DERY. KNIGHTS TEMPLAR— s The Order of the Tied Cross is Commandery on Tuesday, the - commenciog {0 the aflertoon at 3 o'clock. ‘ouncil wiil vlose. Ly 10 o'clock, thus allowing all re present the privilege of reefnz the entire Order cotferred and @t tue sanic thne permittig them o Teach thelr homes before 11 o'clock. Al Str Kafghts are courteously tnvited. BY order of the £. C. 9th L T J. It DUNLOP, Becorder. SUNDAY. JANUARY 7, 1877 Greenbacks at the New York Gold Ex- change on Saturdsy wereworth from 94 to 94} cents on the dollar. * . The failure to approve the bond submitted by Mige Evays has probably disposed of the claims of that statesmen to the South Town Collectorship. Yesterday was his last day to submit a fresh undertaking, and, unsble to secure good and sufficient sureties, he let it go by default. It is' now in order for Col- lector CALLAGHAN to replenish the Treasury by sudden and effectus} exercise of his func- tions. The name of the Hon. Lyaax TRuUMBULL was submitted to the Independents yester- aay s casusl candidate for the Senatorship, bat, for some inscrutable reason, those gen- tlemen who glory in no party affiliations objected to divers and certain salary-grab- bing characteristics of the applicant, and warned him off the premises. They may talk ard explain things as much as they will, but the scent of the salary-grab clings to them still. According to the latest foreign dispatches, it is not Turkey but Russia thatis weaken- ing. The impression is gaining ground that the great tramp-card of a declaration of war will not be played by Russia. The dispatch- es state she is giving out hints that the cause inissne is European rather than Slavonic, . and therefore the other Powers should assist in coercing the Turks, which they refuse to do, and that the Turks have not failed to perceive an advantage accruing to their cause from the irrresolution of Russin and Europe, and are not unlikely to continue unmanageable and stubborn as long as they can flatter themselves that the Conference wilt bresk up without any other result than leaving them masters of the situation. To-morrow is the day for holding the Dem- ocratic State Conventions which have been called to carry out Mr. T1LDEN'S plan to man. ufacture public sentiment in his Lebalf and persuade the country that ho has been de- franded out of the Presidency. We are 2 little curious to know what consideration {hese Democratic Conventions will give to the Groven-CsoNIN conspiracy, which is now proved to have been a plain case of bribery, and in which the money used was probably furnished by TrLpey himself. Even Demo- cratic Conventions can scatcely afford to ig- nore so glaring s piece of scoundrelism as this while virtuously proclaiming agsinst the assumed iniquity of the Louisiana Returning Board. Nor will renewed threats of forcible resistance and civil war come with very good grace {rom a faction that hes to carry the lod of the Oregon bribery. Wouldn't it be well, under the circumstances, for the Dem- ocratic Conventions to-morrow to discuss rother peace and compromiss than resistance and civil war? The Chicago produce markets were irreg- ular Satordey. Provisions were buoysnt, and grain steady. Aess pork closed 25@2740 per bri higher, at $13.00@18.05 for January and $16.27{@18.50 for February. Lard closed s shade higher, at $11.55 cask and $11.65 for February. Meats.closed steady, at 63c for new shoulders, boxed, 9c for do short- ribs,-and 93¢ for do short-clears. Highwines were 4¢ higher, at §1.074 per gallon. Flour was in moderate demand and fim. Wheat closed ic lower, at §1.25} for January and >$1.26§ for February. Corn closed steady, 8t 44c for January and 44fc for February. Oats closed #c higher, at 34jo cash and 854c for February. Rye was stesdy, at 72 Barley was pominal, at 65}@66c cash, and quiet at 67¢ for March. Hogs were 10@15¢ per 100 Ibs higher, at $6.60@7.25 for heavy. Cattle were steady, at $2.75@5.75. Sheep dull. One hundred dgllm in gold would buy $106.37} in greenbacks at the close. — The death of VANDERBILT ends the career of the three noted Cnasvs’ of New York: First, WitLrax B. AsToR, the great landlord and real-estate monopolist; second, A. T. STEWART, the prince among dry-goods mer- chants; and now the king among railroad men succumbs to the King of Terrors. The death of this remarkable trio was preceded & few years by that of the noted editors of New York, viz. : Rayxoxp, the Conservative- Republican editor of the Z¥nes; GREFLEY, the Radical and Protectionist editor of the Tribune; and third, Bexnerr, the Independ- ent and Satanic, of the Heruld. These six men filled a lnrge space in the politics and business of this country,—far larger than that filled by any six living men in America, It has been established by the Senate In- vestigating Committes that there was n pretty direct line of financial communication be- tween Tmpex snd Oregon. The '$8,000 were sent by ManTiv & Ruwvay, of New York, to Labp & Busw, of Salem, Oregon, fora cuxwxfler, whose name was revealed under great ~pressure, and who turns ont to be ome Wmimy Peutoy, & nephew of TmpEy, 2 Secretary of a Democratic Committee, chief manager of TwoEx's Literary Burean, and prospective manager of the White House in the event of a Democratic count-in. BarTox N. Hamrr- soN, ex-secretary to Jerr Davis, and late attorney to Mayor Wickmay, advised the job, AMarTIN, senior member of the New York firm, is & Republican, and was kept in ignorance of the transaction, which was managed by the junior member, RUNYAN, who was a Democrat. Tlo present week will close the Moony and SANEEY campaign in this city. It has been a great popular crusade, and the hold these gentlemen have taken upon the com- munity has steadily increased. We belicve it has been pretty generally admitted by those who have taken pains to observe the work, even when not personally in sympa- thy with emotional religion of any kind, that a vast deal of good has been accom- plished by these daily meetings. Certainly alarge number of people have been led in the way of religious tnd moral thought whom tho usual routine of church life would not have touched, and the hope of a permanent impression is found in the ab- sence of the former indulgence of animal magnetism in revivals which carried people off their feet for the time being, but did not hold them. There has been little of the shouting and ontward manifes- tations peculiar to the old-style camp-meet- ingand *love-feasts,” but the interest which thousands and tens of thousands have de- veloped' in the cause has been of a more rational and intelligent character, and there is no doubt that there are to-day fewer wicked people and a good many more well- disposed people . Chicago than there were before these meetings were started, TILDEN'S EFFORT TO FPURCHASE THE There are signs of consternation and dis- mey among the supporters of Ar. Trpes in Washington. And well there may be. The CronIN conspiracy is taking on such an aspect of infamy, and is being so directly traced to Mfr. TIDEN'S active agency in his own behalf, that the Democratic party can- not in the face of it claim any more sympa- thy or aid from moderate and corservative people in the effort to inaugurate Mr. Tiz- pex at all hazards. The developments from day to dsy concerning the Oregon frand prove beyond any doubt that Mr. Tmpex is the desperate chief of a desperate faction that proposes to stop at nothing to obtain possession of the Government. 'They began with the most earnest protestations of re- form, and succeeded in deceiving & good many people during the campaign; but the first sign of defeat induced them to supply by bribery and corruption what they had failed to achicve before the people; they still have resistance and civil war to fall back on, and they freely menace strife and blood- shed if their other methods fail them. The following extract from the Washington dis- patches to the Chicago Z%nes is significant : Wmient's extraordinary speech in the Scnate yeaterday tas struck the Democrats dumb, It has wholly disturbed, if not obliterated, the dreams of peace which sanguine hopingngainst hope persisted in cherishing. To ncquaint the country with the temper of the Republican Representatives, copies of this ill-timed xnd mischievous oration are to be distributed for public information. Thongh all nhopes of prevailing on the guiding minds of the conspiracy here are well-nigh dismissed, tho past three days have been epent in anxious inquiry by Democrats. They have endeavored to ascertain Who among the Republicane are for and who are against peace. Nomiually six men have taken up the burden of treason and stratagem, and, like CataLisz snd his compatriots, they Loidly make the Senate and House believe that their destiny is common and that the gyvesof party domination and personal success bind them in common bonds. These eix men have not only designed the oppo: tion to T1LbEN's peaceful inauguration, but by in- comparable force of will and audacious methods have deceived a large following of the party throughout the country in the belief that treason is truth and that resistance to TILDEN'S installation is but a continuance of the combat that LiNcoLx’s life was lost in. ‘The special significance of this and several columns of similar bombast and invective is found in the fact that Senator Wrisat's speech was largely devoted to a denunciation of the CmoNIN conspiracy, and to showing how it will fail to give the Democrats the opportunity of rejecting Louisiana, which it was intended to open up to them. The failure of this conspiracy will leave the des- perate office-seekers the single resort of open resistance and the effort to precipitate the country into civil strife. Hence every new demonstration of the infamous character of the Oregon scheme is o blow to be resented and denounced. - ‘ ‘The testimony before the Senate Commit- tee yesterday and the day before, ia con- nection with the light which CroxiNs confession had already shed upon the trans- action, lesves little room to doubt that the Groven-Crox1x fraud wasnot merely sug- gested by TrLDEN, but that he furnished the money which bribed the Oregon Democrats to undertake it. Crovy admitted his re- ceipt of $3.000, but it was known that this was not all the bribe-money, and there was good reason to suspect that the sum of $25,- 000 in all had been used to corrnpt the prin- cipal actors in the conspiracy. It is believed that some clew has been found to a distribu- tion of ihe balanca through the testimony of one Mr. Martrs, of the bamking firm of Aunty & Roxray, of New ¥ %, who drew a check for $8,000 on the Gth of December in favor of Lapp & Busy, of Salem, Ore. This, of itself, would not be important or unusnal, but evidence will probably be forth- coming that Mr. Busa was TILDEN'S financial sgent in Oregon. - The extreme nervousness and anxiety on the part “of Senator EERNAN, of New York, to repress further testimony and clog the investigation also indicate that the Senate Committee have got on the right track. Butastill more significant eircum- stance is in the fact that Mr. MARTIN Was followed to Washington by one HarrisoN,who endeavored to “coach” him (AIARTIY) &s to what evidence he should give before the Committee. This man HanasoN, who was formerly Private Secretary to Jerr Davis, and has more recently held the same position in the employ of Mayor WIOKHAM, Was be- fore the Committes yesterday, snd was questioned ag to the person or persons who induced him to follow up the banker MarTIN. Hargsox at first refused to reveal who his employers were, but, under pain of commit- ment to jail for contempt, he finally acknowi- edged that he was set upon the job by one Prurox, who is Private Seretary to Gov. TILDEN, Of course, it is too carly yet io have dis- covered all the links that connect TILDEN directly with the effort to purchase an Elect- oral vote in Oregon, but it is rcasonably cer- tain (1) that, if TILDEX were in no wise con- nected with 1t, he would not evince so much concern about the testimony to be given con- cerning it ; and (2) that Trzoex himsel could scarcely have given better evidence of this personal concern if he had followed the New York banker in propria persona than by send- ing his Private Secretary on this mission. It is not essy to characterize in proper terms the infamy of the plot. It.is treason in spirit and design, if not technically so ander the law. Itis of the same cruminal nature as the inciting of people to revolt against or- gonized Government. It is an effort to cheat the poople of their consti- tutional right of choosing a President by the base means of = bribery and corruption. The conspiracy was infamous enough while it was supposed to be merely & partisan trick undertaken by FmpEx’s fac- tious friends ; but now that the evidence ac- cumulates that the suggestion came from TrLpex himself, that he furnished the bribe- money, and that he seriously thought of ac- quiring the office of Clief Magistrate by this means, the case stands without a parallel. It 50 completely overshadows all the charges of unfairness in the caso of Louisiana that %he people of this country will not easily be led away from it to furnish any aid or com- fort to the men who has not hesitated to prostitute the chief office in the nation to tho humiliation of purchase from mercenary politicians. . A STARTLING DANGER AHEAD. If Mr. Ricuarp ProCTOR, sstronomer, be an honest and trustworthy man, and a scientist who knows ‘s hawk from a hern- shaw,” there is a startling danger brewing in the celestial regions, in comparison with ®which ordinary horrors would be trifles. According to Mr. Ricesrp Procron, on the eveningbeforelast Thanksgiving the people of a star of the third magnitudo in the constel- Intion of the Swan were deprived of their next day’s dinners by a conflagration of such ~vast dimensions that the efforts of tie steam- ers, were unavailing. The fire raged with great violence for several days, and did not subside until the whole institution was de- stroyed. The loss of life, of course, can never be ascertained, owing to our defective means of =~ communication with that particalar quarter of the Swan where the Iate star was' located. .‘The insurance Josses are of little consequencs, as none of the insurance agerts are left to fur- nish the statistics, and the policy-holders are ell gone. Probably a more complete settle- ment of insurance affairs and winding up of companies, 5o as to be satisfactory to all con- cerned, was never known before. The poli- cies, policy-holders, and companies all ex- pired simultaneously, and no applications will be made for renewals. ~ This disaster of itself would not occasion any particular anxiety upon our own some- what insignificant planet. Our own insur- ance companies had no risks there. We had no commercial relations with its people, no investments in its corner lots, no mortgages on its property, no missionaries spread- ing our Gospel smong its people, with whose particular Gospel we are unacquainted. ‘We should therefore have taken no vital in- terest in their conflagration, elthough we might have hud a feeling of regret that their fire beat ours, and that feeling of sympathy for the Inte iubabitants of the late star which is common to all humanity. Dut Mr. Ricu- anp Procror brings the calamity home to our very doors in a practical—not to say blunt and unfeeling—way, by showing that the same conditions which produced the con- flagration that shriveled up this star exist in our own sun, and are liable at almost any time to be set in operation, with results of combustion so dangerons to the integrity of the sun itself as well as of our own earth as to defy not only the combined efforts of other fire departments but even of oar own matchless one. The ruthless Ricr- ARD thus dances on the edge of the fiery abyss : It appears, therefore, that there is nothing in the long-continued steadfastness of our sun asa source of light o assure us that he, too, may not sudden- 1y blaze forth with many hundred times his usual lustre (the contagration being originated, per- chance, by fome comet unfortunately traveling too directly toward him.) Thongh he would probably cool down again to his present condition in the course of u few wecke, no lerrestral observers would be alive, at any rate, to note the fact, though the whole series of events might afford subject of interesting specalation to the inhabltants of worlds circling round Siriua or Arcturus. ‘The despair of the situation is that Mr. Ricaszp Procton leaves us altogether in the dark as to the time when this extraordinary and interesting event may be likely to occur. Judging by the multitudinous aress of low barometers and thermometers that have been so lavishly dealt out all over the country since last Fourth of July, we are in no im- mediate danger of being cremated at pres- ent; on the other hand, thers is a possibility that we may be congealed and kept on ice until the remotest time. If there is to be a solar disturbance of any sort, it will proba- bly happen because the solar stokers have quit work for want of fuel, and the sun is a burnt-out slag, with about as much warming power in it as there is inacubeof ice. It may be, however, that the present coolness be- tween the earth and the sun is only for the purpose of getting & good ready, and that even before spring sets in the newspapers of Arcturus and Sirius may be sell- ing estras giving sensational accounts of our fire. Should such an undesirable event occur, it would not be without some slight consolation to parties having notes maturing ninety days from now; to the afflicted people of this whole country, as em- phatically solving the problem as to the man- ner of counting the Electoral vote; and to the pe.. % of Chicago, as-being an. effectual | smasher of the County Ring. Our particular object, however, in alluding to this unpleesant topic is to inform ir. ! Rromann ProocTor, who is éixxng his intelli- gence from the Swan with so much im- portance, and predicting oux possible crems- tion with so much gusto, that he is an- nouncing nothing méw. Our own astron- omer five years ago, writing in his ¢ Star Studies” of ‘the star Tau in the Northern Crown, which was burned in 1866 by a con- flagration of hydrogen-gas, ssys : Now, we know that immense zggregations of bydrogen are present in the'sun: and it s not im- possible that'a similar phenomenon has occurred inthe past, or may occur in the future, in the centre of our system; though it fs not probable, owing to the absence of. oxygen. What wonld be the result of such o change in the sun? It would undoabtedly cause such an immense increase in the temperatare of the earth as to revolutionize our globe completely, killing off most of the plants and animals now existing, culling ont mighty eruptions of the fluid interior, and leaving the world a wreck. Should such a calamity as our astronomer predicts and Mr. Ricmarp Prooror copies ever occur, we desire it to be placed on record that Tae Cricaco TRIBUNE, as usual, was ahead of all its contemporaries in an- nouncing it ; and we would csll the attention of “the inhabitants of worlds circling round Sirins or Arcturns"—either will do—to this fact, in order that Tme TRIUNE may bave the credit of it in their ¢ interesting specala- tions ” the day after the fire. OPTIONAL STUDIES IN THE PUBLIC SCIHOO0LS. Some months ago we published & decision by the Supreme Court of this State, in which the power of Boards of Ecucation, School Trustecs, and others, to compel children at- tending the public schools te take lessons in branches not designated by law to be taught in schools supported by putlic taxation was considered and overruled. The study in that case, and which the Court decided could not be enforced, was bookkeeping; and for ex- cluding from school s child who refased to . accept lessons in that study the Court award- ed damages. 'This decision was so clear, and so eminently just, that it attracted marked attention in Chicago, more particularly be- cause it applied directly to the study of Ger- man, music, and drawing, which were com- pnlsory studies in our publi schools. The Board of Education undertook to grapple with the problem how to retain these studies in the schools and yet not violate the law of the State as asserted by the Supreme Court. The Hon. Isaac N. AnvoLp, &+ member of the Board of Education, finally reported a rule on the subject, which was s sort of compro- mise. This rule reads as follows: The Superintendent is herety authorized and directed, on the reasonable reqest of the parent or guardian, to excuse puplls in the Grammar and Primary Schools from any and from all studies which are contiuved from the Grammar Schools m- to the High Schools, and which src made optional in the High Schools: Provided, that thst the re- quest to be excused shall take effect at the begin- uing of each term. uuless for special reasons the Superintendent shall be satistied that the pupil ought to be excused before the expiration of the term. Hercafter, on or before the commencement of each term of the Primary or Grimmar Schools of the city, each and - every parent or guardian who desires his child, eor children, or ward to study German, music, or drawing in any of the sald schools, shall sign and send o wiitten request, ad- dressed to the Superintendent. expressing such wizh, and agreeing that such child or children shall coutinne said study in course, aad that he or she will ot ask to have such child or children excused, except at the beginning of a term, unless for rea- sons arising after the beginning of tho term, snd - which shall be satisfactory to the Superintendent. A now term of the public schools will be- gin to-morrow, and no child can hereafter be required to take lessons in German, music, or drawing unless the parent or guardian of such child shall have made & re- quest in writing expressing a wish to that effect, and agreeing thst such child or chil- dren shall continue such study, and that he or she will not ask to kave the child excused from such study before the end of the term. In other words, the study of German, music, aud drawing has been discontinued in the public schools, and cannot be resumed un- less at the special request in writing of, the parent. The rule, it should be remembered, dees not permit the resumption of these studies unless there be objection; but it prohibits such studies sltogether unless the parent moke the special written request and give the pledge required by the rule. There has always been a complaint against the en- forced,study of music and drawing, and the extent to which these studies nre considered superfluous and a waste of time will to some extent be shown by the proportion of parents who will give these written requests that the children shall be taught these branches. At all events, the studies includ- ing German are no longer compulsory, and the rule is in strict subordination to the law and the decision of the Court. The desperate character of the Ringsters in the County Board, in their attack npon Commissioners Arxirs and FrrzGeeamo for refusing to consent to corrupt and illegal drafts upon the County Tressury, isa fair sample of the infamous conduct of thisRing in general. Inselecting McCaFrrer to bull- doze FrrzaErRALD, they have only acted with that insolence end audacity which have char- acterized their proceedings from the outset, I'heir only motive is plunder, and to draw bills upon a Treasury without money and hawk the county's credit about the streets, is to them a trifling matter. They arein for plunder so ‘long as the bonds last. Plunder has marked their every stép. They have multiplied offices, increased salaries, raised taxation, sold Dbonds, spent money, and pil- laged the taxpayers, under the cover of 2con- omy and **Reform.” When they have been indicted for their offenses Dby an indignant. popular sentiment, they have obtnined changes of venue, car- ried off their cases to foreign Courts, beaton the prosecution by quibbles and technicali- ties,,and then resumed their rascslities, after the manner of the New York Ring. In the City Government, the taxpayers drove out of power the exact complement of this County Ring, made up of just such tax- eaters and corruptionists, and purified the | whole fabric from top to bottom. In afow weeks’ time they closed up the sinecurcs, re- duced the number of employes, and the gen- eral -expenses and appropriations, stopped unnecessary works, and saved in the general expenses of the city from a million and a half to two millions of dellars. In the other branch, however, nothing has been done. Intrenched behind its Ring, they have in- creased expenses, reduced nothing, stclen right and left from taxpayers, and even from the paupers, and have so increased the area of pillage and their own industry in pillag- ing that the Board hus become a festering mass of. corruption. 8 There never was such o necessity for re- form in this Board as now. It must be dene speedily and in the simplest manner possi- ble; and the Cook County delegation should lose no time in bringing a bill before the Legislature making the whole Board electire on ope’ general ticket, and the Legislature should lose no time in passing it and coming to the relief of the plundered taxpsyersof | the connty before their entire substance is stolen by these cormorants. With regard to the threatened resignation of the President of the Board, if the Ring is not allowed to have full sweep, we have only a word to soy. Nine-tenths of the pecple ‘of the city and county are hoping, longing, prayiog for Horpe to resign. If he will only do so, he will be'the most popular man in Chicago the day after his resignation. The people will then find o different man to fill the place. Any change would be an improvement. A FIRE-EATING GOVERNOR. Ex-Gov. Brow, of Georga, has had an opportunity offered him of putting himself on official record as the champion fire-eater of that State, if not of the whole South. The occasion was presented to him in a let- ter written to him by a handful of citizens of Atlantn, asking him to contribute his views of the present political situation for publica- tion. In reply the Governor spreads himself over two columns of vituperation, and mis- statement, and false assumptions, in o man- ner calculated to fire the Southern heart. The Governor starts off with the assumption that the Republicans have made a false and fraudulent, canvass of the votes in South Caroling, Florida, and Louisiana to count in Haves and Wieeren, and then indorses the Oregon swindle, as giving the Democrats the prima facic right to the insnguration of their candidate, even supposing the Electoral vote of these thres States to be counted for Haves. Gov. BrowN’s letter was written Dec. 30, nnd at that time he evi- dently had not heard that the Congressional Comumnittees had reported a fair count of the vote in South Carolina for Haxes 'and ‘WrzeLes. He had pot heard that the Democe- racy had also virtnally conceded Florida to the Republicans. Of course, he was not aware of the little bonus that was paid to Croway, according to CroNmN's own confes- sion, for the part that he played in the ras- cally operation. And as he says that the popular will was expressed legally and peacenbly at the ballot-box in all the South- ern States, of course he has heard nothing of the intimidation, terrorism, violence, bulldozing, and other features of the Alis- sissippi plan for TipeN and Reform that were practiced in Louisiana. Btarting out upon such false premises as these, of course he jumps at the conclusion that Truoey and HENDRICES are elected, and that they must be inaugurated, and he for- mulates his reply to any one asking for the position of the South in the following words: “We have confidence in the Northern De- mocracy. Weleave them to decide this is- sue. And we will, during the emergency, stand by them with immovable firmness, be the consequences what they may.” The Atlan- ta Constitution, Gov. Browx's mouthpiece, presents this position more forcibly, perhaps, in the following extract from an editorial ar- ticle commenting upon the letter: The South Jost all in the last War but their lands snd their ability to fight; and if the men who have oppresscd us whenever an opportanity vresented itself think we have no desire to exercise that abil- ity, becausc we have 80 long submitted to outrages and oppressions, they do mot know us. We will bear many things rather than be blamed for bring- ing onanother war; but, if it comes to the necessity of asserting a vital coustitntional right, and not to = mere gectional strife, we are as ready to exercise that ability as were our forefathers of the Revolu- tion. Both the Governor and his organ go fur- ther than, the other fire-eaters, Even the Memphis Appeal, that blustering swash- buckler, says: °Tmpex and HENDRICES are constitutionally elected or they are not. 1f they are, they should and will be put in office. If they are not, then Haves must be sccorded his legal rights, ‘There is nothing in the trouble that admits of-a compromise or any half-way course. The motto of the Southern Democrats is ¢ All or nothing.'” The motto of Gov. Browx is “All” His position is that TrLoEN is elected and must and shall be insugurated, or the South will fight. In teking this position he has low- ered himself in the estimation of Northern people to the level of the craziest fire-eater in the South. LIFE-INSURANCE. There i8 undoubtedly & large increase in the public apprehension of a serious and preity general panic among the life-insurance companies of this country. For years we have been told that life-insurance is based upon such absolute calculation of the chances that failure is impossible, and the practice of taking out policies for the benefit of surviv- ing families hns probably become more gen- eral than in any other country in the world. The theory of life-insurance mey be as trust- worthy as it is represented to be, if it were honestly carried out. But in this, as in other business, speculation and competition have become so rife as to jeopardize the integrity. of the system. All sorts of new devices have been introduced to attract in- vestments, and no other traffic has been so universally and persistently urged by person- al solicitation. Meanwhile it-is notorious that the expenses of the life companies have been recklessly extravagant, and the invest- ment of the fauds has been in keeping with the careless and speculative tendency of the times. The failure of two or three promi- nent companies has naturally directed atten- tion to the character of the assets and man- ngement of other companies thut have stood still higher and commanded greater confi- dence. The disposition to investigate onght to be encouraged, and every policy-holder in whatever company will-do well to promote end assist tho most rigid scrutiny of its af- fairs. It is notorious that many of our life companies have for years been the means of paying officers and agents the most extravagant salaries, and their expenses in the way of lavish sppointments and special efforts to solicit tusiness have been out of all proportion. It is equally notorious that the investments and assets of life com- panies have shrunk like all other property and securities, and it is high time that more rigid laws be adopted by all the States, and greater individual precaution taken against investments in policies. - No disappointment is keener than the loss of money paid to se- cure a futura return for wife and children, and no deviltry more outrageous than to swindle men out of earnings and savings in- vested for soloyal a purpose. We are satis- fied that the timme has come for a general overhauling of the life-insurance companies, no matter how high or low. The Caonstitation of the State, in Sec. 20 of Art. V1., provides: ‘The General Assembly may provide for the estab- lishment of & Probate Court in each county having popalation of over 50,000, and for the electlon of aJudge thereof, whose term of oftice shall be the same as that of the County Judge, and who aball be elected at the same time and in the same manner. Said courts, when cstablished, shall have original jurisdiction of all probate matters, the settlement of estates of deceused persons, the appointment of guardians and comservators and settlement of their accounts, in all matters relat- ng to apprentices, and - in all cases of the sales of real estate of deceased persons for the payment of debts. This provision was intended to relieve the County Courts of this class'of business whenever the business of such courts shonld have 5o increased as to justify the establish- ment of a court for probate business alone. There can be 1o guestion that the business ‘of our County Court has so increased as to render it impossible for one Judge, even though ho hold court daily throughout the year, to perform the business. The probate business alone is sufficient to give full occn- pation to n Court who shell give the proper deliberation to the consideration of the pro- ceedings in that class of cases. The estab- lishment of this Probate Court would still leave the County Court with considerable oc- cupation. In that event,all appeals from Justices of the Peace in this county might be transferred from the crowded dockets of our other courts, and made to the County heard Appeals from the County Court to the Supreme Court in cases originating befors Justices of the Court, where they could bo and decided promptly. Peace should be restricted to cases involv- ing the validity of » statute or of a municipal ordinance. This wonld work a most beneficial effect. It would relieve the Circuit Courts, and would secure a prompt hearing and de- termination of these appesals, which are largely taken for purposes of delsy. To the same Court there might be given other jurisdiction, so as to embrace certain busi- ness now required of the Circuit Judges. The Legislature has full power over the question of the jurisdiction of the County, Probate, and other Courts, and in this way may give even more salisfactory relief to the Courts of this county than would be obtained by the mere appointment of another Judge It would enable the probate business to be attended to without the interference of other busigess as now, and generally promote expedition, avoid delays, and improve the administration of of the Circuit Court. the law. COMING TO HONOR. Chicago is famous for bringing new men to the front. It shares this characteristic with other Western cities, only it leads all The activity and competition at- tending life in new commanities are largely responsible for this result, and Chicago is the the rest. very centre and maelstrom of such forces. A rapid and violent agitation of parties brings the largest of them to the top. Shaoke 2 box of pebbles, and the small ones settle to ‘We do not advance this, how- ever, as the only explanation of the manner in which the largest apples so invariably reach the top of the barrel, and the plumpest berries are on the surfzce layer of the boxes. the bottom. That fact may be owing to the jolting which the fruit receives in its transportation by railroad ; great city, whers every man finds his chence of work in a crowd, and where the opportunity of success depends quite as mauch upon what is inside of 2 man as upon ‘what is outside of him, upon his individnal largeness as upon his surroundings, it is soon determined whether one hes in him the ma- terial of success. It does not follow that the fortunate possessor of ability will make an instant leap to prominence. The first shake of the box will not bring the biggest pebble to the surface, but it will start it in that di- rection, and each new shake will urge it nearer to the light. In Chicago, the hard rubs which come of social friction and basi. ness competition throw a man back en his native resources, and bring forth what he has of talent and tact, of perseverance and en- durance. In the end, these qualities are sure to win. They push the man past his com- petitors, they place and keep him in the front, and they compel recognition. Passing the numerous illustrations which might be indicated in our mercantile and political ranks, we note now those in the re- ligious ecircles of Chicago. For our city has drawn upon it, of late years, the attention of Christendom for its ability to originate novel forms of religious effort, and to send out the men capable of directing the new forces. With surprise does one call over the roll of Chicago lay-evangelists and singers whose names are now familiar ot only to the Northwest, but also to the East and to Great Britain. There are Moopy, SANKEY, WarrreE, Buiss, Jacoss, Core, FarwELy, and RocEwELL, besides many lesser lights. How came such a company of workers to spring up in this city ? Itis not necessary to resort to any theory of a Divine partiality for Chicago, such as located it at the head of lake navigation. - Such a suggestion, even if established by indubitable evidence, would be too much for the serenity of St. Louis, which, with its saintly name but worldly life, could not endure the thonght. That any one should elaim that Chicago had been ¢ glected” or *‘foreordained” to be the religious leader of the nation would be at- tributed to the Calvinistic influence on this mefropolis of the three theological semina- ries located here,—the Congregational, the Presbyterian, and the Baptist. Aund so, to avoid theological controversy, we fall back upon an explanation from natural causes, which, fortunatcly, are sufficient for our purpose. A little thonght suggests that the charac- teristic spirit of a place passes into its type of religion. There is a perceptible difference between city piety and country piety. Each form has its odvantages and disadvantages. The rural saint may be more sedate and re- flective, but then heis slower-paced in all respects. The city saint may have his de- fects, but he is active, quick-witted, and liberal. - He outgrows narrow idess and picayune methods. He is the same man on Sunday as on other days; inthe church as on 'Change. He carries his progressiveness into his religious conceptions and work. He Liolds more meetings, Iays out broader plans, and gives more money, than does his country brother. And so it naturally comes to pass that Chicago enterprise makes its way from the Board of Trade into the churches, and that religious men who have business push find themselves put forward as Sunday- School Superintendents, deacons, trustees, and exhorters. 'The men who are mow dis- tingnishing themselves as revivalists showed cheracter and ability 1n other pursuits. Mr. Moopy was a-.good salesman ; Mr. WeITTLE gave up a $5,000 business salary to become an evangelist; the lamented Alr. Briss was a successful choir-lender and conductor of musical conventions; Mr. Jacoss is on the alert still in secular as well as in religions affairs; Mr. Fanwers is one of ‘our mer- chant-princes ; and Maj. CoLe was & capital army officer. These andother usefal workers were far from being ninnies and nobodies. Look at Mr. Moopy's well-proportioned head, the back and front balancing esch other grandly, and one may see that this success- ful evangelist and religious General, though he may have been built up by grace, was also built up on brains, end was finished off by Chicago activity. - There is no use in trying to make brick without straw in the sphere of religion, any more than down in old Egypt- Providence prepares its chosen in- struments, and Chicago bas proved to be a first-class workshop for the purpose. It has but we. do not affirm that it is. But in the stir aod bustle of a - Theseam was built, belonzed to **a large pers at the counting-room. Price tive cents circles that Mr. i earnest in Lis threat to resign from the Board wasnot kept up to a level with the spending prac gaged at La Scala, Milan. in Charleston, S.C.. were Xilled bys latefresh The cold must have been surprising to the P&t of thatlatitade. mission to the White House pear In apparel becoming ber sex;’ desires to abolish the Presidency. - dates for the London School Board at t . early in December. The Thmes says that the T eral elections canse **great satisfaction.” . .- sulted with some honor to the Northwesterd U3% versity at Evanston. The-first prize in 0% +was taken by Hamilten College, but F. M. ¥ s, i, the needful iron and fire, the bello and sledge. . ] i But, then, eachman comes to the front of - bonor and usefalness in this Chicago relip, &% ious work by persevering use of his pnfimfli 2 talent, whatever that may chance tobe, N, i two of them are very much- alike, M. ‘Warrree differs perceptibly from Mr. Méon:‘ and Mr. Jacoss is unlike 3aj. Cote, 'whfl; p the singing of Mr. BLIss was 10 copy of thet = of Mr. Savkry. Two things helped every one of these workers into ‘the peculiar fielg where his powers are now displayed. H perseveringly put to use what ability he had, and he wrought in a community quick to discover talent, aid prompt to employ jt, No one is entitled to say that even M, Moops Would have become the man he jgfy- any other cily—say in New York or in Bog. ton. Nor yet can it be claimed that Chicagy has any power to manufacture Moobrs as will. But, given aman whe, like Moopr, has- piety, common sense, readiness to learn even by kis own mistakes, and whole-hearted con. sceration to & single aim, and Chicago is thy Plece to develop what is in him, and to pre-, pare for him a future.. Doing one thing per. sistently, and learning to do it better and better day by day, he will find that the op. portuanities to do it will mrultiply, that men will recognize in him the one who hns skill in that direction, and that, in a placsso alive, many will respond to his appeals, will emulate his example, and, will work under his guidance. And so it is that, wicked ag Chicago may be on a certain side, it is nevertheless a special religious power. It not only has its churches 'and ministers, jts + University and theological seminaries, but it’ has the manifold and peculiar influences which make it the fountain-head of lay. evangelism, 2 . It is obvious that more stringent laws ary demanded in this country for the punish. ment of men who are guilty of betrayal of trusts. The disappearance of Mr. Ors D, Swax, of New York, is but one of halfa dozen conspicuous cases of late, and thers have been scores of others in our large cities which have not reached the same notoriety.) One Cores Mogeis is added to the list to-day, who has stolen $150,000 from people who ::f 3 trusted him. There is practically no remedy for the betrayal of trust except a civil pre. i ceeding, which, as o rule, is fruitless; and 3 the failure of the laws to recognize and ‘pupish such betrayal'as a crime has removed pretty much all restraint, and rendered the temptation proportionately greeter. The crime is really one of the mos: odious imagi- nable, as the loss most frequently falls upon widows and orphans, and always upon these 2 4 : EE 2 i who have implicitly confided in the person i} who has betrayed them. It ought to be £ punished as theft,—for it is theft of the % most infamous character. Asitis, themen 3 who are guilty of it bave so little fear of the consequences that they often do not even % run away, s Swax has done, but face itont among the very people whom they have be- trayed, and appeal to the sympathy of the commanity for the misfortanes thet have overtaken them while speculating with other people’s money. The hard times ‘have naturally exposed many of the scoundrels who might otherwise have concealed their crime, but the nuwber who have been dis- covered only emphasizes the necessity for an improvement in our laws in this regard. . MYCENE. The Nation discusses st some length the wom- 1 derful discoveries of Dr. SCELIEMANN at Olym- pia, Greece, bringing us startling news of the leroic age, the time described 1 the Illad and § Odyssey. *The massive wulls of the citadel of Mycenz, with thelr low guteway threatening invaders with its two lions—the arms of the ATRID.E—have always given AGaMEMNON and CLYTEMNESTRA & greater show of reality than was generally allowed to Priade and Hecosa” The Varion remarks: ‘We have, unfortunately, very few anclent no- tices of Mycewe to help ua In identifying the tombs and monuments now disclused. Hoxzz calls the city **golden ™ (an eplthet amply justified by the new explorations), **wide-streeted,” agd **well-built.” The scene of the ** Agamemnon and the ‘‘Choephora™ of Escuvius was laidat Argos, probably from politcal motives; the open: ingof the **Electra™ of SoruecLes gives a vivid ictare of Mycenz and other points in the Argolic andscape, but no togugraphical detsils, and the “Orestes™ of EURIPIDES gives no help. Tuvct- Dives tells us that Mycena was a small place, bat warns us against doubting its aucient power on this account. Inthe second century A. D., more than 100 years after DIoDORTS and STRABO Iepre: sented the site of the city as desolate—STraBo even afirming that not the least trace of ancient Mycen2 could be found—the traveler PAUSANIAS Visit the ruins. and hie. brief description fs the only ancient account which can- help ns now. He mentions (ii., 16) the remains_ of the old wall expeciully the gatewsy with **lions standing 03 & Heascribes this wall and that of Tiryos 10 the Cyclope, He then mentions a fountain msmed Persein. and **subterranean chambers of ATRUS and his sons, in whica their treasures were kept. -~ And there is a tomb of ATnEUs, " he adds, alao tombs of AGAMEXNON and of all thuse who re- turned with him from Troy, and were mardereé by Autspnus ata bunquet,” He says that the tombof CassaxDRA was disputed by the Lacedxmonians AsveL, who professed to have the genaine one; but there was 3 tomb 0f AGAXZMNON distinct from this, and one of ECRYMEDON, his churioteer, 8218 third in which TELEUANUS and PELOPS, twin sous Cassasona Killed by EaisTurs, were buried:Ets: 7Titus and CLYTENNESTIA Were bucied just outsideof the walls, that they might not desecrate the burial lace O AGaNEMSON and thuse who perished with im. The Nation don’t kmow what to_make-of th story of the skeleton giants found. It 82y But the most estraordinary statement iy - the fol- lowingz _ *~'The bones which I found ate like{is Lones” of giants, of extraordinary size, and the teeth very farge.” We forbear to comment ¢o until we get more of the fucts and some of the figures; but we cite, in the meantlme, two cases which may on one supposition presenta el The skeleton which CioN brought to Athensid 468 B, C.. as that of Thesgvs, and over which e Lody o and » bronze spearand sword were found budded by its side. The coffinin which the bones OnEsTES were found at TEGEA was t=n 3ud one- feet long, and the . hero's body was sald tobst filled the whole length (Hdt. i., 83). If we mfi: huve AGAMEMNON'S skeleton. let nshnpemf‘ may not fall ahort of that of his son UszsTes! et We printed 2 large extra edition of TE2 TriBusE's comprehensive and excellent review o thetrade and commerce of Chicago for 1575 Itis the best document business-men can sl to their friends aud acquaintances abroad. There are a few coples left, to be had in single wrap~ @ each. —————— ‘Thére is much apprehension in local C. C. P. HoLpex Wwas I political - not in Commissioners if the fiscal credit of the county tices of his Board. 3 —————— 5 Many persons are distrustfal that C. C. nPi HoLp-0¥ don’t intend to let-go, and that he ™! go back on his word and stick like 2 blood-leeck to the County Treasury while there 13 & dime in It. ———————— PERSONAL. : Aiss Blanche Tacker, of Chicago, bas been ¢ Three Eacalyptus trees which had been plaated Mrs. Dr. Mary Walker bas been ‘refased 83 tion 1o tho W ++ until she can 8 andnow 18 sful candt Four women were among the succes: ; he electios The inter-collegiate contests at New York i