Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, January 14, 1877, Page 4

4. THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE: SUNDAY. JANUARY 4, 1877—SIXTEEN PAGES. The Tribrne, TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. BY MALL~IN ADVANCE—POSTAGE PREPAID AT s THIS OFFICE. 5 Dally Editlon, postpald: 1 year. Part 0f @ year. per wontl, Mailed to any address four % eeks for. Sunday Edivion: Literary and Lelfous Houbie " Sheet . . “Irl-Weekly, postpald. 1 year. Parts of a yéar, per month.. WEEKLY EDITION, POSTFAID. Que copy. per year. Clubof tes... Club of twenty, Postage prepa) Specimen coplea sent free. Yo prevent delay and mistakes, be sure and give Post- Oftce address in tull, including State and County. Remittances may be made elther by drafl, express, Post-Oftice order, or fn registered letters, at our risk. TERMS TO CITY SUBSCRIBERS. Lally, delfcered, Sunday excepred, 25 cents per week. Dally., delivered, Studsy focluded, 30 cents per week Address THE TRIBUNE COMPANTY, Corner Madison and Dearborn-sts.. Chicago, fll. G DIRECTORY. TRIBUNE BUILD Roums. Occupan 1. CIARTER OAK LIFE (Iasurance Dep't.). = TO R 5. ROBBINS & APPLETON. & NEW YORK WATCH COMPANY. . TO RENT. £ WM. C.DOW. A.1 BROWN. W.ROBBINS. 9. WRIGHT & TYRRELL. 10. CRARTER OAK LIFE (Loan Dep't.). 13-12. FAIRCHILD & BLACKMAN. HEXRY E. SE COOPER. JAMES MORGAN. ‘I W. BRIDGE. 16. CENTENNIAL PUBLISHING CUMPANT. 1Y, 21. 0. L. BA! 22, ASSOCL, A. McELDOWNXET UIREAD Otlices In the Buflding to rent by W. C. DOW. Eoom 6. £ AL Bulia: ventug, Jan. 18 st 350 pom., will T the de of M.'SL. Visiulng brothren are’ cor- dinily nvited 1o meel with us. i1l members of this Lodge a7e herelis notliied to atieh er of WM. it 74 aud 76 Monroe-tt.. on Koight \llg‘(’“r‘l-nfk’iu ;hc‘li:"‘)‘re# 23 ta courtcously nvited. . B¥ orzer o e iy Ny Ty LOP, CIGAT MAKER'S UNION. No, 11, of T., will bold their next meeting Morday HA R e Sty racst ALl membersare i YRED K officers an on Tuesday. .lan. 14, 1877, Taneral of Gur iaie brotlier. G. "CRCSADEH 1LODGE, NO. ‘;‘F P}:A“ x:“"éld. TS of soder ge. )f P, are reguust P etk thets Castle Hall Tuursday evening, Jan. 15 t business. FOTImPOTLARL DUSIRES 11X MARRIS, K. of P. snd 5. LAFAYETTE CHAPTER. XO, 2. R. A. M.—Hall 122 - Lsfalle-st. Speclul Convoeation Mondzy eventng, Jau. 13, at sy orclock. forwork ontiie AL degree. Vhitors sonfally fnvited.” By o e 1. P ondtalls foited. By orer ! YECKFE. Secremnry. CORINTHIAN CHAPTER. cfal Convoestion Mundar Gelock. Work on the M; JANTARY 14, 1§ SUNDAY. Alr. PrxcmBAcCE, it is said, has gone over to the Democracy to sscure the TUnited States Senatorship, supposed to have been pledged bim if ke would lend Lis talents to the reor- ganization of that disrupted party. Axpresox, the Independents’ choice for Senator, appears by advices to be gathering strength, while the Democratic burnt offer- ings are being rapidly shorn. Now is the time to trke the shoe-pegs out of the dark | horse’s oats and turn him loose. fat and sleek, for the consolidation of the temporiz. ing vote. It is now quite posil v asserted that Sen- stor Boenrer has not fAedged himself to any candidate for the United States Senate, snd that he still feels himsclf at liberty. tomake his choice. We bad set him down as pledged to Gen. LoGay, and couuted him as one of the 100 votes Logax would have if tho cau- cus could whip in everybody within reach. —— The grand curling tournament for the Gorpox and Direryrre medals will com- mence Wednesday and last three days. Li coln Park lake will be the theatre, and s teen clubs will pavticipate. Yor the in- formation ‘of the uninitisted. Trie Tzipuse this morning publishes 2 deseription of the highly interesting game with rn illustration. Mixe Evans appeared at the adjourned meeting of the South Town Board yesterday, and demanded time to strengthen his bond and secure a mandamus compelling the Su- pervisor to approve the same. The Board took a recess for a week, and it is rumored that ot the end of that time Marx Knmary, a prominent Demoecrat, will be sppointed Collector. The plan of convening a Democratic Con- vention in Washington on the 14th of Feb- Tuary, to take action upon the counting of the Electoral vote, was submitted to Mr. TzroEx lost night. He is reported as reticent on the subject, full consideration of which was postponed because of the absence of Mr. Ssnta, who bas a proposition leading toward the arming of the delegates with pop-guns. Dispatches indicate that Mr. Jaurs Goz- Do~ BENNETT sailed from New York yester- dgy on the steamer City of Richmond, bound for Liverpool, There is nothing to induce belief that he took any particular wife with kim, and it is doubtful if he has married Miss May. The wonnded brother Las not as yet come forward with any statement, thongh there is time yet, as the uine days allowed to the wonder have not yet elapsed. During the past week the premium ongold hasbeenaslow as3 3-5. Itwill be fifteen years next June since gold was guoted as low as it ispow. It stood Saturday at a quotation of 106@1064, at which figure the greenback closed J¢ higher, at 35}c cash and 35%c for February. Rye was stendy, at 2. Barley closed 3¢ lower, at 61}e for cash or Febraary and 62¢ for March. Hogs weré 10@15c per 100 1bs lower, at $6.10@6.50. Cattle were steady, at @6.50. Sheep were nominal, at §3.00@5.25. One hundred dollars in gold would buy $106.62} in greenbacks at the close. “ —— The County Board is now considering, through jts Committee, the purchase of sup- plies for the Poor-House, Hospital, County Agent, and the various sources which eat up 50 large an amount of the taxpayers’ money. In times like these, and under the present shrinkage in prices, no business. man need be told that all the supplies can be bonght at lower prices than at any time before for many years, and that, if the County Board ‘were g0 disposed, {he contracts could be let 50 23 to save many thousand dollars over previous expenditures for the same pur- pose. The indication in the - Commit- tee's action is. that the Ring favorites, well known by their long career in plun- dering the county, are to receive, as usugl, the preference. While this is sincerely to be deprecated, such a result will not be entirely without compensation. It will as- sist materially in strengthiening the move- ment in Springfield to secure from the Leg- islature the requisite authority to elect an eu- tirely new balch of Commissioners this fall by a vote of the county at large. We under- stand that several of the present members of the Board are vociferously declaring that they have no objection to this project. We liope they mean it, for in that event they will organize no opposition to the bill that has been introduced into the Legislature, and we are quite sure that they can find some field of usefulness to themselves that will not be so costly to the public. The testimony of C. C. Jorpay before the Seuste Commiitee yesterday traces the £8,000 check directly to the person of Sayoes J. Troex, the Democratic candidate for President, and shows that it was in- tended to be used for the purpose of pur- chasing an Electoral vote in Oregon. Mr. Jompax is the Cashier of tlie Third National Bank in New York, and testifies that Mr. TiLpEN is one of the Directors, and owns §68,000 stock in the bank. He further testifies that he ordered MarTry & Rryyox to draw the $8,000 check on Oregon at the request of Col. Wiriax T. PELTON, nephew of Mr. Tmpex and Secretary of the Demo- eratic National Committee, aud that this Col. Pruroy became personally responsi- Dle for the smount. The agency and purpose. could scarcely be more apparent if AMr. Titpey bunself had drawn the check snd sent it to Oregon with a letter explain- ing that the sam was to be used to buy him an Electoral vote. The most obvious ex- planation of the return of the check (ordered by telegraph) is that the larger sum of money previously sent by express arrived in tiwe to render the telegrapkic check un- pecessary. All this shows that the Dem- ocrats at first intended to rast upon the prima-fucie case which they thought they would secure by stealing n vote in Oregon, and also that the man whom the Democrats are seeking to place in the President’s chair at all hazards has not hesitated to descend to this method of corruption and bribery to gratify his ambition. The showing is one that ought to overwhelm =2ll Democratic pretensions, . THE SENATORIAL ELECTION. - ¢ The Senctorial contest at Springfield has progressed so far as to have four candidates formally nominated, to be voted for on Tues- Qay nexi. The candidstes ilms nominated are Gen. Locax, by tte Republicans; Gen. Pauyre. by the Democrats; Judge Davis, by the House Independents: and W. B. Ax- DERSON, by the Senate Independents. Mr. Joux C. Harves, of this <ity. Independent, is not committed to either of these candidates, The relative strength of parties is : Repub- licans, 109 ; Demovrats, 99 ; Independents, 5. The faction known es House Independents are oll Democrats ; there are saversl Demo- craticSenators professing to ba Independents, but will certainly vote for a Demoerat. The complication is increased by an intimation that there are severel Repub.icans who will two, certainly one, Democrat wlho will vote for Logav. Under this statement any of our readers can fignre ont the probabilitics of the election. There is considerable sham in all this business. The expectancy of Demoeratic votes for Loaax isunquéstionably a @elusion, if not a false pretenss. The nomination of ANDERSON i a fraud, the intention being to transfer his faction direct to Parser when- ever those votes will elect him. In like manyer, the nomination of Judge Davis is to furnish Republicans who are opposed to Locax with a candidate they can vote for, until such time as a sufficient number can be obtained to eleet Parxer. Failing to elect PALAER, it is probable Davis will be adopted in his place. ® Upon the assumption that Gen. Loaax can obtain the votes of all the Republican mem- bers, he will Inck 3 of an election, and must obtain them from the five Independents; and assuming that Paryee can obtain all the Democratic votes, he will lack 4 votes, which must be drawn from the same five Independ- ents. The real candidates, therefore, before the Legislature are LogAN snd Pawyer. They are both well known to the conntry and to the people of this State. Gen. Locax is the nominee of the Repnblican caucus. It is not denied that there is an opposition to his re-election in the Republican party ; but we know of no Republican who desires him to be sncceeded by Parazs, The Republicans of Illinois desire that s Republican Senator be elected, and if, under all the circum- stances, Gen. LoGAN can more certainly com- mand & majority than any other Republican, then his election should be secured if pos- sible. 5 Gov. PALMER is & man of intellectual abili- ty, and & man whose personal record is be- yond reprosch; aman of generous impulses, with genial, warm-hearted manners that en- dear him personally to all who know lim. dollar is worth 94.3 centsin gold. A few days before the election gold went to 113. In the meaniime $25,000,000 of specie hasbeen imported at New York, and the New York banks to-day hold five millions more coin than greenbacks. The Chicsgo produce markets wers active Saturday, and most of them were stronger. 3fess pork closed 20c per brl higher, at £17.30@17.35 cash and $17.55 for Febru- ary. Land closed 15c per 100 Ibs bigher, at $10,92% cash and §11.12)@11.15 for Feb- ruary. Meats were de per Ib higher, closing He was a Democrat nntil twenty years ago, ‘when he assisted in forming the Republican party, aud was s soldier who fought bravely and gallantly against Lis own convictions of the relative rights and powers of the States and of the National Government. We sup- pose it is doing Gov. Pararer no injustice to say that at this time he is the recognized head in the Northern States of that party which denies the nationality of the United Siates and asserts tho TUnion to be a mere confederation held together by & mere agrecingnt among the several sov- at Gic for mew shoulders, boxed, &jc for do short-ribs, aud 94c for do short-clears. Highwines were quiet, at $1.07 per gyllon. Flour was in moderate demand and’firms. ‘Wheat closed 1ic higher, at $1.294 cash and £1,303 for February. Corn closed 3c higher, at 44c cash aud 44jc seller February. Dats ereign States. Before the War, Mr. Timoex was the chief exponent of thet doctrine, and his célebrated letter -to Judge Kent, so freely discussed during the Jast summer, was an eloborate statement of the doctrine of the Democratic party before the War. T~ pr, Lowever, nvoided that subject since he not vote for Gen. Locax, aad that there are bécaine an aspirant for the Presidency. Not so with Gov. - Patmen. He has mever foltered or equivocated, and is the boldest and most oufspoken poblic man in the conn- try in the defense of State Rights and State Sovereignly as opposed to Nationality. Whatever objection- Republicans may have to Gen. Locax, he is a Netionalist, and for that reason alone no Republican can hesitate to voto for him in preference to PALMER. If there be one sentiment of national pol- ities to which the people of Iilinois are moro devoted than to any other, it is to the nationality of the American Union and of the American people. They bitterly reject the doctrine that this 15 2 mere federation of States, existing by the consent of the sov- ereign partics thereto, and held together, as MMr. Trioes said, by a solitary, slender tie, that may be suapped at any moment by any of the parties. An invitation by the people of Chicago to Gen. SHERIDAN to keep o few troops in this city, after the fire, to protect life and property from the horde of rnffians and thieves who bad come hither seeking plunder, was sufficient to excite Gov. PAryen toa white-heat of protest against this in- vasion of the soil of the sovereign State of Tllinois by troops under the command of the Government at Washington, whick Gov- ernment was the mere agent of the States, aud not the reprosentative of a nation. We do not understand how any Tepublican, or the representative of auy Zepublican constituency, can directly or indi- rectly vote to have the State of Ilinois rep- resented in the Senate by Gov. PALMER, or any other man denying the nationality of the United States, and limiting the nationality of the people to that of the several States in which they may happen to reside. Even Truypory and Judge Davis bave repudiated such political lunacy as that. From these premises we do not believe that Gov. PALMER can corminand any vote in addition to the 98 or 99 dyed-in-the-wool Demiocrats who have ostensibly divided themseives into a variety of factions, but who will promptly unite when a victory is possible. Pararer being out of the way, the next point will be to try and elect Judge Davis; and when this shall have failed, as fail it probably will, then the last hope of the Democracy will be produced in the per- son of the notorious LEw STEWARD, the re- cently-defeated candidate for Governor. It is humiliating that the Stato should even be threatened with such a calamity as his elec- tion., Under all the circumstances, the daty of the Republicans is a plain one, They must unite, and find some Republican who will be satisfactory to the required majority of the two Honses. The man who lacks one vote, and csnnot get it, is as unavailable as the man who lacks twenty. Personal pref- erences mnst be yielded to the general cause, and the Republican who can command 103 votes is the man to be supported, whether he is now a cendidate or not. Heavy, indeed, will be fhe responsibility upon that Repub- lican who shall stand in the way of the election of any Republican, and thereby con- tribute to the election of Parxen, TrUMBULL, or STEWARD. TEE DISEASE OF MENDICANCY. The current number of Scribner's Monthly has a brief but timely paper upon mendi- cancy s a disesse, treating it in its various forms of dead-beating, tramping, and gen- ernl panperism. The prevalence and rapid growth of the disease invest the subject with unusual importance, since at the present rate of progress it is only a question of time, and of very short time, how soon mendicancy will reduce this country to the condition of Sicily and Southern Italy. The writer to whom we have alluded very truly says: - Lep- rosy is not more incurable than mendicancy. When the disesso has ouce fastened itself upon & man,~—~when, through long months or years, he has willingly aud gladly lived upon the industry of others, and ronmed around without & home,—he becomes a hope- less cnse, and nothing but the strong arm of the law can make him a self-supporting man.” The writer might have gone fur- ther and shown that the natural result of confirmed mendicancy in ninety-nine cases out of ahundred is crime. The mendicant comnences with a lazy and shiftless habit of life, either natural in its origin or transmit- ted to himfrom hereditary sources, as any other disease maybe. He hangs round pub- hic resorts, jobs about from place to place, frequents freelunch saloons, travels from town to town without any fixed purpose ex- cept to sponge a living with s little work as possible, until this mode of life becomes s fixed habit. He shrinks from work of any sort. He tramps through the raral districts in Larvest, hoeing, or husking time, but he is never found in the field, slthough he might earn bis board and considerable more. Heo will not work nslong as his living can be obteined without work. When the opportu- nity offers he picks up liitle things, and steals on the sly, and it does not take long for stealing to become s confirmed habit. When this happens, he enters the business of professional thievery, his depre- dations depending upon his cunning and courage. If he have any natural sharpness, Le becomes a sneak-thief, stealing clothing from halls, or light parcels of goods from stores, or picking pockets in crowds. If he have cournge, be becomes a burplar, in- vading houses .at night;or a highwayman, assaulting and robbing travelers upon the public thoroughfares, cven in the brond day- light. Thus gradually themendicant becomes. a felon, the subject of the Penitentiary, and the object of Gubernatorial sympathy and benevolence. Chicago is to-day sfficted with just this class of mendicants we have been describing. They have flocked here inswarms to stay through the winter, travel- ingin the country being difficalt as well as unprofitable at this season of the' year. They hang about kitchens and front doors, ostensibly seeking for work, which they will not do when it is offered them, but in reality seeking opportunities for stealing. They are found in public places, on the street- cars, wherever there is a crowd, watching opportunities for robbery. They infest even the most public streets, and commit personal assaults almost with utter impunity. This is the condition we are in, growing out of the attack of mendicancy as a disease, now raging like an epidemic. § What is the remedy? Evidently to treat it ay a disease with heroic remedies. It will not cure itself. The experieuce of the English suthorities in dealing with it has valuable suggestions for our own. In Great Britain mendicancy had become so universal and so dangerous thatamoststringent vagrant law has been recently passed. All strollers ‘without visible means of support who cannot. establish beyond question their means of obtaining a livelihood, or who hsve been arrested & certsin number of times, are thoroughly investigated, and, if they come within the terms of the law, are committed to the workhouse. Of course this may swell the ranks of the panpers con- fined in the workhouses, but it lessens the ranks of the mendicants and gives society o sense of security, and, as a rule, if the framp be offered the choice of the workhouse and Bridewell or honest labor, he will choose the latter. The success of the English plan commends it to our own Legislature, and we would recommend that some of our legis- lators procure a copy of the English law and see how far it may be applied to remedy the horrible condition of our own cities. The cities and the country towns alike need and demand protection, and if they do pot find it before long will be at the absolute mercy of these swarms of strolling vagrants and migratory thieves. They multiply very rap- idly. If there are 10,000 tramps in this State this year, there will be 20,000 next year. The alarming character of the out- look is not overdrawn in this stalement which we take from the article in Scribner's It is not a tramp, here and there, such as we have at all times; but it i3 an army of tramps that can be ‘brought together on the slightest occasion, for any deed of rascality and blood which it may please them to engagen. The evil has come upon us 5o noisclessly—so almost imperceptibly—that it is hard for s to realize that we are tolerating, and feeding for nothung, a huge brood of. banditti, who will ultimately become as monstrous and as dis- graceful to our country and to Christiancivilization 48 the banditt} of Greece or Sonthern Italy, THE HOPE FOR SOLVING THE PRESIDEN- TIAL CONTROVERSY. The most hopeful prospect for a peaceable and a satisfactory solution of the Presiden- tial problem that has yet been presented is found in the reported sgreement between three Republicans and three Deniocrats on the Senate Committes having the subject in charge. The Committee consists of four Republicans and three Democrats; and when six-men of opposing politics aud clashing interests can agree upon a practical compro- mise in a crisis involving the highest ambi- tion of their two parties, it is protty safe to say that their plan will commend itself to the moderate and patriotic men of all parties, without regard to the advantage it may eventually give cither party. But the char- acter, position, and ability of the gentlemen who are reported as being in accord, give additional assurance of the fairness of their plan, On the Republican side are Senators Freuvonuysey, Epuusps, and CoNkLING, and on the Democratic side Senators Tuts- AN, Bavarp, and Raxsoy,—all men entitled to the confidence aund respect of the two parties they represent. Mr. MorToN alone is represented. as holding aloof from the agreement; and, though it is not to be doubted that he is actuated by conscientious motives, his influence will not prevail with the mass of the Republican party ss ngainst his three Republican colleagues who agreeto 8 plan for averting civil strife. Moreover, the outline of the agreement said to have beenreached by these gentlemen conforms to the best principles of justice and the conclusions that have been reached by many able men who have dis- cussed the situation in an' impartial way. The basis of agreement is said to be as follows: (1) That the President of the Senate is not constitutionally vested with the absolute power for couniing the votes; (2) that the count shall be made in the Hall of the House of Representatives be- enuse of & long-established practica; (3) that the vote of no State shall be rejected with- out the concurrent essent of the two Houses of Congress; and (4) that, if the two Houses shall not be able to agree in case of an objec- tion to the connting of auy State, then the dispute shall be referred for arbitration out- side of Congress. The tribunal for arbitra- tion will probably-be the Supreme Court of the United States. It will be noticed that this plan requires mutual concessions in nearly an equal degree from both parties. On the side of the Republicans it requires the sbandonment of the “clain that the President of the Senate has authority to count the vote, which is in effect a claim that the vote must simply be aggregated as it is returned, and not subjected to seru- tiny. On the part of the Democrats it re- quires the sbandonment of the claim that the House alone has suthority to declare a non-election, and then proceed to choose 8 President. Of the two extreme positions that of the Republicans is certainly more tenable, because there is an implication in the Constitution that the President of the Senate shall count, unless the Cougress agree upon some other method, while there is no implication in the Constitution, no law, and no sentiment of justice, that npprove tho Democraticposition. OF thetwo, then, the Re- publicans will concede the most in the. plan ' proposed, but neither can concede too much to avert the disastrous consequences of a failure to agree. "The intervention of the Supreme Court is contemplated only in the failure of all ef- forts at agreement; and, while the reference to a judicial tribunal of a question mostly political is to be @eprecsted on many ac- connts, theobjection to it in this instance is modified partly by the necessities of the case, and partly by the fact that it is rather a process of arbitration than of judicial in- terference. Certainly no tribunal could be selected in this crisis mora likely to be free from partisan influence. The . Judges hold their positions for life ; they are mostly men who ore not beset with political ambition; the great consideration which the Court has always enjoyed has impressed all of them with the desire to act in sn impartial snd nou-partisan way; and, as the question involves the peace and prosperity of the country, they can bardly fail to feel the full weight of the responsibility put upon them. It ig probable that,in case of non- concurrence, the reference to the Supreme Court will be after the manner suggested in Senator Boorr’s resolution, which he advo- cated so eloquently in the Senate on Friday. We desire to direct particular attention to the following extract from his speech as the clearest statement we have scen of the neces- sity for & concurrence between the two Houses 1 The resolution T have offered accordingly pro- vides that the decision of the Justices shall be adopted by Congress. Their decision could not be enforced by any sanction known to the law, but 15 an appeal to honor and good faith in the in- teresc of peuce and good government. Upon the other questions I shall only express the opinion that the certificate of returny, when regular upon its face. makesa prima-facie case, which it re- quires the afiirmative action of both Houses to overrole, and that when there sre double returns the prima-facie cage is with thatof the Govern- ment de facto. If it be a fact that the six Senators named have agreed upon the plan that has been ontlined above, we are of the opinion that neither party in either House will be war- ronted in opposing it. We do not believe that the Republican majority in the Senate nor the Democratic mnjority in the House will be able to resist the popular Ppressure that will be brought to bear upod both Houses aud both parties to adopt this plan. It is the only one thet offers a satisfactory solution of the present troubles except that beretofore suggested by Tur TRIBUNE, viz.: The holding of a new election this winter in Louisiana under the supervision of Commit- tees of both parties. Lonisisna is the only State in dispute, and an as- cerfaipment of the actusl majority in Louisiann under a free and fair election wonld settle the dispute beyond any ques- tion. But for this a compromise is just as necessary as for the suggestion of the Senate Committee, and perhaps the Iatter has the ndvantago of a possible settlement by. Con- gress itself. Atall events, the plan we have described is o fair and so conformable to law that, in the absence of the Louisiana new election taking any definite shape, it should be agreed upon; and sll men who have a proper dread of the horrors of civil strife, and an intelligent apprehension of the con- sequences of continuing this ugly dispute, will not hesitate to indorse it. RUSSIAN - COMMUNISH. According to the Vienna correspondent of the London 7%mes, an incident which recent- 1y occurred in St. Petersburg has given rise to the conjecture that there is a very serious Republican and Socialist agitation going on all through Russia. It appears that the 18th of December is St. Nicholas Dsy in Russia, and on the morning of that dsy Divine serv- ice was held in the Cathedral of Kazan. To- wards the close of the service 8 number of students, among them many women, assem- bled before the church. At the conclusion of the service, one of the stndents addressed the people as they were coming out of the cathedral, and said that the day was sacred to the memory of the cxiles. He then drew forth ared flag, inscribed * Federation and Liberty,” and proposed cheers for Liberty, which were given by the crowd with a will. The police then interfered and ar- rested s npumber of the students and women, and dispersed the crowd. The movement does not seem to be confined to St. Petersburg. A large number of arrests have also been made in Moscow, growing ouf of the discovery of an Associstion flourishing under the device of * Federation and Liber- ty," whose aim is to make Russia a Federal Republic. The plan of the association is to form five separate States, which are to be united by federation. In addition to this the dynasty was tobe set aside and the aristocracy abolished, and communal and republican institutions established upon a democratic basis. The London Z¥mes even intimates -that the Government of Russia itself has long been of the conviction that the whole Empire is undermined by Socialism and Republicanism. The most significant feature of these uprisings is the time at which they have occurred, being just on the eve of war between Russinand Turkey. It is not impossible thet they may be one of the causes of Russia’s apparent hesitancy -about engaging in war. If at the time her armies wero absent in Turkey insurrections should arise at home, the enemy in the rear might be as formidable ss the enemy in front,—or sufficiently 5o to seriously hamper her in her operations against the Porte. L0SS OF FAITH IN THE BFALLOT. One of the most serious results threatened by present political complications in connec- tion with the Presidency lies further back, and is more important, than the question who shall be our next Chief Magistrate. We would not underrate the immediate issue. Our readers well know which of the late can- didates best represents, in our view, in his person and party, the principles of righteons- ness and the claims of enlightened patriot- ism. But far worse than the loss of an elec- tion by our favorite party, or the failure to be inaugurated of the candidate of our choice, would be a loss of faith in the chief instru- ment of freemen, and a failure in the work- ing of republican institutions. In other words, the ballot, as the guarantee of popu- Iar liberty, is worth more than the individual result of any single election. We quote oftentimes, and with o not unreasonsble fervor, the poet’s stirring lines : We have a weapon, firmer set Aud sharper than the bayonet; A weapoi, which comes down a4 still As snowflakes fall upon the sod, 7 But executes a freeman’s will v As lightning does the will of God; And from its force nor bars nor locks Can shield you—'tis the ballot-box, This can be trne only on the supposition that the ballot-box is preserved in its purity, aud represents in truth the will of the peo- ple. . Free institutions restupon the people’s opportunity to choose their rulers, and ulti- mately to direct the Government. The bal- Jot represents this right. Each vote is the voice of ‘one of the sovereign people. The collective ballots signify the decision of the entire civil community. He who corruptly tampers with the ballot-box nullifies the act of the people, and thus robs them of their fundamental right. A professed election of rulers becomes more than a farce, if frond- ulent ballots are surreptitiously introduced into the ballot-box, or are cast by illegal voters, or if false relurns aro made by Can- vassing Boards. It is worse than a farce, be- cause a farce only amuses, or, at most, dis- gusts, while this ruins. Oftentimes one would prefer to be denounced than to be lied to; to be robbed rather than cheated; and 5o a conquered people, oppressed by o despot, may feel less exasperated, than a pro- fessedly free people defrauded of their rights in the very act of their seeming exercise, Now, what is the present nspect of our political affairs in this regard? The really important thing is not the doubt, but the cause of the doubt, as to the election of Mr. Havesor of Mr. Tupey. A doubt might have been caused by an accidental destruc- tion of the ballots in & certain district after they had been cast, but before they had been counted. This would bave been unfor- tunate, 8s it might have affected the result in the State and in the whole conntry; but it would have inflicted no direct dsmage on our institutions. Now, however, the charge is made by each party that there has been no true election; that voters were so intimi- dated or crowded back that they could not deposit their ballots; that spurious ballots were put into the boxes after the close of the polls;, that the professed count was folse, and the returns were fraudu- lent; and that the Canvassing Boards cor- ruptly rejected enough returns to change theresult. It is believed by a large part of the people of the United States that no trne results have been secured and officially given in six or seven of the Southern States; while a grievous suspicion attaches to the immense- 1y one-sided vote of the City of New York, which overcame the majonty of all the rest of the State, aud to the peculiarly heavy vote cast in two or three of the cities of Connecti- cut, which decided the political complexion of that Commonwealth. Here, then, are two great national parties, each accusing the mauaging agents of the other of gross cor- ruption. Here are two eminent men, each claiming to have becn elected to the Presi- dency of these United States; and,;no mat. ter in whose favor the nltimate decision mey be, nearly one-half of the nation will think he has succeeded by fraud, and by a falsifica- tion of the verdiot of the people ss given through the ballot-box. Nothing could be more ‘unfortunate than such a belief. It undermines the respeet of the people for their Ohief Magistrate, and destroys that confidenca which ought to be given the moment a successful candidate as- suies official position. He will seem to be & mere partisan, successful through force or fraud, rather than the President of the na- tion by its free choice. The effect is, to .create dissatisfaction, soreness, and a sense of wrong and outrage. Moreover, 1t discour- nges the exercise of a freeman's highest right, that of choosing his rulers, from the lowest to the higtiest. Why take the time and trouble to vote, if one’s vote, when cast, may be left uncpunted, or may be balanced by that of some “‘ repeater,” or may be lost in a flood of those fraudulently inserted? Why attempt a needed reform, if those who have an interest in maintaining sbuses can 80 con- trol the machinery of elections as to defeat the reformers, even when these have cast a majority of the ballots? And what must be the effect in monarchical Europe, to have the report come across the ocean that freedom is but a name, a pretense, a cheat; that repub- lics canrot be preserved, except in an out- ward form, which is & sham; that the popu- lar rights which, in Russia or Turkey, are openly withheld by an sutocratic Czar or Sultan, are cunningly stoler in America by the secret manipuintions of knavish poli- ticians? What humiliation comes over the true patriot at this apparent degradation of his country, which yet he seems 50 helpless to prevent! Is ““Boss Tweep” the repre. sentative American statesman? ‘What, then, should be done to srrest this fatal decay of faith in the fundamental prin- ciples and essential methods of our repub- lican institutions? There must be secared a united sentiment and action of honest men in dntagonism to oll forms of corruption, no matter at what loss to party interests. We must equally denounce, expose, and punish frauds upon the ballot-box, when they favor, as when they oppose, our candidates. We must refuse to appoint political managers, or to vote for officeholders, who arrange or con- nive at such wickedness. Laws must be passed with severe penalties for this class of offenses, for they partske largely of the very mnature of treason, and are far more injurions than ordinary forgery and theft. Above all, we must remove the prin- cipal temptation to these assaults upon the ballot-box by reforming the Civil Service, and thus destroying the hope of sharing “the spoils” of a political victory in the distribution of 80,000 salaried offices. It is time that the issue of elections meant some- thing more than a scramble for place and pelf. Now that the cancer of corruption is eating its way s0 near to the vital organs of the body-politic, it were well, at whatever expense of personal pain and party interest, to submit to the sharp knife of reform.. The surgeon may not be s pleasant visitor, but most people prefer lim to grim Death. Let ug call in the operator! The discussion of the precautions which should be taken by theatres and other public buildings against fire has elicited the most practical suggestions from Mr. Drox Bouct- ©ADLT, whose experience of thirty-five years as actor and manager has made him especial- ly competent to speak. While others have directed their attention mainly to the front of the house, he has given his sattention to the stage, where the mass of inflammable material and complicated machinery. consti- tute the chief danger of fire. He has dis- covered a fire-proof application for scenery which has stood the most thorough tests, ‘The entire stock of hanging scenery in Wal-- lack's Theatre has already been rendered fire-proof, and the material is likewise to be applied as rapidly as practicable to the dress- ing-rooms, offices, partition, farniture, and the ceiling, staircases, and flooring of the front of the house. Mr. Bovcicavrr does not seek any personal profit from his suc- cessful experiments, but publishes their result to the world. The process is as follows, as deseribed by himself : A better may be found hercafter, but the fol- lowing answera its purpose: Take tungstate of 80dz, costing nbout 25 cents a pound; dissolve one backetfal of the salt in seven bucketfuls of hot water: steep or thoroughly saturate the canvas, rope, or wood, in this solution for an hour. Let the material dry.’ Take solution of silicate of s0d3, costing sbout 40 cents: dilute it with water in the eame proportion; =dd whitening such as artists nsually employ in priming theirscencs, thus makinga thin whitewash. Apply this whitewash over the materisl. When dry it will be found to be fire-proof. In treating old scemery aiready painted, let the ssme process he carried out on the back of the same; but a final cost of size should be added or the silicate is liable to fall off in white powder. There are other agents besides the tung- state and silicate that perform the some offices. Dr. Dorexrs, who takes an earnest and kind in- terest in our efforts, sugzests the phosphate of ammonis. Ithas been tried, and gives very re- markable resnlts. Ithas this advantage, that it requires only one process. This drug, however. ia more expensive than the other two; bat we are negotiating with the chemical manufactarers to ascertain if alow grade of this salt canuot be made, 80 2s to bring it into nse. It will be seen that this process is simple and inexpensive, so that managers and own- ers of theatres have no excuse for delaying its adoption. Mr. J. H. McVicker has al- ready adopted it for his two theatres in this city,~McVicker’s and the New Chicago,— and proposes to make the application as thorough asin Wallack’s in New York. It will be good news when the announcement shall be made that every theatre in Chicago has been similarly protected. There is an fnstitution in Germany, very little known in this country, which relates to what the Germans call Suehneversuche,” or attempts at reconciliation, the object of it being the rec- onciliation of married people who find there is a want of affinity betseen them, or who are dis- satisfied with the matrimonial yoke for any oth- ercause. The law upon the subject, which was passed In 184, provides that every demand ‘for separation or dirorce must be preceded by an appeal of both man and wife to either a clerical or lay autharity to undertake the * suckens,” or reconciliation. It is the clergyman’s duty to see the husband first, then the wife, and then both together, and use every effort in his power to bring about reconciliation. Some statistical re- ports recently issued by the Royal Office at Ber- Iinshow just how farreconciliation hassuccceded. The following Is the substance of the showing: 1. Total number of married couples desiringa !u?nnflon: Year 1873, 7,425; 1874, 7,430, 2. Number of couples reconciled or not by clergymen: Reconciled. 2,820 C.i2 638 3,700 1,042 les who, being reconciled, de- Year 1873, 603; 1874, 502 4. Number of couples reconciled or nof a second time by clergymen: ) Nor Coses d. reconciled. pending. 267 140 5 240 106 Considering the prosperons condition of the divorce business in this country, why would it- not be well to introduce the Germau * Suehne- versuche ** here and test its efficacy * ———a——— Jax Gourp owns the controlling interest in the Atlantic & Pacific telegraphic lines. It has been frequently alleged that be was figuring to force the Western Unfon Company to buy ont his interest or lines at a big rate pershare. But as they decline to purchase at his price, it is charged that he has entered upon a new system of tactics, which it is expected . will bring the great Compauy to ls terms, aa@ that is by cut- "Balkan Mountains, Is the ting rates. Whatever may be - 5 tive, one thing is certain: that he s mage, g graphing for the present a goud dey) clesy, the gencral publicthan it was befors g0 graphic war begau, but how long this wyy & tinue who can tell! His personal b New York Tribune, of the 11th nst, pory publishes the following table of o 2y rates and requctions: o ‘The grest rednction in telezry) = aliout during the past year— e s g"@ £ Telugraph Company leading the oy o, the followin tabular statement of ryep oy New York Cliy and jmportunt points” 1 yieirey R R Sy ntic scl o £ eru'Unlon Company: ¢ 110 that of the gt Decsim . qun 1 W e bz Chfeaza, T V- Grte. ddbm, Cincinnatt, 0. s B0 Cleveiand, 0 [ Cotmbus, o8 o 58 b H 05 5 L &n o8 T 5 @ o 075 8 Propartionate reductions hav been b roportionate reductions hase been ms Atlantic & Pacile Telesraph, Company w10 out its eatire system of lines. b THE EASTERN QUESTION, " I. Toe ScENE OF AcTiox.~\War is 2 goodey. ueator. We would know very ligtle Cithergp the history or the geomraphy of the worldyy live in if it were not for an occasfonal Tampgy i it. Iu this respect our experfence s lie thy of the traveler in a coach full of strangers, “up didn’t know a one of 'em,” ne suids buy g, rectls the coach overturned, I found ‘emyy out.” Apropos of all this, It was precious lty we knew or were likely toknow of the conditioy. of Turkey in Europe till the news of strife f that quarter aroused our curfosity 23 tothe combatants. Perhaps some of us are still ey rious; if so,—but wait & moment. : If you will look on the map you will seety the south of Europe a space of ores’ yellow, or red,~some highly improbably % color,—marked TUREEY. This is Turkey fy SiF Europe; there is more of it in Asix, but wity 0 that we have little to do. If you havea largy & map at hand you need not read the few follor. 5 ing paragraphs, for a plance will show g S5} the location and boundaries of the Turkish.. Earopean provinees. But if your map fs sny] apd indistinet,—as most mups are,~or It pg have none, read carefully this outline of th geograshyof that country: P First of all, we note the fact that thegrat Denube, alter marking the boundary-line be tween Turkey and Austria for 130 miles or: enters the former country at the Iron Gt near Orssova, and pursues a Wwinding come from thence north and east till it resches the Black Sea, cutting off to the north a large pror, ince of very irregular ontline, which constitats about one-fifth of the entire territory of Turkey in Europe. This province is Rom ; it is subdivided into Wallachia on the south, and Moldavia on the north. South of the Danube, between it and the Provinee o 7 Bulgaria; it extends from the Black Ses on the east to the River Timok on the west. West o these provinces s Servia, which is separstd from Herzegovina and Bosnia on the west by the Rivers Ibax and Drina, and from Macedosh on the south by the Balkan chain. Roumels occupies the southeast portion of Turkey ir Euarope, south of Bulgaria and east of Mis- donia, from which last it is parted by the River ' ¢ Karisi. Macedonia extends from the Kaid ; south to the Pindus Mountains, aund from the %3 Balkan range south to Mount Olympus and the sen. Southof Olympus and east of the Pindei § chain is Thessaly, while the Province of Albans stretches to the northward. Thesmall Proviace §¢% of Montenegro lies north of this, while st £S farther north is Herzegovins, and north o it Bosnis, os before referred to. The northem. boundary of Herzegovina s in the Iatitude of Bosna Seral, the Capital City of Bosnia, but e it defies, by its irregularity, more particalar d& seription. Bosnia lies betseen the Rivers Drins and Verbas, while beyond the Verbas, in th very northwest corner of Turkey, is Croatia. | § So much for the geogrughical outlines of thest & provinces. Some account of their inlubitanty f their government, and general topograply wil now be necessary. 3 Tarkey in Europe proper excludes Roumaals’ and Servia, which have Governments of ther own, and pay tribute to the Sublime Porte. The Principality of Roumanfa cootains an area of 46,710 square miles, and a population of 4,50 000. Of this population, 85 per cent are Rot- manian by birth and descent, the remainder b ing composed of foreigners, mostly Jews al Italians, The race is descended from the uncient Dacians, of whose country Roumsnht then formed a part, modified only by a few colonles from Itaiia and Slavonit. The Government coumsists of a Prines a Senate of seventy-six members chosen-by hin, and & Chamber of Deputies (one hundred and’ fifty-seven in number), elected by the people. The reigning Prince is CHARLES 1. of Roumanis, B§ of the Hohenzollern family, the reigning house [ of Prussia. e was elected Prince of Roumanis May 10,1866. Roumania was formed to separate Russinand Turkey. Its independence—thatis its freedom from outside futerference, either o1 the part of Russia or Turkey—was guaranteed by the seven Great Powers,—Austrig, France, - England, Italy, Prussia, Russha, snd Turke. - Priuce GranLes acknowledged altegiance to the Sublime Porte, and bound himself to pays tribute of £50,000 annually. : The surface of the country in Roumania - ¢ mostly low and flat, insome places inclinedto be swampy during the wet season. Forests. { abound, especially in the Valley of the Danube. There are only about 800 miles of railrad, asl 2,600 miles of telegraph in operation.. B# & much has been done in the last ten years; andy . if peace and good government can be secured, < E: there is cvery hove for Roumania. - As regars the religious ereeds of its people, about 90 pet cent of the Roumanians belong to the Greek Church; the rest are Armenians, Roman Catbo- lics, Protestants, Jews, and Moslems, Towards:. most creeds the Roumanians seem to be vaf tolerant, but their perscention and general - treatment of the Jews are notorious. Servia is also a dependent principality. I, has an area of 16,517 miles, and a population of 1,350,000. The Servians came originally from ° the north of Austria; they are of the Slasonk race, and their language fs still understood by the Russian, Roumaniax, and Hungarian. B garia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Monist gro own a like descent, and speak &t - Jects of the same langmage. O the last-mentioned countries were part of the Servian Empire, and the Servian Czar ralul from the Save to the Dardanelles. The count:y - AR T s i RO A was subjected to Turkish rule about the closs . %}5 of the fourteenth century, and was held ‘In i " &5 most abject slavery until the beginning of 88 % present century, when, by a desperate struggles €3 she regained the right of seli-goveroment. Bu of this more anon. 5 The Government of Servia consists of the i Knes, or Prince, whose prerogatives are m! X5 the same as those accorded to other Europed - £ sovereigns; a Senate of seventeen memberh:. nominated by the ;Prince; and the Skuptching or House of Representatives. The Senators who are appointed for life, must be §5 yearsof - & age, and are invariably chosen from amoug tbe .. public men of the nation. The Presideat 214 . Vice-President of the Senate are appointed bJ-. the Prince. & The Skuptching is aa anclent institution There are two bodies bearing this remas) name, the ordinary and the extraordinary. The former answers to onr House of Representé . tives and has about the same powers. Theer traordinary Skuptchina is more like our Electo~ ral College. It fs four times larger than ordinary body, and mects only on extrsd® dinary oveasions. It elects a Prince wheneyer there is a vacancy, and has power to declare throne yacant at any time, and 80 )n:ngqmeb peaceful revolution. An mppopelar Prioce very casily got rid of in Servia. The ordinat¥: Skaptchina is elected by the aniversal suflzaf® of the people, and convencs regularly evei. three vears, or oftcner, at the Prince’s ® Evqry 2,000 voters emong the peopit send 3 meixber to this body. A mewber must B