Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, September 25, 1877, Page 4

THE CHICAGO 'TRIBUNL ULSDAY, iBLR 1877. The Tribnne. TERMS O SUBSCRIPTION. DY MATL~IN ADVANCE—POSTAGR TREPAID, me copy, per yen Crap ol Ted Clubof Toprevent deiny and mistaken be sure and give Post Oft.ce nddress in Totl, Incluiting State and County. Remftiances may be made efthcr by draft, cxpress, Post-Uffice order, or in registered lettern, at our Hsk. TRRMS TO CITY SUBSCRIDERS. y. delivered, Sunday excepted, 25 cents per week, ally, deltyered, Sunday included, Address THE TUIBUNE N torner Madison and Dearborn-sta., Uhicago, il Orders for the deltyery of Tiur TRINUNY A £vanston, Englcwnod, and Hyde Park eft I the countiok-room will recelve brampz attentlon. MeVickeen Theatre. Madiron sttect, between State and Desrhorn, Ene gagement of Edwin Dooth. **The 3erchant of Venice.” Mestamen Don, Hastings, dage, etc. :Messrs. Vooth, Wheclvck, Plerce, ete, Hanley’s Theatre, Randotrh sirect, betwern Cidtk and T.aSslle, gwement, of George 8. Knlght, * 00" Merdames Worrelh, Thompeon, ete.i Messrs, Knlght, Thompeon, White. ete. En- Adlelphl Theatre. Monroe streel, corner of Dearhort. Engagement of Mr. and Mry. £rank I Fragne, **8l Slocom." Wood's Munenm, Monroe street, hetween Etate and Dearborn. Ra- gagement of lletnandez Foster. **Jack Harkaway,” Varlety Olfo. Noew Chicago Theatre, Clark street, opposite Eherman House, Haverly's Minstrels, Jigsars. Howsrd, Myman, Thatcher, Hey- wood, rte, Exposition Building. Michigan avenuc. foot of Adama street. Day and evening. TUESDAY, BEPTEMBER 25, 1877." CHICAGO MARKET SUMMARY, The Chicago produce markets were generally ny. leas pork closed 37i4c per brl for January, Lard closed b per 100 1ba higher, ot $3.071;@90.00 for October ond $8.374@8.40 for tha year. Meats were e por b higher, at Gl3c for loose shoulders and 7Xc for do short rlbs, Lnke freights wore firmer, at 4c for coen to HBuftalo, Highwines were easlcr, at 81,08 per gallon, Flour was active. Wheat closed 14@3%c ligher, at 81.16%for Heplember and 81,081, Corn clorcd J4c lower, at 42% cash and e far October. Onts closed ¢ lower, nt @.51%c caah and 233(c for Octobar, Rye wan ateaay, at hitic. Darley closed Xe lower, at 62%¢ cashond 6:1te for October, Hogs were actlve anet atronger, advancing 5@10c, Bales were at $5.20 @560, Cattle were quiet snd unchanged, with rales at §2.2505.60, Shoep were duil and un- changed. Thero was finspected into store, in thia clty Satunlay 637 cars’ wheat. 572 cars and 70,800 bu corn, 1565 cara snd 5,400 bu oats, 80 cars and 4,000 ba rye.and D1 cars barley, Total (1,505 earm), 070,000 bn. One hundred dollars in gold would buy $103.12i in greenbacks at the oso, 2 Greenbncka ot tho New York. Btock Ex- chango yestorday closod at 901@97. Flsewhero is printod a list of the appoint- ments made in the Sonthern Ilinois Confor- enco of tho MMethodist Episcopal Chnreh, in session at Mount Vernon, which may bo of contiderablo interest to many readers who follow with warm intorest the wanderings imposed upon old-timo pastors by the itiner. not system of this great eccloslastical organ- ization, i S—e Pzntorat hns obtained n change of venne, and the five indictments charging him with robling the peoplo of Cook Conuty will be tried iu the Cirenit Court of Kane County. I, 08 Is nwunlly tko case with theso changes of venuo, the oljcct is to gain time and tire out the prosceution, the schemo ouglt to be defented, and il doubtless will bo, as the State's Attorney showa n commendablo dis position to crowd these Ring rascals with all possible vigor towanl the proper place for tho entire gang~—the Penitontiary, ——— Intho criminal column of this issus of I Trinuxe are narrated briofly the salient features of & very marvclous chapter of crima and its puuivhment on the Western plains, Eight rascals attempted tho cnormous theft of 7,00 cattlo, herded on the plalns of Col- orndo. ‘The marauders were detected in thelr colossal exodus, and twenty.five ran- gers started in pursuit. Overhauling tho culprits ut tho Kansas State line, thoy were bumedintely surronnded, and hefora (he sourt then and thero conunissloned by a sim. plo but saperior socloty were, in the expros- sion of Joux Stuasr Miw, solemuly blotted pat of existenco. ‘There is need of * Our Canren” in Wash. ington. His pet band, the Marine, 18 in fanger. The Hecretary of the Navy has Inid violont huwds upon it, having reduced it from fifty-two to thirly men, and lowerod tho wages of those who remnin to the payof & marino Sergoant. Tho result ja tbat all the best musicians in the organization are quit. ting it, leaving & wretched remuant of horn. blowers. The band at its lest was never much of a Land, althiough it {uspired “Qar Cauten™ to ouo of his grandest flights of ora- tory nd ho listoned to ite dulcet strains, It Is sad to contomplate what it must bo after the Secretary of the Navy has flaished with it. If “Our Canten ™ docs not come to the cne speedily, who knows bub that the tary may next pluck that fmmortal eagle that dips its pinious in the sprays of tho Pueitde? ——— We do not kuow what penitentiaries are for if they are not to Le oponed for such rascals 04 Monton, the President of the Per- manent Exhibition ot Philadelphis, He was lso President of the Markot Street Railroad, snd in that capacity overissuod abont §1,000,000 worth of the Company's stock, The crime is techuically not forgery, but bresch of trust; no foryory, however, conld be wore disnstrous in its influence upoen a Lusiness community, and none could werit soverr punishment. MonToN seems to be tolerably complaceut under it all, aud to rest ander the ealm nssurauce that & man of his dignity will vot be sent to jail. It is overy way dusivuble that Ly should be, not harshly treated, but punished according to his de- serts; and the comon notions of what bLis deserts are will Le found, in the long rup, to tiffer very widely from his own, Lur Tususe printed yeuwterday in its Buuncial column o statement from the Hart. ford Courant that there is no provision for exumination and no sworn statements re. guired from any of the savings banks in Nl nois, Beeing this, Mr. GREENZBAUM cally at. teution to the charter of the German Say. Iugs Bank, which was granted in 1869, . Thig churter requires that the capital stock shall bo ot least §200,000; prohibits the receiving of deposits which aggregate in vxcesy of ten times the amount of the capitsl stock ; limits 4bo busk-notlco to thirty days, beyond which the managers cannot extend it; makes oach stockholder individually liable for an amount equnl to the stock he liolds; requires the in- vestment of atleast one-third of the deposits in United States, State, connty, or city bonds: authorizes the Anditor of the State to make au examination of the condition of the bank at any time, and to requnire sworn statements from its officers; and enncta that, whenevor an impairment of the capital stock shall be found. the stockholdors mnst make good {he doficiency within thirty days. Mr. Gneenesavss claiins that, under these condi- tions, the sweeping statoment of the Hart- ford Courant at lenst doos not apply to the German Bavinga Ban! nizen that thero ara certain moral obligations forming n necessary part of Catholio teach- ing, and that ono of theso obligntions, which is enjoined by tho Gospol, is tho snpport of duly-cstablished Powers. From thia point the Archibishop logically arrives at the fol- lowing conelnsions ; Thore who govern are entitled, under normal condittons, ta the respect and co-operation of thetr tubardinates for the accomplishment of tho rpecial missfon they have to fulfll. A to elections, this consclentlons co-operation 1sa dnty tawards the State, like the payment of taxes and military rerv- ice. Abstentfon In certaln circametances of par- tcalar gravity would be the neglect of A real duty. As 10 the cholce fo bo made between candldates, it 18 leftto the consclence of ench clectors but it should evidently fall on thosa judged befors Gon the worthicst and most capable, Whom Lhe Archbishop deemsthe worthiest and most eapnble may be inferred from the following declaration: ‘“‘Donbtless, we £hall not bo asked to refase our suflrages to the candidates whose eclection we Lelieve will bo tho surest guarantee of order and peace for France, - Wo shall not bo nsked to romnin reutral between those distinctly sinnding forward ns defenders of our re. ligious liberty and those openly pladging themselves to employ agninst Clericalism— that s, against Catholicism—all their in. fluence and means of action.” The great Cardinal Ricaeerzu himsel? cou'd hardly have * conched " his clergy more neatly or pertinently than the Cardinal-Archbishop of Cambray. Tho expert who has beon oxamining the books of the State Savings Bank Is reported s having expressed tha opinion that Seex- CER ran away with comparatively little money. But this view of the matter is not received with credit by those who have any knowledgo of Brexcen's nntecedents. It is stated, we beliave by his attorney, BMr. Gnaxt, that S8rexcen bronght about $120,000 hero from Morris, Iil., and with that money bought into the Cook Connty National, It in also pretty woll known that he made £70,000 in the male of hia interest to Atrry, and therefore drew out of that bank and Avvex, in disposing of his interest, not far from $100,000. He is known fo have cleared $80,000 in a real-estate trans- action on the\ West Bide some timo ago. This ndded fo the other sums makes £220,000, which he put into the *¢State " in baying stock of that concern, It is belioved that bofore he absconded ho hnd withdrawn from the deposita of the bank enongh money to refund to himsolf ot least tho aforesaid $£220,000. He manipulated tho atock so aa to sell nvast block of itto the bank, and what else did he with the money than to pocket it and run off 7 He married a young wife not long befare he broke the bank, In it reasonable to suppose that he went abroad 28 an embezzler with a wifo and child with. out any means to remain away for an indofi- nite time? Those who have thought closest on the case think that Spexoen crossed the ocenn with not a cont less than £200,000 of the depositors’ money, which Spexcer by some casuistry inducod himsolf to believe be. lomged to him, because ho paid that much of s own money fop stock to got control of the bank, and when the stock beeame worth. lesa unlonded it on the bank, and paid him- #elf out of tho money of the dapositors, — THE COLLAPSE OF THE FIDELITY. « Tt became apparont that the resources of the Fidelity Savings Bank wora seriously impair- ed when the rules wore so nmonded a fow days 0go as to pay ont only 10 per cont A month on deposits for which uotice of withdrawal should be served, beginning the payment after the expiration of the sixty days’ notice. This amonnted to liquidation on the basis of an extension of twelve months; had the creditors virtunlly agreed to it by refraining from nll law proceedings, it is probablo that the bank would have been ablo to continue in business for some months, and, had the ponic been allayed in the meantime, it might ultimatoly bave bridged ovor its losses mnd bad investments; it is mora likely, howover, that, even if the extension hnd beon granted, it would morely have enabled tho bauk to keep open its doors a fow mionths longer, until its availablo resources should have been exhausted, when it wonld have been forced to suspend and turn over what was loft to n TReceiver, s it must do now. Tho deposit- ors were in no humor to acquicsce in this prolonged uncertainty, and an application mado yestorday for the appointment of a Re- celver shut off all opportunity for experiment- ing on Mr., Harxes' pion, and necessitated the immedinto closing of the doors.. There {s no doubt that this is the fairest mode of proceed. ing under the circumstances, In tho prosent state of pnblic sentiment, any savings bank which finds it necessary to resort to extraor- dinary mensures for delay in the payment of doposits may botter seek public llquidation undor the auspices of the courts, That is to sy, the assots should ba converted into cash and divided among the dopositors ns openly and rapldly as possiblo. Portinont to tho suspension of tho Fidelity, wo givo clsawhoro n very complote history of the institution from the beginning, The charter under which it was opernted dates bnck to 1865, and was one origianlly graated to the Fhrmera' & Mochanics' Savings Bank, located at Galesburg. It was not used, how- ever, for banking purposes until 1872, when it was purchnsod by Mr, Harxes (it baving a spocial volue bocause mo special charter could be procured undor the new Conatitu- tion), and after nn act of the Legislaluroe had been obtained suthorizing corporations un. der spocial chinrters to change thoir names, The Fidelity was started with a nominal ocapital of §200,000, Mr. Hames had sold ont his stook in the State Savings some timo beforo, and it is bolioved he took over to the new concorn about $50,000; it is certain that ho secured coutrol, and it is doubted by nome whether the ontire capital stock was paid in, At all ovonts, it became practically Mr. Hamxes' bauk, and it was tho reputation he had carned ns o safo, cautious, and con. sorvative banker In the Stato Savings Instiin. tion which brought him a largo oustom, and almost immedintoly ploced the Fidelity alongside tho Btate Savings in the matter of business and public confidenco. Its position was further strongthened by weathering the storm of 1873, and thero was never any sorious question ns to ils solv. ency until the July failures in 8t. Louis started a panic among all tho savings depositors, - Even then thore was o general foeling that the resonrces of the bank were ample to meet ita linbilities, till the collapso of the Blate Bavings de. stroyed all ‘confldence in. the wavings-hank system. From that time till now thoro has been n varying degroa of doubt nnd hope among tho mnss of dopositors; but there hos boen n strong conviction smong certain bankers for two or threo days that the con. corn could mot pnll through, nnd that the wisest coursa to pursue wonld be to plnce it in the havds of s Recelver and wind it up aa promptly us possible, . Tho prime couse of the failuro of the Fidelity has boen in thoe continued effort during the past threa or fonr yoars to pay ¢ per cont on dopoalts, notwithstanding the decline in rates of discount from 10 per cent to 7 and 8 per cent, This condition of things naturaily botrayed all bank managers into makivg loans nt a higher rate of interest on scouritica that should not have been ascopted; in other words, the temptation to carn sufficlent money to pay the G por cent Interest on depusils often clouded the judgment in estinating securi- ties. The inevitable consoquence was to in- cur riska which should not Lave been taken, The contined financial depression made mat- ters worse, Bacuritics that were good at tho timo loans were made shrunk in value from 33 to 50 per cent frequently befora thoy came due. Just how much shrinkago thers has been fn the case of tho Fidelity assets cannot, of course, be cstimated with acou- acy uutil they bave all been subjected o ex. smication. Some investments that have proved to bo bad are known. Mr, Harxes purchased the bauk building and the safety- deposit vaulis at a cost of about $220,000 togother, which {s belleved to bo largely in The firo yesterday in the Interior Depart- ment building at Washington was not so dissstrous in ita results ns wns at first threatened, but it was none the less a sori. ous matter nnd pttended with losses greatly to bo rogretted, Beginning in the attic of tho vast structnre among an enormous col- Iection of models which had accumulated in the Patent Ofce ever sinco it had an existence, the flames were hard to reach, and they gainod great head. way before the means of oxtinguish- ment could be miccessfully employed. The roof itself, from nll accounts, was not of the charncter requisite for an absolutely fire-proof building, being of wood, covercd with copper shoathing, which molted under the heat of tho burnipg timbers, aud proved to be no protection whataver ; while the im- mense accnmulation of combustible stuff in tho collection of models fed tho fire and do- fled all offorts to subdna it. The loss to the building is estimated at from $300,000 to £500,000, but of the contenta either injured Ladly or totally dostroyed it is difficult to event npproximately state their value, It happonod fortunately that tho things saved nre of infinitaly more value than the things destroyed by fire and water, Tho original draft of the Declaration of In. dependenco, the relics of Gronoz Wasmivo- ToN, DeKatn, nnd other Revolutionary he- roea, tho archives of tho General Land Office, containing the title to every pioco of land over conveyed by the Government, tho origi- nnl drawings and specifications on file in the Patont Office, from which the models de- atroyed can bo reprodnced if necessary—all these and mauy other articles of incalenlablo value were rescnod in various dogroes of pro- servation. Upon the whole the country hns reason for congratulation that the beautiful building and its priceloss contents were not wholly destroyed—that, in fact, it might bave been much worse. “There is a five-cating Democratic shect published at Merididn, Miss., and called the Mereury, which haa evidontly not .been roconstructed, ns tho following extraot from its columns will show ; Doesn't tha5outhiern laxpayer contribute bis por- tlon of the moancy 10 pay penslons to Northern woldiers and tholr widows and orohaps, while the Coufederate roldlers und théie widows and orphans are neglectod? Somthiern members of Congress belleve aw Arily i tho justice of the Confederste cause m tho Northern members bolteve in the Juatice of the Unioa, and they sink (helr manhood and ot dirt when taoy vote appropriations to pene #lon Federal soldlors and thelr widows nnd orphans to the excluslon of the Confederste. 5 Leaving the absurdity of this proposition out of question, for it is not worth serious argument, 3¢ would bo difienlt to concoive anything mora {nsufferably insolent, The Dresident hirs made remarkablo overtures to tho South in the way of concjlintion. The whole Administration isin sympathy with bim, The conservative and law-abiding pueople of the North are supporting and up- Lolding lim in Lis effort to make the North aud South a solid, harmonious, snd fraternal whole, /It Is cvident, from the doclarations of this fire-eating sheot, either that it is opposed to any attempt at reconcilia. tion and is acting from malice, or clse that it is too igunorant to kuow what would bo the result of the course it urges. It it wants to strengthon aud re. unita the Republican party in thot solid ‘phalenx which it presented during the War, it it wants to aink the Democratic party out of plght, it it wonts to array a solid North sgninat tho South agaln, it ix pursuing just the conrse that would accomplish the repult, For combined fusolence and malice, or else {or an igagrance 0 donso that it iy tanta. wount to criminality, this Southern fire. eater is certaluly couspicuous. If the Soath ¢can only be concillated by paying pensions 1o Confederates, conocilintion will be a hope- loss task, If the Boutliern people really want to advance thelr interests, they will give this fire-eater and all others like it a wide | ©3cess of their presont value, He advanced berth. woney oo Hooley’s Theatro, adjoin- ing, 4l the sum reached $08,600, The attitude of the Oburch in France towards the forthcoming election is defined by a pastoral which has recently beon fssued by the Cardinal-Archbishop of Oawbray to bis clergy, After enjoining prudence and conciliation iu treating with the distrust manifested towards Cloricalisin, Armness in resisting all sttacks sgaiust the liberty of the Popo, and solicitude for ** all schools in ‘which religion is allowed its due place,” the Archbishop reachos ¢ the slippery ground of election struggles.” He urges that the clergy shall hold aloof from slt parties and sompelitions, but st the same time rocoge . and the principal and interest wun- paid mow amount, it is sald, to about $100,000, which isalio belioved to be much more than the property can bo sold for, He advanced to Bowex and others about $140,- 000 on Calumet swamp-laud securities, and was obliged to take the swamp lands for the gruater past of it, which are now a portion of the bank's assets. About $100,000 worth of other realestate had to be taken for loans, and the bank suffers the shrinkage in value, Aun item of $30,000 or more Is said o have been advanced to a certain railroad coustruce tion company which is eatirely worthless,, and n third shara in a blanket chattel mort. gago of 845,000 on tho Post and Mail news- paper cffects is regarded ns an undesirable asset, The condition of the commercial lonus nod real-catate mortgages mnot yet duo cannot bo knosrn tll they sball be teated. At the statement of 'the bank made July 1 thero wero nbont £2,000,000 duo depositors ; it is belleved that this anm has been rednced by £600,000 sinco then, as that is stated lo bo abont the amount which has heen pnid out, and this wonld leavo 1,400,000 dne now to 7,600 depositors. A genilemnn who haa hind some cxceptional mens of informa. tion estimaton the present nominal assctsat a shrinknge of aboul §250,000 from that snm, If his cstimata be correct, the assets will yield about B3 per cent, Of conrse, all this i3 move or less n matter of mpeculation, and »ll depositors will do hattor to rotain thelr books than to part with them st any fignro offered by tho brokers, ‘Whataver the ultimate valne of the Fideli- ty's assots may prove to be, it may be pretly cartainly stated that no transactions of the Spenceriotn kind will be unenrthed in the case of this bank. DMr. HlaiNgs is belioved to be a perfectly honest man, and noono sus- pectsehim of having used the funds of the bank for privato spocnlation cither on his own nccount or in behalf of frionds. Ifsomd of his investmonts have turned out badly, it in only the same experlonco that lins been suffered by othors who have beon charged with the investment of funds daring the Inst five yoars, and thero {6 renson to believe that Mr. Hamxes kas made no investment of bank funds that he would not have made under the samo conditions if tho fands hnd boen all his own. 'The statemont is mado, indeed, that ho hing turned all bis privato property, evon including his homestend, over to the bank, thna nssuming for himsclf ns large n proportion of the common misfortuno ns Lo possibly ean take, Wo are convinced, too, that the Recoiver will have his best conusel and activo aid in realizing the most that can be got out of the assats, ¥ THE PENITENTIARY BYSTEM, ‘We print a second letter from Mr. A, A. Ternery, of Sterling, on the snbject of State Prisons. Ho proposos that the National Gov- ernment shall provide a Torritory—Alnska orsomeothor—to which all persons now sen- tenced to tho Penitentiary for folony shall bo sont, and'in which thoy shall be confined for the term of thelr imprisonment. This in- oludes the abolition of all prisons for the' confinomont of oriminals of tho grade of folony, Tho argumonts used in support of this are, firat, that Stato Prisons fail to pun. ish crimo or roform the criminal; and seo- ond, that thoy are schools for crime, sup- ported at groat cost at the expensa of tho non-criminal people. The policy of planting colonies of erimi- nals and of .the surplus popnlation is an dld ono. Ponal colonies ara even maintained by somo nations to this day. Great Dritaln for many years employed Now South Wales, in Australin, ns n ponal province, and, at & Inter day, Van Diemen's Land. ‘Whon theso wero sclected, theso places wore so remote from ordinary civilization that escapo from them was noxt to impossible. But in timo distances wore ovorcomo, and now Aus. tralin’ and Van Dlemen’s Land are flour- ishing States, in daily commeroial connection with tho rest of the world. Both hava long sinco censed to bo penal colonies. France hias a ponal colony at New Culedonin, in the Bouth Sens. Russia has long mado Siberian placo of banishmont; but the world has boen ‘brought into closo neighborhood, and it would bo difienlt to find sny part of the globe, not even excepting South Afrion, which would boso romote or outside the world's com. morclal track s to answor tho old notions of a penal colony, Alaska has been sug. gested ; but that country is mot eapable of sustaining any considerabla nddition to its population. It would bo hardly practicabla to set apart any portion of the presont terri. tory of tho United Btatas as a prison, into which could be transported the criminals of tho United Btates, and in which they conld bo suqeessfally confined. Tho guardianship of such a colony would bo more difiicult than that of tho Indians, and it would require an army almost as numerous ng the prisoners to keep thom within tho limits assigned thom, ‘We do not consider that our corrospondent has discovered the remedy for the evils and oxponsivencss of tho prison systom. Tho great number of criminals is due largely to tho weakness of the administration of the law, The chances of escaping conviction are 80 many that the ponalty of imprison- ment hna no such torror na to detor men from crime; imprisonmont as a pnnishment has, thereforo, measurably lost ita power nsn warning ogainst crime, If tho criminsl lawa werfe exocuted promptly sud so eoffectively thnt the imprisonment would not only ke certain, and so sevore that it wouldamount to such- a punishment that no man would like to endure, then there wounld bo loss crime, and the prisons would not be so0 nu. merous or 60 crowded, But whero convic- tions are in the proportion of one to six of- fonses, where the terms aro short, where, owing to tho crowdnd state of the prison, the authorities have to allow rensonably-behaved convicts to go out in order to make room for the new arrivals, imprisonment is regarded by the criminal ns only a slight affalr inci- dental to his trade and necessary to his pro. ficiency in the businesa, —e SHALL WE EXPORT MANUFACTURESY The very clear and logicul pnper of Mr, Horaox Witk prinled in Tug Trisone Yyes- terday, con hanlly have failod to attract the attention of the public. The roview of the condition of the country was thorough and complete. In searching for the remedy, or ot lonst & partial romedy, he pointed out, as bas been repeatedly pointed out in Tag Tripone, that the conntry had becomo too largo, its capital and its labor toa great, and ity capacity for production too inexhaustible, to be bound down any longer by the attompt to Hmit production to the mere wants of the comparatively small population of the Uunited Btates. Wo have tho oapital, the machinery, aud the labor unomployed, and there ‘are 1,000,000,000 of people ready aud willing to trade their products for ours, The law has been framed to Umit our pro. duction of manufacturos to meet the wauts of 45,000,000 of people; that want can be met aund still leave a million, of workmen unemployed, thousands of fur- uaces and mills idle or ouly partially in oper- ation, and millions of capital unproductive, ‘What mensure 50 natural as to remove this limitation, rekindle the fires in the fur- naces, put the idle machinery of the count. less mills in operation, and ths million of unemployed men and women at work, to produce colton and woolen cloths, iron and ubeol, machinery, hardwars aud outlery, plated goods, copper and lead, woodenware, implements, plows, soaps, leather goody, glass and earthenware, and every variety of manufactured product to be sold to the peo- ploof other lands? Is it best to have canl- tal, mnchinery, nnd labor idlo,—~the latter snflering and rednced to that degreo of absy. lute want as Lo resort to violenco,~or to put all thess in notive operation? Can thore bo any differsnce of opinion on such n ques- tion? How can this market be obtained? Two things nte necessary: Ono {3 to pro- duco at such n cost as will admit the nle of the product in competition with that of other conntrios; aud the second is tho pur- chnse in oxchiaugo of the products of those to whom e goll, The modifieation of the tarift by the re- penl of every foatara of protection, reducing tho tariff to o purely rovenne standard, wonld onablo all our manufacturcrs to produce their goods nt such a cost na to admit of ex- portation. ‘The great commercinl depression lins nirendy had the effect of forcing the cost of production down, but there are brauches of production which are so hampored by the tarilf that they cannot yet produco for ex- poriation, Some branches, as the colton and hardware mannfactstrers, hava beon able to reduce thoir cost of producing low enongh to edmit of cxportation at n small profit. It the protectivo taxes wern repealed, all would be relieved, and those who are now expori- ing conld doroat n larger profit. Mr, Arc xx¥sox has shown that tho question of half a coent o square yard In the cost of production will determina tho control of the world's market for cotton cloths. And yet we continuo to protect the chemienl establishments of this conntry by & tnx on the cotton mills, instead of rolioving tho Iatter of every weight in their struggle for tho world's market. The lino nt which manufnetures can be produced for exporta-, tion is well defined, Protection has long since censed to protect anybody; it sorves now only as an obstruction, a prohibition, and adead weight npon manufnctures. Inde- vondent of ll questions of Iabor wages, tho great bulk of Amerienn manufacturers have reached o nenr the line of being ablo to pro- duco for exportation that the ropoal of the protective taxes, which now welgh so heavily upon them, wonld carry thom boyond that line, nnd enable them, like the makers of cotton goods, to put their works in operation to produce for foreign markets. r——— = =, THE SBITUATION IN BULGARIA. Thoe Russinn army in Bulgarin {s in pro. cisely tho situation that Narorrox always tried to gain. Nothing suited tho great commander botter than to place himsel? be. twoen two armies of his oppononts, hold one of them off at arm's length until he had de- fented the other nnd thon, suddenly tarning, crush tho sccond.. Tho differonce bolween the two, however, is that Narorrow moved with astonishing cclority and overwhelming welght. Tho Russians movo very slowly and with aforce no gronter thon that of tho Turks. As an offset to this, howovor, the Turks move with great caution and appar- ontly with studied lelsuro, Meumrer Avtis no excoption to the other Turkish command- ers in this regard. who usually arrive nt a vital point just a day or two too late. Xad OsMAN Pasha followed up his succoss at Plevou in June, especially had Menzser Aur nt that time co-operated with him, the Russian army now would not bein front of Plevos, nor would the Czarowitch be at Bieln. Bulgaria would have been cleared of Russians, and the entirs ter. ritory south of the Danubo would have heen in Turkish possession, with little danger of disturbanco before another season, Tho situntion, however, still romains ex- tremely critical, although from the prosent ontlook the ndvantage is with tho Russians, They hold their ground befors Plovna, though nt a foarful sacrifice of life. Mean- while, the army of tha Ozarowitch still atands undefeated on tho Jantra, Tho tardy Menr. sar Awx has dolivered his first attack at Biels, and, although he holds his original position, lins been ropulsed. To be beaton back in such an encounter, at such a critical time, is almost oquivalont to defest. He has had to temporarily abandon the offort to cut his way through for tho rellof of Plevna, and has suffered heavlly in loss of men, the Rusalans meauwhile still holding their position and receiving rein. forcoments to muko good their lossea. Cor- respondents call it adrawn battle, but the Czarowitoh can afford such a draw and meny 1moro of them, alnce every draw of this kind atill further imporils Osman Pasha., The lat. ter's prospeots of relief from the south are hordly moro encouraging, for Burzrtan Pasha 16 onco mora ropulsed in his efforts to force tho Bohipka defile, The situation, thorefore, as will be scen at n glance, s ox- tromely critical, and thisseason’s campaign has renched its vital tarning point. If Mruzazr Arxr and Bukenaax Posha can bo kept from co-operating with Osuan Pasha for a definite poriod, Plovna must fall bofors long, It is not in tho nature of things that it can stand such a tremondous bombardment as it is now receiving from tho Russian slogo guns without being so materlally re. duced aud wenkoned aa to be easily carried by storm, in which event the combined Rus- sinn armies would turn upon Meuxaer AL and orush him, On the other hand, should Mruever Aut in anotherattack overcoms the Czarowitch and dlspersa his army, and then forma junction with Osmax Pasha, the whole Russlan situation will bocome ko bazardous thaot safety will only be found north of the Danube, and the Ruasians will close the cam- paign with not o single advantage gaiued. It in difffoult to say what a day may bring forth, but, as the pleces upon the board are now ar- ranged, the probabilitios of succoss nppoar o be with tho Russians. In other words, it seems likely that the Russians may end tho campaign with a disastrous defest of the Turks, and make thelr winter headquarters in Bulgaria, with four or five months' time in ‘which to prepare for an onward movement into Roumelia in the spring. For the fizsf k] Dl'l—l—;flto of coal hesarrived in Boston from Neweastls and been so0ld at a profit. and more s on the way, Tho Gas Company s the only purchaser as yet, but there witl soon be o largo market lor English coal in Massachusetts, unicss tho price of Penn. sylvaniacoal is reduced. The reason of this trade-phenvinenon Is plaiuly set forth in thé ‘American Gas-Light Journal, which lays tho blamo upon the railroad ‘companies and thelr studlous interference with the coal companies, The [roight-agonts now dictato the price at which coal is sold, tho markets to which It is sont, and other matters which have heretolore bceeo consldered solely at the discretion of the coal operators. The prico has thus boeu fized above tho cost of coal in Enzland, with frelght added; snd the shrewd Boaton men are sceking the cheapest market. e ———— 2 The Evening Post advucatps s scheme whera- by tho Fidelity may be converted iuto a stock bank owned by the dopositurs. It thinks that it would be to thelr fnterest to do this ruther thanwind it up. The scheme is stated thusly: ngpm the assets heve sbrunk to $700,000, that 1, 40 per cenl. Buppose the mansgomont of the bunk would a twatep dowa and vat, provided the atock of the vank were Jncreased #o that it would be undoubtadly solvent, the new stekhold. cre to select the pew mansgement. ‘lhu stock could be pro-rated amony thy m-rumuu aud pala for either 1y cash ur iu credits on their pass-books, Tae result would bu tust cvery dupositor ml&hl bava s credit zewaluinZ o3 70 per cont of bis de- posit on his pa ook, and the stock of the han! 1o the extent of :10 per’ cent, tazether equaling tho 1otal amonnt of his deposit, Thie woull make a ravings lunk = mAnaged by the denositors, And itin very Tikely thatnen in whom ecvery one s confidence would, 1f asked, conscnt to act na Directors of a bank thua reoegantzed, and manago ita affairs in way nol uniy to ticet Al demands, bt to make the atock 4 eash commodity at or abave Aar, fleee a4 chance for eo-oporative movement tween deponitors And managers nf savinas banks, In which, §f both sides to the traneaction are hon' ©at and reasonable, greal advautace to all would result. b s more than likely that the assets of any savinga hank in this city’ would fall short of ita'liabilities nnder forced anles, and yet the vari- ousitems might, with earefnl handling, more than mect the hatilitier intwo or three years, The ?t““mm for depositors in theae cases 43, whether a ccelveratip tnning two or three years, and pan- ts on the dollar aficr di tng ex- pensea, 48 hetter than an offort on thelr own part to Tuake the bank solvent, keen 1t open, snd in tho end rentize & good thini on thelr money. —e— . The now Commissioner of Indlan Affafrs is E. A, HatT, not Hort, as varfously misspelled In the newspapers, He s 8 man of fortune and recognized busincss Integrity and capacity, For some ycars hic has boen Chalrman of the Pur. chasing Committee of the Board of Indian Affairs, and has discharged his dutfos to the satisfaction of his assoclates and the Interlor Department, Ho was reccommended for ap- polutment to the Board by the Missionary Society of the Dutch Reformed Church. Secretary Bcuunz has unquestionably made a suitable choles. Tho'business sensc, after all, 1athe most esacnbial in this office, and yet it is the one that nas boen steadily lgnored in the making of recent appointments. Piely and personal need are not the solp qualifications for such positions; and wo ars giad to hicar that the new Becrotary has the picty without the need. Tho abllity to smass a fortuna and preserve an umblemished reputation throngh it all is no mean test of fitness for a responsible oftice under Government, ? —————— ‘The Neow York Board of Aldermen, numbcr- ing #ixty members, only charged $00,000 for issulng s million and & half of bonds for bulld. ng the high bridge over the East River to Brookiyn. So BiLL TwEED says, and he ought to kuow, as he pald his Democratic friends the money, This was & very modest commission compared with what some of the Common Councils of Chicago have exacted. The * nine- teen " who ran things between 1807 and 1871 ot $40,000 out of onc of the gas compantes, ac- cording “to tha stub of the check-book, and the “ twenty-one” In tho Couucll of 1874-'3 were charged with taking & whack out of the horse- rallway company for the Wabash avenue right- of-way of not less than $42,000. At lcast that wns the opinion of the Grand Jury. Each of thoso levics would cut up nbout $2,000 apleco, wherens, Bitt. Twsezp's: Aldermen only got $1,000 each, showing that they wero cheap fol- lows, ———— We are indebted to “J B. W." for his pretty Iines * For CARnin's Autograph Album," printed in Bunday's Trisuxg, but sre paincd to obscrve that he was antlcipated, both in nls lino of thought and his phrascology, by one Tmomas Moonz, & poet of reputation o Ireland. Co- Incldences of thls kind ars constantly occurring, ‘Tho only satc ruls scema to be to throw away all the poctry sent In ns original that scoms to pos- scss any merlt, because 1t isapt to be plagiarized, and to throw away the reat bacause it is not fit to priut. The plagiarlsm iu this instance, how- ever, has had onogood result, sinco it has shown how widely Moonz is read fn this community. The fraud was ' instantly exposed by four cor- respoudents, and must have been detected by hundreds of readors who did not take the trouble to write on the subject. e —— Prof, IluxLex aptly describes Positivism ns ““n hall-breed between sclencg and theology, endowed, like most half-breeds, with the faults of both parents and the virtues of ncither."” The doctrine of the future’ life as affacted by Positivism secms to Prof. Huxisr oven more irrational than the Chrlatian doctrine, since It attempts to prove & negation, which from the nature of the case cannot be proved. He scos nothing base or sclsh in a desire for a real future lifo; and, though he himsolf is not satls- fled of tho cxlstence of such & life, he at least will not revile those persons who are satlsfled. This is at once the sclontilc and the self-.| respecting attitude for disbeliovera to occupy} for it 18 even inore ditlicult to prove that there 18 no'future lifo than to prove that there s one, ——————— The obltuary notlce of Lz VErnienin Tna ‘TRIBUNE of yestorday talled to make meutlon of onc important fact, nanicly, that ho was re- stored to hls poeition as Dircctor of the Ob- scrvatory some two ycars sgo. This rostora- tlon was a public acknowlodgment of the wrong that was done bim in his removal in 1870, and a somewhat tardy compensation for It. At the timo of his death, Le Vennizr was engaged in caleulating the masscs of the plancts in the so- lar system as corrected by rocent discoveries, e ——— An afternoon paper—this time the Journal will not complain of ambigulty—has juat heard of the JanLoonkorr electric candle andthe suc- cess of experimouts made with It. About three months henco the same aprightly editor may be expected to announce, what the readers of Tun TribuNg already kuow, thatthe candle has been proven a fallure. Iu cannot malotaina steady light more than half an hour, and it vosts threo times as much as gas. ———— Gen. Bugmipas 18 winolog new fame by his letters, The model of a recommendation” said to have been wntteg by him is bouud to be ap- plauded, it unot finitated, wherever the English language is known. Tho letter read: This man's name {s Joxzs—Joxxs of Michigan, Very traly, P. I SBusminan, It all men werc as careful in the case of, per- sons they donot know, letters of introduction might coine to mean somethlug, e —— Mr, HExnny M. 8MiTH, who enjoys some repu- tation In this [city a4 & journalist, and moroas tho projector of & Peace Jubileo, las been en- muged to edit s new penuy afternoon baper fu Brooklyn. Mr, 8xrrit was the editor of the Brooklyn Unlon for fiwo ycars before its con- gotidation with the Argus, but retired from that position soon aftorwards, and hasalace been out of employment. 5 e ———————— Mr. lfonacs Wints makos & good polht ln his Galazy paper whea he compares the building of tho Texas Pacific Rallroad, as a charitable un- dertaking, with the burning of Chicago. The con- atruction of the rallroad might give employ- ment to many laborers and still bos public calamity. —— The spproachivg Republican Couventlon fn New York, we are informed, is likely to have “a Conkling complexion.”” This means that it witlnot bo sicklied o'or with tho pale cast of thought, or any other literary nonsense,”, s ‘The President has showa agaln that Peace bas her victories no less renowned than those of War, His march to the Bea has beon almost s glorous as Suxsnuax's. et —— PERSONAL, The portrait of Boyesen in the current Scribner]s i eald 10 be an atrocious lbel. E. E. Morris has written up the * Age of Anue," but the Boston Postespects that Anno wiil come out and deny It. The Pope grows weaker ddily, and cannot Bbold oat much losger. He ducs not rise now ualtil To'clock; his usaal hourwas 5. He craves indie geetitle food, and, as he cannot have much exer- ¢ise, his constitution is constantly weskened by bis indiscretion in eating. + Two English barristers, Willlam Arzold ‘Lewis and Nocl Paterson, with tholr three galdos, lost thelr lives in tho Alps recently. They felis dlstance of scveral thousand fect, the spparent cquse of the fall being that an overbaoging snow cornlce had given way A% the party passed over it, ' Ex-Gov. Jowell, of Connecticut, is one of four persons who gave bonds of 33,000 each for E. K. Winsbip, who as an actiug Nsval Postwaster becamo s defaulter 10 the smount of $5,000. The matter came 16t0 the Unlted States Court a day or two ago at Hartford, Cono., and the jury found & verdict sgatost the bondsmen. Mr. Jewall's de- feass waa su lufurmality ia the bond The National Capital the Scene of Great Excitement Yesterday, A Fire Discovered in the Roof of the Patent-Office Building, It Increnses in Magnitudo Untit tho Top Story Is En- veloped; Making Serious Havoe Among the Models Deposited There; Several Thousands of Which Are Licked Up by the Flames, The Other Floors of the Edifice Badly Drenched with Water, Land - Office Documenis Suffer Some from the Latter Element. IN WASIIINGTON., TIIR PATENT-OFFICH BURNED. Svectal Dispatch to The Chicago Tribune, ‘Wasiixarox, D. C., 8ept. 20.—The city way startled a littlo after 11 o'clock this morning by a cry which was soon on the lips of cvery one, “The Patent-Offico Is on fire, and before those who lived evon within & square or two could reach the place tho tongues of firo wore breaking the glass In the windows of the two npper ato- rles, and the flames were bursting from the roof, How tho firc came there nobody can tell, To. night some wlill have it that a tinner's stove did it; others that the firo came from a defectlvy flue, and others, for there must be those who have evil thoughts at cvery public calam. Ity, inslst that the firo is tho device of thoss who wish to hide crime from impending Inveati- gatlons. llowover the flames camo there, they were dolug their deadly work long before any efliclent ald was ncar, The Fire Department was hall an hour too late upon the ground, tor tho reason that the suboruinates swho first dis- covered the flames thought that they could mas- ter them, and neglected to turn on the siguslat the alarm-boxos, This was pot done until nearly half an hour aflter tho fire was discoy- ered, and then by a S8ergeant of Police who siw the smoke from an adjacent strect. THE FLAMES SPREAD with marvelous rapldity. Commeneing at the top of tho Luilding, the firo soon destroyed the sham of wood covered with copper called a roof, and the molien metal ruslied down the stairs in a flery stream to moct and destroy any human power that sought to come up. The flames then began to work, feeding greedily on thousands of rejected wooden inodels and tons of photographie coplcs of patept drawings. Ar- rivig at the third-story from the’ top, the flames were checked in thelr downward counse by the atone tiling and gratned fire-proof arches of this floor, where they were arrested untf) the Firo Department brought thetn under control, This was the course uf tho fire along the west front, In the samo way the flames lapped up everything beforo them through tho entlra upper portion of . THR NONTI FRONT and down the Seventh street eide almost to £ streot. Thero was nearly o panfe within the building when the cry of fire was fist heard, ‘The clorks, possibly 1,800 in number, rushed from thelr deska to find the halls raoidly filling withsmoke, * Terror seized tho female portlon of the foree, and many of them abandoued thelr shawls, hats, and outer covering In their precipitate flight. Tho greater portion of the malg clerks remained and did cfliclent servico in saviug the more valuable papers immediately within thelr charge. As soon aa the Fire Department was informed of the great dauger It oxercised cvery effort, and the fireman did not sbaudon his post untit long after darke. A fow are stlll playing upon the smolderiog rulns, which, in the moonlight, quits rescmble tho suclent Parthenon, from which one portion of the buliding was modeled. Every engine In Washington, old and new, was apcodily upon the ground, ana additlonal aid was asked from Alexandria and Baltimore. The Departient of the latter city, remembering the aid rendered by Washivgton in thelr recent great firc, ment over two of thelr beat enginesin charge of their Chief-Engineer, making TIE VALY NEMARKAGLE TIMX {from Baltimore to Washington,—forty miles la thirty-two minutes,—but the flames were raven- ous and merciless, and 1t was not until the be- ginuing of the third hour after the existence of the fire was first discovered that it waa certaln that the entire bullding would not bo destroyed. It was very diificult to reach tho top of the bulldfoe with the hose, owing to the remark- able absonco of 1zdders. The only ladder that was attempted to be ralsed upon the south sile fell at tho outsct, very nearly injuring a scoro of people by its fall. Tho roof of the west wing fell in before tho Fire Dopartment was fairly at work. The windows were gone long be fore, and Inafde ‘of this flery furnace could bo scen the models, casea of records, and tons of paper struggling with the flames, Sovn after the roof fell in It was fearod that the wind would rise, and, a8 {t was; charred fragments of paper were fouifl upon Univeralty 1lll, a mile and a half away, . The wind was from the south. Had v beon from the wost, the ontiro building must certainly hayve been lost, The police at first were “not equal to the task, in- decd everybody scemed dazed at the posalbili- ties In tho event of the complste desteuction of the buliding. There should be cxcepted thu small class who, in lnw whispers, were heard to say, “ Thank God, this will give work to the poor.” But It would have been & sad day for the poor who have taken the land of the Gov- ernment If, fu an hour, the best evidonce of title to thelr property bad been destroyed. About noon the police obtained control of the crowd, and were assisted by & company of ma- rines and a company of artillery, with & part of a company of Wash{ngton militia which at that time arrived on the grounds. Tho strects were barricaded, and an sppearance of order restoreds WITRIN TUX BUILDING, Bocretary Schurs at the outset had himsclf as- - sumed command, and with & coolness and enci- gycreditable to him gave directions to tbe heads of Bureaus and Division Chiefs in quite & military manner, but, obscrving that tho tire was Iikely to be more extcusive than was at Orst ex- pected, he alter an hoor's tlme requested Maj. Richards, Chiet of Police, and the Fire Commis- sloners to take charge of the bullding, sud from that time lugruss was impossible. Bofore tigso precautions were taken It is said that there wero a fuw persons mean eunough to steal some valuable papers. THN INTERIOR DEFARTMANT BUILDING wag commenced abont 1830. The Hret appros pristion for it waswade July 4, 1833, The act of that year apprupristed $108,000 to begin tho butldiag, which, fu the lsngusge of tho act, was tobe fire-prool with suitable secommodation for the Pateot Otfice; bow far fire-propf tho rocord of to-day will show. The total spjio- pristion for thoe Patent Ofice Bullding amounts to §2,645,500, It is oot too much to say the injury doue to the bullding by firo to-dsy will