Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, October 29, 1877, Page 4

fap nich ahi aaa L ats is ch A adh Dok Ge es bE 4 TUE CHICAGO 'TRIBUNE:| MONDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1877. Ohye Tribiune, TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. RT MAIL-IN ADVANCR—POSTAGE PREPAID. "708 Double Sheet... e Fatuniay Fallon 3:58 ‘Tr1- Weekly, one year. 5.90 Portsof avear, per month. ‘ WEEKLY BDITION, POSTPAID. Qnecopy, py Gut of fou Specimen Glve Post-Oftce address In folt, including State and County, Remittnneca may be made efther by denft, express, Foat-(ficc order, or in registered letters, at aur risk. TERMS TO CITY sunAcKInEns, Datty, delivered, Funday excepted, 25 cents rer week. Lally, deitvered, bunday included, eck. Addrers THR TRIBUNE Ce 1.50 Px Farlewaod, and Hyde Park leftin the couuting-room ‘willrecetye prompt attention. MeVicker’s Theatre. Madieon treet, between State and Dearborn, “Pink Dominoes.” Mesdames Don, Stoneall, Granam, eic.; Messrs. Wheelock, Learock, learson, etc. Hooley’s Theatres Randolph street, between Clark ‘and Lasalle. ‘The Evangeilne Combination. Evangeline." Maveriy’s Thentre. Monroe pireet, corner of Dearhoro. Engagement of Dominick Murray. **Eacaped frum Sing Sing.” SOCIETY MEETINGS, 34, A, F, and A. M.—Atl al to meet natal tmorning at 0 iF hte Urotaer, Dantet Fe r Lodges cordially invited. ORIENTAL LUDGE, brethren who van are ss rc clock n. MONDAY, OULOBER 29, 1877. CHIOAGO MARKET SUMMARY, ‘The Chicagu produce markets were slow and steadier Satuntay, Mest pork closed firm, at $14.40 for October and é: afordanuaty. Lard closed tame, at 38.5528.57'¢ for October and $8.25@ 8.2714 tur January, Meuta were steady, at Ge per for loose shoulders and 7ig¢ for do short. tits, Lake fretyhts were more active and easy, at fe forcorntu Bustato, Whieky was uochanged, at $1.07 per gallon. Flour was quictand firm, Wheat. cloyed t3¢ higher, af 21.10 cash and $1.04% for Novetnner, Corn cloeed 4@ ye higher, at doko cash and 43}3:¢ for November, nts closed a shade firmer, at lide cash and 23Y¢ for November. Ryo Wor firm st itsG5ayec. Barley closed 4c higher, at hstze cesis und Sige for November, Hogs were eacter, at $1,405.10 for packing grades, Cate were dull at §2.00@5, Sheep wero firm at SUG cag last wee! Bit bela Sour, 47 244, SG bu ont 01,149 how, and 71 cattle. There was inspect> ed Into store to this elty Saturday morning, 270 cure wheat, 28: care and 10,000 bu corn, 60 ¢ oats, 10 curs rye, and Si cara barley. ‘Total (702 curs), 280,000 bn, One hundred dollars in gold would buy $102.6255 in greenvacks at the close, See In New York ennged at 973 @97}. News of an important battle in’ Armenia is oxpeeted, Inaar Pasha was unsuccessful in effecting n juncture with the remnants of Musnran'’s command, and the TRassians, fresh from their recent victory, aro belioved to be hurrying forwarl ta try conelosions with all thot is left of tho Turkish army in that vicinity, Lrzeroum is punie-stricken at tho prospect of being subjected to a siogo and attack, and the ‘Lurkish position at Olti is throntenad with assault by au ndvanciug coluinn of Tins re It seis to b3 settled that tho House Com. mitteo on Pacitic Nailroad is to be put to- gether in the interost of tho Texas’ Pacitic subsidy, ‘Tunpoxontox, of ‘Texas, is to have the second place on the Committeo, and virtually tho Chairmanship, as tho physteal disability of ALexannrn H. Srepnesa would render hin n Chairman only in name... Bo- fore ontering UCongroes ‘Iunockssonton was in theemploy of tho Texas Paciflo corporn> tion, end, frem what is known of Speaker Hanvarz's intentions, there is an oxecliont Prospect of his continuing in that capacity. Paris journals are busying themsolyes in solving tho political conundrma presented by the result of tho elections, and it isn noticeablo fact that tho possibility of solu. tion by conciliation is quite genorally recog. nized, ‘The Jruncais, De Broazte’s mouth- piece, speaks of the resignation of tho Cabinet and the formation of a Minstry less inimical to the Republican inajority in the Chauber ns an eventuality by no means du of thu question, though at the samo Mine takivg pains to explain that there is no intention of attributing to MaoManon a disposition to surrendor te tho hostile ina. jority. ‘Yhe Cunatitutionnel and Pays, leo. publican journals, go much farther, and pro. fuss to havo knowledge of the Marshal's acceptance of the resignation of his Cabinet, with tho request that thoy romain in ofico until Lis tna! arrangoments aro effected. Ié ia even assorted that nt Saturday's seasion of tho Council MicManon declared his inton- tion to cuter upon the path of compromise and conciliation, and that Dz Broan and Fovatou supported this course, The Bloomington Pantagraph exposes tho altuinpt of Htate-Jlouse-Commisstonor Buy. Eupoz to entrap the people of McLean County, whereby they will bo compelled to voto for" tho State-Touse Approprintion, ‘Tho samo Commissioncr has his ugents In all the counties trying to buy up the party Coumitteen so that all the votos printed shull Lo * for" the State-Honao robbery, Of course the agents of that scheme will bu active in Chicago, and it Ia well for both parties that they take stops to prevent guch afroud. ‘The people have a right to vote ay they pleaso, ‘To deal fairly is to print on all the tickets “for” the State-House appro- priution, and also “against” the same, and leave to each voter the choloe of voting which ever way ho thinks propor, Any party which consents to tho fraud of print- ing its tickets “for,” and thus attempts to couree tho voters, may find that such a com. mittal of the party may work digastrously, ‘Tho voter has the right to vote either way, und to attempt to deny him this right will ‘bea grosa and scandalons frau ——- ‘There is one source of danger to the suc. cess of the Reform ticket so threatening that it must be guarded against by avery posaiblo precuution aud by tho utmost vigilance, ‘The Judges of the clection, the ballot-boxes, and tho returns will bo iu the hands of the County Board and the County Clerk. If these details of the clection are allowed to go uuacrutinized and unwatched, it will mat. ter very little how many votes be east for the Reform tickot or how large a majority it moy receive, It will be counted out and defeated. Tho majority of the people of Chicago and Cook County will be disfranchised after the manner in which ‘Tammany Hall counts its candidates in and fixes their voto at any figure nocesuary to overcome the opposition, after the ballot. Loxes come into its possession. The samo thing was done in Cincinnati last fall, as one of tho conspirators has since con- fessed. It has been dong here in such wards aa tho Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, and Tenth, and it will be done again, if the ballot-boxes are not carefully watched. No matter how large n majority tho Reform ticket may have, the vote will bo thrown away and tho County Ring will count its mon in jf tho Reformors are not on tho alert to prevent this corrupt. job by inces- sant watchfalness until the count is mado and declared, Kxttone proposes to contest tho validity of Brorrorp’s claim to the Lonisinna Senn- torship by going into the question of tho moans by which the Nrcnotts Legislature ob- tained a quorem of Returning-Board mom- bors. Ho claims to bo ablo to provo that, previous to the arrival of the President's Commission, monoy was freely used to in- duce the desertion from the Pacxanp House of nsuficient number of mombors to give the Nicnorzs body a quorum in both branctes; and that the Commission, al- thongh having no partin the negotiations for a sottloment upon this basis, by its influ. ence in bohalf of @ consolidation helped to secura the result, Ketrouo’s friends aro anxious for nn opportunity, to prove that aight of tho Paczarp Legislators received about $2,000 each for their servicos in ad- justing tho Loutsinnn difienity, —— Tho Pronident foila to perceive nny naces- Bary connection between the Novembor clec- tions and hix purpose to incrense the eficiency of the public service by the ap- pointment of new men to the chief Federal offices in Now York City, and it is said he refuses to postpone the sending of the namea to the Senato, It is probable that the action of that hody on tho question of reference will furnish o test of tho ultimate fate of the nominations, Being con- nected with tho collection of the rovonuo, they would ordinarily go to tho Committee on Commerce, of which Br. Corrina {a Chairman. In tho event of such a referonco it would be in his power to delay action on tho nominntiong for sovoral weoks by a failure to report thom promptly, and it is therofore likely that an offort will ‘be mado to send thei to anothor Committee. If. this effort snccoods, it will be an evidenco that the Prosident’s frionds aro in fifficiont force to confirm hia nominations, Tho Prest- dont shows no signa of weakening, and is ‘ovidently quite preparad to tako things ensy aftor discharging his share of tho rosponsi- bility—that of sending to tho Sento the names of mon unquestionably qualified to All tho offices, Itis even possible that he should nogiect to “viow with alarm” the apectaclo of Democratia Sonators helping to confirm his nominations, THE SUBSIDY BUSINESS, “There are certain uncontrover.od facts ro- lating to the proposed subsidy to the South. ern Paciflo Railway Company which no sophistry cau hide and no impndence over. come. In tho first place, a private corpora. tion, out of its own mounoy, hag already built sud equipped a railroad from San Francisco to tho southern extremity of California, a distance of 700 miles, ‘Tho wome company has extended its rond castwardly, and at the cloge of this year will hayo it completed to ‘Tucson, nenr the onstern boundary of Arie zona, 200 miles, and it offers to complete the rond through New Mexico nnd ‘Texas to the Arknnsns ond Louisinna’ ines without any bond or cash subsidy whntevor from the United States, If tho construction of o Southorn route to tho Paciflo is of such congeqnonce to the Southorn States a4 to materially affect the intorests of that section, it enn certainly mako no difforonco whether the rond shall be constructed by ono company or the other, ‘The Pucifle Central Company has already comploted, or will have comploted by January noxt, 900 miles of tho road, and has built it at its own exponse, and offera to build the rest of the way if Con- gresn will not discriminate against it by giv. ing auothor and a bankrapt company monoy out of tho Traasury to build a competing road. Tho ‘Texas Pacifia Railrond Company has not a dollar of monoy, and has no credit, It has only a nominal existence. It owos $10,000,009 or more for the patches of rond it has alrendy built, ‘ha bonds for this dobt are in default for lutorost several years, ‘Tox Scorr.is tha Company, and the Company has already contracted with a Con- struction Company to build tho road, and ‘Tou Beorr ix tho Coustruction Company, Tt is tho old caso ovor again of tho Crouit- Mobiltor, which robbed the country of $35,- 000,000 in tho Union Pacific Railroad. It will bo romembored that in that caso the road was built for a comparatively small sum, nud the wholo subsidy paid by tho United States was clonr protit, and was handed ovor to the Construction Company, Why should tho United States, evon if a southern railroad to the Pacific was a neces. ality, poy a subsidy of $35,000 por milo to onablo ono company to build such o road when anothor company which has 000 iniles already built is willing to build tho wholo without any subsidy ? ‘Two ronds aro not wantod, and, if the sub- sidy bogranted, the two companies will unite, oud divide the Governmont subsidy botwoen them, ‘The subsidy will be.a direct grant, On this point we give a letter written bya gentleman of this city, who iy well-informed on what hu writex, Ho saya: To the Kgtur of Ths Tribune, CittoAgo, Oct, 26.—In your article in to-day's Trinuxx on the -Haciic scheme, you do not Ro tothe buttai of the mattor. I therefore give you a text for your vext article, viz; Tho road ean be dullt and fully uquipped. inclyding atation- hounes and aide-tracks, fur $20,000 per mile, or leva, The "ald" gaked ue Lil Ie 213,000 permile, ‘Truly, Qh, ‘The subsidy, therefore, on its fave, is a robbery to the extont of $15,000 a milo. Tho whole scheme, however, is @ gross enormity, ‘Tho Subsidy bill of the Inst wee siou not only granted tho subsidy for the whole ‘Texas Pacitic Nailroad, but suthorized that Company to extond {ts Eastern lines to Now Orlcaus, Memphis, Vickuburg, und other points, by the purchase of railroads already in existence, and for those rouds thus purchased the vamo subsidy was to be paid, ‘These several railroads aro all baukrupt; they are all in default; thoy do not carn or pay their operating oxponses; thoir dobts amount to many millions of dollars, aud there is no Prospect of these debts over being paid, This Southern Pacific Subsidy bill proposes that the ‘Treasury shall guar. antee to pay tho interest for forty years, on Scorr's bonds, at the rete of $35,000 per tile, of all theso bankrupt railroads in the South, to enable him to purchase them. In other words, Scorr is to purchase, aay 1,200 or 1,500 miles of railway in Arkansas, Loul- siana, Indian ‘Territory, Missouri, and Mis- sisaippi, aud the Govornment is to give him $35,000 a milo of guaranteed bonds to enable him to do it! The subsidy is, therefore, backed by tho holders of tho bonds of all theso bankrupt Southern railrosda, The bonds and roads havo now no marketable value, bat if this Subsidy bill passes Bcorr will be in funds to purchaso thom, at the cost of the United States, at the rato of $35,000 per mile, ury is expected to furnish the monoy to buy them. Our correspondent thinks Tor Trmoxe does not go to the bottom of thia subsidy schomo, Tho schome ia a fraud from top to It is nothing moro nor less than a bottom. Job to obtain from the ‘Troasury a vast sam of monoy, to hang upon the Government for acentury asa public debt, to bolster np o horde of bankrupt, rockloss, dosporate rail. rond speculators; to maka thom rieh at the national coat, and aroct within the Govern- tment a now corpornte despotism, lending in time to o revolution mich as was mildly fore- shadowed in the Granger Inws. The place to stop in the snbsidy business is not at $20,000 a mile, but to stop now. Not a dol- Jar of monoy or credit for any corporation of any kind for any purpose. WHAT A LOCAL RING Costs. Just on the ove of a county election, which is contested by the taxpayors on ono ride, ond a lot of bummers on the othor who ara in sympathy with the Ring that has admin. tered county affairs for three or four yonrs, ® usoful lesson may bo found in the recent investigation of the ‘weep robbories in New York. A largo sharo of the stealing un- der tho Twrrp regime was dono under ths naine of the County Governmont and through its ngoncics, The statement of tho expert who haa beon engngod for a couple of yeara in tracing down tha frauds and verifying the division of the spoils, shows that the amount actunlly taken from the Treasury on fraudu- lont claims botweon the Istof January, 1868, and the Ist of July, 1871,—three yenre anda half,—was 230,000,000. A large part of the Dills paid had no foundation whatever, and in no case did tho sorviccs rendered or the chargo made represont a genuine claim of more than 15 per cent of the amount paid. When tho frauds began, tho bills were allowed on n basis of 45 per cent to tho claimanta and 53 per cont to the official Ring; gradually the Ring became more oxorbitant in ita demands, and ex- acted 60, and afterwards G5, per cont of the payments. Bntas tho public recoived in value never more than 16 per cent of the amount charged, tho $30,000,000 of frondulent claims already run down yielded $25,000,000 to the Ring (about $18,000,000 of it under county auspices), which wor stolen outright. This statement doos uot fnelude farge frauds aa yet untraced in atreot openings, widen- ings, improvemonts, and other contracts, which will incrense the aggrognto of the robbery to $45,000,000 or $50,000,000, which was divided on an agreed percentago among the contractors aud various officials in the Ring, Of this incomprebensiblo pun, about $690,000 in All has beon recovered ; but it has cost over $125,000 to prose tha suits, 80 that tho actual amount recovered Ig lesa than $165,000; in other words, less than 1 per cent of the amount stolen hoa beon paid into the public treasury, Tho oxperionce of Now York farnishos a fair idea of what a Ring costs which has an undisputed control of local moncys, It is impossible to tell how much the public thioves hnve already stolen in Ohicago; it is equally impossible to foretell how much they may ateal in the faturo if thoy be not driven ont of politics; but i is protty certain that not 1 per cont of their steal. ings will ovor bo recovered, If tho County Ring havo stolen a million of dollars up to this time, not $10,000 will over bo ro- turned; if they steal tho half-million which thoy want voted in bonds as an cxtra fund for the coming year, not $35,000 will ovor come back to tha poople of Chicago, So far as Chicago and Cook County aro concerned, we only know thnt the bummor eloment auc. ecedod in reducing the City Government to tho vergo of bankruptoy boforo it was rescuod. from their hands, and that the samo cloment are soeking to rotain their hold upon the County Government with a viow to bringing. it to the samo condition, Tho people have boon abundantly warned of the oxistenco of a Ring almilar in character, though porhaps not equal in ability, to the Tweep-Sweeny combination which robbed New York of 840,000,000.. The exposures of ex. travngance and rascality indicate pro- ciscly tho samo purposo and tho samo methods, If this Ring, through its prosent agouts or other ogents whom they are now secking to olect, shall bo tolerated by tho peoplo, the amount of stealing will only be limited by the public resources, Now York's experionce, properly intorprotod and applied, nay save Cook County and tho people of Chicago millions of dollars, It demands tho defeat of tho profossional bum. anor who, under the leadership of “ Boss” ‘Lien, have run two of the conventions that have been held, and who ara combining and conconutrating to retain control of the county branch of tho local Government, ee A FRANK APOLOGY, ‘Tho recent visit of Gen. Guant to En. gland has servad to recall to the pooplo of that country the memorable ovont of the vobellion which he was instrumental in sup. pressing, and also to revive recollections of the hostile attitude which tho English Gov. ernment and so tmany of tho people main- tained towards the North during that struggle for the oxistenceof a republican form of gov. ,erument aud the porpetuity of the Union of States. Now that Gon, Grant has gono, aftor oxprousing #o much cordiulity and friondship towards the English, soveral of tho English papora aro discussing the rela. tions of the two countries in thas memorable period with more or less of compunction for the syropathy that was then extendod to the. Southern Secoasionista, One of thom, the Bheflicld Datly Telegraph, makea some re. markable coucessions, aud in such an opon, candid manner that thoy aro worthy of spe. cial notice, ‘The Telegraph affirms that the conduct of England grew out of a misconception. Ba Jong ag the BSouthernera were in powor at Washington, their attitude towards Englaud was insufforably offensive, partly in rotatis. tion for English sympathy with Abolitioniats, and partly beoause the Irish volo was es- sontial tothelr supremacy, ‘Their dispatches to Eugland wore “overbearing and jusolont,” their publivspoeches “ swollen with monaco,” and they periodically threatened war with Englaud. All this occasioned an accumula. tion of natural resentineut that ‘mada itself felt during the Amorican Robellion, but which, through lack of information, operated sguinst tho wrong party.” Says tho Tele. graph: ‘When the War broke ont the mass of Engilsh- men merely felt that they bad been collectively slapped on the faco in a way which bod made their check totingle. They asked not themselves ho was Mapisox or Potx, Piacy or Tyugu, Cass or Caruovx, Hauxey or Srerurxs, Davis or Maison, Sirpecy or Yaxcer. All they know was thst to an Luglishman the words and dcedy of those men were abominable, and that tho mea were Ameri+ cans. Failing to know, they failed to discelmi- nate, The City of Washington wes in thelr tainds sO gusoclated with offensy that they experienced It is the only chance that is ever likoly to ocenr in which theee ronds will ever pay a cont to thoir creditors, and tho Treas- @ quict eatistaction when they heart of an npriaing against the: politicians Snetalled tn that seat of power, ‘They did not paure to reflect that there had heer a great erent—a thorongn change—at Washington, and that the new Govern- ment was the one which had tnrned ont Rngland’s Peraletent detractors and traditional foes, They struck in the dark and bit the wrong man, More than this, they hit that wrong man at the very Nie when he was doing the precise thing they hac for years reproached bin for not having done Booner, namcly, making a dotermined stand Against an insolent, an aggressive, and a violent slavoersacy, whore nnbcarable arrogance and whose overhearing spirit had lnteodaced blood inta the Legistature, civil war into Kansas, and yolgar menace Into the relations between the United States and England, While stating tho mistake thoy made, the Telegraph in trank enough not to glosa over the action of those who maile it, It declared that the peoplo who cheered Mr. Lavanp in tho House of Commona did not know any Dotter, ‘Tho harm they did is patent and their self-suficioncy was equally #0,” but it thinks that “atthis distance they may be botter able toconcoive of tho surpriso and pain with which the Abolitionista of the Freo States regarded the abrupt change of front on the part of thousands of their prb- fossed friends in this country." Tho Tele graph ia to be oredited with a vigorous castigation of ita conntrymon for the mis- tnko they made, and is in a condition to de- liver it, as it was a friend of tho North daring the War, and warned tho Southern sympathizers of the error they wera oom- mitting. It charges them with maligning the motives of tho Northern people, exaggerating their roverses, deprecint- ing their sueccsses, glonting over thoir dia- Asters, and perverting past history and con- tomporary fact to induce the Euglish nation to stand by tho interesta of human slavery. At tho samo timo, ib is not disposod to lot off tho American people os altogether blante- less, It thinks the Inttor made the first mistnko ‘with ita glorification of Irish fugitives from justice, ita bombardmont of Groytown, its seizure of San Juan, its blus- ter over tho affairs of the slave-ship Creolo, its affronta to our proventive squadron, ite encronchmonts on Canadian rights, its bound. ary brawls, ond ita incondiary platform pyrotechnics of the sort produced by Gon. Cass, Gov. Wise of Virginia, and thoir kin- drod fire-entors,—rhon who, without mean- ing war, talked nono tho less stoutly for ‘war with England.'" Both peoplo having mado mistakes and beon in the wrong, “‘ why should they not say so and shake bands?” says tho Telegraph, By allmeans. Notwith- standing tho excessive stupidity of the English mistake, and the enormous expenso it in- currod upon the th, in logs of life and treasure, by firolonging atic War, wo doubt whether a there remains any animosity upon tho part of the American people towards England on that account. Whilo our mistakes, aa onumorated by tho Telegraph, havo nover cost England any- thing oxcopt some damngo to pride and somo national embarassment and mortifica- tion, if she can forgive them,—not boing mistakes of ignorance,—it would bo un- gracions for the Northern poople to chorish any auimoaity towards a people who wore bo grosaly ignorant that they did not know thoy wero antagonizing the very people with whom thoy were in sympathy. Thoy will bo willing to shake hands providing thoy will not do it again, and the noxt time will exor- elu a little thought and common disorotion, #0 a8 not to hit thoir own frionds. TINKERING THE FIRE-LIMITS, Tho ordinanco introduced into the Council on Saturday Inat by Ald. Curzenron to chango the firo-limita ought to be voted down at tho vory first opportunity, and by so over- whelining n majority os to show that thoro is no danger of any departuro from tho strict polley Chicago has adopted ‘with rogard to protection agninst fire, ‘he ordinance au- thorizos tho oroction of wooden buildings in tho district lying south of Twenty-ninth streot botwoon Stewart avonuo and Halsted stroot, andsouth of Twolfth stroct after pasa- ing Ialsted stroct to the wost, It includes all that southwestern portion of tho city which fs now built up almost oxclusively of wooden structures, and, instend of abating tho danger from that section by the decay and demolition of tho fire-traps already thero, it is proposed under this ordinance to multiply thoso fire-traps indefinitely, Such 8 course would be nothing moro nor legs than 8 certain proparation for another general confingration like that of 1871. Our pro. vailing winda oro from tho southwest, It wna tho sonthwost sirocco of Oct. 9, 1871, that swept tho entire city oast and north of tho starting-point of that fire. Tho.only serious apprehension of a repetition of that exporlonco arises from tho largo number of framo buildings located south of ‘Twenty. second and west of Statestreot, and hundreds of thousands of dollars havo boon oxpended eiuce 1871 for tho special protection of that district, A new tunnol extending under tho city, and an Independent set of water-works located at ‘Iwonty-second stroot and Ashland = ayonue, have beon provided, oud miles of wator-pipes have been Inid which the private consump. tion did not warrant, but which wero con- structed alinost solely with the purpose of furaishing au awplo supply of water for fires in awection kuown to be particularly dangerous, ‘Tho hopo of a future pscapo from another groat conflagration hax bown based upon the law prohibiting avy addition to the shantios In that district. Under this luw the present wooden structures must give way tostone and brick as they rot or are torn and burned down, ‘Tho passago of #uch an ordinance as fy now Proposed would be a sevore blow at the com. mercial interests of Chicago, as it would af. ford .9 reasonable excuse for a now in- ilstion of insurance rates. It ix only within a year or two that Chicago haw recovered its good standing amoung the undorwritery, ‘Tle insurance companies practivally wet out to mako Chicago repay in oxaygerated rates the losses they had suf. fered from the fro of 1871, ond it was only by making the fire-limits coextensive with the city limits, by enlarging tho favilitios for supplying water, by iucroming the size and demonstrating the eflicicncy of the Fire De- partmont, that Chicago compelled them at dost tw rato this city among the best risks of the world. Now that this has beun accom. plished, it will bo supreme folly to go back- wards, ruin the ruputation of the city, and impose a burden upon its commerce in the shape of cuormous insuranco rates by yiuld- ing toa whort-vizbted demand of a certain portion of the city, or in order to allow one or two Aldermen to pander to the assumod sectional interguts of their ward constituents, ‘Tho fact is, that there is now loss occasion than over for any persons to domaud a modi- fication of the Fire law, as it costs much less now to build s brick houso than it did two or three years ago to build of wood, and the Present difforence in cost betwoen a brick and woodon structure is largely overbalanced by the greater durability and saving of re- pairs in the former. The whole scheno is a dor investigation. mont concorns the frionds of rational edu- cation everywhero is not the amelioration of the condition of the school-teachors, but tha vicious one, and overy intercat in the city demands its prompt repudiation by the Council, THE FOX-RIVER IMPROVEMENT. The Do Pore (Wir.) Nera charges the Louisville Courier-Journal with ‘ deptora- bio ignorance” in regard to tho ‘* Fox-River Improvement” in Wisconain, Tho }atter is of opinion that the estimated sum of money (92,887,884) needed to complete tho For River nnd Wisconsin slackwater-navigation will not auffice. Tho C.J. is correct in ite opinion, ‘Ten times the sum of $2,087,384 will not mako a steamboat-channel from tho Mississippi to Greon Bay, ‘The work olready done at a cost to the Govornment of $1,372,- 000 in money, and land that rold for $600,000, —togothor abont $2,000,000,—is but a drop in the bucket to what will be required tocompleto it, Tho Ohiof Engineer now rocommends that $750,000 of public taxes be diverted the coming yoar to the work, Sim- ilar appropriations made annually untit 1900 will not complete a stenmboat-canal and elackwater-navigation on that river. Tho improvoment extends from the bend of Groen Bay up tho Valloy of the Fox, forty miles to Lake Winnebago, and thence sixteon miles to tho inlot of the Upper Fox; thence 110 miles up Fox River to Portaga City; thonce two miles by canal into the Lowor Wisconsin River; nud down that riv- er 116 miles to the Mississippi,—in all n dis- tanco of 233 miles, Whon tho work is fin- ished to the intersoction of the Lower Wis- consin, the most costly part of tho project ia then to begin. Tho Wisconsin River is not anavigable river for ateambonts more than a fow days or wooks onch year. Tho surveys show it to ba a rapid, shallow stroam, with a fall of one to ten foet per milo. To rendor it navigable for steambonts will roquiro an elaborate system of locks and dams, costing many millions of dollars. Some onginecrs Lavo roported that the bettor plan would bo to oxcavate n ship-caual along tho rivor in the Valley of the Wiscousin, and not attempt to control that quicksand stroam by locks and dams. Considor what it would oost the nation to construct 115 miles of ship-canal, with nu- merous locks; and, after tho improvement ia finally mado, at a coat of oudlcss millions, what will itbe good for? .How much prod- uco and morchandise will follow that 283 tiles of canal and Jock navigation from Prairlo du Chion to Groen Bay? How many hundrods of millions will such a precedent cost tho taxpoyors of the nation? It is not to be supposed that Congresa will go on ap- propriating millious after millions for that “Smprovomont," unless it also appropriates the taxes of tho people for scorca of equally plausible, costly, and worthless dovices for fattening contractors at the oxponse of tho poople at largo, See THE TRUE THEORY OF EDUCATION. Tho Govornment Printing-Offico at Wash- ington has just jasued a pamphiet report of the prococdings of tho International Confer- onco of Education, hold at Philadolphia Inst year. Thore has been some waste of papor and ink in this publication, for the Confor- ence seems to hnve produced no results of practical value, Itisa pity that, when tho subject to be discussed was ao vast, the speakers could not havo travelod out of the ordinary rontino. It wasinteresting to hear, no doubt, that the systems of education in the Hawaiian Islands and Japan have profited largely by Western oxample ; that tho pen- sioning of school-teachors in Swedon had been found profitable on all accounta; and that the Nchool-Ingpectors in England aro “often young University graduates of no ex- Pporionge, But theso aro trivial dotails in comparison with the main subject un- Tho question which improvement of methods of instruction. It ia s common mistake for teachers, when thoy come together in convontion, to aasumo that their own interosts, as individuals, aro thore of paramount Importance, whereas the fundamental thing is tho benefit of thoso taught, The subject of courses of atudy recoived inadequate treatment in the Conferonco, the discussion being oxhausted in an oavay by Dr. Iannis, of St. Louis. Thoro is nothing in the pamphlet bofore us to indicate that this essay provoked any debato or oxcitod any goneral interest. It is, novartholoss, the one subject of all others which now engages the attontion of scientific mon who protend to speak with authority on Education, Dr, Hanna hod the sagacity to perceive thin fact; nnd, although his casay is far from satisfactory, it evidences a just comprohen- hension of tha demanda of the hour, Ata timo when the principles of Praravozzr are taking hold of tho popular imagination, and when such’ philosophers as Miut, Srencen, and Hanater Martivgzau have enforced, by iNustration and oxample, the benefits of s natural ovolution of the faculties, it becomes the teacher to ascertain in what degrees the prosout methods of instruction are defective, If tho proper order of progression is not from rutea to oxamples, or from gonerals to par- ticulars; if grammar and history ought to be the last, instead of the first, things to be lonrned; if the dead languages havo boca awarded too much importance, an.t the sci- ences too much neglected; if individual tautea have not been carly enough developed, nor long enongh cultivated; if the value of ‘‘disclplinary” studios hag been overrated,—a conforonco of oducators ia just tho place where tho cry of reform ought first to be raised, But wo fail to discover in tho essay of Dr, Haneis, or in other oxpressions of tho Conference at Philadelphia, any con- cern about these subjecty. Dr. Hanus, in- deod, draws upa curriculum for common aud high schools, but ho could not probably got ton teachers of eminence in the Ry $2 adopt it. Ho rotaing all the ‘gbjg featurey of the old systoms, and in} only fanciful changes of his own tq yy ¢ supposed necessity of conforming the pablo. school course of study to the roquiremonty for admission to college. This tabulated scheme contomplates five divisions of studies, which have the merit of conforming to tho order of nature. ‘Thess divisions sro (1) stud- ios which pertain to inorganic nature, treated in mathematics and physics; (2) those re- lating to organic nature, including natural history and the sclences; (3) those exhibit. ing theoretical man, or intellect, such as philology and philosophy; (4) those which have todo with practical man, or will, as ween in civil history, sociat and_ political science; and (6) those which arise trom the consideration of mathetical man, or phantasy, as developed in tho fino arts. a perfect scheme were it not trud that man himsolf 1 9 part of it; and the human mind and body are at once fastrumonts aud objects of study, ‘The aim should be to mcke them interesting to the student, and under. stood in some of their fundamental facts and laws, before proceeding to abstract ‘This would bo | ries, Tho scheme drawn up by Dr. Uannts in not even fo good ns his preliminary state- ment of principles, Fle retains political geography, grammar, and history in their old placer of importance, and awards second- ary places to physiology, physical geography, and the practical sofeuces, Ho does not con- tomplato any chango in the presont inethod of tenching mathematics, and he evinces no horror of “teaching by rote,” which is at once the most slothfal and the most pernicious kind of teaching. All. ho haa dono {a to work over old material, leaving its con- stituent clements unchangad. The common-school system of tho United States is not without enemies, Educated mon who beliovo it is based on 9 falso theory fro not fow, and their numbor is constantly increasing. It has been maintoinod in digni- fied literary bodies that taxation for school purposes is an inequitable burden, since it falls oxclusively on proporty ; that only tha Persons who have childron at tho common schools derive nny benefit from them ; and that goneral edtcation fs not a protection to socloty or the Governmont, Sonsiblo mon who do not sympathize with those views may yet notice them with alarm, and wish that, in matters of detail, the public-school sys- tem wero less open to criticism, It is posai- ble that, if the system of instruction were reformed root and branch, thore would be. less hostility manifested towards tho ides of free education, On this necount olono it is highly desirable that a reformer should arise fo press this work to its practical con- clusions. —_——_ The Democratle revolt against Tammany fn New York City 1s rapidly becoming more for- midable. Tho latest and most important re- crult is the New York World, which washes Its hands of the whole concern, and delivers it over tobo cruciiled. The World declares that tho ‘Tammany Society is possessed of the aplrit of “* pig-headedness " and “ perversity,” and that it has exhibited {ta proficiency fa this respect by its recent public declarations on national poll- tica, There was no reason in the first place, the World saya, why Tammany should have @ny- thing to say about national politica. It is not a national organization. Its influence outaide of tho city was accurately estimated in the two Yotes for. Speaker which Mr. Cox received in the New York Conercastonal delegation. it was proper, therefore, that Tammany should make no deliverance on questions of national concern, It was especially desirable, if it did make such deliverances, that they should be in harmony with tho platform of the State Con- yention, The Tammany resolutions are, how- ever, expressive only of the sentiments of that institutlon, The World saya of them: When Tammany pusser silly resolutions that President Hayes bas no title to his office ft action may be paracd over, because neliier Tammany nor anybouy elsc propones to take avy moasures ta un- seathim, Mat when Tammany passes eceolutions attacking Civil-Bervice reform ft does mach wore than make itself ridicalous, It makes itsolf an ally of Conxtine tn tha State and tho nation, and it justifes in the municipal Clvil Service the meth- ode which the Prosident hag assailed Inthe Federal Civil Service, In this it adfronts the Chairman of the Albany Convention, Mr. Potten, the burden of whose aneech was tho neceaslty uf Clyll-Servies reform, andthe Albsny Convention Iteolf, which heard ond applauded that speech. This ts plain talk from a Democratic nowspa- pertothe most powerful Democratic Club in thecountry. But stranger even than the revolt of the World {6 ite implied expectation that Tammany would bo found on thu aide of Clyil- Service reform and puro Government, <a Wa learn from the Philadelphia ZYmes that Scranton, Pa, has suddenly awakened to the fact that it hasbeen nourishinga ponulua TWEED Ring for several years past. The immediate occasion of the revelations was the submission by the City Auditors to the Courts of certain puzzling questions in the city’s finances, among thom the legality of a late issue of $100,000 worth of bonds. In investigating this matter, Judge Haxpusr, of the Court of Quarter 8ca- sions, has found not only that $44,000 worth of these bonds were Issued illegally, to the enrich- ment of offictais’ private purscs, but also that the City Administration has, for along timo, been on organized system of robbery. Over half ttle city debt of nearly §600,000 fs mado up of fraudulent city orders, altercd and reissued. from time to timo by dishoncat officials. Tho Judge concludes with the following strong and starting language: While disposing of this case, we may add that thor fa no city in the State whose finan have been handled by the local authorities as this, For years men have had themselves elected by fraud and otherwise to Insignificant locat offices, with no othor object in view than to plun- der tho property-owners of Scranton. Beggars and bankrupts have grown rich while in the enjoy- hient of those places, and property-owners hava been reduced to atmoat want by the frauds and cor- ruptacts of auch officials, The city dobt has been Increased by the most glaring and ontrageous fraads, wuchas the issuing of Stty ondora for a small sum, and then altering them to n much larger ono by partic who destred to have tho floate ing debt of tha city fanded for ** expected Iabll- Tt ta well-known to the Fecple of Bcranton to-day that more than one-half the present In- ebtedness of the city fs made ap of fraudulent city orders, altered and reissued from time to time by dishonest officials, Ex-Chaucellor GLapatong ts about to visit Ireland and make quite a tour of observation through the {stand for the purpose of posting Uimsclf as tothe actual state of the cuuntry, The London Times saya of the proposed excur- sion: Mr. Grapatons proposes to crosathe Channel and move ina quiet, informal way from the tiouse of one friend to another Insome portions of the {atand, Mr. Guapstone, however, hae bad too much to do with Ireland, and has filled too large a» part in socent Irieh legislation, to bo abla {0 pase unrecognized fron) one country-house to another; and there has been much private and some public apecniationawtothe wayin which he will be re- colved in hie wanderings, Weare able to to-day tostate what, at all events, {6 the distinguished tourlst’a ownintention, Dut, oven apart from this authentic intelligence, It might have been predi- cated of tho various imaginary progammes which hava beon drawn up for the visit to Ireland that, for the moat part, thoy exhibit a curious Incapacity for dealing with Irish aubjects. Wo bave no doubt that Mr, Guanstoxx will be everywituro received with decorous, sod womethiug more than decoroue, oine, If there be any shortcumingy in the eartineva of his reception, tt will be ainony the Orangemen of Ulster; but we do not anticipate any want of respect oven tn the North. No doubt can deentertalned wf the character of his reception ¢luewhere, Irlahinen are not ne to be deficient in hospitality, and eothbusiasm will not be wauting for thoacthorof the Jriwh Land act and the Church act, Ae furthe suyyvestion thit Mr. GhapstowK will be tempted to make ble visit the occasion of propounding any new Irish policy, it isan extrar- agance of minds which the were mention of Mr. Ubabstonr's name Ls cnuuzh to throw of their Mr. Guapatonn's mental energy has not ted, but it must be patent to all who have been able to watch his recent Aondact with diaprssionste {ugsment that he has eo fae closed his active pull. cM carecraa to have deliberately reuoanced all retension to fnitiate of control further domestic legislation. ns Gen. Jauzs HR. Bakun, Survoyor-General of Miuncsota, sends a commuuiration to the St, Paul /’reae in regard to the vust multitude of lakes in Miunesots, Many of them are only little ponds, while some are quito large bodies of water, but they are all pure and clear. Gen, Dake saya: 1 have canecd the lakes in all the townships to be cugnted, and there are iu the actually surveyed. portiosy of the State Just 4,000 meandered lakew. Calling thea 6,000 in number, and from relia! dats iu this office we find that these lakes avi 300 acreseach; thiy xives us 1,500,000 acres Of water ip the surveyed portion of the State. Now. computing thy lakes tn the unsurveyed portion of the Bate, from reliable data in possession of thie oifice, we dod that there are 22.000 muru lakes, which make 7,000 in all. The number of lakes to a town is much ervater Iu the unsurveyed of the State than iu that already aurveyed, ‘The: are found also to averuse greater arcas. We Ou we are compelled to eatiuate the 2.000 lakes in the unsurveyed portion at G00 acres each, which wives usan additional water area of 1,300,000 actus, Diaking a total water area of 2,700,000 acres within the limits of the State. This does not ombrace the vast water srcas jucluded witha, the projected boundary Ines of the State in Lake Superior and Luke of the Woods, and amoug the grcat water sire! 6 of the intervational line, —— Thore belay uobody around handy to nom nate for otllcc, Mr. Sawvee Bowxgs, of the Springtield tteputdicun, drops editorially into autuuio poctry: ‘The storm, which clesred sway with e warm orange sunset, last evening, sad Yet a serene, tuvalit night to foliow, “was aa uaulemlsdod taudel for future afairs of the sort, [twas inter balance, tions enting, by the way, to observe the effect of ’ vious rine upon the foliage of onr foreatn. ucties they came, the trees wero rusty and dull, and the autumnal glories were not looked for, ‘but thee imparted now tife te the tlvening Teaver, and ttre wero many notably brilliant ihaptnyn of color te the maples. ‘Tho steady fall of the pant three days, however, hing Mtrlpped tnany a treo, #0. that the bare erays of November will mark the moon land ag much n@ any later acarict of maple of ma. toon of oak, Apart from the innate beautics of this Plece of word-painting, wo think we detect in ita political significance. Tha collapse of the “twarm orange sunset” has att indirect refer. ence to lita Mr. Cox’s failure to recure tha Bpeakership, while the “stripped” trees and “the bare grays of November’? are Intended to prophetically illustrate the fate of the Demo- cratic candidates in the ten States holding elec. tions next month. In this new Journalistic departure Mr, BowLes has exceeded even him. sell, for ble harmontuus blending. of landsen; and political scapeguats Is a marvel of double- barreled writing, a. Sweden has plunged Itself into @ peculiar com. plication of political woes by enacting that here. after executions shall be witnessed only by citt- zone chosen by the people, This will give risa toa perplexing state of public affairs, and un- questionably culminate in the repeal of a law which, as it stands, involves primaries, conven. tons, elections, and issuca from which the Swedes have heretofore been ‘free. Fancy two candidates running for the privilege of seeing man luog! One will capouse Free-Trade, por. haps, while the other leans toward Protection, One might advocate a principle which in tino would becoma obnostous, and then the ation will have to walt for another murder and con. vietion before a change can be effected. Or, suppose an election should result in a tie, or should be contested and carried Into the courts, the delay Inthe meanwhile cheating justice of {te due. A dozen arguments present themsclyes against such a law, apart from the murders ordinarily involyed in elections. peek ae eect eat The devotion and ingenulty displayed by the Sunin attacking the Preatdent, if employed in any usefal pursuit, would inevitably enrich tte Proprictor. It had to go and swallow a fabri- cated circular about Mr, Hays and the Greon- back leaders and write a big editoriat thereon, when, by sending a reporter acouple of hundred yards, It could have discovered that it was belng outrageously gulled. But it affected the President, and that was cnough. We fear that, as woll os Brahma cocks, Mr. Dana bas Brahmin bulla fn that famous $12,000 plate- glasa hen-house that we hear so much about, ees ee Next Saturday evening, Noy. 8, the planets Saturn and Mars will bo duc. south about 8 o'clock. The distance between them will then bo only tt seconds of arc, or about one-third the appd¥ent,diameter of the moon. Mars will be the most northerly of the two, and hie dis- tance ao nearly cqual to that of Saturn's outer satellite that the latter would bo occulted if {t were thon at the corresponding point of its orbit, On Friday evening, Noy. 9 Venus will be only 23f degrocs south from Jupiter, in the western quarter of the heavens. 3 a —— The Industrials swear that O, Rizcret must come offtha Bourbon ticket and Tom Kay- ANAUGT go on, or they will “put a head’? on Lizn ond Lrxcu at tho polls. The Democratic Scandinavians notify the Lign-Lrnci erowd that, if their man is bounced from the ticket, they will bolt en masse, and smash the whole slate, It looks lke acase of Scylin and Cha- rybdig, and will require some fine navigation to stocr clear of the rocks. But if promises, clork- ships, or hand-money will satisfy the interested parties, they will bo forthcoming. ——————_— Ex-Hoss Twexp, {n prison “for debt,” in a conversation with ono of tho Herald editors, expressed the opioion that “Tho population of New York City was too hopelessly split up into races and factions to govern it under unlyersa suffrage, except by bribery of patronage or pur- chase." There is altogether too much truth in this vynical remark of tho old rascal. ——— Epitaph, to be unveiled ‘with Sppropriate solcmultios the day after election: Here Nea H. Lixu,, Ifls Ho time o'er, He Ion at last ‘To ile no more, a With his pay-roll in his baud for easy refer- ence, and his crowd of bummers around him to do his figuring, will Lizu tell the people how much he proposes to reduce the county ex- penses between now and clection? —————— The Lrxn-Lrnom managera put in consider. able work yeaterday reconciling the Industrials tothe packed ticket. The Industrials were swallowed, aud the job on hand is to keep them down. \ Another question might be asked Bir. Lyne, ‘What explanation did ho over afford the whisky distillers, when bo was ostracised on the Board of rade for selling them out to the Govern- anent | It is genorally belleved that Hans fs Hamat ind Ligy more than he {s doing him good tn those circulars. The service fan’t worth $108 per month, Lrxs ts making a strong bid for the support of the more educated of the populace by his Patronage of that ‘‘d—n literary fellow,” Parag. dayp, It la byno means certain that Simon CaMBRON will be appointed to the English mission. ‘What, bo, without there! More whine! | ‘Tho length of time that Lras' will stay out of office ia cstimated at exactly four yeara by the Kroxxa, “It may be four years, and it may be for never, probably the latter, singa H. Lins mournfully, | There is adisoosition among the honest voters ot Cook County to Lins Lynci fu the lurch, ——— ‘Tho'Industrials were straugers to politics, and the Lins-Lrxcu yavg took them in, a Being a Ring man, It is natural thet Lowe should place his rellance in circulars. <a There Is # strong prospect that the taxpayers will Lywcu Lino on clection-lay. “PERSONAL, The war correspondence of the Londen Daily News in soon to be republished im book form. John Bigelo Congrossman Hewitt cdme on the same steamer with Tilden fron Eu- rope. Joe Jefferson reappears on the stage in New York to-morrow night, after an absence of two years. - Charles G, Greene, until recently editor of the Boston Post, cclebrated his golden wedding last week, Senators Hoar and Dawes, Gen. Garfield, and Col. Ingersoll will soon take the stamp in Massachusetts, David A. Wells asserts that the Boston Advertiser ts eapecially hired to upbold the Pro- tective Tarif, The Adeertiser says thie statements ie untrue, ‘The New York Tribune thinks that tho nomination of My. William W. Astor for the State Assombly in a good sign, and it reminds young men occupying positions in society similar to bis that in England such young men go into politics matter of course. The Hungarian Minister of Worship has Just notified bis declalon that henceforward the imarriage witha Jewcsa of s Christian converted to the Jowlsh porsassion will be beld as nul? sod void. This declaration hay caused universa) die content in the Jewish community, Lord Lytton's posthumous play, “Fh House of Darnley," has becn produced {a London, and the Times esysof it: **There have been betes Plays written than ‘TAs House of Darnley,’ snd there may be better plays written again, but It is long since one a good bas vee pub upon ous ataze."*