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

i‘ i { ! b - nud it is expected that everything will have 4 TIIE CHICAGO TRIBUNE: 'TUESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1877. for the retnrn of civil and constilutional au- thority, To this end meetings have been held, resnlting in tho appointment of n Pro- vincial Committee. This body met in Btras. bourg yesterday, and passed a resolution ro- queating the Emperor to grant t the con- quered provinces their own Constitutionas a Federal Stato and n reprosentative in the The Tribue, TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. 1T MAU—IN ADVANCE—POSTAGE PREPAID, P'"’ EAltion, one year.. 124 artn of 8y ¥ mon 1.00 ,;.‘:?,‘:flil{l’a...n... g:zfi Federal Conneil of the Empire. Teknar .'!‘ei’f“piimm.m R4 st WERKLY EDITION, POSTPAID. The reform clnmont in the County Board bt st 5:80 | mot with two defeats yeaterday, A report Bpccimen of the Finance Commitles, in favor of abol- : Uive Post-Office address In fall inclading Btats snd onnty, Wemittances maybe made efther by draft, cxpress, Tost-Office order, or tn regiatered letters, at our riak. TERMS TO CITY BUBSCRIDERS, Dally, delivered, Eunday excented, 25 centa per wrek, Latly, dcitvered, Bunday inclnded, 30 cents prr weck. Addrem THE TRIBUNE COMPANT, Carner Madison and featborn-sta., Chicago, Il Orders for the delivery of Tax TRInUNE st Evanston, Engleweod, and Iiyde P'ark loftfn the conuting-foor WiliTeceive prompt attentio: TRIBUNE ishing tho offico of Attorney in tha lower conrts and of reducing the salary of the County Attorney to £3,000, was lost by voto of 8 to 6, Commissioners Mzyzn and FirzoemaLp voting with the ‘‘old crowd” againat two measurcs of ccon. omy that ought to be enforced; and a resolution offered by Oummllfllonur Bunrixo, proposing nn investigation of the Court.Honso plans, with n view to dotermin- ing upon such changes in the interlor arrangoments n8 might bo found necessary, was loat by ntio vote. Tho certainty that such an investigation would exposo some of the frands perpotrated in the building of tho Courl-House wns sufiiolent to raceive thie solid opposition of the *old crowd.” TN CicA0n TEINUNY has estabilshed branch ofices for the receipt of subscriptionsand advertiscments as follows: : NEW YORK—Ttoom 29 Trituna Buflding. F.T. 3Mo- Fanvrs, Manager, AN F C| CII ~Talsce Hotel. Citantzs 16 Ttao o 1a Grange-Dateltere, LON Eng.—American Exchange, 449 Strand. Huxxr F, GiLLig, Agont, AMUSEMENTS, MeFicker's Theatres £ Madison strect, between State snd Dearoom. ' Deauty and the Neast,” and **Slmpson & Co." Af- The Hon. Jmm BHERMAN, Bemu\ry of the Tronsury, regards tho chief end of man tobe to bull bonds, and that the moral and logal duty of all persons is to borrow cheap, de- preciated papor money and repay the debt; then hava silver demonetized and repoy the debt in gold, after it has donbled ita pur- cliasing power by virtue of its searcity. Bat the l{on, Jonx wns not nlwnys of this mind, When he was o Benator from Ohio he wrote aletter fo Mr, A. Many, Jr., of Brooklyn, N. Y., on the kind of money in which the 5-20 bonds were payable, which wo roproducd ns a remindor when ho advo- cnted what is ealled the greenback policy : Uxitrn BTATPSs SENATE CiaXnER, WASIIRGTOY, March 20, 1808, —Dean Sim: 1 wasglad to receive your letter. My personal futoresta aro the same s yoars, but, ko yor, T do not intend to bo influ- encad by them. My conatenctlon of the law fa the result of caroful cxamination, and T feel quite sure an impartial court woald confirm it if the caso should be tried before o court. 1 send yon my views, oa fully stated fn & speech, Your ldea that wa proposs to ropudiate or vioiate a promiso when wo offer to redcom tho **principal® In legal- tendors le erroncous. 1 think the bondholder vio- lates his promiso when he refasea to take tho same kind of money ho pald for the bonds, 1F (! I to bo teated by tho law, 1 am rights if 1t's to be tested by JAY Cookx's advertisemente, 1 am wrong. 1 bate repudiation or anytbing lke it, but wa ought not. to bo deterred from what s rlght for fear of undescrved cpitheta, If under tho lawas 1t atanda the holders of £-20s can only bo pald in wold, tho bondholder can demand only the kind of moncy ho paid, then ho fs a repudiator and extor- tloner ta domand moncy more valunble than he gave. Truly you: Joux SUENNAN. BILVER A BTEADIER MFASURE OF VALUE THAN GOLD. The Nation is floundering about in the silver controversy so sensclessly and inco. horontly that it is not a difficnlt mattor tq convict it out of its own mouth. That “ high-toned ” journal began by denouncing thoso who charged that the demonotization of eilver was accomplished surroptitionsly nnd with selfish intent. As regarda the con. coalmont, it hnas Leen nnable to show that the proposed demonotization was discnased in noy such manner as to furnish publio in- formation of what was designed in 1873, while the nctual and final demonotization was hmn@:e about, unperceived by overy--| Lody, in the rovision of tho statutos in 1874, As rogards tho intont, it is now forced to ad- mit that the climination of silver from thio Amorican monetary system may have been “guggested by somo apprehension of the Londholders and creditor class™ that it would become tho cheaper of the two metals, In other words, the same class that now insists upon the ropayment of choap greonback debta in deor gold coin nra only adhering to o programmo which they laid out doliberately with tho intention of taking an unfair advautage of thew dobtors, The Nation seoks to justify this rapnoions con- duct in the following langnage: 1t may be sald, however, that on genersl grounds, sach as the probable demonctlzatlon of miver by Qormany wnd the reported incroase 1 the product of the minew, they had fornied a strong expactation that siiver would fall {n value, Now, supposing thls to be true, —whethor it is true of any one con- noctod with tho demonetization measure we have na means of knowing, —it became the duty of any- Loy who luoks un mnoney as a measuze of value to advacate the disuse of silver asa legalotender. It is forgetfulness of tho fact that the maln fanction of monoy 18 Lo measnre value that leads to most of the Wentern vagaries about tho colnage, The mal ihing to be aimed ut [n money in stability In rel tion to wost othor commodit Aoney which hi not this, wants ita most ussential feature. 1t ls ‘bocanse they have had this, m tuan for any other reason, that goid and silver have been so much used a4 woney. Any legislator, therefore, who fancies that elther ofgthom Is likely to vary much 1n value la pertectly justifiod in throwing it outof use, Itlsno moros proper object of af- feeton than o foot.rule or a quart pot. Thi would b somothing very ludicrous in any one's loving & fuot-rule because it hud shrunk, or m quaort pot hecsuse thero bud beon & hole knocked 13 1t neur the bri d yet the Western people have been dong Ing very like this in grow. lug scutimeutal ovel r. 'T'he comparison to tho foot-rule or quart pot which the Nation wakes may be carrled out further than it gocs. An elastic foot- rule which shrinks or a quart pot with a hole in it is no more unfair 8a & measure than o gum-olastio foot.rnlo that strolohes out to twica its usual longth, or a measure purporting to hold one quart which holds three piuts. Tho merchant who messures off his goads with a yanlstick that is only thirty-threo Inches long is no worse than o customer who takes g three-pint quart mefhsuro to the dairy and domands that it be fillod with milk for the price of one quart, If there wore a patent yard-stick in this country which had the quality of shrink. ing coustautly, and the law compelled its uso to tho exclusion of all other measurement, it is probablo that the legislators would be forood ta ropeal that lay or be confronted with revolution. But the money-londers have a gold yand-stick of just that quality, These gold ternvon sod eventug. flnoley’s Thentre. Tiandolph strect, Detween CIArK and LaSaile. Engagement of Joreph Murphy, **Kerry Gow.” Af tetnoon and evenlug. Tinverly’s Thentre, " Monroe strect, corner af Dearborn, Engagement of Ross Eytinge. '*Antony and Cleopatra." Afierncon and evenlog, Colieum Novelty Theatre Clark street, opposite Court-Ttouse. **3Masonry Ex- posed.™ Afternoon and evening, New Chicago Theatre: Clark streer, oprosita the Sherman I der's Georgls Minstrels. *Afternoon and evenlng. SOCIETY ME| ACLEVELAND LODAT, NO. 211, A, F, ereb; notified to ho a vnnuna-vn Im. Jec, 20, 8t 10 0°clock wbar] tend the fon Dy to at- f our isto nmmer, (Rt fewin, Bark clothing shuuld be worn. Gars to lioveliill Com: ctery. LATIFATION CIOAIL MANUPACTURFNS-Thers Il he's icect hursday at 3 u'cluck p, m., Rinic's a3 3 P e into consiJe; Lasfoner of Interna) I 1877, TUESDAY, DECEMDER 25, Groonbacks at the New York Stock Ex- chango yosterdny closed at 973. Kare Noonay, who shot and killed W, IL Binre, tho Toller of tha First National Bank of Miuncapolis, has boen acquitted on the ground of imranity. In the first trial the jury disagreed, and in tho second the session Insted two dnys and threo nights before o verdict was reached. The presont romarkablo strotch of warm weather lias oxtonded os far north ns the 8t. Lawronce River, and at Montreal to.day excursion boats will land, bringing visitora to the great church feativals, an episodo in tho navigation of that usually cold streamn eaid to be entirely unprocedented. The lnmr. advices from Havann point to tho conclusion that tho revolution which has been going on in Cuba for the past nino years is gradanlly disintegrating. DBands of insurgents numboering from (twonty-five to sovonty are daily surrendoring, and it will not bo many months ere tho Cesrepes Pro- visional Governmont finds itaclf withont n follower, Arbltration s to be employed in the ad- Justment of the disagreemeont which resulted in tho protracted strike on the Lachina Canal in Canadn, The strikors have choson two members of Parlinment for their representa- tives; tho contrnctors will also choose two, been sottled and work reuommunud by to- IOITOW, There was a scandalous rumor yestorday that the old County Ring were willing to pay a4 high as 856,000 for an additional vote in the County Board, and that thoy wero jubilant and hed no doubt that the Ring would not only clect all their mon, but would have o pormancnt majority of the Board, Tho result of the vote on Wednesday will prove or digprove this mmor, A general resumption of notivily in the Tudlan market is noted in the dispatches this morning. A large body of hostiles are akinnishing in the Black Hills country, leav- ing tho miders in & state of uacomfortable uncertainty as to their intentions; in Bonora the Indlans were victorious in an on. counter with troops; aud in Idalio trouble {a anticipated from the Bannocks, — e That “glorious climate of Oalifornia" seomu to havo redoomed itself with rospect to tho wheat crop, which was seriously threat. onod by renson of a protracted drought, A geueral visitation of rain throughout the Btate within the past few duys has iate. rially brightoned the aspect of affairy, Ifany moroe ralu is neoded, Chicago hason hand a large supply which she wonld be glad to dis- pose of at roasonsblo torma aud in quenti. tic to suit purchnsors, Tho prosent phaso of “affairs on the Rio Grande is of o character to completely dis. gust the war-propleta, There {8 absolutely no chanco for an futernational diffoulty, the Moxican troops seut forward by Diaz baving promptly co-operated with tho United Btates forces in the preservation of order, Gen, SBarwpan’s testimony before the Tlouso Military Committea is equally dis- conraging. e stated that there had been Bo raids by Mexicans into ‘Texas during the past year, or siuce the Diax Government ob- tained control, and bat few, if any, cattle have been stolen. Dy law, aro growing scarcer and dearer all the time, Ouo that measured three feet of a city lot a fow years ago now measures six or nine feet, A dobt determined by the mens- uroment of four years ago hss now swollen into noarly double proportions by the gold measure, Have not the pwple & right to protest agalnst such outrageous Variation as this in the mensurement .of values? Havo they not the riuht tu demand the utilization of ametal which has moro nearly maintain- ed stability in relstion to wmost other com- moditica? Iavo they not the right to de- nounce the offorts fo coerce payment in a singlo motal worth'from 20 to 40 per ocent more than the amount sdvanced to them? Have they not the right to iusist that the real value of tholr property shall be recog- nized by a moasurcmont which has proved itself to be stable audreliable by comparison, fnstead of 8 measurcment which Las been somuch exsggeroted as to require doublo The Pittsburg Chamber of Commerce held o weeting yestorday and adopted a resolu- tion unmg for the holding of a convention in Washington on the 224 prox., to discuss the condition of the American merohant .marine aud the esport trade of the nation. Great stress is laid upon the desirability of having American mails car- zied by American vessels, If tho Pittsburg peoplo aro prepared to surrondar the protec- tive tariff on iron, aud will do so,—which Tux TeisuNE very much doubts,—then, and not uotil then, will it be wise for them to embark in any scheme looking to the ad. vancement of American interests, or the in. creass of our export trade in manufactured articlea. — The departments of Alusco and Lorraine, since thelr forced dismemberment from _ France, have bean treated by the Germans | their propesty to satisfy its single atandard ? a9 » conquered people. ‘They bave bocome | On the very ground laid down by tho Nativn weary of @ ailitary government, and sigh | gy the' basis of the whole monetary has fully confirmed the indlcations of the timo, and gold %as varied vastly more than silver in its relation to other commodities. An ounce of silver to«day can be exchanged for more of any given commodity, renl es- tato and labor included, than it conld five yoara ago when it was at & preminm in gold. The variation of silver in relation to all other commodities and property has had, it is true, nn upward tendency, but the variation and advanco in the purchasing power of' gold hinve beon almost unprecedented. of to-day will buy from one-third to twice as much of certaln commodities, including real estato and labor, and from 15 to 80 per cont moreof all other commodities, than it wonld buy five yonrs ago. Tho ““stability” of money in relation to other commoditios im- plies a fixed and rolinble purchasing power; and, in this sense, silver answora the deserip- tion vastly better than gold. s regards other commodities does not mean doprociation alone, but appreciation na woll ; aud if a slight silver depreciation would be a hardship upon community, excessivo gold is a much greater hardship upon an- othor portion of the long ns stability is tho main thing to bo aimed at, which the Nation insists upon, then a choico betwaen tho two metals should profer that one which miore nearly ap- proaches and rotains an equilibrium in its rolations with most other commodities. It is notorlous that this is silver. silver Las rewmained comparatively station- ary, ns compared with othor pgoperty. Its purchosing power has been onlarged a little. But tho valuo of gold has been abnormally aud alarmingly enhanced, and its purchas- ing power hax assumed such a frightful dis- proportion in relation to most other com- modities asto disturb tho commercial in. intorests of the cutiro continent, Then the legislators who lent themselves to the schema for throwing outof monetary uso tho silver which has mnintained the groator stability, ond for employing exclu- sively the gold whioh hns proved to hnve no stability in relation to other commodities, were something worso than charlatana”; they were tho tools of tho tion now ropresonts so bunglingly and ma- liclonsly. most thorough posatal systema kuown to the world. There aro thoso who can romember when a **singlo lotter,”—that is, written on one shoot and without an envelope, paid postago ot the rato of G}, 12§, 18], and 25 conta per lotter not oxceeding half on ounce, for distances less than 8,000 iniles, and 10 conts for the longer distauce. the 8.cent rate for letters, and the 2.cent ond 1-cent for drop letters, and tho usoe of postage-stamps. Tho latest progross in tho wany of cheap postagois the Il-cont postal card, All these roforms hava bogn obtained in deftance of and againat the protesta of the old fogies, who never have and never will learn the lesson that tho grontest possible Americon postal systom was intonded to bo solf-sustaining; but tho immeuse area of measuroments, the only ones to be recognized . system, the demand for the remonctization of gilver ia ns fair and just ns the resistanco to this demand is rapacious and raseally. 8ayn tho NVation: * Tho main thing to Le simed at in monoy is stability in relation to other cominodities,” and beecaunsa any leg- islator having reason to approhend that elther silver or gold *ia likely to vary much in value is perfeotly justified in throwing it out of use.” Then why did not the money- lenders instruct their legislativo agents to thirow out gold inatead of silver? The in- dication at the timo was that gold -would “vary"” more than silver *“in relntion to other commodities,” for the renson that gold ‘was manifestly becoming scarcer, both onac- count of aredaced prodnction as comgared with silver, and on acconnt of the increased demand cronted for it by its adoption as the oxclusivo money of Germany, The result missions on the salo of stamps, tho reader will understand to what extent this great abnse can be pushed. Postmastors are keen- Iy alive o the business. Bawing-machina makers offer country Postmasters machines and take pay In postage.stamps. ‘Tho Post- master buya machines to the amount of $800, [+ which ho paya for in stamps; but, the stamps costing him only 8140, his margin of profit on the sale of tho machines is a largoono. 8o with & wido trado in various branches of business. Other country Postmastors will canvass largo cition like Ohicago, and find customors who will take postoge-stamps in Inrge amonnts, provided they can get them at o discount, The country Postmaater can afford to sell - the ecity merchant or corporation postage-stamps at 20 or 26 per cent off, and still have a large profit. ‘The extent to which this business is done Is shown to the Post.Offica Department by the large falling off in the sales of postage- stamps in tho Inrgo cities, aud the great in- crease of the eales at the rural post-offices. To what extent tho revenuos have boen re- duced by this class of business ia not known, bt whother the loss be ha'f a miltion or two millions a yoar, it ia'a robbery of tho public. Cheap postage was not invented to support Postmasters. If theso village Postmasters ara to becomo a charge on the country, let thom be paid salaries dircotly, and not let them be paid sixty postal.cards for selling forty; or $1.80in 3-cont lotter-stamps for ench $1.20 thoy return to the Government, 1t is lonks like thesa—potty and contempti- DLlc, and in point of fact fraudulont upon the rovenno—which reduce the income of the Post-Ofco Dopartment, and compel an nnnual tax to make good the deflciency. THE EFFEOT OF LOW TOLLS. The operations of the Erié Canal daring the last yoar exhibit the wisdom of the poli- cy of low fares with an incroase of service and an incresse of revonus, Tho rato of tolls on tho Erio Cannl was so heavy that the gen- oral shipment of merchandise to the West by that route had declined, and in many lines of goods hnd absolutely ceased. At tho opening of navigation in 1877 the canal tolls on ‘Western-bound froight wore reduced 50 per cent, and certain taxes on the boats were abolished, and the rosult hus boen that the total number of tons of merchandisa ehippod to tho Woest from New York in tho season of 1877 was 408, 59“, against 106,180 tons in the yenr pravious. The tolls colleoted were $50,548 in 1877, against $42,146 in 1870, ‘Tho public had 408,000 tons of merchandise transported in 1877 for 53,648, while the year bofors they had to pay 342,146 tolls on 106,000 tons. Tha canal performed four 4imes tho service for the public atless than half the rate, and tho State roceived more rovenno, and the boatmen earned more money. To show the olass of goods ex- cluded from the canala by the high tolls, and which would furnish tho conal with fall froighta if thotolls wore wholly abolishod, we take from tho Buffalo Commercial a list of somo of the leading articles moved West in 1877, compared with tho businoss in the same goods in 1876 : Tho gold ¢ Variation " one portion of tha appreciation community, 8o Tho valus of * dangerous “rapacions raseals " whose interosts tho Na- ABUSES OF THE POSTAL BERVICE. Tho United Statos haveone of the best and ! Har and pig-Toad, ‘and Tron Dorestic woolon TDomestic cottons conts, according to tho distance, and at that Banae b t“‘fi:“w 4,052,400 timo there were no post-officos weat of the "3%3‘,‘“’“ 10,400 Misslssippi River. Lottors written on moro .13}‘ .1,450,400 than one sheet of paper paid double or &&',d_'%” 21, 28:.._.00 trebla theso rates, Cloap poslago wns ‘in- 2«%.[;&? lg.o angurated and established at tho ratosof fi 014,500 nu.u;x -‘1’88 Bundried ..o, 971,800 ~ 12,750,200 Notwithstanding the rapld progress on the Canadian oanals, tha *statosmon” of New York refuso to soo that the Eris Canal must, if i€ is to remain a commercial highway, ba mado not only froe, but must be liborally en- larged. Tho only interest that has beon ox- oitod, go far, is that, when tho canal conses 40 compete with other routes, when it has coascd to bo an object of plunder to con- tractors, then Congress shall buy it and make it free, Congress has no more author. ity to purchaso the Erie Canal than it has to purchasa tho Pennsylvania or the Baltimore & Ohio Rallroad, andwill probably buy thoone o8 oon as the othor, Now York has reapod $60,000,000 proflt from the Erio Oanal, and if that Btato will not spend cnough to keep tho canal navigable, then New York must accept the consequences. The country will not buy the Erlo Canal, and the country will resort to the best, shortest, and cheapest routes to market just as soon aa offercd, Then came publio scrvice, at the least possible cost, Is the truest and most economical polioy. The oountry over which mails have still to be transported, outsido of railroads, and through districts whioh Yleld little or no rovonuo, is sugh a severs tax upon the income of tho servico that there hos alwaye boen nn annual deficlency, Tho avorage politician never is cqual to astruggle with a deflolency, When the income fulls below the expendi- tars, the natural ond the only truo remedy Is to reduco expenditures. BDut thia is not the policy of political parties when in the majority. In overy Congress. fond® district in the country thero is from one to forty Postmasters, - All those Postmasters aro more or losa active politiclans, and as the membors of Congress of the party in power have invariably madoe ell the solec. tions for theso oftices, tho post.offices have been regarded as the strongest domestio sup- ports of Congressmen wanting renomlna- tiona and ro-elections, In this way the sal. aries of Poatmasters Lavo growa annually, without reference to the public service. Each Congrossmau has endeavored to have the Postmasters in hiv distriot paid the high. est pousiblo salaries. A very large portlon of the annual doflolt might be saved if tho malarics of the Postmas. ters were rovised and reduced, and graded socording to some rational yule. Post-offices are of four classes; Olasies 1, 2, and 8 are The Alllance of tho current week calls attention to the fact that the Ohristmas of the Christian world is only a continuation of tho Baturnalla of the Romans, and one of our contemporaries adds that it is also a continuationof the Yule-feast of the Teutona. In the oelebration of Christmas, however, the religious world pags littla attontion to historical facts or tholr significance. It has snatchod away the day from heathenlsm and invouted it with new symbols, and rev- erently surrounds it with the legenda and traditions of the birth of our Savior. The world to-dsy will not care to inquire the real significance of the day, but will accept it as the annivorsary of the Babe of Dethlehem, though meither the day nor year of His birth is known, They will recognize, with gratitude thot the day of all days in the year has come lgl!n. Although it is scarcely recognizable iy its present thermal eqaip. ¢, thers | is no doubt that it appointed by the Presidont and have fixed e salaries. Class 4 have no fixed salarfes, Lut will be as| gemorally obgerved and thorouglly enjoyed as ever. A Christmas sro pald out of tho ravenues of the office. ‘The whole number of Postmastors in the country is 87,345, of which 06 per cent are of the fourth class, During soveral yoars thero has been growing up » new and exten. sive business among this class of Postmas. ters. The law allows Postwasters of the fourth class commissions on the sale of post- age-stamps as follows s On sales of first $100 por quarter, 80 per cent. Onsales over §100, and under $300 per quarter, 80 per cont, On sales over §300 per quarter, 40 per cent, The Postiaster of Chicago may sell poat. age-stamps amounting to $1,000,000 a year, and the whole proceedsof thesales would go to the Treasury. But the village Postmaster who selly during the year $2,000 worth of poat- age-stamps pays to the Government $1,010, and rotains $U60 for commisslons. Thare are 85,000 Postmasters to whom the Govern- ment offers this same privilege, If, out of this large number, 1,000 Postmasters shall rosort to this business, the offect upon the rovenues of the Post-Offica will.be seriony. For the $2.000,000 worth of stawps sold, and for which the cotsumers paid full price, the Government would receivq $1,040,000 and the Postmasters §960,000. Computing every 1,200 Postmaaters a3 capablo undor the law of swallowing up $1,000,000 of tha puablio rovenuo in the way of com. with mud in tho streets, fog in the alr, warm breezes blowipg, violets blossoming out on the prairies, buds starting on the trees, byacinths in{le sbop-windows, fruit-trees throatening bloom, blug-birds singing and wparrows ¢hirping, {s not the Christmas of tradition, apd there {s & molancholy saw of green and fat-graveyards that isnot pleasant to contemplate. A Ohrist- mas, to bo oot must havo for its accom. paniments thq crisp snow orackling under the heels, the pendent jclcles glimring in the clear ight, a keen and eager air, a sleigh-ride inthe exhilarating atmosphere, the blaxing fire (in the chimnoy cormer, ihe brightest of ptars in the night-sky, and the moon jn full gplendor. It will be difficult to impress upog the imagination of the small boy the oo noy of Bawra Ouavs in furs and snowy byard driving to the chimney top with sledge apd relndecr, Although hiscargo will be welcomed, e will be regarded with susplelon. | ‘Thero is evidence sufficlent, howeter, to establish the fact that Christmas s really here, notwithstanding the absence of ' its fa- miliar featurei. The crowded streets, the shops filled with knick-knacks and bijouteria frowm every quarter of the globe in bewilder- ing wrey, the garrulous curbstons mer- chauts howliog their chesp wares, the pines and spruces on every corner, the brown pe- per parcel attached to every man and woman paddling throngh the mud, the flower-stores fillod with their pretty docorations of glis- tening holly, Florila morses, mistletoe, climbing forns, ground pine, fantastic grasses, and all sorta of vardant fostoonery, tell tho old Christmas story that will bo reheatsed to-day in song and danoo, and carol and gen- eral fostivity, Thermomotrical conditions will not save tho gooso from his traditional spotheosis. As the great contral and savory fact of the day, he will occnpy just as im- portant o position in to-dsy's enjoyments and to.morrow's rograts as over. The Christmas.ireo will blazo just s brightly, and stockings will be as plentifal about the mantols and headboards, Fortunately the spirit of Christmas does not consist in the prophesies of Old, Proba- bilities or tho outdoor conditions. Peace on earth and good-will towards men sums up all of Christmns. It is tho day to give good, gifta to ohildren and the poor, to* make the homes of the unfortunate happy, to settlo old fouds, to reconcile your enemy, to end quarrals, to clasp hands with every one and wish & merry Christmas, Thore is no other holiday that the wholo world claims, thore- fore ita opportunitios aro world-wide, Now Year's ia a day for formalitiea and broken vows, Fourth of July for fuss and firoworks, Thanksgiving for gluttony and gratituda, but Obristmas is tho type of good.will to every one in Christendom, in momery of the birth of our Lord, and the advent of the an- gels who brought glad tidings of great joy. It ia thereforo the bounden duty of every man to make his own homo happy, whether the circle bo complate or broken, to remem- ber thoso who will nover return, aud to send kindly grectings to thoso who are abeent. It is his noxt duty tb mdke somo othor home kappy by confer- ring upon it something out of his own bounly, and then to oxpress lus kindly feel- ings by wishing the whole world & merry Ohristmas, Thare is no ono fallon so low a8 not to deserve a merry Ohristmns, and the kindly wish, which costa nothing, might in. spire tho outcnst and dograded with new hope. Thero is no ono so exalted that ho cannot stoop to givo this Christmas blessing which came from the Bethlchem atablo, As it ia peculiarly the olldren’sdny, they should bo spocially remombored, and as all the Christian years date from the birth of the Bon of a poor carpenter who lodged in a slablo, in remembrance of that event the poor shonld bo mado Lsppy also. It is a day for tho world’ to sink its differences, cease its quarrols, drop its creeds, and clasp hands in good.will. To-morrow it may resume its old ways; to- dny lot it sing, ond danco, and bo glad. Tn token of this, Tus Ourcaco Tamune wishos all its readors a merry Christmas, and to all the world poaco and good-will, TREE-PLANTING IN THE WEST. Thore are fow men in the West who have had a wider exporience in agrionltural affalrs than tho Hon, Jessg W, Fevrr, of Blooming- ton, and his matura judgmont on any kin- dred matter ia deserving of the most respoot- ful considoration, Itis of importanco, there- fore, tonoto that his oxperimonts in tree- planting havo taught him that the white wil- low is on all accounts the most reliablo and profitable treo that can be grown in tho Northwest. Wo print elsewhore n lottor writ- ton by Mr, Fzey, to tho Bioux Olty Journal, in which ho recounts his experiments in North. western Towa; ho bad also written a lotter to tho Hon. Lxonarp Swerr, wheroln he urgoes tho importance of improssing upon tho peo- plo of tho Northwout tho euperiority of tha willow over all other troos for the prairie soil and sovere climnie of this section. His exporiments have included the box elflor, soft maple, cottonwood, white ash, bass. wood, honoy locust, black-walnut, ohiestnut, Earopoan and Amorican larch, white and Bcotch pine, arbor vitw, Norway and black spruce, and'many other varieties, and the ro- sult has been uniformly to give the prefer. enco to the white willow, Tho advantagos of tho willow are, in brief, ita pasy propogation, liardiness, rapid growth, adaptation to wet ordry ground, strongth and durability, exemption from dlsonses, large growth, and resistance to tho rigors of a trylng climate. The advantages of tho willow in cities located like Chlcago havae long been evident, It i the firat tree to leat in spring and tho last to drop its leaves in fall. It matures earlior than any other variety, unless it is the cottonwood, which is objec. tionable on account of its peenliar sheddings, As » shade-treo for towns and citics in our climate ana soil, it has advantagos which the superfor attractions of othor varicties in mat. tor of looks cannot offset. For farmers the advantages “of tho willow are still more pronounced. As ® protootion for oattle when planted around barn.yards, and for orchards whon planted in groves on the north and west sldes of the fruit-trees, the merits of tho willow have been abundantly tested. When ocut for wood, it has much the quality of pine, and ita chavactoristio of reproduction from the stump when out down makes & willow-grove much more profitable than any other; in faot, Mr. Feor speaks of it as ** a rich and perpetusl incomo."” ‘What wo desire to call partioular attention to, howaver, is Mr. Friw's tostimony that the willow is in every way available for bridgo timbers and railroad tles; he ssys he kuows of an experiment which demonstrates oconclusively that the willow tie holds the spike with & grip equal to that of the oak, and in this casa ita durability mnay be safely counted upon, The renowal of ties is ono of the most coatly itoms of the operating ex- ponses of a rallroad, and the railrosds in the ‘Weast have been obliged to pay enormously for the proper wood to sorve this purposa through the vast prairies’ which they traverse, If Mr, Fxin is not wrong in his judgment, then tho railroads through. out the Northwest shounld immodiately adopt a general system of willow.plantiog along the whole extent of their lines. They have sbundant room on both sides the track ; the trees can be grown from cuttings or by the Iaying down of poles; they can be planted near enough together to serve as fence-posts for the protection of thelr tracks snd of publio property; the growth of trees will orpament the landicape; and, finally, they will have at hand, for the mere cutting, a permanent supply of ties, and thus save an enormous outlsy for the stockholders, reduce the operating expenses of the road, and ren. der cheaper rates possible for the benefit of the genersl travelmg and shipping pub- lic. Mr. Frun estimates that farmters cdn earn §640 per scfe on a ten- years' growih of willows by selling to rallroad companies, besides fully one-half the wood which the same growth yields for othor purposes. He himsclf hus s willow grove in which cuttings only a quarter of oo inch in diamoter have grown into trees of six and a quarter inches in diameter within four years, or fl the rate of one and a half . compel inches per year. Thero is no other means ‘whoreby railroad managers can save so much monoy for their stookholdors at so small an investmiont, and after the first growth the roproductive ohnarncteristics of tho willow will provido n permanent supply withont further investment. It is n subject which 18 worthy of the most serions consideration. THE REVE! ASURES, The following dispatch from Washington would indicate that OARTER Hanntsow's in. come-tax schemd has a stronger hold in Con- gress than wonld be inferred from his rep- resenting t, and that he bas been put for. ward by Southern members in order to com- mit somo of the Western interests to an ng. sociation with their efforts to release from tazation their favorite industries of growing snd mannfastaring tobscco and whisky, ‘The tolegram we refor to enys: The Sab-Committes, of which Fenxaxvo Woon 15 Cbalrman, charged with tho subdject of revising the Tarl{ bill meet here for active work daring the coming week. The Indications ars that, at tho coming acenlon, thera will bo = vigorous effort, in which the members from the West and South will Le pretty generally nnlted to restors the income tax, Connected with this 1s tho purposs on the part of theso 'sectlons to reduce tho tax on whisky nnd tobacco, and, a8 an offsot to this, they propose 10 restoro tho tax on incomes. Tt 18 bolleved that this lattor part of the ptan, ot lemst, wlil recelve the sanction of the Trossnry Department, as Sec- rotary BurnxAx alwaya hold, after the abolition of the incomo tax, that the time would shortly come when Ita restoration would be necessary to sustain the revenua of the Government, This Bub-Committes contains two or threo Bouthern members, wo boliave, who will probably mako n desperate effort to have an income-tax reported in brder to rednce (to tho oxtent of the rovenne it would yield) the tax now levied on whisky and tobacco. But Mr, Buronanp, of Iliinols, is also a membor of that Bub-Committeo, and will bo abla to mako au intelligent and conclusive fight ogainst so outrngeous n proposition, The composition of the entiro Committso of ‘Ways and Moons, which will have the matter in clinrge, s such ns ought to nssurs the de- font of tho scheme, Evon’ if all the Sonth. ¢rn men on the Ways and Moans Committige should favor it,—Tucken of Virgivia, Rop- vws of North Oarolinn, Harnis of Georgis, and Gmsox of Loulsiana,—and they should oll onter into it, thers would be seven mem- bors opposed. Of theso seven, Mirron Bar- 1xn, of Oblo, ia the only ono who can bo fairly suspected of being willing to play tho demnagogue to tho extent that such a mensure would requiro, while the others—Frnxanoo Woon of Now York, Pnerrs of Connactl- cut, Kexiey of Pennsylvania, Garvierp of Ohio, Buncrarp of Illinois, and Banxs of Mnssnchusotts—phould refuso to present such a proposition as a committee mensure, "Tho agitation of this incomo-tax matter is 8 Bouthern and soctional expedient for get- ting rid of tho fairest and least burdensomo of all the national taxes loviod, viz.: the tax on whisky and tobacco, The Southorn members, or some of them, go so farnsto nsk that every planter who grows tobacco shall bo rclensed from taxation thereon on $100 worth of his crop. Tho result of any such measure would bo such a division of the tobacco-growing property a8 to yield no tax whatovor. o the tax on whisky is to be reduced, and lovied upon the industry and frugality of the sober men in the commu- nity, whoso labor and hnbits enablo them 1o obtain o stated incomo. Not merely this, but tho whisky.drinkers throughout tho country are to bo tho more surely favored by a “profi:mlw " Incomo tax, which shall 0 frugal peoplo to pay the dearor according to their frugality ; for the larger tho incotne the more largely in proportion is o mau to bo taxed. Thera must bo an error in charging the Beoratary of the Treasury with the intontion to sanction this proposition. Wa can con- caivo that ho might favor an income tax as p moans of revenue (though thls is highly im. probablo at the presont timo and under the prosont conditions), but he canmot lend himself to a proposition to substisute thia tax for the whisky and tobacco tax. Itisaon unheard-of flscal project. Itisa proposition to chango tho eutiro system of taxation for confossodly immoral purposes. It isnota proposition to Jevy a new inx becansa tho oxigencies of the Government demand it, mor yot a proposition to remove an existing tax bocause it is unbearably nnerous and unfust; it is plainly a proposi- tion to substitute a new tax that is Qiscrim- inative, inquisitorial, and odious, for an ex- isting tax that hns been found to be remu- norative, popular, and easy to bear. Itis s proposition to use tho legislative force to fight tho preachors, the teachers, the temper- anco people,—all the people of good habits, —and simply for the purpose of fighting them. It is a proposition to place an em- bargo on industry and, thrift in order that dissolute men may rovel more cheaply In their bad habits. It should not be heard of again, THE FOOR KINDRED OF SMITH, In 1027 thore died in London sn Ald. Barrn, who left an estate of £2,000, He dirsoted by will that it should be invested in land of tho yoarly value of at least £120 per sunum, Half of the proceeds was to be uscd for tho relicf of captives taken by tho Turkish pirates, and the other,balf for tha rellef of tho poorest of his kindred,—** such 28 wero not able to work for their living, tho sick, aged, and impotent persons who could not maiotain thoir own charge,” Themoney was invested noar Keusington in an estate which is now worth nearly £11,000 a year, Fifty years henoe, it 14 estimated, the annual jncome from the property will not be less tban £50,000. Tho relief of pris* oners taken by the ‘Turkish pirates, provided for in the will, was long since abandoned, applications on this aocount having ceased. But tho other brauch of the charity has grown steadily. In 1772 there were but fifteen poor relations; in 1807 thero were twelve families of them ; in 1830 there were fourteen {amilies, comprising 100 adult recipients of, or candidates for, money ; in 1641 there wers 128 adults and 170 chil- dren; and in 1868, 413 relations, living in 110 households in England, Ircland, France, ond Australia. The Attorney.General has lately: instituted proceedings against the Duke of Northumberland and other trustees of the property with a view to ascertaining the manner in which the trust is sdmin. istored. 8ince the lawe of England will not permit funds to bo tied up in perpetuity for private purposes, it is probable that a fresh schemo will be framed and part of the funds be applied for general charitable purposes. This curious bequest affords an illustras tion of the demoralizing influence of indis- criminate charity. A reviewdof the case aptly remarks that ‘‘s premium is offered for real or simulated poverty, and it is ovi- dent there will alwsys be an inexhaustible supply of poor Swrrus, 0 long se it 1 lu. crative for Buirus to be pobr.” Thisis not thoe whole truth. The evidenco brought out in the case against the trustcas showed that the operation of this charity had been in- jurious in many specific instauces. Among _— the beneficiaries under the will are & number of well-to-lo persons, the relief of whose nenossitios could naver have been contem. platod by the original donor, Some bf them confess to incomes of £800 a year, and others have as high as £450. The applica- tions for relief show the necessitios of the Burrns in a hnmomnu way. Oneof them askn fora governees for his children, an. other dosires to have his dauglter take muaio lessons, and the requests range down from sums sofficlent to defray the oxponses of trips to the smeaside to the price of asewing-machine, The Influence of the charity on the characters of the poor Burrns has been ofton bad. Bome of them sro drunkards, others who wore, before their enrollmont, hard-working persons, ars now shiftless idlers. ** 8. O. W.,” pald weekly, hns been dying of consumption for twenty years, and has done nothing in the mean. time. **J. A.” Is the wife of a butcher who does, or might, earn good wages, but con. tributes nothing to her support, *“ R, B." formerly a boatman, has been in prison for deserting his family, and has been charged with robbing his lodgings. “M. A. B."is the wife of a hair.dresser, and both are sald to be regular beggars; the charity has done mischief to their family, There is every renson to believe that the Surta bequest hag dono far moro harm than good to tho do. scendants of the worthy Alderman. Their experionca is the same, on o small soale, as that of most other boneficiarien or organized charities, who in tho sggregate suffer more than they gain by superseding the gqrdinary laws of oconomy, prudence, and indusiry by habits bred of depondenco mpon othors. A cable dispatch snnounces that Gen. Ziu- MERMAN will selzo the opportunity aftorded by the Investment of Rutschuk to advance agalnst Silistria. It !stobe hoped that this news is true, aud that £IMMRRMAN will emerge from the obscurity of the Dobrudacha and let the world xnow what be is doing. For six months. the movementa of this General and his army of 40,000 men have beon as completely veiled in myatery es if they hod marchod loto the Un- kuown Land of the Ancomedes, which is popu- larly supposed to be located somewhere near the Mountalus of tha Moun, When the cross- ing was made at Galatz and Ibrafla it was ver- haps looked upon as » movement of greater im- portance then it deserved, for the reason that it was thesfirst decisive step taken by the Russlans towards tho fuvaslon of Turkey. Yet donbtless aven the Czar expectod moro work to bo accom- plished by the army of tho Black Ben than ita record of the summer bhas shown.” Undoubtodly the original plan of operations was that ZixMERMAN should march southward along the coust route simul- tanoously with the movemant of the main di- visions across the Balkans, making a junction with them at or near Adrianople. Dut, as ovents proved, the Graud Duke's forces’ were driven back near the frontier, thus necessitating a change Io the originel orders. But surely Ziuauxruax might have done somnething, oven 1f uothiog moro than bestege Bilistria, which, as one of the quadrilateral fortrosses of defense, must eventually be reduced. DBut, on the con- trary, he has hardly been heard from since the dsy that ho sct foot on Turkish soil. Beveral correspondents accorapanled beadquarters, and followed tha troops to Tehernavoda and Med- jidte, valnly hoplng to flad materfal for dls- patches to thelr papers; but graduslly they left, on discovering that thelr labors were likely to bo uscless, and that all the events of {m- portance were happening elsewhere. Hence we havo been left In enttro lgnorance even of tho whercabouts of o whole army corps, and know not to-day whether it has beon refnforeed fnto an offective armny or whether it hasbeen reduced by discaso and otlicr causes into a battallon, If Ziumeruax should carry out his oft-repoated threat, and come out of the Dobruidscha at Jast, some parration of his summer’s campalgn would , be tn order, and would doubtless proveinterest- ing reading. e There seems some probability after all that the story is truc about a surviver of the Costen massacre belog now retained as a prisoner in tha camp of 8iTTiNe Burw, The records of the War Dcpartment show that o man nsmed Danrw Rrax was enllsted in the Beventh Cav- alry {n 1872 and was, therefore, doubticss en- gaged o the fight which resultod so disas- trously. He was for some time & clerk in the ‘War Department, having stitdied law and grad- uated at Columbia Collego with hizh honors, but was removed from the Department ou sc- count of his dissolute habits. These incldents 1n a measure serve to corroborate the statement of the scout who represented that Rrax was in great reputation among tho Iodians as & modle clne-man,—a role in which he is;quite fitted to appear, “g'athor' Tox Prestox, of New York, dis- cussed the oublic-school question to his con- gregation Bundsy night s weck sgo. In ex- pressing his opinlon upon the powers of the Clurch as opposed to the Btate, he afirmed: That the Btata has nopoweror direct relation with education whatever. 1t bas ltsown spharo, function. and duty. Ithasno right to interfers with the famiiy,and, seAile1ho Church e ihe keeper and preserver af ihe proser Tunciions of IAe Stale, the former asd latter can never stand on an equality, Lst the Stato bring forward its credentials. I'maintsin thas i¢ hagan indjrect charge ouly, and hist b &2 aubsersient foike Church. It can 8id the Chursh by 1ts treasury and materisl forces 0 .| prevent tutrusion from otber forces, but here iis mise ston ends. When the clerzy of % tho Mother Church press these views upon the public, they will meet With & roststance that will make things Hvely. ——————— Tsssmuch as the Constitution speciically montions Fuld and itver a3 colnable metals, and doss ot mea. ton any other bt may bo colned lato mosey, .we submit that It s s falr sad warrantable faference that tne framers of the Coustitution mesat that 5o othior metals ¢han gold andsilvershould b thus colned, —ournal, . 1t the Conatitution makes gold and silver, and 1bey alons, *coluable metals,” by what suthori~ ty Is tho silver standard of money not colued! Why (s the sflver dollar demonetized? If the Coustltution by ** warrantable lnference " makes gold a legal-tender, it es sllver equally 8 legal-tender. If gold and silver aro the only metals the Consitution speciflcally mentlons to ba coined Into money, where ts the authority to discriminate between them, and outiaw the white wetal and confer a wonopoly ou the yellow onel ——— ‘There {s a lively cootroversy golog on be- tween the Evening Journal and the 1.0, as to wlich did the least towards tho clection of the Republican county ticket last fall. Bays the Eve. Jour.2 Tha Juter-Ocean was, for some inexplicable reascs, & ahilly-sbally s3d undscided during thas exclting cam- 8 rogards Ita cboice for County Treasurer, thad 1 to this day & qusstlon for political experta b saswer, whather thas paver wanted MoCxsa or Tos Lysouelected. Now, that's s fact. The Journal jumped {o with vim, sud the first day it had & powerful lesder for McCasa, vis.: #Acushla MoCmA.” The lesder next dsy was: “Bully for MoCmya.” Other articles wers equally logical snd commahding. ——— A story comea all the way from Parls which 12 truo cestalnly entities VioToR Livgo to tne appellation of * ombug.” It 1 sald that on the firat nigbt of the performanceot histrsgudy, # Ernsol,” be wroto the following note to the actress BarwuaxDT, who sppeared o the principal role: Mavaxa: You were great sad charming. You mored me—me the 0ld combatant. At A certala momeat, while Lbe public, t0uchod sud snchsated, spplauded you, 1 wept. This tear that you bave cansed L0 fow | yours, and Iam st your fect. Vioton Hveo. The tear which ho luclosed In the letter was » dlamond. If an American author were to write such a silly note, he would be regarded a8 s fool or & lunatic. ————— The .Berlio correspondent of the Loaden Times gives some very interesting particulars of the organization of the Prussian Lower Houses