Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, January 6, 1878, Page 7

e o b De Ga e THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE: SUNDAY. JANUARY 6, 1878~SIXTEEN ,PAGES = SPORTING. ime Observations on the Feirness of i League Legiclation as to Guarantees. ment of Join Pelers for 1878 by the Malwaukee Ball Club. Togage! or of Ben Douglass’ Team z from Hartford to Prov- idence. ngements for a Ball Game on the Ice To-Morrow Afternoon. (tizustion of the Discussion of the “Gtaying " Qualities 'of Smuggler and Rarus. The Billiard Tournament---A Chal- lenge to Cock-Fighters---Trap- Shooting, Ete. BASE-BALL. LEAGUE LEGISLATION Feference was last week made to the extraor- igery position attempted to be taken by the Syra- i Coerier, assuming 1o act us the orzan of a feetell element which, it alleged, was opposcd Sthe Lesgue and taLeague legislation on aceount feartan slieged wrongs subposed 1o huve been dmeto thirty-eizht ciubs o7 the eix which com- +the Lesgue. In the article in these columns T ment wae made upon the necessity of the ac- Son which was taken, and fects were adduced to fhos thst £ was not oely mecessary for the good cfae League, but was-for the best interests of the clabs. ‘Sometbing further may properly be said having a seonsl 2nd close connection to_ the manazement Fi7ke paper which Aince fauit and the Clab which fepent epeakis for. 1t is st down in Syracuse as apreseion that the Star Club s kept out of Yerowsdip with the League clubs, but it should be ged tuag the Star Club has never applied for pesberhip in the League. Ilad 3t doue g0 at the 2 meeting, there cun_ be no doubt that it would bve been aamitted, although it would be o exactly easy to prove thut Syrucuse has %0 population. It may be well to sarin this connection, what seems not to be well tientood, that any club can be voted into the Lesgze at auy time Lefore 3larch 1, bat if the co- Jieast comes from a city with less than 73,000 f-habitants it must.be unanimously accepted. 1f. pomever, it comes from a city having more than 73,000 inbabitants (und both Jlochester and Bufa- Johave that requirement), then two adverse hal- Joace necessary to exclude. It i suflicient for {2 purpose of this discussion to say that (here is sockance for doubt that either of the three citics pod would be admitted f they phel. How, then, s it possible fr 3 pwper to charze the Lesgue wi siempt idovpress Lhose clubs and keep them down Sheait, 10 al) intents and. otfe them o om equaliiy with it ¥ wid of 2ny busime: 1 thet 1t oppresses anuther nin the ¥ame lie when 1t offers him an equal sbave in the Lrin’ Bat the Star Clabdon’t want 1o come into the Lesgue, it appears from the statement n the Cour- " Has the writer of the article thouzht whvy wrally afrald of gl tis: that the Club is me cost of traveling; it tred the ex- wnment last year and found that i dia mot pay 1o come as aa in- teerdent and outside club to League citics, wpere the people had become educated to look for ezmpivnshiv rames £nd10 put less value on those 20 plared for the penuant. 1t may not be jutement or good sense or the people who pay o prier sames Tor the flaz, even poorly played, 1o ttemost £cientific exhibition when there there is Tochampionship pending; but i of Cuica- o, Cincinnati, Boston. O thing more of which it 1 proper 10 malk zection 11 the hope that 1t will be remedied is the apparent meansistency wita which the C uefirst art of it= article belabors the Lea mallowing outside clubs 10 play on Leamie club gomncs, while, before it closes the same article, L recommends that Buffalo, Lochester, Syracusec. Ahorn, Binghamton, and Utica **support their tame and not once send them out of tne borders dthe State.” If this Jast advice Is fojlowed v erepce does it Imake to them whether tley wd be welcome or nut on Leazue club grounds? i pretty clear now that tae opposition to the Iame, which began by’ beinz general and dit- Rave, hae abandoned every other ground than txtof the guazantee which will be inélsted on by e Leacue clubs 1n cames with outsiders, It his benstown in these columns thet the Star and cer cluvs of that grade paid proper guaraute vhout any objection In 1§70, and it might b ided that these puarantees were in many cuses Izer than the ST0U which they will have to pay it ey play the League clubs in 18 It micnt be farther stated as Dearing upon this poiutthat v 1877, the League cluos did away with the izee, the Association which the Courier is_just 2oxengazed in pufling, tovi 3t up and made it the Beesof nll their agrecments. Sec. 10 of Art. XIL of the Constitution of the ociation in question sulesthot. Will the Courier sindly explain how e apnrove of mving u gmarantee o the Auburns 40t 1o the Bostonz* One word more in rel ion to the guarantes £vs- ye clubs insst that ther shall be $100 for playinza game of pall; _Syrecuse man velieve l’.\fltt ll.lelbv.' Aoes sfe momey-making at that fie- mer Let ms_ sce: The Chieago Club 32red 195 panes Just season, and its runuing ex- Ieites were not far from $50,000, or S2U per aze laat then orreasonavle to ask that the EmLeaguer chould pay at least 100 fur ehat coot £40¢ Lot the mapager of the Star Club pul Gown his pooks and see_whetlier e could better s:nfléflwzn:mmce the Chicago Club $1UU or the ege Cinn § There e one thing Wwhich ought to Le said to such aclub 25 the Butfalo, even at the nisk of the acea- B0 of favoring the Leazue. The Buffalo b Epects to pl:!\‘y mot less than a ired - games e coming Season. ctropz team to pluy them with. It 5y them 51 at bowe, that IS wure; and it sure that good munarement indicates \Hlnnxlu:o p]:y ot more. taan forty on the Iitalocroand. Then it must travel 10 make up temainder. It muy not have to travel as far us Botn and Chicazo; but, even on the plan advo- o the Courier. mim, it st travel a good Gl s nsgn.—fl o reach, Lowell and mlég‘u er , and ot much casier to get 1o Colum- b thay l:hcmc'n-_ 3 Ci;xclnmli‘ and dlmi)l:mlpafls.l g e few clubs aroun home, 1 T tavel good distnces to reacn paring s The “pest estimate _of the travel {oruch a genson that can be wade, carefally pre- Mrcand get side by side with the treveling ex- of the same cinb if in the League, would ate thot o take the Leazue rchcdale would SoLor travel juet about $2,000 more than to vlay *tame number of rames ouwside it. This would Beaniucrease of $20 per pume the season throush hatis, it would cost the Buialo Club $20 per m more toplay in the League than nuxsxtslc’a w0 odla et gl mote than S0 B9 for & came with the Dostons than with }"f'ffirxm in Buffalo? Do the mansgers not ve- e e the Chicagos wonld draw 23 more thun 1t dnturmst " And g0 on through the lists of clubs Wt zre songht 10 be set over azainst cach other. T t23in wonld the case be different with the feiitlo Club when away from home? The answer e Baflalo Club would draw twice as muchi LE‘MMI. if playing for the League championship, in 220 o Cincranati as it conld get 1n any toree {Efour games in Columbas, Lowell, Fall River, or Slles. And, further, if the Bulluio Cluv ob- 10 yapine’ 3 gmardntee of $100 10 Leagne o, anfl et wants those League clubs on its f‘g;‘f ‘i;flun Sover tue poiit. by é‘r.éwring the assuming den of S20 per game BO® than 1t woald pay outeide, oo e 100m 10 5ay eomething about the risht heh the patronsand friends of the gnme in uny £ Shim and exercise to be considersd in the oacter of the amusement farnished by 8Dy Of- ““:gundamlndml'lhe' support. Friende of an pep i Bullalo who keep up with its progress et Tt bt iabe, "ead Wil nGs DA St others 39wl or 0 Jonz. . ’ Wiich g8 tWO more features, for the discussion of wother fxeue will be early enongh. . The PrreRs ENGAGED IN MILWAUKEE. m;‘;_mmnme.\mmuxee Clab, in a tele- brgigy S‘:‘nmmy afternoon, 2nnounces that Yoty quyrocured a contract with Peters, of last s tagos, for 1678. Tt was 3 "-’:‘""thmg for Mr. Rogers to do, and the ad- h,u:‘“flmmon his team in the place where Repyg poasét. He lacked 2 second-baseman, ana e u:;q"::md" the equal of any man who T ort-field in a professionsl tesm. bapqp L0 Tefon why he ehould not play second presieg ‘Perfection, and his batting has oeen beiter by, 2ob I¥0 Years than thot of any man who ‘&né::d‘ or will play, in Milwaukee. Heis of hablte, and nothing bas ever been said 2 big yopesty 3 mest 3 P in play. Take him in all 4 he will strengthen the Milwankees very mmflmh aother thingto be said abont the en- m&b’;m& that is that it ehoald have been t0thu e Chicago Club, and that it 15 ot at all et ol t.hn; they have let +lip a chance to Jury g and favorite player for their next t3ne Toe \While Slcking team as an: ]¥D experiments init. and 1t shou!d polers wouid have closed tue oaiy Gsepmroly: but, now that he has seitied ::fl““ Hied s ire 8 2 beautiful chance to sco with a eplen reputation #50ut the Chicago infeld. The Club tried about six of them in different places lnst seazon 'l’]hcre 18 only one inflelder of Peters' playing skill and wide reputation disengaged in the goum_ry. and his speckled character will forever ar him'from playing in Chicugo, There mey be g:‘fll)tl; ’ll\:mfl just as good, but they will have to ) THE RHODE ISLANDS. A dispatch. from Hartford to the Boston Herald gives the following as tuc latest newa from Ben Douglacs’ engagements: cote It 15 elmost postiive that the W s zed to play here nest season i belosated fn Providence instead. Yersusow's vuecesy { Cleveland In_keening the Club out of the League (f located fn lartiord hecesiftated the rion of gihier headguarters, and " for two ks past Mausger Dovgluss, | accompunled by Caiey. been ' fn 'Providence eadeavorlyg o “tock: eubseripiians 10 e auiouat of $5.000. elved from the clty to-day report sub i 000 alreaty, Wit ail the fndfcatfons able to the entire amount helng taken. —In Way e Sateq AINLoNE 13 certain Clul rovidence, and the n 3 suanclally ned 10 give ‘ihe clty a It {s understood that the 2 Trom the Ihode Tsiand el for thi ning Ca Cork, left flelds Higham, rf scliérs Brady, second base: Tiague Helds for Letters iy one of Deuzlass’ men that the fnter- futered at Cleveland because she was nouproperly represented. Fergnson was requesicd by by Jetter and teleiraph, 1o act as1epro- ‘Bd the result was Douziess, both Bentatlve, lie (Dougiass) belag s astoulshitig, The joke about the last end of this story is that Fergusen was not at the Cleveland Convention at all._ Douglass telegraphed and wrote him to go, bat there Was no check for espenses 1 the letter. BOSTON @NOTES. 1t i curious enouzh that as soon as the engage- ‘mentof Snyder with the Boston Club was an- nounced there began to be eeen 3 number of para- raphs sugzesting that Brown, who caught for Bond lastycar, **could have his release if he wished it.” Following these came various intima- tions abont Drown which were not entircly compli- mentary, and the two classes of paragranhs have culminated in the announcenient (it the 7rareller of Wednesday Just) that at a meeting of the Board of Directors Louis J. Brown was released from his contract with the Boston Club, Commenting on this, the Zracciler says that the release was given for causes which were entirely within the con- trol of Lrown, who mizht have remained on the nive foran indefinite time had be so desired.” This may Dbe interpreted in two ways, the most. mutter-of-fact of ing the case Is the best, and it may therefore tie common’ understanding of the that Brown was turned of Lecause he looked upen the beer whenit was yellow n the particalarly iu Loui=ville last seazon. The ¢ from Iirown to Snyder strengthens theReds but weikens thein in their bat- seventh inthe list with < The tng follow- mor is fvatmy about to the effiect that Lrown hies to be released from the Bostons. TheClab en if they do enguge STy- The Boston team, as snnounced by the : Sayder, caicher: Tturdock, & Wright, short ¥top centre'field; Man? ning, rigut deid; Schafer, sub. A GAME ON TiiE ICE. Base-ball n Chicazo expects 1c take an airing to-morrow, when a game will be vlayed at the cor- ner of Madison and Ada strects on the ice, ond with the players on skakes. The deld is in gzood condition and the occasion will be one of a good deal of mzerest, few or none of that kind of games baving ever been played in Chicago. ‘the geme will be between the Frauklins with Quinn, c.; Fisher, p.; Carbine, 1 b.; Reid, 2.5 Mauning, 3 b.; Dufly, & £; O'Loushlin, Turner, and Woodlock, f., and a picked team of protescionals wintering here. _'The latter team will be about llke this: 3 Lapban, 1 b, Spald- i Luwler, & .3 Lran- ady, r. f. Tie game will comumence at TRAPS D CALAMITIES. 1t is now annoureed, an intimation of Louis- ville's prospects, that Swessy is around about ther There isa suspicionof a clabat Lrie, Pa., the comng sesson. 1f it materializes, Debiman, late of the St. Louis, will be a merver. The Convention of the International Association, swhich wes catted to meet_in Bufalo, Jun. 3, bas been postponed toan indednite date. Joe Legzett, seventeen years ugo the crack catehier of the country, Iast week abscondea with several thousand dollars cotlected from Brooklyn Tiquor dealers in payment for their ticenses, —fer- cury. The Chelsea Club, of Blookirn, under the man- gsoement of W. O. West. will probably retain Leughlin, Rule, and Dunne for next season, and fave their headquarters at the Union Grounds,+ Mereary. 76 the Toston Clnb played 130 rames, Tosing icing 1. They triveled I 1877 the Clab played 141 crunes, hey traveled 13, 10,563 mile: iwon O1. lost 89, eud drew 3. 437 miles. The St. Louis Zerald has hopes of base-ball in its ity after all, and savs that enouga of last year's ved 1o play upon if 4 club for a strong club of local e Louisvilles, has eigned with nton, He had the oest record of any League catcher inst year,—Syracuse Courier. Marry Wrignt says not. lie thinks he hus secured Charles N. Snyder, and left Emanuel Sader for the Crickets. The notices of engagements received from the Secretary of the League the past week only con- firin p: jous announcement: Taey are of A. F. Croft hie Indianapolis Club_and Charles N. Snyder with the Bostons. The Milwaukee Club bave released Everett Milis, Tsn't it sbout time to rease parading in print Devlin's conficential letters to private gentlemen? Deviw his done wrong, #nd has his reward, which i severe_enough Withouz an extra kick, now he is down.—DB6aton Herald, 'This noti coming on the bick of the publication of the Devlin letter by the Zierald. means. probably, that it thinks no other paper ought to publisi it. 1t appears from the best anthority at hand that the vacancy for Croft on the Indlanapolis team was made by reieasing Sack. without disparasing iUis to be said that the cuange strenstiens Croft’s record 09 4 batter in 46 League 19, and Mack's record in 115 A fairer test would n Leawrue games alone: Snyder, late of the Crickets of B fames of 212 ki be 1o compare their record: Y in 1676, Mack made .2204 in 45 Le sames, while in 1877 Croft made 219 in 46 League games. Gen. Thomss S. Dalan, who Twenty years azo was one of the noted base-ball pitchers of the du 25 he i now a noted rifle-shot, will present to the, best player of the champion’ club of tac United States for 1875 & splendid gold-mounted_willow base-ball bat, which was sent to him from England twenty years ago. The character of the recipient must be cxeeptional, us well as his skill in 2 prac- tical knowledze of the game. The award will be made by A committee of three to be seleeted by Gen: Daiin, and who will sclect the player from the team of the champion club.—Clipper. There is a chance for cavil, but hardly one for arzument, in the fect that Geer, who i announced to play in Cincinnati nest scason 18 playing Sun- day games in San Francieco this winter. One pa- per hasan idea that he should be expelled from {ho Leasue for this, and it is true that the League Jaw s very strict upon the subject. If the matter \were made the subject of complaint, it would be held that neither the Leapue, nor any member {liereof, could equitably claim to coatrol the ser- vices of Geer, or any otlier piayer, ot toe be- juning of the championship seasou, at which time is contréct goes into effect. Several friends of the game have written to ask o son, the ‘oo member of tha Chicazo team for 1378 who has not played before 3 Chicago 2. znd concerntng whom there Is o public By_dinu of corespondence, 1t ned that Hankinsen played with the Al of New York =5 games. and with the Wi ('a.) Club 35 zames last season. s batting rec- ord was, a8 near g« can be ascertained, . 317, asan average of pothclubs. Mis feldingwasas follows: Witk Alaska.. R For season. These flzarcs, which are based upon records sent by the clubd, ~how that the new man is a fine Belder arony the second grade of clubs, What he will do in League contests imust remain &n open question for four months yet. QUESTIO: S ANSWERED. o most total bases last B, T. “Who hud a sear. Ahson or O'Rourke?'’ ngwer—Cannot de- cide this gatil the League Book 15 publisned; then You candfectde it for yoursell. .— ¢ (1) Ia1t troe that Croft has been en- b br ho Silwaukee Clab: (2) How do lus Tasting snd ficlding records compare with Good- man-er (3) Has erther Goodman or Mills been Telenced by the Milwaukeest™ Angicer—(1) Croft has ned with Indianapolis.” (2) ln forty-six Tearué games Croft's battinz was.219 und his Felding Ui5; in nincts-foar zames of all kinds Goodman's batting was . 255 and his fielding 041, (@) Mrlls hias been relcased by Milwaukee. . C.R. R.—** (1) Pleascaive W. I White's aze Losetiina dieputer (2) Ias eitber Glenn. Egsler. or Bradley signed for 15751 (3) What Issue of The Zngutrer coutains the most bull news? (1) 18 the Clipper Almanac ozt for 18782 (3) Who s the youngest plaser_in the Leaguet” Anéwer—(l) About o snnouncement has been made for eithier of them. (3) That paper Coes mot put its base-ball depsriment in any particular iesue. (#) Notyer. (3) L. o Reis, of the Chicagos. THE TURF. SMUGGLER VS. RARUS. The editor of the Zurf, Iield, ard Farm etill uis ridiculops attemot to. prove that t last Smuegler is 2 beuer horse than Rarae, but his article on the Eubject (which appears in the issne of the Turf, that will reachs this ity to-mOFros,) persists in are prone to indulge 1n. is composed mostly of quibbles, and a skillful cvading of the two main points.at 1ssue. Inas- much as the Zurf considers Tuz TrRIBUNE's opin- fon regarding the respective merits of Rarus and Smuggler of enough importance to devote a consid- erable portion of its editorlal pazé to an attempted refutation thereof, it should et jenst state fairly the position tolkien by this paper. This was, that in the free-for-all race at Martford in 1876, won by Goldemith Maid, Smuggler quit badly, and that the race in question showed that when forced to fight out four or five heats ot the top of his speed he would etop; and further, thut when both horses were in perfect condition for u race, Rarut could beat Smugzler, altaough Tis Tasuxe believed, and 20 stated in its first article on the subjeet, that the brown etallion had as much speed us auybody's borse, and could perhaps win ilve heats from Splan's borse. The Zurf Genied this nssertion with greatawarmth, but the position it assumed was 50 utterly and ridiculonsly at variance with that occupled by it on the ssme subject in 1870 that 1t was only necessary for this paper to guote from the Turys flles of that year to show that fu its as- sertion thst Smuggler would not quit, the New York paper was euting 1s own words. This naturally riled the editor. and he agaln wastes time and space ina vain endeavor to perform the some- what diflienlt feat of riaing two borses golng in op- posite directions. His last asticle is compused en- tizely of alittering generalities, which he imagics neople will take for well-presented arguments, be- cause tney ure sctin large typeand placed con- spicuously on the editorizl puge of his paper. In the frst place, he endeavors to creato sympathy for Smuggler vy telling what a bad scorer lhe' is, and how this tells upon him fu a race. In taking this tack he docs 5o for the evident purpose of keeping as far away a8 possible from the real subjectat issne,-- the relative merits of Rarus und Smugsler. That free-for-all race ut Cleveland, about which there bas never been sny argument on the part of THE TRIBUNE, is again Jugzed to the front and made to do duty 2s siraw man at which the Zur/ can fire. e eays: **Smuscder was worried LY repeated scorinzs and the grabbing of his »hoe. Leing a converted pucer, it 1 not casy for him to get away. 1le bus to go tp the stretch a_considerable tance. and, when the word i3 given, he 13 under sucii hieagway thut he cannot be pulléd up until e, th the quest: Zury claims to bo discussing, and waich i3 given above; 'This paper is nui nware that the fuct of r being s bad scorer proves that he will not quit, or that he can beat Larus m a race, the atlirmative of which vroyositious tae Zury started orously to prove. Lut, after the Cleveland race us jonz as vossibl rsto the remainder of the fr. the Septilateral of 1570. nut to crack wus the one at Du waich Smuggler was iigloriousiy distanced. fact is gotten over by the siutement that Smuggier dy on that day, und that the fzet of his Deinz distanced wits no broof thut he hacked speed or staming., No one will dispute thie. But it w2s not in the race at Builalo taat this paper said Smuggler quit, mor in tavse at Hochester or Pouzhicens] 1t was at Hartford, where he was nof uneteady until he played oot, thul Smuzzler et s Waterloo. In_speakingz'of the Pouzh- keepeic free-for all in 1876, the 2'wry zlludes to the Tact that, in the sirst hest, Lula, Judwe Ful- Jerton, aud Smusgler all took the flug together, leaving only tie Maid and Bodine to fi e Tace, and wants 1o know if Tug Trisvse considers because she was shut out? Such 8 absurd, and anworthy a news- 1o discuss & question from a tandpoint. In the Pougikeepsic cvident that Lala, Smuggler, and ton were flavged siwmply bocause they weie v, The question of cudusance ~could Mr. Busoy rali events The_first lard entered into the matter, as neither of m the Brst heat not ha twem went a quarter of & mil bufore commencing to dance. race, on whivh Tur TRIBUNE'S araument d, the eireumstances were nos sinular, Smu; < a3 stendy 2 4 elock during the iirst three feats, and won two_ of “them. hecanse of his su- perior speed. Gut after tue Maid bad brought out the third with it o as to make it a dead one, he quit, and was never afterwards m the race, his criver vein actuaily obliged 1 the sixth hedt to ip him anto & run 1o order that he might not be cefully distanced: not distauced Gn acconnt but because he swallowed the Bushy very tiuly remarked i cn “the ruce was fresh in tired; lus heart failed bit, and, 3 editor] his mind, biw, and he After doing Lis best to exalt Smuggler, the Turf endeavors t detract from the fame of iturns. To This part of the urticle e Truexe has uof, ut presént, space toreply, but the matter will e at- tended 10 in the Yuture. TIlE STAKE SYSTEM. The institotion of stakes for trotting horzes, in- stead of offering purses, which was inavgurated by the Kentucky Trotting-lorse Dreeders® Asso- cintion, as stated in these colamns last Sunday, is rapidly finding favor amoug associations, and from preseat indications it s probuble taat several Western tracks will, at their meetings next sum- mer, have all their events in the shape of stukes, Teretotore, as is well known, the universal prac- tice has been for the Association to offer so much money to be trotted for by each class of horses, and the animals eligible to such events were required ‘to pay un entrance fee of 10 per cent, for which thejr owners became liable ss edon as the nominations were received by the Secretary of the track over which the con- test was to take place. There were some objec- tions Lo this system, but although other plans bave from time to_time beeh tricd, such as making the cutrance-fee half forfeit in case he horse was de- clared out on tie evening before the ace, etc. None of them worked well, and the old vlan has invariably been retarned to by the tracks that made the esveriment. - It seems that the new style of doing things is to be inangurated by the aseociations at Cincinnati and Columbus, O. Their plans have not been fully perfected, but the present scheme is as foilows: Suppuse the race to be a free-for-ull, in which under the old plan a prize of §2,500 would have been given. The new eystem would oblizate the nammnator of every horse to pay, say, §100, all told: $10 to accompuny the nomsation, 510 to be puid June 1. nnd €50 about two weeks before the faces occur. To the sum of all these Mon=ys put up h{' the owners of the contending horses tne asso- ciations will ndd a fiberal amount. There is noth- inz at all novel about the plan, it being substan- tinlly the same that has preveiled for o many yeats among tae A8s0CIAUGNS Which give runuing meetings. 1t 18 proposed that under the stakes system. the etakes shall be divided into three moneys instead of four, 83 is now customary in purses for trotting. This, 1tis claimed, will bave tendency to do away with the pulling of horses, rich is 10W 50 _estensively practiced. Why this will be 5o, itis diicuit to sce. The abolition of one money will not make an c3t mau out of a thie?, and such a statement is no argument in fa- vor of the new plan; it is simply an assertion, the truth 0f which ut the best remains {0 be prov The Spirit of the Timen, which generally until all matters pertaining to turf sort finally settled vetore veutueing Lo express an opin- ion upon thers, has taken hoid of this matter very sly.and comes out1n an editorial favorin adoption oy all the trotling assocustions. Iisu ment is-that under it the associations would have an easicr time when ouly required to pay the add- ed money instead of rizking a larze purse, as is now the case. It is difficult 1o ce wherein the force of this arzument lies. Under the pres- ent system it is rarcly that there are not seven or eight paying entrics to cach parse offered by the leading tracks of the country, and os the entrance fee ia in every case 1C per cent, taere is bat a small portion of the purse that is ncmullycfm up by the Afsociatton. But, on the other hand, the e Trizuse is inclined to tne Delief that the proposed system s all in favor of the horsemen, and ugainst the tracks. Suppose tie Central Circuit, which was composed last senson of eight zssociations, #hould adopt it. They would doubtless find thut, taking into account ail the accicents and chances whick attend the truin- ing of a trotter, a surprisingly large number of the horses entered would be declarea out before the time for payment of the final mstallment arrived. This would have a tendency to produce small ields of starters and a ¢ quent falling off in the gite receipts, for the peopie will nut tarn out to sec four or five horses trot, unless tiey be of nationai reputation, Of course there are strongarzuments on both gides of the question. A« yet, the Cincinnati and Columbes Associations have nol oflicially aa- nounced thelr intentions tn the matter, although it is understood that they will soon do so. When the conditions under which the races over their tracks are to be contested are made public, Eo that a definite znderstanding of them can be hud, the matter shoula be tnorouzhly discnssed. SENSIBLE WORDS. The trotting eeason of 1877 was 8 memorable one in regard 10 *‘ringer.™ It was the first in the history of the American turf that these horse- pirates made serics of organized raids on the various trotting circuits, and it is to be hoped that it wili prove tae last. The daily papers were the first fo make pablic these frands, and Tue Cui- caco TrInUNE furnished its readers with an expose of their operstions, and especially of the Brizht- wood party in THinois, two weeks before any of the gporting journals bad done more than allude to the matter. This paper was the first to pubiish the documents in the Brizhtwood case, and their his- tory as given by the ofiicers of the Ecrlvitle (Ill.) Association. It was also the first to put forward the plan of making the owner of every trotting horse sccure for the -amimal from the Secretary of the National Association a certificate giving the name and a fall description of tue horse, together with his record. This plan was at once taken up by the sporting journals and claimed astheir own. [t isa common practice of these publications to erib, witkont giving credit therefor, all news for which they have use, in the daily papers, and the custom 15 alluded to here, ‘merely that the few people who depend solely upon them for sporting newe way not be deceived, The Cahioruia 3; "Ue Times has taken up the subject “of ‘‘ringerd,” and hae the following very sensible remarks on other evil# waich drivers The writer of tae article is a practical trainer and drver, and on this ac- count his observations are entitled to thonghtful consideration by the members of the Nutfonal Tarf Congress which will eoon mect 1n New York City. Hesays: There 13 not only enough of these nefarlous practices to stigmatize the sport generally, aad csuse people 1o Tlink houtst ruces are the exception, bt It sbpears to Die Tie 6a¢Gavor Of PAriics1n Some way conceled witn trotting Iatters, to ring them under undeserved ob- Toquy. now ofl we Jear people ciatia that drace bus been fraudu iy 104 when there wes Tinyine lost tieir nothi muney they will ot aeznowiedze their judsment was ut fault. but taddle 1t oa the ariverot the fiorse tuey nad iked.” 1t 05 ofteniinmies a very dithenit mat- ter 1o prove that 4 horse wea driven 10 Wia, ds Lrotte pruverbially wicertaiy, snd a_brenk, which the ey coula ot avoid s muklug loses tue race. curpers eclie 1t ns w toi 1 It wos purpeasly d froin that they should cnt judly s, s beyond quesilon, and 1Iave réeolved 10, 10 trouble themstives with aending crse than this I3 the prectice amonx many 3 ke cuarzes e51ast cach other, und ¢ amoill; the ansembluge Whisper- 10 win. 1L 13 dune. not i1y 10 Urni Feproacli on tie T tuat, perkaps, 1 n only 3 vin, p 11l ** have t ot fugke uny vetter alsplay useriue 1t Lo the horée belis Lo iice untuly before tiey toog heIF deat i G . SUHLWOrse 1 the havlt which i few linduige fu of boasitag that they could have vion a certatn race 1f tiiey hzd croseu (o do 50, and racher than nich they could nog avold confesd dovr, el pree. tamnpered wit ice whic! has baen a terrible fncabus— fght thon 18 usually magined—Is thatof F beturt Clhe SIETL wind the combina- money on 1b¢ chusen antmal. - No et Lk 1o curry e coln of the a compact 13 dishouest. We knew o case of tuls klad ouce, tae purtles were so aixtous thiat there siould no mistake” that they ‘whiich Were Lo Trot in the after- ‘¢ moruing, pefore there Werg ek, Qud gave them o couple of the race would take yla urred, and the mauzers of the Lrack very pronerly declared’ the race off, 1mieh to the disgust of Uiose Who iad taken such pains 1o find ouc tne best Lorse, and thelr arguiments us 10 Lhie propricty wers rather qiieeT speclinens of logle, It Temarkubi factory 10 therselycs. Ag 3ir. Morse raya, e 20 10 see hurest retng, * wid igcamnoe cn such 1 combination existe. Whtle It mi ¥ for & person 1o hedge enough Dy buttiine asafust bis hors: 10 Cover the expenses at- tending, winever e euiers iugo.a_coutract to sleet auy hurke for the winner. and **play bis money " n ac: cardanice therewith, the whole gang siiould L expelicd as rachicesly us though every Lorse were ** pulles.” “Giving uway hents’ to iniluetce hetdng ls another fencure whlch requires that sure s by taken iy’ up 8 he: e good Judisinent as tend (o ald 10 wiacinz the Tt saomd be re nized. Dut merely 1or of reducing the o. OF L0 £IVe OTher purLies **6 ehencs 10 get vut," there can be notnius advanced fn Justiicaton of ft. Ty strive, honoravly and falrly, to Win every leat should D the alim of every one coniieeted With Urottiug Sports, aud when this practice_has been folluwed a suticient bile to have confidence in the will be no lack of at- Ce. The money taken In wt the gate Wil not ad s (3 15 the fouadation of the §port, the fn- d recelpts will give the nssocistlous rencwed THE DEAD QUEEN. From an ndvance copy of the Turf, Field and Farm, received n this c:ty yesterday, Tus Tiin- UNE has extracted the following reminiscences of Flora Temple: Mr. James D. McMann, who had Flora Temple in his possession seven yeurs, W Uay3 650 save u3 some fauts about the grand vld mare. * Her helght was but 14,13, welll she coutst pull 3 tiun placl matter 1 confeders n c. Bug it leai crease SpIFL. waysdeelined 1o ¢ ing tnat the st Hiram Woodrull, huwever, match o trotted mbont 10y raves durin the thne MeMunn had coutrol uf her. 1n 1 he uppesred In tw . 5, and he drove her in tweniy-one of them. In 1 drove her twenty-three faces. She w: 10 sears vid when she canie luto his hands. She wasaraak pulier, bel strunz, Impezuo Préviona'to tais time she hal Leen driven by raf, Wheelan, Tailmau, ond others. MeMan broke_net of pullig by belag vatlent and kind with her. When he went on the track with her and found that she wasnervous and exclied, ine finmediately drove totaeroad and there joged her uniil she became quiet. ‘fhen he returned 1o and finlshed working her. By pursuleg these taeties he gradually siopped bier frota lugginion the bit. She kiew the touch of uve o soothing effcct upon cer et up behind ber und she would ud uke to pulling. Tallma drove her 5 T 0ac year, and In three of these ghe grabbed loes Ol e of tuese acelaents veeurred e with Drincess; alie 1ost two of her shocs be- fore reaching the guarter-pol ‘T'he trouvie fa that “Talimau did not have sufl uc confldence in her. e ueid her tov hard. Flora was onc of the Ursttrotters ever properiy taken eare of during the winte Ty fall she was seut 1o Chai Ll ¥ wlicre her glioe: tuun untll & fair day. Wheo Mr. M would recognize him o seldom, wissed - o and o ke Doared to be posicsitd of She grew better. fa and_strunger every vear- of tht seven i which she was owned oy Mr. MéMann. She had not trotted faster thun when she entered noif. Then she was alowed hayia the freedom of the lut cac \fan went down toree ber rot around himgor Joy. Sh ls stuwle. Wher she Teft i@ 2 Was the acknowicds queen of the trotting turf, Her famous re - Il measire of her soced. MeMann 91 ) s 22 for all Blie Was worl en dri prese day,she would have made ark even 03 low as ¢ 554 Gf Dexter. She wasa mare easlly conditioned. aud not bnrd to keep In con- ditfon, Slie could nob LFoL better than 2:50 3 & 5-year- old. Her develepment was cradual and sure. Mr. Me. Stann gays that n horse which i3 well wintered 13 fiait tralued. Heateribuces much of the {marovement of Flora 10 the manser in which he treated her during the Cculd months. I thinks that slie deserves @ monyinat. TWO KEW CIRCUITS. A meeting of turfmen was recently held at Ceaar Rapids, the principal associations in Central and Eastern lowa being present. and organized a trot- ting circuit as follows: Dubuque. Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Marshalltown, Eldors, Oskaloosa, Creston, Des Moines, An Executive Comunttee, cousisting of M. S. Robinson, of Dubuque, O. S. JMeNedl, of Davenport, and P. Martel, of Cedar Rapids, was appointed. This Committee will have charge of the general business of the circuit, such s deciding upou the amount to be given fu pre- miums at each meeting, the time Jor closing en- tries, etc. The meetings begin at Dubnque the first weeis in June, Cedir Llapids, Davenport, and Murshailtown_occupying the other three weeks of the mouth. In rezard to ihe time of the other meetines the Executive Commttee has not decided, as there isa dispute between the Oskaloosa and Eldora Associutions u8 10 which shall have Fourth- of-July week, 3 At Akron, O.. not fong ago, there was o meeting at the oflice of the President of the Akron Driviag Yark for the purpose of oreanizing @ troiting cir= cuiz for Eastern Olo. Delegates were present from Warren and Massilion, —Messrs, Isaac Rirkand 3. . Camp representing the former, and Mesers, E. lis and R, B. Crawford tae latter place. T tunzresulted in forming a cir- cuit of the three socicties, with the prospect and de- sire of ndding one other, and to be czlled the East- cin Ohio Trotting Circuit. 'The time of meeting was decided as follows: Mussition, June 18, 19, 203 Akron, June 25, 26, 27; Warren, July 3, 4, 570ud the additional meeting to be held either one week: prior to Massillon or one week following Warren, probably ke former. Delezates from Jefferson and Canton were expected, but failed to attend, consequently other details could not be aeter- mined: but the socleties represented favored dis- tributing nbout 82,000 each for the dilferent races, which, wita one adilitionu] weeting, would muke the ngizregute about $8,000, —not u bad pile for ood Yiorses to compete for. | Another meeting will be held soon, when the particulars will be decided. TRACK TALK. T tracks of thic The trotting horses Ella Madden, Billy Ray, Baron Luff, and Sans Souci, are being wintered at Sutfolk Park, Philadelphia. s W. Collier, of Memphis, has purchased the trotting stallion Kentucky Chief. This horse is by Mohawk Chief, out of the dam of Bluckwood, Jr. Warry Harley, once 8 famous trotter with a record of 2:255%, 18 doing duty ns a road horse at Soringfield, Mass. He was recently sold for 3200. Jack Phillips, of Philadelphis, is handling a 6- year-old _sister to Baron Luif (record, 2:27l3), which bids falr to equal her brother in point of speed. . The well-known running ; borse, Bombay, has been sold to sames D. Stewart, of Jackson, ‘Mich. 1f he is trained next season the Chicago public will probzbly have a chunce to ses himn run. ‘The trotting mares Flirt and Romp, by Wood's Tambletonian (sire of Biue Jiarej, weré recently urchased by Mr. C. W. Barler, of New York, for gx, 000. Thev can trot to the pole in 2:40. Mr. TI. J. Moya, of Allentown, Ps., has eold to 3ir. B. C. Gaerin, of Morristown, N. J., the black This is a ve team Gypsy Bill and Kitty Clay. ry fast nnd iue road team, and it is said can beat 2350 tozether. Price, §2,500. Tho Exccative Committee of the National Breed- ers' Association met recently and decided to call a general meeting of the Association next month, to act on the question of whether or not it would ve adviFable 1o unite with the Associution for the Promotion of the Iuterests of the Trotting Turf. The Messrs. Rowett. of Carlinville, IIl., have s0ld to J. G. Blow, one of the main men of Lbe St. Louis Jockey Ciub, two colts,—Joe Lowett, 2 years old, by imp. Intruder, out of Mammona, by imp. Sovercizn; and Joun Duille, £ years old. by imp. lntruder,jout of Ada Keaneth, by Bonnie Laddie. The Secretary of the National Association has iesued a circular to members, stating that the of- ficial record of trotting performances dusing 1577 will be published this year by subscription. ~ Con- scquently ali persond In Chicazo and vicimity wishing ‘a8 _copy of the work shonid leave their nawmes ‘with Secretary Bogle, ot Mapsar's, No. 79 Dearborn street, who will order all the books at once. 7 The Colt Stakes of the Kentucky Trotting-Horee Breeders’ Association, which closed last Tuesday, filled beyond all expectations, there beimz at last nccounts 215 entries in the hznds of Secretary Huut. In the Lexington Stakes. for 2-vear-olds, fifty-seven entrics; in the Kentucky Stakes, for 3-year-olds, erhty-six entrics; and in the Blue Graes Stakes, for 4-year-olds, seveuty-six entries. These races will all br: zrotted at LexXington 1n the fall of 1578, BILLIARDS. TOE TOREE-BALL TOURNAMENT which begins to-morrow evening at Brunswick Hzll seems likely to attract its proper share of interest and attention. and to in some degree real- ize the expectations of its projectors, who are chiefly concerned in the revival of billiards asa popular form of recreation. Certalnly no fanit can be found with the manner in which they go about it. They offer a hst of moderate money prizes, but sufficient in these times to attroct the competition of the billiard talont of the vicinity; they exact no fee lor witnessing the games; they prohibit pool-selling and betting in or about the hall; and they have taken every reasonable pre- | caution against the accurrence of collusfon or dis- honesty in connection with the games of the toar- nament. As for the interest attaching to the con- tests, the players are quite evenly matched, and from some of the praciice games played of late it is safe Lo predict some clever runs and good aver- ages. Judgment would natnralty rost npon Parker and Rhines as the winners of the drst two prizes; but auy such reckoning excludes the calculation that must be made 29 to the strenath of foa, who of late 13 developing better Dbilliards thon he has ever shown in public, and of Saylor, who is at- tending closely to practice, and 1s showinga clean, strong” gume, Miller, an _amateur, i3 an un- Enown r}mlnllcy. and ot the worsican no more than try for the'last place as acuinst Suyder und Nonahin. The tournament opens to-morrow night with 2 gume by Parkerand Snyder, piay to commence at 7:30 sharp. OTHER SPORTS. COCKING. Thereis considerable excitement among the ad- mirers of gume chickens, and a zood deal of talk and challenging between Fast, West, and Sonth is goingon. Jerry Monroe, of this city, who hes plenty of fine birds and o healthy roll of monev, wants to have some of the fac, and so sends the following challenge: To the Editor of The Tridune. CitoAGo, Jan. 3.=In a late ssue was an article an- nouncing that New York perties were coming West to it three malns of twenty-one cockseach.” Now, if this i3 trug, 1 will_make them this proposition to stop Oif ou thalr way West and South: I'will muke thun o malu, to_show seventeen ur niiietcen birds cich, to fightall that fall in for $100a Lattle and $500 the odu Lattle. Ishall be pleased to mect them and sign arcicles and déposit & furlelt at any time, JEuRy MUNEOE, No. 464 State strect. TRAP-SHOOTING. The only matter of note in trap-shooting last week was @ match between Greene Smita and 0. 1. Roche, shot at Dexter Park. Tho conditions werc: 100 tame pigeons from five ground-tenps, Tarlingham rules, except that Nr. Roche conid bold his gun as” Lie chose. After the 100 birds hud been shotata tie ou 8fty-geven was found. This was decided by shootingat five birds. OF these Swith kilied foor and Ioche three, piving the vi tory to the former. Tow Stagg furniehed the birds. The annual clection of the Lennicott Shooting Club will be held on Tuesday evening, at 8 o'clock, ac thogun store of k. “Phomas, Ji, 1803 Clark strect SPONTING PAPERS. ‘The St. Lonis Zerald, a publication which had a good record as & society paper, has added a eport- ing department under the charge of David L. Reid, an eaitor who has a fine knowledge of base-ball and other sports. St. Louis needed some such pa- per, and the Herald will very likely prove a suc- tess, This paper has never been ubleto ugree with Mr. Reid, but bzs always tuought him a good deal Detter man for his business than any other who ever settled in St. Louis. > The Turf. ¥ield, and Farm has entered upon igs twenty-sixth volume, and 13, In some respects, an improvement on eny previous part of i's carcer. 1t ossumes a high rank In ritie news, but makes some yery arbitrary und peculiar rulingg us to what braaches of #port 1t will counienance. That, how- ever, I3 u business matter with its proprietors. It takes the lead in its specinity, and perhaps is wise in not attempting wore thau it can do. —_——— ENGLAND AND THE EASTERN QUESTION. To the Editor of The Tribune. Coicaco, Jan, 5.—As & constant reader of your journal who has taken more than au ordi- nary interest in the progress of the Russian- Turkish campaign, and the events preceding it, T have been somewhat surprised at the tone of 2 large portion of the American press in com- menting on the attitude assumed by Great Britain, and the conclusions go generally arrived at—that cowardice alone prevents her from openly espousing the cause of the Moslem. When she attempts to interfere she is a butly; when she minds her own business she is a craven; when she advises she is a busybedy; when she abstains she is afraid to show her hands. For tiventy years past her decadence has been the favorite topic of the Anglophobist. ‘Through the press and on the rostrum we have Dbeen told time and again that ber power has departed; that the days of her greatness have rone never to return; that her interests, de- sires, and opinions are disregarded in the coun- cils of Europe; and that it only remains for her to assume her position as a third-class power, dependent even for existcnce on the magna- nimity of her more powerful neizhbors. Now, to a Briton, proud of the land of his birth, proud of her achicvements, with a never-dsing faith in her future greatness and rlorious des- tiny, it is simoly diabolical to have his belief thus ruthlessly destroyed, and assured that the possession of Coastantinople and the oceupa- pation of British India is as certain as that to- morrow’s sun will rise, and that it is possibie that Macauley’s * New Zealander” may even be preparing for his journey to the ruins of Sr. Paul’s. We have even been assured that should Great Britain Lave the temerity to dispute the march of the Calmue hordes, she could scarcely raise_(comparativelv speaking) a Corporal’s guard. That she might, after herculean eforts, transport 30,000, 40,000, or even 50,000 troops to Frypt, only, however, to be gobbled up by the victorious lerrions of the Czar. So pronounced Lave been these predictions that it required a slight streteh of the iwagination to hear the bones of the poor, toothless, mangy, cowering Kiug of the forest being crunched in the jaws of_tne Russian bear! But to be serious: When or where was Tur- key assured of Britain's assistance in the course sho has scen fit to pursue? Certainly not at the couference preceding the declaration of war. The Marquis of Salisbury, her repre- sentative, one of the most able, “eloquent, and conservative of European statesmen, held out no such inducement. On the contrary, on every befitting occasion he assured the Sultan and his sadvisors that if they persistcd in ignoring the demands of the contracting Powers, they could neither expect the moral nor niaterial support of Great Britain. And when effort after effort to bring about s peaceful solution of the con- troversy had failed, he was unanimously se- lected by the representatives of the Powers to present the conference’s wultimatum,—a duty which he performed in 2n impartial and fearless manuer,—an ultimatwm_which _received the unanimous indorsement of the British Cabinct. Certainly no sane man can hold the Ministry responsible for thie clamors of the press or indi- viduals any more than Mr. Liocoln’s Cabinet could justly be held respousivie for the ranting of demagozues that Mason and Slidell should never be given up,—never, Dever, never. In response to the oit-repeated charge that Hobart Pasha, Commander-in-chict of the Turk- ik navy, is an Englishman, 1 reply that the commander of the Egyptian army is an Ameri- can; but, as both have severcd their connection with their respective countries, they have as much right to serve in the Turkish or Egvptian as any Scotchmah, German, or Italion uoder stmilar cireumstances has to serve in the Ameri- can army O navy. Altnourh to one ucquunth with the azeres- sive tharacter of Russia, and'ber ultimate de- sign, it is the sheerest bosh to claim that the amelioration of the condition of the so-called Christian population in the Turkish provinces is the genuine or uitimate—though the ostensible— object she has in view, the declaration of the Czar to Lord Loftus, the British Ambassador to St. Petersburg, that he ‘“npiedged his sacred word of lhonor, that if necessify should compel him to occuny a portion of Bulraria, it would only be provisionally, and util the peace _and safeiy of the Coristian population were securcd,” was ac- cepted by the British peopie, and bas been cited Dby almost every British statesman as 3 reason the Muistry should observe a strict neu- trality. 1t was aecepted, however, with the dis- tinet understanding thut the hour these stipul tions were disregarded, and British interes: endangered lhex‘uh{; that the whole power of the Empire should be called foto requisition to defend themn. What these Interests were was not left to conjecture. Ticy were distinetly sct forth in a diplomatic note to Prince Gortschakoff, und suhsefiucnfly ublished in the leading journals of Europe. fn that note it was distinctly stated that the oceupation of Coustantinoplewould be regarded as a meoace, and would mot be permitted. From this avowal neither Lords Beacorsfield nor Derby have swerved. There has been no official blnstering or threatening. On the contrary, o tirin, calm, dignified position has been nssumed, and will be mainthined to the end. [n defend- ing the gateway to ber Eastern. possessions, Great Brizain is simply doivg what cvery nation on the face of the mlobe similarly situeted would do; aud I know of no Power which would more promptly resent such a menace than the Goeromen of the United States, The modern geography locatca Bulgaria north of the Balkan range; snd what connection there is between the protection of Christians in that province. and the occupation of Constanti- nople, a city essentially Mabommedan in its char- netor, which bas been in_the possession of the Turk for 424 years,—250 miles south of said range,—is a question which 8 Philadelphia law- yer may cxplain; I cannot. Remember, Iam not Jtitlng from an’ empediency ‘standpoint, but on the ¢ sacred word of honor” of 8 Russian Em- eror, whose word, too, was accepted in _good faith by the Britisu Governwent. And here arises the pertinent question: Vrbat bas oc- curred to warrant 3 cbanze of programme, es- Ily since the future autonomy of the Turk- {sh Sclavonic Provinces is almost universally con- ceded? ‘But, while Great Britain has wisely abstained so0 farfrom participativg in the conicst now vending, they count without their host who presume she ‘is unable or unwilling to defend her interests when attacked. It is true, like the United States, she is esseotially a commercial nation; that the tramp of armed men is not heard in her citles from morning till night as in Cnnz_im_:nml Europe, and God grant it never may; taat conscrintion is unknown: and that ber forces needed chiefly for the protection of her colonies "and dependencies are recruited by volunteers. Experience is the best, though frequently the most expensive, teacher. For nearly haif a century, with few intermissions, she enjoyed the luxuries arising from a_chronic state of war, and s o consequence was snddled Wwith an immense pational blessing—an immense natlonal debt. Intervention was eventually discarded for nou-intervention, the sword for the I|'>lm.qz'hsh1.|n: and the spear for the pruning hook. She determined to pay more attention to ber own business aud léss to everybody else’s, and-the result has proven the wisdom of her action. With interests so vast. with pos- sessions scattered over the four quarters of the globe, witha commerce whiteuing every sea, with all her material interests pointing ia the dircetion of peace, is it any wonder she should shrink from a contest wherc reasou and common sense may be substituted for a declaration of war. It is true that sometimes Fools rush in where Angels fear to tread, butitis alwiys fools who do so. Yet, what sape man doubts that that nation, which, in 1514, maintained a :standing army of 200,000 men, exclusive of fencibles, foreizn legions, aud militia, out of a population of 13,000,000 could, in 1878, equip and maintain an army of 1,000,000 men? Suppose that the energies and mechameal genius of her people, now engaged in peacelul pursuits, were traasferred to the avocation of war and the mauufacture of en- gines of hunan destruction, what would be theresult? If the Northern States, with less than 26,000,000 inhabitants were ablé to equip, arm, and place in tne field 2,633,062 soldiers during the few vears of the rebellion and main- tain Tor a given time an actusl army of 1,034,005, what force could Great Britain and her dependencies, with their 500,000,000 popu- lation, after making all due allowanee for the lLeterogeneous cicments composing it, and their. distauce from the base of operativns, furnish in a like emergency? At leust 5,000,000 troops. If for years she virtuelly had Europe arraved against”her, aud fougnt” without an ally, with little more thun half her preseut population, what can she do to-day when the wealth of the world is centred in her lap? In 1870 she bad 191,483 troops of the line in commision and 317,- 131'armed, uniformed, end dritled militis, yeo- manry and volunteers, exclusively of British troops serving in lodia; the East India army (native), 100,000 strong, and all the Colonisl <ing the respectable total of 508,564, jon of the East India army and Colon- ial troops would swell it to over 700,000 armed men, quite au emposing force for an eilel third-class_power, and this, tos, on a peace footing. Now, pertaps some Anglopflobist cen tell me whyo o this foree can- not be tripled, mnay, quadrupled, in o case of national emergency¢ ‘The value of her Esst {ndian troops were tested in the Persian, Chinese, and Abyssinian campaiwns, while her colored truops from Jamaica played no unim- portant part in the capture of Coomassie. Independent of these uusiliary forces, bowerer, little ditficulty would be expericnced in recruit- ing 100,000 effective wen on tins side of the At- lantic. There are tens ot thousands of Britist- born subjects in the United States who would eladly offer their services to the mother country were an opportumty presented. Recruiting offices in Windsor, Niagara, Fort Erie, and Kingston would not lack for applicants’ from men who bave had expericnce on the tented field and know how to handie a musket. - The charge that Great Britain has alwags bul- lied the weak and catered to the demands of the strong, is as cowardly us it is false. Llow much is Delgium, Portuaal, and Greeee indebted to lier for thelr very existence? and certainly they cannot be renked as first-class Powers or regard- ed us very powerlul allies. « 1 now comnc to the charges so frequently made —that of degeneracy. What corroborative evi- dence sustains it, T am unable to divine. Was it displayed at Inkerman, where for hours 8,000 Dritish troops held at bay 40,000 of the flower of the Russian army has 1t been dis- played by the humble collier, descending in the face of almost certain death to the succor of his imperiled comraces in the burning or flooded mine, or by her merchant sailors, breastivy the winter waves of the Atlantic in their tiny shells to rescue their shipwrecked and imperiled breth- ren, dispiaying u heroism more lofty than that won at bayonet’s poirt or eannon's mouth? Cer- tainiy I canvot find evidence of decadence in the energy, intellizence, and patriotism of her oeo- ple; in the mechanical genius of ber artisans, 1n the spread of education, in her annual reve- pue returos, in the . extension of her commerce, in the increase of her population, er’ the gmeneral prosperi ty which prevails within her borders. But still T may be blinded by prejudice. Let that nation, however, which wants'to know what British in- terests are, or questions ber readiness or ability to detend them, tread on the tail of her coat, ?Sl;]d I,bs desire and skepticism will soon be sat- od. y In conclusion, I have refrained from alluding to the jeopardy to which Austria as a neutral would subject herseif in a contest between Britain and Russia; the improbability of her re- taining her Sclavonic provincesin casc of Russia’s triumph; to the almost certain uprising of Huu- gary with ber 12,000,000 people; to the virtual sarrender of the Danube; to the fact that Ger- many is checkmated by France; that the ~ Scandinavian powers would be a unit _in opposition to the agaressions of the Russiau bear, to the likelihood of a Polish in- surrection, and last, bug not least, to the navy of Great Britain, which is o matci for the navies of Europe’ combined. 1f, however, the Mephis- toplieles of the nineteenth century thinks other- wise, or_is ambitious to test the calibre of its sruns and the prowess of its seawnen. he has only tomeddle ina question in which Germany has no direct interest to have bis wisn eratified. Rest assured, sir, when that time comes. if sucl an opportunity is not presented it will not be the fault of the British Admiral commanding. A. C. CAMERON. —— HUMOR. There is no law azainst opening a postal-card. Why didn’t be eat up the whole desk? We refer to the anaconda who swallowed a pizeon- ‘whole. . ¢ The Sheriff was a personal friend,” says the Richmond State, alluding to a recent hanging, “and made short work of it.” i A person who had been listening toa very du Il address remarked that everytbing went off well—especially the audience. A youngster says he hasn’t much reverence for roval persons, for, ever since nis dad whaled Lim, he has to sit on the prints of whales. Two Indian skeletons have been exhumed at Madison, Wis. Haven’t we Indians enough now without bringingout eny more frames? Somebody once said the best way to get rid of a good friend was to lend Lim §5. That was when times were easy. You can alienate him now for 30 cents. Some Indians use scaiping-knives of tortoise- shell, probably on accountof the old fable in which the tortoise is alleged to have got away with the hare. g ] can’t pluy this sonata; it's too hard,” said a young piano-pupil, fretfully, to her teacher. “But you must,” replied he; *‘sonata word more about it.” Jones suid right out-and-out, the other even- ing, as he raised his fifteenth toward the chande- lier, “There's nope lace 1’ kome.” He was placed in cell No. 19. A correspondent writes to know who is the author of the expression, ** Now is the winter of our circustent.” We are not quite sure, but it was either Shakspeare or Partington. Wilkie Collins’ last story s called “ My Lady’s Moncy.” In this country it would have been 4 Mother-in-law Has Got the Stamps,” or “ The 0id Worman is Well Heeled."—Breakfast Table. St. Louis Is to haves ten-foot-high statne of Shakspeare. The City Fathers merely asked the sculptor if the deceased Shakspeare was a Chicago man, and, When he sald *No,” they replied, ** Al right; sculp the old stat.”’—Detroit F'rec Press. “YWe were shown a very beautifully decorated plece of pottery yesterday. It was 2 deep red on the outside, and the inside was decorated with two guarts of beans and a half a pound of pork,” Thbe reader of this fine sentiment in- stinctively murmurs ** Boston.” — —— A Breach of Etiquette. London Ezanuner. An amusing story is told of a dignitary of the Catholic Church. - He was stopping at a country house, when the host, anxioustopayevery atten- tion to his guest, had fustructed bis servants to e very particular in addressing the dignitary as %My Lord,"” such being the title he enjoys by the sanction, not of Englifh Jaw, but of Enelis] courtesy. As carefully as Mr. Hardeastle be impressed this point upon them, but the result was scarcely bapps. As soon as the dignitury arrived, aod was shown to lis rootn, some little unexpected attention struck his eye, and turn- ing to that one of the carefully tutored domes- tics who was with him, he ingnired who bad doneit. “It wasthe Lord, my boy,” was the prompt and well-imeaning bad mistaken reply, which left his Lordship achast at the cow*faa- tion of frrevereuce and familiurity. : 7 [ LOCAL MISCELLANY. THE COUNTY BUILDING. The quasi-criminal calendar wili be called in the Criminal Court to-morros. The trial of Burns, the Maskell Hall murder- er, was concluded yesterday, and lateinthe evening the jury returned a verdict of guilty of murder. and fixed the punishment at fourteen years in the Penitentiary. Fifty-three prisoners were arraizned in the Criminal Court yesterday afternoon. Miss McKee would have beeu oue of them but fora subsequent agreement with the State’s Attor- ney by which she was not to plead in theabsence of her attorney. To-morrow will be 2 big day in the County Boord. ‘The matter ofeffecting u loan, the mat- ter of reducing salaries, and the matter of makine an advance of 324,000 to the granite contractor on the Court-House, will come up, with legal opinions upon each subject. The Grand Jury yesterday, beforc adjourning, adooted a resolution censuring Chadwick in councction with ihe McEllicott murder, and sttaching much of the blame of the killing to his conduct in_dealing with Miss McKee. It was not returned into court, however, by some oversight. ‘When the last Grand Jury was drawn, Com- miszioner Senne handed in"the name of R. K. Richardson, of Palatine, which was drawn. S,gn ce then it appears that the name of **R. K. Richardson,” No. 12 South Water street, has been substitated in the list of jurors, aud Mr. Seane is just a little anxious to know who did it, ang for what purpose the change was made, inaswuch as the City Direcetory fails to give any such name. The County Board canaot pay too much attention to this matter of making Grand Jurors, and it is not cnough to see that good names are drawn, but thet they are not changed before they o iuto the bands of the Sheritl to be summoned. There has been more or less crookedness in such matters in the past, and its repetition ought to be avoided. TRYING TO BEG OFF. The casc of Stemn, indicted znd now under sentence of two years in the Peniteniiary for his connection with " the Ezaer cloth transaction, 'was brought before Judge McAllisteron a mo- tion to have the eentence setaside. The motion was backed by an aflidavit trom the prisoner’s attorney setting forta that the case had been barried through, and that his clicnt had been misled in pleading gruilty, ete., and did not know what he was doingz. The Court heard the whole story, and then replied that Stein had been treated with the utinost tairness; that he had reached the years of discretiou, and was a smart, e!l-informed man, and could not plead the y act. He bad been treated just os criminal were treated every day, and pains hag bee taken to make him understand © than in_ pleading guilty he luid himet self able to be scntenced to the Penitentiary for a termof from one to ten years. The Court linally concluded to stay the execu- tion of Stein's sentence, and remarked tlat if it appeared that he had been done an injustice that the sentence could be reduced, but he would make no promises, his closing remarks indicat- iner that he was ia favor of speedy justice, and. the specdier the better. Stein is now in bad shape, as the last hope he had of immunity was his abllity to indict Enger, and the probability is that he will zo down with the next batch un- less the uext Grand Jury proves to be further removed from the influcnce of Eager than the last one was. CRIMINAL. The furs and other articles found by the po- lice in the possession of the notorions shop- lifters Emma and George White were identi- fied by the State street firm of Barnes & Co. The thieves took a chanze of venue to Justice Scully yesterday , and were held in 3500 each to the Criminal Court. Detective Gallagher yesterday recovered a sachel and contents valued at $100 that had been stolen from James Lawless, a guest at the Commercizl Hotel, en route to the Biack Hills; alsoa seal sacque and other clothing recently stolen bv burglars from the residence of H. S. Powers, in Evanston. Justice Summe rfield yesterday held the fol- lowin'e: Georze Rabscher, larceny of two cows from Peter Dittinger of Hyde Park, $400 to the Criminal Court;Charles West andJames Miller, held in $500 each for burglarizing W. A. Harrl- £on’s store in Marscilles, and discharged on the charge of burclarizing the stores of John Clyne at Lodi and Jobn Golrin at Cortland; \Vfl]F:}n McCall and Daniel Morrison, $1,200 each to the Criminal Court on_the same charges; James Moore and James Metver, burglary of about 275 worth of goods {rom the residences of W. P. Prentiss, G. W. Burke, and A. Sutter, in the southeastern portion of the city, $3,000 cach to the Crimipal Court; William Savin, ssme charge, $500 ditto. . A Mrs, Tyler, from Valparaiso, Ind., arrived in this city yesterday to take charge of her 15-year-old_ danghter, who bad taken up her abode in 2 baznio on Clinton street kept by ono Annie Wrizht. A week ago she arrived at the house, and Madame Wrizht at once notffied the police that the child was there, and that a_man named Leonard Hall had in- duced her to adopt the life, snd was soon coming on to care for her. Upon his.arrival Hall was shown the deor, and did not succeed in his foul cndeavor. The girl s quite comely, and the only reason that can be assizned for her foolish conduct is that she is wayward, and her mother a poor widow, who is unable to keepher in the style she demands. The case agaiust John Meehan was called at 1 o'clock yesterday before Justice Meech. The prosceution called for a nonsuit, and Meehan was therefore dismissed. The prosccution had intended to conncct Meehan, who is an employe of the Pullman Palace-Car Company, with the theft of ruilroad tickets from the Chicago, Alton & St. Louls Railroad, but the colored porter, whose testimony was to Lave been the connecting link In the chain of evidence, could pot be found. 1t is said that he has ¢ skipped out,” and the fact that he has paid all his board bills and taken his overcoat out of pvn teads to strengthen the assertion, for he ns been sick and out of money for the past two weeks. while traveling beat last eveming Officer Donohue was informed that some one was try- ing to burglarize several stores on Lake street, between LaSalle and Fifth avenue, and that the gang bad just succeeded in_forcing entrance to the store of Larrabee & North, by removing the scuttle on the roof. He arrived there just in time to catch two of them beforc they had had time to get away with any plunder. At the station they were recognized as Billy Fish, a young rough who was carved nearly to death a few years ago by the cotorious Sallie Tiern and Daun McCarthy, & young barglar who has already served one term. Later Officer Peterson captured Peter Skelly, who nad been In the company of the other two, and Is supposed to beloug to the same gane. August Kraeter, an alleged deserter from the United States Army, was before Judge Rogers sesterday on a writ 6f habeas corpus In order to obtain his release from the Armory Police Sta- tion, where he is confined. Kracter states that he never was legally eulisted in the United States Arioy, which, he said, hc was ready to prove to the Court. Some two Fears ago he landed in New York, a stranger. While looking for em- ployment he was taken in hand by some shart- ers, and the first thing he knew he was o sol- dier. He was a minor, and not eligible for the army at the time. Not liking the service, he ran away and came to Chicago, and was work- ing in a. restaurant_when arrested. At the re- : quest of Assistant District-Attorney Thomson, the hearing of the case was set for Tuesday, the risoner in the meantime being released on 1,000 bail. Asoncof Erby & Periolat’s boys mounted a Blue Island avenue car 1ast evening to_takea seal-skin saccue to a house out near Vernon Park, he observed a man follow him and notice bim somewhat closely. On arriving at Taylor street, the boy got off the car to walk across to the E:u'k, ana noticed the man following him. The boy walkea about a block, when the man overtook him, suddenly knocked him down, jerked the box containing the valuable orticle of wearinz apparel out of his hand, and started off onarun. But the boy and a small pistel whith he happened to bave with him were too quick for the thief, a shot from thepopgun causing him to drop the box aud run. The boy picked it up, made the deliv- ery, and the other boys in the store are now green with eovy at the thonght that their com~ panlon “scooped ‘em,” o3 it were, in deeds of arms. Tomake the thing even, Eroy & Periolag are scriously thinking of presenting the rest of the force with a popgun aplece. —————— . .SOUTH CAROLINA. COLUMBIA, 8. C., Jan. 5.—The Special Inves- tirating Committee of the Senate to examine into the alleged bribery of members last winter by D. T. Corbin Is in session. The Committee consists of four Democrats ard one Repubilcan. About forty witnesses will be examined. The Bond Comimission i3 also In session, completing the investigation into the bonded debt of the Btate, and preparing its report. o