Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, January 12, 1878, Page 4

4 Tlili CHICAGU TRIBUNE: .BA’l‘URDA‘l'. JANUARY 1%, 1878—=TWELVE PAGES, The Tribane, TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. . E—TOSTAGE PREPATD, Y MATL~TN ADVAX ally Fditlon, one yoa [ Fyectmen o 1 Glve Post-Oflice address In fall incinding State and Conaty, Kemittanees maybe mado elther by draft, exvress, Tout-OMce order, orin reglstered lettera, &1 ouF Fisk. TERMA TO CITY SUDSCRINERS, Tatly, Aeitvered, Bunday excented, 25 cents per week. 1 atly, deitvered, Bonday Included, 30 cents per weok. Adidrens THE TRIBUNE COMPANT, Carner Madison and Deatborni-sta., Chicago. Ml Orders for the dellvery of Tire TAtUXE at Evanaton, Engleweod, and Hyde Park left In the counting-room ®illrecelve prompt attentlon. pbidmisa " TRIBUNE BRANCH OFFICES, Tnz Cmicann TRIRTNE has catablished branch offiees for the recelptnf subscriotions and sdvertisements as follows: NEW YORK—1toom 23 Tridune Bulidiog. . T, M- Fapnzx, Manaze PARIS, France- . 10 Rue de Ia Grange-Batellere. merjesn Exchange, 449 Strand. Aent, Cal.=Palaco Motel. ——eree AMUSEMENTS, Tleoley’s Thentre. Randolph street, between Clark and LaSalle, Engagcment of the Almes Opers lioufle Company. afternoon, '*La Grand Duchess.” Evening, **Blue Oeard.” McVieker's Theatres Madison etreet, between Statn and Desrborn. *True Woman ' and **Nanthe UGood-for-Nothing." Afternoon aud ovening. averir’s Theatre. Monros atrees, corner of Doarhorn, Engagementof tbe Daffalo Biil Combination. **Msy Codyy or, Lost and Won." Afternoon aud evening. New Chicago Theatre: Clark rtreet, opposite the Sherman Touse, Callen« der's Georgls Minstrels, Afternoon sndevening, Colisoum Novelty Theatre, Clark street, between Washington and Randolph. Varlety performance, SOCILTY NGS, B. WARREN LODGE, No, 200, A, F. & A, guiar Communleation thls (Miurday) evening @ clock, promig, for fuatal of vicers, Iy £ the W M, . 1t P, Becretary. ——;HURD:\Y. JANUARY 12, A QUESTION OF FAIR PLAY." Complaints are frequently and numerously re- sclved at this office from parties living slong the lines of rallway lcading oot of Chicago 1o the effect that they are ofton unablo to procare Tie TRIDUNE from the tratn-boys un whom they depend for their’ daily papers, but are offered the alternstive of (nk- ing elthier tho Ttnea or Infer-Octun or none atall. From the extent to which this practice s carrled onftls belleved that it Is the result of a regular system of forcing the rale of competing papore and discouraging the demand for Tus Tuause. To the end that vigorous measures may be promptly taken for the suppreaalon of this cansplracy, it any shall be shown to oxiat, we request thatall persons who from this ur sinllar cauwes are prevented from recelving thelr Trinusee regularly will in each tn- #tance communicate the facts and detalls 1o this of- fico by lotter or otherwise. 1878, CHICAGO MABKET SUMMARY, The Chicago produce marketa were more nctive yesterday, and mostly sweak, except wheat, but closed Airmer. Messpork closed 20c per brl lower, ot $10.82;@10.85 for February awd 310,050 10.07% for March., Lard closed 5@7%c ver 100 1bs lower, at 37.274@7.10 for Fenruary end §7.3244@7.35 for parch. Moats closed essler, at $4.00 per 100 1bs for, boxed shoulders and $5, 6244 for do short ribs, Whisky was steady, at $1,05 per gallon. Flour was dall, Wheat closed 14@ 1%c bigher, at 81,06y cashor January and 81, 00%; for Februsry. Corn closed lfe lower, at 41'4c for January and 40%c for February. Oats closed @ ¢ lower, at 24@24%c. Ryec was jio lower, at» B5ic. Darley closed 1@1%c lower, at 63c for January and 554¢ for March. [ogs were dull and 6@10c lower, closing at &1,.80@24.00. Cattle wero quict and unchanged. Sales were at 82,000 4.05. Slheep wore quoted dull, at $3.00@4.50, Inspected Into store in this city yesterdsy mom- 103 198 cars wheat, 148 curs coru, 24 cars oats, 13'cars rye, 38 cara barley, Total, 351 curs, or 147,000 bu. Ono hundred aollars in gold would buy $102, 624 i greenbacka at the close, Tirltish consols_ wero quoted at 95 6-10 and steriing cx- chango st $4. 8153 4. 8414, Qreonbacks at the New York Stock Ex. change yesterday closed at 97§, Ouo of Beeretary Scuvnz's reasons for not resigning is, that he hosn't time just now; his hauda are too full of important reforms aud improvemonts in the various branches of his Department. "Chere are other and equally good reasons why he will not leave tho Cabj- not, but this one will do, With two of lLer armies surrendered and with thoe Russians swarming across the Bal. kaus, it is not strango that Turkey should want au armistico. Praotically, all tho forces which are available in the fleld for the de. fouse of the Empiro are tho few battalions lately noder the commaud of Surenuy Tasha, in the vicinity of Sofia, and the inex. porienced and recontly-cnlisted army at Adrianople. ‘Two formidablo Russian columns are nd. * vancing upon Adrianople, and the prospect of au early investmont has already led to the withdruwal of 8,000 of the civil pop- ulation. The Russians show no sigus of weariness in (thelr forward march, no disposition to slacken thelr vice torious progress ou nccouut of the peace talk. They have occupied both Eski-Saghrn and Zeni-Baghra, and are everywhere pushing rapidly toward the Turkish line of defense, ‘e enthusiostio rank and file, carried awoy by their suocessive triumphs, are said to rogard with oxtreme disfavor the idea of a suspeusion of this glorions work, With 6uch a feeling pervading the Ozar's armies, it may well be supposed that sovere terms will be fmnposed upon Turkey aa the price of e armistice. —— A mischievous and contemptible practice is ju voguo among some of the scalawags of the Board of Trude which the oficers of that organfzatiou are in duty bound to take im. wediate cognizance of. Forseveral days past thess vaudaly have becn industriously en- gaged in ciroulating reports of gigantio fail- ures happening, or about to happen, among well-known business firms and baoking in. stitutions in New York and Chicago, their object uvidently beiug to create s panic and consequent uusettleniout of valucs whero- from thuy 1asy derive the benefit. Com- plaints Of thiv reckless and malicious con- spiracy Lave become so frequnt of late tlat the Board of Directors should move vigorously in the matter, and by prompt ex- posure und punishment 1eke au example of somo of the mischiefmi Itis very evident that Russio intends ono of two thingy,—either that the war shall go ou, or elso that it shall stop, 1t is not pro- posed that Turkoy shall have the beuefit of & six-woeks' breathing spell in which to re cruit hier decimated battalions, fortify and strengthen her strateglo positions, aud in a general way wuse up the term of the armistica in preparing for a renswal of active operations in the fleld. The Russian reply to the proposition for an armistice amounta to n notice to Turkey that 10 nonsense will be tolerated; that if the Porte wants a truce it must take it upon tho express nnderstanding that the suspension of hostilities has for its sole object the negotiation of a permanont peace. This being communiented ' to England, Lord Drrsy writes to Gonrtscmaxorr to ex. press his astonishment, eto. Russia has shown no hesitation in astonishing England ever since the peace movement wes inatitut- ed, and it is quite certain that Britanmna will have still farther occasion to apen hor oyes before the business is settled. Rusaia isin no humor to tolerate interference in the arrangenient of the terms of the armistico, and Deror's astonishment will go for nothing. Tha real purpose and motive of FerrANDG Woon's dragnet rosolution, which was forced through the Houso yesterday, is to stir up a new form of excitement which will divert the attention of Congressmen and the country at large from the silver question, By instituting investigations without limit, £o that the timo and attention of all the committees shall be occupied in an indis- criminate skirmish for scandal items in every department of the Government, the goldites of both parties hope o make the silver question one of secondary importance, and, by delay and counter-agitation, to quietly starve or atifle the silver dollar. They will spend a million of dollars in uselcsa and tedious investigations covering an unlimited period of time and an unlimited range of subjects in order to accomplish ths death of the 8ilver bill through inanition. But they will not suceeed, and the Congressman who permita tho fever of investigation to displace his zoal for the romonstization of the silver dollar, and falls into the trap set for him by the desperate goldites, will have an actount to sottlo with his constituents. The poople want the old dollar back first, and then if the Democrats can find anything to investi- gato, let them procoed with their favorite pastime, ‘When Congress adjourned for the holiday recess tho Senators and Ropresontatives re- turned home expecting to find their con. stituents deeply incensed at tho stand taken by the President in the matter of appoint. monta and romovals, and vigorously doter- mined to stand by the noblo army that wna battling for its old.time patronage prérog- ative. They found nothing of the sort; the people secmed to bo entirely in. differcnt to the sorrows and grievances of the Implacables, and manifested a_ decided foeling of respect and admiration for the President, who was carry- ing on the plucky fight single-banded. ‘The cffect of this discovery is demonstrated forthwith upon the return of the Senators and Represontatives to Washington at the oxpiration of the recess. From nll quarters comes the report of *‘an impraved fesling,” and a prospect of reconciliation, The talk of open hostilities and of driving the Presi. dent to seek support from the Democratio party in Congroes has almost wholly censed. Henator Epxuxps' letter has happened op- portunely, sinco it affords the ex-Implacables tho chanco of expresaing their approval of the views therein set forth, and of climbing dowa gracefully. The President has not weakened; neither have the Benators; it was simply a misunderstanding, that's all. ‘We liave examined in another article Mr. Winte's * first proposition.” The **mecond proposition,” that remonetization wonld make silver receivable for customs, and tho third, that siiver would be payable for inter. est, aro self-ovident truths, They are direct onds sought by remonctization, Bilver was reccivable for duties and payable for intercst before the War ; it was made so by all tho debt-inourring laws enaoted during and after the War; silvor was made payable for inter. est and privcipal of all the 5, 44, and 4 per cent bonds authorized by the act of 1870, and remained so until 1874, Tho country lived through that condition of things, Ev- ery mon who loancd a dollar to the United Statos knew that the loan could be paid in silver or ‘gold, at the option of the deblor. The restoration of the samo condition will hardly disturb the poace of the worll. It was ouly a fow yeams ago that every man now advocating gold, and overy newspaper dehounclng silver, way predicting and threatouing that if the peopla of the Wostern Htates did not reverse tho Gronger logislation concerning railroady, thoro would ba a moral ravolt;' that overy railroad bond would be sont home for sale; that railroads wonld be closed to business ; nund that not anothor dollar would ever bo invested in a country that tolerated such n low state of morals,. 'The wisdom, the power, and the justice of that logislation hay since become rocoguized by the Supromo Court os thoe established law of the nation, and still there are people at homo and abroad who keop their property under Gmanger pro- tection, The prophecy that capital in Great Britain and Gormany will not invest monoy in American bonds, liable to be paid twenty or fifty yeors honce in silver, s hardly justified by past history ; at all cvents, if theso bonds be sont home and sold here cheap, they will furnish oxcellent collaternls for losus and discouuts aud for National-Bauk circulation, redeemable on domaund in tho legul-tender silvor coln of the country, The suggestion by Mr. Warrz, that to make sil. ver receivable for dutiea will have the effect to reduce duties 8 per cant, and that this will Justify a demand by the protectionists for a like Yncrease of dutles, calls for no dlucus. sion, It vosts, as In fact the whols letter rests, on the assumption that the silver dol. lar will be worth 01 cents in gold and never any more. ‘This js simply bogging the ques. tion, It is neither faot nor argument. Itis negatived by all history, The present de. cliue in value of silver bullion in London, in exchange for gold, is due to German demon- etization apd the placing of a large supply of silver ou the market. Had silver not been domonetized in this country thers would have been a market here fortwo or three hundred millions of it. ‘The remonetiza- tion here, and the certainty of the exbaustion of the Gorman supply, will advance the valys of the bullion and lower that of gold, acd give to the remonetized coln most 1f not all of ita ordinary relative value in gold, long before we shall have coined the. amouat we may eventually need. We rogret that Mr. Wiurk takes such a hopeleas view, not only of the present and the future of the country, but of tho moral and intellectual condition of his countrymen. He secmis to recoguizo in the possible voto of the President the only protection against the genoral prostration and sndihilation of everything worth living for, and that, unless the Presi- dent uball arbitrarily ioterpose his single voice to defeat the will of the mnation, then all will bo lost! Wo do mot share thiy gloomy despondency, but look for brighter and more prosperona days, with the national currency, paper and metallic, restored to ono permanent and endaring standard, with bus. iness revived, prices advancing, confidonce ro-established, and produotion once more in aative operation. OBJECTIONS OF HORACE WHITE TO BIL- VER MONEY. Elsowhers in this issuo of Tams Tnrevye will be found a letter from Mr. Honacz Wmre on tho silver qnestion, in which ho presents three points na to the evil effect of romonotizing silver. They are: 1. That remonetization would not bring auy more silver into circulntion than we now have, but would causo the paper cur- renoy to decline in valae, 2. That it would make silver receivable for customs duties. 8. That it wonld mako silver payable for interest on the public debt. The exact dnift of the firat of these prop- ositions is not very clear. In the first place, wo have no silver logal-tendor coin now (ex- cent fractionals); and to assert that to re- monetize silver and authoriza its colungo will not lead to an fncrease of silver in cirenla. tion reems to be nn assumption hardly rocon- alablo with the grave approhensions ex- pressed by other learned writers on political economy, that, in tho event of such legisia- tion, all Europa will ship hither its surplus coin, and bury this fair Republic under a load of cheap silver. Mr. Warrs does not scom to have any such approhension. If we understand his menning correctly, the pas. sago of the go-called Brawp bill will not lead to the circnlation of silver dollars, becauso when coined they will reduco the valub of greenbacks, and further, that the greenback will fall below the value of the silver dollar to about the same nmount that it is now un- der gold, say 8 per cent, It scems to ua that Mr. Wrire has over- looked tho existenco of an important law called the Resumption act, which provides that the Nationnl Treasury shall redeem greenbacks at par iu coin (which means sil. vor or gold) on nnd after Jan, 1, 1879,— eloven and a half months hence. We as- sumo that law will remain in force; any guess or notion that it will be repenled can- not be nocepted either as fact or argumeat. As the greenbacks will be redeamable in legal-tender silver dollars if the Braxp bill passcs, wa do not seo how they can thon bo of less value than the thing in which they are redeomable on demand. The Government will have the option to redeem in either sil- vor or gold, and, of conrse, it will redeom in the cheaper metal, and that istho way it paid all its debt from 1793 until 1873, Hence, tho greenback will be oxaotly of the value of whichever metal the Government paya them in, and cannot be loss. But we are told there will not be enough silvor, ns the eapacity of the mints is limited to twenty or thirty millions a year. This objection to the limited capacity of the mints is hardly s serious one, becnuso the same legialative authority which directs the coin- nge of silver dollars can direct an increaso of the number of nints, and of thelr tnachinery end of thelr working capacity, and suchn measure will bs eminently desirable. Even New York would vote to have a new mint osfablishied in that city. Omaha is beseech- iug for o mint, Bt. Louis is howling for another, Indisonpolis s making a lond noise for one, and Congress can oider a3 many as it pleases. 'Tho present capacity of the mints, however, s statod by the Buperin- tondont to be fifty millions a year, and we presumo that s based on cight hours' work por dny, whereas the mints can ba run with two gangs of men sixtoen to twenty hoursa dsy. The Braxp bill before the Senate thas an amendment providiug for a maxium eoin. oge of four millions a month, or forty. cight millions a yoar. This can casily Do inoreased to six oreight millions a month, 1f Congress so dircots, But tho exact amount, whether only fifty milliona a year or donble that sum, is not of such vital im. portance, becauso the rostoration of silver coinoge nnd the re-establishment of itslegal. tender character wijl have the effoct of determining definitely that the public debts of the United States, and of the various States, municipalities, corporations, and pri. vate persons, are to bo payable in silvor or gold, at the option of the debtor. This privilege the Amorican people have enjoyed all the years of their national life, excopt for the last four, And this “option” of pay- ment the country jusists npon regaining; no arguments, threats, coaxing, or bulldozing will shake thelr firm dotermination to re- cover this lost privilege and right, Romiting from this re-establishment of tho Li.metallio principle, ‘the impoverish. munt of the country annd tho stagnation of productive industry caused by the advanco in the value of gold will be arrested, and, so long as the bi-metallic policy shall thereafior remain in forcs, it will not be posaible agnin to get up s ‘*‘corner” on gold, and arbitra. rily add a Iarge percontago to the weight of indebtedness, public and private, of the coflutry. s ; In tho suggestion that tie Greenbackors will oppose silver colnage lest the dollars might be used to redcem the paper, it is difficult to discover sufiiclent substance that is taugible; and it is equally difficult to un. derstand how the “coinage of from 200,000,- 000 to 300,000,000 silver dolisrs to circulato in addition to the greenbacks will be no enlargement of the vol- wmne of the ocurrency., Mr, WarTe reaches the conclusion that as soon as the Bilver bill shall bocome a law the. Groenbackers, dis- gusted with silvor money, will move fora repeal of the Resunption law dnd sn in. definite inflation of irvedeemnble paper. We cannot get alarmed at this prognostication, beoause it is inconoeivable that the Green- backers wonld prefer an addition of forty or fitty millions of paperto four or five times that sum of hard money. The Bupreme Court has in effect decided, as Mr, Waite kuows, that 400 millions of greenbacks s the utmost limit that can be legally issued, and we have upwards of 830 millions now. It would be an idiotto aot for the Greenbackers to cut off an unlimited ailver coinage in order to add a fow millions to the present volume of greenbacks, which increase, if they are strong enough in Congroas, they can obtain at auy time without disturbing tho coinagd of silver. We regret to learn that if the Silver bill ghall becomo a law the school of statesmen and economiats to which BMr, Warrs belongs will thenceforth devote themselves to violate the national pledge to resumeo specie pay. wments a year heuce by joining the Green. backers in efforts to ropeul the Resumplion law. Bhould ths gold advocates do this, what bocomcs of the nationat honor? When such men act thus, much maybe pardoned to thoso whose moral and intellectual refine- ment lead to the loose notion that a specitio perforinance of & contract is both an bonest and just astiafaction of the obligation. Let us bopo that op cooler zefloction those gen- —_— o e tlomen will think better of the businesa. ‘Wo have never heard any objection to tho resumption of specie payments in gold or nilver, at the option of the Government; the oljection hns Leon to the schems of ro- suming in gold coin alone, arbitrarily en- hanced in value by the demonetization of all other metallio money, The * January thaw” has como around and found so little frozen up that a fow days more of mild weathoer will mmake the country ronds as bad as thoy wero during the fall, and, in fact, evon up to New Year'a day. This will renew tho embnrgo on business which has already nccomplished so much minchief, and tho only possible compensa- tion we can think of is that it may posaibly wake up tha farmors to a realization of the imperative necessity of improving the high- ways. 'Tho most comprohonsive railway sys- tem concoivable becomes nuseloss whon the bhighroads ars in an impnssable condition, and the farmers can néither got their produce to the stations nor their snpplies from the sta- tlons. The peopls of this country have di. ractly and indirectly contributed huudreds of millions of dollara to the construotion of rallways, and they practicplly elect to go withont the advantages of such an invest- ment when, in order to savo a few pounies, they leavs their roads in an impassable con- dition during several months of the year, ‘Wo print in another part of this morning's paper an interview with Mr. K, K. Joxgs, of Quincy, in which he again insists upon the advantage in cost nnd durability of the gravel roads over any other which it is prac- ticable to adopt in the prairie soil of the West. The ordinary dirt rond is plainly a fatlure, and wooden block or MaoADAMroads are out of the question on account of their cost. Mr. Jovzs certainly has good ground for maintaining the desirability of the gravel road wheraver gravel can be easily obtained, since the five miles of gravel road running out of Quincy, which he induced the prop- erty-owners to construot, is the only road leading to that city over which the farmers have been able to haul their producs or sup- plies during the prosent season. Of course, thers is a great difference in gravel, aa the peopla of Chicago have reason to koow, since Michigan avenue has been paved with what is called Joliet gravel. but which is really nothing but rich oarth, mnking the flithiest and thickest sort of mud after it becomos saturated with water. But Mr, Joxes contends that in al- most overy county in this State gravel of good quality may bo found at the bottom of tho creeks, and in this cass overy county ought to begin to do womething for itself in improving the roads. The ronson for urglng the subject at thia time is that the proper soason for malking these gravel roads is when the earth roads aro frozen, and thus fornish a solid founda- tion; this is also tho secason when the farmers have most leisure, in case they de- termino to uso their own teams and do the work thomselves, instead of paying taxes to accomplish the same end. He says that grading is not necessary, but that a single road-bed should be made with gravel abont asix inches deep, which may perhaps be improved by o thin surface of loosa earth, Tho farm- ers of Illinols ought not to allow: another season to go by without protecting them. selvos ngainst a recurrence of this year's disastrous experience. It must be kept in mind, however, that gravel roads require constant attention, and that by filling up holes and ruts promptly they may ba made to last three or fonr times longer than they would otherwiso; .this may be dome by neighborly co-oporation withont rosorting to taxation. THE “BIG DOLLAE" AND WHAT IT I8 DOING, In the courso of his message to the Wiscon- sin Legislatare, Gov. Ssrrn referred to the ro- monstizationof silver in the following terms: The road to resamption of specie payments may ‘be rough, but_there ure mn sloughs thereln, and now that we have ro nearly reached the desired fall. avery backward step milst be regarded & pub- Ic calamity. 1 do not, howsver, sharo in the oplnlon, which seems to obisin with some, that the remonetization of silver will be a backward step, Bilvor may be used for culus rosent ratio with gola ia not suficient tu Jneure the harmonjons clr- culstion uf voth metals, lot the ratlo bo fncreased. ‘The wiso statesmal ks to find now markets and eountry, becs izen, and the conntry i Htates 1o tho great silvor-producing natlon of tne world, Every legitimato usa 1o which allver can be applled enbances Its valuc, and to that oxtent adds to the wealth of the natlon. Ita use as monsy 1n voth legitimare aad practicables the only cundis tlona being that the relative vatues of sifver and gold be duly preecrved in the cotnuye, and that the nrofits of colnage, if any, be reserved to the Uoy- emment. Either Gov. 8xrrn {s not a frlond of tho movement to remonetize sflver, as ho pro- fessen to be, or he has exhibited great thonghtleseness in allowing himself to be misled by the protended * compromise” sil. yor men who are really aeeking to defent the purpose of the whole movement, There has beon more eilly twaddle about the **01.cent” dollar, and more dishoncaty aud chicanery in the demand for a silver dollar that shall * be worth 100 cents,” than In any other phaso of the controversy. Bome mon, knowing what they wore driving at, have lugged thisin to complicata and confuse the issue; while oth- ers, not intelligent cnough to penctrate the fraudulent sophistry, have been weakly mis- led by it. There are two anawers to be made to the charge that remonetization at the old ‘weight of 10 to 1 will give too little silver. 1. In all countries where the double standard {s recognized by law, or where sil. ver circulates sido by side with gold, the relative welght is 156§ ounces of silver to 1 ounco of gold. Thia is the case iu Germany, France, Spaln, Italy, Belgium, Greece, aud Bwitzerland, where silver and gold coin nre of equal purchasing power and univemally interchisngeabla at that ratio, 'There is no complaint in any of those countries that the silver unit of value contains too little metal, notwithstanding the decroased value of silver bullion jn markets where it is sent for sale a4 a commodity and has no legal-tender function, 1t 140,000,000 people in the coun- tries named can mmaintain the ratio of 154 to 1, there is small danger of doing injustice to or arousing the indignation of 45,000,000 people in a country where 1t is proposcd to rustore a silver coin at the rate of 10 to 1, ‘Tho remonetization of silver 1n this country will give it monetary employment to about the same amouut of the metal that has or sy be thrown out of monetary uie by Germany, It was the sale of silver by Germany in tho non-legal-tender English market thet occesioned the decline in its value a8 compared with gold. The absorp- tion for money purposes elsewhers in an equal amount will restore the equilibrium and break the present corner in gold, where- by it has become abuormally dear as com- pared with all other thiugs. If the United Btates, then, should begin colning a silver dollar a$ the ratio of the present bullion value of silver (which would be about 17} or 17} to 1), the ‘‘profit' of the coluags would be in reality a serious loss. The Governmeat ‘would purchase silver on o rising market in | ble, after reacing this sermon, {0 supposs for ordor toput into a dollar what wonld be worth moro than a dollar a month afterwards. This process wounld imposs a heavy loss on the Government, and drive the silvor dollar out of circulation, becnuse it wounld be too valuable to circulate. It would be necessary to order a complete recoinnge every faw months at an enormona expanse, and in. the menn- time tho country would be doprived of all the expected bpnofit to bo derived from add- ing sevoral hundred milliona of hard money to the circulating medinm ; and that is pro. cisely what the goldites seck by proposing -the impraaticable sohere of changing the woight of tho silver dollar. 2, The * big dollar” is just what the coun- try must atop, if it hopes to escapo universal bankraptey. We want the old, historienl dollar of 371 4-16 puro silver,—the equiva- lent of tho old Spanish milled dollar,—and nothing else. The presont purchasing valne of the gold dollar has been fearfnily on- hanced. The legal-tender gold dollar is worth more, bocauso it will purchase mora by 25 to 40 per cent than it would four years ago, ‘Tho people have beon doing business on this constant enlargement of the **dollar” nnd corresponding shrinkage of prices, until they have roached the very lnst ditoh of resistance. It needs no prophetic ken to forcsee that this gold dollar will con- tinue to grow largar, and debts grow with it pari passu. 'The scientlsts tell us that froe gold obirined from washings is pretty nearly exhiausted, and that has been the chief sonrce of supply. Btatistics show that the aunual production is steadily declining and hsa fallen off more than half since 1832, The gold in the future muat mostly be obtained from .the veina of the hard, flinty rock. by a hard, slow, uacertain prooess nud at a greater cost than herato- fore, The demand is incrassing as popula- tion and commerce incresse and as cortain nations adopt the exclusive gold standard. To make a silver coin depend on ita bullion value in gold, and follow goldin this stendy enlargement, will be to recoin the mlver every year or oftener, and to continue the fatal necessity of doing business forever on » falling markot. Lat us ses how it wotks. Tho national in- debtodness ia abont 2,000 milllons, the State, municipal, and rallroad indebtedness 2,000 millions more, the private and bank indebt- odness 2,600 millions more. Here la an ag- gregate of 6,000 millions of debts. Add only 1 per cent to the purchasing value of the dollar, and the dobts aro incrossed by G0 millions; add 10 per cent, and tho debts are increased 600 millions. But this jsnot all, As the purchasing power of the dollar in- cronscs, the valuno of all property shrinks in proportion, Tha property values of this country were estimated ot 16,000 millions in 1878. 'Take 1 porcont from this value, nnd thero is o loss of 160 millions; toke 10 per cent away, and thers is u loss of 1,600 mill- fons, This is the process we have bLgen going through for four years,—a steady and rainous jmpairmont of value of property. It is the process from which there will bo no esoape in tho future on tho basis of a con. stantly-onlarging dollar, constantly growing bigger. Debts will incrense the same natho dollar; property will shrink, and men must continne to farm, manufacture, and do business on o falling market so long os they con do business at 41, unlesa this current ba stopped or turned in the opposite direction. Itisa condition that involves the sclvency of millions and the prosperity of the whola npation, for the money-lendors themselves must go down in the end =s the borrowera pass into bankruptcy and the securities shrivel up into nothingness. It is the big and growing dollar which swells debts and ahrinks goods that has heon working havoo for ycars, and which threatens universal ruin in the near futurs unless it shall be sbandoned a8 infamous in principle oud fatal in ita operation. DR. THOMAS ARD DOGMA. Tho racent sermon preached by Dr. H, W. Troxas of the Centenary Mothodist Church, in which he placed himuelf quite squarcly agoinst croeds and dogmas, will arouso un- usual interost and croato very general dis- cussion, not only in the Mathodist denomina. tion, but also among all orthodox people. Prof. 8wino and Mr. Brecurn have dellvered thomselves very radically upon tho same general topics, and havo rade special aasanlta upon some of tho strongholds of Calvinism. In their cades, however, they may be eaid to boave had a sort of licenso. Prof. Bwiva having beon placed ontside the palo of Pres. bytorianism through the energetic efforts of Prof. Parron, and no longoer belng subjected {o orthodox discipline, is of course nt liberty to proach anything le pleases, so long as his awn congregation do not object. Ar. Brronea also hins a carte blanche in the same direction. Hisorihodoxy Linaboen suspicious for fully fifteen years, and no longer ngo than his own prosecution by TiLton le, with the consent and encouragement of Lis own congregation, assumed an immunity for Plymouth Church from any discipline or even interferencs by other Congregational churches, Prof, 8winag, therefore, doos not epeak for Prosbyterions, nor Mr, Brrones for Congregationalists, when they advance any new theories of creed or dogma. - With Dr. 'Tnosas, however, the case is different. He {a in the pale and in full commuuion with Methodism, He is regarded as an authority, and is universally looked upon ns one of tha strongest men in that denomination. 8o high o-position does he occupy that, even with his sermon under the eyes of the Pre- slding Elder of this diutrict, the latter does not hesitate to declare that hetrill not be tried for horesy. His statementa, therefore, will be hotly cauvassed and disoussed inzide his own denomination, and it is not impossi- Lle that it may extend far beyond it. It may be also they will prove the leaven that will leaven the whole lump. Dr. Tuoxas’ views aro certalnly very rad. jcal as compared with the ordinarily-acoepted touets of Methodisrs, He does not believe ina literal hell of aternal punishment,—in reality ho can hardly bo said to believe in any hell at all,—but rather in vomothing that very closely resembles the Catholio purgs. tory; and, in general, it wonld geem that the tendency of the more advanced snd liberal thinkers in towards these ideas of the future stato that obtained attho time of the Refurma. tion, He belioves in a state of probation that continues after this life, and he con. demns endless punishment. e boldly im- pugns seotarisnism as au obstacle to the growth of the Church and tq the honesty of individusl preaching. * Individual minds are bound by the power of organization, and by this power set to fighting for specisl dog- mas instead of pemetrating the broad fleld of trutl,” And again: ** There is comiug to be a very wide and general distrust as to the honesty of clergymen in what they ssy; and this distrust is ten times worse in its ef- focts on the public faith than could be their baldest utterances with s clear, strong, open. faced honesty back of them.” It is impossl- +spondent describes s wearing a cloth sacque, amoment that Dr, Troxas belisves in the iospiration of the Bible or in the dogma of the Trinity. e applios tha oritical senes to tio Bible, and aske {hess preguant guos- tions : ‘Thia pame critical rense has taken huld of the dogman that have come down to us claiming to be the tratln of religion, and weka sanarely and ‘n_llnleflly. What do thoy mean. and are they trno? What do yon mean, we are asked, when you say that the "Dible 1a fnsplred? What do you mean, when yon ey that it is infallible? What do yon mean by totsl depravity, by atonement, by regen- eration? What do you mean by tha fesnrrection and the Judzuient? “What do von mean by eternal unishment? 1s thera a liiersl hell of fire and irimstane? Ate those who die [n Lheir sine to be lnmll\led eternnlly? In there nn possible hope for helr_roformation, or that the luve of Gon may romehow ronch them In the lone, long ages of rtornity? And not a few to whom there questions are Asked are cnmpell!fl 10 say that, o far an mental perception of thelr immenss magnitnde in concerned, they had really never coms to ook at .theny, or 1o weigh thelr mosning before. And thuw, it seems to nie. aro we coming inlo almost & new age, —an age of realization. Thnt Dt. Tnoxas believes tho dogmas to bo man.made and the Bible the work of hu. man authorahip {8 evidont from his doclara- tion: “Thers are some things that have come down to us that may not bo wholly true, and that nced, to say the loast, re- stating.” . . . * When there aro so many conflicting, and even 'contradiotory, dogmns held by tho differont Churchos, it is not mod. ost in nny one of theso to say that it nlone is infallible and all tho rest wromg. Nor is it immodest in the world of doublers to sug- gest that none of them are wholly right,” -+ ““Tho Bible itaelf was the growth of agos, and 5o has been Christian doctrine.” This, if it means anything, denies the in. spiration of the Bible, and afiirms that the. Churoh, his own included, is chenshing many errors, Dr. Tiouas' statoments will undoubtedly boreceived with gratitude and delight among liberal and progressive thinkers, and with pain and surprise smong those who have cherished their heirlooms of dogmas, hand. ed down from father to son, It is alwnys painful, however, to have a principle which hos been fairly ingrained in life by long hnbit and belief attacked, but this does not affect the merits of tho case or the truth or falsity of Dr. Tromas' positions. Ho only roprosonts the progress of human thought, the compulsion of the critical sense, and the efforts to ndvance beyond the limits of old-time dogmas, that obarncteriza close thinkers and libornl investigators, and ho un- doubtedly re-ochoes the sentiments of the highest culture in his own denomination, To try him for herosy would bo absurd, for the Methodist Church canuot afford to lose sich n man, even if he be a heretio, His ‘viows oro before his denomination, and the fight should ba made npon them ineide the denamination,” Methodism has many elo. quent, enthusiastic, audzeslousadvocates, and. it haa always beon s progrossive, pushing Church, and there {8 no bettor place to put these new theories which aro continually croppiug out in the religions world upon trial than within its own communion. These great questions of creed and dogma ought to bo met and sottled now. They cannot be put down by heresy trials or evasions. They nra the symptoms of one of thoso great agi- tations which periodically appear in the his- tory of rcligion. It is tie effort of tho great world to move, If the dogmas of cternal punishmont, - the atonement, the ‘Trinity, and the inspiration of the Bible are in danger, then orthodoxy should rush to their defemse, and the issuo should be squarely mads. ‘Thors {s nothing dangerous in tho contost, for the right will prevail. On the other hand, it is a cheering sigu that religion i rising from its lethargy, and that 88 the result of nll this ngitation and for- mentation thers will arise some new condi. tion of belief that will make man wiser aud better.. Btagnation always involves decay, but these new, nctive, and stirring impulses show that religlon Is resuming ita vitality, sod who shall say that asthe outcomo she will not rise into soma still higher sphore of influence, whero hor power for good will be mightily incrensed? R Mr. Joux Broucmast fs a popular man. Ho {s also rn actor of prowinence and a playwright of nomean capacity. FPeople who have had ex- ceptional opportunities of comparing say that Mr. Brouauaat is in every scuse superlor to Mr. Boucicaurts, Yet to-day the adapter of French comcdies is )ving In sumntuous apartments, whose furniture nlona cost §18,000, whils tho author ot ** London Assurance® and * Poca~ hontas™ {8 devendent upon the charity of his fcllow-actors. Iu flrst reflecting npon the sub- ject one nathraily is inclined to blame the fates ‘which have brought about such an unequal, and, 28 somo think, unfair distrioution of fortunes. Yet, like moat other ‘plicnomens of naturs and human existence, this may be accounted for on a strictly mathematical basls of cause and ef- fect, While Mr, BoucicauLr has buen saving up tho ducats which ho has obtalued (we do not say curited) by the translation and adaptation of Parisian plays, Mr. Biouvoitast has lberally speut his more than liberal salary as an actor and the certalnly fair remuneration recelved for the pleces which he has written, Yot our remarks are vot mado In any captlous spirit. My, Brovauas's failing is only tlat ot alarqu proportion of mankind. The actora of New York will porform o graceful act In uniting to give him @ benetit, and the vcople of Now York, who have so olten been charmed by his written and spuken words, will doubtless con- tributa thelr prescuce sud shekels enthusfasti- cally to the oceaslon, As an sctor Mr. Hrouanas is inore than ordiuarily deserving— perhiaps evough su to give color to the dream which hie was aforetime foud of rolatiug, He dreamed that he was dewd, and tRat 48 had gone up to the gate of Heaven and kuocked for ad- mittance, Bt. PaTen looked out, and, csoying him, sorrowfully shook his head snd foformed him that actors were not allowed ivside. Pres- ently Epwis Booru camo along and met a lke response, and the two sat down outalde tho gate tu discuss the mourniul situation. Befure long Lmstanr WatLaox camo dashlug upina fine coach, and, making himsel! koown to the guardian of the sacred portal, walked through without opposition, *liow fs this?" exclalmed Booru and Buouguay. *Oh," replied Bt. Prreg, withs coutsmptuous twirl of his key, “he's no actor." e ———— . Parls emulated Loudon this winter in bad Cbristmas weatber, The English metropolis was plunged in gloom from noon to foggy eve, and the poor sbivering Christmas waits found it exceedingly difticult to raise a decent amount of merriment. 1'aris, too, was cnveloped Ina denso fog which gave place to raiu in the after noon, and the saphalt pavements wero wet and dreary enough. However, there wero fafut pre- touses to festivities along the boulevards, which were lived with baragues or booths for the sale of dou-bous and trinkets, Tho Frouch bavo what ls called a rewllon,—that Is, & cele- bration of Cbrlstmas eve {rom midnight, set- tng out & repast, rescmbling somewhat our Christmas dinuer, from 3to4 o'clock in the morniog. . ——————— ‘The proccedings of the Sixteeath Amendment Coavention fn Washington have ot been with- out thrilling incidents. ‘L'uesday afternoon one of the speakers was Mra. ELizasxTn Bornton Haraxrr, of Evénston, [IL., whom our curres which sho tlung back, placlug ber right hayd under the skirt behind, aud tbus striking the attitude so lovingly ascribed to Mr. Ploxwick by the famous Eogiish novelist. Despite this ludicrous sttion, sho spoke in & clear, strong volce, snd commsuded the attention of her hearess. Bha copgratulated the women of the Iand on what had bren accomplished, ang altuded to the fact that the women of the Wesg wer anxlonsly awalting the message that wauy be gent from Washington by the Convention, At this point, 8 ys the Washingion Pust The apeaker was Interrnpted by a valce fr andience asking, - W11 ¥ou o ine (n Ry single quextlan? Al eyes were furnel to r,e directlon from whence Lhe ~volce pruccede Ktanding Inone of thy Alsles, and awniti, 8 snewer 1o her gueatiuh, was'n lady, uppirendy ahont 10 years of ave, her face onEAYINT 8 fing: oy excitoment, Bho repeated et regneat, and it wyg abont 1o he roled out of order when Mro, Haneeny urged that sho be permlitod to put her question m\y|nfi: ““If we are wrong in onr ‘m,';mi on this qnestion, as A womin etanding by rave of her desd child whom | burled Jout beforo atarting here, I want 1o knos e purmisnion asked wan'sccorded ard thy lady, with & flushed face And vehement vole she wasa working woman, and, like thous; her afnlers, was starvine with her calldren, e, **you (referring to the Indies on the sixg will not take tho law an it 1n, Some of yon cliy to be lawyers, but If you 418 yan don't know yone bnsiness.’* Bha claimel thei the Fonrteenth’and Flftecnth Amendments. hy omiiting to ineest thy word sex, enfranchised the colored ‘women. nng pointing to_tho atage, concluded with, **There our colorad oroad; now take it and eat it. mmediately pushed her way to Lhe stairs and diy. appeared hefore evon a_reporier conld get 10 hay, Lut ahe was recoxnized nan lsdy corraspondent of by no means uninfluential naper, e — We took up a goldite newspaper and read ponderous gold-bug argument as follows; Flrst, tho Resumnption act which goes into forcy next January will clevate the greenback tog level with gold,—what it calla the 100-cent mold standard; sccond, but If sliver be re. monetized— . on the queation wonld be, which would ba thy mofe valuabla of the two, the gresnback or tny eliver dollar? 'Fhis anostion would very soon i satticd by a recognition of the fact that, ngbe iween the two classen of legal-tenden 1hie allver woulil possces mora intrinsic valun than ton paper; hence tho value of tho ailvor doliar would remaiy at ita D1-cents value, and the grecuback would fy] below It, —because tio paper of the Jatter would b Iean valuablo than the mefal of the foriner. According to this *doughsticks damphool,n tho greenbacks redecmable ondemand fn fepyl. tender sllver dollare wihl fall below the siiver dollars in value beeausc—but it is an nsult 1y tho intelligence of our readers to waste wonly in refutation of such silly, braluless, idiotl twaddle. . e ——— In response to a request from a numberol gentlemen and ladies, the Itev. Brooxe Hasx. FORD has consontod to deliver a scrics of threy Bunday evening lectures, bewinning on the evening of the 18th, at tho Church of the Mes. sish, corner of Michizan avenue and Twen. ty-third otrcet, on the following subjects, viz.: * Books and Remdiog,"” * The Historyol Bookmalang,” ‘'Books of thy Ancent ‘World.” Tho lecturcs will be free, and the well-known scholarly -character of Mr. Hrens. Fonp should draw a large audience of persony interested in litorary subjects, —— ——— The £hitadelphia Ledger 1s acknowledged ta bo the Jeading obituary paper of the couutrr, In tts Tuesday isaue it published a lenuthy cd torial on longevity which, among other inter cating anuouncoments, stated that durivg the past year no less thao seven centenarians had enjoyed the solemn privilege of haviug thel funeral notices printed in the ZLedger. Th premium should be awarded to Francis Cro £EL, who passed sway at the melancholy age o 113 In tho midst of li’e we are in death. e ———————— Although the estiinable Indles In attendance upon the Suffrage Conventicn bave tomporarily cast a blur upon the reputstion of Washington as a city of handsome womnen, it s a pleasurs to know that tho ranks of good-looklng men havo recelved largo roinforcements, Seuator ConkLiNg i a host in himaelf, anc the cditord of tho new daily paper mako up another host,— at least, that {s wnat they clal ————— ‘The Chalrman of tho Ropublican State Com- mittee of Wisconsin, Mr. HonAor RusLEe, by denicd that he over wrote to a Congressman of that State urging him to go In aud fignt agalost Havzs, because he had brought tha’ party b tho brink of ruln. have to fall back upon the CoANDLER leiter, after all, A meoting of citizens wiil bo held this evco- ing at the club-roum of tho Palmer Housew appoinut delegates to attend the State silverre monetization mecting, to be beld at Springilell on ‘Tuesday, the 15th, and to order tho proceed: {ngs of tho previous city meeting to be lald be fore Congress. e —————— ‘The Prime Mipister of Bpaln, in a recenti> terview with a correspoudent, stated that b had alwaya been his alin to cultivate and maie tain fricndly relations, with the United States Why noti ——— The directory mau is around once more {n 8t Louts, and declares that he will make Chicsga howl this time. How! By rehypothecation! —ea— PERSONAL, The New York Sun wil * Sothern netted $38,000 in eighteon wesks at the Parl Theatre in New York, Mr, W. W. Btory sailed for Europe in th Parthis Wednosday, Becrotary Evarts was elected Prosident o the Bar Assoc™ilon without any oppoaition. The Canadian Promier and Minister o Justice had no wioe or liquors at thelr New-Yest recaptions, The historical mansion of the Livings family. noar Poughkeopsio, N. ¥'., was recel destroyed by fico, An anonymous correspondent of a Bostn paper asserts that Winslow has been in thatdo within two months, The Cincinnat! Commercial says Garfield 1s going about on the aliver question ** with abet potata ia bis moutn,” Mr. Thurlow Weed, who is in his 84 year, had a serions fall in New York Tuesdsy, oot will probably be out again in a day or two. Judge Jere Black objects to ordering from a bl of fare, and his practice is to say to a wailer, “+Jinng me anything that s proper for a civilied bolng to eat,” Some people think -thera was peculiv proprlety 1n Bimon Cameron's employing t4 *¢Widow " Butler to save him from the Widot Olivers The Bouthern peopls will makae specid efforts to ralse funds for the Lee monument on W 10th of January, the sanlversary of the Genenlt death. James Gordon Bennett keeps twenty-An huoters, all in prime conditlon, among them § horse gurchased of the Duke of Hamilion for 1,0 gulneas, Proaident McCosh recently delivered 8 lecture on the importance of forming associstiosd amoug our American 'colluges for the purpost raising tha standard of caltare. Mr. Thomas Lord, the new bridegroo™ comes of & iong-llved ra His grandfather & at the age of B0, his fsther at the age of 03, 82! Dis threa brothers respectively at the sgesof B3 83, and 86, Thomas {s now nearly 84, Mme, Leverrier followsd her lllustriost busband (o the grave aftertha lapae of only b mouths. Thel t son committed sulctds o2f & few months 8go under distressing clrcumstanted He had coniracted m heavy debt at tho gamwst’ table, and appealed tohis fatherto assist bimi payluglt. Laverrier peremptorily rafused, aod it Young man touk bis Hfe to cacape what he consid* ered dishonor. i Prof. Blackle, of the University of Ed% barg, sapports Dr. Schliemann a tho asserties thatancient Greek can casily bo acquired !m\‘; study of the lviog Isaguage, ** Tue shased difference,* ho says, **betwoon the Greok of B3¢ taodern aswspapurs and that of Xenophon asd P are 80 extromely unimportant that, ss s matte? fact, to get & living hold of the mgdern Loquidl 1s equivalent to getting a Arm noid of the aucled The Rer. Joseph Cook waid, in u rectdd Isctare, that **ln the flcld of tha battle of Wikl 100 there was the concealed ditch of Obelm, 8% which reglments, in rotreat, pusisod on merelie A by their companions and puraucrs in the rest ¥ laft slive until the gap was full, snd the bosts ¥ werd cacaping from death passod across (be 0355 in safety on the bridge of tholr dead pudul““:d ‘This ditch Ls an 1nveation of Victor Mugo, ¥ e pats in his novel “*Les Miserables” W & tenuateibe Freach defeate