Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, February 6, 1878, Page 4

THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE: ‘WEDNESDAY. FEBRUARY 6, 1878, leading spesch of the day, declaring that it England, backed by the war credit, entered the Conference as the avowed enemy of Russian ambition in the East, such an atti- tude meant war; but if, on tho contrary, 2T MATL—TN ADVANCE—TOSTAGR TREPAID, tho Government waa sincoro in its profossed paily Bty ons yea ’“‘.“68 desira for a durable peace, the basia PR M ‘09 1 of its policy at tho Conforence must Tloudle et kX bo a recognilion of the fact that '::‘v'v:e}?i:[é:p":&;fi 5.0 | the independence and integrity of the Otto- Al i man Empiro had censed. It seems incrediblo L that the ability to perceiva and the states- manship o accept the inevitable should be limited to tho Liberal element in Brftish politics, nnd that thera should be any con- siderablo following in Parliament for a Min- istry that formulates its Eastern policy npon the exploded theory that Tarkey can be maintained as & Enropean Power. The Tribywe, TERMS OF BUBSCRIPTION. Give Post-Uce addres In fail Inclnding Btatesnd County. l’l!m’ltl-luctl maybe mads either by draft, expreds, Fost-Office order, or In registered letters, st our risk. TERMA TO CITT BUDSCRIDERS, Dally, dellvered, Eunday excepted, 23 CENts per week, Datly, delivered, Sunday included, 30 centa ner weex. Address ‘THE TRIBUNE COMPANT, Comer 3adison and Desrborn-ats,, Chicago, Nl Orders for the delivery of TRE TInUXE At Evanston, ¥nglewood, and Hyde Park Jeft fn the counting-room wilirecelve oromot nttention. The Agricultural Soolety of Winnebago County, Illinois, dropped into polilics some- what unskillfully two or three yéars ago by issuing an invitation to Jerr Davis to como and address the people at Rockford during foir.time. Tho popular opposition immedi- ately manifested to the appearance ot J. D. on a public rostrum in Rockford was o un- mistakable that the proposed spoaker was cbligoed to send his compliments and regrots. ‘The crisia which has ever since hovered over tho ministry of rural scfence in Winncbago County was finally precipitated last night, when, bofore the assembled dignitaries of tho Associntion, Mr, H, P. KrupaLy, Becre- tary, who in the Jerr Davis fiasco was put down very mnch o la MacManoy, got up both on his ear and his foct, kicked clenr over the agrienltural dashboard, shook his fista across tho bloody chnsm, prociaimed his everlasting contempt of all encmics of his pastoral-political policy, and beshook him- self of nll connection with the Boclety. The meeting is sald to have * got ved hot * there- upon, ending in the election of a new Secre- tary. There is hope that this stormy purga- tion has rolleved Winnebago of the alien paasions which have so mangled it ** hitherto herobefore."” 3 Eme— TRIBUNE BRANCII OFFICES. Tre CMIcAO TRIATNE has emtablished branch ofces for the receiptof subscriptionsand sdvertisements as follows: NEW TORK~Room 20 Tribune Bufiding. F. T. Mo- FADDRN, Manager. TATIS, France—No. 16 Ttus de In Grange-Datellere. 1 Mantxn, Agent. LOKDOY, Eng.—American Exchaoge, €40 Btrand, A MeVicker's Thentre. Madiron strect, between State and Dearborn. **Daby " and **Darney the n. ilooley’s Thentre. Randolrh street, between Clark and T.aSalle. Engagement of the Btrakosch Opera Troupe: ** Faust,” Tinverly’s Theatre. Manrae street, carner of Deatborn. Engagement of McKee Raokin, *‘The Danltes” Afternoon snd evenlug. Now Chicago Thesatre. Cinrk street, opposite Eherman House, Engage- mentof Den Thonpsou. *'Joshus Whitcomb," Afe ternoon snd evenlng. Coliseum Novelty Theatre. Clark street, between Washington and Randolph. Varlety oo, McCormlick Tfalls North Clark siroet, corner Ringle. Lecturo by the Tiov, Henry Ward Deecher. Bubjects **1ard Times.” Poor Grecce scems to havo made n grievous blunder in inangurating o hostilo polioy just at the time when an armistice had been de- clared. Tho Hollonic Governmont cither walted much. too long or not quita long cnough. As the case now stands the predic- sment i8 o serions one, and nothing but the humave offices of the Powers can provent tho Grocian scaporis from suffering sovere punishmont. Tho dispatch of troops to the provinoes hns beon regardod by the Turkish Govornment a4 a doclaration of war, snd Honanr Pasha, in charge of the Black Ben fleet, has nrrived ot Athens to bring away the Turkish Ministor, and it may bo to bombard the undefondod cities of the const, Great consternation prevails at the, Capital, and there appears to ba no_ escape out of tho dilemma except by the withdrawal of the troops from Macedonin and Thessaly, and the ontire suspension of hostilo oporn- tions. It is evident from tho remarks of Lord Dzany yestorday that the panic.stricken Hellones have littlo to hope for in the way of assistance or protection at tho hands of England, and that if Honant Pasha's big can. non are not turned loose upon the open and defensoless cities of Greeco it will bo because of the interferonce of Powers which have never professedundying devotionto the cause of Greolan liborty and progross, SOCIETY MEETINGS, LYBTONE LODOE, NO. 030, A. Fo & A o rffu jar commanieation Wednesday, Feb. 6. i 7:30 n'clock. Al members are requested to aitend to make Arrancements for tue faneral of our Iste hirother, A. Tirohston. and transaction of regular business. ' By order ot WL CIIGAGD CHAPTEIL N0, 127, B A taF Coovacation thir Wednes: otons corialy ineiteds DY hpaa A . ree0ion® PRI See. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1878, OHICAGO MARKET BUMMARY. The Chicago produce markets were gencrally quict and firmer vestorday, Mess pork closed 2150 per brl higher, at $10,07%4@10.70 for Macch and $10.8214@10. 85 for April. Lard closed Ge per 100 s higher, ot $7.07:4@7.40 for March,nnd 87,474 7.50 for April. Mcats were steady, ot $3.6244 per 100 1bs for boxed shoulders and b%c for do abort ribs, Whisky was steady, st $1.03 per gallon. Flour was quiet. Wheat closed 4c higher, at $1,02%@1.02% for February and $1,03Q1.03% for March. Corn closed N@1c higher, at 30¢ spot and 41%¢ forMay. Ontaclosed ic higher, at23capot and 20t¢c forMay. Ryo was steady,at80%c. Barloy closed ¢ higher, nt 40%c for March., Hogs were dull and closed weak, at 83,70@4.00. Cattle wero in light demand at & declino of 10@20c. Salcs wore 8L $2,0020.25. Sheep sold at $3.00@4.80. In stors In this city last Saturday, 1,380,016 bn ‘wheal, 670,767 bu corn, 213,304 bu oats, 183,417 bu ryt, 768,802 ba barlcy. Also afloat {n the harbor, 258,741 bu wheat, 323,807 bu corn, and 163,081 bu gata. TnMilwaukee, 880,011 hu wheat. At Odessn.'nt' the bepfnhing bf the ¥¢éar,'408,000" quarters; Thoshipmenis of Monday from Ohicago inecluded 6,200,711 1bs meats and 1,538,400 Iba 1ard, being s total of 387 car-loads. Inapccted Into store in this city yesterday morning: 72 cara wheat, 103 cars corn, 25 cars oats, G cars rye, 30 cars barley. Tolal, 241 cars, or 07,000 bu, One hundred aollars in gold wonld buy $102.12% In greenbacks at the close, Dritish consols were quoted at 05% and sterling oxchange at $4.88%, * JAY GOULD AND THE SILVER BILL, ' Jix Gourp, the gold’ gdmnblar, his taken ' ndvantage of his ownership of the columns of tho Now York Tritune to ventilato his views upon tho subject of the remonetiza. tion of silver, and, as might bo oxpacted, he has nccomplished it with a dogree of assump- tion and audacity that are remarkable even in a man possossing his generous stock of brass. Ilo starts off with the assnmption that the payment of the Government bonds in silver will bo o violation of the national foith, though why any violation of faith, nationnl or otherwise, should disturb him is not very clear. If his assumption be true, thon the Government must havo sgreed to pay in something olso than silver. We may rogord his nssumption in two ways. Fimst, ns o mattor of fact. The acts nuthorizing tho issuo of these bonds expressly declars that the principal nnd interest are payable in coln, and the Buprome Court has moro than once declded that a contract for pay. ment of a certain sum in gold and silver coin is so payable, no mattoer with what kind of coin they may have been bought, Will Jax Gourp deny that sllvor iscoin? There'is and can be no question on that point, How, then, is it n violation of faith for the Government to pay ita bonds in pro- clsely the money it agreed to, and whon, to nvoid aoy possible mistake on this point, the conditiona were ot forth and writton on the very faco of tho bonds? Becond, as o mat, tor of taste, is Jax GovLp exactly the right stamp of man to set himssl? up as the solf- avowed protector of tho national faith? Ishe such ‘a bright and shining ropresentativo of ideal honesty that he can ariso in publio and charge other men with bolng repudiators or onomies of the country's honor? By what condillon of honor or virtue does this cold- blooded, grasping, dishonorable, cutthroat speculator, railroad.wrecker, gold.gambler, and Black-Friday conspirator, always st war with the conunorcial world, deliberately al- lowing his broker-victims to b3 sold out, and now prostituting the columns of Mr, Grxe- LEY's paper to his own purposes, sot himself up os tho protector and custodian of the na~ tional honor ? Again, says Jay Gouwp, if the Braxo bill becomes a law it will destroy the credit of the United States for a century, and will de- prive business men of one-tenth of the value of goods sold on time or money loaned. MMr, Gouwrp talks glibly of time, forgetting what msay bappen in a century. Ho seems to for- got tha limits of time included in a hundred years and the immense and radical changes that are likely to ocour. If he would re- member that the Revclution occurred only & hundred years ago, and that in & hundred years from now there will be absolutely nothing left of him, with the possible exception of some very unsavory memories, he might hesitate before making any propheoy a8 to what a ocentury may bring forth, His declsration as to the dopreciation of valus of goods would oamry some {0 with it it it did not, jin the Tfirat. . iustance, proceed from a man who thes no sympa-~ thies with commercial men, jnd whose inter- oita aro associated alons withl stock-gamblers, and, in the socond instance, it werc not based upon false promises. Ho proceeds upon the assumption that remonetization will have no effect in reducing gold or en- bancing silvor, and no {nfiuence on the rels- tions of the value of silver to that of gold to bring them nearer to each other; and upon such & gratuitons assumption as this he and the rest of the gold clique befoul every ono wlo is not in sympathy with their operations with filthy blackguardimn. In violation of Greenbacks st the Now York Stock Ex- change yestorday closed at 08, Tha swift lapso of time yesterdsy found Justico sgain knocking at the cell-door of tho desporado Ranpe nt Galesburg, In this instance she was not told to come some othor time, and an attempt is nccordingly being mado in tha Knox County Circuit Court to socura a juryto try the noto- vious prisoner, Bovon farmera bave boen fonnd and accepted who had formed no opin- ion aa to tho guilt of the accused, and to- day's procecdings promise Lo be monopolized in obtalning nlegal complement, The ap- pearnnce and boaring of the atrocious brag. gart have been noted by our correspondent. A eignificant statement was mado by the British Minister of Foroign Affairs in the Housa of Lords yesterday, to the effect that England {s not without ample assurance of powerful supporé ond co-operation in the position to be takoen at the Vienna Confer- ence, Lord Denny undonbtedly referred to Austris, or at lenst was quite willing that his language should be so construed. Austria is represented as ready and wilting to join En. gland in the movemont to oppose the designs of Russia os indicated fn tho armistice con- ditions, and as only awaiting the passage by Tarliament of the supplementary vote by a declsive mojority before openly announcing oo alliance with Eogland. Tho taking oy in the ANpERaoN cnse at New Orleans was completed yestor- day, oud the arguments will probably be fin- islied to<lay. Bo far s tho press reports of tho trial would indicate, the Democratic re- form referces who hovered around the Re- turning Board during tho Electoral count wero badly.singed by direct evidonce ns to their fraudulent notions and intentions. A dispatch recoived at Washington yesterdsy predicts that none of the members of the Board will be convicted, for the reason that, uotwithstanding the one-sided manner in ‘which the case was made up aud the jury se. lected, there cannot be found twelve mon in New Orleans who can ogres upon a verdiot «f guilty, Extremes meot in the cases of Quebec, in the vorth, and of Lee County, Mlss., in the southorn part of the American continent, Both aro sufferers frow the prevailing ten. doncy of officials to steal as much of the people’s money ay thoy can got their hands on aud get away with. It has been discov. ercd by a Committes of Audijors sppointed toexamine the city finances 9f Quebeo that §148,000 of city debentufes canmot be accounted for, and that $47,000 in cash, which should be in the Hauds of the ‘Treasurer, is nowhers to be found. Down in Leo County, Miss,, the g,wplo have en- joyed the bleasingsof soven years of uninter. rupted defolcation in the Bhexjff’s office, their last experience in that line sggregating $10,000. The proposition to vote s war grant of £06,000,000, which England may flaunt in the face of Europe at the Vienns Confer- ence, was debated in the llouse of Com. moos yesterday for and sgainst. Bir WiLe. vay Yzasou Mimoousw, Liberal, made the the effect that the remonotization of silver will destroy the Ropublican party. We have already seen this ominent reformer in diro apprehension for the rights of businoss men with whom ho has nothing in common, and for the national faith for which he has no moro concern than for the interests of trno roligion. tho Republican party. What has ho dona for that party that ho should bo anxious for it? What has tho New York Z'ribune done of Iato for tho party, excapt to try to destroy it, that it shonld be alarmed? What does he mosn by tho destruction of the party? Is it to move nway, bag and baggage, and leave nosign? Aro tho members to dio off and loavo nothing but Democrata? Is it to be reorgonized, and, if %o, will it not be the same party? Is it to bo absorbed by tho Domocratio party, and, it so, will it not dominatoit? Is fta destruction to bo like that of ‘the Whig party, and, if so, will Jax Gouwp inform us how much the Democracy goined by it? Upon this branch of his argn- ment Joy Gourp has wasted time. not such a shining Republican that he will frighton any ono by setting up his political scarecrow, his abuse and blackguardism which are directed againat threo-fourths of the Amer- ican people, and those three-fourths embrao- ing tho industrious, hard-working, produc- ing classes, not the money-lenders, coupon- cntters, and Shylocks, lom which has defied solution by tho ablest law-givers and philosophers [ for centuries has been mastored ot last by the distin. guished statesman who doos honor to Chi. cajo in zopresenting her in Congress. The questlon in every Govornment that haa ever existed has boen how to establish a Ofvil Bervice that would unito tho three groat requisites,—honosty, eapacity, and fidelity ; how to socuro the services of tho bost off. cors; how to moke thom sccure in thoir officos during fldelity to daty ; and how to do oll this and loavo the doors to official life open to all, has beon pronounced to be such an impossibility that all attempts at the re. form havo been abandoned. England tried it repentedly during the last century; France ndmits that all her efforts have proved failures ; Austria bas vainly struggled to roliove hersolf of an corrupt service ; while Turkoy, Spaln and Gormany, the work has had that no serious effort has been made to grasp it, and yob all these Btates have had illustrious statesmen,~men who have writ- ten their names high on the pillars of fame, But the nations of Europe have never had o HanntsoN. They have had great men, nblo men, but nowhero ia there recorded the name of HannisoN—Oantzs Hannison; ho is peculiarly and exclusively the property of Amerien. swer for, and his ambition leads him sometimes to use his ofcial power to push other and ablor men out of sight,~to bury them, lest an admiring country should exalt them above himself, His experlenced eyo promptly recoguized in the Ohicago membor a dangerous rival,—ons who, if left with a fair chanco, would soon dazzle the House all Inws of human experiencs, of all laws of | ments, and Postmasters are not to be sub- political economy, and of all principles of supply and demnand, they assume thatif a market {s opened for millions of silver coin among a commercial people using as mnch moncy as any other, with no metal money in cirenlation, it will not add anything to its valtte, tion, characteriatio cither of an unthinking person ignorant of the history of moncy and mand, who is dishonest for & purpose, in which Int- ter cnse the coat might possibly fit Mr. Jay Goutp. ** Debased currercy,” ¢ 00-cont dol- 1srs,” * debt-ropudiation,” ** dishonest dol- lars,” howls Jir Gourp throngh column after colnmn of the gold organ which he owns. Dy what right does Jar Goup as- samo to fix tho relative valuo ns botweon gold and silver, when one is a legal-tonder nnd the other is not? By what author- ity does ho absolutely fix relative val- ues by putting gold up and silver down? It wa are going to even up, why mot bring about that result by evening silver up and gold down? Silveris tho older coin, and tho real standard. The gold dollar is n modern institution ; the silver was the dolinr of our fathors. There are 100 conts in a sil- ver dollar, jnst as thore ave in & gold dollar. For the post twonty years it hos been as much 1n circalatfon na gold, and it is to-day a8 renl a standard. sumes to fix its value by depreciating it, would it not be well for him to wait until both aro legal.tender? It may save him a great denl of trouble in’ evening up in favor of gold, It is s barefaced, shallow assump- tho laws of or of an supply and de- intelligent person Before Jax Gourp as- Jax Gourp's most crushing nrgument is to ‘We now behold him trembling for He s It will bo regarded as littlo as ‘HARRISONR'S CIVIL SERVICE. Our OanTen hos done it. Tho groat prob- incompetent and in Russia and such o hopeless outlook Bpeaker RAwDALL has many things to an- and the country, Bo he sought to bury Haz. nwox by placing him on the Committee on Civil Bervice. Ho would mnot put him on Foreign Affairs, bocause - our member's extensive travel would have ensbled him to take an eminent position ; he dared not make him Chairman of Ways and Means, bocause that would have given tho House n leader such aa it has never known {n its existenco ; Canres's speech on tho engle and the Marino Band warned the Bpeaker to keop him off tho War and Navy ; while his Indian blood, boiling in behalf of his kindred, was not safe to be intrusted with Indian Affairs, But Speaker Ranpirn overreached himsclf. What wea intended s o political grave has boen made by the occupant a laboratory for the greatest polit- ical system the world has ever known. A perfeot system of Civil Service has been dis. covered and maturcd, and OAwres Hanzisox, of Chicago, i the inventor and author ; and the eagle, in its futuro flights to dip its pin. jons in the Pacifio, will pause a moment, mid air, over Chicago, to honor aud bless the Liomo of the great stalesman, The plan provides for a Civil.8ervice De- partment, consisting of five Commissioners to be sclected from all parties, to be appoint. tod in the off years of politics. These Com- miasionors are to make rules for the service, exercise a supervision over all publio officers, and examine all spplicants. The whole coun. try isto be divided into as many distriots as there aro members of Congress; examina- tious are to be wade in each district; and each member may make nominations of per. sons in his district who may be found to be competent, aud may recommend persons of whom they have no personsl knowledge upon the evidence of othors. This Department is to supply all the other Dopartments with lists of persons, from which lists alone can ap. polntments be made. Appointments are to be provisional for six months, after which they are fo be permanent. Removalsa only 1o be for cause. Appointments as Ambassa. dors, Ministers, Consuls, Heads of Depart- ject to this Civil-Bervico mystem. objections, but, being purely constitntional, may not bo worth considering. The Constl. tution provides that the President sent of the trvo-thirds of the 8 ahsll nominate, and by and with the ndvice and cansent of the Senate shall appaint, Ambas other public Miniaters and Conenls, Jndfu Bnprome Contt, and ali ofher oficera of the Stutes whore appeintments arc not herein others :‘rll provided for and which shall be eatablished y spoointment of think proper, in the Prosident alone, in the courts of Iaw, or In the Ijeads of Departments, their mind to maka the Execntive rosponsi- bla for the administration of ment, and thorefore confin appointment to the President and the Hends of the Executiva Departments. purpose and the alm of the Constitution to oxclude Congress from anny pnrticipation whatever in the matter of selecting officers of the Governtont, Tho Senate, actingasa sort of Executiva Council, was vested, not with the power of appointing or scleoting, but of approving ortdisapproving selections mado by the Prosident in certain cases j but the power of selecting and appolnting was vestod exclusivoly in tho President and his Executive subordinates. 'This power cannot be delegated or limitod to lists propared by anybody. It has been practically usurped by membera of Congress, the resnlt of which usarpation has been the multiplicity of of- flcors oyond tho needs of an efficiont and faithfal sorvice, No reform would be needed wero it not for the parsistont struggle by mombers of Congress to rotain this patron- nge and dictate to the President who shall and who shall not be selected by him for office. President Haves hns thus far put this Congressional dictation at deflance. In ono caso the Benato refused to consont to sn oppointment ho had made, and under the Tonure-of-Offico law—a Ilnw of most questionable constitutionality—hna kopt a man in offico after tho President had decided him nnfit to hold it. Mr, Hannison's plan rotains tho principls of Congressional solection and appointment, and that, as wo have said, is the grand cause of whntever corrnption and inefliciency there may boin the public service. The scheme may thero. fore be considored, in addition to being wholly unconstitutional, as radically vicions and criminal, containing all thie demoralizing features of the present system, and giving them the sanction and approval of law. Hannisox was one of those who a few weoks ago voted to regulato tho movements of troops by o provision 1n an appropristion bill, and honce, possibly, the fact that his bill is wholly unconstitutional will not bo considered by him as presenting any serious objections to ita onactmont. 7 includes, wo believe, about 80,000 officers, of whom nbout one-half are Postmaaters. Why these latter should bo excluded wo do mot understand. Postmasters ought certainly to bo honest and capable, and, if such, should o as strong in the tonure of their offices ns any other class of officials. to do much in reforming the publio servico. It can 8o amend tho tari® that without any loss of rovenus tho cost of collecting cus- toms moy be reduced, and one-third or one. haolt tho forco mow employed in Custom- Housos may be dispensed with, .| publio service may be largely roduced in its numerical foreo withont impairing in the lenst ita efficiency. The prosent Congress may further socond and sustain tho Preaident in his offorts by making it a ponal offenso or causo for expulsion for any member of Con. gres of ecither Houso to ask or urgo the sppointment of any porson to any office in the Civil Borvice of the United States. Such an nct would bo & procedent for all futura members of Congress, Deprived of offiolal patronage, somo mombers of Congress may fall to got renominnted or re-cleoted, but that i n calamity from which in time the country will recover, Trus ability and grentness need no such corrupting ald'to success. Mr, Hannisox himsolf is an instance of what an honcst man of ability may do-without pat- ronago, spoeches among his own constituents inper. haps the most populous district in the Unlon is far more effective in securing his success in Congress than would be all the Federal patronago of the' State, It is timo to raiea the standard of Congresalonal ability, and wo suggest that any man of any party who does not reach the standard of Mr. HannmoN—who {s not his peer—ought not 10 bo elacted to Congress at all, THE PLAGUE-SBPOT ON THE (USTOMB robbed New York Olty of twenty-five or thirty million dollars thero was great excite. meont throughout the borders of that muniel. pality. venod; honest men of all political parties were urged {o unito in o crusade against the scoundrels who bad grown rich off tho sub. stance of taxpayers, and the press fulminated annthemas against every member, from highest to Jowost, of the band of thieves. So Judges, tools of the Ring, slunk out of pub. Hlo view, and one actually surrendered his life in dread and horror ot the avenglng arm movement the chilefs of the Ring were million dollars of revenue twas to the Government through the inefficlency and corruption of the servants of the Troasury Dopartment at the singlo port of New York! The statement s almost too monstrous for human eredulity; but it is no less monstrona than the fact that such an opinion as that of the Conris Commission conld be pnb- lished withont eliolting an expression of sur- priso or foraing n passionate outburst of in- dignation from either the merchants, the press, or the people of New York City. How is it that Tween was seizod, tried, convioted, and sont to tho Penitentiary,—pursued to the ends of tho earth and bronght back,—for stenling $3,000,000 per aunum, while tho im- Yorting merchanta of Now York City were permitted to steal #30,000,000 por annum Buoh is the plan. Thero are perhaps some Bhall hare power, by and withtheadvice and con. enate, (0 mako treatles: prorided, o ators present concar: and adors, of the nlted * Fat the Congrens ma, by law, Yosi (ho d such inferlor officers, s Lhey Those who made the Constitation hed in the Govern- the power of justice so alert and active in the ono case and so inert and slumberous in the other? Is the man who swoars to a faise (under- valued) invoice before one Depnty-Collactor of ‘Cnstoms, and bribes another to clear his merchandise at half its value to choat the Governmont of its revenue, nny less a liar and swindler than the man who stole the eity’s revenne and divided the plunder with his rascally gang of contractors? It isa fact, however, that Tweep was sont to prison, and it is equally true that his con- freres in crime, tho robbors of the customs rovenue, are not only at large, but are atill in the high places of social and mercantile lifo. Is it claimed that it was easy to catch Twexp and impossible to detect and bring to justice the ring of thieving importers? We dony ft. There never was n stronger Ring than that of the Twerp gang. They wera intrenchod behind tho breastworks of a political supremacy nlmost na old ax the cor- poration of the City of New York. They controllod tho State, and ndministered pa- tronage to the amount of millions of dollars ; they owned the Courts, and, through the do- corees of Judges, purchased tho influence of the vast notwork of railways that centro in the metropolis. Yet it was only necessary to arouso nnd unite the masses of tha people in ono single, well-directed offort to crush {his monster of corrnption and misrilo as & man crushes an egg-shell botween his fingers, Tho conclusfon is irresistible that thomer- chants, the press, and the peopls of Naw York City do not choose to have the corrupt fmporters’ ring crushed. Tho City of New York has lost its jobbing trado in great blocks ; the merchants, thepress, and poopla of tho Qity of New York propose to retain. the foreign import trade at whatever costap. pears to be necessary of frauds by the im. porting fraternity. This {u tho situation which tho President ond the Booretary of tha Treasury are bound to face. Itisidlo to bolieve that the officers now at tho hend of the customs sorvics in Now York City havo either the will or the power to work substantinl reforms there. They are part and parcel of the community which is hostile o the roform proposed. ‘They were placed in office not to reform the administration of the customs service, but to protect the import trade of New York City ; and such import trade can be ratained in no other way than by such loose administrn- tion of tho customs service as {s al- lowed at no other port in the United Blates, Wo are not unaware that theso aro serlons charges. But it should ‘e borno in mind that tho fact that the Gov- ernmont loses many million dollars of its just revenuo at the port of Now York au. pually is admiffad enougli “hera and'“dls- puted nowhere, On this faot, so notorions, wo baso our charges, and insist that the Prosident and the Scoretary of the Treasury owa it to themselves and to the country to throttle the giant evil with the determina- tion to-crush it at every hazard. If to oleanse the Augean stables requircs the serv- ices of a Henourys, let a Herourzs be found and assigned to thp arduous duty, It was the Mr. The whole Civil Servico of the country Tho presont Congross has it in its power The wholo THE NEW COURTY RING. There is no longer any queation about the existenco of a County Ring this year, as com- pact, bold, unacrupulous, nnd corrupt as that of preceding years, All the old mem- bers of the County Doard who were aaso- clated with the former Ring rascals aro naturally mombers of the present combina. ‘tion, They lLave secured their majority in the accossion of ** reformer” Frrzaxnarp and renegado Mzyza. The former used to pro. fosn an antagonism to the Ring, butit is now evident that he did so simply because the Ring was then complete “without him and ho could not get into it. His vote was not then necded to make up a mafority, and, as he could not noquire membership and privi. legos in the old combination, Lo fought it till thero was an opportunity toform a new com- bination, into which he entered immediately, Mryen is one of tho new Commisalonors, and was slocted as a Republican and a Reformer. He hns sold ont both the Republicans and the taxpayers; his combining with the soven Democratio Ring members in the choice of county officers indicated as much, and now hia voting with them to carry out the con- tract swindles is full confirmation that he is a deliberate trickster, The letting of the moat contract to O'Don- wxwy, in the manner in which it was done, {s a fair notice to the community that the same system of plunder which has been in vogue for two or threes yoars past will be pursued undor the new Ring. The meat contraot is one of the largest and most profit. nblein the county. O'Doxnrin i onme of the old, indicted, Praiorar gang, which, of {tself, would have excluded him from the tavor or confldence of an bonest majority of the Boarnl. He was awarded the contract by the old Ring last year, though there were lower bids by one cent a pound. It is notorious that meat to-day is much cheaper than it waa a year ago, and, bad thers been competitive bidders this year, offera would have beon mada to take tho contract at still lower rates. In the face of all this, the Ring mejority (consisting of Lxuzzx, Bauprxy, Ouxary, Coxvyr, FrrzozraLp, Hormuon, Muwror, and BMzres) voted the contract to O'Dowwxrn at the same rate aslast year, and without seoliciting or awaiting any other bids. Commissioner Bunrxo, who is a responsible and truthful man, ststed to the Board that several rep- utable meat-dealers had told him they wished an opportunity to compete for the contract ; other statements were mads, show- that O'Dowszry’s previous coniract was a fraud and ought not to bo renewed; but all things wereiguored, and the *eight" voted theiv man a ronewal of last year's swindla, The most that the people can do is to Sght and harsss the now Ring as they did the old. This policy does not stop thoe thieving, butit Topresses it to some extont and jpartly pun- ishes thoss who are parties to it. The pres- ent case should, if possible, be made the baais of an indictment, and the Citizens' As- sociation can sgain be of service to the community ian bringing it about. It there is aspother form of in. dictment than that of conspirscy, Tho distribution of his own SERVICE. Whon it was discovered that Tweep had Indignation meotings were con- terrible was the onslaught that corrupt of justice invokod by the united voice of the plundered and outraged people. In a fow months after the inauguration of tha reform hurled from power and lodged in jail or forced to become wanderers in forelgn lands,—fugitives from juatice. In 187t a Commisslon waa croated by President Graxt to inquire into the conduoct of the Civil Bervice of the country. Aftera 1aborious, - thorough investigation of the methods pursusd in the collection of the cuatoms revenus, that Commisslon reported that, in ite opinion, the CGovernment was swindled out of one-fourth—tkirly millions of dollars per annum—of the revenue due it st the single portof New York! Did the merchauts, the press, or the peopls of New York Oity msnifest any surprise at this disclosure of: monstrous corruption? No. ‘They were as sulent as the grave on the sub. jeot. They dld not demand that the stealing should ‘be stopped. Theydid not demand the removal of oneof the customs officers under whoso oyes the robbery had proceeded snd was still proceeding. They did not de- mand the prossoution, oconviction, and punishment of a single one of the thiev- ing importers. They did not oven ask for an investigation. They folded their arms- and said—notbing! From the date of they report of the Cusris Commisslon down to the time of the creation of the Jax Commis- sion—alx years—there is not a particle of ovidence to show that agy reform was at- templed in the methods of collecting the revenus at the New York Custow-House. The presumption is that meantime, from 1871 to 1877, at least one Aundred and Afty with perfect impunity ? Why was New York. it should be tried, as sxperiance has demon- strated that, no matter how patent the vil- Isiny may be to evorybody, it is almost im. possible to mecure conviction under the charge of conspiracy. But the law also provides for an indiotment and punishment for malfeasance in office, We think the letting of the O'Donxxry contract comes under that head. It ia the duty of the Board to ascertain the lowest rosponsible bid for which a public contract can ba let, and award the contract ‘dccordingly. In tho prosent inatance there was no effort to do this; on the contrary, the majority of the Board refused to listen to any other bids, but turned over the contract to & favorite at a rate which was higher than other responsible bids last yoar, and which they had every reason {o belleve was made higher tban the mont wonld be furnished for by other parties this year. In taking thiz action we heliove Messrs. Lexzzy, Baiprxy, Creany, Coxvy, Frrzozrarp, Horraxx, Murroy, and Mzrer have been technioally as well as actually guilty of malfeasance in offico, and that they can be indicted and punished nnder the statnte. At all eventa, the Oitizons' Associa- tion shonld look into tha case from this point of view, take the proper legal ndvice, nnd proceed nccordingly. There will be one ad- vantago over the Ring of this year that the people did not havo last yosr. We do not beliovo the prosont County-Attorney, Judge Warraoe (though cleoted by the Ring votes), will nssist or sanction official villainy, and if thesa Commissioners have properly Iaid thomselves open to oriminal prosecution.in this cnao, thero is reason to hope that the Citizens' Association can rely upon Judge ‘WaLnaoe's co-operation in the attempt to punish thom for the swindlo THE CITY APPROPRIATIONS. The annual quostion of appropriations is now fairly befare the Council in the shape of tho eatimates of the Departmonts revised by tho Comptroller. The former figuro up that they want to consumo 84,657,780, and the Iatter that thoy can got along on £8,970,324; tho Comptroller is mors noarly correct, of courae, but both are too large. The Comp- trollor's estimntea are practically about the same in tho nggregato a8 Inst year's appro- priations; he proposes a rodnction in all of about 856,000, which may be ignored by the Counoil, while the peopla have expected, nnd tho shrinkago in properly values demand, a much larger reduction. On the basic of last year's appropriations, the city hnd an aggre. gnte revenus of about fivo and & half millions of dollars, including receipts from other sources, and thero is n general impression that, in times like thess and when the taxes fall most heavily on property that largely has no salablo value whatover and brings in no income, the cost of local Govornment should be materially reduced. It will ba the duty of the Counecil, undor theso circum. stances, to improve upon the Comptroller's estimatoes, and, o8 o rule, to leave tho De. partment estimates entiroly out of account. All the Depnrtment estimates reveal that inordinate and invarinble tendency of men in offico to grabmoney. A proper consider ation for the taxpayers would have pre- vonted every Dopartment from asking an in. crease of ono dollar for tha current year, and yot every branch of the City Government indicates an overweendng desire to grab and ent up moro than it did last year. A con- splcnous instance of this may be found ina Deopartmont where it might least be ex- pooted. ., The Law, Dapartment,of this clty.. costs $21,000 a year in salaries, and the jndgments against the oity range from $60,- 000 to $100,000; yet the' gentlemen in charge of this Department have the cheek to ask for $10,000 more for extra ‘‘logal ox- penses,” or dbuble as much as they had laat yoor! They ought to be put to tha blush for gotting such an example, and we are sur. prised that the CQompiroller passed tho itom unchallenged. 'We have alroady commented on the monumental brass of the Police De- parlmont in domanding nearly $250,000 moro than it had last year, and the Comp- troller has very properly lopped off the pro. posed unnecessary incronse, The Fire Deo- partment also wanted £37,000 more than last year, and the Comptroller estimates its necesaitios at about that much less than last year. The better condition of the water- supply and the gradual improvement under the operation of the presont fire ordinance should enable the Oity Government to main. tain the efficloncy of the Fire Department at a lower cost In the present dear money than heretofore. Of course tho Bchool Board ask for more. They always do. They want 620,487 appropriatod by the city, which, with their other revenuo, would give them $620,487!1 The Comptroller puts them down to $450,000 from city taxes, which will still give them $050,000, and this {s considerably in excess ni lnat year’s appropriations, For publis works tho Comptroller asks $600,000, which is a rednc- tion of the Department estimate by $04,000, and of last year's appropriation by $232,000. In view of the unexpended balances, reduced prices of labor, and the urgenoy of economy, the reduction might bo larger still. No ap. propriation is asked on'account of new sew- ors, for which there is atill a large unexpend- ed balance which might suffice for the our. rent yoar, and the Council will be seriously 1o blame if it does not let the matier rest at that. z The Comptroller has made one serlous mistake in asking for a Contingent Fund of $850,000, which is ontside of the $200,000 proposed to be appropriated for the Court~ House building. By '*Contirgent Fund” ‘wa presume ho means what was last year sat down as the *Indebtedndss Fund,” for which $1560,000 was then appropriated. This fund was intended to apply on out. standingolty indsbtedness which bas resulied from defalcations and ‘non-payment of daxes past due, Good faith requires that this in. debtedness shall be stesdily reduced, but, in view of the fact that large receipts are ex- pected this yesr from back taxes under the law passed by the Legialature last winter, we should think an appropriation on this socount equal to that of last year ($150,000) would be enough, instead of incressing it by $200,000. At all events, whatever the ap- propriation may be, as finally determined, ¥ should not be made under the head of & 4 Contingent Pund,” since such a definitin would enable ¢ Council Ring or corrupt ofi- clals to divers the money from the purpise of discharging city indebtedness, and useit, or as much of it as they might choose, for sy extraondinary or unwarrauted expadi- tures which the interests of a Rirg might suggest, The Complroller makes one suggytion which, proparly oconstrued by the Comoll, ought to abaolutely prevent any luq:em over his estimates, and also show the jposs- sity of astill further reduction. Thilaw limits the city taxlevy to thirty mills . the dollar. Tho aggregats valuation of tgable property for 1877 was nesrly $20,000000 less than for 1876. An honost estimgo of " {saued In 1803, $50,000,000 of demand notes; but, the shrinkage in values dnring the past ys,, will suggest fully as Inrga a roduction in h, valantion for 1878, and porhaps oven a greq, or rednotion, 1In that case, any nppropriy. tions that reach 24,000,000 will be in excery of the lawful limit of thirty mills on the dy, lar, and the result will be that poopls wiy not pay any taxesat all, This woulq bog great disastor, rosulting probably In pry, tical bankrtiptoy and inability to borrgy monay ns ngalnat the tax-levy of 1878, The only safa way to gusrd against such a rosuly ia for the Council to stlll further roducs tny estimates as presented by the Complrolle, and thus make sure of bringing the 1"; within the law, and reducing it to €orrespon) somowhat approximately to the ability of 1y, peopls to pay. ——— Benator Baranp, of tha little whipping, post Stats of Delaware, squandared nearly the wholo of Morday’s scssion in a dreary harangue ngalnst tho remonotization of silye; The burden of his song was that nim; dollnrs would only bo worth 90 conta; thy creditors would bo cheated 10 per copy. that— i Ono effect of the paraags of this bill wonld diminish revenues opon imports to the uxlt‘n‘l 37{3 rer cent, and one of his greatest anprenensions of h resnit of 11a pansago would bo the retnrn fran Kurope for salo in tha United States of a ar, number of onr bonds now held abroad, Thg would Jower them In prico, otc., efc. i Tlow does this man Bavanp kuow that thy logal-tender eilver dollar would be nt o gjy, count of 10 pér cent below gold? Who tolg him so? How doos his informant know ity Who authorized him to speak cocathatrg on such a point? Whero did he obtain pr, tentions excess of wisdom? Who endows) him with foreknowledgo? Ishona Pprophet, or tho son of o prophot, that ho u,; forccnst so much bottor “than othe mortals? It {a mere nnked, unsupporteq, irrational, impudent assertion that remoy, otization of silver will not reduce tby difference in valno’ batweon it and gold, In the cnse of Baxanp, it is an ogotistin] ipse dizit, unsupported by reasonablo probs, bility. Bilver, oven as bullion, kns not do. praclated sinoe it was demonetized, s ‘com pared with property or Inbor. It will by 10 to 20 por cont mors of commoditics ani rool ostato and gervices than it wonld fo 1878. But demonctization of . silver by added onormoualy to tho valus of gold, be. cause o double duty hnd devolved upon i, and it was obliged to roprosent the property and values which formerly wero represonted by both silver and gold, and henca ita abuor. mal value. Restora silver to s old place, and gold will come down from ita high perca under the forpe of the irresiatibla law of supply and demand. If Senator Baram doesn't know onough to know thoso patent faots, he s unfit forthe place he holds, aad has no moral right to waste tho important and valunblo time of tho Senato in making preposterous nasertions and pouring around thom o turgid flood,of drivol. To the Editar of The Tribune. LArarerrs, Ind., Feb, 4.—Plodso state In thy columns of Tie Tanoxs what wis the greatest amount of greenbacks in actual circulation at sny dime sinca thelr 1ssno was sathorized; and how much paver carrency -of all kinds, Includingite campound-interost notes and domand notes, wa in circulation In the United States whon suchcirc. intion was the greatest; and also in what did saen paper currency consist. Your anawer will ablize many readers, W. B, Harra. The maximum of greenbacks wwas 400 mililoos, and 50 milllons more wers authorlzed to bt issued tomporarily, and wera soon called fo axd caunceled. The largest aggregate paper currcoey which we can find was Joo. 1, 1874, viz.: fug at any one time of which wo havo a record was Aug. 81, 1805, when the total circulatly money was as follows: . In addition to der forced-loan notes, thers were lssucd in 163 ot compound-interest notes $178,750,050; bat they had all disappeared by 1860, They never clrculated among the people to any extent, 3 they wera gatbered up snd hoarded by the banks and insurance companles. Oa June &\ 1805, thers wers outstanding one and two yesr 6 per cent Tressury notes $42,883,710; but tbe next year there were only 88,875,000 of them remalning unpald and canceled. Theio wers a8 they were recolvable for dutles, thoy were Rathered up by the Importors and hoarded untd need for tarift payments. In 1885 they hadall disappeared cxcept $110,711. No formn of nol drawing futerest would circulato as money for miore than a few days or weeks, The dally s cumulation of interest - thereon made It too fat and beavy to travol, and it todk rofuge (n the safe of some bankivg, insurance, or broker's office. It is fnlbossible to make an Interest: bearing currency circulate with a non-foterest currency. The Jatter will always drive out the former and expel it from circulation, § e——— In arccent {ssue of Tras TRmUNE some facts wero given coucerning the hardships of womea in England who wero compolled to earn aliviog. Undoubtedly the aversge life of tho English working-girl is anything but pleasant, snd It to be hoped that the frecr soclal atmosphere of America will always furnish greater encoursgé went towomen {n thoir efforts towardascll support, That wo have not by any means & rived ot an Arcadlan simplicity and fairness now and then illustrated by incidents creeplsg 1oto the newspapers. Last Friday Axnss Kst 1000, & protty young girl Mving in Brooklym was arrested for steallog s quantity of ems broldery from her employer. When questioned by the Justica aho sald that sho had applied fof work at JABURO'S, aud was receivod to lears the business, although she had previously worked ss an oxperienced hand at muotber establishment. At tho end of the first week ber employer sald that sho was not yet skillful enough to receive wages, but for the next week osho would get 3. At theend of the second werk sho was put off with the sams excase: Driven by desperation, sho then took soven! ploces of embroldery In order to sell them sod get sone money, Justice Durwy sald that be must commit the girl for trial, A Wastiogton dispatch says Scnator CoXs- 11%0 presentod the petitions of a large number of cltizons of many counties of New York I favor qf the remanobization of aliver. JAT GouLp, who owns Grustur's Tribune, and Ava. BELMOXT, who controls the New York World, tell the_country dally through thes papers that all New York s *golid for goldi that nobody wants silver; that everybody 8 that State la clamorous for the exclusive cold standard,—for the *‘best” money,—meaning the desrest. But from the number of petitions that bas poured {nto Congreas it Is falr to coo” l‘fl;;dn that thoso gold-bugs lie,—under & mis: e ll" h mm ——— cents logal-tendar silver dol- £ wi deomablo by the Qurers: inent, of If there were to be auy oollzation bt ever guarantoering its ultimato par value, toeid would be sowe show of rcason for auticipat ing ita full worth s a dollar, but otherwise thers wauld be uo ressosable probabliity of the valus ! that whicp Ia Dot Intrinucally worih & dollst beia? casodho s dollar by the mero act of Congrest declaring it 8 Jewal-tender. —E'renlng Journal. The Journal has but oue striug to its Addles and can play only one misorable tune ou thab striog; i grinds away on tnat stripg nigt after e poda Mot 2 CR SRS ARl Al a o £ AR s