Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, April 4, 1878, Page 4

* feat of Lo wajority report of the Committes THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE: THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 1878 by only 10 majority. ‘Tha re-election of Mr. Rawexior and Mr, Tnnoor in the Fleventh and Twelfth Wards is & matter of congratn. Intion, The election of Lawrer in the Eighth Ward, MoOarrrzy in the Seven- teenth, and Joxas in the Eighteenth Ward aro matters which will bo regrstted deeply during the coming two years, especinlly when in the canes of MoOarrnxy and Joxas the ro- sult was due to the negligence of the very class of voters who will be more than any other affected by misgovernment. In look- ing over the list of those who will consti. tnte the new Council, and judging from the best information we have been able to ob- tain concerning the mew members, we hnva no doubt that there will bo a very docided majority of the new Board in favor of an honest and economical Uity Government. The bummers and the dishonest rings made a bold attompt to get control of the Conn- cil, and, thongh they elected two or thres of their worst men, thoy failed fo get a majority. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. BY MAIL—IN ADVARCE—TFO! ar. ye Epecimen copies sent 1re Give Post-Ufice sddress in full tncludlog Btateand Caunty, 3 Temittances maybe mado elther by draft, Express, Post-Ofico order, orin registered letters, at ourrisk. TERMS 7O CITY SUBSCRIBERS. Datly, delivered, Sunday excented, 28 centa per week. T atiy, delivered, Gunday Included, 30 cents ver week. Addren THE THIBUNE COMPANY, Corner Madison and Dearborn-sts.. Chicago. Il Orders for the deliyeryof Trz Tainox®at Evanston, Fagiewood, and Hyde Park left In the couatiox-room wilirecelye bromot sttentior F T e TRIBUNE BRANCH OFFICES. Tax Cnicano TRINUXR has established branch offices for the recelpt of subscrintions aod sdvertisements a8 follows: NKEW YORK—Room 20 7yibune Ballding. F. T. Mo- Fapprx, Mannger. PANIS, France—No. 16 Rue do Is Grange-Bateitere. 1. ManLkn, Agent. LONDOX, Eog. Hzxary F. GiL BAN FItANCE — The tenor of the Enropean dispatches than herotofore that the sympathy of the Continental Powers is with England in the stand she has taken with reforence to the treaty of San Btefano, - From Vienna nnd Berlin come evidences that the proposition imputed to Bisuarcx has been seized npon ns the best possible compromise that pre- sonts itself, viz,,that the Powers meot in gen- eral Congress for the ostansible purpose of considering the expediency of amending the oldtreatios, so that thoy may more nearly com- port with the existing stats of affairsst the East. Itispresumed that,n3 s partof thispro- posod revision, the Russo-Tarkish proliminary treaty will come up for consideration, and the assembled Powers will pass upon thoso articles which the Congress shall consider have a benring upon importaut European in- terests. This is the phase which the contro- versy has now assumed. Whether the Czar will, accept the proposition and meke the concessions necessary to reach such an un- dorstanding, or whether he will, ashasall along been nsserted, refuse to submit certain articles of tho treaty which cover the sub~ stantial froits of Russia’s victories, remains to bo seen. THE PRESIDENTIAL TERM. It is stated that the Bpecial Committes of the House of Representatives on the revision of the Electoral laws bas decided to report in favor of a conatitutional amendment fix- ing the Prosidential torm at six years, instead of four, and making the Prosident ineligible for re-olection. Whatever may be the drift of public sentiment relative to the Buoxa- Lew plan, or the MonTox plan, or any other plon a3 a substitute for the prosent objee- tionable system for electing the President nnd Vice-President, there should only be one opinion 8s to the desirability of lengthening the Presidential term and making the Presi- dent ineligible for a socond term; aud no scheme for remodeling the present Electoral system shonld be adopted which omits this provision from the constitutional amendment which it will bo necessary to submit to tho States in ordor to socurs any change. A single term, orineligibility to re-election, Is the vory basis of all Civil-8ervice reform in merican Exchange, 468 Btrand. . Cal.—'alace Tiotel. AMUSEM MeVicker's Theatre. Msdteon strect, between Destborn and State. #: A Celebrated Case,” by the Unfon Bquare Company, Ilooley’s Thentre. Nandoloh street, between Clark and LasSalle. Engagement of J. K. Emmet. *‘Frite." New Chicago Theatre. Clark sirect, oppofte Sherman House. Engaze- ment of Ninon Duclos' Burlesque Troupe. **Little Bo- Teep.” Tiaveriy’s Theatre. Menroe street, corner of Dearborn, Engagement of Kiralty's Opera Bouffe Troupe. **Trip to the Moon,™ Coliseum Novelty Theatre. Clark street, opposite Court-House, Varlety per- fonnance. —_————————— THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 1878, Greenbacks at the New York Stock Ex- changa yesterday closed at 98} in coin. The views of the various Earopean Am. bassadors at Washington, given'in our dis- patchen this morning, will bo read withinter. est a8 being the sontiments of the countries they represcnt so far as their homo Govern- ‘ments have communicated any sentiments to them, B Smsnxiy, Sir Epwano' TronNToN, and AntsTarcur Bey read the papers to get tho news, very much s common mortals do, snd aro equally dependent upon the press for the biggest. part of thewr knowlsdge of ‘whit Is going on at home. county authorities on the subject of the Court-House plans was held yesterdny, with the result of fully demonstrating the hope- Jessness of the attempt of the county men to forca tho city into an imitation of the dome folly. It is infinitoly bettor that the work done by the connty on the dome foundation akould bo torn down than that a million or more of monoy shonld be wasted in com- pleting the needloss ornnmentation. Tha Common Council Building Committes roflect Ibe wishes of the community in stubbornly refusing to be either coorcod or cajoled into sdopting the domo cheme, ner.stons of the Civil-Sorvico structare by at lenst one ot the Civil-Service Commissioners sppointed during Gnant's first term, It was pronounced by Honice Gorerrr s on indis- pensable and inscparable nllianes with Civil- Service reform, President Hares recoguized the necessity of voluntarily and publicly ro- nouncing all hopos and efforta for re-election when he determined to enter courageounsly and vigorously into the tussle tor an improve- mont of the American official system, The permauency which is charaoteristic of the Exccutive in Great Dritain fa carried out through the ontire civil list, and it is the un. changenble condition of the hoad of the Gov- ernment which guardntecs the proservation of the principle. No matter what changes are wrought in the Ministry, in parties, in policy, the Civil Service remains undisturbed in its gouneral working condition. Govern. ment sorvice has there bocome a trade or profession, for which mon prepare by spocial education,in the confidenco that they may do- pend upon their places daring good behavior and look for promotion through cfficiency and close application, Buch confidence is inspired by the knowledge that a change of Ministry does not carry with it a revolation thronghont all the departments, and that a tonure of office does not depend upon the precarions mssuranco of certain politiclans given in consideration of partisan or porson- al adherence. The change in the I'residentinl offico is the closest approximation we have in this conn- try to a changs of Ministry in Groat Bri. tain, With us it occurs at stated inter- vals of four yoars, and, under the more fre- quent practice of & second-term candidacy, the bulk of tho Government officers and er. ployes are appointed and used to farthor the intereats of tho Executive Chlef, at whoso plensure they hold their places. The Presi- dential election, coming around every four years, is a constant disturbance of the Amer- jcan political system. No sooner have one Adminlstration aud one set of officials sot- tled thomselves definitely in their places than thoy begin to agitate and in. trigue for a prolongation of thelr term; while the disappointed office-seekers similarly begin to agitate and {utrigue to dis- placa those who have been preferred over them for the timo being. The extension of the Presidential term to six years would be a partial relief from this eternal agitation, and a prohibition of the re-clection of the Presi- dent would afford him the opportunity, and promote the desire, rather to maintain the Civil Bervice in an efficient condition than to intrigue for party sdvantage, The tempta. tion to yield to personal ambition would dis. appear, and with it the temptation to pros. titute the service to personsl ends, It is not likely that the right of appointment, constitutionally vested with the President, will ever ba taken from him, bécause of tho dificulty of finding any safer lodgment of that powur under our form of government, ‘This right virtually attaches to the Presiden- tial office for the entire official service, since the President controls the headsof ali the departments mud branches who make the subordinate sppointments. It is conse. quently ouly by reaching the very fountain- head of tho service that sny enduring and trustworthy improvement can be attained. Qivil-Bervice reform must be rather a mat. ter of growth than of legislation, It comes more under the head of unwritten law than that of written laws. Under oar system ita aafe-keeping must be handed over from one man to another, and it is desirable that this change of guardianship should occur as rasely as is consonant with other interests of our Government, sud that all the men in. trusted with it should be encouraged by example and surroundings calculsted to pre- serve it All the Prusidents preceding Tho appeals of the City of Chicago in the matter of tho Valentinoe scrip decisions by tho Genernl Land-Offica Commissioner were yesterdsy filed, and the case now comes befora the Sccretary of the Iuterior for review nud adjudication. The points pf tho appeal are, in efect, identi- el with tho rensons shown in our rolumns heretoforo why the decision of the Land-Comimiesioner was outrageously in- 2quitable, unjust, and untonable. Thoy are yensons which are considered certain to con- rvinco Becretary SBomunz of the weakness of tho VarentiNe scrip sharks ond the strength »f the claims and rights of the lawful own- yra of the propert; The murder of the Earl of Lerraix has yproduced in London a sonsation which the Times likens to that which would be excited by su unprovoked declaration of war. Lerrone had incurred the bitter animosity s the tenants of his estates by reason of tha Mrictness with which ho enforced the lettor of overy contract, regulation, or require. ment, sud, though liberal to the poor, the hardness ho showed In business dealings with his tenants scems to have rendered him intonsely unpopular in the counly, A cruel supplement to the killing of the Earl was the murder of his two servants, pgainst whom the embushed nssnssing bore no grudge, but whom they killed on tho princi- plo that dead men tell no talos, It s scarce- ly possible that this bloody precaution will Liava the desired effect, as two suspected men wero yesterdsy arrceted on an outward. bound steames Whaf' to dowith Powx, th maladminis. trative Doorkecper of the Democratic House, 11 the question of the hour st Washiogton. Hois ot without nctive, earuost support smong n class of reformers who appeal for leniency and charitable indulgence in his belinlf—the samo men who would go into spasms if & Republican officiul had been couvieted of aimilar offenses. There will be » determined cffort mado to insuro the de- which recommends Porx's dismissal, and it will doubtless be only by the ald of Repub. lican votes, if at all, that the Domocrats will Lo able to inflict the just penalty for the Doorkeeper’s jrregularities. Yeaterday's de- bate was productive of a severe and witty speech Ly Mr, Fore, of Maine, on the sub. ject of the kind of soldiers which the Dem. ocrats have sppointed to office since their accession to power in the House, The total vote of the city on Tuesday will probably reach 43,000, which was largely in #xcess of the anticipation of thoso who wit- nessed the many deserted polling.places and tho ubsence of any enthusinsm. The vote waa large only in localities, In West Ohica~ go the excitement of the canvass for Alder- men in the Democratio wards where there were numerous rival caudidates brought out the full vote of that party. The result was the election of the whols Democratic ticket iu that town, Oun the other Land, there was gross negligence on the part of Republio- sus to vote. In all the large Republic- 8n wards the vote was comparatively light, snd ia the Democratio wards the Repub. lican opposition was feeble. The eleotion of Mr. WaLpoin the Fifteenth Ward was doubly important : it secured to the city a valuable Alderman, and defeated both Brovr and Paxsoxs, the election of cither of whom would have been s culamity, Ao even nar- rower escape from a public misfortune was the election of Mr, Wrrreexs in the Bix. teonth Wazd, over the Comuuuaist Kosrs, printed this moring indicates ‘mora plainly. this conntry, It was recognized as the cor- | Andrew Jacrson wers restrained from sab- ordinating the Civil Bervice to personal and partisan {nterests, because their predecessors had not been guilty of such a practice. The influence of the catly days of the Republic extended down the whole line of Presidents till Jaczsox broke away from it, pro- claimed the vicions doctrine *‘that to the victors belong the spoils,” and inaugurated a new and baser nse for the Government patronage. A retarn to the old custom must be brought abont mainly through cxample, nasisted, perhaps, by legislation, of which the proposition for asingle term for the Presidont is the most important, The four years' oxample of President Harzs will un- doubtedly bring forth. good fruit. Wado not contend that Haxes hes made no mis- takes, sior predict that the romainder of his term will be free from error ; but he has pro- ceeded, and probably will proceed, on a fixed principle, viz. : to procuro the most efficiont publio servica he can through his personal effort. His voluniary relinquishmont of all smbition and protension to re-election has enabled him to cut loose from Congressional dictatlon, in spite of threats and intimida- tion, and to rostrain to s large degree the assumed prerogative of Government officera to run primarios, pack conventions, and dic- tato nomiuations. If President Hars shall nccomplish no more than this during his term, the forca of Lis example will be largoly folt by his successor- in office, who will hesi- tate to revolutigniza tho personnel of the offi. cinl sarvico and return to the old syatem. This oxample can be strengthened and us- sistod Ly extending the Presidential term ‘and prohibiting the re-election of the Presi- dent, because such conditions will naturally lend overy occupant of the Presidential chair into tho same independent and earneat ondeavor to elovate the character and in. creaso the cficioney of the service, without regard to personal or partisan considerations. e THE SENATE AND CIVIL SERVICE, The Senate has taken a strong atand ngainst the Prosidont on the single question of Civil-8ervico roform. The Bouthern question, which was always a protense, has been sbandoned since Senator Hows's speech waa delivered, and all the onergies of the party-monagers have boen concentrated on this distinot issue, Now, it becomes impor- tant for us to ¥how what demands the Re- publican Banators concerned in this move- ment intend to make. They say they are (lissatisfied with tho President’s reform poli- cy. Why are they dissatisfied with it? ‘What do they propose to substitute in placs of it? They object to it chiefly, it is plain, bocauso it dispenses with their services as a part of tho appointing power, and they pro- pose to substitute in place of it tho old order of things. They giva notice to the country that the President has failed to accomplish all thot he promised and hoped to do; there- fors, thoy argue, that which he has done is foolish and of no account. Though the President has fallen a long way short of establishing an ideal Civil Service, he has introduced some decided im- provemonts. almost without exception, the tried officers to whom no objection was raised. The Post-Ofce Department particularly has boen undisturbed. It is truo also of the other Dopartments that they have witnessed fewer removals under Hares than undor any other Administration since Jacxson's time, A good illustration of tho tendency of his Administration ia the fact that the only im-. portant offlcer changed in this city was the Collector of Customs, while the Appralser, Ho has continued in office, Collector of Internal Revenue, Distriot Attornoy, Postmaster, and Ponsion Agent retain their places. would be made, wo fanoy, in some of tho other cities if anybody would be at the pains to count the publie officers retained as woll ns those dismissed. A similsr showing The tendency of the Oivil Service so long 8s it remains under the control of one party is, from the nature of tho case, towards im- provement. The necessities of the people tond to make the permanent element in the service larger bocause the ignorance and in- efficloncy of new aud untrained officers are unendurable, has directed the Government, a large body of trained officinls has grown up; and the sorvice in all Departmonts is possibly better now than at any time bofore for fifty yoars. Presidont Haves had it in his power to make a vory different service of it by simply con- coding to the demands of the Benators, who desirod not merely the appointment of par. tisans to offlce, but of their partisans, Thoy wore contending for the principle of rotation in offico, in accordance with which one set of officebiolders goes out with ocach President and a new one comes in. fused to recognize this principle, contend. ing that where good men were appointed by Gen, Gnaxt thera waa no need of change, 1t i consequontly not for dismissing some officers, but for not dismissing more, that Biuce tho Republican party Tho Prosidont re- thie President hoa been attacked. It Is for rocoguizing and preserving the tenure of Republicans now in office; for adding to the permanont revenue of tho servico, and for inoreasing its officiency thereby, that the Sen. ate Lins proclaimed war upon him. The peo- ple and officeholders can judge how disinter- ested this warfare i, and whether it deserves to be sustained POSTAL-SAVINGS BANKS. The postal-savings system of Canada be- gan working in 1867, when elghty-one offices wore established. June 80, 1869, 218 offices liad been opened, and June 80, 1877, this number had been incfeased to 287. The de. posita up to the close of the last fiscal year were 324,002, and amounted in value to 10,604,252, Of this sum, $1,725,300 had been invested in Dominion 5 per cent stocks ; $12,098,834 had been withdrawn, and the balance, standing to the credit of open ac~ connts and drawing interest, waa 82,639,937, The average cost of each deposit and with- drawal was leas than twenty-three cents, and the total cost of management for the nine years in which the Post-Office were open was $117,663.78, or an aversge of about 11,000 per annum. Every Post.-Ofice be- ing a money-order office is open as a savings baok during money-order office hours, De- posits may be made in amounts of $1 or any nuwmber of dollars (cents not being received). The amount deposited in any one year can- not excoed $300, and the total amountstand- ing to any one depositor's name must not exceed $1,000, exclusive of interest. But depositors may clear thoir sccounts once by ordering its Investment in sums of $100, or multiples thereof, in Dominion 5 per cent stock. Buch stock is not trausferrable, and 0o dep ositor is permitted to hold more than ©1,000 worth of it. No peraon can, in con- sequence of thess limitations, use the postal- savings bank of Caunsda for more than 2,000, The Oanadian system (for the details of which we are indsbted to the New York Herald) is objectionable chiefly forits limita- tious upon the sumy purmitied to be deposit- ed by any one person, and particnlarly for the restriction of investmonts in Government stocks. To these regnlations, no doubt, is dne the comparalive smallness of the opora- tions conducted by the Canadian banks. Thus the total sum in the oustody of the Canadian Government on savings account was only $4,300,000 at the close of 1870 as compared with $140,000,000 in the custody of the British Governmont on the same account. The aversge amount of each ac- count often was higher, it is true, in Canada than in Great Britain, being $109.60 in the former and in the latter a fraction under £80; but the difference in this respect only indicates more fally the popularity of the British system, which, with a poorer popn- lation to draw from, obtained much more than a proportionate eoxcess of deposils per capita as compared with Canada. The Canadian system would not be scceptable in tho United States becausa it wauld prohibit the investment of large sums in United Staten securitios which it s the purpose of the promoters of the postal-savings schemo to secure, There {a no reason why invest- menta of this natare through the Post-Office should be limited pt all. There might, in- doed, be a provision that no porson should ba permitted to hold more than & certain amount of postal-snvings bonds. It might be desirable, for the convenience of the Gov- ornment, to keep the liabilitles of this De- partment within roasonable bounds; but the conversion of postal-savings bonds into 4 por centa or other Government securities should at all times be enconraged. ‘Whila there is this objection to the Cana- dian schems, its success, like that of the British Postal Savings Bank, is encournging to tho advocates of a similar savings schomo for this country. The inducoments to the establishment of such bauks with us nre stronger than thosa which provailod in Great Britain and Cruada; for the Government wants tho people’s monoy as much os the peoplo want the Government's securily, Becrotary Bnemwan showed the other day how the millions ho hoped to got from a popnlar loan wonld help him to resume spe- cle payments; and, though i is hoped specle paymonts will bo resumed before the postal- savings banks afe in operation, the mainte- nance of them will depend largely perhaps on the possersion of the popular savings by the Government. A savings bauk, it is to be observed, tends to make this possossion more permaucnt and more genoral than n popular loan alone; becauso it promises safe-koeping against fire and burglars ns well as good sacurity, and becauso it encour- sges frequent deposits in smoll amonnts, It gives tho option of investing in thoe popular loan, and something more. It is conse- quently valuable supplement of any plan for making the National Troasury the depos- itory of the earnings of the people. HE OUGHT TO BE REMOVED. There is an evident purpose on the part of some of the Washington correspondents to force Beoretary Smemuan and Collector St into antagonism, Nothing could please H. B, Jaues moro than the success of the effort. Mr. Jaues' offiolal hend is in poril, and he knows it,—not in peril on nec- count of his insult to Collector Swmirm, but bacause of the fact that his unfitness for the place ho holds ia becoming known to the country through the disoussion evoked by the efforts of the Chicago customs officers to compel reform nt the port of New York, Mr, Jaxea logically concluded that his personal anfety would be promoted by a quarrel be- tweon the Secretary of tho Treasury and the Collector of Chiengo. The publication of his Iata report was's coup d’etat which would doubtless have proved successful in causing an estrangement had it not been for the fact thnt the parties sought to be preased into a quarrel thoroughly knew each other, and therefore easily came to an ex- planation which loft the blame of whatever misunderstanding existed upon the shoulders of Mr. Jaues, Thisis sufi- cisntly proven by the bricf extract from Mr. Snenman’s lato private letter to Mr, Surrn, contalned in acard published in Monday's Journal. *I hope,” says the Becretary to thoe Collector, * you will press the investiga- tion at Chicago, and make it as thorough ns possible,” 'This shows that the difficulty, whatover it was, which caused tho tender of Mr, Burric's resignation hLina been adjusted, leaving the investigation fust whoro it was,— with the ardent support of the Becrotary, But where doos the adjustment leave Mr. Jaura? He nttempted to thwart both the Becrotary and the Collector in their prosecu- tion of the inveatigation. His roview of the Komn case was a mere protoxt, —a cloak,—under covor of = which to introduce impertinent alluslons to Mr. Surra, ssssulls upon the peopls of the Weat on account of their alleged feeling of animosity against the Enst, and other en- tirely irrelevant matter, all tending to befog the mind of the Becretary and so to dofeat the investigation. In view of the utter fall. ure of this nicely-laid scheme, what was Mr. Jamzato do? It is given out that he has- tened to write and forward a letter of hum. Hlo apology to Mer Burra, Doubtless Mr, Byt recelved the spology, and doubtless he threw it in the wasto-basket, Mr. Burtu could bave no quarrel with Mr, Jawrs, Mr, Jamxs is a nobody, a mers clork, whosa sots reflact favorably or unfa- vorably upon the Becretary of tha Treasury. ‘When the Becretary disavowed thae act of his clerk, oxplaining to Mr, Baurrn that it was done withoat proper suthority, the misun- derstanding between the Becrotary of the Treasury and the Collector of Chicago wasat an end. The lon's akin having been removed, the ass appeared; the only queation vemaining is: What disposition shall be made of tho ass? Wa bold that Mr. Jarza should be removed for+the following reasons: (1) As Ohief of the Customs Di- vision of the Treasury Department he pub- licly admits that the customs revenues are Bot falthfully oollected at the port of New York, and that as such Chief, charged with the duty of sceing that they are faitbfully collected, be cannot compel the enforcement of thelaws. (2) Ho admits that some of tho heaviest honest importers at Now York have been driven from the foreign wmarkets by dis- honest importers, who pass merchandise through the hands of the New York Custom- House officers at undervaluations, but im- pudently declares that he is powerless to romedy the evil. (8) He has made a bold sttompt to defeat the pending investi. gation under the conduct of Mesars. Mgaeprra, Bmomas, aod Hmps, as we have repestedly olearly shown. The evidonce of the truth of this charge is fonnd in the fact that he has sought to divert at- tention from the real issus toa false one, and to polson the mind of the Becretary of the Treasury against the chief promoters of the investigation. The Becretary of the: Treasury urges Ool- lector Suxrx to ** press the investigation af Chicago, and make it as thorough as possi- ble.” Thisiswell. Butwe suggest to the aro mors obvious of thoso we have meutioned. One is dized railronds to m: Secretary that the invostigation must inevita- bly tail of practieal resnits, no matter how thorongh it is made here, unloss it is sup- ported heartily by the ohief offlcors of the Troasury Department nert to him §n authority. It thers are in thoso places any persons who, like Jaues, foel and show hostility to the investigation, the Department should bo promplly relieved of their presence, Thers are, perhaps, two sides to the pending controversy, but we have no donbt of this fact, that oll honest men everywhero who nnderatand the merits of the case aroon one side, and the side espoused by Mr. L B, Jasea is not that sklo. RAILROAD INFLUENCES AT WASHINGTON. ‘We hava refrained thus for from express- ing as bluntly as certain suspicions ciroum- stances warrant the opinion that corrupt in- fluences are at work, and have reached into the Senate Chamber and the House of Rep- resontatives, in bohalf of the cnbnlglzed rafl- roads that desire to evade payment of the debt duo the Government, and of other rail- road companies secking subsidy which they may at some future day sack to avade n the some corrupt manner, But when so careful and trustworthy a Sonatér as Mr, Enwunns announces this fact boldly on the floor of tho Sonate, it is time for the people to look upon Congressional logisiation with this clr- cumstance in mind, and to judge of the votes of thoir reprosentatives accordingly. Following is an extract from Benator En- MUNDs' specch on the subject : 1have deen that, {n respect of these vory com- pantes, when danger to public intcrests, and dan. #er to the credit of theso Enmv‘nn(el in_respect of all their creditors, Incinding the United States, was fiest broughtta the attention of this body, snd & bill wan about to be cansldered taking soma_ firat and more initial step about it,—1 have seen officers of ths compasies in this very Senate Chamber on the day anch & bill was to bo up distributing their passes with an ostentationn imopudence that was amazing. Ihone it did not affect any Senatar. [ suppose it did not, I have seen centa a line pald to afect legislation in edltorl. aln of newspavers, That {8 & very small peice now. That was in old times. 1 suppose resent editorials are paid for at the highest rate, ut we eliall all find out hy and by, after ag in- quity. If the two ltonscs ate_willing to direct It, and “perhaps the presunt Government Directora ‘may be able to look after it, how much moncy has been paid by theme comoanies to protect thole fon of Congress, not to'any Senatar or Rapresentative in Congreas, —1 beg everybody not to’ misunderstand me, —but to pursue efaryuady o hia house snd appes! to | frlendship for this Director or that or; to appeal to his interest In protecting his cunstituents, who sold some oonds, of some other thing to oxcite his prejudice; to mislesd hig ndgment. Everything that goes to make unjust {nllllcneu upon lellnllflun may have taken visce to s greater or levs degreo. It waos uatural that Senator Epwusns should defend as far as e could, in this state- ment of fact, the charactor of the two Con. grossionn! Houses, and refraln from mnking any personal reflection upon mon with whom ho is offlcially associated, But tha people, in the light of past cxperionce, are justified in going further than he did, and suspocting Senators aud Representatives of yielding to corrupt influences when thoy advocate and vote for measures plainly .opposed to the in- terests of the Government and plainly bene- ficial to tho intercats of corporate monopo- lies. When Scnators and Representatives declare thomselves opposed to legislation de signed to compel railrond corporations to provide for the payment of Governmont ad- vances to them (without injury to private croditors and only in keoping with the origi- nol ngreoment), ond when Benatora and Representatives declars themselves in favor of huge subsidies to now corporations foren- terprises which other companies offer to carry out without subsidy, there is good reason to suspoct that something more than personal appoals, sectional intcrests, and the pres sore of certain constituonts have moved them to take eo blameabls a position. The distribution of railroad passes on the floor of Congross is not even enough to account for 80 flagrant o betrayal of the people, and the conclusion is unavoldable that sotual bribes of greater consideration have tompted soms of these represontatives to desert their duty. Tho official memory s singularly bad. Can the present Congressmon have forgotton the fatal resnlt that overtook some of their predecessors who were involved in the Oredit-Mobilier and Balary-Grab scandals? Do they suppose that the infamous reveln. tions of tho use of money to procure the Pacific-Mail subsidy have passed out of tho recollection of tho people? The presont cases, in which the uso of monoy to scours Congrossional favor is o strongly suspected, swindles than any the effort of a lobby to pravent the pnssage of a blll which the bost lawyers pronounce constitutional, and which everybody knows is right and fair, be. cause, forsooth, this bill requircs the subai. e adoquata provision for the interest and principsl of the bonds {saued for their benefit, and bocause the Jax (GouLp Ring will loss for a time (in order to do this) thoir cxcessive profits on fictitions stock that does not represent the investment of adollar. The other caso is the effort of n lobby to induce Congress to mnke the Gov. ernment liable for interest that will amount to nearly $100,000,000, in order that s Con- struction Ring may reap excesaive profits on the building of a new road which other capi™ talists are ready to bulld without guarantes and without subsldy, The plain fact is, that, while lobbies aro maintained st -the Camtal in theso interests, and when a Senator of the United Btates opsnly proclaims that corrupt nfluences ave being employed, no’ member of Congress can advocate the bill to betrsy the peoplo on the one side, or to rald and plunder the Pablic Treasury on the other, without subjecting himselt to the gravest suspicion that he has been roached ' by some of thess ‘corrupt influences. Every such member must hold himself in resdiness to answor this supiclon and explain his vote to his constituents when ho shall ask for re- election, e ———— THE SCHEME TO ENABLE THE CITY T0 BORROW. A committes of the organization known as the Citizens’ Association bas been consid- ering what plan wonld best serve to extricato the city from its financial embarrassments. Bricfly stated, the plan proposed and recom. mended is, that the troubls of the cityis primarily due to the constitutional prohibi- tion of incurring suy debt in excess of 5 per cent of the assessed valus of tho tarable property of the city. The existing debt (bonded) is already in excess of this limita- tion, and, no mstter how great may be the exigency, the city is not at liberty to issue a bond or borrow a dollar.. This embarrase- ment is spgravated by the further faot that our snnual tazes are not colleted within the municipal year, sud hence the ity has no current revenue with which to meet current expendituros, ‘The remedy proposed for this is not slto- gotber unknown or unprecedented. It is to %0 increass the valuation of the taxable property that the city msy, under the § per cont limitation, borrow money either porms- nently or temporarily, and thus escape the swkward and at times vexzatious embarrass- ments whish now .cripple the City Govern. ment. The property valuation to which thé § per 000. value, wonld equal $465,000,000, At present cent limitation applies is by law that vaina. tion which 18 made by tho Btnte and connty for purposoes of Btate and county tazation, Ordinarily, when a specific sum of revenua is to ba raised, it matters nothing to the owner of the property whethor the tax be levied on property valued nt 100, 75, 50, or 80 por oont of its value; the rate must be oqnal to the pro- daction of the reqnired sum of revenue, and the tax remains unchanged, no matter what the valuation. But when the power to tax is limited not to the nmonnt, of revenue, but to a fixed rate per aent on tho valuation, it becomes impor- tant to the taxpayer what the valuation may ‘be. The taxation for county purposes in this State ia limited to 75 cents on each $100 of taxable property; thorefore, whether property ba nsssssed nt 40, €0, 80, or 100 per coht of 1ts cash valuo hns a direct relation to the total amount of taxation that the connty may impose. Thus the total assess. ed value of taxablo property in Cook County (including Chicago) for the yenr 1877 wos 185,648,445, and of the whola State £931,000,000. Tho valuation for the Btate i probably about one-third of the real value. To increnso this assossmont to a cash valus- tion wounld give ns the value of taxable property for the State $2,793,000,000, and for this county (in round figures) $656,000,- 000, This would enable the Conaty Board to levy taxes for ourrent county exponditures of £4,170,000 annually,—an amount of ex- penditure which no man in his sonses wonld trust to tho discretion of any Board of Com- missioners. The proportion of the taxablo property of the county located in Chicago oan bo taken 88 equal to fiva-sixths of tho whole, or equal, on laat yoar's assessmont, to about $155,000,« This, if advanced to the full cash the maximum of debt islimited to 5 per cont of $156,000,000, or $7,750,000, while the existing debt of tho city is noarly double that sum. If, however, the valuation bo in- creasod to $405,000,000, the maximum limit of the dobt would be $23,250,000, or about $£10,000,000 more than at present. The power of the city to appropriate and to tax is unlimited. If the nssesscd valuation of property be thus increased from a third to a full valuation, the Oity Council wonld have the powor at once to issua aud sell city bonds, and thus borrow ten millions of dollars, or 80 much thereof as might b neccssary to clear up all its fragmentary and scattored de- fioloncios and bave o cash fund with which to ** pay as you go.” The objoctions to this scheme aro many and obvious. In the first place, it is im- practicable, Tho nssessed valuation for pur- poses of taxation by tho Btate must have some degroe of uniformity. It cannot be advauced in this county and not in all other counties, and the peoplo of tho other 101 counties of tho Btate will nover consent to give their County Governments power to lovy s tax equal to 82,25 where tho tax is now limited to 75 conts, and increaso the exponditures acoorlingly. Nor will the peo- ple throughout the Siate consent to increase the valuation of proporly for taxable pur- poses in ordor to logalize enormous additions to the alrendy opprossive municipal debta. Noris thoe schomo any moro commendable because intonded to be temporary. The fact that it is to be temporary, and to last only justlong enough to onable evory Clty Gov- ernment in the State to incrense its bonded debt by borrowing money to pay up old ar- rearagoes which are not now fundable, shows that it is a moro make-shift, and not resting upon any principle of right or propriety. Tha wisdom of the constitutional prohibition upon municipal indebtedness 3. vindicated by exporience overy day. It has been the menns of preserving Chicago froma debt which, in the absonce of any such provision, would long since have reached the utmost limit of municipal credit. Even the present straitened circumatances of the city will not justify, even if it wore practicable, any such ovasion of tho constitutional requiroment as this schome suggests, THE COMMUNE IN NEW YORK. A number of Fronch exiles, who were con- cerned in the catablishment of the Commune in Paris, have formed a society in New York, Thoy had a banquet a few days since which waa presided over by Epuoxp Meor, sald to beone of the lenders of the party which murdered Archbishop Danpor and other “hostages.” The claim of BL Meor to dis- tinction on this account may or may not be just. Contemporaneous records are silent about his personal achievements; and we aro inclined to think the part played by him in that bloody dramn, if he was en. gegod in it at oll, was very insignificant, But the occaslon of this banquet, where ha ‘was 80 conspicuous a figure, ought not to be lost by thosa who stady soctal and political facts, It is a notoworthy circumstance that, sovon years after the event, n body of men has boeu found within the boundarios of clvilization to glorify the Paris Commune, ‘We can understand why n zealous Commu- nist should seck to justify the Reign of Ter- ror; and how, by skillful reasoning, the theory of the uprisiog should be demon- strated corroot, But how intelligent men can oelobrate the misnile of the Commune —ita unprovoked robberies, murders, and otlier crimea—Iis not plain. The Commune arose from the refusal of Tumens, then Provisional President of the Republio, to agree to the independence of the Municipal Governments. This inde. pendence was demanded by Paris asa right; and the intention of the citizens, at first, was to exercise it only so far as the election of Mayor and Municipal Council wss con- cerned, Taieas would not consent to grant such priviloges except to cities possessing lesa than 20,000 iohabitants, Hencaaross the ravolt. It was innocent in its origin. TLocal Governmont is, under some ciroumstances, aright as strong as National Government; and the circumstances existed in Paris in 1870, Dut the original theory of the Com. mune was soon carried to an extrome. The Ravolutionary Committes claimed the right to control exclusively the property of the city, which would bave becn a virtual denial of the national authority, The plain prin. clplos with which they started were incum- bered and obscured by rationalistio philoso- phy. Oneof the proclsmations issued a month after the struggle had begun declared: *The Communal revolution of March 18 opens an ora of experimental, positive, and scientific politics; it pats an end to the old govem. mental and clerical world, to the military and administrative bierarchies, to the reign of monopolies and privileges, to which are due the servituds of the prolstarist and the mis- fortune and ‘defest of the country.” This was & proclamation not of tbe Commune, but of Communisin—two very different prin- ciples. It was & denial of oxisting rights of property, and as such arrsyed sgainst the Revolutionary Government all conservative people. Followed, o5 it was, by the unpro- voked and cowardly murder of Mgr. Dansox and his companions, the destruotion of pub. lio buildings and the massacre of Pprisoners it made the Communo detestabls, Whey' therefors, the fighting was over aud it way ascertained that 20,000 supporters of the Oommm:la had been killed, no sympathy wag expreased for them or their cat side world, i by b e Tho New York banquet, which was given in commemoration of theso bloody crimes showed no distinct knowlodge of tho history of the Commune or the principles on which it was founded. The Commune wan a mery question of government, When it passeq into the control of tho mob it consed to by the Commune, and became, es one of the rioters sald, a rovolution, or, as history wij more properly denominate it, an Insnrreq. tion. Now, it cannot be presumed that (hq persons who joined 1n the banquet to the Communo aro in favor of constant insurree. tion. They desire the triumph of very duffer. ent ideas, the first of which isa peaceatly community of goods. A poacosble com. munity of goods cannot ba procured by jn. surrection, neither can the principles of Communism be in any degree advanced those of the Commune. Weo do not know, therefors, what such a man as Jomy Swn-m,' one of tho editors of tho New York Sup, means by attending & banquet in honor n} the Commune. He might with as great pro. prioty go to a banquet in honor of tho 3as. sacre of the Innocents. The Commune iy alrondy established in the United States, for local self-government is & principle every. ‘where rocognized, and not too well likeq either by property-owners in some of the large cities, Communism noither Is mnor can be a social system here so long as ths opportunities of obtaining an honorably livelihood are abundant, and thioves and idlers are in the minority, Benator Jlows's foolish and uncalled-tor attack upon President I1AY=S, in the matter of reforming the Civil Bervice, does not appear to be so very singular to those who are familiar with the Sonator's methods of dolng business in Wisconsin. He has always believed fn the cflicacy of the “machinc as a potent inflnence " 1n politics In his own 8tate, and espcelally In by own case he has nover hesitated to invoke ity nid and avall himself of its power. Atterthe defeat of Mr. CAnrzxTER bySenator Cavenoy, Mr. Hows, then serviug on his third term, was deferred to futhe matter of all recommends. tions for office by President GRAXT, and thy success that Hows made of it was neither flat tering to his judgment nor teneficial to reform, For instance, Scnator Howr knew nothing whatever, or pretended he know mnothing, of thy gigantle frauds upon the revenus which “‘tho Milwaukce Whisky Ring, sided and abetted by some of the Senstor's own Federal appolntments, had been carrying on for years. It was not until’ Secretary Bus. Tow had taken mensures to ferret ont and er- pose those corrupt praciices, aud bring some of tho perpetrators to justice, by firat removing stome of Ilown's personal fricnds and sap- porters in the principal city of his Btate, that it got through bis wool what was going on, When the iniquity was broiht to his attention o all its breadth, depth, snd thickness, its enormity did eo overpower hlm that ha aroused himself from his constitutlional torpor loog enough to wickedly ejaculate: “By G—4,I'm astonished !’ Two ather speciflc cases that mors clearly {llustrate Senator HHowa's novel ideas of sunning the Civil Servico may be montloned. ‘The editor ot the Fond du Lac Uommonuealth,aa excellent dally Republican newapaper, published jo the sccond largest city in Wisconsin, was & candidate for the appointment of Postmaster, and sought and obtained the Senator's support. Bubsequently, llowns bethought him of his re- election tothe Beuate, and, koowing the value of printer's ink when wisely and judiclously sp- plied, he began to fincsse in order toget o pledgs of support, e accordingly wrote to the candl- date's next friend to tho effect that, whilo ho did notask a pledge from the Commonweallh for himself, ho did cxact a pledge that it should not support & certaln other man, whose election 1o the Senate, Ilows thought, * would be bsd for the party,” huwever agreeable it might be to the successtul aspirant. It Is needless to ssy that the Senator's overturcs wero rejected, and that another person was appolnted Postmaster, About two years ago, Wirtuax Nevsow, of LaCrosse, then cditor of the Republican, was appointed United States Marshal for the Terrle toryof Utab. Recently howasremoved forcause. Hows ssys he urged NEtson's confirmation because * hio understood the appolatment would place tho Republican In chiarge of Mr, 8sysovs," onoof Hows's particular and devoted persunal and politfeal fricuds, who would then belns position to work for his re-election. With thess examples In view, it i3 no wonder that the Sen- ator from Wisconsin is disgusted with the Presi- dent's Civil-Bervice reform offorts, and peoplo will believe him when he says, * I cau't under- stand 16" —e—— B. Gnatz Brows, somewhat moted as the wentleman who butterea his watermelon, ha hccomo a teetotaler, and authorized a speaker at » recent temveranco meeting to make the folloying statement in his behalf: Having {n the past done some effectlve making Missouri & froe State, 1 sa) Taost mature conslderation of thia Ing carefully the words Tutter,—I day wa can make Mlssonrl s sober Btale, and we must make Misx & sober Bate, peaceaoly if we ci tion snd Iordlfic meastires if we must. In there 18 no other way ta suppress the liguor-trac butby Isw. This fa what the Stato ia for, Thisit its easol fanction, = We suppress toleving by mardar by lawi and we can 81 iquor-selling by law, Tn other words, B. Gra7z BROWN, who, for many years, has drunk moro whisky than wat good for hlmsell or pleasant to thoss wild whom ho came in contact, has finally discorer ed, what everybody else know all tho time, that 116 was makiog & fool and = nutsanco of himself: and, in bia new-born zeal for reform, loslsts that no person, howeyer sober in habit, shall be al- lowed the opportunity of drinking even s glass of beer, B, GRATZ Brown doesn’t waut 8oy ruore liquor, and therefore nobordy shall be per mitted to have any, *When the wine is lo, the witis out™; conversely, when the wina is out should not the wit bo fn1 Bobricty is 8 §ood thing fn ftself; but it s much fmproved by the association with 1t of at least a little cowmmon® sense. ————— Mr. Hows remlnds us of the oblizing man at the thestrs, to whom, notlclog that ho had s cane, that mad wag, ¢ John Phen!zr," sald po- litely, polnting to & gentleman a couple O seata fn front, * Would you kiadly punch that man up!” The obliging man did o, sud #Joho Pheniz? discovered that it was not tbe man he wanted, so ho leb the puncher-up &2 tho punched-up settle matters betweeu tbem. When at last the puncher-up bad apok abjectly to the punched-up, ho sald unto wJohn Phaniz, who was watching tho pif fntently and serenely, #Dida't you ask me 0 punch that man upl® #1did," sald the wase “Whyi" 0, because I wantedto uewhnlh:f you would.” Somo such sympatbetic reply Qoes Mr, Hows recelvo when bo aske 3t CoMELING, * Didn't you ask me to punch up Mr. Harasi” ———————— 1t wiil be remembered that GEonc FRAXCH Ty, betore lesving for the East, withdrew bis libel sults agalust certaln Chicago newspa- pers. The mystery as 10 why those suits were {ustitoted, and why they wers withdraws, % explained fa the following card to 8 New Yor paper. It will be scen that In Gxonos's bosodh while here, s flerce contest was waged betweed Ouuozp sod AURIMAN, and that, fors tiné the latter secured the ascendency ; but it hll‘:‘“ {tying ta boable §0 state that the white 07 eventually knocked the socks of bls sable 88’ tagonlst: To tha Editor of the New York aul—sm‘lg 1ibel-suits wih the Cb! aswspspere ArodLe) end. 1surrondesed] Told s that it U "u-u Bot spologize, 1 would. ve just seed