Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, April 14, 1878, Page 4

THE, CHICAGO TRIBUNE: SUNDAY..APRIL 14, 1878-SIXTEEN PAGES. < n Tlye Tribuwne, TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. BY MAIL—IN ADVANCE—TOSTAGE PREPAID, | 2.50 200 Saturday Editio Tn-Weckly, one year. 5.00 Fores of B vear. per month.. .50 WEERLY EDITIO! 1.50 Gre copy. per sear. 3 SR oF Tobr.- 500 Stecimen copies sent 1ree. Give Post-Ottice address in fol, fncluding State County. Kemittances maybe made either by draft. express, Post-Oflice onder, or n egistered letters, at our risk. TERMS TO CITY SUBSCRIBERS. " . delivered, Sunday excented, 25 cents per week. D etivered; Sunday imcluded. 30 cents per weck. Adcress THE TRIBUNE COMPAXY ‘Corner Madicon atd Dearborn-ste.. Chicago. IIL Orders for the deliveryof Tug TEIBCNEat Evansion. Fnpiewood, and Hzde Park left in the counting-room Wiilrecelve brompt attentio! TRIBUNE BRANCU OFFICES. and TnE CnitcaGo TrEInTSE lias eetablished branch ofices for the recelptof subscrivtions and advertisements as “YORK—Room 29 Tribune Bullding. F. T. Mc- Favrx, Manager. PARIS, France—No. 16 Rue de 18 Grange-Bateliere. IL MauLrg, Agent. . Eng. —Americsn Exchange, 449 Strand. A, LEVELAND LODGE. NO, 211, A. F. & The maembers of the Ludgc are iereby notillcd itie himl this Sunday morztog at 10 a'clo tend the funeral of our late brotier. Georg: K clothing should be worn. Cars 1o bt B to B . Trocehil at i MALCOLM McDONALD, W. M. S TAN LODGE, No.6. K. OF P.—All mem- O it o attend the Izecular Communica- Tion of the same on next Thurday evenirg. Business of yital importance, besides the adoptivn of Ty-Laws 2nd election of Trustees. will come before (he meet- fog. By order of the Gy ¢ GANT, K. of B. &5 IOEX CITY LODGE. No. 141 A, F. & A, M.— T members. are notiied fo aciend the Regular Com- e feation: o e held on Wenesday evening, Avil 17. Busipess of fnterest 1o every member will be trinsacicd. Vislting bretbren frasmalls asticd. AMESJOUN, W. 3. L. L. WADSWORTH, Sec. 1.0.F.S. OF L—Trother York, Chalrman of Executive Commitiee of the Grand Loge. will address the Lrotherhivod Tuex evenng next. in hatl corner Clinton and Kandolpli-sts. Siembérs of fie Orderare respectiully lnvited, By re- Hoffuctmer, of New quest, GEU, AM, Grand Master. MMANDERY, NO. 1, K. T.—Special e ruciany v Salng next at BAIF past 5 o iock, . e sromypt. Stated Conelave atd o-clock. The Order of e Homote weiil e coufersed. Visitors welcome. By Grder of the Commander. T GAS CHAPTER OF il be g Remular Concinve, Thu teuing next. X Seventcenth and Efgliteenth De; By Work on the Seveatecntis and Elgltecu Des X 0SE_CROIX—There ax order of J. EDGOODALE, Grand No. 613, A. F. &A. M. hesday evening, April on the M. M. Dezree. ed. By order of theW.. D. C. CREGIER LODGE pegular Cowmunication W st B oclock sharp. Work Jung brethiren_cordtally JOUN GINOCH1, e NATIONAL LODGE. XO. 596 A. F. &4, Stated Communication will be held at their hatl, 1tandolph aud Halsted-ste.. on Tuesday eveninz. . are reatiested to be present. PNt A, G, WouD, Sec. TIOME LODGE, NO. 508 A.F. & A. .—Speclal a monument: of official rascall It is simply . outrageous, ‘under these circum- stances, that there should be even a desire in any quarter to continue the work.". The city representatives should absolutely refuse to be a party to the inignitous scheme (which is maintained cbiefly for the benefit of con- tractors and jobbers), and public opinion should force the county representatives to give way. It is true that some $§70,000, more or less, has been expended to construct the county’s semi-circular base for this dome, Bat it will be economical to lose this and add a cost of §20,000 or $30,000 more, if neces- sary, for pulling down what has already been built, rather than squander a millior dollars for a useless architectural idea that cannot be seen when finished, and which may, if built, seriously threnten the solidity and safety of the entire structure. The Confederate Doorkeeper FreLp made a very appropriate selection in choosing his assistant. The choice fell upon Jnt KN1GHT, of Darlington, Wis., and the lieutensnt is every way worthy of his chief, especially in the line of political antecedents. During tha late unpleasnntuess with the South Jrx waos o first-class Rebel sympathizer aund ¢ Copperhead,” with all that the name im- plies, and in this case it implies that he was 2 Enight of the Golden Circle,—all of which ought, and no doubt did, endear him to the heart of Gen. FrELp. But then thero should be no complaints made, because, if there are any good reasons for thus honoring & Rebel solaier who fought for the overthrow of the Republic, there must be some excuse for the man in the North who reflected the views, sympathized with the aims, and prayed for the success of the traitor in arms. So wo say that the Copperhend Kxiont grandly supplements the Confederate FieLp, and everything is I The position of the Great Powers in re- gard to the Turkish question does not seem 1o be subject to material change. From this morning’s dispatches may bo gleaned the fact that the circular of Prince Gorrscua- XOFF, in reply to Lord SaLisnury’s note, is reccived in St. Petersburg with strangely varied feelings. It is said that some consider it a complete political pro- gramme, and worthy of a great Power; while others regard it as a formal refutation of Lord Sarispuny's accusations. In other words, while some think it a peace- ful document, others consider it as tend- ing to advance the prospects of war a step further. It is convenient in some respects that the circularof the Russian Chan- cellor is capable of & double interpretation, , and doubtless Prince GonTscEAROFF himself intended that it should be worded so as to satisfy more than one party. Still it does not appear that we aré any nearer war or Communication ‘Monday “evening, April 15 AL 14 Twenty-second-st. Work on 3.3 Isiting Drethren cordlally lnvite wZ CORINTAIAN CHAPFER, NO. 69. R. A. M.—Spe- 11 Convocation Monday evening, April 1. Wurkon k thie Mark Degroc. By order oo pypxanD, I . SUNDAY. APRIL 14, 1878. The New York papers, with the single exception of the Tammany organ, the Star, bestow a righteous kick upon the dead TWEED. When gold falls another quarter of a cent, it will be on a level with greenbacks. What, then, will Goupx and his Platform Commit- tee do about it? What will the Anti-Re- sumption Democratic Convention do about it? In New York on Saturdsy greenbacks were only one-fourth of 1 per cent discount, and the coin of the realm, which had so long as- serted its proud pre-eminence, came forth into the light and circulated freely -without demanding or expecting tribute. A Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children would revel in the case reported in our Washington dispatches this morning, wherein a Government clerk was found to bave literally exhausted a tool-chest in pun- ishing his daughters, among the instruments of torture bemng a chisel, a hammer, a screw- driver, and a char-rocker. There is a versa- tility in this generous scope of weapons that rises almost to the point of genius. The honors of the annual contest between the Cambridge and Oxford University boat crews were carried off yesterday by the lat- ter. It was conceded at.the outset that the race was to be a one-sided affair, and it so proved itself, the winaning bont reaching the stake fully thirty-five lengths ahead of its competitor. This was the thirty-fifth race between these colleges, of which number Cambridge has wo= sixteen, while that of lnst season was declared a * stand off.” This plank of the Illinois Democratic plat- form isa slap in the face of almost every German in Chicago and in the United States: Rerolred, That we are in favor of the immediate and unconditional repeal of the Resnmption act. No nationality, no class of people, are so unanimously in favor of sound money as the Germavs. They all want the paper currency to be raised to par with specie, and main- tained ot that level. They support resump- ticn with searcely an exception, and will regard the above plank in Goupy's platformn ‘with general disfavor. There would seem to be difficulty in the Sanhedrim of the Democracy. The Senators of that persuasion endeavored to hold a con- ference yesterday, and wupon consulting together discovered that they were mutaally disturbed over the rapid ad- vance of the new National party. As the conversions to the ranks of the Greenbackers aore almost - entwrely from the Democratic party, and, as the propor- tions of the new candidate are alrendy for- midable, it is not o matter for wonder that the Democratic Senators in Washington were alarmed and disturbed. The prospect of a serious split in the party at this critical period .cannot be viewed but with appre- hension. e — The most costly job that menaces the tax- psyers of this city and county is to be ap-. prebended from the disposition on the county side to continme tho construction of the Court-House dome. It is conceded that neither the city nor the county can afford any such extravagance in the present. depressed condition of local'finances. It is sdmitted that the cost of the dome will not be less than $1,000,000, and it will probably exceed that sum. It basbeen demonstrated ¢ that this dome, which at the best could serve only for ornamentation, cannot even be scen except from one or two locations in the adjoining streets. Finally, it is con- wnded by competent architects and cther nen of good judgment that the soil and foundation will not sustain the tremendous structure proposed; and, if built, we wight have a second lesning tower of Piss, if not & mass of ruins, as any nearer peaco than we were before the promalgation of this diplomatic note. There has, it would appear from the tenor of Washington news, been a change of heart experienced by certain members of the Senate Finance Committee on the question of the repeal of the Resumption act. The majority of that body oppose the schemo to report the House bill, Fenny having radi- cally changed his views to an opposition to it, while Voormees and JoNEs are the only - Senators of the Committes who still adhere to their original determination that it is a national necessity. The proposi- tion now appears to be to substitute certain measures looking to the retention of legal- tender circulation npon the issue of Na- tional Bank notes; that the relssue of green- ‘acks be authorized, and all laws giving the righttoretire them be repealed ; and that after July 1 legal-tender notes shall be received at par for customs duties, and for all dues not stipulated otherwise. This substitute for the original proposition to repeal the act meets the views of the majority of tie Senate Committee, and would have the practical effect, no doubt, of compassing the end in view. CITY ASSESSMENTS AND REVENUE, “ The gantlemen of the Citizens’ Association are still at work urging upon the members of the City Government the scheme to have the valuation of properly in this county in- creased from the $153,000,000 of last year to such a sum as will show a valuation of city property equal to $400,000,000. The avow- cd and only purpose sought by this mensure isto enable the City of Chicago to borrow enough money by the sale of bonds to relieve the cily finances, and have money enough to pay. the current expepses as they acerue. The Constitution limits the indebtedness to & per cont of the assessed valuation of the tax- able property in the municipality. The bonded debt of the city is now $18,500,000, which is nearly twice as much as is allowed under the new constitutional limit on the present valuation. The scheme is toso raise the valuation in this county that the city debt may be, if necessary, increased to $20,- 000,000. If the valuation for the whole county be raised from 185,000,000 to $500,- 000,000, this would give s valuation for the property in the city of about $416,000,000, which in turn would legalize a debt of about 221,000,000. In such case, the Common Council could order the issue and sale of 6,500,000 of bonds, and while the money lasted could have a magnificent time. There are several practical objections to this scheme. 'Ihe annual assessments gov- erning this matter are those mads for the purpose of State taxation. There are 102 counties in the State, and the aggregate of these county sssessments are annually ad- justed and equalized by the State Board of Equalization, by taking from certain coun- ties and adding to others, but without any material change of the aggregate. In 1877, after adding largely to Cook County and taking from the other counties proportion- etely, theresult was: Whole assessment, $931,- 199,808 ; Cook County, $185,618,445. Total for the otler 101 counties, $7 0,865, 1t will e seen that this county Lias 20 per cent of the whole State valuation. Assuming this to b2 equitable, it will be necessary, in order to raise this county’s assessment fo £300,000,000, to raise the assessment for the rest of the Stste to 000,000, or & grand fotal of 000,300. To this there wili be a orous aad’a unaniwous protest by all the people of the State outside of Chicago, and perhaps outside of the Citizens’ Association, the County Commissioneds, the officers of ‘the City Government, ‘and the army of contractors. It is, however, insist- ed that the Assessors of this county shall take this business into their own hands, and shall send down to the State Board an ns. sessment for this county amounting to £500,000,000. The State Board may reduce this by apportionicg a large part of it on other counties, which, doubtless, will be strenuously opposed, or it may leave the as- sessment of Cook County, and of all the other counties, stand as made by the local :Assesom There being no increase except in Cook County, the total assessment for the State will be about $1,200,000,000, of which { to his popularity ; on the contrary, as Nasnx Cook County will have 42 per cent, and the rest of the State 58 per cent. This will add sbout 500,000 to our present proportion of the Stato tax, and then we will be in a con- dition to begin the work of expenditure on a grand scale ! There is a provision in the State Constitu- tion limiting taxation for current expenses by the County Government to 75 centson the £100 of the assessed value of tasable prop- erty. 'The limit of ¢axation for current ex- penscs by our Board of County Comimission- ers is £1,400,000 annusally. Under the pro- posed assessment it would be & 000, and the County Roard would have the richest bonanzn that any body of public thieves has had in the West for many o year. We need not discuss the probable result of authoriz- ing our County Board to Ievy an annual tax, for current erpenses, of & .000 & year, and giving the Common Council wulimited power of taxation, with six or seven millions of dollars of honds in their hands to scll. Are the people of Chicago prepared: to place such diseretionary powers to spend money in the hends of either the City or County Gov- erument ? 5 The highest valuation of property within the city was $312,000,000, and that was some years ago, when there were immense tracts of outside Iand subdivided as lots, and each Jot valued at as much as the land is now worth per sore, ._All this.description of real estate, and it may be said all unimproyed real estate, has receded in value since the days of that assessment, not only heavily, but, being unsalable av any price, has now no value equivalent to the taxation. Yet it is proposed to assess all this property on a specie basis, at values doubls the speculative prices asked in flush times, when paper dol- lars were worth but 70 cents each. The intelligent and patriotic gentlemen who have proposed this scheme have mis- taken the cause of the city’s finaucial trouble and the remedy. Our legislation has been vexatious, but there is much that can be done to obviate its diflicultics. The change of the beginning of the fiscal year from April to January has added to the perplexi- Jit The present arrangement is as follows: The fiscal yenr and the expenses of the City Government began Jan. 1, 187§ ; the appro- priations for 1878 were made in March, thres months after the year began; the assess- ment will be made in May ; this will be re- vised by the Town Board on the fourth Mon- day in June, by the County Board in July, and by the State Board about September. The taxes are extended in October and November, and the books are delivered to Town Collectors in December. These ofti- cers collect only personal taxes. The books will be 1eturncd to the County Coilecto? Mareh 10, 1879 ; the Co'llcclor will advertise the real-estate tax-list in April, and three weeks later will apply for judgment; judg- ment will be obtained. in July, snd some time in August or September, 1879, the taxes for the year which began Jan. 1, 1878, will be collected. To this extraordinary complication—requiring expenditures to pre- cede appropriations and appropriations to precede tax-levy, and the year in which all the appropriations are to be expended to ex- pire in nine months before the collection of the taxes—are due mainly the financial em- barrassments of the city; at least this com- plication of absolute requirements to per- form physical impossibilitics, aud to carry on a Government with cash while the col- lection of the cash is prohibited by law, pre- vents any substantial recovery. This complication does not exisé in the County Governweut, because the fiscal year begins in December, and the taxlevy is made on the assessmont of the previous Miay, and the whole tax for the fiscal year is col- lected within that fiscal year. The trouble is confined to the cities. By a simple altera- tion of the law, permitting cities to mako their appropritions in September or Octo- ber of each year for the succeeding fiscal year,—the tax to be extended on tho assess- ment of the then current year,—the city would begin the fiscal year with a portion of its revenue for that year collected and in hand, and by September of that year would bhave its whole revenue collected for the sup- port of the Government for that year. Why might not the Common Council elected in April, 1878, in September, 1878, make the appropriations for the calendnr year begin- ning on Jan. 1, as well as the same Council can make the same appropriations for the seme year in March, 1879,—or three months after the year has begun? The assess- ment made in Aay, 1875, can as properly serve as the basis for the tax to meet expenses begiuning in January, 1879, as the assessment made in May, 1879, and not completed until Scptember, 1579. Thisis a mero matter of bookkeep- ing, involving no constitutional provision or restriction, and at most can be made per- fectly feasible by changing the beginning of the fiscal year of all cities from Jaunuary to the preceding Scptember, and directing that the taxes e levied on the immediately pro- ceding assessment. Without any disturb- ance of business, by the mere change of the tax-levy from the assessment made and com- pleted after the year has nearly cxpired to the assessment last preceding the appropria- tions,—a mere change of bookkeeping,— the city would gain nine months in the col- lection of its revenue, and that collection would be made during the year, and nos, as now, nearly a year after the expenditures have been made. 1If Ms. DericrsoN and his associates will apply their energies and their abilities to bring about this practical, direct, and bene- ficial change, they will have the support of the whole people of the State, which they cau never hope for in the matter of tinker- g up o defeat of the best provisions of the Constitution by an evasion which, if suc- cessful, would prove a deplorable calawity. It is doubtful whether the Hon. W. P, Lxspe, member of Congress from the Mil- waukee District, will not find *“Jordan n hard road to travel” when hs undertakes to get the nomsination of the Democratic party for re-clection to the seat he now bLolds. There are several good and suflicient reasons already existing for thinking so, and Mr. Lx~pE is one of those unfortunate men who is constantly making more. It will be recollected that Mr. Lyspe beeame n candi- date two years ngo under rather peculiar circnmstances, The regular nominee of ‘the Convention was Sast Rixpsgory, or “Prince Sax,"” s the boyn familiarly called him; but lie got into so much tronble with his Whisky Ring conuecctions that he was forced to decline the nomination for Congress. LyxpE was substituted on tho ticket in place of Rivpsgorr by the County Commit- tee; and, as he (Lyypz) was mot o candidate beforo the Convention, his sclection gave great offense to all the other Congressional aspirants, who still cherish a Inudable ambition to see Lim go upon the retired list. Since Mr. Lrype has been in Congress be has not added- anything _join would say, quit¢ the reversc. He was an ardent supporter of the Electoral Commis- sion bill until it became apparent that Mr. Haves was to bo chosen, when he took a sudden flop, and fiercely nrgued in the Dem- ocratic cnucus agninst being ‘bound by a law that was passed wich the nid of his ownvote. Such loose conduct showed o defect in morals as well as in political action, and sub- jected Mr. Lyog to the severo crticism of many of the fair-minded men of his own porty. Next he is found cnrrying out his Copperlicd proclivities, which he only par- tially suppressed during the Rebellion, by giving his vote snd inflnence in favor of a Confederatc General, 8s sgainst Gen. Smwps, tho hero of .tvo wars, as Gen. Brruen felicitously expressed it, and the wounded of both. This last act Iias set the iecth of the Irish constituenay of Mr. Ly~pE on edge, and, ns they couskimu{ a powerful and aggressive clemont in his dis- trict, there will undoubtedly be trouble about the time Mr. Ly~pe gets bis ear all ready for thai plaudit : - Well done, good and faithful servant,” Ten to one, * the gentleman from ‘Wisconsin " never hears it. fousddutlmeleglsbun IO DEBASING TEE GREENBACKS. The Democratic State Convention at its session on Thursday adopted in the party platform two resolutions, which, taken to- getker, are singularly irreconcilable and con- tradictory. They read: G. That we are in favor of the unconditioual repeal of the Resumy 5. That we apvland 1he action of Con enuctment of what ix known as the Silver oul. and accept it us 4 partial measure of financial rel but we demand such further lezislation s may r sult in suthorizing silver builion certifcates and Jezalizing the fres comnage of the silver dollar. the demonetizution of which we denounce us un act meriting the condemnation of the people. The Democratic State Convention either ignorantly or maliciously demands ** the un- conditional repeal of the Resumption law,” and at the same time applauds the remoneti- zation of silver znd urges the legalization of silver certificates of deposit. Do these men understand what they are talking about? At this time the minis are coining at the rate of one million dollars per week of gold coin; they are also producing one mill- jon dollars per week of silver coin. The country is, therefore, receiving an additionof eight millions of dollars per month of metal- lic money, which, not being esported, be- comes part of the money circulation of the country. Under the effects of silver coin- age, gold has ceased to command a preminm. Exchange, payable in New York in gold, sold in Chicngo yesterday ot par in currency. Gold is quoted nominally at 2 per cent, which means that if you want fo buy gold of abroker he will charge you that for it, bat if you want to sellit he will give you no premium. Practically, gold and silver and greenbacks are at par. As the mints from week to week and month to month add to the stock of coin, the greenbacks will, and silver must, circulate in common with gold. Why, then, interpose, and by repealing the Resumption law take away the legality of the interchange of greenbacks for gold or silver coin Dby the Treasury Department? Why intervens and thereby prohibit the redeemability of the greenbacks? Why re- peal the law and stamp greenbacks once 1more as irredcemable, and once more degrado them as compared with the coin which they now equal? The greenbacks, on a par with the coin, can cirtulate without discount; there will be no purpose or desire to reduce their number. mslcud’ of contracting the currency, the daily i.creasing gold and silver and tke greenbacks united will be swelling the volnme of anational -currency,— all at par, audall equally available. But if the Resumption law be repealed, and the authority be taken away to demand coin at the: Treasury for greenbacks, then the holder of the greenbscks thus stamped as irredeemable must sell his greenbacks to the broker for what he can get. Can it be that the Democratic Convention really intended that they did not want green- backs at par? Can it be that they want to depreciate the greenbacks, and revive the Gold-Room? Can it be that their opposition to contraction is all a sham, and that they really want to drive silver and gold from ecirculation, and reduce the cur- rency to paper? The scheme to substitute Treasury notes for bank paper will not be an inflation of the cufrency; it will be merely substituting one form of paper for nnother. Do they want to reduce the value of the paper, and how muck? Will they be content to have the greenback at 90 ? and what fuaran- tee can they give that it will not go to 80, or G0? Once put silver and gold out of ciren- lation by taking awny the privilege of the holder of greenbacks to exchange them for coin, and the whole value of silver remon- etization will be destroyed, and the gold combination will be once more in absolute control of the finances of the country. With gold ot par with greenbacks, and gold and silver coin flowing into circulation from the mints at the rate of eight million dollars o wonth, the man or party thal proposes to go back tothe old times, and again depreciate the greenbacks by making them legally ir- redeemable, must be governed by profound ignorance, or actuated by a demagogism that is positively disgracefnl and criminal. “BOSS” M'CAFFREY'S SCHEME. There -was another caucus on Friday of a certain number of the Aldermen who are melined to act as McCAFFREY’s tools in the organization of an Aldermanic Ring similar to the infamous ‘‘ Nincteen ” of 1871. It degenerated into a curbstone conference to avoid the * minions of the press,” and was not productive of any matured plan, owing to the absence of *“ Boss” McCaFrney. There were only nine Aldermen present, Iacking ten of the required number to run the Council, aud two of these (TurNer and Eszxer) claimed that they had no intention of joining the bummer clement, but_ attend- ed the meeting becnuse they understood it to be o Democratic caunens. This is Boss AlcCarrney’s chicf reliance. e started out ¢ Democrntic " caucus, be- cause he hoped, under that name, to secure the co-operation of respectablo Democrats like Torey and Pneurs, who were renlly clected by Iepublicen votes. Ile kuew he conld count npun those so-called Republicans in the Council who are ijuclined to the Ring notwithstanding the organization under the name of Democ- racy. But the Democratic Aldermen who represent different constituencies and have some ambition to maintain the confidence of the community must understand pretty well Dby this time that McCarrrey's movement is neither Democratic nor Republican, but sim- ply and solely an effart to obtain such con- trol of the Council as willennble the ** Boss ™ to apply his well-known theories of office- holding io the City Government, as he formerly applied them to the County Gov- ernment. - He isstill endeavoring to catch Ald. Davy with the bribe of the Presidency of the Council; but Davy so fer keeps aloof from the gang, and we do not wish to sus- pecthim of a willingness to further McCar- mediate and FREY’s designs in order to gratify his vanity. McCarrney is also fishing for other nien, like Coox and Prarsoss, by proposing to name them as Chairmen of committees, but so far apparently without any success. WETTER- £r's name has been associated with the move- ment; but he was elected as n Republican by o constituency which expected honesty and good faith from him, and he ought not to disappoint them. Sraunes hes also been counted on to eke out the .necessiry *nine- teen ”; but there is reason to hope that he is better than the most of the Socialists who voted for him, and that he will decline to serve McCAFFREY's nefarions designs. As the matter looks at present, it does not scem as though McCarrrex will be able to gather enough members about him to render his Ring compact and dangerous. But it W not do for the honest, well-meaning members to countensnce orencourage him in any respect. He is a man of Jarge experience in political chicanery, and possessed of many of the shrewd attributes of the late Boss Tweep of New York. His record in the County Board proves that he is capable in the art of holding a Ring well in hand, and efficient in turning aside every resistance that may threaten the impairment of his power or the defeat of any of his jobs. At one time if may be remembered that the McCarrner County Ring permitted the election of a reputable.and energetic Chairman of the Board, who appointed excellent committees; nevertheless, the Ring always accomplished its purposes, ap- pointed special committees when it had jobs o1 hand, and otherwiso circumvented and defented the honest element in the Board. McCarFrey may have this policy in view. Fortunutely, the bids on the city portion of the Court-House are to bé opened to-morrow, and it is to be hoped that the contracts may be let under the supervision and advice of tho present Council, in which the taxpayers are unquestionably represented by a mejor- ity. This nction would deprive any future Ring of the most promising opportunity for fraud and jobbery. There is another matter to be considered in McCarrRev's case. There is reason to believe that his apparent majority of a couple of hundred was secured by fraud, and his seat in the Council will be contested by Jouyx F. Warsn, the regular Democratic candidate, who claiws to have received the majority of the honest votes. The validity of this election should be inquired into promptly and vigorously, and Jony JcCarrrry should never be allowed to take a seat in the Council Chamber unless he can establish his claim to it beyond apy question. An in- dicted though scquitted graduate from the County Ring, he is not the kind of man un- der any circumstances who should lold a place in the City Legislature, but least of all if there is a reasonable supposition that he secured his election by fraud. The ward which has returned his name has been noted than the Church as a whole did when it was first anhounced, and the splendid monument to commemorate it, still standing in Rome, was built. The reforms indicated by the new Pope are in accord with the spirit of the- age, and, if faithfally pursued, will help the Chtholic ‘religion more than the adoption of a hundred illiberal and decaying doctrines. On this * platform " the new Pope proposes to go before the Italian people, urging upon them the use of the power which they may constitutionally exercise on behalf of the Church. Pope Prus refused to make such en appeal, for he held the Italian Govern- ment and its Constitution to be in contempt of the Church; he could not, therefore, use them to advance his interests. Pope Lo is not swayed by seruples of this deserip- tion, He has as Pope no previous acts to maintain, and consequently no consistency to preserve. He will make the appeal, and the popular response in his faver will be hearty and general. Short of the temporal power, there is hardly any favor he can ask of the Italian people which they will not cheerfully grant. Strengthened by these means at home, he will speedily acquire for the Church greater influence abroad, making it respected, especully among people in- clined to skepticism, like the inhabitants of Germany and the United States. He may live to be known as the liberator of the Church, and the founder of a new and better order of things. It is only to be hoped that lus zenl may be of longer daration than that of his predecesso; HOUSE-DRAINAGE AND SEWERAGE. Au article on “ House-Drainage and Sew- erage,” read before the Philadelphia Social Science Associntion last February, and re- printed in the Penn Monthly for March, ought to have a wide circulation. It deals with a senitary question which, though it is daily receiving more attention, is still too much neglected. The prevalence of malarial diseases which are or might be traced to sewer-gas is perbaps not greater now than years ago, but it 1s better understood. At- tention has been so lately turned to the subject that few houses—perhaps not one in a hun- dred—are provided with the necessary es- capes and valves. Every room which has pipes opening into it and making connec- tions with sewers is linble to be charged with this subtle poison. No amount of washing can wholly prevent it. Mr. WariNG shows that a water-senl trap performs the work very imperfectly, for water absorbs and transmits gases readily. The true remedy is to carry n pipe from the highest point of the soil-pipe out through the roof of the house. This shaft should be ventilated by the introduction of an opening at the bot- tom to supply a continuous current of fresh air. With this safeguard, and copious flush- ings of outlet-pipes conuecting with the wash-stands, bath-tubs, ete., it will be easy to protect the house, always supposing that the usual traps are kept, to make assurance in the past for fraudulent voting and ballot- bos stuffing, and there is not a man in Chi- cago for whose benefit the bummer element would rather resort to frauds at the polls. It is better to keep McCarrrey out of the Council altogether if it can be done law- fully; but, if Le shall succeed in getting his seat, then all members of self-respect and honest purposes will be careful not to be identified with him in any manner. POLICY OF THE NEW FPOPE. Leo XIIL has made several declarations of principles to deputations recently ap- pointed to visit him, and in all of them has adopted a consistent, liberal tone. His lib- “eralism differs from that which Pros IX. manifested in the first years of his reigo. Prus was at first liberal in his polities ; Leo is liberal in his religion and his interpreta- tion of the standards of the Church. His most noticeable departure from the policy of his predecessor is in the treatment of the so- called miracles and shrines in France, and the practice of making pilgrimages. Ho dis- cournges these, not by direct reproof, but by a studious failure to say anything in their behalf. They are sll equally neglected by his Holiness.* He is slowly freezing them out, not only by denying them new cre- dentials, but also' by turning the attention of the clergy to other and less disputed means of grace. Knowledge of Gop he especially recommends as a source of true religion, and the inculeation of such knowledge, be declares, can best be pro- moted by patient teaching in the old way. Ha would have unbelief combated with its own weapons, and to this end he advises the separation of the true science fromthe false ; of the facts which are clearly established from the conclusions which have hastily and erroncously been drawn from them. Ho has no fear of genuine science, but con- siders it a powerful ally of true religion; as such he advises its respectful treatment and such honest study of it as may be necessary to defeat infidels with arms taken from their own hands. Another remarkable indication of the new Pope’s liberalism is his action with reference to the temporal power. He has seemingly accepted the situation as it stands. He has uttercd no complaint on account of it, has promised no odherence to it, and has not committed one act to show that he meditates any continuance in the voluntary seclusion adopted by the late Pope, which, it may well be imagined, is little congenial to the habits of the comparatively young and vigorous incumbent. If he had had his way, it is un- derstood, the coronation would have been more splendid and imposing than it was; and he has ordered that the Consistory to be held on Lady-Day shall be conducted with all the ceremonials usual before 1870. He hins made overtures of peace to the Govern- ments that destroyed the temporal power, snying that, as Head of the Church, he ¢ only demands from Italy a firm agsurance of such n state of things as might allow no donbt of the complete freedom doubly sure. A system of perfect ventila. tion of this description has the great ad- vantage of saving the stationary wash-stands, which, whatever Cranexce Cook and other artistic persons may say against them, are a convenience, aud capable of being made highly ornamental. ‘With reference to sewerage Mr. WARING is equally explicit. He advocates great care in securing air-tight and gas-tight sewers, built of glazed bricks, openings at short distances in the street, abundant flushing, and a con- stant inchination. The most important of these recommendations is that with regard to openings. No doubt if the man-holes throughout the city had open iron gratings most of the evils complained of would dis- appear at once. The perfect ventilation of the sewers in this menner moreover would canse no inconvenience or danger, for the distribution of the gas would be so regular that it could easily be taken up by the atmosphere. We should like to see Alr. WARKNG's plan tried in this city. A LESSON FOR LABORERS. The great masons’ striko in Exagland has at Inst ended in the discomfiture of the work- ingmen, as might have been expected, nnder the circumstances. About 2,000 men went out on the strike, demanding shorter time and higher wages. They held out eight months, spent $150,000 of the public funds held by their unions, and all their private funds, lost ecight months’ wages, and finally had to go back to work at still lower wages than were paid when they went into the strike. They struck at a-time when wages were falling all over England, and when the market was sinking day by day, refusing to believe that the laws which govern the value of all other commodities also regulate the value of labor; that, if the employers had granted their demnnds, the price of building would have risen so high as to amount to an embargo; and that, as the price of construe- tion advanced, rents would have risen pro- portionately. They held out nntil the strike funds and their individual funds were ex- hausted, and then, bankrupted and,in danger of starving, or having to depend upon chari- ty, they were compelled to go to work again after having lost eight months' wages and many months’ sccumulations in the savings banks. The failure and counsequent distress of the Euglish masons once more emphasizes a lesson for mechanics the world over. Upon a rising market in prosperous times a strike may be successful. When prices are ata standstill, Iabor combinations may succeed in preventing a reduction of wages; bat to strike upon a falling market is always n costly and sometimes a ruinous blunder. When prices are sinking and the demand is falling off steadily day by day and year by year, for laboring men tostrike for an advance of wages is as preposterous asit would be for them to attempt to oppose the operation of the principle of gravity. No possible com- bination can advance wages when the con- dition of the market does not tend to pro- of tho loly See.” He has even in- cluded in his benediction the Emperor of Germany, who indirectly contributed to the secularization of the Papal States. Pros was the father of Ultramontanism in Germany. Lzo has not adoptedat. Itis a principle with which he has no sympathy, und the destruction of it, as the result of a complete understanding between the Popo and BisMArcr, seems to bo already decreed, So it is with many of the dogmns of the Church. Infallibility has n new interpreta- tion under Leo. - It menus the infallibility of the utterances of the Church through its Councils, the ordering of all things well by Gop on behalf of His chosen people, and thie continual presence in sll official acts of that overruling Providence which permits not even a sparrow to fall to the ground without its knowledge. It is snid that the Immaculate Conception has received no spe- cial approval from him, but it would of course be presumptuous to say from this circumstance that the Pope holds this dogma loosely, or holds it not at all ; yet it may not be too much to say that he cherishes it with less affection than his predecessor did, or duce that resnlt. When business becomes active, wages always sympathize with it and rise ; when business grows dull and demand for products falls off, wages always fall, and all the strikes in the world cannot increase them. Tostrike at such an inop- portune time is nol only an absurd blunder, but it endangers the workingman's future by widening the aren of competition and bring- ing in others to take his place. The London masons, after spending all their money and plunging their families into distress, were compelled to go back and beg for their places, which were fast being taken by masons com- ing ‘in from tho country. Their disastrous failuro has a moral which many of our own workingmen may read with profit, namely : not to strike upon a falling markst, or to choose a sezson of general depression for making fheir demands. BraTiaxo, the Roumanian Biinisier. has returncd from his mission to Berlin, and it the Roumanians had better become re ciled to their loss as s0on as possible, 7y:. of course, 15 the Bismarckian view of the sitnation, differing slightly from that Which, for lack of a better term, may bo calleg , Disraelite. Atame bear was the innocent cause of aaj mense amount of trouble and litigation gt oy, ison, Wis. The case has been tried in the &‘," cuit Court before Judze STEWALT, and (o apoealed to the Supreme Court, which, 2 _vatient hearing, has now remanded jt back: the court below for a new trial. The bear, vrh["n was an.educated animal, thoush not a grag, X of the Wisconsin State University, way. Lot cxhibited for the amusement of the eroma, v der ashowman’s license, granted by the o authoritics of Madison, whena farmer dri:‘l"’ ¥ past, his horses took frizht. ot Bruin's gus F/ ran away, and his wife was Killed. Tpe n‘f’ brought suit agaiust the city in gy (;,n cuit Court to recover the value of his dead wif, ' and the city set up the plea of not. <uilty, Ty Court sustained the city, but now the Suprear, © Court. bas reversed the verdict, bolding thyy - thecity Hcensed the bear show, it must be fu responsibie for damazes, and the case gocy b:c‘f foranew trial. The case i3 already somex by complicated, having been twice trieq and p > undergoing a third course of treatment; but" this distance from the scene of disuster, ..i with our imperfeet knowledee of its'latagy s looks as if ft 1s likely to pass into the ;mh; Listory of Wisconsin as onc of the celebrateg trials of the age, involving the nicesy shadings of legal coloring, and _exhausting all the gogy. nicalities of the Grofession. Thus,since gy © Supreme Court holds thut the City of Madison kK is 1o be held liable to the bereaveq farmer for the Joss of bis wile, it havgy - - grauted s license for the bear ggper the measure of damoses which the cify must pay is 2 matter of no slizht inportane, and the sum to be fixed b5 the jury which g called upon to assess the same will be looked for with absorbing interest. Any one can gep with half an eye that it is for the pecuniars . terost of the farmer 1o have the award as higy as possible; whereas, the taxpayers of the ity of Madison, who will have to pav the bill, are interested in keeping the cash value of to deaq woman placed at the I>west possible figure, Thy plaintiff will undoubted!y avail himself of the experience and knowledze acquired during b marricd life, and summon his mother-in-law to prove the escellence and value ‘of his deparieg wife.—and what appreciation of onc’s meritsjs like that fixed by one’s own mother—while the city will subpeaa all the deceaseds persons cnemics to show that the busband’s loss wasip fact again. In the meantime, the irreverent bear that was the original and primary cause of all this sorrow and trouble moes on with bis tricks, and dauces with an uncoriscions levity that reminds one of the mirth-provoking antis of GEORGE FRrANCIS TRAI % ————— The Mayor of Ciocinnati in his messase to the Council says that the bonded debt of that ity last January was $33,33f, right smart debt for a city of a quarterof 3 million of people. The city owns considersil real cstate. Saya the Commercial: The Mayor proposes to seil some of thia property. Tle would be witiing to part with portions of Lnmst. Woods and Edea Fark, from which he times $2,000, 000 might be realized. Then there are the city wharves,” which, _if zold, would resfice $1.500,000. 'The - areut and sacred Water-Worke shonid also go o the mighest bidier, aad the Mayor thinks they world hrinz 5,000, 000 into the City Treasury. ‘T'ine Southern ailway, tuo, saould e sold, and would ferch at least $10,000,000, the city sacrificinz oniy eizht or ten millons of dullars on'the transuctior. Tlie result of these sicsweald be to convey intw the City Treasnry some nineteen or rwenty milhons of doilars, which the Maror wonld have scrictiy avplicd to tie extinction of ths debr. The remaining indebiedness would bes telle. (fizh taxation would czuse. the city would lose nothmg by e transfer of thess properties o private hands, and we should all bs hapoy. Asa mutter of farther econowmy, gasJline shouid be sudstituted for zus m all the city lamps, which would save s least $150, 000 on the vrasint rate of expenduture for light. ana_give us guidesto our feet, also, during all nizhits of the year, and without reference 1o the phases of the moon. ' lie- sides, clectricity 13 coming, and there 1s no tellias, in this age of aimost mstantaucons agplication of scientific discoverses to practical ends, iiow suon gas will be as oosolete as tailow candles for liztng purposes. These are amonz the more importunt ‘recommendations of the mes: ———a— Gold yesterday was quoted at 100} Suppos it drops o quarter of 2 cent more mextiweek, what then will become of Goupy’s plankiaths ° Democratie platform demanding * the immedk ate and unconditional repeal of the Resumption act”? , after 4 e Bl el dacay Jio T p Beot ez | iR ( f t 1 ———— It is said by guid-nuncs that the series of venomous attacks on the Chicazo High-School system that have appeared in the Tumes are not the production of a male or a Protestant writer of that concern. : ——— Goupr, we fear you are a goner; only one quarter of s cent stands between you and ship- wreck of vour Senatorial hopes. The blaited thing is zoing to resume itscif if you don’t ston it. —— The Washington Post dryly remarks that Sea- ator BLaINe * is afflicted oceasionally with cup de woliet and ambivion. He tinds it difflcaltto be relieved of either.” ———— Greenbacks and banknotes are mow worth througnout the American Republic, 993 cents, or within % cent as much as either silveror gold. ———— To the Editor of The Tribune. y Crmicaco, April 12.—Is a man born and residing in Canada an Amcrican? Yes, certainly; a North American. e —— . One-guarter of a cent more rise in areenbacks and the occupation of the anti-resumptionists will be gone—where the woodbine twineth. Bl If gold falls another quarter of a cent, GovoY and his platform are undone. —————— THE SCHOO:S. ATrmuse reporter made endeavors vesthrdsy to get at the bottom facts regarding the accommo- dations—or the lock thercof—in the public schools of this city, and obtained some figures that may be interesting to the citizens in general, and the ma- nicipal legislators 1n particular. Learning that Supt. Doty was in receintof reports from the vak- ous schools rezardinz the number of applications for scats, and the number of ‘childred who aid not obtain them. during the ye€ ending at date of the reports, that gentleman Wag visited and interrozated accordingly. In briel. Mr. Doty stated that therz were over 10,000 chil- ren in Chicago wno were without proper ichuol accommodations, but, eo far as the reports from the schools hed shown.—and there -were only six or Aeven that had not been sentin, —there were 0ot more than 2,000 children who had made apphic- tion within the year for admission in the 2cbools and been refused av the time for the reason thst there was £o room for them. As eoon s all the reports were in Mr. Doty sid he could give the exact number. There are 36, seats owned by the city, ana 5,000 are ren ‘making 41,000 scats in all. The number ot DuFils in nalf-day schools—which comprise 102 doable aivisions—is 63,200. Atiending the chools d:xx are 42,000 pupils. The last echool census show! that there were in the city 115,000 between th¢ ages of 5 and 20 years. Twenty thonsand attend. - the private schools, and, with those in the public schoois, ageregate 62,000, thus leaving 5% Between the school ages who do not attend anf echool. Of the latter number, thereare, lf‘: cstimated, about 20,000 cmployed, Ieaviss 23,000 who do mot attend any school. The - creasc of pupils in the publicschools is uboat 3 ayear. Supt. Doty also stated that the rented accom modations were not fit for the children, bat it 3 the best that could be done und:r th: clrca®” stances. 3 From one of the most active members of 1h¢ Board it was learned that the city ousht to 53% elght or ten twelve-room scnool buildiags buléss £00n as possible, in order to properly accomme” date those who are now in rented quarters and at- tending the schools half-dayx. OF the 2,100 Wb had applied and becn refused at the time W Inspeetor wafa that all but 242 had been 3CO0". modated within the year. In his dlmc; where there were eix schools, not s child wEOBIE, is said that he brings unfavorable tidings back to Roumania. The impression is prev- alent in the German Capital - that Russia is bent upon obteining Bessarabia, and that applied for_admission had been refused. 18 Thirtcenth Ward, whero 1¢ had been urzed tht 300 children were without school accommodalions, forty-five applied when several stores had 7 rented for a large numoer of puplls.