Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, November 24, 1878, Page 4

4 T CEICAGO "1k IBUND: SUNDAY, I . N =4 3 24, 187B—GIXT The Tribnare, TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. BY MAIL—IN ADVANCE—FPOSTAGE PREPAID. Tonily Edition, one year. S12.4 Ty of 3 year, per mont Ler B diion: Lierary and Reifgions Doubie Sunday Edition: i Shet sves 2.5 Saturddy Edition, 1welve pazes. 200 WEEKLY =5 Qne copy. rer e -S 1.3 Club ot {oUT..... i pechnen coples sent free. Give Post-Oflice address {n fall, Including State aod County. Htemittances may bemade efther by draft, express. Tost-Office order, or in registered lctter, at our risk. TERMS TO CITY SUBSCRIBERS. Tafly, delivered, Sundsy exgepted, 25 centa per week. Laily, delivered, Sunday inchided, 30 cents ver weeks Address THE TEIBUNE COMPANY, Corner Madison aud Dearborn-sts.. Chicago, I Orders tor the delivery of Tux TuINUNE st Evanston, Znglewood, and liyde Park teft in the counting-room willreceive promptattention. TRIBUNE BRANCH OFFICES. THE Cu1cAGO TEIBUXNE bos established branch offices sor the recelpt of subkcriptions and advertisenients as lows: N]Kn{\:' TORE—Room 20 Tritune Bullding. F.T.Mc- FauDiN, Manager, PARIS, France—Xo. 16 Rue de la Grange-Batellerc. . MauLER. Agent. g LONDOY, Eng.—American Exchange, 449 Strand. BENEY F. GILLIG, Agent. HAXN FRANCISCO. Cal. SOCIETY MEETINGS. PLEIADES LODGE, NO. 478 A. F. The members are hereby ordered to hail, Nos. 220 and 222 South Halsted-st., uurning, at 11 0'clock, to attend the fu Seoeed Drother, William 1f. Bryant. Msitiv sister lodges are fraternally iovited to attend. Cass 10 Vakwood: By orderof L orvonE, W, M. CIGHTS OF PYTHIAS.~The membersof the Or- 1 the Grand Lodge 1all, corner of Adums snd Lasalle- ts.. this (Sunday) moraing, at 10 o'clock, for the pur- osd of uttending the funeral of our late Brother, F. F. Cudevack. 5 ALMER 1, WELLS, C. C. of Gauntlet Lodge. No. 4. W. . KENKEDY. Depuiy for the District of Cook. . A. CASHMAN LODGE. NO. 6868, A. F. &A. M.— an E‘:msé\eix Comimunication wili Le held {n thelr hall, corner West_Maaison and ltobey-sis.. this (Sunday) morning, at 10 0'clock sbarn, to’attend toc funeral of our Drother F. F. Cudeback. Brethren of eliter Lodces fuvited. Dark clotuing and siil: bats desired. ‘Cars 1o lioschill. G. A. DOUGLASS, Secretary. ST. BERNARD COMMANDERY NO. 35, K. T.—Sir =hts: You are hercby ordered fo meel &t our Asy- B aoa fis fuscral of Our late Sir Knight F. K. Cuddebeck, Suudey moraing, the Sith lust., at1i ollock sharp. Sir Kalghts Of Shiter Commahderies courteonsty tovited to join g g onderef " NCOLY PARK CHAPTER, XO. 177, 1. A M.— ’KZ\J‘X%‘N’ ()‘Iaf A\'dflr(h Clllrkc :\{lgrct'!fl:- os'dM 2 ndoy evealng, Nov. 2, 88 7 ;. oo s Councls Derrees. Visiting R sod 5. Masous cordlally fovited. By order of ~ L A, W. 5. STREAT, Secretary. A ETTE CHAPTER, NO. 2, R. A..M.—Hall, Nov. 25, at o'clock. for business, Visltors cor- dially Invited. Byorderof o 4 RED.H.P. E. N. TOCKER, Secretars. ). C. CREGIER LODGE. NO. 643 A. F. & A. Tt Communiestion Wednosda evening, Nov. 27, 230 o'clock, sharp, at thefr hall, Nus. 508 and 403 Mtiwaakee-ay.. pour Carpenteret.. for work. Visit- Ao orethiren cohtally Invited, By f el (ES KE. JOBN GINOCHIO, Secretary. N GE NO. 4. K. of P.—The members affir‘firfilfg E?-'a’u in full 'uniform a: Grand Lodge Jiall. Sunday, at 1 o'clock a. m. sharp, to attend the fureral of our Jate Urother F. ¥. Cudeoack. l‘x‘fafl} ¢ 1y fnvited to atten bersur the onder espechaly K MW ELLE, &7 N, N LUDGE, NO. 536, A. F. & A. M.—The A;nfl?:an?:nnxum% will be Beid on Tuesday even- ing, Dec. u, at 7:40, for the election of ‘oficers and payment of docs. You are notified Lo be prescat. A A. C. WOOD, Secretars. BEEBE, H. P. ER, . XO. Regular Convocation Monday evening. veock. \Vorg“mllhfifiA .:. %‘-‘Z‘;!Zn‘t.r : 4 i wnition ses Oty IO 1. A ann, WB: CHICAGO COMMANDERY. NO. 15, K. T.—Spectai Conclave Monday, Nov. at 7:30p. m. Workon R. ©. Order. Visidng 5‘:‘ hts welcome. By order of mine Commant B MEGINY, Recorder. APOLLO COMMANDERY, NO. 1, K. T.—Speclal (‘on:h..\"&ncnnufl:y evening, at 7o'clock,; Rl"flmpl. ‘The Orger of me"l;‘cmxge wigl“}sece:merm&l.r Talors i 1t ‘order of ic Commander. AT welcoime. By oMy K. DUNLUP, fiecorder, RY, N {S‘lfl BERVARD COMMA: Special Conclave Wednesday cre%n&b 0% 2k A7 20 cloc vork on the . Order. sifing i nlghts are fnvited. By oxder ~ J. 5. WHITE, E. C- VAN RENSSELAER GRANDILODGE OF PERFEC- TI0N—Wiil confer the Ihirteenth and Fourteenth Grades of the A. & A. Scontish Lite on Wednesday evening, ot 7 o'clock sharp. SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1878. In New York on Saturdsy greenbacks raled steady at 99% HunrHERET, the Secretary of the bankrupt New Rochelle Savings-Bank, has been sen- tenced to five years’ imprisonment for not doving come to Chicago and employed Leoxarp SWETT and CraRLEY REED in his defense. The opinions of Gen. SHERIDAN regarding the recent order for the removal of the Kiowa Indians from Fort Sill to the Wichita Agency bave been indorsed by Gen. SmER- aax, and the controversy between the War and Interior Departments is assuming a bel- ligerent phn'se. ‘We have yet to hear from poor Lo. There scem io be only two opinions in Tegard to the result of the trial of the Pro- tection Life-Insurance Company conspir- ators: One, that twelve men were found whose moral natures were 50 low that they could not distinguish between right and wrong ; could not sce that it was 8 crime to steal §250,000; and the other, that they were bought to bring in a verdict of not guilty. The verdict was a shocking com- mentary on the jury system as it works in practice in this country. The stesmer Sarmatian, having on board ihe Marquis of LorxEe, Governor-Gereral of Canada, and the Princess Louisk, has at last arrived safely in Halifax harbor, after pass- ing through some rough sea weather. From the Captain's log it may be secnthat H. R. H. has not been exempt from that uncomforta- ble malady, sea-sickness, and is not yet folly recovered. In order to enable the distinguished party to regain their normal composure, the steamer will not make the landing until Monday, when the public re- joleings and ceremonies of reception will take place. Being a Scotchman, the Marguis New York would, establish the same rato in other cities. ‘This explanation of the Secre- tary will be received with satisfaction by the bankers and other business men of -Chicago who have been wanting to know what we have a Sub-Treasury here for auyway. It is quite likely that the provision of the law limiting the redemption process to New York will be little else than a dead-letter af- ter the first rush for gold ; in fact, the Secre- tary intimates that bankers in all parts of the country may obtain gold directly from the Treasury Department at Washington with- out s premium, which will place Chieago, Boston, Baltimore, and other commercial centres on the same footing, practically, with New York. The attitude which Russia has assamed in the present Afghan wav is similar to that tnken by Great Britain in the Russo-Turkish contest. It is stated upon 'good authority that the Russian Government will remain neutral, but will insist upon taking part in the settlement of the terms of peace. This armed-neutrality dodge is one of the most embarrassing features of modern warfare, as it is in contradiction to the time-worn adage that to the victor belong the spoils. The British Government, however, must in the present instance accept it with the best grace possible under the circumstances, having been the author and first promul- gator of the idea. We print a letter this morning on the sub- ject of the abuses -growing out of the judi- cial system, the alarming increase of litiga- tion, the inability of the Courts to hear and determine the cases, the avarice and want of principle of the legal profession as & body, and the loose morality under which litigation is promoted and wrongand plunder of innocent persons accomplished. The writer urges the principle of arbitration as a substitute for courts of law and for the present modes for the administration of jus- tice. Much that' the writer says will be ac- cepted by the general public as well-founded. There is undoubtedly & growing belief in the minds of the people that the whole system of American adwinistra- tion of law is designed for the profit of the legal profession, and that the admin- istration of justice is a mere secondary mat- ter, of far less practical importance than the enrichment of the Bar. In other words, Courts have become ‘‘shops,” where law, judgments, and final processes are turned out to applicants according to the expendi- ture that is made. This does not imply that the'Judges sell their judgments, but it does" imply that the system is so framed and ad- ministered that by the expenditure of money justice may be delayed and defeated and ir-- reparable wrong committed, and for all this there is no redress. The remedy for this condition of things is with the legal profes- sion. ‘When the judiciary fallsinto contempt then the revolution which will in. evitably follow may go much further than perhaps will be desirable. That revolution may be averted by a wholesome reform and purification of the judicial sys- tem, which has already become a reproach. The Bar may do much in this work, but the legal profession must indeed be blind to the growing storm if they do not see that, un- less popular réspect and confidence can be recovered and maintained, there will be a whirlwind of popular rage that will sweep gway the legal profession, the Courts, the sbuses, and the outrageous mocker- jes of justice, and bury them in one saccursed and common ruin. Pop- ulpr liberty, popular right, and common justice have owed the legal profession but Iittle. All that has ever been attained by menkind in the way of right and justice has been won in spite of the doctors of the law. As in the past, so in the future it may be- come again necessary to strip the Courts of their stained robes, and teach the expound- ers of law that justice is the sole purpose of |* all law, and, when justice is subordinated to:’ the mere purpose of enriching the legal pro- fession, then courts of law arc no better than any other gambling dens, and should be abated as prompt], : THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE. The Grand Jury of the United States for this district closed 4 month’s session on Friday. It investigated ithe charges against the various persons involved in the transac- tions pertaining to the building of the United States Custom-House. As a result of that investigation, the jury found a bill charging various officers of the Trensury, contractors, and subordinates, with a conspiracy to de- fraud the United States of $800,000. Those familiar with the developments will not suppose that the jury have been extrav- agant in their estimate of the Government ‘loss. Excluding the consequentinl damage’ and loss resulting from the faithlessness of the public officers, the actual expenditure for work never performed and materials never furnished, being so much money actually stolen, will exceed perhaps by several hun- dred thousand dollars the amount set forth in the indictment. that the payment of money for fictitions work and fictitious material is denied. On this state of facts two questions will naturally suggest themselves to the general public: (1) Are the persons indicted guilty ? (2) If guilty, is there sny probability that they will be convicted? As to the first question, there will, of course, be a general concession that the mere fact of indictment does not necessarily imply guilt, and that every man should be heard in his defense even before any implication .of that kind attaches. As to the second question, we regret to say that the experisnce of tho day is so general, that nine men out of ten will in- stinctively shrug their shoulders, and, if they would probably ‘not go ashore anyway on Sunday. Disclaimers, s a rule, do xot go far towards establishing innocence. Guils is al- ‘ways voluble, and leans towards generalities. Supervising-Architect Hrr, hus no desire'to prove himself an exceptional person. In an interview with him, published this morning, it will be noticed that he denies in a lomp the allegations in the indictment found against him by the Grand Jury of this district. He is dissatisfied with the present aspect of affairs around the Chicago Custom-House. Naturally. Me will doubt- less try to shift the responsibility for the frauds upon Murierr, who, being beyond the rench of the law, can afford to endure a little odinm. — Secretary SEEmuax 10ld a committeo of Bultimore bankers vesterday that, while actual redemption of greenbacks at par would, secording to the terms of the Xe. sumption act, be confined to the office of the Assistant Tressurer at New York, yet there would be mo discrimination against other first-class cities. New York was only selected as being the chief commercial city, it having been thought inexpedient to scatter the rédemption funds. But the mere fact of greenbacks being exchangeable for gold at S venture to express an opinion, it will sub- stantinlly suggest the- further query, why there should be a conviction in this case for robbing the Government any more than m any other ? The demoralization of official life by the growth of the theory that to rob the Govern- ment involves no moral turpitude has gone on year after year, and has been fostered so generally by the results of all judicial pro- ceedings against offéiders that it has pro- duced the natural result of weskening if not substantially destroying public confidence in the integrity and efficacy of the administra- tionof the law. When a'man commits a crime now,—we speak of notorions guilt,—instead uf_ assuming that conviction and punishment wfll'fufln\vinfl.ictmem&mattcrs of certainty, the inquiries are, * In what court will he be tried?” “ Who is to prosccaie?” “ How much money can he spend for a defense 2" Confidence that the Iaw will be execated that Justico is blind, and holds the bal, ance uninfluenced save by trath, has well- nigh departed; and, men having lost rever- ence for those who administer the law, they regard the issme of judicial Proceedings as problematical as the outcome of a horse- race, the result largely subject in both cases to similar influences. Thers is no suspicion that Judges are corrupi; but judicial pro- We do not understand" ceedings. arg ‘too often managed and con- trolled by legal ability which is of itself purchased by the free and unstifted use of -money. The nadministration of the law is 50 hampered, delayed, controlled, directed, and influenced by the dexterity of the ad- vocate that the trial of even a notoriously guilty person_is prevented and staved off until such time as the whole case has become stale, the evidence lost, witnesses dead or gone beyond seas, the memory of the sur- vivors impaired by the lapse of time and careful nursing by social surroundings, and then the guilty appear before the Court to be tried, and to be acquitted for want of evidence. We are not drawing on the imag- ination. Every reader will admit that we state the genernl case mildly. Henco it is that in the proportion that Courts prove in- effectual to punish the guilty, or even to bring them to trinl, the Courts are losing public respect and confidence, and money is regarded as the certain protection of those who rob and plupder the public. We are not stating agreeable facts, and we take no satisfaction in recording what we know to be the growing estimate of the administration of the law in criminal cases. Society shudders at the depravity of Social- ism; but society opens its doors to the wealthy criminal who has purchased immuni- ty through the entangled moshes of the law under the skillful manipulations of attorneys whose compensation is great enough to giye assurance of escape. Was there ever such encouragement given to Communism as the broad farce of half a dozen guilty men, some of them public officers, being acquitted in broad daylight of & long and systematic robbery, accompanied by persistent perjury, and this in the face of clear and unmistaka- ble proof of guilt? When socicly once recoguizes and insists that the lnw shall con- vict no “respectablo” man, no man of menns, no man whose family have standing in “society,” then the growth of Com- munism ceases to be surprising. ‘When the Courts cease to convict criminals because it is no crime to plunder the Gov- ernment, and when criminals can afford to hire a defense that even penetrates the Graud-Jury room, which bribes and packs the trial-juries, which can swing a case from county to county, can deport witnesses, sup- press records, and acquit the prisoner, no matter how notorious his guilt, then society is rapidly dmfting to that wreck out of which human liberty, human rights, truth, and justice must find a new refuge and new protections, in which courts of law, as known now, will form no par THE CHURCH TRIAL. Mrs. AxprrsoN and daughter have been on trial in Trinity Church during two weeks past for violating the discipline of the Meth- odist Church. The offense charged against them was the leasing of property to a per- son who intended to use it for the sale of in- toxicating liquors. The Methodist Church, * it is admitted, forbids its members to partici- pate in the profits derived from the sale of liquors. The only question to be adjudicated by the Church Court, therefore, was whether the defendants had lensed their property knowingly for the purposes mentioned, and whether they were defiant or repentant in view of their conduct. The determination of the degree and quality of repentance, as well as the degree 'nml quality of guilt, n the case of any accused persons is perhaps an unusual proceeding, according to civil law ; but it would be presumptuous to say that ecclesiastical law is not adapted to ac- complish even this difficult task. There may also be reasonable objections, from the lay and secular point of view, to the spirit aud manner in which the prosecution was conducted. We should not in a civil court expect the presiding Judge to be quite so active a prosecutor as the Rev. Mr. CrarTs appears to have been. If & Judge were no- toriously hostile to the defendants on per- sonal grounds, we would even expect that he should decline to sit in the case. But theso questions, a3 we have already pointed out, are of secondary importance. The law of the Church provides that its members shall not lease their premises to liquor-sellers. If these defendants have acted directly in the face of the law, they must take the conse- quence"s. It is another thing to say whether the law is wise, and whether the Church hag enforced it in all cases without partiality. The case is about this: Mrs. JoaNNA AN- pEnsoN and her daughter JENNIE are the joint owners of a piece of land on the corner of Indiana avenue and Twenty-second street. The publicity of the place makes it undesir- able for a residence, and the business trans- acted in that neighborhood is so small that the land wonld bring very little if leased for such purposes. 1Mrs. ANDERSON and daugh- ter have scarcely any income except what they can derive from this property. In these circumstances they offered it for sale, but were unable to get a fair price forit. Their agent then took into consideration the offer of the owner of a beer-hall on Wabash ave- nue, who desired to remove farther south. His present place, from all that appears to the contrery, is as respectable as other beer-halls; it is mnot o great moral institution, nor is it, on the other hand, a favorite resort of people of bad characters. This man offered to lease Mrs. AxpERSON's 1and for a term of years, and said that he intended to use it for a summer-gar- den, after the style of Tmeopore THoMAS' gardens ip New York. "He no doubt honestly meant what he said, and, if not interfered with, will give music of a very superior char- acter on Mrs. AnpERsox's lot the coming summer. But the lease had no sooner been signed than o number of respectablo peoplo in the neighborhood raised a great disturb- ance. The pastor of the Trinity Methodist Church, of which Mrs. AxpErsoy and daugh- ter were mem'b.ers, called upon them, and told them it would be better for them to ba chiarges upon the charity of the Church than to rent their land to the owner of a beer- hall. They declined this generous Ppropo- sition. They were soon afterwards brought to trial for violating the discipline of the Church. They were found guilty on both specifications, but recommended to merey. It will now bein the discretion of the pastor to hame any one of four penslties for the offense, thoe lightest of which is a simple declaration of the guilt of the accused, and the heaviest, expulsion. Some reflections will be brought home to church-members, as well of other denom- inations as of the Methodist Church, by this trial. Beer-drinking as the alternative of whisky-drinking is possibly a choice of evils. But is it not conceivable that s well-ordered summer-garden, in which the music should be good and the protection against bad com- pany sufficient, would restrain young men from vice rather than lead them into it? It is true, as several wit- nesses testified on this trial, that the best people in Chicago—men and women against whom no one of the prosecutors would care to say a word—have for years frequented the Lincoln Park Pavilion on the North Side. There isno reason, in the na- tare of things, why the South Side Pavilion should not have as high a character as the North Side one. If it does not, it can ensily be suppressed. The people of that part of the city can be sure of ‘the assistance of tha police if they discover that a place*of bad repute is being established in their midst. Meantime, it will be wise to try and see whether the, opening of s place where hus- bauds may go with wiveg, brothers with sis- ters, and young men with lady friends, to hsten to good music and drink good beer, is likely to be an unmixed evil. The experi- ence heretofore has always been that wher- over the influence of good women was felt beer-drinking has been comparatively an innocent pastime. At any rate, so far as the new beer-hall shall be instrumental in keep- ing young men out of whisky-shops 1t will be & positive benefit to the community. peistnginidhifbant ity THE HIBBARD CASE. The proceedings in ‘the case of Mr. Hrp- BARD, the Xegister 7 Bankruptey, resulted in his being indicted generally for demand- ing and receiving fees that he knew to be illegal. The charges cover a long list of in- stances. While we are not disposed in this case, nor in any case, to assume that an in- dictment is of itself any evidence of wrong- doing, we cannot forbear -saying that the Grand Jury was one of the ablest, most in- telligent, and at the same time fenrless, juries that has been called in this district - for years, When a jury thus composed shall unanimously concur in an indictment like this, it is entitled to the presumption of having nacted on what seemed to be strong evidence. The Constitution of the United States as- sumes that Congress shall provide a perma- nent Bankrupt law. Such a law- is of peculiar fitness, and perhaps a necessity, in this country, as it js in England. But in the instances where it has existed in tho United States a repenal has followed the enactment of the law, and largely because of the legal as well as the illegal extortions of the officers. Like too many of our laws, the Bankrupt law was framed as much to give large com- pensations to officers as it was to aid bank- rupts. The law, itself directly gave the officers of the Bansrupt Courts cnormous fees; it was in many respects so loosely’ drawn as to permit these officers to exact other enormous fees, and, with appetites that grew by what they fed on, they in countless cases were limited in their tokings only by the exhaustion of the estate. So general- and eunormous had these abuses become, so glaring was the connivance of Tegisters with attorneys in the division of the estate, that it became a question whether a creditor did not save money by abandon- ing his claim rather than to pursue a Reg- ister in the hope of obtaining a small pit- tance. It was found better to accept five cents on the dollar direct from the debtor than pursio even a healthy estalo and accept what the Register left after he had taken the share of himself and his friends. No high moral horse was recognized in the Register's office. The object of the law, plainly writ- ten on its face, was to create certain lucra- tive offices ; the greater the exactions of the Register the more lucrative the office ; and hence the dividends were made as small as possible in order the closer to carry out the intention of the law. It was bacause of these shameless abuses that popular sentiment de- manded the rapeal of the law. . How far Mr. Hrsparp carried out the law in all its details we do not know. The Grand Jury have clothed their .opinion, after hear- ing the testimony, in the form of an indict- ment, and now the whole case will be heard in court. The presumption is that- he will be tried fairly, impartially, and with all regard to justice and morality. Having dis- cussed ‘this matter generally in another article, we will only add, that both the ac- cused and the public have interesta in this matter which ought not to be disregarded. The air is oo full of scandals reaching out in every direction to warrant any trifling with the endsof justice. . THE CRIME OF CRIMES. In a communication printed in yester- day's issue of Tue Trmusk, *‘D.” warmly commends an articlo entitled ** The Crime of Crimes,” which appeared in these columns on the 16th inst., devoted to a discussion of the evil of tke circulation of obscene lit- erature. ““D.” invites the newly-formed So- ciety for the suppression of the evil to begin its work, and declares that he was only two days since witness to a case of open, defiant circulation of obscene literature on a publie street of the city, among girls and young women. He says: < Only last evening a miscrable beast in human shape stood opposite FiELD, LEITER & Co.'s es- tablishment ac 6 o'clock, and,'as the girls passed out from the various wnolesalc ‘houscs on their way homeward, banded to each one a copy of a vile pumphlet 1esucd by one of these **imps of hell, " entitled **To Marry or Not -to Marry,'" filled with all sorts of vbacene and lustful ques- tions aud suzgestions, urnder the very thin dis- guise of medical inquiry and 2dvice. 1If this be a true deseription of the facts, it constitutes a most aggravated case; and it doubtless so impressed itself upon the mind of “D.” as to ensble him to identify the ““beast in human shape” who was engaged in the disrcputable business of circulating the vile pamphlets. If so, he has a duty to perform. Let him notify the Society which has undertaken the work of prosecuting the venders of "this class of literature of the case which come under his observation, and couple the notice with an offer to assist in hunting the miscreant down and bringing him to punishment. “The law of Illinois has defined the act as an infamous crime, and pro- vided the penalty. Chapter 38 of the Crim- inal Code, page 223, provides that: *Who- ever brings, or causes to be brought, into this State, for sale or exhibition, or shall sell or offer to sell, or shall give away or offer togiteaway . . . any obscene and in- decent book, pamphlet, paper, dtawing, ete, . . . shall be confined in the County Jeil not more than six months, or be fined not less than $100 nor more than 1,000 for each offense—one-half of said fine to bo paid to the informer upon whose evi- dence the porson so offending shall be con- victed, and one-half to the school fund of the county 1n which the seid conviction is ob- tained.” It will be observed that the law is plain, and that, if it is wanting ‘in any respect, it is in the matter of severity. But, if it is wisely enforced, it will prove sufficient to break up the shameful traffic, If the pamphlet described by *“D.” is as vile as he states it to be, there would appear to be no difficnlty in making a case against its circn- lator, provided he can be apprehended. The class of girls and young women among whom he was seeking to sprend his obscene pamphlets arg doubtless many of them ab- solutely without protection against the in- sidious ‘efforts of their wounld-be corrupter. Friendless and alone in the world, strug- gling desperately for a precarious live- lihood, they fall easy ~vietims to the seductive wiles of any villain who has the ‘power to cheat and deceive them. It is on their behalf that the Society for the Suppression of Obscene Literature should exercise its most potent influence. They shonld be their peculiar care. They are waifs on the verge of social life, not to be reclnimed—for they are still innocent— but to be rescued from the menacing danger of debnsement. They are necessarily sub- jected to o thousand temptations unknown to.the higher circles, against which they must struggle alone and unaided. But ageinst the contamination of obscene literature they may be protected if the new Society proves energetic and vigilant. POLITICAL TEMPERANCE. The Rev. N. F, Raviiy, a prominent Bap- tist clergyman of this city, preached a ser- mon last Sunday upon *'Temperance in Politics,” which contained some very sound idens and true observations, and is especially gratifying as coming from a pulpit source, the pulpit hitherto having subscribed very genernlly to the absurd idea of curing a mpn's tastes and appetite by the use of a Constable apd a club, and favored the ap- pearance of the temperance reformer in politics. The reverend gentlemnn took for the Dbasis of his discourse the example of Curist, who never tried while on earth to re- form men by prohibitory laws, but gave them the opportunity to choose between good and evil, and never even favored the compulsory keeping of the Sabbath by legal enactment. He held-up this example to re- formers, and the invariable use of moral sua- sion by the Apostles, and developed the in- disputable idea that men cannot be made virtuous by law, and that vice cannot be pre: vented by legal enactment, but that we must be persuaded by moral réasoning and o development of our better faculties.. And this ides was emphasized by the following sound declaration: *‘The Prohibitionists gained nothing at the last election. They aided in creating prejudice against the Tem- perance movement. They could never elect enough legislators to obtain a prohibitory law. And, even if thoy did get such a law, it would be worthless and a dead-letter.. If the temperance clubs were turned into mere political machines, their influence for good wonld be destroyed, and all their previous work rendered abortive. ‘Down with rum,’ would be the ery of the Prohibitionists, but ¢Up into office’ would be their real meaning.” The position assumed by Mr. RAviiN is a sound one, and has long been conceded by thoughtful advocates of temperance reform, and has notybesn assailed by any but those who are eager for the spoils of office and the numerous’class of .unreasoning fanatics who always injure every cause they espouse. TUndoubtedly one reason why some very good persons have favored prohibitory legis- Iation as a cure for infemperance is its ap- porent ease gnd simplicity. It is the lazy man’s way of accomplishing a given pur- pose, and the lazy man’s way is always the hardest and most roundabout. It does-mot, as it appears to them, involve any long-de- termined wrestle With intemperance, such as is necessary in attacking other sins, No time need be spent in moral suasion, in preaching” and praying, in visiting the inebriate to convince him of the folly of his course, to point out its hard- ships to Ius fahily,- to rouse his better nature, to hold him wup and encournge him. All ‘that is necessary to do is to pass & law safing, “ You shall not drink,” and give a policeman authority to enforce it, and pound him on thé head if he disobeys, or drag him to the lock-up. Hir- ing a policeman:to do the work, he thinks, will save him all trouble and relieve him of all responsibility, but he never makes any ac- count of the failure of both policeman and law to accomplish anything where it Lias been tried. Again, our reformer nevér stops to think not only that it is absurd to attempt to control a man's appetites by litigation, but also that it is still more absurd to assume that a minority can control the appetites of the majority, even if they had the right. Take any ten men in the community. Eight of them can use liquor without abusing it, and do mot believe they are injuring them- selves or any onme else by its use. One of the ten ie a hopeless inebriate, and the re- maining one sells liquor. Thereupon, two or three men, in order to restrain the one from drinking and the other from selling, say to the eight, “You shall not drink!” Thereupon the whole ten unite "their forces against the other two or three, and immediately they are power- less, because they are greatly outnumbered. It is not, impossible that in, communities where the temperance sentiment is very strong and’ where temperance men are in a lorge and powferful majority, with all the machinery for the enforcement of law under their control, something may be -effect- ed, and that intemperate mon may be em- barrassed in obtasining liquor; but in any community where any considerable portion of the people is in the habit of using liquors, it has been proved over and over again that legislation is a barren and empty failuro. It has never progressed any further than to make it temporarily difficult for the poorer classes to obtain liquor. It deprives them of drink for a few hours or a few days, and when they get hold of it they drink all the harder to make up for lost time, while the rich can procure it and drink at home or in secret clubs. No record can be adduced to show that the Prohibitory movement has ever progressed further than this. YWe boldly challenge the Prohibitionists to produce a single case, from the days of Neir Dow’s first crusade to the present, where an intem- perate person has .been converted by the Constabalary, or restrained from drinking any length of time. . Tnere is mo way of converting an in- temperate man from the error of his ways except by moral suasion, There is no other way of fighting intemperance that accom- plishes any practical results, unless it may be the theory of treating intemperance as a disense to be cured by s medicine that de- stroys the taste for intoxicating liquors. Wea have o physicinn in our midst—Dr. D’ Ux- oErR—whose theories and remedies have been frequently explgined in Tre TrRmuse. Bub even he—simple as this remedy is—will find two strong influences operating against him. TIn the first place, out of ten men who drink nine don’t want their appetites destroy ed. ‘They prefer to drink, and don't want to bo cured. In the second plece, there is no hope that the temperance reformer in politics will ever help him or test his theories by in- ducing inebrintes to apply them. If cincho- no-rubra possesses the efficiency that he claims, it is altogether too simple and easy a thing for the reformer. There are no spoils of office init. Itwill not elect him to the Legislature or to Congress. He can get no political jinfluence out of it. It will not bring him in any money or power. It sim- ply cures the inebriate, and does not enhance the interests of the reformer himself. It takes away his business, which i§ to trade upon the sympethy of the'community and . PAGHES, : il ——— = A get into office and power on philanthropical pretenses. He is willing to curs his fellow- men of drunkenness if the cure will minister to his seclfish interests and personal greed. As this is not one of the results of cinchona-rabra, it is not probable the political temperance re- formers will encourage Dr. D'UxcEn either in his theory or his practice. Meanywhile, whatever may be the virtues of the Doctor’s medicine, there remains no donbt as to the efficacy of moral sunsion a9 the only instru- ment that has yet reclaimed a drunkard, or of the mischief which is being caused by pseudo tomperance reformers in politics. For his severe rebuke of the latter and de- fense of the former, Mr. Ravriy is. entitled to the highest credit. One such sermon will do more to advance the real interests of tem- perance than all the gobble and spouting which temperance candidates uttered in the last election campaign in the whole country. s S ——— COL. DWIGHT'S LIFE-INSURANCE. The death of any person holding over a quarter of a million dollars of life-insurance would at any time cause considerable flurry in insurance circles, but the rccent demise of Col. Warrox Dwicnr, at Binghamton, N. Y., who bad his life insured to this ex- tent within o few months of his desth, and had only paid one premium thereon, has excited very general comment. The insur- ance companies will undoubtedly contest ths payment of these policies, as the natural inclination is to take advantage of any sus- picion of fraud to escape aloss. They at once set rumors afloat that DwionT had mis- represented his physical condition; that he had concealed the fact that he kad once had bemorrhage of the lungs; that he, had de- liberately and purposely exposed himself to disease and death because he would not have had money enough to pay the next premium; and even that he bad committed suicide. But the investigations thus far ap- pear to disprove all of these theories. Col. Dwient's relatives, friends, and townspeople resent the imputations, and both his own doctors and those sent to make the post- mortem examination for the insurance com- panies fail to find any evidence of suicide, but confirm the theory of a natural death from malarial fever. It is.claimed by his friends that he took out this large amount of life-insurance in his own name for the: pur- pose of using the pdlicies as collaterals, upon which to raise money and re-embark in busi- ness, for he had failed, and he received his discharge from bankruptcy on the very day of his death. To the general public this curious case will suggest that the life-insurance companies ought to protect themselves in advahce’ against the very theories which they now set up as reasons why they should not pay the Dwicnr policies. It does not seem as though- Col. Dwremr, whatever his own motives or intentions may have been, shonld have been permitied to 1nsure his life’ for §256,000, practically all at once and under the peculiar circumstances of his case. He had been arich man sud a speculator, and bad failed. When he failed he was carrying o large amount of life-insurance; but, evi- dently on the ground that he would not be able'to pay any more premiums, settled with the companies and sccepted paid-up poli- cies. Shortly after, before receiving his discharge in bankruptcy, and be- foro he could either accumulate much money or legally control mrch, he paid. sev- eral thousand dollars in premiums, and was permitted to insure his life_again for $236,- 000.,. These gircymstancos . wers. suspicious., The life-insurance companies are very quick to say s0 now, when the policies become pay- able by reason of Col. DwicHT’s death, but they were equally so before the policies were taken out, and they should have been so recognized by the agents of the companies. It is much more the duty of life-insurgnce .comparies to protect their shareholders and tho insured by using due caution in the taking of risks than = by resisting pay- ment of policies after death. It wonld heve been natural for 8 man in Col Dwicnr’s circumstances to insure his life for £5,000 or $10,000 ; but when he sudden- ly sought a quarter of s million insurance that circumstance ought to have made the agents suspicious in connection with the other events narrated. The agents of the companies,are always informed as to to the amount Dfiifednsnmnce an applicant is car- rying, and it is their duty to inform them- sclves as to all the conditions we have named. It is probable that the agents would have exercised more caution in this as well as other cases if it were not for the greed of the various companies to mncrease their busi- ness, and the large commissions they offer to agenis as a means to that end. The DwicuT case may be of more service to the public if the companies shall be compelled to pay the full amount of the insurance than if they be permitted to escape payment. THE OPERA SEASON. It is difficult to reconcile the clamor of hard times with the eclat that has attended the opera season. It is equally difficult to reconcile the iden of popular economy in such times with the reduction and diversion of existing wealth that has been ceused by the eloquence of Mr. Straxoscr and the me- lodiousness of his artists. Opera is essen- tinlly a luxury as well as an exotic, and is merciless in its compulsory expenses. Fashion is a luxury also, and for-some mysterious reason the former cannot exist orbe supported without the latter. Hero wo have the paradox of hard times; clamor- ous credit, and desperate debib running par- allel with determined and persistent indul- gence in a two-fold luxury. There have been fourteen representations’ of opera in this season, with bat one house that can be called small, and even that would havo been considered large in somo seasons, It is safe to say that the gross receipts have averaged $2,000 for each performance, 0 that, for admissions alone, nearly $50,000 have gone into Mr. Sreaxoscu’s coffers, to be paid out to his artists, the balance to be divided Dbetween Mr. McViceer and himself. This smount, however, probably represents only about one-half the actual expense of the season. To it must be added the cost of carriage-hire, which has been very large; of flowers; which has® been very profuse and expensive, $100 representing the cost of one flower-piece. alone ; of refreshments; of librettos; and of the very large sums which spinning-wheel will upset all the theorieg u!: the political economists and the cangng of the moralists. -They always have done ig’ and always will It would be » wasts of: time, therefore, to question the expediancy’ orattack the fact. It is always policy to howl with the wolves. Asarule, A goé to the opera because he wants to, and B: goes. 5 because A.'goes. 1rs. C. wonld have g life. long regret if her next-door neighbor Went to the opera and she didnot. Ar., will goto “Fidelio” because it is tlxe?ush‘ion to' | hear BEETHOVEN'S only opern, but; on his way home, having performed his daty, will candidly announce that he pre{e,; the “Bohemian Girl,” because it has somg tunes in it. And so on with al g’ rest, each one going to the length of his tether to get there in as good style gg the | others. Of course, so long as opera-going iy’ s fashion, and the dictum holds true that ong might as well be out of the world as out of fashion, no one will voluntarily take that long ' departuro. Al of which is a good thing for - SroagoscE. And all this although there: i 1o such thing as Italian opera on thg stage.* Is * Faust,” with an Amerioan, a Spaniard, g Swede, and a German in the principal roleg, . Italian? TIs that very Frenchy “Carmen®, with three American artists in the leadin, : parts, Italian? - There are no Italinn artists in-the world to-day of any prominenee, - Whereone Italian opera is given, s dozen French, German, and English are given, A7y that is necessary, however, is to hang ont placard, “* This is Italian Opera™ for fash. - ion’s sake, because fashion does not likg to go to the English opera or to the naughty | French bouffe. : There is another consideration, however, underlying this paradox. People want to be entertained, and when the times are hard they want to be entertained more than ever, * which accounts for the fact that when flonr goes up, and wages go down, snd banks burst, and AvezLLs fly away, people get des. . perate and go all the more; first, becauss. they want something to occupy their atten. tion, and second, because it gives them ap. opportunity to make a kind of fiendish pro. - test against the existing condition of “‘things, Jjust as there are people who will kindle upe fire in & broiling hot day to show their cop. tempt for the area of high thermometer. All that they ask is, that they shall have sn equivalent for their money and a fitting roy sponse o the sacrifice they are making In- this respect thero has not been mnch ground for complaint. Besides the old favarites, Mr. Straxosck has given us an excellent texor, ono of the best baritones that has heen hére for years, a prima donna who made one. of i the most remarkable and successful debuts | in our Jlocal operatic annals, dud’ who, if she lives, has a grest - future before her. He hasalso given usan excellent - chorus and orchestra,—features which hitherto have been very weak. Ha has placed the operag upon the stage with; unusual regard to the beauty and effect of mise en scene. So, although a great deal of money has been spent, at least 5,000 of the opera-goers of the past two weeks will con. sole themselves with the reflection that they have heard some very good music, while the other 10,000 will have the satisfaction that they have kept pace with their fashionabls duties. So, notwithstanding the hard times, there are 15,000 happy people in the city to-, day, while the whole population will take pride in the knowledge that St. Louis, where " these singing-birds go next, cannot begin ‘lo support opera in Chicago’s style. : - Outside -of -Gtah ‘there are very few people who believe that polygamy is right, and those who have never examined both sides of the question are not familiar with the argumsnts empoloyed by the Mormons to sustain their view of the discussion. Not long since the Gentile . women of Salt Lake City sent forth a memarisl addressed to Mrs. President HaYES, andime ploring the women of the United States to use. their influence for the eradication of thisgrest evil. This movement brought out decidedsction on the part of the Mormon women of Salt Lake - City, which took the shape of a mass-meeting, . held in thegreat Mormon Theatre, and, scconk- ing to the report in the Salt Lake Heraldof Not. 17, it was quite 2 demonstration. The local p pers priat fall reports of the addresses made by the ladies on the occasion, and some of thenare exceedingly pointed and sarcastic, if uot logical and otherwise accurate. Thus, Miss Eezs Sxow, who was made President of the meeting, and who delivered the principal address, on, takiog the chair, said: 1 helieve polygamy is as sacred as any principle, Gon has _cver revealed and given to the hamsn family. If we had a Congress composed of, polyg: « amous men, true to their wives, it would be 8. higher honor to the nation, and they wonld better perforn their duties, than'a Congress of monog3- mous and unreliable husbands. Speaking of the efforts of the anti-polygamous women of Utah, she declared: L We hold that tnis privileze is ours by the Consti- tation, that noble instrument bequeathed to 58 by our forefathers, through them drawn up by the inepiration of Gop. the same who had raiseds. prophet, zathered the people from the nations of the earth, and had estabi'shed a government o2 princivles of peace, purity, and righteoosnesi. And 5is one of the principles revealed by Go bas ® Dbecn assailed, we feel it our right to express our- gelves ix regard to this matter 23 becomes WomeR who believe in it. + The next address was read by Mrs. B. We, Satrtm, who said in the conrse of ‘her remarks: As a lezal citizen of this great Republie, I, enter my most fervent protest againit this ualaw- ful and nnhallowed crusade, founded on mistepre- sentations. Congress has no right to inerfere with our moet encred religion. As well micht that bon- orable pody legislate agninst baptism by fmmersion : as azainst plurality of wives. Gop has ravealed theao principles and they must be sustained. With the tailors, milliners, dressmekers, dry goods and furnishing stores have token in, It is probably far within bounds to estimato that, directly and indirectly, the opera has cost Chicago §60,000,—a sum which would pay the grocers’ and butchers’ bills of 100 fami- lies for o year, and keep them with well-laden tables. 2 3 Undoubtedly there are many good people who will grieve over this; moralists who will condemn it; socinl philosophers who will smile and shrug their shoulders at the .tendency of humankind to herd wherd fash- ion dictates; but, cui Boro? The clack of Curmen’s castancts or the whirr of Martha's our own free consent our husbands take more wives, and, when children crown oar joy, arount. our sacred family-altars_we bow the knce and supplicate our Ifcavenly Father's blessing on our household. and rejoice in His divine favor 25 lezitl: mate wives with honorable children. We rezard our husbands s men of true virtoe and integritfs who take upon themselves so great a responsibility in honoring the laws of Gob. Other speeches were made by the Mormoz woinenias emphatically indorsing polygamy 88 these from which we have quoted, ail a 8 lize with the.above, and the resolutions :u!o_nl!fl were (uite as strong as the addresses. These 4 women seem to be thoroughly in earnest, 30d are ready to argue the case withazeal thatis born of ignorance 2nd fanaticism. ———— Civil-service reform in Japan scemsto beve taken a decidedly practical ana tbuslnas—likul turn. Having nerceived that nothinz inthe wey of reform in the admistration of the Govero: ment would be accomplished while the present ministers were in power, the reformers nottfi the Mikado of their inteution to remove the obstacles by assassination, and followed this notice by promptly killing two members of the Cabinet. Such heroic treatment may not be pleasant, but it certaiuly has a look of efl!delnfyi to recommend it. To cut off a corrupt official’s . head is a short-cut out of the dificulty. ———— What an Illinols man can do when he scts himself about it in sober earnest is well fllus- trated by the carcer of Senator-clect SLATEBy “‘; Orezon. He left home when the gold fever broke out iri 1319, and cntercd ¢alifornia with- out money. He had two partners, who bonght an ox-team and cngaged him to drive overland: with the understanding that if guccesstul be was to pay the others for onc-third the value of the wagon and oxen. He made the journesr. losing one of their oxen, and entercd the Sacra mento Valley with but one animal to draW the wagon. ¥ One of the scooped Congressmen at the late clection was Haxyy, of the Indianapolis Dis- trict. He was badly affticted with the Green:. back luacy, and voted to repeal the Resump™ tion act. When the debate on the repesl¥es ‘fn progress. Haxsa said to an Oclo mesibes”