Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, December 7, 1878, Page 4

3 i g % 4 CilICAGO je Tribwre. TERMS OF SURSCRIPTION. TY MUL—IN ADVANCE~TOSTAGE FREPAID, ity Editfon, one year. .. 812, Tanitofa seat, permon Funing biflios: Titeraey xit faturday Ediiio A WEER 56 “ne copy, per year, g ET e, 3 Snectmen coples sen Cilve Post-Oftice sddrons Caunty. Timinittances may be made efther by draft. express, Tost-Oflice onler, or in rexistered letter, at our risk. TERMS TO CITY SUBSCRINRRS, Tafly, delivered, Sunday excepted, 23cents per week. lly, delivered, Bunday incindal, 30 cents ber week. Addren THE TRIBUNR COMPANT, Corner Madison and Dearburnesta.. Chieaxo, il Oriers fof the delivery of Titx TRIRUNE st Kvansion, Knglewood, and Hyde Parx feft {n the counting-room willrecelve prompt atcentior full, Including Btate and TRIBUNE BRANCIH OFFICES, Tne Cicann TAINCKE hot extabllshed branch offees a1 the recelptof subrertptins and sdvertiscments ss oltaws: NEW TORR—Room 20 Tridune Bulidlog. F.T.Me: APDEX, MAnnger, PARIE, France—No. 16 Rue de In Grange.Datelfere. A Manrer, Agent. LONDON, Eng,—~Americsn Exchange, 449 Btrand. MoVieker's Theatre. Madison street, between Dearborn aad £rate, ** Rotcs asle.” Atternoon and evenfug, Tiaverly’s Theatre. Deatborn street, corner of Monroe. Eugagement of the Unlvn Square Combsny. **Mother sad 8. Af- ternoon and eveniog. Hoolry'n Kondoloh #treet, hetween geRement of Mrs. D. I' Lyono " Kvening. Academy of Alusic. alsted strect, between Madlion and Monros. En- magement of Bid C. Fraoce, ''Murked for Life.” Af- terucon and evening, Hamlin's Theatre, Clark street, opposite the Conrt-Nouss. Engagement of Oiiver Doud Hyron, **Hero," Metropolitan Thentre, Clark street, oppotite Sherman fouse, Varlety én- tertalaraent. Afterncon and eventog.; Kzposliton tuliding. Michigan avenne, foot of Adama etrest. Qreat¥at Btock Saow, Arte No. 65 Washington street, Losn Rxhibition of the Chicago Bocloty of Decorative Att. Day and oveaing. Unlon Park Congregational Charch, ucert by the Whitaey Company snd 5t. Cocells SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1878, Greenbacks at the New York Btock Ex- chaoge yesterday closed at 993, The Canndian Postmoster-Genernl hos a quiet but effective way of smothering any nspirations among tha employes of tha De- partment for promotion or increase of sal- ary. He simply notifles them that any mp- plication of the kind will be regarded aza resignation, Carter Hannisox has boen bothering Con- grosa ncedlessly to pass a resolution for information regarding the employes 1n tho Chicago Custom-House, which ho could probably hava obtained upon inquiry at the Tronsury Departmont. Buch a course, how- ever, would have been loas gratifying to par- ties who evidently desive to give the affair something of thoe nppearance of an jnvesti- gation, The Grand Jary of the United States Court at Yanktan, D, T\, have found twelvoe indictmenta agsinst Dr. Livinastoy, the pions.ex-Indinn Agent at Crow Oreck. In addition to the frandulont transactions set forth in theso Indictments, thera are over 100 falso vonchers against which the Statute of Limitations runs, and in connection with which the Government will institute civil Buits. e — Tho Tox Scorr Texns Pacifio Bubsidy bill now pending in Congress has few friends in California. In tho Constitutional Conven. tion at Han Francisco s resolution was tabled requosting Californfa Sonators and Ropro. sentatives in Congress to support tho mcas- ure. Chlifornia is vitally interested in the construction of a Southern trans-continental line, but bor peoplo know porfectly well that it Congress keeps ita hands off the rond wiil Le built by private capital and without ask. iug a dollar of Governmeut subsidy. mny possibly play tho port of Mr, Justice Monkey, and by thelr joint nibbling at the Afghou cheeso absorh the Amecr's tosritory, leaving that potentato withonus an ocotpa. tion ora title. This schomo hos even re ceived pointc1 notice in the English House of Comuons, where tho plan was attributed to Lord Lyrroy, Viceroy of India. MMontion of tho fact waa supplemented, however, by tho statemont that tha Indian Vicoroy tay have expressed an opinion covering the above point, but that tho English Government was not st present prepored to onter {uto such an agreement, The Fat-Stock Bhow which closes this cvening has proved {o bo in overy respect & most gratitying success, having Lrought to- gether o collection of cholca butchers’ ma. torinl such na bas wever bLefors been cqualed in the United BStates, ond ons which i3 well worth a visit to the Exposition Duilding to see, Yor a first efort it has been managed with excellont judgment, and no fsult can bo found on tho score of au intent to award the premiums honestly and fairly, Chieago will do better next time, from having learned what mistakes to svoid aud what improve. wonts can be mado with sdvantage to ex- Libitors and the public., Canadian railway people are much excited »nd elated over a schemo by which the Mis- souri Pacifle, Iannibal & Bt. Joe, Wabash, sud Grand Trunk are to work togather to the ruin of Vaxpeauizz dud bis pool, andthe iucideutal destruction of Now York and Dal. timore. What the Kansicks are goiugto do with the freight of the country after they have ewptied it into Montreal is not at pres- vot known. It 1s beliovéd that the scheme of runaing ice-bosts 'to Halifax has been abaudoned. If the Canadiaus would offor the people of the West auy relief from the extensive arrangements which Mr. Vanpzs- siLT Los nade to ploch them this winter, that relicf would probably be accopted with a veadiness which would ske Br. Vasprs- uiLt uuheppy, Becrotary Scuvgz had Lis foning yulnnl}f‘ Lefors tle Joint Commission to consider the proposed trunafer of the Indian Burgsu from the Interior to the War Departinent; sud jm. proved it by givisg an exteuded statement of his reasons for opposing the transtur. Ie Lased this opposition npon considerations touching the welfaro of the Indians sud the futerests of ecivilizstion and peace, and dis- cisuncd auy perional desire 0 ve botherud SATURDAY. DLCEMBER 7, 1I87T8—TWULVE PAGES’ by labors and responsibilities so tronblesome and thankless, Mr. Scnunz i manifestly sincera in the bolinf that the penceablo Indians ean best be looked after by civiliana, who, in turn, noed to be closely looked after by the head of the Department or Burean to whom they are accountable, and that the troublesome Indians only should be handled Ly the military, The New Orleans Subs! torday finished ita labors and adjourned, having sccomplished everything for which it wns brought together—ihat is, the recom- mondation of subsidies for everything aund everybody who hed an axto grind, Tho atenmship lines between Now York and Now Orleans, and varions South American ports, cnme in for their share of tho proposed bounty, but great cara waa taken that Jorx Roacut’s shipyard shonld not be left out in the cold, the Convontion showing such de. términed opposition as to necessitate the withdrawal of an amendment contemplating thist the subsidized lincs might possibly be made up of ateamors not built in the United Btates, but bought and owned in this conn- 1t there is anybody cles who wanted & subsidy and didn't putin a claim at Now Orlenns, ho will exporience a pang of regret when ho sces how libernl the Couvention was with the Government's moucy. HAS SILVER BEEN REMONETIZED} The President enid in his mossage that Sec. retory Surnatan, while still holding tho same views as bofore sbout the nse of silver as money, had faithfully oxeonted the law re- storing the silver dollar, President was convineed of this or he wonld not hiave anid so; indeed, if ho thonght oth. erwise it would be his duty to compel the Becretary of the Treasury to carry ont the law or nppoint apother fnancial ngent who would do s0. A good many other peoplo soem to labor under the sams lmprossion, and, believing that the Remonetization act, hag been tosted, thoy have come to the con- clusion that it is a failure. value of ailver pending the discussion of the act was such as to make the pure silver in the standard dollar worth about 02 cents in the law soomed oxpected, for called, as thers in in existenco in the United Btates of both subsidiary and legal-tender In Franco thero aro $£00,000,000 of silver in nctive cirenlation nat par with gold and bank-notes, whilo only 24,000,000 of legal-tonder silver has been permitted lo get inlo the chiannels of trade in this country, Isn't it a farco to maintain in the faco of theso facta that remonotization has been a failure, or that it has been tried, or oven that thero haa boon any ganuine remonetiza. tion? Before the inflnence of American re- monetization can be determined, it will at loast be pecessary to convinea the world that there is n serious intention to use silver as money in this country, and that mnst be still & mattor of & good deal of doubt in othor conntries in view of the American policy of the last eight months, IGNORAKT OB VICIOUS, OR BOTH. About four years ngo » Chicago gontle- man of wealth made a sale of property, ro. colving in paymont one hundred thousand He came into possession of the money in New York Oity, and, being well acquainted with Mr. Oox, President of the Oloaring.Homuso Association, rought his advics on the subjeot of investments. Mo said 1n substance, ‘‘How can I beat and most safely invest $100,0002” Mr. Coz is reported to have replied promptly : **Con. vert it into greenbacks and lny them away This {ucident throwe n flood of light upon Mr. Cos's calibre as a financior, 1t shows, i¢ Mr, Con represonts-the pur. poses of the association of bavka of which e ia chief executiva officor, the roal roason of thoir late action in regard to the silver coinaga of the couatrs, plainly to make money as dear aa possiblo and commoditios a3 choop =8 possible, ‘Whother the Chicago capitalist followed tho advice of Ar. Cox is not importaut. Sup. Le aid not, bat The net result in 1878, compounding the intorost annunily, in round numbers is $124,500. Here is an increnso by usa of 24,500, or a fraction over 24 per cant for the whole toym, What wonld have baen the increaso under tho plan pro- posed by Mr. Cox, ns gauged by the relative value of commoaditiea? wea worth shoat 340 per ton, $100,000 in 1874, the Chicago capitalist conld have purchased 2,600 tons of pig-iron. But with his $100,000 in greanbacks drawn from the vault in 1878 ha can purchase 5,882 tons of pig-iron, inthe value of tho capitalist’s idle greon- backs, 88 represented by the shrinkage in the value of pig-iron, for the whola term, of 70 per cont. To make the illustration atill more striking, lot ussuppose that the ownor of the 2,500 tous of pig-iron decided in 187¢ to stors it {n warchouso and lot it and that the itallst docided o pureme conrse with his $100,000 in greenbacks. ‘The ownor of thepig-iron finds, in 1878, tuat his property, which was worth exactly s much s that of the Obleago capitalist in 1874, is now worth but 942,000, while that of the Ohicago capitalist is worth mn even §100,000. Mr, Cor's advice was equivalont to a prediction that from that time on com- modities would decling in prica n greater porcentage than any rato of interest the capitalist would likely be able to secure on any safe investment, And ho was right. We have shown that pig-iron declined 70 per cont infour yoars, Itis a faot that mess pork declined nearly 50 par cont in the same timo; and the average deoline of commodi- tics for tho poriod named ia not less than i35 por cent. It follows that Mr. Cos's advico was sound. Bat on what stata of facts did he baso his calculations? Doubtless, silver lately been demonetized by Gormany and the United States, he nssumed (1) that the conspirncy to drivo silvor from use as mouoy through- ont tho civilized world entirely successful. (2) That the Resump- tion law of 1875 would be carrled futo effect (3) That such resump. tion would make greenbacks tho equivalent of gold, (4) That, Ly virtue of this chain of circumatances, the legal gold dollar being in- creased in value by renson of its enlarged uso, owing to the disuse of silver as money, would render it greslly more valusble aa a moasura of the values of all other commodi- ties, including the commodity silver. ing Mr. Cor by his advico to a capitallst to hoard groenbncks, it may bo assumed that Lis ooly objcot in sustaining the exclusive gold standard {n proforence fo the double standard~—gold and silver—is to increase the value of the dollar, and so to depreciata the valuo of all other commoditics, bo true, it muy be assumed with equal ns- surance cithor that Mr. Cox knows nothing of the selence of money and its logitimate functions, that ho is & mero ueurer, or that, knowing what the logical results of the schomo the asingle gold standard must be, ho dosires, through his position at tho head of the Bankers' Association of Now York City, to force gold into exclusive uso na money in order the more casily to plunder the labor and industrial classes of tho com. munity for the benefit of the money and oredit holding claasos, Ye are fnclined to tho opinion that both thess assumptions sre truo,—that Mr, Cox is both ignorant and dollars in° money. We presume the Thefr object e tho possage of to have tho efoct samo amount of silver became worth about 04 conta in gold. Since then, howavar, there Las beon a dacline in its valuo till it is now worth only nbont 86 cents in gold. This fact is cited to show that yemonstization of silvor in this country will not restore the equilibrium of valuca botween gold and sil- ver; but the conelusion is nocessarily found. ed on the assumption that remonctization hna boen fairly triod, and this is not true. The purpose of the Remonetization aot was to restore the silver dollar to the mone- tary system of the country,—not in theory alone, Lut, as soon 0 & specie basis ahall be reached, In practice aa well, by the men in Congress who voted for the Bilver blll that the standard ellver dollar should be brought into active circulation ; that was tho object the people had in de manding its remonslization; in one word, In 1874 pig-iron Horo {s an increnso It was designed silver could be motually remonetized. But this purpose has not been worked out, and the Becrotary of the Troasury does not pro- posa to put any such interpretation upon the There could have boen coined, under the provisiona of the act, about 10,000,000 ; thero bas been actually coined only abont It Bacretary Buznuax says that tho mintnge capacity of the country durivg the first fow months was not equal to the coinage of $4,000,000 a month, in connection with the otber dewnnda upon if, the answer is that the Now Orleans miut could havo been put in working order long before, and tho deflctency of the first few montha conld havo been aupplied. Dut not meroly has the Becralary of the Treasury confined the colnsge of silver dollars to $£19,000,000 when it should $10,000,000, but of the former amount only $4,000,000 aro in actual circulation, fnet counot be explamed by saying that the gilver will not ocirculate, pretoxt may be, on Jau, 1, 1870, It has no chance to circulato, because the Beoretary of the Troas- ury has not paid it out. Ho has not permit. ted the silver dollars to leavo the Troasury vaulta except when actually demanded in proference to other money. Ho announcos Lis intention to pursue the same course in TIs that & faithfal execution of tho law? It is probably truo that, during a susponsion of specie-paymonts and whilo silvor has with gold an exclusive funotion in the payment of duties, it would quickly flow back to tho Tressury for customs payments, but the process of flowing out and flowing back would have been circulation, and this lias boen prevented by the Becrotary of the That the Remonetization act, as adminis- tered by Becrotary Burnmay, has not operat- atod fo incroasa the bullion valua of silver is ‘The ontire coinagoe of silver dollars uinco last February has not been equal to the product of the minos not at all strange, fean gilvor bullion ' has had o markot abroad, Thst {8 a condition of things scarcely calculated to increase the value of silver bullion in the London wmarket, sloug with an abatement in the demand for Indis and continned supplies from the Ger- It is obsurd to con- tend that romonetization hns been fairly toated under these circumstances, rotary Buxrstax coiued the 40,000,000 stand. ard dollars suthorized by the law during the period that has elapsed since its passago, tho current product of the American mines would hiave beon exhisuited, sud there would have been a domand upon the old stock of milver bullion which might have offset the deprosse ng influences exerted by tho supply from tho German market. lia could have used all that, and much more if the law had permitted a coinago of moze, had he treated the milver dollars as money and not as bullion, could bave pald them out to & cortain proportion on all the interest coupons ve- deemed by the Government; he conld have distributed them throbghout the country in dischargo of salaries In tho customs, post. oftice, army and navy service; he could bave paid the enormous salary-llst in Washington, in part ox.in whole, taking his own share, Thou there would have beon at least a partial test as to tho offect of American remonetiza- \ver. Indeod, a pariial test was al} that wps possible under the law as it stands; but even this o been douled by the prace tieaf nullification of the law which Preaident Havys has beon led to regard as * faithful mau demouotization, “The debtor's option,” so-called, is & phrase which bas oxcited the Now York Times into n vory fronzy of opithets, The fact that Ty Cutcaco TrinoNe has recently pointed ont that the option thus defined is tho very essemce of the double standard acoms to have led the Jimesto think that there is something new about the proposi. tion, and it donounces as a villainy what was always practiced jn ‘this aud every other country under the double standard, viz. s the choice of either coin on the part of tho per. son mekivg a paymont, It Las remained for the Times to discover dishonesty in a practice that received the approval of law and com- mercial probity in this country for a whole There must bo s new codo of othics to accommodete the clique of money. lendors, aud the Times is ready to furniah it, In preparing this cods, that journal has compiled a remarkablo mass of misstates ments, 8 emall part of which may be found Iu the following extract : ‘The Impossibilisy of upbolding & double standard, revall, 14 too wanifest to call for every creditor tue m yold cuju wurth 100 cents, 5 siiver coln worth B3 cents, and thero will 1¢aly ile Wil pay in that whic cosls bita least, Mconwbile ths crvditor's rignt e 18 ynored 1u tue transaction. patd gold for hla bundx. and was promised gold ayment lu return, bug the Government, svathng tion, " wili keruafter pay on mortuaze greeubacks 8t 8 twe when thoy were uearly ab par with with the kuowledge that resumptiou 1 boon syleunly vromluc ur bas had 8 Juw enacted for bl rid brnself of the d ce. be 10 room for choice, ‘Those who think that the Bilver law has | bie noaiver® $ioionsd) been fairly carried out in this conntry jgnore soxe plain facts to the contrary, more silver to-doy in active circulation in Great Britaln, whorait is treated as subsid- iary coluage only, than thore is in this coun- try. There is twico as much legal-tender silver in cirenlation In Germany lo-duy, iu spite of German demonctization so. ot by paylng 85 conts on coluagy as the_vquivalout of uro 1hat begshiaos fraud. Any & caso iv aunsenve. g bast wold is shmply & m tulk about **option ™ 1u such d the Bwmvuctlzation act, thus frsukly exe platned, 15 por conl, or more, of thelr just claime, Liet un noto somo of the palpablo misstates wients m this paragraph : (1) Tho eraditor in not “ignored in tho tranwaction," bocanso ho loaned the chenpest money, and with the underatanding that ha shonld be repaid in the chenpest monoy ; that is the very nature of a donble standard. (2) He did not ** pay gold for hia bouds"; for the most part he paid depreciated paper money for his bonds, but when le pald in metal money at all prior to 1873 he pald gold, becanse gold was the chenper of the two standarda then prevailing. (%) e was not * promised gold panyments in retum,” but promisod payment in coin; if he assumod Wiat his bonds wonll be paid in gold and not in silver, the assumplion waa based on the fact that gold was the chonper of the two, (4) The geroat mnssof ont- standing lonns was not made in greenbncks “*which were nearly at par with gold,” bt in groenbacks at a frightful discount ; this is especinlly trne of the vnst amount of tho publie debt. _Bat, if such wero tho caso, ho will receive, if paid in sliver, the amonnt of money exchiangenble for more property thsn the same amount of gold would have bLonght nt the time he loaned deprecinted paper. (%) Resumption in gold wns *‘not solemnly promised.” The languago of the Resumption act is that * on nud after tho first day of January, A. D. 1879, the Secretary of the Treasury shall re. deem 7 coin,” oto,, olo, Congresa and the poople meant gold or silver, for it was not thon known that a suspension of silver coin- ogo had been made to oporate as a perma- nent disnse of sllver for monetary purposes. Though the ** option "of payment has bean called the debtor's option becauso the money- lending class hnve rought to defeat it, it is an option employed by all classes whenever thers exists more than one kind of money. Tho present eredilor class do not go out of their way to secure gold for the paymont of taxes for which groenbacks aroe roceiveble. Tut tho effect of tho option is to equalize values in the double standard, and to pro- vent an unnatural contraction and opprossive scarcity of money. Undor the doubla standard, the creditor would avail himself of this option in all his purchascs and in all now loans. If gold is tho dearer by reason of a doflciency in the supply, he will operate on a silver standard ; if efiver is tho doarer, as it was in this country for a long period prior to the demonetization theroof, he will operato ona gold. basia. But the natural jmpulso of all men to uso the moro availablo curroncy tonds to check the cornera on either metal, and to counteract the tempo- rary Influcnces that might otherwise incronso the purchasing valuo of either metnl stand. ing alono. Tho option portaining to the doublo standard is a constant check upon the fuctuation of prices. ‘The cditor of tho T¥mes maintning that the silver dollar is worth only 85 conts. But the American silvor dollar s worth 8 por cent more than tho Fronch silver colus, and, on hiu thoory, a silver five-frano picce is,only worth a little more than four francs, To carry out lus thoory, then, every man in France who dischnrgos a debt or pays forn purchase 1 silver §s a scoundrol and a knavo, As thoro aro $600,000,000 worth of silvor coins in France, nearly nll legal-tondor and pearly all in actual clrculation, a good many people must bo making purchases and pay- ing debts In silvor, If the Times editor wera publishing a papor in Franco and should ua. dortake to dosignato all thess pooplo as scoundrels and knaves, tho probabllity is that bo wonld spend most of his”time in prison, where tho muss of sdoindrels and knaves in Frauce who aro availing themaelves of * the dubtor’s option " aro acoustomed to conslgn publio libelers, BUN-3P0TS AND BUBINESS, The dospair of astronomy is the use of tho sun-spot. Astronomers, without regard to age, coudition, or sox, are agrced upon the oxistenco of the spot. 'Thoy nlso con- cedo that thoss epots reach a maximum in cyclos of ten years, As nstronomy i8 noth- ivg if not praciso, the form nny be stated at 10 40-100 years, Just at this polnt, how- ovor, with the obutinaoy and pervorsity peculiar to the class, thoy commence to di- verge, soma clalinlng that the prosouce of sun-spots in maximum produces bot woather, and othors that it produces cold weathor, As thora will be snother maximum at or nbout the year 1881, we aro nocordingly left In a porploxity of doubt whether at that time we shall be burned up with heat or frozen with cold, Prof Jevoxs, with a charming disrogsrd of the doubts in the case, Lins eatablished a thoory that sun.spols are in somo mystorious way conuected with com- meroial panics, sud that when the spota are numerous the market valucs shrink up and panic ensucs, Ife makes uo agcount of tho fact that cotnmareial panics have their maxima {u cycles, and that these oycles mny correspond with those of the sun-spots, which would bring his argumont dowu to the absurdity of the popular flction that tomatoes produce cancer because some peo- plo who eat tomatoos have dled with that disonso, ‘The whole business is au embarrassing oue, The President in his mossage has juformoed the country that we are eutering upon an areaof good times and gonoral business prosperity, when along comes Jevons and in- sista that snn-spots detormine panios, which wall make tho noxt panio due in 1881, Again, In the face of the declaration of ono class of astronomers that sun-spots produce periods of groat heat, we have had duriug tho past summer a most remarkably heated torm,—a term so hot that St. Louis was al. most burned up, and nearly all her popula- tion came to Uhlcago,~—aud yet thers nothing the mattor with tho sun in the way of spots. Awin the case of some children, thoro was Lardly a measle made its sppear- auco and the attack wae very light, But, whether the sun-upots have anything to do with the existing coudition of thiugs or not, wo Lave reason to be satisfled with it, The summer heat produced an abundant crop, and bas kuocked prices down, We bavo had a warm and delightful fall, and now we are falrly past Thanksgiving and almoss up to Christmas snd the ground is not yet fairly frozen, The thormomnster has ranged bighor than at any time dwing tho past twenty yoars, and although the obfuscat. ed muskrat has built his house doubly strong this yoar, and the disgruntled goose hus lit out with absurd haate, thors is 8 fair prospect that wa shall not sufer mucl, baving already less than three wonths alioad of us befors wo reach the longthened days and warmer suu. The effeot of all this bas been a vaving in the expouses of livivg, such ss coal, clothing, furs, aud othor nccessities which a cold fall would bave imposocd. It hes opened the way for the coutiuuauce of out-door owploy- wmeut even fnto the winter. 1t s saved much out-door relief. It has made the poor comfortable, sud, if its valuo could be com- puted iu money, it would reach wmillions of dollura. ~ u gl thiy thory is great encourags- peara ae & Jaw for rolihing ereditors of mont, and wo may reasonnbly banish all dread of the long, cold winter that was threatened. From this standpoint it is of littlo consequence what significanco nstron- omers moy nitribute to munespots, or what effect thoy may have npon commorcial panics. THE PACIFIC RAILROAD EXTORTIONS, Tho exnctions and oxtortions of the Union Pacifio and the Central Pacifie Railwny Oom- panies in the way of charges for freight and IMmasonger trausportation have reached that point that it becomes the duty of Congress to lutorpose the natlonpl anthority to protect tho publio. These roads ars simply rapncions. They defy the law and the Conrts, and, rely. ing upon the protoction of Jax Gourn, con. fdently do what they please, in uiter con. tempt of nll protesis and complaints, We rrinted yosterdny a statement showing some of the onormous. exactions mado by these Companies. The chargo from Omaha to Ban Franciaco for passengers is at the rate of five cents por mile, while the average rate on all ronda enst of Omahn does not excoed three cents por mile, and for long distances is per haps less than that. It is, however, upon freight transportation that the extortions are more striking aund griovons, The longer the distanco the leas tho coat of transportation permile. Tho distance from Omoha to Ban Francisco Is 1,916 miles. On first-class goods,—cottons, woolens, silks, otc,,—the rato from Omaha to Han Francisco is $4.25 per 100 pounds, This is about fivo conta per ton per mile. The rato on this olasa of goods from Olieago to Ban Francisco is $3 par 100 pounds, for which the road from Obicago to Omaha (500 miles) gets 75 conts and the Pacific lloads $4.25. The Chieago road gots thirce cents per ton per nnle and the other road about five cents per ton per mile, Noris thisall. Unless the shippors and consignoes sign contracta to movoad their freight by the Paclfic Railronds, they have to pay $10 per 100 pounds, or at o rato exceeding 10 centa per ton per milo, On flour, which {s generally classod as grain, tho rate from Omaha to Ban Francisco ls %2.60 per 100 pounds, or $5 a barrel, or at tho rate of 200 por ton per mile; but in tho absonceof a general contract to ship all gooda by these ronds the rate will be five centa per ton per mile, or $10 per barrol for moving flour from Omala to San Francisco. ‘Thoe rate on all roads running east of Omaha raroly if ever exceods ono cont penton per wilo on this class of goods, but is often much less, Thus on grain and flour tho rate be. twoen Chleago and Omaha, by the Jowa pool lines,—including the Northwestern, Rook Island, and Burlington Roads,—is 25 cents per 100 pounds, or ono cent per ton por mile, mifd tha same rate {s mado botween Ohioago and tho Mississippi River points,—8t. Josepls, Konsas City, and Loavenworth, On corn the rata is 20 conts por 100 pounds, or eight mills por ton por mile, From Chicago to Now York the rate on grain and flour is 35 conta por 100 pounds, the distanoce baing 030 miles. The suamer rate was from 20 to 25 conts per 100 pounds, orabout five mills por ton per mile. Let us state these various ratos comparativeoly : On firat-clans merchandise, Routes, per 100 1bs! Omalia to San Franciaco, 1,910 mil 25 New York to Chicago, 030 miles Culcago to Omaba, 500 milos. U flonr and grain, 00 Lhe, Omaha to 8an Pranciaco, 0 Missour] River to Uhicago, Chicago 1o New York (winter) Chicago to New York (sumuez) ... i P b2 Omahd 19 9ai Frdnelito (erchandise) New York to Chicago, . Chicago to Omaha. Oninkia to San Fral Missourt River to Chicago Chicago to New York (winier) . Chlcago to Now York (summor) . ‘The rate from Chioigo to Omaba included £10 per cor on all froight crossing tho Omaha bridge. 'The Huprome Court of the United States decidod that the eastern terminus of the Union Pacific Railway was on tho Jowa bank of the Missouri River, and that the bridge was o nocessary part of the road. Novertholoss, the Union Pacifis Railway Company domands and oxacta a toll of $10 per car on all cars from the enst crossing that bridge, and that toll has to be paid on all cars going west from Chicago aud the East, The chargo of fivo dents per ton per mile on merchandise, when the charge on the same goods from New York is but 1§ conl, | is nothing less than robbery, withont the slightest protenso of justification. 'The road from Omaha to Ban Francisco cost no more to construct than tha Eastern roads, end oven the nctunl cost was pald Ly: tho Governmont. The roads wore built at the cost of the country, Tho cost of operating the Paciic Ioads is not any groater, if it b8 as great, as that of the Fostern ronds. The Companies bave largo annual surpluses, and are voting themselves large dividends on stock which has practical- 1y cost them nothing, All appealn to the reason and tho justics of the managers have Loon traated with contompt, These roads bid the country deflance, They fcel seoure iu thelr monopoly, and depend on corrup. tion to sustain them In their robbery of tho public, The Commisasioners, appointed nom- inally to ropresent tho United States, are of no possible protection either as guardiaus or as witnesses, Fraud fuds-them Llind, and corruption finds them asloep., Tho grentest and Iatest of schumes to avold paying tho debts of theso Companica finds a friendly snd sympathetio support from the Commis. sioners, who nre mapposed to defond the publle luterests. Thero is no remedy but in tho exercise of national authority, ‘I'ho question of power is volouger au open one. The Buprome Court in a scoro of casos has determined that tha power of legislative control is inherent sud inatienable, It is the duty, therefors, of Congress (o exercise this power now. That Benator and Ropresentative who will pre. pare & well-digeatod bill, establishing a max. jmum rate of toll for the trunsportation of passengers and freight over all the roads con. structed or to be constructed west of the Miscourl River, placing that maximuw at & rate equal (o that at which roads east of the Missoun River do business at a profit, will merit the thanks of the whole Amerioan peopla. The theory of buitding a third road by subeidy that thers may be competition is fullacious, A thinl road does not uesn competition; it means a combi. ugtion aud a strouger monopoly, Thore is nothing loft for tho protection of the robbad aund plandered nooplo save the futerposision of autliogity, The law maust place a limit on extortion, and that limis wust be enforced by penaltica sharp, sovera, and suwwary. The Railroad Comuissioners should be discharged—dismnissed. They sre morely porfunctory dead-heads, without power sud without auy disposition to be of any possible utility, Les the law establish. Ing vutes bo euactod, and its execution placed in the hauds of tho Bocretary of the Ioterior, with full power to enforca it prowptly snd offivicutly. The struggle is upon the conntry whother these railrond companics wost of the Missouri River aro roverzign powers or mcro croatui of Iaw; whother thoy aro absoluts in thoir power or whether they are within the eon- trol of the Nntional Government. This atrugglo may as woll be decidod at {his session as at any time hereaftér, and tho oonar it {5 determined tho soonor will come the national deliverance. ——————e . HOW BILVER WAS DSMONETIZED. It may seom like threshing over bld atraw to rediscusa tha question whather the staod- ard silver dollar was demonatized openly and publicly or stealthily nnd fraudulently in 1873 and 1874, Dut n correspondont in an- other coliumn maintains the former proposi- tion in answering n qnastion by a ** Farmoer” throngh the medium of Tnn Trinune. Iis statemont of tho histaty of demonctization 18 80 inexact and misleading that it calls for correction, and that is onr oxonss for reenr- ring to tha subjoct ot this time. The demonetization was nccomplished by two nots,—the first by the bill which *J. P.” sags was *printed thirteen times.” It waa “entitlod *“A Dill for the better rognln. tion of the Governmont mints and otber purposes.” Thero if no hint or Intimation in this title that demonetization of the old standard silver dollnr was proposed. If the objeot was to remova silver from tho st of colng theroaftor to be minted, it should have been statod; a change of so much fmpor. tauce shonld not have boon hidden nodor a title that gave no claw to tha intention. The Mint Reorganization bill was very long and vory dry rending to the average Congross- man, The avowed scopo nud purpose of the Lill was to revise and codify a4 multitude of miut acta scattered up and down the statutes for a period of eighty yeara' legislalion, many of them conflioting and obscure, As far ns we bova boon ablo to trace its history in Congross, the bill was never oven once read through in the hearing of either Houso, the membors being too impatient to listen to its nwmnerons and dry seotions, Aftor 1t passod tho House there was not a section of it read in the Benate,—it wont through on assurance of tho Chairman of the Financo Committee that it wasall right. But tho bill, in point of faet, did not do- monetizo the silver dollar, It simply omitted it from tha list of coins to bo minted. | The trade dollar wns slipped in and mnds a legal-tender for 25, and by the not of July 18, 1876, this logal-tendar power was slipped out of it. It was the statuto-codifiers who stealthily and@raudulently domonotized tho standard silver dollar nnd nonit of valne in tho Rovised Btatutes of 1874, & year or mora after the nct of Fob, 12, 1873, had dropped out tho silver dollar from the list of silver coins to Lo minted. It was in this codification of 1874 that gold was doclared to bo tho mona- tary standard aod unit of value, Then it wag that the silver dollar aa tho American standard of value was dothroned. The statuto-codifiers bind no legal right to creato now laws, or repeal oxisting lass, or chango thom, Honee their act domonetizing silver was fraudulent and surroptitiously done. As Into as the Oth of April, 1870, Sonator Maxzy, of 'Toxas, sskod Mr., Joux Bueamax in the Honate, and thon Olalrman of the Commit- toe on Finance, whether any bill had poased domonotizing silvor. In response to that question Senator Suzmuax replied that no Inw had passel demonetizing the silvor dol- Jar! That was throo yoars aftor tho passago ,of tha bill. It may bo that Jouy Snemaan w3 not aware at tho timo of tho trick that had been played on silver by the codiflers of tho statutos in 1874, who finished by stoalth the demonctizing conspiracy, the firat part of which had been clandostinely possed in the innocent.looking bill for the * botter regulation of tho Government mints," Last February, shortly befora the passago of tho Silver bill ovor tho veto, a discussion aroso {n the Sonate as to how the provision in the Mint act omftting the colnage of tho standard silver dollar slipped through the Houso unobserved, and tho following col- loquy oceurrod : iy Blr, Buatya aald ho had recelved numerous in- awries upon a point that Had huen mngaified Info mnortance, viz, : the quastion whether tho bill of 147} was read, and wald that tha oiiclul Globe sad tuo reading of'tho LIl was beguu, rud, later, Mr, McCanxick called for the reading of tho sizhtconth scction agaju, A dispateh tn the New Yors 7'rise unes anid the bill wu read. consuming an_hour, and the flles of the Waskiingion Zepndircan And tha UAron‘cle, in Wk reports, sald: **Th th, and then passed nnder 1t wonid ba found th was not as well underelond thes a3 now; Vo dotlar way not in clrculation tucn, &nd no one saw the effect of tAe act, 1t wonld be quite as well If thoy all acknowledued theie [gnorance, fie dosirad that no stain shiould rest upon the name of one now In his grave, who, when in the ifouse, wus the Jeet,in uancial matiars of any goutioaisn in $he ouva, " (This was on an attompt to whitewash Hoorkn, who stoalthily worked in tho clause dropping the silver dollar,} Mr, Vaonuuzs, of Tndiana, asked if the Senator trom Malue, who wea then Npeaker o know that the bill demonetized the allve Mr, Buaivg—[uld not. Did you? Xr. Voouxes sald he would [rankly say he dld not, Mr, Tiunwaw, of Ohlo, eaid this was a sinzular catechiom, One Scnator asks tho other 1f he knaw the ill demonetizod cho siiver doliar hoth belng, bers of the louss at thie vms, sad tie rovly No, did your" and the, othor says Noither knew that the bill demonstised sliver dullar, because it did nod, [Laughter.) Thus it was in the bilt for *iho batter regulation of the Government wints,” and by the statute-codifiers’ illognl trick, ilat ono of the most injurious acts ever pnased by Congross got into the statutes, and whon the rascally act was discovered an almost universal outery went forth for its abroga- tiow, But the mischlef has yet been onuly hall undone, The silver dollar Iy but partially restored to ita old placo- ns the Anierican stondard aad uaitof valuo, Thy restoration must bo completed, The 8an Franclsco Evealng Lu'letln s very much stirred up about the proposed visit of tho Chicago merchaats to Mexico. Ic says: The Chicago merchants will have s good time In Mesica, . o » rich In natural resources, but is bankru| 'y best partof tho trado s in the Lande of forsignors. If tho Chicago merchants can change thia dnift thoy will do than the shrewdest of thotr countrymen has 3 Leon able 1o accomplish, ~ But to the Chicage trader nll thinge sre posstole; ot lesat ho assumce thiut they arv, ~ Whata revelution bo would create i1 ho could Infuse thiv suirit into v, torpid Mezico, There aro her mines, traditionally the richest fn the world, . . . Whai will 2,000 Chleago merchauts du'if they coutd have thelr own way tu Mexico Y They havo literuly taken vossos sion of the rich mininu disiricte of Dakota Terrto- Ty, and furnisb ail the supplics. Tine was natuesl euvugh, since Cnlcagu 1s uearer to sbat potad than Ban Francisco. Aud wuch more of the same sort. et —— ‘The Montreal correpondent of the newspaper “founded by Hokacw Grexrer® thiuks Mr. Losss will succeod for a nuwmbar of reasous, among others this: “Iow cau any vne help likiog tbls haudsomo Baxun blonde, with his flazen balr, bls clean~cut features, bls bright eyes, bis cloaraing teoth, sud his wisning sille?? The writer wlso bellaves **tnat the Royal quality of the wife of the Governor-Gen- eral will servo to unite all partles and factions, sud bring thoas vedrer thg Crowy.” ——— - A good mony jokes bave been cracked st the expense of Oubikosh, but Judge PuLLing s not the surt of wan for tho boys to have fuu witn, Tty week 8 trial caimo oo there fa the cass of a wan who munlcred his wife, when the counscl for $32 c1hwiual $34up tho piea that the crivtual was suffering more or less from a temporary attack of Insanity, and that ho was uhconsclony of his surroundings or his nets, and was thore. fora ot responsible for the deed. The Cuugt hold that the plea of emotioual Insanity hag heen exploded by the highest authority long since, aod in the present case he could noy ne- cent tho plea set up by the nttorney ns gaod gronnd for homicide, The attorness were piven untit afternoon to make their defense more ox- plleit, — The Babbath reformera in Cinetnnat are hay- inga jancle over the Bunday newstaper. At oneof the public meotings, & Mr. Kixa said ho il not see how a Bunday nowspaper hurts anybody, beeause that is not the paper that 1y printed Sunday. It is the Monday morning paper which violates the Sabbath. The truly rood man whose sioke so gracetully rises from his buliding Monday morning s one of the gen- tlemen who work all day Sunday,” Mr, Kixg is right. ‘The wickedest paper of the two js that fssued on Monday morning, much of the .wark belng done an Sunday, Sundas’s paper 18 malnly prepared on Saturday, thouah of course tho Sabbath fs badly bent, if- not broken, be- tween 12 and 8 o'clock, e ‘Torx Ewing muet bo credited with & streq) of jrood scnse when ho sald the otherday to ti Banking Committer of the House * that any at. tetnpted loglsiation now to fmpede reswnption would not avall auythiug and would ook to the country as malicious on the part of those who - wero opposed to the policy founded on existing law, Ilo did not belleve it would be a success.” Mr. Knttay, of Peunsylvanis, snother noted antl-resumptionlat, occnpics tho same vosition, Both of these gentlomen have probably been conaniting the full returns of tus late clections, R ‘The 8t. Louls Republican (Dem,) thinks thera was no excuso for “FERNANDY Wun" to fu. augurate s row on the first day of the session, Tt says % there Is nothing in the message to jus- tity Mr. Woop in thus flingiog his hat fato the ring and precipitating & fight.” 1t tuen advises the Democrais {o apnoint n Committes of Safety to keep the Woop-be leadors from mnaling fovla of thomselves, After what Nature has dons for a majority of the Democratio leaders, It would be hiard for any Advisory Committec to restraln them. v — For a Republican newspapar, the Toledo Hlade hins a decldedly emphatic comment on tha Presi- dent’s message. It closes its unsnimous growl with this characteristlc sontenco: **We nave not. acen auch a feeble conception of the dutles and powers of the Presidential offico since DBu- CHANAN—AB s:M0 0ne once truthiully remarked ~—sat in Washington liko a brend poultice, and drow the Rebslllon to a head.! e —— BiLy Srrisusn has suggested a way to rid Congress and the country of tha Portsn Com- mittee. Everybody is sick of It, and It s alck of figelf. D1y says tho £20,000 atrcady appro- priated for fts uso has gone whero the woodbing twinoth, and it no more moncy Is voted tho thing must collapse. As the Democrats can vote dowp suny nore mppropriations for that purpose, Biti's plan is good. —————— The boys on 'Change will petition tho next Legistaturo to bave a law passed makiog it o penal offenss for any man to make o pun with thouso of Mr. Kezxe's name. 8o much un- artlatie work hos recently been dono fn that line thut a law on the subject scems to bo necessury. Somo of the Keencat wits hovo perpetrated tho very worst puns, It s worse than a corner. ———— If cotton fs king In tho Bouth, corn may justly put fnaclaim to the title in other portions of the eountry. 'The amount of corn exported in 1868 was only 7,000,000, while this season the amount will probably reach 85,000,000, The total acreage this year will probably reach 50, 000,000, and the total yicld will not be tess than, 1,500,000,000 bushels, e ——se—— Shupe's Advocate(Fiat), publishod in New York, has collapsed, Tne editor blamee the press, but the itrath.fa, sk coyntry 1s becuming disgusted with theflat-paper foolery, Tho Adrwcateclatmed o clrculation of half a milllon; BO,0X) coples per weok wero sont to Masaachuscetts to lutluency the olection fu favor of Ben BuTLen, but it did not save Lim. e Gald nevee reached a pramtun {n Parls feom the 1mu the war broko out botween Frunce and Ger- many, fn 1870, 1o the dute of resamption in Janii+ ury sty whiclh went abovo 4 per cont.— Hoston Zout, The French never demonetized thelr silver, and no purty in ¥rance advocates Fiat nonsenss or repudiation of thelr natlonol debt, i Bex Boreen ana Homatio 8EYst.uR havo been makin poechos bofore tho vuster und chevso mongers in Now York. ‘The Urangers then and there assompled must havo been won- dertully edifled by tho words of wisdom thut full from the lips of those horny-handed, ex+ perlenced, and subburnt tarmers, e —esaa— Isn’t theron man or two In Clevelandi At tho lust meeting of tho * East End Literary and Beientific Clrcle ! cight casaya wero read, Veghowing much study fn thelr preparstion," as the papers say, and seven out of elght were reail by ladivs, Tha blue stocking scows to show pretty well {u front In that city. et e e ‘The Washington correspondent of the New York Aun, speaking of FruNinpo Wood's specch ou the Dresident’s messago, says: A glance at tho clock shuwwed that the Democratie Jeades ibout to comimit the frst Llunder of Lhe session Jess than three boura after it had opened,” . ——et— MR, UanuyLe is not In favor of the prescot Afghan war, und recently expressed his disgust of thy BuscoNsrisLD policy with characteristic sarcasm, Ile wanted to know, * how long Jons Burtwould stand having a miserablo Jew danca on bis baliy." o g Wespstn Piinuirs sald toa reporter the other dsy in Indfanapolls that * Bxx BurLes Wwill nover ba fully esthnatod fn his Wetime.” Well, 1f ba Is pot, it will nut be the fouls of the newsvapers. ‘Thoy havo been estlmatiug him ab his full valuo for somo time, Judge McAttisten’s decision to the offect that optlon dealiuge woro illegal does not seein to have convinced the Court of Appeals at St Louls, whlch upholds them as leval asd Jezit- mate in oo able and claborate vplufon recently rendered, —— The Milwaukee Daily Murphey evideotly thinks Mr. Kxves 18 the strougest man in the ficld for the United Statea Benate. IHenco it Is continually punching the head of the ularesyld Kzyza, Hower hieips thy **Posa.” et Three whole days and no quarcel reported a8 faking placo between tho sweet singers of Br. BTrakosci's opera troupe, 18 thy entérprising managaer paylug for all his advertisamecats! We bauis for » roply, e e——— It 1s a little curfons that there [s no more talk {n Washington about impeacbiug Mz, farves. But thea Bex Brries bus beeu talklug about butter aud chiceaw befure the Dalryumen's Asso- clation. . e Thera hisa boen cousklerabls Kissing and mak- In¢ up Letween the Washington politiclaus Iately, tf the correspondenta aro to be pelleved. It ds good for Lrethren to dwell together 1o uuity, ! Tt Eptsox keeps ou joveuting st bis present rate ol speed Comwissjoucr-of-Patents Palny will have t0 estabilsh & separate burssu oo pur- Poss o cxatnlng sud decldo upon bis clalms. e ——— The Memphls Aws’ancAs objects to hearing any more of the two Baxs—RANDALL sud TiLDEN— one for Speaker and the other for Prostdeas. It has bad vuough of both, e — ‘The doctors revort that the condition of Waps Haxpzox's Uroken 3imb Ja wot serious. 18 is tbo political condition of the Goveruor that §s decldedly bad.