Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, December 22, 1878, Page 4

4 THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE: SUNDAY. DECEMBER 22, 1878—SIXTEEN PAGES, The Tribnne, TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. 'OSTAGE I'BZ;AH). BY MAIL—IN ADV 1afly Edition, one 2.00 P2NE ofh v, permoi 1.00 Suncay Edition: Literary and Reifzious 2 ‘WELKLY EDITION, POSTPAID. «me copy. ner year. luhot four. Club of tes Club of tw Speclmen copies sent free. > Give Post-Office adcress 1a full, Including State and County. 3 £ Rtemittances may be made either by draft. express, ‘Tost-Offce order, or {n registered letter. st our risk. TERMS TO CITY SUBSCRIBERS. Dany, elivered, Sunday excepted, 25 cents per week. Dafly, delivercd. Sunday included, 30cents Der week. Address THE TRIBUNE COMPAN Corner Madlron and Dearborn-sta.. Chicago, 111 Qrders for the dellvery of THE TRIBUNE at Evanston, Foglewood, and Hyde Par feft in the counuig-room willreceive prompi atientis TRIBUNE BRANCH OFFICES. TuE CRICAGO TEMTNE has established branch ofices * orthe recelpt of subscriptions and advertisements ay oliow . NEW YORK—Room 20 Tribune Bullding. F.T.Mo- ATDES, Manager. TARIE, France—Xo. 16 Rue de 1a Grange-Batelfere. H.MaurEn, Ageat. LONDON, Eng.—American Exchange, 449 Strand. HENEY ¥. GILLIC, Agent. SAN FRANCISCO. Cal.—Pal TioteL and 651 West Lake-st., on Monday, at 3. m.. for the election of uificers for the ensuing A sonlc )'Elr.‘ I;‘I.‘m hrtll‘lllfiil‘flliv t‘fln&efli‘y rrqfluc:::’d 10 Visitors cordially luvited, orde! s S p TR W J0S. BEEMER, Sceretary. CHICAGO COMMANDERY, NO. 19, K. T.—Speclal Conciave Monday evening, Uec. =, at Asylum, corner «f lialsted and iandolpli-ss., 2 . m. Instaila- 1Son of omicers-clect for the ensuing Masoulc year. Vis- {ting Str Kaiuts courteously Invited. by orler of the Taninent Commander. JAMES E. MEGINN, Kecorder. LODGE, NO. 311, A F. & A M.— ryemication of LS Loage i Ve held unial Commu; 1 at Cosfutblzn Hall. No. 187 Kast Kinzie-st., on Thurs- day eveniog, Dec. ) o'clock sharp. for the ‘ieetlon of ofileers and payment of dues. All members AfETERtieal o 39 B § "unDfl. R. THIBODO, W. M. L. §. CHARLETTE, Secrefary. PLEIADES LODGE, NO. 473, A.F. & A. M.—The Annuai Commanieatian of Pletades Lodre, No. 478, A. ¥. & a. M., wiil be lield &t their Hall. Nos. South Halsted-st., Thursday evening, Dec. 36, at 7:30 gelock, for, the clection of oiicers and payment of e W, dues. - By order of Gl NEWELL, Sccretary. p i r L 1 Temuers aré requested 1 be present. By o = " HUAH, W. M. orderof EVA L, Mcj APOLLO LODGE. NO. 642 A. F. & A. M.—The szular gunal Communleazion of this Lodge, for the razsactlon of the usual nusiness, will be” held ai fis ltail Stase and Tweats-elzatlsts.. Tuursday eveulng. - 26, at8 o'clocs. By order. Buca 30 STANDISI} ACRES, Secretary. BLAIR LODGE. NO, 593, A. F. & A. M. -Anoual Communteation for the election of oficers and pay- neat of diea, Mouday evening, Dec. i A resiicat jocrs aie notliied tu be hrsenz By urde skl Do DICRINSOX, SF. 35 €. W. O'DUNNELL,; Secretary LAFATETTE_CHAPTER. NO. 2. R. A M.—Tall =5 Mjanrocsr. —Stated Couvocatlon Sfonday eveniug, o'clock for husiness. By order of A . B.S. BUTTERWORTH, N. P. F. X. TUCKER, Secretary. APPOLLO COMMANDERY. NO. 1, ‘K. T.—There will be 06 Conciave of this Comnmandery next Tucsuay evealnz. Brorder ot the Comander. H. S. TIFFAXY, Recorder._ SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1878, In New York on Saturday greenbacks con- tinned at par, with limited gold transactions. After many sttempts to harmonize differ- eaces, the anthracite coal men of Pennsyl- vinia hava agroed to disagree, and war to the bitter exd is about to be insugurated. This 1¢sult, however, has its advantages, as it is vpredicted that hard coal will soon be lower than ever before, which will prove a god- sesd to the consumer in these hard times. A cable dispatch intimates that Gen. Graxt will visit Ireland in the course of a few days. He evidently goes there in pur- suit of ethnologicel information—to see the Irish voter in his pristine condition, and and judge of his native fitness for County Commissioserships and Aldermanic soft- cushioned chairs, the two things to which he immediately aspires on' landing at Castle G:rden. The General has doubtless seen him in this country. gressionsl Committee in the matter of Sew- 4mp, Minister to China, indicates that he has been guilty of conduct unbecoming a dip- lomat and 2 gentleman. A Consular clerk testified - yesterdny that the Minister had speculated in China real estate, and had rented to the Government, at enhanced rates,the bmlding at Shanghai nsed for Con- sular purposes. The refusal of Mr. Srwann to produce his.books has created a very un- favorzble impression on the mejority of the Committee. The New York banks, it would seem, pro- pose 6. persevere in their intended raid on the “dollar of our daddies.” They have been requested Ly tha Cléarmg-House to in- form their customers that on and after the date specified by iaw for the resumption of specie payment it wounld be advisable for them to have printed on all their commercial paper. “Payabl: in funds current at the New York Clearing-House,” The “gold bugs” seem determined to persist in their flight against Providence and the wishes of the people. The speedy passage of Forr's, or some other bill, will, however, bring them to their senses. The Citizens' Association have issued an invitation to the members-elect of the Cook County delegation te the General Assembly to meet with ihe Association and other citizens on Monday at 2 p. m., at Room 35 Merchants’ Building. The object of the conference is to consider what legislation is needed by this city and county to remove present difficulties and {o prevent future complications. As many of the membersin the delegation to the Legislature have been ¢lected for the firgt time, and some of them are perliaps not fomilior with the messares heretofore pending concerning this city and county, and not familiar perhaps with much of the financisl detail of revenue matters, 1 conference on all these subjects and an acquaintance of the members with one another cannot fail to- be productive of much good, and may result in harmoniz- ing conflicting views and leading to united aad therefore suceessfal actio; Wae print elsewhere a very iuteresting let- ter from tho Oftawn correspondent of the Hamilton Spectator, who gives us _some familiar glimpses of the Princess LoTise. e informs us that at the presentation of the St. Andrew Societies, thongh it was 3 o'cdlock in the afternoon, she was dressed in & plain black morning suit, high neck, and without the slightest ornament. He hes seen her almost every morning by 8 o'clock, in good stout English walking-boots, tremping off through the mud and slush for & six-mile walk, while on Sunday afternoons she takes Ler cane and starts off for a similar tramp. She walks to do all her shopping, He says: ““ A few days ago she was seen suddenly to stop ‘before a small tin-shop. She saw some- fl:mg in the window whicl attracted her at- lention, and, ofter observing it a2 moment, walked into the very humble place. " Now, whst do you suppose had struck her faney ? A small tin teapot! - A-little common thing, with a capacity of about one cup, and worth gbout 25 cents. She bought it, and, I was told, put it in her pocket; but this I doubt.™ If all these reports be true, the plain, simple, robust, sensible Eaglish Prin- cess is setting some fashions for the Cana- dian ladies which they ought to follow. It would be still more beneficial to American ladies if the Princess would come over this side of the line. She could not be admitted at first into our good society, with such shocking manners ; but she might in time sueceed in rebuking its snobbery and affecta- tion, and, perbaps, succeed in iniroducing her emmently desirable fashions. It may be remembered by the few voters who cast therr ballots for him at the recent clection that a person named W. H. Coxpoy was a candidate for Congress from the West Side on a “slab-sided " ticket, engineered by himself and those whose election expenses be paid. On his defeat he graccfully re- lapsed into the obscurity whence he emerged to make the run, and remained there until yesterday, when he notified the successful candidate, GEorGE R. Davis, that e would contest the election, on these grounds: Brib- ery, ~intimidation, and corroption. He claims that Mr. Davis purchased some votes, intimidated others, and, to cap the climax of his alleged wickedness, entered into an un- loly allinnce with those manufatturers of ¢ sod-corn catawba” known as the *‘second batch,” Mr. Coxvoy can apply his time to abetter use,—extracting legal aphorismsfrom nursery rhymes or sunbeams from cucam- bers. The City Council is struggling with the gas question, the latest action being an order to turn off the gas in the streets on and after Jan. 1." It scems that the Conneil Commit- tee hod no difficulty in reaching an agree- ment as to the price per lamp to the South- Side Gas Company, but failed to obtain an offer or even attention from the West- Side Gos Company. As the West-Side Al- dermen would not consent to have the South and North Sides lighted and the lamps on the West Side extinguished, the offer of the South-Side Company was rejected. The Council contains a majority of sensible, practical men, and the wonder is that these do not unite and setile this gas question promptly. Of course there are those who do not want it settled, and who would like to have it an open guestion all the year round. But this is not the feeling of a majority of the Council, and this majority by their want of anion sre really playing into the hands of those who regard the gas busi- ness as always one of profit, if not of honor. If the gas-lights are to be put out, s0 be it; bat, if that is not to be the permanent policy of the city, the Council ought to act prompt- ly and finally in the matter. CHICAGO’S DEBT AND CREDIT. We yesterdsy stated that the city had pur- chased and canceled $230,000 of city bonds, all of which, except some $25,000, were what is known as water bonds. Some time ago, $25,000 city bonds were paid- and canceled, making a reduction of the city debt of $275,000 during 1873, a saving of about $19,000 in the ennual iuterest. The bonded debt of the city at the beginning of the present year was as follows: Description of bond. When due. Amount. 6 per cent... . July. 1895 100.000 6 per cen July, 1 95,000 7 per ce 818,500 7 per cei 23,000 7 per cent Tpercent ... 7 per cent Brideweil. .. % per cent Bridewel 7 per cent tunnel 7 per cent tunnel 7 per cent tunncl 7 per cent tunnel % per cent tunn .. July, 1599 7 ver cent tunnel. .. Sepremoer. 1899 7 per cent City-Hall. .. Octover, 1883 7 per cent City-Hall... October, 1803 7 per cent City-1all. . July, 1808 ° nuary. 1539 7 per cent school cons'n. . July, 1883 3,000 7 per cent school cons'n. Jan., 1850 ) 7 per centschool cons'n. Jan.; 1887 .0 7 per cent school... .L... April, 1857 194500 150.000 7 per cent sctool.....January. 1855 % per cent school. E 7 per cent school 7 per cent school . G per cent sewerage. .. 7 per cent sewerage 7 per cent sewerage. 7 per cent scwerage T per cent sewerage. 7 per cent sewerage. . 7 per caut sewerage 'm’t.July, 1890 7 per cent river impr'w’t. July, 1852 7 per cent river impr'm’t.July. 1803 7 per cent river impr'm’t. July, 1864 7 per cent river impr'm't, July, 1895 ‘Tota! municipal bonded debt.... 8 per cent water bonds. Jan'ry. 6 per cent water bond 6 per cent water bonds 1,271,000 $ 8,824,000 7 per cent water bonds 7 per cent water bond: 7 per cent water bonds. 7 per cent water bonds... 7 per cent water bonds, 7 per cent water bonds. Total water debt. Municipal aebt .. Grand total... Dearing 6 ver cenf $ 1,025,000 Bearing 7 per cent $12,339,000 The water bonds, though ned in the name of the city, are practically no charge upon the general levy, Tho water-rents pay the interest on the bonds, pay el the ex- penses of operating, pay all the cost of re- newing and extending the water-service, and leave an annual surplus, part of which has been applied to the purchase of the $250,000 of bouds already mentioned. Bonds of this issue to the smount of £294.000 mature in July, 1880, eighteen mouths henmce, and £339,000 in July, 1682, and it is probable that these bonds will be paid at maturity from the water fand. It is not likely that any of the ontstanding water bonds wii! ever have. to bs renewed,—the water fund in- creasing annually,—ang, as each payment of principal is made, the charge for interest is lessened. * Of the city debt, 7 per cent sewerage bonds to the amount of £300,000 will mature in July, 1880, and old city bonds to the amount of £84¢,000 will mature in Aprik 1881. It is not possible that the city will be able to pay more than a small por- tion, 1f any, of these bonds when they fall due, and must therefore resort to a new loan. "The whole sum is $1,348,000, all bearing 7 per cent interest. The City Couueil should take steps at an early date lookiug fo the se- caring of the money at a lower rate of inter- est. The Gity of Boston has recently issued proposals for a city loan at 4 per cent. Itis not likely that Chicago conld dispose of 4 per cent bonds, but it is very probable that it could dispose of city londs bearing 5 per cent interest having twenty years to run. tl‘hs policy of making this a popular loan, issuing bonds as low as §25, with others at £30, ‘and any larger sum applicants may desire, should attract the earnest attention of the City Council. The closing of the savings banks, and the consequent skock to public confidence, has drivenalarge fm.mher of persons to invest their small sav- ings in Government 4 per cents who would prefer to take a city bond bearing 5 ver cent interest, psyable at -the City-Hall. At all events, there can’ be no damage done by authorizing the issue of such a bond eatly in 1879, to be delivered at par to any person paying the money into the City Treasury, the proceeds to bs applied to ihe purchase of the 7 per cent bonds’ in advance of their maturity, Al the loans of Paris and other European cities are made popular,— that is, open &t par to everybody in Dbonds of small amounts,—aud they are invariably taken by tho people. If the Legislature of Illinois would repeal the tax on, Illinois municipal bonds (a tax from which no reve- nue is collected), all the municipal debts of this State could be funded at a saving of from 2 to 3 per cent in the annual interest. The reduction of interest is a great relief to the taxpayer, and the funding of §1,000,000 of 7 per cent Chicago bonds in 5 per cent bonds would be equal to 20,000 a yesr, or $400,000 in the lifetime of the bond. The economy of the City Government— the Mayor and Council—is well exhibited in the mptenance of the city’s eredit under all the adverse circumstances of the last five years. Mayor Hears, in his message a year ago, referring to the abolition of numerous oftices and lnrge reduction of salaries, stated that, instead of the reductions impairing the public service, they had greatly added to its efficiency. The report of the condition of the water-service shows that, though there are now two pumping establishments and large additions to the service, the gost of operating is less now than when ihere was but one pumping works, that there are twenty-three men less now employed than there were then, and that the reduction of the numwber of water-rent collectors has heen foliowed by a larger collection of money by the reduced force than was collected by the large one. The decision of the Snpreme Court affirm- ing the tax-levy made in 1875, except in the matter of tax to pay interest on temporary loans, has determined the matter of a large aniount of taxes hitherto tied up in appeals. The back taxes are largely coming in, and are applied to clearing up the scattered lin- bilities of former years, and, as tax-fighting has been found to be unprofitable, it is probable thers will be little or no more of it. In the meantime the city credit is high; and if the City Council would make the orders on the Tressury payable out of the proceeds of taxes levied snd appropriated, withinterest, there would be little or no em- barrassment of the City Government. All this is the fruit of the popular uprising in 1875-'6, by which the City Council and the City Government were takenont of the hends of the mob and placed in those of responsi- ble and substantial. citizens. THE AFGHAN QUESTION. The two sides of the Afghan war have re- cently been presented in very powerful style,—the one by an Afghan writer named Sayymp JayoLuppiN in the Afise, an Arabic paper in Alexandria, and the other by Sir Hesey E. RawniysoN in a paper.in the Nineteenth Century. The former, though an Afghan, appears to be thoroughly con- versant with English history and <narrent affarrs. He not only comes to the rescud of his own country, but he reviews the history of the English in their relations to other na- tions. He denounces them as purely selfish, and says that, being short of men, they make up thedifference by circumvention and frand. He haurls at them a formidable list of charges to make good his statement—the inveigling of the French into the Crimean war to Lu- miliate Russia; the inciting of the Ameer. Dost-MuHAsnap Kmax. ““to seize upon Herat, the key of India, then ruled by a kinsman of the Shah of Ivan, fearing the conclusion of a treaty between Rus- sia and Persin”; the English rule in India, which has been of such a char- acter ‘“that there is not an Indian living who would not welcomo the advance of the Russians to the frontier of India™; the Berlin Treaty, in which England played a perfidious part ; the sale of Turkish prov- inces; the desertion of Greece; the scizure of Cyprus; and the reverses in Bosnia and Herzegovina. i So far as his own country is concerned, he charges the Engiich with' frequent acts of treachery in the past, 2ud predicts that they will be beaten in the end. He says: The Afghansarc brave, fearless, and well armed, and the English in making the invasior have pot mto a scrape from which they will with difticult: escape. If they are beaten, the cousequences will be dieastrous; the flames of revolt are likely to break out in India, especially if the Sheik of the Mountains (the successor of the Akbund of Swat) proclaims a religions war. His speculations upon the futare progress of events are somewhat curious. He be- Lieves that the Ameer has a definite under- standing with the Shah of Persia, the Czar of Russia, and probably with the Rajahs of India, to overthrow English rule in Asia, and thatin case of reverses to the Afghans they will out of spite offer their country to Russia, while, if the English succeedin oc- cupying the country, they will be certain to have the Russians for next-door neighbors, with whom they can never agree. Should the English content themselves with ocen- pying the passes, he intimates that there are other ways of getting into India which will be improved by the Afghans, and that “ eventually they will have to suffer a com- bined invasion of Russians and Afghans.” It is evident from our Afghan’s predictions that he is thoroughly filled with the idea that Russia is coming to the rescue of Af- ghamstan. He scems not to be nw;xre, how- ever, that Russia has already explicitly de- nied any such intention; that the Indians, upon whose djsaffection he counts so much, have already given in their allegiance to the English, and furnished their army with men and material, although not bound to do so. He was also not aware, of course, at the time he was writing that the people of Af- ghanistan would soon be in revolt, that the Ameer would expatrinte himself, and that his son, Yaxoos BEG, would come to the front as ruler, and encourage friendly rela- tions with the Lnglish. Tho' unexpected events that time and accident bring forth often upset the wisest and most learned calculations of men, and this seems to have been the fate of the oracles of Sarym JaoLunor, who, wa are inclined to believe, is not so much an Afghan as he is some sturdy English opponent of BEACONSFIELD'S policy. N _t : ‘The second paper to which we heve re- ferred gives us an English view of the ques- tion, and a very plain’' and blunt one. Sir Hexry Rawrinsoy, the writer of it, says very frankly : A n my view it is the interminzling of the Russian element which u!ope imparts wravity to our quar- rel with the Ameer. Had there been no Russiun mission at Cabul, no indteation of a desire on the art of the Turkestan autiiorities fo- interfere in ndian politics, we might have allowed the Ameer 10 be sulky and erumbling, and even insolent, for the term of his natural lic, 60 averse must we have alays been to renew our blood feuds with the Afghans; but when Russis sends a misxion to Caoul, and maiatsins it there in our despite, and all Asia {8 watching thia first collision of the two great European Powers, to have eat’ down meckly under such a menace would have been treason 1o the nattonal interests. The difference between RawLiysox' and other advocates of the Governmsnt's pelicy is, that, while they studiously 'conceal the renl motive of the invasion, he boldly an- nounces that: England must invade and oceupy Afghanistan, because she is com- pelled to do it to protect herself against TRussion menace, , This is all there is. to tha question. If Russia had not been pressing steadily down towards Indis,—if she were not alrendy in formidablestrength in Turkes- tan and well down to the Afghan frontier,— England would have paid no more attention to the Ameer's taunts than to tho wind that Dlows, The invasion of Afghanistan is the first step of England in the establishment of a new frontier that may raise a fresh barrier against Russian progress in Central Asia. The war has no other meaning. THE MOTHER OF RELIGIONS, Folk-loro and popular superstitions have been traced in many instances to their sources; and scholars have tried to'do as much for religious myths. Efforts of the Intter kind have been of recent years re- mearkably successful. Since philologists have found the kecy to ancient languages, and have unlocked tho tressures contained in inseriptions, the work of comparing the great religious systems of the past has gone briskly forward. The cuneiform ~wrilings have revealed the history of a world that was before totally unknown, save in the Bible. The explorations of DBabylon and Nineveh Lave brought to light whole libra- ries, and, finding **sermons in stones and good in everything,” verified in a new way the words of the poet. The most fruitful results hdve been de- rived from the study of tha ancient Egyp- tian religion. Some of these wo find de- seribed in a learned article in the Ninetcenth Century. Thisis aniuviting field of research for many reasons. First, because the Egyp- tian monuments are older, more numerous, and in a better state of preservation than any others; and, secondly, because Egypt was tiie progenitor of many religions and religious myths. % The monolith of the Sphinx, it is now known, was simply the embodiment of a re- ligiousiden. The pyramids were mausoleums, but they also had deep religious significance. "The evideuce of their great age is conclusive. The pyramid at Sukkarah, near Thebes, hasa royal title on the inner door which shows that it was built from 500 to 700 years before the great pyramid of Cheops. Hence it was 9,000 years old in the time of ABramayr, The report of a Commission appointed by Raxeses the Ninth to inspect the tombs of **the Royal ancestors ” at Thebes is still in exist- cnce. The report itself is 3,000 years old, and the tombs to which -it refers were ven- erable when it was written. Beside the Royal tombs, Egypt contains myriads of pri- vate sepulchres, each bearing on its face an inscription reciting the virtues of the man who occupied it. The most ancient book in the world—dating 3,000 B. C.—is also of Egyptian origin. Add to this that the cli- mato and soil of Egypt are peculiarly favor- able to the preservation of manuscripts and carvings, and it will not be disputed that no other religion has left memorials so abundant or 50 rich. The connection of the Egyptian religion with comparatively modern systems makes it now an object of specis! interest to scholars. The Pantheons of Pagan Greece, and conse- quently of Pegan Rome, were in large part derived dircetly from Egypt. ATHENE was purely an Egyptian conception. Zeus was s compound of the, Egyptian Osizrs and the Pelasgian Juerren.iThe rest of the Pantheon was tnken partly froin one source aund partly from the other, and the Egyptian part was far the more spiritual of the two. Again: the Egyptians had, before our Bible, some of the ideas which lie at the foundation of it 2nd are to this day revered by all of Christen- dom. AmistoTrE seid that the Egyptinns first taught the immortality of the soul They had cleaver ideas of the nature of Gop than any race or mnation before the Jews. “The manifold forms of the Egyptisn Pantheon were nothing,” says the writer in the Ainetcenth .Cen- tury, *but religious masks of the sublime doctrine of the unity of the Deity communicated to the initiated in the Myste- ries.” Thisone God was the Creator, but self-created. Ho was the * Unknown God,” and perhaps—though on this point we have no authentic information—the very one to whom PauL found an altar erected in Greece. He was worshiped also as ““The One Be- ing,” and “The Living God.” The Egyptians 3,000 years ago had ideas of a Moral Ruler and Government such as would do no shame to our own day. They hel forty-two commandments, covering the shoiu ground of the Decalogue. “‘Thethree cardinal requirements of Egyptian piety,” says the Nineteenth-Century writer, * were love to Gop, love to virtue, and loveto man.” It the intuitional schdol of philoscphy is the true one, this injunction is even more com- plete than the Biblical one, though we may now feel inclined to say that the sec- ond member of it is superfluous. ¢“Tove of truth and justico was a distinguishing characteristic of the Egyp- tinus.” Tho honoring of parents was an- other cardinal article of their practice. We constantly find inscriptions on the tombs such s the following: *Ilonored my father and my mother; I loved my brothers; I * taught little childron,” Other formulas are: ¢ 1 have given brend to the hungry, water to the thirsty, clothes to the naked, shelter to the stranger,” I did not profer the rich to the poor,” *“ I never left home with anger in my heart.” Alore remirkable than all other coinci- dences between the Egyption and the Clris- tian religions is the common possession of a Trinity ond a Savior by both. Ostnis de- scended to earth and took upon him the form and nature of man. He was overcome by Txenox, the evil one. His wife, Isrs, went in search of him, and cansed him to be raised to life. Their son, Horus, was then appoiuted his avenger upon the evil one. Thereafter Osnts, because he Had parteken of the nature of man, became the mediator for man in the other world, Every spirit after denth took on the nature and name of OsInis as a protection. Osiris ‘guides the deceased through the otherworld, and clothes him with his divine nature. *Osizts, Ists, and Horvs tiws form a Trinity 2s holy and inseparable to the ancient Egyp- tisus as ours i3 to us. Osmmis s at once the Father and the Savior, while Isis and Horus shate between them the offices of the Iloly Spirit, Coincidences. like these are close and startling; but they need not be interpreted as showing n wrong basis or origin for Chris- tianity. Rather let us take them as confirm- atory evidence, like the Assyrian tablets, as for as they go, of the Biblical record and theology; for it may as well be true that the | common parts of the Egyptian and the Christlan systems -are true, or indicate a common revelation in remote antiquity to man, os that they are false. All the old religicns contain truces of certain fanda- ‘mental idens, such as those of the unity of the Godhend, the Trinity,” and the immor- tality of tho soul; but their correspondence in this respect, according to the ordinary rules of evidence, is rather a token that they are all alike divine at these points than that they are'all gross and sordid impostures. THE LAW’S DELAY. Tae Trisuse bas encouraged the discus- sion of tho question of ‘“Law Reform ” till the Iawyers themselves have been actively drawn into it, and now there is reason to hope that it will lead up to some changes, on the aavisability of which there can be no difference of opinion so far ag the interests of honest litigants ave concerned. A good proportion of the legal profession stands Teady to spprove the adoption of what is called the Code practice in lien of the Com- mon-Law practice, modified by statute, such as prevails in this State. THE TRIBUNE, in its lay capacity, is not prepared to discuss the relative merits of the two systems, but is fully persunded in a general way, like thou- sands of citizens not versed in law, that there is too much opportunity in the present practice for defeeting justice by techni- calities, delay, and -circumlocution, and that the duration, cost, and uncertain- ty that now attend Ilitigalion could be materizlly diminished by simplifying the forms of procedure. THE TRIBUNE is fur- ther convinced that the lawyers of integrity and ability would gain by such changes as should prevent pettifoggers and shysters from practicing the arts on which alone they are able to retain their places in a profession that should be unimpeachable. An attorney who sympathizes actively with Tre Tripose and the public in this effort at” reform furnished, in a communication which we published yesterday, sn apt illas- tration of the present tedious and involved practice before the Courts. It is not too much {o say that nine-tenths of all the law- suits are founded upon an allegation of in- debtedness. ‘The promissory note is the simplest and clearest form of debt. It constitutes a prima.facie evidence of the claim for which suit is brought, and hence ecalls for little verbiage or esplanatioz, but demands a straight- forward snd prompt defense. The man who holds a promissory note which is past due and unpaid has a right to expect speedy relief from the Courls if his debtor is in a condition to pay and refuses to do so. It should be sufficient to file an attested copy of the note, with a demand for its liquida- tion, in order to bring forth at once the pay- ment thereof, or a satisfactory reason for not paying it. Under our practice, however, it becomes necessary to file a declaration which is so verbose and complicated in com- position that none but a lawyer can make or understand it, and even this formidable doca- ment, gotten up with the assistance of great learning and a handsome fee, fails to securc any satisfaction. It is only necessary for the person sued to answer in effect that he hasa good defense, put himself upon the country, and trust to the skill of his attorneys and the technicalities of law either to secure release from the debt or to create a tedious and injurions delay. This is the old common-law practice," which our correspond- ent has very reasonably credited to a desire in earlier days to impose upon laymen the great lenrning of the legal profession. But the statutory modification, without changing the absurd and unsatisfactory character of ecither the declaration or the defense, has added an opportunity snd temptation for false swearing by providing that the defend- ant shall make affidavit to the general answer. The practice of perjury is condoned and en- couraged by legal assprance that the affidavit is simply pro forma, though in the great majority of cases it sets np a defense where none exists. In answeringa suit on a prom- issory note, it should certainly be required to plend that the note is a forgery, that it has been paid, that it was given without proper consideration,—or at least that some specific and satisfactory denial of the debt should be mads, so that the de- fendant may feel the responsibility of his oath, and that the issue between the parties be clearly defined. But the general plea fur- nishes the opportunity for evasion and opens up litigation that wmay be made almost inter- minable, and perhaps enable the debtor to escape payment altogether. . The case cited is, of course, but a single iustance of the ‘law’s delay” and the in- justice incident to a system that becomes still more involved in more intricate cases. It is this system which lumbers up our courts, increases the cost of their mainte- nance to the public, and taxes litigantsalmost beyond all estimate. It is of less benefit to lawyers of ability, good position, and large practice than to the second and third- rate practitioners. The judiciary - ought to sanction the movement in the direc- tion of reform, for its attainment would lighten their duties, and make their respon- sibilities more obvious and more easily borne. In fact, the entire respectable portion of the legal profession should encourage the move- ment, for, if it fail, there will undoubtedly be an irresistible popular pressure for the substitution of matter-of-fact, business-like arbitration which, once introduced, will ‘do away with a good share of the litigation in courts. WHAT CAPITAL DOES FOR LABOR. The Massuchusetts Statistical Bureau has furnished much valuable information bearing upon the relations of capital and labor, but none more significant than that upon which Mr. Epwarp ATkivsos based his recent tes- timony befora the Congressional Committee. The statistics thus presented throw more Iight upon the popnler errors concerning the accumulations of wealth and relative suffer- ings of the laboring classes than all the theorios and gencralizations volunteered by pretentious reformers last summer when Mr. Hewrrr's Committee was sitting in New York City. Without going over the figures in detail, which have already been printed in Tue TRIDUNE, it is sufficient to say that the net accamulation of the actual product of Iabor during two centuries in Massachusetts— the richest State in the Union—is not more than $1,000,000,000; in other words, this sum represents the wealth of that State, which may fairly be said to be the savings of enterprise, energy, and thrift since the Mas- sachusetts Colony was founded. It is equiva- ‘lent to the estimated product of two years’, orat most three years', labor. In the face of such a sbowing as this, it can scarcely be doubted that **Riches moke themselves wings ” and fly away. A closer esamination of the relative ben- efits derived from industrial and other pur- suits in which capital and labor are asso- ciated revenis why the accumulation or sur- plus capital is 50 small. Asa matter of fact, and in spite of the Communistic ravings against the injustice and oppression prac- ticed by employers, from 95 to 98 per cent of the annual product of industry in Massa- chnsetts is distributed to labor, and not more than 1 per cent is left as a surplus over and above the maintenance and replacement of worn-out capital 1 ore form and another. In many ecases this 1 per centsurplusis squandered in luxuries, and the result shows that the accnmnlation of 100 years does not exceed the product of one year. Strange as all this may seem at first thought, a little re- flaction makes such a resnlt not only prob- able but almost inevitable. The ordinary earnings of average industry in good times are not more than 10 per cent. Profitsin manufacture of any kind cannot well exceed that fignre, for, a5 soon as they do, there is an abundance of capital to seek in- vestment in the same kind of en- terprise, and competition quickly shuts off the excess. The 90 per cent certainly goes to labor,—the labor that produces the raw material, that mines the coal to run the en- gines, that works the machinery, that keeps the books, that sorts and packs the goods, etc., etc. This 10 per cent profit of good times must supply the fund out of which the renowals of machinery, repairs on building, and losses in bad business must be made good, and it must afford the capitalist his ‘personal and family expenses. It is safe to say that of the 10 per cent earned in ordinary times at least 4 per cent is used to replace worn-out.machinery and to make room for the new inventions. Itis a common delusion among the workingmen that what are called labor.saving inventions are accountable for most of their troubles, and they have seriously proposed in conven- tions to abolish the patent laws and take other repressive measures to discourage in- ventors. The fact seems to be that, while the mew inventions are conducive to the comforts and general welfare of the Ia- boring men by increasing production, and waonts, and consumption, the capital- ists have more resson to complain of the enormous cost which the new machinery constantly necessitated by new methods im- poses upon them. Xir. ArxissoN cited one instance which will serve as an. illustration of the case. A single mill, owned by the same Company and represented by the same amount of capital stock, had, within forty years, been twice rebuilt from the founds- tion, while its machinery and appliances had been renewed over and over again during that period. All this rebuilding and all these rencwals furnished so much work for the laboring classes, but it represented to the extent of its cost a reduction of the sur- plus earnings of the capital invested, and it ‘was a waste so far as accumulation goes. If, then, the profits of capital are reduced 4 per cent by repairs, renewal of machinery, losses by fire and nccident, etc., there remains G per cent for n surplus, and of this it is estimated that 5 per cent is exhansted by the personal and domestic expensesof the capi- talist. All this goes to labor. The cnpital- ist, beginning to make money, builds him a house. All the wood, stone, brick, mor- tar, glass, iren, &nd tin represent labor; the work of building and the cost of furnishing go to the laboring men. Still a little better off in life, the ris- ing capitalist sets up a carringe. Thisisa new expenditure for him and a new source of revenne to labor. The carriage, harness, and barn represent thousands of dollars to the men who build them. The keeping of horses gives employment to one man as conchman and perhaps to another as hostler. The addition of one or two male servanis necessitates the employment of another fe- male servant, end in the meantime wagon- makers, harness-repairers; - and-‘horse-éhoers secura another regular cistomer. - The car- riages and horses, the "new house, and the associstions and style which they usually imply entail numerous other expenses not necessary to recall, and the more liberally the capitalist lives the more money he dis- tributes in one way and anc‘her among the Iaboring classes. When the relations of capital and labor are considered in this light, the alleged tyr- anny, of the former and the exaggerated suf- ferings of the latter do not appear so serious as they are represented to be by the excited Socialist or the political demagogue pander- ing to the prejudices of the maultitude. ‘What the laboring men condemn as wicked extravagance is another form of farnishing them with work and subsistence ; what they cry ont sgainst as the destruction of the labor market (improved machinery) creates new fields of labor and increases production for their benefit; what they denonnce as the vast wealth accumulnted from the sweat of their brow is really about 1 per cent of the entire product, and this is reinvested to ex- tend industry and formish new employment for an increasing population. The value of the Massachusetts statistics which furnish this estimate coosists in the fact that they confirm by the actual accumulation of an enterprising and thrifty people the propor- tion of current expenditures that might oth- erwise have been questioned. Gen. Averus F. Winnnaws, Represents- tive in Congress from the First (Detroit) District of Michigan, died at Washington yesterdsy. He was born in ‘Saybrook, Conn., in 1810; was graduated at Yale Col- lege; and, after studymng law, moved to De- troit in 1836. During the following decade he held o number of city and county offices, and from 1843 to 1848 was proprietor and editor of the Daily Adeertiser, the lending Whig journal of Michigan. He had always manifested much interest in mili- tary matters, being connected for a consid- erable period with the Brady Guaras, then the crack military corps of the Northwest; and, during the Mexican war, went to the field as Lioutenant-Colonel of the Michigen regiment of infantry. Under the Tavron- Fiuryore Administrations he was Postmaster of Detroit. On the breaking out of the Rebellion he was appointed by Presi- dent Lincony & Brigadier-General of Vol- unteers, and served with credit through the eotire War,—rising to the rank of Major- General, and commanding the Twelfth ing to the number of immigrants taken care of Ly each port. Mr. POTTER appeared tefore the House Committee of Commerce, and mags statement of the nccessity of the measure, ;: viewing the gradual gronth of the present Ney York Burean, andthe admirable arrangementy made for the care of the immigrants on their ar- rival, by which they were furnished with need- ful information, interpreters, boarding-houses, - hospitals, employment, ete. The expense, he explaiaed, was formerly defrayed by head-mope, levied on each immigrant, but this had been rey. sisted by the ship-owners, and had finally beey decided by the Supreme Court to be uaconstity. tional. POTTER argued that it was unfsir to shove this burden on New York, whea the whola country was cqually interested in the question of the protection and care of the immiprant, He' 5aid that the bill did not touch the quastiop of Chinese immigration, and was entirely accepts. ble to the California members, who did not da. sire that arrangements should be made for the. Chinese. The bill was framed after consulting the officiale of the State of New York, and wag indorsed by the Legislature and all the men. bers of the State Government. —————— Senator MATTHEWS has countered on Bex BUTLER'S nose by presenting a petition the' other day from an inmate of the Soldiers’ Horo' at Hampton, Va., in which the management, of the Home is severely censured. ~ The Deiitioner is WitL1ax HevoT, who was Colonel of ,the One Hundred and Third Regiment, New York Volunteers, and he prays that speedy aciion be taken to protect the disabled officers ang. goldiers now mmates of the Soldiers’ Home a; Hampton from the insults, cruel treatment, ang frauds practiced upon them. Afier detailing his services as a soldier in the suppression of. the Rebellion, Col. HEYDT says that be went fo. the Flome at Hampton three years ago to re. cuperate his health, which is broken down by. reason of wounds received in battle. Since his admission to the Home, Col. HEYDT states thay he has been placed, contrars toall rules, on the. roster as liable to deuil fo: various dutj which were beyond his physical strength o per- form, owing to the impaired. condition of his, health on acconnt of - wounds recelved- in the. service. The responsibility for this cruel treat.. ment of disabled soldiers is charged . by Col. HEYDT to Gen. Bexaavi: F. BurLe, President of the Board of Managers, and P. T, .Wooprix, Governor of the Southern branch. The petition is dated July 1, and was forwarded direct to the Presidert, by whom it was given to Senator Matruews. It was referred to the Committee on Military Affairs, ——— _.\fr. V. E. BoRKE, whe was one of the Super- ns'orsln ‘Ward 8, Charleston, 8. C., bas made sn amda_flt asto the manner of conductiog the election for Conzressman and other officersat the October election. Among other things he tells how his poli-list was doctored: By referring to my poll-Hst it will be & after 609 the next number 15 700; that {hey Gea tinning to 709 the next number is 800, and that then continuing to 509 and the next numbver is 900. 1t will befarther noticed that this namber- ing from 700 to 900, and from thence to 914, i3 not iu my handwriting, but was done by some one- else. The only exvlanation I can otfer s that on one occasion, when I went to the rear for aboata minute, Ileft n.y poll-list on the table near the managers. Some one who was evidently Interested in making my poll-list s larve as possiole adopted this method of increasing tne list to the extent of . Amid the burry and confusion of the elec- tion I fail=d to observe this, but when I resumed numbenng I kept nzht on from where the party had lefz oif. Here I desire to csplain taat I did not in tie conrie of the day number each name as 1 entered it; but, afier lieling & number of names, would wait ‘ntil the’ voting” slacked off and then take an opuortanity to namber those cntered. In this way. when I stcpped out for 3 minate, as [ have stated, there were about fifty or sixty names on my I1st unnumbered, which gave an opourtunity t0 s0ine person to number the list in the muaner { have explained. —————— Arkansas rivals all the rest of the States that have United States Senators to elect in the number and variety ot {ts candidates. J.D. WALKER, a leading and popular lawger, is thongbt to head the list. Amang his more prominent competitors are the vencrable Roserr W. Joussoy, of Little Rock, who has ‘Seén’sE¥T3ed ¥UarS beo in both branches 6f Con” " oress, and, in later years, in the Confederats Senate; ex-Gov. HEN Springs;. M. L. BELL. of Pine Biuff, alawyer of ‘gnod repute, who has been in the Leguslature; Gen. G. D. RoYsTox, a mewmber of both the tirsc and last.State Coastitutional Conventions; and J. T. JoxEs, of Helena, Grand Master of the State and United States Granze. As JOHNSON was 2 member of the Confederste Senate, he would scem to have the strougest claim upon the office. It is next to being in the Rebel army. ————— A man who has been President of the Scnate tor four years ought to be so familiar with the rules of that body as toavoid being called to order for violating one of them. Senator Hiy- LIN, of Maine, once Vice-President of the United States, got caught in that trap the other day, when be attempted to debate 2 motion fixing the time of holiday recess. The Chair promptly riiled him out of order. “ How 502" asked Mr. HaMLlN, amid shouts of laughter. * Simply because the rules do not allow a debate on a Corps in the battles of South Mountain, An- tietam, and Gettysburg, and the Twentieth Corps in the siege of Atlanta and on Smen- 3MAX'S march to the sea. In 1366 he was the Democratic candidate for Governor of Michigan, and was defeated. Shortly after- wards he was appointed by President JomNsox Minister to San Salvador, and held that posi- tion for about three years. In 1874 he was elected to Congress as a Democrat from the Detroit District ; was re-elected in 1876 ; and was o candidate again last November, but was defex’ed by the Republican nominee, Mr. Jory S. Newperny. Gen. Wirruus was possessed of simply respectable qualities as a legislator, and, notwithstanding the nu- merous offices he had filled, was but an indif- ferént politician; but he was n clover editor, a good soldigT, u yenial lon-tiant, and an accomplished gentleman, The bill relating to immieration introduced by Mr. PorTER, of New York, provides that the States shall have authority to forbid the land- inz of foreign criminals, lunatics, and the like, and appropriates $230,000, which is to be divided amoag the various ports of L.he country accord- motion to adjourn,” replied the Chair. *Let, me hear that rule,” cried Mr. .laMLLN, ow thoroughly indiznant. It was read to him, and, muttering **I never heard of such a thinZ before, 2nd don’t think it applies hereanyway,” he took his seat. ——— The Republican orzanization in New York City is on the down grade, accordiog to a corrt~ spondent writing to the Zimes of that city. He. compares the meetings of the Central Commit- tee to a bear-garden, or to ‘“the gold-oomin’ the days of inflation,” and to & gatherinz of the pigmies, in which the *Mikes,” the **JoIs- NIEs,” and the “BARNEYs” bold sway. The writer feels bad about it, and exclaims: O, shades of GREELEY, ORTOY, and RATMOSD. 0 what straits have wecome. Where their voices once held us as with a spell, are now seen the gyratiuas of a BiGLIX, an U'BRIEN, and 3 CEeeas. Where once the LAWsoNs, DaYToNy, and 3Asoss held sway we are now reguled by the ribald cries of the alwajs pernicicus element in the organizatioa, —_——— - CONKLING'S treatment of BLAINE reminds 3 ‘Washington correspondent of his conduct when the late Mr. SUMNER was speaking, whom'be bated worse than he bhates Braise. When SuMNER was addressing the Senate, CONRLING not only dectined to listen, but would engaze in loud talk, and Jaugh and sneer like :_ldeY- e = The German papers give the strength of par- ties in the Prussian House of Depatis as fol- lows: National Litierals, 165; Centre, 875 Progressists, 61; Poles, 15; Conservatives, 1(!; New Couservatives, 20; Free Conservatives, 83 and 21 Independent members. § —— A Senator who has taken the ccosus on the question says that Tox Scotr’s Pacific Rallroad bill will pass, if Suanox and Joxes will keeo away. Then we trust Messrs. Smaroy and Joses will be In their seats when Congress coo- venes after the holiday recess. MaTT CARPENTER'S personal organ at -~ waukee docs not like to near anything favorable said of Senator CaderoN. He is the man who A defeated MATT'S re-election without trying. ——————— i . The “beautiful snow ™ is a very welcome vis- ftor to'the lumbermen in tbe pineries of Micbi-s gan and Wisconsin, who had hecowe uneasy. nv:f_ the prospects of an open winter. ——e———— The temperance crusaders up in New Hamp- . shire ‘are vigorously opposing the drinking of sweet cider, although 1t is gelling for three: cents a gatlon. e — i Pittsburg wants to borrow §1,300,000. The destriction of property by that great raflroad | mob did not end In smoke. Congress.bas adjourned far two weeks. The - country is entitlzd to o little breatbing-soell. aboat the holidags. # —————— . 1t is rumored that Evcesz Hare will be set to Berlin. There will be very littie ubjcc:ion-_ ———— H They call him. now ‘“Spectacular” COSE-, LING. . ? % —— . The OcLESBY movement beglos to boom: :y M. RECTOR, of Hot | {