Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, February 23, 1879, Page 4

-4 Tie Tribuwe. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. DY MAIL~IX ADVANCE—TOSTAGE PREFATD | Daily Edition, one year... $12. Lm0t a vear, per monili.. 2.50 800 1.50 5.00 1.00 00 ey S Epecimen coples sent free. Cive Port-Ofice adaress 1a full, facludio Stats a0 County. Tiemtitances may bemade eftber by drafe, express, Post-Otfice order; or in registered letter, atoor risk. TERNMS TO CITY SUBSCRIBERS. Daly, deliscred, Sunday cxcepted, 25 cents per week. Delly, delivered, Sunday included, 0 cuts per week. Address THE TRIBUNE COMPAN Corner Madison snd Dearhorn-sts.. Chicaro. Til. Ordcrs for the delivery of THE TRISUNY at E saston, Englewood, und Hyde Fars eft {u the court! g-room “willrecetve promptattention. TKIBUTSE BRANCH OFFICES. TR CnicAGO TRIBTXE has established branch offices for the recelpt of sulscriptions and sdvertisements as W YORR—Toom 29 Tribune Dullding. F.T.Me- 4DDEN, Mepager. PARI:, France—XNo. 16 Rue dels Grange-Bateltere. Ti.Manrre Ageat. LONDON. Eng.—American Exchange, 449 Strand. HENBY F. GuLiG, Agent. SAN . 0. T. W.=To the officers and members ¢f Chl- ) Lodie, No. 91, A. 0. U. W.: Yoa sre hereby notifled of ihe death of Drothér Frederick Paschen, wiuch 1ook pince on the 21st. at his residence. All the thiers ot 1th2 Lodge 2re notified to be present at thelr 3 tou-st.,. on Sunday, thie at120'clock, 8haTT, to attend the cral of sald brotler. | Nemibers ot slster Todges are reapectiully uvited 10 be present wnd sites Eerai. By orderof © "9AC0B DECTSCH, 3. W. . K. T.—Special ¥ 1835, at 7 oelcex The Orier of e Tempic il be_conferred, itz Sir knightare alwags welcome. By ordcr of e Einen COMmBMCT, o o pEANY, Tecorder. Lird Degree will bz e ) \'llrt-d. ?:';nnlcr C. INERS, Scribe. ", XCIL OF PRINCES OF JFRU- will hold o Spectat Convention on Tuursday even- X%, for business. ]l{ order E LD GOODALE, Grand A, F. & A M. ~Tegular y Ing. - Feb. AL 7:30 ok Susinens of fiterest 10 the craft.” Vishing i cordially welcomea. ordér preitivea cordlally Fetcamed Uporderet . o o C. 1% C. W. O'DUNNELL, Seecrectary. D C ve Wednesday eventnz, F s on tie BT, Grder Viiing ted 1o micet wilh B, or e e s F WA brER, E. €. & red CTURPRS' ASSOCIATION AND meetfog will be held st Kiare's st., o the 2ith of Farumy, 863 E.-XIKODEM, becrctary. LA FAYETTE CHAPTER, NO. 2, R.A. M.—Hall, 56 Mouree-st. - Stated Convocation Monday evening. Feb. 24,3t 7 G'cloes, for busipess. By orderof 11 1 . N. TUCKER, Secretary. CORINTHTAN CIIAPTER, No. 49, R. A. M.—Ecg- wiar Convocation Mondny eventng. Feb, 23, at 75 oelgek, W e Mark Degree. Visitisg Com- on the ordially favited. By order i ) Sa3'LKERR, I P. SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 187). " ExGov. Fextos, of New York, is the latest person spoken of as likely to receive the Berlin mission. The credentials of Messrs. Logax of Tili- nois, Csazr of Floride, and Sraten of Ore- r;on, were yesterdny received i the United Srates Senate, n the Sundry Civil Appropriation bill, as reperted to the House yesterday, the sum of $350,000 is set sside for the Custom-House und Sub-Treasury of Chicag — The Senate yesterday agreed to take up the Tclegraph bill, allowing the railroad compauies to compete with tho telegraph companies, at noon to-morrow, and vote upon the same promptly at 3 o’clock. ——— Among & lerge number of other confirma- tions approved by the Senate in executive secsion yesterday was that of the appoint- went of Horarro O. Buncuazn, of Illinois, a¢ Director of the Mint, in the place of the late Dr. Laxprnaax. —_— The House yesterday passed the Chinese- Emigration bill with the Senate amendments without division. Mr. Wmre, of Indinna, made 2 strenuous effort to defeat the meas- ure, Lut Lis motion tolay the bill and amend- Tuents ot the table was voted down, and it now goes {o the President for approval. — In the Senrnte debate on the Army Appro- priation bill, the scheme for the general reor- ganization of the army ‘was dropped without losing time, and the clauss attached by the House forbidding the Ppresence of troops at election-polls met the fate forestelled for all such projects in a Republican body of states- men. — The latest information from Zululand indicates that the British troops will not overcome the ssvages without a hard strug- gie. Col. PEARsOX, one of the British com.- 1eanders, with 1,200 men, is reported to be in a “parlous stale,” being intrenched at Ekowe, thirty miles within the enemy’s country, and completely surrounded by the hostiles. He is amply provisioned, however, nud troops are marching thither to his assist. ance. Lrsvancr’s commerciel policy of pro- tection is undoubtedly gaining ground in Germury, if addresses of adhesion may be zeeepted as o true indication of the public sentiment. They represent not only the syriculturists, but to n large extent the man- ufacturers and other branches of industry. Thris bodes no good for the National Liber- nals, snd it is thought that, in the event of a dissolution of the Reichstag, that party will cense to exist. An enimated discussion took placs in the Touse yesterday on the bill for the repeal of the Resumption act, Mr. GanrFrerp and Mr, Es1xG lecding in the debate. At the con- clusion of tho usnal talk on this well-worn snbject, and before Burres had a chance to gt off the speech he had doubtless premedi- tated, the bill was 1aid on the table by a vote of 141 yess to 110 nays. This effectually puts 8 quietus on the attempt of the present Con- tess to tinker with the money of the na- on. e There were filed yesterday, at Aft. Vernon, the opinions of the Supreme Courtin the ises involving the validity of the interest- ing certificales of 1577 aud prior years, and the serip of 1678, In the first of these czses the decision of thelower Courts, refusing fo grazt an injunction to restrain their pay- 1.éut by the City Treasurer, wasreversed and ilic case remanded. The Supreme Court does Lot modify its views as to the illegality of {le poyment of interest, and holds that the cortificetes of 1877 were illegal in form, so r as the principle is concerned, but that, iu equity, they shonld be paid: out of the tuxes for the years for which they were is- THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE: SUNDAY. FEBRUARY 23, 1879—SIXTEEN AGES. sued when collected. The decision of the lower Courts refusing to grant an injunction against the ‘issue of the scrip of 1878 is sustained, and the issue thereby held to be legal. The certificates of 1877 have been cleared up' with the exception of about $1,200. Of those of 1875 and prior years there remain due but $320,000, the taxes to meet which will, in part at least, soon be collected. So that the homor of the city runs no risk of incurring 8 stain. This decision of the Supreme Courb in regard to the ecrip issues comes just in time to relieve the nervousness of capitalists on the subject, and to maks it certain that the issues of 1879 will be disposed of on terms as good as if not better than those offered by the Syndicate last year.: The British Medical Journal prints a letter from the COzar's Court physician affirming thet the plaguo in Russia is nearly extinct, and that the epidemic only extended over a few villnges. It will be noted, however, that this official certificate is dated some two weeks ago, ard it is in conflict with the tono of the latest advices, which indicate continued alarm on the borders of Russis. The en- forcement of strict quarantine regulaiions by the Russian Government would seem to imply that the pestilence not disap- peared. Some weeks ago we called thoe attention of the city authorities to an unfortunate defect in the existing law regulating the condemna- tion of private property for public purposes, asin the case of strect-openings and the assessments of benefits and damages. The trouble is, that the business, instead of being regulated entirely by ope proceeding, is di- videdinfo-two. The first "proceeding is to appraiso the value and the damages of the property taken. On this point all the -evi- dence taken is to establish the greatest possi- ble sum to be paid to thoss who are to sur- render o small portion of their property to Lavo the value of the rest increased. The result is, there is an enormous roll of dam- ages. But when, six months or a yenr later, there is another proceeding and another jury to apportion the cost among those to be benefited by the improvement, then the whole tide of evidence is to show that the improvement is of no value to any of tho vroperty. The result is, the benefits fall far short of the damsages. Now, what is wanted is that thess proceedings be "consolidated, and that the same jury which apportions the damages shall, at the same time and on the ssme evidence, apportion the benecfits, and unless the one can pay the other then the improvement should not be made. If tho improvement is not worth the-cost, then stop it at once. By dividing this business into two jobs, there can never be a satisfactory agreement. On this subject we print a letter from Mr. Jomx Bierow, who has had some experience o5 to the working of the present law. ‘We print this morning s letter on the sub- Ject of fees demanded for transcripts in the Appellate Court. When an appeal is taken from the Cirenit Court to the Appellate Court, the fee paid for a transcript of the record is ten cents per 100 words. When an appeal is taken from the Appellate Court to the Supreme Court the fee for & copy of the record is fifteen cents per 109 words. This remarkable case of extortion suggests two questions : (1) Why should another copy of the record be made in the Appellate Court, when the Supreme Court has to act on the original record of the Circuit Court? Why not send up the transcript from the Circait Court? (2) Why should any person be comn- pelled to appeal from the Circuit Court to the Appellate Court, when the decision of the Intter is not final, and when to get & final hearing the csse must be taken to tho Supreme Cowrt? In such cases the Ap- pellate Court is a mere ante-chamberthrough which one has to purchase his way to the Supreme Court. It isa toll-gate erected on the high-road to the courts of justice. Is this requirement to sppeal through the Ap- pellate Court & mere provision for pension- ing the Clerk of the Appellate Court,—the taking care of another official pauper? Are the courts of justice in this State created merely to authorize four clerks of as many courts to levy tolls on litigants? The price paid for transcribing records in this city does not exceed three cents per 100 words. ‘Why should litigants be compelled to have useless duplicates of the record at all? And why, if this must be done, should they be plundered at the rate of fifteen cents per 100 words ? AR An inspired and totally irresponsible idiot, who is allowed by some inscratable dispensa- tion of Providenco tohavealocal habitation on the Cintinnati Enquirer, made an exhibition of himself in yesterday’s issue of that paper, by intimeting that the low price of whisky in the Eastern markets was caused by Chicago crookedness. It is sufficient to answer -the fool in his folly by stating that there is no crookedness in this district, nor has thers been since 1875, when the Cincinnati chaps squesled and appropriated to themselves sll the glory and profit which usually accrue to the inforper and the man who turns State’s evidence. For months Cincinnati as well as Chicago has complained that tax-paid, finished goods have been selling so close to the cost of pro- duction that it was impossible to placs any- thing to the credit side of the profit and loss account. There are now on file in this city and in Washington letters from the most prominent distillers of Cincinnati, pro- testing that the country stillhouses in Southern Ohio and Indiana wers in the habit of running highwines into that city and selling them at prices be- low the cost of production, including freight and commissions. The inference was and is that the manufacturers received the benefit of a gauge sufficiently liberal to over. balance all losses by sbsorption, evaporation, and shrinkage of volume. Of this state of affairs the Cincinnati rectifiers have taken advantage, though some of the distillers theresbouts have gone into the market and purchased -the stuff, s0 as to keep up the morket for finished goods. This, they acknowledged in the let- ters referred to, was doane st a loss. The idiot of the Enguirer ought to know that 1t does not cost five cents per gallon to transport highwines to New York. The tariff is sbout three cents. Cincinnati alco- hol, made from the quasi-crooked highwines produced in the immediate neighborhood of | the Paris of America, has been sold in New York within a few days at $1.94 per gallon, and all efforts to secure our alcohol at the same figure have proved a failure. Chicago has no complaints to make sgainst her little friend on the Ohio. She exports at a good profit all her surplus alcohol Why don’t Cincinnati and her tax-evading rural neighbors do likewise? That is the conundrum which they have never been able to answer. I Commissioner Raua ‘were to assign Capt. Soazuvinie to the dis- trict embraced in Southesstern Indiana and Southwestern Ohio he would undoubtedly develop something that might possibly be disastrons to the Ohio ‘““idee,” 5o far as the' collection of the revenue is concerned. THE CITY APPROPRIATIONS. Those who have followed the proceedings of the Common Council during the past three or four days—the Appropriation bill being under considoration—must have remarked g decided inclination on the part of a number of Aldermen to increase salaries and other expenditures. It is feared that the number 50 inclined forms a majority of the Council. The bill is not discussed in Committee of the ‘Whole this year, but ench item is considered and finally disposed of s it comes up; the action in every case is final, unless reconsid- ered before the passage of the bill as a whole. If tho tax-grabbing element in the Council, by means of promises, trades, and log-rolling, shall succeed in swelling the ag- gregate amount beyond all reason, it will be the duty first of the economists in the Coun- cil to oppose the passage of the bill asa whole, and nest of the Mayor to veto it in case it shall pass in spite of all opposition. ‘The passago of the bill may be deferred till April 1 without putting the appropriations in Jjeopardy, and every possiblo effort should bo made in the meantime to compel the extrava- gant Aldermen to acquiesce in the proper and neeessary reductions. _ Every member of the Couzcil should have started out this year on the principle that there should be no incrense of salary, for the cosi of living has probably sbrunk 10 per cent during the past year, and thero are still thousands of competent persons who would eagerly accept the ‘official places at the rul- ing wages. Instead of this, Lowever, thera: Las been o movement in all branches of the servicé to_securo an jncrease, and a large number of the Aldermen are found to favor such incroase in every instance. In the Police and Fire Departmnents it is proposed to increase the salaries of the assistants, the firemen, and the police. There is positively no merit in the proposition, any niore than there is in increasing the salaries of bridge- tenders, street and sidewalk inspectors, clerks, ete., for tho renson that there is an adequate supply of competent men for all such places, and there is no increase of labor or increase of. living expenses that warrants the chango. 1t is the opinion of the Aldermen who are inclined to an economical administration, and . whoso experience renders their judg- mont a valuable guide, that the total ex- penses for the year ought not to exceed $3,000,000. The estimates of the Dopart- ments were over $3,800,000 ; the Comp- trolier reduced these to $8,277,000, and the TFinance Committes increased them again to $8,362,225,—nenrly $100,000 in excess of the Comptroller’s estimates. It is on the basis of tho Finance Committee’s report that the Council is now acting, and the proceed. ings thus far threnten a further increase, If the Council give favorable consideration to the domand for increased salarics, for new engine-houses and police-stations, and for a half-dozen or more viaducts (every one of which ought to be built at the expenso of the railroads which render them necessary), then it is not unlikely that the total appro-~ pristions will be run up to $3,500,000 or $3.600,000, which will be half a million in excess of legitimate requirements. We warn all the Aldermen who favor improper in- crease in salaries, and appropriations for improvements not needed, that their action will be specifically noted os the considera- tion of the Appropriation bill progresses, and that they will bo held answerable by the taxpayers. ‘We judge from tho leadership of this ex- travagant movement in the Council that some of the Aldermen who represent wards inhabited by people of small means imagine that an increase of city expenses will not be resented by their cobstituents. They are very much mistaken in this. As s matter of fact, the bulk of the city taxes is paid by men who have comparatively little property as individuals. These are the peo- ple who own their homes, who do small business, or ‘depend on limited salaries, but who pay real-estate and personal taxesin full proportion to the richest men of Chica- go. Anincresse in the burden of taxation at this time will be felt by this class of citi- zens even mora than by the rich, for the profits in their business have boen declining for yenrs, and the opportunity of employ- ment and rate of wages have both fallen off for the salaried and wages class. Ié is not merely an increase in official salaries or mu- nicipal expenditures, therefore, that is in question, but rather an increase of burdens on the mass of the people who are now strug- gling to support their families and save their property. There is another important consideration in this matter: The good credit of Chicago is just beginning to be re-established; an earnest effort is being made to arrange the municipal finances so that the city can pay as it goes; a revenue measure is under dis- cussion which, if matured, will reguire tac- poyers to pay two years’ taxesin one as o means to getting a new start. If the Coun- cil this year shall authorizs an increase of expenditures, thers will be a rovulsion in public sentiment abont the financial condi- tion of Chicsgo. Capitalists will not be willing to carry the warrants even in the manner adopted this last yeer, and thero will be o universal protest among taxpayers against paying two years' taxes in one on an increased ratio. Every consideration of justice and of policy requires that the Coun- cil shall confine the appropriations within the narrowest limit of necessity this yedr; and any departure from this rule will react upon the Aldermen responsible for it. EVIS OF OFFICIAL CHARITY. - There are those who contend that the whole system of public charity is false in principle, and ecalculated to promote and incrense pauperism. Such persons will find strong confirmation of their, theory in the condition of things exposed by Col. Browx as actually existing in Lemont, one of the Cook County towns. This town is owned mainly by Col. Browy and Epwry WaLkeen, the Intter being the Court-House contraotor and the worker of the stone-quarries which furnish the chief employment for Iaboring- men. The town may be fairly said to be supported by the couniy, for, when the laborers are at work in the quarries, it is to county funds, through the contractor Warx- ER, that they look for their pay, and when work is suspended in the quarries the men fall back on the Supervisor who - is the dis- penser of county charity, or so-called out- door relief. The Supervisor, it appears, is a saloon-keeper as well as Town Supervisor. In the former capacity*he is one of four or five in the town who absorb the wages of the stone-men in exchangs for poor ‘whisky, with the virinal asssurance that he will sse that the county shall provide for them whenever work shall be suspended. Besides this crowd of occasional paupers who have dissipated their earnings, the roputation of the fown author- ities for the liberality of their charities has ottracted a migratory gang of loafers and tramps from adjoining towns and counties, The list of persons to whom relief has been habitually furnished at public expense numbers 200, one number in most cases rep~ resonting a whole family. This list of pau- pers includes, as Col. Brown reports, several bosses in quarrics; the Town Marshal, who draws 8 salary of $40 a month; a book- keeper or draughtsman of WArxen’s, who draws pay amoanting to 34 8 day; one man who owns two houses and lots; another who owns a farm ; large numbers of able-bodied men well able to take care of themselves; some disrcputable women, and large num- Lers of names for which the oldest inhabit- ants could not think of any lawful possessor. The wives and relatives of the village and town officinls also enjoy a share of the pub- lic relief fund. Indeed, sccording to Col. Browx’s report, Lemont has become prncti- cally a community of paupers, or, as he ex- presses it mora rhetorically, ““the delectable mountains of Satan,—the loafer’s land of tranquil delights,—tho Parndise of paupers.” ‘Without pursuing the subject philosophic- ally, as probubly no amount of argument would induce the authoritics to abandon the system of outdoor relief altogether, it may be practically viewed in this light : The exaggerated and outrageous abuses deseribed by Col. Browy have grown up under the Iax and corrupt management of county affeirs that have prevailed during the last three or four years, and the mew County Board should mrke it a specinl duty to investigate the whole system of county.and town re- lief, and curtsil it to the smallest limit pos- sible under the system. Perhaps no other town in the county has so bad a record as Lemont ; but it is probable that an investi- gation equally thorough in other parts of the county would reveal something of tho same kind, 'The Committeo on Towns and Pown Accounts showed the proper disposi- tion in the matter by practically constituting Col. Browx auditor for {he payment of pauper items in Lemont, and nolifying the shop-kecpers that the orders of the sa- loon-keeper and Supervisor would not be honored except in cmses where the persons scoeking relief really deserved it. The Commissioners should seek the nctive co-operation of other Tespon- sible citizens in Chicago and the county towns to assist in the further repression of this growing evil of pauperism. The warm ‘weather is now approaching, and the impoy- arished condition of trade, and manufacture, and building, and the transportation inter- ests, will furnish more employment and at better wages than for many previous years. The public expenditures under the pretanse of relieving actual want and suffering ought to decrease in proportion to the general im- provement of the conditions of the working classes. Col. BrowN suggests a good rule for Lemont that might bs applied to all the other towns, viz.: To cut off the supplies for outdoor relief altogether, or whittlo them down to a nominal figure, and in case of abject poverty and want to send the appli- cant to the Poor-Flouse. Thero is no doubt bat such a rule wonld force men to work for their living who are now loafers at the pub- lic expense, and would induco others to save some of their money for times when they areout of employment. It is by no means certain that this would not be the truest charity in the long run ; and, meaunwhile, it would deprive town and county officials of the opportunity-for plundering the Treas- ury under the cover of relief for the poor. AN INCREASE OF VIADUCTS, The City Council is just now in a fever of excitement concerning the construction of viaducts, Nearly overy Alderman in the ‘West Division is interested in having one or mors viaducts built, and each hzs & motion to includs in the Appropriation ordinance an appropriation or several of them. The pol- icy of the city, it may be considered, has been settled permanently,—that all the rail- ways aro to have admission to the central parts of the city. The depots have been established in groups,—at West Kinzie and, Canal streets, at Lake street and the ‘Lake Tront, at Madison and Canal streets, and at Van Buren gnd LaSalle streets. To reach thesa central points, the city has liberally surrendered several trank routes, which so cross the streets and avenues as to render the construction of an extensive system of vinducts ns essential to the public conven- ience, safety, and business ‘as it is to the operation of the railways. Viaducts over all"the railways within the city limits are, then, part of the necessary future of the city. The railroads which enter the city over rondways crossing the public strects, ave- nues, and alleys, do so subject to all the pow- ers and authority of the city to regnlate the laying of the tracks, tho grade thereof, the ote of speed, tho prevention of strest-ob- struction, the safety of foot-passengers and privato vebicles; in fact, the clty has full power and authority by regulation to control the terms and conditions upon which trains may enior and depart the city, even to the prohibition of the use of steam and “the sub- stitution of horse-power. In 1872 the City Council adopted a gen- eral ordinance on this subject, or an ordi- nance which was intended at the time to serve as the model of subsequent action - ad- mitting mailroads to the cify. It was the ordinance concerning the Chicago & Canada Southern Railroad Company and the Chicago & Mlinois River Railroad Company. The terms and the conditions of that ordi- nance have been re-enacted since then, and ~without substantial change. Under that or- dinancs thero have been several vinduets built by the railronds, and under that snd subsequent ordinances the rgilroad compa- nies are bound by contracts and conditions o build several other viaduets. Gn it bo that the present City Counci} is noi awears of the past legislation on this subject, and that the Council is not aware that it requires only the sctive enforcoment of existing law to com- pel the construction of various viaducts by the railroad compavnies ? The City Council have power, under the ‘geacral police authority, to stop the Tunning of any cars propelled. by steam within the city limits. Railrond compenies operate their trains over and ncross the streets, av- enues, and alleys of the city, to the obstruc- tion of travel, at the suffernnce of the city. In oll cases whero there is not an express contract to erect viaducis, the City Council may offer such railroad companies the altor- native of &0 constructing viaducts or of Ppro- pelling their trains within the city exclusive. 1y by horse-power. The city can order the arrest of any engineér or other officer of a train who shall permit the same to obstruet the crossing of any street, or who shall move that train by any otkes than horse-power, or faster than at the raie of two miles an hour, It is for the milroads {o determine whether they will build viadues, ns is required in the special ordinances of the city, or whether they will subject their business to such regu- Iations as the safety of the public demnm_is. These viaducts are essentially for the in- terest, convenience, and profit of the rnilwnfy companies. Wherever their tracks are lnid and their cars are moved by steam-power, thiey have a monopoly of thestreet; in return for that exclusive privilege, the condition that they shall build bridges over the streets is o very small consideration. Where the roilrond company will not build bridges, then the general public have the right to use the streets, and cannot be lawfully deprived of that right by the intrnsion of any railway company. The express terms on which several of these railways have obtained the right of ad- mission to the city, and the right to move their traing by steam-power, included the building of a certain number of viaduets each year, ns they may be requircd by the city authorities. The only cost to the city to result from the erection of these vinducts was the expense of raising the build- ings to theg changed grade of the approeches to the viaducts. We cannot say how many, bub there are several railways now running trains into and out of the city upon the express condition of building these viaduets when required by the Board of Pub- lic Works, and without cost to the city ; but even in the cases where there is no express contrrct to that effect the City Council can compel a compliance with the same regula- tion, which regulation is of all others the cheapest and most serviceable to the rail- ronds. Before the City Council, therefore, vote away any heavy sums for viaducts, let them look up the existing Iaw on this subject, and ‘wherever it is considered adviseblo let them direct the Department of Public Works to require the construction of these viadaets. Let them further give general notice to all the railways that the construction of via- duets too long delayed shall hereafter be en- forced on every stroet where public safoty demands it. HOW A COMMUNISTIC THEORY WORKS IN MEXICO. The recent interview between a representa- tive of Tie Cmicaco TrimuNe and Mr. H. N. Rust, the historiographer of the "recent Mexican expedition, contains some matter that ought to be of special interest to the Communistic portion of this community, which is o hostile to the introduction of Inbor-saving machinery. Upon this point Mr. Rusr said : *“We got two or three old iron shovels, but onr men—natives—preferred to uso the . woodon ones, because, as they sald, they were lighter and they were used to them, I didn’t sce one ox-yoke of American patiern in use in the whole country, but, on the contrary, the people use the same yoke that is used in the far East, lashing it to the horns of the animals, I broughtonc of these primitive vokes howe with me and intend to place it in the window of Tiro:rsoN’s restaurant, where Chicazo people cansce ft. T was speaking to onc of the principal engineers while there in reaard to the in- troduction of onr improved machinery. He said some gentleman had proposed the mse of an im- proved ditching-machme, but they came to the conclusion that they had the best ditching-machine in Mexico in the world,—the Indians, who counld be employed at 12 cents a day.* Aguin, speaking of Vera Cruz, Mr. Rust said: hafi’l‘he railrong company has a track ranning down to the wuter's edge, but it allows nothing to go over that track except exported articies. The water i3 8o shallow at the cdec of the track that large vessels cannot come up to it, and, in- etead of making any harbor improvements, as they ought, the people depend on small lighters, pushed by poles or oars. There is not only a charge for lighteraze, but the process of loading and unloading, handling and rehandling, produces anvoying delnye. The reason given for not hav- ing the vessels come to the dock to load and un- load is that such a practice would throw o large number of poor ‘people out of employment. T'his hostility to labor improvements Al Rusr found on every hand, the people argu- ing that the introduction of Inbor-saving ma- chines would bea dumage tolabor. If plows were introduced, there would be fewer plow- mon. Sewing machines would reduce the number of those who sew by hand. Boot and shoe machinery, planing-machines, and saw-mills would lessen the number of labor- ers, and so on in the case of all labor-saving machinery. - Hence, acting upon this igno- rant and superstitious principle, all labor in exico is done by hand in the old, primitive methods, and the Mexican towns are filled with poorly-fed, poorly-clad, ignorant, squalid laborers, actually Jiving from hand to mouth, Imowing nothing of the luxuriesand scarcely anything of the ordinary comtorts of life, and earning for their dny’s work not one- tenth of what is paid our commen laborers. There is no well-paid labor in all Mexico, no construction of machinery, no great factories and mills, no use of coal for manufacturing purposes, no stenm-power. All labor 1s debased to the condition of labor by hand, and consequently all lnbor is starving. The mass of the people are unemployed, and those who are employed are working for paupers’ wages and living upon paupers’ fare. The exposition of the character of Mexican industry made by Mr. Rusr is a living refutation of the igno- rant nonsense and silly bosh talked by the Communistio agitators, as well as by some who are not Communists. Look at the results of their theories as put in actual prac- tice in Mexico. Compare the condition of that country, with its ignorance, its squalor, its undeveloped resources, its missrable Ppeo- ple, and, constantly-distarbed Government, with the United States. Away from the const, Mexico is a high table-land in = south- ern climate. It is always summer there. No placo in this conutry can compare with it. It ought to be a Paradise of comfort and even luxury. Compars the stagnation, and laziness, and pauperism of Vera Cruz with the enterprise and industry of Chieago, Bos- ton, or New York, and ses how the opposi- tion to Iabor-saving machinery works and the degrading results it produces. It has pauperized and well-nigh ruined one of the finest countries on the globe. It has par- alyzed its trade and commberce. It has de- graded its people. Instead of employing labor, it has ruined it. Tastead of making the people contented, it keeps them in con- stant confusion. Instend of clevating them 2nd making them comfortable, it has pau- perized them. The best test of a theory is its practical results; and those who oppose the introduction of labor-saving machinery have an excellent opportunity to study the miserable results of the theory where it is carried out to its fullest possible extent. — 5 BOGUS SUBSCRIPTIONS, It Js one of the chargas which have been brought against the Rev. Mr. Tararsce, and upon which he is to shortly stand trial, that hie has used decoy subscriptions to attract contributions towards a certain religious pur: Pose,—raising the debt on lns own church, we believe. In plain words, he has started a subseription-paper with a fraud,—doing evil that good may come,—if the reising of his church-debt can be ecalled a good thing. Upon this point there is considerable diver- sity of feeling, many good people not having 8 very exalted opinion of Mr. Tarangr's peculiarly bizarre style of Gospel work. Mr. Tazarsr, however, is not alons in the decoy-subscription business. - It is & common- practice in every cause relying upon con- tribution for support, and hus becoms so general that the press shounld severely con- demn it as a bold fraud upon the community by which money is obtained from the people under false pretenses. The New York Times has done good service in exposing it, and Tre Crzcaco TRIBUNE is prepared to empha- size its- comments. It is a_species of cor- ruption which has crept into all sorts of schemes that are dependent upon the public purse and have to be supported by public appeal. The decoy subscription is a device by which s man of influence and wealth heads a list with a large subscription, with the understanding that he will not be called npon to pay it,—the object beingto get the use of his name, perhaps sometimes with a douceur thrown in, to infiuence his fellow- citizens, The device is used in peying off church-debts, in endowing Professorships, in relieving the wants of hospitals and asy- lums, in building colleges, in placing all kinds of stock, in starting off concert pros- pectuses, art sales, and subscription books. Tt has become a common trick of the trade, and it is time that it should be exposed, and that people should be warned to scrutinize subscription-lists very closely, and, when- ever they find one headed with decoys, which they have signed, to refuse- to honor their subscription, since they are neither' morally nor legally bound by it. The im- position hitherto has been easy, for sev- eral reasons. In the first place, those to whom the subscriptions are pre- sented usually know very little of the real merits of the cause, and have mno time to examine into it. Seeing, however, the names of responsible men at the head of the list, they take it for granted tha it is all right, or such nen would not have signed it, and they put down their names also without hesitation. A book.agent, for instance, en- ters an office with a subscription for somo new work. The victim may not be a judge of the work at all, o, if he be, may not have time to examine it ; but ke sces st the head of the list the names of A and B, who are recognized in the community ns ecritical judges and literary authorities, and, relying upon them,—their subscription in reality be- ing a testimonial to the excellence of the work,~he puts down his name without ques- tion. The decoysubscription may have been mado by the subscriber without any inten- tion to defraud. The agent is usually a good talker., He works upon a weakness of ha- man nature. He has heard that A is an au- thority; and he flatters him. Ha assures him of the excellence of the work or the object. Ho does not wish him to consider himself bound by his subscription, and he need mnot tcke the book unless ho is so disposed ; but he would like to have the use of the name of one who stands 5o high in the community. A swal- lows the bait,-end then tho agent has no fur- ther difficulty in getting his list filled. There are some who gign, as we hove said, because they rely upon A’s judgment and knowledge. There are others who sign because it is a weakness of human nature to follow in the wake of recognized authorities. The shrewd gofter-up of a social entertainment will al- ways securs the name of some leader of so- ciety, because he knows that .the smaller ligats will be sure to follow. There are still others who sign because they fecl that if the list should happen to be published they would appeer mean if their names were ab- sent, -and comparisons would be instituted that would not be very favorable to them. All this, business ig.a bald windle. ,..The. man who heads a subscription-list withont any responsibility attaching to it is guilty of cheating his fellow-citizens, and they have the right, although he may not have- intend- ed any fraud, to break their confract, while the man who has signed fictitiously is bound by his signature if the agent holds him to it, The only safely in the premises is a rigid scrutiny of subscription-lists and a demand that they shall exactly state the charncter of the consideration and of every condition at- taching to it. Beyond this it is the duty of every honest man who is asked to lend the use of his name to any scheme without per- sonal responsibility. to assume that the schemo is a fraud, and politely but firmly show the agent the door. Amateur theatricals are so prevalent and so crowded nowadays that onc is tempted to ery **Enough!” Not an evening passes without the occurrence of one or more of these social reunions, usually for the benefit of a worthy charity, and usually well patronized by the {riends of the performers and of the object to be benefited. It isa pleasant sien of the times that so much pains should be taken 2s goes to the getting-up of the plays, and so much money paid as results from their representation. No *good society” can be very bad where half the members are contented to spend their days poring over worn and tattered play-books and their evenings in tircsome rehcarsals, and the other half are willing to svend their money and their time in attending performances which are, as 8 matter of course, less satisfactory than those offered by professional players for the same outlays. For various reasons these plays give great pleasure. Theéy. are judged by a standard of their own. We compare the actors with cach other und with themselves in other Toles, and not with their professional prototypes. Then, t0o, iz many- of the performances now occurring in Chicago there are one ‘or more performers who show, even in their un- taueht efforts, powers which would promise sliceess If carried to the professional stace, Therefore we feel moved to say to the players, *“Well done, or, at least, Well meant,” and to the patrons, ‘Do not serutinize 100 closely the value received for your dollars. This is at any Tate an easy way to pay poor-rates and hospital- dues.” ——— ROBERT CARTER, whose death at Cambridge on the 15th inst. has already been noticed in the news columans, was one of the most hard-work- ing literary men in this country. He was almost catirely self-cducated, owing his opportunitics to his employment as assistant in the New York State Library. In 1843 he began with Jasces RusseLL LOWELL the puvlication of the Pioneer, of which the two were joint editors. Owing to the foolish extravazance of the publishers, the magazine lived but a short time. He was for for some years the private sceretary of Wirr- 10 H. Prescorr. Then be took charze of the Boston Commonwea’th, and was chiefly instru- mental in making HALE the Free-Soil candidate for the Presidency in 1852, He acted at diffcrent times as corrésnondent for the New York Post and the New York Tribune. He -was oe of the assoclate editors and largest contril- utorsto the American Cyclopeia, afterwards editor of dpplelons’ Joyrnal, and of the Roches- ter Democrat. A series of letters: written by hitn to the Zribune describing 3 vacation voyage {from Boston to Mount Deseret were collected and printed in a volume under the title “A Summer-Cruise on the Coast of New England,” and had a great success. T —————c— The agents of Mme. ANDERSON, wha i3 to attempt in this city next month to walk a fabu- lous number of quarter-miles in the same num- ber of periods of ten minutes each, have orna- mented the dead-walls and bill-boards with very significant cuts. In the foreground the Mad- ame 15 represented in her pedestrienne costume, taking a stride that, we should say, is a quarter of a mile long, at the lowest estimate. Behind Hor stalks au old man bearing oa hour-glasa in ) his hand; and & scythe swung over his shoulder, ‘The agents intended this figure, no doubt, ¢ symbolize - Time, and his remorseless reckop. ings on the ten-minute schedule; but, over and above this idea, there is another suggestion,— that'of Death. There s & Reaper whose nsme is Death, And with his sickle keen # He reaps the bearded grain at a breath, Aud the flowers thdt grow betwoen. Whether Mme: AXDERsON-i3 ¢ beardeq grain”’ or.a budding flower is immaterial; what- ever she is we shomid be sorry to see her ““reaped "' by that dissipated camp-follower of bers. Yet there is mothing more certain than that she will eventually fall a victim to him it she persists in her foolish exhibitions of endur- ance. The truth is, these matches of Wwomen against time all derive their interest from the great danger involved In them. People are curious to see whether the * pedestrienne » wij suryive the trial..-No woman can safely mage such an.experiment. The case of Ame. La CaAPELLE, who has just completed such amatch, is acase in point.- 8he was g pitiable object the last two days of the.match. Her fect and legs ‘were badly swollen, her stomach disorzanized, and her nervous system highly excited. She kept up by the use of stimulants, and even with I_ their aid was only able to totter along the track, It is a question whether her health will not be permanently injured; the chances are, as most. ‘physicians say, thatit will be. The exhibition of her “ powers of endurance,” under these cir- cumstances, was immoral and deerading. No man of zood feelings could patiently witness it, ‘We believe that all exhibitions of this kind ara contrary to sound pubife morals, and should be stopped, if possible, by the police. —_——— The British Muscum, the University Library at Cambriage, the Boaleian at Oxford, Trinity College Library at Dublin, and the Advocates’ Library at Edinburg, are each entitled, under the Ecglish Copyrizht Iaw, to receive two copies of each new publication. ‘This requirc- ment has proved very burdensome to publish- ers, particularly in the case of expensive books; and Parliament is now considering a bill to repeal it, except so far es the Museum is” concerned. ' Common justice, perhaps, de- mands that the Jaw should be amended in this way, for the publishers are under no special obligations to contribute to the ad- vancement of learning. At the same time, the repeal will affect most injuriously the University libraries concerned. - At Cambridge, for instance, all the books received are ar- rahoed in chronological order, so that one can sce at 4 glance what books were published in a given year, month, or day. No othér library has this system; and for a special kind of bibliographical work it is very useful. In this country the Library of Congress is the only one that bencfits under the Copyright law, and publishers complain even of ‘their forced contriputions to it. But it seems only a fair compensation fom the services of the Govern- ment in granting a copyright. —_——— Dr. HoLLAND writes well in the Jast number of Scribner’s Monthly zbout social drinking, “We fully understand,” he eays, “the power of social influence to hold to the wine-cup as 3 symbol of hospitality. It is one of the most relentless despotisms from which the world suffers. We do not suppose that z very large number of drunkards are made by wine drunk at the table, in respectable homes. The worst social result that-comes of this habit is its paralyzing effect upon reform. It is only the total abstainer. who can be relied upon to work for tempérance.” We bave no doubt that, within imits, this is trae. It is, at any rate, a reasonable statement. Little effective reform work can be done by moderate drinkers, for the reason that their own habitual exampls is ru- inous to habitual druokards. The Habitual is constantly challengzed by the example of the Moderate to drink wisely; but, from the natura of tl:e case, must drink uniwisely or not at all. ———— A correspondent writes to Tum TRIBUNE that, “as s young man,” he thinks WiILLIAM dMaraews, LL.D., is more entitled to nis re- spect than any other living writer. Toe Trin- uxg i5i8iad toobrint ithis unsolicited testimo pial. It shows that Mr. MaTuEws is doinza zood work among the young men. Those Dewspapers in other citles that have charged Mr. Matoews with plagiarism have done so heedlessly, we teel sure; but their sneers and innaendoes-are none the less calculated to do Dim an injuary and to stop the sale of his books. Had the writers in question known him atall, they would koow that he is incapable of an act of literary dishonesty. It should be sufficient proof of his character that where he is best known there he is most thoroughly believed in. —————— ‘The National Museum of Arts in New York is to be moved to new buildings specially erected for it in Central Park, and it is hoped the Dizectors will in the future be able o encournge home artists more fully and impartially than in the past. The {ll-fecling between New York and Boston artists and art institutions is unworthy of both cities: but it only represents on a small scale the jealousy and hostility of all the cities in the Union toward each other in art matters. Until there is some harmony among American artists there can be no American art worthy of the pame. It should be the endeavor of the New York Museum to make itself & rallyinz- point for & national school. —————— Dr. Wriziaxt H. Vax Borew, the eminent surgeon of New York, was put on the stand in the VANDERBILT Will case, and badgered by a provincial lawyer upon every question save those of his specinlty almost beyond endurance. The next morning onc of the great dailies fn New York referred to him as ‘“‘a physician na med VAN BoreN.” The Forld properly says that the whole proceeding was a great outraze ' upon Dr. VAN Bores. It would scem at least that professional men, when they are called into law-courts to zive opinions as experts, shonld be paid a3 experts for those opinions. ————— The prototion of Prot. Srunns, of Oxford, to the Canonry of St. Paul’s, made vacant by the appointment of Canon LicutroorT to the Bishoprit of Durham, fs almost -as highly prajsed by the Englisn press as the oceasion of vacancy was. Lord BEACONSFIELD at least knows where to look for able men when e wants them; end h¢ understunds, also, that nothing is so likely to commend his Aaministra- tion to the favor of the English people as the appointment of zood men to office from con- siderations of merit alone. ————c— The Nation this week temporarily interrupts its outgivings about Scandinavisn mytholozy, * and notices the recent day robbery in Fifth av- enue. [t hooes the occurrence will * check the - silly ‘habit of wearing expensive ornaments in the street.” We.believe American women are the only ones who bave this silly habit; andin_ goad society in America it is going out. : ——e——— Senator. WiNpoy some: days ago professed his perfest resienation in view of the taflure of certain appropriation bills, rather than have them rushed through without proper consider- ation; but he scems not to have been resigned at all to the failure of the Brazilian subsidy, With or without consideration. i ————— 1f every dollir tnerease to salaries of city offi- cers did not necessitate a like enlarzement of . the taxpagers’ burdens, the Council might be pardoned for indulging in liberality. But they can’t put more moncy into officcholders’ pock- ets without . Icaving less in the pockets of their taspaying constitucnts. ————— The. more taXes people have to pay the less property they have left. Officeholders can’t be multiplied or have thelr salaries raised without cousuming the property and impoverishing the taxpayers in an inverse proportion. The anniversary of the birthday of WASHING-" ToX, falling oo a Saturday this year, was ob~ served with enthusiism by ail the drinking men in the country: : ————— The tax-eaters tn and out of the Conncil are on the rampace. Thelr ery is for more. They want to iucrease theirnumbers and their sals-