Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, March 9, 1879, Page 4

The Tribwe, EPAID. $12.00 1.00 BY MAIL—IN ADVANCE—POSTAGE IR Dally Edition, one year. Paris of a year, per TLou! Club of twen! cim it free. 4 Ei‘;‘\:c l':yclgfllu address tn full, Inclading State and County. Tem'itances may be made either by draft, express, Post-Office order. or in registered letter, ot our sk, TERNS TO CITY SUBSCRIBERS. Dally, delivercd, Sunday excepted, 25 cents per week. Toally, delivered, Sunday fncluded, 30 centa per week. Address THE TRIBUNE COMPANY, ‘Corner Madison and Desrborn-sts., Chicago, TIL. Orders for the delivery of Tnx TrinCSE at Evanston, Englewood, and Hyde Park left in the counting-room il receive prompt attention. prinduns TRIBUNE BRANCH OFFICES. * Py CIICAGO TRIRUNE has established branch offices for the receipt of subscriplions and advertisements as llows: hNEW TORE~Room 29 Tridune Bullding. F. T. Mc- FapoEx, Manager. PARIS, France—No. 16 Rue de 1a Grange-Batellere. B. Mauvez, Ageat. LONDUN, Eng.—American Exchange, 449 Strand. Hexey F. Griuia. Agent. SAN FRANCISCO, Cal.—Palace Hotel. WASHINGTO: 1319 F street, s BOCIETY MEETINGS. COVEYXANT LODGE, X0. 5%, A. F. & A. M.— Speeial Communicatlon will be held Friday evening. farch 1. at_Corinthisn Hall, 187 Fast Kinric-st. 7:30 o'clock. for most fmporiant work. All the mem- Lersare requeated tg attond. Vislting bretbrensre 2is0 cordially favited. order of x WM. BANDLIN, W. M. WILLIAM KERR, Secretary. CHICAGO COMMANDERY, . 19, K. T, Sy»echl Conclave Monday eveuing, March 10, at o'clock. fi" ‘work on lhe“ofi?dtll‘ ol'l l:‘n: Red lhfs",‘h\“l:‘(fl}l!s :,l{ y e shis courtcously I W DER WHITE, E. C. der. 3 CHAS. B. WRIGHT, Réco ¥ CHICAGO COUNCIL OF PRI OF JERU- RINCE! BALEM will confer 1he Fifteenth and Sixteentl Grades of the A. & A. “cottieh i:ite Masons on Thursdsy even- 13 isgmest. Dyorderof . p, popy, 5o PGt M. ED GOODALE, Grand Secretary. ), F.—] LSIOR (UNIFORMED) ENCAMP- 0‘5. 1DE§|XCBE" cnrner‘u( Clark and Washinzton- riday cvening. March 14, in fo- e e asd T hird [iegrecs wil be con- faviied, . By order o.CRABD, c. P ugué dress. The Secol fermd, Vieltine Patria E. D. REINERS, Scrl STTE CHAPTER, NO. 2, R.A. M.—Hall, 76 )’%r‘;é{f&mfl ‘Gonvocation Monday C\'(‘YVI"U:. March* 10, a0 7 oiclock promul 101 DU onerof A-Ex membens cordlaly o g WOTTERWORTH, I, P. {IXTRIAN CHAPTER No. G3.R. A, N.—Regular C&S’R‘PDP:“‘.TV%IMQHGII EI‘EI:‘I;E.MD!CH 10, at 7% o'clock. Work on the P ’fll % )l‘l b lfib{;;:li Visiting Com- Lay rdial] vite A er.. PSR SO SAML KERR, H.P. SUNDAY, MARCH 9, 1879, Persons wishinginformationin regard to the recently authorized 4 per cent refunding cer- tificates, may obtain it from the circular issued by the Secretary of the Treasury yes- terdny and given in to-day’s issue of THE Temuxe. Tho certificates are to be of the . depomination of $10, and will be sold for lawfal money at par and acerued interest at the date of purchase. —_— The officials of the National Stock-Yards at East St. Louis deny the report telegraphed . from Washington Thursday night that cases of plenro-pnenmonia had been discovered among the stock ab that point. They assert also that no slop-fed cattle are sent there for stle, and that those received thus far this year have been in an unusually healthy con- dition. The principal matter of interest in French politics yesterday was the reading in the Chamber of Brissox’s report, which em- bodies the grievances and complaints of those .who oppose the De Brooue Cobinet. It is charged with violatiog the - Constitution in several - particu- lars, . notably by delaying the elections beyond the time fixed by law, and in general managing affairs with a view to the estab- lishment of a Dictatorship. The existence of 2 conspracy to effect this result is directly charged, and the opponents of De BroGLie and Rocranourr propose to impeach those gentlemen before the Senate. In to-day's paper a correspondent very sen- sibly calls atiention to the bratal exhibi- tion mow in progress at the Exposition Building, under the thin guise of a * walk- ing match.” The trathis, that 8 woman who ought to have more sense is maoking a futile effort to perform an impossible feat, and the mouney obtained from the gulled public which pays for the privilego of witnessing the degrading spectacle goes to the support of her ablc-bodied husband, a couple of rpeculators, and the women who attend her. There is not the slightest element of sport in such an affair, and the smmnmary arrest of the woman and her *‘ managers” would meet with public approbation. A number of . Democratic Congressmen from this State were interviewed in Wash- ington yesterday regarding their views upon the Presidential outlook for 1880 in the Democratic camp. Although differing some- what on minor points, they are unanimous in the expression of the belief that TILDEN'S light shines brighter than ever before, and that Lis personal character and popularity have not been in the slightest degree affected by ihe cipher-telegram exposure. ¢ Bill” SerivGER, from the Twelfth Distriet, is par- ticularly enthusiastic in his praise of SaxveL J.; but Knarp, EpEN, Spanss, and- others, are not so sure that TILDEN is to De the Democratic choice, the third- named being strong for THURMAN, on the ground that the “West is solid for him. On thewhole, it looks Jike o bad case of fence-straddling to see which way things are going to jump. A perfect reign of terror exists in Colum- bus, O., owing to the presence of nn cpparently well-organized band of in- cendiaries, whose operations - have here- tofore been alluded to in TmE TrIBUNE So extessive had become their depreds- tions that a public meeting was called for last Friday evening to take measures for the protection of property from further destruction. While it was in session houses were entered and prepared for the torch by liberal applications of conl-oil, etc.; and st an early hour yesterdsy mornmng no less than eight fires were started almost simultaneously in different paris of the city. Aroused to vigorous action by these start- ling events, the Mayor has authorized a re- ward for the captare and conviction of the villains, and last night three hundred militia- men were placed on patrol-duty to guard the city. Experience with the self-propelling steam firc-cngines, of which there are two in this city, tenches that they should be converted 1t once into the ordinary draft engine, and thst the city should buy no more of the same design. Ivis not merely because they uwre a nuissnce, but because they are pos- itively dangerous, that they ought to be sbandoned. The accident the other night, in which & man had his leg broken, and where a car-horse fell dead from fright, isa werning that ought to be heeded; the next accident of the same kind may result in & TRISUNE: SUND ARCH Y, IST9—SIXTELDN PAGIE loss of several human lives. T'he advantages and saving of using these engines do mnot compensate for the danger which they con- stantly threaten ; and we venture the asser- tion that all the owners of horses and ve- hicles, everybody who rides in carriages or buggies, and the great mass of people who use the street-cars, would unite in opposing their forther use, if called upon to do so. One of the latest political and legal mon- strosities is a bill introduced and advocated in the IHlinois Legislature by Mr. Moses WestwontH, of this city, regulating the payment of wages.~ The bill is a rare speci- men of blatant demagogism, and, liko all such efforts, if enacted, would be most preju- dicial to the class it professes to protect. It provides that all persons, firms, and corpo- rations doing business in this State shall make payment ¢ to their laborers, and all other persons to whom they are indebted,” on or before the 14th of each month, for the wages due and paysble up to the 1st of that month. That all wages not paid on the 14th of the month shall be s lien upon the property of the debtors, ‘“in preference to any other claim, debt, or demand,” not previously secured by lien. That all dnes to laborers for wages shall bave priority of peyment from tho money and assets” of the debtors over any other claim not secured by previous lien, and any refusal to recognize such pr- ority shall subject the party to all loss or damsage caused thereby, with 10 per cent pen- alty. That to all wages not paid on the-1ith of any month, after the month in which they shall be earned, there .ghiall be added 10 per cent when recovered by suit. That all suits for wages of labor shall have priority of hearing and trisl over all other suits, and when judgment is given for plaintiff the Court shall include in the judgment an al- lowance for attorneys’ fee,—$5 if before & Justice of ihe Peace and $10 if before a Court. That the term *“laborer” isto be taken as meaning any person whose wages do not exceed §3 per day. This wonderful bill is Mr. Mose Wexrworrn's tribute to Communism. Allemployment of labor isnow by contract of agreement between the work- man and the employer, and includes the time of payment as well as the amount of wages. For any feilure to comply, the employer is now responsible m snit. The bill subjects every man who employs workmen to a per- petual lien on all his property. These liens are not of record. If he sells a lot, or any bill of goods, or any other property, he will have to give a bond of indemnity to the pur- chaser to protect the Iatter from any claim for unpaid wages, 10 per cent penalty, and counsel fees; or: he will have to execute to the purchaser a written relense of all Liens, and have the same signed and sealed by all the Iaborers and mechanies who have worked for him during the previous two years or more, After Mr. WexTwoRTHE had ventilated his own demagogism, the House amended the bill so that it would give “all creditors priority of payment over all other creditors,” and then seat it to a committee. The amend- ment happily illustrated the absurdity of the whole thing. CANDIDATES FOR OFFICE. The City of Chicago is about to pass {brough the annual peril of clecting new officers. A Mayor, Attorney, Treasurer, and Cuty Clerk, and eighteen Aldermen, are to be elected. Upon the result of this election de- pends the character of the Government, its efficiency, its integrity, and its economy, during the mext two, and perhaps four, years. In 1876, under the alarming crisis of betkruptey and suspension by the eity, with an immense end illegally-issued float- ing debt unprovided for, and total collapse of credit, thers was a popular uprising to meet the emergency, the result of which was the election of & complete City Couucil, of which *four-fifths wers men .of integrity, business habits, and practical usefulness. Having administered the knife freely on varions sbuses, having dismissed scores of useless and expensive officers and abolished their offices, having reduced the annual ex- penditares from one to two millions of dollars, and instituted a financiel system which hes re-established the city credit, taken up and exlinguished the floating debt, and placed the cily in a fair way of extrication from its financial difficulties, and with a policy which, if ad- hered to, will prevent any recurrence of such embarrasswents, these persons have one after the other retired from the Council. They offered their scrvices in the hour of the city’s peril, and, having performed their duty faithfully and well, they have left the public service. Of the thirty-six Aldermen clected in that new Council there will remain in office after the expiration of the present term Messrs, CurLerToN, Lawrer, THROOP, Rawceren, and Warpo. Not more than two of the others " will be cendidates for re-elec- tion. It must be borne in mind that no Mayor can govern the ¢éity with economy and credit unless he have the support of au equally patriotic snd respectable City Council, and therefore it is that the post of honor—that is, the post where an honest and intelligent citizen can render the greatest service to the aty, and best protect its credit and promote the public interest—is in the City Council Merchants, business men, professional men of ability, and all other honest, intelligent citizens intent only on protecting the public from frauds, abuses, wastefulness, and ex- cessive taxation, can find in the City Council the fallest opportunity of serving the public in the very place where all the dangeris threatened, and where, of necessity, the city can alone be betrayed. TkLe citizen will look almost in vain among the lists of candidates for office at the com- ing election for men fitted to be members of the City Council. Above all other places to be filled, the city needs wise, respectable, honest, practical men for the City Council, and it makes no serious difference what the politics of these men may be. Better for the Republicans that the whole thirty-six members of the Council were Democrats like Pearsons, Pueres, and Torey than a Republican majority mede up of such men 2s have disgraced the Council in past years; and the Democrats of the city would have more resson to rejoice if the Council were unanimously Republican then have a Demo- cretic majority made up of the class of men who were expelled by the popular uprising in 1876. 'The misfortune of the city is not that respectable men will not take office, but that they will not accept elections to the City Council. An illustration of this is furnished by the list of worthy citizens, Democrats and Republicans, merchants, professional men, and persons of various occupations, who* are candidates for the office of City Treasurer. So far as our observation and knowledge extends, each aud every one of the gentle- men seeking to be City Treasurer is just the kind of man that thé city specially needs at this time in the City Council The office of Alderman yields no lezal com- pensation. The office of ‘I'reasurer has a legal compensation, butat the same time is seem- ingly a cost to the incumbent. The salery of {he Trensurer is $2,300 o year, but the oficer must pay his own clerks, whose compensa- tion is perhaps $4,000.0 That is the legal- status of the case. It is assumed s afact that the City 'Freasurer deposits the public moneys in banks of his own selection, and that he receives from sach banks en nllow- ance of 3 or 4 per cent on the monthly bal- ances to his credit. The.averngo cash in the hands of the Trensurer of this city the .past year has been perhaps §800,000. If the City Trepsurer does receive this interest on the deposits, which is unknown to ‘the law, then the net emoluments of the office may be esti- mated by those apt at ciphering. We cannot, however, assume that the hope or expectation of receiving this large com- pensation has anything to do with producing such & numerous array of candidates on both sides, and for two rensons. All these gentle- men are men of standing and character, having due regard for legal and moral obligations. The law requires the Treasurer to give bond ; it requires him to make oath generslly to observe the law, and specifically once a month that he has not violated the law. The law algo prohibits the Treasurer, on penalty of removal from office, from using, directly or indirectly, for his own profit or the profit of any other person, any portion of the pub- lic money, and provides that in case such Treasurer shall loan such money, or use it 23 & deposit and receive interest therefor, he shall be punished by fine and imprisonment, or both. ' The Comptroller in his last report urgent- ly appenled to the Council to make an ap- propriation for a vault and safe in which to keop the public money, and to fix a specific salary for the Treasurer and for his clerks. The Council, however, has refused to. do this, the impression being that there is o standing necessity for having at least one office under the City Govern- ment which would jushiy the candidate of ench party contributing from $5,000 to $8,000 to “run the party ” during the election. How the candidates for the office of Treas- urer can afford to pay such enormous assess- ments for the mere nominatiou to an office whose legal, and not criminal, emoluments are insuflicient to pay the ordinary clerieal labor, is one of those conundrums which each man is at liberty to answer for himself. As only one person can ba nominated on each side for Treasurer, we suggest that all ihe defeated candidates for that office be nominated by their respective parties for the City Council. . ANOTHER KEENE TRANSACTION. A novelty is always greatly relished by the newspaper-reading public; it responds to a desiro that is partly matured and partly cul- tivated, but very wide-spread. Hence the story about the ¢forged dispatch,” as the basis of the large wheat sales on Friday and the oceasion of the consequent fall in price, created a lively interest among & mass of people who have no personal interest in the price of wheat except as it is sold by the bar- rel or pound in the shape of flour. It was something new, and it relieved the monotony of that particular pert of the newspaper set aside for certain cabalistic vegas called quo- tations, which are ¢ caviare to the general.” It was an interesting story, and not any the less so_because it was impossible to tell just what proportion of truth it contained. A fow months ago Mr. Jawes R. Kxexe, the California and New York speculator who has rivaled Joy Gourp of late years, came to Chicago in person, and began the purchase of wheat. There was a disposition among the *“smallfry” of the Board of Trade to raise a hue-and-cry over his advent, and an effort to create sympathy for themselves and hostility to Mr. KeeNe on the ground that he was ‘‘running a corner.” We always understood, however, that . Mr. Keese paid cash for his wheat, put it away in elevators, and bought it to hold as an investment over winter, and consequently Tne TRIBUNE ex- tended a welcome to Mr. KEENE, as it ism the habit of doing to all persons who have the good judgment to bring money to Chi- cago for investment. On Fridsy MMr. Kerxe's brokers surprised the market by selling large blocks of the specu- Iative grade in wheat, amounting in all to sbout 2,300,000 bushels. This action caused a break in the market of sev- eral cents, notwithstanding the foreign price remeined firm and the foreign demand good. Subsequently there was a reaction by two or three cents, and yesterdsy wheat had re- sumed almost the value it had prior to the break. The story of the forged dispatch was incident to this flurry, and the sensa- tional feature of the case. Had the sales been made on account of Mr. Keexe, and with the purpose of closing out his accumu- lations of the winter, it would have been a perfectly legitimate transaction, in which AMr. Keexe would have imade a net profit of $100,000 or more, and nobody could have fairly criticised him for it. But the story of the forged dispatch came in just at the time when it could play a prominent part and in- crense the uncertainiy of life on the Board. This was o new element in trading which was a mystery to bulls and bears alike, ex- cept the few persons, if any, who under- stood it, and mystery is the favorite clement of speculation. Of course there were several theories about this sensational business. Oune was that such a dispatch was sent, that it was forged, and that Mr. KeeNe's brokers were deceived by it. This would bea straightforward expla- nation of the affair, but perhaps on that ac- count itwas not generally credited. Immense orders 1o buy or sell are ustally given in cipher, and the senders do not, as a rule, re- sort to & night-message for the saving of a quarter or half dollar where hundreds of thousands- of dollars are involved. This is particularly true where relations are 50 inti- mate as they must have been between Ar. Kzexe and his brokers. Yet the dispatch on which the broker acted was in plain En- glish, sent 2s & half-rate night-message, and simply signed Kxene. It almost staggers Lelief that experienced and responsible Chicago brokers would have closed out 2,300,000 bushels of wheat on the strength of such a message alone. Another theory was that the sales were made for KEeNE, because that operator wanted to sell out and pocket his profit, and that the dispatch in question was o part of a well-laid plan for keeping up the market (on the theory that it would not be credited by Board-of-Trade men, who doubt every plain, matter-of-fact statement) while California Krexe was unlonding. KeENE combated this theory by his statement that he had given no orders to sell. A third theory was that some speculator or specalators em- ployed Mr. KEeNE's brokers to sell on their account, knowing that heavy sales by this particular firm would be construed as sales for KEENE, and that the forged dispatch was sent for the purpose of confirming that impression. There were still other theories which it is not necessary to recount,—all of them in the in- terost of . peoulation. 'he bankers say there wos no call on them for the large amount of moncy necessury to. buy . the wheat that was nominally sold. The developments of yesterday afternoon, which nre given 1n detail in auother column, dissipate all ihe theories nientioned except, the first one: The dispatch was a fraud. M. Kegvs repudinted it and nll its'works. The brokers found themselves inthe prodica- ment of having sold over two million bushels of wheat which they did not possess, and which . they would bave to buy, or else -seltlo for by paying whatever differences there ‘might bo ageinst tham on the maturity of the coutracts. They did the wiser thing. Thoy purchased enough wheat to cover their sales,—of course buying back from many to whom they had . sold,—and closed up the denl without the loss of & single penny. Skillful mdnagement enabled them, so they state, to plate o small amount to the credit side of the profit and loss account. One curious circumstance in this affair is that the senior momber of the firm which acts as Mr. Keene's broker is in Europe, and the business is conducted by a younger brother during the senior’s absence. Had the « bulls,” with the aid of this bogus dispatch, succeedew in forcing up the market to the neigkborhood of §1 per ‘bushel, there would have boen entailed on the firm a loss in the neighborhood of $100,000. But, in spite of this immediate possibility,—and it was dreaded by many of the ¢ short ™scll- ors,—the junior member of the firm of brokers was undisturbed in mind, and went about tramsacting his business as usual; aud, though this gentleman is belicved - to possess a good - deal of the sang - froid which is not characteristic of the race from which he springs, it 1s doubtful whether he could carry » sudden loss of $100,000 from robbery without show- ing some signs of regret or chagrin. The most that can be said nbout the nffnir is that it has created a sensation; and Chieago is alwnys grateful for that, whether it is furnished by Mr. K2ENE or any other man. If there is any moral to the story, it is es another warning to people outside of tho bull-and-bear menagerie not to intrust thoir money to be invested in speculative margins by brokers belonging to that useful but eccentric institution. - Just such a trensaction as we have recounted occurs in somo shape or ‘other every littlo while, and always swallows up a greater or less number of outsiders who invest in “ flyers,” and raroly seo the color of their money again. THE RACE MURDERERS, It has always béen concaded that the re- ceiver of stolen goods is as bad as the thief; but there is good renson fo believe that the professional receiver of the present day— the *fence "—is worse than the thief. Itis certain that 1f thero wero no * fences,”—no places where slolén goods could’ bo sold or pawned, and no questions asked,—theft would be confined mostly to cases of neccessity and covetousness, where one stenls to satis{y hun- ger or gratify a desire for possession. MMore than this, it has become the custom for the “fences ” to plan and organize large robber- ies, to select the men for the job in hand, to underteke the sslégof the goods, and to allow the nctual thieves a percentage of the spoils. This was the ease ‘in the. Jarrray burglary, in which Lasm, and Fremuaw, and others were engaged, and'which led up to the mur- der of Officer RacE, for which Laws has just been sentenced to death. According to the testirfony given, FRIEDBERG, the pawn- broker, organized the conspiracy. - He sent for Fresauw, with whom he bad had previ- ousdealings, and asked if he (Fremrax) could not recommend some thieves for a certain job whom he (FriEDBERG) could trust not to “give him away.”..It was this cool propo- sition which led to’the combination of L, Fremuay, and four! others to break into the JArFRAY store. . The robbery was admirably planned, and succeeded to the point of deliv- cring the goods to. FreppEra, when it was interrupted by the -appearance of Officer RacE, who was shot dead at his very first " question as to the nature of the goods in the wagon. ‘WhenFreexax heard of the yerdict against Laxm, ho remarked: *‘The Frieppencs are the guilty parties, and onght to suffer; if it had not been for them JAFFBAY's store would never have been robbed, nor would Officer Race havs been killed.” Nobody who has followed this case can doubt for a moment that this statement’ is literally true,—at least so far as it applies to the male FRIEDBERG. Not only is Frrepperc, in the light of the law, as guilty of the murder of RacE as Lam is, who is now under sentence, but, morally, he is more guilty, since it was he who planned the conspiracy which led up to that murder. Frempan’s evidence leaves no doubt on this point. Besides, FRiEDBERG furnished at least one of the revolvers in the hands of the thieves, and, when there was danger of the policeman’s interference, he suggested murder by the remark, ¢ Well, you have your gun, haven't you?” No one who believes the evidence upon which Laas was convicted can hesitate in the belief that Frrepnere was more guilty of the murder of Race than any one of the thieves whom he employed for the commission of the burg- lary, and to commit any murder that might be necessary to make the burglary a success. Frrepnenc has been indicted on the charge of burglary, and is out on bail, while Lass is under sentence of death, and FReEsax lies in jail to receive ultimately such punish- ment as may be meted out to him for his share in the crime, tempered by considera- tion for the service he has done the State in furnishing evidence. If Durpaey, DExNIS, GrrrFry, and Driscorr—the “other thieves— could bo appréhended, there is no doubt that they would be held for murder with- out beil.. It is clear, them, that Frrepserc ought to be arrested on the charge of murder, committed without bail, indicted the very first dny the Grand Jury meets, snd brought to trinl as early as pos- sible. In his present condition, he may es- cape ot suy time, if, indeed, he lasnot nlready taken steps to get away.” The jury did not find Liws guilty because they actually belicved thet Laxm fired the fatal shot. Frreyax did not sweer that Lus did the shooting, and the testimony of the negro woman alone, who saw the man but an in- staut, wenld not Lave been enough to remove all doubt of Luam’s identity with the man who shot Race. But the jury broughtina verdict of * guilty,” because there was no doubt in the mind of any one of them that Laxs was a party to the original conspiracy for the burglary, and because, undera well- settled and just rule of law, he thus became a party to the greater crime of murder whicl grew ‘out of that conspiracy. This rule, which has resulted in a death-sentence to Tuxm, will apply. in s stronger degree to FRIEDDERG, Who organized the original con- spiracy, and who advised murder in case it should become necessay to escape detection. It would bf of the grestest service to thig as well as othor large cities, and ab the same time the application of exact. justice, it-n pawnbroker could be made to suffer the fall penalty of the crime which he originates and renders possible. The same evidence—FREE- aax’s—which bgs convicted Laxs would conviet Frieppeng. Nobody can tell, and perhaps it will never be known, who aotually fired the shot that killed Race. It was not: Lknown whether SzErnY or ConeLLyY stabbed McCoxviLL, but both were convicted and executed for. the murder, on the ground that they Wera equally guilty, without regard to the use of the knife. : The same is true in the case of Raot's murder as the evidence now stands ; and if Laus should hang forit so should Frreonrre, and so should the other thieves, if they can be caught. Even-’ handed justice of this kind would be a great protection against future conspiracies of 8 similar nature that might have the same re- sult, ond Frieopenc should be locked up without delay on the charge of murder. - polStutodan ety TREE-GROWING A subject which merits serious considera- tion just at this time of year is tree-planting ; ii ought to receive moré attentionin Chicago’ than it actually does. The fire of 1871 destroyed the trees that lined the streets in many of the handsomest residence-portions of the city. The soil is not favorable to tree- growing in general; and it should.be the aim of all property-owners to make good the loss in the quickest available way. ~This can be best accomplised by cultivating those trees which experience teaches to be best adapted to our soil and the conditions of a large city.” All observers agree that the Lombardy poplar and the willow mature more quickly and Inst longer than any other viriety. They are not ns desirnble in themselves as the alm, the onk, or the mizple, but much more so than the cottonwood, which is the only tree that lives: and thrives here as well as the willow and poplar. The elm grows to magnificent propor- tions after it gets o fair hold on life, but there aro only certain portions of the eity whero it outlives its babyhood ; it will not grow in wet clay. The sewer-gases, the smoke, the dust, and various other conditions of city life prove fatal to the elm, the locust, and even tho’ evergreen, in Chicago, and mucl® money and time have been wasted in the effort to oultivate them. Good judg- ment and the interests of the city require, in ‘the light of experience, that property- owners should give preference to the wil- lows and Lombardy poplars. They bud out earlier in the spring, remain green later in the fall, and have a longer lease of life in this whole region of Chicago and 1ts suburbs than any otber varieties.. They can be planted to advantago altermately in a row, and a few years suffice for growth into dimen- sions of someuse aud beanty. The Lombardy poplar is o tall, stately tres, which canbe shaped, by proper care and trimming, into a thing of beauty; these trces can also be planted closely together without crowding the life out of each other, and, thus planted, they furnish good shade sndform o benuti- ful border for an avenue. Generous and judicious tree-planting is the best invest- ment that real-estate owners can make, now that the demand and prices of property are improving notably. A pieco of. property supplied with trees which, in a very few vears, will have agood, substantial growth (and this may be depended on with willows and Lombardy poplars), will command a Ligher price for residence purposes than an- other piecé -equally desirable in other respects; and a streeb or avenue well pro- vided with shnde-trees will always be more sought than one without such adornment. It is a matter to' which property-owners and real-estate dealers should give earnest atten- tion this spring. THE ANTI-TREATING SOCIETY. The new temperance movement in New York, recently announced by the New York Herald, has many features which commend it to people who are not fanatical and who are not wedded to the idea that drinking can be stopped by compulsory legisiation. We priuted some of the details of this organiza- tion a fortnight ago ; but, as they may have been overlooked by some of our readers, we refer to them again on this occasion for the sake of once more putting in a plea for the adoption of some practical measures that ap- peal to reason and good sense. The idea of the mew Society had its origin in 1876 at & meeting of the Congressional Temperance Society, shortly after the denth of Hexmy Wicsox, which event was ascribed to im- moderation at &' banquet given him at Der- arov1co's. The iden was at that time dis- cussed, not of advocating total abstinence or prohibitory mesasures, but moderation ifi in- dulgence, except in cases where men cannot”) drink without gettingintoxicated. While the plan does not deny the right of men to manufacture and sell intoxicating liquors, or to drink them, it leads up to total abstinence by gradual steps, and it reache all classes of drinkers. A mnucleus of Trustees has alrendy been appointed, and, as the Con- gressional Temperance Society has given its cordial approval of the idea and its promise of co-operation, we may look forward to some practical results when the Society gets fairly into-working order. . From the very general description of the Society which was given by the Herald, it would appear that it has three ends in view," and requires three pledges,—the red, white, and blue. The red pledge is intended only for those who will promise total abstinence for a certain period,—n pledge which has a more binding force and is more ensily kept than s lifelong one.- The child or young man who solemnly pledges himself for a lifetime usnally does soin a sentimental ‘moment, or under the exciteyant and pres- sure of those about him, wlthout fully re- alizing what such a_pledge implies, or the impossibility of foreseeing whether the events of the future will so shape themselves that he can keep -it. . The white pledge is worded so thak those who take it renounce drinking during the hours of the day that are devoted to business. - The white pledge will thus secure a saving of time and money, aswell as an immense. saving of business energy, snd itis a pledge which business men not only ought to iake themselves but require of their employes,. as they have an undoubted right to demand that their clerks shsll give them the best of their ability, and shall not spend time in saloons that belongs to business. The reform that such a pledge would insugurate on the Board of Trade slone would be of incal- culable benefit. The blua pledge covers a very important point, and will be one of the strongest attacks that have yot been made upon the evils of intemperance. It re- nounces the practice of * treating.” Every one who takes this pledge promises never to 2sk any one to drink with him at biz own ex- pense, or to accept an invitation to drink at the expense of another. Itis safe to say that thereis not one person in a hundred who would not confine his drinking within the limits of decent moderation, if this ab- suwrd and really degrading practice were abolished. It wonld save millious of dollars. It would immensely reduce the consumption of liquors. The long roll of drunken men would ba reduced to the foew desperate ones who drink expressly to get drunk, and witl drink alone to do it. It would save working- men the loss of their wages, tho results of a week's work, perhaps, squandered in & single 'night. It would save other families from abuse and suffering. It would abolish the sense- léss demand which o form makes upon ayoung man to include a crowd of others whom he does not know, and perhaps does not want to knor, in his drinking. It would knook away the first step that hos led many a man into immoderate drinking. If the’ ladies of this State who are now laboring s0 zealously for temperauce in impractical di- rections would personally appeal to men to peremptorily refuse to treab others or allow others to treat them, and organize associa- tions for that purpose, they would striko almost a death-blow at saloons. The New YorkSociety calls itsclf the Busi- ness-Men’s Society of Moderation. Shall we not have such an organization here ?- Will not our business men move in this matter, —not the men who never drink, for s tem- perance society of that sort is a misnomer, but the business men who do drink? If}.he»y will get together and pledgo themselves not to drink in business hours, or not- to treat other business men, or, better still, not to drink for a stated period, they can accom= plish a great deal for temperance,—that. much-abused word,” which does not mean total abstinence, but moderation. , The ex- smple would be s henlthy one for their clerks and employes. What prominent basi- ness man of Chicago has the cournge to step forward and tako the initiative in this great work of reform? If an honest, earnest effort were made it would not be long. be- fore the red, white, and blue pledges would “be A:bundnnt in Chicago. . EMOTIONAL INSANIIY. Tt would seem both from the nature of the disease (1) and from precedent (as witness the trials of S1CKLES, COLE, MCFARLAND, and the plea of Mr. TRUDE in the case of STEVENS), that the only cure for emotional insanity is murder, and that this once committed, the insane murderer s ever afterwards sane. It has been equally apparent that in none of these cases has there been any evidence of predisposition to insanity, so -that neither before nor after the emotional murder has the murderer been otherwise than sane. It would seem to be just as clearly “set down” by a class of criminal lawyers that emo- tional insanity, irrespective and in'spite of all surrounding circumstances, is per se not simply the_only, but the all-sufficient, plea for the murderer whose case Is else entirely hopoless. It would nlso appear that the disease, in- stead of being confined to women, as ove would expect, is, in the cases we bave ' quoted, almost entirely confined to the legal profession,—a cir- cnmstance singularly noticeable, since three out of four of these murderers who have pleaded emotional insanity were lawyers,—men little given to violent fits of emotion. That the only slleged cause for such fnsan- ity is wounded honor; and, strange enouch to be well worthy of noting, that in nelther ‘of these cases has it appeared that the gentiemen murderers were men remarkable for any par- tienlar overplus of this commodity. On the contrary, if their reputation does not do them an ‘injustice, they are rather remarkable for the want of it. * 4 What fs this mew, this terrible, disease? Avoiding the technicalities which a description of morsl insanities would necessitate, and ad- mitting the difficulty of making satisfactory defivitions of mental discases, let us try as best we may to find a definition of this alleged dis- ease. 2 B ‘Emotiou, from emot{o,-13--4in--a+ philosophical sense an internal motion or agitation of the mind, which passes away without desire; when desire follows, the motion or agitation is called a passion.” . If this defivition is & fair one,—one that intellizent men in general accept,—then much, if notall, of the mythism surrounding the novel phrase cmotional insanity is done away with. Emotion “without desire™.is emotion proper, but “emotion with desire is passion,” and passion active is, as:‘we know, murderous enough. The more one looks at the evidence in these cases, the more one fails to find anything but murderous passion, the active desire to avenge a wrone real or supposed. A moment’sreflection, however, roveals something ‘beyond and entirely different from an emotion, —something beyond mere passion,—it reveals time to reflect, time to devise the plan, the hour, the manner of the victim’s death; time, if not to make the act one of premeditation, at least to raise the fearful question what time is requi- site to coostitute premeditation -where a man has determined to commit 2 murder. 1f, however, it be contended that there was no premeditation fn these cases, then mark what follows. Says Dr. WyaAX, so many years Phy- sician of the McLean Asylum for the Insane in Charlestown, Mass.: “Insanity is some- times manifested bya sudden disposition to violence, and sometimes to .great violence; but Tdonot remember that Ihave scen any case where the first symptom was a disposition to kill.” Bestdes which, and as we know, a broad distinction is made by thelaw and the com- munity between the man who suddenly commits murder without cause, without motive, and without provdeation, and anothér who has all three incentives to crime. In addition, BECK wellremarks: ‘It is evidently impracticable to lay down a rule of exemption on * the ground of insanity. . That before we have com- pleted iv we shall find that we have introduced the effects of wiolent passions as a species of lem- porary insanity. The philosopher -may justiy deem them so, but the safety of civil society ", requires that they should be consideréd as crimes.”’, What shall be done with STEVENS?. For the. law to coundemn him, whilst the law has al- lowed, for the self-same offense, witlt the sell same plea, SICKLES, COLE, and MCFARLAND to escape punishment, would probably, to the many, scem unjust. Will the **law,” however, which, as we are told, **is the administration of justice,” add another precedent for the plea of emotional insanity, and tbus give absolute ex- emption to murderers,—tre¢ license to every SicLes, CoLE, MCFARLAND, aud STEVENs? * These are indeed grave questions, and concern every man and woman in the country. Itis not for us, however, to discuss what the jury will in this case think proper to do. . This much, though, we may be permitted to premise: that there will bot be o single juryman among those impaneled to try STEVENS but who, on quitting the jury-box when the trial is over (shonld STEVENS be acquitted), will not both feel and fear that his own life is not .as safe as it was be- fore the verdict, and that ke has contributed to demoralize society. 4 Is there no remedy, no preventive, no effectual or satisfactory way of dealing with these cases? Plainly there would secm to be. Maine enacted in 1847 * that when any verson is indicted for a criminal offense, or is com- mitted to joil on a charge thereof, . . . any Judge of the Court before which he is to be tricd, when a plea of .insanity is made in court, or he is notified that it will be made, may . . . order such- person into the care of the Superintendent ot the Insane Hospital, to be detaived and observed by him till the further order of the Court, that the truth or Ials.ity of the plea may be ascertained.” New -York in 1874 cnacted laws woich pro- vn!g for “an investimation of the sanity or in- 5anity of the accused as a separate und inde- pendent procéeding from the trial of the m- dictment,” and after such preliminary investi- gatfon” ““leaye the question of the t or inocence of the acensed to be tried by itself.” Thus have Maine and" New York, as a recent writer on the subject says, lessened the fre. quent ditficulty of choosing belween “iphy. manitv to disease und indulgence to crime,” Again, a remarkable feature ia the history of these, cases is the misdirected force of publie - ovinion. “The public is properly and naturally’ enough cautious in receiving opinions where the fote of a human being ‘(monster ‘though by morally be) hangs upon the character of sucl opinions. Nevertheless, in the eases before gg, have not threc of them becn ecided by opinjon, and opinion only? Were they decided by gy law? If so, by what law? Tf opinion, then, has been solely fnstrumental in déciding "o fap. it is foir to assume that the case of STeveys, being of the like nature, and making the sam; ples, will be decided by opinion also. Since, . then, opinion is to he the arbitery let us see to IE that.we inforin ourselves a3 to the relatiye merits of these opinions, whether thete s nop wisaom and justice in preferring the opivions of the highest medical authorities to the opinions of men.who, like_ jurymen in eeneral, gre nefther. experienced in mental discases nor al. ways uninfluenced by prejudice or false sympa- thy. If opinion is to decide, we doubt not the public will say with us, Let us bave the highéet and the best. Turn we.then to *Caspér's Forensie Méar cine,” Vol. 4,—probuably the highest authority in the world, who for tweaty years was expert authority in the highest German Courts,—whg gays: “Theére is no such peculiar species of mapia, no so-called Mania Transitoria.” He characterizes it as an uascientific and dangerons term. He recognizes no insanity that is not the result of a cause that experfence has established qy- competent. He further exglalns that when sn unnatisral crinié ts committed, as pirents destrop- ing thelr children without any rational motive, we are at liberty to assume inzanity, vhough we cannot discover a competént cause;] but, when the crime committed is fn_its character like the criminal a¢ts of those who have done'the same things in a state of insanity, we cannot urgo even mania transitoris, or, as late writers put ir, emotional fosanity. . £ BALFOTUR Brow~ (London, 1875) allowa this class of cases, of momentary ¢xcitement render ing the party Irfesponsible, viz.: *‘Those who have been known to be weak-minded, and fn whom these outbursts’of violence are habitual and he denies thit o solitary case of such cute burst in an otherwise sane’ and competent man can be termed an act of insanity. & 0OGspoN (Aberdeen, Scotland, 1Si3) allows that " there {s 4 divisfon of sentiment amony medical writers, but that nonc of them who are worthy of being quoted (li¢ does uot notits [LAMMOND) gsive any welght to the possibility of those isolated acts for @ purpose being charged o insamty and irresponsibility. _He himselfhastio sympathy with the mercitul side of “the ques- tion, and is not 8 believer in emotionat insanity, * Ray admits of the division of moral {nsavity, but does not admit of its being mowmentary; he, nowever, gives no countenance to emottoant ig- sanity as generally understcod. * WaARTON and STILLE, the work most popu- lar among lcgal men, utterly igoore anything like what We unaerstand as emottonal insauity, Dr. WLy Hasnosp, of New York, is the' only expert we know of who has done aught to inculeate this vice in our courts of a belief fa emotional fnsanity. e — THE TAXES ON SAVINGS-BANKS. The 1nternal-Revenue Amendment bill, passed in Congress on Friday and signed by the Prest- dent on Saturday before adjournment, contains the long-demanded provision abating United States taxes on bankrupt banks. Thusanag gravating and {ioequitable impost is taken off from some thousands of poor depositors, who,’ not having zone voluntarily into the tax-liabil-. ity, bat foreed there by the acts of others, have made a stronz and finally successful’ appeal to tho clemency of the taxing power. & This act of grace came mainly from the Re publican side of Congress. True, it wasnot without support from entigatened Democrats,— Davip Davis and Aprax 8. Hewirt, forfo stance,—but the main part of the opposition which made the effort so long came from the Democrats; and the main support, which mads so long an effort possible, and which ledto final success, came from the Republicans. | Chicago has carried—on this fight alone, and unaided. * It is'a year since the first bill wasin- troduced, the provisions of which were finally incorporated in the general Revenue bill, and from that time to the very closing hours of Congress urremitting effort and attention were given to the matter by Chicago alone. Even after the clause had been a second time defeated in the House (though passed by the Senate), Chicago sent an urgent telegram to the, Couference Comnmittee, the resalt of which was final success. Other cities had an equal interest in the re- sult (St. Louis bas one broken bank from which the Government claims over $10,000), bat no, other city raised 2 hand to help along. nor spoke a word in behalf of the thomsands of depositors, each too poor and too obscure to make himself heard in the councils of the Na- tiou. Chicago bas doue it all, and she ow bids her sister cities welcome to their full share of the relicf so tardily and grudgingly granted. Our city representatives ot both parties did all that lay in their power in favor of the measure’ at each stage of the proceedings. - To Judge DAvs in the Senate, aud to Mr. BURCHARD fn the House, do the people benefited owe the most particular acknowledgments. Judge. Davis, from the kindness of his heart, gave du- remitting dtteniion to the measure, and his. great personal influence made that attention effective’in' the Senawe and in the Confereace Committce, Mr. ByrcaARD was a member of. the Committee of Ways und Means, and, there- fore, was in 2 positivn to do more than any other member to help along the good cases’ and he did g0 help it, from beginning to end.. He was also put on the Conference Committée,. —the last . crucial . test of tne bill,—and that doubtless was the tinal move that won the game. ———— A discussion is now going forward fn the col- umps of the New York Nation as to the relatite merits of open sud closed scholarships. . The practice at Hurvard and all other colleges iuthis country has .been to restrict the benefits of seholarships *o those who stand in need of pe- Jects to this practice, beeause, be savs, miliating to poor wen 4nd unfair to rich-mem,- and takes oiher considerations than scholarsbin iato the account fn awardiug prizes which should: go to the best students alone. President Ewutor replies to this that.scholarships are not ré-. garded as prizes; they are inteuded to helpto’ put poor men Gn the same lesel os rich ones, by offering the former the same opportuz- ities for obtaining an education that the Iatter enjoy; aud he believes that *No pity ond 00, pub.ic money shouid be wasted on young men wno feel it to bé a bumiliation .to sccepts scholarship at Harvard Collexe.” Mr. Hioorse s0N refers to the experience of the Engiish Universities, where most of the scnolarships are open;- and - President ELioT answers him by quoting Dr. PaTTIs0N, who ays that the.Eo- plish system is hizhly unsatisfactory. So far as Harvard is concerned, the discussion i3 clozed by the statement that most of the eadowzients are limited by the terms of the bequests Lo poor men. We should say, in addition to tbis, that President ELioT, on the merits of the asé, has the best of the discussion, for it would seem 1o bie absurd to distribute any part of these funds, on 4 point of pride, a8 prizes snong young men, who would i att likelibood use them merely to gratify luxurious tastes, while other deserving Students were deprived of the means of purst ing their education. e ————— A pretty, point has been raised by the publics- tion of a private letter from HARRIET MARTE NESU to Mrs. JANESON ip the metnoirs of the- Jatter. 3Mr. TuoxAs MARTISEAU, the execator of Miss MARTINEAD, has objected to the public tion of the let ter, and it is to be withdrawa from futare editions of the bouk. _Thelaw 2P~ pears to be that the receiver of private letters is entitled to their custody, but is not entisled 10 publish them . without the conseat of the writer or his, Jegal representatives. The Spec- tator says Mr. MARTINEAU might have obtained an injunction from a Court of Chancery res ing the fssue of any unpuolishéd letters of n_!l: sk