Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, February 15, 1880, Page 4

JHE CHICAGO TRIBUNE: SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15,. 1880—SIXTEEN PAGES. Che Tribune. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. BY MAI—IN ADVANCE—POSTAGE PREPAID. Daily edition, one year. £ ir, per mo! 1.00 iaceday, Thareaay, and Saturday, per Sco Monday, Wedn y, and Friday, per year. 8.00 Saturday or Sunday, i6-pageedition,peryear 2.50 Any other day, per year... . 2.00 WEEELY EDITION—POSTPAID. Specimen copies sent free. Give Post-Office address in full, incinding State and County. - + Remittances may be made either by draft, express, Post-Office order, or in registered lettor, at our risk. TO CITY SUBSCRIBERS. Daily, delivered, Sunday excepted, £5 cents per week. Daily, delivered, Eunday included, 30 cents per week. Address ‘THE TRIBUNE COMPANY, ‘Corner Madison and Dearborn-sta, Chicago, NL, _————— ~ POSTAGE. Kntoref af the Post-Ofice at Chicago, Il, as Second- Class Matter, For the benefit of our patrons who destre to send single copies of THE TRIBUNE through the mail, wa sgtve herewith the transient rate of postage: TRIBUNE BRANCH OFFICES. ‘THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE has established branch efSces for the receipt of subscriptions and advertise ments 2s follows: NEW YORK—Room 29 Tribune Building. F.T.Mo- FappEN, s GLASGOW, Scotland—Allan’s American News Agency. 31 Renfleld-st. LONDON, Eng.—American Exchange, 49 Strand. Hersey F. Gra, agent. ‘WASHINGTON. C.—1313 F street. SOCIETY MEETINGS. FAIRVIEW CHAPTER, No. M.—Regular Work on the Mark Degree. Visiting, sorspenions are pork on th ont always weleom 1S. Desige 8S. TIBFANY, ME. HPL YRON HANS, Secretary. CORINTHIAN CHAPTER, NO, 02, EA. M.—Special Convocation Monday evening, Feb. 16, for work on che MM 3 res yestting companions are always weloome. By orev] OBERT MALCOM, M.E. HP, JOEN O. DICKERSON. Secretary. > APOLLO COMM#NDERY, | NO. 1 EK. T—Stated Conclave Tuesdsy evening, Heb.17, 15M, at 6 o'clock. Business of imp-rtance will come before the Com- mandery, and members are notified to be present. Bir Knithts of this Commandery must appear equip- mm the Eminent ander. Pe BY Ore OF ne Em IFFANY, Hecorder. §T. BERNARD COMMANDERY, NO. 33, K T.— Stated Conclave Wednesday evening, Feb. 18. at 73 glock, “Work on the ‘emplar Order, Visiting Sir 18 are courteously Invite order. ee SOUS DAL CAB. M.D, Commander. | t RSON, Recorder. 161, R. A. 3.0. DICKERS: THOMAS J. TCRNER LODGE, NO. 409, AF. & A. M—Will give s musical end tiverary entertainment ‘Thursday evening, Feb. Ii, at 7:30 o'clock, at Freema~ sons’ Hall, 36 Monroe-st. Invitations may be obtained. of the mombers of the Lodge. Address by Rev. Bro. ‘W. Thomas, D. D. S ane ‘JOHN E. PETTIBONE, W. M. with Marshall for the purpose of talking over their mutual sorrows. Having tired of the gloomy solitude of Milwaukee, the itinerant Cashier has again returned to Middletown, and corroborates the story of Miss Langdon regarding the conversational journey to Chi- cago. He will soon leave for the Far West, and the friends of the young lady will proba- bly take measures to prevent her following him. ee Mr. ACKLEN’s chances for being expelled from Congress are at present remarkably bright. The Sub-Committee of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs was in secret session yesterday on the matter, and as far 2s can be learned the charges made against the member from Louisiana- were fully sus- tained, and, unless something extraordinary oceurs to prevent, the Committee will doubt- Jess recommend the enforced retirement of Mr. Acklen from a sphere for which he seems to be peculiarly unfitted. - _ THe terms of the treaty. between the United States and France for the settlement of theclaimsof French citizens for losses sustained by reason‘of the Rebellion, which was signed in Washington last month, have been made public. The matters at issue are to be decided by a Commission composed of three persons,—one appointed by the United States, one by France, and the third by the Emperor of Brazil. The claims considered will be those arising fromdamages sustained from acts committed with the cognizance the Federal authorities: of Tue Fortnightly Review, edited by Mr. John Morley, an‘ advariced Radical Member of Parliament, who has the confidence of such men as Bright and Gladstone,’ fore- shadows the issnes pn which the Liberal party will contest the coming elections, The program embraces ‘Land-reform (especially in Ireland), reform in Local Government in Great Britain and Ireland, and the restora- tion of a sober, sensible policy abroad, the close of annexation, and the suppression of the spirit of militarisimus.” This is cer- tainly an extensive program, and when is added to it Mr. Trevelyan’s County-Fran- chise bill, the redistribution of seats in ac- cordance with the population, the modifica- tion of Mr. Forster’s Education act, and the extension of the principle of minority repre- sentation to the municipal bodies through- out Great Britain and Ireland, it will be seen that Mr. Gladstone’s hoped-for Ministry will, fo use @ homely phrase, have their hands full. It must be pleasant to Americans to note that many of the proposed measures are formulated in accordance with American precedents, The minority-representation plan has been applied'to the election of School Boards in England, and has worked admira- W. M. STANTON, Secretary. 0 Be ere Spares bly. The Catholics and non-Episco- As Yee annual ball 'at Parker Hall, | Palians, or ‘‘Dissenters,” a3 they are someno’ 2 and Madison-sis, Tucsday even- called, have a representation in those pats ~~" | bodies proportionate to their numbers, and ‘AS CHAPTER OF ROSE CROIX, A. & A~ | as a consequence the system has worked = order of 3. E. CHURCH, We & Po aL. ED GOODALE, Grand Secrets VAN RENSSELAER GRAND LODGE OF PERFEC- TION, A & A-SCOTTISH HITE MASONS—Will hold a regular assembly on Thursday evening next for the ‘transaction of business and installation of officers. By order of AMOS PETTIBONE, T.. P.. Go. Mo. ED GOODALE, Grand Secretary. Srork on the seventeenth and giehieenitn desree ry. THE MEMBERS interested in forming the new Lodge are hereby notitied to stiend meeting this (Sanday) evening, Feb, 15 at 7 p.m. comer Blue Island-av. and Fourteenth-st, for important business ‘und favorable report of the Committce. JOUN DA PRATO. SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1850. Tne Austrian Ministers of Justice, Na-" without any needless irritation between the “different religious denominations! It-is cer- tain that, were the plan applied in this coun- try to the election of School Boards, there would be less cause of complaint than there isnow. The extension of the minority-rep- resentation pian to the Municipal Boards will doubtless have avery salutary effect. The County-Boards bill, proposed at the last session, and which would supersede the Grand Juries in their anomalous fiscal func- tions, might be materially improved by the adoption of the cumulative-voting plan also. THE DEMOCRACY IN TROUBLE. A short time ago it was announced, on tional Defense, and Finance persist in their determination to resign, and a new Cabinet will be formed at once. : Iris now understood that the donation of £500,000 by the Baroness Burdett-Coutts to the saffering Irish is to take the form of purchasing lands in Connemara, which are to beletto small tenants at long leases and moderate rents. The scheme is in the hands of acommittee of gentlemen who will see that the wishes of the donor are carried out. _———_—_—_ Cocxr Vox Berzrernene, the new Pres- ident of the German Reichstag, was the choice of the Ministerial Conservatives and Clericals, the Government not supporting him. From the fact,that the President has Jately had several friendly consultations with Bismarck it is probable that the Chancellor was not hostile to him. what seemed very good authprity, that Mr. Tilden had withdrawn from the Presidential race, and there was great joy consequent thereon in the Democratic camp. With the man of “cipher” notoriety as candidate, there was not the faintest hope of success; yet the main issue on which the Democrats propose to fight the next campaign is that Tilden was defrauded of the election in 76. It would not: look well, then, forthe Bourbon party to defraud him of the nomination in 1880, and, moreover, as the “defrauded” is willing to be the leader of the Democratic —or rather his own—forlorn hope, the Dem- ocrats, in such a case, would have no hope of any kind, for John Kelly is ready to don his war-paint and to use his tomahawk and scalping-xnife with as much effect as he did | on Samuel J.’s stool-pigeon, Lucius Robin- son, last November. The crowd of office- beggars who cannot be made to believe otherwise than that they have been kept Tue Marquis of Lorne and the Princess Louise had a narrow escape from being seriously injured at Ottawa last night. They were en route to a reception to be held in the Senate Chamber, when the sleigh in which they rode was overturned, the horses run- ning away. Fortunately the team was soon stopped, and the oceupants of the sleigh found to be but slightly bruised. Tre Sub-Committee of the House Election Committee yesterday announced their de- cision in the Washburn-Donnelly contested- election case, it being in favor of Donnelly. In case this report is approved by the whole Committee and concurred in by the House (of which there seems to be no doubt), the result will be the unseating of Mr. Wash- burn, who represents the Second Minnesota District. —__— DIstRicl-ATToRNEY Leare, who is at present in Washington, denies that his visit to that city was for the purpose of prevent- ing the attorney of Gregez, convicted of em- bezzling funds from the Chicago Post-Office, from securing a pardon for his client. Mr. Leake says that Gregg’scase was settled long ago, and settled for good; which means that, sofar as Leake is concerned, Gregg must serve out his.term of imprisonment. —_— Ix Washington the campaign for Mr. Blaine has begun in earnest. A suite of rooms was opened last night, and the banner —or, more properly, the transparency of “The National Blaine Club’’—hoisted. The person who seems to be in charge of the af- fair is ex-Sergeant-at-Arms French, of the Senate. In reply toa question by a Tripune correspondent last evening, Mr. French stated. that, while Mr. Blaine was aware of the Club's existence, he had nothing to do with its formation. The object of the organization, as expressed by a member, is to use every honorable means to forward the candidacy of Mr: Blaine, and from the tone of the gentleman’s remarks it would seein that other clubs of a like character are to be formed at once in various parts of the country. ———— Mr. Manswaz, the Cashier of the First National Bank of Middletown, O.; who left’ that place suddenly about ten days ago, and was subsequently found in Milwaukee, has returned to his former home. It will be re- membered that Mr. Marshall gave as the cause of his leaving Middletown the fact that he was being persecuted by a man named Langdon, to whose sister the impres- sible Cashier wrote a letter while. absent from home last summer. The epistle fell into tie brother’s hands, and, as Marshall asserts, he endeavored to use it as a means of extorting money from its unhappy author. After Marshall's recent departure from Mid- dletown it was ascertained that he was ‘Langdon, the lady returning the next day, the party leaders. out of place during the last four years through the cowardice of ‘Tilden are willing to join Kelly or any other man in knifing Tilden, and the Democrats wisely concluded'to throw the old man overboard. ‘Their craft was too frgil to carry such cargo. We may imagine, then, the joy with which Tilden’s supposed withdrawal was hailed. Hot-whiskies, Scotch. and Irish, particularly the latter, sour-mashes, and old-fashioned cocktails were drank in honor of the event. Many went so far, perhaps, as to toast Til- den and his bride, and to wish them all kinds of domestic happiness, for, in the surprise of the moment, they thought the airy bachelor of Gramercy Park had abandoned Nephew Pelton and the cipher dispatches, Barnum and the mules, and Abe Hewitt’s literary bu- Teau, to spend the remainder of his days with the Pennsylvania or some other lass of his choice, Many of the strikers who had “ great expectations” about the barrel forgot their grief in the general hilarity, or drowned it in a “drop of something hot and strong,” or, mayhap, in the more generous, if less exhilarating, “schooner.” New slates were being made with great good will. Mr. Goudy returned from Wash- ington with what he and others claimed would be the winning ticket. New York and Indiana being considered the corner and key stones of Democratic hope, Horatio Sey- mour and Senator McDonald. were to be trotted ont. Hendricks went down when Tilden withdrew his support. Gov. Sey- mour, it was claimed, couid carry New York, if Tilden was out of the race and in good temper, and, notwithstanding his advanced age and feeble health, it was thought that he could be induced to accept a nomination, all previous statements to the contrary being considered mere coyness and modesty. The organs of the party were to proclaim, from the day of nomination to the day of election, that Mr. Seymour had regained his health and youthful vigor, and the Democratic: doctors were ready to swear to the fact. ‘The Goudy slate obtained much favor with Bayard’s :anti-silver and greenback-demonetizing financial record, haughty manner, reactionary views, and aris- tocratic bearing and tendency were exceed- ingly distasteful to the Western Democracy; his picayune State cuts no figure in the Presi- dential vote, and could be relied on: by the party, whosoever the nominee. Denis Kear- ney’s championship of Thurman would have’ effectually disposed of that gentleman did the Ohio electors not accomplish that ‘so sat- isfactorily at the October election. The sup- port.of the Chicago Times was aload which, with his own avoirdupois, Senator Davis would be unable to carry. Horatio Seymour and McDonald, then, were to be the standard-bearers. The mot: toes on the Democratic banners were to be “Seymour and Reform,” instead of “Tilden accompanied as far as Chicago by Miss | and Reform.” Nephew Pelton and denies all statements Now comes the uncle of and announcing that she had taken the trip | of his withdrawal,—in fact, that he ever thought of such a thing; and,*what with the potent influence of the barrel in a Democratic Convention, composed, as it will be, of dele- gates as hungry as wolves during a snow- storm, the story of his “monumental” wrongs, thé record of his former servicés to the party, and his grievances against such traitors as Kelly, he will doubtless make it interesting for Seymour in the Convention, and after, should Seymour obtain the nomi- nation. : Mr. Tilden may claim the sacred and time- honored Democratic privilege of bolting, or the dearer Democratic privilege of “ putting up a job”—to use a Bourbon expression—on his successful rival. He may with truth say that he owes little to the Democracy. The barrel carried him through the last Con- vention and the last election, and if he had a less maladroit nephew, or a moré stalwart manager, he might now be dispensing the patronage of the post-offices, custom-houses, and ‘such with ag lavish a hand as did our own Carter bestow street-foremanships, side- walk-inspectorships, and bridge-tenderships to the faithful and the unwashed. ‘With the knowledge of this feeling and in- tention on the part of Tilden, the Democrats have relapsed into their former state of gloomy foreboding, unfulfilled expéctancy, and sulphurous expression. There was some hope that with Seymour they could. make a decent show of fight, if Tilden remained: neutral. John Kelly, whose presence in Democi€tic councils seems to haye the same effect on Mfr. Tilden as the traditional red rag on the male bovine, was to be kept in the background, the people were to beassured of numberless reforms and strict economy, and five-sixths of the party were to be promised office under a Democratic régime. Tilden, however, has neither withdrawn nor mar- ried, and the Democracy areinconsolable and perplexed; their hppes have faded like “Dead Sea fruits that tempt the eye but turn to ashes on the lips,” and the post-office chairs and custom-house desks and the Washing- ton stools have faded from Democratic eyes like the “ baseless fabric of a vision”; and all because of the old man-of-the-sea-like grip which sly Sammy holds on the Bourbons, or because ot the perversity of the many maids and widows who have given the ambi- tious and amorous bachelor the mitten, _——— DEARBORN-STREET BRIDGE. The City Council must not permit a few interested persons td delude them into a policy of bridging the river which may eventually lead to costly and serious conse- quences. It is proposed'to build a bridge at Dearborn street, and some persons owning property in the vicinity have taken active steps to promote that end. The owners of property on a. street near the river have no more rights in the matter, except to be paid for damages, than have the rest of the population, and heice the City Council must, in deciding upon so important a matter, be governed by considerations of the general interest of the city, and especially with ref- erence to the navigation of the river. The policy of the city, established from the beginning, has been to have a bridge not oftener than at alternate streets, It has not been until within a comparatively short time that even this number of bridges has been constructed. Originally the bridges were floating ones, and were swung to one side, thu@ affording the least obstruction to the free use of the river by vessels.. The adop- tion of the present system furnished a more serious obstruction to vessels. It is no un- usual thing for vessels to be compelled to stop in their course and wait between the bridges; at times there are as many as six or eight vessels arrested. in their course, and waiting for the bridges to open, between State and Clark - streets. The absence of. a bridge at Dearborn street renders this possible; but, if there were a bridge at that point, there would be no room for the vessels to wait, and it would benecessary to keep Clark, Dearborn, and State street bridges wide open to enable the vessels to pass east or west to avoid collision with each other or with one or more of the bridges. To build a bridge at Dearborn street, therefore, isto take from vessels in tow all opportunity of waiting between Clark and State sfreets; and, when a vessel pass- ing up the river crosses the line of State street, the bridges at Dearborn and Clark streets will have to be opened of necessity at the same time, no matter how urgent the travel over the bridgesmay be. Instead of facilitating travel over the bridges and re- ducing the crowds of vehicles and foot-pas- sengers detained each time the bridges are opened, the construction of a bridge at Dearborn street will necessitate the im- mediate opening of the three bridges,— as Clark, Dearborn, and State streets,—be- cause of the want of room between. such bridges for a vessel to lay to, and the neces- sity for such vessel to escape the close quar- ters occupied by three swinging bridges. In point of fact, the erection of a bridge at Dearborn street will not increase facilities for crossing the river, but will add to the ex- isting obstructions. Independent of all these considerations, the Council should bear in mind the impor- tance of the river to the trade and commerce of Chicago. The river is an essential high- way,—of far greater importance than any half-dozen of the streets of the city. The vessel-owners and the population whose trade is carried on by means of the river have the greatest possible interest in the safe transit of the river by their steamers and sail-vessels, Economy in ship-build- ing now demands the longest possible vessels, Two of the larger class of steamers will now, one following the other, occupy all the space between Clark and State streets that can be used with safety. To thrust another bridge into that space will be an out- rage upon the whole navigation interest. It is questionable whether such a bridge at that point may not be adjudged by the Courts to besuch an obstruction to the navigation of the river as to demand its removal. The City Council cannot afford to thus trifie with one of the largest interests of the city,—one on which the trade of Chicago is so dependent; and we trust it will hesitate long before it de- parts from the policy of having bridges at alternate streets. es .. THE WATER-TAX. ‘The ordinance introduced into the Coni- mon Council at the instance of Commissioner Waller, making a change in the manner of collecting the water-tax, should receive prompt attention and active support in. the interests of both. the people and’ the City Government. The water-taxis payable semi- annually; the Ist of May and the Ist of No- vember. ‘The past practice of the city has beén to nominally assess a penalty for non- payment during these months, and to hold in terrorem over the heads of those in default the threat of shutting off the water. In real- ity, the city has supported a large number of people for the purpose of drumming up the Payment of water-rates in arrears, The tax- payers, as a rule, postpone payment till the last days of the month in which the tax is due; large numbers wait until they are dunned in person, in the expectation that they will be able to coax or bully the Col- lector into an abatement of the penalty; and the incorrigibles, who ‘never pay aeny- thing’ they can avoid,‘ delay until their water-supply is actually cut off. The practical operation of this system has been to delay and embarrass the collection of the water-tax, and to impose upon the people an | extra burden for enforeing it which materi- ally reduces the water-revenue. Mr. Waller now proposes to substitute for the present unsatisfactory plan the method which the gas companies adopted long since and have pursued with success. It is pro- posed to offer a premium for prompt payment instead of announcing a penalty for delay. This is correct in principle, for there is more attraction in present gain than in’ the avoid- ance of some possible loss in the future. All people are stimulated by the promise of an actual saving, while the threat of loss has a terror for only the most prudent and frugal. Mr. Waller proposes that those who pay their Water-tax promptly in May and November shall receive a rebate of 10 per cent; that payment in the following month of June or December shall entitle the payer to a re- bate of only 5 per cent, or. half as much; and that delay beyond this period shall involve not merely a forfeiture of all rebate, but the danger of having the water-supply shut off summarily from those in default, The water-rates are to remain the'same as they are now, s¢ that those who pay promptly will make a saving. upon the present tax; at the same time, it is estimated that there will beno loss of revenue, because there will be a saving to the city of the pres- ent cost in dunning the delinquents. - In ad- dition to thus equalizing the cost of collec- tion with the proposed reduction by rebate, the City Government will be the gainer by the prompt receipt of its revenue, and the taxpaying community as a whole will bene- fitby an actual saving of from -5 to 10 per cent upon the present aggregate of water- assessments. While the principle is obvi- ously correct, the new system has the addi- tional recommendation of having been tested in practice py the gas companies, who have found that they can much better afford a re- bate upon their charges with prompt collec-"| tion of their bills than the exaction of the full rates at the virtual pleasure of the consumer. Commissioner Waller's ordinance should be adopted so that it may go into operation next May. SOCIAL DISSIPATION. - The return of good times hes been con- spicuously signalized in Chicago by the num- ber and lavishness of the social entertain- ments that have been given during the winter. There has been a very epidemic of parties and receptions up to Wednesday last. ‘The society weeklies and the social columns of the Sunday newspapers have been crowded, with supreme indifference to the increased cost of print-paper. If there be a Samuel Pepys among us, writing a diary for the delectation of future ages, the old gentle- man has been kept going night and day, and his only regret for the present season is that there has been so much sameness in the material which has been furnished him. Everybody seems to have adopted “multum in parvo” for & coat of arms, and all have vied with each other in crowding the largest number of people into the smallest amount of space as the crowning triumph of social success. Ordinary club-houses have been turned into caravanseries, and private dwell- ings have developed a capacity for the tem- porary accommodation of fashionable hu- manity that outruns the possibility of tene- ments for the poor. The particular ambition of the social leaders this yearappears to have soared in the direction of crowds. There is something very irrational about the large parties, which have been the most usual kind of social entertainments. People are packed into hot rooms under blazing gas, where circulation of air (much less of hu- manity) is scarcely possible. The masculine portion of the assemblage is almost wholly occupied in the effort to avoid the Princesse trainsthe ladies wear. ° The feminine mindis equally absorbed in saving the feminine finery from destruction.. This division of time and attention is not favorable either to brilliancy of conversation or dignity of repose. A‘well- studied bon mot has all the life knocked out of itby 4 bodily collision, and a statuesque position is rendered ridiculous by the tele- scoping of some train‘in motion. The mys- terious element of fate is constantly at work to bring the most uncongenial people to- gether, and the host and hostess are so much oceupied at the parlor-door in receiving and dismissing their flitting guests that they can do nothing to ‘reduce the reigning chaos to anything like order. | The whirr and buzz of smaill-talk drowns the music, though there issome com- pensation in the thought that the music is generally meagre and bad. As if society were made up of the wicked, there is no rest for the jostling mass of humanity thus col- lected together. Nobody can sit down, though everybody wants to. Dancing is out of the question, except possibly in the “ wee small hours,” when the old folks have gone home, done up from very fatigue. The sup- per is a “damnable iteration” of escaloped oysters, indigestible salad, watery ices, and weak coffees. Finally, when all is over, the hosts and the guest sigh with relief at a duty that has been discharged. It must have been in recollection of some such social revel as one of the large parties of to-day that Byron wrote: i . Society is now one polished horde, Formed of two mighty tribes,—the Bores and Fashion has had quite as much to do with’ the interminable succession of parties which has only ended with Lent as has the new sense of prosperity. Otherwise people might have found more rational and more enjoyable methods for spending ‘heir money. But the ladies who have assisted at the social triumphs of their friends and neighbors have been tempted not only to follow in the wake, but to make asimilar commotion. There isa sense of obligation that finds easiest relief in having cards engraved and ordering the com- plete outfit for a “reception.” It throws the burden of unreturned calls upon the invited guests, and it wipes out all the social indebt- edness that has been accumulating for ever so long. A dinner-party requires science, taste, care, and esprit; a miscellaneous recep- tion demands only lavishness. Hence, the Jadies incline to large parties. This is not inténded as a reflection upon the average feminine capacity to entertain, but merely a recognition of the force of fashion and the ready tact with which the ladies choose the easiest way for paying their debts.. But the male portion of society ought to be dropped outof the account, and hence the afternoon receptions for ladies only should be encour- aged in future seasons as the least objection- able of the large society gatherings. These afternoon parties may be made to yield just as much revenue to the card-engravers, the caterers, the florists, the dressmakers, and thd livery-men; they afford the same opportunity for discharging social obligations and displaying new toilets; they are more favorable for gossip than parties where horrid men embarrass the. lively ex- change of small-talk; and we venture the as- sertion that the social entertainments which have been enjoyed the most this past season by the masculine portion of-society are those where invitations were sent simply to the wives or daughters, The end of the society season was on Wednesday. ‘ Lent imposed a rest on society. Many people very rich in money and very poor in health (and the two conditions fre- quently go together) are making their prep- arations to escape the trials of a Chicago spring. Nearly everybody has given a party who could afford to do so or had not the moral courage to keep out of the strong social { current, And yet, there is a large stock of regrets on hand. Some people have reason to regret the money they have expended either in giving parties or going to parties. Others have reason to regret that they have not been able to collect the bills incurred for party expenses. A great many re- gret that they caught colds while waiting in thin garments for carriages that were more expensive and less accommodating than the street-cars. A few will regret, on reflection, the cozy evenings they might have spent at their own firesides, or the more liberal enjoyment of reading, music, and the theatre, which less devotion to society would have given them. A very. very few will regret money that has been squan- dered because it might have been employed more usefully or more charitably. And thinking people generally will regret the time: that could have been more rationally and satisfactorily used. These and manifold other regrets will not be in vain if they shall Jast over till next season and remind the people who have the necessary means for society pleasures that there are other and more congenial methods for entertaining and being entertained than that of crowding several hundred people into one house, and imposing upon them the monotonous con- conitants of a large party. THE LAKE-FRONT GROUNDS, The City Council, at the meeting on Mon- day last, while laboring under a special ex- citement, passed an order authorizing the erection of one or more armories on the Lake-Front, north of the. Exposition Build- ing. This action was hasty and inconsider- ate. The officers and friends of the Second Regimen d of some of the other military organizatidhs of the city, demanded this ordi- nance. The most that the. Council could grant, and all that it did grant, was the ‘‘tem- porary” occupation of the land, with the stip- ulation that it should be vacated upon de- mand. The military must depend upon voluntary contributions by citizens for the means to erect these armories. No armories ought to be built but such as may be worthy the city and worthy the organizations. To expend from $20,000 to $40,000 for proper and suitable buildings for temporary occupa- tion would be 2 wanton waste of money, even supposing it could be raised for such purposes, It will be far easier to raise $500 in the shape of subscriptions to build a handsome,‘ complete armory building for the permanent occupancy of the regi- ment than it will be to raise $5 to erect a building that may have to be torn down in a short time. To give this ordinance of the Council the authority of law would have the effect of ‘postponing a permanent armory building for the Second Regiment indefinitly. It would be an injury to the regimént in all its hopes to raise the money to Build the armory. The public do not want that prop- erty occupied, orits transfer obstructed in any way, and the very class of citizens who will give the most money to aid the regiment in building a suitable armory ona suitable site will refuse a dollar to put the building on that ground. The First Regiment has an armory which isacredit tothe city and to the regiment. Certainly the Second Regiment jean find a sttitable lot in some other part of the city, which can be purchased, or leased with the privilege of purchase, on which to erect an armory even more convenient and creditable in all respects than that of the First Regi- ment. Let the officers and friends of the regiment select the ground, estimate the cost of the building, and present their appeal to the public, and it will not be unheeded. Most people prefer to help those who help themselves, Let the Second Regiment find some proper site in the West Division; let the other organizations select sites in the southern and northern parts of the city. In all these localities they can find convenient and proper sites, and when they have done so and exhibit a disposition to help themselyes, there will be no lack of others willing to help them. The City Council must remember that time and the fire have wrought such changes with the whole Michigan avenue district as to remove every reasonable objection to the occupation of the Lake-Front for a union: depot, that will be an ornament to the city and improve that whole neighborhood, whick has become an eyesore and a reproach to Chica- go. The railroads desire the property, and are only prevented taking action t obtain it because of inability to agree as to which company shall be the proprietor of it, with the power of excluding other companies, In the meantime,sthe property remains idle and unproductive, and, in its present state, destroys the value of all surrounding prop- erty. It {is the duty of the Council to dis- pose of that property to the extent of its ownership, and if any one railroad company seeks to play the dog in the manger, and exclude other companies, then it is for the Council to negotiate with whatever company or companies will pay the highest price, giving to the purchaser whatever means of aecess to the land it may need. In the meantime, the Council should tolerate no improvements or occupation that will interfere with an immediate sale or transfer of the property to a cash purchaser. The Mayor, who is a friend of all the mili- tary organizations, and who doubtless will be glad to codperate in any measure to promote their !nterests, will undoubtedly see that to approve this ordinance would -be wrong in itself, would be an embarrassment to the city, andin theend would postpone, if not actually defeat, any permanent provision for an armory for the Second Regiment or other military organization. No money would be given to erect an armory on that site, and the barren permission to build, without the means to build, would be a mere mockery. THE WOES OF PUBLIC DONORS. The London Spectator devotes one of its characteristic papers to donors’ difficulties. As the subject is universal in its bearings, and donors and their -difficultics exist every- where, it will have an interest here as well as,in England. It is a kind of day-dream nearly all men have who have not much money, that if they were rich they would be very liberal, not only taking care of all their poor relatives, but banishing distress wher- ever they found it, and making scores or hundreds of human beings happy with their largess. To all this the cynic of the Spectator replies: ‘You will never give away much at atime, nor will you give very often. What- ever your wealth, you will never seem rich to yourself; nor will your, expenses and the ‘claims? on you ever cease to mount, until you find that your true surplus, the money which you can spend either on yourself or your neighbors without reason assigned, the surplus cash, is proportionately no larger than before. You will not give away your principal, lest you should want it; nor your income, because you do want it; and your odds and ends of money are always too con- venient to be parted with.” The most discouraging feature of philan- thropy to one inclined in that direction the personal discomfort in which he é placed by it. As soon as it is known that he has made a gift, or is liberally inclined, he is mediately besieged by the multitude. The charities lay their claims before him. Impe- cunious people of every possible description follow him. His mail is burdened with pro- fessional begging-letters trying to convince him that the writers have special claims upon | him. Crowds of remote relatives turn up in every direction pressing the demands of kin- ship, the most of whom he never heard of before and never wants to hear of again. Blackmailers and adventuresses try their arts upon him. He is coaxed, tormented, and threatened. On the street, at his home, in his office, at every turn, he is harassed by these importunate and often impudent beggars. If he gives, he is not thanked; if he refuses, he is abused. Gratitude does not figure in the matter at all. The claimants assert their claims as a per- sonal right. Having never’ provided for themselves, they have come to believe that they have the right to be provided for. To all intents and purposes they are communistic mendicants, demanding that the liberal rich have no personal right to their money, but must givé it up whenever It is asked forby the lame and the lazy. The donor not only gets no gratitude, but he gets no reputation except the very undesirable reputation aris- ing from héving his liberality aavertised far and wide, which only serves to swell the tanks of the hungry crowd. The more he gives the more this crowd demand and the less gratitude it displays. Itis not long be- fore he becomes the victim of every beggarin the community, and has to endure not only his appeals for help but his insolence. There is no persecution more irritating, no victim more helpless. Unfortunately, it is not a criminal offense to besiege a philanthropic man, and it would be impolitic to throw gar- Tulous and impudent mendicants out of doors, because they might sue. him for as- sault. He has.to endure it as well as he can, and they give him little rest in business hours or outof them. Their ingenious per- sistence is superior to all his devices for es- caping them. If he escapes them at the of- fice, he finds them at the house. If he dodges them at the front door, they turn up at the back door, and sometimes they even succeed in getting into the drawing-room and library. Undoubtedly among all these applicants there are some people whose claims are meritorious, and who need and de- serve the commiseration and help of the philanthropist.. But how is he todistinguish them in the motley throng, the great majority of whom are professional gift-seekers? If he were allowed any free will in the matter he would undoubtedly be glad to dis- play his generosity, but every demand made upon him is of a compulsory nature, until at last he hates the sight of a begzar, and comes to wish that he had never given a cent to any one. 2 ‘There is only one avenue of escape from this constant and insolent importunity, and that is, for the donor to cease giving publicly and let himself be advertised as a curmud- geon, or 2 skinflint, or a miser, and secure the widest possible circulation for the adver- tisement. This will relieve him from the in- decent importunities of the mob, and give him the opportunity to relieve distress pri- vately and in a manner that cannot be known to the general public. However undesirable such a reputation may appear to him, it will save him from the torment of his persecutors and remove a grievous burden from his life. And he may haye the consolation of knowing that public almsgiving breeds pauperism, encourages laziness, and deprives tha worthy poor of help which they might otherwise have. However able aman may be in other directions, it requires unusual ability to be- stow public benefactions without making his life intolerable. It is a thankless task at best, and, even when most judiciously done, entails no gratitude and does no good to society. THE .STREET-CAR. : ‘The street-car is a great leveler. It accom- modates all ranks and colors,—the Prime Minis- ter and the rag-picker, the wife of the million- aire and the kitchen-girl of the soapmaker, the negro clergyman and the “nigger” barber, the Chinaman with a pig-taii and the Chinaman who has sacrificed his pig-tail to the spiritof progress in the Western world. The street-car supplies all sorts of odors, from the violet of the woman in sitks, diamonds, and laces to the nauseating stench of the tobacco-chewer's breath, and the pungent, sickening smell which emanates from the entire person of the garlic and onion eating denizen of the alley. It isa bitter cold day. A lady of the avenue, fresh from a perfumed bath and a breakfast of delicate trifies seasoned with delicious coffes, steps daintily into the down-town car, She is followed by a colored washerwoman with a basket of clothes, from an alley. The beautiful woman occupies gracefully the two only remaining vacant seats, The washerwoman, stands humbly, with her basket at ier feet. The conductor says: “Your fare, madam,” tothe lady, and adds: “Please make room for the lady,” pointing to the negress. There is no hélp forit. ‘Madam " gathers up her skirts, moves nearer to the hod-carrier on the other side, and the woman of color is seated. The car is half full A dozen persons rush in tumultuously, occupying, in haste, all the vacantroom. There is a man, with a halter in his hand, recking with the fumes of the stable, and a lovely girl, with violet-blue eyes and blonde hair, fresh from a shopping excursion; an exquisit dandy, just out of the club, draped in the extreme of fashion; and a drunken sailor, in nasty corduroys, emitting an odor of bad whisky, and rolling about like a ship in a heavy sea; a banker, stately and dignified, thinking of discounts, and a peanut-vender, thinking of nickels; a nymph of the pavement, painted, bedizened, and fiounced, and a Sister of Charity, as pale as-the twilight, in black gown, cross and chain, and white handkerchief; a merchant, portly, erect, with an air of assured prosperity, and a day-laborer, with a battered lunch-pail in his hand, clothed in rags, stooping and hiding his sheepish eyes under his greasy cap. As this motloy procession files in each member of it en- counters and stumbles over a boor, who occupies the corner seat near the door, and extends his crossed legs into the middle of the passage. The banker, not to be outdone in boorishness, crosses his legs, and the peanut-vender opposit assorts his independence by turning half round to look out of the window, and so pokes his dirty Inces agalust the delicately-clad shins of the dandy. The drunken sailor goes to sleep, snorting like asteam-engine, and his head falls heavily upon the shoulder of the lovely girl with violet-blue eyes, who, as she shrinks from the disgusting contact, tumbles into the arma of the odorous stable-man. Thus the car moves along with an atmosphere of its own thicker and more poison- ous than that of the City of Cologne. The etiquet of the street-car is worthy of a Place in the list of fine arts. A morning down- town car presents the appearance of a newspa- per folding-machine. The gentlemen passen- gers hold their journals at convenient angles of vision, showing a wide range of eyesight. As the car gradually fills the journals are raised and brought nearer to the faces of the read- ers, until, when the. last vacant@seat is occupied, they completely hide the passen- gers, like a succession of window-shades drawn close. Then an extraordinary quality of human vision is developed. If the Inst comer, for whom there {s no seat, 13 3 cook, a’ washer- woman, or an ugly stwing-girl, the shades re- main close drawn, and the intense application of the journalistic readers is something wonderful to behold. Accidents, crimes, politics, religion, suicides, divorces, the markets,—ev: is devoured with the relish of an epicure. Noman raises his eyes orlowers his paper. But at the next crossing a pretty woman, dressed to the top of the mode, trips lightly into the car, and displays a well-rounded arm as shé extends her hand toseizeastrap. Instantly all the eyes are raised and all the papers lowered. ‘The gouty old fellow who appeared to be devoted to the markets is the first to totter to hisfect. He stumbles over his neighbor in endeavoring to at- tract the attention of the coquetish-look- ing beauty. His eyeglass falls into the hay on the floor, and the old gentleman falls back into his seat, loses. his hat, and displays a shining bald head, while the young merchant, the old dovtor, and the middle- aged lawyer struggle for the honor of surren- dering a seat in exchange for a smile from the young lady. How did all thése excellent fathera of a family happen to observe the entrance of the beautiful young woman? There are women who will dispute the fact just stated, and they will relate experiences in flat contradiction of it, But careful observation close defects in their list of Rare mil ais. or faults of toflet. It’ would be rash eons, that no beautiful woman was ever foress 2 pend upon astrap in a street-car det {0 de. rows of gentlemen devoted to newspa) try the rule is nevertheless as stated. Pere But There fs a class of street-car male sex who pole ai eine? Of the the ground of high moral principla *8% sert with much warmth that the comu” bound to provide every passenger withe 2, © To rise, with them, is to pander to the selty terest of the company, and so Prolong the hin. tinuance of a public abuse. By holding not; to their seats while women stand, they in a strong light the odious charactor of eeett rage of which the company is gullty, [pct sit in the presence of a venerable old ‘Tad; Woman on the verge of fainting fromoit® tion while forced to stand, the heinons of the company’s grasping ang niggardly duct is made the more apparent. ‘This? o™ of passengers remain in their seats while “tired seamstress stands, in obedience to a5 bad sense of public duty, and suffer all the agen suppressed sympathy while they sit. They * forward to the time when a seat will be Pp for-every passenger, and meantime are ing gray or bald. ‘The man with an English ton, terrier “pup” is an interesting {eq of street-car travel. He invariably thrusts ae “pup” under the seat, and the length of ie cord by which he is held generally gives oe range of about six feet. It then becomesa nic question whose legs the animal will. bite. and whether he will merely nibble or i teeth firmly in the quivering flesh. The dog. fancier invariably insists that his brate 43 pen tectly harmless, but the expression of his in giving the assurance is 80 comically blogg. thirsty as to leave the impression that he iy secretly-making signs to the pup to makes mea} off the calf of sume passenger's leg. = The street-car is an admirable field acter-study. Every ‘variety of human there represented. There isthe man Who hag spent his last nickel fora fare, and whose facg shows that he is destined to steal or beg his din, ner or starve; the man who has just quarreled with his wife, and whose wrinkled count still retains the snarl. of il-huinor ang passion of the cross husband; the whose note is certain to go to protest before 3 o’clock, and who shudders at the prospect of bankruptey, ruin, and poyerty: the landlord whose hard face promises no merey to defantt- ing tenants, and who will turn the widows snd orphans into the street to swell his bank-an. count; the man who studies the Stock-market reports with an agony of intensity in the vag hope of an indication of the change which wil save him from being “sold out”; the womay brilliant with ribbons and flowers who will maks the round of the stops and submit to the coang stare of admiration on the street-corner without blushing; the girl in a faded shawl on her way to the shop to earn a pittance for the supportot a wretched family in 8 comfortless hovel. Every shade of misery and every grade of happinest find a place in tho street-car. The old, the young, the rich, the poor, the good, the bad, and the indifferent take a ride togethor for a nickel, —_—_—_ ASTRONOMICAL. : Chicago (TRIBUNE office), north latitude 41 deg. 52m. 57s,; west longitude, 42m, 18 from Washington, and ob. 50m. 30s. from Greenwich. ‘The subjoined table shows the time of setting of the moon's lower limb, and the official tine for lighting the first street-lamp in each ‘circait in this city, during the coming week, unless or dered sooner on account of bad weather, ° Also the following times for extinguishing the firs * for chay!/ Passion ig lamp: Day. Moon sets. Feb. 15. 1122933 p. m. Bfonday..... The moon will be in her first quarter at9:33 ‘Tuesday evening, and at her greatest distance from the earth at 11 o'clock. Wednesday mom- ing. Her equatorial horizontal parallax will then be only 54% minutes of arc. Tuesday evens ing she will be between Mars and the Pleiafes. ‘The sun's upper limb rises Monday at 6h. Sm, a.m. Souths at lim. 196s, p.m. Sets at ihe 844m. p.m. . The sun's upper limb rises Friday at 6h. 454m. a.m. Souths at 13m. 589s. p. m.; sets 5b. 04m.” p.m. mal aeates Sidereal time, Thursday noon, 21h. Sm. 15.365. Mercury was in superior conjunction with the sun yesterday. He is now a little eustof the sun; and the distance will increase till March 10, when he will be at his greatest elongation. * ‘Venus is a morning star, southing on Thurty day at 9h. 49m. a.m.; and rising at 5b. 6m. a.m, About eight-tenths of her disc {s illuminated, She is now nearing the sun, and wil! bein su- perior conjunction July 13. She is now near the. _ stars in the northeast part of Sagittarius, =. Mars isan evening star, about 6 hours from thesun. Thursday evening he will south at 6, 3m.; and will setat Ih. 33m. the following morn- ing. He is now a little southeast from the Pleiades, and a moderately brilliant object, though (Thursday) 124,000,000 miles from the earth. About nine-tenths of his flluminsted disc is turned towards us. Jupiter is an evening star, but rapidly nearing the sun. Thursday he will south at Ib.2%m.p m., and set at Th. 12m. p.m. The big pink spot, which was-first seen on his disc several mouths ago, is stil visible, and apparently about as large as ever. Measures made’ by the writer last October showed that its length was thea about 32,000 miles. Saturn isan evening star. Thursday he will south at 2h. 5im. p. m; and sét at 9h. @m p.m. He is situated about. 16 deg. southeast from Algenib, the star in the southeast corner of the square of Pegasus: the fplanct being nearly on the produced diagonal of the square | His ring system is opening out, as seen from the earth: its length is but a little -more than firs times its apparent breadth. Uranus is rapidly nearing his opposition to the sun; southing at Ob. 33m. past midnight of Thursday; at which time he will be 3 degrees & minutes east, and 18 minutes south, from Bho Leonis; or2degrees 38 minutes southeast by east from that star, which isa little more than§ degrecs nearly in the same direction from Cor Leonis. He may be easily recognized with the naked eye on a clear evening (late) by means of this pointer, remembering that the breadth af the full moon is a little mare than half a degrea Neptune will south Thursday at 4b. 4m. p. 1 Right ascension 2h. 30m. 50s., and. north decile , nation 13 deg. no minutes. Hets between the head of Cetus and the head of Aries, but can only b¢ recognized by the aid of a goodtelescope. 1! Sirius will south at Sh. 41m. Thursday oved~ ing, and the belt of Orion will south 7b. 3im. Pe» m. The distance through which the earth's at tractive force would pull a mass ina vacuum st her surface in the first solar second of fall is 16.045 feet, plus 0.06236 times the square of the xine of the latitude. That{s equal to 161 feet at the equator, after making allowance for the effect of centrifugal force. due to the diurnal rotation. For planetary distances this is reduced to 16.073 feet, divided by the square of ‘the distance in equatol radii; as the excess of attractive force due to the earth's spheroidal form. thea disappears The double of these quantities measures the action of gravity under the different conditions named. a Tae split in the Democratic party of Georgia grows wider daily. The attitude of Sere ator Hill and Representatives Stephens and Fel- ton in supporting the;confirmation of Simmons as Census Supervisor against the wishes of: hae ator Gordon and the rest of the Congressiafst delegation joins a square issue between the dependents and regular Democrats. The a yannah News says bitterly, in commenting of this division: The voters of Georgia have no further excuse reg for being deceived by the specious titles “ Inde pendent” or “Jeffersonian Democrats,” ¥ the opponents of the Democratic party State so well like to assuine to themse C the purpose of deceiving and hoodvwinking i people. It now stands out, openly reve! ents Georgia and the country that the Independen’s are the wari friends and allies of that cnet oe men in the State who denounce the better ¢ “3 of their fellow-citizens us “corrupt secession traitors,” while the Democracy have 00 con ag mise to make with Hadicalism, and are un’ * that men without any other qualification than hatred of the South shall be elevated 9. con sible official positions. In this strugmle jerety cure the confirmation of the bigoted slanc athad Simmons, the issue between so-called oy Penilentiat mz pod the Hue Demorar meee made. Can a e ceived, or hesitate on which aide to array bis- self in the future ? Senator Hill's side of the case is stated by him: sehen k that Simmons did Stephens and I both thin! 2. very foolish thing in writing that letter. bat; my heavens! we can't proscribe &