Evening Star Newspaper, October 8, 1894, Page 1

PUBLISHED DAILY EXCEPT SUNDAY, AT THE STAR BUILDINGS, 1201 Peuasylvania Avenue, Cor. 11th Strest, by ing Star Newspaper Company, ‘SH KAUFPMANN, /Pres’t. = Smee Potter Building, Few York Oifce, 49 Potter Building. ‘The Evening Star is served to subscribers in the elty by carriers, on their own sccount, at 10 cents e* week, or 44c. per month. Copies at the counter eeuts cach. By m4il—anywhere in the United States or Canada—postage prepald—30 cents per Bionth. terday Quintuple Sheet Star, With foreign postaze added, $3.00. (Entered at the Post Cffice at Washington, D. C., @s_ serond-class mail matter.) FAM mail subscriptions must be patd in advance. Rates of advertising uiade knowa on application. $1.00 per sear; Vor 85, No. 21,010. WASHINGTON, D. 0, MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, — Ghe Evening Star. 1894—TWELVE PAGES. TWO CENTS. THE PLOT THICKENS Two Sides nar ain Situa- tion in New York. SENATOR HILL'S DIPLOMACY — A Clever Game That Has Suc- ceeded Before. ge BUT DANGERS THREATEN Senator Hill has at last found the scent and is off in pursuit of the game. Will he catch it? ‘There are two explanations of his decision offered in Washington. The one coming from the democratic campaign managers 1s that the Senator is now hopeful of the ad- ministration’s support, and firmly believes he will win. The other, coming from re- publican sources, is that Gaynor’s declina- tion forced the Senator's hand and obliged him to do something. Things began to look like disintegration. Longer delay might precipitate a genuine panic. Even the Sen- ator’s own name might lose its force. The Senator, therefore, Jecided to run, and to start at orce. “Come on and notify me,” he as much as said to the committee; and the committee, having had its ears close to the ground for over a week waiting for such a summons, jumped to obey It. Hili's Contidence. The denceratic managers are delighted with the cam speech of acceptance. The ring of it in thelr ears is most inspiring. They point out with much satisfaction the characteristic touches. They note that he ys in one plac “The gubernatorial office has no longer any attractions for me, and, personally, I preferred to remain in the Ser where the duties were gradually becoming more ecngenial to my tastes, and where I be- lieved I could more 2 ve the interests of this great There is victory in thls declare. Mr. Hill's reference to the Senate is in the past He feels that he is through with at body, and so fixes his eyes on Albany again, and discourses upon the responsibil- of the office of governor, which he is again to assume. In the ordinary man this would be characterized as the folly of ccunting chickens before they are hatched. In Mr. Hill, who is an extraordinary man by general consent, it is accepted as the easy and authori assurance of a leader who knows not only how to deserve, but to secure suc : An Olive Branch. ‘The democratic leaders here also note with satisfaction the Senator's olive branch to the Fairchild and Shepherd factions in the reference to the action of the Saratoga con- vention when he says he especially regrets that his ad Was not iaken in re- gard to representation in the convention. This, it is contended, ought to put and will put Mr. Hill in a new and pieasing light before the New York and Brook- lyn kickers. They ret.rned home from Saratoga furious because of having been shut out of the convention. They held Mr. Hill, among others, responsible for their humiliation and defeat. They resolved to visit the offense upon his head in the cam- paign and at the polls. But, presto! and Mr. Hill stands absolved of all blame. He had no part or lot in their discomfiture. He even battled for them and tried to have them admitted as delegates to the conven- tion. No one suggests that this is an after- thought of Mr. Hill. It is accepted as the frank statement of a frank man, and the belief is expressed that it will have an ex- cellent ¢! t im the ranks of the Cleveland suliers. Following Cleveland's Example. Another cheering phase of the case to the democratic managers is the fact that Mr. Hill is playing now, and so far with con- summate skill, the same game that Mr. Cleveland played with success in the cam- paign of isvz. The situation In New York that year after the Chicago convention looked as black and as ominous to the de- Mocracy as it now looks. The declaration had been made in the most positive terms and from the hi could not be ied or Mr. Cleveland. His serted, would demoral- the party and lose the state to Harrison y 30,000 majority. Despite all this, Cleve- The candidate in due yoked as blue as they mmany Was muttering in its gin milis and d let the tion go by de- This thre: if executed, meant the the state by overwhelming numbers. ce was called, 3 met thi and thi andidate. They w: They proposed terms and the striking ot a b in. ut Cleveland ue declined ussion upon any such lines. “This is not my fight, but party's. If IT am defeated the party suffers. You call jocrats and profess to desire ess. Now prove it.” That thed it. The kickers were obliged to fall into Ime, and Mr. Cleveland received the votes of ¥ mother’s son of them. Enter Mr. Hill in this rele. Discontent end & m exist on every hand. be wants to run for any office on the wocratic ticket. Flower declines renomi- on. Whitney is deaf and can't hear the call to arms. There is great groaning of Uittle men, who, having nothing to lose, can afford to be defeated. Tammany, although with its head in the dust, wants one thing, and the Clevelandites, with their heads in the clouds, want another. Who is capable of bringing the two factions together and irsuring for the democracy In November a show for its white alley? Hill! And Hill was 1 dites are now in the ny. They want assur- 7 What Hill do in the event of election? Where will that leave the antt- snappers? Hew about the presidential fight fn 1x57 Will Mr. Hill claim the national nomination of his party then as part of the ess this yea in Cleveland's rs ane Gentlemen,” t my fight, except a: "s fight. Tam tn it to stay best. You claim to be demo- desire democratic success. Now ard of k Mr. Hill fg the democ and to do With a I rence. Of course, there ts a difference In the two eases. Mr. Cleveland was dealing with one kind of men; Mr. Hill ts dealing with an- Other. In the one ease the conversion of but one man to a sense of so-called duty ided, and Tam- veland Lal- nv 2 Swi nall we do b forever?” y See the Peril. Mr. see bis pe privately « very fs so much at stake, and in cess he would win so larg ft will be the most stupe the history of American jous triumph in polities. He will jources that the state | » ean | C | state passing into the hi | cans for an indefinite term of years is mc | charitable instications, being a libel return here in December with an eclat that will prevent the mention of any other name among democrats for the presidency. He will completely ‘fill the democratic stage. ‘The President, Mr. Gorman, Mr. Brice, Mr. Carlisle, Mr. Stevenson, and all the smaller fry, will pass into the shade together. The public fs fickle, and party managers are, and in the nature of things must be, time- servers. They rally around him, and sing his praises and take his orders. If Mr. Hill spends a brief time here next winter in the interesting dual role of Senator and governor-elect of New York, his name will be Simon, and all thumbs will obey his commands. Party leaders from a distance will troop to town to confer with him, and will return home to apply his suggestions. A national Hill machine will be put to- gether and be in good running order before the winter breaks. The 4 |-Snappers’ Position. This it is that rankles in the bosoms of the anti-snappers, and that tempts them to give Mr. Hill-the knife now while he Is at their mercy. He cannot win without them. If he wins with their aid, can they hope in the next two years to defeat his attempts to make the governor's chair a stepping stone to the presidential nomination? They are pontering this question. And mean- while they will send their knives to the grindstone, so that In case they are needed, the weapons will be in good ord In the language of the novelist, the plot thickens. In the language of the sideshow orator, the greatest entertainment on earth is now about to open. THE CHINA-JAPAN WAR. A Crisis Looked for Within the Next Ten Days. The crisis of the China-Japan war 1s looked for within the next ten days or two weeks by those most interested and best informed on the contest. The legations of the two countries are expecting daily to hear that the decisive battle has been fought. This is based on the fact that the Japanese have been gradually closing in around Pekin, and the invading army ts ecmpelled by force of circumstances to strike their blow at once or not at all. The intense cold which comes on about the middie of October makes this imperative. The Japanese climate is very mild, even in winter, and the Japanese troops are wholly unprepared for the rigorous climate about Pekin which is due within two weeks. The Chinese look upon this as one of their defenses, and the Japanese fully appreciate that it compels them to concentrate their ampaign for this year into the next few weeks, and, if possible,days. For that reason they are expected to make herote efforts to decide the contest at once. They are with- out the heavy clothing, camp equipments, ete., for_a campaign in the bitter cold. o+—______ HILL TO RESIGN He Will Place His Resignation as Senator With Gov. Flower. Doubt About Cleveland Writing a Letter Urging Loyalty to Hill— Gossip as to the Campaign. A letter received here from a friend of Senator Hill states that Hill will soon place in the hands of Gov. Flower his resignation from the Senate. The reason given is that Hill does not want to appear to be holdiag the senatorship as a thing to fall back on in case of his defeat for governor. It :s said, however, that Gov. Flower will with- hold his acceptance of the resignation, Considerable doubt about Cleveland's writing a letter urging loyalty to Hill is expressed among administration people here. There ts no longer any doubt ex- pressed of the desire of the administration that the democratic candidate for governor should be elected. To have the fate of the party so united with Hill as to make dem- ocratic success a personal triumph for the Senator is extremely unsatisfactory to Mr. Cleveland and his friends, but, balancing one thing against another, they feel that there Is too much at stake in New York for them to let personal feeling Influence them. A Cleveland Letter Would Harm Him. It is urged, however, as a reason for Mr. Cleveland's writing no letter that such a letter might do more harm than good. It has got so that thergis something territy- ing to a democrat in the suggestion of a letter from Cleveland’s pen. They generally think he has written quite as much as there is any need of his writing for this year. It is suggested that his indorsement of Hili will come in the form of a good-sized con- tribution to the campaign fund. Mr. Hill is shrewd enough to see that whatever support he gets from his oid ene- mies will come because the danger of the nds of the republi- e alarming to them than is the idea of his having a temporary. triumph. It is not believed that he has any fal desire to make friends with the old anti-Hiil tions. The friends he might make these might be only at the sacritice of the heartiness and activity of his own indi- vidual supporters. It is made quite evident that the instrument he is using to get the democratic and mugwump kickers into line is the threatened “twenty years of republi- can supremacy” in New York if the demo- crats are defeated now. Hill Confident of Election. Those who are in communication with Hill or his friends express great confidence of his election, relying on the pecullarities of the situation to compel a good propor- tion of the kickers to come into line. Hill is represented as very well pleased with the results of the conferences which have occurred within the past two or three days, and as perfectly confident of success. The fact that the republicans have their new constitution and reapportionment to carry as a load through this campaign ts pointed out as an important factor In the canvass. Opposition to the new constitution is count- ed on as enough to keep most of the demo- crats in line, even if they do not want to support Hill, The fact that there are features of this constitution which are unsatisfactory to the Catholics and the A. P. A. agitation are expected by the democrats to give Hill the almost solid Catholic vote. At the same time, however, they know that religious questions cut both ways when dragged into politics The Catholic Vote. Republicans say that the democrats are decelving themselves about the Catholic vote. They say that the effect of the A. P. A. business and the dissatisfaction of the Catholics over the restrictions of the new constitution will be counteracted by the fact that Mr. Morton is popular among ‘atholics on account of his charities. A friend of Mr. Morton's s porter that, while th any publicity given to the matter, Mr. Mor- ton had always been a friend to the various 1 con- tributor to them in a private manner, and that in this he had not di ed be- tween Catholics and Prete nor be- tw the foreign American ir fact, it was suggested, would nt his losing the Catholic vote in a body. ——_——_—_+ e+ Pardon Granted. The President has granted a pardon to Peter Green, convicted in South Carolina of having counterfeit coin in his possession. It is represented that the convict is hope- lessly ill with consumption and that he can- not possibly survive but a short time. BABCOCK INDORSED Mr. Clarkson Pays a Tribute to the Campaign Committee. ea HE I$ MORE THAN SATISFIED Says Mr. Babcock Will Present a Republican House. BUSINESS METHODS pene nee Mr. J. S. Clarkson of the republican na- tional committee passed through Washing- ton today, returning from the meeting of the national committee.in New York. In an interview respecting the rumor last weck that party leaders were dissatisfied with Chairman Babcock’s conduct of the con- gressional committee, Mr. Clarkson said: “The meeting of our committee was, in fact, one in regard to work next year more than this year, or to lay out its own work to be carried on after the November elec- tion. By party custom, the entire interests of the party are always cared for in the year midway between presidential elections by the congressional committee. This year, therefore, Chairman Babcock and his col- leagues have the entire right of way in party management and conrol. I have hap- pened to know a great deal about the cam- paign they have made, 2s 1 was in Wash- ington several months during the start of it when it was being organized. I can say of it that it has been the most clearheaded and systematic campaign, beginning early, taking up every det: covering every neighborhood in the country and developing fully the moral and intellectual strength-of the party on the strength of its politics, that has been organized in the history of the party. ‘The most of our campaigns begin too late, and therefore have to go by jumping stages and cavalry charges and mere headlong energy, and by throwing masses of power against the weak points of the enemy, in- stead of depending on our own strength, the justice of our cause, and making and keeping cur line strong at every point. Chairman Babcock started early, and, aided by his colleagues, and Secretar Olds and McKee, put his organization on the bed- rock, and with such system and detail as to develop the strength of the republican party and its policies and principles in every voting neighborhood of the northern states. No voter has been left unpossessed of the facts of the republican party's record, and of the wisdom and beneficence of its theorfes and principles as applied to every home in the land. Mr. Babcock realizes that present-day politics is a question af- fecting the comfort of every home and the material condition of every citizen. “He has made his campaign one to reach every home and every voter, and to show them by comparison what the republican party has done to benefit them, and whet the democratle party is doing to injure them. He believes, and he is right in the belief, that the republican party can gain more voters by convincing them than by buying them. He leaves the buying to the democratic party, and depends on convinc- ing the voters as being at once the most honest and the most successful method of gaining to the republican party a majority. This sort of a campaign he has made in the most splendid manner, and so far from the national comntittee, or any member of it, doubting the wisdom or the success of his campaigning, directly the contrary is true. “He was invited to our conference last Thursday, because more than any other man in the party he knew the situation of the country at large, because the commit- tee knew that on the high lines I have in- dicated, and with no more money than enough to print and circulate large quan- titles of effective literature, he is making a successful and winning campaign for his arty. Indeed,"’ concluded Mr. Ciarkson “Mr. Babcock has shown such peculiar skill and ability in managing a complete and thorough campaign with so little money that I hope we are to have more Babcocks hereafter in the executive man- agement of our party. “In giving this estimate of him I know I am speaking for every member of the na- ticral committee. He is going to present the republican party with the splendid gifts of a republican majority in the House and the next Senate, and to the nation the great gift of deliverance from any further baneful legtslation on the part of the demo- cratic part LTTERS NOT OPENED. Japanese OfficiniIs Here Deny Some Recent Charges. Officials of the Japanese legation do not hesitate to affirm that the statement made in San Francisco by J. 8. Van Buren, agent of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, that the private correspondence of Ameri- can naval officers in Japan is subject to government esplonage is Incorrect. They attribute its origin to club gossip. In this connection Solicitor Stevens points out that the sanctity of personal correspondence is so highly regarded in Japan that it ts guar- anteed in the new constitution. A similar report was afloat about the time of Min- {ster Kurino’s arrival in this country, and he sent a card to one of the San Franclszo Papers pronouncing It false. That the war correspondents are not taken into full confidence of the military leaders and permitted to publish all the plans of the campaign is not considered re- markable. During the American civil war correspondents at the front, it 1s asserted, were under more exacting ruies than are imposed upon those following the Japanese army. Of late years, since the war corre- spondent has become a conspicuous factor of all campaigns, the necessity for seeing to it that he does not injure the cause of the army he fs attached to has been recog- nized by military authorities. The Japan- ese, it is declared, are extending unusual privileges to the press representatives. Mr. Kurino was invited recently by Mr. Gardiner G. Hubbard, president of the Geographical Society, to deliver an address before that body, but declined on account of the pressure of important duttes, dele- gating Mr. Stevens to speak in his stead. The lecture will be given at a future day. a eee eet PRESIDENT’S RETURN. Mr. Cleveland May Get Here by the 15th. Private Secretary Thurber brought his family to Washington Saturday and al- most immediately returned to the President at Gray Gables. It is said at the White House that the President and family will return to Washington between the 15th and 20th instants and that all the repairs to the Executive Mansion will be fully com- pleted before the first-named date. The mansion is still in a torn-up state, but can easily be made ready for the President's occupancy in a few days. + @ ee Naval Promotion, The President has appointed Richard Wainwright a Meutenant commander, and Joseph P. Mickley a chief engineer in the navy. sores eo A Virginia Postmaster. R. H. Hillsman has been appointed post- master at Gills, Amelia county, Va., vice Mrs. S. J. Gillis, removed. — Jchn Cooper, sixty-eight years old, was taken sick near 7th and G streets southeast about the same time, and was sent to the Washington Asylum. BAY STATE DEMOCRATS John E. Russell Nominated for Governor by Acolamation, The Regret at the Failure of Represen- tative Wilsow’s Bill to Pass. President's Course Indorsed— BOSTON, Mass., October 8—The demo- cratic state ccnvention met in this city to- day. Ex-Gov. William E. Russell, who was chosen permanent president of the conven- tion, addressed the delegates at length upon the issves of the campaign. The platform was adopted as reported. After pledging allegiance to “‘The time-hon- ored principles of Jeffersonian democracy,” the convention affirmed its loyalty to “the President and other party leaders, who bave so courageously battled for the people against the errors and iniquities of the re- publican administration.” The country is congratulated on the re- peal of an odious and tyrannical election law; on the repeal of a measure of silver inflation, which was the direct cause of the financial panic; on the repeal of the Mc- Kinley tariff; on the abolition of bounties; on the firm, dignified and conservative con- duct of our foreign affairs; on the vigorous and timely measures taken to repress at- tacks upcn the rights and property of federal government; on the reform of abuses in the pension system; on a reduc- tion of many millions in the appropriations of Congress, and on the economies and im- provements effected in the various adminis- trative branches of the government. Regret is expressed at the defeat of the Wilson bill and the retirement demanded of those democratic Senators who contrib- uted to that result. The claim is made for the new tariff law, however, that it is an improvement upon the McKinley taritt. George Fred. Williams then placed in nomination as a candidate for the gover- norship John E. Russell. The nomination of John E. Russell for gSovernor was made by acclamation. Chas. E. Stratton was nominated for leutenant governor. A committee was then appointed to escort the nominee for governgr to the chair, und John E. Russell soon faged the convention. He was cheered again and again as he stepped forward to address the delegates. In his speech of acceptance Mr. Russell Was not disposed to take a sanguine view of the party outlook. Massachusetts, said, is a republican state. “I believe, continued, “it matters very Htule who is governor under our absurd system of com- missions and council, but this is not an off year, and we must from this moment on do the best we can to keep our party in line and uphold our administration; we are ac- customed to defeat in Massachusetts, our Yr has grown up under it, as the oak strengthens in the storm. Whatever hap- pens to us, we shall meet no such overturn in state and nation as our opponents en- countered four years ago, in the first elec- tion held in Harrison's administration. We Will make lesses—it will be contrary to the history of parties if we do not—but we will make no such losses as they made in 1 and on no such grounds. We will lose because the times are against us; they lost in what they say was the flush of pros- perity. They were utterly defeated and dis- credited for what they had done as a party. “Free wool, free lumber, free salt,” said Mr. Russell, “are great reforms, and the honest attempt in the iINcome tax to shift fart of the burden now borne by agriculture to the shoulders of wealth is an act our op- ponents do not dare to attack nor criticise.” Mr, Russeli’s speech clused as follows: “Victory may not be in success; they who make it possible may “have fallen at the outposts. Bunker Hill Was # defeat, but the monument which shall mark it while the arch of the wide republic stands records gy it made Saratoga and Yorktown possi- le. “We long ego learned to bear defeat, and our opponents know that {t/eannot crush us. Let us, then, acquit ourselves Hke men, as in the past times, feeling that in doing our duty we shall honor our cause and make future victory possible.” The ticket was completed as follows: For secretary of state, Charles A. Decourcey; attorney general, Henry F. Hurlbut; treas- urer and receiver general, James 8. Grin- nell; auditor, Alfred C. Whitney of Boston. —__—. -—— AGAL SESSION. The Supreme Court Co i Bench. The United States Supreme Court assem- bled today at noon for the fall term, with a full bench. This fact encourages the at- tornets practicing before the court to hope that the docket of the court may be more than half cleared up before the adjournment in May. The court room was weil filled with spectators and members of the bar when, precisely at noon, the black-gowned forms of the chief justice and his asso- ciates were to be seen filing through the doors at the north. They were greeted by a general rising and the sonorous tones of the crier as he commanded attention. The chief justice announced that the usual custom of a visit to the President would be abandoned owing to the absence of the President from the city. Therefore the court would hear motions that might be mar About a score of attorneys were presented for admission to the bar of the court and took the oath. Then motions were made and entered in a number of cases, after which the chief justice an- nounced an adjournment until tomorrow at noon. This means the gain of a week over the usual course, and the court will get down to work at once. There are some important matters coming before the judges at this term, including a test of the Sherman anti- trust law, on which will depend the life of some of the great trusts of this country. There were many ladies present at the opening of the court this morning. This is a favorite fad in social circles, and the gay costumes of the visitors furnish much of the relief that the black gowns of the jus- tices and the equally somber attire of the members of the bar need. Among the law- yers who occupied seats within the semi- circle before the judges this morning were ex-Attorney General Garland, Assistant At- torney General Whitney, ex. ‘istant At- torney General Maury, Mr. Calderon Car- lisle, Judge Jere Wilson and Mr. R. Ross Perry. The arguing of cases before the court will begin tomorrow, end will contlaue until, as has been stated, it fs hoped that the calendar will be considerably cleared before the May adjournment. When the court adjourned last spring there were 714 cases on the docket, and about 100 have been filed during the recess, making 814 on the lists for argument and decision at the present time. ‘There ts an average of about 100 new cases to come in curing each term, fo that there will be about 914 on the calendars altogether by the end of the term. ‘The average of dis- posals is about 450 for each term, and this will leave a few more than 4 undecided at the close of the present term. ‘This re- sult has been attained by reason of the re- lief afforded by the establishment of the circuit courts of appeal, which take a great burden from the Supreme Court, which will eventually be enabled to atch up with the current work and clear the docket at each session. ee Treasury Affairs. It is stated at the Treasury Department that the excess of expenditures over re- ceipts during the first three months of the Present fiscal year was only $786 stead of $19,000,000, as published In several newspapers, The correct figures for first three months of the present fiscal year are: Receipts, $07,818,171; disburse- ments, $98,628,238. Last week the receipts exceeded the expenditures, and at the close of business Saturday there was uo deficit for the present fiscal year. enes With a THE PRICE OF BREAD Tt Remains the Same Despite the Cheapness of Flour. WHAT THE BAKERS SAY ABOUT If The Consumer Not Benefited by the Fall in the Price of Wheat. THE CO38T OF LABOR eds tes It has struck many people as curious that the retail price of bakers’ bread in this city continues to be the same as for a number of years past, although the wholesale price of flour has been steadily falling for three years, and has now reached a figure never so low in the history of the trade. The families that purchase ‘lour and bake their own bread have benefited by the decline in the wholesale price of flour, but a large proportion of the bread-eating population have received no advantage whatever from the general lowering of prices. It 1s said to be noteworthy that a great quantity of bakers’ bread is sold in Wash- ington, said to be due to the fact that there are so many families whose plans for housekeeping are such as to prevent their baking their own bread, while others are compelled to buy their bread by the loaf, not being able to afford the luxury of buy- ing flour by the quantity. The main reason for the large consumption of bakers’ bread 4s principally due, perhaps, to the manner of keeping house on a small scale, what is known as light housekeeping, where the elaborate and laborious work of baking cannot be undertaken. ‘hus it is that while the decline in the wholesale price of fiour has cgused a lower- ing of the retail price of the staple by the barrel or large sack, giving the housekeeper who buys by the barrel the benefit to that extent, the poor man and the man conduct- ing his household upon a iimited scale have continued to pay the seme price for their bread that they did when flour was very much higher. The Fall in Prices. A Star reporter, who undertook an in- vestigation of this condition of affairs in behalf of those whose complaints were brought to The Star office, ascertained that there is undoabtedly a basis for them. It is learned’ that flour has certainly fallen, though the figures and statemenis of the amount of the decline vary. One prom- inent flour dealer told The Star reporter that flour had fallen 40 per cent within three years and from 15 to 20 per cent within the past twelve months. He said that there is a difference of $1 a barrel in the price of the same flour today from what it was one year ago. One baker whose business is very large said his flour is 2u per cent cheaper this year than it was last year. Another baker who buys his Nour in carload lots or larger quantities said that flour which cost him $6 a barrel three years ago can be bought for $3.50 to- lay. All the bakers agree that there has been no reduction in the price of standard quali- tes of bread within that time. The stand- ard bread wholesales for 4 cents a loaf and retails for 5 cents. Some bread can be bought cheaper than this, but it is of a poor quality, and made only for a certain class, not being used to any extent. All the bakers give the same reason for not reducing the price of bread, which was that the wages of workmen are so high, having constartly gone up in recent years, that they could not afford to cut the price of bread. They said that they are not maj any more profit by reason of the decline in the price of flour, but that the difference goes into the pockets of the workingmen on account of increased wages. The Question of Wages. “It is simply a question of wages and a quality of bread,” said one of the most prominent bakers in the city to a Star re- porter today. “I will take up the matter of wages first. It must be explained that in Washington the bakers belong to a strong labor organization and have a strong tnion of their own. This does not exist in any other large city that I know, all the bakers’ unions having gone to pieces. The result of the strength of the union here is the stiffening of wages, and the constant increase of wages, which is further aided by the almost total exclusion of bakers from other cities, It has come to pass that an outside baker cannot get work in Wash- ington, although there are not enough first- class men here to do the work demanded of them. ‘Wages are higher here than in any other city 1 know; the apprentice boy in my shop gets $13 a week, the lowest wages id, and they range from that up to $20 a week, the average wages being $17 per week. These are for the bakers. There is another class of employes that belong to the union, name- ly, the drivers of the delivery wagons, who make from $25 to $40 per week. “In Baltimore the wages are from $6 to $8, with board; in Buffalo and Philadelphia, from $8 to $13. Moreover, the Buffalo bak- ers work longer hours and handle thirty barrels of flour a week, while our bakers don’t average over fifteen barrels per week. Our men work ten hours a day, against thirteen and fourteen hours in other cities, It will be seen that the bakers in Washing- ton are in much better shape than their brethren In any other city. They have reached this condition by thorough organ- ization and by a system of exclusion of outside laborers. “I will illustrate the latter phase of their organization. Last spring It was necessary for me to have several more bakers. I pos- itively could not get them in this city. I wanted first-class men, and there were none out of employment. I went to New York and told a friend there to send me several first-class, sober workmen. I explained that they would have to pay $25 to join the labor union when they got here. My friend sent me two men, 1 advanced them the money to pay the fee to join the union, they made application and then went to work. They were exceilent workmen, they were satisfied with their hours and wages and yet the union refused to take those men in, after months of deliberation, and it was only last night that I had to turn them away from the shop, laying them off, be- cause the unfon won't take them in and will not permit them to work without join- ing. I am short-handed toda and will simply have to bake less bread. Now, if I want to get two men to fill their places I have got to go to some other baker and offer two of his workmen more wages than he 1s paying them in order to get them away from him. Now for the quality Washington public is getting a loaf of bread today such as bakers never thought of giving a few years ago. Then the bread was composed solely of flour, water, salt and yeast; now we also put in milk) lard and sugar. “Washington bakers, ss a rule, use the yery best quallty ef flour that’ can be bovght, while in other citles they use a great deal of what is called paker’s 1, or ‘red dog’ flout, which is fit for nothing of bread. The but the poorer qualities of rye bread. bake about 13,000 loaves of bread ad: In the last quarter the milk bill was $1,216, lard $509, ar $260, all of which adds to the richness and q “The law reay ulity of the bread. S$ us to sell a loaf welgh- ing one pound. One barrel of flour will make 250 loaves. If I reduce the price of my bread 1 cent a loaf it would make a loss of $2.50 on the barrel mputation the bread w: the end of each month $1,200 more than I would get for it, representing a cash loss of that amount. There is only one thing about it—this loss would have to be made up either by reducing the wages of the workmen or lowering the quality of the bread. While it is true that the price of flour has fallen within three years from $6 to $3.50 per barrel, the wages of the workmen have advanced from an average of $12 to un average of $17 per week, and the quality of the bread has increased, thus adding to the cost.” A Flour Dealer's Statement. The Star reporter next consulted a dealer in flour, who handles it in large quantities, and is conversant with the wholesale price. “The price of flour has declined nearly 40 per cent within the past three years,” he said, “and has gone down 15 per cent with- in a year. As far as I know, there has been no accompanying reduction in the retail price of bread. Wheat is now selling for fifty cents in Chicago, and forty-seven and forty-eight cents in the neighborhood of this city, and the latter wheat, of course, 1s consumed by the jocal mills. The bulk of the flour used in this market is made from spring wheat, coming from Minnesota and the Dakotas, and winter wheat from Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. There is some Wis- consin used, but not a great deal. “The decline in the price of flour is due, of course, to the fall in the price of wheat. The wholesale flour dealers, the retailers end the grocers have benefited by the low prices. The bakers who bought flour, of course, have profited by it. Whether they have reduced the price of bread, or, if not, why not, I cannot say The Question of Profits. Another prominent baker, who supplies the retail dealers with bread, was then interviewed. “The retail price of the best bread ts 5 cents per loaf,” he said. “We sell it to the grocers for 4 cents, and wherever a baker dces a retail business of his own he sells for 5 cents also. The law fixes the weight of a loaf of bread at one and two pounds, the 5-cent loaf being one pound, of course. There is bread sold in the poorer quarters of the city for 4 cents, but I am speaking now cf the standard quality and price. A few years ago bread retailed for 6 cents when wheat was higher.’ “How much hat the price of your flour fallen within the past year?” asked ‘The Star man. “Well, making a rough estimate, I should Say it has come down 20 per cent within ® year,” replied the dealer. en, could vou not afford to 1 price of bread?” eee “We could not afford to reduce it to the extent of 1 cent per loaf, because that would make a difference of $2.50 on the product of a barrel of flour, calculating at the rate of 250 loaves of bread to a barrel. If we should come down 1-2 a cent the sro- cer would still charge the same, and he would pocket the profit without benefiting = consumer.” in answer to a question why he could not afford to reduce the price 1 cent per loaf, he advanced the same ument of high wages given above. " mis! —_~—__ SENATOR CAMDEN'S VIEWS He Sees No Evidence of Losses to the Democratic Party. He Thinks the Election of Alderson and Wilson is Assured—Has No Fear for the Next House. Senator Camden of West Virginia was in Washington today. In conversation with a Star reporter the Serator said that he had been pretty much all over the state of West Virginia, and that he saw no evi- dences of losses there to the democratic party. In his opinion the democrats will elect all four of the representatives in Con- gress. In Mr. Wilson's district, he said, an unusual effort was being made to defeat Wilson, but he had no rotion that there was any possibility of its being successful. He was perfectly confident that Mr. Wil- son would be returned to Congress. When the campaign first opened there were some apprehensions that tha democrats would lose a good many votes in Alderson’s dis- trict on account of the coal interests there. Alderson’s Election Assured. This apprehension, however, appeared to be without great reason and Alderson’s election, he said, was practically assured. Speaking of general politics, Senator Cam- den said that he believed the democrats would have a majority in the next House. He didn’t think there was even a remote probability of the republicans carrying the House, and said that if the demoerats had anything to fear it was that the populists might possibly hold the balance of power. He did not think this would happen, but it was the only serious contingency which the democrats had to guard against. Will Not Vote the Republican Ticket. “There are a good many discontented democrats in the country,” he said, “but you never hear any of them talk about vot- ing the republican ticket. It may be that some are a little out of sorts, will vote with the populists, and a good many more may not vote at all. But no democrats will vote with the republicans. In fact, I have no apprehension about losing the Sout Speaking of the situation in New York, he said that he had only a general idea of affairs there, but he pelieved that Mr. Hill would be elected governor and that the democrats would generally hold their own in the state. —_—__-e_____ WANT AN ADJUSTMENT. Against the Governme: c tractors. A petition for a writ of mandamus against the Secretary of the Interior was filed today by Wm. H. B, Stout, Cyrus J. Hall and Iseac S. Bangs, trading as Stout, Hall & Bangs. The first named petitioner is a rest- dent of this city, the others being residents of Maine. They state that April 21, 1888, they contracted with the then Secretary of the Interfor, architect of the Capitol and librarian of Congress, the commission in charge of the construction of the new Congressional Library butlding, to furnish all the stone for the cellar or subbasement walls of the western portion, the rotunda and {ts connections of the building, for Big Claim ute their contract, expending much money and incurring heavy money responsibilities and obligi tions. While so engaged the entire then existing plans of the Works were changed by the government by authority of an act of Congress of October 2, 1888S. That act brpvides that ali loss or damage occasioned ew might be adjusted and determined By the Secretary of the Interior, to be paid ut of sums heretofore or thereby appro- priat h change of plans the petitioners | that they suffered a loss amounting | 34.80. ‘They state that they made im January 28, 1889, but that Secretary Vilas, owing to his ‘impending retirement from office, did not act upon it. They thereupon filed a petition in the Court of CI wpon which they were awarded $i They claim that this award of the Court of Claim nz to its limited jurisdiction, did not cover ail thelr loss. They explain’ that on the 34 of last | April they p nt Secre of the Interio djust their dem ail loss and es, but that the tary, May 25, desired adjustment. ing that the judgment of the Court of Claims for a part of their claim did not estop them from petitioning for the adjust- ment demanded of the present Secretary of the Interior, pray that he may be compelled to make the sald adjustment. The petition was presented to Chief | Justice Bingham, who directed that the Secretary show cause November 17, 18, why it should not be granted. ecre- , refused to make the ‘The petitioners, clwim- THE PRINTERS MEET Convention of the International Typographical Union. ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT Parade of the Organization This Afternoon. OLDEST “TYPO” TO MARCH, ——o—— LOUISVILLE, Ky., October 8—The fore ty-second annual convention of the Internae tional Typographical Union opened here at 9:30 o'clock this morning at Odd Fellows’ Hall. Mr. W. B. Prescott of Indianapolis, president of the I. T. U., called the con- vention to order. Dr. T. G. Eaton opened the convention with prayer. Mayor Taylor then delivered an address of welcome to the visitors, Col, R, M. Kelly, editor of the Commercial, wel- comed the “typos” on behalf of the and Mr. H. A. Boies, president of the typographical union, on behalf of the local priaters. The following is an abstract of President Prescott’s annual report Growth of the Union, President Prescott, in his annual report, stated that the membership of the organizae tion has increased during the past year by, over 1,000, exclusive of 1,000 German-speake ing printers, who affiliated in accordance with the agreement approved by the plebe- scite. Nearly every principal city in the country is represented by the new charters issued. Financially the union ts in excel- lent shape, the general fund continulag to accumulate. Despite the prevailing condi- Uons, the receipts have more than equaled expenditures. Reference is made to the failure of the Indianapolis bank in which the funds of the union were deposited, and it is figured out that after the final dividend has been declared the union will sustain a net loss of about $12,000, With the idea of red: this amount, suit has been insti against the directors as individuals. The report deals with the "s im- brogiio, with the condition of the printers’ bome at Colorado Springs, and with the qvestion of shorter hours. On the latter the report refers to the defeat last year of the proposition making nine hours a day's work, and continues: “It is evident that the causes which go to make shorter hours such a necessity at this time also serve to impart hope to the opposition and should warn us that ade- quate preparation is more necessary than ever. In business, where the profits are not usually inordinate, and in which the cost of material and rent are such potent fac- tors in the cost of production, it is futile to suppose that employers will make a change so long as there is a seeming op- portnuity for successful resistance. There- fore, it will be a duty to formulate some plan for submission to the mem! which contains, as a prerequisite to the adoption of a jorter work day, a means for accumulating a large fund for the pur- pose of prosecuting the fight. The most cursory observer of recent events in the labor world must be convinced that to over- look this most essential feature will be Prelude to a worse state than the one. Though the industrial outlook is an encouraging one just now, yet this is the proper time to make preparations. Now is the time to buckle on our armor and Prepare for the fray.’ Adjourned Until Tomorrow. The convention adjourned at noon until Tuesday morning. This afternoon at 2:30 there will be a street parade. In this pa- race will be the oldest member of the In- ternational Union, in the person of Mr. James R. Watson of this city. Mr. Wat- son ts eighty-two years of age. The pa- rade will be followed by an entertainment provided for the visitors at Music Hall. Tomorrow the work of the convention Proper will begin, but the election of offi- cers will not come up before Thursday, —.--—_ IT COST THREE LIVES. Eaplosion of a Steam Pipe at the Ne itt is Steel Works, CHICAGO, October 8.—Two men were killed today at the Illinois steel works and five injured by the explosion of a steam pipe. Wm. Miller, thirty years old, married, an@ A. B. Sparrow, unmarried, were killed. The injured were John Holstrom, Thomas Dorsey, Oscar Wagner, Joseph Todhunter and Peter Moxey. All were employes at the South Chicago mill and the injured were taken to the company hospital there. John Holstrom died luter of his injuries, The room in which the accident occurred filled with steam from the broken pipes and almost every one of the fifty men at work there was more or less burned. All but seven, however, were able to go to their homes and the company’s physicians re- ported that none of the others were dane gerously hurt. ——__ SEVEN NEGROES KILLED. They Attempted to Captere the Car Reserved for the Whites. HAWESVILLE, Ky., October 8—As an excursion train from the Owensboro’ fair arrived at Powers’ station, a few miles west of this city, lest night, a race fight occurred between thirty drunken negroes and a few white men. Seven negroes are said to have been killed. The negroes were angry because they were forced to ride in cars set apart for them. They made a rush for the coaches occupied the whites, Deputy Marshal Moses Bullington, who had his family on the train, met the negroes and attempted to quiet them. The negroes then began firing. Deputy Bullington and "Squire Aldridge and Marshal Jones and Col. John Patterson of Lewisport and half a dozen others then began firing. These statements are from the lips of United §1ates Marshal Bullington. — PRAYERS FOR THE CZAR. A Change the Worse Has Alarmed Russian Authorities. TRESLAU, October §.—The Schlesische Zeitung publishes a dispatch from St. Petersburg, which says that a sudden change for the worse has taken place in the condition of the czar. The minister of war has ordered prayers for the preservation of the life of the czar to be offered up in all the garrison and regimental churcher. Fainting fits are re- port have supervened and to have rene dered an operation immediately necessary. ‘The court dignitaries and other high Rus- an officials have hurriedly starved for ia. oo Opening Ohio's Democratic Campaign, Special Dispatch to The Byening Star, COLUMBUS, Ohio, October &—Democrats here are astonished that the opening of the campaign has been fixed by Chairmi Thurman at Mansfield, in the fourteenth istrict, where the party has so far been unable to get a candidate. It begins to look as though Mr. Thurman wants to get back at Congressman Hagter, the leading opponent of free silver in Ohio, and is car- rying the war into his home. It will be re- membered that Harter and Thurman had @ personal wrangle over the silver question in the Thurman Club rooms last winter,