Evening Star Newspaper, April 23, 1895, Page 13

DISTRICT SUFFRAGE Views on Both Sides of an Interest- ing Question. PROVISIONS OF THE CONSTITUTION How the Federal District Caines to Be Set Apart. THE SECRECY ORDER The agitation made by persons who favor the restoration of suffrage to the District and the canvass made by The Star to as- certain the opirion of citizens has caused ecnsiderable discussion, and The Star has received a number of communications on the subject. One writer, J. V. K., discusses the constitutional and historical aspect of the case. He says: “The Articles of Confederation, which preceded the Federal Constitution, con- tained no provision for a permanent seat of the confederated government. The dele- gates to the Congress of the confederation, who were to be ‘annually appointed in such manner as the legislature of each state’ should direct, were empowered ‘to adjourn to any time within the year, and to any place’ within the states; provided, ‘that no period of adjourrment be for a longer duration than the space of six months.’ “In the convention which formulated the Federal Constitution this lack of a fixed rational capital became a subject of ezpe- cial discussion. Concerning the propriety of a permanent capital there was no di- vision of sentiment. Mr. Gerry, a delegate from Massachusetts, ‘conceived it to be the general sense of America that neither the seat of a state government, nor any large commercial city, should be the seat of the general government.’ Mr. Mason of Vir- ginia thought that there were in particular two objections ‘against choosing for the feat of the general government the city or place at which the seat of any state gov- ernment might be fixed.’ The first of these ebjections he thought to be ‘that it tended to produce disputes concerning jurisdiction.’ Tke second and principal objection he thought to be ‘that the intermixture of the two legislatures tended to give a provincial tincture to the national deliberations." In the brief debate that followed there was general concurrence in these views of the subject. The result was finally the incor- Foration in the Constitution of the follow- ing grant of power to Congress: “ “To exercise exclusive legislation, in all cases whatsoever, over such district (not exceeding ten miles square), as may, by cession of particular states, and the ac- ceptance of Congress, become the seat of government of the United States; and to exercise like authority over all places pur- chased, by the consent of the legislature of the state in which the same shall be, for the erection of forts, magazines, arsenals, dcck yards and other needful buildings.’ “Under this provision of the Constitution the District of Columbia acquired its exist- ence, and Washington< became the capital of the nation. Mr. Madison’s Explanation. “Mr. Madison, ‘the Father of the Consti- tution,’ speaking of this provision, in the ‘Federalist,’ says: “ ‘The indispensable necessity of complete authority at the seat of government car- ries its own evidence with it. It is a power exercised by every legislature of the Union, I might say of the world, by virtue of its general supremacy. Without it, not only the public authority might be insulted and its proceedings interrupted with impunity; but a dependence of the members of the general government on the state compre- hending the seat of government, for pro- tection in the exercise of their duty, might bring on the national councils an -imputa- tion of awe or influence, equally dishonor- able to the government and dissatisfactory to the other members of the confederacy. This consideration has the more weight, as the gradual accumulation of public im- provements at the stationary residence of the government would be both too great a public pledge to be left in the hands of a single state, and would create so many ob- stacles to a removal of the government, as still further to abridge its necessary inde- pendence. The extent of this federal dis- trict is sufficiently circumscribed to sati: fy every jealousy of an opposite nature.’ ‘The necessity of a like authority over forts, magazines, etc., established by the » general government, is not less evident. ' The public money expended on such places, and the public property deposited in them, require that they should be exempt from the authority of the particular state. Nor would it be proper for the places on which the security of the entire Union may de- pend to be in any degree dependent on a particular member of it.” Impracticability of Statehood. "District would-be suffragists who cry aloud for statehood, with two Senators to represent them in the senatorial branch of the national legislature, will here see the impracticability of their desires very ex- Plicitly set forth. ‘If we cry like children for the moon,’ says Burke, ‘like children ' ‘we must cry on.” “Other like suffragists who would impose an educational test of fitness for voters, are little less impracticable. The test they seem to think infallible is, contrarywise, fallacious. For example, my distinguished legal friend, Counsellor L—, would en- franchise ‘every man who can read a clause in his country’s Constitution in English, and sign his name.’ Now, certainly the ‘ counsellor knows, as we all know, lots of persons who can, without missing ‘or stop- > ping to spell a word, read the Bible clear through from the first word in Genesis to , the last word in Revelations; yet never open, the Bible nor habitually conform to a single precept in it. In fact many of them ‘are among the most unregenerate of sin- ners. What reason have we to believe that @ ‘man who can read a clause (or even sev- eral clauses) in his country’s Constitution in English,’ will read, mark, learn, and in- wardly digest the contents of that greatly venerated instrument; or that he is ‘at- tached to the principles’ thereof, or is ‘well disposed to the good order and happiness’ of the United States, or is ‘of good moral character;’ severally indispensable requis- ites for American citizenship enumerated in certificates of naturalization? Then, too, ability to sign one’s name commonly in- cludes ability to sign other folks’ names; an ability which sometimes entails a depri- vation of that ‘unalienable’ right to liberty with which all men are endowed, so T. Jef- ferson tells us, by their Creator. Evidently ability to read and write are not infallible criterions of fitness for voters. Moreover, shouldn't would-be suffragists, especially such as live at the seat of the national gov- ernment, possess sufficient intelligence to know not only that constitutionally the Dis- trict of Columbia cannot be transformed into a state, but also that Senators repre- sent states in their residuary independence and sovereignty, not the people; that only states have Representatives in Congress— that territories are represented by Dele- gates; and that constitutionally, by virtue of exclusive supremacy, the national gov- ernment cannot be subjected to local taxa- tion anywhere in the Union? Additionally, shouldn’t they know that ‘taxation without representation,’ about which so much ado is locally made, has no relevancy whatever to non-suffrage in the District of Columbia; that in fact, as an opponent of District suffrage truly says, Washington ‘is a purely federal city, and the right to object to tax- ation without representation must be con- sidered waived by them who come to it.’ But it is not ie that the District is u: represented in Congress. A District com- mittee in each house of Congress freely gives audience to all citizens of the District who choose to appear before it. Petitions to Congress, from citizens of the District, are always in order. Members of the Dis- trict committees and of both houses of Congress are property owners in the Dis- trict, equally interested in_ local taxation with resident citizens. Politically, suf- frage does not necessarily involve the idea ‘of representative government. ‘Where le; islation is effected by the votes of the peo- ple themselves, as it was in the small states of antiquity, the franchise is exercised by each individual directly, without the inter- vention of any representative machinery." * Representation generally is of majorities only; minorities are deprived of representa- tion.’ Minorities have accordingly, in gen- eral, no hearing in representative assem- blies. As minorities exist everywhere in the land, what worse off than they, albeit possessing suffrage, are the disfranchised citizens of the District of Columbia? Mil- lions of electorally enfranchised citizens in THE EVENING STAR TUESDAY;,APRIL 23, 1895-SIXTEEN PAGES. rascally ruled communities in America | would devoutly thank God could the: THE kh M. E. CHURCH change their political status to that of th dwellers in the national capital. }To unconscionable taxation and malaém! tration with representation is a decidé grievous public burden. =" Not a Case of That Kind. “Finally, ‘taxation without representa- tion,’ is not only inapplicable to non-suf- frage in the District of Columbia, but more than that, it never had any pertinent ap- plication to the colonies in the war of the revolution. Prof. Sumner of Yale Univer- sity, speaking of this matter in his ‘Alex- ander Hamilton,’ says: ‘This dictum may still be heard among us, and it fs put for- ward as an absolute principle having the sanction of revolutionary practice and pro- fession. It is one of the formulas which came to use in the seventeenth century among the English republicans or oppo- nents of the crown, and was transplanted to America. It was aimed, not at the parliament, but at the crown. It meant that no taxes ought to be collected when parliamentary institutions were suspended. It was part of the fight against a king who tried to raise taxes by prerogative, without calling a parliament. It is a good illustra- tion of the way in which political maxims, when they become stereotyped, change their contents, There always were whole classes of people who were not represented in parliament, as there are such classes now among us. The dictum never meant that they could not be taxed. The dictum, however, as the colonies used it, exposed them to be answered in just this way, namely, on the historical and legal sense of their proposition, and it obscured to them and others their real grievance and their real demand. They never wanted to be represented in parliament.’ The colo- nies were chartered by the crown; were not created by parliament, nor were ever properly subject to parliamentary taxa- tion. taxed themselves through their representative assemblies. To. the king only with whom they had to deal, they freely granted money when he want- ed it from his American dominions, -and applied for it to the assemblies through the governors.” ANOTHER VInW OF IT. One Who Favors Suffrage Gives Some Points on His Side. “A Taxpayer,” writing under date of April 16, says: “Without expressing any opinion for or against suffrage in the District, I desire to say a few words in an- swer to the statements of your correspon- dent, T. H. S., in last night’s Star. First, he asks whether if I went into business, and the gover2ment offered to put in an equal amount, I would be willing, for the sake of expressing my own opinion, to have the government withdraw from paying its half. “I answer, no, of course not; nor is there any reason for assuming any such fact. All the government dces is simply to pay its proportion for its own_benefit, the same as any equal partner dces in any other busi- ness or place. And why should it refuse to do that, even if the other partner—the tax- payers of the District—should be given a chance to ‘express their opinion’ or have a voice in the management? It is done in Lon- don and in Berlin under a monarchy, and why not here? The municipal government of Berlin is today recognized as the model municipal government of the world. Have we less ability or integrity than they? Why, then, cannot the same be done here? “It is nonsense to assume that if the peo- ple of the District are given a voice in the ement of their own local affairs therefore the general government will re- fuse to pay its share. “Second, he asks how I would like to go into a syndicate controlled by the voice of those who didn’t own a cent. “I answer, I would not like it, any more than I like to have syndicates and others control and run the whole thing in their own interests, as is the case now. What interest do the army officers temporarily detailed here have in the District, pray? Or what pecuniary interest have the great mass of Senators and members in District Property, except the few who have bought homes or invested in syndicate property for speculation? “I believe that those who pay the taxes should have a voice in some form in ‘the management of local affairs. I do not like this arbitrary form of government, by which two or three men in secret can do as they please, and impose on taxpayers bur- dens without their knowledge or consent, and not unfrequently in violation of law, as has been done in my own case; and then, when I find it out and complain, am told ae is no remedy, or what amounts to that! “Third, I agree fully with T. H. S. that there should be no politics in municipal gov- ernment. It is, and should be, purely a busi- ness affair. In the words of Senator Evarts when chairman of the New York commit- tee, ‘A municipal corporation is nothing more nor less than an association to deter- mine how much money shall be raised, and how, where and for what it shall be ex- pended; and that ought to be controlled by those who foot the biils.” “The allusion of T. H. S. to the extrava- gance in municipal affairs and the increase of municipal debts, while true as a general rule in this country, does not at all prove that it is a necessary consequence of pop- ular rule, as is evidenced by the experience in Berlin, Birmingham, Edinburgh and nu- trerous other cities. It is simply the result of mixing municipal affairs up with politics, and letting a few unscrupulous ‘bosses’ run municipal affairs. Of all places in the United States this is the very best for introducing a reform in that particular, and to estab- lish a municipal government that shall be a model for the whole country, and in time be copied, and thereby put an end to the very abuses of which he speaks. “Besides, his allusion to that feautre is unfor:unate for his argument, because, as the record shows, the extravagant expen- ditures and the enormous debt of the Dis- trict was not the result of popular gov- ernment, but of an arbitrary government, composed of men “appointed by the Pres! dent, and confirmed by the Senate’’—men who were not responsible to the taxpayers or citizens, but to the United States gov- ernment. “Besides, who is it that is now moving heaven and earth in the effort to increase our debt, already many times larger, pro- portionally, than that of any municipality or state in the who favor home rule, but those who op- pose It. “It is true,that there has been no defalca- tion or stealing of the public funds, nor could there be if the estimates were made up by a council or body of citizens, repre- senting all sections of the District, so long as our taxes are placed in the United States treasury and the appropriations are made by Congress. “While there may have been no actual dis- honesty or stealing, it is never:heless true, as shown by the record, that sjecial acts have been passed on three occasions, to relieve the bondsmen of the Comniissioners from illegal expenditure of the public funds, to the amount of nearly $300,000. “And while the salaries are not extrava- gant, it is nevertheless a fact that the cost of the engineering department of the District government is double that of any other city of the same population in the United States, where civil engineers have control. “Finally, I beg to suggest to T. H. S. that if he desires to convince intelligent citizens of the beauties of our present local go’ ernment, he must quote some other wit- ness than the ‘statesman out of a job,’ for while it may be true that he said ‘Wash- ington was the best and most economically governed city in the world’ (although he does not tell us where or when such state- ment was made, or can be found), that, game party, from his place on the Senate floor, twice said that “The government of this District is an absolute despotism!’ “See Con. Record, April 23, 1890, p. 3815. “See Con. Record, Dec. 7, 1890, p. 171. “And on this last occasion he further said: ‘This is the only place on this continent, at least under the American flag, where the people have no voice whatever in the administration of their own local affairs. They have nothing to say about the imposi- tion of taxes; they have no voice in the selection of those who are to be placed over them for the administration of the functions of government.’ And on another occasion he said he was glad that we had no voice in our own government! For myself I want the opinion of some other man than one who says ‘the purification of politics is an iridiscent dream.’ 1 would much.sooner take the opinion of men like W. M. Evarts and his committee ef nine, who show how it is possible, so far as municipal affairs are concerned. “Again, why is it, if this is the best gov- ernment in the world, that The Star, Post, Financial Review, Hatchet and papers elsewhere, as well as our citizens generally, are condemning so vigorously the present manner of conducting its affairs in secret? “While not attempting at this time to say what change I think should be made, I am very decidedly of the opinion that our local government can be materially im- proved, and that, too, without increasing its cost, or its debt.” untry? It is not those } || The Seventy-fourth Annual Session of the Baltimore Conference. LARGE NUMBER OF CHURCHES INCLUDED Probable Changes in Some of the Washington Charges. BISHOP GAINES WILL PRESIDE The seventy-seventh annual session of the Baltimore conference of the-African M. E. Church, of which the churches of the de- nomination in Washington and the Dis- trict of Columbia form an important part, will convene in Ebenezer Church, Balti- Taore, tomorrow. The presiding officer will be Bishop W. J. Gaines, one of the “idols” of the members, whose home is in Atlanta, Ga. Bishop Gaines was born in slavery in Georgia fifty-five years ago. By great ef- fert he educated himself, and when,a very young man entered the ministry. Until emancipated under the proclamation of President LincoIn he was the property of Robert Toombs and paid his master for his time. He soon developed remarkable talent as a preacher and executive officer, and was successively appointed to some of the most important charges in the A. M. E.. Church in the south. Later he be- came presiding elder, Bishop Gaines. and afterward was financial secretary of the convention for four years. He is quite wealthy, lives in his old master’s house and has real estate being valued, it is said, at $50,000. In 1888 the general conference of the A. M. EB. Church, in session at Cincinnati, elected him to the episcopacy, and since that time he has been one of the most valued members of the house of bishops. His immediate authority during the pres- ent quadrennial extends over the bodies styled the Baltimore, Virginia, North Caro- lina and western North Carolina confer- ences. s Jurisdiction of the Conference. The jurisdiction of the Baltimore confer- enee comprises the churches of the A. M. E. connection in the District of Columbia, Maryland and a portion of Virginia, prin- cipally the counties of Accomac and North- ampton. The churches in this city and vicinity are: Metropolitan, M street between 15th and 16th streets northwest, Rev. Dr. J. T. Jeni- fer, pastor; Ebenezer, Georgetown, Rev. D. P. ‘Seaton, D. D., pastor; St. Paul, 9th street near G street southwest; Rev. E Norris, pastor; Bishop Campbell Memorial, Hillsdale, Rev. F. M. Ovelton, pastor; Gar- field, at Garfield, Rev. Joseph Robinson, pastor, and Mount Sinal, corner of 14th and South ‘Carolina avenues northeast, Rev. F. A. Seaton, pastor. Some Probable Changes. It is believed that Rev. Dr. Jenifer, the pastor at Metropolitan, will ask a transfer to another church. There {is no dissatis- faction with his administration of affairs, but the membership is very large, running up to almost one thousand, and, although he has several local preachers to assist him in detail work, the duties of his position are very exacting. The charge is regarded as one of the most desirable, from a finan- cial standpoint, in the conference—the sal- ary being $1,500, besides which there is the use of a parsonage. Should Dr. Jenifer be assigned to another church it is thought that Bishop Gaines will send him to Trin- ity Church, Baltimore, and that he will be succeeded here by Rev. Dr. I. S. Lee, now pastor of Ebenezer Church, Baltimore. It is believed that Rev. Mr. Seaton, the pres- ent pastor of Mount Sinai Church, who is a son of the Rev. Dr. Seaton of Ebenezer, Georgetown, will also be assigned to another fleld of labor. The other pastors named are likely to remain where they are for another year at least. Rev. Mr. Ovelton, pastor at Hillsdale, has been in his present charge but little over six months, and as he is in every way acceptable to the con- gregation, and he has no fault to find with them, he is considered especially secure. Mr. Ovelton succeeded Rev. Charles Bourne, who was appointed presiding.elder to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Rev. Dr. Morris. The Four Districts. The conference is divided, for the pur- poses of systematization, into four dis- tricts, each_under the supervision of a pre- siding elder, though at present there are but three in the field, the most of the fourth being divided among the other three. These districts and their compo- nents, with the elders, are: First district, Rev. Charles Bourne, presiding, residence, Baltimore, and having authority over the churches in a part of Baltimore city and the entire castern shore of Maryland; second district, Rev. John H. Collett, D. D., presiding, residence, Baltimore, and having under his ministerial control the churches in another portion of Baltimore city, those in western Maryland and the counties on the western shore as far south as Prince George’s; third district, Rev. W. R. Arnold, presiding, residence, Washing- ton, with jurisdiction cver the remainder of the Baltimore churches not embraced in the two preceding districts, and in the counties on the western shore of Maryland beginning at Prince George’s and extend- ing to the southern boundary line of the state. The fourth district is at present re- garded as a missionary field, and com- prises the churches on the eastern shore of Virginia. It is thought that of these elders Revs. Charles Bourne and W. R. Arnold will be reappointed, and that Dr. Collett will be succeeded by Rev. Joseph Robinson, now pastor at Garfield. In this event Dr. Col- Jett will probably be given an important charge as pastor, with possibly supervision over the fourth district. The conference has within its bounds about 20,000 church members, nearly twice as many Sunday school scholars and teach- ers, and church property valued at nearly $1,500,000. Delegates to the General Conference. One of the most important functions that the conference will be called upon to per- form will be the election of three dele- gates and three alternates to represent the body at the general conference, to be held at Wilmington, N. C., during May of next year, it being the custom of the conference to select its representatives at least a year in advance of the sessions of the general conference, which takes place quadren- nially. It is thought that those upon whom the honor will fall are Rev. Dr. Jenifer of Washington, Rev. Dr. John W. Beckett, pastor of Bethel A. M. E. Church, and Rey. Dr. I. S. Lee, both of Baltimore, while the alternates are likely to be Revs. Joseph Robinson, D. C.; W. R. Arnold, presiding elder, and O. D. Robinson, Baltimore. —>_—_—_. In the Hands of an Inspector. Mr. Eckels, the controller of the cur- rency, has directed Inspector Dooley to take charge of the First National Bank at Williamantic, Conn. It is understood that the bank’s present embarrassment is principally due to certain transactions of the cashier, who died some weeks ago. The capital of the bank is $100,000. —_—___+-2+_______ To Protect American Missionaries. The flagship San Francisco has arrived at Alexandretto, Asia Minor, for the pro- tection of American missionaries recently reported in danger from a local uprising. The cruiser Marblehead is at Beyroot, Syria, for fhe same purpose. ——_+o.____ Exposition Medals. According to Director Preston of the mint bureau the 24,000 medals awarded by the Chicago Columbian exposition will be ready for distribution about the Ist of August. He says that work upon the medals is pro- gressing “most satisfactorily.” HALL’S HAIR RENEWER IS PRONOUNCED THE best preparation made for thickening the growth of the hair, and restoring that which is gray to its original color, AFFAIRS IN.~GEORGETOWN Ea Grand Jubilee at Ebezexer A. M. E. Ohurch feat t Night Many Other Affairs of Local and Gen- eral Interest Ftom Across Rock CréekBriage. ‘There was a grand jubilee at Ebenezer A. M. E. Church lagt night in celebration of the seventy-fifth anniversary of the es- tablishment cf the house of worship. The attendance was immensely large. Exer- cises were opened with the hymn, “Before Jehovah’s Awful Throne.” Then followed Prayer by Clement Beckett, the oldest member of the church, and then Dr. D. P. Seaton, the pastor, briefly stated what had been accomplished during his pastorate of two years. He showed that the church had been freed from debt, and that the membership in that time had been doubled. Dr. Seaton was followed by John W. But- ler, who sang “When You Know the Girl You Love Loves, You.” Rev. M. L. Fisher of John Wesley Church was present and spoke in a highly con- gratulatory manner upon the rise in the importance of Ebenezer. The congregation was urged to pray for the return of their pastor. It has been thought for some time that the church au- thorities intend to confer a bishopric upon Br. Seaton. “O Promise Me,” solo, by Mrs. Florence Vessell, was then rendered. A speaker who met with much apprecia- tion was Dr. J. C. McEddy, Shorter’s Mis- sion, who selected as his subject ‘‘Pride, Beauty and Glory of the Church.” The success of the church during the adminis- tration of Dr. Seaton was reviewed by Rev. Dr. Wm. H. Newby of Union Wesley Church. A duet, “Larboard Watch,” was sung by Miss Mamie Johnson and Mr. J. A. Butler, and then “The Old Oaken Bucket” by Misses M. Johnson and Anna Washing- ton and Messrs. J. A. Butler and Edw. Gates. Other addresses were delivered by Rev. F, A. Seaton and R. F. Leake. A chorus, “God Be With You Till We Meet Again,” was then sung. The exercises were closed with beneaiction by Rev. S. Aiken Lewis, Mt. Zion’s néw pastor. Miss L. R. Crusor acted as accompanist for the occasion. Mrs. Allen Finney of Chicago, who is on a visit to this city, attended the jubilee ex- ercises. é An Old Contest. Yesterday morning, early, the George- town College authorities hired and put to work a force of men to build a fence across Prospect avenue at 38th street. By 12 o’clock the fencing had been completed. The police books here fail to show that a permit was grented. The old trouble about the ownership of Prospect avenue extende1 has, therefcre, been revived after a rest of over a year. In the meantime, the street has been -graded and paved in conformity with surrounding ones. The Georgetown College bases its claim to what is alleged to be public property on the fact that the western portion of the street has been in- closed by a hedge for some years. That this inclosed property belongs to the public at large is evidenced, so it is claimed, by land record W. B. 55, where a survey of that section is recorded, and by various cld maps ‘of the town: 5: Yesterday, as soon as the action of the college was discovered, neighboring prop- erty holders madé formal complaint to the Commissioners. Jt. Js not known as ret what decision the authorities have taken in the matter. 5 The existence of the fence shuts out all egress to the country beyond town between the canal and New, Cut roads. A lively war between college authorities and citizens of the section is promised. Are Regular. ‘The swallows came in multitudinous num- bers last evening at 6:40 o'clock. It is said that they never vary 4 day in their spring | descent upon the pjace. They didn’t strag- gle in, but swooped down in one great chirping mass. In the fall of the year the entire feathery multitude will leave within an hour for a more southern climate. For years those who have watched the birds say the hour of arrival here has not varied ten minutes. YELLOW FEVER IN CUBA. Precautions Being Taken by the Marine Hospital Service. The officials of the marine hospital serv- ice have taken every precaution to secure immediate information in case of an epi- demic of yellow fever in Cuba, which they are advised by the local inspectors is most likely to occur this season, on account of the presence of unacclimated Spanish troops, but Have so far received no news to indicate that the disease is liable to be more general this summer than usual. Surg. Gen. Wyman has notified the repre- sentatives of the service on the island to notify him immediately upon an unusual increase of. the contagion, but in reply re- ceives report of only a comparatively small number of cases, with the statement in various forms that the conditions are such as render an epidemic probable. The latest report from Havana indicates greater im- mediate danger from smallpox than from yellow fever. Dr. D. M. Burgess, sanitary inspector at Havana of the United States marine’ hospital service, reports only three new cases of yellow fever, while he says there has been a large increase of small- pox. Nearly all the deaths have, he says, occurred in a ward of that city in which many cigar makers live, “and there the disease seems to be raging like a regular epidem: ——_+ e+______ Transfers of Real Estate. Deeds in fee have been filed as follows: Alex. G. Leonard et ux. to Benj. F. Morri- son, part lot 10, bik. 18, Mt. Pleasant; $1. Roberta M. Partello to John D. Sullivan, lot 183, sq. 445; $10. John D. Sullivan to Patrick Smith, same property; $3,750. Min- nie M. Strayer to Thos. M. Wilkes, lot 39, sq. 191; $9,500. Thos. M. Wilkes et ux. to Frank E. Murray, lot 37, sq. 7: $10. Wm. Mayse et ux. to Jefferson W. Davis, part lots 13 and 14, and lot 18, blk. 12, Trinidad; $10. Bates Warren and Augustus C, Glancy, trustees, to Mary S. B. Bates, lot 45, sq. 960; $3,050. Edmund H. Brown et ux. to John Sherman, lots 70 and 71, sq. 720; $1,404. Henry M. Baker to Sarah Snowden, part lots 22 and 23, sq. 518; $10. John D. Croissant and Wm. A. Croffut, trustees, to George H. Corey, lots 1, 2, 3, 19, 20, bik. 38; lots 28 to 31, blk. 35; lots 7 and 8 blk. 42, East Washington Park; $10. Chas. Dietz et ux. to Lizzie W. Ryder, lots 52 and 53, sq. 1026; $10. Isabel Y. P. Handy et al. to Thos. J. Chew, lots A, B and C, sq. 787; $5. “Samuel Ourand, trus- tee, to Abbert Mi» Ridenour, undivided quarter interest ja; north half original lot 20, sq. 218; $5. Ldgzle W. Ryder to Chas. Dietz,-lot 77, blk.,80, Long Meadows; $—. —_—>——. Sentenée: Suspended. Irving S. Beall, ‘a*young man well known about town, yesterday pleaded guilty in Criminal Court Ng. 2 of false preten: and Judge Cole suspended the sentence, five years in the penitentiary being the maxi- mum penalty, durmg the defendant's good behavior, relecsing im on bail in the sum of $500. no Beall was indieted for having, on the 29th of last December, secured $15 from one Walter S. Brown by inducing him to cash a check for that amount on the Citizens’ National Bank, falsely representing that it had been drawn in his favor by one J, 8S. Williams. —a Confirmation Cla: Bishop Curtis of Wilmington, Del., ad- ministered the sacrament of confirmation to a large class of colored boys and girls Sunday at 3 o’clock p.m. in St. Cyprian’s, Church on Capitol Hill. A number of men and women, several of whom were con- verts, were also confirmed. The bishop was assisted by the pastor of St. Cyprian’s, Rev. Father Matthews, and the Rev. Fath- er Parr of the redemptionist order. Pardon Application Denied. The President has refused to pardon Ru- fus L, Davis, sentenced to three years in the penitentiary in the western district ef Missouri for counterfeiting. He also de- nies the application for pardon of George W. Rickitson, sentenced to two years in the southern district of Georgia for intimi- oe witnesses before a United States cou: s=s— A CHANGE OF FRONT|THE FISH Commission Original Position in the autibn Case Abandoned. SPAIN T) TAKE HER TIME T0 REPLY The New Spanish Minister Getting Information in Havana. HIS POSSIBLE CONTENTION The Spanish government is showing no undue haste in complying with Secretary Gresham’s ultimatum of March 15 for “a Prompt disavowal” of -the firing upon the Allianca and “due expression of regret on the part of Spain.” The demands of the United States were telegraphed to Minister Taylor at Madrid on the 15th ultimo. He was instructed to inform the Spanish gov- ernment that this government would tol- erate no interference with its vessels using the regular paths of navigation, whether they pass within three miles of the Cuban coast or not. He was also instructed to insist that immediate and positive orders be given to Spanish naval commanders not to interfere with legitimate American com- merce passing through the Windward Pas- suge and prohibiting “aH acts wantonly im- periling life and property lawfully under the flag of the United States.” The min- ister who to communicate: this demand to the Spanish minister for foreign affairs and “to urge the importance of a prompt and satisfactory response.” So far as known the Spanish government has complied with Secretary Gresham's demands to the extent of acknowledging the receipt of his communication _ and promising that the matter would be made the subject of official inquiry. A Change of Front. It is now said that the State Department has practically abandoned its original po- sition in the Allianca affair, so far as the demand for a prompt apology on the part of Spain is concerned. It is now generally conceded that Secretary Gresham was un- duly precipitate in his demand, and that he has since concluded that it was only fair that Spain should have an opportunity of investigating the circumstances before humbly acknowledging herself at fault in the matter. The American steamship Al- Manca was fired upon in the Windward Pass, off Cape Maysi, Cuba, on the 8th of March, by the Spanish gunboat Conde de Venedito, because of her refusal to stop when signaled to. She was suspected of filibustering. The shots were at long range and did no harm. Inasmuch, however, as she displayed the tlag of the United States, the firing was officially regarded as a na- tional insult. On the 15th ultimo Secretary Gresham telegraphed the facts of the case to the Spanish minister of foreign affairs, through the United States minister at Mad- rid, and demanded immediate reparation. 'Tais telegram was made public the same day. From that day to the present time, so far as official information has been vouchsafed the public, the Spanish government has po- litely declined to accede to any of Mr. Gres- hkam’s demands. Although Mr. Gresham is known to be annoyed at the apparent delay in the matter, he has not, so far as known, renewed his demands or insisted upon greater promptness in the matter. Gossip in Diplomatic Circles. The gossip in diplomatic circles is that this affair will run on for many months yet, before it can properly be regarded as a “closed incident.” The Spanish authorities are acting with deliberation in the matter, and will hesitate a long time before hum- bling their pride with an apology, even supposing that the facts show it to be due. Senor Dupuy de Lome, the new Spanish minister to the United States, is now in Havana investigating the case, with a view to the conduct of future negotiations with this country for its settlement. The action of the Spanish goverrment so far shows conclusively to persons familiar with their diplomatic methods an unmistakable pur- Pese to dispute the contentions of the United States on the main issues involved, and to prolong the negotiations to the full- est éxtent possible rather than accede to the demands of Secretary Gresham. The officials who take this view of the case assert that Senor de Lome is gather- ing material from Spanish sources in Cuba to justify the action of the commander of the Spanish gunboat and that he will come to this city fully prepared to demonstrate that if there was any violation of inter- national law in the case at issue it was committed by the American steamship rather than by the Spanish gunboat. He will endeavor to show that the Allianca was a proper subject of suspicion under the circumstances and that she was with- in Spanish jurisdiction when she was sig- naled to stop. Her failure to stop will also be mentioned as an indication of her sus- picious character sufficient to justify the use of solid shot by the gunboat. This government took a year to satisfy itself that Italy was justly entitled to repa- ration for the massacre of several of her subjects in New Orleans in 1891, and the indications are that it will take quite as long to bring Spain to a just acknowledg- ment of her responsibilities in the Allianca affair. Senor Muruaga’s Departure. Senor Muruaga, the Spanish minister, who has been succeeded by Senor de Lome, has left this city for Mexico, whence he goes to Spain. There have been no official formalities, so far as can be learned, at- tending Senor Muruaga’s departure. It is understood that his official letters of recall will be presented by the new minister when the latter presents his credentials and exchanges greetings. Pending the ar- rival of Senor de Lome the legation here will be under the direction of Senor Sagra- rio, as charge d'affaires. —____-e-—___ TEMPERANCE MASS MEETING. Zion Baptist Church Filled With Anti- Saloon People. Zion Colored Baptist Church, at the cor- ner of 4% and F streets southwest, was the scene Sunday afternoon of an earnest and impressive effort to counteract the effects of the liquor traffic. The Anti- saloon League held there a mass meeting. Rev. Dr. Luther B, Wilson, presiding elder for the Washington district of the M. E. conference, and president of the league, acted as chairman. Upon the platform were Judge Anson S. Taylor, W. H. H. Smith and W. H. Pennell, leading officers of the District Society of Christian En- deavor; Rev. W. J. Howard, pastor of Zion Church, and Rev. Walter H. Brooks, pastor of the Nineteenth Street Baptist Church, Rey. Mr. Howard led in prayer, and Dr. Wilson set forth the object of the meeting, explaining the work of the Anti-saloon League, and urging the members of Zion Church -to co-operate. He declared the league would follow the saloon wherever it went, even to the halls of Congress. Dr. Wilson urged the rigid enforcement of all saloon. regulations and license laws. Mr. W. H. H. Smith described how he took his first pledge by smashing his bottle on a railroad track, and exhorted his hear- ers to take sides against the wrong. Wm. H. Pennell believed that one duty of the league was to convert the saloon keepers, eiter which the saloon would die of its own accord. Judge Anson 8. Taylor gave an interesting address on the evil effects in different ways of the saloons. Rev. W. H. Brooks also spoke briefly in a stirring speech, which the congregation loudly applauded, recommending a war of extermination against the traflic. —_—. A Furnace Man Wanted. ‘There is immediate demand for a furnace man at the Washington navy yard, and singular to relate, there is not a single name on the register of applicants for em- ployment at the yard for just that kind of work. —__——>—__. Acting Consul Recognized. The President has recognized Count Girolamo Naselli as acting Italian consul at New Orleans pending the appointment of a successor to Chevalier Riccardo Motta. The Work of Last Year is Expected to Be & Doubled. White Fish and Trout to Be Placed in the Great Lakes—The Shad Work. The fish commission expects this year to almost double the work of last year. In 1694 about 400,000,000 fish were distributed. This year the division of fish culture hopes to exceed that figure by at least 200,000,000 and probably 300,000,000. The work of the spring distribution is now at its height. From the Ohio and Michigan stations the emmission has already taken about 12,- 000,000 white fish, and about 8,000,000 or 10,000,000 lake treut will be taken in the rext ten days. In the neighborhood of 400,000 brook trout will be taken from the Colorado staticn. To Be Planted in the Great Lakes. These fish will be planted in the Great Lakes and the surrounding inland lakes. The Put-in-Bay station has just reported the collection of some 200,000,000 pike perch eggs from Lake Erie. These will be dis- tributed in the lakes and also the public waters of Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, Iii- nois and Iowa. The work of distribution will be begun at Duluth in ten days. A month ago the marine work of the gov- ernment was completed. The total output of cod fry for distribution along the Maine coast was 70,000,000. The lobster and flat fish work is also in preparation in the east. Last year the commission handled &0,000,000 lobster. This year it is believed the number will be almost doubled. The Shad Work on the Potomac. The shad work has just opened at Ber- gan Point on the Potomac, where some 5,000,000 eggs have been taken. The work will be continued at Havre de Grace this week and next week the Fishhawk will begin operations on the Delaware. Shad is now one of the most important food fish and it is expected that the number distrib- uted will be increased from 50,000,000 last year to between 80,000,000 and 100,000,000 this season. They are being planted along the Atlantic coast from Massachusetts to Florida.. No more shad will be planted on the Pacific, strce being introduced there they have grown so abundant that the Pacific fishermen have been forced to enter into a combine to keep the prices up. The Atiantic Salmon Catch. Next month the Atlantic salmon catch for breeding purposes will be made. The At- lantic salmon do not spawn until fall and the brood salmon must be caught and held until’ that time. This brief sum- mary outlines the work of the com- mission for this season relative to the principal commercial fish. Next fall an attempt will be made to plant 200,000 yearling steel head trout from the Pacific in the Great Lakes. These will furnish a valuable addition to the game and food fish of the lakes. THE WILLIAMSBURG SHOOTING. Many Shots Fired in a Riot Among Italians. Luigi de Prisco, one of the Italians shot in a riot at Williamsburg, N. Y., Sunday, died in the hospital yesterday. The riot was the result of a feud between two families living in the Italian quarter, in Williamsburg. Carmiro Sessa had circu- lated scandalous stories about the wife and daughter of John Orsello. Sunday Orsella went hunting for Sessa with a gun. He found nim at his home and fired twice, wounding him. Sessa sprang back from the window and, running to the street, called for help. A number of his friends in the house came to his aid, armed with guns. A fusillade followed, and one of Sessa’s friends, Luigi de Prisco, twenty- eight years old, received a bullet in his bedy from Orsello’s rifie or from a pistol in the hands of the latter’s friends, who had followed him. Sessa was again shot in the abdomen, but by whom is not known. During the shooting Annie Decker, aged thirteen, passed by and a bullet struck her, passing through her thigh. ——_—__- ++ —____. PANIC IN THE GATHERING. vind and Rain Storm Strack the Moody Tabernacle. During the progress of a Moody meeting at Fort Worth, Tex., Sunday night, a wind and rain storm struck the tabernacle build- ing in which the vast gathering of 8,000 persons was seated. The rafters gave way and the roof came down on part of the con- gregation. Many women fainted. Some men lost their heads and piled pell-mell over those near them. Mr. Moody grasped the situation, and, moving to the middle of the platform, lifted both hands to heaven, moving his arms slowly to and fro. His attitude and cool- ness stopped the panic and men began to go to work to rescue those in danger. A drenching rai. was falling, but they worked hard and the wounded were soon taken out and carried to their homes or to the houses near by. The most seriously injured were J. V. Ingraham, William J. Parsley, Mrs. Mary Murphy, Miss Scarson of Weather- ford, Miss Lulu Haley, J. W. Manchester, Mrs. Morton Logan. ' Some forty others were slightly hurt. It is mentioned in the Fort Worth advices that in the afternoon meeting Mr. Moody had called for general prayer for rain, which the country had long needed. ———_—__-2-_____ Sunday School Officers Elected. The Memorial United Brethren Sunday school, corner of North Capitol and R streets northwest, has elected the follow- ing as officers for the ensuing year: Super- intendent, Mr. Washington Topham; assist- ant superintendent, Mr. Wm. Holtman; secretary, Mr. Richard Crump; treasurer, Mr. Augustus Hering; librarian, Mr. Al- bert Browning; assistant librarian, Mr. Chas. Hering; organist, Mrs. George H. Parker; evecutive board, Mrs. Washington Topham, Rev. J. E. Fout, Mrs. J. E. Fout, Mrs. W. J. Holtman, Mr. Edward Spies and Mr. Edward Kern. ——__»—__ Baptist Association Meeting. The Columbia Association of Baptists meet tonight in semi-annual session in the interest of church, Sunday school and mis- sion work, in the Metropolitan Baptist Church, corner 6th and A streets north- east. Dr. C. C. Meador will call the asso- ciation to order at 7:30 o’clock and preside over the deliberations. The meetings will continue tomorrow and Thursday nights. —_—_—__ Speak-Easy Case. William G. Taliaferro and his wife were in the Police Court yesterday for having violated the liquor law in Hillsdale. The court held the husband responsible for the “speak-easy,” and discharged the wife. Mrs. Taliaferro is a sister of John A. Moss, the colored lawyer. A plea of guilty was entered for the hus- band and the lowest fine, $250, or sixty Gays was imposed. ——=_—_ Decision as to Territorial Courts. Justice Gray delivered the opinion of the Supreme Court yesterday in the case of the Richmond Silver Mining Company, plain- tiff in error, vs. Victor Dorne, from the circuit court of the United States for the district of South Dakota. The question in- volved was that whether United States ccurts had jurisdiction of cases which were pending in the territorial courts at the time of the admission of the states. The court below decided they had, and the Supreme Court affirmed the decision. —_—___-_e+_____ To Revise the Army Regulations, Maj. George W. Davis has been detailed to assist Assistant Secretary Doe in the im- pertant work of revising the army regula- tions so that they shall strictly conform to existing laws, which they do not do in many instances as.at present arranged. New York’s Sunday Tragedy. Alice Walsh, a woman of the abandoned class, was found bleeding and unconscious in New York Sunday morning. She died in a few hours. A post-mortem examina- tion revealed the fact that she had been mutilated somewhat after the fashion of the Whitechapel victims. i THE EVENING STAR has a Larger Circulation in the Homes of Washington than - all the Other Papers of the City Added Together, because it Stands Up Always for the Interests of the People of Washington; Contains the Latest and Fullest Local and General ; News; and Surpasses all the Other Papers in the City in the -Variety and Excellence of its Literary Features. It Literally Goes Everywhere, and is Read by Everybody. It is, therefore, asa Local Advertising Medium, without a Peer, Whether Cost or Measure of Publicity be Considered.