The New York Herald Newspaper, March 15, 1872, Page 6

8 NEW YORK HERALD BROADWAY AND ANN STRELT, JAMES GORDON BENNETT, PROPRIETOR. All business or fews letter and telegraphic be addressed New York despatches most Hn ALD AMUSEMENTS THIS EVENING. ACADEMY OF MUSIC, Fourteenth street—ITaLtan Owia-Lucls DI LAMMERMOOR, WALLAOK'? THEATRE, Broadway ani 13th street. — Tan VerEBAN MB o es © ARDEN, Bi 108 64k BELLE WOOD'S MUSKUM, Broadway, corner 30th st, ~Performe eo cegatternoon and evening. JAMES! THEATRE, f'went y.~ MARRIAGE, )WERY ‘THEATRE, Bowery—Don Juan—Burra.o roadway, between Prince and E AVAGE, cath street and Broad- «PTA AVSNUE THEATRE, Twonty-fourth strect.— ‘uy Sew DuaMa OF Divonor, ours ‘HEATRE, Broadway.—Tuz BALLET PAN- owe ce BoMpry Dowpry, LINA EDWIN'S THEATRE, 720 Broadway,—Wrroaes w New York, BOOTHS THEATRE, Twenty-third st., corasr Sich ay. — Junie CasaR, Ae a Bb, CONWAY'S BROOKLYN THEATRE.— ENAND! THEATRE COMIQUE, 514 Broadway.—Com 10 Vooar- tee 8, NaNO ACIB, ao. UNION SQUARE THEAT! vo, —~NRaxo AcTs—Bbunu Fourtocath st. and Broad- B, BALLET, &o. ‘A HOUSE. No. 201 Bowery. — BORLESQUES, &0. {EW OPERA HOUSE, SRYANT’S MINSTRELS, THIRTY-POURTH STREET THEATRE, near Third ave- ee-VAr itty ENTERTAINMENT. Matinee at 2. S\N FRANCISCO MINSTREL HALL, 68 Broadway.— » SAN FRANGI8CO MINSTRELS, No W YOR circus, » Roya, Acronar ( N¥ \ASTOR'S OP} © mo Pocenrxioriy BEYANTS «nd /thay besween 6ta rtsentn acraet.—$ORNR@ IN Matinee at 23g. » W YORK MUSEUM OF ANATOMY, 613 Broadway.— ane ABT, KAT NOE AN TRIP 8 ANATOMICAL MUSEUM, 715 Broadway. — » ARY, SHEET. ‘ork, Friday, March 15, (872. New OF TO-DAY’S HERALD. CONTENTS isements, isements, rie Act: Passage of the Erie Classifica- » Repeat Bill in the Senate ; Urdered to Reading in the Assembly; Loug- Winded » Mes for and Against the Measure; The « 1a the Senate at the Close of the De- « -An Erie Exmibii: The Extravagance ‘ quandering of Seven Long Years in the Railroad Company; How Stockholders Bled; A New Chapter of Erie, ress: The Legislative Appropriations sed in the Senate; Another Land Grab te in the House; Bleeding Kansas and her Claims—The Custom House Inquiry—Art ars—The Internationals: The “Unem- da” in Council at Tompkins Square; Red ving Unturied; Complete Political and Social Reform Demanded—Tne Revolu- tion in Mexico: The Forces of Juarez Again ft @ Ascendency; Pariiculars About Rocha’s ny Over “the Rovoluti uuz—W holesale Poisont U, Clty of New York—Mangicd to Death in ark—Sad Fate of a Brave Jersey Soldier, “Croquet” Murder: The Trial of Charles at Staunton, V; #reat Excitement in rt In the Drama; A : Verdict of Mur- 2e—Spiritual Murder- rs: A Horrible Tragedy Perpetrated Under ‘gious Haliucinations; Leonard Marquardt’s s10T1 ying the Almighty, Devils and pers Inquest and Verdict — I uve Lambrecht—ayor Hail’s a Death ol the Sick Juror—Obituary. @~waltoriala: Leading Ariicle, “The Mysterious Infuence of the HERALD—A Chapter from the History of the London Zimes—The ‘True Principles’ of Jouraalism”—Amusement An- nouncements, @—The War iu Mexico—Cable Telegrams from Prgiand, ireland, France, ltaly and Ger- meay—The Alabama lalms—News {rom waahtugion—Business Not, S—Inieresung Proceeulugs in the New York and Brooklyn Courts—Tie Rea! Estate Markey: Rapid Transit th eat Question uf the Hour; Viaduae Reade in New York and Brooklyn aud Free Intercommunicuiion: Gossip of the Markel; Particuiars of Yesterday’s Transace tions—Board of Audit: Weekly Meeting of tne Iinportant Resolutions Rescladed—Payments by the Comptrolier— Commissioners of Docks—Lecture by Brother James Wynne, of the Order of Christian Brothe: ‘Lal Board — Yesterday; id Commercial: Sudden Rise in Pacife Matt ching te Fire; Money D ; Proposed National Bank—Domestio rouble in Vil and Paint—Municipal .uke’s Home—Newark Methodist Ky pal Conference—Methodist Mass Mect- ng—Marriages and leaths. rcokiyn’s Burvens: The bulwark of Liberty o be held Inviolabie; The Committee of Sev- anty ive Render an Account of their Steward- ship; Thirty Ipdiciments~ of Offenders Pro- ed—Political—Shipping intelligence—Ad- usements. ragedy in Greenbush, Opposite Albany—Ad- vertliscments, 12 \avertisen tog Erm Crassirioation Repeat Bint assed in the Senate last night, with ap nendment prohibiting any director of the tie and Great Western Railwya Com- racy from being eligible for election as an k lirector. In the House the same bill was bated vigorously and finally ordered to a It will probably be passed and ser! (o the Governor for his signature to-day. | reading. Tim ALABAMA CLaims Case,—Secretary “eh'e reply to the Granville note on the sub- of the Alabama claims has been received liaister Schenck in London, but had not t communicated in diplomatic form to the Briush Cabinet yesterday. Mr, Gladstone in- formed the House of Commons of these facts duelog the evening, in reply to a question ad- dressed to him by Mr. Disraeli, We shall know the whole case at an early moment, no doult RESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES are thickening, Chet Justice Chase is again brought for- we Our special despatches trom Wash- ingion give the details of the latest convention bat} ag at the national capital. This gather- ng whose omni-partisan rather than non- an character may be gathered from its g under both kings—democratic and re- an—will meet at Parkersburg, West | i ila, on the 18th of April. Judge Davis | atter look sharp for his Columbus coro- | , and Trumbuli will sour himself still over the prospect. A!i this is, of course, | from Philadelphia, tatpenr Juarez is in luck, But a short igo his government was trembling on the of overthrow. Several of the most im- at cities of the republic were in the | of the revolutionists ; the federal troops | diminishing and demoralized, while the tlous rebels appeared to be the domi- party throughout the whole conn- The tables are now turned, Our | al despatch from Matamoros confirms the | ‘t of the recapture of Zacatecas and the | st of the revolutionisis by the troops tarez, and says that there is great re W over the victory among the sdhere © government NEW YORK HERALD, KRIDAY, MARCH 15, Influenco of the Herald - the Histery of Trae Priaciples of The Mysterio A Chapter from Condon Times—The Journalism, When the newspapers run dry of topics— when exciting themes like Terwilliger, ‘‘Hank” Smith, Tom Murphy, Grant's relaiions, Conk- ling’s toilet, begin to pall upon the party press—they resume an old, but ever interest- ing problem in the ‘‘mysterions influence of the Heratp.” With every change of the season we have a swarm of paragraphs filled with interesting information about the HeraLD— the health of its editor, his amusements and occupations; a gazetie of mew ap- pointments on his editorial staff, with ingenious speculations as to some purchaser who has made up his mind to buy it, and is only awaiting necessary legal forms to enter into possession of the property. Every - thing buman bas its destiny, and it is the especial fate of influences like the British Crown, the Emperor Napoleon and the New Yorg Herarp to generate a swarm of paragraphs, We sometimes marvel what would become of the Bohemians, who find a precarious subsistence as ‘‘New York corre- spondents,” if the Hrratp ceased to be a topic. So long as confiding editors of country newspapers will pay for this kind of correspondence the needy scribes will write it, and mischievous paragraphs will be written. As to setting these people right or taking the least pains to affirm or deny their publica- tions, why, one would as soon think of at- tempting to drill a swarm of ants In infantry tactics. It happens that the partisan journals are concerned about the Huratp’s support of President Grant. The accepted rule among political newspapers is that they will support the administration which suppor's them. They cannot comprehend any relations between a government and a public journal which are not based upon favors expected or received. When a President is elected to office the editor who supports him maps ont his share of the patronage. Such an office he mugt have for himself, so many offices for his frieads. If the demand is not honored or is only partly honored, he becomes a maloontent, a liberal, a reformer—perhaps a candidate for the Pres- idency, if he has vanities and aspirations! We saw in the recent Custom House investi- gation where one newspaper editor alone was found to have made more recommendations to office in the Custom House than any Senator ormember. We can understand how such recommendations are made. An editor is human, and when he forms political associa- tions he must protect them. If he sits ina caucus or a convention with the tavern keepers of the Sixth ward and accepts any general favors from them he assumes aq obligation which can only be cancelled in one way—by patronage. If he criticises the administration whose favor he has in any way entreated he is open to the charge of ingratitude. We have no doubt there is a great temptation in politics—that men seek it as they seek the race track and the gambling tables at Baden-Baden. The resource of poli- tics is chicanery, and it is the only profession which has made deceit and lying o virtue. In early days, when administrations were de- pendent upon subsidized papers for their sup- port, politics and journalism were in close alliance. The editor was the paid servant of the government, and the amount of his pay depended upon his ingenuity, Sometimes he made a great deal of money, like Old Blair, who became rich, or he may have died poor, like Leggett. Bat as journalism grew in power and wealth, and became self-sustain- ing, and a great newspaper could afford to attract young and experienced and gifted men to itas a profession, the spirit of indepen- dence revoltod against the spirit of chicanery, and the two professions became antagonistic, Wiile politicians rose and fell with adminis - trations, and were merely ephemeral in their existence, the newspaper grew with every year, and became strong enough to make or unmake administrations, A jourval has no right, however, to avoid political duties, It cannot avoid partisanship to take refuge in cowardice, It is not always independence to shower indiscriminate abuse upon any man or any measure. If we censure we must praise where praise is due, and above all things seek truth and justice, and follow them with more earnestness when we are assailed for doing so, We, of course, appreciate the universal commerdations that come to us from newspapers and correspond- ents as to what our republican friends are pleased to call our effective support of President Grant. It may siartle some of the partisan editors, and perhaps excite their profound contempt, to know that the Hrratp has never sought an office from General Grant, and would not take the highest in bis gift, and that no human being now in the service of the government is indebted, directly or indirectly, for his position to the Heratp. We give General Grant an inde- pendent, judicious, manly support, and shall continue it so long as we are satisfied with the adminisiration, The extent and duration of that support must remain with the President, for when he forfeits our respect he will be no more to us than poor Pierce or the foolish old Buchanan, While he serves the country as well as he does now we mean to strengthen his hands and punish the demagogues who conspire against him, and trample upon the intrigues which disappointed and mercenary politicians are endeavoring to weave around him. Nor is the HERALD the first newspaper that has found its duty in supporting a govern- ment to which it owed nothing but uncalled-for taxee, and received nothing but the protection of the laws, Here is a correspondence, taken from an English biographical work, between the editor of the London 7imes and Sir Robert Peel, written thirty-seven years ago, and show- ing the relations existing between that great newspaper and the English Prime Minister :— WAITEHALL, April 18, 1535. To THE Eprton or THe Tinks Sin—Having this day delivered into the hands of the King the seals of office, 1 can without any tm- putation of an interested motive, or any impedt- ment from scrupulous motives of delicacy, express niy deep sevse of the powertul support which that government, over which J had the honor to preside, received {rom the 7imes newspaper, If L.do not offer the expressions of personal grati- it ls because I feel thatsuch expressions would given exclusively on the highest and most independ. cot grounds of pavlic principie, I can say this with perfect truth, as Lam addressing one whose person evel is unkuown to me, and who daring my tenor of power studtoasly avotded every species of inter- course which could throw @ suspicion upon the uated, Ishould, how- ing an mjasties to my own feelings if L from oifive without Gue Word Of ao the | | exhinition of cuat extraordinary ability to which I | knowledement, without at least assuring you of | the admiration with waica L witnessed, auriag the | arduous contest in which £ was engaged, the daily | valuable minAving ver your was indebted for a support—the mm because it was an impartial aud support, I have the honor to be, sir, most obedient and faithful servant, s ROBERT PEEL. say es Right Hon, Six Rosear Peew, Barts, &c, C.— Sin—It gives me sincere satisfaction tolearn from | the letter with which you have honored me, bear- ing yesterday's date, that you estimate so mgily the efforts which have been inade during the last five months by the Zines newspaper to support the cause of rational and wholesome government which His Maesty had eptrasted to your guidance, and that you appreciate tairly the disinterested motive ol regard to the public welfare, and to that aloae, through which tniz journal has been prompte:! to pursue a policy in accordance with that of your administration, 1¢ 1s, permit me to say, by such motives oniy that tae Z/mes, ever since {have known it, ha’ been influenced, whether 11 defence of the government ot the day, or im constitutional resistance to it; and, ideed, there exist no other Motives of action for a journalist compatible either with the safety of the press or with the public mo- Tality of 1t3 readers, ‘1th much respect, 1 have the honor to be, sir, THE EVITOR OF THE TIMES. The “mysterious influence” of the Times arose from the following of the principles laid down by its editor, The ‘mysterious in- fluence” of the HERALD arises from a similar cause. The Times supported Sir Robert Poel because it was ‘“‘the cause of rational and wholesome goverament.” The HERA.D sup- ports General Grant because his administra- tion has been devoted to “the cause of rational and wholesome government.” The Times gave to the Peel administration not a partisan but ‘‘an impartial and discriminating support,” and was as ready to rise in “constitutional resistance” to the government when the public good demanded opposition to its acts as to defend its wise and patriotic policy. The Heratp upholds President Grant on the broad ground of the honesty, sincerity and patriot- ism of his adminisiration; because he main- tains the nation’s honor, strengthens its credit, promotes its prosperity and seeks to restore to the public service the integrity and earnest- ness by which it was marked in the early days of the republic. At the same time, to the astonishment of the professional politician, the Hxratp condemns the Chinese stupidity which too much merks the financial policy of the administration, and, while it ignores as trifling the squabbles of hungry factions over the federal patronage and the insignificant side issues, such as the French arms sales, the Custom House investigation and civil service reform, to which these wrangles give rise, itis ready at all times to protest against any important errors or shortcomings of the President and his advisers. The entire independence of the Hrrap renders its favor and counsel the more valuable to a public officer, as the friendship of a fearless and conscientious minister is always more precious to a ruler than the flattery of a parasite. When the HeRrALp urges upon President Grant broad and tiberal financial views, when it demands that the United States government shall extend an armed protectorate over Mexico and stop the anarchy and barbarism that run riot on our borders, it only seeks to strengthen bis administration and to render the fortress of his policy impregnable. To such ‘impartial and discriminating support” the recent'republican victory in New Hamp- shire is atiributable, and ; thus the “mysterious influence of the Herat” makes itself felt at the ballot box In every Stute of the Unlon. Sir Robert. Peel in addressing the Zimes did not know the person of the editor, and spoke of him as having “‘studiously avolded every species of intercourse which would throw a suspicion upon the motives by which he was actuated.” General Grant could truly say as much of the Heratp. We certainly agree with the editor of the Zimes, that there can exist ‘‘no other motives of action for a journalist com- patible either wit the safety of the press or with the public morality of its readers.” The business interests of the nation are, equally with its political interests, affected by this ‘‘mysterious influence” of the leading journal of the country, which in plain English is neither more nor less than the 4upartiality and discrimination of a thoroughly indepen- dent press. The recent revolution in Erie, which broke down in a few hours a power that had for years defied the law and restored to honest hands the control of the greatest line of commerce in the United States, was due to the efforts of the Heratp, Law- yers of eminence, powerful combinations of stockbrokers, millionnaires handed together in a common cause, had all essayed and failed to destroy the Erie Ring; but from the moment the Heratp entered resolutely into the crusade against the corrupt combination its fate was sealed. Yet the HERALD knew no special interest in the case, and cared no more for the English stockholders or the Atlantic and Great West- ern corporation than for Gould and his crop-haired bullies, Wall street was aston- ished, and « certain class of journals looked on with amazement to find that the fight of the HERALD against the Erie corruptionists, who held contro! of millions of money and bought ap Legislatures and courts at their will, was made in the interest of justice alone— to restore to the stockholders their rights, to remove a scandal that was dis- graceful to the State, and to vindicate the honor and maintain the credit of the United States among the other nations of the world. Had the Heratp been in the pay of the Eng- lish stockholders, had it held init hands a + majority of the worthless Atlantic and Great Western stock, there would have been no mys- tery about it, As it is, the Cheap Jack journals attribute the overthrow of the Erie Ring to every other cause than the true one—the de- termined efforts of an independent and influ- ential press, The London Zimes grew into strength and power, to become the first newspaper of England by following the noble sentiments pro- pounded by its editor, The HERALD has grown into strength and power, to become the first newspaper of America by doing the same thing. We care nothing for administrations, for corporations or for men—for @ll the offices in the Blue Book or for all the stock on Wall street. General Grant is nothing to the Hzraxp except as a patriotic President doing his daty, aud we support and oppose him as we shall support and oppose Presidents for a good many generations, provided we all escape this terrible Swiss comet, It will be difficult for the partisan editors to understand this, They no doubt feel, scornfully that the Times editor was a great fool not to have instructed Peel as to his excisemen’s appoint - ments and patronage, and to have punished him for daring, oo matter how “rational and wholesome” bis goverament, to remove or appoint certain politicians, The Times editor might have made himself powerful ia caucus | and convention, even as some of our partisan | friends have done, had he followed the example. But his paper would have become a noisy, spite- ful broadside, and in time would have gone into silence. The Times kept the true path and came to bea ruler in England greater than Peel or Gladstone. Even so the HeraLp has come to be araler in America greater than Grant, and with a longer, more profitable and more conspicuous tenor of power. Are We to Have Rapid Transit in New York t—Some ‘Suggestions for the State Legislature. One of the lobby schemesto upheave Broad- way for the next twenty years and to tumble down two-thirds of the buildings on that street appears to have come to grief. The Beach Pneumatic Transit Company, which asks the privilege to accomplish this work for the benefit of the citizens, in order to afford them cheap rapid transit, bas, it appears, burdened itself in advance of the commencement of its work with liabilities. to the extent of five mil- lion dollars, Of ‘course the President and Secretary of this apparition of a corporation inform the Legislature, through a lobby agent, that this is an error, and tbat all the original stock, which is stated to have been thrown away as bait to tempt. influential fishes into the underground net, is still securely locked up in the “treasury,” alshough where that important department of the ‘‘corporation” is located does not appear. But this denial amounts fo nothing, and there is no doubt that if any such wildcat scheme should be authorized by the Legislature more than five million dollars, if not double that amount, would have to be placed to the debit side of profit and loss at the opening of the company’s books. Such jobs have to buy their way through according to the amount supposed to be in them, and as a Broadway railroad, overground or underground, has always been looked npon as a Sacramento placer or an Emma Mine, either in the shape of profi's or of blackmail, no! one of them could hope to secure legislative sanction short of a con- sideration in stock and interest sufficient to pay balf the cost of an honestly constructed and practicable road. From the days of Jacob Sharpe down to the present time no city railroad has ever been authorized'in New York out of which a score or more of members and lobbyists have not made small fortunes before a day’s actual work has been done on the road, to say nothing of the hundred smaller fry, such as Cheap Jack Bohemians, legislative officials and strikers of all degrees, who in- variably contrive to squeeze a few dollars each out of such jobs. On the horse car lines this sinking of capital has not interfered greatly’ with the public interests, the profits having been large enough to admit of a toler- ably low rate of fare, notwithstanding the leak- age to speculators and blackmailers. But on a line of railroad of any description to be operated by steam, necessitating a large out- lay tor the construction of an elevated road- bed, the ‘purchase of right of way or costly tunnelling, the squandering of an additional tive or ten million dollars on legislators, lob- byists, Bohemians and other public robbers, would injure the people and not the corpora- tion, It would so increase the cost of the work—ceriain to be large under the most fa- vorable circumstances—as to render reason- able rates of fare impossible. The people of New York require cheap travel as well as speed. A railroad is the need of the poorer and not of the richer classes, The Astors and Stewarts and Van- derbilts of the city have their own lines of rapid transit in fast horses and comfortable carriages. They can live where they please without being dependent upon public con- veyances. The Smiths and Joneses and Browns of everyday life, the men who labor with the brain or the muscle for a livinz, the clerks and artisans and laborers who toil ten and twelve hours out of the twenty-four need some means of escaping the rapacity of land- lords and of reaching their homes after their exhausting work is over rapidly and at the lowest possible cost, If a railroad is to be built for the ase of steam, so as ‘to enable the masses of the people to spread out to the northern end of the island and to reach Spuyten Duyvil Creek with greater speed, ease and com- fort than they can now reach Thirtieth street, every dollar misappropriated in its constrac- tion, every dollar squandered on legislators, lobbyists and ‘‘sirikers” is a public outrage and injary. The schemes that are now hang- ing about the State capital are all of the Beach Pneumatic character, and should be kicked out of the Legislature in company. They are, one and all, jobs concocted by ad- venturers and speculators to put money into their own pockets, and the good of the city and the interests of the people of New York are ignored and unheeded. It appears almost hopeleés in the present con- dition of legislative morality to look for the construction of a viaduct railroad—the only practical scheme of rapid transit for this city— by a private corporation, for the very reasons above set forth. If our best citizens were to go in a body to Albany, ask a franchise for such a road, and pledge the amount necessary for its completion, their request would be re- fused and some pneumatic experiment, some elevated wheelbarrow humbug or some three-tier imposition would be pre- ferred, simply because there would be “more in it” for the Legislature and the lobby. There appears to be only ene way in which the great necessity of rapid transit can be speedily met, and that is by the constraction of two viaduct roads, an east side and west side road, by the city, as a public work, Itis not denied, and cannot be disputed, that steam communication between the Battery and West- chester county would so largely enhance the value of real estate and all the uppor part of the island that the taxation upon the increased assessment would pay the cost of the roads, principal and interest, in less than twenty years, without reckoning the receipts and profits of the roads themselves, Independent of this, the people would gave more than the necessary taxation in cheapened rents, im- proved healih and greater economy in living. Tho humbug of political economisis who desire to keep the city free from debi, who object to pledging the city's gredit, and who prate gbout a 1872.—TRIPLE SHEET, low taxation, is now exploded. The same cry was raised against the construction of the Central Park, and to-day it is seen that the work has paid for itself in ten years through its direct benefit to the real estate immediately adjacent. Besides, the people do not object to taxation for the improvement of the city when the money is honestly expended. They refuse to be robbed, but they do not refuse to be liberal, and their intelligence teaches them that a wise system of public improvement will advance the business and wealth of the city with a rapidity of which your theoretical political econumist does not dream. We have now honest rulers over our city affairs, and the State Legislature can enable us to keep them, if it will reject any experi- mental charter that may lead us back into our old, Tammany fetters, A viaduct railroad could now be constructed by men of energy, ability and integrity, and could be made a public blessing before the whirligig of politics turns out of sight the benefits of the last elec- tion. Let us have alaw authorizing the city to raise money to build such a road or roads, and the people will bave the benefit of the, lowest rates of fare consistent with its care and maintenance, with the addition of a small revenue for the payment of interest and the gradual liquidation of the debt. Let any pri- vate corporation complete the work, however economically and faithfully, and the people will still be taxed in their daily travel to pro- vide heavy dividends for the stockholders. Such roads would be, in fact, great public highways, and it is proper that they should be built and managed by the city in the interest of the people alone, There are already indi- cations that the lobby speculators are destined to destroy each otber in their wrangles among themselves for the spoils, If the fate of the Kilkenny cats awaits them the people will be the gainers. Lot the reform Legislature show itself worthy of its name by drawing closely the strings of the bag in which they are fighting, and then pass a law authorizing the construction of two viaduct roads by the Corporation of the city of New York. This is what the city needs and what the people will heartily endorse, The Custom House and Tariff System Be- hind the Age. A great deal of the trouble about the Cus- tom House in New York—and there has been no period and no administration of late years when there has not been trouble—arises from the old and imperfect system of doing the business and of raising revenue, which does not meet the circumstances of the present time. While the country has made extraordi- nary progress in ideas, wealth, commerce, and even in political reform, it has made no ad- vance in the system and management of this important branch of the public service. We mention particularly the Custom House of New York, because the commerce of the country is centred here and because nearly all the cus- toms revenue is collected here, but our remarks apply to the whole system. Most of the great commercial nations have of late years been making improvements, in accordance with the growth of trade and changes that have taken place in the world. England, especially, has simplified her tariff, mode of collecting reve- nue and official machinery of the Custom Houses. She collects an enormous income from a few articles with a comparatively small force of employés and at much less cost than wedo, This republic is behind the age in revenue reform. Our public men, for the most part, know little of the true principles of political economy or of the advanced ideas in this sclence which modern progress has developed. They cling to the exploded fallacy of protection and raise a much larger revenue than is necessary with a view to foster certain local in- terests. They do not consider that this is imposlug an unequal and un- just taxation upon the rest of the community, and, as a consequence, retarding the development of other and greater inter- ests. It is this vicious legislation to carry out the principle of protection in detail for one inter- est here and another interest there, to accom- modate the different States and sections of the country, or different industries, that gives us a most complex tariff and costly system of col- lection. The tariff acts of Congress are lite- rally bewildering. They lead, necessarily, to frands, litigation, bribery, grievous complainis of the merchants, tyranny on the part of gov- ernment oflicials, and to the employment of an army of officesholders, All this arises from admitting the principle of protection at first, and then from endeavoring to make a com- promise with the different sections and parties who clamor for protection, Sound principles of political economy and the interests of the mags of the people are not considered. The enormous and unnecessary revenue thus raised affords at the same time a fund upon which Congressmen and politicians can draw for all sorts of schemes, It has been since the war and is now a fruitful source of cor- ruption and extravagance, I[t furnishes places for a host of partisan supporters and rich jobs for political leaders and their friends, We sce in this the cause of the everlasting war about the offices in the Custom House and of the vast jobs that are from time to time exposed. The Custom Honses are regarded by the polfttcians as their legitimate spoils, and are &épt up on their present expensive basis fog: political objects and to» furaish rewards partisans, General Grant's ad- minist: p bas been severely censured for evils contiected with the Custom Honss; but these evile are inherent in ihe sysiem. The Presidest may and will, donbiless, do what he can to correct them; but neither his or any other administration. can hope to make a thorough reform while the present system “remains in existence, There is no way of reaching the evil but by abandoning the principle of protection, re- ducing the revenue to the lowest fijare possi- ble that the strict necessities of the government will admit, by raising an income from a few articles and abolishing our presemt complicated tariff, and thus bringing about a reduction of the enormons force o' goverment employs to one-third or less the preseis number. At the same time all the sinecures and profitable jobs now held in connection with the Oustom House asa reward for prominent politicians or their friends should be abolish je are the reforms needed, With them we should hear little more of gigantic frauds or of the aeces- sity for investigation committees. The work must begin with Congress, and that by a thorough change of the tari system and revenue laws, Tho Reform Management of tho Erie Ralle way—Let Thero Be Light. Since the overthrow of fhe notorious Erie Ring several communications have been ad- dressed to the Hrarp asking for light as to the hitherto hidden operations of Gould and his assoclates of the old Board of Directors, Among them is the following, which purports to make a “respectful inqniry of the General Dix Board of Directors of the Erie Railway Company” :— TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:— The fact is published that at the requeat of the “Reform Board” the Treasurer of Erie exubited i official statement of its real condition, and after being read it was suppressed, and not given to the stockholders and the public, Why ts this? Is the first act of the Reform Board to be a refusal to let the real magnitude of the robberies be known? Is 1t not the plain duty of the Board to at once puby lish the condition of the company? Let the stockholders know the worat at once, #0, under iis gat, they will Know what to do, and if necessary proper steps can be taken to right the wrong. ANXIOUS STOCKHOLDERS. There is naturally a great-deal of anxiety among those interested in the Erie road to learn the exact condition of its affairs'and the extent to which the stockholders have been victimized by the late management.. The known acts of the deposed Ring caused ready acceptance to be given to) the most ex- treme ramors as to the character of its secret operations, It has been currently charged and credited that the company has been stripped of all its property except the bare road; that © every contract in which the old directors are interested is a fradd upon the stockholders; that forty-seven million dollars of the capital of the road has been misappropriated ; that money has been drawn from tho treasury on fraudulent vouchers for the vilest purposes; that depots, machine shops and rolling stock have been sold at merely nominal sums to the directors or their partners; that the treasury has been depleted and, the road left in a bankrupt condition, It is due alike to the stockholders and to the people that these reports should be met by a prompt publication of the facts. So tong as they are suffered to float about without confirmation or contradiction they will be productive of mis- chief and wrong. They aid in the gambling operations of Wall street. If true, the Erie stock is not to-day worth the quotation on the market; if false, it is worth more than its present price, Besides, the current charges against Gould and his associates involve not alone their charactera, but their persoual safety. If they have robbed the stockholders they have subjected themselves to criminal proceedings and punishment, If their man- agement has been reckless only, and not felo- nious, it is proper that thelr reputations should be cleared at once from the darker stain, It is enay to understand that the affairs of a railroad corporation cannot always be wisely’ or properly made public; but General Dix and the new Board of Erie Directors have accepted their trust under extraordinary circumstances, and cannot expect to be bound by ordinary rules, The complaint made against former Erie managements has beem that they have used the Erie stock as a foot- ball on the market, and have loaded it with more stock-gambling rascality than has ever disgraced any other description of securities.’ The corruptions of the Erie Ring have been a libel on the nation. They have dishonored our name abroad and sapped our institutions at home. The coarseness and boldness of the men who have reigued at the Grand Opera House have made bribery and corraption assume a more repulsive aspect than usual, They hay aunt their vices in, open day until they have brutal who came in contact with them. Succeeding to sach moral lepers, General Dix and his asso- ciate directors are uifder an implied obligation to the people of the United States to expose the extent of their crimes and to let the world know the true condition of the trust they have so long held in deflance law. bi 0 i The new Board is:not only a L of Mane agement, but anagent of ratributive justice. It must keep pace with the onward march of reform and must satisfy the public demand for a full and thorough exhibition of the. acts of the Ring and of the condition of the cor- poration it has ruled, It is to be hoped that the prosent directors will not suffer expediency to divert them from this plain duty of their new position, If bank- riaptey has béen brought upon the road there can be no reason why the trath should be concealed apart from siock-jobbing considerations, The contracts entered into by the Ring should not be suffered to exist a day longer than may be necessary for the operation of the road. They are all corrupt and illegal and cannot stand -the test of law. We have every confidence in the integrity and intelligence of the new di- rectors and feel assured that their action will be such as is demanded in the interests of the stockholders and of justice. They are, in- deed, now engaged in preparing full account of the affairs of the road, to be presented to the Legislature, snd we publish in the Heraup to-day a part of the statements they ~ have already compilod. But there is a general and. earnest desire to see a thorough cleansing out of the old Erie charnel house, and the peo- ple will not be satisfied until they kaow the extent of the secret operations of the corrupt Ring, nor until the last of its members shall have been driven from office. * Reaction Against Radicalism ta France. “After a storm comes a calm.” This time- honored truism bas received additional con- firmation as to its unvarying correctness by the proceedings of the French Legislative Assembly. The parliamentary, body which. has been go violently convulsed during the past. few days by tho crimination and recrimination, of many of its members In unseemly por- sofialities hus become suddenly conservative with respect to the preservation of the existing order of outside governmental affairs in the Old World. A bill of penatities against mem. bership in the International Society has been. debated anu passed. The existence of the secret affiliation wus declared by one Popular member to be. “a standing menace to society.” M. Jules FMRE,,, dissented, The bill was affirined in priaciple, notwithstanding. Ils very first clause de- clares for the French that ‘it is a criminal offence’ to belong to the International.” This clause was carried by a vote of 50k to 104. Other provisions ef the measure are painfuliy penal against the act of union in the body, going so far as to deprive citizens of their civil rights aud domestic status for the fact of membership or connection with tho organiaa- tion, as will be seea by the cenort of our latest olegrang from Paris. SS