The New York Herald Newspaper, October 4, 1876, Page 6

NEW YORK HERALD, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1876.—TRIPLE SHEET. NEW YORK HERALD BROADWAY AND ANN STREET. eet 3. @isoustat JAMES GORDON BENNETT, PROPRIETOR. Bovactaten as Stun nina THE DAILY HERALD, published every day in the year. Four cents per copy. ‘Twelve dollars per year, or one dollar per month, free of postage. Al business, news letters or telegraphic despatches must be addressed New York Herarp. Letters and packages should be properly sealed. Rejected communications will not be re- turned. PHILADELPHIA OFFICE—NO.112 SOUTH SIXTH STREET. LONDON OFFICE OF THE NEW YORK HERALD—NO. 46 FLEET STREET. PARIS OFFICE—AVENUE DE L'OPERA. Subscriptions and advertisements will be received and forwarded on the same terms asin New York. SHUSEMENTS THIS APTERNOON AND EVENING. Woop's MU: FLASH OF LIGHTNL ts P.M. ‘iatinee at 2P. M. T RE. BARDAXAFALUS, a8 PM. Mr ees and Mra Agnes PARK THEATRE. CLOUDS, at 8P. m FIFTH AW LIFE, at 8 P. M. Chaves GRAND UNCLE TOM'S CABIN ‘Mrs. Howard. E THEATRE, ‘oehlan, RA HOUSR. 8 P.M. Matines at 2 P.M. NIBLO'S GARDEN. BABA, at 8 P. M. ACADEMY OF MUSIO, La ihe” eon Belocea., = FORBIDDEN FRO i at SP. M. BOWERY THE: TULLAMORE, at 8 P.M. © KELLY & TEON'S MINSTRELS, asP.M CHATEAU MABILLE, VARIETY,at® P.M. OLYMPIC THEATRE. VARIETY AND DRAMA, at SP. M. Matinee at 2 P. M. COLUMBIA OPERA HOUSE, VARIETY, at 5 P. M. THEATRE coma VARIETY, ae M, Matinee RD VARIETY, at BPM. TO VARIETY, at 8 P. M. TIVoLE THEATRE, VARIBTY, at 89. M, MURRAY'S GRAND CIRCUS Afternoon and evening. PARISIAN VARIETIES, SP. M, AMERIGAN INSTITUTE, ANNUAL FAIR. TRIPLE SHEET. DAY. OCTOBER 4, 1876, — YORK, weD) From our pe reports this morning the are that the weather to-day will be pb fae \partly cloudy. Warx Street Yezsrerpax.—The stock wmarket generally showed improvement and the prevalenco of a more hopeful feeling. .Gold was steady at 110. Money on call Hoaned at 4 and finally at 2 per cent. Gov- ernment bonds were a shade lower. Rail- “way bonds were dull but firm. The Clear- xing House statement for the yearis published elsewhere. A Crzncrman obtained a verdict yesterday for five thousand dollars against a country mewspaper which had called him a ‘‘moral Weper.” The case was not defended. Tue Reronr of the Board of Health shows that the death rate is falling with the advent of cold weather. There were one hundred and twenty-seven fewer deaths last week f than in the corresponding week of 1875. Mns. Buaxc, who was shot by her blind ‘husband, is still alive in Bellevue Hospital, but remains unconscious. There are hopes “that she may recover so far as to be able to tell the cause of the terrible tragedy. Axp Now Comes a number of French claimants to the Jumel estate, promising more costly lawsuits for the delectation of the legal fraternity, to whom the property of the late Stephen has long beena “Big Bonanza.” Aw Errort was made in the Court of Ap- peals yesterday to declare the reduction of salaries by the Board of Estimate and Ap- portionment illegal. Should this effort po crowned with success we may expect to see the descent of innumerable claimants on the city treasury. Two Iranian Exicrant Swixpiers have ‘been arrested by the police on the charge of victimizing their countrymen by a rather clumsy bit of knavery. The police deserve credit for keeping a close eye on these con- fidence men, who are a great curse to the un- ‘wary emigrants. Emory Joxes, a preacher and expounder of the Gospel, at present out of employment, got initiated into a little game of cards. The man of the Gospel was evidently a little like tho heathen Chinee, and astonished the knowing ones by turning up the winning card, The gamblers refused to pay up; then Mr. Jones applied to the police, and now the desler and his ‘‘pal” are held to answer. Proorzss axp Rurnocression.—A marked sontrast is presented i in the news that reaches os this morning from Japan and China. The *Dhinese flag in the race which their insular 4 peighbors, the Japanese, are making toward 2 better civilization. The policy of the Eng- lish Ambassador in dealing with the Chinese ernment has been of such a firm charac- ter that the fullest reparation for the Yunnan 4 outrage has been obtained. aan - epee RO ee _—- ‘ Toss Rvssian Inon-Craps—It is an- pounced from Washington that we have not bought any more Russian territory, and con- sequently have not paid for it, either in iron- clads or money, as reported in Vienna, Doubtless the Vienna story was therefore a mere fiction invented to satisfy the appetite for such things which is apt to prevail ina capital filled with rumors of coming wars. If the Austrians cannot understand how it is that Russia has money enough to go to war they must try another explanation. But If they discover that Russia has bought any old naval material cheap for cash it may that it went from this side of the water, and was the original molehill out of which han tenets story wan med. State Prison Mismanagement. The preliminary report of the State Prison Commission appointed by the last Legisla- ture is a forcible civil service reform docu- ment. It is not the first of the kind. Six or eight years agoa similar investigation was made, and disclosed a state of things no bet- ter, nor different from that now reported. At that time a convict, whose long residence in Sing Sing gave to his conclusions the force of experience, stated it as his sworn opinion that on the whole the most respectable men in the prison were the convicts; and the other evidence taken showed that he did not unduly favor.his own side. But the present report of Messrs. Tousey, Niven and Pillsbury proves that, unless the character pf the con- victs has deteriorated from intimate associa- tion with the people in authority over them, the conditions are unchanged. These are harsh words, but the report fully bears them out. The officers in chargo of convicts and State prisons occupy a pecu- liar position of trust. They are charged not only to keep securely the unfortunate prisoners, but to’ exercise over them whole- some moral influences, such as will tend to their reclamation to honest and moral lives. Modern Christian society confines men in prisons not merely to punish them for wrongdoing. Punishment is but one, and, on the whole, the least of the objects of im- prisonment, especially in the higher class of prisons, such as Sing Sing and Auburn. These arealso reformatory institutions. The culprits there confined are secluded by society with the expectation that under careful training, with prolonged ab- sence of the temptations of evil society, and by the examples as well as les- sons of honor and good conduct shown by hose charged with their safe keeping, the moral nature of these unfortunates will be strengthened, their. evil propensities checked, their powers of self-restraint in- creased, and their purposes turned from wrong to good. The ideal State Prison would receive weak and wicked culprits, and set them free, after a period of detention, stronger and better men and women. That is one great purpose of such institu- tions, and where they are fairly well managed, both here and in Europe, good results, reformed lives, are obtained. But what can be expected when such things can be said of prison officers as this reportasserts? ‘The investigation thus far made shows that business affairs have been very loosely conducted in regard to pur- chases, both as to prices paid and quantities bought; great carelessness and false entries in the accounts; books have been altered, mutilated and lost; property of the State loaned to private persons without charge or any account thereof being made and never returned ; moneys have been obtained from the State Treasury by fraudulent vouchers ; property stolen ; tools and materials belong- ing to the State not cared for.” These are the terrible words in which the Com- missioners describe the. ‘management of two of our chief prisons. The officers of these institutions ought, from the highest to the lowest, to be picked men—men of the most conscientious honesty, of the highest moral principles. Their characters and daily lives cannot help but influence the convicts in their charge very decidedly, for good or evil. We find them openly and officially charged with fraud, with theft, with criminal neglect of their trusts, with insubordination. The Commissioners say justly :—‘‘These evils not only cause the prisons to fall behind finan- cially, but also utterly destroy all hope of reforming the convicts, who, seeing the care- lessness and too often the dishonesty of those in places of trust, become more dis- honest themselves, and, instead of being better men on leaving prison, are often made worse, and set free to exercise the same dishonesty they saw practised in prison by men who should have, by ex- ample, taught them better.” It is impossible to read such words with- out a senso of horrorand disgust. It does not matter that the system whose results are thus exposed has been going on for years and under various State administra- tions. Indeed, this only makes it worse, Society, which goes to church on Sunday and pretends to be Christian, has failed in its duty to its weaker brethren. We are not of the class of soft-fibred humanita- rians who would coddle a criminal; on the contrary, we demand a rigorous and faithful execution of the laws. But when the State, composed of Christian men and women, by its appointed judges locks up a thief ora burglar or a murderer, has it no further duties toward him? Is it not disgraced by such a report as this? Ought not all good men and women to unite in s demand that there shall be instant, thorough and lasting reform of such monstrous evils? that the system which has produced such demoral- izing results, and which, as the Commis- sioners justly say, can produce none other, shall disappear forever? Here is a picture of that system :—‘Men are appointed to. positions in the pris- ons without any regard to fitness, but solely as rewards for political party services, and with every change of party majority new men take the places of those whose party was defeated at the last previous election, scarcely one of whom had been in office long enough to learn its duties. So universal has been this practice that it is quite ro markable to finda man in place who has been continuvusly on duty for even a few years, the result being that most appointees, knowing the prevalence of this system, dili- gently apply themselves in making all the money possible for their own benefit before being thrown out by the next turn of the political wheel. The evils of this practice can hardly be described in terms sufficiently condemnatory. One of its worst results is its influence on the discipline of the pris- ons, bringing in, as it always does, a ma- jority of officials entirely inexperienced in their duties—duties which require more than an ordinary share of intelligence and considerable experience--omissions which the convicts are quick to take advantage of to the injury of the State, A marked in- stance of this is found in the case of a con- tractor at Sing Sing, carrying on the same kind of manufacturing at the prison in Co- lumbus, Ohio, paying twice as much per day for convict labor in Ohio as lowest consideration, that of economy in prison management, this system is injurious; for the Ohio State Prison, better managed than ours, makes twice as good terms with the contractors for the labor of the convicts as our State gets. But while we lose money by our prison management this is the least loss of all. The system demoralizes both the jailers and the convicts. Instead of re- forming prisoners it debases those in charge of them; and it disables even good men in their efforts to reform evils which they see. The Commissioners say:—‘‘Under these con- stant changes there can be no discipline among the subordinate officials, without which there can be none among the convicts. If a warden, or other officer of a high grade, attempts to discipline a subordinate, he, the inferior, will threaten his superior with re- moval, a threat easily carried into effect by means of political influence. The dullest observer readily sees that there can be no discipline under such a system.” No disci- pline, truly, nor the least hope for reform or honest management. At the November election the people of the State have an opportunity to do something toward improving this gross and disgraceful mismanagement of our prisons. They may vote for a constitutional amendment which will give to the Governor the appointment of a superintendent of prisons, to whom will be confided the control and management of all the State prisons. If, as we hope, this amendment is adopted we shall at least have responsibility fixed upon some conspicuous person. No Governor will dare to make such an appointment the mere reward of po- litical service, any more than he would dare to make the judgeships partisan. Public opinion is powerful and active enough on such a subject as this to enforce the selec- tion of the fittest man, one of experience in the work; and the powers granted to the su- perintendent will enable him if he is a proper person to extirpate the evils which now bring disgrace upon the State. No re- form is more bitterly needed than this, and we cannot doubt that the amendment will be adopted. A Plea for Savings Banks Depositors. Assemblyman Anti-Rapid Transit Killian assures a Heraup reporter that Mr.’ Til- den’s election is ‘‘dead sure; there can be no doubt of it;” and as Mr. Killian would not speak so decisively unless he knew, we rest on his assurance, and now take leave to direct the Governor's atten- tion to the savings banks of New York, some of which have, through the neglect of his Bank Superintendent, got into o very bad condition. We hesitated for a while past to trouble Governor Tilden about this matter, although the poor depositors in the suspended banks have suffered grievous losses, and the general distrust of savings banks consequent on the discovery of bad management in several must have a bad in- fluence on the economical habits of the ine dustrious poor. We knew the Governor was very busy—so extremely busy, indeed, that he could not even get time, for some weeks, to write his letter of acceptance. But now, we notice, he is less busy. Indeed, he ap- pears to have gained leisure to amuse him- self. On Monday he reviewed the Second division of militia ; yesterday he reviewed the First division, and, as both days were fine and the air bracing and vigorous, we trust he enjoyed himself. We do not grudge him his leisure, but we hope, now that he has a little spare time, he will look into this savings banks business, His Bank Superintendent is evidently too busy or incapable to perform one of the most important duties of his place, and we trust the Governor will take the earliest mo- ment to attend to the rights of the poor de- positors in the suspended banks, and to give the working people some assurance that jus- tice will be done them and that swindling managers will be held responsible. -At a meeting of unfortunate depositors on Mon- day night one of them remarked that he “thought some one ought to go to State Prison.” We think so too, and we think it shameful that while some of these banks failed and theirswindles wero exposed so long ago as September last, no one, not even the Bank Superintendent, through whose inca- pacity and neglect these wrongs were al- lowed, has yet been punished. We advise the Governor, now that he has some leisure, to attend to this matter without further de- lay. His election is ‘‘dead sure,” anyhow. Genrnaz Butien’s Orroxext.—General Butler took a contract to defeat Mr. Tarbox for Congress, and that seemed an easy thing todo. But Judge Hoar may enter the field and divide the General's vote. It does not look so well for Butler, and it looks a good deal better for Tarbox. If Judge Hoar and General Butler would stump their district together the people would not only hear some brilliant speaking, but they would be enlightened on a number of subjects before election day. The two men, between them, know a good deal, and know it from different sides. There was a story the other day, for instance, about a letter from Collector Sim- mons to the Chairman of the Republican Central Committee, about which a consider- ablo part of Massachusetts became curious as soon os it was whispered around thata committeeman had said he would rather lose ten thousand dollars than have that letter get out. Perhaps Judge Hoar might even worry the contents of this mysterious letter to daylight, or perhaps General Butler might publish it himself. It is a pity to have any mysteries in a canvass like this. Distinuixa Waisxry.—As an evidence of the care and ingenuity of our lawmakers in so shaping the statute regarding the tax on spirituous liquors as to prevent frauds, we have the decision of Judge Shipman, of the United States Circuit Court, that the govern- ment makes the producing capacity and not the actual production of a distillery the basis of taxation. This is a matter of im- portance to our distillers, who will, doubt- less, under this incentive, see that hereafter as much is produced as is liable to be taxed. A Curtovs Case of suicide occurred yes- terday at Greenwood Cemetery. A young German named Lamb, just as his sister's coftin was being lowered into the grave, sud- denly drew a pistol and shot himself through the head. He is gti yt jn New Yor 4 Thus, even, on the | been insane, Senator Conkling’s Speech af Utica. The speech of Mr. Conkling at Utica last evening proves that he is very heartily with the republican party in this Presidential election. In consequence of ill health he comes late into the canvass; but his speech shows that he has undiminished confidence in the political organization with which he has so long acted, although he cannot be as active as usual. He thinks the prospect of the party is bright on every side, and says “if it were not so Ishould still more regret being less able than usual to advocate a cause in which I never believed more ear- nestly than now.” The insinuations thrown out in various quarters that Mr. Conkling was sulking, like Achilles in his tent, would seem destitute of foundation. There is one feature of Mr. Conkling’s speech which will attract general notice, be- cause it is an implied rebuke of the personal aspersions on Governor Tilden which make so large a figure in the republican canvass. Mr. Conkling dep- recates this kind of warfare. He quotes and indorses some excellent remarks made on June 25 by Governor Hayes to his assembled neighbors. ‘Let us see to it,” said Mr. Hayes, “‘that abuse or vituperation of the candidate that shall be named at St. Louis does not proceed from ourlips.” Mr. Conk- ling thinks this was good advice, and does not conceal his regret that it has not been followed. Alluding to the centennial, which brings so many foreign visitors, he says :—‘‘The country is on exhibition, with its methods, its manners, its ideas, its cul- ture, its standards of thought, its attain- ments in dignity and reason. Oalumny and rancor in public discussions seem out of place and out of time.” ‘The repub- lican party can stand and succeed on its own argument, on its own record.” Know- ing personally each of the Presidential candidates, I prefer to treat them as deserving of support or opposition be- cause of the political sentiments they embody and the political organizations they represent.” This is in a tone so much more elevated than the vituperative speeches which have thus far debased and vulgarized the political canvass that we cannot withhold our approval. Mr. Conkling evinces the sense and sagac- ity which come of large experience in main- taining ‘that neither candidate can act in op- position to the public sentiment of his own party in the event of his election, and that it is absurd and futile to pretend that either Mr. Tilden or Mr. Hayes would not be con- trolled by the wishes of his political sup- porters. Mr. Conkling would not consider it a virtue in a President to affect indepen- dence and insist on ‘‘my policy.” In fact, he thinks that such a course would deserve blame and scorn. ‘Few men,” says Mr. Conkling, ‘are base and presumptuous enough to accept party or public trusts in a representative system, and then, on pretext of independence or superiority, to defeat the purpose and conviction of the constituency which delegated power to them.” Senator Conkling accordingly rests his whole argument on the contrasted char- acter and tendencies of the two parties, scouting the idea that either candidate would act against the general sense of his party if intrusted with power. ‘That each of the candidates for the Presidency will maintain and illustrate the policy and spirit of his party is as certain as good faith in man, and this fact presents in the clearest light the difference between them.” Mr. Conkling, therefore, devotes the greater part of his speech to a comparison of the aims of the two great parties, as illustrated by their his- tory for the last twenty years. Near the close of his speech he discharges ashot at the pretentious reformers of his own party, who try to make it appear that Governor Hayes belongs to their set and would make them his mentors if he should be elected. “The republican party,” he says, ‘is not made up of theorists, or critics, or professional re- formers, or vainglorious pretenders to supreme wisdom. Its task has been with actual, difficult, vast affairs. It has made mistakes ; but the wonder is not that it has made so many, but so few.” If Mr. Curtis and his coadjutors should take this observa- tion to themselves they probably would not misconceive the intention of its author, who takes pains to show that he does not share their hostility to President Grant. ‘‘When,” he says, ‘‘the passionate discords and selfish hates and rivalries and hollow pretensions of to-day are dead the stones which have been hurled at Grant will be gathered to raise s monument to one of the truest, most fearless patriots who ever served his coun- try.” There is so little novelty in the main part of Mr. Conkling’s arguments that they call for no special comment. Imterstate Rifle Matches, The Crescent City Rifle Club, of New Or- Jeans, has done good service to the cause of American marksmanship by its invitation to the other rifle clubs of America to take part in an interstate contest, which differs in character from the usual competitions. _Un- der the plan proposed each club is to shoot on its own ground, reférees being appointed to watch the interest of the contestants on each range. The system is far from perfect, because it is probable that the various teams will shoot under very different atmospheric conditions. This, however, is of secondary importance when we consider that the system, once adopted, would enable the marksmen of the country to compete con- stantly, and would tend greatly to extend the interest felt in rifle matches. Some eleven clubs have consented to take part in the first interstate long range match, which is to be shot on the 12th of October, and we look forward with interest to the result of the experiment, wishing it every success, The day, we hope, is not far distant when every State in the Union will have its team of trained riflemen to contest for the highest honors of marksmanship, just as in the British Isles, England, Ireland and Scotland yearly struggle for tie possession of the Elcho Shield. Tue Eastenx Game or Biury.—The im- pression seems to be daily growing in Lon- don that Prince Milan knows exactly what the next move is to be. Every declara- that he makes regarding the pro- '| Legislature to be chosen will elect a Senator tongation of the strife renders the / situation more and more complex for the British Cabinet. The Porte has now spe- cifically laid down the terms on which it will make peace, but the same hour brings Servia’s ultimatum. ‘She will only yield to foreign military intervention.” It is not many days since we used to smile at such language; but strangely enough Servia’s status seems to have so changed recently that the words no longer appear ridiculous. The opinion is daily gaining strength that, with Russia’s kindly offices, the only peace Prince Milan will be satisfied with will be a piece of Turkish territory. The October Elections. Six States hold their State elections in October—namely, Colorado, Georgia, In- diana, Nebraska, Ohio and West Virginia. The election in Colorado was held yester- day, aud the republicans have probably car- ried the State, but a day or two must pass before we receive full returns, Georgia and West Virginia will undoubtedly go demo- cratic, the former by a large majority, and Nebraska is sure for the republicans. As there is no doubt of the result in these States their elections excite but little inter- est, except that of Colorado, which has some peculiar features. It is the first election ever held in that Centennial State, which now comes into the grand sisterhood of the American Union. Colorado chose yesterday all her State officers and her first State Legislature, a Legislature intrusted with larger duties than will devolve on any of its successors, Besides electing two United States Senators the Legislature of Colorado will appoint the three Presidential electors to which the State is entitled, reviving an old practice which obtained in several States at an early period and was continued by South Carolina down to the beginning of the civil war. Colorado adopts that method merely for this once because time enough will not intervene for her Legislature to pass the ‘necessary laws for holding an election on the second Tuesday of November, when, by @ law of Congress, all the Presidential electors are required to be appointed, Georgia holds her election to-day, but its only significance lies in the fact that the to succeed Mr. Norwood. West Virginia, Indiana and Ohio hold their elections next Tuesday, and “the tug of war” will be. in Indiana and Ohio. The contest will be so close in both of these States that no great surprise will be felt at any result. If both go the same way the Presidential election will be virtually decided; but if the repub- licans succeed in one and the democrats in the other the struggle of parties during the ensuing month will be strenuous and excit- ing almost beyond example. The Centennial Medals. There are lotteries, we believe, which guarantee every buyer of a ticket a prize at least equal in value to his investment—lot- teries in which there are no blanks, and which are certain to satisfy everybody. How they are managed and how the com- panies are rewarded for their generous toil isone of the mysteries of modern money making. With a commendable desire to please all the exhibitors in the World's Fair the Centennial Commission has adapted this plan to the difficult duty of making awards which shall result in the smallest possible amount of disappointment. The eleven thousand of bronze medals which, piled up, would make a column, we forget how many miles high, or, placed rim to rim, would extend, we forget how many miles long, are of equal value and are compli- mentary to unequal qualities of goods ex- hibited. They are like the ribbon of the Legion of Honor, which may be given to either a general or a corporal, and while they are testimonials to o certain ex- cellence they do not determine the degrees of merit. It is hardly to be expected. that these awards should content the ex- hibitors, and we are not surprised that there should be quarrels already among the con- testants for Centennial honor. The piano makers, sewing machine companies, machin- ists and manufacturers of all kinds have gone towar about the relative value of their medals and awards, and pretend to havo solved the great problem of the difference of tweedledum from tweedledee. Perhaps the Commissioners could not have chosen a better plan, certainly not one more ingenious for evading difficulty; yet while they osten- sibly decide between rivals they actually make no decision. Their good-natured sys- tem of making awards is like that of the race in ‘‘Alice in Wonderland,” in which, we are told, ‘‘every one ran when he liked and where he liked, and where all stopped at the word of command, and all won and all received prizes.” Tue Races.—The attendance at Jerome Park yesterday was better than on the open- iag day, though not so numerous as might have been expected in view of the splendid weatherand interesting events. There were a considerable number of ladies present, whose gay costumes added not a little to tho gayety and animation of the scene. ‘The racing was good through- out, with the exception of the steeple- chase, which left a good deal to be de- sired. Janet Norton won the one-mile race. Mr. Belmont secured the Hunter Stakes with Sultana. Last year he won the same stakes with Olitipa. The Maturity Stakes fell to Tom Ochiltree, and justly enough the unsatisfactory steeplechase was won by Deadhead. Yztuow Fever at Onarteston.—There has been great exaggeration respecting this pestilence at Charleston, as our tele- grams from that place during the last week very clearly showed. Only four cases of real yellow fever have appeared there, three of which were carried from other places. The business of Charleston and the travel to and fro, by steamer and rail, are no longer interrupted, and persons contemplating a tip to South Carolina need not be deterred by adverse reports as to its health. The last regular weekly report of the Charleston Board of Health showed that the deaths from all causes were but fourteen, being less than the usual average even in winter. These included the four fever cases which caused slarm, General Dix and Governor Tilden. There is an ancient character who ap pears in hereditary comedies, whose bust y ness is to profess his complete calmness, his undisturbed tranquillity, and at the same time to bang his hat and break the glasses for the amusement of the spectators. Politi. cal orators invariably imitate this illus trious example. ‘In the presence of this sublime occasion,” exclaims Col- onel Sellers, “I will be calm,” and in- stantly begins to denounce the republican party, about half of the American people, a little more or less, as we shall hereafter ascertain, as thieves, ‘Permit me to appeal to your judgments, not to your passions,” says the Hon. Bardwell Slote, and at once accuses the democratic party, about half of the nation, of being traitors and rebels to - the Republic. With such a preface General Dix very naturally began his powerful speech last night at the Cooper Institute, and we are glad to say that he kept his word better than many orators, ‘Still, his address was a very bitter criticism of Mr. Tilden’s public career and personal character. He was ‘‘calm and deliberate,” no doubt, "in his opinion, but took very good care to knock Mr. Tilden's hat over his eyes. His address was almost entirely devoted to Mr. Tilden’s faults. General Dix impeached the demo- cratic candidate for President as a false patriot ; accused him of being an insincere reformer ; associated his name with that of Tweed ; affirmed him to be a failure as Governor of New York ; denied that he had reduced the expenses of the State, and regretted that it was necessary to say that he was prosecuted by two railroad corporations for withholding from them moneys fraudulently appropriated to his own use, and that he is charged with cheating the government by a false return of his income. This is the substance of the speech of General Dix, and it is plain that he has not been practising snipe shooting for nothing, It is all very easy for the Gen- eral to be calm in saying this; but how about the Governor in reading it. Tue Boarp or Excise have replied to Mayor Wickham’s inquiry about the issue of licenses for the sale of liquor to people of disreputable character, and the Commis- sioners answer with a general denial, ‘They seem, however, to think that be- cause former Excise Commissioners per- mitted the sale of liquors in base- ments of doubtful repute the pres- ent Board should not, be criticised for following their predecessors’ example, This line of argument is very erroneous. There can be no doubt that many low saloons were tolerated which richly deserved to be sup- pressed, and we fear that too many of this class of resort are even in these refarm times permitsed to exist. Wacngr x Encrisn.—As will be seen by our special despatch from London the “Fliegende Holliinder” was produced last’ evening at the Lyceum, with unqualified success. The progress of English opera in London will be watched with in- terest when it is known that Mr. Carl Rosa is making a conscientious effort to create for it recognition only accorded to the same music when sung in Italian. Mr. Santley’s name on the pro- gramme is a fair guarantee of the excellence of the company. An Eccentnic Pianet.—Whatever soeptie cism may have been shown in this city in regard to the new planet Vulcan, there need be no doubt now of its existence. M. Lever- rier, of the Paris Observatory, has pro- nounced in its favor. Our special despatch from Paris contains much interesting infor- mation in regard to Vulcan’s movements, PERSONAL INTELLIGENCE, France sends potatoes to England. A goose safely swam over Niagara. Mr, Lyman Trumbull, of Illinois, 1s at the Windegy Hotel. ~ Baron de Briangon, of Bordeaux, 1s at the New York Hotel. - James Martincau finds that Bonaparte was always “the officer of artillery.’” A Turkish woman cannot uso a knife and fork; she must eat with her fingers. ASan Francisco speculator has purchased another man’s young wile for $300,000. * Kilpatrick got worn out in an Indiana speech, and had to have his mouth half soled. Postmaster General James N. Tyner arrived last evening at the Fifth Avenue Hotel. Viscount Grimston, of England, and Hon. B, Fits- patrick, of Ireland, are at the Brevoort House. Professor Venn, calculating chances, says that @ man of largo and extensive business should not in- sure. Newspapers in the Southwestern States discuss the democratic chances in Indiana to the exclusion of home topics, The Scientific American asks what it is intho moon that, under a powerful telescope, looks so green. The cheese. Secretary Morrill left Washington yesterday aiter- noon for Philadelphia, where he will remain two or threo days. On an Atlantic and Great Western train going to Cleveland there were forty-eight men for Hayes and sixteen for Tilden. Colonel C. C, Sniffen, assistant private secretary to the President, has returned to Washington and ro- sumed his dutios at the Executive Mansion. General John Meredith Read, United States Minister to Greece, arrived from Europe in the steamship Bothnia yesterday, and is at tho Fifth Avenue Hotel, Mr. John J. Breslin, the rescuer of the Fenian prisoners in Western Australia, has entered the lecture ficld and is engaged to make « tour of the United States. General Brisbia, U. 8. A., 1s stopping at the Metro. politan Hotol, The General was chief of cavalry on General Terry's staff 1a tho campaign against Sitting Bull just closed. Kev. Francis Davie, formerly a slave to Wade Hamp- ton, writes to ‘*Mass, Wade’ that, knowing him to be a kind, good man, he will voto for bim and work tor him, though tho letter looks like abit of political transparency. The historian Gibbon wrote that the rude ignorance of the negro never invented any effective weapon of detonce or destraction, and he wonla probably philoso. phise over the habit which makes an American nogro carry a razor. Saturday Review:—."No woman can be tho worse for a comprehension of the wickedness of vulgar vice any more than for sympathy with pain and want. A little knowledge on forbidden subjects is not, in tho nature of things, to be kept out of young minis.” Redfield, of the Cincinnati Commercial, one of the most conscientious students of Southern life, says that so-called “fights” in the South are massacres of blacks, easily set going because of tho unwise government te which the whites have been subjected by those blacks, In a book on “Tho Unseon Universe,” which hae Fecently mado a sopsation in England, the authors, founding their speculations upon the theory of vortex atoms being devolopod by the Supreme Being ofa fluid, tllustrate by the smoke rings sometimes ke i ings made a rv)