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THE DAILY RECORD-UNION. - . ,i KI»A1 JIXK Hi. IHSO. THE WEEKLY UNION. With the opening of the campaign the Wkkkly Union will be of still greater interest to the people. While it will in no respect lessen In the variety of its matter, it will present also the current political news in such manner as to enable its readers by its perusal to be constantly well informed on the issues before the people and the positions assumed by the respective political parlies. The Wkekly U.mox presents each week more and better matter than can be bond in any j jurnil of the Pacific coast, it jives the current news and criticism in art, science, agriculture, trade, mechanics, the social world, tashion, discovery, invention, mining, sporting af fairs, literature, et«. It appears iv semi-weekly parts, each part consisting of ei^'lit pages. Thus it makes up weekly an aggregate of sixteen 7:aife6 of select matter. It goes out twice a week instead of once, as is the rule with the old-style weeklies. It thereby reaches i'.s readers with fresher news than the ordinary weekly can furnish. The reader of the Ckios will find that he is three days ahead in in.'or matUm regarding con ent news of the world, than his neighbor who adheres to the once a-wcek jour nals of the day. lhe Union presents the latest and fullest telegraphic advices, has a large corps of cor respondents, and devotes itself to the development of the State and coast, the opeuinpf up of the re sources of the country, and the advancement and elevation of the people. The Union h: s had an un precedented addition to its subscription lists during; a year past, and the extension of its circulation con tinues with unabated vigor. The Union is tarnished by mail, post-paid, for 52 per year. NEWS OF THE MORNING. Id New York yesterday Government bonds were ■tooted at JOSS for 4s of 1907; 103? for 5s of 1831; 1098 for ile ; sterling, $4 86(84 Hi!,; silver bars, US) ; silver coin, J discount buying, i ar selling. Silver in London yesterday, ft- , ■ 1 ; consols, 93 916; 5 percent. United States bonds, 1051; 4s, uoj; Us, 112}. In San Francisco half dollars are quoted at par; Mexican dollars, 93 buying-, 93J selling. At Liverpool yesterday wheat was quoted at 9s sd<stS)s lOd for good to choice California. There was ansther 25- minute session of the San Francisco Stock Board yesterday morning. No large amount of business can be performed in so short a lime, but there was apparently all the op portunity (riven that was wanted. Prices, as a rule, were a little better than Thursday morning. Union Consolidated was SI 25 better, and most other Coin stock shares were from 10c to 75c higher. David .Miller committed suicide at Virginia, Her., yesterday. Philip Palmer, a pioneer of Suisun valley, died at Suisun yesterday, aged SO years. Fears are entertained at Portland, Or., of a repe tition tif the flood of 1576. Prices of wool are advancing slightly at Portland, Or. Two fishermen— Peter Anderson and Chris. Henk- Icr— were drowned Tuesday in the Columbia river, near Astoria, Or. The report that General Grant had expressed an intention to vote for II incock is emphatically denied by the ex-President. Fire at Elizabeth, X. J.. resulting in two men be in,' killed and two injured. Two Moonshiners were killed in GeorgU Thursday, while resisting revenue officers. Sear Maxwell, Colusa county, Thursday, Michael Welch killed Henry Bismarck. Mrs. Nancy Mills dropped dead at Grass Valley last evening while trading in a millinery Otore. During the twelve months ended May 31st the excess <>f exports over imports in the United Stute* |,162,153,895. The funeral of General Suttcr at Litiz, Pa., Thursday, wai a very imposing uffair, and largely .S d. The Prussian Diet has adopted the tenth article of the Church bill. The Texas Greenbackers have nominated W. 11. Hannon for Governor. M. O. Heath has been nominated fur Governor by the Qreenbackera in Vermont, Harden Brown was hanged at Huntsville, Mo., yesterday for killing his mother-in-law. The famine fever has appeared in Kilhran, Shgo c lunty, Ireland. The Bradlaogh case will be discussed In the Brit ish House ot Commons Monday. The President has returned to Washington. He will go to New Haven today to attend the com mencement exercises of Yale College. The Democrats held a grand ratification meeting in San Franc^c * last nifrht. Three men were hanged upon one scaffold yester day at Canton, O-, for murder. The English House of Lords had rejected the bill legalizing marriage with a deceased wife's sister. The Egyptian obeiisk left Gibraltar yesterday for New York. A singular :iff.iir occurred yesterday in tho Italian Clumber of Dcpu ies. Disastrous tire near bndford, Pa. Much that will interest readers of the Recokd i nos will be fuuuJ this morning on the inside EITHER SUITED. The happy pliability of the avenge Dem- j oeratic disposition was illustrated amus- j ir."lv when the Cincinnati nominations I were received here. By some mistake the I telegraph first stated that the choice for Nice-President was James E. English, of , Connecticut. This intelligence was re ceived with a great deal of satisfaction. :md good Democrats at once began to ex plain how admirable a nomination it was. In the midst of their congratulations the statement came that the real nominee was \V. 11. English, of Indiana, but this an- nouncement made no difference to the Democrats, who at once proceeded to de clare that though the first named was the best Domination that could be made, this was a great deal better. In fact it was perfectly evident that they were de- termined to be pleased no matter who the candidates proved to be, and that one man was as acceptable a3 another, for general 'purposes of jubilation. No doubt any man who could guarantee them the offices would suit the Democrats equally well, ami the last thing they would trouble theni ■<■ tvea about would be his fitness, so long a» the party iia 1 placed him on the ticket. This amiable disposition certainly tends to the development of a healthy party disci pline, but it does not contain much assur ance of that discriminating judgment which is supposed to be dema.idi.ii in the brat in terests of the country. SPANISH AGGRESSION. It appears that our Government has at last concluded to remonstrate with Spain upon the insolent aggressions which her cruisers have for some time been practic ing upon American vessels. As England and France have also suffered indignities from thi9 source, and as those powers join in the diplomatic note of protest and warning, it is probable that redress and explanation will be forthcoming, for Spain knows that whatever the Washington Gov ernment may be prepared to stand, those of London and Paris will put up with no insults, but will upon very slight provoca tion take the law in their own hands, and give the Spanish cruisers a sound drub bing. Unfortunately for the protection of American honor our navy is in so lamenta ble a condition that we cannot venture to resent insults even from so feeble a Power as Spun, and it is quite possible that the Peruvian navy might bully us with im punity. In fact, unless some serious steps are taken before long to give us the means of self-defense, there is no telling what petty principalities may flout us, and fire into our merchant ships upon the high seas. THE MORAL EFFECTS OF EATING CROW. When there is difference ot opinion among members of the same political party as to the eligibility of candidates for oflice, and when after a more or less strenuous resistance to a certain candi dature, thos; who are opposed to it are overcome by a hostile majority, and ! are forced to accept the obnoxious nomina tion, the disagreeable obligation of affect ing content and satisfaction with the out come of the controversy is compared to the compulsory eating of boiled crow, as suggested by a well-known and venerable story. It is vtry seldom that any political action of consequence takes place without obliging some people to perform this un pleasant task, and, sometimes the circum stances are such as to render the crow eating a very remarkable and significant phenomenon. Since compromise is the in dispensable condition of nearly all political action, it is impossible to avoid the neces sity of occasioaal violations of conviction, and concessions to party exigency. But there occur situations in which it becomes necessary to inquire whether any conceiv aVile advantage derivable from party cohe sion can offset the patent and flagrant injuries to public morality involved in the observance of factional traditions in this connection. It fortunately happens that at the present juncture the most serious evils of the kind referred to have been escaped, and that the necessity for crow-eating has been comparatively slight. But it is only requisite to point out what might have easiiy occurred, to demonstrate the extent of the menace to public morals concerned in the eating of crow. Let us suppose, for the purpose of illustration, that Grant had been nominated at Chicago and Tilden at Cincinnati, instead of Gar lield and Hancock. It will at once be apparent that the effect of these nomina tions must have been to produce a distinct and appreciable degradation of the press throughout the country, and a correspond ing debasement of public sentiment. For while some few journals might have re fused to surrender their convictions, and to support candidates they had persistently opposed, it cannot be doubted that the greater number would have held it neces sary to put party policy before principle, and would have sought to cover the moral disgrace of their stultification by parading their partisan subserviency in the light of a virtue. The journals, for example, which had opposed Graut's nomination on so many and such strung grounds ; which had insisted that it would be a menace to the country and a discredit to the party ; which had elaborated the most powerful arguments in support of their position ; which had vindicated their antagonism, and convinced their readers ; what would their situation have been in the event of his success at Chicago ? In such a case there could have been no evasion. The issues had been made too distinctly and clearly for that. These journals would therefore have been compelled to swallow their own words, to repudiate and trample upon their own mo»'. convincing arguments, to stt an example of dishonesty and want of principle, to stand conspicuously for ward as illustrations of the deadening ef fect of partisanship upon the conscience and the sense of honor and self-respect; in fact to put their souls to open and shameless prostitution. Among savage tribes it is customary to beat drums and make loud noises to hide the cries and groans of those who are being tortured in the name of religion or to satisfy some barbarous conventions. In like man ner the degradation of American journalism j is sought to be concealed by the loud sound ing of the party drums, and the shoutings j of affected admiration at the base rora- | pliance with partisan behests. But for all these attempts at concealment the shock given to public morality is great and last ing. For it is not possible that such ex hibitions of contempt for truth and prin- ciple and conviction should be made, with out at once producing disdain for the pro fessjon that is liable to these .periodical debasements, and weakening the popular reeverence for the attributes so held up to I scorn aud ridicule. It is the party that is made Fetish of by these f easts of crow, and in exact proportion the attachment to i country is diminished aud enfeebled. And it is scarcely possible to limit the i ill effects of these practices. l'"or how can I the people continue to put confidence in ' the advice or the honesty or the cjnscien- I tiousness of journals which find it so easy to repudiate their moat earnest positions, j and to support the very propositions they have declared most dangerous and objec tionable ? And how can the people believe in the necessity of honesty aud truthful ness and sincerity in candidates for any i office, when they are made to perceive that I the utter renunciation of all these attn j butes is indispensable to the proper per | fc.rmance of the function! of faithful par tisanship ? The conventional theory is that the eaters of crow somehow support their pirty by their manifestations of venal callosity. This is a grave mistake. In effrct they weaken their party, for they spread abroad and confirm the belief that all politics is void of sincerity aud principle, and that the first requirement for a public carter is enfran chisement from moral restraints. The practice of crow-eating, moreover, tends to the establishment over parties of the con trol of the worst elements, for it is a most effectual process for tufting out the scrupu lous elements of a party, and leaving be hind only the coarsest and least moral con stituents. It must also drive out all who hold convictions, for these cannot change their attitude like automata, at a given signal, but will withdraw when they find themselves overpowered, and proba bly abstain thenceforth from iiiterfer ence in politics. The crow-eaters themselves must become completely de moralized. For them there can no longer be any firmness of belief. Their expressed convictions are recognized both by them selves and by their readers as the argu ments of hired attorneys. They have ceased to represent a free and inde pendent snd intelligent constituency, aud have become the mouthpieces of a faction which is as soulless as the traditional corporation, and as unscrupulous and careless of decency as utter irresponsibility can make it. The services which such journals are capable of rendering to their parties are by no means to be desired. They disseminate a corroding cynicism which must eventually be fatal to the organ ization. They discourage earnefetnow and principle, and encourage their opposites, in politics. They deaden the sensibilities of voters, and teach them to think lightly of fraud and subterfuge and stultification, and to count partisan loyalty as above truth and honor and integrity. By instill ing these ideas they lower the standard of the party, force its control more and more into bad hands, disgust the best elements of it more pr«!'oundly all the time, and at length so corrupt the organization that it falls an easy prey to the first serious as saults from without. The crow-eating evil has thus the seeds of its own destruc tion within it, but it produces many inju rious consequences to all concerned before it readies the point of reaction. It is not probable that this debasing and enslaving custom will be allowed to sur vive much longer. It seems probable that if the worst had h'appeued in the present campaign, there would have been so for midable a secession from the ranks of party journalism and partisan submission as to overthrow the schemes of the conspirators. But as the demands of true journalism become better understood, and as popular intelligence expands, the abject party journal will possess less influence, and the incentives to this kind of moral debauchery will so diminish that comparatively few will think the end worth the sacrifice. Of course such a change would presuppose the elevation of party itself to a higher plane, and this, too, ■ is among the necessities of the future. For while there must always be parties in a free State, and while the majority of citizens can never hope to utilize their power save through party machinery, it by no means follows that parties must be controlled by their baser elements, or that they must be indifferent to moral require ments. It is in fact the advocates of crow-eating who support and main tain party corruption, for we may rest assured that the bold out rages upon honesty and principle which are so frequently attempted by politicians would never be thought of but for that pernicious theory and practice which sub jects all issues to the same mechanical determination, and compels men to abandon their most settled convictions at the com mand of faction. Independence in politics is necessary to purity. The traditions of party which insist upon unreasoning sub servience on all occasions are fatal to the preservation of in tegrity in any organization. Such rule 3 and doctrines have always been used by the worst elements for the enslave ment of the best, and for the perpetuation of evil and mischievous policies. In jour nalism more than any other profession the usefulness depends upon the honesty. Journals which are believed to be merce nary, which have been suspected of chang ing their opinions for money, which are known to follow party dictates blindly and unquestioningly, must lose ground more and more as public intelligence grows. As in a democracy everything depends ulti mately upon the ripeness of the pop ular judgment, and as despite all hindrances the tendency of Amer ican progress is steadily towards the expansion and strengthening of this indispensable national attribute, we hold that the drift must be away from partisan and insincere journalism, and in the direc tion of that which rests upon conviction, whether that conviction be well or ill grounded. The world has not outlived, and will never outlive, the influence of earnestness in all human affairs, and it is not mistaken in holding that even the wrong, when earnestly and persistently maintained, is more respectable than the right when insincerely and coldly defended. Reality of belief and purpose, genuineness of conviction, honesty of course, sincerity of utterance, and adhesion to the general rather than the particular good, are and will be the requirements of influential po litical journalism in the future. The prac tice of tating crow on a large scale will be presently abandoned, and those only will continue to believe in its efficacy or its de fensibility who have already ceased to be guided by principle, or who have projects to urge which can only be carried by the resolute repudiation of all honest and self respecting views. STATESMAN VERSUS SOLDIER. The Democrats, as a proof of the sin cerity of their opposition to military rule, have put in nomination for the Presidency a soldier, whose only record is military, and who cannot from the very nature of his career be qualified for civil adminis trati.Mi. Whatever distinction General Hancock has gained has been in a field which has no analogy to that for which he is now a candidate. The most conclusive proofs of his military achievements and capacities must fail to justify the inference that he is fitted for the Presidency. All that can be said of him apart from his purely army record is that he is free from all imputations upon his integrity. The profession he has followed, however, is one which recent experience has shown to be peculiarly ill fitted for the development of the qualifications needed in the Chief Ex euutive of the Republic. On the other hand tho Republican candidate is a states man of unquestionable ability and well earnnd fime. While no one knows what General Hancock's views are upon any im portant issue ; while it is not even known that be has any political convictions ; his opponent possesses a singularly clear and consistent record upon every measure and question of weight w hich has come before the country during the past twenty years. Nor are General Garfield'a veiws those of the ordinary politician. He has given repeated evidence of having studied and mastered every topic he has been called on to treat, and in all cases he has shown a ripe judgment and a courage of conviction very agreeably unlike the com monplace positions of political hackneys. On the currency question, for example, he has always been right, and has always pre sented his views with firmness and pre cision. He has given an amount of care and thought to all issues sufficient to separate him from the ordinary Congress man of the times, and to justify us in characterizing him as a statesman. Of course he has erred sometimes, but even when he has been wrong it has been equally clear that his mistakes were not those of mere ignorance, but such as all men are liable to, no matter how conscientiously they may endeavor to at tain the truth. The Republican party has never had a candidate who more fuily reprcv sentcd its intellectual strength and tend encies, or who more faithfully illustrated its highest aim*. He stands for the rery best • the party policy has ever produced, and his own speeches can be taken in illustration and explanation of every weighty measure the party has made itself responsible for. The purest, most patriotic and progressive elements of theßepublican party, can there fore accept him unhesitatingly as their ex ponent and exemplar, for he may be re garded as a faithful embodiment of the spirit of the party in its loftiest manifesta tions, and no Republican need be ashamed of being represented by such a man. General Hancock, on the other hand, is a mere figure-head. He does not stand for any principles of his party. He has no civil record. He is in fact without polit ical connections, and it is necessary to go behind him, and to deal with the record and principles of the party which is seek ing to cover itself with his military rep utation. The name of General Hancock will not seem so good a one to conjure with when the real significance of his nomination is- recognized. The, want of relevancy between his position and that of the Democracy cannot be concealed. His merits as a soldier will be conceded, but when that is done it will be asked how his gallantry or his knowl edge of tactics can help him in a civil office, or can be regardtd as demon strating his fitness to perform the duties of such an office. General Grant was a much greater soldier than General Hancock, and he was believed to posses a firmness which would guard him against the dangers of political intrigue. But his civil administration was a conspicuous failure, and he was rejected by the Repub lican party at last, not because any diminu tion had occurred in the general admira tion for his splendid military services and talents, but because the party had become convinced that he was unfitted for the work of civil administration. The country has no desire to repeat that experiment. It knows what must be expected from putting a professional soldier into the Presidency. It has learned by experience that the mili tary school does not produce statesmen, and that the latter alone are qualified for the executive office. General Garfield has proved his capacity to fill the highest political office in the State. He has shown abilities which rank him with the early statesmen of the republic. He knows the issues which are before the country thoroughly, and he has a most creditable record upon all of them. To elect him is to take the most satisfactory development of our political institutions, and put it where it is best fitted to be use ful. To elect General Hancock would be to take a man who has proved his capacity in one sphere, away from all his familiar relations, and place him in another sphere of which he has no knowledge or expe rience. To do this would be to elect the leading Democratic politicians, practically, and to give them General Hancock as a figure-head. When the country has so magnificent an opportunity to honor itself by the election of a statesman it would commit a grave mistake if it should pass him by for a mere soldier. A MAGNIFICENT PIECE OF IMPUDENCE. Tlie most magnificent piece of impu dence we have encountered for a long time ia that plank in the National Democratic platform which affects to approve of a free ballot all over the United States. If the ballot was free all over the Union the Democratic party would stand no show whatever in the coming campaign. If the ballot was free there would be no hope ot a solid South, and no possibility of defeat ing the Republican party. What can the Democratic leaders think of the intelli gence of the American people when they have the ineffable audacity to insert this insolent mockery in their national plat form ? Slave owners affecting a passionate love of Liberty never cut a more preposter ous figure than do these Democrats while pretending to admiration and concern for the freedom of the ballot. And after declaring that the ballot ought to be free everywhere, the delegates from the Southern States will return to their homes and take immediate steps fur suppressing the colored vote through out tliat region. We think the Democrats might have spared the country this gra tuitous insult. We are going into a cam paign which is only uncertain because of the notorious fact that the Southern Dem ocrats refuse to respect the sanctity of the ballot, and because they by force and fraud suppress the vote of their colored fellow citizena. They know and we know that the Southern States will not be carried honestly this fall. They know and we know that the ostensible results in those States will not represent the untfammeled will of the majority. And considering the undisguised effrontery with which they have flaunted the " solidity " of the South before the face of the country, they might have had the decency to abstain from adding insult to injury by talking about tho freedom of the ballot. A3 well n/L'ht a gang of pickpockets solemnly protest that honesty was the lodestone of their exist ence, or a band of horse-thieves declare that the lifting of stock was their particu lar aversion. PARTISAN FINANCE. Now that both the great parties have made their platforms it is possible togiuge their positions on the mout important pub lic issue, which is finance. And as we ex amiuc their positions it becomes apparent that neither of them have had the courage to deal with this question honestly and boldly. They have, iv fact, both under taken to be ag obscure as possible upon the vital question of the currency. The Repub licans boa9tof their work in bringing about the resumption of specie payments, but they entirely avoid the silver question, and they do not mention the fact that a law is now in operation which, if suffered to con tinue, must ultimately restore the premium on gold, and give the country once more a depreciated currency. As for the Democrats, they declare vaguely for " hon est money," but they do not undertake to define what they mean by honest money, and though they speak of "gold, silver and "paper," it is in such a way that the Greenbackers might without much strain upon their views accept the plauk. It is in fact clear that both the great parties have been afraid to deal with this issue boldly, lest they should alienate some voters. This is one of the ineradicable follies of the average politician, and though all experience proves its futility, it seems impossible to drive it from the brains of the "managers," Again and again elections have been literally thrown away by the cowardice of those who made the platforms. Afraid of offending this, that and the. other element, these timeservers only succeed in removing every evidence of life and spirit from their platform, and end by disgusting all who have convictions, at the same time that they do not satisfy the others. It does not seem to occur to the managers that Green backers have positive views, however ab surd and mischievous they may be, and that they are no more likely to be attracted by mealy-mouthed sham declarations than are the friends of honest money. The most curious circumstance, however, is the cau tious abstinence of both parties from any reference to the silver question. It is known to all who follow public affairs that owing to the operation of the Bland-Allison bill an immense quantity of silver has already accumulated in the Treasury. During the last Congressional session it was found necessary to make a special appropriation to provide further accommodation for this gr»at mass of metal. Now the more of this silver accu mulates the greater must the dauger of its being substituted for gold become. A comparatively slight change in our foreign' exchange, a commercial condition liable at any time to supervene, may caii3e the export ot gold, and open the door for the throwing of this mass of silver upon the market. This is a positive and present danger, and it involves the moat serious aud calamitous consequences. Yet neither party has thought it necessary to allude to the subject at all, and the public cannot gather from either of the party platforms that auj' silver has been coined, or is being coined, in the country. OLD FOES WITH NEW FACES. The Democratic nominations have been hailed with satisfaction by the Democrats, and this is odd, for the thing which seems to please the party most is the unlikeness of the candidates to ordinary Democratic selections. In fact, this gratification is a tribute to Republicanism, however uncon sciously it may be made. It is an evidence that the highest ideal of the Democrats is a nomination as closely resembling a Re publican as possible. The Democrats at present are going about chuckling, and say ing, "Look at General Hancock! You wouldn't know him from a Republican, would you ?" And this is absolutely all they have to rejoice over. We are free to admit that the nomination is very unlike the average Democratic choice, but though the Democrats have particularly sound reasons for wishing to be taken for something else than what they are, their attempts at disguise are destined to failure. Nothing can be plainer than the real inspiration of their present joy. They believe they have at last hit upon a ticket which which may very well pass for Republican, and that consequently they may be able to worm their way into power under cover of it. It is an ingenious device, but unfor tunately it has been employed before, and has been found out. General Hancock is well enough in his way, but he is not the Democratic party, and- he does not repre sent that party. His record is clear enough, but it is not his record that has to be examined and passed upon. The coun try cannot be deceived into forgetting who stand behind the head of the ticket, nor what sort of a record they havo. The Dem ocratic party will have to come forward and take the witness-stand, notwithstand- ing its shrewd device to put in a substi tute, and it will not get off so easily as the head of its ticket. If there was any ground for believing that the pres ent device to make the Democratic candi date as much like a Republican as possible, arose from a sincere wish to bury the past, and a disposition to acknowledge the supremacy of Republican principles, we should hail the change with profound satisfaction. But there is no warrant for such an interpretation. The Democrats want oifice and spoils, and they are willing to appear all things to all men for the sake of success. But their convictions remain unchanged. They are going into this campaign with the deliberate inten tion of stealing the electoral votes of all the Southern States. They hope to win by fraud and force. Their Southern allies are willing to use General Hancock as a figurehead, but they expect through him to regain their lost political prestige, and to govern the country as they did beiore the rebellion. The leopard does not change his spots, nor the Democrat his ideas, and however much General Hancock may resemble a R-publican, no Republican will be deceived into supporting him. THE FRAUD ISSUE. The Democrats who drew up the Cincin nati platform must wish they had known beforehand who was going to occupy it. The platform appears to have been orig inally framed for the special U3e and be hoof of Mr. Tilden, and when it was found that he was out of the race it seems tv have been thought desirable to insert the plank eulogizing him. But in refusing to put him in nomination the Convention made all the tall talk about fraud ridicu lous, for it is plainly impossible to conviuce the country that the party believes in Mr. Tilden's claims, seeing that it thrust him out of the succession so cavalierly. As Dana shrewdly observes, the only way to retain the fraud issue in the campaign wai to nominate Tilden and Hendricks. That would have made the platform as it stands consistent, though it would have necessi tated the excision of the plank about hon est money, or have made it absurd. As it is, the rhetorical flourishes about the fraud issue sound ludicrous in view of the actual nominations, and it seems quite a pity that so much space should have been wasted to such little purpose. It is true that the Democrats have no genuine issues, and perhaps that is one reason why the platform was suffered to remain without any modification after the failure of Tilden was apparent, but the embarrassment of the Bourbon press will be great when it comes to discuss the "issues," and finds that the principal planks in the national platform are as dead as Julius Cajsar. AN AWKWARD ILLUSTRATION. In speakiog of General Hancock before the Cincinnati Convention, the point most insisted upon by all his eulogists was the assertion that he had acknowledged the supremacy of the law over the sword, and had recognized habeas corpus and civil rule. The fact that General Hancock re fused to recognize the writ of habeas cor pus when it was sued out in the case of Mrs. Surratt, appears to have been com pletely forgotten by these enthusiastic gen tlemen. No doubt the General did his full duty on that occasion, and as the President suspended the writ ol habeas corpus in order to put an end to the conflict between the civil and military powers, the dispute went no further. ■ But it would certainly seem that if the General had been the kind of man depicted by his friends in the Convention, he would hardly have taken so linn a stand on the supremacy of the military over the civil power in the case referred to : and the case wiy a somewhat important aud notorious one, too. A good deal of allowance may perhaps be made for political excitement, but it is doubtful whether General Hancock's veneration for the supremacy of the civil power will cut a very large figure in the present cam paign. i'- - . \ DEMOCRATIC MASS M EETING. The Democrats of Sacramento held a rati fication meeting last evening in front of the Capital Hotel. There was first a display of fireworks and the burning of a large bonfire. There was good music, and in attendance fully I,'JOO people, and there was manifest much enthusiasm. W, L. Herndon, acting Chairman of the County Committee, called to order, and the following officers were elected : President, R. O. Cravens ; Vice- Presidents— Presley Dunlap, Geo. F. Bron uer, Erokine Greir, John Q. Brown, 11. S. Carey, Win. McLaugblin, Fred. Cox, 0, Weisel, Charles W. Brigys, Thomas Gttinean, J. K. Comp, L. W. Blenir. E. Klebit;. .his McGuire, li. 15. 0.-ler, J. F. Whyte, W. I>. Comttock, D. EL Alexander, .T. J. Gtoason, Wm \iiuis, I). J. Considine, E. G. Blessini.", Jos. Hahn, P. Flaherty, A. h. Nichols. H. M. Bernard, .!. G. Davis, W. W. Cary, Win. H. Frye, .lames M. Short, D. H. Cantrell. Charles Harvey, Marion Bigga, John lvxmey, T. C. Perkins, Charles Traiuor, T. W. O'Neil, Kay Barton. Secretaries— J.S. Mer edith, G. W. Nichols, M. li. Bend, P. A Byrne, D. F. Beverid^e. After a few brief remarks by Mr. Cravens, which were applauded, D. S. Terry i>f Stock ton was introduced as the tirst speaker. He c ingratulated the people and fie party on j the nomination of Hancock and Ei gush. [Applause. l It had been objected that Han cock is not a statesman. He held that un true. Hancock's whole life showed him t<> be possessed of statesmanlike qualities of a high order. His celebrated military order ai d his letter to Governor Pease proved him to be a statesman. He was a solaier who did his duty without malignity and without hatred of his countrymen in arms against him. [Applause] He thanked God that there was a difference between the two Gen erals—Garfield and Hancock. To the palms of the latter clung no stain of Credit Mohilier ; no back-pay steal, no fees for fraudulent wooden pave ments in Washington, no certificates from Oiikes Ames' red pocket-book. [Applause.] No i oTic can poll more votes in t!ie South than Hancock, noue can appreciate but the soldier i how well we love men we have fought in I war. [Applause.] The Republicans have nom i mated a man whose record will not bear in spection. Had tue Chicago Convention known Gartield's record, its Domination J would have been the boldest act on record, as i it was the indorsement of the bark -pay steal, and of the greatest of all frauds, the stealing of the electoral vote of Louisiana. He re cited a history of the election of 187t>, and the contest over the disputed electoral votes. The Republicans sent the fathers of the party to Louisiana to watch the count of the vote. Oiher gentlemen went there, such as Palmer and Tiuuibull, who proposed a plan for overseeing the count that would prevent fraud, but it was declined, because fraud was contemplated. The Returning Hoard met in secret — two white men and two negroes. They were villains — the white men. The Re publcans stood by and saw the vote stolen. Gatfieid was down there, and must have known all about it. To avoid war and save the nation from blood.-hed the Electoral Com mission was raised equally from the two great parties, and Garfi-ld was on that tribu nal. There were Supreme Judges on it also, but no one supposed even from that august bench that Judges would connive at fraud, They sat there and decided that all that they were" there for was to see if the face of the returns were properly tallied. Every one knew whit the returns showed. It didn't need an Electoral Commission to find that out. So they decided not to go behind the returns, and the people were defrauded of their choice, aud the excuse was that there had been bulldozing, but it was without the shadow of foundation, and was the story of the miserable carpet-baggers. So soon as* the Commission decided the case we heard no more of whippings or bulldozing*. But now I they have beguu again ; already we hear of alleged outrages in the South, and last week came the story of the rotten-egging of speak ers at a Republican meeting in the South, aud now it turns out that no meeting was broken up, because tliere was iio meeting held at all. [Laughter;] The Chicago Con vention, by delegations violating their in structions under orders of the Convention, defeated General Grant, who was otherwise the «hoiee of the body. Had the delegates known Garfield's record, they would not have nominated him. The speaker here quoted Oakes Ames alleged testimony against Garfield, and claimed that tiie motley passing between the two was nut a loan, and that a Republican Congressional committee found a verdict against Gjrh'rld and Culfax alike. Colfax was disgraced, but Garfield it nominated for the Presidency. [Applause.] Tliat is not fair. "Smiler" Colfax ought to have 1 c -n nominated for the Vice-Piesidency. [Applause.] Republicans would call that mud-slinging, but it was the truth, and the records of Congress showed that Garrield took a bribe, while a member of Congress, from Oakes Ames, for the Union Pacific Railroad. Is such a man fit to be President? [Cries of "No, no."J Boss Shepherd had control of the Washington city government. l)e Goliyer invented a pave ment, and Shepherd gave him a contract to lay it, and it was to yield some §400,000. Gartisld was Chairman of the Committee on Appropriations, aud every item had to pass through his hands. An agent of De Goliyer was to get $15,000 to itet the bill through for the pavement. He offered Gai field half of it to push through the job, and it looks as if he went to him as a member of Congress, and not as an attorney. What did Garfield do for the ?7,. r )ooas a lawyer? No one knows. But Shepherd, when it was intimated that Garfield would go back on him, produced a paper, it is said, an opinion by Garfield, and suid, " This fixes him." The anti-Chinese plank in the Republican platform is weak and wi.-hy washy, but the Democrats have come up square to the mark and declared openly what they will do. The Democracy had always held to the doctrine of the superiority of the white race ; it dues not admit equality with the Mongoli ans ; it never invited the hordes of Chinese to come here. If the Democratic President is elected the people can rely on it that the Chi nese slave invasion shall be rolled back. [Ap plause.] The Democracy has passed no bills for the transfer of money to the pockets of monopolists since having power in Congress. On the other hand, the Republicans had boldy put at. the head of their ticket a man mixed up in dishonest and thieving legislation. [Applau.-e.] He (the speaker) had been named as a Democratic Elector before the Cincinnati Convention met, but he was satisfied with its work and ihould labor to win. It was a wise choice made by the party in selecting Han cock ; all party breaches had been healed, and in all sections the Democrats are banded together for the soldier and the statesman. [Applause,] Victory is certain. The enemy yields the 137 votes of the South, and there remains but 47 votes to gain, and he believed the Democracy would get them and 31) or 40 more. I Applause.] The next speaker was w. B. 0. BBOWN. He declared thafthe legislation relative to the regulation of elections and the super vision by United States officers, as fostered by the Republican party, to be destructive of American principles. He reviewed the main features of the election of President Hayes, and coming down to the advocacy of Han cock and English he said the forn>er fought nobly for the principles he believed in, but he did not believe anyone of the Radical leaders ever did or will fight for a principle of a constitutional Union. [Applause.) He be lieved Hancock to be not only a soldier but a statesman [applause], and the people are weaving for him a crown of victory to be placed on his brow on the 4th of March next. He believed any man whe would tamper with the integrity of the ballot- box should be sent to prison and always kept there. Hancock is not to be voted for because he is a soldier only, but because he holds that the military arm is second to the civil power. He will resist all centralization of power • he will cherish arid preserva the lair fame of the people of every section of the country. [Applause.] The people of the United States are bound together by the indissoluble tic* of interest as as well as fraternity, and when vilification crushes ne section the liberties of the others j depart. I Applause.] For years the South has been lied about. Who believes thet-e stories of outrage? No one. I Applause.] Property and life is as secure there as any. where. [Applause.] The elections »re as fair there as here. [Applause] There is as much bulldozing here us there at every elec tion. The people have not forgotten Mare Island, the tapeworm tickets, ami the acts of the Federal officials there, and though the attention of Congress was called to these frauds, the Republican party never meved a ringer to riirht tie outraged people. [Ap plause.] A voice — I was one of the victims of tbat fraud. Mr. Brown paid he didn't chargo all Re publicans as ignorant and base, but many are ; they won't read both sides ; they won't read even the Kecokd Union's telegrams of the truth, but read what it says and swear by it. Then it a large number of Repub licans whose consciences are quickened, and they are awakening to the truth. The solid South will not only go for Hancock and Erglish, but he believed nearly the solid North will follow suit. [Applause.] They how] about the solid South, but solidity at the Korth it- a virtue. [Laughter.] Any man who has ever lived at the South, and felt the irou hand of tyranny, would be worse than a fool to vote the Republican ticket. [Laughter and applause.] An out raged people are about to put the seal of death on that party, and tuck it away forever in its little bed [Applause.] It is necessary that the Republican party should .lie thai the government Washington fought for shall be preserved to the world and saved from eternal destruction. [Applause.] Ho held that the Republican party created the tramp nuisance. It lias given the public domain away until there is scarcely any decent land left to settle on. [Applause.] There have bean more Re publican Senators and Congressmen who have gone to Washington poor, lived beyond their means and came away rich, within the last sixteen years, than ever before in th« while one hundred ytnrs of the life of the nation. [Applause.] The Republican party ha« in creased the taxes, given away the homes of the people and sold out the country. | Ap plause. | They say Hayes I, as sent a Com mission to China. Why that is the biggest piece of taffy ever given. [Applause.] The Republican party never goes wild over the wrongs of the white man, but weeps over all black and tans. [Laughter.] It wants a cen tralized Government, and the best way to get it is to till the land with Chi nese and make 'em voters. If they had enough Chinese votes to-day the Republican party would defy the people, [Applause.] It was their expectation to use the negro, but he Went back on the party. What did its Convention do for Bruce? How many votes did he get for Vice- President ? They tickled him a 'lttle, and that is all. [Ap plause.] The Republicans claim this is a nation. It is not a nation. The father* created a federal Government and gave it certain express powers, but the great rights and powers rest in the States and are retained by them. The colonies fought against a cen tralized Government, and when they set up the Constitution, never intended to set up another one. He referred to the recent Vir ginia jury case and the federal election law, as evidencesof the intent of the Republican party to effect centralization. Any one reading the Declaration of Independence and the ten years' history following must conclude that the colonies fought no greater wrongs than the Federal election laws and like acts of usurpation on the part of the Republican party. [Applause. J He believed that as a California Elector he would be sent with others to Washington to cast California's vote for W. S. Hancock. [Applause] With a brilliant and truly eloquent peroration Mr. Brown concluded in the midst of enthusiastic applause. Mr. Cravens said Judge Curtis, who was announced to speak, was unavoidably absent in the country. The meeting had demon strated that the people of Sacramento are he.".rt and soul for Hancock and English and constitutional iiiierty. Two able and elo cpent speeches had been delivered, mid he thought as the eveuing was cold it would not be well to call on people to stand in the chill longer. He pro posed three cheers for Hai.coik and English, which were given with a will, and the meeting adjourned. Durin« the evening rockets were sent up, a band of music on the Capital Hotel balcony played pleasing airs, the Stars and Stripes flouted over the stand, which was dressed in national colors, and a general feeling of euthusiasm was made mani fest among the people, who gave close atten tion to the speakers and frequently and loudly applauded them. Just prior to the meeting 100 guns were fired from the R-street grade by a squad under command of gunner Ramsay. SAN FRANCISCO ITEMS. [From San Francisco exchanges of June 25th. ] To-morrow will be the last day for re ceiving fine bullion at the San Francisco Mint for coinage until July (kh. Imports of treasure by the Mexican steamer yesterday amounted to $143,000, of which 575 000 was in silver dollars and the remainder in fine silver. Twelve thousand children met and en joyed themselves at Woodward's Gardens yesterday on the occasion of the sixth an nual Sunday-school festival. . In the estate of Paul Morrill, the Supe rior Court, Department of Probate, today issued letters testamentary to W. L. Me- Cormick, W. H. Dinsniore and Mrs. Susan M. Morrill. Mr. Morrill's estate is not large, having administered upon the bulk of it himseU in his life-time in making pro vision for his family. The United States steamship Pensaeola returned to port last evening in distress. Following is a memorandum of the disas ter : Left this port 14th instant for Vic toria and A'aska ; ou the 18th, off Colum bia river, broke crank-shaft and proceeded under sail, but on examining the other crank-shaft found it cracked. Secured it as well as possible and returned for repairs. Previous to the accident encountered heavy weather ; since then fair weather. The Pensacula will proceed at once to Maro Island. Fourth of July Celebration at Galt. — There is to be a grand Fourth of July cele bration :.t Gait, to take place on Saturday the 3J. In accordance with the programme a procession will form at 10 o'clock A. M., which will be participated in by the Orders of Odd Fellows, Good Templars, United Work men, and last but not least, the Gait Horri bles. After marching to the grove, about one fnurth of a mile in tlistance, an oration will be delivered by Hon. W. A. Cheney of l'lirii.-is, after which the tal>l< s will be spread, and a grand barbecue dinner served sufficient for 5,000 or more celehrators who may attend. A pavilion for dancing will be erected, 40 by 100 feet, with a smooth finished floor, and music, day and eveuiug, will be furnished by the Harris Silver Cornet Band of Stockton. Dancing will commence immediately after dinner, and all will be free during the day. There will be plenty of shade and ice-water on the grounds, and every citizen of Gait will enter upon the agreeable task of making it pleasant for everybody who attends. There will be fireworks in the evening, and at night a grand ball will be held in the pavilion, which will be brilliantly lighted for the occa sion, and to which an admission fee of $1 per ticket will be charged, admitting gentleman and ladies. When Barnum's show was en route from Albany to Uticaa week ago, the car which contained the largest lioness took fire about half way on the trip. The lioness was quite badly burned and nearly suffo cated. Everything possible was done for the beast, but she died in Auburn. No, son, no ; you needn't be afraid of it. Just drink a tubtul of it if ycu wish. No man ever got drunk, or learned to be a drunkard, drinking Sunday-school picnic lemonade. You might get the dropsy, or you might drown yourself with it, but it will never make you drunk. A woman in Rutland, 111., lu rely escaped death from poisoning by the dyes employed in coloring a rag carpet, but she proba bly has the carpet as a compensation. Isn't there such a thing as overdoing economy, considering that wo live in a state of civilization ? Tbt Hammer's Cascara^Bitters for billionth ness.