&
T\mnermcn!s.
ACADEMY OF MUSlC— 2—6 :ls— Monte Crtsto.
AMERICAS THEATRE— 2— Fans!.
BlJOU— 2— M2i>— Madge Smith.
BROADWAT THEATUB— 2:IS— B:IO— A Kor»J Rcgae-
CARNEGIE nAUL— S— The Messiah.
PAT THEATRE— 2:I*— «:»— A RoT^ Ho*»-
IE HAUL— S— Tlie Messiah.
-1' '¦ : Jf — ¦" lorodoM. _ . .
CRITKKIOJ* THEATRE— Gar l * r * . i : !L. rI
DAISY'S THEATRE— — — Huntworth • Experi
ment. f
K>t< MCBEE— The World in Wax.
EMPIRE THEATRE— 2:ls— *:2o— Richard ff™ 1 - ,„._
FOURTEENTH STREET THEATRE— MllM»
Pwtmaster.
GARDEN TH *— Hamlet.
OARRICK THEATRE— DarMHinitn.
GRAND OPERA HOlST— 2:ls— *—Th« Old Homesteaa.
¦ARUCM OPERA HoraE— 2— B— Zaaa. <M4 _. .__.
HERALD SQI-ARE THEATRE— 2:2O— «^»-Arlwma^
IRVING- PLACK THEATRE— Schneewlttehen—
<!rof» Karfm&xin.
KElTH'S— Cortlcuoas Performance. ...._,_
KNirKETRRO<'KErt THEATRE— 2—"— L AW"«.
KOCTEIt * — *— Vaudeville. _._„_
LTCET-M THHATRE— 2:IS— B^O— A Rcyal Fa™"^,..
MADrsO.V BQCARE THEATRE-2-S-JO-The House
That Jack Pull' _ . .
mtTW^I>OLJT*.V OPERA HOUSE— 2— La Boheme— 8 —
an.-RRAY O HrLL"THEATR&-2-«-L!ttl* Lord MM
NTTr^TfmK THEATBB— 3— *— Tfce Olddr Thron*.
PASTtiR'P— Day and N»eM— Costlnucus Show.
priOCTOR'3 — CVnt!nuou» Performance,
RTPi'RLIC— 2:2O— The Sprightly Romance of Mar
eAVOT—2:2o—Mlrtrew NelL
er V'*HOW« MCATDHJ RlVK— «:ls— Hockey Match.
VICTORIA— 2:55— Prlnnt. .
\TXLJ-ACK-S THEATRE— — B:39— Janice Meredith.
3nbcK to QUtocrtiscTnents.
ra<re.Col. j P " / >Col i
Amusement* 1« *-« Help Wanted 14 5
B&nkerr & Brokers.. 1 3 4 , Instruction.... 13 4
Board *r.<J P. r.m». . .14 4 Lott and Found. . . . -.14 4
Books and Publics- *Marria e« «nd Deaths » «-0
MOM 10 5-6! Miscellaneous 16 .V«
Businew Cfc«n«s ...H 4'Oee.n Ftesmers 14 3
City Hotels 15 5-6 Proposals « 5
Country Property for Railroads .. 15 »-;
Pale 14 : 'Real Estate 1* -
Dividend Notice. ... .IS 3 ReiUrtou? Notices . . . .14 3-6
Fr^^ :aar»t:r.-::a j
ESSr^.::::::::!, *i«^ : ™~:::^ 2
Bumtwan Advertise- .^'TrT^Tsub-nßate..: 1 ! «
xnentt . . " 8-6 Tribune Sub'n lUtes.. 9 6
Financial Elections. .13 2;T™M F omp *^;;^;
Financial Meetings. .IS 2To Let for Business
Financial 1* 2 Purpo^a « *
Forcr!-),ur«- Pa!-*. . IS « Winter It-sort* IS £«
jr or sa> 14 'Work Wanted 14 &-*>
i3neiiuss Xonct*.
REMEMBER this ie "Hospital Saturday" and
that • -m>now if 'Hospital Sunday." _^_^__
iVi^xrrkUciil^S&ribirnt
RATI'KDAY. DECEMBER 29. 1900.
THE \EWf THIS MORSISG.
FOREIGN. — Fierce storms raging around th«
British Isles have done great damage, to ship
ping and caused serious loss of life. . ¦¦ Ef
fort* of De Wet to break through the British
lines In the Orange River Colony and go south
have been unavailing; an unconfirmed report in
London said that De Wet had been captured;
Several British officers concerned in the dis
aster of Lindley last May have resigned. =
The Turkish Government has contracted for the
reconstruction of an Ottoman battleship at
Kiel. in order to meet a demand for payment of
German claims. ===== Many prominent natives
have been arrested in Manila as alleged insur
gent* under General Mac Arthur's recent proc
lamation. ===== The Emperor and Empress and
many princes attended the funeral of Count yon
Blumenthal In Berlin. ===== There Is alarm
among the planters of Barbados over an out
break of incendiarism. --' - A Copenhagen
dispatch says that the Danish Government is
about to submit a fresh proposal to the United
States Government for the purchase of the
Danish West Indies; in Berlin it was denied
that Germany is trying to buy the Danish island
of St. John. In the West Indies.
DOMESTIC— The President has selected
Frederick Rittman, of Cleveland, to succeed
Auditor Morris, who was killed by Samuel Mac-
Donald. — . - Chairman Jones of the Demo
cratic National Committee denied reports that
a movement was on foot jto shelve Bryan as
party leader. — Senator Foraker replied to
ex-President Harrison on the Porto Rico ques
tions. = Educators are in .session at Ann
Arbor. Philadelphia and Richmond. == It is
Raid that a new State Forestry Department will
supersede the State Forestry Preserve Board
and Forest, Fish and Game Commission now
existing. = The military Court of Inquiry
which is investigating the hazing at West
Point v.ii! finish taking testimony to-day; sev
eral cadets testified yesterday that "plebes"
had been hazed to exhaustion.
ClTY.— Stocks were Irregular and active. ¦ .
Devery. it was announced, will fight his re
moval; Oh trial 3f Captain Herlihy was begun.
r= The Coroner's jury held Davis. Dean and
Marshall, formerly nurses in Bellevue Hospital,
responsible fcr the death of Louis H. Milliard,
who d'ed in the pavilion for the insane. ..,. ' ¦
The Palisades Commission's report told of the
cessation of Palisades blasting on Christmas
Eve. and of the steps taken to bring about that
result, n - The Real Estate Company
bought property in Broadway, on which It will
erect a thirty story building, to be the tallest
in New-York. ===== A guardian ad litem was
appointed for the settlement of the Walden
estate.
THE WEATHER.— Forecast for to-day: Fair
and colder. The temperature yesterday: High
est. 42 degrees; lowest, 33; average. 38.
SO SCAPEGOAT WILL DO.
These are days of much speculation about the
future of Chief Devery. Whether he is to go
or not to go is the question on the lips of every
politician and patronage monger. The varying
fortunes of the battle between President York
/knd the Chief are everywhere chronicled at
length. Just at present Mr. York seems to
have the advantage. Mr. Sexton, as the repre
sentative of Tammany, is said to have con
cluded that political necessity calls for the
abandonment of the Chief. Mr. Hess can al
ways be brought around when the proper press
ore is applied. So the Board stands three to
one, and. with the Mayor, is able to overrule
Mr. Abell. whose friendship for Devery is at
tributed to plgheadedness rather than corrup
tion by all charitably disposed persons. There
fore It Is predicted by good Judges that before
long TVv,->ry will have to go.
No doubt he ought to jro. His management
of the police force has been characterized by
the most open corruption, the most blatant dis
regard of decency and the most impudent de
fiance of public sentiment. Under him vice has
flourished more openly than for many years
before. When confronted with demands for
the enforcement of the Jaw his favorite trick
ba? been to use the law as an instrument for
the annoyance of respectable citizens and the
obstruction of legitimate business. instead of
turning his attention to intentional and vicious
lawlessness. Thus, when called on to close up
the vile music halls, which the law gave him
ample power to do. he maliciously sought by
a strained interpretation of that law to perse
cute the proprietors of respectable hotels and
restaurants who served dinners at which music
was played, for the pole purpose of making law
enforcement unpopular. More recently he
sourrhr to protect vice by charges against re
epecLible prorerty owners, who were expected
to exert Influence to suppress the anti-vice
movement. He has alpo soucht to precipitate
disorder at election*. He is totally unfit for his
post and onjrht to be removed. But likewise
the men who are now his special enemies, or
have become ready to make him a scapegoat,
art* finally unworthy of trust. Satisfaction
over the possibility of jrettinj rid of Devery
•bonld not d'vert nttentlon from the corrupt
system of which he is merely a part.
. What claim hi>* Pre«!<lent York or hi* backer.
Hugh MeLanjrhlin. to the consideration and re
•pect of decent citizens? Did they just learn
that Tammany wan * wicked organization and
that corruption was rife in the police force? Of
coojffc not They have known of the evil all
alone, an* entered into partnership with the
evildoers.
TheMoLanrtMn machine la 1897. with a perfect
'•understanding of Orokerlsm as a system for
Maekmattme. protection of vice and use of office
to promote the private fortunes of politicians,
helped to place Tammany In power. It hastened
to divide the spoils. - Mr. York undertook to pre
side- over a Police Board pledged to a "wide
open" town. For years he has sat quietly and
enjoyed his share of the good things of the
Devcry administration, and turned a deaf ear
to the appeals even of his personal friends to
his sense of decency, his honor as a citizen, his
feelings as a father and his duty M a church
man to stop the police partnership with vice.
He pretended that he could not see anything
wrong, hut suddenly in an unguarded moment j
admitted that the vice which he often said j
could not be suppressed flourished only because j
it was protected, and was protected only be
cause It paid for protection. That was after he |
and Devery quarrelled. Before that he was as
efficient a protector of vice against the attacks
of citizens as any member of the Tammany ad
ministration.
Mr. York and Mr. McLaughlin may be dissat
isfied with their treatment by Tammany. Tam
many itself may think it wise to unload Devery.
But It is not to be accounted to them for vfrtne.
If Mr. McLnnghlln makes his terms he will be
as subservient to the dominating machine as he
usually is after his. little threats of indepen
dence, and Mr. York will be as faithful in blind
ness to new wrongs as ho was to old ones. And
Tammany with a new Chief will be just as
corrupt as it was with the old. The men who
have degraded themselves and disgraced the
city through their three years' rule -will not ac
quire a new character by dismissing the official
who all too successfully put their system into
effect and aroused indignation against it. Dev
ery cannot carry Into the wilderness of oblivion
the sin? of the united Croker- McLaughlin ma
chines.
PUBLIC SPIRIT IX THE CITY HALL.
Mayor Van Wyck has not usually shown a
disposition to find fault with Democratic mem
bers of our local legislative bodies: bnt even his
patience seems to be worn out at last. When a
delegation of well known citizens called upon
him to protest against the dangerous delays in
enlarging the Brooklyn water supply he did not
reproach or abuse them, as he was in the habit
of scolding committees and representatives of
taxpayers earlier in his term. Strange to say,
be admitted that these taxpayers had good
ground for their complaints, and advised them
to use every legitimate means to defeat for re
election the Councilmen and Aldermen who had
shut their ears to the just demands of those
wfto suffer from the rapacity and perversity of
members of municipal organizations that block
necessary public improvements in order to pro
mote their own selfish schemes.
It is somewhat late in the day for our obsti
nate Mayor to adopt a broader view of his
duties and responsibilitieß. But on some things
at least he seems at this time to be taking
warning from the forcible evidences of public
awakening and indignation as to local misgov
ernment. For a long time his utterances in tbe
City Hall gave the impression that he was de
termined to use bis high office solely for the
enrichment of Tammany leaders and favorites.
It became the prevailing belief that he was too
obtuse and stubborn to realize that he might
sink out of sight In a quagmire of obloquy and
would destroy his career unless he mended his
official ways. His eyes were opened in some
measure when Governor Roosevelt took prompt
and determined action after Croker and Devery
had attempted to provoke not only disorder but
actual rioting on Election Day last month. The
Governor called the Mayor to account in a nian
uer which left no room for evasion or delay.
The Chief Executive of the city speedily made
up his mind that his removal was certain unless
he exerted himself to prevent the mob violence
which Croker and Devery had sought to Incite.
Our Mayor is not yet meek and lowly enough
when it is pointed out to him that the people
demand that he protect the public interests.
Nevertheless he has made progress. May he
go on in the right path, and not become a back
slider! He and his subordinates will discover, if
they do not know it already, that this city is
greatly stirred, and that better things will be
required from our local officials than in the past.
There is Commissioner Dalton, the chief of the
Water Department, for Instance. He is sure to
get into trouble if he lends himself to Raraapo
schemes to the injury of the common welfare.
The Mayor has another year before him in pub
lic station. Unless he does what he can to make
it a happy new year for honest citizens he will
be condemned from Jamaica to Mount Vernou.
Will he bring forth fruits meet for repentance?
ONE DAY.
Some persons may have thought that yester
day was a rather dull day on the stage of events. i
Neither Congress nor the Legislature was in I
session; the regular meeting of the President's j
Cabinet was said to be barren; the long task of
subjugating Devery developed nothing new and i
momentous; the harrowing story about the j
drowning of fifty children in a Western lake '
turned out to be a heartless hoax, apparently j
fabricated by some would-be wag of idiotic ten- ¦
dencies who has lamentably mistaken his voca- >
tion; Wall Street Intermitted its cheerful prac- i
tice of breaking the record; the chief of the !
Omaha kidnappers declined to put himself in ;
touch with the police; the art and science of
hazing at the United States Military Academy j
was further explored, but no novel variations
were disclosed; China continued to speculate on
the weakness of the Powers, and there was no
authentic sign in any quarter that the world
was coming to an end.
But nobody was justified in drawing from
these superficial and negative indications the
conclusion that yesterday was even in a remote
sense a dies non. Consider for a moment some
of the things which did happen, and which,
being recorded by a vigilant press, though per
haps in some instances too obscurely, made an
immediate and irresistible appeal to instructed
and imaginative minds. In Chicago, for ex
ample, a corner in beans was decisively estab
lished. It is, we suppose, necessary to admit
that there are individuals, and even large ele
ments of the population, to whom this an
nouncement will appear of little Importance and
convoy no encouragement But that is because
they don't know beans. They may be aware of
the existence of a so-called article of food bear
ing that name which some persons are capable
of swallowing, but they have never made the
acquaintance of the real thing, and consequently
the significance of the news concerning the con
dition of the bean market escapes them. What is
the natural effect of a corner? Obviously to raise
the price, and thereby diminish the consump
tion of the commodity affected. Hence we may
reasonably hope that persons of uncultivated
taste will abandon the practice of eating beans,
and that their use will be confined to those who
intrust their preparation for the table only to
great artists. In that case, it is true, results
similar to those which followed the discovery of
roast pig would doubtless be produced, and the
rapid growth of an importunate demand would
raise the price to unheard of figures. But that
is a trifling consideration. There Is no conceiv
able price at which beans of a superlative qual
ity could be deemed an extravagance.
Though we are far from conceding that the
foregoing observations are exclusively or even
primarily addressed to the lower nature of man
let us turn to a subject which more immediately
engages his intellectual and moral faculties. The
American Mathematical Society was in session
yesterday in this metropolis, and from its de
liberations we gather the most delightful augu
rica for the coming century. There was a time
when mathematical soirees -were dull and
NEW-YORK DAILY TRIBUNE. SATURDAY, DECEMBER ,_29. _IMO.
1 scarcely Intelligible except to the elect. ¦M
thus a great science, whose pursuit ought to
enlist and cmranco the multitude, was too
generally neglected. Even ar seats of learning
it seldom inspired au ardent devotion. The
Hon. Thomas Hedge, of lowa, recalling bis col
lege days at a recent Yale dinner, referred to
tin' late Professor Looiuis as the instructor '"in
•whose classroom we usetl to assemble three
•times a week to corroborate the lovely truths I
"Of conic sections." The remark was playful |
!in form, but very bitter in substance. Now, j
| however, all is changed. Toe mathematicians
I present at yesterday's convocation completely
recovered from that state of pride and exelu-
Bivenesa which formerly marked them as a class
by themselves, listened with delight to disserta
tions on such popular and almost frolicsome
themes as "The Complete Form System of In
"variants of the Group of 120 Quadratic Cre
"monn Transformations of the Plane" and "The
"Collimations of Space Which Transform a Non
"Degenerate Quadric Surface Into Itself."
The pressure upon our columns forbids a fur
ther consideration of the occurrences, not all of
them stupendous or spectacular, which gave
yesterday a respectable and, when properly esti
mated, a distinguished place in the annals of
time.
SEATS INSTEAD OF STRAPS.
We cannot altogether agree with a corre
spondent, whose letter we printed the other
clay, on th? subject of straps, braces or other
supports for standing passengers in streetcars.
It is quite true that passengers crowd about
the doorway instead of distributing themselves
along the aisle, because of the difficulty of keep
ing their footing where there is nothing to lean
against. It is true, too. that the straps in pres
ent use seem to have been devised with mali
cious ingenuity to be as awkward and incon
venient and inadequate as possible. But the
cure for the evil is not. as our correspondent
suggests, to be found in any improved, enlarged
and extended system of straps or other supports.
No; the cure is to be found in seats, not straps.
Give every passenger a seat, and a scat sepa
rated by arms or rails from its neighbors. Then,
when every scat is occupied, forbid any more
passengers to enter the car, and make it a mis
demeanor for them to do so. punishable by fine.
That is the admirable principle established in
England, where it has been judicially declared
that a passenger paying a fare is entitled to a
seat, and, occupying the seat, he is entitled to
the enjoyment of It and of light and air; and
that any person who enters the vehicle and
stands in front of a seated passenger is infring
ing upon tie latter'a rights, and is therefore a
trespasser and a misdemeanant. That is sound
sense and sound law there, and it should be
sound law, as it certainly is sound sense, here.
Oh, but it would be physically impossible, say
some, to run enough cars to give every passen
ger a seat. Credat Judreus Apella. To our
mind that objection is completely answered by
the fact that the transportation companies de
cline, refuse or otherwise fail to provide suffi
cient cars to give each passenger a seat at times
when it Is most obviously possible and easy to
do so. When surface cars are run eight or ten
minutes apart and crowded to the dashboards
we say it affronts intelligence to talk of the
impossibility of providing seats for aIL Wheu
elevated trains of two cars are run ten minutes
apart, packed and jammed, It is worse than
folly to 6ay the company cannot give a seat for
fiich fare. The fact is. the companies do not
try to provide seats for all, or as many seats as
possible^, .What they do try to do Is to crowd all
their patrons Into as few cars as possible, and
to make as many stand as possible. When they
reform their ways and honestly try to give seats
to all it will be time to discuss the physical
limitations in tbe case.
WHAT ARE THE SCHOOLS FORT
It an old fashioned and still common Im
pression ,_'j that schools exist for the benefit of
children..- Their sole excuse for being is popu
larly supposed to be the training up of strong
and worthy men and women, who will In turn
be the fathers and mothers of a future im
proved generation. This view, however, Is ap
parently out of date. To judge from comments
of an official nature concerning school matters,
the welfare of the children undergoing the edu
cational process is apparently only an incident
to the running of the educational machine. Dr.
W. Gill Wylie thinks that our schoolgirls are
overworked, and that at an age when a great
part of their strength is needed for healthy
physical development they are subjected to a
ruinous strain through intense application to
studies in competition with boys. Dr. Wylie
says that "the American horse receives on the
j "average better treatment than the young
I "women of America from the time of early girl
i "hood until the age of development has passed."
' These views were brought to the attention of a
! member of the Board of Education, who admit-
I ted that too much was probably attempted in
! the schools, but confessed the idea that the girls
¦ suffered more than the boys to be new to him.
I In answer to the question, "Would it be deslr
i "able and feasible to have separate courses for
"boys and girls?" he is reported by "The New
1 York Evening Post" to have said:
No; decidedly not. The curriculum, in my
opinion, must remain as it Is at present, the
same for both boys and girls. To create differ
! ent courses would introduce grave complica
j tions in the matter of promotion for teachers.
; The teacher who had instructed girls in a mini
mized course would have no experience qualify
ing her to teach boys in a more elaborate course,
and, consequently, she could not be promoted
and receive the larger salary attached to boys'
. classes. No; the idea of different courses is im
j practicable; it would work injustice to teachers
i and breed discontent among them.
| This exposes plainly enough the 'nonsense of
making a curriculum to meet the needs of the
pupils. The curriculum is not made for the
pupils, but for the teachers. If a teacher was
set to teach what was best for a child it might
interfere with promotion, and it is to be under
stood of all men that persons do not enter the
noble profession of teaching with any idea of
doing the greatest good to the young genera
tion, but merely for the sake of getting a com
fortable and progressively increasing salary.
The prime requisite of a curriculum is that it
shall not work injustice to teachers and breed
discontent among them. After they are satis
fied incidental regard for the material provided
for them to earn their salaries upon may be
permitted. We do not know whether or not Dr.
Wylie's views are correct, or if a new course of
study would be better for girls than the one
; provided, but evidently that makes no differ
i ence. The learned member of the Board of
| Education gave no attention to that phase of the
question. Probably the children could not com
bine and raid the Legislature or overawe the
; Board of Education with their demands There
\ fore it was of no use to consider what change
; In the curriculum would promote their interest
The vision of an organized teachers' machine
: was before his eyes, and its requirements con
j cerning salary and promotion were the chief
; worry of the burdened school legislator
; iJ hi i f , by D ° means an Elated instance of
the official attitude toward schools, or for that
matter other public departments. The machine
. :; v c ; ish ' ( ?IS gUarded for !ts own
• sake. If it does its work, well and good, If
; not so much the worse for the work. Public
i f?neHor h Tf Gd ostenslbl to perform some
:SS «i.t fV" *» eye " of many Mltlcian *
lipertainli t ,>f POllß> re * ardlcss of the duties
1 ' pmalD l°S to them. It I 3I 3 the old Btory of the
business driving the man Instead of the man
taring the business. The school system, pri
marily intended to serve the children, is over
grown until the children are in danger of be
ing runde merely to serve the system. We
can't have different courses because they
"WM«M work injustice to the teachers": i'ray.
most learned member of the Board of Educa
tion, what do we have schools for?
-—
AX EXD-OF-THE-CEXTURT ALMANAC.
I "Good wine," runs the old saying, "needs no
bush." But perhaps the opening of a new ami
still better store of it may deserve a brief an
nouncement. For h longer time than the ma
jority of men of to-day can remember, The Trib
une Almanac and Political Register has been
the standard publication of the kind in the
United States. It has been pre-eminently the
authority of the Nation on all the subjects of
•which it has treated. The legislator, the poli
tician, the editor, the statistician, the man of
affairs, have all felt the need of having it con
stantly at elbow for frequent reference con
cerning election returns, National legislation, the
organization of the Government, National
finance and many other like topics. In recent
years many other departments of the most prac
tical "contemporaneous human interest' 1 have
been added to it not only doubling or quadru
pling, but octupling its size and increasing its
value a thousandfold. We shall be absolved
from the blame of mere self-praise if we quote
the enthusiastic testimony of thousands of
readers that each year's issue has been better
than the preceding, until The Almanac haa be
come an indispensable handbook, or annual com
pendium, of National, and indeed universal, in
formation.
The present edition, which is published to
day, is emphatically an end-of-the-century num
ber. It appears on the most imposing occasion
which this generation has seen or shall see.
The nineteenth century ends, the twentieth cen
tury begins. And The Tribune Almanac Is the
golden link of information which binds them
together! It is a handbook of the two years,
the last of the old century and the first of the
new. Indeed, it deals with the whole past
century, giving in an introductory essay, special
ly written for it by competent authority, a
succinct but comprehensive view of the world's
progress in the hundred years, and elsewhere
throughout Its pages the progress of the century
is adequately noted. The record of the last
year is especially complete and accurate. All
the political and legislative information for
which, for more than half a century, the public
has been accustomed to look to The Almanac
appears In amplest form. The organization of
the Federal and all the State governments, the
diplomatic lists, the organization of Army and
Navy, the rulers of all the nations of the world,
and similar matters, are presented with the ac
customed accuracy and more than usual fulness.
The review of open air and other sports is the
most complete ever prepared. It is the work
of a staff of experts, and for fulness and ac
curacy is all that the most exacting sportsman
critic could desire. Many pages are given to
concise but graphic history of the salient events
of the year in all parts of the world, such as
achievements In science, the Paris Exposition,
the Philippine rebellion, the South African wax,
the Boxer troubles in China, the Galveston
storm and flood and other matters literally "too
numerous to mention." These historical sketches,
too, are not perfunctory hackwork, but have
been authoritatively prepared by experts.
For the new year there are many features,
apart, of course, from the incalculable reference
value the records of the past will have for it.
The calendar and astronomical and other tables
are of the high excellence which has made this
work a standard authority for two generations.
Such topics of the near future as the Pan-Amer
ican Exposition, the South Carolina Interstate
and West Indian Exposition, etc., are dealt with
comprehensively. It Is, in fact, difficult to im
agine a bit of practical information of current
affairs for the lasY year or for the opening year
that is not to be found on one of these 420
crowded but beautifully legible pages. To those
who know— as who does not know?— what The
Tribune Almanac and Political Register has
been for so many years, there can be no more
efficient and convincing commendation of the
present number than to say that it is not only
worthy of its predecessors, but is a decided im
provement upon the best of them. This "first
number of the twentieth century" is the con
summate fruit in almanac and statistical hand
book making of the nineteenth century, an
end of the century production, in the highest
and best sense of being fully up to date and
superior to all that has gone before.
Copies of The Tribune Almanac and Political
Register may be ordered through the American
News Company, in Chambers-st., or through
any newsdealer. Price 25 cents.
It may turn out that the only great and
memorable military reputation to rise out of the
South African war on either side will be that of
De Wet, the crown and flower of Free State
chivalry and a Roland for any Oliver which
the invading Empire over seas can send against
him.
A London correspondent has cabled to America
the astounding discovery that the ghost of
Mary Queen of Scots haunts the Tower, and
adds that this unfortunate Queen "was impris
oned by Queen Elizabeth in the Constable's
"Tower, and was led from it to execution in the
"tower quadrangle." AU the historians have
agreed in saying that Mary was put to death in
Fotheringray Castle, in Northamptonshire, many
a mile from the English capital, and that she was
never in the Tower. Can it be possible that
every one of them was in error?
It is to be hoped that the great twentieth cen
tury revival movement that has been projected
will be more wisely managed than that which
was held in Brooklyn last winter. It set out to
convert about half a million heathen in that
borough, but the first notice of its existence
which the aforesaid heathen received was a bit
ter attack of some preachers on a respectable
Christian denomination. Human nature being
what it is, it would seem wiser for each sect to
work by itself. For an attempt to unite which
ends in a rupture only makes the heathen more
than ever set in their beliefs, or, to speak more
accurately, unbeliefs.
Scotland Yard has been informed by the Bos
ton police that the Cudahy kidnappers are prob
ably on their way to Liverpool on the Warren
liner Michigan, which sailed for that port a
week ago. As an essay of conjecture, it haa a
leg or two of probability to stand on which the
guesses of the Omaha police up to date have
not presented.
A Baltimore bank has gone down because it
lent too much money to the promoter of a com
bination of "United Milk Producens." It is
plain to everybody that the difference between
the prices which farmers get and householders
pay for milk is far too wide. But the plans to
secure for the farmer a fairer proportion of the
amounts which the consumers are in the habit
of paying in our great cities have, unfort
unately, collapsed In most cases. The middle
men get too much and the farmers get too
little.
Have the streetcar conductors throughout the
Empire State yet learned that the Court of Ap
peals has declared it their duty not to give the
bij£iißl for starting until the embarkins Das
sengers are sottled 'n their seats? Suppose thit
a copy of that decision were served upon every
motorman. every driver and every ticket taker
between Babylon and Buffalo! What a
startling revolution in streetcar methods would
promptly be seen!
Governor Roosevelt will be shooting moun
tain lions in the West next month. The Tam
many General Committee has taken occa
sion to denounce what it calls "the infamous
"conspiracy through which Asa Bird Gardiner.
"the elected District Attorney of the county,
"was robbed of his office by Governor Roosevelt."
No matter how many mountain lions he may
miss, it is evident that when the Governor went
tiger hunting he was a r.ead shot.
PERSOS LL
Dr. David J. Hill. Assistant Secretary of State.
will speak on "Commercial Expansion" at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Boston.
this evening.
The late Bishop Charles R. Hale, of Cairo, Ill
was one of the most 'earned men in the Episcopal
Church. When he was an undergraduate In the
University of Pennsylvania he untted with Henry
Morton, now president of the Stevens Institute of
Technology, and some others in translating and
publishing the Inscriptions on the Rosetta Stone.
"In later years," says "The Hartford Courant,"
"he published many fac-similes of short docu
ments, one especially valuable set being edited
for the Historical Club of the American Church, and
also prepared services based on the Mozarabic for
use in Mexico, which were lithographed for distrib
ution to friends. He took a great Interest in the
Russo-Greek Church, and was secretary of rom
mittejs on ecclesiastical relations appointed by the
General Convention with special reference to the
Church in the East, in the interests of which he
visited Syria and Russia, and entered Into per
sonal friendship with some of the most prominent
ecclesiastics in that part of the world, and thus he
was enabled to prepare reports of unusual interest
on the general subject and its details."
Thomas C. Mendenhall, president of the Worcester
(Macs.) Polytechnic Institute for seven years, has
tendered his resignation, to take effect on July 1.
1901, and it has been accepted by the trustees
In correspondence Just made public Poor health
Is given as the cause of his decision. Dr. Men
denhali before coming to Worcester was super
intendent of the United States Coast and Geodetic
Survey at Washington.
Rudyard Kipling explains that his second trip to
South Africa is made simply for rest. "I hope." he
says, "to return with my wife and two daughters
early in May. I propose travelling extensively in
all phases of the closing scenes of the war, but as a
spectator only. I have no intention of writing a
book on what I may see. I am going out simply
for a good loafing spell."
J. K. Brown, the Commissioner of Public Lands
in Hawaii, arrived In San Francisco the other day.
and Is now on the way to Washington to consult
with the departments regarding the public land
questions of his Island.
MR. FRANCIS COMMISSIONED AS ENVOY.
Washington, Dec. 28 (3pecial).— Charles S. Fran
cis, proprietor of "The Troy Times," to-day re
ceived from Secretary Hay his commission as
Minister to Greece. Rumania and Servla. Mr.
Francis received his Instructions from the officials
of the Department, and will sail for Athens on
January 12. He will be accompanied by his family,
with the exception of his eldest son. who will re
main to complete his course at Cornell.
WILHELMINA TO MARRY ON FEBRUARY 7.
The Holland Society of New- York received a
cable dispatch from The Hague yesterday saying
that Queen Wilhelmlna's marriage has been set
for February 7.
THE TALK OF THE DAY.
A London paper says that there is a well attended
school for waiters In Vienna. The pupils are first
instructed in the general principles of the art of
serving at table, and when they have mastered
the Introductory course they are allowed to prac
tise on two men and two women in evening dress,
who dine at one table. The "professor" watches
the operation, and sharply calls the waiter to ac
count if he makes a mistake.
"Yes. that Billikins who used to be regarded by
most of t»he people around here as being a little oft*
has struck It rich. They say he's made over SIOO.OJO
during the last year."
"Holy smoke! What did he do=— write an histori
cal novel or get out a new goose book for chil
dren?"—(Chicago Times-Herald.
Three months ago a party of Mormon students
be^nn a three years* trip into South America to
search for traces of the last survivors of the Ne
phites, believed by the Mormons to hay« been the
first people of this country. Benjamin Gluff, presi
dent of the Brigham Young Academy, in Provo,
Utah, who is in charge of the expedition, in a letter
to a friend, says that many prehistoric ruins have
been examined by the party and evidences un
earthed which tend to uphold the Mormon tradi
tions.
When Knighthood Is in Business.— The youth
spread his cloak upon the highway, the queen
passed, dry shod.
"Oh. thank you, awfully!" murmured the queen,
and that was all.
But the youth did not despair: for he was a
brave youth. Instead, he went to work and per
fected a process for pickling pigs' feet by ma
chinery.
"I dub thee knight!" the queen hereupon hastened
to exclaim, with every mark of distinguished con
sideration.
Soyons dv slecle! That i 3, let us avoid doing
those things which butter no parsnips.— (Detroit
Journal.
"In September," says Congressman Mondell. of
Wyoming, "I was up in the mountain regions of
our State, and rode for several miles in a cutter
to address certain of my mining constituents. It
was 11,000 feet above sea level. When I returned
to normal altitudes again it was to see the grass
growing and vegetation nourishing."
In Boston I encountered a parrot one day.
"Polly wants a cracker!" I observed, thinking
nothing.
"Your language is extremely anomalous!" replied
the bird, severely. "Polly Is colonial, while cracker,
in the sense of biscuit, is distinctly post-bellum.
Moreover. I am not conscious of wanting a cracker.
I wouldn't mind a plate of pork-and, however!"
The fowl'j scholarly dignity was what impressed
me particularly.— (Detroit Journal.
The Messrs. Thomson, proprietors of the "Dundee
(Scotland) Daily Courier" and "Dundee Weekly
News," have just added to their pressroom equip
ment two more large rotary printing presses made
by the Goss Printing Press Company. These
presses are one four decker, being a repeat order,
and one three decker, both straight line, and give
the Messrs. Thomson in their two printing offices a
total capacity of over one hundred and eighty
thousand eight page papers an hour.
Everybody knows that an invitation to a wedding
is a gentle intimation that presents, however small
will be gratefully received by the bride. But it
has been left to a distinguished native of India to
make open confession of this pleasing hypocrisy.
Writing to the people in his station, asking them
to his daughter's wedding, this man used the fol
lowing formula: Mr. and Mrs. request the
presents of Colonel and the officers of the
Regiment at the wedding of their daughter."
The story is true.— (London Globe.
At Sheyboygan. W r is., the other day, a Maltese
cat took a long ride inside the rim of a flywheel.
The animal Jumped into the wheel at the Plymouth
Refrigerating Company's plant, and remained there
two and one-half hours. As the wheel is about
thirty-eight feet in circumference, and makes
eighty-seven revolutions a minute, the cat travelled
a distance of about ninety-three miles. When the
engines were stopped pussy was alive and well
except for a little lameness.
"Don't smoke?" exclaimed the friend.
•No." was the reply. "I always quit just before
Christmas. I do It to oblige my wife."
"But why do you select this particular season?"
"It obliges her to select something besides cigars
for my Christmas present."— (Washington Star.
G. A. R. POST TO IXSTALL OFFICERS.
Alexander Hamilton Post, Grand Army of the
Republic, has arranged for the Installation of Its
officers-elect on the evening of January 3, at head
quarters, Lexington-ave. and One-hundred-and
twenty-flfth-st. General John Palmer. Past Com
mander-ln-Chlef and ex-Secretary of State of New-
York, will be the Installing oflic»-r.
DR. PEARSOXS ADDS TO HIS GIFTS.
Chicago. Dec 28.— Dr. D. K. Pearson*, of Chicago,
who several months ago announced his purpose of
giving his fortune, estimated at several millions.
to small colleges and other deserving Institutions,
the gifts to be made during hia lifetime, to-day In
creased his donations by I 70.00&. To Grand Prairie
College, of Onarga. 111., was given 130.000. Lake
Forest University received $25,000. A check for
06,000 was sent to a school the name of which is
unannounced. The gift* were contingent on the
raising of 1245.000 by the three colleges, which al
ready has been don* *
fllE CUBAN CONSTITUTION.
GOMEZ AS PREs
PAID HIM NOW BY T
STATES. AND WHY.
Havana. Dec. 27 (Special).— A constitution for th«
new republic of Cuba will b* adopted by the Con
stitutional Convention within the next foar weeks.
This Is the general opinion ara»«a« delegates to the.
convention and la generally understood ta official
circles.
The five sections of the convention have beea
meeting together and have been discussing tl
projects carefully. While the meetings have beea
held privately. In the interest of expediting toe work
of the convention, the delegates have no hesitancy
In stating what Is taking place. All of them say
that the convention is agreed upon all of the prin
cipal features of the final project which is b«in*
prepared by the Central Committee, and that there
is no doubt that, so far as a constitution for Cuba
is concerned, they will complete their work within
the next few days. General Rivera, who Is chair
man of the Central Committee, said to-day:
We have been considering carefully all of a*.
material principles of goveVnmentT and we ar- '
making rapid progresn in the preparation of th«
project which is to be submitted to the convent on
and discussed in public session. We shall have i
constitution to present to the Congress of i£
United States within the next few week" At any
rate we shail not permit Con*r s» to adjourn this
session until we have a constitution to submit?
The centre of interest here at present ta the
character of the constitution this body will pre
pare and in what light It will be viewed by the
Congress of the Urited 3tates. There Is one thlnj
certain: When the Instrument reaches the United
States and la carefully studied there will be wme
severe criticism. There is one feature of the in
strument which has already been decided upon
which will be contested in Washington to the bit
ter end. and those who will contest It most earnest
ly wfll be the Cubans themselves.
When the convention first received projects from
the delegates fcr consideration, there were three
presented. The one presented by General Ruis
Rivera, in naming the qualifications for President
of the proposed republic, had this provision: "Any
male citizen of Cuba, over forty years of age. and
who was born in Cuba, will be eligible to the Pres
idency of the republic." General Marua. In his
project. Incorporated the provision which has been
accepted. It Is that any male citizen over forty
years of age who was a citizen of Cuba at the
signing of the constitution will be eligible to the
Presidency.
This provision has been made to include Oeneral
Gomez among those who will be eligible to the
Presidency. It means that General Maximo Gomes
will be the first President of the Cuban republic
if the constitution Is adopted with this provision
and if it is sanctioned by tbe Congress of the-
United States.
Those who are familiar with General Gomez and
his followers, as well as the general conditions of
the island in a political sense, know what this will
mean. The election of General Gomez would ab
solutely prevent the formation of a stable govern
ment. His followers are the few who ware with
him during the war, and others who are aeeklnsr
to promote their personal political Interests by
affiliating with the old chief. The rabble, who
were the most ardent supporters of General Wey
ler and who shouted for him upon every public
occasion when "Weyler was !n command here, are
also with General Gomez. The conservative men
and those who have business Interests in Cuba are
opposed to turning the island over to the element
which would make trouble to-day if it had an
opportunity of doing so.
Should the Congress of the United States show a
disposition to accept this feature of the constitu
tion there will be i protest from Cuba which will
rrake Itself heard. The conservative element know
General Gomez too well to allow him to be placed
in charge of the island. They knew him in the
field and they know him now. They are aware
that the United States has been paying him out
of the island treasury regular sums, and that the
money paid him has been sufficient to defray the
expenses of a life of luxury here and to enable him
to clear the clouded titles of some property which he
has in San Domingo and which was visited by
him some time ago. They know that he received
$3,000 some time In July, and that his request a few
weeks afterward for $3,300 was refused or referred
to a member of the Cabinet for consideration. The
object of the payment of this money la well known.
The people are aware that it haa been paid for the
purpose of locking the lips of the old chief. They
will contend that if the United States Government
has deemed It necessary to do this it cannot con
sistently accept a feature of the constitutlcn which
would pave the way for his election to the Presi
dency. They will contend that if It is necessary
for the United States authorities at Washington
to recommend that General Gomez be paid a sum of
money amounting in all so far to over 5L3.000 for
the sole purpose of keeping him from making
trouble, the Government at Washington cannot
consistently accept a constitution containing a pro
vision providing for the election of General Gomes
to the Presidency.
FORAKER REPLIES TO HARRISOS.
THE SENATOR TELLS OP THE GENEROU3
SPIRIT DISPLAYED TOWARD
PORTO RICAN3.
Cincinnati. Dec. Senator J. B. Foraker. in a
speech before the Manufacturers' Club, of this city,
last night, replied to the recent speech of ex-Presi
dent Harrison at Ann Arbor in part as follows:
All the questions arising upon the Porto Rican
legislation are soon to be passed upon by the
Supreme Court. For that reason I do not care to
discuss them at this time, but it is in order to say
that the view taken by Congress, as reflected by
that legislation, was creditable to the generosity,
the patriotism and the industrial spirit of the
American people. We found Porto Rico as poor as
poverty could make her. She had no money, no
credit, no system of taxation of any kind. She
wanted a civil government and a revenue to tup
port it. We gave her a far more liberal civil gov
ernment than was ever given to any territory prior
to the Civil War, so far as participation In it by
her people is concerned, and we dealt by her more
generously in providing support for that govern
ment than we nave ever yet dealt with any terri
tory.
In requiring her to pay tariff duties on imports
from foreign countries -ye did only what we did
with Louisiana. Florida, California and all our
other Territories, but in allowing her to put these
duties, when collected, Into, her own treasury tor
the support of her local government we did wlia '
was never done before for anybody else, for la all
other cases we have not only required the payment
of these same duties, but we have also required
them, when they were collected, to be paid Into
the National Treasury at Washington for the com
mon benefit of the whole country, and. as to duties
on commerce between Porto Rl-o. and the United
States, we did not levy 15 per cent, but we remitted
S3 per cent of the existing rates on a number oj
articles and the whole duty on all the rest, ana
provided that the 15 per cent should be remitted on
and after Marco 1. 1905. or sooner If the Legi3lature|
of Porto Rico shall so provide, and that meanwhile
all collections of this 15 per cent, both there and
in the United States, shall be oaid over to Porto
Rico for her own support We made this pro
vision because It was the easiest and least bur
densome way possible to raise Indispensable revenue
for the Government, and not because It was la
any sense of any benefit to either our Government
or our people.
The Porto Rlcan Legislature I.* now In session,
but neither that body nor any member of It, nor
anybody else, has taken any step to repeal or alter
the tax system so Imposed by Congress. On the
contrary, all concerned alike testify to the highest
satisfaction with what Congress has done, and the
request will be almost unanimously made that the
provisions enacted may be continued. If not Indef
initely, at least until some satisfactory system of
proper taxation may be substituted.
In addition. it should be stated that Congress,
also In the same generous spirit, exempted Porto
Rico from all Internal revenue taxation— another
favor never before extended to any part of our
people anywhere. It is true that the legislation for
Porto Rico was a "departure." but it Is not true
that It was a departure from correct principles.
SUIT %TO% TO STOP "THE ROVXDERS."
PARISIAN OWNERS OF "LES TKTXKtmr ALLEGE
THAT ROYALTIES HAVE NOT BEEN P.\H>-
A. H. Hummel, as counsel for Henri Hettgel aai
Paul Chevalier, of Parts, owners of the play "Le» .*
Fetards." which was adapted for the American
stage by Harry B. Smith and Ludwig Englander
and produced under the title of "The Rounders"
by George W. Lederer. at the Casino, applied to
Justice Blanchard In the Supreme Court yester
day for an injunction pendente lite. restraining
Samuel E. Rorke. Thomas Q. Seabrooke and 3.
S^fVker Williamson from continuing to produce
'The Rounders" on the road, on the ground that
they have refused to pay the royalties due to Mis*
Elisabeth Marbury. who is agent for the French
owners of the play In the United States and Can
ada.
Justice Blanchard reserved his decision, but di
rected the defendants to furnish a bond to £.000 to
Indemnify the plaintiffs against any loss In royal
tle* pending his rullns In the casa.