New-York tribune. [volume], January 05, 1901, Page 8, Image 8

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B
dmnsements.
ACADEMY OF MUSIC— B— Vafils.
AMERICAN TIIEAIUE— S—
BIJOU— 2— Mad?» Smith.
BROADWAY THBATRB— 2:I&— B:IS— A Royal Rogue.
CARNEGIE HALLr-10:30 a. Lecture by Professor
Edward Howard Orine*— B:l6— Sous*.
CASINO— 2— «i : 1 5—
CRITERION THEATRE— 2—B— The Oar Lord Qoex.
DALY'S THEATRE— 2— B:IS— Lady Huntworth's Experi
ment.
BDBN' MUSEE— World In Wax.
KMPIRn THEATRE— 2:10— 8— Mrs. Dane's Defence.
FOintTEEXTH STREET THEATRE— 2— B— The Village
Postmaster.
GARDEN THEATRE— 2:IS-B:2o— David Garrlck.
OARRICK THEATRE— 2:ls— B:ls— David Harum.
.GRANT) OPERA HOL'SS— 2— B— The Old Homestead.
HARLEM OPERA HOUSE— 2:15 — B:ls— Richard Carvel.
KKV.A!J> SQUARE THEATRE— 2— €:2o— Arizona.
2KVi:.'O PLACE) THEATRE— Die Strengen Herren.
DRH'8 — Continuous Performance.
KNICKERBOCKER theatre— sweet Neil
of Old Drury
POSTER & RlAL'S— l:46— Vaudeville.
LYCEUM THEATRE— B:BO— A Royal Family.
MADISON SQUARE THEATRE— 2— «:3O— The House
That Jack Built.
MErp.OPOUTAK OPERA nOUSE— 1 :45— D1« WalkQre—
S — II Trovitjre.
MURRAY HILL THEATRE*— B— Why Smith Left
jlott.p..
KATTOXAL ACADEMY OF DESIGN— a. m.— B— Annual
exhibition.
NEW YORK THEATRE— 2— 15— The Giddy Throng.
PASTOR'S— Day and Night— Continuous Show.
PROCTOR'S — Continuous Performance.
REPUBLIC— 2— B:I5 — In the Palace of the Kin*;.
SAVOY— 2:IS— B :2!>— Mlstn>£« Nell.
ST. NICHOLAS SKATING RlNK— Hockey Match.
VICTORIA— « 30— Miss Prlnnt.
WALLACK'S THEATRE— 2:15— 8 Meredith.
3nbet to 3.bticrtiscmcnts.
Pas*. Col.] Page. Col.
AmmokiiU 16 4-6, Lost A- Found 14 4
Bankers it Broken.. 13 4] Marriages & Deaths., 9 5-6
Board & Rooms 14 4 ' Miscellaneous 16 l-«
Books .•; I'ublicat'ns.3o 4-6 Ocean Steamers 14 1
City Hotel* 7 5-« Proposals 13 fi
City R. E. for Sale.. 5 6 Railroads 15 5-6
Cbp'tMrahlp Notices. 13 4' Real Estate 5 «
Country Property for > Religious Notices 14 2-3
Sale 5 A, Savings Banks 13 1-2
Dividend Notices 13 3-4 School Agencies 13 S
Dam. Site. Wanted. .14 6 7 Special Notices » <*>
! >aneing Schools 13 « ' Storage 14 4
Dresmroaklnjj 14 4 : Surrogate's Notices. . .14 1
Excursions 18 ft! Teachers 13 5
European Advts 11 S-0! Tribune Sub'n Rates. ft 6
Financial Elections. .l 3 4 Tract Companies 13 4
Financial Meetings.. lS 4! To Let (or Business
Financial 13 23! Purposes 5 6
Foreclosure Sales 15 5 ' urn. Apartments to
Furnished Ap'tments Let * *
to Let 5 A ' Winter Resorts 13 5-6
Help Wanted 14 5 Work Wanted 14 5-6
In*! -jetton 13 5!
IVSKte^trrkUail^ S&ofcimfc
SATURDAY. JANUARY 5, 1901.
THE \~EWB THIS MORNING.
FOREIGN.— United States Ambassador Choate
presented the Hay-Pauncefote Treaty amend
ments to the British Foreign Secretary, the Mar
quis of Lansdowne. ===== Several high civil
appointments for South Africa were announced
in London; Karl Roberts assumed charge of the
Army Headquarters in London; two hundred
Beers recrossed the Orange River, going north.
:¦¦ Eight Turkish soldiers were killed while
attempting to arrest a number of Bulgarian sus
pects, i Generals Wheaton and Bates report
many small captures, the destruction of Insur
gents' camps and the seizure of supplies in
Luzon; Judge Taft's decision on the San Jose
College case will be made public to-day. =====
The winter exhibition of the Royal Academy
will be opened in London to-day, with many
notable paintings on view. == Daily meetings
of the foreign Ministers are held in Peking to
discuss the peace negotiations, but nothing has
been decided on. == Reports of an outbreak
of plague at Vladivostok and a renewal of
plague cases at Smyrna are confirmed. =
Fifty lacemak'-rs bound for Dowie's Zion City
sailed from London for Halifax. ¦ A dense
fog delayed traffic and caused thousands to stop
work in London. ===== Emperor William has
consented to the change of the name of the
North German steamship Kaiser Wllhelm II to
Hohenzollern, and that a liner now building
shall be named after him.
CONGRESS.— Senate: Debate on the Army
Reorganization bill occupied the entire day; Sen
ator Hoar offered an "amendment looking tow
ard conciliation of tht Filipinos. == House:
The Olmsted resolution proposing an investiga
tion of disfranchisement methods in the South
was referred to the Committee on Census, and
consideration of the Reapportionment bill of
that committee was ifesfunY"^
DOMESTlC— Senator^ gamia in an interview
expressed great confidence' tSat the Ship Subsidy
bill will be passed at the present session of Con
gress. — - ¦ General Richard N. Batchelder, for
merly Quartermaster-General of the Army, died
to Washington. , The second Booz inquiry.
thto time by a Congress Committee, was begun
at Bristol. Perm., and the members of the
cadet's family repeated the story of what he
was subjected to and suffered from, casts Gov
ernor Odell began his work of economy yester
day by calling on the Attorney-General for free
legal advice. ¦ Officers of Harvard Uni
versity denied yesterday that President Eliot
had resigned. . It is probable that Ray
brook will be selected as the site for the new
Ftate Hospital for Consumptives.
CITY. — Stock* were strong and active. ==
At the dinner of the City Club the evils of
present municipal government were discussed
fey Bishop Potter. Wheeler H. Peckham, St. Clalr
MoK'-lway, John E. Parsons. Mark Twain and
others. = The Appellate Division of the Su
preme Court decided that a seat In the Stock
Exchange could not be assessed for taxation.
THE WEATHFR.— Forecast for to-day: Fair
aad cold. The temperature yesterday: Highest,
M decrees; lowest, 19; average. 28%.
BELIEVERS IN A PARAMOUNT CONGRESS.
Wfkm the question of obedience to the Four
teenth Amendment to the Constitution was
under debate in the House of Representatives
yesterday Mr. Underwood, of Alabama, opposed
obedience to the Constitution on grounds of
expediency and sentiment, saying that the
South was trying to solve the vexatious ques
tion of negro suffrage and should be permitted
to carry oat Hi own plans. Mr. Richardson and
several other strict construction Democrats took
the same view of the subject and strenuously
opposed Mr Oliver's resolution.
, From the point of view of practical politics
there Is certainly much to be said on that side.
The Southern States are by no means the only
¦Hi which restrict suffrage. Maine. Connecti
v cut, Delaware. Massachusetts. California. Wyo
; mint: and Oregon have restrictions, and any
readjustment of representation on the basis of
suffrage instead of population, as ordered under
existing conditions by the Constitution, would
be of general application. Disfranchisement,
however, has been undertaken on a much larger
scale in the Southern than in the Northern
States, and tho effect of constitutional enforce
ment would be to decrease the present relative
power of the South. Moreover, there are prac
tical col tics in the way of distinguishing the
persons legally disfranchised from those who
fail to exercise their rights for any reason. The
wisdom of the change as a matter of policy,
with a view both to the welfare and good feel
ing of. -!,.- people and to the growth of The Re
publican party in the South and the breakdown
of sectionalism, is extremely doubtful; but ii
ought to be a matter for surprise that Mr. Rich
aidsoTj, Mr. Underwood and their friends should
plead expediency, no matter with how good
reason, as an excuse for government without
regard to the Constitution, the mandate of
.which concerning this. subject leaves no dis
cretion, but Is absolute, without chance for
evasion/ They have often told us that a man,
whether in th- States or in far off Manila, who
depends on The discretion of Congress for v,<
1 i" no. i in OIi^IeMH for hIM
fights Is a- slave.- Yet now they assert a doc
trine more extreme than the most radical Im
penalise as to tbe supremacy of Confess and
it« power to govern this country Recording to
. i lie i seeming' dictates of practical wisdom, re
gardless .of the' "'" Inid ¦ down In the Con
stitution.
All any so-called Imperialist says i 8i 8 that the
Constitution «as made for a union of States]
and that its founder* never meant the nation
tba't they; created, In dealing with problems
which tliyy did not foresee on the other side of
Mm world, to be hampered by rules laid down
to balance the powers of their general and State
governments. He does not claim that the
United States Government is not bound by the
very conditions of its being to republicanism
and regard for human liberty, or that the Con
stitution is not Kupreme within its proper
sphere. He finds that the makers of the Con
stitution, as shown by their writings and de
bates, in providing for uniform imposts and
direct taxes proportioned to population, were
concerned solely, as James Monroe put it, "to
secure a Just equality among the States." They
were not concerned about uniformity as a prin
ciple, as is shown by the objection of some
members of the convention to the uniform rule
on the ground that under it duties which would
bear heavily on one section might be levied by
the votes of other sections. Seeing that our
internal revenue laws would bear with crush
ing weight upon Porto Rico, and that the exten
sion of our tariff laws to the Philippines would
have serious administrative and diplomatic dis
advantages, the imperialist merely argues for
interpreting this provision of the Constitution
in the spirit of those who drafted it and not
extending its operation over lands for which it
is manifestly unsuited.
Mr. Underwood and his friends, however, do
not stop with this. They assert that Congress
is at liberty to do, not extra-constitutional, but
actually unconstitutional, acts. They sjj.v it is
not a sovereign body, able to deal as expediency
requires with conditions unforeseen by the Con
stitution makers, such as exist in the Philip
pines. Then they turn and proclaim that It is
a sovereign body. able, for the sake of what in
the light of to-day seems expediency, to disobey
flatly the plain mandate of the Constitution
placed in the fundamental law with clear fore
sight of the present condition and unquestion
ably applying to it.
If these gentlemen believe that we have a
government founded on such principles, anrl
that the Constitution is merely an advisory in
strument, a legacy of grandfathers' lectures, to
be disregarded in legislation concerning the
States whenever the judgment of Congress does
not approve the wisdom of its mandates, they
ought to ask the Supreme Court to give them a
hearing next week in behalf of the Porto Rican
legislation; for if they are anywhere near right
and Congress has any such discretion at home
no court would ever dream of confining within
far narrower limits its discretion in performing
duties falling to it in connection with far off
peoples whose needs were not in the least con
sidered by those projecting the scheme of ad
ministration for our own land.
BEniMi THE GOVERNOR.
Governor Odell has doubtless listcued Avith
great satisfaction, and possibly some slight
amusement, to the unanimous verdict on his
message. We say unanimous, for. while here
and there a note of hesitation or dissent as to
two or three of his proposals is heard, the
message as a whole has evoked nothing but
praise. The Governor of the Empire State is
not an inconsiderable personage at any time,
and we intend no disparagement of the office
or of its new Incumbent's reputation when he
took it in saying that he woke up on Thursday
morning to find himself famous. Not often has
even a President's proclamation in war time
attracted so much attention as was immediately
bestowed upon Mr. Odell's first State paper.
The best of it Is that the universal applause is
abundantly deserved.
It is especially interesting to find that the
politicians are vying with the general public
in demonstrations of approval, and that, in par
ticular, the politicians of the Legislature are
not permitting themselves to lag behind the
rest. The L;>Mitin:iii!-t;overnor. who has no
vote, but can exercise considerable control over
business in the Senate; the leader of the ma
jority in that body, the minority leader of the
Assembly, the Speaker and other members of
experience and influence have hastened to de
clare not only that they heartily agree with
the Governor's views, but that his programme
will be carried out. It was to be assumed that
some of those who have been beard from would
take this attitude, and perhaps it Is not really
surprising that others who have not heretofore
been distinguished by their devotion to meas
ures of reform have done the same thing, inas
much as the popular response was so quick
and loud. But tbis suggests the reflection that
a relaxation of public Interest in the Governor's
scheme of retrenchment would probably be fol
lowed forthwith by a loss of enthusiasm at Al
bany. The promise, though encouraging, is
easy, but the fulfilment is still a long way off.
There are members of the Legislature, and they
are not among the least expert and powerful,
who will watch closely for signs that the peo
ple have begun to look In some other direction,
In order that they may themselves feel safe in
taking a different course if they see fit when
the time for action arrives. It does not cost
much now to say that the Governor's policy is
sound and needs to be adopted. The rub will
come when members are brought face to face
with the separate items of that policy and en
abled to determine their fate. Then many a
man will be strongly tempted to reason that
whereas the general scheme is good and this,
that and the other abuse unquestionably ought
to lie corrected, the particular little arrange
ment in which be feahs* a personal interest Is
not an abuse at all and must be retained.
This is one of the reasons why we are glad
to see so many Senators and Assemblymen put-
H*gj themselves thus early and emphatically on
record. If any of them should hereafter feel in
clined to desert the Governor, their original ex
pressions of loyalty would at least tend to re
strain them by making desertion awkward. But
we hope it is not necessary to look for such an
oozing away of courage. If the people continue
to show that they are on the Governor's side
there will in nil probability be votes enough in
tka UcWatsjß fsj es*er*f the main features of
!ii- i :¦ vT.-iii.in.- into .-ff.-.-T.
JUDGE l.Y.\rn \r m, \\ nl.-.-r.
The fr<uz\ for mob murder has I.een excep
tionally violent and unreasoning within the last
lew days. Not that the fiendish passion for
pNtausJ i o.-ture at the stake has been un
commonly conspicuous within a short time, but
official reports show that several victims have
been put to d.-a'li by han^ilu or sho.,tii,-_; 1-,,|
comparatively minor crimes, while in more than
otic nasH there lias been inu.-h reason to believe
that the sufferers were guiltless. The only
cliarpr- against one man who was slain cruelly
w.ss that he bad set (ire to a barn. No human
being had been burned or injured. Xo horses
or cattle had been destroyed, but the lym-heis
had no pity. Kven more devilish was the action
of anoth.-r ruob whl«-h tilled with bullets a
vouuk m-Ri-o who had boon trbd and .•..¦.ptitt.-.l
on the charge of stealing a bunch of |;.-ys.
'lhe scoundrels who t«k-» hum.-in lit,- v ::!,.. i:t
any sincere desire or etTort to de.-ido the -ullt
or the Innocence of the helpless victims wl,,m
They send out of the world so brutally app-ar
to bo iiM-rea<inL' in numbers in vari,.u> parts of
this country. How dark the >I: iin. how d.-.-p
the % disgrar-e as This Republic enters the new
century: How does the r d of tlie Cnited
States in fatal mob violence coinpan- with that
of EumpeV How many lynching were th- „•••
In Grr-at Britain, in Franco, in tho c.-rinan Km
plre, in Italy or even In Spain i.i i!«tuv H.w
advanced Is American civilization in compari
son with the Old World when it is blackened
NEW- YORK DAILY TRIBUNE, SATURDAY. TA^TARY 5. 1901.
with such horrors of atrni^us and unpunished
assassinations!
////; TRIBUNE'S CEXTCRY I,'!. VIEW.
The artificial transition of time from thj ¦»**
teentb century to the twentieth has given occa
sion of much activity to innumerable writers
and speakers. Not a few books have been pub
lished, and more are in preparation, dealing
with the old century in record and judgment
or with the new in speculation and hope, while
the name of magazine and newspaper articles
upon various phases of the great theme is sim
ply legion. Some of our local contemporaries
have given or are about to give to their readers
more or less elaborate groups of articles, each
:!«•¦•¦ ¦nlinsr in its own t:i>ti> ;\v»\ fan-y .in«l Hie
supposed or manifest desires of its constim* nt-.
Readers of The Tribune, who have lon- g«M
accustomed to look with confidence to the col
umns of this paper for the most satisfactory
treatment of all important topics of contem
porary human Interest, need have no fear that
on this unique occasion they will be left in the
lurch. We have already advertised the prep
aration of a comprehensive group of articles,
written by expert authorities, upon the salient
features of the nineteenth century and, inci
dentally, upon the twentieth century in so far
as we may, in the words of Patrick Henry,
judge the future bj' the past. These articles
have been completed, and will to-morrow morn
ing be published simultaneously In the form of
a special supplement to The Sunday Tribune.
They will fill a number of pages the size of
this, in fine, bold type, embellished and eluci
dated with niimorous pictures and maps pre
pared expressly for the purpose. Without in
curring the reproach of undue self-praise, "W
venture the confident prediction that this feat
ure of to-morrow's Tribune will fully equal, if
it does not surpass, in immediate interest and in
permanent value, any similar publicatiop made
at this time in newspaper, magazine or book.
Such a publication we believe to be n legiti
mate and essential part of the work of a news
paper. For news is not merely the ephemeral
occurrences of tho day. It comprises record
and review- yes. and discussion— of everything
of importance that is current in public thought.
Such topics are the careers of men who are
brought conspicuously before the public, the
record of each year at its close, and, on occa
sions so rare as to be unique to the generations
that behold them, the review of an ended cen
tury. For considerablj- more than half of the
last century The Tribune has striven to be, and,
as we are encouraged to believe, has pretty suc
cessfully been, an exponent not only of ephem
eral incidents, but of the great evolutionary
movements in literature, science and art, in
agriculture, commerce and industry, and in po
litical, social and religious life which have con
stituted the real progress of the human race.
All of those things it has seen, and a not In
considerable part of them it has been, and in
getting its centenary review of them the multi
tudinous patrons of The Tribune may bo as
sured, and will no doubt bear testimony, that,
as usual, they "get the best."
ELECTRIC TRACTION'S FCTTRE.
In the current number of "The Street Rail
way Journal" Dr. Louis Bell discusses electric
traction in a prophetic vein. The subject Is ono
on which he is admirably qualified to express
an opinion. And most of his conclusions will
command immediate assent. In one respect.
however, it is possible that he betrays too much
timidity. He bints that perhaps the automobile
may in time become a formidable rival of the
street railway. Well, the automobile has one
advantage over the streetcar. It can navigate
with greater freedom. But It must always be
an expensive mode of transportation. The people
who can own or hire small horseless carriages
are comparatively few In number. The masses
will always need cheap conveyance. And as
for self-propelled omnibuses, these must be re
stricted as closely to specific routes as a street
car, and without being able to carry one-fourth
as many passengers. The automobile may dis
place the horse to some extent In city streets,
but it Is hard to conceive of its competing with
the street railways. The bicycle once threat
ened to do so, but failed. The automobile, be
ing more costly, must prove even less danger
ous.
There can be little contention over Dr. Bell's
other views as to possible changes to be ex
perienced in large cities. He thinks that the
superiority of tunnel roads over surface lines Is
most marked in places where the traffic Is very
dense, but beyond those limits surface roads
will bo required as feeders. Besides, there must
ever be a local as well as an express business.
Hence- It is doubtful whether the surface roads
will disappear entirely, except in the very heart
of big cities. Still. Dr. Bell looks for a consider
able evolution of the tunnel system, and would
not be surprised to see a great deal of freight
handled in this manner. And whether existing
steam roads or new companies control the sub
urban passenger business, he Is convinced that
motors which emit smoke, dmsH •¦! i'"n!
gases will not be tolerated by tfca psjklk much
longer. .
Another conspicuous development of electric
traction which is predicted is the construction of
light railways in the country to connect the
farming districts with the steam roads. Com
petition with the hitter is not the proper func
tion of these lines, Dr. Bell says. Their true
mission is the transportation of agricultural
produce to market. It is pointed out that when
an economically constructed road of this class
is made patronage flows to It as naturally as
rain collects In a watercourse. "And it is not
long," Dr. Bell adds, "before a profitable busi
ness springs up, so to speak, out of the
"wilderness."
The same .vriter looks for n great iiK-rcase of
speed on trunk lines. He believes that in the
time of men now living one hun.lred miles an
hour will be considered slow travelling. I tut
if this service is to be rendered by electricity
the third rail will not be so .n-.iii.iM. .-^ n i> f,. r
short runs. Where long distances are Is ba
covered the current ought to be supplied ai MB}
high pressures— ten thousand or twelve thousand
volts, instead of five hundred. An. l Mvaml cm
slderntions dictate the raising of the conductor
m:iu\ feel i.l.ove tl nnli. Ft ni.-i v he expedi
ent to operate the car motor with a high press
ure current, too. Appliances suited to this class
of work are altogether feasible. Dr. Bell says,
be* have not yet been roluce.] fully to practice.
Hence a number of innovations in usage must
be effected before New-Yorkers can enjoy fifty
minute trains to Philadelphia or make the trip
to Chicago in t.-n hours.
"I/O.W.T TO lllh'\-
The plinis.- is a bit of colloquial slan^r, hut it
is highly expressive, and timely, too, in view of
some of the last year's statistics. Attention has
been called to the fact that in tin- rutted st- t f>
ii I'.MHi mnro than ?'¦--. I»hi.<mk> \\ ; , s loft in pulilio
l.«'iiue>ts. more tluiii li.-ill .if it 1,,-iu- for odu.-a
ktowd i.ni-|. ¦¦ -•¦>. That is a splendid showing.
Hut how small it is. aft.-r nil. .¦ompnrod with
tli-' tv.-ord ;.f -iiioii,-;. :,. I, urn.- or. sirirtlj speak
in-, wealth that has li. -rally I.een destroyed \>\
t.iiruin^ in tlie s.i-ne spa.-L- of time: Wo .ny
told, n.'oonlimr to uinlerwritors 1 reports, whieli
are not likely t.. MBKSerate but rather to mini
mize. that the losses from tires in tlie I'uited
Stat.-s and Canada in the last year ngx regaled
n ioj •«• than $163,300,000.
.Now. those ujjures mean so much absolute
loss. The loss does not all fall upon the owners
of the ravaged property. In many cases it is
borne, or a part of it is borne, by the Insurance
companies. Cut that fact docs not make the
loss of wealth less real and absolute. Men
speak of one having money to burn, or of his
burning his money, when he squanders it la
prodigal extravagance. But in such a case the
money is not actually lost. It is simply trans
ferred from the pocket of the prodigal to the
pockets of those who profit by his folly, a man
may eat and drink and gamble away a fortune,
but the fortune is simply redistributed. Tee
wealth lost in fires is, however, absolutely de
stroyed. Some one, owner or insurance com
pany, is made the poorer and nobody is Ms*
the richer. That is the exceptionally deplorable
feature of these statistics.
How long is the world to suffer such loss?
On this continent it was more than $163,300,000
last year and §13G.700.000 the year before and
$119,000,000 the year before that. It is no an
swer to say the country can stand It and is
rapidly growing richer in spite of it. The
country ought not to endure the preventable
loss of a single dollar, not to mention hundreds
of millions. Granted that a considerable pro
portion of fires and resulting losses are practi
cally unpreventable, the fact remains that a
large proportion of them, especially in large
i cities, where they are most numerous and most
destructive, might be prevented by methods of
construction now perfectly well known and of
perfectly well proved efficacy. It is now more
than a quarter of a century since the Tribune
Building set the example to New-York of tire
proof construction that is actually fireproof. It
is not creditable to American civilization and
progress that the miserable old firetrap method
of building should still prevail so widely as to
make possible such an appalling total of losses
as that which we have cited.
The only people opposed to a reform in the
extravagant extension of the system of gov
ernment by Commission, from which we are
now suffering, are the Commissioners. Every
man-jack of them is busy writing to the news
papers, or setting interviewed, or at least
"buzzing" his friends, to prove that Governor
OdtMl is all right in the main, but that he has
made a mistake about this one particular Com
mission. To turn him and his lot out would be
a woful loss to the State!
"Odell and economy" is now the Republican
watchword.
The Political Liberty Society, which favors the
giving up of the Philippines by the United States,
probably takes over the effects of the anti-Im
perialists who went Into political bankruptcy
some time ago. It shifts its headquarters from
Boston to New-York in order to be where things
are going on, but as its ideas find no support in
the spirit of the time it will gain no attention
or influence from the transfer.
"They do some things better in France." The
proverb Is musty, but there is nothing stale, flat
or unprofitable about the decision of the French
Government to lessen the number of disfiguring
advertisements on cliffs, walls, buildings and
fences, by putting a proper tax on signboards,
whether they are displayed upon public or pri
vate property. The Gallic example should be
followed promptly in the United States. H
more hideous placards can be seen anywhere
than many of those In this country.
After Governor Odell's message has been read
to Richard Croker at Wantage, will the Tam
many Boss venture to come back?
England would gladly follow Bellona's precept
and build a golden bridge for her flying South
African enemy if he would only fly. But that
Is what he has no apparent notion of doing, and,
though several times whipped, rises again as
formidable and troublesome as ever.
Even sleepy Spain is shaking off her age-long
slumbers and Is opening electric lines for local
truffle. It is Bignincant that Americans are
supplying rolling stock and materials for the
now roads. As Alfred Harmsworth says, Amer
ican? are far in advance of all other peoples in
the mastery of that miraculous force, electricity,
and in the practical development of electrical
Inventions and appliances of almost every kind
Imaginable. But what would Don Quixote and
Sancho Panxa or Cervantes himself have said
could they have seen a Yankee trolley car roll
ing over the plains of La Mancha?
Drowning men clutch at straws. Devery has
sunk twice already. As he rises to the surface
for the third and last time he grabs desperate
ly at the ultimate tuft of the tiger's tail, while
Croker yells, "Let go!"
Cotton mills both In the North and the South
have hnd an encouraging and prosperous year.
In New-England most of the makers of cotton
goods are rejoicing over handsome dividends,
while manufacturing In the Carolinas. In
Georgia, in Mississippi and in other Southern
States has been so profitable that many new
mills have been built and many old ones have
bern enlarged. The North and the South shake
hands over the sound and healthy growth of
their Industries.
The city of New-Orleans is to be congratulated
on having reached the high water mark of pros- x
perlty in Imports, exports, customs duties, postal
receipts and bank clearings. On the last day of
the dying century twelve large steamships, the
aggregate value of whose cargoes reached the
enormous total of $2.G(38,70H. cleared for foreign
ports. Of these, one vessel alone— the Mechan
ician, of the Harrison Line — sailed with a cargo
valued at $1 .000,000. The exports for 1000
touched the record total of $142,211,562. This Is
an Increase of $45,t>i5,5H4 over the exports of
1800. The total in imports for 1000 amounted
to $20,124,508. an increase of $0,040,274. In cus
toms duties the total for 1000 was $7.54«>.210, an
increase of $2.8»»0,453 over the total for MM
There is not much evidence in these figures of
the Indolence and apathy that are popularly sup
posed to characterize the cities of the South.
The Crescent City, Indeed, appears to be quite
as much alive as any of the bustling cities of
the North.
Thin ie- It is over which onV.-hoMers who
draw enormously excessive fees in our counties
are now skating, and the air holes widen. When
our new Governor laid bare in his message the
abuses of the fee system In certain offices on
each side of the East River he left no room for
apology or excuse. Under his leadership the
Legislature will doubtless take action that viii
mean something.
France consumes ten million tons of coal In
excess of her production, and generally supplies
the deficiency from her near neighbor England,
but, in view of possible contingencies, is reaching
out toward our markets, and is likely sooner or
later to become a steady and liberal customer.
She Is about to order two hundred thousand
tons, having an agent low in this country for
that purpose. We are glad to have France on
our books, and can assure her of honest weight
and an unimpeachable commodity.
liuriiiK tin .iltiii.il Hi: Is „f tli.- Vij-.t, (h.-
British torpedo boat destroyer which is equipped
with the steam turbine, it was observed that
the coal consumption. ::t !• -s than the maximum
sji.-fd, was SMini-whai ureal'T than that ..f an
<itht-r rraft <>ftf t h.- Sam- ni-l-l :ui! disjilai-.-mcnt.
tun provided with it.- .n.uin.s ..f t!i.- old t y! , •
Mr Pars- ns. the Inventor of the steam tuit.ui- .
n..\\ ili-«-I.ii t-s t hit thi." f..rm "f nMtnr, wh.-n run
at its „:¦[,¦¦,¦ sj.-.d. is !.-.ill> more eroii.itiii.-al
in the use of fuel than any other. If this can
once be demonstrated clearly. it -will be a great
triumph, for the turbine already possesses many
advantages in respect to lightness and size, and
may ere long I- extensively adopted for the
propulsion. of large as well as small vessels.
rr.RsGXAL.
N. L. Goldstone, who died recently in D, - Molnes.
made charitable bequests of 5H.000. including cUM
to the Home for Aged Hebrews In Albany. X. V .
and ?2,000 to •:.. Hebrew Union College in Cincin
nati. „: .;.;.\ .¦ ¦-, v ».:^
Governor Mount of Indiana has received the deed
to the tract of land' surrounding the grave of the
mother of President Lincoln. In Spencer Count*
near Lincoln City. The deed conveys the land from
the County Commissioners of Spencer County to
the Nancy Hanks Lincoln Memorial Association.
A custodian for the land, which will lev trans
formed into a park, will be appointed. and arrange
ments made to beautify It.
"The Congregatlonalist" says: "One of the large
personalities and great educators among Baptists
of this and the last generation has passed away with
the death of the Rev. Dr. George W. Northrop, a
graduate of Williams College, mho began his career
as ii teacher as professor of church history In
Rochester Theological Seminary, and then In 1887
went to the Baptist Theological Seminary at Chi
cago, now merged In Chicago University as the
divinity school of that Institution."
John Summerneld Berry, who died on Thursday
In Baltimore, was for many years a lay delegate
from the Baltimore Conference to the Quadrennial
General Conferences of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, and he served as the treasurer of the
Board of Stewards of the Baltimore Annual Con
ference. He was also president of the Board of
Managers of the Home of the Aged of the Metho
dist Episcopal Church, and Interested in many
charities. In ISO* he was elected a member of
the conference to frame a new constitution for the
State, and was the only slaveholder In Maryland
who advocated the insertion of the article abolish
ing slavery-
A life size oil painting of the late Dr. Joseph
Leidy was presented by his widow to the Univer
sity of Pennsylvania on Thursday evening.
Dr. Jacob Hirach. of Munich, exhibited his $50,000
collection of coins and medals to the Philadelphia
Numismatic Society on Thursday evening.
TRANSATLANTIC TRAVELLERS.
Some of those booked to sail for Rotterdam on
the steamer Statendam to-day are I. Straus, the
Rev. A. H. De Vlras and Bradford Johnson.
Among those who expect to sail to-day for Lon
don on the steamer Minneapolis are Robert Hamil
ton Glbb. D. W. Granbery. Dr. E. A. Jones. Miss
Jessie St. Clair Liddell. the Rev. Mr. and Mrs. F.
M. Wodehouse and Claude R. Watson.
Among those booked to sail for Hamburg on the
steamer Pretoria to-day are Mr. and Mrs. Henry
W. O. Edge. Mrs. C. C. Edwards. Mr. and Mrs. W.
F. Milton and Mr. and Mrs. G. C. Lodge.
Some of those who have planned to sail to-day for
Naples. Genoa and Alexandria on the steamer
Filrst Bismarck are Mr. aijd Mrs. S. W. Andrews.
Miss N. Andrews. Mrs. J. C. Alvarado. Mr. and
Mrs. I. D. Adler. Miss Fanny Adler. Mrs. Sackett
M. Barclay, the Misses Beatrice W. and Cornelia
Evelyn Barclay. Henry Bedlow. the Rev. John
Binney. Mr. and Mrs. A. De Bary. the Misses
Leonle and Anita De Bary. the Misses Elizabeth
Katharine and Blanche Bayliss, Mr. and Mrs. Will
lam S. Benson. Miss Margaret Benson. Mr?. M. A.
Crosley. Mrs. Georire H. Daniels. Miss Harriet M.
Daniels. Mr. and Mrs. John E. Dwicht. the Misses
Mabel and Ruth Dwlght. Dexter B. Dawes. Mr.
and Mrs. Elisha Dyer. jr.. Miss Eleanor M. Fergu
son. Mr. and Mrs. J. Swan Flick, Mr. and Mrs. r.
B. Gunther. Mr. and Mrs. Harlow N. Hieinbotham.
F. P. Knott. the Rev. W. W. Webb. Miss C. S
Walker, the Marquis Rodolphe de Voelke. Captain
and Mrs. C. M. Yon Roth. Mrs. John Tod. Miss Tod
Miss Swan. Mrs. Sallie Stalker Smith. Mr. and
Mrs. Lewis Stockton and family. Mr. and Mrs.
Sidney Dillon Rlpley. H. Richardson. Mr. and Mrs.
T. W. Pierre. Mr. and Mrs. Oordon P. Paine.
Major and Mrs. Frank W. Oakley. L. Z. Letter.
Mi»s Letter. E. W. Longfellow and George Yon L.
Meyer, United States Ambassador to Italy.
AMBASSADOR WHITE HONORED.
Berlin. Jan. 4.— Andrew D. White, the United
States Amhapxador here, has been elected a mem
ber of the Berlin Academy of Science.
rnr tu.k or the /nr.
The publishers of "The Cleveland World" Issued
a paper last Tuesday purporting to give the news
of January 1. 2001. The phonetic system of spell
ing Is used throughout this alleged twenty-first
century journal, and among the leading news
articles are an account of the opening of com
munication with Mars, a story of the robbery of an
airship express by bandits who froze the messen
ger to death with liquid air. a description of the
execution of a "murdres" by vaporisation, and a
recital of the discovery In the ruins of abandoned
Cincinnati of several barrels containing a curious,
foul smelling liquid labelled beer. Minor items
chronicle the intention of "lime. Sara Heart
burn" to make a farewell tour of America, the
death of a woman who once rocked George Wash
ington to sleep in his cradle and the fall of a work
man from the ninety-sixth floor of an office build
ing.
Terry— The landlord of the Phillupp made a good
thing out of that banquet last night.
Torry— So?
Terry— Yes: you see. It was given out that
Slyghter was going to make an after dinner speech.
Thinking about it worried Slyghter so much that
he could «-at little or nothing, and the others so
dreaded the infliction that it quite spoiled their
appetites.— Transcript.
The Rev. Oliver C. Miller, who served as a chap
lain In the Philippines under General Lawton.
says: ' The establishment of the canteen has done
much to abolish those drinking places that so
quickly surround our army camps, by furnishing
only beer and mineral waters, with Ice and such
food as cannot be got elsewhere. In the Philippines,
as In our own country, the saloonkeepers strongly
advocate the abolishing of the post exchange, or
canteen. Our soldiers are not wasting all our
money In carousing, but many of them arc deposit
ing with the paymaster a good portion of their al
lowance, to be drawn out at the expiration of their
time of service. I have seen little drunkenness
among our soldiers throughout the archipelago,
and only at one time was there much In Manila—
the time the volunteer army was assembled in large
numbers to embark for the voyage home."
"I sent for you to fix a key in my daughter's
piano, said the man of the house. «•«•««» »
"But, my dear sir. I don't know anything about
pl os - J m a locksmith." replied the workman
"Exactly. I want you to make It possible for mo
to lock the blamed thing up."-<Phlladelphla Press!
A rural Wesleyan minister sends to "The Method
ist Times." of London, some startling evidence of
the religious Ignorance of little children. In a
class of more than thirty children, varying In age
from seven to fifteen, not one boy or girl had ever
heard of the parable of the Prodigal Son! In an
other spot In that neighborhood he asked 'about
the same parable, and he found that there were
three boys who knew something about it. but the
rest. Including even girls of seventeen, were abso
lutely Ignorant or it.
Mr. Blnks (whoso invalid wife Insists on boara
inß)-I.ook here. now. 'The Medical Record' says
nothing will improve a woman's health like sweep.
Ing baking, bcdmaklng, dishwashing and polish
i»»k iiici silv ox*.
Mrs. Binks—Huh! You know very well yon never
fNew-Yo?** Weekly 0 P °" Sh - *° nder Vm slck "
signor Br'gnoH once agreed to sing a solo at St
Agnes's Church, In this city. He came in late. and'
after divesting himself of many coverings.'tum
bling over music racks and exasperating the choir
by trying his voice, he came to the conclusion
that he was ready. By this time, however, the
sermon had commenced, but BrtgnoU, unabashed,
leaned over the choir railing and tried to attract
the attention of the preacher by shaking his head
and gesticulating wildly. At last he yelled out
in a voice that reached every corner of the church:
"Me ready for se sins. Stoppe ze preach! Stoppe
se preach!" And the priest actually cut the ser
mon short In order to accommodate the Impatient
tenor, whose voice now rang out with such fervor
as to rill the worshippers and Justify the sac
rifice.
,, A New Year's Programme.— "Well," remarked
Mr. JolliwelL "I suppose you are golnp to mnka a
lot of good resolutions for tho new year " *
"No I'm not." answered Slrlus Barker! with
fo hh a C tad S oSes° Srtmony * " I>m S ° lnS to ma * a "I
lot of bad ones."
"That's an unhonrd of proceeding."
"X? 3 ,- .It:. It: ' s an ldea ot m >" oon.w 'n. If lam as fuc
oesstiil in breaking my bad resolutions nt I have
been in breaking my good ones. I'll ni.utruv to bo-
GEORGE row i. U'CORUICK IMPROVING.
George Fowler McCormlck. the youngest son of
Mr and Mr- Harold McCormlck, was reported last
rdsrht to lie steadily Improving He is suffering
from scsrJatlna... Fresh flowers arrive by express
.l.nly to m e p l? I ? ed on John Rockefeller M.-for
rn'ck coffin. The vault is watched night and day
by men. ° . . . v Utti
ART EXHIBITIONS.
THE NATIONAL - ACADEMY OF DESIGN. 3
Not In a long time fcas the Academy organized a
show so ,-co.l as that which opens to the. public
to-day at the Fine Arts Bulltiia?.' The -atalogue
just stops short of thr.. hundred numbers, -which
means that , the galleries are not crowded. The
Hanging Committees has done Its work well, having
been spurred to great effort, perhaps, by the gen
eral excellence Of the material at its disposal. The
show -•:::¦ - to the vtrtce. of catholicity. O!4
prejudices have apparently teen shelved. The art
of some of the moat conservative members of the
Institution is duly honored, but space is freely
given also to painters of all tastes and associa
tions. As a result, the walls have a variety of as.
Pset which Is alone a source of pleasure to the
observer. That there is also something more sada
than mere variety to appeal to the latter Is shewn •
by the fact that no fewer than six pictures ha*»
been found worthy of prizes. The frequent visitor :
to art galleries scarcely needs to fee reminded that -
prize pictures often fall to Justify their claims to
the distinctions they receive.
Th- first Halfeartert prizs goes to a -Winter
Evening." by Mr. W. E. Scho field, which is ad
mirable in the skilful treatment of values which it
illustrates, and Is farther to he commended for Its
fidelity to the spirit of a scene hi nature difficult
to represent with truth. The picture is not beasjfc.
ul-the color scheme to too monotonous for that
but It 13 thoroughly well dene. la the case ef N
Miss McChesney's portrait of a man. entitled -\
Good Story." on which the second Hallsartcn , riza
has been bestowed, there to one 'disappointing de.
tail, the dark tones below the head are almost
opaque, but the face and head are so good that wo
ran forgive the defect elsewhere. Altogether thto
painting marks a step ahead on the part of Mtoa
McChesney. To a cattle piece by Miss Matilda
Browne. "Repose." the third Hallgarten prize has
been awarded. It Is sound in design, drawing and
atmospheric effect, though a trifle cold in color.
The Thomas B. Clarke prise passes) to Mr. W. F.
Kline for "The Flight into Egypt.** an oblong
panel possessing remarkable dignity as a compo
sition. A true feeling for what might be called
scenic landscape is disclosed In this work, the land
scape that while beautiful in itself to chiefly «£
Importance as a background for figures. Mr. Kline
strikes the right note, and it will be interesting to
see what he does in the future. The Inn ess gold
medal, given in memory of the great American
painter by his son. for the test landscape in the
exhibition, has fallen to "The Year's Wane." by
Mr. Bruce Crane. The choice could not well be dis
puted, for there is abundant merit In this work,
both as respects the delicate handling of tree tensa
and the subtle reproduction of a chin atmosphere.
The double portrait by Let It la B. Hart and Mary T.
Hart, which has gained the Norman W. Dodge
prize, Is a far better piece of work than we have
hitherto been Justified in expecting from their
hands. Incertitude still marks their craft. The
color needs purification, as it needs force: the text*
ures show a touch which still wants authority.
On the other hand the heads are vigorously mod
elled, and the canvas has. In the main, a certain
vitality, a certain character, which it Is agreeable
to praise. >.
The point most conspicuous after the interesting
quality of the group of prize pictures is the increase
in the number of attractive figure pieces. Again
and again In the past the Academy has had to rely
chiefly upon Its landscapes. These make them
selves felt this year— in fact, the outdoor work to
constantly inviting one to pause. Mr. GrolTs
"Glimpse of the Village," an elegiac painting of
peculiarly penetrating charm: Mr. Red9eld's clever
river scenes: Mr. Caliga's exquisite "Field of Pop.
ples": Mr. Van Laer's broadly painted "Connects
cut Hillside." are the first few pictures which
recur to the mind in this field out of a long and -
uniformly delightful list. But work of this sort to
nearly always certain to be encountered hi the bis
winter exhibitions. It Is not so common to meet
figure studies like Mr. Barse's "End of the Day."
or his other panel. "A Question." In both of these)
there Is a dry ness of line which we could well
spare, but there are. too. elements distinctly ad
mirable. This artist may want distinction of style
and beauty of color, but at least he to competent
within its limits, at least he leaves the impres
sion of painting that Is serious, energetic and work
manlike. There is more painting like this in the
show, not always quite so facile, so deft, bet on, a
sufficiently high plane, nevertheless. ; We. may
cite Mr. Pott bast's "Wood Nymph." a capital
example of graceful draughtsmanship, or Mr. Da
Mond's "Mending the Net." which smacks a shade
too aggressively of the mechanical cornctness that
Is learned In the schools, but to touched with in
dividuality in its quiet tones, and is. In the long
run. a creditable picture. Mr. Hassan's "July
Night." a garden scene, with lanterns and a single
figure, If less convincing In its light and air than
his urban sketch. "Winter Morning on Broadway.**
Is one of the striking things here by virtue of its
general cleverness. A bold style and a flavor of
originality cause the figure studies by Miss Juliet
Thompson to stand out from the crowd, works not
at all brilliant, but obviously of considerable prom
ise: and there Is richness of color, besides poetto
feeling, in Miss Macomber's "Music." a composition
embracing three heads. Mr. Hawthorne's "Split
ting Fish." a big realistic picture of rough types,
has not much beyond Its realism to recommend it.
but In this, as In Mr. Perrlne's "Dying Sioux." Mr.
De Cost Smith's "Defiance." another Indian subject,
and Mr. Mora's "SeviUana." the absence of really
notable qualities Is overlooked because they have
at any rate address, technical merit, the air of
more or less ambitious efforts made with more or
less success. Miss Browns combe's dancing scene.
"Sir Roger de Coverley at Carvel Hall." is very
pretty : we wish we could say more of it. but after
the prettlness there to nothing in the canvas to ex
cite admiration. Mr. Birney's Interior. "After the
Hunt." goes in much the same category. It Is well
executed so far as It goes, but it does not go very
far. Mr. K. A. Bell's "Sun Bath." In which a
mother watches her child lying on a divan in the
sunshine, has so much quality that we wish it were
a better picture. The woman is well drawn: the
baby is Ineffectively treated. Strong draughtsman
ship and delicate color combine to make Mr.
Isham's "In the Park" a work of Importance to th*
show. It Is a brilliant portrait of a woman.
Portraiture is less In the ascendant than usual—
the varied character of the exhibition has been
noted— but it is generously and worthily represent
ed. Mr. Vlnton sends a noble portrait of Mr. John
Harsen Rhoades. in which simplicity to carried al
most to the point of baldness and yet reveals, on
close scrutiny, the subtlest s&d Attest qualities ef
portraiture. Mr. Fowler is at his best hi his free;
direct and most sympathetically conceived portrait
of Mr. John Reid, which has a good neighbor la th*
portrait of Mr. Rltschel by Mr. Irving R. Wiles.
Mr. Vonnoh's "Mrs. M. E. Porter.** Mr. Beckwtth's
sparkling little portrait of a girl, and the hard
but powerful portrait of Mr. John M. Bowers by
Mr. Alfred Q. Collins are also to be noted. Several j
pictures In other provinces detach themselves from
their surroundings through some special attributes)
of excellence. Mr. Horatio Walker's large ploughing
scene. "The First Gleam.;* Mr. Alden Weir's "New-
England Village" and Mr. John F. Weir's lovely
study of a bowl of roses (No. at). There are son**
fine pieces of sculpture, too. including two stately
bronze figures modelled for the Hunt Memorial by
Mr. D. C. French. But upon thto occasion there is
less temptation to dwell upon Individual works
than to speak of the exceptional character of th*
exhibition as a whole. The average ha* never been
higher. The best thins that can be said of the show
is that It Is never fatiguing, that It to alive and In
teresting. It opens the season in the most au
spicious manner. '
CONTEST OF SPOFFORD WILL UNLIKELY.
One of the executors of the will of James I*
Spofford said yesterday that there was not Uhe
ly to' bo any contest or trouble hi settling the af
fairs of the estate.- Mr. Spofford inserted la hts
will a paragraph. statin? M Mi mm for cutting
off his sister, Pauline IV irsall. and her hnsbatwl.
Thomas Pearsall. that 1:1 opposing him in certain
legal proceedings they had made false and
malicious charges aga: him. v- Spofford's es
tate was in part received from his father, who. as
a member of the firm of Spotfonl .v Tileston. * ¦¦»
prominent in the shipping business early la the tost
century- The elder Mi Spofford died In IS>l\ nnJ
his estate was divided between his children-
DR. CURRAN GOlNp TO STAFFORD.
San Francisco, Jan. 4 (Special).— Proftssar J.imei
Harrison Curran. A. M. of Dickinson College, and
I'll. P., of Halle, has been appointed acting assist
ant profossor of economics at Leland Stanford.
Jr., University, to nil the place, made vacant by the
reslirn-itlon of Professor Aliirich. Dr. Curran comes
hero irom Tome Institute. Port Deposit. Md._ He
Pf.i* rr.irn lume institute, tort I't-posn Ma. Ma
spent two years In Germany, making special studies
in finance, economics nnd. philosophy. lie has just
completed a translation, authorized by the author,
of . Professor -Johann Conrad's wort on public
finance.