J ''" '
THE MORNING TJMES, .tlDAY,, DECEMBER 27, 1896.
W WRSHINGTD1 TIES
tMOKKIXa, EVEXIXG AND SUNDAY.)
OWNED A'D ISSUKU BY
TEE WASHINGTON TIMES COMPANY.
' TIMES BUILDING.
EoUTirwrsT Consnn PcxjchYnvANiA Ave-
M'n ASD TESTTH bTKKET.
Teki hone Editorial Rouis. ISO.
Busiucss Ouico. 337.
Trice Morning or Evening Edition..Ono Com
Sunday Edition Ilirco Cents
Alontlily. hy Carrier
.i.Iorninc cud Sunday.. ...Thirty-five Cents
Evening 'lliltty Cents
Morning,
Evening and
Sunday.
i
.Fiftv Cents
BY MALL, POSTAGE PltEPAlD.
Horning, Evening and Sunday 50o
Morning and Sanday 35c
Evening una Sunday 35o
Tlio Tltnea has n regular anil
permanent Fumllr Circulation mucli
Creator than any other paior, morn
ing or evening, published in Wimli
lngton. As a Ncith and Advertising
Medlnni It lias no competitor.
WASHINGTON. D.a DECEMBER -7. 1S9U.
REMOVAL OF THE BUSINESS
OFFICE.
Tlie business office of The Daily
Times will bo removed next weelc
to the nutchlns Building, corner
of Tenth and D streets and Peiiu
Bylvania nvenne, for twelve years
the office of I he Daily Post, where,
on the 30th of December, all the
friends and patrons of The Times
will bo heartily welcomed.
The news, composition, art, and
press rooms, newspaper delivery
aud carriers and newsboy' quar
ters will remain at their present
location.
Pnt Into Operation.
Reference lias been made to the ieeentlv
promulgated plan of the Illinois Central
Railroad to enable it employes to acquire
profit-sharing interest in the stock of Uie
road. Tlie plan is now fitllj worked out
and In operation. It lias attracted wide
Interest, and is being fully elal)urated In
the pi cs of the country. From tlie New
York World we learn that tlie plan was
originated by M. Stuyvcsant FMi. tlie
president and tlie largest stockl older in
the Illinois Central road, and tliat it was
for the purpose of making liis plan a
reality, that Mr. Fish gave up Ins palace
In Gramcrcy Square and moved to Chi
cago. He assumed the active manage
ment of tlie road. It was not long before
his advanced iies were fell.
More Uinn l.r.oo employe-, have already
made application to lie- officers for
block. .Applications are being received
at the rate of 2r or 300 a month. They
Indicate a strong desire o'i the part of the
workingmen to be in harmony with the
executive department.
The Illinois Central employs 22,000
incn It is expected that liairof tliatnum
ber will soon tecome stockholders. Presi
dent Fish has offered to asKt any who
want to bu stock at the rate or u share
at a time, the buyer paying for tlie pur
chase in installments of S3. On the
amounts so paid, interest is to be credited
at the rate of $4 a year. "When the sum
to the credit of any one amounts to the
figure at which the stock was taught
be leceives a regular certificate for his
snare Then the stockholder can buy
another share, on the same terms, if he
tikes.
President FiMi recently expressed lilm
clf as follows about the present suffering
end discontent in the South and Wet. nnd
explained the reasons Tor the great scheme
made, public recently:
There is btill a good deal of dis
content in the South and West, he
Bald; 'tis a great mistake to call these
people "Anarchists." Tlie majority
are as true and earnest citizens as
can be found in any part of the
country. They have a great many
tilings to contend with which many
of us in the East do not take into
' "account. The price of corn is low
and that of cotton still lower. Wheat
clone shows material advance.
Of course, when farm products are
ko cheap, there must be more or less
suffering in the agricultural districts.
Especially is it so when money com
mands as high as 12 and 15 per
cent about the time the crops are to
be moved. I rcmemlier, as fur back
as 1S85, how Gov. Oplesby, of Illi
nois, said that agitation henceforth
Would not be so much between people
and Uie railroads as between the
'haves' And "have nobs."
We are confronted today with the
communistic and socialistic tendencies
which have long given trophic in
Europe. These make it imperative
that we continue our campaign of edu
cation. We have settled t he 1 6-to-l
question, but there arc a number of
other important questions tobe passed
upon before the present popular dis
content is allayed. I nstend or calling
Uie people or the South and "West fools
and fanatics, we would better correct
our own errors.
These were well described by Mr.
Henry Watterson, In a recent inter
view, as "suddenly acquired riches
and Tulgar ostentation.'
The way to answer this Populistic
clamor Is to ascertain the cause of
complaints, redress wrongs as far as
possible, and uhow the West and
South that their interests and ours
In the North and East are identical
and Inseparable. It is within the
power of the present Congress to take
away Uie cause of much of the dis
content and thus open the way for
a return to prosperity. And it la
our duty as citizens to sec that they
perforin theirs 36 legislators.
Mr. Fish failH to -explain just what he
believes Congress should do in the way
of. taking "away the cause of discontent,"
which failure detracts considerably from
his otherwise interesting expression of
opinion.
It Is gratifying to learn that It Is no
cheap stock that Mr. Fish is enabling the
workmen of his road to buy but that (L
is "gilt-edged." -The entire stock of
the road is worth $70,000,000 and piy.s
an annual dividend of 5 per cent.
"With an Eye. to llusiness.
One of the curious attachments of the
StnteDepartmentisthc Bureau of American
Republics. It has a quasi-official status
and itisMiesa monthly bulletin of greater
or Icsr volume replete with information,
chiefly statistical, concerning some of the
Central and South American Stales. This
bulletin, which Is generally a respectable
octavo volume of some three or four hun
dred pages, with charts and illustrations,
is printed at tlie Government Printing 0C
fice at the expense of the government, and
circulated by and under its authority. The
manager of this hrllltng publication evi
dently has a sharp eye to business, for he
has used the franking privilege or the State
Department, not merely for soliciting ad
vert I serr.nets from niernhanls, but. ufter
ward giving them circulation after they
had made them n part of the bulletin.
Hut one view can be taken of this whole
business- It is r,n outrage upon the li-gitl-mate
iicwspap.-t publication enterprises
which, not being r.TVortri by large govern
ment appropriations and unable to drum up
subscribers by -using the department frank,
must have recouise to the usual and legiti
mate methods of securing subscriptions
and advertisements. The bureau ami its
manager constitute a thrifty combination,
for on the one hand they euehie the I'ost
office Department of a considerable patt
of its legitimate revenues, while, on the
other hand, they enci oach upon the domain
of the legitimate newspaper by obtaining
advertisements which, under oidinary cir
cumstances would-be wholly out oT their
reach.
If this use of the franking privilege is
tacitly made permissible its extension to
other government publications suggests
itself. For instance, there are the Agri
cultural Reports, the Patent Office Re
ports, and the Congressional Record, three
thrilling volumes or curious lore There is
no telling how many "ads" could be se
cured for these widely circulated publi
cations The field in which their respective
manager could operate under the franks,
respectively, of the Secretary of Agri
culture, Commissioner of Patents and
Public Printer, is simply unlimited. Sub
scriptions -and Vads" having thus been
obtained the volume could be sent out
under the same rranks. But it would be
I mighty small business, and would be stop-
petrin a jiffy, just as the bulletin of the
Bureau of American Republics ought to
be stopped.
Insanity and Crime.
The frequency with which persons proven
in the courts to be guilty of murder
escape punishment through a successful
demonstration by their counsel that they
v,'erenon compos mentis" at tlie time they
committed the crime, points to the neces
sity of legislation on this point. Tlie pl".i
of emotional insanity in palliation of
murder is nothing less than vicious, for
it simply makes a fool of Justice, who
must, indeed, be blind If she can't see
through so transparent a device. It is
no exaggeration to say that in hundreds f
trials for murder the accused has gone
scot free, under this plea.
Some years ago a case of this sort came
up in tlie local criminal court, and counsel
for the accused set up the theory Mut
his client was sane a moment before and
a moment arter he killed his man, but
insane at the time he slew his victim.
Expert testimony galore was produced in
support or this theory, and the man was
acquitted. Such a theory is the very
mockery or Justice, and neither law nor
couit should lend itself to its perpetra
tion. No man that can measure the
enormity and the consequences of such a
crime Just before and immediately -ifter
its committal, should be regarded as lot
responsible for what he did.
There is another class of cases, 'iow
ever, to be considered in this connection.
It happens too frequently that a man who
in a sudden f itof insanity commits murder,
and is not morally responsible Tor his act. is
acquitted and allowed to leave the court
in the care or his relatives. This is a posi
tive wrong to tlie community, ror the
homicidal impulse may return at any time
and cause him to claim another victim
Such a man should be sent to the insane
asylum and held there subject to the orders
or the court. He should be examined from
time to time, and his condition reported
to the court, which tribunal should also
determine the time of his release. An
-amendment is about to lie offered to the
code or criminal procedure of New York
which, it is believed, will follow th-se
lines, and if If'ls found to operate bene
ficially other States might well pattern
after It.
Revision of the District Code.
Thorough revision of the laws, both
criminal and -civil, on the statute books
of the District of Columbia is a prime
necessity. Our code today is a con
glomerate mass of good, bad, and in
dirrercnt components. It include laws
long since obsolete, and, in the light of
modern thought in legislation, painfully
absurd. For instance, there is no penalty
for seduction save the payment of a cer
tain number of pounds of tobacco.and there
are other statutes equally ridiculous. The
factors in the code are old Maryland laws.
Congressional laws, ordinances of the
common councils of Washington. George
town, and. the levy court; acts passed by
the District legislature of blessed memory;
orders of the District Commissioners, which
have the force of law; decisions of courts,
whereby some of the foregoing have been
nullified, and all these, mixed up with Od
English common law, have produced u
labyrinthine condition which not nfre
qucntly puzzles court and lawyers
It cannot well be avoided in such a
state of affairs that all litigation Is long
drawn out and consequently unduly ex
pensive. All these laws have been codi
fied from time- to time, but the legislative
pruning knife hus never been applied to
them. This is what is needed and Con
gress would doicrve the thanks of the peo
ple "of tue DJstriot it Jtjwere to pass, a
bill -providing ?forthe appointment of a
commission of good lawyers, members of
the District bar, to whom the task of
revising the whole mass of mnterlul should
be entrusted. They should have ample
time given them for this work, which
must needs lie done with extreme care.
They should also be instructed to elimi
nate all superfluous mutter, giving their
reasons in each instance; to supply de
ficiencies, and at last, put everything in
compact form, subject to the approval or
the supreme court or the District. Thib
approval having been given, it would re
main for Congress to give this revived code
lis sanction and make it take the place
or the jumble or legislation we now dignify
by calling lithe District code.
The attention of Congress lias been called
to this matter more than once, but that
body has neyer seen fit to pay heed to the
wishes of the people of the District in
this regard. There is no occasion for
delay, for the woik can be begun today
as well as tomorrow, even better, perhaps,
ror the sooner it is begun the more quickly
will it he' brought to completion. It can
not be done any too soon.
Americans who hiss President Cleveland's
name and burn Weylcr in errigy are enjoy
ing themselves a great deal and helping
Cuba very little.
It is impossible to convince tlie State cen
tral committee of Tennessee that it is now
"the late" election.
We fear thatthe London Times' warnings
tj America do not boom its circulation in
this country.
MoKlnley is back from Chicago, and now
Mr. Ilaima thinks he will visit the same
place January 10. Windy City bank depos
itors would rather see fewer advance agents
of prosperity and more of tlie entertainment
which they advertise
Little Willie Leedy, son of the Governor
elect or Kansas, visited his father's orrice
last week and afterwards said: "There
was a lot of men who came into papa's
ante-room and sat down a while, and then
went into papa's office-room and com
menced to recite to him." Come to Wash
ington after March 4, Willie, and you'll
see what a real big school of oratory is
like.
There Is a town in Nebraska without
a lawyer. The statement saves itself
from impossibility by adding that there
are no inhabitants.
In spite of all he had heard aboutjthc
bicycle stocking Santa Claus was un
able to get one into it.
Enraged Chicago citizens tried to kill
a motormsii, but Tailed because they
couldn't operate the trolley.
Society people in New York are dis
gusted with a rerorin movement that
dares to trouble any one except the dwell
ers in tenements.
Tlie size of today's Sunday-school at
tendance will depend on possibility of
.some overflow gift-giving on New Year's
The esteemed Baltimore Herald says that
the coming magnificent inaugural is by no
means antagonistic to Republicanism. Just
so. Dutisn't it rubbing itiii on Democracy?
Sixlynchings in one week Is Kentucky's
icbuke to these new fangled substitutes Tor
effecting capital punishment.
Guess who is in love with Miss M.
E. P. Little? G. B W. says that
M E P. is her sweetheart. Look
out, J. W. F The Eufaula. Ala ,
Republican Headlight.
It is fair to presume that by this lime
J. W. F. has invaded the editorial saner urn
and trimmed down the headlight.
Tammany Hall has a Toet Laureate. Mr.
Croker will surely disrupt the solid Bowery
with these English innovations.
Thecurrentusage which spells it "Xmns"
is being aided and abetted by the lajk or
width In newspaper headlines.
The London Press will please take notice
that the Springfield Union settle It all
with "There is no danger of war."
In Russia one may marry only five limes.
Now we -understand Lillian .Russell's aver
sion to a foreign tour.
The Jack the Slasher epidemic la on
again in Washington, but it will npt roaoh
the acute stage until the appointment jf
the new First Assistantl'osf mastcrGen ;ral.
PERSONAL.
William Doroczi, a Hungarian , declares
that the tobacco plant is u perennial, not
an annual, and therefore tlicre is no need
or sowing it anew each year.
A Boston biographer of the yqunger
Salvini says: "No dark corners lurked in
his character, which may be summed up
in a single word lovable. He was the
most delightful and sympathetic of com
panions, the best of hosts, kind, courteous
and considerate."
At the Schubert festival, to be civen in
Vienna in commemoration of the com
poser's fOOth birthday, oneof the perform
ers will be Miss Caroline Giessler-Schubert,
of London, a pianiste. She is a grand
niece of Schubert, .md has the name of
being an excellent interpreter of her illus
trious relative's music.
Sardou is of the opinion that Sarah Rern
hardt talks too fast on the stage." "At
the general rehearsal she Tecites divinely,
at the first performance stupendously, but
alter that sh runs at breakneck speed.
It is worse when she performs out of
Paris. I heard her once at Nice. She and
all the others recited as ir rattling off a
lesson as quick as possible."
The Boston Transcript says: "A move
ment has been put on foot in all the large
cities or the United States to memorialize
the twenty-fifth anniversary of the reign
of King Oscar II, of Sweden, by making
the monarch a girtthat shall fittingly show
the high appreciation of his long and pros
perous administration. Some of the most
influential Swedes in Boston have organ
ized a committee for the purpose of so
liciting funds ror this object, and subscrip
tion lists have been opened in various
places." Tlie anniversary will occur on
September 18,1897.
IS THIS ttEW" J0URXALIS3I?
A newspaper that will clip matter, edi
torial and miscellaneous, from a contem
porary and then persistently and know--lngly
credit It to other newspapers, is worse
than a journalistic kleptomaniac. And
there arc such alleged newspapers pub
lished. Philadelphia Tress,
Epitome' of the lews in,
Evening Times.
LIGHTS ON THE CAPITOL Mr. Elliott
Wood, assistant architect or the Capitol,
proposes a cheap and effective illumina
tion for the 4th.
VICTIMS OF HYDROPHOBIA Conrad
Eppcrs, a Baltimore boy, succumbs. Pas-'
teur treatment fails. Another developed,
dread s mploms.
IN GEN. LOGAN'S TOMB Remains or
Capt. George E. Lemon await the last rev-'
cille at Soldiers' Home burying giound..
Many friends attend the funeral.
,-SIX LYNCHERS IN SIX DAYS Judge
Lvnch makes a record in Kentuckv. Alfred
Holt, a muiderer, pie last victim. Hanged H
uy a jnoo iit uwensuoro.
QUEEN GOTABOAR'S HEAD Emperor A
-.William's gift to Victoria. How royalty
spent the holidays.
- HARD FIGHT WITH THIEVES Deter
mined pickpockets jin Chicago give police
a tussle. ) ,
HIS DEATH CAMEUNSOUGHT Warren'
McCoy of No. ,900 "I. street northwest ac- j
cldentally asphj"xied. Loose stop-cock j
the cause.
ECKLE8 ANOTHER SLASHER Detective-
Lacey-arngsb. James, Eckles,, alias
"Jack the -Slashee." Despoiled carpets
and other furniture in .Pennsylvania ticket
office, at Filteenth and G streets, and se
cured SI 50 in cash.
JURORS FOR JANUARY TERM List of
the men to Judge their fellows. One hun
dred and fifty impaneled for the bix courts.
SHE WORKED FOR HER FAITH Mrs.
Anna II. Dorsey, a prominent writer of
Catholic literature, passes away at her resi
dence. No. 2110 California avenue. Prom
inent church meu to attend the funeral Bcr
vices at St. Paul's.
EMERGENCY MORGUE FULL Heavy
death rate at the hospital, and many other
patients who may die. Extra physicians on
duty.
PLEA FOR STRINGENT LAW Efforts
of the health department to prevent a
spread of diphtheriu. Herbert couit under
strict surveillance. The Worth mgtou case.
HE RAISED CUBA'S FLAG Col. Pren
tiss Iugraham, author and sportsman, of
Easton, Md., talks of Cuban af ralrs. Calls
Weyler a hyena, and prophesies success for
Cuba libre.
UPON A MOVING STAIRWAY An elec
trical tread-mill put in operation on the
Brooklyn Bridge as an experiment. Orri
cials pleased and may adoptltpermanently.
GUESTS OF THE FRIDAY COTILLION
CLUB-Baltimore society folks entertain
Washingtonlans. Lehmann's Hall a dream
of beauty. Fashionable functions through
out the city.
REFUGE IN THE WORKHOUSE Sad
story of Fiederick Wcaka. With life
wrecked by rum, he asks for alms from the
city.
EIGHTY-THREE IN THE DOCK Judge
Kimball races a motley crew or Christmas
revellers. Prcrerred cocktails to coffee.
Many go down for a stay at tlie workhouse.
SUN SHONE CHEERLESSLY Judge
Miller's courtroom filled wiUi gloom and
holidnjlawbreakers. A potpourri of petty
offenders and their punishments.
CHICAGO'S BAXrv FAILURE.
The , financial world wu not be upset
over the ralhjrq, of the Bank of Illluois.
Unwise methods, sometimes prevail where
the utmost conservatism should be looked
for. Philadelphia JTflegram. -
What has happened In the case of this
particular bank may happen any dtiy
with a dozen others or the remaining
3,078 institutions over which the Federal
government exercises a paternal super
vision, and Tor whose solvency it ixTiodic
ally vouches. -Is it not time for the
Federal government to give up this sort
of banking business and turn It over to
the Individual States? New York Sun.
It seems that jt.h . N tlonal Bank or nu
nois had too much confidence. Indianapo
lis News. ,i
It is our opinion that the National Bank
of Illinois would have failed whether we
had a gold or silver standard, the Wilson
law or the McKlnley law, ror the reason
that its management, it not-dishonest, was
at least iccklcs and demoralizing. New
York Press.
OVER TBE OCEAN.
Germany's decay in musical matters is
beginning. Ithasbecn found advisable late
ly to provide analytical programs at Dres
den concerts.
Mrs. Smith, a 100-year-old lady of Grant
ham, England, does all her own house
work, nurses an invalid nephew, and sells
potatoes, which she has planted and dug
up herseir.
The Marquis de Montcalm, the last male
representative of the family of the de
fender of Quebec, died recently at Mont
pellicr. He transmitted the name and-title
by legal process to an adopted son.
Prince Karl Egon, of Fuvstenburg, who
died recently, left a fortune or $85,000,
000 in cash and securities. The Tamily had
been sovereign in the principality berore the
French revolution.'but was mediatized by
the congress of Vienna.
A bankruptcy which occurred in 1811 has
justbeen woundup in the London registrar's
court-by a-payment' tha't brings the 'total
dividends up to 100 cents on tlie dollar. A
recent bankrupt at about the same time of
fered to settle af the rate -01-27 of -a'
penny in the pound, or 7-10 of a cent to a
dollar.
FACTS AND FANCY.
The next trouble will be to learn to
write it "1S97." - , .
As things now look, if Mr. Choate is to
be tlie Tiext Senator from "New York,
Mr. Piatt will have to elect? him.
Congressman Money is showing the Sen
ate Foreign Relations Committee how if
might have made- a nice' little holiday
junket out of that Cuban business.
A visiting English .critic finds that the
homogeneity which pervades the United
States from Tfew York to San Francisco
In our distinguishing characteristic. After
he has lived here long enough to notice,
more closely he will change his mind.
If everybody ,did not have a inerry
Christmas it was ;not the fault of the
clerk of the t wepe?-
The Bancroft i3"i'n evidence once more.
It Is no'w intimated- that she is not to go
through the Dardanelles until it is certain
that she can conic back again.
The sultan's troops seem to have found
the only effectual way' to coerce the sultan.
Mr. Biyan Jhas.lbecn given a Kentucky ,
thoroughbred sadijlehhorse for a Christmas
present. Tt is safer to ride on than a
Georgia railroad. v ,
IT anybody has.ja-iBhipload of rock from
Juan Fernandez, oily has a chance for a
big speculation .In souvenirs.
CURRENT TOPICS.
The city assessors of Boston have decided
that the "temple" of the Spiritualists In
that city Is not n place of worship, and they
have fixed its taxable. value at $2-10,000.
The Spiritualists have' "ruised Cain" over
the matter.
Florists and gardeners have found a sim
ple, and what is said to be an effective,
means of ridding their greenhouses of
devastating Insects. Tobacco stems are
placed on thu heating plpe. and the heat
brings out thecdor of the tobacco, which
destroys the pests.
It is a noticeable fact that this year
Santa Clans, the patron saint of the holi
days, was in many cases represented as
making his annual mythical tour mounted
on a bicycle. It spoils the illusion to sep
arate jolly old St. Nick from his sleigh and
reindeer team.
WIde-awuke advertisers arc always on
the lookout to rind some sioel way or dis
playing their advertisements; but one pio
gresslvo New York firm baa succeeded In
introducing its advertisement at purely so
cial functions. An elaborate private din
ner was recently given in the metropolis, at
which each guest received as a souvenir a
pretty calendar, on the bayk of which was
printed an adx-ertining card.
An artiGle lit the Psychological Review
gives the results of some careful ex peri
nients on the best conditions Tor avoiding
ratiguein reading. It seems that type less
than 1.5 millimeters in height should bo
avoided as much as possible, since visual,
weariness rapidly increases in reading
letters smaller than this. Size or type was
found to be much more important than In
tensity of illumination, though, of coume,
the eyes are strained if attempts be made
to read in semi-darkness. White light is
better than yellow, and daylight liest of
all. "Leading," or apace between lines,
lessens the fatigue upon the eyes, and the
form of the type is or less importance than
the thickness of the letter..
A writer in the New York Pi ess saj-3 of
our immigrants: "The Irish land here
as servants and laborers, wind up as poli
ticians and contractor, with money to
burn. Many become policemen, and de
velop into capitalists. The French Immi
grants arrive as waiters, and become
boardlng-hnuse keepers. The Germans come
as waiters, principally, but often as
skilled artisans. They develop into small
grocers and butchers, and are thrifty and
live comfortably on small sales and vast
proHts. Tlie Italians come to 6ell pennuts,
blacken shoes, peddle gew-gaws and dean
out sewers. They boldoin advance in
station, but return to Italy with fortunes.
The English immigrant are usually di
vided into two classes, namely, those who
comejis butlers and coachmen, and those
who come as adventurers. The latter class
includes lords and dukelets."
POLITICAL OPINIONS.
They are making fun or I'effer because
In seeking re-election he has published iii
tins shape ror Kansas consumption a re
sume or his work in the Senate:
Speeches, long and short 437
Bills and joint resolutions introduced. 202
Amendments proposed 91
Reiwrts submitted S7
Senate and concurrent motions and
resolutions fjj
Whole number of petitions presented.. 30G
Peffer is all right. Pcffer knows his
husiness. He knows tliat-the.se arc the
very things which his constituents value
Uie highest. Chicago Chronicle.
Senator Hoar must have been joking
when he said. In reply to Senator Allen,
that "the Senate was supposed to be
above political parties, which, after the
clamor and heat or political contest, set
tled questions on their merits, without
rererence to political testi." That Uie
Nebraska Senator should introduce a po
litical or party question seemed to him
"inconsistent with the dignity and the
character or the Senate." He must have
been joking. Can we think of Chandler,
Hill, Gorman and Quay in n Senate with
out party politics? Even Senator Hoar
has played occasionally his party gain
in that august body. Spnngfield Repub
lican. If Gen. Coxey bcUeves that this govern
ment could elevate" itself into prosperity
by issuing non-interest bearing bonds, why
doesn't he work up a little prosperity for
himself by loaning money without interest?
Chicago Times-Herald.
The Hon. Elijah Morse continues his war
on the barrooms in and out or the Capitol
with unabated vigor. He should remem
lier that he Is doing a grievous thing in
making committee work dry and unin
teresting. Cleveland Leader.
There is said to be a Cabinet place for
Quay. He is a good fighter, and there
fore lie is slated for Secretary of the Navy.
Buffalo News.
A FEW NEW THINGS.
An electric roller for massage purposes
is composed of plates of copper and zinc
and generates its own electricity.
A newly-designed double-barreled gun
has only one trigger, a lever being used
to change the action to eitlier side.as
desired,
Blacking brushes for use with liquid
blacking have a reservoir in the danber.
together with a tube., running into the
bristles through which the polish runs.
Pneumatic roller skates having one
wheel on each skate are just out. In con
nection with the foot plate and lieel and
toe clamps, there is a brace running up to
the cair of the leg to make it. more rigid.
To remind a person that his clock needs
winding a Wy-orningman has a device con
sisting of a lever placed so as to tonch
off on alarm when the coiled spring has
unwound surficiently to move the lever out
of position.
PROMOTION OF THE FITTEST.
The hostility to civil service reform
manifests itself from time to time in a
petty form in the House of Representa
tives by the familiar, but always de
feated motion to strike out from the ap
propriation bills the item for., the salaries
of the Civil Service Commissioners. This
very small potato proposition received
twenty-nine votes in the House last Tues
day. Civil service reform is here to
stay, and the fact that some Congressmen
are willing to cut ofr the pay of the com
missioners shows the need of the applica
tion of civil service Teforni principles
that is, the promotion of the fittestto
Congressional elections. PhiladelphiaPress.
1VHKRE IS KOONEH JOHN?
Southern Christmas Custom That
Has Passed Away.
So folk Pilot.
Forty years ago, in some parts of Vir
ginia, North Carolina, and other South
ern States,Kooner John, "or "theKooner,"
or "John O'Kconer," was still a feature
of Christinas' revels. Perhaps It was the
last lingering relic or English Christmas
revels brought by our forefathers from
the old country. When we first knew
John, lie had a wife John being a stout
colored man, with a hideous false-face, a
cocked hat, and from hat to shoes be
dizened with tinsel, ribbons, feathers and
rags of all sizc-v shapes and colors. In
one hand he carried a small bell, which
he rang continuously, and in the othr he
bore a staff, with which he threatened the
children now and then, as he made a
ferocious pretense of rushing upon thorn.
slaying and devouring them. His w'fe
was another colored rellow dressed as a
woman, Ins bonnet being a battered eld
leghorn, of prodigious size, and awful scoop
and scope. From head to foot he was nig
tagged like John, and wore a mask even
more horrible in aspect than that or John.
On the occasion referred to John and his
wife were accompanied by drum and
fire, with a chorus of singers and bell
ringers. The drummer and flfer wore
scarlet coats.hluetrouiers(.all much loaded
with brass buttons), and each had a tall
bearskin shakoon his head. When thedrum
and fife were not sounding, Uie -singers
(Including John and his wirel sang at the
top of their voices and rang their bells
with all their might. The song was all
about John Kooner and his wire, and al
ways asked Tor money, usually "one cent,"
though much silver was usually thrown to
them from every house berore which they
Stopped to sing and dance and perform
other antics. They were at once the
terror and fascination of all children; and
a long procession of them, of both sexes and
colors, and of all conditions and ages,
generally followed them about.
This appearance of John was the grand
est we ever witnessed: and it was a
long time ago, in Fuyetteviile, N. C
Subsequently John fell into a decay, so to
speak. He Iot his wife; he lost his drum
and fife; and the last time we met Jjhn
he was a suiull negro boy, with a face
suicured with soot and Spanish brown,
with some parti-colored rags tacked about
on his clothes. He was accompanied oy
another colored boy, who had a bell, and
ho helped John to sing; but, altogether,
it was a tame and melancholy rendition
of the grand performance which once
entranced the children.
It is it question: Whence came John
O'Kooner and his Christmas parade?
Whence his masquerade, his rags, his bell,
his song, etc.? We have looked into the
matter a little, and we incline to think
that John and his performances (as he
and they became boon after importation
here) were a parody, or a degenerate fonii,
orsomeor the old English Christmas revels,
brought over by out early colonists, and
gradually transrerred to the African
slaves that soon begun to take the place
of the white laborers on farms and planta
tions. In one of his recent Shakespearean
articles in Lippincott's, the writer lias
made a brief reference to Kooi.er John;
and this seems to be the only published
mention of John extant. Yet there must
be many persons in Virginia and North
Carolina who remember John; and we
shall be very zlad if some of them would
send us their recoHectionsof him, his dress,
songs, etc. It will be interesting to trace
John's origia, his decline and fall, and we
trust that we will hear about hits fromome
who read this imperfect reminiscence
or the defoncr Christmas worthy. Or
does he still linger somewhere?
BUSINESS FIRMS FAIL.
New York, Dec. 26. George Heather,
dealer in dry goods under the name of
Heather & Co., today confcs.-ed judgment
for $22,833. The liabilities are 5.10,000;
nominal assets, $40,000, and actual assets,
$.10,000.
Rochester. N. Y.. Dec. 2G. Dallas A.
Wightman, a cloak manufacturer, made a
general assignment this morning. His
as-ets are between $20,000 and $25,000;
liabilities $15,000.
Sioux City. Iowa, Dhc 26. Robert Her
derborg was today appointed leceiver for
the Union D ry Goods Con.pany of this place.
Assets are $35,00u; estimated liabilities,
$20,000. Fresure brought to bear on
other local dry good?, dealers on top of the
failure or the ParsMis-Pelletier Dry Goods
Company precipitated the failure
CONTEST IN KENTUCKY.
Republicans TVill Try to Have
Solid Electoral Vote.
Richmond, Ky.. Dec. 20 Through A. T
Herd, secretary of the Republican State
campaign committee, the Republicans this
afternoon filed notiee of contest on W. E
Smith; who received a certificate of
election as Democratic Presidential elector.
J. S R. Wedding and H. S. Howes, Re
publican electors from the Ninth and Fourth
districts, are earned as contestants. The
notiee charges fraud m the First, Second.
Thirl. Fpurth, Seventh, Ninth and Tenth
districts.
This was the la-t day on which notice
could be filed.
MISSION OF ax olivf: leaf.
Important 1'nrt It TUnyed" lu Mold
ing; the Destiny of Europe. .
Youth't Companion,
While Bismarck was Prussian envoy at
Paris tie made a short Fyrencaiitocr.and
at Avignon made the acquaintance of a
young couple, named Luwng. who were
spending their honeymoon in that ro
mantic spot. One day the three set out
together fora drive, but they had scarcely
seated themselves in the carnage when a
telegram war. handed Be-marck. It was
a message from King William, summon
ing him to return to Berlin and assume
the post of minister president. The Prus
sian chamber had rejected the estimates
fora reformed arm y, which was. the first
condition of other reforms, and the king
was in despair.
BlxmaTck made no secret or the contents
of the telegram, and trankly expressed a
hope that he niightMieceed in reconciling the
government and the chamber. Bnt he
would not Interrupt the drive, and they
went on along the bank ofthelihone until,
reaching the vineyards and olive groves,
they got out of the carriage for a little
stroll. Suddenly Mme. "Ltmrng stopped,
and, breaking a doable twfg from a
yoang olivexree. offered 1t toF.ismarck.
"May this, help you to make it up with
your opponents,"" she said.
"I will accept lialf of It, he said gal
lanUy, Tetoniing her a -part of the twig.
"May the other holt, with this rose, bring
yon, dear madam, constant peace in your
happy marriage."
Four days later he was in Berlin, and
there he found .the king with 3iis abdica
tion signed and ready. He refused in thoe
circumstances to take office, ami when
the Tung asked him it he were prepared
to govern against a majority of the ttiam-berJie-answered
"Yes, without the slight
est hesitation. The judication was torn
up and .Bismarck accepted office. It
was during this struggle that the king sold-
"I can see far enough from the palace
window to behold your head fall on the
scaffold, and after yours, mine.
"Well," said Bismarck, "for myself I
cannot imagine a- nobler death than that
or -on the battlefield. Surely your majesty
as -captain of a company cannot think of
deserting it under fire!"
"Never!' was the reply.
But the olive leaf had not yet fulWled
its dramatic mission. At his riot speech
before the budget committee, Bismarck
urged military reform, tnt only to be met
by the objection that it would be much
better for the government to depend upon
moral conquests by the iid of a Iroetal
policy. He took out his pockctbouk and
produced from it a little withered twig.
"I brought this olive leaf with me from
Avignon," said he, "in order to offer it to
the radicals as a symtiol of peace, but I
see I am much too soon with tt."
This assurance was met wit n a smile, and
he roused himself to sterner speech- "Ger
many," said he, "docs not i.xk to liberal
Ism, but to Uie power or Prussia, -and Prus
sia must pull herself together so -as not to
miss the ravorable moment. .Not by speech
itying and resolutions can tlie great ques
tions or the time be decided, but by blood
aud from"
THE BARBARY PIRATES -"
Facts About Their Warfare on
Christian Nations.
Glimpses of IMi aey In the Medltero
raneuii 100 Years Ajro Ameri
cans Had the Small End of It.
JVei$ York Sun.
"TheBarbary States for many years sent;
out cruisers, winch captured vessels of all
Christian nations and held their crew as
slaves ur.til ransomed. The United States,
like the European nations, was accustomed
to pay annual tribute to these pirates
to secure exemption rroiu these attacks.
That in what we were taught when we
went to school. The Instruction was euii
linued with the information, that the
Bashaw of one of the States, sometimes
called Algiers, sometimes called Tripoli,
finally became so haughty that the United
oU-ich i.ini u, boiuuaiuutcity. and a in. ta
in small type at the foot of tne page sayi
that Commodore Decatur distinguihiiedhini
."eir. He was only a lieutenant at the
time; but when a child's history of the
United States gets so near to facts as is
indicated above, no criticism should be
permitted.
Inissiory willrotconcerniuelf with the
greater matters or his.ory, but will take up
some of the details or the haughtiness and
naughtiness of the Barbary States
In 17SK' Washington, then President,
sent Mr Nathaniel Cutting of Massachu
setts and Ccl. Humphrey to the iiurbary
Slates to arrange alout theyearii ransom,
and square things generally Mr. Cutting
Jollied Col Humphreys in Liston. and a.
journal which he kept gives a clear idea,
of the waj of traveling 100 years ago,
and of what Ls meant by the remark m
the history that "the Barbary States
captured vessels of ail Christian na
tions." Jle sailed from I hilaticlpmu Jn
April, 1703, for England, and on August
loieft Falmouth :n theKmgGtorge packet
for List on, where he arrived on the 2Stli.
His first illuminating entry appears mi
August 31. "Col. II. informs me Mr. Har
rison has not been able to do anything
decisive with respect to a neutral vessel
for us t o proceed to our destination.""
On September 5, however, they pro
cured a vessel, a Swedish brig, to convey
them up the Aiediterr-neun. On the ttli
they learned by way oT Malaga "that an
American vessel and cargo has recently
fallen into tne hancU or tne Algerines. By
the Cadiz marine list we rind it is the
schooner Laurel. Capt. John Daniels, from
Philadelphia, laden with riour and copper,
and was captured by an Algerian CorsaU
about the 2ttn ult.; the captain and crew,
having abandoned her, had escaped Mtfe on
shore In their boats. The letter states
those pirates are much more daring than
ever, since the Portuguese squadron have
ceased cruising about Gibraltar."
On the lflth day they got off in their
"hired ship" called the Postillion, and on
the 21st reached Gibraltar, too late in the
evening lo laud. Tlie next day the"I'rat
tlck boat came alongside about sunrise
and took our papers out." After a time
they landed and viited the Governor.
Gen. Sir Robert Boyd. & venerable vet
eran, near ninety yeor.sold." CoL Humph
reys and Mr Cutting stayed at Gibraltar
for some tune, dining with the officers
of the garrison and enjoying themselves,
but alwajs on the lookout for a chance
to move toward their desttnati'-n. Mr.
Cutting tells thU interesting story:
"Mr Muttra, the English consul at Tan
gier, reluted an anecdote of Gen. Arnold,
tb.it despicable tr.uor to American liberty,
which I never before met with. It was
thl. Several years tiaee, as early as
17a5, whea Mr Mattra was in England,
he became slightly acrm-lated with Ar
nold, who, knowing hL. situation m Mo
rocco, solicned an opportunity of pro
posing to ium' u scheme of business that
could not fail or being lucrative. Mr. M
atJast gave Arnold a hearimr The plan
he proposed was that Mr. M should by bin
interest at the Court of Morocco procure
comnusiKjii for sundry corsairs, which he
"Arnold wouid come and fit out from
Tangier -But." observed Mr. M.. -who
wo.ihl you eruue against? The ewperwr
of Morocco has no maritime enemy noc
does he wish to provoke a rupture'with
any or the European powers." Arnold
replied, "But the Americans have as yet
no treaty with Morocco. I would cup
ture their vessels; I know very well the
track to find them; by such an expeuition
we would soon acquire ample fortunes.
A mold pressed the matter very seriously
for some time, but rinding that Mr.
Mattra rejected the neforious scheme and
steadily refused to esert the smallest in
fluence toward obtait ing the commissions
ia question, the arch-renegade solicited
that he would assist him in procuring
Algeritie commissions.
"Oct 5 Two Dutch frisar.es and a sleep
of warlately came down from Malaga. and
are now at anchor in Gibraltar Bay. os
tensibly waiting the arrival of a squadron
from Holland, widen is to convey a com
missioner to arrange the articles of peace
with the regency of Algiers, or to denounce
veugoauce against them for the depreda
tions their corsairs have committed on the
Dutch commerceontheMediterraneanSeaJ
On Sunday, October 6, the American com
missioner attended services with the gar
rison. Mr. Cutting notes that he met Mr.
Mace, Britih eoosul at Algiers, who had
been at Gibraltar eight or nine months,
watting for the plague to subside in Al
giers; Lord Hood would not senda frigate
to take him to his pot- He continues:
-We leurn it is true that three Algerine
frigates and two zebecks and an armed
brig had lost nisht passed but the straits.
We arranged an express for Cadiz
and another to Maiaga , and CoL Humphreys
wrote to the American consuls at b.th
these ports acquainting them with the
intelligence, and requesting them to com
municate it to every American command
er of a vessel that was now or might ar
rive at their ports. Octobers This" morn
ing an Algenne corsair .stood into Gibraltar
Bay from the eastward- Soon after pro
ceeded ihroagn the straits. - - - we.
finally engaged a small Spanish vessel to
cruise of the straits, alias Gat of Gilbral-
tar. with the mate of an American vessel
on board, in order to speak any American
vessel that might possibly have so far
escaped the barla-iaus without knowing
the hazard they had run."
Arm la seems tot to iive been the only
person. T.otAlgermeonginally. who wished
to do a Uttle piracy under the Algerine riag.
Mr. Cutting tells of an alleged American,
calling himself Chapman, who passed
through Gibraltar in July, 1792, and gos
to Oran. Later, calling Jumself an Eng
lishman, he reached Algiers in the Gib
raltar boat, but the British consul would
not let him land. The man s nt to the con
sul a letter for the Dey of Algiers, winch
he said he had brought frota America.
Chapman was not oliowed to land, and
learned only that the i onsul was displeased
at the contents of tlie letter Chapman
was then tuken to Gibraltar, and Mr. Cut
ting writes: From all the circumstances
there In re om to suspect that the purport
of the packet which Mr Chapman has con
veyed tu Algiers was to obtain Algerine
commissions, and thus give Mr , his
employer in Tirginia.n pretense forcaptur
ingthe vessels of such nationsns have not
a treaty of peace with the Regency of
Algiers. Perhaps the Anient an Indianven
werehis object perhap-therichest freighted
Brazil slaps. The wlurie oiuKric -if
America is at a risk!"
On October 1 1 thissuspiciousperst as called
on Col. Humphreys to explain matters; he
reiMirtcdthat there were only ten American
prisoners at Algiers, as the plague there
had killed two- He was on Englishman
originally, but had lived long in America,
and was iu Gibraltar on a business at
tempt to get Algerine commissioners.
Then the vessel that the commissioners
had hired to warn American vessels of
the Algenne fleet put back, and her master
absolutely refused to go out again. "Ho
rejKirts that there Is an Algerine zetolc
constantly cruising in the straits; iu the
daytime he keeps on the Barbary shore
and at evening back or the rock, wheru
he lays with the view of intercepting
any American vessel that may atteraps
running oat or the Mediterranean.
"Oct. 14 -A schooner arrived this morn
ing after a narrow escape from thezebect
back of the rock. The vessel belongs to
Ebeneer Parso of Boston, N E., and the
captain's name is Gooch. In consequence of
the dangers of seizure of our papers and
persons, and on account of the weather,
vc have concluded to id our chartered
brig, how under Swcdu.li colors. aso- neutral
nt f ln t.i A 1iri nt. -tn Cnn in whA. fn ntvnl
our arrival by laodJ -
C
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