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THE BEEF KINGDOM. General Brisbiu Defends the St. Loms Conyen tion—Reasons lor Leasing the Pnhlic Lands to Amencans—How Eng lishmen are Capturing and Monopolizing Our Grass Ranges-The Texas Cattle Trail— Etc., Etc . Important Letter from the Chairman of the National Executive Com mittee of Cattlemen. Boisk Babracks, Idaho, December 9, 1884.— To the Editor of the Herald : As a proved friend of the best interests of Mon tana, I venture to advise no one of your people to commit himself hastily against the proposition to lease the cattle ranges to stock-growers. There are many reasons j why this matter should be maturely con- j sidered before much is said about it. I read your editorial in the Herald of the 4 th inst. with very great interest, but hard- j ly think you fully understand the ques- j tion at issue between the cattlemen and the Government. The rights of the set tler are sacred, and the stock-growers do not desire to disturb the pre-emption or homestead laws. But there is a greater danger than the Jumper to cattlemen, and that is the encroachment from foreign cap ital. Already the English own nearly one sixth of all the herds west of the Missouri river, and they will soon own a half. These British cattle are fed on American free grass for the benefit of people who are not Americans and do not live in the Lnited States. The dividends derived from these foreign investments are declared annually and sent to England, Ireland, Scotland and France, neither the people nor the Govern ment of the United States deriving one cent of benefit from them. The grazing lands of the United States are worth at a fair rental about $15,000, 000 per annum, and it seems to me some means might be devised whereby the Gov ernment could secure this revenue, especi ally if the lands are to be used to enrich foreigners rather than our own people. My own ideas are to lease the grazing lands in the Territories and apply the money de rived to the education of the people. As to what methods and under what rules the lauds shall be leased I am not yet prepared to say, but I fully agree with you in de claring that monopolies shall be guarded against, the rights of small owners pro tected and the homesteader and pre-emp tor left untrammelled. The necessity for some security as to range for the cattle-raiser has become im perative. While the country was un settled and the question ol the extent oi a man's range left to his own judgment it did not matter, but now that the cattle are crowding upon the ranges, the limits ol every man's range must be fixed, so that he will know how to conduct his business and determine what number ot cattle he may raise. The pernicious practice of one owner turning loose upon the range ol an other will soon lead to violence and blood shed, unless we can fix the limit and ex tent of each range. At present nearly every cattle grower on the plains is a tres passer on the public domain. This is not his fault, but the fault of the law under which he lives. There is at present no way to lease the public domain for stock puposes, so the stock raiser is obliged to be a trespasser. It was to remedy this defect that the memorial to Congress favoriug the leasing of the public domain to stock growers was passed at the late convention. The right of the cattlemen to petition Congress cannot be denied, and they did no more. The method of fixing the leases of the lands was left entirely- to Congress, and a plan was not even suggested. The outcry against these men by the press be cause they are wealthy is most unjust. Suppose they do own $'200,000,000 ot the material wealth of this country. Is that fact any- reason why their business and their wealth should not be protected the same as that of the manufacturer, the farmer, or any other producer? First, of all the products of the United States to-day stands meat ; comes corn ; then wheat ; lourth, fifth, dairy products; sixth, cotton, and so on. That the growers of the first product of America should meet together and consult about their business is most natural, and that they should ask Congress to ,give them some protection and aid in conducting their business is neither revo lutionary nor alarming. The men who met together at St. Louis w-ere perhaps as intelligent and well be- i haved a body as ever assembled on this continent, and 1 defy any man to to one liue in their proceedings was unjust to others. These men their own papers—scores ot them and are better able to defend themselves than I am to defend them, but they have no money to speud to intluence legislation in Cougress, and they have no designs against the settler or any one else, be as sured of that. The men at the head of their organization would scorn to become lobbyists and they would have no need to importune Congress for what they waut. It is likely, if they visited Washington, they would be able to command sufficient re.-pect to have both the Executive and Congress desire to know their opinion on matters affecting the first business in the United .States—the producing of meat for the people. As to the "Texas trail" we must not pro scribe a State because it is unfortunate. Some of the Texas cattle have fever, and it is not sate to drive them over other peo ples' ranges, but we cannot wall up Texas and her 8,000.000 head of cattle because some of them are diseased and dangerous to other cattle. What then ? Give Texas a trail over which her cattle can be driven, quarantined and made sate. Texas must not be boycotted on account of a misfor tune, but rather helped out of her present distressing difficulty, which few in the North appreciate or understand. It will be objected that the trail will cost some thing, and suppose it does? Is not an in then bay : point that have dustry that exports annually over $18,000, 000 worth of meat deserving of the foster ing care of Congress ? Besides, if Congress can expend millions of money and donate billions of acres of the public lands to rail roads, she can afford to expend a small sum and grant a small portion of land to for establish a great national cattle highway for our stock and in providing a supply of cheap meat to the people. Texas has just as good a right to get her products to market as any other State in the Union, and I stand squarely with Texas on this subject of a national cattle trail. The consideration of the national cattle trail naturally brings with it the subject of animal diseases. Of course we all desire that pleuro-pneumonia, Texas fever, and all other infectious ani mal diseases should be stamped out, and Congress has wisely taken steps look ing to that end. It is to be hoped Con gress will continue to give an intelligent and careful consideration to this important subject, and that the end so much desired may soon be accomplished. The practice of fencing the public lands cannot be too strongly condemned. It is alike unlawful, unjust, and destructive to animal life. The cattle in winter drift be fore the storms against these fences, and their onward progress being stopped by these wires, they huddle and die of cold and starvation. The method of leasing the public lands for stock purposes cannot yet be arrived at, but when done it must be done on some just basis, so that the system will work no wrong to any one else. I would myself be the first one to oppose it. I think it can be done, but we should go slow about it. The selfish stock men who are opposing the land lease under the impression that they can buy their ranges, or that they are so isolated they will not need to lease, will find out their mistake soon enough. The Government will not sell them their herd lands, and as to isolation, let them wait a couple of years and they will be crying out lustily enough for some protection against the English he: 's that will be driven in upon their favorite ranges. To conclude these hastily written sugges tions, let me say 1 am entirely opposed to a large owning of cattle in America by foreign capital from which we derive no benefit. 1 believe in America for Ameri cans, and wouldjrather pay double tax than to see a foreigner escape untaxed under our Hag. I believe in cheap meat for the people, in being just to all men and wholly unselfish in asking laws and privileges. For these rea sons I favor : 1st. The leasing of the public grass lands of the United States to native Americans for a term of five years or less. 2d. The establishment of a National cat tle trail from the Gulf of Mexico to the British line. 3d. The passage by Congress of addi tional legislation looking to the stamping out of all contagious animal diseases in the United States. JAMES S. BRISBIN, U. S. Army. Almost simultaneously we hear of fresh J gold discoveries at the extreme southern j point of the South American continent on j territory belonging to Chili, and in North- j western Georgia, not far from Chattanooga, where a blacksmith, who was grubbing I bushes, picked up a handsome nugget, with the natural results of creating a great mining excitement all over the vicinity. And while speculating over the results of these discoveries there comes a report from Duluth that a great excite- j ment exists in that part of the country over gold and silver discovered along the j Lake Superior shore north of Duluth, and the papers say that JO,000 acres ot land j have lately been entered in that section on the strength of these stories. We should like to see some new source of gold sup ply opened to keep up the production ot that metal along with silver. If Europe is getting overstocked with wheat and will not give us a fair price in gold, we can dig and coin our own gold and feed our wheat to those who manufacture for us at home what we now ship in from abroad. In times of threatened general depression, it is a source of relief to know that we have hidden treasures of the precious metals, of which there has never yet been known to be a glut in the world's market. Capt. Bedford Pym, who appeared in the Cattlemen's Convention as the advo cate of extending the cattle trail through to the British provinces, is on hand with two more projects of gigantic proportions. One of these is to build a railroad from Cheyenne to Hudson's Bay as an outlet for Texas cattle. As this road would be in tended to do away with the trail and would not cross Montana, we are in the position of a disinterested spectator and admirer of the project. It may be a little untimely to push such a project in the native stamp ing ground of the blizzard, but for the little portion of the year when ships could get in and out of Hudson Bay it might be a paying road, carrying cattle north and lumber and ice south. The olher proposi tion is to take Great Britain into partner ship on the Nicaragua canal project. Even this would be better than to reject the scheme altogether, but we fancy the peo ple of the United States would prefer to play a lone hand in this game. Our inter ests, though by no means hostile, are iar from being identical. We should not care to admit that our government would find any trouble in providing the capital to build it or the means to protect it. Great Britain may' be sure that in our hands the canal will be open ou equal terms to the world. ____ By the vote of the House in suspending the rules to take up the bill creating a De partment of Agriculture, it looks as if the Democrats discovered a chance for another Cabinet office and were going for it. Even the prospect of seeing such a Cabinet office filled at first by a moss-back Bourbon will not change our oft expressed coaviction that agriculture deserves on every account to outrank the Departments of War and Navy, and ought to be fostered by as lib eral appropriations. ! NATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR REPUDIATION. In the December North American Re view, John F. Hume has another article advocating the payment by the National Government of the repudiated debts of the twelve repudiating States. The total amount of these repudiated debts is about $300,000,000, drawing in terest at the 'rate of about $18,000,000 per annum. We can see but little force in most of the arguments used to sustain such a proposition. There is no doubt that it w ould enhance the credit of the United States and of all the non-repudiating States, if the National Government should assume to pay these debts. At least that would be the natural tendency of the first act, but if such a pernicious precedent should lead these same or oth er States to plunge recklessly into debt again, thinking to repudiate them upon the shoulders of the Nation, there might be such a thing as the credit of the Na tion being injured more than benefitted by its generosity. Just as a wealthy father of unimpeachable credit and in tegrity might be wholly broken up by the reckless extravagance of his sons, if he should become generally responsible for their defaults. No person, corporation, State or Na tion can possibly maintain his or its credit and be responsible for the de faults of others. It introduces at once an uncertain element beyond control, and leaves no proper or solid base for credit to stand on. Mr. Hume observes that the National Government is reponsible for allowing States that cannot be sued and coerced, to create debts, and intimates that, but for the protection of the General Gov ernment, the creditors of the repudiated States would levy war upon them. The trouble with Mr. Hume and those whom he represents is that they are in too much of a hurry for their money. They are more to blame them selves than anybody else, except always, and of course, the defaulting States. These repudiating States will some time pay every dollar of their debts, ft is the only possible way to recover honor and credit. It would be impolitic and even unkind for the General Gov ernment to pay these debts. 1 here is no way for a State to go through bank ruptcy, giving up its property and shak ing itself clear of debt. There is but one course open, and that is to pay it self and pay in full. It may seem for the present that the tendency in the repudiating States is all the wrong way, and so it is, but they will reach the foot of the hill soon and begin to climb back. When the people of these States be come intelligent enough to see that it is to their own interest to pay up their debts they will do it. Meanwhile these States perform the negative good of serving as a horrible example to the world of how poverty and dishonesty are necessarily associated. It seems to us that the suggestion ot President Arthur in his message, lor the formation of an American monetary union, similar to that of the Latin Union in Europe, points the true way for the friends of silver to direct their efforts. Both Eugland and Germany are proud and ob stinate in their position and opinions. But if, under the lead of the United States, the whole of America could be brought to agree to a relative value ot gold and silver and adopt a common coinage, it would then be very easy to extend this union to include the south of Europe—France, Spain, Italy, Austria, Koumania, Servia, Greece, etc. Silver is already the current coin of India, Siam, China and Japan. By proper combination and pushing, we could extend the use of silver all over America, Asia, Africa and more than half of Europe. We could isolate England and Germany so that they would be compelled to enter the alliance or lose their trade. We have worked directly on England and Germany in this matter, and with no apparent effect. Now let us try to work around them. Of America we can lie sure, for all the coun tries on this continent produce gold and silver in about the same proportion as we do. By adopting a common coin currency of gold and silver it would aid us greatly in controlling the trade of all these Amer ican countries, especially in connection with treaties for reciprocal trade. Our motto and aim should be reciprocal trade and a common currency of gold and silver for America. Since the announcement of reciprocal treaties of commerce with Spain and San Domingo the news is received that treaties have been signed with Gautomala, San Salvador and the United States of Colum bia, similar to that with Mexico. This will make seveu treaties of this class, in cluding Nicaragua, with which State there are two separate treaties pending. It looks very much as if this subject would monopo lize the attention of the present session. We certainly think no more important business could occupy the attention of law r makers. It brings up in practical shape the somewhat obsure Monroe doctrine and requires at our hands an answer as to what we are willing to do to acquire a controll ing voice in the distiny of other countries on this continent. Are we to play the roll of the dog in the manger, neither aid the development o.' those countries our selves nor allow any continental power to do so ? Or shall we seek to acquire such preponderating influence, by seeking it in an open, honorable and legitimate way, and by deserving the confidence we invite? We have no desire that this matter should be confined to the secret sessions of the Senate or that it should be rushed through in hot haste. We believe the more it is discussed th> more universal will be the public'conviction thatjhe theory on which these treaties have been negotiated is a true and sound one and the approval will be general and permanent. r a NIC ARAGUAN TREATY. The Nicaraguan Ambassador has ar rived in Washington bearing the new treaty referred to by President Arthur in his message. The terms of the treaty are said to be very simple. Full propri etary right to the territory through which the canal will pass is conceded to the United States, with power to prescribe rules and regulations for its use and ab solute control of the highway with out consulting with Nicaragua. In return for this concession the United States Government is bound to complete the canal within a certain number of years. It is understood that this obliga tion will be discharged if a private com pany under the authority of the Gov ernment completes the work. With our limited means of judging, we have always believed the Nicaragua route the better for a ship canal. Of course it is not adapted to a sea-level, but the difficulties in the w*ay of such a sea-level canal are enormous and if the work is ever completed, it will be at such a cost that it would never pay interest on the investment or the transit charges would be so enormous that it would pay better to go around Cape Horn. It is believed that the Nicaragua canal can be built in much less time and for one quarter of the cost of the Panama canal. There arc many well versed in the comparative merits of the two pro jects who aver that if our government really undertakes the work in earnest the Panama canal never will be finished. But suppose both are completed, it is not difficult to see which will be the favorite route for commerce on account of location, health and cost. By the treaty the objection is fully answered, that we would be investing our treasures on foreign soil. We are virtually given the canal route for im proving it, and when we have improved it the work and territory it traverses are ours. England may object that it is in vio lation of the terms of the Clayton-Bul wer treaty, and it is hard to see how they can be reconciled. France may object, that it endangers the loss of capital of her citizens. We ought to feel very much obliged to DeLesseps, for had he not undertaken his scheme and put so much money into it as really to make the Nicaraguan government believe that it was going through, we could never have secured the concession now given us freely, even for many millions of bonus. It looks to us as if this treaty had brought us as a free gift what we would at any time have given a hingh price to obtain, and one which we cannot afford to let pass without improving. Those who sneer at our proposition to combine a Public Library and an Assem bly Room on the school grounds, make poor use of the superior wisdom they as sume in objecting to the occasional noise of the school grounds and following it im mediately with a suggestion to locate the library on Main street where there would be greater noise and that incessantly. It is not customary to put public libraries on the main business streets. A reading room simply or principally has a different pur pose in view to some extent and seeks the patronage of a different class by different means. But a public library is for the use of all the citizens living in every part of town and it needs a more retired and quiet location than Main street. If any wealthy citizen should wish to erect an enduring mon ument to his memory tobe forever known as the Hauser, Holter, Hale, Cannon or Cruse Public Library building, we should be only too glad to welcome it, whether on or off Main street. But if we are to raise the money by subscription, it would seem like folly to put it on Main street, where the ground would cost more than the library building on the school ground. Certainly our proposition could never disgust any one who did not have more personal ran cor than regard for a public library. It is very easy to show that the trade of a people of sixty millions is a good deal more than that of a couple of islands with less than two millions of people, and a large share of them very small buyers of anything. It is not pretended that under the treaty Cuba will give us as large a market for our products as we give to Cuban products. In part, this Spanish treaty is following out the line of policy that led to the repeal of the duty on tea and coffee. We have advanced so far in paying off our national debt that the an nual interest burden is scarcely more than one-third what it was at its maximum. We do not need as much revenue as we did. In looking about for an article on which to reduce the duty where the public would be most benefitted, sugar presents itself as filling the measure most com pletely. In removing this sugar duty our own people derive the direct benefit. The twenty-five millions of duty does not go to Cuba, but to our own people. It is not probable that the Cubans will get any more for their sugar hereafter than hereto fore. It only gives them a surer market for all that they can raise. W e will get by the treaty cheaper sugar, a better market for our products, business for our shipping, and a new field for the invest ment of our capital, skilled labor and directing energy, and at the same time we are assimilating the people, binding them to us by ties of interest and preparing for closer union at some future time. The Supreme Court of New York has j valued the property condemned for the 1 proposed State reservation at Niagara I Falls at $1,433,439, and the coming Legis ! lature will be asked to appropriate the I money to pay for it. The poet Whittier writes that, ' it was the Prohibitionists that killed the Repub lican party and the temperance cause at ; the same time, but there will be a resur rppfinn nf hnth a to It of of a of a to in on to we for the at IMPROVED INDIAN MANAGE MENT. The very fact that there is now no Indian war or trouble and no prospect of any, shows more convincingly than any other array of facts and figures that there has been a great improvement in the management of the Indians» The report of Gen. Crook in reference to the success of his course with the Apaches is one ot the most creditable and en couraging chapters in our long history , The of dealings with the native races Apaches were one of the worst tribes in many respects that our Nation ever had to Meal with, and they were worst located to get at. So located near the border line of the United States and Mexico, they depredbted in turn wherever there was a prospect of the most booty, and when pursued crossed the line and were safe. Even when a treaty gave the right to pursue into Mexico these In dians had a hiding place in the Sierra Madre mountains that defied the intru sion of regular troops. Gen. Crook, by his pursuit, conquest and capture of these Indians in their stronghold, justified his reputation of being the best Indian fighter our regular army has ever produced. But his sub sequent dealings with this same tribe of Indians has proved him to be something more and better than an Indian fighter. To conquor in battle is not to subdue. Of course those killed will never make any more trouble, but those who are spared often nurse their vengeance and watch an opportunity to glut it. Gen. Crook thas won the admiration of the Indians as a brave fighter and superior in all the resources of war, and in addi tion be has won the confidence of the Indians in his honesty and magnanmity, so that when he gave his word, after having thoroughly whipped them, that if they would come in and behave them selves he would} protect them, they be lieved him and have come in, to the last one of them. The people of Ari zona had no faith in Indian promises and for a long time kept up an organiza tion and kept alive the the purpose to go on the reservation and hang every one of them. Gen. Crook has protected the Indians and eocouraged them to go to farming, procuring for them tools and seeds and showing them how to manage. The Chiricahuas have been located on Black river and such irreconcileable war chiefs as Geronimo and Chato have proved the most energetic and successful workers. As a sample of their success, they raised 3,850,00 pounds of corn, 550,000 pounds of barley, 50,000 pounds of wheat, 54,000 pounds of beans, 20,000 pounds of pota toes and 90,000 melons, besides much other small truck the past season. With a better supply of tools, seeds and experience better results still are an ticipated. And in this connection we would recall to the attention of our read ers that at the recent Territorial Fair in Arizona the first prizes in several de partments were carried off legitimately by Indians. The most encouraging feature of all is that the work in raising these crops has been done mostly by the men and has not been required of the squaws, and the bravest war chiefs were the foremost at work. Such success ought to be followed up aud the Government ought to take and and follow such advice as that of Gen eral Crook. In fact it would seem as if his great success might suggest to some j one the putting of General Crook at the head of the field work iu the Indian De partment. We believe it wants some man who practically understands Indian nature to deal with them. It is prob ably too much to hope to see so sensible a thing thought of, but we are very sure if the charge of the Indians generally were intrusted to General Crook, we need never have another Indian war and it would not be a full generation before every native Indian would be welcomed as a free citizen of the United States. If the Democracy thinks it can afford to make a party issue ou the admission of Dakota we don't know of anything on which they can butt their brains out any easier. No one but a partizan devoid of reason and principle can doubt or deny the claim of Dakota to immediate admission, and the longer justice is refused the more unpopular will become the party that ob structs the path and bars the door of ad mission. This game, kept up for two years, may keep out two Republican Senators from Dakota, but i. w'ill bring in some Re publicans from other States and give a Re publican House o' Representatives two years hence.__ If Secretary Teller permits such an out rage upon the interests and wishes of the white residents of Montana as the confir mation of the lease of three and a half millions of acres of the Crow Reservation, we hope Congress will find some way to annul such a lease and take the superflu ous lands for the use of the whole people. Aud before any more such jobs are con ceived we would respectfully but earnest ly invite the Senate to release the northern part of Montana of its reservation incum brances. The Louisville Courier-Journal warns Georgia that if it goes to coddling Sam Randall the first thing they know the State will be giving 80,000 Republican ma jority. Nor would it surprise the world if Kentucky, which once, under the lead of her gallant and noble Henry Clay, was one of the strongest protectionist States in the Union, should return to her first love. The New York Times recently paid $2,000 for a full copy of the Spanish treaty and $4,416 more to have it sent over by cable. That was at the rate of 66 cents per word for 6,691 words in the treaty and schedules. The phenominal low price of wheat, not only in this country, but all over the world, will no doubt result in abandoning wheat culture where it can be substituted by anything else that promises to pay better. In many parts of the country this can be easily done, but it would be hard to tell what the Dakota farmer could raise so well in its stead. It will not be necessary for him to raise anything else. W heat does not lose its place as the best staple product for the support of the human family, and a , gentry that adds to its population a million and a half each year, is never going to need any less wheat than at present. If the present glut and low price lead to more varied farming it will not be without its indirect benefits. Wheat exhausts land very fast and is an uncertain crop, liable to fall a prey to many an agency of destruc tion, insect and elemental. The soil and climate of Montana are well suited to raise potatoes and pease and with these, together with wheat, onr farmers ought to be able to taise pork and bacon enoogh to supply ! onr bomV market. Farmers must study .he markets and if they would prosper must raise that which the market demands. There is enough butter, cheese, eggs, lard, bacon, etc., shipped into Montana every year to make our farmers rich if they could furnish these supplies and save to their own pockets the money sent out of the Territory to purchase them. The bill for the admission of South Da kota has passed the Senate by a strictly party vote, which indicates its fate in the House. If there was not a Democratic Senator who could rise above partizan in S terest in such a case of clear right and positive duty, how can it be expected from any Democrat of the House? There is no reason to believe that the vote would have been any different if the people of Dakota had never thought of or mentioned the sub ject of division. The reason is obvious, to prevent the Republicans retaining their control of the Senate. So far as carrying through any Democratic measure is con cerned, the Democrats are just as power less now as if Blaine had been elected. They hope, by keeping out Dakota, to re cover the control of the Senate by regain ing two Senators from Virginia. Only one of Virginia's Senator's time expires in 1887, and if Hlinois elects a Republican there will hardly be a possibility of re versing the balance. The very means used to retain ill-gotten gains will defeat its own end. The refusal to admit Dakota is an abuse of power that ranks well up is a blunder, defeating the seeks to attain. very end it am0D g political crimes, but in the areua of political ethics it is more than a crime, it The Union Pacific, under its new man agement, is outdoing all other roads in its endeavor to answer the pjust demands of the outside public. At this time, when grain is so depressed that corn is worth only 10 cents a bushel in the interior of Kansas and Nebraska, the Union Pacific has set a good example to other roads by voluntarily reducing the freight rate 5 cents on a hundred pounds. We are quite ready to admit the plea of the companies that it costs just as much to haul grain to market when it is cheap as when it is dear. Still it is not only justice but policy to make a .reduction in such a crisis as this, so long as any margin of profit remains. There is no such thing as permanent suc cess of a railroad except through the pros perity of the country through which it runs and the people who depend upon it, and on whom it depends no less. According to the Columbus Board of Trade, the business interests of that city have sustained a direct loss of $3,511,000 because of the strike of the Hocking Val ley mines,in addition to which the miners themselves have lost half a million in wages. For such oft recurring evils some remedy must be devised. Trades unions can never do it any more than the protec tive unions of capitalists. Each represents but one of the interests that need to be reconciled. The best remedy that we have heard suggested is the participation plan, by which each employe receives at the end of the year a share of the profits after pay ing interest on capital and the usual wages to workmen. This plan has been tried in France and in England and at the Junc tion mines in Illinois, and in each case with mutual satisfaction. Dakota is part of the Northwestern ter ritory and has the right to claim the ad vantage of that agreement that when ever any part of that territory should reach a population of 60,000, that they might organize a State government aud j apply for admission as a State. We have i 1 ! I j | ! not seen any occasion to retract our ad vice to the people of Dakota to go on and organize a State government, claim ad vantage of this original agreement and let the question be settled in the Supreme Court. This would be acting in defiance of the present Congress but we fully be lieve it would be held by the Supreme Court of the United States to be in viola tion of no law. hut in compliance with the terms of a fundamental subsisting contract. Missouri, when admitted as a. State, had a population of only 66,557, scarcely more than half as much as Montana possesses to-day, yet a Missouri Senator had the , mendacious effrontery to claim that Da ! kota with a popuJation of 450,000 had not enough to entitle her to a representative in Congress. Dakota divided, would still have considerably larger territory than Missouri and it is not improbable that within a few years it will surpass Missouri both in population and wealth. It cer tainly will unless there is a political revo lution in Missouri of which there are strong and numerous indications. Prof. Sumner, of Yale College, -ays neither the ultra protection nor ultra free frade men approve of commercial treaties. The legitimate inference would be that the ninety-nine hundredths of the common sense common people who belong to neith i er of these schools, do aud will approve ! them. , —, UUI ! lf " 18 * e 0 or ,e pur P<*»itt,,, lW few at tbe Sortir will begrudge it. of Neither Montana nor the TT« Government have * er bee ^ Rtat< * any strong leaning toward theT^ ° f constitutional or leirisl«*; . e delusi °n of the liquor traffic among Âm Pr ° hlhition of but both have enacted very f 08 " Citizens - hibitory laws about the s il nngent I )r ° ing liquors to the Indians 6 r°' , 1 " toxicat ' spirit we would like to see it u 8aiue the way of the savages of tl ■ ° Ut 0f Africa. And if anybody i ,nterior of ing that a person cannot fcvor as applied to a wild Indian or lbUi( ' n out believing in its nniversa. \ ^ W | th * we have not the slightest interest Kati ° U ' world to dispel the illusion m the to w illis, who has charge of th e . ucational bill in the House, whkh^ priâtes $70,000,009 for the extinction or° literacy, says that the members 0 f th House have generally come back with • structions to support it. The South ^ get about $50,000,000 of the amount ! ZC 1 i. mnll 11 fl/1 tV»t* ____ In the new English redistribution bill the principle of single electoral districts' applied. By abolishing boroughs of 15 population and taking away the second member from those of mot more than 50 000 population, 100 seats are obtained of which 96 are given to the counties and t 1 to the large towns. There is no such reason why the d on tobacco and cigars from Cuba should^ reduced, as in the case of sugar fh latter is a necessity of universal use mor * so than either tea or coffee, on which the duty has been repealed without considéra tion or equivalent of any kind, but tobacco and cigars are at most luxuries and should be treated as foreign liquors and wines J edge Bingham, in charge of the House bill to increase the unit weight of letters from a half to one ounce, expresses the opinion that the bill will pass with little opposition at the present session. Washington .Noten, Washington. Dec. 1G.-In the execu tive session of the Senate to-day the nomi nation of McCulloch to be Secretary of the Treasury was further discussed. Senator Riddleberger continued bis speech in on position, and the session adjourned with out vote.' It is learned that late yesterday after noon, after the sub-committee had ad journed, Barker went to Judge Lawrence and told him that if lie brought out any testimony derogatory to his' (Barker.-) character, he would do so at his personal peril. The House Committee on Indian Affairs decided to report adversely on the joint resolution providing for the improvement of the Indians by giving them citizenship. A number of representatives are consid ering the propriety of offering a resolution in the House for an investigation of the use of Government vessels for junketing expeditions. At a meeting of the House Committee on Naval affairs tbe bill recently intro duced providing for the payment of pen sions to relatives of those who lost their lives on the Tallapoosa, and compensating survivors who lost personal property, was discussed. Representatives Â'ise and Buchanan strongly opposed its being favorably reported, and said they "would protest against the use of any naval vessel by the Secretary of the Navy for pleasure purposes " Tlie Western luioii Reduction. Galveston, Dec 15. —Tbe effect of the recent order of the Western Union cutting off the extra pay of operators is equivalent, in the Galveston office, to a reduction of $15 to $30 per capita monthly. The entire force held a meeting yesterday and re solved to memorialize General Manager Eckert to re-establish tbe former rates. The petition sets forth that under the pres ent reduction the operators are unable to support themselves. Those haviDg fami lies will be compelled to seek more remu nerative employment for the reason that the cost of living in the city of Galveston is higher than iu any other Southern city? The memorial also recites the fact that skilled, careful operators are necessary at Galveston to handle the heavy South American and Mexican business. It is understood that other cities of Texas are also formulating petitions praying Eckert to rescind the recent order. The Congo Question. Berlin, December 10.—The Congo com mission to-day discussed the question ol free navigation on the Niger river. Kas son, the American delegate, presented .1 neutrality project which has a muih wider scope than any other proposal that has yet been made. His proposition, be sides providing for tbe neutrality 0 >0 the Cpngo aud Niger rivers, inc udes in land territory, rivulets and canals, delegates from France and l or ug. strongly oppose Kassou s proposition, German delegates are silent :.uu the - h lish delegates apathetic. No decision been arrived at by the committee upon this subject. The committee meet agai Friday, when Gen. Sanford expect-' to the continued opposition ol traue Portugal, to offer amended railway p • _ Berlin, December 12 .-The Congo Com mittee have pn visioually aceep u French neutrality proposals, whic 1 P r ' , for free navigation of all the rn tr canals and free passage over all ra and roads, both of the ( ongo am - countries by all nations, peacelu am ligerent, for purposes ol comment time of war. Syr act A; se, N. Y, ;n ment. December 11 West ?ral cott & Co., brokers, have made assignment The BuÛalp bran h h same firm is included. me o .u-« dissolved partnership yesterday. ^ new York. December P-. J . ' , ?0 j. win, dealer in woolens, has * - « H. Bird. Preferences, $100,000. Hough Passage. t 5 .—Officers oi report New York, December incoming trans-Atlanuc steamer ^ this as the roughest passage joth enced. From December * '" orols all the vessels encountered j , and hurricanes on the New < )l1 Assignment. New York, December lö.-Hemy & Son, importers of fancy ® ^-, n city, has made an assignme 1 liabili . Belsnenen. Preferences, W are ties. $30,000. The unsecured habim mostly foreign. Chicago Election Frauds. Chicago, December 16 .—The charged with participation in ^ ward election frauds were ' m0lU - Blodgett in the Federal Court ing. arties 18th