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8bt limva gm Srnfltr. Ottawa, III., July 10, 1880. Notice to Subscribers. We hare neglected to send out this month our regular notices of .expiration of sub .iinQ. l.ut we trust every subscriber VI - will look at the label of hi paper and, if hi time has expired, be kind enough to step in to the oflico (say on the Fourth) and renew fer the coming year. Tht date to whith you have pail is printed at the end of your name on the label. A turnel figure (thus J) means C. riease glyo this your attention. The PiULHimts Current Events. The house committee on ways and means on Monday ordered an adverse report to lie in u, I a on tin Kandail larill uiu. m-u the measure was taken up for consider finn hv the committee J mine Kelly mover to strike out all but the administrative part (the Hewitt portion) or the bin ami repori favorably. Messrs. Heed and Hiscock, re mililicans. were absent. All of tlie repub lican members present and also Mr. Hewitt voted for the mutton, out it laiieo. a mo tion was then made to report adversely all of the bill. I'pon this all of the democrats voted aye. 1 he republican remaned irom voting. Mr. Morrison will submit an adverse re port upon the bill, and It -will go on the cal enlar, where it will rest permanently. Ti e President has nominated Fit.JJohn Porter, late Colonel Fifteenth Infantry, to be Colonel in the army, and captain meo dore Sch wan. Eleventh Infantry, to be As sistant Adjutant General, with the rank of ilajor. Captain Men wan entered tne army in as an enli.-ted man and served through the rebellion, since which time he has done valuable .service in connection with the Indians. The naval committee has been Informed by Speaker Carlisle, that the bill for the reconstruction of the navy will be anions those to be passed upon oetore tno ad journment If it Is so modified as to reduce the amount of the appropriation, the idea lieinc that the work on the new navy could be started with miirh less money, further appropriations being made from time to time. It was recommended that the amount be cut one half. The committee think that would not be enough money to last through the vear. but the members propose twmake pome modifications. It apears certain tint the bill In some form will pass. Tlnrtntr ilia nraaont ptrtrraaa mrtra tlinn fen thousand bills have been presented in the bouse, nmst of them for private measures, This is more than was ever Introduced In both sessions of any other congress. It Is now the purpose of Congress to ad journ about the 15th Inst., but the condition of the appropriation bills is such as to render an adjournment at such time ex tremely doubtful. The work accomplished by the present congress has been of the most trilling character. The only measure of any great importance brought before it was the Morrison Hewitt bill, and that rail ed to even obtain a hearing In the house. The senate is still adding to the amount of the appropriations made for river and harbor purposes by the house. The bill now provides for the expenditure of over eveenteen millions or dollars, a sum In excess of all recent amounts appropriated for the same purposes. If the members of the hou.se agree to the amendments made by the senate the bill will go the President, whoought.wlthout hesitation, to veto it. The amount appropriated Is by far too large. It is extravagance, pure and simple. The British and colonial chamber of commerce passed, by a vote of to 1" at a meeting on Thursday, amid great excite ment, a resolution declaring that the re monetlzatlon of silver would relieve the de pression under which trade Is now stagger ing. The meeting is regarded as highly important, and its Inlluence ujioii the com-lng-i!ver demonstration, In Lancashire must necessarily be very strong. Prior to the adoption of the resolution there was an animated debate, In w hich H. II. (iibbs, ex governor of the liank of Eng land, Paul F. Tidlan, an East India mercii nnt, and Moretori Frewon favored the reso lution, and Hir Kobert M. Fowler, a London banker, and Mr. Crum of the London 7 inu opposed it. The republicans of Kansas have nomi nated James A. Martin for Governor, A. P. Keddle, Lt. Governor, and E. II. Allen, Hecretary of State. The platform adopted is me that breathes forth sulpher and smoke. The senate on Thursday passed the fol lowing: For the relief of the sufferers by the wreck of the I'uited States steamer Tallapoosa; bills to accept and ratify agree ments with Indians In Washington Terri tory tor the use of part of the Yiklma lies ervation by the Northern Pacific Railroad, and for right of way to tlie Carson ir Colo rado Kailroad Company through the Walk er Hiver Reservation In Nevada; bill to establish a forest reservation ou the head waters of the Mii-sourl Hiver and on the head waters of Clark's Fork of the Colum bia Hiver, and a bill to regulate the pay of graduates of the Naval Academy. The bill to establish agricultural experimental Mations In connection with agricultural col leges was postponed. Mr. i'latt objected to considering the joint resolution provid ing for woman sufferage, and his resolution providing for open executive sessions was made a special order for Wednesday, Dec, H. Mr. Conger objected to the considers, tion of the 1)111 to authorize foreign built fteamshipsof the International Navigation Company to be registered us I nlted States vessels. The subcommittee of the house cni mltteeon Judiciary having In charge the Henley resolution, directing the Attorney General to institute criminal suits against the otllcers of the Union Pacific Railroad Company on the charges preferred, of falsi lying accounts and violating the laws un fer which the company received Its char ter and land grants, will refer tho matter to the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Interior for their opinions. The sub-committee of the house com mittee on accounts, which investigated the employes' roll of the officers of the house with a view to making Improvements, w ill submit a report Just before the adjourn ment of this session, with the Intention of Inau-'uratlni: certain reforms with the be cinniug of the next session. The report will recommend the consolidation or the .loriinient rooms under thedoorKeeper and clerk, and w 111 point out some minor posl tlous which are unnecessary The California delegation In congress called on President Cleveland on inursuay and extended to him an Invitation to attend the National Encampment ot the (iraml Army of the Kepubllc at San Francisco In Auirust. The invitation was engraved on a plate of gold, and the presentation speech la bv Senator Stanford. The Presi dent accepted the "Invitation," but stated that he would be uuaoie to aueuu iu en campmeut. ltenorts have been received on tbe con ilition of the crops from every Important wheat growing county in Minnesota anu ua kota, and about one hundred counties In Iiwa, Wisconsin and Nebraska. These re ports show the crop to be in much worse condition than on June 1. The dry weather in May, which became quite a severe drouth in June, had more serious effect on small grain than was at first supposed, and the Injury caused then is lust now becom ing painfully apparent. There has been very little rain since the first week in J une, and io general rain since Breuiuf; uure. The sections not affected by the drought are the Bed Hiver Valley from Waupeton to Gmad Forks and the northern racinc country from liralm-rd to msmarcK, in Miunestnsa, and imkoia. souiu oi ine fortv.l.th parallel the weather lias been very dry, the drought being the severesyn the extieme southern counties of Min nesota and Dokota, extending well down into northern Iowa. During stoollng pe riod in Mav the weather was very dry, and the result is that the crop Is thin on the ground and short In straw. 1 he Intensely hot weather of the past ten days had added materially to the injury, as the ground was In no condition to withstand any serious drought. The probable yield will be much short of that of 185 only six counties in Minnesota report no damage from any cause.whlle every othercounty reports from 10 to .)() per cent. I rem various causes, nut mostly from drought. In Dakota, where at this time last year the crop was In ex cellent condition every way, reports at this time show that drought Las effected se rious injury In extreme southern and northern portions of the territory. Eleven counties In Dakota report no damage from any other cause, w hile all others report 4U per cent, from drought, hall and wet weather. In the upper portion of the Bed Hiver Valley, early in the season, corn promised a very large yield in all portions of the Northwest. In Southern Minnesota and Dakota the outlook Is the most pros perous for years. In Minnesota the oat yield will lie about half that of last year. The seems to lie but little doubt ot Glad stone's defeat in tho English elections now In progress. Already the anti-home rule people have made great gains and In the returns thus far reported they have a maj ority of seventy. The Primier however Is confident that the Scottish district will aid him. As vet nothing has occured to show any weakness of Scots loyalties to him. From the Midlothian district lie was re. turned by an unprecedented majority an he was also returned as a member iroi Leith. He will decline the latter election and a new election will be called. THE CADCD8E3. It is to be presumed, from the lively In terest manifested by the candidates for places upon the county ticket, that the caucuses In the various townships will this fall receive more than ordinary attention Heretofore a democratic caucus in La Salle county has meant but little, but now that the plurality of the county's voters are dem ocratic, the ante convention meeting of the party's electors is of tlie greatest Import ance to the candidates and to the party. Tlie good of La Salle county's democracy demands that they be largely attended, for If allowed to go by default It Is more than probable that delegate will appear at the convention who misrepresent rather than represent the wishes of the majority of the party in such township. Three or four men in each township should not be al lowed to control It, especially If lt is evident that they have some selfish end tosubsejve. To be truly representative all democrats should take part In them, and the business transacted should be carried on in the fair est and most methodical manner. There should be no tolerance by the owns of outside Interference. The whole gist of deiiKK-racy Is summed up In "local self government," and local self-government is as applicable to a party caucus as to a town, county or state government. Further, there should be great reluctance on the part of those pi esent at the caucus to send as delegates men who solicit dele- gateship, for it is fair to presume that such men have pledged themselves to a particu lar candidate, regardless of the effect such candidate's nomination would have on the balance of the ticket. Republicans are counting largely for success upon democratic dissensions and n inharmonious convention. No harm can come from allowing themi to "lay such Mattering unction to their souls" prior to the naming of the democratic ticket, but everything must be done to avoid their having a season of lejolcing after the polls close on election day. IN DISTRESS. Mr. Dana, editor in chief of the New iork !, evidently did not enjoy bis fourth of July. Ills paper, which voices distinctively his own views of questions, both public and private, has evidenced every day since Saturday last that Its chle' editor Is laboilng under distress of a char acter that letokens the utmost mental an guish. In each Issue since the nntion's natal day he has written of nothing but "Civil Service Commission IIumbujs"and "Sense, less Mugwumps."Soineliow he finds pleas ure in associating the one w ith the other, and in breaking out In such fiery style as, "Oh, Time! thou tutor, both to men of sense and to Mugwumps, do teach the Civil Service Commission that the democratic partydoej not vote at elections for tbe sake of keeping its opponets in ollice, and that ex aminations by a pack of school masters ts not the method ot appointment to office provided by the constitution." This appeal to "Time" on tie part of Mr. Dana la Indeed touching, but we doul if it will accomplish any great amount of pood. It IsvervllKely that "Time" has at little political control over the inembe of the Civil Service Commission and Mug wumps as Mr. Dana, and If he had more he hardly would lay aside his "hour glass and "scythe" to participate In a political controversy, Besides Mr. Dana must regarded as a little presumptlous In taking it for granted that "Time" la not a believer In Civil Servlc? reform The probabilities are that he Is a very thorough believer In better methods government, and better methods of govern ment can only result from a pure and wholesome system of Civil Service. M Dana professes to believe In the w isdom of Thomas Jefferson, and Thomas Jefferson was In every sense of the word an advocate of a public service based upon merit solely and not upon party fealty and party service As a judge of what Is the proper "method of appointment to office provided by the constitution," Mr. Jefferson Is far prefer able to the disciple and chief bugler of Benjamin Franklin Butler, late politically deceased. OONE WROMO. Inspired by the knowledge that some eleven members ot his family are drawing monthly stipends from the government o the United States, for services they are supposed to render to the people, Senator Vance, of North Carolina, In speaking to the braves of Tammany, on Monday last, waxed eloquent and denounced in vigorous terms a civil service system that might operate to exclude frcm ollice his remain ing relatives not already provided for by a grateful republic. Warming up to his work under the bowlings of the big and little "Injuns" in Tammany's wigwam, the distinguished Senator said: "In the hour of victory we have had some little demoralization, and we have permitted a tendency toward bur eau cratio administration to appear in what Is called civil service reform. The action of this system is unconstitutional and un democratic. But, although the democratic party has been a backslider u this regard, it will retraco its steps and recover trom its demoralization." 1 he utterances thus given rortli by a imminent member of the party undoubt edly bespeak the sentiments of many dem ocrats, who, schooled In the Jacksonian theory of complete submission to the spoils men of the party, look with foreboding upon any innovation upon a system so long honored and practiced. It is, distinctively the sentiment of the politician, pure and simple, but fortunately for the people and for the democracy, it now has no lodgment in the minds of the great mass who feel a patriotic interest In the public good, unin spired by the desire for place. In this confidence reposed in the benefits of civil service reform rests the system's safety. Senator Vance, If he believes in his statements of Monday, has been a pxir student of the recent iKilitical history of this country. The democratic party, in stead of having backslidden, has advanced under the administration of President Cleveland. Instead of having become de moralized it has grown more united. The democratic party Is fast losing the charac teristics of a party of mere opposition. It is becoming, thanks to the vigorous and positive Ideas of the President, a party with a purpose disassociated from the idea of merely opposing. It is becoming an assertive party, and the more strongly it asserts itself upon the question of advanc ing civil service reform the more strongly does it commend itself to the people. President Cleveland's position upon the question of civil service is in direct oppo sition to that of Senator Vance. The two have nothing in common as regards it and can have nothing. At the next Presiden tial election the v(rters will decide as be tween the ideas they respectively repre sent. The contest may be a bitter one, but as surely as the question of advance ment of civil-service reform or retrogres sion is submitted to the electors through party nominees and platforms, just so sure ly will the majority of them be found up on the side of progress. RICH IN PROMISES. If there Is any one thing that can be discussed with propriety at this season of the year, when everything save politics Is at a stand still, lt is the subject of " political promises." At present there are In this county a number of gentlemen who seem, under tho pressure of their party friends, willing to sacrifice their own jtersonal In terests to their country's good, especi ally that portion of it constituting La Salle county, and to these men promise upoa promise Is being continually made, either reluctantly or under the constraining in fluence of a request. Without being at all desirous of dis couraging tlie candidates who look with feelings of pride and satisfaction upon their rich and unique collection of iKjlltl cal promises, we yet desire to suggest that it would be well for such not to rely too strongly upon them. Promises made in tbe present time to be carried out In tlie future are often "writ in water," especially in a preliminary political canvass, and the candidate who feels assured of a nomlna tion because of the vast number of friends who have assured him of a hearty support, is very apt be the one w ho falls to secure a place in the race. However wrong it may be the truth Is, that between political promises and prom ises of a purely private nature, men draw a marked line of ilstlcntion, and In many instances think nothing of saying one thing and doing the other. The cause for this Is to be found In the fact that one's own party men dislike to be disobliging, and when a political promise Is asked for, It is given with a mental reservation attac hment. The hope generally accompanies the promise that, through some turn ot fortune, It w 111 not have to be redeemed. To escape the misfortune of having a lot of bad promises on band wben the con vention draws to a close, we suggest the propriety of candidates for nomination this fall asking for very few direct promises, m ... . m. even irom tneir most zeaiou3 iriends. ine .'i-.u-. ...... resunoi such a course wm oo mui uiey themselves win muuige in no uiusive hopes, and their fellow-party-men will not be forced to give pledges that are but pledges for accommodation's sake. THE ENGLISH ELECTION EXPENSES. The recent heavy contribution if funds sent from this country to aid in the elec tion of home rule members to the British parliament has attracted attention to the election laws of England, which, as corn- pared wnu me enactments oi mis country, are widely different. Thus far our public legislators have never attempted to regulate by statute the amount of money that candl dates for ollice might expend to secure an election. In England, however, the whole matter Is subject to legal enactment, though tiiere Is but little attempt to make acts bear ing upon it more than a mere dead letter, While it Is Intended through the rigor of the laws to prevent the wholesale brib ery of electors and the extravagaut use of money at elections, that end is not reached, for oftentimes the election of a member costs as high as fifty thousand dollars. A candidate who goes beyond the legal max liiiuin of the law renders himself liable not only to the loss of seat on atrial before tlie courts, but also to serve a term of Im prisonment. At the best the expenses are made so heavy as to practically bar a poor man from contesting for a seat In parlia ment if theppos!ng candidate avails him self of the use of money. This fact ac counts for the raising of funds in America to help Gladstone and Parnell in their fight ft-Tain.t tbe monev power of tl, nn,1 torej, The provisions of the law relative to such DTnamiimr.. .f .r.Q.r .r i i .! l i u.ouij air, lutu iu a uyjL- ou-h where the number of electors do not exceed 2.000. the candidate mav SDend for all purposes, excepting personal expenses and the returning officers' fees 11.750. If the number exceeds 2,000, then f 150 for on lLe iucreasc- aud haJ W lift b"n pro every additional complete 1,000. In Ireland longed he would have attained rank among the candidate Is allowed to snend more lib- erauy mai is, ior every oou electors, iL..I. .4 (r l " rrt . and 1.250 for ftnv number between TioTl ami i rioo n.,,1 i . 4 i 1,000 and 1,500. Ln the counties where tbe number of electors does not evreed 2.000. the candidate may spend $3,350 in England and Scotland and 12.500 In Ireland. If the number exceeds 2.000. then $3,550 in Ensrlandaud Scotland and H2.750 ln Tre. land, and an additional 1300 in Encland and Scotland, and an additional 200 in reland for every complete 1,000 electors over 2,000. In every particular the man- ner in which such money maybe expended is rigidly defined. Viewed in the light of the unusual ex- pendlture of money made in this congres- slonal district two years ago, the enactment and enforcement of a law to regulate ex. penses ln a congressional contest in this country would materially benefit the morals of the voters and save an Immense sum to the successful candidate. To-day Mr. Elias C. llathewav. of this city announces his candidacy for the demo- cratic nomination for the office of sheriff, of this county. Mr. llathewav is at nres- enf deputy sheriff, having held the present position during the present administration that ollice. lie is a democrat of lone landing and though never a cadidate for illicial position has always maintained a lively interest in party politics, always act ing with the party, at whose hands he now asks konors. lie has resided in this county tinny one years, and ln that time has drawu to himself a great many friends. Mr. Iatheway is a New Ensrlander, a very deasant gentleman, and a man of (rood anuiiy. It has been stated that Mr. Samuel Dee;, en, of this city is not a candidate for the emocratlC Iioimnation for the office of heriff of La Salle county. To demonstrate the falsity of this statement Mr. Degen to- capitol in a street-car the other day a well day published a card, announcing that he dressed man somewhat under the influence will seek that position. This we trust will 0f iil1U0r dropped into the vacant seat be- emonstrate to bis enemies that he Is in tlie field and cause a cessation of the storv that he is not. Mr. Degen simply asks an open held and a fair fight, and this we earnestly entreat for him. The Free kadku takes no part in prellmniarv con- est but is very glad to add that Mr. Degen s a resident ot Ottawa and a voter of clem- xratlc tickets. The republican County Central Commit tee have issued a call for a countv conven tion to be held in this city, Monday, Aug- ust, 2:1. It will be composed of H3 dele- gates. The work of the convention will consist of selecting delegates to the state ami congressional conventions and nomi- nating a new County Central Committee. The Gossiper. KtSC, LAZARCS. Set down thy cup, O Dives, the wine no longer pour, Go bid thy lackeys open, there's knocking at the door; 'Tis not a beggar's waitings that tkro' thy court yard rine, 'Tis Laiarus who calls thee, and Lazarus is king! Come out; he brooks no tarrying! Come out and naked stand; What though thy gol! was gathered by thine own brain and hand; The rogue must live as well as thou, the felon have his nine, For Laiarni hath spoken, end Laiarus is king. l'ull d)wn, ye full J philosophers, your pleas ure homes or an, In vain ye feed his fancy and cuhivaie his heart; "lis feod he wants, not culture; 'tis gold your hands must bring; For Lazarus has spoken, and Lazarus is king. In vain ye preach, 0 preachers, and mouth it o er and o cr I Til A nnnninnav nf L-lncrilnln enma u-lian Yintr. . ...e - v6 gars bee no more, .Ti8 n0W( not lbeD he wan,,, it( ere life be on the wing; He wants it and will have it, for Lazarus is king. Ye tender, pious women, who patronize his doors, Ye scheming politicians who lick the beg' gar's sores, See how he flings it back at you the charity you bring; This is no pulling beggar, 'tis Lazarus, the king Reign on, reign on, King Lazarus; time and the hour shall see Dives with Father Abruham, who will have none of thee: Then comes the rogues' millennium when all the world will sing 'Barabbas up fur ever; Barabbas shall be king." Frederick E. W eatherh) in Temple liar. Mayor O'Connor is to be complimented for his refusal to allow the Myers-Welch mill to occur in La Salle, lliere is nothing elevat ing about prize-fighting, and the city official who tolerates such exhibitions of brutality has not a proper appreciation of what he owes to the people whose servant he is. The Southern literary circles have suffered another loss in the death of Paul H Hayne, who for some years has divided the honors in the poetic fields of the south with Father Kyan, the "poet priest," late deceased. Mr. Hayne was essentially a poet of nature, and some of his contributions to the magazines of the country have attracted the widest notice, luere 18 u ""ness " mougiu cnaraciens- Tl ! - i . f A, Li l .. . tic of all his writings that makes them en Jyttme- ue neyer was Pretentious nor cmimeu ior uimseii any ereai decree or n,erit- Broken ln health h7 eT in the ConfeJorale cause 1,e 80UEht his livinS in the ,.a,ep da's .f Lis life through the medium 01 an Fen- 1118 fepuiariry was connnuauy Uie L,8uer order or Poe,s The editors of the Streator Free Tree 8eem grea'ly W"ieJ Ver "'e tkoUght that lue 01 lms Ulsmcl ' lmnK lQe? beloD t0 the Plumb editorial syndicate, and so lue' ,usu lul Vnm 10 Prot"1 luai ineJ ftre vlrtuous an(1 tl,at a yet none of Col M'o s money nas ever contaminated them. This mJ be a11 we trust it is; but if 111 - 1 i . rA.f.. a 1 luesB 6euiieuia ""ire l maintain mem 8elves Pure anJ spotless it would be well for tuem t0 cease advocating the claims of Dr. E'n's double for further Congressional lienors. The editors of the Free Press al ,e8e tnat Col. Plumb is "the best man in this district for the position." Will they please be specific and state why he is? It would be gratifying to the people to know, On Sunday last the Rev. Davis, pastor of the Methodist-Episcopal church, took occa sion in his sermon to mention the Free Tra der. The Frke Trader has no controversy to carry on with the reverend brother. It feels flattered that he thinks it worth while to speak from the pulpit of something con tained in it, but jutt here we are content to let the matter rest. Those who have met with the Hon. John II. Oberly and know him will readily appre ciate the following taken from the Chicago Daily Newt: There is a good deal of oppositeness on the soubriquet of "bishop'' conferred upon Civil Service Commissioner Oberly by his Il linois friends. His eternal, smoothlv-shaven face, tocether with a stvle of dress, rather clerical than otherwise, would readily lead one to believe that his Yocalinn was that ot a minister of the eosnel. On his wav to the U;,1p owl "I'm f mm Tiotmit ' th iron. t Tom an cfliil hv wav nf i n trn1 up i nn nriil then he began making inquires regarding ,)ie nhlio building on rout. Mr nhprlv chatted pleasantly with the stranger until the capitol was reached. At this point each alighted. Shaking Oberly by the hand the Detroit man said: I am a member of the medical profession, while it is easy to see that you are a clergy man. But we each make our living out of the same material. I try to save the bodies, and you try to save tho souls; and you bet your life, pard, between us both right on the dead s-iuare, you know we manage to get about all they have," and then he walked off with a se r-satisfied air that caused Ob- erly to join the spectators heartily in the laughter that followed. Not the least pleasant result of the regatta of Monday is the cordial relations that have been established by it between the members of the Ottawa Boat Club and the "Sylvan" Clb of Moline. The courtesy shown by the members of the "Sylvan" four in stopping over in this city on their way to Grand Enri'ls is not unappreciated. It is to be hoped they felt repaid for so doing, for cer talnly the people who watched their magni ficent performance of the last hundred yards of their race with Teru enjoyed it to the full. They made their shell fairly shoot through the water and without any apparent effort. It is to be hoped that the good feel ing which now exists between the Clubs will continue. The city of Moline is near to Ot tawa, and there is no reason why there should not be a good many friendly contests between the members. The Moline gentle men may be assured that the Ottawa people will always welcome them to this city, not only as contestants, but as friend?. Entre Nous. TO TUB JOMET PKE8S. The Preu may puff, and the Preas amy roar. And kivo Col. 1'lunib Koft aonp evory luy; But tlmycBii't make me U'hovetliey don for love For the Press isn't built in that way. t t t It strikes me, however, Mr. Editor, tbe Pm perpetrates a "new one." In fact, it is rather the best I Lave seen. Mcintosh says: After heailng him Col. Plumb talk, and scanning bis manly and dignified and commanding presence, will the republl cans of Will county listen to the Blander, ous and mendacious unsupported accusa tions of a few disgruntled editors, who have failed to "put the handkerchief of phil oophy to the sore eye of defeat" I have used the italics. I think the phrases deserve them. It isn't every com mon country editor, I judge, from speci mens round about me, who can make so many syllables out of that expressive old Roman derivative, ttipend. It takes a head en a fellow to do lt, ''now weally." But Mc. Is no blooming chump, and has more sore eyes than Argus, son of Arestor. t t t The Pf' editorial "Not Fair Treat ment," seems to have struck Col. Plumb as being quite a line production. Your readers should understand that, in the view of the Pre, in this article,' Washington, franklin, Wilberforce, et id omne genua, are quite common-place people when standing in a line with Col. Plumb. It Is alleged tho janitor, clearing the halls of Congress, found among the debris of a quiet session, when the Colonel did not find it Impossible to be there, an un finished epistle under the desk of the dis tinguished member from this district, somewhat to this tenor; House of Hepkesentatives, ) Washington, July 9. Mu dear Mr. Mcintosh: Your editorial, "Not Fair Treatment," was a hustler. 1 1 do not use slang in my letters designed to surreptitiously fall into the hands of my editors for publication without my consent. but you win appreciate its expressivenes 1. 1 I may say it Is a daisy. What a pity that Vesica, running my organ at Ottawa, can't be knocked on the head and have his brain turned over. He might be able then to write something besides a draft. If he could repress bis pugilistic proclivities, give them a rest on my circulation there, and what a shoel ef a fellow he is, and say something to the point, I might realize on that investment; but as it Is, for an un adulterated and thorough (and expensive) double-eared nss he takes the cold biscuit. He's a beastly vulcar fellow, too; and it's annoying to think of such a fellow when I get in among the big wigs at a seance here positively beastly. Biit he has neither good sense nor poetry in his soul. I like that "handkerchief of philosophy" racket, which you use so freely this week. It's good very good. Your literary read ers will catch on to that ln good shape. But don't you think you drew It a little strong that "character" of mine, I mean? I don't know but that it reads all right in fact, it does; but 1 fear, between you and me, 1he masses may have an attack of the cholera morbus if you give It to them in too strong doses, rv ny not run it iong through several editorials and cover the ground in that way ? Try the homeopathic treatment. Shakespeare never repeats, you know; and it's a good idea. When I was quartermaster, too, 1 found the boys didn't do so well on one kind of rations for months at a time. I think also the "manly and dignified and commanding presence" was somewhat daring, and apt to provoke comparisons, you know. I have already been compared to Jos. Sedley, of " Vanity Fair," I believe, as to "shape," and It's just like those ultra goody-goody and unappre ciative manger-guardeis in Peru and York ville to run the comparison to a mental one, also. 1 think you might work up into some thing good that puff I had put into the Capital. It cost a deuced big price, but I don't mind the expense If I can just boom the labor business a little more. The oleomargarine bill and that wretched Hen nepin business didn't seem to catch on; and my "unfortunate absesce" (?!)from my seat w hen the arbitration bill came to a vote, Eiay put me In a bad lirht. You must keep the Fre Fre3 out of that. This labor business Is all bosh, you know, but it is just the stuff to catch the populace around about Joliet, Streator, La Salle and Braidwood, and you can't work it too strong. As to that affidavit you mike, it But here the MSS. breaks off, and the rest cannot be conjectured. I get this by telephone from Washington, from the first assistant janitor, and is doubtless authen tic, though hardly a part of bis "Complete Letter Writer," which the Colonel has been publishing, on the installmec plan, as he remarks, to be surreptitiously given to the public by his almirers. Eacts. The old settlers have taken a step in the right direction in proposing to join the city in the purchase of Hoes' Grove. The city ought to own that property and the land lying east of it for park purposes. Any one who will watch the travel of people over the Illinois Uiver bridge on Sundays and evenings when the working lien and wom en can find time to seek a coed place for a stroll will be able to appreciate the need of this property by the public. We think the majority of people would be surprised at t'ae number of people who make the bank of the river a strolling place. With the or ganization of the boat club, and tbe reason able expetation9 of annutl regatUs here , the need of it bcomes more apparent. As a county seat, Ottawa ought to have such grounds to accommooate summer gather ings of civil societies, old settlers' picnics, reunions of various sorts, which though numerous now, would be multiplied were fitting grounds provided. From a mere business point of view, the purch se of this property would be a first-class Invest ment for the city, while the growing Im portance to the city of the Mineral Spring ought to warrant the city ln Improving, as her own property, grounds contiguous there to thus uniting w ith the Spring Com pany in making that part of the city a real summer resort. Supposo the Spring Is is private property, its improvement has thus far benefitted the city more than Its owners, and united action by both would do still more to make our city attractive ln summer; and surely if the little town of Orecon, in Ogle county can be boomed successfully (as is being done) as a summer resort, Ottawa ought to pay more regard to her opportunities than she has.