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- BIRMINGHAM STATE HERALD Entered at the postofflee at Birmingham, Ala., as second-class matter. Eastern Business Office, 48 Tribune Build ing, New York; Western Business Office, 509 "The Rookery," Chicago. S. C. Beckwith, Sole Agent Foreign Advertising. Notice to Subscribers—When subscribers desire to have their papers changed, they must specify where the paper is now going and where they wish it changed to. Watch the label on your paper and see when your * time expires. The State Herald will appreciate news from any community. If at a small place where it has no regular correspondent, news reports of neighborhood happenings from any friend will be gratefully received. All communications, of whatever charac ter or length, should be written on only one side of the sheet. TELEPHONE CALLS. Business Office.230 Editorial Rooms.231 All calls after 9 o’clock p. m. should be sent to the Editorial Rooms. " 1806. THE STATE HERALD. 1800. Subscription Price of the Daily Reduced to Six ($6) Dollars Per Annum. The State Herald management, appre ciating the very liberal encouragement extended to the paper by the people of Alabama and other states, and especially grateful to the business men of Birming ham for their very liberal support during this season, hereby announces a reduc tion of the subscription price of the Dally State Herald for 1896 to six (J6) dollars per annum, delivered free by mail or by carrier. Thus the State Herald becomes the only daily morning newspaper in Ala bama which meets the demand of mod ern journalism, placing itself in easy reach of every reading man, woman and child in the state. This reduction In subscription price does not mean a decline in the general excellence of the State Herald. It Is the purpose of the management to steadily Improve the paper in every department and make it invaluable as a daily visitor to Alabama homes and business offices. In announcing this reduction the State .Herald, which already enjoys the largest circulation of any newspaper in Alaba ma, confidently expects a large Increase In Its number of x-eaders, at home and abroad, because we realize that Ala bamians are an appreciative people, who -always respond liberally to the invitation of enterprise and progress. This reduction in price carries with it the necessity ^or a strictly cash system in the subscription department. There fore our patrons will be expected to pay monthly, quarterly, seml-annuaify or an nually in advance, and will not become offended when cut from the list for delin quency. Our rates for 1S96 are as follows: Daily State Hex-aid, per nvonth.$ 50 Daily State Herald, per quarter.1 50 Daily State Herald, per annum.0 00 Sunday State'Herald alone, per an num. 2 00 Weekly State Herald, per annum.... 1 00 Remittances can be made by express, postoffice money oi-der or drafts at cur rent rate of exchange. Address, THE STATE HERALD, Birmingham, Ala. — --.— There Is a strong belief In the New York drug trade that an effort is being made to corner the opium market. Dr. Robert Coltman, Jr., who formerly lived in Washington, has been made chief medical adviser of the royal palace at Peking.__ The last edition of the Geneva Citizen contained a write up of the countryot Ge-. nova and the town of Geneva, inter spersed with numer-ous illustrations. It was a good paper and shows Interprise. We congratulate Editor Clark. Spain will not object to the American commission consulting the Spanish ixi-chives about Venezuela, but clearly Iji timates that this is an act of courtesy which does not apply in the slightest as an admission of the Monroe doctrine. tr tnc senate democrats any populists will stand together and insist upon at taching a free silver coinage bill as an amendment to either the tariff bill or the currency bill of the house, everybody will have to show their hands, and the proba bility is that Mr. Cleveland would have to face a straight issue. The queen regent of Bpaln Is a con firmed smoker of cigarettes, and when at work is seldom without one between hej lips or In a box near at hand. It is the especial pleasure of "Bubl” (his Catholic Majesty, King Alfonso XIII) to light cig arettes for his mamma. "Carmen Syl via." the queen of Rotimanin, is also an ardent cigarette smoker. The senate passed without division Senator Hill's bill removing the disabili ties of Confederates in the matter of army service. This act of Justice was a long time coming, but now that it is here the old gray-hacks can step Into the ranks and fall on the treasury after awhile for their share of pensions. Gen. Dabney Maury, one of the old est Confederate commanders now living, has written a letter to Governor O’Fer rall of Virginia, offering his services in the event of a war between this country and England. The letter Is strictly pri vate. and at General Maury's request the governor declines to give it out to the newspapers. The general's views on the situation are quite well known. He is thoroughly in sympathy with the presi dent in his Venezuela message, and has a fair opinion of English soldiers. General Maury held a major-general’s commis sion in the Confederate army. He is not the ranking surviving Confederate com mander, but is one of the oldest in point of age. General Maury is well known to the people of Alabama, having been In command of the Mobile defenses toward the close of our civil war. One of his daughters married a son of Mr. Charles T. Pollard of Monigomery. General Maury is a splendid soldier. 8TAND UP TO THIS HACK. Now that the flurry is over and the war excitement has died down, we find a dis position among the many who at first in ► dorsed the president’s Venezuela mes sage to question whether he should have declared that the boundary must be fixed by a United States commission. Some of the leading northern and eastern papers take the side of Great Britain, and the old tory spirit is creeping out in various unexpected quarters. The money brokers, who look to England for loans, and the Anglomaniacs, who turn up their trousers when it rains in London, are thoroughly disgusted at this nasty Amer ican habit of filibustering, by Jove, don't you know! Notwitstandtng, the mass of the people are with the president, and will stick to him to the last ditch on this question. They may not agree with him on currency questions, but they are loy al to the views of. his Venezuela message. The New York Sun voices the senti ment of the great masses of the northern states. It says: "The British government having re fused to submit the whole of the Vene zuela boundary question to ar bitration. It is in a high de gree expedient that we should as certain in a definite, official way, whether there is so strong a prima facie case for the claim of Venezuela as will justify U3 in the eyes of posterity, and of those Eu ropean nations whose respect and friend ship we desire, in taking a final and de cisive step, the consequences of which none can fathom. If in the course of the historical and legal inquiry undertaken, no evidence sustaining the British claim shall be forthcoming from British Guiana or Groat Britain, it will not be the fault of the commission, should its report seem open to the charge of being based upon ex parte evidence. We shall have done what we could to prove to the world that we have not wantonly sought a quarrel with Great Britain, or reckless ly assumed the validity of a title which would not bear the scrutiny of a judicial tribunal. We do not, of course, expect the British foreign office to accept as conclusive a decision rendered on ex perte testimony. On the contrary. It will be at liberty to interrupt at any mo ment an inquiry undertaken by us in the fulfillment of our duty and in the inter ests of justice, and to supersede the com mission. by assenting to our request that the whole boundary controversy between Venezuela and British Guiana shall be referred to arbitrators. Such a refer ence was agreed to by Lord Granville in June, 1885, and none can doubt that it would meet with the approval of Mr. Gladstone, were he now at the head of the British government. Should Lord Salisbury, however, persist in his rejec tion of arbitration, and should the com mission recommended by Mr. Cleveland report that on all evidence submitted or obtainable that Venezuela has a clear title to a great tract of territory forcibly withheld by Great Britain, the people of the United States, without distinction of section or of party, will heartily sustain the president in defending the rights of an American republic against foreign ag gression. and in repelling force by force.” SIR ROBERT SCHOMBUROK. The gentleman who defined the line be tween Venezuela and British Guiana was something of an adventurer. It is said that at one time he was a clerk in a to bacco house at Richmond, Va. Ho was a native of Prussia, and well versed in scientific matters. He was fond of nat ural history and was quite a botanist. His history, as it creeps out by piece meal, is as follows: “Robert Herman Schomburgk, the au thor of the 'line' between Venezuela and British Guiana, which is now the subject of so much controversy, was a Prus sian scientist, who wandered a great deal over the world, and lived almost every where. He was born in 1804, and died in 1885. In his youth he was a clerk in a mercantile house in New York, and in that capacity drifted to South America, and finally settled in the Island of Bar bados, West Indies, as the representative of an English mercantile establishment. He had a penchant for botany and the kindred sciences, and a loving disposi tion and a taste for adventure, which led him to make a geographical and botani cal exploration through the colony of British Guiana and the eastern provinces of Venezuela. He spent six years, be tween 1833 and 1S39, in this work. “It was he who discovered the remark able pictographs that appear upon the rocks of the Essequibo river and its branches, which were executed by a race that at one time extended over the greater part of North and South Amrica, but are not regarded with much veneration by the present inhabitants of the wild re gions on tlie later continent. Similar pictographs exist in St. Thomas, St. Vin cent and Dominique, and other of the Windward islands. Schomburgk also dis covered that famous lily known as the Victoria Regia. He found it in the la goons along the banks of the Essequibo. where there were frequent ponds, cover ing hundreds of acres. The leaves of the lily were so large and covered so much water that the light-footed Indians used to stand upon them. bchomburgk returned to Georgetown, British Guiana, and there wrote a book, which was published in German, by his brother, in 1S40. This was accompanied by a rough map of the country he had ex plored. About the same time he wrote a pamphlet In English upon its natural features, and gave his theory as to where the boundary line between Guiana and Venezuela ought to be drawn. It was an arbitrary line, traced upon a map with out any reference to the territory over which Holland had claimed jurisdiction, or the terms of the treaties by which she transferred it to Great Britain. He only expressed his opinion as to where nature intended a division to be. and suggested that Great Britain should have the entire watershed of the Essequlbo river, which had.been rpcognlzed as the dividing line by the Spaniards and the Dutch. “Schomhurgk was afterwards em ployed by the British government to elab orate his map and boundary line, and fnr his services was made a baronet. He was also appointed to the consular corps of Great Britain, and served in Santo Domingo and Siam, where he died. He wrote n history of the colony of Barba dos. and made several other contribu tions to geographical and historical lit erature “It Is nti Interesting and important fact, just discovered,- that the States man's Year Book' tor 1RR5, which is an pminent British authority on geography and staltstles. and has been so recog nized1 fer Ihirtv-two years, gives the area of British Guiana as 76.000 square miles, white the sam» authority for 1R9!> gives the area at 100,000 square miles In that British colonv within ten years, which Is unaccounted for by treaty or recognized conquest." CUBANS MAKfi A MOVE. It Is gratifying to know that the Cu ban patriots have actually flanked Gen eral Campos and have moved upon Matanzas. within forty miles of Havana. This is doing well, and if Gomez can hold his portion or win a pitched battle the cause of free Cuba Is pretty well ad vanced. The following letter from the Cuban chief has been received at head quarters in New York city: “Remedies. Dec. 18, 18S3. “To Tomas Estrada Palma, Esq.— “My Dear and Good Friend: It Is not long since I wrote you. I do so when ever I can, which is,jiot often, due to the great amount of work on my shoulders Eight days ago Gen. Antonio Maceo and I fought the enemy, who were very nu merous, and consisting of Infantry, cav alry and artillery. The arms of khg re public were victorious We advahcr glowly, but with firm and sure step. The Spaniards are in need of everything—sob dlers, money, and of leaders who have faith and courage. “If Cuban valor and resolution are not wanting; If their virtues and revolution ary qualities do not weaken in the hearts of Cuba’s children, I think that In sis mdnths everything will be settled. “That no sugar crop be made, that the source from which the enemy still dreams to obtain money be destroyed, Is our programme. We should not fear the complaints of superficial and Inflexible opinions. "What we must do is to triumph, and the most efficacious and the most de cided means must be employed, although they may appear harsh. We must con quer, and whatever means we use, if we obtain our glorious end, will always be the best. “I have always thought that we must not be sanguinary, but we must be radi cal revolutionists. You can rest assured that Cuba will achieve her independence. Your true friend, M. GOMEZ.” RUSSIA. Russia is all right. She has no inter ests in the West Indies or in the Ameri can. continent, and she can see things clearly. A dispatch from Moscow says: "The entire Russian press discusses the chances of a conflict between Eng land and America with ardor approach ing enthusiasm, and in a tone of frank hostility to England. The Vienna cor respondent of the Standard quotes a jour nalist who had an interview in Paris with Dr. Raimundo Palmyra, ex-presi dent of Venezuela, in which he declares that neither Venezuela nOr the United States could yield, and that the question could only be settled by arbitration; but that it was well known both in Venezuela and the United States that there would be no war. All the morning papers have editorials this morning proclaiming a sentiment of peace and good will towards Venezuela and America. Various En glish religious bodies have cabled to their brethren in America their sympathy with their efforts for peace.” From London, saya the New York Sun, comes all sorts of idle rumors, some of which connect the names of Mr. William Waldorf Astor and Lady Randolph Churchill, spinning from thence a web of romance which conducts Mr. Astor through a series of parliamentary suc cesses until it evolves him into a peer of England and a possible prime minister. The silly season having been at an end for several weeks, it is a little surprising how such stories originate, but, with the rumors of war that are now floating about, it is to be hoped that the wise heads of England will occupy themselves with considering the question, which pro voked so much mirth on the stock ex change last week, as to whether when ! the British government sent over its iron clads they would be interfered with by excursion boats." It is said that Senor Estrada Palma, on behalf of the New York Cuban Junta, has entered into a compact with Dr. J. Julio Henna, president of the Porto Rico revolutionary party, whereby both par ties will co-operate in aiding the causqs Of Cuba and Porto Rico. President Hen na acknowledged that he had been in consultation with President Palma anti that steps will at once be taken to assist the people of Porto Rico, who are anx iously awaiting the signal to arise. With the development of an insurrection in Porto Rico, the efforts of the Spaniards to put down the war in Cuba will, neces sarily, be weakened and troops will be sent from the island of Cuba to Porto Rtco. Mr. Cleveland evidently despairs of any action by his lords and commons, and falls back upon his old syndicate to get him out of the rut. Upon his invita tion, Mr. J. P. Morgan of the Rothschild syndicate visited the white house Tues day evening. How long is this bond business to last, and how are we to get the gold to redeem the greenbacks issued to our soldiers and sailors when we get into a war with John Bull? KENTUCKYPOLITICS. juon. ViCRnes xjruiiaiun vui:Diaurs oejutiur r ackburn’s Chances Excellent. Hon. Charles J. Bronston of Lexington, a member-elect of the state senate for the Lexington district. Is Senator Black burn's principal lieutenant, and will prob ably have direct charge of the senator's campaign at Frankfort. He thinks Mr. Blackburn Is sure of the democratic cau cus nomination, and that his election will follow, or that no senator will be elected until the succeeding legislature names the man. He says the unseating by the republicans of Kaufman of Lexington will be simply an outrage, as Wood Dun lap has absolutely no Just claim upon the seat or good grounds for the contest he has made. If Kaufman is unseated It will be because a rabid partisanship de mands it- of the majority in the housed In order that a republican senator may be elected. Mr. Bronston will be among the foremost men in the senate of the state. He has had experience in politics and In' parliamentary practices, and Is up to every move in every game. He served as a member of the constitutional , convention, and has been commonwealth . attorney in his circuit for many years. From now until the legislature meets, in less than two weeks, the politics of the state will be growing more and more in ! terosting. The Indications are that the j coming session of the legislature will be about the liveliest the state will have wit nessed for years, and politicians and cltl aons generally will be on the watch for developments from day to day. When the democrats nominate their candidate and the republicans name theirs the con test will have just started, for the elec tion will follow, and as the legislature now stands neither side will he able to elect its man. There will likely bo sev eral preliminary fights In the house of great interest. The republicans propose to adopt Reed's rules, with some modi fications and changes that wilt permit them to unseat a democrat or two for the purpose of getting a majority on Joint ballot, and this attempt will be bitterly restsed by the large democratic minority, and the democrats will have the experience in legislation and parliamen tary practice on their side. BIRMINGHAM IS THE BEST. General Johnston Says No Other Town Com pares With the Magic City. Oen. R. D. Johnston, who has recently returned from Texas, says he saw no city while absent that would compare with Birmingham In thrift and activity and general business revival. He is con vinced more than ever that Birmingham Is the best town in the country, and speaks glowingly of the outlook for her prosperity. LATE CAR'?. Will be held at any point on electric line until 1 o’etock a. m. for $3 extra Parlies having receptions or any entertainment can secure these cars for their guests by notifying Birmingham Railway and Electric company. 303 North 30th street. 1 0.1 <L UjiA- SHIM'’ D ii "In your heart may bells of gladness Ring their happy chime; Fain we would that nought of sadness Cloud your happy time.” i ECHOES OF THE PRESS. The Smallest-Freak. Can It be possible that the Montgom ery Advertiser will not even give its gracious consent that the State Herald may approve the president’s message re lating to tire Venezuelan boundary ? Wo submit that of all the petty journalism we have ever known, this freak of our Montgomery contemporary is the small est. What wretched stuff it has been dealing forth to its readers! And this is the savior of Alabama democracy that will have none but its own personal high priests to sit in the party temple, none but its anointed for governor.—Hunts ville Argus. Can’t Avoid tho Fact. This significant paragraph appears in the Montgomery Postoflice Tuesday morning: "The Johnston men are waiting for a Christmas gift from Hon. Dick Clarke," remarks the Mobile Register. "Dread ing" would better express their attitude. Perhaps the Register may relieve their state of mind by New Year anyhow." So it was agreed that Mr. Clarke’s home postoflice organ is to have the exquisite pleasure of announcing Mr. Clarke’s can didacy and not the Montgomery personal grievance postoflice organ. The Journal had reason to believe this was the pro gramme agreed upon at the recent con ference of Mr. Clarke’s friends in this city. It was not deemed advisable for the Montgomery postoflice to make the announcement. There is prettyNgood political sense in this programme. But Mr. Clarke can’t avoid the fact, plaJn, pointed and undeniable, that the Mont gomery Postoflice, the remnant of Ran dolphlsm In this county, which is odious to all the people in the state, Is respon sible for his canddacy, no matter who has the special privilege of making his formal announcement.—Montgomery Journal. Bury Intolerance and Strife. It seems to us that the Montgomery Ad vertiser and the Mobile Register, both "pap” papers, would not consent to sup port Captain Johnston for governor should he recant and abjure his political views and pledge himself to kiss the un washed foot of their political saint. Pres ident Cleveland. There are many lova ble traits in the character of President Cleveland, but in his overbearing dog matism we do not know whether he is imitating the Advertiser and the Reg ister, or whether they are mimicking him. This is the meanest thing we have ever said of our esteemed president, but It does not seem that Mr. Cleveland has no use for a democrat who presumes to differ with him—and our “esteemed” confreres above named would rather see the democratic party go to shcol with a man or men of thetr selecting than to see the party harmonized and the white peo ple of Alabama unified under the leader ship of lifelong democrats who differ with them and tlie president on some minor detail of party financial policy, when our very last state convention dis tinctly recognized and declared the fact that "there are differences of opinion Among us in matters of detail.” but “all believe in the free coinage of silver when ever it can be done consistently with the maintenance of a sound and safe cur rency.” We and all bimetallists maintain the single gold standard, to which our above friands are tending, and actually ooihmltted, is neither “sound” nor ''safe;" that the ‘use of both metals is the stand ard money of the country." The dlffer ence between the national and sfat-' plat , form3 is not so grave as to justify the ostracism of any true democrat, or to bar him from seeking office at the hand of the party, if he is known to be "honest, i competent and faithful." If we are ever to unite and harmonize 1 the party we must bury strife and in tolerance.—Selma Times. To Curs a Cold in One Day. Take Laxative Bromo Quinine Tablets. All druggists refund the money if it falls I to cure. 25c. 10-27-6m-2p CORNER-STONE LAYING Of the New Cumberland Presbyterian Church This Afternoon—Address by Dr. Lan dreth of Nashville. The corner stone of the new Cumber land Presbyterian church building, at Fifth avenue and Eighteenth street, will be laid this afternoon at 3:30 o’clock. The occasion will be celebrated with ap propriate services, and short addresses will be made by the pastor, Rev. R. D. Wear, and Drs. Handley and Kelley. Dr. Ira Landreth, editor of the Cumberland Presbyterian of Nashville, Tenn., will make the principal speech. An excellent musical programme has been arranged, and will be rendered by a large number of voices from the various church choirs of the city. . ' MARRIAGE. Miss Rosalie 0. Bridewell and Mr. George Golding—Rather an All Round Sur prise to Relatives and Friends. Married at the residence of the bride’s parents, 314 Twenty-third street, yester day. by Rev. Thomas J. Beard, Miss Ros alie O. Bridewell to Mr. George Golding of Washington, D. C. Miss Bridewell arrived a few days ago from Washington, where she has been for the past several months, to spend the holidays with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. H. F. Bridewell. Mr Golding arrived In the city yester day. The wedding was a quiet affair, only members of the immediate family being present. The marriage was as great a surprise to the family as the news will be to the bride’s many friends. IN FAVOR OF PEACE. Prominent Englishmen So Declare Them selves to the New York World. The World publishes the following ca blegrams received in reply to Us re quests for opinions on the Venezuelan situation: From the Prince ot Wales. “Sandringham, Dec. 24.—Sir Francis Knollys is desired by the Prince of Wales and the Duke of York to thank Mr. Pulitzer for his cablegram. “They earnestly trust and cannot but believe t#^ present crisis will be arranged in a manner satisfactory to both coun tries, and will be succeeded by the same warm feeling of friendship which has j existed between them for so many I years.” From tho Bishop of London. ‘'With all my heart I pray to God to avert from this country and the United States the crisis and disaster of war between them, and I hold it to be the bounden duty of every man in both coun tries to avoid all provocative language and to do all that he conscientiously can to promote peace.” The following unsolicited dispatch was received by the World from the Free Masons of Manchester: “Christmas greeting of the Free Ma sons' club of Manchester, to American Free Masons: Glory to God in the high est, on earth peace, good will to men.” moonshiner's arrested. Deputy Collector John E. Logwood re ports the capture of an illicit still and the arrest of four men In Lawrence county, near Pool. The men grave their names as Matt Hughes, Bob Sanford, Buddie Higgins and C» o»*a:e Hampton. The still is valued at $5d* and had a ca ps oitv of about four gallons a day. One hundred and sixty gallons of beer and lour graHors of sour mash nnd six gallons of whisky were found with the outfit. CARL MOYER, Charged With Murder, Will Be Given a Pre liminary Hearing Before Justice Martin Today. A preliminary hearing will be given Carl Moyer today at 9 o'clock before Jus tice Charles Martin. Moyer shot and killed a negro some time ago on Morris avenue. He was arrested on the charge of murder. The prosecution wilt be rep resented by Attorneys John F. Gillespie and R. C. Reedus, and the defense by Col. J. J. Altman and Richard Fries. Presentations for THE HOLIDAYS. —♦— NECKWEAR. SUSPENDERS—Silver Buckles. HANDKERCHIEFS—Linen & Silk. UMBRELLAS. SAfOKING JACKETS. BATH ROBES. —♦— L. ROGAN & CO. THE AFTER TASTE. Christmas Offenders Received It Yesterday Morning in Police Court. Judge Feagln disposed of the following cases yesterday morning: Margaret McCray, disorderly conduct; $4. Malinda DuBose, disorderly conduct; *3. Henry Bates, affray; $4. Hula Johnson, disorderly conduct; $4, Jane McFarland, disorderly conduct; $4. Beoa Allen, disorderly conduct; $3. Johnson Bush, disorderly conduct; $5. Charles Kennon, disorderly conduct; $4. W. H. Spain, disorderly conduct; $4. J. F. Cordin, disorderly conduct; $5 and costs. Julia Henderson, femaTe appearing in public In male attire; $3. Pink Bryant, assault and battery; $5 and costs. ^ Bou Perry, assault and battery; $5. Will Sloan, assault and battery; $25 and costs and ten days extra on the streets. Several cases were continued. Awarded Highest Honors—World’s Pair. DU BAKING POWDfR MOST PERFECT MADE. A pure Grape Cream of Tartar Powder. Free ‘.tom Ammonia, Alum or any other adulterant. 40 YEARS THE STANDARD ' v. "*