Burlington weekly free press. [volume], March 25, 1887, Page 4, Image 4

About Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928

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opy, 60 cents for three months, $1.00 lor bI.x
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BURLINGTON. Fill DAY, MAIL 25.1S87.
l'UHMSIIKD.llV
THE FREE PRESS ASSOCIATION,
O. O. ltKNl'.DICT.'lIdltor.
Terms S3.00 year, nlwiiys"In advance
FAST DAY.
A Proclamation by tho Governor.
In accordnnco with tho venerated custom of
Now Eaglanfi It becomes tho people of this
State to humbly confess their transgressions
and short-comings to Almighty (lod and In
humility acknowledge their dependence upon
Him
Therefore, 1, Ebcncer J. Ormsbce, govern
or or the State of Vermont, do hereby ap
point Frldny, the eighth day of April next, as
a day or riiBtiug, humiliation and prnjer. Let
us on that day censoirom our accustomed
labois, retrain from improper nmusetiu'iits
and meet in the appointed places of worship
andthero join In fitting and appropriate ie
ligious exercise?. 1 recommend that at such
exercises, and at our homes, we make special
acknowledgment of our dependence upon the
Divine Providence nnd devoutly pray to Ood
Tor u continuance ot his many blessings and
mercies. Especially Ictus earnestly supplicate
that the scourge of interapcraneo may be
stayed and that our otherwise happy atid
prosperous land may bo relieved from that
widespread and terrible curse : and may wo
not only so pray but so llvo that our precept
and example may be In accordance with such
prayer.
Given under my hand and tho seal of tho
State In the executive chamber at llrandou
tills 18th day or March, A. 1)., 18S7, and or tho
Independence or the United States the 112th.
KlIENEZEIl .1. OllMSIIKK.
Uy the Governor,
Vl.KTCIIKH I). PliOCTOIt,
Secretary or Civil and Military Affairs.
It is rumored that the United States is
to have n papal nuncio or apostolic dele
gate, soon to be appointed by the pope.
Governor Ormsbee, in his excellent pro
clamation, elsewhere printed, appoints
the 8th of April, which is " Good Friday,"
as the annual State Fast day.
A despatch from London says that Mr
Parnell will oppose any Irish land pur
chase bill based upon the existing judicial
rents, which are at least twenty-live per
cent too high.
Before the debris had been cleared up at
the Bussey bridge the Massachusetts Sen
ate passed a bill requiring that all railway
bridges in the State should be inspected
at stated periods.
The Troy Press appears as an eight-page
paper, nnd has donned a new dress in
honor of the occasion. The chief fault wo
have to llnd with the Press is that it Is
democratic in politics.
The people of Vermont extend their sym
pathy to the people of South Carolina and
Georgia, who have just bad their "garden
fcass" cut oil by frost. No early peas have
suffered from the frost in Vermont as yet.
The April number of Mucmtllan's Mag
azine will contain Tennyson'sJ jubilee
ode to Queen Victoria. We are curious to
Bee how the laureate will make this jubi
lant strain chime with the minor chord of
his "Locksley Hall Sixty Years After."
It is a significant fact that when the
Crosby high license bill came up in the
New York assembly every republican
save two voted for it and every democrat
voted against it. The democrats and the
saloons are everywhere in league.
Thirty-nine foreign fire insurance com
panies, representing several hundred mil
lion dollars, have been licensed by the in
surance commissioners of Vermont to
transact business in this State for the year
ending March 31, 18S7.
Six months ago De Lesseps sold $91,700,
000 of the Panama canal bonds for $r0,
000,000 in cash. And now the same enter
prising financier is begging for a new
loan. A terrible financial crash may be
expected in Franco when the bottom drops
out of tho canal scheme.
A Washington physician claims to have
discovered a lluld which enables one to
fast indelluitoly, grow stronger daily,
work without fatigue and sleep without
rocking, and yet it is not a drug. Supply
pipes should immediately be laid to all
the centres of population.
A bill for tho repeal of capital punish
ment has been passed by both Houses of
the Maine Legislature and has gone to the
governor. The bill takes av ay from tho
governor the power to pardon a convict
tentenced for murder in the first degree
unless his innocence has been established
Gen. AV, T, Sherman once more declines
to be a candidate for president of the
United States or any other civic office
Tho general recommends his brother
John as a good man for the place, He has
no objections to admitting the presidency
into the family.
'The governor of Tennessee ha signed
the bill providing for tho submission of a
constitutional prohibitory amendment to
a vote of tho poople in September next
Tho temperance people of Tennessee are
not without hope that the amendment
will be adopted,
A recent decision of tho Queen's Bench
at Toronto, Canada, will be pleasing to
the Mormons. It Is to the ellect that any
married citizen of tho Dominion who
crosses the llue nnd marries again in the
United States cannot bo prosecuted for
bigamy on his return, unless it cau be es
tablished that lie left Canada for the pur
pose of committing the offence.
Tho Hlchnioiid Hotel, which burned In
Buffalo, was a new one, only opened for
business two months ago. Tho men who
In these days, construct a death-trap in
which n lire could cut oil' all meant of
escape for most of the guests, within live
minutes after It started, should bo prose
cuted criminally.
It Is predicted that Mr. Cleveland will
call an oxtra session of Congress in Octo
ber, with a view to legislation for tho re
duction of the revenue and to appropriate
money to supply deficiencies. There
would have been less need of this if
the president had not killed so many ap
propriation blliH by pocket vetoes.
One of the yachts In the ocean race, the
"Dauntles:;," was sighted by the steam
ship "Iltigla," justl-u-rlved in New York
She was In latitude 42' 0.1 , longitude 411
38', or about 1115 miles east of New York.
This Is by no means as far as it was ex
pected the yachts would travel in the
given time. They have probably been de
layed by the strong westerly gales that
have prevailed.
Ex-Senutor Eaton of Connecticut says
John Sherman is stronger than Blaine,
and Kdmunds abler than, but not so
strong a candidate, as Sherman. He is
Inclined to think that Mr. Blaine will
name Allison as the republican candidate
and that Allison will bo elected. The
prediction season may thus be considered
formally opened.
General Lew Wallace, in his lecture
Tuesday, praised highly tho valor, piety,
toleration and courtesy of the Turk. That
he could not ndd honesty to his virtues
would seem to follow from the statement
that the sultan llnds It impossible to re
form evils in his empire of which he is
fully conscious, owing to the Impossibility
of finding honest servants to execute his
his wishes. '
Some of tho papers seem to be under
the impression that the interstate com
merce bill prohibits the sale of mileage
tickets. This is not so. The bill simply
forbids tho sale of mileage tickets at dif
ferent rates to different persons, or the
sale to one person and refusal to sell to
another. This is a kind of discrimination
against which the public has complained
for a long time.
Our readers will remember the brutal
assassination of the Hev. Mr. Haddock at
Sioux City, Iowa, some months ago, be
cause of his elVorts in behalf of the pro
hibition law. He did not die in vain, for
his death created such a feeling that every
saloon in Sioux City is now closed, and
eight saloonkeepers are in jail, unable to
pay the heavy lines that have been imposed
upon them.
In response to newspaper criticisms upon
the luxurious headquarters of the Knights
of Labor in Philadelphia, Mr. Powderly
says: "It there is auy class of men who
can enjoy and ought to have a good easy
place to sit down, it is the working class."
True enough ; but how many of the
working classes who pay for these sumptu
ous apartments, ever ue the privilege
of enjoying them f
The eighteenth annual reunion of the
Society of the Army of the Cumberland,
which is to be held in Washington on the
11th and 12th of May, will be distinguish
ed by the unveiling of the statue of Presi
dent Garfield, which lias just been com
pleted. It is to stand at the junction of
Maryland avenue and First street. It is
of heroic size, and will be one of the llnest
statues in Washington.
Having effected the approaching retire
ment from active service of the car stove,
the newspapers aro now assailing the
death-trap hotels, which provide no ade
quate means for the escape of guests in
case of tire. A New York journal says
there is not a hotel in the city the elevator
well of which is adequately protected
against its becoming a llue to carry lire to
I every lloor, if a fire gets started in the
I lower story.
I Ottawa, P. Q advices say that there
; is not one word of truth in the outline of a
proposal which, It was alleged, had been
made by Canada to the British govern
ment regarding the fishery matter. Said a
member of the cabinet : "There is too
much of this bogus ollicial information
being telegraphed from Ottawa, and the
government is taking steps to punish the
culprits. The whole despatch from be
ginning to end is a base Imposition."
The liquor men of New York, assisted
by the political prohibitionists, are work
ing like beavers to defeat the Crosby high
license bill in the Legislature. Iu the
present condition of things, iu the State of
New York it is utterly hopeless to expect
that prohibition could be either adopted
or enforced. A high license bill like tho
Crosby bill, is certainly the next best
thing; and every temperance man in the
State ought to work for It.
The other day a little girl walked into
the police court at Buffalo, N. Y., and
asked for a warraut for the arrest of her
husband for non-support. It appeared
that last January n clergyman of Buffalo
united In marriage Hubert W. Stone, aged
sixteen, and Grace Kendall, not yet four
teen years old 1 Another couple of sixteen
and fifteen years respectively were mar
ried by tho same minister. The clergy
man's name should be given.
Of 327,000 women entitled to vote for
school officers, in Massachusetts, an aver
age of a little over 3000 have registered as
voters, and an average of 1011 have accu
ally voted, during tho last live years. In
other words only one woman in every ISO
Ls willing to vote. In Leavenworth, Kan
sas, where a new law gives women the
right to vote on municipal matters, it is
reported that a thousand women have
registered ; and it is thought that a good
many of them will vote, on one side or the
other, In the coming election, which in
volves a temperance issue.
Probably none of the resolutions of sym
pathy and regard called forth by the death
ot .Mr. needier would havo been more
grateful to him, could lie have foreknown,
than thosie adopted by the newsboys of
New York city. These little fellows got
together and resolved to cherish tho mem
ory of their good friend. "Wo knew him
well," they said, "he was always kind to
us, and we shall inisslilm from the streets
of Brooklyn," Not every man Is missed
by all classes iu tho community when he
1 dies, as is Mr. Beecher.
Mr. Gladstone, who Is tho best friend
that Ireland possesses, believes that Irish
home rule, if It comes, must coma by de
grees. This Is a fact which many Irish
men In tills country do not seem to real
ize. They are- too often impatient and
Impetuous. It would be well If all of
them would heed the wlsulidvlco given by
Hev. 1). J. O'Sulllvan in ills address in
Burlington on St. Patrick's day : "Avoid
all secret combinations. Let your object
and your aim, as far as Ireland Is con
cerned, be to gain the honor and approval
of the civilized world."
Senator Joseph Hawlcy ot Connecticut
says that he has been astonished at the
violent language some of his democratic
colleagues have Indulged in when refer
ring to this administration. "For all
that," he said "I think we could defeat
11111 In New York easier than Cleveland.
Hill has never been able, so far as I can
judge, to rlso above the level ot a poli
tician. 1 le has not got the confidence ot the
conservative business men, and they are
an enormous power. But I do not think
tho democrats can win with any man next
year. The signs portend a republican vic
tory." They have a picturesque way of doing
things lu Texas, which breaks the monot
ony ot life and keeps the newspapers well
supplied with material. A Texas editor,
who criticized the proceedings ot the lower
house ot the State Legislature, the other
day, was expelled from the iloor ; where
upon he retaliated by causing the arrest
of the speaker. The editor and justice be
fore whom the speaker was taken were
thereupon brought before the bar of the
House, and the former was committed to
jail for forty-elglit hours for contempt.
Those who are familiar with the charac
ter of Texas journalism, will admit it to be
possible that the penalty was not extreme.
As the matter now stands the interstate
commerce commission is to bu Judge
Thomas M. Cooley of Michigan (indepen
dent republican), chairman, William 11.
Morrison of Illinois (democrat), W. L.
Bragg of Alabama (democrat), and J. D.
Kernan (democrat), New York. The other
republican, or so-called republican, Is to
come from New England or the Middle
States. The president might as well have
constituted the commission entirely of
out and out democrats. They will control
it absolutely.
The people of this country little realize
what enormous sums are paid annually
by the people of the leading European na
tions to support their military organiz.i
tlons. France and Germany each spend
$170,000,000. Britain $14S,000,00() and
Italy $100,000,000. This makes $888,000,000
for five nations, and if the army expenses
of Austria, Turkey and lesser nations be
added, the grand total of the annual mili
tary burdeu of Europe will be nearly $1,
000,000.000. How fortunate itls for America
that she doesn't have to live in the Euro
pean apartment house !
Not nil postmasters enjoy the service of
Uncle Sam. Here is a letter from one of
them to Postmaster-General Vilas, which
displays a passionate yearning for release
that few ollice-holders cau understand :
When does my sentence expire ? Twice
have I resigned, but the felon might as
well try to shake oft his fetters, as silent
contempt has been the fate of my epistles.
Oh I please, good mister postmaster-general,
let me go and I promise never to do
so again. I will never sign another peti
tion to start a postolllce on the cross roads,
if my name figures as its master. Be
sides, I am an offensive partisan and really
should be fired, for I made campaign
speeches, and am liable to do so again. I
shall watcli the incoming mails with eager
eye, hoping against hope that my pardon
may come and bet me tree.
(Signed), , P. M.
Senor Jose Pasos, 'the representative of
the Nicaragua government in England,
writes to the London Times, by authority
of the home government, that, should a
canal be built across tho territory of the
State by an Americau company, the Nicar
agua!! authorities "will not omit any
means to secure the strictest neutrality of
the route for the benefit of the maritime
powers having an interest in the free pas
sage thereof." As we understand it. the
American company has no other design or
wish with respect to this canal. It asks
for no special concessions to the United
States, and proposes to have the manage
ment of the canal in hands which will
ensure Its strict neutrality.
Plymouth church of Brooklyn is not a
weak or insignificant machine. Its prop
erties, inclusive of its missions, are worth
over $250,000. There is not a dollar of in
debtedness iu any form. There 1b an en
dowment fuud of over $10,000, on interest,
fortlie Bethel and other missions. Its
3000 members have shown n purpose to
stand by the old home. The question of
a successor to Mr. Beecheris one of stroug
interest not only to them but to the gen
eral public. At present the intention is to
fill the pulpit by eminent ministers until
the summer vacation, and then take up in
earnest the pastor question. Who can de
sire to step into Mr, Beecher's shoes f
The amended prohibitory law iu Maine
which goes into effect May 1, makes the
penalty on first conviction thirty days'
imprisonment, as well as line ; prohibits
the sale of cider for tippling purposes:
allows druggists to keep liquors for the
solo purpose of compounding medicines
makes the payment of a United States tax
prima facie evidence ot illegal sale of
liquor, becauso a druggist is not required
to pay that tax for usihg liquors iu com
pounding bona fide medicines ; Imposes it
penalty on railroad employes for unload
Ing liquor outside of regular stations; and
gives the State liquor commissioner a
fixed salary Instead of a percentage of
sales.
The amendment offered by Mr. Ed
uiiiuds to the legislative appropriation
bill giving $10,000 to tho bureau of labor
for the collection of statistics of marriage
and divorce throughout the country was
adopted and is now a law. In the hands
of the experienced commissioner, Hon
Carroll 1). Wright, with an admirably or
ganized force for such work, tho country
may look for a report of great value con
tainlng information absolutely essential
to wise discussion and legislation on the
subject. It is but his duo to add that Mr.
Edmunds was tho first among members
of Congress to see the Importauco of tills
particular step and has steadily urged nnd
watched it lu the Seuate. Congressmen
Stewart and Grout in tho last Congress
and Judge Poland in the previous C on
gress also rendered efficient support to the
' measure.
The Awns says that the following
"order 74," has been issued by tliu super
intendent of the railway mail service, we
suppose for New England, under date of
March 11:
Numerous serious complaints liavo recent
ly bien mndn relating to delay ot letters lor
llurllngton, Vt.. and especially thwse directed
to tho .Merchants' National bank, mostly In
printed envelopes. These) errors havo been
traced to old and experienced clerks 111 most
ot the Instances. It shows that they aro
eases or gross carelessness, and unless these
errors ale corrected at once It may lead to
serious consequences to those who make
them.
This Is not very good English ; but Is
intelligible. We certainly should ask for
no favors for tho "old and experienced"
republican clerks from a democratic su
perintendent, nor for any clerk guilty of
gross carelessness. And if all concerned
will give the public prompt and accurate
mall service, there will be no occasion for
howling on the part of either press or pub
lic. The order is at least proof that tho
"errors" existed. How the responsibility
for them should be divided, between the
old and new clerks, we havo never under
taken to say ; but wo venture to doubt
that any more of them have been traced
to the old clerks than to tho new.
Mr. Edward Atkinson's recent articles
in the Century Mwjnzlnc on the strength
and weakness of nations are exceedingly
valuable and suggestive. They show
that, after all, the American people, with
out a standing army and without a fleet,
is nevertheless in various respects the
strongest nation in the world. Mr. Atkin
son's statistics show that while the bur
den of taxation iu America is less than
one-third of the amount imposed in many
European countries, it is possible for each
laboring man to earn nearly twice as much.
The enormous burden of taxation abroad
and the steadily increasing national debts,
result from the standing armies which
these countries are obliged to keep as a
menace to each other, and it is Mr. Atkin
son's opinion that this state of affairs will
in time result in revolution and universal
bankruptcy in the old world. In view of
the facts cited he pertinently asks ; "Is not
our apparent weakness the very source of
our strength ? Are we not stronger with
out extensive fortifications, navies, nnd
other armaments, than we should be If we
spent our force In constructing them '"
Tho Other Side of tin; CJuest ion.
A brief on the subject of the fisheries
dispute was submitted by the Dominion
government, to the colonial olllce at Lon
don, home two mouths since. Its princi
pal features have been made, public, ac
companied by a proposition looking to the
settlement of the question at issue.
The Dominion government asserted
that after the failure to renew the treaty
of Washington Canada determined to
defend the three mile limit cov
ered by the treaty of ISIS, land proceeded
to warn all trespassing fishermen off the
in-shore waters. The American local au
thorities, the brief says, thereupon issued
trading licenses to fishing schooners. The
Canadiaus replied : "They are fishing
vessels and therefore, according to treaty,
cannot trade." It was therefore iu ac
cordance with treaty rights that these ves
sels were prohibited the privileges of Can
adian ports.
With respect to the bait question, the
manifesto says : "The Canadians hold
that buying live bait that has been
caught within the three mile limit
is practically tho same thing as fishing
within the three mile limit, even were
there no treaty in the premises." But
from the fact that the treaty of ISIS gave
the United States a special right to secure
bait on the Magdalen islands and the
coasts of Newfoundland, the Canadians
nrgue that no such concession could have
been implied in theclause allowing Ameri
can fishermen to enter the Canadian
waters in order to obtain wood, water and
shelter or repairs.
So much for the narrow argument of the
Dominion government. Now what is the
proposition Canada offers for the settle
tlement of th fisheries question ? It is
that, in view of the extent of the interests
involved, a commission of live be appoint
ed, the Uuited States to name two, Canada
one, Newfoundland one and some Euro
pean power the fifth to decide the ques
tions at issue. This is the fairest proposi
tion that Cannda has yet made. It is to
be hoped that some agreement of this kind
cau be arrived at, mid that the dispute
may be amicably settled before another
Congress assembles.
Ambiguous legislation.
The attention of our readers has been
called to the fact that, as the agricultural
experiment station bill Is worded, it has
been decided to be necessary for Congress
to appropriate annually tho sum needed
to carry out the measure, instead of hav-
ng this appropriation continuously avail
able, as Congress, no doubt, intended.
Tills Interpretation was evidently not con
templated by the framers of the bill ; but
such a construction is undeniably possi
ble, and in fact seems to be the intent of
the section referred to.
So, too, with the interstate commerce
bill. It has been discovered that some
sections of this bill are so vaguely
worded that nobody can tell ex
actly what they mean. One paragrapher
wittily suggests that the bill be sent to
Robert Browning to be turned into poetry,
in order that it may lie more lucid 1 All
tho appropriation bills aro found to be full
of clauses of doubtful meaning. The trade
dollar bill was so crude that there was
much doubt as to the possibility of its ex
ecution. Tho nnti-polygamy bill, which
was extensively amended in the course of
its passage, is said to contain some Inex
plicable provisions. It is evident that
greater care and accuracy ot statement
on the part of our national lawmakers are
sadly needed.
A St. Johns, N. B., despatch says that
since President Cleveland has given his
assent to the retaliatory bill there has
been a decided change iu sentiment there
over its probable effect on Canada should
she persist In denying privileges to United
States fishermen. Tho St. John Telegraph
says :
We venture to say that the full gravity
of tho situation lias not dawned upon this
community. Our neighbors have resort
ed to tho last alternative, next to war.
War itself must in time result from en
forced non-Intercourse between two com
munities, situated as the Dominion and
the republic aro. Shall we, in the lace of
such conditions, uo on enforcing the cus-
toms regulation as to American fishing
vessels, which were adopted last year f If
bo, we shall havo non-Intercourse, with its
penalties as above brought on. Wo be
lieve that tho president will act as the law
declares ho shall act. And. if co, we are
face to face with an international crisis of
the gravest character.
Tlio AVlillc Jinn in (lie Now Soul li.
A noticeable artlclo under this title, by
Mr. Wilbur FIskTillettof Vanderbllt mil
verslty, Nashville, Tumi,, Is presented In
tho current number of the Century Maua
slnc. In this Its author sets forth forcibly
the progress made by the South in the past
seven years In agricultural prosperity,
manufactures, education and llteratuie.
Ho states that the Increase of agricultural
products from 1880 to 1885, in the South
ern States, shows nti Increaso of $120,000,
000 ; the manufacturing products an in
crease of $130,000,000 ; and tho stock and
dairy products of $38,000,000. The total ot
these products has grown from $1,001,
000,000 to tl,303,OO0,O0O-a gain oi $302,000,
000. And lie asserts that more than tho
entire increase, being half of the whole,
comes from Industries which have sprung
up lu the South since the war. The
wealth ot the South, he says, lias increased
forty-one per cent in the last five years
being an increase of wealth exceeding the
increaso of population by twenty-live per
cent this addition to their capital being
mado wholly by the whites as the blacks
seldom accumulate anything. This lie
says Is a far better showing than was ever
made during any five years of the period
of slavery.
Tho South, Mr. Tillett says, is expending
on public education twice as much as it
expended five years ago ; and live times as
much as in 1870. The Southern white is
giving to the schools more out of ids pov
erty since the war than he ever gave of
his wealth in the days of slavery.
In regard to literature the effect of slavery
in its day was enervating. It produced
iiLi-ituj mtriiuij. iJiii, Lliu ouiliu IS 110
longer content with its literary poverty
and more real " literary work has
been done in the past fifteen years by
Southern writers than was done In all its
history before the war. The intellect of
tho South, Mr. Tillett says, has been
emancipated by the destruction of slavery.
He also maintains that It would be easy
to show that the South Is morally better
thau before the war and this can be
readily believed. The article does not go
into political considerHtions, yet at one
point it touches on politics, incidentally,
in mentioning the fact of the growing
sentiment at the South in favor of pro
tectionthe natural result of its having
manufacturing interests to be fostered by
protection. This change of opinion on
the subject of tree trade ought logically
to result in inducing the Southern voters
to cut loose from the party of free trade
and ally themselves, to some extent at
least, with the republican party, which is
the only party iu favor of the protection
of American industry. But this, in view
of the hold the democratic party has had
In the South for two generations past, can
only be the work of time.
The Edmunds-Tucker Hill.
Some uncertainty respecting the provi
sions of the'uew Edmunds-Tucker Mormon
bill, as well ns disquietude regarding its
effectiveness, seems to prevail in the public
mind. There are those who assert that It is
a step backward, and cannot prove as effec
tive as the law formerly in operation. Such
fears, however, seem to be groundless.
The Senate bill, as first prepared, was
carefully drawn in considerable part
by Senator Edmunds. It passed
the Senate and was made still
more comprehensive by the House.
Finally having been modified by a confer
ence committee, it was passed by large
majorities in both houses. Those who are
of opinion that this bill is less severe than
its predecessor will do well to consult its
provisions against polygamy ; tho public
ity of marriages which it requires ; its dis
solution of the two great incorporations,
the Emigration Hind company and the
Mormon church, and the sections pre
scribing registration of voters, and a test
oath as conditions to the right of suffrage.
It Is not an ambiguous or loose statute.
There is perhaps one weak point in it,
which, however, may not prove to be a
weak point, after all. This is the striking
from the Edmunds bill ot the provision
that the governor of the territory should
appoint the territorial officers. In place
of this the officers will again be elective ;
so that, it the Mormons can succeed in
evading or overriding the test oath
they will again acquire control.
This provision of th new bill caused the
Mormons to celebrate its passage with
various demonstrations of delight, and in
dications are said to be multiplying that
they will take the oath and vote iu large
numbers. But it remains to be seen, how
many of them will be allowed to qualify.
We question whether they can override
the test oath as they propose. In the
hands of the right sort of commissioners,
the Edmunds-Tucker law need not pnt
the government of the territory back into
the hands of the Mormons. How It will
work in practice remains to be seen.
l'iic; nnd Insurance Statistics.
We give for the benefit ot our readers
the following statistics of losses by fires
in the State of Vermont during 1680.
33
i2S
$ 31,.Mti
;i,;kio
l.Vmo
U.'.OO
17,!KK)
IM.tWO
111,075
sr,imi
a.V-"'
!i.i"o
24..V.O
.Innltnrv.
February.
March..
April . .
May
Juno
.hilv
A n mist . .
September. 10
October 17
November. 4
December.
Total .. 10.1 L-JO JlKM.Wtl S3-7,4'.M JII.V.1,510
It will bo seen that the value of property
burned was more than double the amount
,,r tiw iuiiv.,inri This need not be. with
the great number of first-class companies
and agencies within the iimus oi me
State. In the United States for the year
16-sil the number of fires was ir,322; num
ber of risks, 211,013, and property losses,
$10l,934,lSO.
From the first ot lastJanuarytothe 12th
of March, 18S7, the losses by lire in the
United States aggregate $1!I,Ch)7,2'.I7, at
which rato the losses for 18S7 will bo $100,
803,233. The fact that a hundred millions
of dollars worth of property is wiped out
every year In this country is certainly an
indication that something is wrong, either
in methods of construction of our build
ings, iu want of precaution agaiust lire,
or in tho moral character ot insurers of
property, or in all threo.
President Garrettot the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad has given $80o0 to the new
art museum at Princeton college.
- -: cs c
v- ?Z
X: Zo - v
a 20 $ 81.CO0 f ID.MO
, 4 7 14.!K 11.6011
10 -'0 t.'M "iIKI
!i 27 30a")0 H.iilH
S 11 31.-K) ls.nno
li il 2S.WW lO.'.Wil
, 15 15 3:i,'.Mll li.aiu
u L(l li.7ii 4ti.ii.VI
1,1 73.SUU 41.1U0
JJ .i.l.HT.'i
13 S7,.M1 1N.2.VJ
SI 7I.IXO 411,150
Tho SlntiiH or tlio Nnvy.
Tho Army anil Nnvy Journal makes a
careful tabulation of the sums which havo
been recently appropriated by Congress
for upbuilding the navy. The npproprla
Hons for armament, extending from July
2, 188-1, to March 3, 1HS7, both Inclusive,
toot up $3,070,702 ; and for armor, gun
steel, flouting batteries, torpedoes and
new ships, $27,007,300. Including the
Ronch cruisers, either completed or on
the eve of completion, the appropriations
provide tor twenty-two vessels with a
total tonnage of iS5,00!i, and armed with
two 12-lnch, twenty-six 10-Inch, twelve
8-inch and eighty-one O-mch guns, Tho
armament of the two heaviest cruisers has
not yet been determined. The Dolphin
nnd Atlanta are in commission the C'hl
cago nnd Boston are fitting for service iu
New York. The Charleston and Balti
more aro under contract, as aro also gun
boats Nos. 1 and 2. Proposals for building
the Newark will shortly be invited.
Two double-bottomed armored vessels
of 0000 tons and one I first-class torpedo
boat were authorized by'the act of August
3, 1SS0, and plans for their construction
are being drawn. Of the five doublo-tur
reted monitors, the Miantonomoli, car
rying four 10-inch guns, is almost ready
for service. Tho plans for the completion
of the Puritan, Amphltrlte, Monndnock
and Terror are ready. A dynamite-gun
cruiser authorized by the act of Au
gust 3, Ism;, to carry three 101 J inch
dynamite guns is under contract. The
act approved by the president on the third
of March authorized two steel cruisers of
5000 tons, and two steel cruisers of 1700
tons, besides a number of "lioating batter
ies, or rams and other naval structures to
be ued for coast and harbor defence, ' for
which $2,000,000 is appropriated. Tho
Stiletto, the celebrated Herreshoff boat,
will shortly hoist the United Stntes pen
inuii, t-o.uuu naving oeen appropriated to
purchase her. She will be used as a model.
None of the new spi-f-ntm- vnusolu
have less than sixteen knots speed, aud tho
new torpedo boat and the dynamite cruiser
are expected to attain twenty-three and
twenty respectively. The Army and Xtv I
uuutmu minus mat the last of the new
vessels should be in commission by isw
Tin; Intcr-Statc Commerce Coinmis
i-ion.
The appointment of Col. Aldace F Wor
ker as u member of the inter-State cim
mission, is as much of a surprise as the ap
pointment of Mr. Phelps as minister to
England. Like that, however, it cmld
hardly be bettered. These appointments
are iu some respects, the most important
that Mr. Cleveland has had to make. On
the success of this commission in large
measure depends the solution of the prob
lem of government control of the railroads
in this country. Wisely administered it
may be of immense value to the public.
Unwisely, it may do immense injury both
to the roads and to the business of tho
country. Of the democratic members,
who will numerically control the board,
Mr. Morrison is the only one who has
much national reputatio n. He Is a native
of Illinois, a lawyer, and has represented
the eighteenth Illinois district during no
less than much terms in Congress. lie is
a man of undoubted honesty nnd capaci
ty. Judge Cooley is a tirst-class man
in every respect a man of great
ability, large legal and judicial
experience, absolute integrity, and though
now holding the very responsible position
of receiver of the great Wabash railroad,
here in no wise so identified with railroad
interests that he cannot be relied ou to do
justice between the people and the roads,
when their interest conllict. Col. Walker
has not heretofore attained a national
reputation, but few men stand higher in
the State of Vermont. He is a leading
member of the Vermont bar, late presi
dent of the Vermont Bar association, and
has been of counsel in most of the recent
heavy railroad cases in this State. He
was a prominent legislator when a mem
ber of our State Senate, and was the
author of the bill for a State railroad com
mission introduced by him in the Senate
in 18S2. He is wholly incorruptible, clear
headed, ri 'lit minded, faithful to duty and
principle. Probably partisan considera
tions will not enter into the work of tho
board, which will be largely of a judicial
character ; in any event the republican
members of it will not be ciphers, and of
tho board as constituted the public have a
right to expect valuable service.
The effect of oil in calming heavy seas
was exemplified in the case of the Eng
lish steamer "Fernholme," just arrived
in New York. The "Fernholme" was
caught in a cycloue aud labored in tho
tempest that succeeded for uearly ten
days, but as soou as oil bags were hung
over each bow and each quarter, the waves
ceased to break over the vessel, and it rode
iu comparative quiet in the midst of the
tempest. Only thirty gallons of oil were
used. It might not be a bad idea for the
Standard Oil company to contract to keep
n smooth passage way between Liverpool
and New York.
The city of Chicago is admitted to have
the best board of health and tho best
plumbing and sanitary regulations of any
large American city. The statistics show
the value of these precautions. In 1SS1,
the population of that city was 540,000 and
the total mortality 13,874, being a death
rate of 85.00 per 1000 inhabitants. In ISSd,
when the population had increased to 704,
000, the mortality was 13,009, a death rate
of 19.43 per 1000. The number of deaths iu
Chicago iu 1880 was actually less than In
1SS1, nlthough the population had increased
during the interval 30 per cent. Had the
deaths in 18811 been In proportion to the
increase of population since 1SS1 they
would havo been 4337 more than they
were ; so that we mav fairly conclude that
tho improvement of sanitary regulations
in Chicago within tho past five years has
saved the lives of more than 4000 of its in
habitants.
A Model Modnrn Mormon.
Vrom tho Malad, (Idaho) I'.uterpnso
Allen Hunsucker, tho polyg who was
captured by the deputy L"uited States mar
shals last week after shooting at him nnd
causing him toswim the Malad river dur
ing tie recent cold spell, is a rooster ot
the first cross, so to speak. Several years
ago ho took an 11-year-old daughter of
Bishop Jensen's, at Bingham City, as a
polygamous wife. She attempted to go
home ono day, and he overtook her. grab
bed her by tho hair of the head and drag
ged her one ten acre-block length along
tho street, cursiug her at the same time
for leaving him. He now has seven wo
men, it is said, and has upward ot 40 children.