The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1842-12-02
Philadelphia.
Correspondence of the Herald.]
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. /, 1912.


GEN JAMES GORDON BENNETT
DEAR SIR
This mornings papers contain another letter of
Mr.. Fiddle, which do not like much as the pre-
ceding ones, and which, in fact almost consider a
failure. He proposes system of retrenchment
equal to $500 800 SO per annum, by which the ex-
pendltures will be reduced to 1922 095 95, instead
of $sl7, 1896 90; leaving from its present income,
which is $500 437 SO, balance equal to S32s, 34l
a. Now, all this looks well on paper, and appears
to be proved quod erat andum with figures
but the science of government, as of the best
writers on government observed, is not ga problem
vi arithmetic" In politics, men have, in addition
to the constant principles of satesmanship which
will do very well in the abstract, to deal with those
variable quantities called men SO that If Mr.. Bid
die do not succeed in proposing to the people of
Pennsylvania. and their chosen legislators, some
more palatable remedy than that contained in his
Letter No. A, ! am afraid he will have wasted both
time and labor-and what is infinitely worse, fur
| nished, at least indirectly, argument, however
feeble, for reputation.
II the opinion should gain ground that Pennsyl.
vana cannot pay even the interest of her debt,
without reducing the pay and mileage of the men,
bers of the legislature, aboishing the gratuites
granted for the relief of officers and soldiers of the
revolutionary war, destroying our asylums for or
phans and the blind, aboishng our system of CON-
mon schools, and sink the State again into ignorance
and darkness, stop all grants to semnares acade-
mics, and colleges, put down the house of refuge
and refuse to pay damages for loss of property oc-
casioned by the public works, then am truly afraid
Mr.. BIS proposition to come back to honesty and
economy, will be considered as u,opian If any of
these charges are to be effected for better worse
as the case may be, they to be made by the Lee
gislature; but as well might you,on the eve of bat
tie, acquant your soldiers that you mean 10 reduce
their pay to one-third, by way of inspiring them
with courage, as to commence reform with dimi-
nrct,snv tho, rhAp- hat No
thinking of when he penned No. from Andausia!
He must have thought of the ancient Common
wealth, and of the ritus nniliaris of the Romans;
but that won't do in our times, and he has been
dabbling in finance too long to plead ignorance in
these matters.
As the session of Congress approaches, the poll
ticians begin to bestr themselves. The friends of
Mr. Clay are evidently, engaged in maturing some
plan for placing the gallant old horse fairly on
the turf They Jealous and enthusiastic as
ever, and the late reverses seem in to have
dampened their ardor or clouded their prospects.
Really these gentlemen, mean the honest and dis
interested friends of the glorious old Kentuckan,
merit success. They worthy of Clay, and he is
worthy of such adherents All that money and la
Dor can do will be accomplished Whether they
will avail, can be better told after the democrats
settle down on their candidate, if ever they do,
which is certainly Just now somewhat doubtful
The Custom house here, like that Of your city,
appears to be never-endng topic of comment.
There has been quite flare up here, tits said, in
consequence of the neglect OF duty on the part of
Colonel Sherburne, measurer. As far as
can CLEAN the facts, they are these He is
an intimate friend and associate OF Colonel
Watmough, and having been in the army,
seems to have thought that excise offices wers
mere sinecures. At least it is alleged he is invs-
rlaby called of, at an hours notice, to New York
or Washington, when his turn comes to take charge
OF vessel; AT this his associates have grown res
tive, and have refused any longer to perform his
duties, and have reported him 10 the Collector
This IS not to be wondered at, Your military read
ers will remember the Colonel as the person VINO,
on certain occasion, paved such fantastic tricks
at the New York Navy Yard He publicly assigns
as his reasons for accepting post IN the custom
adelphia, preparatory to taking much more eleva-
ted station. No wonder his delicate ofactory
nerves are offended by the bilge water exhalation'
of coal and salt vessels.
greatest interest People, in these hard res prefer
our criminal sessions to the theatres. The opinion
expressed to you in my previous letters that the
iurv will not be able to agree stands unshaken-
Some say, and believe with some JUSTICE that the
jurv is packed, and that the evidence produced on
trial will avail nothing. This will be another feath-
er in the cap OF our morallzing and canting hypo-
critics. The decision of the Court in quashng The
array is considered by the bar very singular one,
after plea pleaded BY the decisions Of the Supreme
Court OF this state, no objection can be made to an
array OF jurors after the defendant has plead 10 the
Indictment
Our theatres are getting very dull, with the excep-
ton OF that in Walnut street, which, however is
Just square removed from Chestnut, and on that
account ridlculousy eschewed by our fashionabes,
who prefer to see the beasts The managere is now
all the go, especially when the animals are about to
be fed. A LooKER-ON
Z. S.-Among the political ON dts are the follow
lng:-Walter Forward is going to Prussia; Spencer
will take the Secretaryship of the Treasury; James
M Porter, brother of the Governor, will be appoint