Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1870-07-28


THE FOURTH DISTRICT CANVASS.
| Special Correspondence of Hte Commercial.
| PHILADELPHIA, July 22d.
| or course our reigning sensation is the foreig
war. The German population of Philadelphia
80 large that an event touching Fatherland s
nearly as this conflict of Germany and Franc
could hardly fail to make commotion in tn
community, even if Americans themselves fel
no interest in the quarrel But everybody, Ger
man or American, has the war fever. 1t is til
one topic.
The number of political philosophers who hav
| been brought to the surface within the past weel
IL something stupendous. This is, perhaps, tn
saddest matter in the whole unfortunate com
| plcation. You can't get into street car of al
| evening with the "last etlitions," and compos
| yourself comfortably to the business of becomin,
| an oraeles on your own account but that SOM
loud-voced, red-faced man. in state of per
spring excitement, proceeds to tell you and you
| fellow travellers all about it, You can't go /,
see your girl (also in the evening" at her board
ing house, in the suburbs, but that some we'll
meaning middle-aged gentleman insists ol
coming into the parlor, upon sitting OH the othe
end of the sofa, and talking it all over, windin,
| up (Which is something) with, s'Il tell you villa
l think Bismarck is after" Yes, it is very sad
l remember once writing series of powerful
articles advocating the study of social and poiti
cal science in our higher schools. All can sa,
is am sorry. If had it to do now, wouldn'
do it,
l was at a well known station on a famous
lunch route Of this city few minutes since
There were seven Dutchmen there, each one
telling the others all about it. This was all goint
on at the same time and no one was listening
to word. It was appalling. l made small
calculation afterwards, and came to the conclu
sion that there are about a quarter of million
military critics in Philadelphia, and at least one
hundred thousand who really you know, do know
all about it. Goodness gracious and in.this hot
weather, tool Only week old, and terrible
bore already what if it lasts year 9-or what
il it be another seven years war? Or-Heavens!
suppose it should be one of those thirty yeal
fellows that Mr.. Abbott tells about in Harper.
Magazine! i! But in that case the critics would
have the best of us, and welcome-for we
should be peacefully slumbering, undisturbed
by Emperor, King, Prime Minister or military
philosopher.
Considering the undenable excitement exist
ing here among the foreign population, it is a
little singular that no great demonstrations
have been made. There was a small meeting
last night, but there has been no demonstration
commensurate with the importance of the situa-
ton, nor with the meetings that We are told
have been held i'll other places. lam at loss to
understand this. AT present ii one wants to zee
the foreign element in its fume and worry he
must go into the cafes and saloons of the North
3rd ST., and .'Northern Liberty" Districts.
There he will see it, and enough of it,
The renewal of the lease between the Penn
sylvania Railroad and the Philadelphia and Erie
Railroad, upon somewhat different basis than
that before used, is largely spoken Of The
newspapers in the dearth of midsummer local
reports, give the matter full swing, and speak
of "highly important railroad meetingh 1t
struck me that the proceedings were rather far
cical than otherwise. The " PENNSYLVANIA
owns the g Erie, body, boots, soul, and buttons
in fact, there is no Erie at all, to speak of,
apart from the stock held by the Central The
final vote showed over 60, 900 to 5000 shares in
favor of the new lease, and as half of this small
or number were voted by some far away road,
which it seems the Pennsylvania also
controls, and which therefore, Though it
is not very clear how,) has a right
to vote at such meetings. it follows lat tie
stock held in the Erie road apart from the Penn
sylvania is only about 1900 shares.
One is reminded by all this of the story of
Sally Brass and the "Nlarchoiness" in Dickens :
"Old Curiosity Shop" The " Marchoiness" is
as nearly starved, as it is possible to be. She
has had to eat piece of cold mutton about an
inch square, and then Sally holds up large piece
on a fork, and asks her if she wants any more
The poor child could eat whole sheep almost,
including its horns (do they cook that kind, by
the bye ?-but no matter, il makes the illustra-
tion strong,) but she is afraid to say she is hum
cry, and SO returns Miss BRASS feeble " no /"
. Very well, then, retorts Sally. liercelv-"You
have been offered meat a second time and you
have refused it,-don't you 80 about now. say
ing you havn't enough to eat The parallel be-
tween these cases is frghtfnly exact. But what
could poor little Z Eric" do but except the new
termsl 1t was either do that or peg ont with her.
The = Dick Swiveller," of the little drama, is not
wanting either. He turns up i'll the person of
poor MIR. CLARK, of the Aslatahia Road, who casts
under protest his 15OD votes for the .'A1archion-
ess," but who il Immediately crushed and ami
hilated by the resstess Sally. who is the abso-
lutte and only ruler in that house.
l am not saying but that this is all right
enough, that it is quite the thing for Erie in
Guiding the Ashatabula route; Of course the
Pennsylvania Central can do what it likes with
its own, and of course with its splendid MANAGE
ment and system it il likely to do what it likes
in the right way. But humbug doesn't become
it. 1t is too big and great for such poor game.
Knowing precisely how the shares were divided,
to call meeting and gravely propose to cast
the 60 900 and the 1900 votes against each other
tods humbug. Perhaps is was necessary the
business should be done-I will go the length
of admitting that-but everything is in the
doing in this world, and in the doing of this, the
/" Marchioness" and Saley Brass will recur to
every well regulated mind
Col. Thomas has put his foot so far into it in
the g Independent" Fourth District canvass that
it is doubtful if he can get that pedal extremity
out again. The whole town is laughing at him.
He has proved himself to possess some of the
prime qualities of the demagogue. Appealing
to the preiudices of the most ignorant Demo-
Gratis, giving all the cheap old cries of
labor, free trade and open naturalization, it
Would he strange indee1 If he pnthere1 the silr-
port of any large number of Republicans.
INDEX.