davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-05-02
Tho Defeat of Amnesty.

That conservative Republican Journal
the New York Commercial Advertiser
saws of the shelved amnesty bill, that
though it was only a compromise bill at
the best, it would have been better than
nothing, inasmuch as it would have con-
vinced the people of the South that the
sentiment of justice was not wholly
dead, and in that time the entire burden
under which they bend might have been
removed. The Commercial says the
constituents of those members who con-
tributed to the defeat of the measure, will
be likely to ask some such sharp CUES
tions as these:
"Why did you block the wheels of in
dustry and stop the course of trade ?
Why did you prevent the Introduction
of capital into the South? Why did
YOU reject the offers of men who pro-
fessed to be ready and willing to enforce
and obey the laws2 Why did you not
give an opportunity to test the sincerity
of these men? Why did you pass force
bills and establish rule by the bayonet
in time of peace? Why was it neces-
sary to suhvert the republican form of
government? What is 10 be gained by
the adoption of measures alike oppress-
i've and unconstitutional And why
should the President be invested with
arbitrary powers? Forty Senators
should be asked these questions-and
what answer can they give"
The Philadelphia Inquirer, another OF
the more liberal class of Republican
journals, says:
Amnesty must come sometime, and
it will be better now than next year OF
the year after. If we are to wait until
every Southerner is transformed into a
quiet, law abiding citizen, we will have
to wait forever; and it is a serious ques-
ton whether the outrages which are re-
ported as occurring in some of the
States will not sooner cease it they are
left to the care of States themselves
than if the general government attempts
to take them in ~hand.a = y
1t would have been better for the pros
perity and real unity of the country if
such counsels had been needed at Wash
ington.
The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-05-02


EE HOWARD, one Of the editors OF
the State Journal was in the habit of
writing occasional scraps of editorial
without first considering whether they
would be entirely satisfactory to GRANT
or not. Comfy whose father has con
trolling interest in the journal is also
an editor of that paper, and is post mas
ter of the city. Hon. B r CowEN call.
ed the attention Of the officials at Wash.
ington to the disloyal symptoms of the
Journal, whereupon postmaster Comfy
received notice that Howard must be
toned down or discharged, or the post.
office must be surrendered HOWARD
would not tone down, so he was dismiss
ed and CowEN, for his ,watchful care
over the interests of GRANT, received
the appointment Of Assistant Secretary
of State. .-.-.
We have good deal of kind regard
for CowEN, but could esteem him more
highly if this transaction did not make
him appear so much like a paid spy on
his political friends. .
The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-05-02
To Tax-Payerms. "a

1t cost the tax payers of this country
S3,75S %, to fit mp one room for the
Speaker of the House of Representa-
tires at Washington. Here are few of
the items: ef
Double set of furniture in silk upholstery $50
Six large curtains, l,ooO
Coat and umbrella stand, %
Three sheep-skin mats, 10
That is = specimen Of the manner in
which modern Raalicalism waste the peo-
pies money. How long will they vote
to sustain such useless extravaganza
The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-05-02

Miss Bella Ache was recently married
at Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Bella C. Barrows has been elected lee
turer on diseases of the eye in the med
ical department Of Howard University
She is a native of Vermont, and has late
" returned from Europe.
The King of Bavaria has presented
Prince Bismarck with the order of St
Hubert, appended by the 'star of bril-
liants" This is the highest mark of dis
tinction within the gilt of the Sovereign
of Bavaria.
John Morrissey purchased at the
meeting of the Metarie Jockey Club in
New Orleans, last week, to bring North,
the four-year old colt Defender, by John
Morgan, dam Cinchona by Herald, for
$1,000. e rt
The latest style at dinner party is to
have fan placed at each lady's plate. on
which is printed the bill of fare, and on
the side Of which is a small looking
glass, 50 that she is able to survey her.
self and keep cool :12' - &C. ..
The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-05-02
TIUBITS.

Mcdonald county, Mo-, has natural
bridge spanning a chasm sixty feet high
and one hundred yards wide. 1t is one
solid rock, and wagon road crosses it,
Half the town Of Pennington, w.
VA, was destroyed by fire Saturday
morning, 22d ult The fire was caused
by some drunken men playing cards in
a carpenter shop and dropping candle
among the shavings.
Forty, acres of land in LANCASTER coun-
ty, Pa, containing mineral spring, re-
Gently sold for $4,000. The water is
said to possess extraordinary medicinal
qualities.
John Burns, of Pike county, Pa,
hung himself last week because his
wagon-wheel came off. while he was
away from home, and he could rot i'm
mediately find another to replace it.
The-next commencement of Amherst
College will be it's fiftieth anniversary,
and it will be celebrated with unusual
interest. The alumni are expected to
be present in much greater fierce than
formerly.
The Republicans Of Lafayette, Ind,
have to a certain extent revived the old
Know-Nothing spirit by appealing to
the people there to oppose the Demo
cratic ticket because two or three Cath
olics are among the nominees.
A Chicago paper says the stalls of
poor mems stables are cleaner than the
stalls for men-and womcn-in the pris-
on of the great city of Chicago, and
that if any citizen kept his stable in the
condition in which every cell in the
Bridewell is at this moment, the grand
jury would indict him for maintaining a
pestilence.
Two COWS had fight in Forsyth
county, Georgia, last Wednesday. One
was killed and the other died two days
after. When found they were locked
together, one having her horn through
her opponents neck The other had
stuck her horn untier the jaw, proceed
ing upwards to. the brain. 1t took two
men to cXtricate them. .Eg'tla.
AT a recent meeting of the joint hoard
of operators and miners at,a Mauch
Chunk, Pa to settle the coal mining
difficulties, somebody suggested the
name of President Grant as umpire
At the mention Of Grants namc.a miner
sprang to his feet. and with keen viii
(and perhaps little truth) objected to
President Grant as umpire, 'for," said
he,. .''you operators would send him 100
GOO tons of coal as a present, and rthe
cause of the miners would be gone up"
The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-05-02
Popular Government or the Des'
pOtism of tho BayOnet2

There was scene in the House OF
Congress, on Wednesday, the 10Th ult.,
that was highly significant, as showing
what sham affair modern Republican
ism is, and with what contempt the po'
litical prin ciples and ideas of the Dem.
ocratic fathers of the Republic are held
by the leaders of the party calling itself
Republican. During the discussion on
the conference report in reference to the
Serate's amendments to the Force Bill,
an editorial from the Chicago Tribune
a Radical papcr,on the atrocous anti-re
publican features of the measure. was
sent to the Clerks desk and read, and
was scornfully derided, sneered at, and
its sentiments derided by Republican
members The article declared that:
THE American people. in forming
their Government, substituted popular
representation and the right. under Ger.
tain restrictions, to change the Constitu
ton at their pleasure, in the place OF
torcible revolution; but nowhere have
they ever abandoned the principal thai
the Government is one of law, and tha,
force was only 10 be used in aid of law
to execute it, not TO destroy it. When
the time shall come that Government
of law shall be done away with; when g
Brigadier General shall he installed as
the maker of law, and his Qualtermaster
Paymaster, and Commissary shall be
come the supreme Judiciary OF eacl
State; and Colonies, Majors, and Cap
.ains shall exercise the functions Of civ
il officers, and Scrgeants and Corporals
shall he the sheritfs and police; when the
writ of hadeds corpus shall be prohibited
the trial by jury abolished; when the
laws shall be found in general orders
instead of the statute book, and the on.
ly form of justice shall be the proceed
ings of courts mariial-then popular
government may be said to have ceased
and the despotism of the bayonet erect
ed in its place" .a
= The great sterling political principles
upon which the Old Farmer Republic
was established are not such as suit the
views and designs Of the leaders and
managers of Sham Republicanism-the
modern thing, engineered by such mer
as Cameron, Morton, ColfaX, Sherman
and Company. They believe that pop
ular government has proved to be fail
IRE, and that the dcspotism of the bayo.
net should he erected in its place. Will
the people acquiesce9
The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-05-02
Narroyy.Gauge Railways.

Thesnarrow-gauge railway, tue prog
ress Of which in this country, since it's
introduction here, we have noticed from
time to time, is the subject of report
to the Massachusetts Legislature, which
says: "In following the devious course
of river valley with the narrow gauge,
it would be almost always possible to
adopt plans nearly parallel to the stream,
and to 60 round re-entrant projections
which would have to be cut through at
whatever cost if the common gauge
were used " The report adds that, in a
country like Massachusetts, branch ra'l
ways with the narrow gauge may be
built and equipped for one third of what
they would cost with the common gauge,
and in the level districts for about one
half The estimated cost per mile in an
ordinary section of country is S23,974
for the common gauge. against Sl3, 751
for the narrow, and the difference in
dead weight carried is great. In this
last point the gain is decided. Engin-
GERS have vainly sought to economize
the dead wei ght which wears out the
track without making return We
have before mentioned that the narrow
gauge railway has come into vogue il
the mining districts OF Pennsylvania,
and we may add that it much liked. The
gauge there is two feet six inches; the
locomotive weighs less than eight tons,
and attains a speed of twenty miles an
hour The difference in cost Is such
that these roads are made TO pay where
others would be impracticable. Sharp
curves are also practicable, and this
makes the narrow gauge useful in hillv
districts.
In Colorado there is about to be com
mcnccd the Denver anil Rio Graade rail
way, destined to extend distance OF
$50 miles Tie gauge adopted is two
| feet nine inches, and Tue estimated cost
per mile is SS,000 In Canada 400 miles
of three feet six inches railway are pro
iected. and about $50 miles Of the same
are now under contract, about fifteen be
ing in operation.
There is q narrow gauge road in Prus
sia the engines on which weigh l24 ton:
and haul 36 cars, each loaded with five
TONS The locomotives was about 81,
500, and that of the cars $500. Tht
cost of the line per mile, including roll
inc stock, has been about $4,000. 9th
err similar roads are in successful opera
ton in Russia, Norway and South Amer
ica In Australia $50 miles of three
feet six inches gauge are built and 25C
more projected.
SO far reports and experience shov
that this class of railroads works wei
practically and is economical. The New
York Commercial Advertiser says i
would seem that these narrow-gaug
: railroads, cheaply built and economical
ly run, would be just the thing for tn
narrow streets of cities Possibly SOM
of the difficulties and embarrassment
that wait upon intcrmuraf travel may b
removed by the adoption of the narro'
gauge. Such roads would be NOR
f cheaply built and run. They could oc
cupy narrow streets with double tracks
and extend facilities for intercommun
cation to portions Of towns not no.
reached by them, But no doubt thci
chief advantage will be in our mountai
: districts, such as we have in Maryland
and Pennsylvania, serving as feeders
; the great trunk lines OF road.
The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-05-02
Mails for Alsn &C and q German L0r.
rafne. ft,t e.,

The provinces of Alsace and Germsn
Lorraine, formerly belonging to France
having been ceded to Germany, the pos
tai system of those provinces is now un.
der the direction and control of the Gen,
eral Post Office Department at Berlin.
Correspondence for Alsace, Depart
ment Of Upper and Lower Rhine, and
for German Lorraine, Acknowledgement oi
Metz, Saargemund, Thionviile, Chateau
Salens, and Saarburg, is therefore sub
ject to the same rates Of postage, condi,
tions Of payment, DC, as the correspon.
dence addressed to other parts of Ger
many, and should be sent in the United
States and German mails.
The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-05-02
F R A N c E
Alfairsat Paris and Versailles
-

New YORK, April ga special from
Versailles, Sunday, says Dombrowsky
ledithe night attack on the barricade at
Quay Asniers, which was carried. He
then attacked the second barricade but
was repulsed with great slaughter by
heavy fire Of twelve Founders and mi.
trailucses. His troops were also driv.
en- from the first barricades. Several
Insurgents wearing naval uniforms were
killed in Rue de Boulogne.
LONDON, April "a "A Paris dispatch
received here to day states that since the
complete investment of the city much
apprehension has been awakened among
the leading members of the Commune
for their own safety. They are now
planning an escape from the threatened
vengeance of the Versailles Govern
ment.
TERRIBLE SCENE AT NEUILLY.
New YORK, April 24-The Paris cor
respondent of the London Times gives
the following description Of the scene
at Ncuilly, where, thus far, the heaviest
fighting has taken place between the Ma
tionals and Versaillests:
Neuil.y is city of the dead. Brown
aud red spots upon the pavement mark
the passage of the dead, while holes
plowed in the ground. and trees torn up
and scattered, show that the struggle
was desperate one. Piles of bodies
of Versaillists and Federals lined the
doorsteps and lay in heaps upon the
staircases, while long thin lines Of blood
marked the progress Of some Of the vic.
tins wounded unto death, who had
I'crawled beneath the shadow of the lire.
places Men lay in twos and threes, ,one
upon another, and felt like ghost in
some island-tale of horror-the only
living creature among so many dead. l
was astonished to remark that several
women had fallen, in one instance pierre
ed by many balls All of them were in
the Canteniere uniform, some with a
gayly- painted little cask strapped around
the waist; Others with pistols undischar.
ged still in their belts / find upon in.
quiry that very large proportion Of the
victims of the last few days are women,
counting together those who have been
killed by accident and those who have
perished sword in hand .s1is e,s. ~
The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-05-02
AnAddrexs TO Tie People.

We print on the first page Of this issuc
an address of the Democratic Senators
and Representatives in Congress, to the
people of the United States. 1t is fair
statement of the outrageous legislation
of the party in power. 1t deserves a
careful perusal from every voter in the
country.
The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-05-02
Prerequisites of the Executive. !.


A Washington telegram of the 2lst
ult., records precious piece of rascali
ity in connection with the Government
Offices at Chicago:
"rhere has been quite contest fol
some time over the Collectorship of Chi,
cago. The editor of the Administration
organ there demanded it, and in compa
ny with some of his political friend:
made 4 demonstration on the Secretary
fo- it, and pleaded the Utter worthless
ness TO the party of the incumbent, but
he was informed that it was considered
one of the perquisites Of the Executive
and that his brothers partner who held
it could not he disturbed While Orville
Grant is satisfied the editor must be qui
eted, and so he was as last resort made
Pension Agent"
1.-The Presidents brothers partner
could not be disturbe,lr'
How do The American people relish
the copartnership Lusiness of GRANT
and his incompetent relatives? Theil
conduct is brazen and shameless.
The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-05-02
The Oldest Living Ex.COEgress-
man.
The Bangor (Me J Whip saws: "H

The Bangor (Me. J Wing says: "Hon
Samuel Thatcher, Of this city, is the
oldest exCongressman now living. He
was elected to the House of Rcpresen-
tatives from Massachusetts in 1902, and
held his place until 1905 He served
eleven years in the Massachusetts Leg
islature,a was sheriff of Lincoln eoun-
ty from 1914 to 1921. He was born be-
fore the Declaration of Independence, is
the oldest graduate of Harvard College,
and is now in his ninety seventh year
He is also the oldest living native OF
Cambridge, Mass.
The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-05-02
EE-A fashionable piece of intell

NA fashionable piece of intelli'
gence says that New York bellies are
substituting poodles for the young $50
ciety men, as pets. This course will
inevitably tend to establish rivalry be.
tween the poodles an0 the young "soci
ETY. men," which viii prove exceedingly
damaging to the peace of "good socie.
ty" of that city. But perhaps if these
young gentlemen would consent 10 have
little silver bells hung around their necks
and to wear sort of q livery as the
poodles do,and, with neat oroide chain
attached to their collars, be led about
by the bellies in question, the social dis
turbanee might be allayed. The dissen-
sions in the family circle are always
awkward, and nothing could be more
regrettable in this regard than misun-
derstanding between the poodles and
the young ''society men, of New York
or of anywhere else, for the matter OF
that. Pcs"
The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-05-02
Ho of twenty-seven regular set.

@ Out Of twenty-seven regular set
to's at black -enardism in which BUTLER
engaged during the late session of Con-
gress he was more scurrilous than his
opponents in all except two. With such a
record his title to the leadership of his
party during the next session will hardly
be seriously questioned.
The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-05-02

@The contract for furnishing en-
cravings for the Patent Office Report
has been awarded to company in which
HORACE GREELEY is large stock-hoder,
for the sum of s1s0,0O0. Another firm
offered to furnish them for .S6o, 900 less.
but Mr.. GREELEY is one of the lucky
politicians "whose hostility it is not for
the interest of this administration to
provoke" s'
The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-05-02

RgBoth branches of the Ohio Leg
islature voted down the bill to authorize
mixed white and black schools. The
bill gave the school directors, whenever
they pleased, power to crowd negro chill
dren into white schools.
Radical Legislation is for the benefit
of their pockets and the 18th amend
ments.
The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-05-02
The Snpreme oOart as Pack ed by
Grant sseverses the Leg al Fem
der gbecissnn Sc ti


The Supreme court as Packed by
Grant Reverses the Leg al Fem
SSder Dectsion. E
S Iu 1859 the Supreme Court OF the
Emitted States decided that the legal l-teu-
der law was Unconstitutional so far as il
applied TO debts contracted before its
passage. Tie Court was then composed
Of Judges CHASE. Mason, GRlER, CLIFF
FORD, FIELD, MILLER, SwAYNE and DA-
Wis. ot whom the five first namel con
chrrcd in the decision, and the three last
named disscntcd.
Whatever might have hecn the opin-
ion Of men profoundly learned in the
deeper mysteries Of the law, men hav-
ing only plain common sense to guide
them generally believed the decision to
he sound and correct. They were una
bic to see the justice, much less the con,
stitutionality, Of a law which permitted a
man to pay with currency worth but fifty
cents on the dollar, debt contracted
long 5efore tke passage of the law to be
pail in currency worth one hundred
cents on the dollar. If 4 man in 1860
borrowed gold with the express agree.
ment that he was to return it in geld, .
law passed in 1862 authorizing him tc
discharge this obligation with deprecia
ted currency savors strongly of being
retroactive and OF impairing the obi
CATION of contracts.
But President GRANT had his own rea
sons for wishing the law decided con
stitutional and binding. Whetherit wa
/ the political influence of the railroad
corporations who were chiefly interested
! in having the law sustained,or some OH
er power, that moved him he determined
to have the decision reversed.
Therefore when Justice GRlER died
and Congress provided for an additiona
Judge, GRANT deliberately packed tn
Supreme Court with the special view @
having the decision reversed. To &C
complsh this purpose he appointed t
the two vacancies BRADLEY and STRONG
both Of whom were then intimately cor
nccted with railroad companies whic
had immense interests involved in tn
law being so sustained as to permit ther
to discharge their debts at a heavy dis
count.
GRANT was not mistaken in his mer
rs Of course he would not be, havin
doubtless asccrtained their views in at
vance, and appointed them with the III
derstanding that they were to decide &
might best sait his purposes.
Accordingly, last week it was ennoun'
ed that the former decision was reversed
Judges CHASE, NELSON, CLIFFORD an
} FIELD denouncing the law as unconst
, tutional, and SwAYNE. MILLER, DAvI
and GRANTS appointees, BRADLEY an
STRONG sustaining the law and the inte
} ests of the big corporations.
In Richmond, the other 1.-The Cou
, sent man to the Penitentiary for a
tempting to pack q jury there is pc
haps no legal penalty provided for I'll
punishment of the culprit who to sui
serve his own ends packs Court, bl
. there is q tribunal of honest public sci
. timent which can visit the offender wit
the severcst condemnation. If GRAs
cannot be properly dealt with for VIII
he has done,the people can at least lin
ais'opportunities forrepeating the ofren'
by retiring him to private life a, the en
of his present term.
The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-05-02

c'mc here to marry q Columbus lady.
( Miss May Parsons } By this marriage
she wil become Prussan Princess Z
Hadshe scleetel citizen of this country
she you'd have bad sovereign for hus-
bandinstcadof Prince. a..
The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-05-02

RGRANr is swinging around the
circle out West with MORTON along to
make the speeches which GRANT would
make himself if he knew anything to
speak about.
The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-05-02

EFPrince ALEXANDER voN LYSAR,
Aid to the King of Prussia, arrived in
Columbus, Ohio, on the 25th ult. lie
and Miss MAY Parsons, Of Columbus,
will be married some time during this
month
The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-05-02

EvChief Justice CHASE has resumed
his place on the bench of the U. S. Su.
premc Court.
The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-05-02

RE- DELASo takes nearly all his sub
ordinates in the Interior Department
from Ohio This is not SO much to graf
ify State pride.as it is to crafty desire
to get SnERMAN's place in the Senate.
The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-05-02

g-Ex-Governor CURTIN, Minister to
Russia has rendered his resignation. He
is needed to aid GRANTS renomination
The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-05-02

ESThe people paid $3.50 81 to
bury THAp. STEVENS. Member of Con-
gress from Pennsylvania The price OF
the coffin WIS $3.50 How is that for
high?