Wilmington daily commercial. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1866-1877, 1872-02-17

Especial Correspondence OF the Commercial
PHILADELPHIA Feb. 10TH
The political comedy intensiies and no man
can say that we even yet are at or near the end.
Following up the defeat of MIR. President Huhn
| in last meeting of Councils, defeat which as
sured him that he had forever forfeited the sup
| port Of that body, we had the startling decision
Of Judge Agnew, in the Supreme Court, declar-
| ing him ousted from his place in Council,
| together with Messrs. Shane and Allen, his Co.
| Securities on Mareer's bond Marcer himself had
| been already sent to jail under weight of
sitting sentence, and the guilty broker Yerkes
met with punishment, only less severe than that
awarded his chief. Then yesterday, in Councils,
came the election to the Presidency of the Com
mon Branch of Gen. Louis Wagner, who had
been superseded by Huhn but few months,
and in the Select chamber the resignation Of
Mr. Fariera, another of the securities of the
defaultng City Treasurer. These events have
followed one another so rapidly that the public
is bewildered and does not know what to expect
| next.
No one can say that the sentences of Marcer
and Yerkes undersigned and yet the severity
| Of them was a shock to the people. The $780,
| 900 fine upon the Ex-Treasurer was but the
amount Of City money he was proved to have
| appropriated although there is no doubt but he
gambled with much greater amounts The term
/ OF imprisonment is provided by law, aud Judge
| Paxson is not blamed for naming the extreme
| penalty considering the Importance of the case.
The opinion at first was general that the sem
| tence implied life Imprisonment for Marcer,
| inasmuch as he could never expect to pay fine
| of 1900, 900 while immured in prison, but the
| Inquirer threw light on that question. The law
| it seems provides that a prisoner convicted to
| pay fine beyond his means, becomes after
| nj farm baplruDf and putitla1 Tn the priv-
| ieges of bankruptcy the same as any individual.
Mr.. Clarke Davis the Editor of the Inquirer, is
| good lawyer and this is not the first time he
| has helped us out of a legal trouble.
| AS far as the Councilmen who became securi-
| ties for a city official contrary to law are con-
ce ned, Mr.. Fartirl, in resigning his posi-
tion yesterday, made specious and plausible
sort Of defence It amounted in effect to saving
that he did not know he was doing wrong. How
far that may be allowed to go as an excuse is
| open to question, although he is perhaps right
| in saying that the City Solicitor should have no
tilted the ignorant gentlemen of the law. Tie
fact remains, however, supposing them to have
acted in good faith, that they were wofully def
cient in the knowledge of the Obligations and
responsibilities of Councilmen. The shaking
up we are getting may have this good result
among others-of starting the City Fathers into
looking little into the laws by which they hold
office. 1t is not to be expected, nor is II even
desirable, that they should all be lawyers, but
they should all have very distinct understand
ing of their official relation to the public.
Our other great sensation, one bringing a
flavor of National Politics into our local AFFAIRS
has been Colonel Forney's resignation of the
Collectorship of the Port. The event. totally
unexpectedly Colonel Forney's closest associates
has created great excitement, and 80 far from
ending here seems to be considered matter Of
interest in every part Of the country 1t is easy to
understand this as well as the delight expressed
by the Democrats at what they term evidence Of
disagreement between Colonel Forney and the
Washington administration. There is good rea-
son for believing, however, that Colonel FOrney 3
letter OF resignation and the original dispatches
to the Press give the matter frankly and without
reserve. Mr.. FOrney expressly states, and we
are bound to believe him, that he takes this step
only to devote himself more fully to his journa-
listc work and to preserve more efectually his
Independence as an Editor. He is too shrewd a
politician to seek to attempt, even if he desired,
the overthrow of the President. He knows as
well as all sensible men do that the heart of the
country is set on Grant, and the people who are
weaving fine spun theories about his disaffecton
have little appreciation of his sagacity, to say
nothing of his devotion to principle. As to the
succession in the Custom House the future is O
, blank. Mr.. McAlichaers name has been men
toned but in unauthoritatiye way. The re-
signation does not take effect until March 1st. so
that the President has fortnight to think about
it.
A great demand is being made for a new Pos
Office building in Philadelphia, and, judging
|, | from the character of the citizens who have in
e | terested themselves in the movement, and the
, vigor with which they have moved on the enc
my's works at Washington, we have very fti
J, prospect of getting it. 1t is amusingly illustra
| tive OF Philadelyhia's way of doing things tina
we never started into this matter until we founI
Congress appropriating money for Post Office
in other places, when suddenly we made ou
minds up that we should like to have ney
e building, too. However, better late than never
and the present energy makes up for previou
|, inertness. The movement was inaugurated by
n meeting Of leading merchants at the Continenta
I IL NH aHI uad hx poaf- M AZ IA
y Bingham and other gentlemen who knew vel
o what they were talking about. 1t was show
If very conclusiyey that the accommodations 0
3 the present Post Office building entrel
inadequate to the business therein transacte
D. and a motion was made and carried that a com
mittee of ffty citizens be appointed to repair t
Washington and confer with the proper author
ties. The delegation was chosen and withou
,t loss of time repaired to the Capitol The mem
bers were met everywhere in the most symps
: thetic manner and assured that the matter woul
1t at an early date be brought to the attention G
r Congress.
10 1t ia not certain where the new building wi
c. be erected bat the project that seems to met
with most favor is to retain the present site, an
to buy one or more Of the properties on th
se west side to give room for edifice of create
n | proportions. At present nearly 400 employee
ia are at certain hours of the day crowded into on
A. room, and the need of building half as larg
l. again, if not twice as large as the one in use
"a admitted on all sides. The business of the POI
r Office has increased tremendously within a fe
n years. having doubled indeed since 1866. Til
al extra work tells on all the employees but mol
st particularly the carriers In 1867, there wei
500, coo local deliveries and in 1871, over 6,0U0
O00 and yet the force of the men near
"a the same in both years. So we see the carrie
iu nr do twice as much work they did five yea
o. o. ago, and for the same money There is on
~ one harder life than letter carriers that kno
~ | of, and that is the street railway profession.
~ We We have had two destructive fires this week
~ one at the Potter oil cloth works in the 25
~ Ward, and the others at R0edell & Co.'s Who'll
D. sale shoe house at Sd and Vine SITS. The tot
In loss is not far from 5000, ,000 The Third st. Fl
ro- was rather singular affair, having been caus
or by the explosion in some unexplainable W
m, of barrel of cement composed of gut
ect percha benzine and other matters used
Dry coating the soles Of shoes. This inflanmat
led stuff once gnited, seemed to the whole bull
ing in a blaze in twinkling, 80 that work
girls and others in the upper stories had bare
time to escape with their lives. The fire occurr
in the busiest time of the forenoon, and t
to excitement in the street may be imagined.
nee number of people leaped from the burnt
iu- building, suffering serious injuries. The nj
es- paid department did able and efficient sery
ar and if there were any unbelievers in the crow
is a who saw the manner in which the paid tirem
ask went to work, they were then and there conye
we'd ed.
Let A movement is making to procure legislati
! of efectng repeal Of the law exempting cert'