davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-01-31
Washington Matters.

THE ATToRNEY-GENERAL's ANNUAL RE-
PORT.
The Attorney General Wednesday sent to the
Senate the report of the operations of his de-
partment during the past year. He trans
mits also the reports Of the United States
marshals, including those in South and North
Carolina, which give full details of the opera
tions of the Ku- Klux law, stating that it has
effectually restored quiet and order and re-
moved the causes of the disturbances. The
marshal of North Carolina also states that
several prisoners, mostly young men, are still
in custody for violation OF Ku-Klux law,
whose discharge he recommends. The At
torney-General recommends legislation for
me erection of a national penitentiary in this
n nn;I for the confinement of the federal
fff n;tnd and requiring the clerks of the
a ~mit ~, States district courts to make fuller
| the department. foi 70 Vi tle pusinee' VI
I'M, g .Nf EXTENSION REFUSED.
Inc Senate Committee on ,,ota..4.,.
Jected Aikens & Felthousen'.s patents n,O mas le-
extension OF their patents for fasd; ioa ali
vice fot sewing machines. The q aot i;eeding de-
| committee was based on the decisono n OF tue
| Nelson in the United States crcn;tn oI Judge
which precisely the same claims bv tho court, in
parties were presented and rejected bnt same
side parties interested in the extension ' sre
The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-01-31
MUNICIPAL 4 REAH ESTATE
SECURITIES

BONDS OF Towns and Cities, and MORTGAGES
OF zeal Estate in the west bearing 10 per
cent. interest, payable in the east, for sale by
CHARLES NJ. HAWKES.
2s Exchange st. Portland
The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-01-31
FIFTY SECOND LEGISLATURE,
SENATE.
House papers disposed of in concur

Special to the Press.)
AUGUSTA, Jan. 80.
The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-01-31

Jan 90 lat rs Is, lon 70 25, brig jeremiah. from
Cardenas for New York, days out.
New-York tribune., 1873-02-25
THE NEW STRUGGLE.

The meeting at Cooper Union tonight, like
that memorable one of 1871, convenes to de-
clare war. 1t will mark, as the other did, an
uprising against the Ring. We have been
cheated of the fruits Of the campaign Of Re-
form; to secure them we must win once
more the battle of a year ago. Hap
PLY the new Conspiracy is to be
fought from its very inception; the
first objective of the new campaign is to pre-
vent the traitors to Reform from intrenching
themselves behind a Charter which gives them
almost imperial powers and renders them well
nigh impregnable. Fortunately, too. the
enemy, not yet fully prepared, is to be fought
this time with organized forces. The field to
be won is not nearly so difficult as that which
was carried in III. The issues are as mo-
mentOus; the divisions of parties more clearly
drawn than before and the foe is not as strong
in numbers as that which was overthrown. He
would be craven who would hesitate where
so much is to be lost by inactivity and so
much to be gained by prompt and vigorous
opposition. We have heretofore shown what
the issues were; let us consider now the divis-
ion of the forces, and ask honest citizens upon
which side they will choose TO fight in the re-
newed struggle for Reform.
The CustOm-hOuse Managers have made, in
the initial movement of their campaign, the
common mistake of shallow politicians and
sought to secure by intrigue with political
organizations what alliance with honest Re-
formers and the people had won them, aud
what honest, good administration would have
kept for them. Their first effort was to divide,
or rather, to encourage the existing dissen-
sions of their Democratic enemies hence they
have made overtures 10 Apollo Hall,
and by specious promises of pat
ronage have galvanized that broken and
beaten Organization into a little spasmodic
activity They have even drawn to it a few
score OF the worst ward leaders OF old Tam-
New-York tribune., 1873-02-25
4 PARTY MEASURE.

On Friday last Assemblyman James W..
Hustled in casting about for reasons why he
supported The Ring Charter, found the most
coecnt one to be that the Charter was a
"party measure" In all human probability
the Charter is about to pass both the Senate
and Assembly, the majority supporting it
solely on the consideration that it is party
measure.D What is the secret of the despotic
power embodied in this phrase2 We see
honest men voting dishonesty and intelligent
men voting stupidly, and we are told that the
explanation is that "party measure is be-
fore the House. The Ring Charter, as we
look at it, is certainly not measure
which will rebound to the good of
the Republican party. That party, while
mourning odlum, will gain no votes
by it. 1t is more than probable that a ma
iority of the intelligent Republicans of this
city are opposed to the passage of the bill.
There is not the slightest doubt that large
body are willing to abide by the professions
of partisanship and reform which were
made for them before the election. They
know that the Murphy Bliss Davenport juRta
have no moral right to the administration of
the city government. They feel that in seiz-
ing upon it, through the mastery which they
exercise over the Legislature, the Custom
house leaders are guilty of the basest
duplicity and treachery. Two elections have
shown that the people of this city
were willing to erase party lines for the sake
of electing honest men to office. No more
striking instance of the depth and sincerity of
this feeling can be adduced than the late con-
test for Mayor. Can any sensible politician
imagine that his party is to gain votes by
stripping of all real authority the man whom
four-ffths Of the Republican party supported
for Mayor-a position which it was supposed
was to be made one of great trust and re-
sponsbility7 Men of all conditions and degrees
of intelligence love fair play, aud the measure
which the Republican majority at Albany is
dealing out to Mayor Iavemeyer and the
great body of his supporters, not to mention
those of Mr.. Lawrence, is anything but fair.
Not only is the Murphy Charter n measure
which threatens to overthrow Republican
supremacy in the State but it never has been
adopted by any body of men haying
authority to give it the sanction of party
measurement even by a caucus Of members
of the Legislature. Until the treachery of
Mr.. William s. 0pdyke and the weakness of
Messrs. Prince, Clapp, Hustled, Lincoln, and
Others were made manifest, the leaders could not
have called caucus with any safety, and, even
after the above-named Assemblymen struck
their colors, six Republicans were found with
courage enough lef! to vote against the third
reading. Still. Mr.. Hustled is right. The Char
New-York tribune., 1873-02-25
RILLROlDS 1ND EROST

About this time look out for railway acci-
dents, would be suitable formula for the
present hour according to popular belief.
The opinion that intensely cold weather
weakens railroad iron is firmly imbedded in
the general mind both in this country and in
Europe. Men of science were, indeed, inclined
to treat it as a vulgar error and so dismiss it
without examination. Theoretically, indeed,
there is nothing in it's favor, for the strength
of metals in general decreases with increasing
temperature, up to the melting point. Heat
tends to destroy cohesion; surely cold cannot.
Hence we read that DR.. Joule, eminent for
his discoveries in the Dynamic Theory of
Heat, made a few tests with needles
and garden nails, and reported against
the notion that " frost performs the
"ef1ects of fire." The British puGlic yas
not, however to be pooh-poohed thus. Coro-
ners' juries still reported railway accidents
from broken tires and rails as due to brittle
ness of iron consequent upon intense frost.
Sir William Fairbairn experimental aud re-
ported that iron was stronger at zero than at
CO. F. as 1 is to 109S. Mr.. Peter Spence
made very elaborate and careful set of ex-
periments on 40 bars of cast iron, and found
the average resistance to the breaking strain
three per cent greater in those which were at
zero than in those at 7O' L. The Director of
the Royal archaeological Institute of Sweden,
Knut Style, of high authority III metallurgy.
says, after experiment, that the absolute
strength of iron and steel is not diminished
by the lowest temperature which ever occurs
in Sweden.
Yet for once common prejudice was partly
right, though science itself was not wrong
The Stockholm expert points ont some of the
reasons why iron rails and rolling stock do
more frequently break in cold than IN warm
weather, and his English translator, Mr.. c. p.
Sandberg, gives others from his own expert
ments. These reasons are, that the ground
beneath the sleepers, when frozen, is much
less elastic than usual, and hence all the iron
work receives severe strain on the pas
sage of II train; that where II screw or
spike or riyet is driven tightly through iron,
somewhat weakening it at that point, the
weakness may be much increased BY the con-
New-York tribune., 1873-02-25
REHARE or PLCKPOCKETS.

! During the few days that remain of the
| XLIId Congress, the National Treasury will
be exposed to extraordinary dangers The
! lobby has grown marvellous hungry, while the
Senate and the House have been discussing
scandals and promoting investigations, and in
! the last hours of the session il will fall upon
! the two chambers with ravenous energy.
| Lawyers like the cOntumacious Stewart will
haunt the Committee rooms. Members like
Ames and Alley will be particularly busy about
the floor. Perhaps we need not fear the
coarser agencies of corruption, for Congress
men are in dread just now of stock dividends,
and rare investments, and accommodation
loans. But what must not be tried i'll one
shape may be tried in another. Subsidies are
discussed over the champagne, and claims ten
dery treated in the pauses of the sayOry DIM
ner. The elegant little foasts Of Apicius become
chOicer than ever. The genial host redOubles his
polite attentions, and burgundy and friendship
flow together. Railway bills are hidden under
the stewed terrapn. Jobs luTk behind the
social game of poker. Rich corporations also,
which have paid honorable gentemen's cleo
ton expenses, are clamoring secretly for re-
turns on their investment; and it is possibly
not unCharitable to suspect that agents who
know the little secrets of this or that mem
ber's career are making such use of the inter-
esting information as prudence may suggest to
their practical minds. The member who has
drunk and dined and won somebody's money
at cards; the member who got his place at
somebody else's expense; the member who has
troublesome history and is afraid of being
found out; the member who wants to make
friends of the mammon of unrighteOusness
before he is turned out of his stewardship-all
these are the enemies of the treasury, and they
need watching.
We shall have, no doubt, during the next
few days, all sorts of schemes to restore Amer
lean commerce. develop national wealth, aid
patriotic enterprises, and relieve deserving
claimants and suffering inventors. The appro-
priation bills will be loaded with artful
amendments and the confusion of the closing
hours will be expected to cover multitude
of fraudulent and extravagant enactments
which can only be passed by inadveitence.
We beg the true friends of honesty and econ
omy in Congress to be on the alert. Watch
the reports of committees. Examine every
amendment. Take nothing on trust. Do Mt
believe that a bill must be all right because
the Honorable SO-and-sO recommends it, The
people expect the faithful representative not
only to keep his own hands from picking and
stealing, but to watch the hands of his asso-
Ciates,
New-York tribune., 1873-02-25

many-men so politically corrupt that the new
Tammany cast them out as so many Jonahs'
They carry with them almost nothing OF their
old following. BY this maneuver Apollo Hal
has captured the busk of the old Iammany
organization, including It's leaders, with VIM
NJ. Tweed at their head. Apollo Hall Is
not "a strong with this accession as before
the last election and with these new
allies (and the skeleton organization known
as the National Democracy, added the
Custom house cannot to-day poll five
thousand more votes than in 1872. The best
informed men among them do not count the
strength of the three organizations now III
alliance to support the new Ring-the Custom
house Republicans, Apollo Hall Democrats,
and the National Democracy-at more than
$1,000 votes.
The first effect of the movement to force
the Ring upon us was, of course, to alienate
the Reformers from the CustOm-house with
which they were allied last Fall. How
complete this alienation has been is seen from
a glance at the names of the Reform organza-
tions which are already committed to the new
Reform movement, and which are pledged
to take part in the meeting this evening
We have never, we think, Overrated the
strength of the organizations when saying
that the CustOm-hOuse victory, last Fall, was
due to them and to the Tespectabillty they
gave its ticket. We do not, we believe, over
estimate their influence now in saying that
| their consistency and honesty give them in
creased strength and draw to their cause
large support from the ranks of the Custom
house party itself. We believe there will be
clear indication at the meeting tonight that
behind the RefOrmers is large body of the
people, of all parties, who appear in politics
only at the polls-the unperceived, the
| incalculable and uncomfortable force whose
mysterious appearance at the critical moment
so frequently confounds the plans of the most
| skillful schemers. Openly allied with the Re-
! formers-ma gically fused by the new issues
which have arisen-aTe the Liberal Republicans
and Reformed Tammany-twO organizations
which last year cast more votes than the
Custom-house did, and which, but for the
Reformers, would have beaten the Custom
house faction at that election. The fusion OF
all these parties is now perfect the confidence
in Tammany Hall has been completely restored
(since Tweed is as hostile to it as he is
| IIlenuiy 10 inc CuSloI-hOuhCD anu w hOii
estly believe that the alliance to-day could
carry the city by heavy majority.
Thus the forces stand arrayed; the issues
are clearly known; let there be no doubt and
hesitation. The meeting tonight should not
content itself with merely protesting against
the passage of the Charter which is to fctteI
us. 1t is of the utmost importance that the
Reformers and Liberals be put on the record
against what must inevitably work corruption
But this is not enough. The meeting tonight
should resolve on united, positive opposition
TO the alliance which is forming to maintain
| the new Ring, as Tammany Hall under Tweed
! sustained the old one.
New-York tribune., 1873-02-25
SUCU IS F5VE.

At present the Honorable Oakes Ames il one
of The most talked-of men in the United
States. Biographies Of him arc published in
all the newspapers, just as il he had been
convicted OF murder and were about to be
executed Some of the memoirs are more
elaborate than interesting. We are told, for
instance that he was born in North Easton,
Mass, and then, in order that our curiosity
may be absolutely satiated, we are further
told that North EastOn lies midway between
" Boston and Fall River on the line OF the
cold Colony and Newport Railway" This
is a region, we are informed, (which Is dis
" tingushed by being the residence OF Oakes
Ames," though we are not by any means
certain that the North Fasteners consider it
Just now to be a very desirable distinction.
Then we have the history of the Ames family,
and the information that Mr. Amess father
made shovels, and that Mr.. Ames, in connec-
ton with his brother, now makes 5000 shovels
every day-Which may account Tor his pro-
pensity to cover up things
We are sorry to say that they do MT think
so much Of Mr. Ames in North EastOn as they
did, Notwithstanding the number of shOvels
which he turns out daily continues undimin-
ished. At first they generously regarded the
Credit Mobilier story as that most contemplate
and disgusting thing. ga campaign SANDER"
TO be properly met by BIZ" an indignant denial
1t is rather coincidence that Mr.. Oakes
Ames treated the thing the same way
but he does MT view it in that light any longer
To the Indignant denial" stage succeeded
that of "attempted defense" but that did n'U
prove to be particularly effective; and so the
North -Eastonians have lapsed "intO a feel
"ing of almost personal shame and humilia-
" ton" In this, we are free to say, we think
that they go too far. While their fellow
citizen was only known as public-spirited
man, an honest manufacturer, and a liberal
citizen they did well to honor him. They are
not to blame because he has turned out to be
something else-they are not called upon to
blush for him.
New-York tribune., 1873-02-25

ter is a "party measure" II IL a party meas
ure because Thomas Murphy, George Bliss, Jr'
John |. Davenport, and AlODzo Il. Cornell are
recognized and obeyed as the leaders and lords
of the party, and have willed that the party
shall be sacrificed to build up, on the
basis of patronage and plunder, COM
parativey small and characterless faction
in this city. The object of these men IA the
present possession of the spoils. To them a
bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
Tn their view. the government of this great
metropolis is not a problem to be settled by
statesmen. under the restraint OF conscience
but mass of patronage to be surveyed,
mapped out, cut up, and taken possession o.
honestly or dishonesty. The Legislature, un-
fortunately, being largely made uD OF strikers
and mercenares, and. literally, almost
completely bare of high-minded and IN
dependent men, willingly submits TO
be used as the tool of this clique,
and to name their drag-net party
measure. The Republican party should not
however be held responsible for the character
of its representatives. These men have shown
themselves incapable of dealing honestly ana
unselfishly with this city. They have proved
false TO their professions, and have betrayed
trust which they are not likely, in our OPINION
TO have it in their power to betray again very
soon. SO much for the bearings OF the Murphy
Charter as a "party measlIe'
Against this plot, the people VINO
furnish votes and pay taxes protest we
know there is strong array on the side oi
thes men who are seeking to set up new
Ring in place of the old one. All OF the
place-hunters, and their name is Legion are
for the Cust0m-house Charter, as they were,
three years ago, for Tweeds; so are those
who make living of politics. so are the
followers of Tweed; so is OBrien and his
Apollo Hall following; so are the thousands
of riff-raff who are always with any party that
is Oh a scent for spoils. But we have had one
or two peaceful rebei0ns in this city before
now; we will have another such as drove the
Tammany Ring into defeat and gave us, as
we thought a direct road to Reform. 1t Is
not possible that the men OF weight,
substantial citizens and taxpayers, nave
failed to see the danger OF allow
ing this new reign Of corruption to begin.
The meeting to O-night is to protest against the
passage of Charter which iS only charter
to a new and hungry Ring. Let us hear
demand that shall compel attention at Albany.
New-York tribune., 1873-02-25

traction Of the iron during frost lastly-tha
was Mr.. Sandbergs discovery-if the iron
tested contains phosphorus 10 the extent Of
the average railroad iron of Wales, France.
and Belgium, its strength TO resist sudden
blows at 10 F., is but from third to
fourth of what it is at ga +. There are
many other interesting opinions cited on this
subject in the Massachusetts, Railroad COrnms-
sioner's Report, but these sufficiently cover tho
ground. Let what they teach.
FiIst, evidently, that the danger Of accident
il greatest in cold weather, and hence that
then in particular there should be unusual
caution IN running railway trains at high
speed Second that iron strong enough for
ordinary service may become source Of
special weakness If bored and tightly fitted
by q separate piece Of metal. The same Re-
port elsewhere describes an accident on the
Hartford and New-Hayen Railroad in which
the original breakage occurred in a rail whero
it had been weakened by a slot cut on one
side for spike-seat, to prevent "creeping.'
Third, and most important, that bad rail.
way iron, or that which Is not ab-
solutely Of the best, is frightfully
weakened by cold weather. Gentlemen Di.
rectors of railway companies it is your in
terest. as well az that Of the public, that your
rails be Of the best iron, or, better still. Of
steel; and that they be laid with skill and
care. The Report from which we have quoted
speaks of the recurrence OF accidents Of
trains at great speed as unavoidable, though
capable of being reduced to p minimum, but
states also that it Is possible to provide
against disaster Gan equipment capable Of
"meeting and resisting it when it becomes in:
"evitable" This form of precaution-consist-
ing chiefly in brakes that can be actuated by
the engineer, and ears of strong construction
provided with substantial coupling and
buffers-is perfectly attainable by railroad
managers. We are not prepared to indOrse
the bill recently brought before Congress 10
authorize compulsory measures by United
States officials in the matter of railway safety
throughout the country the people at Wash
ington have quite enough now on their hands.
But the States which are 50 ready to charter
some and not to charter other railroads.
should at least so far control their pets az to
prevent them from needlessly killing people.
New-York tribune., 1873-02-25

petition Of the Massachusetts, Institute OF Tecl,
nology received hearing recently, from the
Legislature Of that State. 1t seems that the Instr
tute is over1owing with prosperity and desires "a
enlarge its present narrow bounds. Although
largely aided by the State, this enterprise IS based
on the contributions of private individuals, which
amount TO more than half million dollars. Since
1862 each year has doubled the annual increase ot
attendance. OF the incompatible value Of technical
training for young men, The TRIBUNE frequently
finds occasion to speak Of the special success Of the
Massachusetts, Institute in tins work, there Is no
danger IN speaking superlatiyely The value to the
State Of this means of promoting her mining and
manufacturing industries justifes great liberaty
IN return. TIE present petition, which meets with
no opposition is merely for the use OF some state
lands adjoining the Institute 70 erect on them build
ings for the Schools of Mining and Chemistry The
state is to be at no expense for the buildings Or their
contents and ia to retain the possession OF the land
with the improvements also, if they cease to be used
for educational purposes
New-York tribune., 1873-02-25
3Tello.2lotk Duilp Grib1tare,
FOUNDED BY HORACE GREELEY.
TUESDAY. FEBRUARY 25. 1873.

Thecond.,ion Of Spain is becoming serious. ==
The Russian Government has proposed commission to
settle the Central Asia Boundary Question. == There
has bccu an election riot in Quebec
The senate, Yesterday, had the Agricultural College
hu under consideration. === The House passed the
River md HorDor Appropriation and Fishery bills.
YccPrcsdent Colfax is not to he impeached and Sen
ator Caldwell will probably not be unseated -= Pres
idrnt message TO Congress on the Fshe ry
question The steamer Glasgow of ST. Louis is re.
ported sunk.
The Rov John Weiss lcctnrcd on "Hamlet" - Pro
.rr-s j. ,u ia- the Fourth-ave. improvements. ==
Tie Brooklyn Committee Of one Hundred excupate the
Board 60 Wo.B,. = Cold llil. n4s, ll44. Thermome-
..r- IL