Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-09-06


Special Correspondence ofase Commercial
PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 9th.
The excitement, or at least the event. of the
week has been the Grand Jury presentment and
Mr.. VIM. B. Manns vigorous exception to the
same. The presentment itself was a document
somewhat out of the regular order Of such pa
pers and offered valuable suggestions upon the
preservation Of order and the maintenance Of
the laws. II descended also to various tantali-
zing details, annoying to certain lawyers, but
pleasing to others of legal turn OF mind. Thus
it reflects severely upon the neglect Of the au-
thorities to bring to trial certain cases upon
which indictments have been found, such as
the matter of the 200 robbery of the City
Treasury the prosecution of the recovery oi
bail-bonds of VIM. N Bum in the case Of the
'we-ay- ght'gamblers and the illegalities in
the Prothonatorys office In reply to these charges
the District Attorney has made one of the hap
piest hits Of his whole political career can
not pretend to go over all MIR. Mann said in an-
swer, but the gist OF it was that the charges
we're owing to personal hostility and to his ten
nre Of Office under Republican Rule; that the
City Treasury case is now nearly ready for trial,
no bail cases being heard in July and August
that while Mr.. Bunns bail bond had been tech
nically forfeited, the gamblers, Siner and Kaas
had been afterward convicted and were now serv-
ing out terms of imprisonment; and that Pro-
thonotary Loughridge was prosecuted by the
Reformers, in whose hands the case had been
placed at their own desire, aud who were alone
answerable for any delay. Col Mann's neatest
touch, however is in the matter OF Prothonota-
ry Donegan, charged with selling as waste pa.
per the records Of his olfioe, upon which con-
tested election case was afterwards found to de-
pend. In this case Mr. Mann acknowledges tina
corn and accepts the responsibility. These
passages from his defence are worth pondering
'iSOme men can't afford to be f0rRIving or generous
and exercise such qualities, for they ae afraid OF
clamor don't care how much the world knows
the fact. nor how plainly It is placed before them,
tnat didn't choose TO aress Captsin Donegau to
the wal and ruin him. Still the courts are open and
any citizen who feels it TO be his mission is free to
come IA ami make himself prosecutor and press
this thing on o The bitter end, And Just here's q
nice chance for tn 5a0 WIN have relish for such
business. TO be sure manly Jury might acqui
the defendant and put the c's on the r0s5cutor,
but that IS a risk he'll have TO run"
That looks very brave, but Mr.. Mann knows
exactly what he is abOut-that people will call
him fine fellow to let poor soldier who didn't
know he was doing wrong on 80 easily. Mann
is Ben Butler in small way. No one has
much confidence in him, (hpt such is weak hu-
man nature) We enjoy heaflng him talk down
men a great deal better than himself
One of sam Weller's" yarns is about man
who got the police officers into great excite
all that the ingenious individual had placed"
the property himself 80 as to get it out of the
way Of his creditors Stranger things are hap
pening ntinually i'll life than the novelists can
imagine, and the Dickens story ia more than
matched by q real event in Philadelphia this
week, young man named Snowden, employed
in an insurance office on South Fourth street,
resorted to these extraordinary means OF raising
a small sum of money. Being alone in the Office
early in the morning he took from the safe the
FINN da irahh h,niy an han at
self in tile head win dumb-bell stretched him
self gracefully on the floor and awaited develop
ments. Presently other office people arrived
and found Alr Snowden in state of profound
unconsciousness. Coming to gradually, he ill.,
formed his fellow-cleIks that he had been as
saulted by a stranger who had asked for change
for $50 note. The story for while was be-
lieved and the victim taken with all tenderness
to his home. The slight character of his wound
excited suspicion, however, and his movements
we're watched. Towards evening, he grew sud
denly better, and after dark he said he felt well
enough to take walk. His walk led him direct
ly to the Office where he was arrested in the act
Of entering with private key. He then con-
fesaed his roguery and said his present visit was
for the purpose OF securing the money which he
mad hidden, waiting an opportunity for remov-
ing it, This is something that Wilkie Collins
might work up with effect it would not be the
first time he has come TO Philadelphia for his
material. II instead of $40 the story teller
should make it $40 QUO, and instead Of having
the rascal caught at the outset, the mystery
could be kept up to the close OF the story, it
would make a very pretty romance.
The Dhildrens Free Excursion season has
closed, not making the mistake they did in New
York, but ending Just before the opening OF the
schools. The wet weather OF August interfered
somewhat, but Notwithstanding this the excur-
aionH have been very satisfactory There were
seventeen of these given in period OF little
over two months. or an average OF about two
week. The average of children upon each par
ty was 1891. This sufficiently shows the charac-
tor and extent Of the work done. But 1t Ii i'm
POSSIBLE to put inte figures the good accomplish
ed by this noble charity. Hundreds OF lives by
this agency have doubtless been saved; hum
dreds of homes gaddened; hundreds of human
beings preserved for careers of honor and use
fulness. just now cannot think OF any money
| more prohtably expended than that devoted to
the childrens excursions May the showing
next year be even better
ain brought by this to note that our own
| public schools reopened after the Summer Recess
on Monday last. 1t is the fashion to say that
| teachers aud pupils are anxious 10 resume their
familiar relations but whether this is really 30 or
not it is certain that there is not enough general
| interest manifested in the public schools. They
\ are the traiuers of the coming generation and 1t
| il impossible TO overeslimate their Importance,
and vet they are left to do their work with very
| little practical sympathy from parentage. 1t is
discouraging to how little interest Is felt and
i expressed in free education. The average head
/ OF family lb lullh Jul 40 bOOu
/ as another, and gets through with the task OF
i having hs children admitted as quickly as pos
sible, as being matter essentially dlsagreeabie,
and not to be dwet upon. Once in school the
| child is too often left to it's own DEVICES and
| without any homo supervision or encourage
| ment The natural result Of all this is that the
| bOne Of our schools is low. They have fallen
| largely into the control of professional poll
| ticians who il they cannot make great deal OF
money in so limited field, still hold the places
| if,t ha Oan Of / WOuld not
be understood as saying the schools are all alike
| in thie respect, but do say that in many Of
the sections they are so conducted that people
OF the better class hesitate long before commit
ting children to their care, and do 30 If at all
only under stress OF necessity. There are two
ways out Of our trouble, rather there is dou-
BILE way, for perhaps neither remedy would by
itself work the desired result. In the first place
the people must take more direct and person.
al interest in the schools, and in the second
| place the administration must be better. 1t may
indeed be SAID that no striking effect can be had
until better salaries are paid, and better class
| of teaching talent thus invited to assume the
care Of the young, As the case stands, the pay
is so poor that superior men and woman do not
find ii worth their while to teach They under
stand this matter better in Now England, and
even in New York. In Boston principals OF
Grammar Schools receive $1,000 per year-more
than our High School Professors-and leading
assistants receive considerably more than prln-
| cipals in Philadelphia There are in Boston Few
salaries under $1,000 year. while here there are
but few above that amount--the great bulk OF
them ranging from $3.50 to $500. Naturally the
| hest talent either goes to Boston or New York