Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-01-17
From an Occasional Correspondent
From the City OF Brotherly Love.
PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 6, 1873

PHILADELPHIA, Jau U, 1910.
Editor Free Press and Times.
This is the city of. Brotherly Love, y 50
call ed because the natives thereof cordially
hate one another whenever they disagree in
religion, politics or social affairs. 1t is
very fine city The price of soap is
materially affected by this city because ofthe
omnipresent white blinds that beautify or
disfgure. according to taste of the observer)
every house In the city, and which, are
kept white by frequent washing. If
man is " short" of soap, he allows
his children to go unwashed in order to
keep his blinds clean. Much marble is used
here in building but brick is the chief ma
terial. The Philadelphian is justly proud
that his great city has escaped the wrath of
the fire king. He thinks it is due to the
early piety of his tribe Boston. Chicago,
and New York had to suffer in this way be-
cause of their sins, but Philadelphia, accor-
ding to the belief Of her children, must es-
cape on account of their immaculate white
ness and purity. The manufactures of this
city are immense their schools excellent,
and the price of land the highest in
America.
The STOKES CASE.
Everyone now seems to be surprised that
Stokes was found guilty. Any one who
took note of the evidence and the theory
of the defence, cannot but see now this was
the unavoidable result, if the jury were in
tellisent and honest Abandoning the
former theory of temporary insanity,
Stokes dictated 10 has counsel as the theory Of
The defence, justifable homicide Then were
brought forward witnesses whose testimony
went to show that Fisk had pistol and
drew it before Stokes did his The girl who
saw this mysterious weapon gave her testi-
mony " ike book bearing the stamp Of
careful preparation. To the jury, all four
witnesses, who swore to the presence of
Fi5k's pistol, must have stood in the light
of purchased and prepared witnesses.
Had Stokes been acquitted of 50 cool and
| open an assassination. by the aid of pur-
chased witnesses, the effect would have been
lamentable in the extreme. Every cold
blooded villain who chose to vent his
wrath upon an enemy, would simply have
to shoot him, and get his companions to
swear the victim first drew a pistol or a
knife Fisk may have been. and probably
was. a bad man, but Stokes was not con-
sidered a saint before he ever met Fisk.
PENNSYLVANIA Politics.
The political field here is decidedly mixed.
Forney, Mcclure and Geary want to take
..
it Simon i the richest man among
them and the oldest and shrewdest politi-
elan The others have made mistakes
Simon has made none. The rest have enc
mics Simon has none among the people
Hartranit Is Simon's Man Friday very
clever one too. Mcclure and Cameron
have made friends since election. This
means that Cameron, Tom Scott, Mcclure
and Hartranft are all in the same boat
again.
Forney is curious piece of mechanism
lie is like the tabled monster of the South
Sea Islands who. as the natives say, eats off
his own head once a wear by gnawing away
the neck. Porney has eaten his head off a
dozen times. He has been political dead
duck for wears, but he hops about as lively
as ever. Each year sees his head renewed
Under johnson he was the great promiser. -
until johnson refused TO kiss him for his
mother" and then he went for johnson as
Bill Nye' went for that Heather
Chinee." In the recent campaign
legs on the side toward Greeley.
and would have gone quite over. had it not
been for Pierrepoint Of New York, who.lat-
tered him back into the fold. He bit off his
head TO throw it at Hartranft and Is now
eating humble pie to make another grow
out in its place. Bye and bye the people
will see that John W. Forney is quack
journalist. humbug as politician and
grossly overrated and selfish man. In
Pennsylvania politics my sympathies are
with Cameron. owing to his youth and bash
fulne~S. He needs encouraging.
TIE CABINET CHANCES.
1t Is amusing to note the gossip about cab
met changes. Perhaps YOU may remember
that in one of my Washington letters of
four years ago. nit the mark in regard TO
the States from which cabinet officers would
be chosen. This was owing, of course, to
the frank and open manner in which Grant
talked with me about his cabinet. With
his accustomed loquacity, he has again in
formed me about his next cabinet. He
hasn't made up his mind whether to APP
point Wm.M. Eyarts or Edwards Pierrepont
a. Secretary Of State.
In regard 10 the Treasury Department he
is in doubt whether he should choose Rich
ardson under the Civil Service rules, or
promote DelanO, or take Henry D. Cooke.
For AttOrney-General he thinks Edmunds
of Vermont, or IIoar of Massachusetts,
would do. He will keep Belknap As Secre-
tary of War, and Robson as Secretary Of
Navy, owing to his character as mar
liner of renown." Walker, the Indian
Commissioner, will be Postmaster General,
while Patent Baker will 20 to the " Inte-
rior, - whether the Interior Department or
the Interior Of the country, remains to be |
seen.
Ofcourse am not going to take my oath |
that Grant told me all this, but | am ready /
to swear it Is as true as nine-tenths of the |
- reports of interviewer made by Wash |
ington reporters, and has the merit of com !
hining all the gossip of the hour on the |
question of the Cabinet Seriously no one |
knows anything about the incoming Cabi- |
net except Grant himself. and all pretended
information in the premises should be CON
sidered in the light of amusement for
leisure hours Yours. ltd.