Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-04-19

SWEARING IN THE COMMON PLEAs-THE ooIIFo
TIoN OF DELINQUENT TAxEs-MADAME JAsAUs
| oHEK-ETo
Special Correspondence oflte Commercial.
PHILADELPHIA, April 18.
This city being the head quarters of the Peace
movement applied to the Indians, IL may be
Supposed that the recent events in the ModoC
country have excited peculiar feeling here. We
Of course share the horror felt by all citizens at
the murder Of Genl. CANDY and DR.. Thomas, but
we also feel az the originators Of the beneficial
policy which has been Of such two-fold advan.
tage to the white and red men, that the whole
sale denunciatons OF Peace measures which have
lately been recklessly hurled at us are in the
highest degree unjust. 1t is generally known
| that the Peace Policy was the original work of
the Society Of Friends. 1t, in fact grew out Of
the deliberations OF tho Philadelphia Yearly
Meeting, which in the first instance, ,memoralizing
Congress, succeeded afterward in warmly inter-
estiDg President Grant in the only manly and
Christian method of dealing with the savage
tribes. What after all, do these events prove but
| that the Indians are savages2 That admitted,
II we are to maintain that because they are sava-
/ ges they must be extermnated, we place our
| selves upon very low plane of civilization.
i Such principle carried out would win us. and
| justly, the pity of the Christian world. Friends
were the head and front of the Peace movement
and some OF the earliest and most successful OF
the Commissioners were members oil the socie-
| ty. The good that has been accomplished by
| them overbaances by far all the outrages that
have occurred, even including tho Modoc treach-
cry but this fact is lost sight of in the passion
| OF the moment. That is the way Of the world
and Friends must bear with Misrepresentation
1t is fine thing, however, to have clear con-
science. and the determination" cry will surely
return to plague the inventors. Gen. Sherman,
endeared he is to the country, will yet live to
report that ill-considered telegram.
One Of the most important Conventions that
has been held here for long time is now in
session. 1t is the meeting Of the National As
sOciation Of the Engine and Machine Manufac-
turers of the United States This is an ambi-
tious title but it is justified by the character OF
the delegates of those interests now in Phila-
delphia. These gentlemen represent the ma
chinists, iron founders and engine and boiler
manufacturers of all sections of the country.
They are intelligent, earnest and responsible
men, and their presence here is felt to be an
honor. They proceeded to business with COM
mendable alRcTity and have had already some
important questions before them The first Of
these was naturally the vexed problem of labor.
The eight hour system is universally opposed by
these employers. They aver that they have the |
interests Of the working man warmly at heart |
and that it is on his account as much their
own that they protest. 1t was coIItidentialy as
serted yesterday in the report ION Hours OF |
Labor" that It is impossible to make the eight |
hour rule equitable or general in it's opera
tions The committee finds solution Of the
difficulty in piece Work" contending that time !
" performed. This rule is held to be entirely |
Just wedding out the slHggards, and giving the |
man who exerts himself proportionate reward. |
The important apprenticeship question was al |
so considered and occasion was taken to rebuke |
those ''upions" which refuse advantages to
youths desirous of perfecting themselves as
artisans. This short-sighted policy was strong
ly opposed 1t is easy to sec that the discus
sions on these points may not be comforting to
many woTkmen, but mention them az cur
rent history. They have at least, been much
pondered here, and the men taking part in tho
debates know exactly what they are talking
about. Many other matters OF a practical, but
technical nature, and referring especially to
their business machinists are being con sid
cred By the members OF the convention.
II tall swearing" is at any time allowed, peo-
Pile may be pardoned for enjoying peculiarly
huge specimen of that pastime as it was heard
in tlro Court OF Common Pleas, in the presence
OF Judge Allison, some days ago. The proceed
ings also illustrated the method OF manufactur-
ing ailidavits, by which courts and public are de-
ceived, and were throughout very entertaining.
The story is briefly as follows The Union Pas
senger Line managers procured what seemed to
be affidavts Of numerous citizens, who were
made to appear to have sworn before an Alder
man that the extension Of the Union Track to
Front and Market streets would be public ac-
cOmmodation. President Morton Of the Market
street line, knowing that the merchants and
others ON the street were upon record as being
unanimously opposed to the extension, and fail
ing to recognize in the names appended to the
aflidaVits any person in the slightest degree
prominent in city affairs, thought the matter
worth investigating. He discovered from the
Alderman in question that not one IN dozen OF
the perrons alleged to have been sworn potofe
him Lad been go sworn in fact. These bogus
aliidavts were presented to the Court by Mr. City
Solicitor Coils, who is also counsel OF the
Union Company, as oilclal documents III
had tha haaf nj ApnAtnT
Alexander, one Il thu "Gridiron" managers,
| thought-for he endeavored to argue the mat
ter with Morton, assuring him that II he did not
press the case it would be for the advantage OF
| his company, and also promising if the tell tale
/ documents were given up to him. that the
| Court should never see them again-which
meant that they should be destroyed. That Will
| doubtless prove q fatal admission OF the Hon
/ Mr. Alexander Mr. Morton went into Court
/ and told the whole truth. When he showed how
/ the bogus affdavits had been manufactured
i there WAS a sensation, and when he declared
Il that State Senator had offered to destroy the
i records Of the Court there another. 1t was
Il at this point that the hard swearing occurred
Il which has proved 30 gratifying to persons or
i small veneration. The Hon. Mr.. Alexander
swore positively that he had made no OHer 10
destroy the Court records while other witness
/ es who were present at the interview swore just
as solemnly that he had, for they had heard HIM.
Somebody must have lied, you know. 1t stands
/ to reason that all these gentlemen could not
| have told the truth, and the interesting qnes-
ton is--who tibbed under oath and who didn't
| There may be reader here and there who
will think the whole business more shameful
| than amusing.
| The muni Sipal reform association has made a
strong attack upon the system Of collecting de-
| linqueut taxes. Where all the money goes that
| is received from this source, and the meaning
i of the tremendous balance of i've millions and
| over of uncoectable taxes are lasting mysteries
| and the Reformers are devotlng themselves
to solution of the problem: II is doubtfnl
however il they can get very far into the case in
the absence Of any sensible method OF book
keeping in the controllers and treasurer offices.
| Apparently no attempt is made to credit the tax
accounts and it is more than probable that large
portion of the taxes collected never see the treas
ury at all. The Reform association contend that
the delinquent collector has broken the law in
many vital ways, such for instance az in collect
ing taxes twice in one year on the same proper
ty. Mr.. Hill, the Ex-offcial charged with these
serious offences, has prepared reply which was
submitted yesterday, to Councils. Beyond the
fact, however, that he shows that insufficient
credit was given him in the amount certified to
have been turned over to the Treasury, his reply
is not particularly to the point. 1t says nothing
a., ;aI pIa cfa ohar0ad nd