davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
, 1874-11-29

there is difference of opinion among law
yers Mr. Root, the late County Attorney,
has very clear Judgment that township
organization has been abolished by the Con-
stitution in this county, cs the Convention
certainly intended should be the case The
township organization is required by the Con-
stitution to be uniform in all counties where
it prevails; the Constitution provides also
that the affairs of Cook County shall be
managed by Board of County Commits
sioncrs. We have township organization
without the Board Of Supervisors; and
the township organization in this county
is something outside Of, and unknown to, the
general township law Of the State. What
ever may be the actual state Of the law, there
ought to be some remedy for the evils with
which this city is cursed If the Legislature
can do no moro, it can provide for the con-
solidation of these three towns into one, and
thus enable the city to get rid Of ct least two
sets of officers. It might also, by law, pro-
hibit these officers receiving, and all others
from voting, my compensation save that fixed
by law, and declare al taxes levied for any
such purpose to be void. This will at least
modify, if it will not destroy, the evils Of the
present rotten and dishonest system.
, 1874-11-29
FASHIONABLE FUNERALS,

The mania for making extravagaut and IN
necessary displays at weddings, which has
been illustrated several times Of late, now
seems to have broken out in q new quarter.
It is not unnatural, however absurd it may
be, that tho tickle and frivolous deity Of
Fashion should run riot among orange-1owers,
costly trousseaus, and all the brilliant para
phernaia which characterize these oc-
casions of hymeneal jubi1ation, when
people are not accountable for vhet
they do, and when their fancies light
1y turn to thoughts of love but that
Fashion, with its inevitable train Of extrara-
CANT expenses and silly FORMS should invade
the chamber of death is not only unseemly
but ghastly. It is not long since that the
funernl ceremonies Of young man were held
at the residence Of his parents on Fifth
avenue, New York, where $4,000 worth Of
floral decorations were used, prima donna
sang, and well-nown professional player
oAiciated at the piano. Lately, however,
this funeral display has been ec1ipsed
The deceased was a young girl who had al
ways held high position in society. At the
funeral the coffin was placed upon platform
in the parlor, draped with black velvet and
jet trimmings. Over $1,000 worth of flowers
Was exhibited, and chorus was sung by
hired yocalists. On either side OF the coffin
stood four young girls in white, with wreaths
of flowers. While the minister prayed bell
was tolled in the hail, and a chant was in
dulged in by the hired vocalists.
Cui 6ono9 What good purpose is sub
served by this ostentation? In the case Of
the wedding, some excuse may be offered for
making a splurge, although it is silly even
then; but what excuse is there for making
splurge at funeral? Does it pay any tribute
to the memory Of the deceased, or bring any
additional consolation to the hearts Of the
survivors? Does it not jar upon the solemn
ties Of the occasion, and vulgarize the depart
ure Of the dead to the grave, by making this
mournful occasion show for the multitude?
There are many reasons which might be
urged in protest against this latest imposi-
ton of Fashion. It increases the already
gatizes the most tender and solemn duties
which one person can pay to another. FASH
ion has already sufficiently invaded the sec1u-
sion of grief with its tear-bedewed grapes and
black-edged handkerchiefs and stationery, its
numerous equipages aud floral csgies, with
out being allowed to take full possession Of
the funeral rites and conduct them as it
would a marriage or soiree. The worst
feature is to be anticipated in the future.
# funerals are to be regulated by fashion
able competition; where is this thing going
to end? A fashion once asserted pervades
I'll tanks Of society. and, Il fuucral-splurgea
, 1874-11-29

The letter of Lord Acton to Ar. Gladstone
on the subject of the civil allegiance OF Cath
olics is remarkable document. It will be
sistance to the passage by the iuie Council Of
the DEGREES establishing the doctrine Of infnl-
libiity. And it is plain that, while he asserts
that these DEGREES added nothing to obGga-
tons already existing which might be sup
posed to hold Catholics to higher allegiance
to Rome than to any noa-Catholc Govern
1nent, lie looks upon them now as he did at
the time OF the session Of the Council, as
altogether pernicious and unworthy OF the
real belief Of Catholics. He is no U1tra-
montane, and he regards the doctrines and
theories Of that party US calculated to bring
the whole Church, in the eyes Of nom Cath
olics, into the contempt with whicl, he re-
gnrds these wrongful interpretations into her
teachings. He appears to be ready to show.
in his own case, En- instance Of freedom of
thought and criticism which may vindicato
one section, at least, OF his Church from the
charge of servile and unworthy compliance
with the DEGREES of authority wrongly exer-
cised, or stretched beyond its proper bounds
While making this showing of independ-
ence of opinion, Lord Acton does not make
it quite plain whether he approves, or not,
the conduct of those who, like Fenelon, make
outward submission to authority, but in pri-
vate assert that authority to be in the wrong,
or who, like Copernicus, abjure aloud the
truths of astronomy, but still assert, in On un-
dertone that the earth moves
We are under obligations to Lord Acton
for bringing to mind some scraps of history
which, if produced BY non~Catho1ic, would
hardly be accepted as authentic by the faith
full adherents Of Rome. It will be news to
many that it is part Of the Roman canon law
to-day s'thet it is no murder to kill e1cou1-
municated persons" and that a Pope, can
onized Us Saint, commissioned an assassin
to take the life of Queen of England, and
that another, '1on learning that the Protest
ants were being massacred in France, pro-
nounced the action glorious and holy, and in
p1ored the King, during two months, to carry
the work on to the bitter end, until every
Huguenot had recanted or perished-" We
think this latter instance rather worse than
that Of our more modern Presbyterian mill
tary saint, who urged the killing of the prison
crs Of war.
We apprehend that, as against Archbishop
Manning and his school, Lord Acton will
be found an efficient ally Of 3lr: Gladstone.
It remains to be seen how many of Ills En-
glish co-religionists he can carry with him.
On the Continent OF Europe we suppose the
Ultramontanists to be greatly in the majority.
It is Of more interest to know how our own
Romanist fellow-citizens stand on the ques-
ton In the meantime we commend Lord
Acton's letter to the careful perusal of all
interested in the subject.
, 1874-11-29

sum ren1ized out Of hcyser. The SIS charged
for two days laying out is, rs we learn
from the context, for some constructive
benefit in addition to the "privilege Of the
house," not for services in that melancholy
toilet which follows death For that the
usual charge in Los Angeles is $50. In I'D.
dition to this the sexton would bring in bill
OF ut least 500 (also specie) for coffin and
services, and the livery man from $75 to S100
for carriages. Taking the minimum figure,
and making no allowance for tho bills of the
doctors (whose services in assisting Mr.. Key
ser to die were, perhaps, the most efficient OF
any), but throwing in q paltry $50 for in.
cidental expenses, we find that, after being
subjected to an expense Of 1916 for the lux
ury of dying, Mr.. Keyser finds himself at the
railroad station or cemetery gate of Los An
geles, and still subject to further tariffs,
whether for graveyard lots or railway
fare. If the deceased is wise, he will
compose himself as best he may in
his t'taxed coffin, fastened down with tn1ed
nails" for an investment and quiet lodgnent
in the superior cemetery for which Los An
geles is distinguished. Such disposition Of
ones self, after one finds that be has become
not only "demnition damp, unpleasant
body" but terrible bill Of expense at every
turn Of the narrow lane-such scpulture, at
any price, promptly furnished, we're infinite
~ preferable to the sings and arrows of out
rageous railroads, whose weu-known habit is
to tax the mere "mortal coil which pas
senger has sllulfled off twice Us much for
transportation us they demand Of snch coils
properly inhabited by living, thinking, and
paying soul The practice Of railway and
steamboat companies in this respect is SO out
ragcous, and fclls with such hardship on
many poor and bcreaved relatives, that We
could almost excuse the native of Victoria's
realm who, after learning the expense of
shipping q deceased brother across the ocean
as all honest corpse, had the lamentod one
cut up and packed as mess pork,-we might
learning TINT all the pork on board had been
thrown overheard in storm, brought in a
bill for the value Of lis missing barrel.
Finally, from the case Of Mr.. Keyser,
which is only one in thousand, majority
of which are still more severe, there is much
food for thought, not only by tho public in
general, which has o duty in this direction,
but more especially for that growing class Of
individuals who are inclined to seek, and
seek too late, the benefits Of distant climates
for the cure of disease. They should under
stand beforehand that it is not only more
expensive to live abroad than at home, but
infinitely more SO to die abroad
, 1874-11-29

Of free State, its OWL preservation
upon 1t the necessity Of making popn1,r a V
ucas:on universal. II parents apa ea'
dams Gun in no other way be induced d. - sas1: y
cate their children, they must be co-.s SUI. 81
to do so. 0pe!!ed
The other Inference is, that reforms :;
manners, habits, and customs Of 49, ~ eaa
matters Pertaining to the part of Iifs ~. u
falls within the range of personal r;ob.s s4ca
Liberties, can only be effected by s 1nss. 1aa
which begin BY duly and frankly recoen:. ..os
these personal rights, and the limita.;s- 1e
public law. This fact ought not to as d;sa a
age reformers. It only shows them w.. '1@ \,
residuum seM revolt, if moral influence ~
neglected, and false methods ara raeo..., se
, 1874-11-29
THE FALL or i SAMPSON.

The former city editor Of the Loneaa
Times "a position corresponding to tna' q
The financial editor of an American ne7F
paper) was very properly named sanpeE,
He was Samson in strength, and follosfa
out the Biblical story by bringing about q,
own downfall. He controlled the tnansA
columns of the Times during the peroa "
the American Civil War Of the Rebel'''@.
He was deeply imbued with the oo"uu.
British prejudices against the Union cas'
and, in his case, this prejudice was 50 u's
s;ded that it colored his financial articles sIa
warped his Judgment in regard to Ame1.s-.
securities. Ho made the widest Predlcoe.o
of disaster awaiting the United States ooa..
When the first semi-annun: interest WY r.
on the original issue of Governments -
boldly proclaimed that this woalo ~
last. His assertions vera absolutely
qualified when he declared the aipe.
can securities to be worthless ~ In. .,,r
hesitated to ndyise directly and empnaue:1 ~
against the investment Of English cSp.s1
therein. He ignored every evidence o. S ~
faith, material prosperity, or strength -.
the true principle Of finance when w. r,<
fered as o pledge of redemption ns Ia !,
opposed to everything American 49, .aaf.
nothing so much as the American 49,
His position made him power IN 1u4'r r.,
He manipulated the financial Dolls =. IN
IHunde7er. His articles were transla'1 ,..sa
all the European languages and 1ep[th: r. ri,
in all the European money-centres' u,se.
accidental power be added the toreo ~ .r,c7
personal ability and reputation fot h1 :sahis
and fairness. The result Of this fo1r1 49, Il
combination WAS to dismny the cap'san. Il
Europe, with the exception OF pos.', .,sts
Germany where the people preferred !" 49,
up their own Judgment ;cfo.
The cost OF this single mans mans = nil.
ence must be counted by HUNDREDS ~ tts
ions. This loss must be divided bet~s -,
English and the American people. eaL ,.tter.
deceived the former md Outraged 1ne ..rs.
By his continued unjust and cruel mla ~ n.
seutatons OF the facts and prospects IA
ea1t to American securities, he destroys stt9 1a
oonadsnce Of tho British oapita4is'~
, 1874-11-29


Paradoxical as it may seem to Prohlbi-
zionist, there is very strong Temperance ar
cu1nent in the feet that the vintage of 1874
in FraAce il the most bounteous on record.
It is stated that the extent of territory under
wine cultivation is less than 2,000, hectares,
or 5000, 600 acres, and the produce is u, ,000,-
000 hectolitres, OF 1887 900, 900 gallons. A
French paper says the quantity of wine
already stored would suffice to fill canal
through the whole breadth Of the Medoc dis
trict Of this amount, the local consumption
is said to be 4o,00O,0 600 hectoltres, or 1,e9S,-
0o0, 600 gallons, leaving this year $4,000, 900
hectoitres, or GG2, SOC, ,000 gallons for foreign
consumers. Of the immensity Of this busl~
ness some idea may be formed from the fact
TINT it is third in importance in France
wheat ranking first, and sugar second. The
average annual revenue to the pro-
d1ce1s is about 800, ,00o, 600 francs, the
CONSUMERS paving about twice as much.
France, as rule, consumes the red wines Of
the Claret and Rhine brands, containing i to
5 per cent OF alcohol The s' manufactured l"
wines, os they are called, are principally sent
to England and the United States,-the latter
taking the champagnes aud the former the
sherTies, which are doctored with sugar
and whisky exported from the United
States, and consequently contain large per-
centago of alcohol So far as the demand is
concerned, the american Messenger says:
"I It is noticeable fact that, so fnr from
there being any relaxation in the foreign de-
e.. I'm 10 fEa
case, and that each successive year brings u
more formidable demand than previously for
the light wines of France. The improved
consumption is most remarkable in the case
of low-priced wines, which were formerly
unsalable without the limits OF the French
territory"
France is not alone in its good fortune.
The California yintnge is now so nearly COM
pleted that safe estimates can be made, and
the papers of that State are agreed that it
will reach 10, ,00o, 900 gallons, which far ex-
ceeds the entire amount which is produced
by the other States. Of this amount, FIVE
sixths must either be exported or placed in
store, as the entire home consumption, added
to TINT which goes eastward to be doctored
into the likeness Of foreign wines, will not
exceed .. 600, 600 gallons
The moral OF all these facts and figures is
chenp wine, and cheap wine is promoter Of
temperance. France has cheap wines and
temperance Drunkenness is found only in
Paris, and is not the result Of wine-drinkng,
but of cognac and absinthe. Italy has cheap
wines and temperance. A drunken italian
would be curiosity. Germany has cheap
beer and wines, and is q temperate nation.
America has whisky, and rum, and ali sorts Of
poisonous compounds, and drunkenness is fre-
quent- It will be o matter for rejoicing,
therefore, If this abundant produce Of the
viney-rds shall conduce to give Us cheap
wines, and if the light and healthy beverages
Of tie European vineyards can be brought
here in sufficient quantity to supplant the
rillainous md fiery poisons which Americans
aro pouring down their throats because wines
o~o co f5aor
, 1874-11-29

Victor Emanuel has done very graceful
act in making Giuseppe Verdi, the great COM
poser, a Senator The musical fame OF Italy
rests almost entirely at present upon the
name of Verdi. Rossini, Don1zeth, Belhni,
nearly all the Italian composers OF proml-
nence in fac, are dead, and Verdi remains,
in his old age, the one man to whom the
Italians can point with pride. The musical
sceptre, even in opera, has been trans
ferred to Germany and while the German
musicians of the modern school were never
more productive than they are to-day, Italy
can only show the @' 1Ianzoni Requiem ~ and
the opera of g Aida, both the work Of Verdi,
as her musical record for years past. Verdi
is now an old man, but his genius, which pro-
duced "Trovntore," '' Ernani," ''T1aviata:" !"
'Rigoletto," aud other works, has given the
world pleasure for years, and his productions
have probably been performed more fre-
quently than those OF any other operate CON-
poser in his lifetime. The world has not
been slow in recognizing his genius. His
name is known in all civilized countries where
music has any power. Almost every SOW
ereign in Europe has presented him with the
insignia of the Orders OF Knighthood+ and he
has been enrolled as member Of numerous
learned and scientific bodies. III his own
land, up to the present time, he has
been the prophet, not without honor
save in his own country. The 1tGl-
ian people hayo worshiped him, and
his works have richly repaid him, but the
Government has been slow to recognize him
in en- Official sense, although ho has done no
BILE and lasting work for the country and tho
Church. He wns once elected member of
the Italian Parliament, in 1861, and he went
to Florence in 1871 to take the post of Min
lister Of Public instruction for the reorgani-
zation of the Musical Institute of Italy.
Victor Emanuel has now publicly recog-
nized his genius by confering upon him the
dignity of an italian Senator. The position
will not bring him financial remuneration !;
fortunately he does not need it, as his works
have been very remunerative and his habits
of life economical It is, however, the high
est distinction which the Government could
have paid him. The son of the vil1age-inn-
keeper Of Parma has, by the force of his
genius, raised himself to the highest distinc-
tions Of nobility, and the world will applaud
the meEited honor he has achieved, and wish
him many more years of Life in its enjoy
ment
, 1874-11-29
A PUBLIC SCANDAL.

The attention of the people Of this State,
and especially Of members of tho General
Assembly, is earnestly asked to a political
abuse inflicted upon the people Of this city.
Our citizens have endured this outrage for
years, and there seems to be no deliverance.
Following some arrangement Of quarter
sections, the City of Chicago is technically
divided into three towns" and each Of these
'towns" has separate and distinct Govern
ment Each of these towns has IN Assessor,
Collector, Supervisor, and Town Clerk;
in addition to this it has a "Town
Board," which is composed Of the Su-
pervisor, Clerk, and three Justices Of
the Peace. These officers are chosen
by the caucus mob every spriug-that is, in
April The Assessor finishes his work by the
18th Of July; the Supervisor has no possible
duties; the Collector has sixty days work in
collecting some personal taxes and the Town
Clerk has to call and attend the meetings OF
the Town Board. The law Of the State fixes
the compensation OF all these officers, but,
unfortunately, has not prohibited their being
voted extra compensation. The Office Of As
SCISSOR, or Collector, or Supervisor, in any one
of these towns is better in pecuuiary sense
than TINT of Governor Of Illinois, or Judge
of the Supreme Court of this State, or even
of the United States. At the meeting of the
Town Board, round sum is fixed for CON-
pensation Of these hard-worked (?), faithful
officers. The rule has been in the
South Town to f1 $25,000 or $780,
900, and this sum is variously distributed
something as follows: Collector, $4,000;
Assessor, $4,000; Supervisor, $1,000; Town
Clerk, 81, 600; rent, $1,000. And all this is
in addition to liberal allowance for clerk
hire The ssTown Board votes these sal
aries, and directs that tax be levied to pay
the same. There is always foating debt,
ranging from $4,000 to $4,000, outstand-
ing; and, though taxes are levied and collect
ed, the debts seem never to be paid
There is not service rendered by all these
officers that could not be dispensed with, and
for which S., 600 would not be ample COM
pensation.
The West Town and the North Town each
vote their officers proportionately out
rageous, swindling sum. The profits, or,
more properly, the plunder, divided among
these officers of the three 4stowns" each year
ranges from $4,000 to 100000 for services
rendered that could be done at one-ffth Of
the money.
The strangest part of this whole proceed
ing is, that the County Commissioners before
whom this action Of the Town Board came
up for confirmation actually indorsed the
robbery, and fixed the allowance for the Town
of South Chicago at $3s, 900. The Commis-
sioners may have acted upon the supposition
that they had no discretion and must grant
it; nevertheless it is another mystery in Cook
County assessments how the County Board
can levy taxes for town purposes. But the
Board has levied ta1 upon the property in
the South Town to the amount Of S33, 600 to
pay the outrageous salaries voted to each
other by these town-grabbers. Ali this, it
must be remembered, when the Law f1es i'm
peradvely the compensation Of each Of these
officers.
Now, is there any remedy2 We know that
, 1874-11-29

rs fnality in the matter of the Court
House aud City-HalL It was sort of snap
Judgment upon tile city authorities. and upon
the whole public, at once barefaced and out
rageous.
But the whole proceeding is illegal. For
the contract itself there is no authority. Its
attempted execution by A1r. Ashton was an
cxtra-officia1 act, as the facts show, VIZ: On
tie 10th of November the Board passed Ger
tain resolutions confirming the election of
| Egnn on the 25th Of July last, and reafirm-
ing tho limitation of his compensation to 8
per cent on the cost Of the building; direct
ing the architect to prepare plan " for the
county's portion of the building, "in connec-
ton with such architects as may be selected
on the part Of tie city, or otherwise;" the
plan to be Submitted to the Board for further
action. or adoption; that if the city author
tiles shall not join in the building the
county shall proceed alone to complete its
half; and that the County Attorney bo
directed to prepare contract between
the county and the architect IN accordance
1ciM ttssc resolutions. It will bo seen
that there is nothing whatever i'll the resolu-
tions providing for paying the architect
$4,000 upon the adoption of his plan !;
and, therefore, the contract is ct variance
with the resolutions. But it was void for
another reason: This contract, when pre-
pared by the County Attorney, was to be sub
mitted, like all other contracts, to the Board
of Commissioners for their approval, rojec-
|
SO submitted! It was never examined
by the Building, or any other, Committee,
and was never authorized, in fact, by the
Board. Dir. Ashton, as President Of the
Board, had no more authority to sign it on
the part of Cook County than had any out
side citizen The whole thing is utterly
illegal end void from beginning to end.
The County Clerk, therefore, was fully justi-
fed in refusing to af6x the seal Of
the county to the pretended contract.
In the original competition of plans Alr.
Egan's was rejected and Alr. Tilley's adopted
The public generally agreed that Ti1ley's plan
was by far the best then exhibited If new
plan is to be prepared, why confine the selec-
ton to Egan's, md why not invite new offers
from ell the architects? It is desirable, also,
TINT the whole building should be uniform in
plan, and. that both wings should progress
simultaneously. The city cannot move
before next summer, because it has no
available funds. The construction Of the
building might well be delayed another year.
At all events, the Board Of County Commits
sioners should show respect enough for the
people who have to pay for this building to
give them IN opportunity to adopt q plan
for the building. Though We do not know
that it will make much difference, the old
Board might well leave this matter to be act
ed on By the new Board, which will be in Of
fee in q few days. Public opinion will resent
this sharp practice on the part of Egaa and
Ashton, and will hold to a strict responsible
ty any person who attempts to give it valid
itr