davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1874-12-16
THE IRON TRADE.

The prospects of the pig iron furnace
ers are not quite so bad as they would per-
suade themselves to believe. All iron and
steel, with the exception of an insignificant
quantity, must first exist in the shape of pig
iron. The rust and wear of iron 60 on quite
as fast in hard times as they do in those
times when every man fancies he is growing
rich just because prices in paper money are
rising. Our railroads-and it is plain enough
from the excessive reduction of their expenses
that in many cases they are letting their rails
and machinery deteriorate-must soon begin
to buy the usual quantity of iron
for repairs, and that on fifty thousand
miles of track is not small. Population,
since September, 1873, has increased fully a
million and half, being equivalent to an
addition to the Union of the number of men,
women and children contained within the
limits of Massachusetts,. The imports Of iron
from abroad have fallen off immensely. In
August, the last month reported by the Bureau
of Statistics, not pound of iron rails was inn
ported into the United States and the quanti-
ties of all other kinds of iron and steel re-
ceived from foreign countries were very small.
So much we say in refutation Of the opinion
that there is no tendency in the times to grow
better. We do not wish, and have not at
tempted from the outset Of the panic. to de-
lude any portion Of the public in regard
to the gravity Of the crisis. The country is
New-York tribune., 1874-12-16
4 DEAD HJLFFIrTOR.

There was bit of tendcrest pathos in the
story published in yesterdays TRIBUNE of the
death of the burglar Douglass at Bay Ridge.
1t was the bad end of n bad man, and an
unsympathetic crowd stood by, codly watch
ing the ebbng away of his life. A woman
and it seemed so cruel thing for woman
to say-looking down upon the poor wretch
who lay there gasping and helpless on the
ground said 1t serves you right. It's just
good for you.o And the dying man turning
to her with an appealing look, answered, " Oh,
" Madam, I've been Il very wicked fellow |
"know." And then little later he said, ' Pve
" got q brother and sister living, but | haven't
"seen them in over ten years. Give me
/" a decent burial. That's all | ASK All. how
much these few sentences revealed How full
of meaning; how far they reached backward
over the years; how much of the history
of the dying man they condensed, and what
an eternity of remOrse they covered. To the
crowd around him he was only a malefactor,
hunted down, brought to bay, shot; little
better than dog or wolf or any dangerous
animal that society would be better for the
killing of. No one stanched his wounds or
offered his departing soul a word of comfort
or q syllable of consolation. Neither priest
nor doctor attended him. And 30 when this
woman in her bitterness against him said
with shut teeth, 1T serves you right" he
owned 1t all up. Gathering up in one moment
of intensest memory the snarl and tangle of
all his wicked life, with no amends possible
to be made for it here, and only gasp or
two left him, he put volumes of remOrse in
his confession that it was only justice that he
Inv there ii mortal straits and mortal agony,
shot down in his tracks. And then he remem-
bered his brother and sister, and spoke of
them only to say, as if in vindication of them,
that he had not seen them for over ten years
and then-the end of all" Give me decent
"burial. That's all / ask"
Hard ending Of hard and bitter life. Years
ago thin man had stood as o boy at the sharp
angle where the ways parted which separated
him in the end 80 widely from brother and
sister and from all who respected themselves
and obeyed the laws. = He had gone through
all these years with his clinched fist lifted up
against society and against law, felon and
an outcast, hunted and pursued, sometimes
overtaken and imprisoned and sometimes burst
ing away from his captors, violent revenge
full, brutal, looking upon society as his enemy
and the law as an instrument Of persecution
and torture; and here at the end Of them. his
New-York tribune., 1874-12-16
TERMS or THE TRIBUNE.

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cents.
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budding in the SPrHeeSL The Tribune Counting
Room IS The first 6oo aud enter ed at the second door
6own SpTIee-St from the old slte.
New-York tribune., 1874-12-16

arm Just fallen from the weapon with which
he meditated murder, his lips hardly dry from
cursing lying helpless, hopeless wreck, his
clinched fist softens to an open palm, the ten
derness of contrition moistens his eyes; he
gives up the fight with "Pye been very
wicked fellow" and "Give me decent
"burial. That's all ask" We leave to Others
the task of deducing tho moral from this
mans wasted life, and conveying the lessons
of his violent end. Let whoever may, draw
from it the instruction of which 1t may be
full, in the respect Of his claim upon
society for fairer start and better out
fit in the world, and Of the obligations
society was under in the first instance to make
him it's friend instead of its enemy. 1t accords
rather with our purpose to call attention to
the great underlying tenderness and broad
humanity which the scene illustrates. The
crowd standing by were not touched by any
feeling of sympathy, 1t is true. The wicked
ness of the dying man was too fresh In mind
with them his crimes and his violence and the
murderOus purpose which his death frustrated
were too recently before them. 1t was not
strange that they looked on Implying. for
they had but just seen how brutal and pltlless
he was himself and the sense of justice min
gled with q natural feeling of vengeance kept
down all other emotions But of the thousands
who read this story of swift justice and
caught the patnos of the poor wretch's dying
words, who could understand the hideous re-
Prospect that death was glazing on his sight,
and the unut.erable sorrow of his lament
there was not one who did not feel somehow
sense of pity for the poor wrecked soul
wandering out from limitations that were not
understood, and besetmcnts that could not be
resisted, into the thick darkness beyond.
Only one remorseful moment One breath
of confession that a wicked life was a failure
and that all his wrongs and violence ana
crimes against his fellow men were mistake
and blunder, and his fellows thought more
tenlerly and compassionatcly of him than
little while before they deemed possible. Only
slain maefactOr; shot down III the commits
sion of crime That was all. Self protection
demanded it, and even he recognized its
Justice But when the hand he had raised so
many years agains. his fellow men relaxed IN
token of surrender, and to the Served him
fright of the bystanders he only gave sad
assent and added that his life had been
wicked one-therc was something i'll his help
lessness and hOpeessness that turned the edge
of hatred and revealed common humanity.
Only q dead burglar But be was sorry for
it all. And may we not be touched with pity
for hm-we who have for our daily prayer
"FOrgve us Our traspasses as we forgive those
"who trespass against rs II
New-York tribune., 1874-12-16
A SPURIOUS GHOST.

The recent dismal error of Mr. Robert Dale
Owen in regard to the "Katie Kingn perform
ances has its serious side for all of us. II
shows not only how watchful we should always
be in regard to the details of what is happen
ing before us, but also, and still more strongly,
it demonstrates the deadly danger there is in
widening the limits of our credulity in regard
to spiritual things beyond tho wholesome
bounds prescribed by sound reason. In short,
the opinion of the mass Of intelligent people
is that the dead do not come back to this
world. If man admits doubt of this re-
ceived opinion, it appears that nothing can
save him from throDg Of phantasmal frauds
and possessions, 30 grotes1ue and vulgar that
they cannot be seen or related without excit-
ing emotions of profound pity and disgust.
Take for instance this melancholy case of Mr..
Owen. With a mind of unusual activity
and caliber, with q vigorous and retentiye
memory well-stored with classical and modern
literature, with large experience Of society
and affairs here and abroad, he is found to
have been at the mercy Of an impostor who
chose to devote few weeks Of practice to
New-York tribune., 1874-12-16
KANSAS AS YELL AS NEBRASKA.


By series of influences, entirely commend
able in themselves, the attention of Eastern
people has been drawn to the sufferings of
their fellow-cOuntrymen in Nebraska some
what to the neglect of the ravages of famine
in Kansas. Fuller details of privatiOn
and misery came through the press
of the former State; the organiza-
tions for relief seemed more extensive
and seemed to have more on their hands; and,
finally, Gen. Ord and Gen. BrisbD, convinced
of the necessity of prompt and systematic re-
lief made their appeals to the philanthrOpic
people of Chicago and New-YOrk. Indeed, this
action on the part of officers of the regular
army is of itself sufficient certificate of the
destitution in Nebraska, since military men
are pr0yerbally slow to relax the etiquette of
their positions. The existing partiality in
public sympathy is shown, however, in the
fact that of the generous subscriptions that
have been pouring into THE TRIBUNE Office,
Kansas receives barely One-third as many as
Nebraska
The facts, as stated to us, are that there are
IN Kansas even more sufferers than in Ne
braska, and these will be in need of help for
six months to come. The blight that has
fallen upon new Kansas has been almost as
destructive rs its growth was rapid
and marvellous; for instance, one county
which three years ago was wild land
has now 1000 inhabitants-and 1000 of them
are in want. Onc of the chief items of suffer
ing is the lack of fuel, and people who were
nipped by yesterdays cold will do well to
consider how bitter the winds OF Winter will
be to these poor frontier settlers. Kansas has
had no generals and Influential represents
tives to speak for her; there is only
one agent in this city, Judge Rcksecker, and
he is one of her own plain citizens. Send in
your one dollar subscriptions. DO not send
less for Nebraska, but more for Kansas.
New-York tribune., 1874-12-16
THE DEMOCRATIC OPPORTUNITY IN NEW
Jersey

THE DEMOCRATIC OPPORTUNITY ~ NEW-
JERSEY.
For the first time in several years the Demo
Gratis have control of ono branch of the New
Jersey Legislature, and have "a small majority
on Joint ballot. They have thus the choice
of United States Senator and of several
State officers of more or less Importance.
Aside from these elections there is likely to
be little business before the session soon to
begin that will excite public interest. The
most important of all will be the action on
the Constitutional Amendments, which have
already been adopted by one Legislature, and
must be ratified by the next before they can
be submitted to the people for final action.
Their adoption is of the greatest Importance,
and there seems to be no reason to fear that
the incoming Legislature will fail in so clear
a duty. The amendments do away largely
with large amount of special and petty leg
islation which could be disposed of under
general laws. Their adoption will make any
thing more than biennial session of the
Legislature unnecessary, thus saving the State
a large expenditure of money.
As the Democrats have majority in only
one branch they cannot of themselves accom-
plish any reform in legislation but they can
ut least show disposition for such work.
We desire to suggest to them an opportunity
for such display. In the Winter of 1912
there were several attempts made by lnde-
pendent and honest Republicans to bring
about several very necessary reforms in re-
gard to the public printing. The Republican
majority forced caucus upon all of these
efforts, and defeated them. The Democratic
minority was exceedingly Jealous for the re-
forms, and called loud and long upon the
public to witness its great devotion to the
interests of the State. The Republicans de-
nounced the display of Democratic virtue as
buncombe, which cost nothing, since Its au-
thors had 10 pap to lose anyway. And it
must be adr.tted that the evidence of history
confirmed their skeptcal views; for the
records showed that the Democrats had fol-
lowed precisely the same course as their
opponents when they had been in power
The truth is both parties have for years given
out the public printing with an eye single to
making as much of it as possible The
records of the Legislature are printed in a
style as ridiculous as it is extravagant, and
which we venture to say is without parallel
in any State this side of South Carolina.
There is also good chance for retrenchment
in the publication of the laws IN the news
papers.
Both of these cases of extravagant expemli-
ture can be stopped by the Democrats or at
least the responsibility for continuing them
can be thrown upon the Republican Senate
Do they really favor reform. or was their zeal
of three years ago all pretensef They rose to
the level of patriotism when they nominated
Judge Bedle for Governor, and the people
showed their emphatic approval by electing
him. They have another opportunity now.
If they show themselves equal to it, their
chances for perpetuation in power will be
improved. If they shirk it, there ought to be
little hope for them.
New-York tribune., 1874-12-16

We are somewhat surprised to read that the Free
Public Library OF L"amington, Eng and, lately de-
clined gift of thirty-iX volumes of the Works Of
Swedenborg. upon the ground that they contained
knowledge dang arOuS to the public IN the mana
gers Of a library, ana especially of library like
that at LeamingtOn we reasonably epOugh look for
correct information, certain degree of literary
hberaty and modicum of civility, if not OF cOnl-
mon sense Everybody who knows anything of the
books thus cOntomptuously rejected, knows that,
whether erroneous or sound in their religious doe
trine they are quite harmless as most sectarian
writings, and a good deal more so than some of
them The New Jerusalem is not proselying
Church and. indeed in the usual sense of the word
il is not n church at all The receivers of its doc
trines are to be found among many different de-
nominations Of Christians, and Swedenborg himself
never abandoned the National Church in which he
was born and educated. The Church of the New
Jerusalem is, perhaps, the very quieteSt and least
intrusive of all modern religious bodies, if VIC ex-
cent the Society of Friends. 1t prints and it gives
away good many books setting forth Its peculiar
pbases of belief; but to this its missionary work is
mainly confined. How anything which was ever
printed by Baron Swedenborg or by his disciples
can possibly be considered dangerous to the pub
lc," passes our comprehension. We should like to
Although it would be grave thing to make wager
on we should not at least fear to bet that in this
catalogue we could find fifty volumes which, ac-
cording to the critical rules of these very managers
arc Infinitely more dangerous to the public"
However, we are not disposed to dwell upon this
particular instance We simply wish to protest
against this style Of managing q public library.
No opinion of any individual. nor Of any group Of
individuals whether that opinion be religious liter
ary, or scientific, should DO permitted to exclude
from the shelves any book not manfestly religious
and corruptng in its tendency. The public for the
sake of which the library is instituted is public of
many minds as well as OF many intellectual wants;
and to tell the seeker of volume that he is not to
have it, because he Is unfit to be trusted to read it,
is to beg the whole question Of education, and to
give up. the whole theory upon which Free Libra
ries are founded. s. -.
II Is real pleasure to us to observe that Thanks
giving was just as provocative of hymeneal proceed
ings even In spite of the rush of events calcu-
lated to deter men and maidsns lor widOwa from
New-York tribune., 1874-12-16

suffering from too much debt. individuals,
corporations, cities, counties, and.
in short, everything and everybody capable OF
contracting debt, have since 1866 been incurring
to pay incalculable sums in dollars,
without giving themselves the slightest trouble
to ascertain what dollar might mean when
the debts fell due. Up to the hour OF the
panic all were agreed that specie payments
were to come as o matter OF course. Inc
longest postponement was to be only until the
balance of trade turned in our favor and we
built our own ships.
1t turned out that by this wholesale borrow
ing, prices had been carried TO level which
not even the paper currency of the country,
deprecated as it was, could support. Ihe
effect of the panic, crisis, or whatever the
reader may choose to call it, was to bring
prices down, just as they have fallen in all
similar cases. under whatever system OF cur
rency, and it turns ont that the distress Is In
proportion to the indebtedness. because the
debts are for as many dollars as ever and the
property which the debts were contracted 10
buy or create is worth o great deal less than
il was. Far is it from our intention to depre-
ClaUe Ine advantages VI " o"""" NJ''~
of credit but we do say that such sys-
TEN never was and never can be estab-
lshed on the basis of paper money. Sound
money is as indispensable for the foundation
of sound credit as the solid ground is for the
walls of cathedral. We are therefore much
surprised that business men who have been III
a position to observe the consequences OF
building on the shifting sands of spurious
money, should, like the pig-irOn men, De
willing to experiment further with any OF the
quack substitutes for genuine money. We re-
gret that the sensible resolutions proposed by
Mr.. Mccormick of Harrisburg were not
adopted last week at Philadelphia. If any
thing can be more disastrous to the iron
manufacturers of tho country than the course
of things for the last four or five years we
cannot imagine what it is. And yet the cur
rency has been inflated twenty mil
lions and thousands of persons have placed
their money IN the hands of enteTprisinS men
to build railroads with, never to see cent OF
it again. Do the iron men imagine that these
involuntary contributions could have gone on
foreverY Do they think that an inexhaustlble
supply of paper money would have made 1t
possible to build railroads in the wilderness
without ultimate loss to somebody The
trouble is that the waste was not stopped soon
enough instead of being stopped too soon.
New-York tribune., 1874-12-16

Another attempt to breathe life into the
Civil Rights bill came to grief yesterday in the
Judiciary Committee of the House of Repre-
sentadves- 1t is evident that there must be
great change of opinion among members of
Congress, il not in public sentiment, il this
measure is to become law.
New-York tribune., 1874-12-16

The arrangement effected at Mansfield Ohio,
yesterday, between representatives of the
Baltimore. Pittsburgh and Chicago, the Balti-
more and Ohio, and Atlantic and Great Western
Railroads. will give the latter through freight
line to Chicago independent of the Lake Shore
road. and also secure the Baltimore and Ohio
New-York tribune., 1874-12-16
road quicker transit to New-York for Its
Chicago freight.

The Society for the Prevention Of Cruelty
to Children has before it a wide field Of prac-
tical benevolence which ought to have been
occupied years ago. The objects of the asso-
citation are forcibly set forth in our report Of
Mr.. Gerry's address at the meeting held on
yesterday. Its membership should be swollen
by numerous accessions that its work may
begin at once.
New-York tribune., 1874-12-16

Public opinion has proved too powerful for
the Senators who were indisposed to have an
independent man at the head of the Post
Office Department The whole country will
hear with qualification of the confirmation of
Marshall Jewell as Postmaster General.
New-York tribune., 1874-12-16
bnsllle5s NoIlrgs.

Twenty Thousand Life Policies written, on
the Low Rate Cam PtSa-rRAvELEE. Hartford
Gentlemen are invited to call, examine, and
pair WINTER FOR 81 CASTRSLIr 4l FOnrtsve
Don't irritate your lungs with stubborn
cough remedy had in DR. JAYSKs Ex
PKcT0RAsT.
New-York tribune., 1874-12-16

The Pacific Mail investigation has already
wrought one great good. 1t has shown how
subsidies are carried. Whether the individ-
ual Congressman are all caught or not. the
system is doomed. In the face of the rerela-
tiOns about Pacific Mail, this Congress wiH not
dare to obey the powerfal lobby now demanding
subsidy for Col. Thomas a. SCOTS Pacific
Railroad.
New-York tribune., 1874-12-16
Amnsements ano fleetinss.


BoorH's THEArER-" The Hero OF the Hour"
BARsux.s ROMAN HIrPoDRoME.-Eyery afternoon at
and evening ats
BRYASr's OPERA HoUsE.-Minstrels-
DALrss FIFTH AVENUE THEKrER--" Man and WIFE,"
GRAND OPERA HOUSE," The Black Crook"
LrcRuM THEATER-Engsh Opera Boufe: "Chilperic'
Miss Emily SOldeue.
OLYMPIC THEATER.-VarieteS
PARK THEArER.-" The Gilded Age" John T. Raymond
SAN FRANCISCO MINsTRELs.-Birch and Wambold.
UNION SQUARE THEArER.-" Loves Sacrifice" hose
Eyunge.
wALLAcK's TuRArER-"The shaughraun." Dion Bouei-
caulL
BUSINESS woMEN's UNIoS.-Fair
CHURCH OF THE HOLY TRNIrr.-Orgsn COnoer"
HOWARD MfssIoS.-Annual Meeting.
LYRIC HALI.-I,ecture. The Rey. DR.. Mendes
MASONIC HALL.-FIir.
N. Y. MIssIox AND TRACT SOCIETY. Annual Meeune'
ROBINSON HALL" Begone Dull Care" MT. Maccape'
srKINwAY HALI-Lecture Tie Rev. John Weiss
Y M C. A. PARLoRs Lecture. Geo. Hague
New-York tribune., 1874-12-16

William NJ. Tweed has made another petition
to be discharged. The purpose of this second
application was doubtless to get hearing
before some other Judge than Judge Barrett
who lately dismissed the first writ. If such
was the aim it has already failed, for Judge
Lawrence made the writ returnable at the Oyer
and Terminer, where Judge Barrett is pre-
siding for the present term.
New-York tribune., 1874-12-16

II Is real pleasure to us to observe that Thanks
giving was just provocative of hymeneal proceed
ings even In spite of the rush of events calcu-
lated TO deter men and maideus lor vidowl from