New-York tribune., 1874-07-16


ministered with noticeable skill for purely
partisan ends, is less probable than desirable.
NJ Magne was so badly beaten on Tuesday
in the vote on his favOrite measure for in
creasing the tax on salt that ho proposes to
resign his place in the Cabinet of Marshal
MacMahon. 1t is probable that other reasons
equally important lie behind this Ostensible
one for inducing this veteran Napoleonist to
leave the government of the Septennate. lie
is the only representative of the lmperlallst
party in the Ministry and must naturally feel
some nervousness in regard to the prosecu-
| tons about to be set on foot against those
concerned in the late BOnapartist intrigues.
1t would be too incongruous even for this dex-
! terous statesman to retain his place on the Min
isteral bench while men who are supposed to
be no more compromised than he in the
Chiselhurst conspiracy are arraigned for their
maneuvers. The Cabinet of MacSiahOn since
the Marshal left the Bonapartists and attached
himself to the MacMahOnist party, has ceased
to be a comfortable and homelike place to the
sympathlzers with the conspiracy which aims
to place Spanish vindctiveness and bigotry In
the person of the late EmperOr's widow at the
head of the government of France.
The revival of the Bourbons can hardly be
said to be indicated by the extraordinary plat
form of the Indiana Democracy. The Bour-
bons did not learn new things, but neither dId
| they forget old ones. Here is Democratic
Convention which has so thoroughly for
| gotten the oldest principle OF the
| Democratic party as to glory in the shame
of abandoning hard money. declaring prac-
ticaly for reputation by proposing the
payment of the United States gold bonds
in greenbacks, and rivalmg Morton
| in the demagogues clamor for more
currency. Tom Benton would have
spurned such spurious creatures from any
Convention of honest Democrats, and declared
them not decent enough to be kicked. The
whole platform is wordy, and as tricky as it
is clumsy THE most Outspoken utter
ance in it is that in favor of DIS
honesty to the National creditor, and
the multiplication of printed rags in
place of money for the people. But the
party leaders are confident OF success. They
have made shrewd concessions to the Grange
movement, both in candidates and platform;
and it must be confessed that those good cit
izens elsewhere, who remember that Morton
leads the opposition to them, do not seem to
take very much interest in the contest
Once more the journals and public spirited
men of Chicago begin to invcigh as of old
against the suicidal practice of allowing the
existence in great and wealthy city of tinder
houses and inhammatOry trades. On Tuesday
night the city barely escaped destruction from
a ire arising in a district which is a constant
invitation to the flames. The clean sweep
made by the fire over all that quarter may be
of advantage, if the lesson it taught is to be
taken to heart. In large cities of rapid growth,
dependent for their prosperity upon the indi-
vidual energy of the citizens, this neglect of
strict municipal regulations is sure to grow
up, being incidental 10 the atmosphere of
freedom which is the condition of life for
these powerful communities. But it is never
thclcss certain that it is an element of death
as well as proof of vitality. Sooner or later
city Will be burned up which is built of
wood, just as theaters are, for the simple
reason that the preponderance IN them of in
flammabe material is so great that any trifling
accident may lead to cOnfagrati0D, and once
on fire they can never be saved, AS part of
the necessity of existence in large city, indi-
viduals must surrender their right to live in
inhammable houses But nothing short OF
ruin seems sufficient to convince the majority
that this is anything but tyranny.
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