Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1875-02-25
PHILADELPHIA.
our SATuR ROAY LETTER

ouR sATuR DAY LETTER.
THE POLICE MAaIsTnATE ELEoTIoN-TnE UNION
LEAGUE TRIUMPH-THE GREAT RAILWAY FldHr-
POSITION OF THE oNTEsTANTB-AN NEUTRALP PAR
Ty-DEATH OF REV. DIR. PATTIsoN-A NEW JOUR
NALIsTlC vENTUnE-THE SEVERE wINTER-THE
RIVERS AND THE EsIREETs-DEATH AT AMAsQUER-
ADK ETC.
Special Correspondence Of the Commercial.
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 10.
We have had our little election and everything
moves on much ~ ever. SO far from the Po-
lice Magistrates proving = novelty the election
was in point Of excitement and popular interest
one Of tamest ever held here, the vote being very
light. The cold weather Of Tuesday had
but tho more potent reason for tho lack Of in
terest lay in the facts that Republican predomi-
nance was SO evident that members OF that par
ty did not think il worth while to make any spec
ial effort, and that the opposition for their pat
knew that the struggle WAS unayailing. III He-
publicans had realized, after the day opened,
that the Democrats were coming out stronger
than they anticipated, there would Of course
been rally to get out the party vote, and go
perfect IL political organization in the cities at
it may seem to be,--but no such contingency
arose, and the reserve force which
votes right when it does vote
but never goes to the polls unless escorted
there, was allowed to indulge it's questionable
repose. The result as you have been Informed
work of the Reform club came to exactly moth.
ing and the Union League is the true victor OF
the hour. 1t is quite natural that the League
should be somewhat jubilant. It took very
bold stand in the matter, forced the party to it's
view and insisted on reconstruction OF the tick
ct. This done, it elected that ticket. 1t is a
political event OF no little Importance. Phila"
dephia is the leading Republican city, and the
League has shown that it is the headquarters of
the Party here. Shall We find it taking larger
trinmphi Perhaps the next President may bo
nominated at Broad and SAMSON streets.
By-the-way, how arc we to style these new
Police Magistrates Alderman 30 and 30 went
"trippingly on the tongue" but to say Police
Magistrate Krickbaum, or whatever the name
may be is awkward and cumbersome. In Eng
land these officials are addressed Is plain Mr.. v
but it is too much to expect that the royal Amer
lean with his love Of title will submit to any such
simplicity. Squire" is too primitive How
would Justice do ? 1t would not be surpris-
dubbed "Judge."
Tho complication between the Pennsylvania
and Baltimore and Ohio Railroads is ono OF the
principal topics. il indeed it does not outrank all
others. It is part Of our faith here to swear by
III,
the side Of President Scott. 1t would not be
possible to get any other sort OF view expressed
by philadelphia Journal With all this local
feeling, however, our people recognize that in
President Garrett, Colonel Scott has no mean
antagonist. The Wholesale reduction Of rates
on the Baltimore 4 Ohio Road fell like a bomb
in Railway Circles. There WAS at first pre-
teuce at the Fourth street Palace that
the Pennsylvania could hold her own
Notwithstanding this cutting under Of her
riyaD through superior equipment and the
guarantee OF greater comfort and speed to
travellers. But the money consideration is all
powerful, and reduction OF thirty to forty per
cent in rates by transportation company travers-
ing virtually the same territory ~ another COM
pany which makes no reduction can scarcely
fail to make things uncommonly lively,-ior ey.
erybody but the stockholders. When the B. 4
o. reduction was announced it WAS said that the
Pennsylvania could not follow suit as it was
bound by the convention Of last summer,-ths
convention which MIR. Garrett would not JON :
not to reduce rates without the consent OF al
tho trunk lines concerned. The question o
present is the Melancholy Dane "should HI
| break 1t now 7"
Necessity knows no law and it can be safely
said, the Saratoga Convention to the contrary
that the Pennsylvania has but ono or two thing
| to do, either to give the b. Il o. the New Yorl
outlet which it asks Or else accept the gage o
battle, lower it's rates, and fight It out to the end
Taking the latter course, and winning, Col
Scott will be Railway King without dispute
| but if he is beaten either way the monopoly o
| the Pennsylvania company-which means Kall
way monopoly generally-is broken. scarcely t.
be reconstructed in our day. 1t is a very prett
fight as it stands and becomes hourly more IN
The position of Philadelphia, Wilmington 4
Baltimore r. r is not the least peculiar of tn
that this company desires to renal
neutral in the contest its interest
being largely connected with both the principa
parties. But in view Of Col Scotts aggressive
ness it is difficult to see how this neutrality is t.
be maintained. To-day, for instance, it is an
nounced that no cars from the President Stree
depot, Baltimore will be allowed to run over til
P.W 4 B. to New York. By this it may b
seen what many handed agency "the Central
il or assumes to be. The President St depot
the main distributing centre of the ?. W. X
but because 1t ia connected with the B. 4 o. depo
Col. Scott orders that r. W. X D. passenger
and freight must come by way OF Charles stree
otherwise in connection with the Baltimore
Potomac Per nsylvanins "feecer.' Neutra
ty under such weight may be too dearl
bought.
The Methodist church has sustained grea
loss in the death of Rev. X. ii. Pattson d.
which occurred this week. DR.. Pattson, was
man Of extraordinary influence in his churcl
power in its councils than many q Bishop. II
had been that sort Of under lAshop, Presidin
Elder, and was A gentleman - distinguished AZ
ministrative power. More clergymen we're co
lected at the funeral than have been seen tt
gether on any recent occasion and the opinio
was freely expressed that a worker had been lo
whom it would be impossible to replace.
This il not the very best time imaginable
start a newspaper but Col. Mcclure is not to
nut off ary longer. The Press disappointment
was bitter but one Of slcClure's good, points,
his persistence, and he did not allow himself
be cast down. In buying the Press he woul
have come into possession Of a complete al
we'll established newspaper IN obtaining IL
Age he has only secured The Associated Ire
franchise. That is, In sense, Indispensable
morning paper, but it gives very dillere
start from that which he would have had in Il
other case. The Age itself will disappear al
leave moi sign. 1t has been. first aud last,
unfortunate enterprise. There is considerab
curiosity to see what kind of paper Col. McClu
will make OF the new Times.
The condition OF tho rivers is unexampled
I anything OF late years. The Schuylkill has be-
: solid for weeks. On several occasions when q
ice cutters have been busy in opening gre
r stretches OF water those same spaces have lie
l morning been in renewed condition for q
skater. Many people living opposite the low
park cross the ice habitually to their homes, til
: avoiding the detour necessary to reach the o.
d lowhill street-we cannot any longer say .
Wire"-Bridge. No doubt the Delaware wor
be also tight opposite the city were it not for t
., served to keep open channel up and down
~ city front, and the ferry boats with this ASS
II tance have managed to Keep Few main trac
= fairly free in making the Camden trips. The
4 combined efforts have thrown the ice into stran
:. shapes. Blocks have been forced high up
u one another the bar stretching {
= from the Island and the tide rising upon the
l. distractions and continually ausmenting th'
% through the freezing pro less have construct
n the elements of polar scene which appea
% quite formida ole from the wharves. Now a
A. again mass will become detached, and veri
c. bic iceberg will sail slowly down the cham
IL until it meets another point OF obstruction, wi
ID the two Join forces. This sort OF reconstrncti'
t. going continually on, is novel, and not unpl
ID sing to anybody but the pilot. In the stree
ry aft airs are not so bad, the intermittent rains
IL the past month having cleared them to a e
TX extent. The cutters are still even with
as curbs, however, and the grand thaw, when
III comes, will be moving thing.
in The apothegm, sin the midst OF life we arc
to death, has seldom had more signal illust
ed ton than was given by the event Of the we
of The masquerade ball is form Of entertainm
to introduced mainly by the German population
th which large classes OF Philadelphians have
rs, come increasingly fond in late years
en- Maennerchor, Junser Macnnerchor and nun
en- ous other societies give their yearly festival
i'll the Academy Of Music, and last winter th
les were at least dozen OF these large carniv
,nt One of these German soceties, the "Canns
ro- tel" !" had its festival few evenings ago. ON
the leading spirits Of the affair was Mr.. j.
Bower, the President OF the Association. AT
height OF the gayety Mr.. Bower, gaily decke
nv masquerading costume. when about to
"a lady into . waltz, fell heavily to the fl
ia. At first the fall was thought to be only p
es- Of mumery, but when picked up the man
,uy found to be dead. Imagine that in the thr
The Of pleasure-seekers and gTotesque masqu