The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-11-06
GENERAL NEWS.

Extensive prairie fires are reported in
Southern Kansas, along the line of the
Fort Scott Railroad. They were started
by sparks from a locomotive, and have al
ready swept over miles of country, destroy
ing fences, barns and dwellings. In Cher
okee county, three miles of ties on the
railroad have been burned.
General Garfield, who was at Wash
ington last week, says that the law increas-
ing postage upon newspapers was recon-
mended from the Committee on Appropria-
lions of last Congress under an entire mis-
apprehension. 1t was understood in COM
mittee that the increase of postage applied
only to merchandise. Mr.. Garfield, upon
the opening of Congress, will move the
repeal of the law.
A severe storm of wind, rain and hail
passed over Louisville on Friday night and
Saturday morning last. Many houses
were damaged and unroOfed, and some
were blown down, but no loss of life is
reported. There was a violent storm of
wind and rain at Little Rock on Friday
evening, which unreofed the State House
and several dwellings, and leveled the tele-
graph wires in every direction. At Car
isle, on the Memphis aud Little Rock Rail-
road, several houses were blown down.
"A reporter of the Press recently made
thorough tour of inv estigation among the
cotton and woolen manufacturers of Phil
adelphia. He found the business in excel
lent condition, with all the factories at
work on full time. The carpet mills, in
the upper wards, are especially busy, and
some of them are running night and day.
This is gratifying exhibit at the opening
of Winter which has threatened to be
one of general hardship. There are many
other indications of revival of activity in
manufactures, especially those connected
with railroad and steamer traffic. When
these make a good start general trade can
not fail to revive throughout the country.
Among the signs of renewed Demo-
cratic supremacy at the South has been the
closing of the public schools. 1t is so in
Arkansas, in Alabama, in Texas. When
the carpet baggers of South Carolina stole
the school funds of that State, there was a
cry of Indignation throughout the country
The theft was one of the chief counts
against Republican administration of South
ern affairs. But now that one after another
of Democratic States at the South proceeds
to abolish the whole school system, to shat
ter the corner stone of free institutions, to
doom the mass of population to the hope
less ignorance that makes men slaves and
keeps them so,-now that this happens we
find no furry of excitement in the Demo-
cratic press.
The Postoffice Department has ordered
| a general reweighing of the mails in order
| to settle the transportation remuneration
of the railroads for the coming year. By
| authority of an act of Congress the Post
master General is directed to adjust the
compensation paid for the transportation
| of mails on railroad routes, tho rates to be
| in accordance with those laid down in the
act referred to. In this law it is prescribed
that the average weight must be ascertained
in every case by the actual weighing of the
mails for not less than thirty consecutive
working days, and not less frequently than
once in every four years. The pay per
annum for carrying the mails with due
following rates: On routes carrying their
whole length an average weight of mails
per day of 200 pounds, $50; 500 pounds,
S75; 1000 pounds, 500; 1900 pounds,
$125; 1000 pounds, $3.50; $500 pounds,
| $175; 5000 pounds, 5000, and $25 addi-
tional for every additional 1000 pounds.
1t is stated, from Washington, that the
new sioops of war, Alert, alliance, Esser,
Ranger, adams, Trenton, Huron and Enter
prise will soon be ready for sea, and that
most Of them will be in service before the
end of the year. The Trenton is the only
one not launched, but it probably will be
by December Is. The Ranger, built at
Wilmington, Del, will come to Phila-
delphia in a few days to receive her outfit.
The adams and Esser. at Boston, the Enter
| prise at Portsmouth, n. H., and the Huron
at Norfolk, Va, will soon take their officers
on board. The Alert will probably be
ordered to the East Indies, and the Others
as fast as they are put in commission, to
the North Atlantic fleet, whence they will
he despatched to foreign stations as requir-
ed. The flag ship Worcester, of the North
Atlantic station, will be sent to Norfolk as
a receiving ship, and her place will be taken
by the Hartford, recently returned from the
Asiatic station. Since the Vnyinius affair,
two years ago, everything possible has been
done to put the Navy in condition for an
emergency, and the IRON clads Montduk,
Manhattan, Sdugus, Mahopac, Nantucket,
Ajar, Cdnonicus, Catskill, Jason, Dictator
and others are in sea- going condition, and
could be put into service if required.
The Cuban question, so far as it con-
Germs the Government Of the United States,
will have to be met at an early day, in CIV
| lug 10 UOtu SlucS III tuC civil war, WHICH
has now lasted eight years, the same recog-
milton and the same rights in our ports.
There is no longer any reason why we
should not recognize the Patriots as bellig
erents, and there are many reasons why we
should SO recognize them. European pow
ers, and especially England, in hot haste
and in the most offensive manner to the
Government and People of the United
States, recognized the Rebels as belliger-
ents, and afterwards the latter did nothing
to preserve her neutrality, but everything
secretly to assist the shareholders to break
up the Union, in order to weaken US as a
power, notwithstanding the corner stone of
the proposed Confederacy was based on
human bondage, against which she had so
long protested and battled in other coun
tries. Cuba is valuable to Spain only
through her slaves, and these are owned,
not to any extent by Cubans, but by the
Spanish noblemen and traders. The island
is used by the government to replenish her
always exhausted treasury, and this is the
reason why she will not release her hold
upon it. But the time has come for action.
Cuba must be saved, slavery abolished and
the people declared independent.