The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-07-07

tury, and that human life is no safer on our
railways to-day than it was when they first
begun operations. Indeed, the ratio of risk
has increased with the demands upon the
roads. whereas the experience of the first
twenty years of railroadng should have made
the system so exact, by the aid of the telegraph,
that an accident should be impossible.
Congressman Cox on Home Rule.
The eloquent and facetious Congressman,
''Sunset' Cox, made ''Home Rule" the theme
of his '1ong talk at the Tammany celebra-
ton of the Fourth. AS might have been an
ticipated, he made the most of his subject
from his own point of view. He pointed out
how much we owe to the vindicaton of
"home rule" in the Revolution that gave us
our independence as nation, and drew upon
history for illustrations of its influence upon
the happiness and the destination of peoples.
He labored to show how fidelity to the prin-
cipe had been rewarded and how unfaithful-
ness had been punished by researches among
the records of both hemispheres; by review
of the Oriental and patriarchal relations; the
tribunal relations among our Indians; the
relations of France to Algeria, of England to
India and Ireland, of Spain to Minorca and
Cuba, Of Turkey to Egypt, of Austria to
Hungary, of Russia to Poland of Germany to
the free towns, the pripcipalities and Alsace
and Lorraine of the Netherland to its pro-
vinces, of Switzerland to its cantons, of Italy
to its isles and cities, and of our own country
to the States and Territories. Not one of his
numerous hearers but felt that he had made
brilliant vindication of 'home rule" as o
principle and of the wisdom of the demo-
cratic party in inserting it as a cardinal plank
III their platform at the last State election.
But why did the nimble-tongued Congress-
man confine his illustrations OF the operations
of home rule to bygone days and foreign ma
tons? Why did he not explain to the as
sembled Tammanyites the effect upon home
rule of the action of democratic Governor of
the State who uses the power conferred upon
him by a republican law to tie up the hands
of democratic Mayor of New York and to
render him cipher in the city government?
Why did he not show bow forcbly the prnci-
ole of 'home rule is illustrated by the Sc
lection of Commissioner of Public Works
for New York from the office-holders of the
New Jersey government and by the appoint
ment of New Jersey legislator to the New
York Commission of Charities and Correction
few words upon these matters of local in
terest would have been more acceptable than
all Congressman Cox's antiquarian researches
THE SoUTH.-The correspondence on the
condition of the South which we pub
lish in another column will be found
full of interesting information. The great
problem introduced into our politics by
the admission of the colored people to the
enjoyment of equal rights with the whites
is slowly working out its own solution So
far the influence of the carpet-bag element,
supported by the federal power, has been able
to maintain the color line unbroken outside
of Arkansas, but there are not wanting indi-
cations which point to a growing discomfort
among the colored people with the present
system The result Of the carpet bagger's
success has been course of dishonest lecisla-
ton which has disguised the honest republi-
cans of the South. Wisdom and forbearance
on the part of the democrats will in time
break the solid phalanx OF the colored vote
and free the South from the nightmare of
carpet-bag government and federal inter-
ference which at present brushes out the
energy from the Southern people and impedes
all progress.
TEN LIVES were lost on the Fourth of
July by collision between tugboat and
one of the Old Dominion steamers in
Hampton Roads. This disaster evidently was
due TO criminal carelessness on the part
of some one. Only three of the bodies Of the
drowned have as yet been recovered.