Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-02-13

cal precedent. This time it was not enough,
merely, that conventions should nominate can
didates for the people to vote npon Other con-
vontions stood behind, and carefully went over
the cut-and-dried work of the Irregular bodies,
making very practcal--not to say revolutionary
amendments. or this intention you have been
Informed, and within these last dayst was made
evident that there was to be an effort to let the
people come nearer the important matter of
choosing candidates for Office than they have
hitherto done. There are many persons who
think they arc exercising the right OF suffrage
to the utmost when they vote for a certain in
dividual presented to them for that purpose
or else refuse to vote at all. The Union League
and the Reform Club are giving these easy-gOing
individuals a few elemental lessons on suffrage
responsibility, and the results will be watched
with interest
The League having thrown its great influence
in the scale i'll determining as a Republican body
the value Of the Republican nominations for po-
lice magistrate, and having as the result of this
criticism decided that two of the nominees were
unworthy of support, the public waited curious
ly to see If the managers would accept the Broad
street dctum and come down. They did 80 very
gracefully The obnoxious candidates were in
duced to return their nominations and new men
were named in their places. This was substan-
tal recognition of the Republican leadership OF
the League and there is reason to believe that
the club is very much set up thereby The re-
suit is OF course not due alone to the political
weight of the committee of 3d. but to the force
behind that committee, the many hundreds of
members of tho club who in their wealth and
social standing largely represent the Republican
party in Philadelphia. The League il of course
now pledged to the reconstructed ticket and will
use effort to elect it.
On the other hand there is the rival political
organization--the Reform Club. Though not
80 old or wealthy as the League the Reform Club
ID very ambitious and its friends say it will
shortly make its mark not only in local but in
national politics. And what do these reformers
do in the matter of securing good men for Po-
lice Magistrates? They take the singular course
of providing two tickets, each composed OF un-
exceptonable names, and of which the voter
can have his choice, One of these tickets ie
composed three fourtha of the Republican nom
inees and one-fotifth of the Democratic, and the
other is three-fourths Democratic and one
fourth Republican. The Republican
voter is assured in accepting one of
the Reform Club tickets that he will vote
for the best men on his party ticket together
with certain democrats who are better than the
Indifferent material at the bottom of that ticket
(although passed by the League, which could
not afford to be too criticaD while the Demo-
crat who may take the companion ticket has
parallel and similar assurance. Tho reform
Clubs position is strongest nlhie that it stands
entirely impartial between the two parties and
desires only to see the best men elected. Party
ties however are 30 strong that the show of fair
ness which the League has made, acqniesced in
by the managers, will probably be enough for
the great bulk Of voters on that side,-and
Democratic boiling il uncommon. Shll, the
spectacle III novel and instructive, and will no
doubt arrest the attention of men Interested in
public affairs.
The Free Pipe" Bill in the Legislature nat
urally occasions a tumult here. Petitions have
been unanimously signed and sent to Harris
burg, contending that the passage OF the bill
n ,,,t.
of the city. The Board of Trade is very active,
also, in demonstrating the injustice of leglsla-
ton which would deprive us of our most valued
exports, and PROSTATE an extensive business
interest. 1t is certainly a lively gu estion, ,yet
it seems hardly worth while to become unduly
exercised about it. The Pennsylvania
Railroad has too heavy stake IN
the matter to allow the stdtu quo
to be changed. Those who have faith in that
company need surely want no other assurance
that everything will come out right, and those
who have not that faith h,-well it can only be
said of them that their education has been
shamefully neglected.
Another effort is being made to reduce pass-
enger railway fare to five cents-or falling that
to make those companies refusing to make the
deduction pay the city considerable sum yearly
for the privilege of charging the fare now de-
manded Representative Bardsley has intro
duced bill at Harrisburg declaring that any
company charging more than five cents fare
shall pay yearly tax of $500 on each
car where such extra fare is asked. The
probabilities are that if forced to choice the
companies would rather pay the tax than relin-
quish the present fare, but il they did even 80,
tho result would be considerable accession to
the revenues OF the city. We all know five
cent fare would be ample the companies now
making tremendous protits-prohts exceeding
by far any known returns from invested capital
hereabouts Bat having such an uncommonly
good thing it is perhaps not unreasonable
ing men as they are-that they should desire to
keep it. Perhrps the most indignant rider
would do the same thing precisely if he had the
chance.
The annual meeting of the American Iron and
Steel Association was held this week. 1t was
not joyful meeting. The Panic has nowhere
been felt more disastrously than in this import
ant interest and the worst feature of the case is
that there is not yet the slightest sign OF a
reaction. OF course iron is being constantly
consumed, but there was an over large produc-
| ton in 1873 and the stock on hand at the out
break of the money troubles suffced for long
while, under the light pressure made upon it.
| Railways repair their tracks only when absolute
| ly compelled to do go, and all extensions and
improvements have ceased. The gloomy state
of the trade may be sufficiently gathered
from the fact that over half OF all the iron
furnaces of the country were "out of
| blast on the LIST of February. Tho proportion
| of I" blown out furnaces has been speedily
| increasing and has now reached the lowest point
marked since the panic began Iron men can
not say whether the downward run will stop here
| or whether furnaces Will commune 10 cose.
The association is very severe upon Congress
for its unlimited granting of lands, and the en-
couragement given to build railroads which are
not needed 1t is affirmed that the depression
is largely owing to these causes.
The LedJer calls attention to the interesting
fact that the income from the Girard Estate is
growing at rate which persons unconnected
with the Trust have never realized. The pro-
perty is all now, or may easily be made, high
ly productive. The suburban lots have been ap-
preached by the city and are desirable for build
ing purposes; the coal lands have been opened
and found to be very rch the expenses OF the
college steadily decrease. On the Passyunk
Road Property alone, it is stated, ten thousand
homes might be erected yielding million and
a half dollars year. 1t requires no stretch of
the Imagination to see q comparatively early day
when the yearly income of this magnificent es-
tate will be many millions of dollars. This can
not all go to the education of orphans. the whole
municipal expense could be betrayed byit. What
will it De- say III one hundred years But it ia
nothing to worry about, however we may specu-
late. ,
An effort was made this week to secure the
discharge of Jay Cooke & Co.. as bankrupts, and
thereby effect an absolute settlement with their
creditors Very few of the interested parties
were in attendance and another adjournment
was had The proposed basis of settlement was