Wilmington daily commercial. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1866-1877, 1875-03-20
SECOND EDITION.
PHILADELPHIA.
OUR ATuRDA TIER.

bOUNDNEhb OF POPULAR JUDGMENT-coLoSEI
McLURE's PAPER-PRos AID ooNs-sr. PAT
HIGKs DAY CELEBnA1IoN-THE IhIsH-AMERI
CAN ELEMENT IN THE CITY. &c.
| Special Correspondence ofthe Commercial.
PHILADELPHIA, March 10.
blow was aimed at Centennial interests this
week in the attempt to convey the impression
that the people of Europe believed goods sent
to the Exposition liable to seizure for debt
Mystery yet attaches to tho manner i'll which this
notification was made abroad, but there can be
10 doubt but that it was concocted by some de-
signing persons with intent to injure the pros
poets OF the Centennial. 1t WAS cabled, OF
course, and although some of tile papers sup
pressed the news as false and malicious, Others
published it, and uneasiness prevailed for a
time. This feeling has not YET died entirely
away, although all reason is upon our side. A
more perfectly clear and satisfactory legal opin-
ion was never delivered than that of the Attor-
ney General of the United States covering this
question. There was no shadow of foundation
for the false report and it is not possible that it
should make firm Judgement i'll public opinion
abroad 1t was cruel thing to do and the par
ties concerned in it will surely be exposed to re-
buke. Naturally enough some of the New York
Influences which have been persstently opposed
to Philadelphia's share in the Centennial Cele.
bration refer obviously to the German canard.
They cannot endorse it directly, but they give it
a sort of equivocal support. They pity us ;
hope ali may be well. &c. But an easy con-
science fears-or should fear-no evil.
There is excitement to-day over the news that
C. X. Landis, the protector of the Vlneland Set
tlement in New jersey committed murder this
morning in the town Of which he was termed the
- Father" Landis has been for years one of
our local characters, for although Vlneand is
some thirty miles distant this is Its business
emporium and all the plans for its future great
ness were laid here. From here, too, went most
of its settlers, although good number of New
England people are among the inhabitants. Tie
career OF VinelaDd Offers curious chapter in
American social history. 1t presents the rather
curious picture of a success won in tile face of
deceit and misrepresentation of all kinds, and,
moro than that against great natural odds.
The soil at Vineland is of the same char
Atlantic Railroad. In other words it
ID nothing but sand. The location has no advan-
tages whatever, and yet by advertising and sharp
management township of nearly 10000 people
has been collected i'll less than Is years. A man
who can do that has some claim to be called Il
character. Tue news is that Landis has brought
his career to close by shooting an editor who
had asserted in his paper that the i" Father
of Yineand" desired to put his wife
in an Insane Asylum. If this proves
the fact, it is a curious coincidence that
Lands married his wife after placing her IA
ther in all asylum so as to secure entire Fl r,edom
for his matrimonial designs. Mrs. Landis is
the daughter of Commodore Meade, and the Gu
1ious case here referred to must be fresh in the
memory of your readers.
Tragedies and scandals gather their interest
not 30 much from the central fact as from the
connections and surroundings Luckless wretch.
es have been murdered by the score to-day but
their fates will attract no notice. while this one
case will be picked out and become tie talk of a
whole section of country. have gi,en some of
the reasons for this, and another-and perhaps
the strongest-is that Vmeland has managed to
get no little reputation as a head. quarters of
social reform. 1t s there that the advanced
woman's rights people are largely found there
that Spiiitualism greatly flourIshes there that
the "Bloomefites" (although started III Indiana,
L believe) Insist on wearing pantaloons, Or what
ever other article of male dress they choose.
The place Is, in fact, Oh the dividing line be-
tween society as it is generally Understood and
socialism. i have been assured by some that
life there is a poem, long breath of bl-sful
ease, and by Others that 1T is excessively dry
hard and barren. One thing is certain, Lands
lived only to advertise his novel community, and
III this latest act manages to give it renewed
publicity.
singular instance of the variability and
whlmscalness of public opinion was given this
week Mr.. j. Proctor Knott gave lecture which
he called The Model Statesman" MIR. Knott
had previously been known, only been known it
may be said. by speech delivered in Congress-
the Duluth and st, Croix Land Grant
lnhE speecfl Hdue nlu, DuG IL would nave been
poor taste and judgment to have attempted to
repeat it in any form III popular lecture New
ertheless, people were disappointed because tile
lecturer did essay something else The address
WAS all admirable piece of humorous invective
but the aud ence seemed aggreved because
something quite out of the question was not
done. II that something had been done it would
have exclaimed, 'look at this; it Is mere repe-
tition the man has no originality"
The new paper, The Ttnies has made very
1a
sonabe prejudice excited against 1t at the start.
There is evident intimate relationship be-
tween the'Iimes and the ". Y. Sun, and tile
fact is not calculated to do the new paper any
good III the estimation of respectable readers.
The arrangement between the papers gives the
Times rather the inside track OF morning jour
mails III matters relative to New York, and there
is a chance, of course, that what the Sun says
may he true, but there is greater chance that
it is not. Its Washington news has been long
notorious for its exhibition OF the most pronounc-
ed of Mr.. Dana's peculiarities, and this very cor
respondence--one of the most Objectionable
things i'll the whole journalism of the
coun1ryyIthe Times expects to duplicate
i'll Philadelphia, Perhaps it will be
z" edited 80 to leave out the libel!ous and of
fensive parts, but there is only one method of
uccessfuy editing such matter Having said
this to the dirparagement of the new paper 1t
must be said on the other hand that the Times
showed itself an ORIGINAL and able journal from
its first issue 1t is a novelty in our journalism
and very welcome one. 1t is decidedly out of
the routine i'll snch cases made and provided,
and shows in every part evidences OF thought
and power. 1t is especially strong. editorially,
and has the true idea-the idea that nearly all
our papers disregald-that a paper to have in
huence must be very full and vigorous in this
direction. No man liz better informed in Penn
sylvania politics than Col. Mcclure, and
he has drawn upon his knowledge and ex-
perience for the Times with good ef-
feet. He has only himself to blame if,
as yet, people are uncertain about him,
His knowledge of affairs is prodigious, but wheth
Ell his facts and deductions, are many of them
" snakes or what they simply appear to
be, is the puzzling question. The Tunes de-
serves credit for attempting to substitute the
plain, non-sensationa manner of presenting
news and advertisements in place Of the g dis
play !" mo 70, which grows more violent and un-
every dav, The papers are fast be-
coming 30 many bil-boarils, aud it time for a
protest. Takon altogether and despite such
drawbacks above mentioned, | believe
The Times more than answers the expectations
formed Of it.
However the "Native Americans" NAV de-
pore the fact it is not to be denied that the Irish
Catholic element gains steadily in strength here.
1t is admirably held in hand and evidences of
this organization only seen at intervals they
come when they are made public with peculiar
force. The celebration of st. Patncks Day was
the latest and most surprising of these occa-
sopa. Talk of this being the Q laker City it
wss more like Dublin or any other Irish city on
that day. The entire town seemed given over
tf.s.-l F.l.