New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-09-05

10 hlduulc lltts
Perhaps the heat had something to do with
the rapidity of the American Association for
the Advancement of Science in getting through
with their work by last night usually they
find it difficult to close their laborS within
weeks session. Their President, tins year, Prof.
Newcomb, has also doubtless helped largely
toward this result, and where both President
and Secretary are so notably energetic, the
sow-moving authors of papers can he pushed
along in a lively way. At all events 1t Is CYL
dent that the recreation and entertainment
furnished by the hospltable people OF Nash
vile have not been allowed to interfere with
the business of the meeting
decentralization is customary when soci-
cites and associations recount their past eX-
plots, and Secretary Sanborn claims for the
Social Science gatherings and publications the
foremost place in introducing many reforms,
including that of the Civil Service The claim
Will, perhaps, be the more readily conceded,
when the pitiful failure of the earlier
efforts is recalled. The Social Science As
sociation is now about to try its hand at
Calculating the relations between labor and
capital, in regard 60 the strikers riots. In
this matter Mr. Sanborn thinks there is mis-
sionary work to be dOne-whch is undoubtedly
tue. But sle lavish way in which it is pro-
posed to offer advice to both sides, and the
warning and reproof that are to be addressed to
corrupting centrazers of capital" indicate
| that the association is going into a very large
/ branch of business, which seems already too
much for the intellect employed.
/ A breezy day at CreedmooT brought great
/ JOY 10 the British rifcmen, az there was be-
/ lief among them that the wind would give
them an advantage over or men. This notion
Is probably based upon the English custom OF
/ not postponing matches in foul weather, and
the general fact that our marksmen have had
less experimenting to our finer climate-in
tricky or boisterOus winds. One-haf OF
! the expectation was fulfilled yesterday,
/ the British team making good scores
under these adverse circumstances. But
on the other hand the American Team
surpassed their whole previous record, making
the highest total for the leading eight that has
ever been scored on any range The British
score on Saturday ran up so high that it be-
came evident that our team may be closely
pressed in the international match, and, per-
haps, a consciousness that their very best will
magnificent shooting.
Ont of the confusion of Mondays fire these
two facts come into yiew-that the building
was not properly constructed, and ought, APP
parently, to have been CONDEMNED by the SUI
peIintendcnt Of Buildings, and that the spread
of the conflagration was largely due to the
insufficient supply of water On both Of these
points the Board OF Aldermen is already nov
ING. having ordered an investigation as TO the
first and received various resolutions as TO the
second but Adeimens Investigations are not
ALWAYS fruitful, and Aldelmens resolutions
have been known to conceal Jobs. Both sub
iects are in need Of intelligent and honest
inquiry and action. Certainly no official
explanation that has yet been offered of the
scarcity of water is adequate. The main
water-pipes ID the upper portion of The city
are not equal in size to those III the lower pOr
lion, and were laid twenty years ago. They
certainly did not furnish sufficient water ON
Monday, and the remark of an official, that the
trouble was probably caused by the endeavor
of "twenty or twenty-five engines to seek
"supply at the same tme,' suggests the in
quiry whether the mains ought not to he con-
stucted to meet just such emergencies.
The misfortune Of the bcst-mcant attempts
to do the right thing in wrong way, is
shown in the situation reported from Wash
ngton to-day, between Mr.. Cornell and the
Administration. Nothing could have been
better than the effort 10 purify both
| our politics aud our custom houses Ivy
dccreeing divorce between them. The
task was not a very difficult one. The appoint
ment of few really capable men to the pTin-
cipal positions, in the places OF those who bad
managed the custom houses as political ma
chimes, and quiet hint to the new
incumbentS that they were TO mind their
business without unseemly meddling in
politics. would probably have done the
whole thing. Certainly, it required no flaming
! general order, no dramatic pose before the
country in the attitude of super-extra reform
ers. But the work has been undertaken with
such a flourish of tlumpets, and with 50
! little discrimination that the ORDER as il
stands, is not generally accepted 10y the
common sense Of either party. On a simple
question whether OF not Mr.. Cornell should
continue to use his Custom House influence
to control the Republican organization Of the
State of New-Y York, the President would
have had nineteen twentietls of his party
with HIM. On the question of turning
Mr. Cornell out as an incident to the unver-
sal enforcement Of a sweeping general order,
! applying to every petty postmaster, deputy
marshal. or Government clerk in the remotest
rural districts, who takes an interest in his
township or county politics, and is put for
ward by his neighbors to do the work Of
organization as a convenience to themselves,
the contest is not nearly so One-sided. The