Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-05-01
Notes and Notions.

confirming McLin as associate justice for
New Mexico. His confession shows that
he has not judicial mind.
IT is a proud reflection that almost all
business men aud intelligent observers agree
that the only obstacle to an improvement in
the condition of the country is our own ma
tional Congress- Hartford CouranL
AFTER the Senate passed the Pacific rail
road funding bill it was regarded as sure of
passage in the House. 1t did pass with only
two hours consideration and only two oppos-
ing votes. Butler gave one of them.
AMONG the five hundred converts to be
added to the Springfield churches at the May
communion season, as a result of the Moody
revival, are seventy who are to join the me
mortal church-Dr. Hollands ideal of a re-
ligious society
WE once heard Horace Greeley say at
isn't what you put in newspaper that
makes it good it is what you keep out of
it," This seems to be a good occasion for
editorial pondering on the great Journalists
advice.-New York Mail.
THE population of Kansas, based OH the
returns of the state superintendent of pub
lie instruction, is eight hundred fourteen
thousand four hundred and thirteen. Per-
haps no other state in the Union is ncreas-
ing so rapidly, Texas alone excepted.
REPRESENTATIVE JoRGENsoN, the only Re
publican Congressman from Virginia, thinks
the Republicans should make an effort to
carry thirteen Congressional districts in the
Southern States, having maiorties ranging
from two to seven thousand on fair vote.
IT should not be forgotten that the Florida
return, now said to have been falsifed, was
presided over by Mr.. William T.. Chandler,
and if there were any frauds he is too
shrewd not to have been cognzant of them
and everybody knows that Mr.. Chandler is
an honest man.
ALBERT SMITH, Minister of Marine
Fisheries of the Dominion, who was one of
the commissioners in the little fishery job by
virtue of which the United States were
mulcted in the cool sum of five and a half
millions, has been knghted by the Queen in
recognition of his services.
Ir may be very true, as Francis Murphy
says, that a Moffett bell-punch could not tell
a man when moderate drinking left off and
mmoderate drinking commenced. But we
apprehend that in the case of many drinkers
the record of the bell-punch would soon sur
prise them with the amount of drinking
they would consider moderate"
THE indianapolis Journal suggests to the
Senators and Representatives who are making
war upon the President that Washington city
is not the whole country, that a considerable
number of Republicans who seldom or never
go to Washington have opinions of their own,
and that the air of the capital stimulates the
self-importance of those who breathe it,
THE judgments against Tweed as shown
by the docket in the county clerk S office of
New York county for 1876, 1877 and 1878,
ranging in sums from 2l79.l2 to 3l0,951,-
l67.09, amounted in all to nearly twenty
two millions of dollars. This is believed to
be the heaviest amount of money judgments
ever put on ecord against one man.
New York HeraM commissioners have
explored the two branches of Congress in re-
lation to the Presidential count, and find an
overwhelming opposition to reopening the
question. Two hundred and fifty-six mem
bers are outspoken against the Blair bill,
fifteen favor it, and sixty-seven members,
including Mr.. Conkling, are non-committal,
or on the fence"
WHAT if it should turn out that there
were frauds in the electoral count in Florida
which, had they been confessed " in time,
would have changed the result? 1t isn't a
remarkably new discovery in American
politics There were the Louisiana frauds
of lSii, in Plaquemine parish, by which the
vote of the state was stolen away from Henry
Clay to Polk, the democratic candidate and
there We're the enormous Tweed frauds OF
1868, by which the vote of New York was
given to Seymour. Nobody denies them
now, but we never heard that any attempt
was made to have them rectifed.
AN interesting case was decided in Phila
delphia, on Saturday. Not long ago a verdict
| for twelve thousand dollars was given against
the Reading railroad company for the killing
of policeman at crossing. After the
verdict it was found that F. NJ. Taggart had
served on the jury as S. NJ. Taggart Al
effort was made to have the decision sci
aside on this account and inquiry showed
before juries made up of men of wrong
names. The court rules that this makes NJ
difference, and that the serving as " X OF
jury by a man named "Y" does not in
validate its proceedings
lT is said to be the opinion of Secretar,
McCrary that there will be three candidate,
in the field in the next Presidential election
that neither will have majority of tn,
electoral votes, and that thus the election
will devolve on the House of Representa-
tives. Such a conclusion grows out of tn,
opinion that the national movement will
have an independent and serious charac
ter. 1t is too early, however, to forecast TIN
outlook. But it is not too early to do tw,
things; First, to make every effort for Re
publican majority in the next House and
second, to adopt adequate safeguards agains
such dangers as were experienced in the las
,la.. tsal