Evening star., 1880-02-06

House, amendments will be offered to create a
department OF commerce, and department of
manufactures, and departments representing
other interests, each to be presided over by a
cabinet officer with the usual assistants and
secretaries and other accessories. 1t will be
contended that commerce, for instance is as
much entitled to position in the cabinet
as agriculture. The committee on agriculture
is, as rule, composed of members who are eS-
pecialy favorable to that interest, and therefore
they seek to advance it. The opposition to the
bill is so strong that 1t will be defeated not
withstandlng favorable report from the COM
mittee.
The Importance to the public of healthy COM
petition in every thing in which Its interests are
daily affected is forcibly Illustrated in the
result OF the opening of the new submarine
telegraphic cable between this country and
Europe. No sooner was its rival ready for bus-
ness than the old monopoly reduced its rates
between the United States and all points on the
continent from IS cents per word to 12g cents
Inasmuch however. as the new cable does not
touch the British Islands, business between this
country and Ireland, England, and Scotland does
not getthe benefit OF the reduction. Only those
sections having the direct advantage of a CON-
peting line are thus favored, though nobody pre-
tends that 1t costs more to telegraph between
the United States and the continent than be-
tween this country and the British Islands, nor
that the rate of 1919 cents per word charged in
the former case Is not amply remunerat1ve. II
the latter Is paying rate, then the extra 62E
cents charged In the absence of competition is
clear steal. II not, then it follows that ruin
GUS rate has been fixed for the express purpose
of destroying opposition and getting new and
stronger grip upon the throat of the public
when Ii Is out OF the way. In either case the
Old company would seem to have placed itself In
an attitude that cannot very well be justified in
the eyes OF the world.
There are indications that the legislature Of
Ohio will, in obedience to the aroused and in
dignant sentiment Of the people of that state,
take some measures to protect her people from
the abuses they now suffer at the hands of cor
rupt book agents. school boards and teachers
in the matter of frequent and unnecessary
changes of school books. Such step cannot
be taken too soon, either in Ohio or anywhere
else. Not the least oppressive and Irritating
tax that the people of most OF the states are
called upon to pay Is the annual expense put
upon them against their will and without good
reason by the constant changing of text books
In the public schools. 1t Is estimated indeed
that the sums thus extorted exceed in amount
all the other taxes legitimately levied for edu-
cati0nal purpoSeS,-that they double in other
words, the public school expenses proper of the
whole country. And the worst Of 1t is that the
tax In this form often falls upon the shoulders of
those least able to bear it, viz: the honest and
Industrious poor, whose children unless it be
promptly met, are deprived of the advantages
OF the very system devised for their benefit
--->
They have preacher up in Sharon, Pa, who
conceiyes that the pulpit is intended for pur-
poses quite distinct from being made the me-
dium OF business communications for the people
G tfrhh C,,al
making the usual announcements" he point
edly said he did not propose to turn his pulpit
into bulletin board, as there were three news
papers In the town, and in accordance With that
declaration refused to give out the half dozen
notices handed him by the sexton.
Lots OF damaging things have been said about
ex-Indian Commissioner Hayt since his fnglori-
Gus retirement; but, after all, could anything
worse be thought or said of him than that he
was engaged or interested in the manufacture
or oleomargar1ne at the time OF his appointment
and has been ever since? That circumstance
ought TO have fixed his status In the mind OF
the public, and indicated what his ideas of Off
ciai integrity would probably be.
There has been great deal said in the papers
OF that city and by correspondents of other Jour-
nails writing from there about the enormous
fortunes made in New York by operations In
stocks, grain, etc., during the few months last
past, but so far the names OF the lucky indi
Viduals who made them have been conspicuously
absent from the list OF large contributors In aid
OF starving Ireland. OF all the milllonalres in
that rich and prosperous city Is Mr.. Bennett to
be the one shining exception? Is his name to
lead all the rest?
IL Is greatly to their credit that the most
narL med and abandoned criminals In the New
In 0yyh fba
staryer ~ children, has been consigned treat
him with ftsdain and contempt. They evidently
feel that whatever their offences against
society MAJ have been there is still lower
depth than they ever sounded, and that this
wolf In sheeps clothing has reached 1t.
"-0eO-
IL indicates rather mean and narrow spirit
to suggest the idea that Mr.. Benefits recent
mun1fcent gift In aid Of suffering Ireland was
made with the view OF advertising himself and
his newspaper Whatever the Herald and its
proprietor may need they do not need to be aa
Vertised. They are both about as well known
10 the world now as anything can or needs to
be.
somewhat ike the green marksman out wes,
who said he hadn't hit any wild turkeys bnt
had made the flock roost higher, Edison hasn,t
exactly perfected his electric light but he has
put gas companies on better behavior. The
latest evidence on this point is furnished by
ihe Baltimore company, which announces a
reduction In price to $1.5O net per thousand feet
after the first proximo
Senator ION Cameron, In a recent interview
said, he favored the nomination of General
Grant, because there Is no doubt that he can
carry the great pivotal state OF New York;
From this 1t would appear that the Senator
does not antic- pate any change In the electoral
Jaw OF New York by the present legislature.
Lieut. Gov. Cotton, OF Vermont, is endeayorinv
10 start presidential boom for Senator I'd,
munds. He has recently travelled through the
state OF New York, and he says he found a
strong sentiment In favor OF Edmunds "whicb
only needs political impulse at home to make
1t tell"
The Indications are that the District renuh,,-