Morning journal and courier., 1880-09-20

to be more of them. Thus far this season
 the record shows that there have been 8, 193,
 630 "Hashes'' in them
 Mr. George A. Butler, who was nominated
 for auditor by those who constructed a school
 ticket Friday evening, authorizes us to say
 that he is not 8 candidate for the office and
 would not serve if elected.
 As some of our readers have misinterpreted
 our opposition to the election of MT. Peck to
 seat in the Board of Education, we explain
 that that opposition is not due to any doubt
 concerning MT. Pecks character or fitness for
 the position. We simply think the nomina-
 tion an injudicious one at this time.
 The lamentable effect of bad politics upon
 the moral character is strikingly exhibited by
 tho Hartford Tunes, which Is now acting as
 roper-in for somebody who wants to bet
 $2,OoO that Hancock will be elected. It is a painful spectacle, almost as painful as the
 ItnaeS letters from workingman and other well known persons.
 George W. Ballou says General Grant did accept the presidency of the San Pedro and Canon del Agua Mining Company, but that he was persuaded to back out by his political friends and associates, who insisted that his political position would be compromised by his connection with such business enter prise And his political friends were quite right.
 A leading savings bank has given formal notice that after next January five per cent will be the rate of interest charged on loans made on real estate security. With govern ment four per cents selling at upwards of no, five per cent. is a good rate for real es- tate loans, and as an indication of the drift of savings banks in the direction of lower rates of interest this announcement by the New York institution referred to is important and suggestive.
 bold correspondent of the Boston Trav- eller pronounces the selfshness of clergymen in the treatment of their wives almost "pro- verbal" and finds this selfshness most ap- parent in the matter of summer vacations which, it is charged, ministers generally take alone, their wives being left at home to care for the home and the children. gentleman who recently went to Europe encountered there and on the voyages out and back twen- ty-seven clergymen, and only two of them had their wives along.
 New York Herald correspondent learns from trustworthy sources that the Nihilists have assumed totally different attitude from that they have previously held toward the Russian Government. It has been de- termined, 1t is said, that the movement shall be conducted in the way of secret political agitation The leaders are now watching the progress of events on the Balkans, and are said to be in constant com with Russian Poland, whose sym pathy they expect to secure in the event Of war between Russia and Austria If this is true the Czar of Russia and other high of fcials of the Empire will sleep easier, and the Nihilists will also be likely to do their country as much good (f that is what they are after) as they could by the free use of the dagger and dynamite.
 It is understood that General Walker is Investigating the South Carolina census returns by novel and apparently method. He has himself explained it as follows: He has prepared number of cards Upon 8 series of them are transcr1b cd the census returns for single family for 1860, 1870 and 188O They are carefully compared. If they are consistent, showing 8 proper increase or decrease in accordance with natural laws they are pronounced correct. If, on the contrary, the card for 1860 and the card for 1880 contain details of the enumer- ation of the family in question, while the card for 1870 contains a meagre account of it or none at all, the obvious inference is that the enumerators in 1870 were derelict. How- ever, no deductions are made from any dis crepancy discovered until it has been investi- gated. For this purpose special agents are sent to the locality from which the suspected returns came, and the family whose members were not returned in 1870 or 1880 is exam ined The agent does not return until he can give an account of the history of the families he has examined for the past twenty years Of course it will not require many such investigations to demonstrate the accu- racy or inaccuracy of the census of 1880.