The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-02-12
SPIRIT OF THE PRESS.
The English Papsr. of rhi. Morning

| AIDS relief fund had grown on Monday to
$3.50 79l So. the latest and largest contribu-
ton being $40 900 from the bonanza king,
John w. Mackay. There is no doubt that
The money intrusted to this fund will go
straight to the suffering poor of Ireland,
and without the loss resulting from COM
mittee expenses. cost uf transmission,
cabling controversies with Parnell, etc We
trust the pc pie will give literally to the
Herald fund. A dispatch from, San Fran
cisco says James G. Flood has contributed
SIS. 900 Nails were advanced yesterday to
$5 %. Six months ago they we're suld as
low as 81 80. A few more advances in
iron products and half the projected
building enterprises of the coming
summer will be indefinitely post
poned. There is an old fable about killing
the goose that laid the golden egg.-Con-
sumers are now paying 50 per 1000 cubic
feet forgas less per cent. for prompt pay
ment This will go IN until new agree
ment is made between the city and the Gas
Company. 1t is. therefore, important the
contract should be made without unneces-
sary delay. One branch of 3ountil has
passed all ordinance fixing the price at 81 GU
ner. In the other branch the price fixed is
81 25. There is ample assurance that the
Gas Company would not accept the latter
figure. Our conclusion is that the city had
better close the contract at 81 60 net and
throw upon the company the responsibility
of accepting or rejecting it.-An act to re-
quire voters to register by writing their
names and to disfranchse all that Can
not write them. except those that have
fought tor the State, is advocated br the
Charleston (S CO. News and Courier for the
reason tnat the disfranchisement will be
mostly Of the colored. This happy circuni-
stance, says the editor is its chief merit
Reading is hardly Il sign of intelligence,
and none at ali of character. The honest
industrious man who supports himself and
family by square work, although from lack
of early means he may not be able to write
his name, is better qualified to vote than
lie that reads the newspapers and tries to
live by his wits TO make reading any
qualification he must know what he reads
There is as mucn bad as g cd reading. The
tendency of the ignorant is to the bad read
ing. To read, without education, is to be
the more exposed to the falacies of the
demagogue. TO those that grow up with
out parental training in morals, the abili-
| ty to read. without any education to guide
their reading, helps them on their down
way. Honest suffrage is wanted; the vote
in the hands of men OF character, who feel
that they have stake in the country, and
are friends not enemies to society. To
offer the reading and writing test in our
courts, or in trade, as proof OF character,
would excite ridicule; it is no better test
in the suffrage.
The Enquirer says: II the legislators de-
sire change in the police force of this
city it can be done in many ways besides
putting the supreme power in the hands
of Charley Jacob the Mayor. Legislate
This present Board out of existence; give
the Governor or the courts the appointing
power, but do not let Mr. Jacob have
band OF blue coats that he can use to
make or break candidates at his pleasure
The cry that every body who opposes the
Kirby bill is bad man comes from vicious
idiots and stupid rascals. Fine spectacle,
a newspaper blackguarding and browbeat-
ing every one in its way; yelling for hon
esty and at the same time sending
hired lobbyists and Office EN-.
ployes to Columbus to roll the bill along.
The Sinking Fund Commissioners of this
city are, cole ctively and individually, op-
posed to any legislation that will abolish
the Office OF Auditor of Cincinnati. These
gentlemen are of the highest standing and
character in this city. The Sinking Fund
Trustees are Joseph Longwortb, Aaron F.
Perry, James H. Laws, w. F. Thorne and
Julius Dexter. They are all hostile to the
abolition of the office of City Auditor,
and among their reasons it is urged
that some confusion might arise from
the fact that the outstanding bonds of
the city have been issued with the sigma.
tnre of the City Auditor and City Au-
| of ooit, vofi 10
be an official party to the contract. The
laws authorizing the issue and providing
for the payment OF these bonds recognize
the permanent existence of City Audi.
tor of Cincinnati. The Trustees of the
Sinking Fund doubt if it wonld be alto
gether safe to wipe out the office of CITY
Audior-In seventy-fve localities in Ohio.
from which we have obtained interviews Ia
few Of which we laid over until to-mor-
rowA Sherman has 255l, Blaine 1,649,
Grant $50, Hayes 25l. Garfield 15l. and
Washburne 81, in total OF S, ,434 Repnb-
licans interviewed. Sherman seems still
to have less than half Of tile Republican
vote.
The c, numerical saws: In the fall of 1877
Hoffman was candidate for County Au.
ditor and beaten by Cappeller, being the
the only man defeated on the Democratic
ticket In the spring of 1878, as the Demo-
Gratis had majority in the Board of Pub
lie Works, the Legisla ure being Democrat.
ic, provided the necessary legislati N to
throw upon the Board the election of City
Auditor, and Hoffman was chosen. Assoon
as the Iolitics of the Board was changed by
the election of Boyce, the Democratic Leg.
islature. urged by Hoffman and 9th.
ers OF his crowd, had the Board
to which he owed his official ex-
istence, abolished, and Commissioners up
pointed by the Judge of the Police Court.
Now the Legislature. is Republican. and
bill has been introduced the effect OF
which would be to abolish Hoffman's Of
! fice and he has the cheerful assurance to
!, appear at Columbus to oppose special
legislation; and there are Republicans SO
idiotic as to listen to him with favor
Decent Democrats have generally been
, convinced for some time that the Police
Board system was failure and nuisance,
and If Colonel Harris had been elected
Mayor they would have wiped out the
Board promptly. They know what we
now recognize, that in the police business
we need the one-man power-The oppon.
ents of police reform in this city count
upon solid Democratic vote In the Senate