Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-11-18


virtue by refusing. affecting TO refuse to disclose
the contents of certain messages to Congressional
committees and other Ike bodies. In this course il
eiearLy had the moral support OF the Who'll
country; but II IT shall now be established that
this display of honor on behalf of its customer
waSo3ly hollow mOckCry. th { fact must in time
Tell largely in the falling off OF business Unless The
1nvolabinty OF the telegraph is well assured as
that o1 the mails. the public will have very little
use for II except in connection with the most in
consequential routine affairs. 1t Is important,
Therefore, well in the interest Of the company
itself as of the public, that the investigation thus
naucurated al Cincinnati shall go on until the
whole matter is prObed to the bottom, and the
truth or falsity OF the charges and Institutions
cOnclusyely established.
New York Is a last aroused to Indignation at an
abuse perpetrated in that city similar to that OF
which THE STAR has often had occasion to COM
pllin in Washington. We refer To the wantOn in
jury 10 and destruction OF trees in the city parks
ana streets by the telegraph and other cOmpanes
who carry their wires along poles and over
the roofs of houses. There as here thrifty
branches of beautiful and useful trees are ruth
lsly sacrificed To make clear space for air-strung
wires. In other cases healthy trees are injured
and sometimes wholly destroyed by bring used
Stays for the support Of overloaded poles, which
are In danger OF falling, and il sometimes happens
that under other preteXtS Well matured and highly
priced trees are entirely removed in order that the
wires may have free course in given direction
The authorities OF New York, like those OF many
other places appear to be either negligent pow
erlesS IN the premises, and so far has the abuse
been allowed to 60 in that city that her people
and The press are now cooperating to bring about
prompt and thorough reform. Public agitation
OF the subject viii dOubtleSS check the evil for a
while; but the Efforts in so good cause should
not be permitted to stop when that point Is
hp mi Irir nf
all Kind are placed underground. That is the true
and only solution of The difficulty.
II the efforts OF one OF our late French visitors
10 sell the posthumous papers Nj. de ROcham-
bean to the American government didn't succeed
as he desired they viii probably afford him the
pretext for fighting sO-caled duel, when he gets
home, and that surely ought 10 be some cOnsOla-
ton 10 an npetuonS Gaul with historical name
IN referring to the attempted negotiations the
editor of the Paris Figaro declares that 'there Is
reason Tn doubt whether the gentleman bearing
that Industrious name, who went out with the
Yorktown delegation, is a RochImbeau at ALL"
If a remark Ike this doesn't bring about meet
ing With skewerS or something OF that sort, there
wll be greatreasOn for su pecting that the asper-
sim on the subject OF the editorial paragraph has
a Snostl initial foundation
The movement to induce Congress at its coming
SESSION 10 reduce the whisky Tux from 80 cents per
gallon TO 80, is destined to meet with considerable
opposition and il is probable that the influence OF
The internal revenue officials will bethrown against
II A western collector OF revenue says the reduc-
ton Is being urged by the '.middiemen." and that
II would benefit them and nobody else: that il
would not Affect the retail price TO take of 40 cents
wax per gallon, and the distillers would not be
Denefitted, because they sell their product with
the understanding that the tax, Whatever it may
be, shall be- paid by the buyer. The proposed re-
f6sfTr IfaIs.r
alarge element of the people vino think whisky
can better stand heavy tax than other articles of
internal production.
Senator Mahone's political doctrine or rather
theory, aS expressed by himself is: Il want every
man 10 vote and want him 10 vote as he plpases
and TO be neither threatened beforehand nor os-
TRACKED afterwards. am tired Of Intolerance,
This sounds very well but would be- much mere
impressive if Mr.. Malone had lived up to the high
standard OF political conduct he lays down The
ex-feder.l olice-lOlders III Virginia. who wtra re-
moved IT MGh0ne'5 instance, bee US they did not
feel inclined 70 support his party and his policy,
perhaps do not take much stock in the Senator's
professions OF enlarged tolerance.
The opening address of District Attorney Cork
hill yesterday was fine effort, and meritad the
numerous compliments II has received He pre-
sented 10 the jury plain. perspi history of
tae case, and while sufficiently ervid In his con-
efudng remarks To touch the sensibilittes of all
present,-with the exception of the tOld-blooded
prsoner.-he carefully avoided the great tempta-
ten presented in q case or this tragi; pathos to
indulge III fiorid defamation
The country * TO be Congratulated upon the pros
pect OF season OF rest from politics and political
agitation No election OF any nation mn OFT lnee
viii take place until next faIl, ne.rIy year.
Then the Congressional elections Tor members OF
the 18th Congress and a number III state elections
Will occur. Meantime the people can devote their
att ntOn and energies u III tiers OF material
interest than partisan wringics, unless Congress
turns peace into political war.
Only fifteen eases OF smallpox have, up 10 the
present, been reported In sltimore, and but two
o. these have resulted fat lily. While the disease
Is by no means epidemic it calls for all the efforts
OF the local authorities prevent its spread, and
these Efforts are being properly directed. So far
the disease has been confined 10 two localities
Washington is as yet free of the plague, and due
precaution viii probably continue this happy con-
dition.
The losses by fire during the month o. October I'm
The United States and Canada, aggregated over
$soo0, or about s100 600 eco per year "a burden OF
TAX heavier than the national debt imposes. The
custom OF constructing me-proof buildings Is
growing one and this. together with the steady
Improvement IN machinery for the suppression OF
mrs wl no doubt reduce the parcenta ore OF losses
from this cause.
The Old man from Ohio who persisted In having
his BOMBS cashed In gold at the Treasury ,,ena n
ment, few weeks age, has come U grief ar rather
his gold has An account OF his strange freak st
the Treasury was first published In The STAR ana
subsequently copied into nearly all the papers I'm
The land This gave the old man and his gold
more advertising than WAS good for him. He got
his money home safely, but ROBBERS entered his
house the other night and carried away the gold
The impression prevails In the west, according
20 the Boston Herald, that the star route men will
bet the government down easy and not sue for
daDageS The west, II may be added. always
II eS. generous view OF things