New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-01-18

woman was arrested for stealing BOOKS from
her employers library, having taken, among
others, "History OF Methodisn and book
of still deeper religious tone. She was not
prompted to the theft by the love< OF kno"i-
edge for she frankly admits that she cannot
read. But the cook had. read the ." poetry ="
in the volumes to her, and she had taken Q
great fancy to it, hoping, perhaps. to absorb
it through her pores. Less plausible theories
of kleptomania have been advanced by pre-
sumaby learned lawyers.
The Irish State trials seem to be drawing
to close. The evlcted tenant, in the person
of IN old, feeble man, appeared on the stage
at this legal comedy yesterday. and forthwith
the proceedings came to a stop. Appalled, at
the prospect of the trial lasting for years,
the Attorney General withdrew the count,
which warranted the traversers in citing as a
witness every tenant who had been the vic
tim of landlord injustice. After this check
the Crown can hardly expect 10
achieve moral or legal victory.
In Parliament the Government was like
wise foiled. Although Mr. Gladstone
tried to demolish Mr.. Mccarthy by de-
claring his amendment to be an insult to the
Throne, the debate went on.as before. Even
the Government had to repudiate the scheme
to begin coercive legislation in the House OF
Lords in order TO Offset the sO-called Obstruc-
ton in the Commons. On all sides the tell
sion seems to be great.
A vote was taken yesterday in the Senate
having bearing upon the Kellogg case,
which is interpreted as a vote to keep the
Il - - NJ Garlo htrv
moved to lay the pending business, which
was the HOlladay claim, upon the table, in
order to take up the resolution reported last
session declaring that Senator Kellogg was not
legally elected This motion was defeated by
q vote of "a to 90 While the fact that some
friends of the Holiday claim voted against
the motion, which was prejudicial to the
positiOn of that bill, renders it impossible that
this should be regarded as strictly test vote,
it is enough of a test to show that Mr..
KcllOgg's seat s, to all appearances, secure. The
Democrats who voted against Mr. salisbury were
Mr.. Butler, of South Carolina who has always
been pledged against any attack upon MIR.
KellOgg's title, and Messrs. Bayard, Thurman,
PendletOn, Williams, Whyte, Lamar and
Voorhees, Mr.. Davis of Illinois. also voting
with them. 1t is hardly possible that, with
most of these Senators. the motive of their
votes was not a desire to prevent grave
wrong, rather than to help along a very doubt
full claim. And the number Of them is such
as to leave margin for doubt and still make
Mr. Kellosg's seat sure.
If the Democratic members of the Legisla-
ture lad been content to nominate their own
candidate for United States Senator without
indulging in ill-ured attacks upon the RepuD-
lican nominee, no one would have criticised
their complimentary vote for Mr.. Herman.
But as the chairman of the Democratic eau
Gus, Senator Fowler, went out OF his way
to cast reflections upon Mr.. Plat com
pared with Mr.. Herman, the outgoing
Senator has only his friends to blame if
his career receives closer scrutiny from tic
people of the State than it might otherwise
have had. TO quote the words Of a member
of the Legislature who will vote for Mr..
Herman tO-day, he has been "a conspicuous
failure" as Senator. This opinion is gen.
eral among both parties. He has failed to take
that place in the Senate which New Workers,
of whatever party. like to see their reprcsen-
tGtivcs assume. lie has shown little ability
either in originating or Derfectng Legislation.
lie has displayed no qualities of leadership.
either in that body or in his party, and If the
Democrats had a majority of the Legislature,
his name would not he considered Tor mo-
ment. Mr. Platt could be a very poor Senator
indeed and still make a better record than
Mr.. Herman; and every one who knows Mr..
Plat, on the contrary, expects him TO make
an efficient and capable Senator.
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