New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-01-13


&" and don't let anybody, nor let yourselves,
" get to feeling that anybody should praise
!" you because you are black" Here is an IN
dication, no doubt, of the way he will treat
the question of having colored member In
the Cabinet. From the list of men
fitted by experience and talents to be
considered in connection with the Cabinet he
will exclude no one because of his color. nor
will he include anybody on that account.
Apparently the Street believes that the tee
graph companies have been consolidated. Who
| is to manage the consolidation has not, how
| ever been announced. Unless that is settled
| it may be safe to assume that the last hope
of telegraphlc competition has not yet entirely
disappeared. But if the gigantic combination
now talked of should really occur there can
| be no doubt that it would tend strongly toward
what has at last proved successful in England
"A control of the telegraphc system by the
| Government as complete as its control OF the
mails. If ever the use of the telegraph should
| become so general as to seem likely to affect
| seriously the Governments monopoly OF letter.
| carrying, then there would come strong ar
gument anyway for its complete control OF
| both methods of transmitting intelligence.
Government telegraphy is, therefore, at any
rate the goal to which we are probably tend
ing If the half of what is now believed III
Wall Street is true, we are already much
nearer it than has been generally supposed.
The Democrats in the House succeeded yes
terday in adopting, in Committee of the Whole
the three per cent clause of MIR. Woods
Funding bill. They were aided by few
IL 40 hox-o 10
covered .their balance on debt and currency
questions since the soft-mOney mania swept
over their districts. The great bulk OF the
Republican vote was thrown against the clause,
for the reason that there are grave doubts
whether the new bonds can steadily be kept
at par with as low rate of interest as three
per cent, and because there is ground to
apprehend serious contraction OF bank cir
cuation as q result of forcing the new bonds
uuOn the banks. The Democrats will not
have to administer the bill if it becomes
law or amend it IN the next Congress if it
proves a failure, and they are careless as to
its results Probably most of them would not
lament if under its provisions funding should
fail, or, succeeding, be- followed by serious
financial trouble and commercial embarrass-
ment. The msfortunes to the country would
all be grist to their mill and help them in
the next elections.
A few plain words with the gentlemen leg
islated by Congress into the control of the
Worlds Fair project seem to be in order, in
view of their recent discussions. The country
is not pining for an Exhibition diligent
canvass of the whole of the United States
outside of Manhattan Island would hardly
raise money enough for the enterprise to pay
the expenses of the subscription. agents The
people of this city are not particularly anx-
iOus Oh eager about the matter. They think,
however, that creditable Fair would be
good thing for the city. While not feeling en-
thusiastic on the subject, the business men
and capitalists of New-York are willing to
take sufficient stock TO give the project an
ample financial basis. They do not like to be
lectured, though, for lack OF patriotism be-
cause they desire to have controlling voice
in the disposition of the money they contrib
butte. If they are to put down four or five
millions of dollars for an ExhibitiOn-and I'M
less they do it is plain that the whole scheme
will vanish in noise and smoke-they want to
say where the Exhibition shall be keld and
what sort of an affair 1t shall be. This is |
only natural. The Commissioners would, of |
course, like to do the managing and have
somebody else furnish them with the funds.
This is human nature, too. But, as there ia
no way to have a Fair without money. and no |
way TO raise money outside of this city, the |
sooner they yield to the NewYOrk idea that |
the stockholders should govern, the sooner the |
undertaking will get on its feet.
Speaker Sharpe's failure TO announce the
Assembly Committees yesterday is explained |
by his friends to be due to an actual inability |
to complete the work. We hope that 10 |
excuses or explanations will be needed to-day. |
Speaker Sharpe must know that if the Com |
mittees are not announced to-day, he will rest |
under the suspicion of having withheld them |
in order to influence the contest for
Senator. AS practical politician, he
must know that the power lodged in
his hands is great. AS practical |
politician, he must know that a dishonOrable |
use of that power would he more disastrous
to himself than to anybody else; and the use
to which he has been urged to put it by some
of his political friends would unquestionably |
be dishonorable. To withhold the list in order
that the votes of members may be influenced,
some by fear and some by hope, would be
bribery quite as fragrant as if these men had
been offered more tangible considerations for
their support. THE TRIBUNE will refuse to
believe that General Sharpe would enter into
such a scheme, until General Sharpe himself
convinces us to the contrary. The TRIBUNE
has given the present Speaker warm
support in years past, and wants to
see him take decent care of his flu
ture. A word to the wise is sufficient, and
General Sharpe is not foolish. This word is
not spoken in the interest of any candidate, or