Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-07-29
ADh0sTent to Americans.


as often as desired
AbheFrent to Americans.
Nothing in the way Of satisfactory proof has
yet been developed in regard TO the iafernal ma
chimes alleged to have been taken from the
steamships Malta and Bavarian at Liverpool.
The English authorities say the premature pub
heation OF the discovery of the machines frus-
trated their plans for the detection of the guilty
parties. However. If the statement that GER
tain number of barrels marked cement but con-
tanning dynamite and ciock-wDrk machinery for
the explosion of that substance be true it GER
tainly ought not to battle the detective skill Of
two continents TO find out who shipped these
misehievOus contrivances There is some strong
circuinstantial testimony to implicate O'DOn-
oyan Rosa In his journal. the U,si-
ffd Ir1sho,an he has been urging
secret organizations of Irshmen to burn down
or blow up whatever property is carried under
the English flag. What if they are peaceful
ships ?-let them be; destroy them He has per-
sistently urged this advice. Every issue of his
paper for some months has contained editorials
melting the Irish people to secret and incendiary
attacks upon English ships. In one article he
said each land league club i'm America - should
take one English ship under its especial protec,
ton, and we would hail with delight the sinking
or blowing up of every ship carrying that pirate
flag" These are samples of his recent utter
snces, and they may be legitimately considered
In the nature of evidence showing his willing
ness to engage in the use OF dynamite and in
fernal machines for the destruction of English
ships. In an interview published in the New
York san yesterday. Rosa, when reminded that
these English ships carry American passengers.
who would be involved in the wholesale destruc-
ton proposed. repliedt that IF British vessels were
destroyed Off the face of the sea. Americans
would go in their own country's vessels. as they
should" He made a damaging admission in
this same interview in regard to the destruction
OF the British ship DOterel in the Straits of Ma
gelian on the 26th of last April This vessel,
just after anchoring. and while all her crew were
on board. was blown up. Only eleven out of the
lao men on board escaped with their lives. The
snip was suddenly torn into a thousand frag-
menfs, and there was no possible way Of learn
ing anything as to the cause. Rosa says
he had been informed some time before the
catastrophe that steps had been taken for the
destruction of the Doterel. but whether there
was any connection between the persons en-.
gagged in that affair and the placing of explosives
in the hold of the Malta and Bavarian," he could
not say. This statement implies a know
ledge of parties who have planned the
OBSTRUCTION OF British vessel. and
upon that fact Mr. Rosa should be
compelled to tell all he knows of such plots 1t
may be that he is simply talking to give himself
little cheap notoriety by pretenee of holding
secrets OF great Importance; but it is worth
while for the authorities to find out what he
does know He has charge of fund which.
he says himself. is intended for secret pur-
poses. The ineendiary utterances of Rosa
IN his paper have never attracted any atten-
ton in this country for the reason that no.
body apprehended any attempt to put in execu-
ton ideas so ciabOlical The American people
abhor cowardly methods. The assassin and the
sneak who would by mechanical means hurl
ship-load of people into eternity for the sake of
political revenge can find no sympathizers in
this country. The Irish citizens as loudly con-
denim such methods as anybody. no matter how
they may feel on the subject OF the relations be-
tween England and Ireland.
The death Of Secretary Burch will necessitate
an election of his successor very soon after the
assembling OF Congress. The office must remain
vacant until then, as there is no law for the ap-
pOntment of an I'D interim secretary. The long
struggle over the election of Senate Understanding
the recent special session is certainly not yet for
gotten The democrats. with just one-half of the
Senate maintained that as the offices were filled
with capable men there was no need of an election
and they resisted it for days and weeks They
also put forth the plea that as the incumbents
had performed all the labors attending the reg
ular session of Congress it would be unjust to
turn them out just as vacation season was at
hand. 1t has been reported. and i'm fact demo-
cratic Senators have expressed themselves TO
that effect. that the policy of resisting change
OF officers would be renewed next session: but
If this was intended the death of the secretary
will TO doubt cause an abandonment of the mol
Icy. 1t will be the duty of the Senate to elect a
secretary. and tie casting vote of the Vice Pres
ldent will give the office TO the republicans un-
less the present political status of the Senate
shall be changed by death or resignation be-
tween this ard December Each party will hold
caucus and nominate its candidate resoIu-
tion will then be adopted to proceed with the
election, and the result viii be decided by ballot
The New York Times seems to want tho orov
eminent to cali ont the troops to compel rail-
way managers to keep their engagements with |
each other and 10 prevent the cutting of rates
Tor transporting passengers and freishts. II
would be much better to use the military as well
As the Legislative branch of the government to |
prevent the making of compacts by the railway
magnates. and to keep rates down. The facts
that these breaks occur periodically and that all
the through lines can afford to carry passengers
and freights for little or nothing during a mart
OF the year without seriously hurting their
profits or diminishing the value of their stocks
show conclusively that the regular tariff of
sharges as agreed upon are too high.
The death of Col. Burch, secretary of the U
g. Senate. yesterday, was unexpected The
news that he had improved was the last the
public had heard from him. He made MANY
friends in Washington during his residence
here. lie was courteous in all his official rela-
lions and genial in social intercourse. He was
. graduate OF Yale College. and though law
yer by profession had conducted the editorial
management of the Nashville American the
democratic organ of Tennessee. for many years.
Hartmann. the nihilist conspirator has finally
Soug ht refuge from the penaity of his crimes i'm