davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-10-14
A SLIGHT MISTAKE.

The New York Herald, in noticing Gen
eral Stoneman's resignation of his place on
the retired list OF the army, says 60 He
"has resigned, we presume, because he
"dces not consider it proper, or entirely
dedicate, that candidate for State
"ofice should at the same time be on the
payroll of the General Government.
"The point ia nice one, and General
"Stoueman is one of the very few men who
have thought of raising it," Bless your
innocent heart, Mr.. Herald, the good Gen.
eral did not resign from any such consider
alton. The mice point" was not raised
by him, but by his political enemies, and
he resigned because he was afraid that un-
less he did so he would not be able to take
the Governorship, surprising that he was
fortunate enough to be elected. II the
determination OF the nice point" had
rested altogether with himself, his previous
official course justifies the conclusion that
he would have been the last man in
the country to trouble himself about the
matter ct all
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-10-14
WALTER SCOTT AND BISHOP LYNCH,

Bishop Lynch, of Canada, has caused o
sensation by denouncing SCOTS "Mar-
mion " as an improper poem, and inducing
the very complainant authorities of Mont.
real 10 withdraw it from the school. course,
where it had previously been used. The
objection raised by Bishop Lynch to the
poem rests on the reference in it to fallen
nun, who is described as being walled up
alive in the convent as a punishment for
her apostacy. Bishop Lynch says that this
description is offensive to Catholic, and
therefore the poem is an improper one. 1t
is evident that if Bishop Lynch'a doctrine
was applied TO literature generally, Catho-
lies would very soon be restricted to a
pauper diet. For there is not history,
either of America, France, England, Spain,
Italy or Germany, which does not swarm
with relations of fact thousandfold more
| offensive to Catholics than Sir Walters
imaginative description of Marmion's
unfortunate leman. In fact it would be
necessary, In order to secure absolute
protection against tae kind of offense which
the truth too often l., to contine Catholic
readers to purely Catholic accounts of
everything; and there would then be no
danger OF tbsir being hurt by too much
truth. And such q course no doubt would
commend itself TO Bishop Lynch, though
why he is permitted to exercise dictation
of this preposterous kind in any part of
the Dominion of Can ada is q question
which the Marquis of Lorne perhaps may
be able to answer. 1t is very certain that
at the Pope's headquarters no such intel.
lectual interference and tyranny would
now be tolerated for a moment, and it is
not little remarkable that it should be
allowed IN an English colony, even though
Lower Canada may have been under the
dominion OF the Church of Rome ever since
it was founded as New France. Old Count
Frontenac would assuredy not have al
lowed the Bishop to dictate to him on
point of this kind, but it seems that in
Lower Canada the Papacy is more infuen-
tial than the Government at present, and
possesses, in fact, more authority than any
where else in the world.
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-10-14
NOT TEE BEST AUTHORITY.

The GdSlight Journal publishes state.
ment to the effect that Edison has failed to
light 2. 500 houses with his incandescent
electric light, owing to the imperfect in.
sulation of his conducting wires. Ac,
cording to this account he could only light
about fifty houses, and what is worse, he
could not ascertain how the current was
dispersed. The gist of the statement i:
that he has encountered an iusurmountable
obstacle, in fact. Now before we recon,
mend our readers to accept this relation
as true we feel it necessary to point out
that the GastigLt Journal is published il
the interest of illumination by gas, and
that consequently it is not friendly to Mr..
Edison's project. The character and cir.
cumstance OF the paper in fact are such as
to throw strong suspicioa upon any state.
ment it makes of the kind here under con.
sideratioD. It is possible that Edison may
have encountered unforeseen difficulties,
but we do not believe that he has to cope
with an insurmountabls obstacle in the
perfect insulation of his conducting wires,
or that the divisibility of the electric cur,
rent has been shown to be unattainable.
IL short, we shall require much better
authority than that of the GaSlight Journal
before believing that Edison has failed as
alIeped
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-10-14

tained) to be an insurmountable obstacle,
while the new idea of carrying the canal
above the Chsgres in a stone aqueduct
he considers out of the question, because
of the frequency of earthquakes in that
region. This last consideration is certainly
very important one. As he points out,
there have been earthquakes on the
Isthmus within the past two months,
which have rendered the Panama Rail-
way impossible for one third of its length,
have thrown down the massive stone
warehouses at Colon, and have inflicted
injury upon every substantial edifce on the
Isthmus. 1t is perfectly apparent that
such an earthquake would have cracked
the most solid stone aqueduct that could
be constructed, and yet it is notorious
that the Isthmus of Panama is
never safe from these shocks,
and that they are often much more severe
than the recent ones. This new objection
is quite fatal to the squeduct plan, but the
aqueduct plan was really the last desper-
ate recourse of a baffied engineer. The
conformation of the Isthmps, and the regi.
men of the Chagres river, have proved
too much for NJ. de Iesseps, VINO started
on this enterprise without any accurate per-
sonal knowledge of the country. He may
now endeavor to use the scheme as a stock
jobbing instrument, but we quite agree
with our correspondent that he will never
succeed in constructing his canal, and that
the millions sunk in the enterprise will be
lost to the stockholders at least. 1t is not
SO certain that NJ. de Lesseps and his
friends will lose money by the collapse of
the undertaking.
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-10-14
TEE sKGRMfsHING FUND.

1t is now announced that evidence has
been obtained proving that the so-called
Skirmishing Fund has been stolen and
squandered by the impostors who raised it.
We are inclined to agree with the Chicago
Tribune in thinking that after all this is
the best use that could have been made Of
it. For it must be remembered that the
ayowed purposes to which the fund was to
be devoted were infamous. O'DonovaH
Rosa and his gang boasted that they were
going to blow up British vessels with
dynamite, at sea, and send all their crews
and passengers to the bottom, These en-
terprises were to be varied by assassina-
ton and the blowing up of iaiIs and
barracks and court houses. In short, the
fund was to be employed in perpetrating the
most hideous and inhuman crimes, and it
was with the hope and expectation that it
would be 50 employed that it was con-
tributed. 1t is, therefore, nothing less
than a satisfaction to know that the rogues
who pretended to be prepared for all man
ner of atrocities were really very ordinary
swindlers, and that they never had any
other purpose than to live in clover at the
expense of their credulous countrymen.
Nor is it possible to feel the least sympathy
for the contributors to the Slirmishing
Fund, seeing that their willingness to help
forward the abomiaable deeds which we're
promised, is disgraceful to them.
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-10-14
ENGiASD AND EGYPT.

1t becomes more evident from day to day
that England can do as she pleases with
Egypt, and that no European power has
the least intention of interfering with her.
France understands that she is altogether
out of the game. She has no claim to be
reinstated in the original relations, and
England, We may be sure, would never
resume arrangements which were found to
be extremely inconvenient and embarrass-
ing while they lasted. France showed a
little petulance when she realized that
England had conquered the monopoly of
the Egyptian question, but the Govern
ment has never had any disposition to pro-
test against this. Germany is we'll known
to be in full accord with England. What
ever Gladstone proposes will be Endorsed
by Bismarck. Austria will OF course fol-
low Germany. Russia is as much out Of
the calculation as France. She is in no
condition to undertake new enterprises of
any kind. At present the Gar has enough
to do to preserve his life. So long as
Nihilism continues to threaten the Govern
ment of that country it will be practically
withdrawn from the European Concert.
Italy has heen manifesting some uneasiness
and some irritation, ever since France sent
out the Tunis expedition. The truth is
that Italy is becoming ambitious, and
ii, 10 he also,
She wants to test her newly acquired
unity in a practical way, and she
can think of nothing better than
war with some of her neighbors.
Fortunately for her she has statesmen
wise enough to understand that she is not
strong enough for such dangerous under
takings, and that the next fifty years will
have to be devoted to peaceful industry if
Italy is TO take position again as a first
class power. But there is nothing to inter
fere with Mr.. Gladstone's deliberate and
untrammeled adjustment of the Egyptian
question, and whatever he does, therefore,
he alone must bear the responsibility Of
Bismarck said the other day that he IN
derstood England intended to purchase
enough Suez Canal stock to give her the
control of the company. This will be an
easy matter, as she already holds III, 900
shares. and would therefore only need about
p, coo more to give her majority. By
such step the Government could obviate
all difficulties in connection with the
guarantees of the company, and could ar
range for the protection or naturalization
Of the cana! as might seem best.
The presumption is that England will
insist on erecting Notifications at both
eHds of the canal, and holding them her.
self with strong fgarrisons. The neutrali-
cation of the canal in the event of war
involving her Indian empire could never
be submitted to by her. In any such case
she would have to seize the canal by force
and therefore it is much better for her to
anticipate such a contingency by securing
permanent control of it.
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-10-14
TIE ooLoaHD wore II CALIFORNIA

A Convention of colored citizens has
just been held in San Francisco, in accord
ance with the terms of widely. circulated
address calling upon this class of the polti.
cal community to meet and confer upon
the best methods of securing political
recognition. The colored voters, it seems,
have grievance. They say that they have
faithfully adhered to the Republican party
for many years, but that they have never
| received any recognition at the hands of
the State Conventions. They want to know
now how they can convince the Republican
party of the propriety of giving them a
share OF the Offices, and it was for this pur-
pose the Convention was called. It ap.
pears from the action Of some of the col
| ored yoters OF Sacramento that the nc.
tives of the San Francisco body are net
regarded IS above suspicion in fact, our
local c9lored men have denounced them
as being DESTROYS of selling out to some-
body. Yet it is apparent that the colored
voters might not unnaturally take such ac-
ton without laying themselves open to
suspicion. They would only be doing
what thu temperance people have
already done, and what the Anti-Debris
men and the Farmsrs' Convention pro
posed to do. In fact this is year in which
all who think themselves unfairly dealt
with resent it by boiling, and therefore il
the colored voters followed the general
practice there would not be anything sur.
prising in it. They claim between 5000
and 10000 votes. Il ia evident that If
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-10-14
COMING TO acknowledgements

When Arab Pasha talks of coming to
America after his trial is over, it seems by
no means impossible that he is making the
common mistake of counting his chickens
before they are Matched. Until it can be
seen how his trial will issue it ia premature
to discuss his future. But it is ominously
significant that the question OF the evil ef-
fsots OF clemency upon the Oriental mind
is being debated with some JUNCTION just
now by several leading English journals.
Should the danger Of clemency be brought
home to the official intelligence, the fate of
Arab may easily be foretold. In that Gaze
he will be sentenced to death, and the sen.
tence will be promptly carried out.
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-10-14
THE CONDITION CT PERU.

Recent dispatches are to the effect that
the Chileans refuse to modify their terms
in regard to Perm, and that the Peruvians
declare they will fight again rather than
submit to their terms. Il ia difficult to
understand what this means. The Peru
visns have not possessed any govern
ment since the occupation OF their country
by the Chilean armies. Anarchy has ever
since prevailed in the interior, and stsgna.
tion in the centers Of population. Halt a
dozen guerilla chiefs have been struggling
fol- the Dictatorship, but no indications
have been given of the existence of any
national sentiment save that of despair.
In fact Peru appears to have almost literally
fallen to pieces as the result of the wa.
and it Is very serious question whether it
can be reconstructed. As to talk of fighting
again, it is nonsense. Peru has neither
government, nor an army, nor treasury.
The whole administrative machinery has
broken down utterly, and what
is still worse, it seems as though
the majority of the people had aban-
doned industry and business, and reverted
to savagery. Under the circumstances it
is probable that the Chilears will have to
undertake the government Of the country,
or support native Dictatorship. What is
needed is the rule of strong man who will
put down lawiessness and violence even
with hsrshness, and who viii encourage,
and if need be coerce, the people into re.
Stunning their ordinary occupations. IN
less this is done it seems evident that
Peru will drift into barbarism very rapidly,
and in that event Chile will not only be
compelled to forego all her war indemnity,
but TO keep up constant guerilla warfare
with savage and inplacable enemy. A
Dictatorship Is therefore the only remedy
which seems to afford hope Of cqre.
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-10-14

they acted together they would hold the
balance of power. 1t is equally evident
that with so large vote they have right
to demand practical recognition. 1t is
true they have nothing to expect from the
Democrats. Bat neither have the Pro-
hlbitionists. What is clear is that they
are Unaffected to some extent, but it re-.
mains to be seen whether their dissatisfae.
ton will show itself in any considerable
change of votes next month.
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-10-14
THE SHAMEFUL TAX UPON LEARNING


No more barbarous impost has ever been
maintained than the twenty-five per cent
tariff upon foreign books which the United
States are discredited by. 1t has been
said that this tariff is a tax upon learning,
and the statement is very literally true.
For of the foreign works annually pub
lished, probably not five per cent are ever
reprinted in this country. OF the works
on scientific subjects the percentage is even
smaller than this. The consequence is that
the tariff of twenty-five per cent. is a
perfectly useless, wanton and outrageous
tax upon scholars alone. Whoever has de-
voted himself to study in any branch of
science, knows that unless he has access
to some well-supplied public library he
must import nine out of every ten books
needed by him. American publishers as
rule avoid what they call "heavy" foreign
works. They know that the market for
them is limited, and the expense of repro
duction is often so great that though they
begin by stealing the book, they cannot
make much profit out of it. The literature
which issues from American presses does
not embrace the most important European
works, as rule, and no man in
America can maintain private library
without importing largely and constantly
merely to keep abreast of the age The
special abuse of the tariff on imported
books consists in the fact that it does not
even protect" American labor in the
most superficial way. II is sheer obsta-
Gle to scholarship in the United States. It
is, as has been said, tax upon learning
And since this tariff enables the book.
importing firms TO charge something more
on their own account, the purchaser FIRE.
quently finds that through the imbeciIity
of his Government he is compelled to pay
full forty per cent. above the European re-
tail price Of the books he imports. In fact
the tax is extremely onerous, and acts as a
direct and continual Encouragement to
learning. The psor scholar who is far
from public libraries is prevented from OBJ.
tanning the helps he requires. On the
! other side there is no compromising advan-
tage. 1t is a stupid and mischievous and
uncivilizsd tax, aud if Congress had the
least sympathy with or comprehension of
literature and learning, it would have re.
moved the shameful impost lsng ago. The
policy which maintains it Is Turkish in
its ignorance and stolidisy, however. and it
is therefore probable that whoever desires
to improve his mind will still have TO pay
exsravsgantly for his books.
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-10-14

the present campaign. Ali these efforts to
do evil under process OF law either have or
will come to neught. The Railroad Com
missioners will be consigned to the limbo
which already enshrouds the State Board of
Equalization. The attempts at confsca-
ton OF corporate property will be defeated.
But the ill-feeling that has been cultivated
so sedulously will remain, and will con.
t!nue to retard the growth and settlement
OF the State. The truth is that what is
really needed is a campaign against the
knavish demagogues who have brought this
curse and blight upon California.
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-10-14
SECOND EDITION.

A second cation of the RE0oRD-UEroS is Issued
each day at 2P. NJ bringing the Eastern and coast
news up to tina. hour By this arrangement IN
RsooRD- JNoN will present the latest news OBTAIN
able at all points east snd north Of Sacramento.
The regular morning edition Of the RscoED-USI
is carried by morning trains, and is ahead of all
councillors IS far north Chico, on the California
and Oregon Railroad west to Benicis, and south to
Stockton. and east to Colfax, Folsom and Placer
,e ard all intermediate places. The second edition
natter will be found each day upon the third page
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-10-14

Priests are openly insulted all over
France. Some rowdies let huge bull dog
On the Able Veines, Professor Of Theology.
IN Paris lately, and the beast tore his cas-
sock to shreds, and but for humane
passerby would have done the old man
serious injury. The police lately rescued
from crowd Of rufhans, who were drag
ging MIN to the river, the Able Fortier, an
eminent prison chaplain, who wears the dec.
Grafton Of tbs Legion of Honor for planting,
amid shower Of bullets, the ambulance
flag on the church tower of Gravelotte,
thereby saving all the wounded in the
church.
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-10-14
gHE PANAMA CANAL.

We publish to-day letter from an ex-
perierced civil engineer, who is fully &C.
quainted with the topography of the
Isthmus of Panama, upon the canal
project of NJ. de Lesseps. Our cor.
respondent expresses the emphatic opin-
ion that it is impracticable to construct a
canal across the Isthmus. The Chagres
river he declares las We have always main
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-10-14

=" Run over aud her head smashed TO Jelly as she
lay scross the track, and nothing was founI in her
pockets except half-fllad flask of whisky" Thus
the record Of San Francisco horror and the re.
porter adds that nothing is known Of the cause
Of the accident" Heavens, man; did not
the half-empsy bottle of liquor give all the in.
formation needed: Did it not tell the story more
fully and tragically than you could If you ha seen
the poor wretch crushed beneath the locomotive
wheels Who wants to know more, xhen the
whisky bottle has once spoken?
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-10-14

WHERE THE HoUsEFLY BREEDs.-In
" tiy-time" every housekeeper wonders
where and how the increasing swarms of
pests multiply so rapidly. The eggs. mere
whItish specks to the unaided eve, are
laid in little agglutinated piles in warm
manure, or in decomposing vegetation, es-
pec!ally that about our stables and barn.
yards. From so to 100 are laid OF time.
and probably at three or four different in.
tervals by the same fig, though on this
point we have no exact data. Within
twenty-four hours in summer they hatch
into footless maggots, which, after riotinp
IN filth until their tender skins seem ready
to burst from repletion, become fulfilled in
less than week, and descending into the
earth, or sheltering under come old board.
contract to brown, shining objects, rounded
at both ends, and technically known as
puparies. Within the darkness Of this
hardened skin profound changes rapidly
take place, and the insect passes Though
the pupa to the perfect state, AMI .ioallv
In about five days the anterior end of the
puParium is pushed off, and the fly quickly
| crawls out. AT first its parts are pale and
soft, and its wings are crumpled and uge.
less, but these soon expand, and suddenly,
without practice or teaching, the new.
| ftedged fly wings it's way to your table to
mock your displeasure-to share your re.
past.
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-10-14
NEXT TO A MIRACLE.

1t is stated that New York policeman
has actually been convicted and sent to the
Penitentisry for clubbing a citizen without
cause. This is really startling piece of
intelligence. For years the police of New
York have been accustomed to treat the
people Of that thief-ridden city as though
it had been conquered town. They have
dubbed anyone who protested against their
raffianly practices, and have raade no ex-
ception on account of age or sex. They
have several times attacked and cruelty
beaten peaceable citizens who were commit
ting no other offense than sitting on their
own stoops. They have caused the deaths
of scores of innocent people through their
ferocious behavior, and have broken arms
and legs innumerable. Through all their
habitu2l atrocities they have been upheld
by their superiors, because OF their polit-
ical influence. The people, whose servants
they are in theory, have been in mortal
fear of them. If you asked police.
man a civil question, as to local.
ity for instance, you never could be
sure that he would not club you into IN
sensibility and then drag you off to the
station, for your temerity. a worse and
more lawless set of ruffiaus never infested
a city under pretense OF protecting it. 1t
is well known that they are in the pay of
gamblers and bad characters, and until
very recently it has been impossible to
procure the conviction OF single one of
these people, because the police protected
them. The news therefore that one Of the
New York Janizaries has really been sent
to the Penitentiary for clubbing q citizen
is remarkable. Indeed the only rational
explanation of it is that the patrolman
must have made the mistake of clubbing
an Alderman or ward club president. In
such a case of course he would have to
suffer, but if it had been a mere merchant
or professional man whose skull he had
fractured, the attempt at redress would
probably have proved vain.