The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-02-23

inches deep, and it broke down and destroyed
a large quantity oftimber.
The Pennsylvania Military Academy, at
Chester, was burned to the ground Thursday
evening. Loss 5000 600; partially insured.
Forty car loads of wheat arrived in ST. Louis
last week over the Southern Pacific road, via
Ell Paso, for direct shipment to England.
Rents this year in New York will note
an advance of Is per cent.-a sure indica-
ton of business activity and prosperity.
Gen. Grant will visit Washington during
this week and be guest at the White House,
by invitation of the President.
The report Of the Senate Committee to
investigate the contingent fund expenses
will exonerate Hon. John Sherman. result
every fair minded man expected.
The bill to place Gen. Grant on the re-
tired list of the army with the rank and
pay of General, has been taken up iu the
Senate. and will no doubt pass.
The superintendent bill has passed both
houses of Congress, and only wants the sig
nature of the President to become a law. Ii
gives Virginia ten m embers OF Congress, in
stead of nine as heretofore
The director of the mint has decided
that when coin has been perforated, il
ceases to be coin. and has only the value OF
bullion, however nice the holes may be filled
up with sill yer or other metal.
The duelling cases of H. 81. Riddleberger
George d. Wise and Richard F. Beirne
which have engaged the County Court OF
Henrico for several days. have been dis.
missed for want of competent testimony in
the matter
Senator Wingfield may expect abuse from
the Bourbon press, but in dscharging his du-
ties to the people of Virginia, he must look
for that, if he does not obey the Bourbon
bosses. He is on the right track Let him
stand firm. Opposition to Bourbonism in any
and all forms is devotion to Virginia
Senator Hill, of Georgia. has had another
operation performed on his mouth for a
cancerous affection. He is in the Jefferson
Hospital, Philadelphia, but may be able to
attend to his duty in the Senate within a
short time.
Coy. Cameron has vetoed the anti-duelling
bill passed by the Legislature, on the ground
that the third section is retroactive. He ex-
presses his sympathy and approval of the OBJ
ject OF the bill, but following the decision Of
+ba
the Commonwealth, where the decision was
reached that a witness could not be made to
testify to criminate himself the veto is inter
posed
The Ways and Means Committee have
agreed on bill fixing the tenure of Of
flee of Collectors of internal Revenue al
four years, like other Federal officers. Here
tofore there has been no limit as to time to
the commission of Collector Should the
bill become law. as it doubtless will. the
commissions of all Collectors will expire at
a stated time and re-appointments be made
or others appointed in place of the incum-
bents.
The African slave trade was not an UNI
mixed evil. 1t was doing evil that good
might come. But for it the millions of Al
ricans in the United States, might now be
In heathenish darkness in the fatherland.-
CHANGING at the revelations of history for
the past two hundred years. the hand OF
Providence may be seen even in this nefa-
rious trade. And SO the persecution of the
Jews in Russia may be part of the Divine
plan TO care for this chosen people in the
fulfillment of the Scriptures. We read Of
the cruel barbarities to men. women and
children Of the Russian Israelites, and oul
whole nature revolts at it. But it may be
means to grand end, in the gathering
together of the Children of Israel in theil
despoiled city.
The temperance wave is spreading. The
crimes whisky drinking breeds, are being
presented in horrid array, and must i'm
press the people with the Importance of do
ing something to arrest the fearful evil
The pulpit has been aroused to its duty the
press is becoming interested, and the masses
are moving upon legislatures through petit
tions. Let the evil be struck at the root.
Stop the manufacture of ardent spirits
through National and State legislation. The
revenue derived from it is more than coun-
terbalanced by the costs created by intern
PEI lance, and in this respect, the economist
may rest easy. Intemperance has become
great national sin, and the power of the
nation should be invoked to eradicate it.
President Arthur is reported to have said
that the only aggravated mistakes he ever
made, were from being in hurry, and that
he does not intend to repeat them in his
appointments to office that he intends to
take his time in determining the claims
and fitness of applicants and then decide
upon the facts before him and the merits
Of the applicants. With such rule to
govern we may expect proper appointments
and the fuss and fustian of chronic office
seekers to go for what they are worth. Gen.
Arthur is one of the most selfpossessed
and level-headed Presidents the country
has ever had, and the close of his admins
tration will show record of fewer mis-
takes than any of his predecessors.
Col. Skinner has introduced bill in the
legislature providing for the collection of the
capitation tax by requiring employers to be
responsible for the amount of poll tax due by
their employees. This is said to be literal copy
of the Louisiana law which has proved very eff
fective as tax collecting measure 1t is not of,
ten that we are called upon to commend Col.
SINNERS course, politically, and for that very
reason we more readily avail ourselves of the
opportunity when presented. We want to see
every dollar due the schools collected. We be-
lieve this proposed bill will accomplish that OBJ
ject. 1t should pass both houses without dis
senting voice.
We give very little weight to the news
paper statements of the selections for the
Supreme Bench by the Legislature. The
Valley will not be entirely ignored, we pre-
sumo. especially when she can present men
with legal requirements equal to any who
have been mentioned from the east. Be-
cause their friends are not pressing their
claims in unseemly off1ciousness and but
eon-holing members of the Legislature for
their support, it does not follow that they
are not keenly alive to what is going on in
Richmond. If little mutual admiration
rings are formed upon the policy of you
tickle me and l will tickle you," and