New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-11-12

!
-
| Once moro are informed that the Washington
Monument is going to be the talest thing earth,
loftier than all the Pyramids or all the cathedral
spires. But is that the best monument great Ma
ton can rear to the memory of its first President
Can the science Of this century do nothing better
than to pile up stone higher than the PharaOhs of
old Egypt Can the civilization and art of this age
find no worthicr work than this meaningless and
ugly stone post which lacks all the grace and
beauty the skill and the sacred symbolism of the
cathedrals, and equals them only In height There
is but one monument to Washington that is worth
rearing by this Nation. When we can elect Pre5i-
dent lofty unsefsh and grand in character as to
be worthy of his seat after century Of develop
ment and when the Nation elect him with
decency of conduct purity of suffrage, and pa
triotism of purpose that shall prove that the people
of the nineteenth century havo risen above the
people of the eighteenth that will be a true and inn
perishable honor to the name of tho Father of his
Country Otherwise, pile Of stone will not show
much progress
How science has multiplied tho ties Of human
brotherhood A sharp word spoken by a statesman
in Europe, indicating the possibility of q war be-
tween France and China, comes under the sea by
wire and lifts the price of wheat in Chicago a cent
buShel. If American farmers could get all the ad
vance, the word spoken in Paris would be worth
81, 600, 900 to them. And some dignitary with
long queue, away on tho other side of the globe
under our feet, may take a step any day that shall
affect all the industries of this Nation.
A contemporary. speaking of the London ex-
plosions observes that it is absurd for the English
press to hold the Government of the United States
responsible for occurrences which there is evil
dence to show prepared or planned in the
United States" But says our contemporary
When such evidence is produced the English
public may be assured that law will be found or
made which will cover the case" Is not this a
somewhat premature conclusion A law " made y
under such circumstances would be an er post factO
law and that is a kind of legislation forbidden by
the Constitution. IT, therefore, it not possible
to " find law already existing which covered
the case the United States could do nothing in the
premises No doubt the Government Of the United
States prepared to do its duty should any call be
made upon it, but it remains to be whether it
has the power to act, and in the meantime any de-
mand of the kind from England is made very i'm
probable by the difficulty attendant upon the police
investigation of the explosions. In such case
there may be moral certainty yet not scintilla of
legal evidence.
Some wag has been frightening the Low Church
men of England half to death by publishing what
purpOrts to be a rhymng prophecy written three
hundred years ago, fOretelling tho triumph of
Roman Catholicism during the reign of the present
Prince of Wales. The rhyme runs as follows:
Three hundred years and mo
Sixth Edwards mass shall be laid low;
When Seventh Edward him doth raigne
Sixth Edwards shall be said again.
Instead, however, of being three hundred years old
it is merely a bit of doggerel composed few years
ago by some one whose wish was probably father to
the thought But where the Church or the State is
concerned it is very easy to frightcn the average
Englishman. And these wtless lines caused the
usual number of Antpapists and Defenders
of the Church" to rush into print and declare with
absurd vehemence that these things shall not be So
The Democrats of Louisiana, not finding enough
other voters for their purpose, have been manutac-
turing batch of sound JetfersOnian Democratic"
out of Chinese aborers it seems. A dispatch states
that large numbers of these abOTcTs have recently
filed in the courts declarations Of their intention to
become citizens and that this has been done at the
inStigation of the Democratic parish committee.
Tho prctext given is that the Chinese voters are
wanted to defeat the McEnery ticket at the primary
meeting next month"; rs the Constitution of Louis
lana makes the declaration of intention qualifca-
ton for suffrage 1t would be in order for General
RoSecrans member from California and Chairman
OF the Democratic National COMMITTEE 10 DC Cditu
upon soon after Congress assemblies to state his
views as to the legality and proprety of this perform
ance. No doubt his fellow Democrats in Califor-
mia who have fixed views about the Chinese will be
anxious to hear whether Democracy means ono
thing in California and at Washington and another
at New-Orleans.
Now that there has been change in the
composition of the Spanish Ministry, it is
hoped there will be some modification in
the Spanish customs regulations which will
relieve our shipping from the detentions and heavy
expenses heretofore experienced at the hands of the
autocratic customs officers, especially in the West
Indies. The Spaniards have drawn up rules for the
government of foreign merchant vessels trading
with their ports which shipmasters find
it impossible to observe and the slightest
nfraction of them involves a heavy fine.
1t is claimed by the American shipping community
that the amount of fines that be imposed under
the Spanish system is simply marvellous. In many
instances both English and American vessels for
slight and Ignorant nfractiOn of the law have had