The Portland daily press., 1883-04-21
THE PRESS.
SATURDAY MORNING, APRIL 81.
The Dynamite Scare.

The sensational testimony of the man
Norman, alias Lynch, given in the BOW
street police court, is of little value. lie
belongs to the most despicable class OF men
that breathe. He is an Irish informer |
That is 10 say he is the meanest and most |
treacherous and most cowardly of human |
kind. In comparison with Irish informels |
Swifts Yahoos are angels of light. Other |
countries have in many ways been as unfer- |
tunate as Ireland, but no other country
known to history has long suffered under
the curse of the informer. Other nations
have had their traitors whose names are
pilloried in the annals of shame. But these
wretches appear at long intervals. Ireland
breeds traitors by the litter, and is as proll-
fic as a rabbit. Whenever she has attempt
ed her freedom her sons have come forward
by hundreds to betray her. 1t has been
mad race to the police courts and the assizes,
and the hangman has taken the hindmost.
It may be that the man Lynch is telling
the truth. If that be so he has forsaken the
traditions of his kind. Perhaps he is under
taking novel treachery. But his oath,
true, or false, ought to have no weight in a
court of justice. The passing stranger who
accosts him on the street would not think of
accepting his statement as to the time of
day. Yet.the English people will give quick
ear to his declarations. They are terribly
frightened and as ready to listen to absurd
tales as they were in the days Of Titus
Oates and the Popish plot. They are in a
chronic state of scare these times and prompt
to rush into an unreascning panic about
something or other In default Of anything
else they get frightened over the Channel
tunnel and shudder at the thought Of a
French invasion. Not life nor limb was
lost in the so-called dynamite explosions. 1t
is by no means certain that the explosions
were not accidental. However that may be,
it is evident that punishment is being
wreaked upon the heads of Irish people resi-
dent in England and in no way connected
with the outrages. Thousands of them are
being discharged from work because they be-
long to the same race with the men who it
is supposed attempted to blow up the Local
Government office.
OF course, this was counted upon by the
Irreconcilables. Anything which incenses
Irish against English. or rice cerS0, is game
for them. These, therefore, are the true
enemies of Ireland, for, when they appeared
on the scene, it was beginning to dawn upon
the English mind that when victor nation
has been for seven hundred years in conflict
with the vanquished, the fact that an ar
rangement has not been arrived. at is not the
fault of the vanquished. England was in
fact prepared to yield to every reasonable
Irish request, and it is to be hoped that
when the panic period passes common sense
will again prevail. But before then many
neeks viii be stretched-perhaps among
them necks of innocent men convicted on the
testimonyof fellows like Carey and Lynch.
ST. PAuL's report of wholesale trade and
manufactures for 1882 is simply marvellous.
The figures show a wholesale trade amount
ing to S66.62s. 494, being gain over the pre-
vious year of more than s20,000,0e0 They
also show manufactured goods to the value
of S22, 800, $50, gain of nearly 100000
over the preceding year. St. PauPs popula-
ton in 1880 was II, 49S, and is now various
ly estimated at from 10000 to 10000 The
progress of its rival, Minneapolis, is equally
marked, except in wholesale trade, in which
st. Paul takes long lead. Minneapolis ex-
cells in the volume of retail trade and in
manufactures, and it is fast becoming a
great railroad centre. 1t cannot be many
years hence when the few miles of territory
between the two cities will be covered with
shops, factories and dwellings,
A SERIES of interviews appears to have
been instituted throughout the country,
with a view to ascertaining whether the
Democratic party is or is not in favor of
tariff for revenue only. The quarrel started
at the Iroquois banquet promises TO be kept
up vigorously from now until the National
Convention. The individual who takes the
trouble to keep record of these interviews
will have very interesting assortment of
opinions, which possibly may be of value to
the platform makers in striking an average.
AS the Democrats are monopolizing the tar
AZ AtrPOhO az PANocAte OlACA HCOEAC NAA toAAO
rest.
THE latest reports of American railway
a marked tendency to make up for the back
wardness of the winter months, and although
the total mileage is considerably less than
last year, it is ahead of the corresponding
period of other years. The reaction appears
to indicate that capital has recovered from
the nervous apprehension that was enter
tanned of the occurrence of great CONNER
cial convnlsion on account Of the destruc-
tive influence of the tariff agitation.
THE successful establishment of gold
basis of finance by the italian Monarchy,
through the resumption Of specie payments
seems to be proper preliminary for SUBJ
where the condition of the currency has
hitherto been like that of Italy. Austria
has already adopted measures looking to
gold basis, and no doubt Russia will also
follow suit. In all these cases the national
currency has for years past been composed
of irredeemabIe notes.
IT is worthy of particular remark that the
increase of the national banking system at
the present time, although irresistibly steady
and regular, is almost entirely confined to
the organization of what are called country
banks in the towns and villages of the inte-
rior of the Republic. This is especially true
of the middle and western States, but the
growth of the system is still very slow at the
south.
COMMISSIONER Dudley promises to send
up to the Treasury Department S10,000,000
worth Of pension claims this month. This
will leave s20,Ooo,0 600 back on the sum he
promised to expend during the present fis-
cal year. He proposes to run the payments
up to $15,O00,O00 in May, so that 100000
will remain for June. This plan is adopted
to have it all put out by the end of the year.