davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-05-24
CORKHILL AND LINCECUM.

Attorney Corkhill, who was so
prominent in the Guiteau trial, has
lately read paper before the Medico-
Legal society, entitled, Insanity as
Defense for Crime" His first hypothe-
sis is that it is difficult to define "the
true meaning of insanity" and he
contends that the ablest Investigators
have been unable to unite as to its
definition. He is satisfied that what is
termed" moral insanity SHOULD never
be countenanced in court of justice,
as it is not now recognized in sci
ence. For nearly every atrocious
crime. now, the plea of emotional in
sanity is made, and statutes make it
valid defense, while, as is urged,
there is scarcely criminal that
cannot find facts in his own life of
physical or mental disturbance, or in
some of his blood relations, from
which men of eminence or scientific
attachments readily demonstrate to
juries that these facts, taken in con-
nection with the atrocious and brutal
character of the crime. indicate insan-
ity. Mr.. Corkhills theory is
that every person guilty of
a crime, under the law
pronounced a capital offences shall
be executed. If proneness to COM
NIT crime be moral deformity,
then the law of man should follow
the law of nature and correct unnat-
ural tendencies by their destruction.
Nature provides that the fittest shall
survive, and Mr.. Corkhill- wants the
breed stopped by hanging. DR. Lin
,cecum, the dead Texas philosopher,
was more reasonable, more hui
name, and his proposed remedy
for crime was more potent than the
dread of the hangman'snoose or of life
service in penitentiary walls. His
proposition was to allow the criminal
liberty, but to deprive him forever of
the power to propagate, so to speak.
his species. Mr.. Corkhill could. no
doubt, be converted to the theory of
the learned doctor. Mr. Corkhill says:
There is class, well known and
recognized in every community, who
by their erratic character, their
vanity, their egotistical declarations,
crowd themselves into every asso-
citation, and by their arrogant
assumption become prominent;
thev are not always men who wear
long hair, nor women who wear short
hair. know no peculiar trademark
by which they can be at once detect
ed, but they are everywhere. You
haye them in your society unless the
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-05-24

THE quarrel between Prince Bis
marck and the German diet should
not be taken very seriously. When
the parliament votes against him the
Prince does not resign any more than
Secretary Folger resigned when his
state rejected him by the heaviest
majority known in New Y ork history.
In turn, if Prince Bismarck dis
solves the diet the country is kelly
to return the same house or one
very much like it. The fact is, the
Prince may be very great man,
but his way of winning the good
will of the people by daring deeds and
daring defiance is clearly a failure,
and evidence of the fact that after all
he is not politician of the first order.
A first-class politician surely should
resemble a man of the world in never
quarreling unless something is to be
gained. But Prince Bismarck, like a
petty politician and pedant, quarrels
because other people are not like HIM
self. 1858
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-05-24
Raum's Successor.

LOUISVILLE, May 21.-Hon. Walter
Evans, of Louisville, who was nomi-
mated by the president to-day as COM
missioner of internal revenue to sue
coed Green B. Raum, is a lawyer
about forty-one years old, He served
as lieutenant in the federal army dur
ing the war and was elected mem
Der of the legislature from Christian
county in 1881. He is quite unassum-
ing and is a clear-headed, Christian
gentleman. 1t is believed here ne
will make capable and efficient COM
missioner.
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-05-24
THE COST OF PROTECTION

loaVannan, ia, sunday Telegram.
The capital invested in manufacture
ing in the United States in 1880 was
So, 790OO0,000; the wages paid to
2,790.000 hands was $948, 100000, an
average of SLIT per day: the value of
the material used, 3,400,OOO,OOO; value
of products, So, 100000. Deducting
from the value here set down for
products the 49, per cent of value
added by the tariff; Prof. Sumner
finds that the value of our manu-
featuring products in the markets of
the world in the census year was but
$3,70O,O00,000. The difference between
these two statements of product
value, or $1,6O0,O0OOOO, Is the
amount of the tax which the tariff
imposes. The professor then pro-
ceeds to argue that it would pay the
country better to hire all the laborers
engaged in manufactures to stand idle
and allow the capitalists 10 per cent
on their capital. As shown by the
census, the wages paid in the census
year amounted to 100000, and 10
per cent on the $2,79O,0OOOOO capital
invested is $279,O00,000, making the
aggregate of the wages paid and In
terest on capital but $l,227, OO0OCu.
while, as shown above, the cost of the
tariff stimulus was $1.600,000.
Hence the profit in hiring manufac-
turers not to manufacture, according
to Prof. Sumner, would be
1875, 100000. Reasoning in the
same manner in regard
to pig-iron, he finds that the country
would have realized in the census
year profit of $2,8O0,OOO by hiring
all persons laboring in the production
of pig-iron full wages to remain idle,
and paying 10 per cent. profit on the
capital invested in its production,
provided the 100000 tons produced
that year were permitted to be
bought in free market here or else
where. Similarly, it would save the
country $34,878 to pay the 1875 per-
sons making glue not to make it, and
the people could afford to pay soap
manufacturers S5,OOO,O0O, the castor
oil manufacturers $4,000 annually
to close up their shops and pension
their hands on full wages.
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-05-24
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, May 16, 1883

GFrom Our Special Correspondent
No branch of the public service is
more corrupt and does less good for
the money required than the weather
bureau. The bureau seems to be an
asylum for the benefit of old, worn-out
officials in the civil service and in the
army and navy, and for the accommo-
dation of hungry politicians who have
done good for the grand old party in
times of danger.
THE INACCURACY OF THE REPORTS
given to the associated press for dis
-semmination throughout the country
has long been cause of complaint,
and, doubtless. these complaints had
much to do with the charges prefer
red against HaZen and others of the
bureau. The reports for Texas and
other southern states are particularly
inaccurate, and a person reading
Texas paper which publishes the re-
ports, would notice that the majority
of times they were not correct, and
and when they did strike by chance
it would only be in a small portion of
the vast territory covered. The rea-
son of this is plain. A great deal of
the money appropriated by congress
for the bureau is spent by those in
charge in fitting out elegant apart
ments all over the country, and in
other luxuries calculated to add to
the earthly comfort of the officers
and to the inefficiency of the service
In this way Texas and many other
states are not properly supplied with
stations, and a great many reports
concerning them given to the press
are simply manufactured in Washing
ton. Now new cause of complaint
has arisen. The unnatural appearance
of the weather map issued by the
off ;e for some time past has attracted
much attention in Washington and
numerous calls were made at the de-
partment to learn the cause. 1t ap-
pears that the telegraphie reports sent
three times day haYe been stopped
at all the points west of Cheyenne and
throughout Florida besides, and at
several of the lesser stations in various
portions of the country. No tele-
graphic news is now received relative
to the temperature or approach of
storms from the entire Pacific coast or
Rocky mountain region, nor from the
home of the cyclones in the West In
dies, the most important section from
which we should get weather news.
There has been a good deal of grumb-
ling about it, because just now not
only is the season of activity in
navigation begun, but the progress in
the growth of the crops is watched
and calculated by the progress of the
weather as shown in the daily chart.
The reason is very simple, according
to the statement of the civil service
heads. Congress last winter refused
to provide the deficiency appropria-
ton that they clamored for, and the
service has been cut down to CORES
pond with the money on hand.
Heretofore. in addition to tri-daily
reports from Havana, storm wander
ings were sent from Kingston, st.
Thomas and Santiago de Cuba. From
this the greatest benefits to all south
ern points was realized. The service
win be in this crippled condition until
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-05-24
How the Average Editor Looms Up
TDenV-r Trihuna


Mr.. Charles "A. Dana arose bright
and early yesterday morning. From
the window of his hotel at Colorado
Springs he could see Pixies Peak
booming up grandly near by. Awed
by the spectacle, he sat on the win
dowsil. clad simply in his nightgown,
and regarded the frowning mountain
with emotions akin to veneration.
While floating, as it were, upon sea
of solemn thought, there came knock
at the door. Dana did not say, "Come
in he did not even PROFOUND the
conventional inquiry OF Who's
there ?" With a presence of mind
which redounded to his credit, he
slipped noiselessly off the windowsill,
padded softly to the door, unlocked
it and opened it inst wide enough to
admit his thrusting his head between
the door and the j NIB. The sight
which greeted his ocular orbs was
that of a slender, pale-faced young
man with large, lustrous eyes, and a
gentle insinuating demeanor.
SIS this Mr.. Dana?" inquired the
young man, in a musical tone of
voice.
1T is" replied Mr. Dana.
Editor of the New York Sun ?"
asked the young man.
The very same" answered Mr..
Dana.
Then, sir" said the young man,
permit me to present my card"
And with that the young man
handed Mr.. Dana a delicate paste
board slip.
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-05-24

THREE facts are stated to prove
that Queen Victorla's condition is
considered critical. The Prince of
Wales desired, or he at least pretended
so, to attend the coronation of the
car, and the queen. of couse, refused.
Prince Alfred, duke of Edinburg, OBJ
tanned the royal consent, but is retain
ed at home by inability to obtain, it
is alleged, the proper sum for travel
ing expenses. The Princess Louise was
advised to return to England. The
desire to obtain the immediate pres
ence of the royal children is deemed
portentouS.
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-05-24
B. w. STEELE,
Editor Gazette,
Colorado Springs,
Job Printing a Specially.

Mr.. Dana's demeanor, upon reading
the card was of the strangest charac-
ter. He trembled like an aspen-leaf,
he blushed like an embarrassed school
girl, his whole aspect betokened the
utmost confusion.
Gan it be possible?" he at length
found breath to exclaim: ''can it be
possible that / stand in the presence
of w. B. Steele, editor of the Colorado
Springs Gazette!
. II am Mr.. Steele, and 1 edit the Ga
zette," said the young man modestly.
"Auspicious heaven, l thank thee!'
cried Mr.. Danna, reveTeltly. as he
raised his eyes to the ceiling and
pressed his hands fervently co his
bOSOm
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-05-24

press misreports some of your discus
Sions. They are doctors without
patients, lawyers without clients, and
ministers without parishes, without
ever having done an honest days toll
they crowd themselves into labor and
trade organizations and assume to be
representative men; they are the most
earnest in temperance and religious
organizations; they clamor for
position in every enterprise hav-
ing for its object any public re-
formation; they denounce vice on
every public occasion; they say long
prayers and affect great piety and
virtue; and yet they are the true
representative traitors. murderer.
thieves, ravishers and scoundreIs Of
communities, and when one of the1
commits crime the entire race CT
Vagabonds join in the clamor for the
exemption from punishment on the
ground of insanity. There has been
a word coined of late years to desie-
nate these people, and they are
called "crankS" They figure largely
in the list of criminals accused of all
grades of crime, and it is to them be-
longs the disgrace brought upon the
plea of insanity as defense for crime;
with them Judgment and execution
should be swift, sure and certain, for
the escape of one of these men en-
courages the entire class to go on
committing crimes for like notoriety
and like exemption. They will know
they commit crimes and deserve pun
ishment, and when the knife of JUS
tice falls upon one of their number it
strikes them with horror, but to every
honest citizen it is a glad announce
ment that the law is supreme and
that its execution cannot be avoided
by a miserable scoundrel claiming
he was crank.
OF course, the rule of punishment
in few cases might be unjust, but
how to fix the point at which the
moral power of man is not to be held
responsible is hard to decide. There
fore the Lincecum theory could be
applied with reason to those, who in
sound mind wilfully commit crime.
but where the mind is
unsound, and it is thus lead to
crime, there is even greater
show of reason for prevent
ing the perpetuation, by in
heritance, of propensity which must
in subsequent generations be danger
GUS to society. Mr.. Corkhil goes too
far; to take life when I'M
sound conditions of the mind
really do lead to crime would
be unjust, but to prevent the
transmission of crime into the blood
of the unborn, and thus to impose
misfortune upon coming generations
is demand which ought to be met.
Mr.. Corkhill is asked to enquire into
this theory, and when he does so he
must decide that it is preferable to
the one he presents.
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-05-24

CoRsICANA, May 19.-The stables
at the race track was fired last light,
by some one saturating some hay
with coal oil and lighting it. The
wind being in the wrong direction,
but little damage WIS done.
The Navarro County Artificial Lake
and Park company have filed an ap-
plication for a charter with the comp
troller. Its stock is limited to $4,000.
The company propose to make an ar
tificial lake covering twenty-five
acres, and arrange the remainder of
the tract of Isl acres for park and
pleasure ground.
DR.. Sewell, charged with attempt at
rape on Miss Tratman, waived an ex-
animation to-day and gave bond for
his appearance before the next grand
jury.
FORT WORTH, May 19.-Nine cars
loaded with coal were showed over a
bluff ninety feet high, on the Missouri
Pacific, and broken to splinters. The
loss is estimated at several thousand
dollars.
1t has been determined at last to
spend the $4,000 for streets in peb-
BILE stone and gravel.
Mary Maher attempted tonight to
kidnap child belonging to woman
named Harris, of evil repute. A dra-
matte scene was witnessed at the de-
pot when the Harris woman rushed to
the train and demanded her child.
Eleven hundred head of horses
were sold here to-day at an average
of 1927.
Wool men who bring their clips
here are complaining bitterly. They
say San Antonio is the only market
in the state.
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-05-24

A NICE little volume, Hand Book
of Ready Reference" is before us.
1t is compiled by AFRO Golf, of New
York city. the head of one of the
most active advertising agencies in
America. All advertisers should
have this wonderful little book; it is
one of the most reliable works ever
sent out by any advertising agency,
and it demonstrates plainly where
advertising will do the most good.
1t is only necessary for
any one proposing to advertise to Sc
cure copy of the hand book, and
then to decide what line of advertis
ing he would adopt, entrusting it's
contents to Mr. Golf to find millions
in it. He deals with the best papers
in all the states, and the STATESMAN
and our neighbor, Texas Siftings, are
given the prominent place among
Texas journals. 1t is only necessary
to mention this fact for it to be un-
derstood, that the compiler gives his
customers information that will pay.
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-05-24

Ell PAso, May 19.-The where
abouts of Gen. Crook is not definitely
known. He is west of the Sierra
Madre mountains, in Mexico, in the
Apaches stronghold, and this is about
all that is known. The Mexican
troops from Casa Grande, two hundred
miles north of here, are endeavoring
to form junction with him. Scouts
from here and Chihuahua have gone
into the mountains to ascertain the
military status.
A train of 500 negroes from Kansas
passed through here en- route to work
on the Mexican Central road.
The stock books for the Ell Paso
and White Oaks railroad have been
opened in this city.
= A special train left here for Santa
Fee containing Col. Nickerson, presi-
dent of the Mexican Central, C. Allen,
president of the New Orleans and
Texas railway, and president of the
Sunset railroad.
H. White, customs inspector, was
elected sheriff of the county, vice
Benito Gonzales, resigned.
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-05-24

THE new Sunday law of New
York allows the sale of all kinds of
food up to ten o'clock on Sunday, and
the sale throughout the day of drugs,
medicines, newspapers, fruits and
confectionery everywhere, and tobac-
co and cigars in places where liquor
is not sold. The law is said to be
an improvement on the old statute.
The New York Herald remarks that
''the observance of Sunday viii be in
the future, as it has been in the past,
regulated more by public sentiment
and the needs and customs of differ
ent localities than by any law made
by the legislature" This is about
equivalent to saying the law is dead
letter from the start. which is about
the way with all such laws.
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-05-24

HOUSTON, May 19.-Y esterday at
Gray's Bayou, five miles from town,
a German farmer named Steinke,
while blowing, had the pillow stuck in
the ground; going in front of the
plow to disengage it, he stopped to
fix trace chain when the team of
oxen attached to the plow became
frightened in some manner and
ran away. Steinke was caught
by the point of the pillow,
thrown down and dragged
across the field by the oxen. The
plow lacerated his leg and loin in a
fearful manner. Steinke expired last
night in great agony. He leaves a
wife and seven children.
News of the Light Guards receiv-
ing the second prize by such a small
difference is received with much dis
satisfaction, as they were generally
expected to take the first prize. Bets
are now even that they will defeat
the Crescents at Nashville.
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-05-24

THE vatican has commanded the
Irish clergy to abandon cause they
did so much to inspire with life and
hope, and the order naturally arouses
indignation and feeling of resist
ance entirely new in the relations of
Ireland to the church. 1t remains
for the future to reveal how far the
pope was influenced by misinforma-
ton, or whether the hope of re-
establishing the temporal or political
power of the vatican had anything to
do with bringing out circular calcu-
lated to place England under obliga-
lions to the pope.
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-05-24

GALVESTON, May Recorder
Syndey 7. Fountain, it is rumored,
will be indicted by the grand jury for
irregularity in Office by receiving
money from parties and releasing
them before being brought to trial.
Recorder Fountain denies the charge
but parties who are cognizant of the
facts state that the charge can be es-
tablished beyond a doubt.
August is the day fixed upon for
the commencement of the band con-
test in this city. II is thought some
fifteen or twenty bands will be present
and participate in the tournament.
The Washington hotel reopened to-
day under the management of Jno.
Hoskins and Mrs. A. Carstens
late of the Commercial hotel. The
house has been thoroughly renovated
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-05-24

Hon. PROCTOR KNOTT, the Demo
cratic nominee for governor of Ken
lucky. suddenly sprung into promi-
nent notice on the delivery of his
great Duluth speech in congress some
years ago. He was born at Lebanon,
Kentucky, in 1880, studied law and
settled in Missouri, where he was
first elected to the legislature, from
which he retired to become the at
torney general of that state. He re-
turned to his native state in 1868 and
was soon after elected to congress
and was returned successfully four
times. His present nomination is
equivalent to an election.
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-05-24

THE tomb business in England is
rapidly falling into disrepute. The
most prominent and wealthy families
have concluded that the right thing
to do is to let the mortal remains of
the late departed come directly in
contact with the earth. As a result
the English aristocracy in the future
will be buried in wicker collins" a
sort of basket, favorable for rapid de-
composition. 1t is move in the right
direction. The entire business of en-
balming, or otherwise attempting to
preserve the bodies of dead people
from decay, is repulsive. Cremation
is the only proper reformation.
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-05-24

SOME of the scientists acco unit for
the cold wave that has just passed
over the country by asserting that
the sun has been enveloped in a
shower of meteors, which have cut off
the rays of the sun. Prof. Proctor
favors this theory, but some other
wise readers of the heavens insist
that as long as these swarms of me
teors do not perceptibly diminish the
light of the sun it is unreasonable to
charge them with affecting the radia-
ton of heat. They deny that we
have had any lack of sun
light, and demand that a
verdict of not guilty be given in
favor of the meteors, which have
only been rolling harmlessly in their
appointed orbits, without interfering
with the general business of the sun.
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-05-24

AN eminent English statistician,
Mr.. Mulhall, of the royal society of
London, has recently compiled esti-
mates of the comparative wealth of
England and the United States, in
which he gives this country credit
for $40, &c, 100000. while he places the
wealth of England at s40.640, 100000
leaving the United States ahead by
S.. 100000.
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-05-24

THE effect of the high tariff, say
an exchange. has been to enable the
owners of obsolete machinery and
methods to run at profit, but the
consumers have had to foot the bills.
The folly of taxing the people to carry
ON expensive methods of production
ought to be apparent. That this has
been the practice under our high
tariff laws is evident from the present
statements. though ridieuiously vari-
ant, as to the cost of production made
by protectionists themselves.
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-05-24

SEVERAL weeks ago the details of
an alleged attempt of Gov. Ordway,
of Dakota, and a clique of his friends.
to locate the capital of the territory
upon lands owned by them, were pub
lished. The matter has been taken
up by the grand jury, and several in
dictments have been found against
members of the territorial legislature
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-05-24

EX-SENATOR CoNKLING defines
civil service reform as the great issue
of ascertaining what boy or what
girl shall have place in the govern
ment employ. The opponents of
political bossism he characterizes as
.'snivelers, charlatans and humbugs."
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-05-24

THE way for an office holder at
Washington to make money now is
to learn the ropes in Office. resign and
practice" against the government.
Raum has done it, and Patent Com
missioner Marble is reported to be
-'.chafing" for chance to do it.