Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-01-20
NEW YORK LETTER.

H.
This new year of 1883 brings a
new administration into power In
the State of New York, and new
municipal government in the city.
Governor Cleveland has been wide
~ accused of gross ignorance regard
ing the fundamental principles OF
State administration, and his mes
sage has been denounced for not
agreeing exactly with the obsolete
rules of political economy )" but
from his action SO far, it is evident
that a clear head and a fearless
hand are at the rudder of this Ship
OF State. His appointments have
been marked by sound, good sense,
rather than the usual political chi
canery. Chaplin, the Speaker of the
House, is perhaps the best man for
the Office in the State, and his COM
mittees have been made-up in a
manner that gives promise of a
prosperous and honest, therefore
new, condition of affairs throughout
the State. If the new Mayor of
New York were such man as Seth
Low of Brooklyn, there would even
be some prospect of the East River
Bridge being completed i'll the time
Of the present generation.
In hecity of New York, however,
the good citizens are grieving, and
the Tammanyites rejoicing. Mayor
Edison has been in Office only a
very short while, but it has been
long enough TO disappoint all lovers
of reformed political methods. Ed
son is a Democrat, but the Demo-
Gratis are, if anything, more dis
pleased than the Republicans. He
made a short struggle for Mayoral
Observation-Disclosures a few feeble
kicks, and then succumbed to the
Machine, which now, as ever,
reigns triumphant, and so forth.
A suggestion of some Importance
has been prominently brought for
ward recently-that the convicts of
the State, instead of being leased to
brutal contractors at a small rental,
be worked by the State, which
would thus have the benefit of the
whole of their earnings.
VIM. H. Vanderbilt will leave
during this month for pleasure
tour through the Western and Pa
cific States. He and his retinue
will have the use of u special train
of palace cars unparalleled, it is
said, in luxury.
The waste of time and labor at
tending the study of English gram
mar in public schools, is question
now being well ventilated. Col
umns of statistics are brought for
ward, showing that it is more of a
drawback to mental improvement
than otherwise. The abolition of
the study is probable, many of the
teachers believing that the time of
teacher and pupil can be put to far
more profitable and practical use.
The Rev. r. Heber Newton, rec
tor of one of the most prominent
Episcopal churches here, has made
a new departure, and sprung into
considerable recent nOtoriety. His
"confession of faith" is somewhat
vague, and consists largely of
"glowing generalities"; but the
substance is, that he rejects the di-
vine inspiration of the Bible, which
he regards grand though fallible
book, containing in the main, truth,
but also having incorporated in it
many poems and traditions which
have no visible line of separation
from the historical, thus leading
many to accept "the whole or moth
ing" He denominates Deuterono-
my as "a story of the growth OF
ancient Hebrew poetry" DIR. New
ton earnestly recommends an ex-
purgated edition of Holy Scripture,
though he condemns the attempt
now in existence. Beecher has also
been following out each new Croft
Chef, until his religious gospel and
belief has grown 50 vague and in
definite that it bears quite resem-
blance to the doctrines of bob"
Ingersoll.
The city is now reveling in snow.
A strong northeast wind set in two
days ago, and a binding, drifting
fall of snow accompanied it. There
have been one or two lulls, but tenn
porary and short. The thermometer
ranges a very few degrees above
zero. Many of the streets are block
AIDED by immense drifts, which col
lect in advance of the street-clean-
ing brigade, and horse-cars and
stages have doubled teams. Bus
mess is very dull, and there is even
no excitement on the Exchange.
Just now, however, Il clearing-up
seems likely.
S. L. WYATT.
New York. Ian. H. 1888.