Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-10-03

THE STAR office is connected with the Telephone
mail and otherwise. news or any information bust
Ness can be sent day or night. free of charge.
The plan OF letting the printing for the money
order division OF the Post ONCE department out by
contract instead OF giving it TO the government
printing office Is any thing but satisfactory. This
was done under an act Of the last Congress, with
the Idea that it might cheaper the cost OF the
printing TO get IL by contract Philadelphia
nrm was awarded the work, and everything has
70 be done by schedule. II the natural growth OF
the money order business calls for blank books
larger than these In use at the time the contract
was awarded, and which were used as samples OF
what would be needed, the money order Office
finds Itself at the mercy OF the contractors as TO
price In other words. the ofice Is bound down to
the schedules male some { me ago, and cannot
make any changes from them. no matter how ben
efcial. without mourning the risk OF having 10 pay
too mueh for the work. What is ''nominated in
the bon II must be adhered to- Besides this trou-
bic, good deal Of time Is consumed In sending Or
ders TO Philadelphia. ting and correcting proofs,
and then finally getting the work. Under the old
method the ONCE had but to notify the govern.
ment Office of what 1t wanted to get In short order,
and with the expiration OF existing contracts the
old plan will, II the officials OF the money order
On1ce have their way, be returned to.
Ex-senator Mcdonald, OF Indiana, evidently per-
mits his courage 70 over-topple his judgment on
the t1rin issue. In his campaign speeches In
Ohio he declares In the most refreshing terms for
free trade as against the vapi1 evasions OF other
speech-makerS of his own party in that state. 81
am says he, $50 far In favor OF free trade to
be OppOs ID to any tariff upon foreign merchan-
disc II the government did not require the revenue
TO be derived from it,"-and he goes on to repeat
that "Iree trade between nations, as between In
divduals, Is undeniably the foundation upon
which all commerce should rest" Mr. Mcdonald
has certainly handicapped his chances a candi-
date in the next National Democrats Convention
In fact, about as far the democratic party of
the state OF New York can go, Is to swallow the
Wattersonian tpse dirtt OF ga tariff for revenue
only" and the other eastern states are certainly
Not as far to the front In that respect as New
York. But his declarations VIII probably be re-
ceiyed bold, honest, definition OF the party's
real position in the western states
The New York Herald is a strong and great
newspaper, but IL has now emit red on a contest
which will call for all lis power OF resource. The
city AMI suburban newsdealers have combined In
determination not to sell the paper at the new
rate OF two cents, as they claim the margin OF
proft-One-third OF a cent-iS Insufficient They
have decided, therefore, to adhere TO the old price
OF three cents Moreover, the controversy has
stirred up such an ugly feeling that the dealers
are not disposed to sell the paper at any price, and
may be depended on 10 throw their influence with
their customers In favor OF the rival sheets.
Whether the Herald can afford the hostility of
these middlemen is a serious question. To large
extent they control the circulation OF the news
papers, and their dem md, that the Herald should
give them the half cent margin allowed by the
Times AMI sun, Is not unreasonable. The reduc-
ton hour -
creased it Is understood, instead OF increased the
circulation OF the journals that nave made it; that
has certainly been the effect In this section.
The hfgh-priced song birds who are to sing In
tuneiul competitor in New York this winter are
crossing the ocean now by every steamer Nilsson
Is already here, and Patti is on her Way. 1t Is one
OF the traditions OF New York journalism to inter-
View distinguished arrival. as he or she steps
from the gangway upon the dock, and ask how the
visitor likes America The singers are all going
through this absurd ordeal, and reply to the stock
quesai in the stock way that they Ike America
$50 much" The rival companies will soon be d.
vid1ng the town, as the opera season opens in
about three weeks. The war will be bitter and
relentless, and Will result In the survival OF the
nttest, though with Vanderbilt backing Abbey,
and Belmont and others supporting Col Mapleson.
both commanders seem well supplied with sinews
of war, and both may prosper In spite OF high
prices and divided patronage. In any event the
musical public will gain by the competition as it
VIII give new York the best opera 10 the world,
and plenty OF 1t.
The more the Spanish think over the insult to
their king the more angry they become The
anront touched a tender spot In the national
makeup, the proverbial Spanish prld,, and has
thereby thrown them into a paroxysm OF rage
Up TO this time Alphonso has been anything but q
popular monarch, but the Spaniards do not pro-
pose TO let outsiders abuse him. The excitement
In Paris runs almost as high as In Madrid, and has
precipitated q ministerial crisis Germany takes
the matter cooly, observing that the insult was
really to her instead OF Spain, but that she con-
slderS the source and regards the oulburSt as
sign OF weakness
The report OF Greely's murder by his men Is
probably only repetition Of the story published
week ago. as coming from Esquimaux. and dis
Credited at that time. The brave aiventurers
have enough peril and difficulty to contend
against without internal STRIFE and IL is almost
Incredible that mutiny would be thought OF as
remedy for troubles, however desperate into which
the colony might be plunged. At the same time
we must remember The effect which long confine-
ment in polar latitudeS has On some minds rem
oerins them Insane with i.oStratgia or home
Sickness
EXP. NJ General James In speaking OF the Eng
lSh postal service, which he has been examining
abroad, says that the system In Lonjon Is m
doubtsdly the most complete There they have
thirteen deliveries DAY, while In New York they
have ouI nIne but that outside Of London there Is
nothing that Is superior To the New York office or
even u good. perhaps Except Ia the newspaper
delivery In country the postal service OF the
United States has high standard or excellence.
Mr. Wilson. Of Paris, has let MS journalistic