New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-05-06

the bounds Of possibility that the great water prob
lem will thus be solved In the of many sterile
tracts Of lands on this continent. The rapid de-
velopment Of systems Of irrigation In recent years
In tho far West, has certainly been marked.
Several of the Edmunds papers In New-En gland
have been guilty of the marked unfairness Of sup
pressing Mr. Phelps's reiolnder, while giving q
prominent place to Mr. Edmunds's letter. A candid
explanation Of their motives In suppressing Mr.
Phelps's lucid and frank reply to Mr.. Edmunds Is
next in ORDER
Chicago furnishes some statistics which the advO-
oates OF the High License bill in our own Legsa-
ture may find useful. Under the Illinois High
License law the number of licenses granted In Chi
cago has been reduced from 1852 to 3,132 IL Is
thought the reduction would have been greater but
for the provision in the law which permits licenses
to be taken out for part Of year. OF the 2,496
licenses tose whiskey taken out the rate of $500
year, only 1872 are for full year, the rest being
for three months. What is true of the whiskey IL
is true Of those for beer-the larger part OF
them for fourth of year. beer license costs
$3.50 year. 1t is evident that if the law was
amended to provide that no license should be
issued for less than year a sweeping reform
would be effected. But it is over 800 rum-shops
have been closed by the law.
Bir. Kasson Is getting roughly handled by West
ern papers for his conduct as chairman of the Iowa
Republican State Convention. That body on
test vote stood eight to in favor of Mr. Blaine.
but allowed Mr.. Kasson, an anti-Blaine man, to
occupy the chair. Hero is what The Ioca Register,
printed in Mr.. Kassons own city Of Des Moines,
says of his course:
Air. KsssOns speech and his prejndced rulings I'm q
seat given him by the generous courtesy o. nearly
unanimous Blaine convention did him no credit
He did 10 harm TO Blaine but his course mas pracucay
put an end TO the custom peculiar TO Iowa kepnDncahs
of making minority man, from sense OF good feeling
and party grace, chairman Of convention TO whose
majority he Is opposed. MIR KassOn got taste OF the
OF the convention, which felt ITS courtesy hardly
well tTsaed when he submitted his extraordinary ruling
In the OF tho Floyd COuny dele gaton and got 1t
unanimously OrerI1ded. Even tho anti Blaine men
united In striking down unjust anil htd9enSOe
ruling.
Mr. Henry WattersOn continues to write his cell
ebrated -goddess-Ofreform" articles for
The Louisiille Couie-JourRdl. This fair divinity 1t
seems is leading in the OF the great Democratic
army, which floats flag bearing the motto
" Honesty, Economy, Equality, and A Tariff Tor
Revenue Only" Moreover we are told that Henrys
own State, Kentucky, stands stone wall IN the
centre of the Democratic line Of battle" stone
wall is good in a political campaiGn-amost as good
as fence-but we fear the star-eyed goddess
who is bOssing the army will experience difficulty
in pers lading the " stone wall to march forward
with CELEBRITY. Nevertheless, Henry, we wish you
luck. The Democrats need daily doses OF reform,
especially the stsreyel goddess variety. Let your
shout be heard In the land.