New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-08-31

An interesting state of affairs politically CEN
tres about the Department of Public Works
inst now, as our local political articles this
morning show. The Administration, which
some of its friends say is so devoted to honest
politics and so hostile to offensive partisanship,
really ought to study the situation to see what
there is in it to admire.
The cholera still RACES in Spain and the num-
Der of deaths still exceeds thousand day,
while the new cases reported reach several
thousand. But 1t is possible to find encourage
ment in comparing the figures of yesterday with
those of a week ago. Yesterday there were
3.617 new cases and LII deaths. On August
%, 5.673 persons were stricken down and
1,723 patients died. This looks as if the plague
had reached and passed it's most violent point.
The amiable, kind-hearted old Philadelphia
merchantnow visiting Atlantic City who has just
allowed himself to be swindled out of $4,000
by confidence man will hardly boast hereaf-
ter of his caution and long experience. The
trick resorted to is the oldest and most worn
of all confidence games. 1t is described in the
newspapers regularly about once in fort
night, and how any man who watches the pa
pers can be caught by it passes comprehen-
sion. The most conspicuous moral which
adorns this tale Is that it is well not only to
read the news, but to heed what you read.
Dispatches from Virginia show that the Re-
publicans there are encouraged by the present
outlook to hope for success at the polls this
fall. They are doing careful work and the
speeches of their campaign orators seem to
have great effect. Protection TO American labor
Is doctrine particularly well received. The
Democrats are late in the field, and quarrels
over Federal spoils are reported to prevail
among them. They may finally be driven to
depend upon Danvile affairs" for an effective
canvass. But with fair vote and an honest
count all indications now point to the election
of Mr.. Wise as Governor.
The tragic side of the fire in Sixty -first-st is
the death of the fireman, John Ennis, who was
killed by q falling wall. 1t will not attract
much attention. People say that firemen know
the risks they run In entering the service of the
city and that such disasters must be accepted
as matter of course That is true in one sense.
1t is also true that soldiers expect to be killed
Yet we mourn their death and honor their
memories when they fall in battle. The fire.
man who liz killed while fighting the flames
falls nobly. All honor, therefore, to the
memory of John Ennis, who died bravely In
the performance of his dutyl
1t Is said that influential residents Of Mont
real are permitted to keep cases of smallpox in
their houses without putting up a warning
placard. and to walk the streets freely although
fresh from infected houses. Surely if the
officials have any sense of their responsibility
this thing will stop. If the good people OF
Montreal were the only ones likely to suffer
from the prevalence of the epidemic, they
might be as lax as they please about enforcing
the sanitary laws; the resulting funerals would
be exclusively their own affairs. But un-
fortunately this loathsome disease will not pre-
vail in Montreal and nowhere else if it gets a
chance to spread. The delay Of the authorities
to mako every one conform with the health
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