Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-01-15

WASHING TON:
THURSDAY January Is. 1855.
CROSBY MOVES .............. Editor.
The Evening star has n regular. permanent
bona EIDE daily circuia.,op thar treble
that Of other daily paper published In
Washington. and equal ID fhnt 81 all the
ether daily papers here added together.
The almost unanimous vote by which the SEN
ate passed the Grant retirement bill should point
she way 10 corresponding action by the House.
There is said 70 be disposition among OF the
democrats OF that chamber 10 pass bill. indeed,
but 20 insist the original senate draft, which Is
similar In It's terms TO that FOR the relief OF Fit:
joan Porter, 10 which the President found objec-
ton resort TO such tactics would mean enmity
to the bill The democrats in the senate, almost
without exception, have, by yesterdays vote. sub
sttuted new draft. for, the express purpose OF re-
leving the President from any embarrassment
and the iii itself from any chance OF failure and
their part associates In the other hall will only
satisfy common expectation By following the same
policy.
The chief objection TO the BIZ Is one that springs
from most important principle, but does not
apply 10 the case now presented IL is OF very
great Importance that all dangerous precedents be
avoided In voting pensions and other annuities 20
citizens fer services rendered the republic But
Grants career Is so unique that no action which
Congress might take IN recognition Of his services
could be referred 70 In later years TO Justify gifts OF
public money 10 others.
--< .
Minister kasson explains that the Congo confer
ence Is simply advisory Is not political and is no
more In violation OF our theory of nonintervention
t0an several recent international conferences SUCH
eor instance, as that held ia this city settle upon
common prime meridian. This view OF the nature
Of the conference Is at variance with that held in
this country, but IL may be the correct one and at
stIuplifpS 40 sffr tn n
resentstive distinctly dsavow any political signn
Gamer 10 his presence at the conference. No one
can put the meeting itself in the same category
with the scientific discussions with which our min
oter compares 1t The Congo conference as such,
Il distinctly political however slight may be the
Immediate powers OF the delegates. TO the Euro
pean nations concerned it has great and direct
bearing on their state policy, and It is rather diff
cult 70 see wherein our representative Is in a differ
ent attitude towards 1t than the other delegates.
The bloated oondhol1ers are not swelling I'D to
any dangerous extent Just now Government
bonds 1t is notorious offer no longer attractive In
JUDGEMENTS as an Investment, the rate is very
low and the premium is excessive. And the other
leading class OF bonds,-u!sing the word In It's
broader sense to cover stocks as welI,-na mely
railroad securities, is better as source OF rev.
enue According 10 the report the board of rail-
road commissioners for New York, the per centage
Of net earnings to the cost OF road and equipment
for the railroads OF that state during 1884 only
ass per cent just about the rate OF interest on
government bonds, with inferior security In 1883
the per centage was 421. These figures 90 not
argue that the "rich are getting richer" but, on
the contrary, 50 TO show, do many other similar
facts that the present scriugency is bearing with
special force on the weather. classes.
Those interested in fair play for woman ought to
give their best attention for a few moments 10 Mr.
King, the new president of the Erie railway In
verJ properly reducing the enormous expenses Of
that corporation he cut down all salaries or nearly
all; but ID doing instead OF making the scale of
reduction uniform In the same lines OF service he
reduced the salaries OF women EMPLOYEES 30 per
cent, While those of men doing corresponding duty
and receiving about the same rates OF pay were
reduced only IS per cent. IL would be interesting
70 know what Mrs. king-n there be Mrs. King
thinks OF this sort OF discrimination against the
sex 70 which she and the mother of her husband
belong.
The change IN the aspect OF the senatorial situa-
ton at Albany furnishes fresh illustration of the
fact that patronage IS often source OF weakness
rather than strength. During the preliminary
contest for speaker OF the assembly, Morton's
friends combined with those OF Erwin and the ALI
ance vas supposed 10 hold good TO the end. But
whec Erwin was elected it became necessary for
him TO make up and announce the standing COM
mttees and, as need not be explained In this lat-
tube, these selections aroused storm of dissatts-
faction, the outcome OF which has been the sudden
discovery on the part of several neglected assem-
DyEien that their constituents demand the defeat
of the Erwin-Morton combination
The Germans Ike protection so well that they are
going TO try little more OF it. Bismarck now Dro-
poses TO treble the present duty on wheat and
double the present rye duty. As the rates now in
force have practically shut out Germany from our
production. a -rtth
equanimity II will be interesting to observe how
nigh tar1H on breadStunS and other necessar1es
o. life win affect the prosperity and happiness OF
the German empire.
Imagine an area about the size Of the United
States, rich In soil, teening with natural wealth.
traversed IN every direction by great navigable
rivers. and sustaining a swarming population and
We get faint Idea OF the Importance OF the Congo
question The Congo region is a very rich plum a
second India, in fact, and England's rivals which
have seen their neghbor gobble up the prize lands
OF Asia, do not mean TO let her repeat history In
Africa
Congratulations patter on the Senate floor
Nike ches;nuts after a frost. Yesterday Senator
Jones, OF Nevada. was reelected, and Senator
Platt, OF Connecticut. received the party nomina-
ton, which is equivalent 10 an election.
Shades OF Timothy Pickering. James Madison.
Daniel Webster, Rufus Choate. Charles Sumner.
ct al Congress has passed the French spoIiation
claims,
ODD SHAPED MEx
CAN FIND TROUSERS To FIT THEM
AMONG TEE HUNDREDS OF RAIRs We