The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-01-06

from the pension rolls, but to Offset
these 34,76S names were added. The
roll has increased from 26S, $3.50 in 1881
to 345, 125 in 1885, and careful compu-
tation shows that the maximum will not
be reached until the roll numbers at
least 100000 The pension roll is rapidly
increasing under the present law.
THE reign of Jeffersonian simplicity
is affecting social life in Washington.
The cabinet ladies have decided to re-
turn social calls only by card and the
senate ladies will follow suit. This
leads the Springfield Union to remark:
To make the system completely sim
pie they should employ postal cards and
send them only by mail. That would
complete the clam-like character of
Washington society and save lots of
good clothes and coach hire"
CONGRESSMAN LAwLER of Illinois
has introduced bill /" to test and try
the science of spelling" The bill pro-
vides that since the government appro-
priated S32 900 for Fulton to expert
ment in steamboats, and 100000 for
Morse to try the telegraph, it now
appropriate $4,000 to enable Charles
A. Sterry of Chicago to test and try
his new method of spelling, which is
described as simpler, shorter and easier
to learn than the one at present in use.
THE fact that the appointment of
McGettrick as postmaster at st. Adams
was made for purely political reasons,
and to reward him for his services to
the democratic party, is ignored by the
Brattleboro Rqormer, the ColedOnidn
and othermugwump papers, which seek
to make capital out of it for the sore
head interests which they represent.
OF course they will not correct their
mis-statements of the case, for their in
variable rule has been to make no re-
traction or apology for their falsehoods
and presentations.
THE latest important foreign news is
that Lord Randolph Churchill has sub
mitted to the English cabinet plan
for reforming the government of Ire
land. 1t is proposed to place Ireland
on the same footing as Scotland-abol-
ish the vice-royalty and the castle ex-
ecutive, and permit a secretary in the
cabinet. - An agreement has been
reached between the special envoy of
Turkey and Prince Alexander, respect
ing the union of Bulgaria and Eastern
Roumelia, which has received the con-
currence of the Powers.
PROFESSOR PETER COLLIER, who
once prophesied that sugar would be
produced in this country at one cent a
pound, cites results in the production
of sugar from sorghum at Ottawa,
Kansas, which make his prophecy a
reality. From fifteen tons of cane were
obtained 1,420 pounds of clean, dry
sugar and $500 pounds of molasses, or
ninety-tive pounds of sugar and sixteen
gallons of molasses for each ton of cane
worked. The cost of making the sugar
is estimated at 81 ton, and an acre
produces seven tons of cane.
Mr.. EvARTs falls very naturally into
the position of a leader in the senate.
He does not stand upon the footing of
a new senator, although he is now hold
ing the first office in Washington to
which he has been elected. His service
here as encouragement under johnson
and as secretary of state under Hayes
have given him an experience in ma
tional politics and in Washington af-
fairs which entities him to rank with the
most experienced in the senate. He
is as frequently consulted as the Oldest
of the senators about matters of pol
icy.-WaShington Letter.
OUR surmise that Governor Smiths
name was not attach, / to Mr.. McGet-
tricks petition for the st. Adams post
office, is confirmed by gentleman who
has seen all the papers on file at the
post-otiice department in Washington
in the st. Adams post-ofiice matter
He states that Governor Smiths name
is not on any petition for any one for
postmaster at that place, nor is there
now nor has there been on file any
letter from him in regard to the matter.
The same gentleman also informs us
that no charges of any kind have ever
been made against Mr.. Hopkins. bur
Hngton Free Press.
REV. HOWARD CROSBY, DID, writes
to socialistic paper that cit is high
time that wise and impartial men
should, by careful study and counsel,
devise righteous plan to curb excess
sive wealth, for the sake of the coun-
try's peace and prosperity" That is,
the reverend reformer would fix limit
beyond which fortunes must not 90.
When you have accumulated so much,
he would say to man, Stop making
money! But he does not give us any
hint as to what he thinks is the greatest
amount of property an individual should
be allowed to possess. How much shall
it be, doctor? Five thousand dollars,
fifty thousand, five hundred thousand
or five millions? Such limita-
ton is not practicable, even by grad
uated taxation. You must let fortunes
accumulate according to the ability and
opportunities of their possessors, or
there must be no fortunes at all, prop
erty must be held in common and
everybody must be on the same plane
as to wealth. If the state can forbid a
mans owning more than fixed sum,
it can go further and forbid his owning
any property at all.-Sun.
THE mugwumps are small party or
faction, so far as numbers go, but they
are restless, nervous, determined