Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1888-05-26
KDIT0RIAL NOTES.

EDITORIAL NOTES.
They are talking in Baltimore about put
ting letter boxes on street cars, thus bringing
letters to the posteffce from any part of the
city in half an hour.
The will of French advocate contains the
following bequest: ST give 10o, 600 francs to
the local madhouse. I got this money out of
those who passed their lives in litigation; in
bequeathing it for the use Of lunatics I only
make restitution;" which, to say the least of
it, was rather rough on his clients.
All the mean folks don't live in Yankee
land. A brother of one of the lady teachers
who perished during blizzard in Dakota re-
Gently visited that section for the purpose of
removing the remains to the old horae in the
East In settling up with the school di-
rectors where she had been teaching they
made him discount her bill - per cent.
because she had not finished the term.
1t was announced the other day that the
Lowell Manufacturing company of Lowell,
Massachusetts,, had shut down for two weeks
because of an apprehension as to the re-
suits that would follow the reduction of the
tariff as contemplated by the Mills bill. It
is now announced that the Hamilton COM
pany of the same town viii suspend opera
tfons at their print works for four weeks,
beginning Jnns 1. There will be more
such incidents before long.
Some facts in q report just issued by the
sseretary Of stass Of Louisiapas are not cheer
ing. According to the census Of 1880 the
number of white iIliterate voters was ,377
and of black Sc, 555.s The recent report
shows that the white flliterats voters are now
%, ,9s6 and the BLACK 10s, ,942. There is an
increase of 1909 illiterate white voters and of
1887 black in eight years. The number
of white voters who could write their
names in 1880 were 81, ,443; now they are
only 90, ,949. The number of colored voters
who could write their names in 1880 were
81, ,422 now they are only 23,010. This
shows that in 1880 majerity-57.9 per cent.
of the voters could sign their names,
whereas to-day they are in the minority, or
only 49.2 per cent. The report shows that
this is not confined to the blacks only, for in
the past eight years the illiterate white voters
have increased from 15.1 to 1913 per cent. In
thirty-niue of the 6fty-nine parishes in the
State the illiterate voters are In majority,
and in several a majority of the whites are
unable to sign their names to the registration
papers. In some parishes the illiterste voters
outnumber those who can read and write four
to one.
It looks more and more probable that the
Mills bill will go through the house. The
Tribune has the following to say about the
matter: A careful canvass on the other side
discIoses only three Republicans who will
vote for this bill and thirteen Democrats who
will vote against itsRwhile over thirty of the
Democrats are anxious to vote for amend
ments. If this canvass is correct the 149
Republicans, thirteen Democrats and one in-
dependent against the bill make clear ma
iority of the house, with three other members
in doubt. But there can be no certainty thai
the Presidents patronage may not seduee a
few more of the thirteen Democratic mem.
| bers, or that his threats may not frighten
some into submission. 1t is just as well te
face the fact frankly that Democratic vote
| to defend home industry must be cast against
the declared policy of the Democratic party
i against the will of the President, who is now
| the only Democrat that can possibly hold the
executive power and patronage for the mex
| four years, and against the dictates of {
Democratic caucus and in all probability of I
Democratic convention.
The ceal business is rather oppressive
i affair in some parts of this country, but vi
have nothing here compared with what the.
have in Canada. For instance, the Toront'
coal ring contains fifty-six members, and I
committee reports Jas follows concerning 1t
methods: The most arbitrary rules are en-
acted. Detectives are employed and tn
dealers are placed under suryeillanee. Oath
cf fidelity to the constitutions and rulss n
required, not alone from the members, bu
also from their salesmen. The oaths in tn
cases of employees are in some instances re
troactiye as well as prospective. All viola
tions Of oaths are adjudicated upon by th
| executive committee referred to, the penaltie
being heavy fines or expulsion. One-sixth Q
all the fines goes into the general funds of th
coal branch and the remaining fve-sixths al
| OlFIueO auOAk tAo lhn poEt6ES. 1uo I0OoA
shows three different fines of 81 600 eact
Thus the public is presented with the extrs
ordinary spectacle of mercantile associatio
arregating to itself powers conferred .upo
the law courts alone, with, in this case, th
judge virtually condoning perjury by the az
ceptance of fines to be divided among tt
importers.
The Hon. Patrick A. Collins of Massachl
settsl Is said to be a particularly able presi'
ing officer of political convention, in pro-