New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-04

you, do ye even so to them" was the plous excmma-
ton Of Congressman Breckenridge OF Kentucky
ct the Boston free-trade love feast. Yet we dare
cav he has fence around his house In the blue
grass region and his rcighbor has one also. Why
does he not take down the fence on the principle
which he cites2 If there were no fences, neishoors
would enjoy everything In common on the principle
Of good will to men, every one doing ss he would
be done by. But then, again. there Is an old say
ing TINT fences make good neighbors, since with
them every one knows his own ground ana does
not disturb any one else. There might be less
peace ON EARTH IL there were fewer fences. tariffs
too are fences, some of them pretty high fcnces
and the civilized world, with the single exception
of England, is protected by them. Is the Congress
man sure that there is less peace In the world
because these barriers stand? II nations prosper
under them, are they not likely to prove more
neighborly and peaceable than they could II they
were contributing mainly to the financial interests
of England under free trader In any event. II
the rest of the world. with the exception OF Ing
land, prefers to have tariff fences, and America
has one too the Scripture text does not apply very
we'll. for each nation does for itself what IL Ii
willing to have every other nation do for ITSELF
that is, to protect its own Industries.
The failure Of some of tho new English war
vessels to develop the horsepower and speed no
ouired. and tho changes recommended BY tne
builders of the new cruisers for the American
Navy to be built upon English designs prove 'nao
absolute perfection. Is not assured by followlng
the foreign models The Navy Department should
take lesson from this.
There is one sentence in Governor Hill's mes
sage which ID we'll calculated to CONFUSE cioches
horse with laughter. After frothing at the mou1n'
beating his breast and tearing his hair because
the Senate has failed to agree with him IN fegaro
to the disposition Of his nominations ne remarkS'
1t is hardly necessary for me to discaim any per-
sonal interest in this matterl" Why eerCnv'
ma Governor probably recalls the story OF the
man that hailed Noah just after the ark was
launched. This man was sitting on top OF shot
tower and the water was up to his Walsh anu
capidiy rising. He made dozen frantic appeals
to Noah to give him passage in the ark Moan re-
spectfully but firmly declined All right said
the man: 1T is hardly necessary for me to dis
claim any personal interest in the matter
Our politics call loudly for broom Mr.: Cleveland
has found the broom and begun to ply it-James hus-
sell Lowell at Boston Free-Trade dinner.
WHY then has the President neglected to use
that broom in the Department OF Justice, where an
Attorney-Gs neral with bedraGglcd reputation
has disgraced the countryP The President Is
sweeping Republican officials out OF once IN de
fance Of his protestations Of affection Tor CNl
Service reform. That is the only use he Is max
ing of the broom.
The number of suicides during the past year
was one of the more cheerful features OF Inc
Chicago Tribune's" New Years artlcle Inc
number referred simply to those cases reported IN
its columns-an obviously incomplete Iorm Vi
statistics. and one likely to vary with the nervous
suicide editor. But it is interesting to know that
of the 1887 cases reported-a marked increase
over previous years-less than One-iourth were
women. Nearly one-half of the whole NUMBER
shot themselves about one-ffth hanged them
selves and so on down the list to the one man
who killed himself with poker, and Lingg VINO
blew his head off. Further mortuary information
from the same source is to the effect that the
number of legal executions was considerably less
during the year than usual but that the number
of murders had greatly increased.
Faith and facts frequently come into COLLISION.
The man who walked up South Fifth-ave. The
other morning III the Of the blizzard with only
an undershrt and blanket to cover HIM needed
protection sadly, although he didn't bcheVe IL.
Free Traders are in like prcdicament. But thcy
won't find it out until they are laid out still ana
cold Their theories wont save them from The
piercing blasts Of facts.
Mr. Lowell at the Boston frce-trade dinner drew
up,n ~, of lis London experiences He had once
presided. he said, at meeting of the Society OF
Arts, wien paper was read By MIR. Pldgcon on
American manufactures. During the discussion
which followed he was irritated by the assumption
On the part of the speakers that it would be an
excellent thing for England if the frcc-trade doc
trine should Prevail in America. 1t is perhaps more
to the point that this op mon prevailed at this meet
ing of prominent Engshmen than that S1r. Lowell
felt called upon to warn them that America under
free trade might possibly beat the world. lie
has unconsciously thrown a brilliant side-light
upon the reception of the Presidents message
in England.
PERSONAL
1t was through the persuasion Of cousin, then