The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-07-14
Current Events.

particularly severe I'D tne edst, onu W
Wednesday the Monongahela river az fltts
burg was raging flood. The ireshet IL
quite unprecedented the water rising WIN
suddenness that took the river men entire
Iy by surprise As a consequence hund
reds of thousands OF dollars worth OF prop
erty in the way of lumber, coal'tipples
buildings on low lands have been destroyed
II is estimated that onThursday over three
million dollars worth OF property was des-
troyed along that river.
fhe storms did also much damage In
Illinois, not as much from floods as by
throwing down the fields OF nearly ripe
oats and wheat. The losses In that form
will be very great throughout almost the
entire state
And still they come. The manufac-
turers and dealers In cotton bagging
have formed com bination TO control the
market and put up prices. There are
thirteen establishments which furnish bag.
ging to planters and packers TO cover baled
cotton, and they propose TO regulate prices
10 suit themselves. These fellows are PRO
tected" by duty of q to cents pound
Hon. Saml j. Randall, after eating very
heartily and very rapidly of black berries
and Ice cream on Tuesday was taken with
a severe attack of hemorrhage OF the bow
els on Wednesday mOrnlDg-so severe that
for time on Wednesday his life was In
very great danger. He is now, however,
much better and on the way TO recovery
again.
The house continues its discussion of the
tariff by section by section. The debate
was enlivened by Cannon, who proposed a
bounty 10 American sugar makers In ex-
change for free sugar. The difference Is |
one in name only. II Is even more obJec-
tionaule because all the results OF sugar
bounty have been to tax the country giving
the bounty to give cheap sugar TO some
other country, as, for example: Germany,
which for years by paying an export bounty
20 beet sugar makers has given England
the cheapest sugar the world has ever seen,
but has never succeeded, with all her
bounty, In reducing the rate TO home con.
sumers TO price anywhere nearly as low
MS the same makers sell II In England.
Mr. Cannon's scheme happily, was not
agreed TO- 1t 10 catching" project
though, and one day taxpayers will have TO
fight the idea as they are now fighting its
alter dg0-protectionism per Sc
The republicans are growing uneasy inthe
subject of taritflegislation,a and are preparing
10 hedge" by presenting bill of their
own In the Senate to be passed as a substi.
tute for the house bill, which will probably
soon be sent to the former body. The com
mit,ee, Allison, Aldrich and Hiscock, how
ever, are said to be chiefly concerned with
how not 70 do It," rather than to offer any
real reduction bill.
The Senate has passed a bill making
changes In the Inter. State Commerce Law
as follows; Requiring reductions In pub
lished rates. fares or charges to be made
only after three days previous public notice;
prohibiting advances In joint rates, fares
and charges shown upon joint tariffs eX
cept after ten days notice 10 the commits.
sion; adding Imprisonment to the penalty
provided for violation of the law as to
unlawful discrimination In rates; making
false billings, false classification, false
weighing, etc. misdemeanor punishable
by fine not exceeding $1,000 and impris-
onment not exceeding two years for each
offense making the payment of any con
sideration TO induce unjust discrimination
Il misdemeanor subject 10 similar penalty.
tits stated that the Illinois canal schemes
Culloms amendment TO the river Ind
harbor bill, will go through the house, and
thus a beginning made for those great i'm
provements.
Mr.. Cox In the house on Thursday called
attention TO the necessity Of correcting i'm.
migration abuses. There Is unquestionably
an abnormal immigration owing TO the
representations Of parties interested here
railroads, land agents, employers of I'M
skilled cheap labor, &c, so that the Italian
immigration, e. g.. 10 coming here at the
rate OF S0,000a year. In one month over
$1,000 foreigners came here who did not
know word of our language. A resolu-
ton by Mr.. Ford TO appoint special com.
mittee OF immigration was adopted.
The house bill appropriating 100000 to
continue sorghum sugar experiments was
passed Monday.
An amendment TO the tariff bill offered
by William Walter Phelps, to increase the
duty on thread was defeated. Willy still
continues TO declare himself the friend of
the working woman, OF course.
The senate insists on donation or sub.
sidy Of $4,000 TO the steamship compa-
mics carrying malls TO South America,
which the house rejected. Unless the
house agree 10 this wretched steal, the
appropriation for the South American
mails will fail altogether.
The iron men are not meeting with great
success In their efforts 70 force lock out
of the men, In Pittsburgh the situation
has somewhat changed In favor of the
men, while outside Of town quite number