The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-09-19

Our esteemed neighbor. the Argus, quotes
this statement from the New York Evening
Post:
The postofice department has Just adopted
new letter box, which is to be substituted gradu.
ally for the boxes which now adorn the Iamp
The new boxes will cost from $40 TO s7.75
each; The boxes now In use cost S1.75 to $3.50.
"God help the surplus"
No doubt both Post and Argus think they
are whacking away at the Republican adj
mnistration. But in reality they are bella
boring the poor old corpse of the late Cleve-
land administration. On the Goth of last
December Don NJ. Dickinson, the Democrat
ic Postmaster General. published a call for
new street letter box, and asked the in
ventors of the country to submit samples
and proposals. Some twenty-five or thirty
were submitted, and the contract awarded
to MIR. w. ID. Doremus of Washington, a red
hot Democrat by the way. Mr.. Doremus
contracted with the Corbin Cabinet Lock
Company of New Britain, Conn.,, to manu-
facture his new box, and they are now turn
ing out fifty per day, under this Democratic
contract. In due time the contract which
Mr.. Dickinson made will be fulfilled by the
Republican administration. and the cost will
be paid out of the surplus. The Republicans
believe in fulfilling all legal contracts. But
is 1t not little hard that the Democratic
organs will not let the Cleveland administra.
tion rest quietly even in the gravep
Anseline Stanilas de Bortkiewitch. the
Russian scholar and soldier, now held in
New York for snatching a lady's pocket.
book, certainly seems like one of those char.
acters OF romance who blamelessly fall into
the tolls of the law through some remarkable
conspiracy of circumstances. The school
teacher, Miss Brown, who lost her pocket
book, is positive, however, that he is the
man who took it; and no appeals have so far
been able to move her to review the evidence
which her own mind has Of the fact. But
those who have examined the circumstances
OF the case are convinced, in spite of Miss
Browns confidence, that she is mistaken.
The Russian was in good circumstances
financially when seized; and his acquaintan-
ces In Boston, where he has been recently.
including the young American lady to whom
he is engaged, have the highest confidence in
him. The young mans unfortunate predica-
ment brings out peculiar fact in relation to
Russia's treatment of her subjects. The
RUSSIAN consul at New York refuses to help
him because he has not Russian passport.
This is due to the fact that more than six
years ago Bortkiewitch left Russia, never to
return. He was then lieutenant with the
Dragons, and was an advocate of the social
and educational enlightenment of the Rus
sian common soldier. This got him into
trouble with the government of the Car and
he left the country. The young Russian has
apassport, but 1t is French one. To young
man without country and with few friends
here Miss Browns positive opinion is very
troublesome circumstance.
The flaming proclamations which certain
Catholic dignitaries are sending abroad over
this country in reference to the statue of
Bruno. unveiled not long ago in Rome, are
intended. no doubt, to help heal the feelings
of the Pope, which were deeply hurt by the
proceedings on that occasion. If the crowds
under the Vatican windows insulted Len
XIII. by threats and ribaldry, that venera.
BILE potentate deserves the sympathy of the
world. But in the pastoral letter Of Arch
bishop Favre, published yesterday, greater
stress seemed to be laid upon the fact that
anyone had presumed to unveil in Rome q
monument to Bruno, whom Archbishop
Favre describes as "a monk twice apostate,
enemy of God and virtue, man without
doctrine or morals, whose revolving crimes
brought him under the condemnation of
ecclesiastical and civil laws" Now history,
which pays to Bruno the compliment of be-
Ing one Of the greatest philosophers of the
sixteenth century, shows that he was arrest
ed by the lnquisition-what that was every
one understands pretty well-imprisoned
several years, and then tied to a stake in
Rome and burned to death for heresy. AS
heresy was In those days "reyolting crime
LOT which people were frequently burned
awe, Bruno became martyr with the 9TH
ers VINO refused to believe as the Pope
wished them to believe, and is TODAY hon
oIed lor MS adherence to his faith under cir
cumstances OF terror and torture. In Amer
lca conduct like this is honored. and n
seems very foolish for the Pope n annaaI
for sympathy on this side of the Atlantic
because Bruno has been honored in Roma
by monument. If Leo XIII. was ill-treat-
ed personally he is entitled to sympathy
but there is good reason for believing that
his great grief is that freedom of conscience
has been honored In Rome
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Thomaston has O i0uTishingllsocial club.