Morning journal and courier., 1889-01-25
EDITORIAL NOTES.

''Electric prostration" is the latest new disease. Modern convenienees have their drawbacks.
 A member of the Maine legislature says his town is all ready for the Australian system of voting. for the polling place is barn, and the stalls could be used at once.
 A French savant, in ceurious investiga- tion, has discovered that red has been the most prominent color in literature from the time of Luoian to the present day. Writers show a marked tendency to discover red things, for the reason that "blue in nature is not very conspicuous. and yellow. though more common in flowers, has tendency to lose it's individuality in whiteness; but red is so conspicuous because of it's contrast to green, which is the predominating color in nature"
 A new textile has been discovered in Rus sia on the borders of the Caspian Sea. The plant is called kanaff by the natives and att tains a height of ten feet. From it chem ist has obtained textile matter which is soft, elastic and silky, gives thread which is very tough; and can be bleached without injury. The stuffs manufactured out of kanaf can be successfully dyed in every shade of color and would compete with any of the ordinary fur nishing materials now in use But it is par- tieularly for making sacks, tarpaulin, ropes, etc., that this new textile, from its cheapnsss and extraordinary resisting power, might de- fy all competition.
 The Cleveland Leader gives a summary of the Saxton ballot reform bill, and says: Wherever tho system has been tried 1t has given the best of satisfaction. The modified election laws providing for registration of voters in the large cities of Ohio have proved to be the most eficacious election reform measures ever adopted in the State. They have been commended by every lover of an honest ballot, regardless of party aailiation. We feel convinced that any law tending to further this reform, reaching the small towns and the country villages, as well as the larger cities, will meet with the same generous spirit of approval. Ohio must not be dila. tory in reform.
 The decision of Judge Brewer of tho United States Circuit court practically ralei that the State courts have authority to exc cute the railroad laws of the State, and that \ the federal courts will not interfere witt | their jurisdiction. The case arose from . I number of suits brought by jobbers of low. | against the Rock Island and other roads fo | violation of the railroad law passed by th' last legislature of the State. The railroad | at once took the papers from the State te \ the federal court and asked that the suits b. tried there, principally on the ground tha they were not criminal but civil in thei nature. Judge Brewer has sent the paper | back to the State court, declaring that tn jurisdiction lies there. ''In whatever forn the State pursues her right to punish tn offences against her sovereignty" says Judg
 Brewer, "every step of the proceeding tend to one end-the compelling the offender t pay pecuniary fine by way of punishmen for the offense. An action to enforce pen
 alty, whatever may be its nature, is one of
 criminal nature"
 The Boston Journal has been making a
 interesting study of this years voting, unde
 the local option laws, of the various Massa | chusetts towns and cities on the question (
 granting liquor licenses; and its conclusio
 is that there is s'a marked gain for license.
 It is found on comparison with other year that in 1886 out of 349 towns and cities 2
 or 21 per cent, voted for license; that in 1Se
 the proportion granting licenses was still les
 6a in number, or IS per cent; but that
 1888, out of 351 towns and cities, 85, or l per cent, voted for license The change
 more clearly shown, however, by comparise of the relative strength of the license and n