Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-09-13

METROPOLITAN JOURNALISM AND THE Tariff
BILL-roo MANY PUPILS ron THs GOTHAM
scHooLs-JuvESILE ROBIN HooDs--raE GRANT
NoNUMENr-cRIME.
Correspondence Of TIE EVENING srxa.
New YoRk, September II.
If Lillian Russell had sprained her ankle
most OF the great dailies" would have
given that important event half column
But to the action Of the United States
Senate in unexpectedly advancing the date
Of the tariff bill from November 1 to
October scarcely a single New York paper
more than referred in a casual line. The fact
very we'll illustrates certain features OF metro.
politan Journalism. Without scofhng at the
importance Of comic opera one may express
astonishment at theories of journalism which
ignore a stroke Of political management that
set every importing house in New York into q
fever and formed the central feature in the
commercial life of the metropolis of the pres
ent week. II ratified by the conference COM
mittee II will affect the import trade well into
the millions. 1t was understood that the new
tar,n was not to so into effect till the list Of
November and arrangements had been made
accordingly. But now the work Of five weeks
must somehow be concentrated into one for il
goods are to get here by the LIST of October
they must be shipped by the 18th or goth. The
amendment was sprung ill the Senate and
every effort Is being made to hurry up ship
ments.
THE YELLOW COVERED SMALL roy
There is one variety Of crook which tradi-
ton has led US to think was indigenous rather
to the fresher civilization of our wild western
i:ontier than to the effetc east But New York
Is not to be easily outdone in crime, and she
can point with pride this week to probably the
youngest horse thieves on record. Three boys
OF respectively nine, twelve and thirteen wears
OF age have succeeded in stealing no less than
three valuable horses attached to wagons One
team was captured from them by four larger
outlaws another wagon they sold. and when
caught they were gayly driving in a bakers
wagon drawn by one horse, and with another
TIED 10 the failboard. They had promptly eaten
the few loaves OF bread they found in the
wagon, and were On their way to begin the life
OF bold bandits under the greenwood tree. The
equipment of these Harlem Robin Hoods was
simple, as become those who we're casting aside
the trammels OF civilization. 1t consisted Of a
dry-goods box. an axe and goat, all stolen
The plan was, AZ the monosyllabic first reader
might say. to-cbop-ihe-box with the-axe and
after building fire to roast the goat and have
a wild orgie in devourng him. 1t requires a
Vivid imagination TO tnncy even small boys
appetite being tempted by the gnarled aud
sinewy outlines Of a iiarlem goat, but perhaps
they planned to acquire thus the muscle and
sinew that oil boys covet Their bright dreams
werc rudeiy shattered, however, and thew are
now in the hands of the Childrens Society,
whose officers are sadly lacking in sympathy
with the budding ambition to be a bandit
LOST ON TIE FOOT HILLS OF pARSAssUs.
There is joy in the hearts Of 5000 Youngsters
in New York and corresponding grief in the
hearts Of their parents this week. The public
schools have opened aud il is found that at
least that many children can not be accom-
modated and must at least postpone the de-
lights OF being, as DIR. Blimber remarked,
young pilgrims to Parnassus." The Young
pilgrims perhaps find little difficulty in re-
nouncing these delights for the less intellectual
ones of base ball and marbles. but their
parents are naturally indignant that they
should be deprived of one of the perauisites
OF free born American citizen and there is q
great clamor for more schools. This redund-
ancy OF youth would seem to indicate thar New
York has perhaps some grounds for adding her
voice to the chorus chanted by all the cities Of
the United States in indignant protest that the
census men did not know how TO count
SCARED INTO MONUMENT MAKING.
We New Workers are much obliged to Con-
gress for obtaining for us what otherwise might
have been a generation in coming The at
tempt to remove the body Of Grant stirred up
the local committee like a bonfire lighted UNI
der baulky horse. After months or years of
ignominous inaction they suddenly adopted
design and the work is to be promptly begun.
not been vouchsafed sight at the chosen de-
sign, but the lucky architect has good record
and probably the monument will have merit
The design calls for an expenditure of half
million dollars. but beginning can be made
with the $4,000 which the committee now
has, and, as have said, the work is to be
tackled at once.
ITEMS OK TEE SHADY SIDE. .i. ~
In the criminal calendar several items of In
terest mark the week. The first is. that Judge
Lacombe of the United States circuit court has
denied an application for writ of habeas
corpus on behalf OF the Japanese murderer,
Jugigo. His lawyers claim that the dynamos
have failed to work intended. and that
execution by them resulted lin fiendish and
inexpressible torture" The judge. however,
decides that the statute is not unconstitutional
Whether further steps will be taken to obstruct
the law cannot be told. Daring the excite
ment caused by Reminders horrible death il
was freely asserted that his would be the last
electrical execution, and it is still thought
probable that a stay Of some sort will be had
80 that the legislature can pass on the Law be-
fore further experiments are made.
But those who are anxious to thwart
the law have lost their first issue
With regard to other crimes the most
sensational item has been the confe ssion of the
Brooklyn fire bugs. by which it appears that a
number of loafers put tho torch to tenement
after tenement house simply on the chance of
stealing little money in the confusion--a con-
fessiOn which is not comfortable reading for
the crowded dwellers in big flats. Per contra
one sensational story of the week WAS spoiled
by the true facts coming out. 1t was thought
that We had mysterious scoundrei or maniac
in town who went around throwing vitriol on
ladies' dresses 1t now appears that the vitriol |
was accidentally dropped from a second-story
window on to the dresses OF passers-by.
HENRY R. ELLIOT.
THE COURTS.