Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-07-25

Talking About.
NEWSPAPERS AND THE yEws-oorHAN's TORN
ur srRExrs-oESrLKxES JACK TARs TIN
xxxFE's FALL-FoRrreS PAuPKR LABOR.
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star
NEW York, July %, 1891.
THE EAGERNESS WITH WHICH THE
Il early Christians coveted martyrdom was
nothing to the anxiety Of the daily papers Of
the city to be prosecuted for publishing ae-
counts of the electrical execution. The plum
OF persecution, it seems has fallen to the Daily
Ne'cs. against which today the preliminary
steps were taken by the district attorney. No
doubt this will prove an immense advertise
ment for the paper and will be made q great
deal Of. 1t is doubtful. however. if the district
attorney does anything more than comply with
the routine requirements Of his Office. Ger
tainly 1T would be useless to try to keep the
papers from printing news of An execution es-
pecially where such legitimate curiosity is in
VOWED as in the case of this untried and sensa-
tlona! process of getting rid of criminals The
pubnc prosecutor has no option in the matter,
as the statutes are explicit, but no one dreams
thnt there will be conviction or that the case
will be pressed.
WHAT THEY RAGE ABOUT.
In connection with the heated controversies
between the census Office and the local author
tiles, it may be said that the tax rate of New
York Is going to be lower next year. probably,
than ever before. When the rate last year was
put at S1.97 it was thought to be done largely
for political effect and VIC were threatened
with an unusually high rate the year after in
compensation. But the lists have closed today,
and 1t is announced semi-officially that the rate
this year will be SI.93. This is an argument
which 1t is very difficult for mugwumps any
other criticalpcrsons to combat. The fact is that
the city Is SO rich that We can be mismanaged
and yet not feel IL in our purses directly. But
what we do feel, and what the community
groans over and is in a state of rage almost to
the rloting point over, is the condition of the
principal thoroughfnres. Certainly there never
was time In the history of the city, and that
Is saying good deal, when the chief arteries
OF traffic were so outraged by Improvement"
as now. 1t is not merely Broadway the chronic
victim OF the pick and shovel. but Sd avenue
and one or two other great streets. which are
TORN up almost from end to end, with a pros
pect OF remaining so for months. To be sure
there are PARKWAY whispers of help in the air
or under ground ultimately in the shape Of
rapid transit that deserves the name, but our
suffering for the present is grievous. even with
such glorious hopes ahead.
OUR SPRUCE NEW NAVAL MILITIA
The fun Of the week has been the picnic Of
the amateur tars. About three years ago it
soe pe qulte inc lasnlon 10 enlist In the naval
militia. Some of the brightest young fellows
around town with a fondness tor the sea and
Tor military life put the two together and
made up local battalion, which did some very
hard work practicing in an artillery armory up
Town anu aboard one OF the Old ships. Capt.
Erpen OF the navy, now in charge of the
Brooklyn yard, was great friend of the enter
prise and helped the young fellows very much
In their drills. The state legislature and Con-
gress took up the idea, and the movement has
grown, until now the state has quite a respect
able nucleus for naval militia. During the
week these gentlemen bluejackets have
shown the results Of their hard work
In series OF maneuvers that have
renected great credit on them and in which
tney nave had no end OF honest pleasure. Their
WORK. shows that II any OF the etfete monarchs
turns up In this nlghborhood with blood in his
eye he will get very warm welcome. The
militia nave proved themselves to be very
vaiuapie feature IN the common defense, and
the loea mas already becoms established as part
OF our militia system. These drills in conjunc-
tlon with the visit OF the white squadron. have
given quite shiVer-my-tlmbers quailty to the
week news.
GIANT FALLEN FROM GRACE.
The release of Keefe by the management of
the New York Ball Club might furnish a moral
list With text for an essay on change and
decay In human affairs. -Four years ago Keefe
became the most famous pitcher in America,
ana from that time up to the close OF last
season he was considered by his special ad-
mlrers ana by the base ball cranks pretty gen.
eraiiy, as the nnest pitcher IN the profession.
But Tor some reason or other he has apparently
iost MS cunning; whether It Is because he got
married, or got fich, or got lazy, or got the big
head cannot very well be determined. Per-
maps little OF all contribute. Quite a number
OF the famous ball players In this neighborhood
are pointed the same way. They have been in
the business Tor twenty or thirty years; they
have reached the top OF the profession; many
OF them have got quite snug little fortunes,
and they feel rather above being kicked about
and sworn at and treated as public gladators
whose fingers are knocked out to make an
American holiday. The game has become a
desperately hard one, and man Of middle age
with a comfortable bank account cannot be
blamed for feeling little Like letting up and
finding a seat in the grand stand rather than
broiiing in the sun and lodging the cannon balls
1t is pity. however. that Keefe, the liking
pitcher" could not 60 out in blaze Of glory
rather than in disgrace. However, it is by no
means certain tha' ms priae VIII not be
To male the G;ants yer~ sorrv .ha. ,ha, S S;:
nensed with his services
s,np,r or ,o,r,o~ ,,,nvn
AAo"'
was told TO-DAY by man Just from Germany
that there was pretty grim foundation for the
CRY Of pauper labor abroad lust now in certain
lines Of work there, The manufacturers are
making desperate effort to keep their Ameri-
can market under the new tariff. and to do so