davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-02-15
More Needless Omces.

There is a bill before the Legislature en-
titled an act to create a Board OF Telephone
Commissioners. and defining and regulat-
ing Its powers and duties.
This bill provides for the appointment by
the Governor OF three persons to constitute
a Board OF Telephone Commissioners In
and for the State Of New York. One OF tho
members must he a Democrat. one n Repub-
lican. and the third mustibe selected with
out reference to his party affiliations.
These gentlemen are to meet at least once
a month in Albany, and to receive ton dol
lars a day while engaged in the perform
ance OF their duties and while travelling to
and from their appointed place OF meeting,
hearing. and investigation. The Board Is
to have q clerk or secretary who shall serve
ut a salary not exceeding three thousand
dollars. and may employ other clerical as
%sistants, accountants. and experts at a total
cost not to exceed twenty-five thousand
dollars a.year. which Is appropriated by the
bill and declared to be a continuous annual
appropriation to carry out tho provisions Of
the act.
The principal duties Of the Telephone
Commissioners will be to investigate all
complaints made against telephone COM
panies doing business within the limits OF
this State. and to fix and declare such
charges and prices as they shall deem just
and reasonable for telephone communica-
ton by any telephone company against
which complaint is made. They will also
be empowered to require the corporations
affected by the act ito provide for the use
OF their customers or subscribers the most
n nnr0yaA oppliopoac pe{r,p,anfc md opn-
nections owned. controlled, or leased by
them for the transmission OF telephone
vocal messages at the charge and price
fixed by the Commission"
Even IL We assume that some supervision
and control on the part OF the State over
telephone companies may be desirable.
there Is no need Of establishing a new Board
OF State officers for this purpose. There ARE
already upward OF twenty State Boards in
existence, and there Is no occasion to add
to the number. or to waste twenty-five
Thousand dollars a year In this way. II tho
State is to undertake to regulate telephone
communication to the extent proposed by
this bill. it can do so by imposing the duties
upon tho existing Bonrd OF Railroad Com
m%issioners. the members OF which arc paid
eight thousand dollars n yenr apiece and do
not devote. by any means. all their time to
their official tolls. The addition Of a clerk
or two to the staff OF the Railroad Commits
sioners at an expense not exceeding five
thousand dollars a year would enable that
body to perform all the services which 1t is
proposed to require from the new Tele-
phone Board. and by such an arrangement
the taxpayers would save twenty Thousand
dollars per annum.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-02-15
Elementary Education Only.

A committee OF the graduates OF the So
called College OF the City OF New York called
upon Mayor GIIRoY on Monday to ask him
to support the bill now before the Legisla-
ture for tho removal OF the college up o wv
at q cost to the city of 81. IT'S. 600. MIR. GIL
ROY frankly told the committee that he
was opposed to the project. us look
after elementary education FIRST he
said. He might have added that elementary
education Is all the education with the ex-
pense OF which the municipality Is justified
in charging itself. There Is no more reason
why 1t should support a college for the
benefit OF a few persons or individuals than
why 1t should support a batch OF New York
students OF painting or architecture in
Paris. A well-ordered city cannot afford to
let children grow up in ignorance. In self
protection 1t must provide the rudiments
of education. It's direct duty to education
ends there. When tho city goes beyond
the duty Of providing n general education
Of the many. and provides n special educa-
ton for the few. it taxes everybody for the
benefit OF a small number OF individuals. a
proceeding as unjust as 1t is undcmocratic.
The rapid growth Of the city is already
making upon the public school system de-
mands which 1t is becoming difficult to sat-
isfy. More schools and better school build
ings will have to 10 provided to keep
pace with the growth. Yet the imitation
college on Lexington avenue. not content
with diverting every year a hundred and
Atty thousand dollars OF the taxpayers
money from the legitimate educational pur-
poses Of the city. Is now w%himpering for II
million more.
1t should not get a cent. Any boy in this
town who wants n college education should
be compelled to get it from his parents. or
work for it or go without it.. II the gradu-
ates OF the so-called College OF the City Of
New York think that institution needs Q
new site and n new building. let them raise
the money themselves.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-02-15

tho House to the members OF tho Cabinet
in turn. was to insure the continuance Of
executive control by the came party rs had
elected the President and Vice-President
subsequently dead or disabled. The Presi-
dent OF the Senate or the Speaker OF the
House might belong to the party opposed
to tho Administration. and the sudden
transfer Of executive power to the party in
opposition might involve consequences
and complications disastrous to the public
welfare; but in framing the new law 1t was
assumed that these evils would certainly
be avoided by turning tho succession into
tho Cabinet, inasmuch as the Secretary OF
State and the other Cabinet members were
sure to be Of the same political party as the
President aud tho Vice-President.
Now. In view OF tho facts rccitcd, what
possibilities will the confirmation Of Judge
GRESHAM as Secretary OF State In n Demo-
cratic Administration involve? In tho case
OF the death or disability Of both Mr.. CLEvE-
Ian and Mr.. STEVENSON, the result OF an
election and OF q Democratic victory which
Mr.. CLEVELAND declared in advance to be
more momentous even than the election OF
ABRAHAM LINCOLN. will be the establish
ment in supreme executive power at WASH
ington Of a statesman who has always been
a Republican: who practically affirmed only
one hundred and ten days g that he was
still a Republican, although intending to
vote for Mr.. CLEVELAND; and who. beyond
his own vague statement that he agrees in
the main with Mr.. C~LEvELAND's tariff views.
has never given any evidence that he has
Joined the Democracy or ever intends to
become a Democrat.
Consider this rs n result OF the Demo-
cratic victory Of whose Importance Mr..
CLEVELAND spoke so impressively at Buff
falo! One life. that OF ADLA1 Z. STEVENSON.
fortunately a good risk. between the life OF
GROVER CLEVELAND and President WALTER
Q. GRESHAM. the veteran stalwart Republic
can and GRANT third-termer. Of whom no
man, with the possible exception Of Mr..
CLEVELAND. can affirm that he has become
a Democrat. or is not still n Republican.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-02-15

We trust that Mr.. HENRY C1Ews will not
give wnyto disbursement id his irksome
experiences In trying TO raise the fund needed
Tor tho maintenance OF grand opera in this
city. Tho other men who undertook the Job,
which he Is determined to finish. gave It up in
despair: hut Mr.. CLEws has learned some les
sons during his long career In Wall street. and
nc Is especially familiar with the lesson. How
10 win on the long rum" the first word OF
which is similar to the second and to the third
oriast. Persevere. He has won fortunes through
perseverance,. At times. when the clouds
were thick and obstacles we're In the path. and
enemies were blusterous. and the flesh was
weary. and inI.omened birds were croaking.
and the moon hung low. and bonds or stocks
were moving the wrong way. and the soul was
disposed to despondency. he has rersevcred.
He has wagcd harder battles for mere wealth
than tho battle he is now waging for grand
orera. los the love Of the beautiful. We can
not think that he will surrender. we must
believe that he will wiz. When we again have
the grand opera in an edince worthy Of the
maestros. the name Of HENRY CLEws will not
be forgotten.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-02-15

The Rev. DR.. ABBOTT Of tho Brooklyn
Plymouth Church makes this remark in dis
cussing the temperance question in the
Christidn Union:
THE man who cares moro for temperance results
than for temperance theories will. In our judgment.
vote for local option in Georgia and Massachusetts. for
high license in Nebrask, and Minnesota. and for pro.
hibition in Kansas and in Maine: perhaps also for Gov.
eminent ownership aud sale in Sweden. an exper,.
ment which would be very hazardous in New York city
or Chicago"
Undoubtedly Government ownership and
sale would be both hazardous in practice
and vicious in principle in New York or any
where else in this republic: but il local OPP
ton is good for Georgia and Massachusetts.
why is it not good for this city? II the
people Of those States are entitled to settle
the liquor question, each community for
itself. why should not the citizens Of New
York have the same privilege?
Local option simply recognizes the right
to home rule. q fundamental Democratic
principle which applies to New York as
much Us to Georgia and Massachusetts.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-02-15

The newspapers Of Thursday morning,
Oct. 27. 1892. published the report OF a
speech delivered on the previous day by Mr..
CLEVELAND to his old friends and neighbors
In Buffalo. The speech was notable, be-
cause it was almost the only public utter
ance OF the sort made by Mr.. CLEVELAND
during the campaign. Tie greater part OF
his remarks on that occasion consisted of
personal "reminiscences Of Buffalo and Buff
falo people; but in the passage hero sub
Joined tho Democratic candidate referred
with proper solemnity and unmistakable
emphasis to the significance of the election
then less than a fortnight away:
You know how devoted ] am to the principles OF the
Democratic party. and your knowledge Of me will, !
am sure, acquit me OF insincerity when 1 express the
opinion that the r,1h Of ihs pending political arygg,s means
more our country and our pepts than any in shieh you and I
Maze ~uy been epg19,d."
By one OF those very curious condolences
with which the history Of the world is full,
ON that same day. Oct. 81. 1892. the Hon.
WALTER z. GRESHAM was writing a letter
to tho Hon. BLuFoRD WILSON. In which he
declared that, although he had always been
q Republican, he intended to vote for Mr..
CLEVELAND because he agreed " in the main
with Mr.. C~LEvELAND's views on the tariff;
adding that he believed that a Republican
could vote for Mr.. CLEVELAND "vihout
Joining the Democratic party"
'The law passed Mt tho first session OF the
Forty-ninth Congress fixes the line OF Pres
identiai succession. Under this law. In case
OF the removal. death. resignation or in
ability OF the President and yice-President,
q member OF the Cabinet shall act us Presi-
dent until the disability is removed, or n
President elected; and first in the order of
Cabinet officers eligible to the Presidency
IN sach circumstances is the Secretary OF
State.
The sole purpose Of the now law diverting
the line OF Presidential succession from the
PRESIDENT OF the Senate and the Speaker Of
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-02-15

Our esteemed contemporary. the Phihdel-
phid Ledger. is inexact in saying that the
present generation has forgotten the names
OF MALONE and PEALE and STAGE and DRExE1.
and only n few collectors have known how
beautiful their work was" DRExEL and PEA1E
and MALBoNE may have faded u little, but
the name OF A. ALoNZo STAGE will glow
In the ornament as long as the armament
continues to wear tho Yale colors. His work
was beautiful. as Philadelphia says. and the
way in which he could make n ball describe
the essential line Of grace will ever be re-
membered with gratitude and oxultation at
New Haven. PEALE and MALBoNE. yes. REM
BRANDT and RuBENs. may be forgotten, but
stage is a slayer. The Old Masters Of Base.
ball are secure.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-02-15
Tho Power to Sell Bonds.

The EreninO Post disputes our assertion
that the so-called Resumption act Of Jan.
IA. 1875. does not provide for the main
tenance at par in gold Of the legal tenders.
but only for their redemption and cancella-
ton. II quotes as conclusive tho following
passage from the act:
And whenever and so often as circulating notes
shall be issucd to any such banking association 80 in.
erensing It's capital or circulating notes. or newly or.
Ganized ss aforesaid. " shall be the duty of the Secrs.
sary of tho Treasury to redeem the legaltendcr United
States notes in eroe,. on'y NJ three hundred million. Of dol.
Is,s to thu amount Of eighty per cenium Of the sum Of
NATIONAL bank notes so issued to any such banking as
ISOLATION ~ aforesaid. and to continue such ~edemptio
~ such circulating notes arc issued unni nee ,lauss ou.
SANDING the sum ~ three hundred million dollars Of such lgal.
sndsy LnitAi Stuio noa and no more"
Having ourselves been guilty Of tho over
sight Of attributing to Secretary SHERMAN
an Interpretation OF tho act which should
have been credited to Secretary BRIsTow.
we will not charge the Evening Post with a
wilful garbling OF the quotation it makes.
but we will content ourselves with supply
ing the words Immediately following it:
And ON and afser tho first day of January, ammo
Domiui eighteen hundred and seventy. nine. the Score.
tsry OF the Treasury .haN reieem In coin tho United
Bates .ess.,endsr notes The. outstanding on their pres.
SIS Ai ~ u oh'So y thc .
Treasurer OF the United States in the city Of New York
IN suma OF not less than nifty dollars"
The meaning OF the whole provision
taken together. is. clearly, that previous to
Jan. !. 1879. the outstanding legal tenders
should lie reduced to $500. 900. 900: and that
on and after Jan. !. 1879. the whole $500. OO0,-
90 should be redeemed. This is the view
takeS ofthe matter by Secretary BRIsTow in
Dec~mte-. 1875. and we are convinced that
he MAS right. Congress having. in May.
1878. practically forbidden The further re-
cemriion Of the legal tenders. it is a
question whether Gil subsequent proceed
iEgs under the act OF Jan. Il. 1875. were not
without authority: and even the Ereniug
Post fails to refer to any act OF Congress
permitting the selling Of bonds for gold
with which TO maintain gold payments on
obligations for which the payment OF
"coin" alone Was ever authorized. As to
tho $780, 900 lcgal-tender notes issued
under tho SHERMAN act OF July. 1890. no.
body will for n moment pretend that bonds
may be sold for their redemption.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-02-15
1t Will Not Work.

It Is understood that a concerted effort to
compromise the Presbyterian controversy
over the Bible by a sort OF hedging process
Is to be made under the leadership of DR..
HENRY VAN DYKE. He Is the pastor OF the
Brick Presbyterian Church in the Fifth ave.
nue.. n church formerly anchored in the
s~trictest Calvinistic orthodoxy. but which
now gets more consolation from his elastic
and genial doctrines.
The purpose OF the movement Is to induce
both those who sympathize with the views
of DR.. BRIGGS and those who denounce
them as tlagrantly heretical to unite in
pctitioning the General Assembly. which
meets at Washington next May. to drop
the whole subject as dangerous to tho
peace Of Presbyterianism. The plan seems
to be to beg the Briggsites to keep quiet in
public about the Bible. and TO hold their
opinions for private use only. Their OPP
ponents are also to refrain from irritating
them with heresy trials and all other inter-
ference. The question whether the Bible is
tho genuine Word OF GoD is referred to
scholarship" exclusively. as belonging
there rather than to the field Of theological
controversy.
1t is a very clever plan, for DR.. VAN DYKE
Is u very clever man. He Is also a minister
who likes to have all things pleasant about
him. and with his cheerful and genial ma
ture he contributes to mako them so. He
Is a very polite man, and In the refined so.
ciety in which he moves 1t is obligatory to
avoid subjects OF conversation that tend to
provoke harsh disagreement. II President
PATTON resents the treatment OF the Bible
by DR.. BRIGGS. the polished pastor Of the
Brick Church would have them talk about
something else when they meet. the
weather. for instance. or the last college
football game.
1t Is hardly conceivable. however. that
the General Assembly will hold its convic-
lions under a restraint so polite. At the
last two meetings Of that supreme Presby-
terrain tribunal tho great majority Of its
members made no concealment of their bit
ter hostility to the teachings of DR.. BRIGGS.
III they had had their way. he would have
been hustled out of his chair in the Union
Theological Seminary very roughly. Tho.
did not look upon his rejection OF tho in
fallibility OF the Bible as a trivial matter.
Neither was 1t so regarded by the Cincin-
natl Prcsbytery. which condemned Dr..
SMITH as a hereto for teaching the same
doctrine to theological students in Ohio.
Unless. then, a great change has come over
the hundreds OF presbyteries represented
in the General Assembly. DIR. VAN DYKES
attempt to stop discussion of the subject as
disagreeable to refined sensibilities is not
likely to be successful.
A similar effort was made Immediately
after the acquittal OF DIR. BRIGGs by the
majority OF the New York Presbytery. and
1t was directed against the committee of
prosecution. Every pressure Of wealth and
social influence wes brought to bear to In
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-02-15

to organize an Orthodox Rabbinical Conventicn
which shall proclaim tho permanence OF the
Abrahamic covenant aud It's ritual. and shall
set up q barrier against all the Innovations Of
the WISE School Of Reform. 1t is probable
that this Important convention will DO held
within tho year. 1t is unlikely that Chief
habbi JOSEPH will be the director Of It. Rabbi
GoTTHEIL may BIO among it's influential mem
bers. He did not appear at q recent meeting
OF Reform rabbits In this city. and his absence
therefrom has brought him under the censure
OF tho Reformer WISE.
The evangelical indepcndency. the freedom
from other authority than that OF the ancient
books. which has always been maintained by
tho Orthodox Judaism OF this country. is a
most interesting thing to philosophers. and is
especially deserving Of study by all scholars in
ecclesiastical law and religious history.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-02-15

duce these me to drop the matter q suf-
ficiently settled. They were cxhortcd and
almost bulldozed for the purpose OF pre-
venting them from carrying the case to
the General Assembly on appeal. As con-
sistent and conscientious Presbyterians
they resisted all such influences. and next
May at Washington the General Assembly
must settle the controversy. which Will be
brought to 1t both by the appeal from the
acquittal OF DR.. BnIGGs and the appeal
from the conviction Of DR.. SMITH.
The issue is squarely drawn. and 1t must
be mot squarely at Washington. or tho
Presbyterian Church will forfeit the public
respect. DR.. VAN DYKES scheme OF coin-
promise n evasion cannot work.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-02-15

An attempt was made last year by Chief
Rabbi JOSEPH OF this city TO organize an Or
thodox Rabbinical Convention for the purI ose
OF UNFOLDING the ancient standards which are
assailed by the lieform rabbis. who hold q
general convention every year under the Presi-
dency OF Rabbi ISAAC NJ. WIsF. The project Of
the Chief Rabbi came to nauGht; the other
leaders Of the Orthodox rabbinate were
unwilling to recognize any authority but
that OF MOSES and the Thorah. Meanwhile
the Reform party is growing in power. or Is at
least Boosting Of its success In getting pos
session OF synagogues and In Americana
ing the rabhinate OF this country under IN
organization which operates more efficiently
than tho unorganized Orthodox rabbis can op-
crate. On this account a number OF these
Orthodox rabbits have now determined. or
almost determined. to make another attempt
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-02-15
Facts About Our n aIIronds.


from the reports o the Interstate commerce Com
mission IL appears 'hat the hunper OF miles OF rail-
roads IN 'hN 'h''e" ''a'e' Is i"S~o.' or more than six
times 'he circumference OF tho ear'h'
men nc" were "u successive days from
six American cties' ana traVei IN a straight line
hrou"n worn u ~ point o. St"r'hR' the Chicago
mar "" p.oo~o'y e'A'm '" nave made tue quickest
'ime, "n'ie " 'hlo man. mere was one. would BE-
u n''' INV "ohe' u We Instances travelled BY
" lose'"er' "ou" iahi'ooom miles short
:" .o ~ m"'Ass u u eh"eo s'a'es. double
~. 'o""'ea'
Wv VI '"eSe '"''roaos. what they cost.
""0'ne !" uo"st'ue.''u OF sooi WILL anu what they
o"e's sso-o%'ooio' a aeDt greater In volume than
'"a.o' any Government or people. france owes, ac-
eofuint 70 ia'e nRnfes. s<%46.'N3ooo: England.
So.ooo 'ip''V' h"ss'n' sooio.oo'.ooo; fAly. $2.3aS.-
$4,000. "elinahy' >l'"to.ooo,ooo: the United states
e'1oioEo""o' u spsh' si..''4"hoes the rail-
i've "'A'es o'fr'op 'hem III ihey nave
ao"o'e the aeo' ot any Government, Iheir gross earn
ing las year were IN eAees'ot one "'"'on "oiArs' ana
tae net earning" s'o""oV' or a h'''oh a"''@rs
aay' et'ess 'hAn Tour PEI 'en'' on mo "ho'e capital
invested.
"heha,h oorhw"''S f"rtender"' ~ i".N'owh hn
army OF Engtshmen 'o"''s'eu, H''"'u"s y niiitsry
Iepo''s'o' ''-s' so"e' "" III AL
u ohu'hoer ., 'om.N y" - =" "mere"n
49," ,r~ W.. nmh. y
l.'0ooUh
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-02-15
Ircland,s National Color.

TO TIE EDITOR or TIE suS-Sir: Your correspondent
&C." whose letter on tho national color Of ireland ap-
peared in last Saturdays Sun. was incorrect In his
statement shat 1.-The blue portion OF the British union
Jack represents Ireland" The union Jack Is an ines
NOUS combination of tho three crosses Of tho three
countries. England. Scotland. and Ireland-st. GEORGES
Cross. a broad red cross on a white neid: ST. Andrews
cross, . white cross. diagonzl.y placed. from corner to
corner. on q blue field, and ST. PHtrick's cross, . dag
onal red cross on a white held. So that the blue Dor
tion OF tho union Jack Ii Scotch.
g." Is. of course. Also incorrect in the dependent
statement that Its Introduction THE biue] into the
British nag in pictures OF our Revolutionary war 10
clearly wrong" The white cross OF St. Andrew on .
blue held was added to tho red cross Of st. George By
James I. %soinewhsre about two centuries. I believe. bo-
fore the War Of Independence. The cross OF st. Patrick
was added in 1901.
OF course this does not Affect the point that blue and
not green is Ireland's historical national color; and
blue represents ireland in one British fag-the royal
standard. Ii that Erin Is represented by tho harp of
gold on q Held OF blue.
Iagree with &c" that II is . pity the color was ever
changed from a true " blue TO . tickle" green.
Nav YORK. Feb. 13, 1909. Il
To TIE EDITOR or The Sus-Sir: In answer to a par.
agraph which appeared in THx suy dated Feb. IL,
styled a very interesting topic. has SO far elected no
comment whatever. and signed &C." I guess his name
must DO Gueip. or nicknamed after one or the Georges
that often tried to make my beloved native flag OF
green black instead OF blue:
men Of antiquity as perhaps any nation In the World
can boast of A Mie~ian colony from the powerful
to my native land tn. knowledge q letters and the Gle.
ne 81 slv,l,Ia,tpn; ~ that lllGs,;r,o 10 people was
The so'of or ground wns g-een. showing their As,atlo
Sr,siy years An .: " %Si. " anI , nma Eno %,th ,n sn a. n,n sa hpn,
land; The mag Of Ireland is s.,!l green. and never, never
WOopsIDK, L. l.