Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1893-01-02
Ehe Democrat.
WATERBURY,. CONN .
O. & NJ. T. MALoNEY, PRoPRIEToRs.
oFFIoE-267 South Main Street.

OFFICE-267 South Main street.
ADvIcEs from st Petersburg and
other parts of Russia show that the
persecution of the Jews and the in
humanityoot the cars officials toward
that unhappy race are greater than ever
before. Six edicts have been Issued,
aiming to dispense the Jewish subjects
of Russia, and crush out their religion.
These edicts are enforced with the
utmost rigor in many parts of the en-
pire, and with severity everywhere.
The Moscow newspapers boast that
since the beginning of 1891 10000 Jews
have been converted to orthodoxy.
SHOULD Mr. Cleveland die before the
second Monday in January the cleo
toral colleges would have to elect
some other personEto the presidency.
They have legal right to do that in
any event, as there is no restriction
upon their choice except in regard to
the qualifications laid down in the con-
stitution. Should Mr. Cleveland be
elected president by the electoral col
lege, Mr. Stevenson vice president, and
the former should die between that time
and the first of March, Mr. Stevenson
would be president. This contingency
is provided for in the twelfth amend
ment to the constitution, which de-
clares that in case of a failure to elect
president or in case of a vacancy in the
Office from any other cause the vice
president shall act. Article 2, section 1,
of the constitution, confers upon Econ
gress the right to declare what officer
shall act as president in case of a va
cancy in both the offices of president
and vice president. This was done by
the act of congress approved February
5, 1887, and the succession is in the fol-
lowing order: Secretary of state, secre-
tary of the treasury, secretary of war,
attorney general, secretary of the navy
and secretary of the interior.
BAIT FOR THE SOLDIER VOTE.
Here is a specimen of extravagant and
useless legislation, brought to light by
members of the house committee on ap-
preparations: In the estimates sub
mited for appropriations for the next
fiscal year, by the war department, was
one item of S650,OOO for artificial limbs
for soldiers. The large amount for this
purpose suggested an investigation
which brought out the fact that up to the
fifty-first congress, soldiers entitled to
artificial limbs were authorized every
five years to receive new legs or arms,
or to take in Communication SIS for
leg and $50 for an arm. During that
congress without any recommendation
or request from the war department
bill was lobbied through by the claim
agents ring which at that time col
lected about nine-tenths of the commu-
tation money-upon big percentage of
course-reducing the period to three
years. Since then a rule of the depart
ment shuts the claim agents out of this
money. 1t was also discovered that the
original law was more than liberal, as
an artificial arm will, under ordinary
usage, last lifetime, and that leg lasts
from six to eight years; also that 90 per
cent of those entitled to artificial arms
and rs per cent of those entitled to legs,
regularly take the money instead of the
limb. Further investigation showed
that if this claim agents law had not
been enated the item would have been
SIS, 900 instead of $G50,0OO. Quite a
difference This is only one instance
showing how this congress is compelled
by the vicious legislation of the last re-
publican congress to increase appropria-
tions. 1t will take several years of
democratic rule and vigilant investiga
tions to get the expenditures of this
government down to an economical,
business basis, but it is going to be
done