davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun., 1895-01-20
Our Fire Department.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Str: In a recent
issue OF the Nt,o York Ffremdn's Herald, sup
posed to be an official organ Of fire companies
throughout the United States, tho Commits
sioners of the New York Fire Department were
scored las was also the law designed to protect
Union veteran soldierS for appointing as Bat
TALON Chiefs men who had not passed as good
An examination before the Civil Service Board
Foreman Henry w. McAdams of Hook and
Ladder 10. In its article the FYremun's Herald
says: Capt. McAdams has been member of the
department for twenty -one years. &c" do not
by any means desire to belittle the meritorious
service of Capt. McAdams. but why Is the Fire
mans Herald so unjust to those men who were
appointed? For instance, let us look at the rec
ords of the new Battalion Chiefs as regards fire
service. Chief William Shaw was appointed to
the department Oct. g, 1865: was made foreman
May /, 1860. Chief John Castles was appointed
to the department July %, 1866; was made
foreman July Is, 1860. Chief John Welsh was
appointed to the department Oct. IL, 1888; was
made foreman June TO- 1873. AS against this,
Foreman Henry McAdams was appointed 10 the
man May 23. 1888. Thus it will be seen that all
three of the newly appointed Chiefs were fore
men in the department before Henry w. Nc
Adams was member of 1t. Another thought:
How does the FircmGn's Herald know that the
percentages Of the newly appointed Chiefs were
not the highest? We have seen no published
report of the appointees' percentages. and pre-
sumably they are In the lend. l trust you will
publish this in justice to the new Chiefs, who
have had long and honorable record In the de-
partment and against whom, as fremen. moth
Ing can be said.
ONE WHO LOVES THE DEPARTMENT.
The sun., 1895-01-20

Away we 60 The last torpedo boat tested
in Great Britain. the Boxer. 200 feet long. 10
feet beam. and drawing Z feet . inches, showed
n mean speed for six trial miles, with and
against the tide, OF 20.314 knots per hour. In
the presence of such possibilities no slow coach
need imagine that we shall long rest content to
cross the ocean at the 22l& rate OF the Lucania.
When the twln-screw boat was first talked Of,
old-fashioned engineers SHOOK their heans, say
ing that the friction added by the second engine
would overbalance the gain in power aud the
plan would fail. Two screws and engines, how
ever. proved to be moro economical in power
than one screw. aud Bre'r CRAMPS three screwed
Columbia and Minneapolis show greater econ
ony also than the two screws. Ships OF 1000
feet or less and three screws and steady speed
OF twenty five knots per hour are almost due.
The sun., 1895-01-20
Not Senator Guys Bill.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN--Sir: l am
somewhat surprised to find myself called to task
this morning in the editorial columns of your
usually accurate paper. for having introduced
in the State Senate bill reducing the price Of
gas in Kings county. Will you permit me to
say that have never introduced such BILL nor
contemplated doing SO. / know nothing about
the conditions of gas supply and consumption
in that county, and am willing to leave the reg
ulation of its affairs to its chosen representa-
tives.
The only bill have introduced touching the
price Of gas is one which provides that the rate
should be uniform throughout New York city,
to wit, the present rate, 81 25 per thousand feet
80 that the people Of the now populous annexed
district may enjoy the same privileges as other
residents of the city.
This bill am willing to stand sponsor for. 1t
was introduced by me In good faith, is Just and
fair. and shall do all in my power TO secure Its
enactment.
think you will do me the justice to say that
in my case tho art Of milking corporation" " is
not even a lost art: it is one I have never
learned. Very truly yours,
CHARLES L. GUY.
2WALL STREET. NEW YORK, Jan. 10, 1898.
The sun., 1895-01-20
An Insulting Appeal for Charity.

The field of charity has no fences. 1t is
boundless, and will admit all the money
that can be thrown into it. Charity tries
the thoughts and the ingenuity of great
many rich people, who seek to help human
failures and misfortunes. If people had
more to give, there would still be ample op-
portunity for greater expenditure than
marks the present time, so actively and
energetically charitable. 1t is upon this
humane and generous spirit that the
Knights of Labor in Brooklyn, who are rum
ming the trolley strike, have sought to
impose through an appeal that is fairly
soaked with falsehoods.
I'VE have not appealed to force; we have
acted as law-abiding citizens; we have re-
Trained from violence" says this shameless
wheedle. Yet at that very moment the
streets of Brooklyn were lined with the en-
tire police force and with militia Of
the State to protect the street cars, their pas
sengers and operators, from being stopped
and assaulted. Then the strikers go on to
insult other citizens not engaged in the
strike. They call the men "imported from
other cities Of the Union" to run the Brook
lyn cars in the place Of the strikers who
have refused to run them, 1.-THE scum and
driftwood of humanity" Members of Dis
trict Assembly rs are "honest citizens"
whom the railroad companies have ICON
taminated with the tramps and outcasts."
What self-respecting American joins Dis
trict Assembly rs of Brooklyn in calling
men out of work the outcasts Of society,"? I?
What are MARTIN j. CoSNELLY, the Master
Workman, and his four associates In sign
ing this request for money, that they can
thus spit in the face of every man who comes
seeking work, which they have refused to do ?
When the trolley men deliberately put
themselves into tho condition OF asking
charity, they were their own masters. An
appeal for money to help them carry on
their devilish determination to keep other
men from working in their places, and to
maintain a situation in which the people of
Brooklyn have their street cars stopped, and
the men and money of Brooklyn and of the
State OF New York are called on to preserve
the elementary rules of order and public
convenience, is a gross abuse OF the chari-
table impulse. The denunciation of nom
strikers seeking work as "outcasts is an
inadmissible outrage.
Neither sympathy nor liberation can be
given to those who would play football with
the sacred principle Of equal rights.
The sun., 1895-01-20

vessel Of war at Honolulu. These
men, who, to our misfortune and disgrace,
exercise the powers of our Executive, were
waiting for the outbreak of this royalist
conspiracy. They knew It was coming, and
they hoped IL would succeed. No doubt
they are sorely disappointed. The friends
of republican government at Honolulu have
proved themselves able to deal with their
erous American officials who, by conniving
at royalist conspiracy, have dishonored the
United Statesf
The sun., 1895-01-20

| Democrats we hope, but when the jays are
uppermost it is our duty TO recognize the
good intentions Of the jays. Many frivolous
things have been said about this report.
Let us be Just to the changes suggested in
it for the reorganization Of the police.
First, most important, and to our mind
most necessary, Is the change of title oil
lotted TO Re0rganizer BYRNEs. lie is not to
he the Superintendent any longer. 1t was a
tiresome title. He did not and perhaps
could not superintend He is now to be
called the Chief of Police, n good, plain old
office. Skowhegan, Utica, Agawam, honor
the masters of their public order with no
nobler name. But Chief OF Police BYRNEs
is to have important powers. He can trans
fer men from the Tenderlon TO Kings
bridge. He can suspend police officers for
ten days without pay. II an officer has
blackmailed somebody or assaulted some
body, two or three days suspension will
please the public. Still, ten days may not
be enough to please Chief who finds an in
judicious activity in q policeman in Wall
street, let us say. We consider the pro-
vision extremely judicious from Repub-
lican point of view.
Besides, the Chief is to have the power OF
granting five days leave of absence What
more is necessary to reorganize the police
And the Chief of Police is to have an Assist
ant Chief of Police. This will he great help
to conscientious Chief like Mr.. BYRNEs. To
make the latter happier, there are to be six
Inspectors instead of four. This will raise
the proportion of evil seen from TO 9, and
will make the duties Of Chief BYRNEs
practically more difficult, but technically
more easy.
The LExow committee has ideas, how
ever, beyond the limited span that we
have indicated. There is to be a bipartisan
Board, as at present, but it is to be conf
posed Of truly good men. Possibly the pres
ent excellent but somewhat fabby Board
will be considered truly good after it resigns,
so that 1t can be reappointed.
AS we understand the recommendations
of the LExow committee, the Chief of Po-
lice is to have responsibility without
power, and the Police Board, or whatever it
is to he called, is to have neither power nor
responsibility. This seems to be an excel
lent method, from reform point of view.
The sun., 1895-01-20
The Perfect Work of Reform.

The Republican majority in the Legisa-
ture have the power to say what shall be
the details of police management in this
town. and they will naturally try to exer-
else that power for the benefit of the Re
publican cause. Subject to that benefit,
the interest OF the people Of New York
may be considered The LExow committee
has been kind enough 10 make GER
tain recommendations looking toward a
Republican government of this town. The
main sensational facts disclosed by the
so-called LEXOw committee relate to the
police. The report Of the LExow com
mittee as TO the changes to be made in
the police in order to raise that body
to the reform standard Is an inn
portant document. It is received, to
be sure, by the Parkhurstians and the Re-
formers and the Everlasting Mugwumps aud
the German-American Earnest Thinkers,
with dlspleasure. 1t is the nature of re-
formers to expect too much and to muddy
their souls with suspicion. For our part,
We wish to look with benevolenee upon the
recommendations of the Hon. CLARENCE
LExOw and his friends. and their honest ru-
raj tutor, as 10 the police and every other
department Of this town We are good
The sun., 1895-01-20
Do we detect weakness in the moral
foundations of Mayor ScHIEREN2

1t is worth something in England to be
q cricketer of renown. The Court Circular is
highly pleased with the royal appointment Of
Lord SANDHURsT to the Governorship of Bonn
bay, and. in describing his qualifications for the
office, It mentions the fact that he is one of the
greatest living experts at the game Of cricket
There are few men who have done more than
his lordship for the advancement OF cricket"
He is the darling OF Kent" " His appointment
will be cause of rejoicing to cricketers every
where" Lord SANDHURsT is also Lord in Wait
ing to the Queen. His lordship will doubtless
give the officers of the Bombay garrison some
lessons In both single and double wicket.
We do not know that any politician in this
country has been aided in his ambition by his
skill at the great American national game of
baseball Mr.. CLEVELAND, for example, who
has been twice elected to the Presidency, never
won any distinction as player of the game We
do not know that there is u member of tho Sem
ate or the House who has been a baseball cham
pion. Among our Ambassadors, Governors, and
Mayors there is not batsman of eminence. Yet
baseball is popular here cricket is in Eng
land. and the great masters Of it are national
characters. One might think that the popular
ity thus acquired would be helpful in politics,
more especially as the qualifications of base
ball player bear a close resemblance to those OF
a frst-class statesman.
The sun., 1895-01-20

That distinguished rabbi, DIR. KRAUsKoPF,
ness in religion" lie says that pulpit should
not be turned into a stage, or occupied by a
mountebank or fitted out with the parapher-
MALTA Of a variety chow. The pulpit mounte-
banks may amuse the pews. but they drive re-
lgion from the sanctuary. The rabbi grows
wrathful as ho lashes those preachers who desc
crate the places erected for Divine worship. II
cannot speak too scathingly." he exclaims, of
the farcical or, rather, the tragical proclamation
of the pulpit"
This protest of Rabbi KRAUsKoPF is as timely
as 1t is severe and it ought to be taken to heart
by the men toward whom it is directed. We in
had in mind some Of the rabbis OF his own faith
Ms well some Of the ministers of churches.
The protesting rabbi uttered one sentence
which we are not prepared to back up: "Of all
irrcverent people, the Americans are probably
the most irreverent." We think, indeed, that
this charge Is unjustifablc. We are sure that,
in the great majority of our churches, ho will
find that there Is no lack Of reverence among
the worshippers during Divine service. The
Americans are apt to be rational, or even critl-
cal In religious matters, but not .rreverent. 1t
is true that the pulpit mountebanks, whom tho
rabbi condemns, like to hear laughter or ap-
there are so few of them that II is unfair to pre-
sent them as specimens of the clergy. We think
that the religious people of New York are not
less reverent than those OF Paris or London or
any other great city.
The sun., 1895-01-20

A number of our very worthy and very re-
spectacle fellow citizens, many OF them menu
bers OF the Chamber OF Commerce. began a
movement about year ago for an underground
rapid transit road to be built by the city. They
formed their campaign. got the Legislature to
pass the bill they wanted declared that the road
would cost fifty million dollars. and then had n
grand hearing before the public in the Novem-
Der election, and the voters voted as they asked
them TO vote and decided that the road should
be built. 1t has since been revealed that these
worthy reformers had never had an estimate
made OF the cost Of the Job they prOposed and
that 1t cannot possibly be done for the price at
which II was commended TO the public; and so tho
Commissioners intrusted with the enterprise
which the people supposed had been fully
studied and decided on. are now solemnly
equippng themselves with knowledge through
public hearings"
Isn't this the reduction OF public business to
absurdity, not to say humbugY
The sun., 1895-01-20
The su. n. n Present a.d Guide.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sir: The
Jersey CITY Herald OF recent date recommends
THE SUN as the most suitable periodical for q
father to present to his lS-year-old son.
do not think this idea is original with the
Herald. About two years ago young man
called on his father at Washington, and an
nounced that he had graduated from college,
His professor, however, had advised him to con-
tinue the reading Of American history, and sug-
gested that he ask his father what works he
should read. MY boy" said the father. "read
the editorial page OF THE Sun. There you will
find all the American history n boy should
know" " Twas recently asked by friend" said
this gentleman, what considered the most
appropriate Christmas present parent could
WASHINGTON. d. c., Jan. is. TIM.
The sun., 1895-01-20

Honor to EDGAR NJ. CULLEN of the Su-
preme Court of New York for refusing TO
prostitute the process of the law to the
Vaccinations OF lawlessnessl OF course
Judge CULLEN refused to grant a mandamus
against the Brooklyn car companies, when
the streets were filled with soldiers pro-
tecting cars from the outrages of the very
individuals asking for the mandamus.
Men who tie up transportation company
by a strike in mass, and block attempts
10 open traffic by assaults on the new work
men and on the passengers, and then rush
into court TO get the company punished for
not running as usual, don't comprehend the
nature or the function of law. Law is to
give JUSTICE but their uSs Of 1t would be
The sun., 1895-01-20

Section SO Of the iniquitous and uncon-
stitutional income tax provides that it shall be
the duty Of all persons Of lawful age having an
income Of more than SO. 500 for the taxable year.
to make and render a list or return on or before
the day provided by law, to the Collector of
Internal Revenue OF the district in which they
reside, of the amount of their income. gains.
and profits" even though the latter do not
amount to the sum Of $4,000. at which point the
tax Of two per cent. upon income begins One Of
the Collectors of Internal Revenue in this town
has been sending out blanks to various persons,
informing them that their returns must be in
on or before the 31st of March March 81 falls
on Sunday this year, in com mpliance with Treas
ury regulations. The man or woman. therefore,
of lawful age" who has an income of So, 500
must make a report which must be verified by
oath or affirmation of the party rendering it,
whereas the person whose income is S3,400 is
not by law obliged to make any such return,
much less to pay any tax.
When before in the history Of the American
Government there such discrimination
shown2 Was there ever before anything like 1t ?
Not one law for all. but three laws: one for
those earning S4 900 or over. one for those earn
ing between S3,500 and 1000, and one for
those earning less than 80, 800.
The sun., 1895-01-20
THE PITY OF CLEVELAND.
An AdminIstrat tIon OF FaiIurs-Ths Man and
His Shortcomings Discussed by "AA
VAeoMp pro- nsisiAg Democrat"



There is something fairly stupefying in tho com
pleteness OF Grover Clevelsnds failure thus far In
second administration. Possibly It Is because 80
much was promised, SO much expected that the
country now regards the spectacle at Washington
with almost comic despair. With half his term not
yet ended with a Congress In sympathy turned out
and Immense hostile majority In both branches Of
Congress- Grover Cleveland confesses his impOtency
by calling ON his adversary, Hill
Two years ago Grover Cleveland was ken partly on
his own word, but more the assurances OF the re-
form Iunta the only man In the Union capable OF
dealing with the Immense problems imperlllnh the
welfare OF the republic. Yet every vital question
he mas shown weakness, iTresOlutlon, lncompeteney
From the day OF his Inauguration, when he nlled the
great oices OF the state with perfervd amatsurs uR
I'll to-day, when he confcsses his inadeQuacy by cali
Ing senator Hin for help, he has beed tho eIpee
tatons OF the country. His fTst great tas-Teal rev
enue reform left worse than undOne The nnances
have never been In such hazardous shape Public CON
ndeaes Ia men and measures u destroyed. Not
single act of CleNelands second Administration full
MS tho hopes lavished on his election. The Demo.
cratic majority is blamed for the failure OF remedial
legislation, hut, since the Executive Is In all admins
ratlons looked 60 In the guidance even conduct Of
legislation, Grover Cleveland h really the responsible
agent In existing alstFesscs
The sun., 1895-01-20

The Governors of Virginia and West Vir-
glnia. following the formula OF the Governors OF
North and South Carolina on a notable occasion.
are again engrossed in Official correspondence
over the settlement, so called, OF the Virginia
debt" When the State OF West Virginia, made
up OF western counties of the Old Dominion.
most OF them favorable to tho Union cause,
withdrew in 1862 10 establish a separate State,
II was agreed that they should take upon
themselves "an equitable proportion" Of the
then existing debt of the old State of Virginia.
The Constitution Of West Virginia, as ratified
in 1853, recognized that obligation. More than
thirty years have since elapsed, but Il has been
found impossible 10 agree, with dehniteness,
upon the adjustment Of the amount of debt be-
tween the two States. The result is that various
unsuccessful efforts to adjust the matter have
been made from time TO time. The cOntrO-
Versy over the State debt OF Virginia led 20 the
establishment OF the ReadIu party. which at
its Convention in Richmond on Feb. 25, 1870.
declared, among other matters;
THAT Virginia fully recognizes her Just liability for
her proportion of the pgbllc debt contracted be-
fore her territory was divided.
THAT Virginia can never recognize liability for
portion OF the debt which should attach West
Virginia"
Some years later dn 1882 the Commonwealth
of Virginia issued certificates In payment Of its
indsbtmsas setting forth thai the balance
The sun., 1895-01-20

should be collectible when thereafter "a settle
ment should be made between the States Of Vir-
ginia and West Virginia" No such settlement
has since been made. and the present corre-
spondence between the two Governors is to
secure such q settlement. West Virginia has
substantially no debt. whereas tho debt Of vlr-
elnia amounts TO e34. 100000, which beats all
other states, Tennessee being second.
The sun., 1895-01-20

the most insupportable injustice that can be
conceived.
Society is safe so long rs magistrates like
EDGAR NJ CULLEN hold the bench incor-
ruptibly against the reckless and deceitful
clamor OF social agitators.
The sun., 1895-01-20

fhe UEITEp PrEss and NEW YonK AssociAIEp PREss
10 at 81 to 20 Ann strsst Al Information and docu-
press Of the whole country.
The sun., 1895-01-20

" ssr Jftspds .shs fewer .s effh rsanrssrfpts Jor
ppbncanon ,ctsh 10 haze rejected articles rstrrtsd
hev p,pst IN oil cdse, send sfamps for that purpose
The sun., 1895-01-20

Instead OF tEining with bad cold use Dr. D. Jsynss
E1pectorant which will loosen the phiegm, sabdus
thToal mnsA dsasssSas ws1r aad sai."1as. am
The sun., 1895-01-20

Doctrine of the modern peace disturbers:
A man shall not work except by our consent;
and no man shall make money.
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1895-01-02
Swiftness of Dreams.

Ariel could put girdle round about
the world in forty minutes, but ne was
slow compared to the most ordinary
dream. Many stories are told show
ing the different count of time. Lord
Brougham relates that he dreamed q
dream of long continued action during
q short doze while droning counsel
was placed before him. Lord Holland
fell asleep while listening to some one
reading, dreamed dream and awoke
in time to hear the conclusion OF a
sentence, the first words OF which were
in his ears when he became uncon-
scious. DR.. Abercrombie relates that
a gentleman dreamed that he had en-
listed for soldier, joined his regl-
ment, deserted, had been apprehended,
carried back, tried, condemned to be
shot, and at last led out for execution.
After all the usual preparations he
awoke with the report, and found that
q noise in an adjoining room had both
produced the dream and awakened
him. Another dreamed that he had
crossed the Atlantic and spent fort
night in America. In embarking, on
his return, he fell into the sea, and,
haying woke with the fright, he found
that he had not been asleep ten min
utes.
Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1895-01-02
PICTURESQUE Fishermen.

When the travis are taken in, al-
most every kind of SEQ fish is found on
the hooks, including the shark. The
latter species is the plague of the hall
but fisherman's life, often carrying off
his lines. There are two varieties that
infest the halibut banks, the blue-dog,
which is from six to twelve feet long,
and the ground shark, which is from
twelve to twenty feet in length. The
former is very active fish and very
powerful, sometimes taking the bait
together with the fish on the hook; in
any case it will make n desperate re-
sistance, towing boat round and
round until exhausted. The ground
shark is sluggish, but when hooked it
comes to the surface, and rolling like
log in the water seldom fails to
tangle the fishing lines or chafe them
apart with its rough cuticle. The
most picturesque fishermen on the
Cape Flattery banks are the Neah Bay
Indians, who come out from the shore
in small canoes, although the banks
lie ont distance of fifteen miles. The
gear used by them is so primitive as
to excite the ridicule OF the American
fishermen, but with it the Indians Sc
cure enough fish for their sustenance.
They have single line let down from
the side of their canoes, at the end of
which is a piece of wood, shaped some
thing like V, in the angle of which
the bait is secured. About half way
up the V q stick is tied diagonally