Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-02-29

vania. Now that in consequence Of
his wouuds, which have often made
him suffer too much for work, he is
compelled to leave his long work rs
educator, this honor of appointment
and retirement is but u deserved nc.
acknowledgement Of merit. Gen. Webb
is the eldest son Of general James Wat.
son Webb, and brother of Mrs. j. q.
Benton of this city.
New York is the greatest manniact.
nring city in America. The men and
women who work in her factories, her
fonnderies and her brcweries must
have cheap places OF residence, or
those industries must be removed
from within the city limits. The
hours OF labor made necessary by out.
side competition are too long to admit
of a long journey to and from work
even granting that low fares should
remove one element from the problem
of suburban development. The tene.
ment house is where. these workers
live. la many cases IT Is owned
by men who seek to remove every
legitimate reason for complaint. That
they have succeeded in large measure
is proven by the health departments
statistics, since then the theorists are
kept puzzling over the fact that the
death rate in so-called teneme mt house
sections is lower than in those parts OF
the city where well-to.lo people live.
The best OF motives nnderlie the
manifesto of President Wilson Of the
board of health against tenement
houses. He regards such houses as n
menace to public health, and would
have the Legislature pass bill enab-
ling the city to condemn such proper.
ties ut the rate of, say, $1,000, 900
year. Nevertheless, it must not be
forgotten that there are two sides to
this question and some thinking men
believe that ameliorating legislation,
not calculated to drive landlords into
seeking other uses for their property,
would be wiser than any attempt to ex.
terminate the tenement house rs snch.
Mayor Strong's offer of $500 to any
one proving that public patron mage had
been improperly used by any officers
of his administration is having stimu.
lating effect on the literary activities
of New York politicians. Already sew.
eral quite nicely spelled affidavits have
been received in competition for the
prize, but mayor Strong says he did
not ask for fiction, and will not recog.
nize such men rs those whose names
me ON the documents. When some
reliuble and truthful person shall
come forward with such docu-
ment he says he will pay some ut.
tention to it, not before; whereat Mr.
Platt looks very wise and smiles
pleasantly and trIls delicious bit of
lifting, laughing song. He says he
has found man in his faction to fill
mayor Strong's qualification and will
corner him. But why does not Mr.
Plat get ont an affidavit himself? He
certainly knows about all there is of
political corruption in New York. Can
his hesitancy be due to lack OF con.
fidence in his ability to fulfil the con-
ditions personally?
The anniversary OF Abraham Lin.
coins birthday was celebrated rs u
legal holiday in this and four other
states. 1t WAS the first time it was so
honored in the Empire State. 1t was
observed, besides, quite generally in
all the states by private banquets and
in other ways. Eventually the day
will be- fully nationallzed and placed
upon the same footing as Washing.
tons birthday. There is a bill before
Congress for that purpose at the pres.
ent time. 1t WAS necessary that one
generation should pass away before
the en- inent propriety of placing Lin.
coin, by the sanction of national
law, in the same class with Washing
ton was recognized and acted upon.
But the time has nrS come when the
perspective of history is sufficiently
long to emhbe Americans of all sec.
tons of the country to SEQ the char
acter and life work Of the great martyr
President in their true proportions.
I.incolu's face has already become
AS familiar in every American home as
that of the Father OF His Country.
His words, too, ike Westinghouse,
have become current in the everyday
speech of the American people. The
Gettysburg Grafton is as sure of i'm.
mortality Ms the Farewell Address, or
even as the Declaration of Indapend.
encr. There is, indeed, nothing to be
SAID against making Lincoln's birth.
day national holiday, unless it b.
thnt, n, it happens to fall within ten
days of WaSllington's, it brings two
holidays inconvrnently together.
This Injection, however, is not
w-ighty and have M doubt that
in "A. ,yrnr or two more at iurthest we
shall see the excellent example set by
the En- irc Smtu followed throughout
the Union. kHIcKEEBocKEE.