The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-12-27
POSTS LETTER BOX.

POSTS LETTER BOX.
rrh. department Is intended TO answer
questions that are of general interest. lts
main object Is 10 supply ont-of -thc-way
of personal Interest only Will not he an
swered. No business or personal addresses
viii be given. All correspondence should
ho addressed TO The Letter Box, care
her o. questions received, answers can not
always be given pfomptlyD
Please explain the Federal election laws
repealed by congress in February. 1891.
and signcd by President Cleveland; In
how long timeY II. Eiten.
Tho Federal election laws were passed
during the last days OF the war. and The
days Of reconstruction which followed. A
plank of the 1894 Democratic National
platform called for the immediate repeal
OF these laws; AMI. IN pursuance OF this
pledge. the democratic majority OF The
house framed and passed measure
| (Which also went through the senate and
became "A law early In February 1890 that
| swert from the statute books every YES
| tsge of the republican legislation of re-
construction days. Substantially the bill
| framed by Mr. Tucker OF Virginia, took
| away from the Federal government every
| right 10 supervise or In any way take part
| In elections and the entire machinery OF
elections was given back to the keeping
| of tho individual States. 1t is a practical
application of the sovereignty of the
| States, as against tho theory OF Federali-
zation. The old Federal election laws.
| though on their face designed TO insure
| the purity of elections everywhere were
generally used "a cloak for Interference
with Southern political affairs. while the
| gigantic ballot box frauds frequently COM
| mittei In the North were rever given any
| attention.
| l. What is the color of Lake Geneva,
| the Lake of Constance. the lake of I.u,
| ccrne. the lake Brienz tho Lake Thun,
| NE MeEto rranean sea, the st. Lawrence
r rnG the Rnogs the Rhine the Danube
J cause of tho difference In the coiore OF
| lakes and rivers. etc? Mary Il.
]. Lake Geneva is azure colored; lake OF
| Constance and Lake Lucerme are green.
lax" of BrIcnz grecndsh yellow and Lake
rhun blue. The Mediterranean is consid-
| cred sort of indigo. The 81. Lawrence
I,hone and Danube rivers are blue: the
Rhine is green and the Mississippi sort
OF coffee color. 2. According 10 those
| who have made Investigations into this
matter. absolutely purc water is blue. and
| the varieties of cotr exhibited In lakes
ana streams arise from the presence IN
| the water of mineral salts of different de-
grces OF solub7hty. and in varying guam
tiies. Water containing carbonate of
lime IN state of almost complete solu-
tion remains blue. but n the solution Is
less complete the water will have a tinge
OF green. which will grow stronger as the
point OF precipitation IS approached. II
| is said that II lime vs. added to blue water
In which so much carbonate Of lime Is
already dissolved that It Is aim5st satur-
ated. the wafer will become green.
III foreign country refuses admission
| 70 rerta.n goods or manufactures OF the
,r ne states, has the president the dis.
NE goois or manufactures OF that oo,,n.
a uy, ana II ne has that power what law
II any foreign country should refuse
admission to certain goods or manufsc.
| lures of the United States II would No,
| be within the presidents power to re,at.
ate. II the same classes OF goods from,
other countries We're also denied .dm,s,
sion the United States might not attemn,
70 retaliate at all. But r. there was anv
ulsoriininaion against goods. simpIv a.
| products OF the United States and unon
| no othcr ground, such discrimination
| "ouid IN most cases he In derogatjon of
our treaty rights. and. In any case n
would be a subject for the consideration
of congress.
Why is spool cotton numbered az n is7
| what Is the Significance OF the arrange
| ment. which e altogether unlike the svs
TEN used In indicating sizes In other ar
| ticles? Ida r.
J The reference IN the numbering Is TO
the number of hanks that It takes 10
wFgh a pound. For instance, when Won
see "a SPOOL bearing the number 40, Il
means that 1t takes 40 hanks Of that mar.
ticnlar grade Of cotton to weigh a pound.
ana 80 with all the other numbers The
more common grades from which thread
is usually made run from 10 10 80 hanks
to the pound. The fines, spinning seldom
exceeds 800 hanks 10 the pound, and In
the coarscst there is about half pound
! IN each hank.
r Whs, Was ,,sn the origin of the expression
i'''rs renee Seal.
II was a sum OF money presented by
Ina, king OF the West saxons, to the mona
at Rome. for the endowment Of an Enr.