davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-08-01
THE VILLAGE HOODLTN

The trial and conviction of Jack" ONeil, Of
Shclburne Fails. Mass. for the robbery and
murder of Mrs. McClOud, are exciting wide
spread interest throughout the whole of New
England. O'Neil was a perfect type of the vii
lage hoodlum. He was never known 10 work
when he could help it. living mainly on the
earnings of his mother, a Woodworking washer
woman, and spending most Of his time in the
village saloons. Every village, unfortunately,
can furnish examples Of such worthless ne'er-
do-wes They form the refuse Stag of the
population. which not only fails TO respond to
civillzlng influences. but which goes largely 10
the making Of criminals and paupers.
With the faulty of nearly all such men who
are drawn into Grim" O'Ne furnished most of
the evidence that convicted him. After the muir
der he began TO frequent the saloons and dis
PLAYED to his associates Il tcn-dollar and a five
dollar bill. together with some loose change
That OF Itself would have sufiiced TO fasten s,ls-
plcion upon aim; for. like all the men of his
class he was always IN n state Of impecunl-
osty and, as he never worked. his ossession
of so much money was almost prma facle evi-
dence Of a crime. But that was not ALL While
spending this money freely for drinks he mani
Tested a strange interest in the murder. and
in fact seemed unable 10 talk OF anything else.
He AT once declared that two iramps had done
the deed and gave rude dramatic exhibitions
Of the way In which the woman had been
choked 10 death. These facts together with
his antecedents. soon led TO his arrest While
IN ial he forged the last link IN the evidence
against him by talking Of his crime to fel-
w-prlsoner All this is Ia strict accordance
with a well-known characteristic OF such Grim
inals As Enrlco Ferri says. In the July AT
lantlc": Those who have studied criminals
know that the lmprudent revelation Of their
own dark deeds, especially where murder is
concerned l. one OF the surest data Of criminal
psychology. SO common, indeed. Is this trait
.,hat It Is through II rather than through any
..miraculoiis sagacty OF the police. so yivldly
.dc-cribed in the police novels. that murder is
almost always revealed. Criminals vii! speak
.'of their crime n an honest workman speaks
.of his labor
But the interest in this case lies outside OF
ONell and the atroclous crime he committed
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-08-01
BRITISH COUNERCTtL TREATIES

SO the British Government denOunces its COM
mercial treaties with Belgium and Germany.
II was expected. AZ fully explained In these
columns some time ago, Great Britain was
called upon TO choose between her own colonial
empire and the outside world. Canada offered
discriminating duties in favor Of British goods
But treaties with Belgium and Germany re
quired the same treatment TO be extended to
their goods, and other treaties required 1t fur
ther TO he extended to nearly all the world.
Either Canadas offer must be declined or the
treaties must be abrOgatpd In Sir Wilfrid Lau-
rlers words, Canada must retreat or Great
Britain must advance. The choice was pre-
scented at the opening Of the Victorian Jubilee.
The echoes OF that august function have
scarcely subsidized when the decision is maur.
Canada does not retreat; her offer is accepted.
Great Britain advances: the treaties are de-
nOunccd
That means that henceforth the British En-
pre is to be n commercial unit. distinct from
the rest Of the world. Great Britain may make
whatever bargains she pleases with her colo
MES. without letting any one else in under the
most favored nation clause. For CONNER
cial purposes the colonies are no longer separate
States. They are members of the one great
State nation. empire. Great Britain may still
maintain the part of "Athanasius contra nun
dunn" but II IS an Athanasius bcstriding the
whole world. Commerce with other nations
Is 10 be sought but commerce with the Empire
Is TO be preferred, and whenever the interests
Of the two clash, the former. not the latter
Is TO be sacrificed For the sake Of increasing
trade within the Empire the risk of n tariff
war with all outside Is unhesitatngly incurred
Truly. the mother country might we'll adapt the
motto of Australia and inscrlbe upon her ban
rers Advance, Britannia"
Nor is that tho only nor the chief significance
of this decision. The treaties in question. like
that Of 1860 with France, were purely Cob
denite They were conceived and negotiated
Under the influence of the Manchester school
The French treaty was abrogated years ago by
France I'm order that the latter might adopt
Protection in a more emphatic form The
others are now Denounced by Great Britain her
self in order that she may adopt not. perhaps,
Protection. but at least a system fully as hate
full TO every true Free Trader and Numerically
opposed TO the essential principle Of Golden
ism. 1t is, indeed. the American system that
is adopted. the system which looks first to the
development of domestic commerce and indus
try, rightly deeming that to be the best basis
be parlous times for those decaying repre-
sentatives of Cobdenism who still lag super
fuors upon the stage.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-08-01

system. But it certainly seems reasohap'e
and desirable that the calendars OF all couh
tries that reckon time a. D." should exacfly
coincide.
The dividing line between the Christian cal
endars Is nm ecclesiastical one. and Is in gen
eral coIncident with that between the Eastern
and Western churches, Professionalism generally
aliening itself with the latter. The reason Is
entirely obvious Originally all Christendom
cmployed the Julian calendar. and arranged us
saints' DAYS and festivals Hereunder. That
WAS before the division OF the churches. III
was long after that division that Sextus " con
ceIyed and Gregory XIII executed the refOrma-
tIon Of the calendar and its establishment upon
the present basis But they were Popes or the
Western Church. and their dolpgs were held OF
no account In the Eastern Church, which chung
and still clipgs 10 the old Julian calendar. which
is now twelve days ont of the way. The force
Of religious or ecclesiastical feeling in the mat
ter NAV be judged from the fact that the Prot
estant countries OF Europe at first declined 10
accept the Gregorian calendar simply because
II was promulgated at Rome Some of the
German States tried to modify It, so as to make
IL seem original with them. and England did not
ADOPT il until 40 years after IT had been adopt
ed by the Roman Church.
Indeed II is only logical that ecclesiastical
considerations should be- potent in the matter.
for they were responsible for the reform Of the
calendar. Scxtus and Gregory may have had
some desire 10 make the calendar year more
exactly coincide with the true solar year. But
that could have been done without cancening
n number of days from the calendar. What
moved them most was doubtless the desire TO
F,ll. -
have the full moon which determines it gov
crned by an equinox Of exactly the same date
as that ut the Council Of Nc;ra. To that &C.
clesastcal technicality the world owes the cal
cndar which is now most widely used and
which may soon become universal Russia is
understood to DO seriously contemplating adop-
ton Of the Gregoran calendar at the beginning
of 1901, and If she does so the Balkan States
will almost certainly follow her example and
that will make the calendar uniform throughout
the Christian world.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-08-01
THE NEW POLTCE COMMISSIONER.

Mayor Strong IS TO be congratulated on Delhg
able to secure so satisfactory a successor 10
Police Commissioner Grant as Colonel George
Moore Smith. He Is person OF lntelllgence'
business experience executive ability and good
reDutation and there Is every reason 10 suppose
that he will work in harmony with the progress
siva members of the Board for the Improve
ment Of the force
The public has more reason TO be gratified
with the appointment than has the new Com
missioner He has gained an honorable office
which is frequently an object OF active com
petitlon. and will draw respectable salary for
n few months. But he has succeeded 10 host
Of troubles, and there Is too much reason 10
fear. a place of comparative impotence. The
tangle of police affairs which has blocked re-
form for so many months and made Depart
mpnt which promised to he the strongest recon-
mendation of the benefits of clean government
more or less disappointment 10 the friends or
the administration and source Of rejoicing
TO It's enemies does not seem likely 10 ne I'M
ravelled in the short time which will elapse be-
fore the new charter goes into operation. Never
theless something may he accomplished. IL
Colonel Smith will cordially cooperate with
Messrs. Moss and Andrews. a majority of the
Board VIII no GnaDlpu 10 euloiCt uiNNiPi'h'
and make certain degree Of progress. even II
they cannot overcome the deadlock in the mat
Ter Of promotions which Mr.. Parker. with the
aid of Chief Conlin. has been able to bring
about. 1t might even be possible, though
scarcely probable. that they could show the
Chief that it was wise for him to abandon the
policy of obstruction. IT, however. he cares 10
be insubordinate it is not likely that In It's
short life the Board could carry trial, no mat
ter how well founded the charges. 10 success
fu termination beyond the chance of delay by
appeal.
Nevertheless, it is a good thing TO have a man
such as We hope Colonel Smith will prove TO
be in the Police Board. He can do much to JUS
tify his selection, and to make name as an eff
Client public officer which will go with him into
private life. and put him In line for other trusts
of more pleasant character. But though he
NAV hereafter hold offices of larger emolument.
he will never hold one better calculated for the
display of high qualities Of frmness and devo-
ton 10 honest government
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-08-01

should be adopted wherever necessary 10 sup
press all racing that Is not clean ana hohes''
and to abolish the swindles and frauds winch
are so frequent upon tracks which are con
trolled by professional gamblers. ana wlich are
maintained almost solely for gambling pnr-
! poses In England the custom IL to race OH!
four DAYS IN the week at Ascot nj Epsoh' "
! Goodwood at Sand0wn. mt Kempton, az Dou-
caster and the other famous courses. '"ch
petty miserable gambling tracks as those Wh'c"
curse the West and South in the tnlted H'a'es
are under the ban In England. Ireland ana scot
land. and they ought TO be stamped out III 'h's
country.
American cricket players have had varied ex-
perlences on the other side Of the Atlantic his
wear. but have borne themselves In manner
TO bring no dscredit upon the country winch
they represent An English cricket team Is en-
peced 10 arrive here within few weeks ana
the games between the English and American
players will undoubtedly call ont careful COM
harrison Of the exploits OF the bowlers. batters
and felders Baseball seems to he thriving IN
1897 70 a reasonable degree. although among
.he professional players and among the specfa-
tors Of the professional games great zeal "i
rudianism has been exhibited. The brutality
among plavers 10 mob violence on the part or
spectators. will ruin baseball IN short time
unless everything OF the sort is put under foot
promptly and sternly. or lawn tennis there Is
no lack and tine crowded pages or our daily
newspapers show clearly that the Americans
are becoming more and more every year a sport
loving people. American troters ana American
PAGERS are still peerless. In recent years rot
ting contests in Europe have multiplied. Dit
there can be no doubt that the fastest trotters
and fastest PAGERS which the world can produce
will achieve their most important feats on ms
side of the Atlantic Several trotting tracks
that were closed last year are in use this sea
SON. and the celebrated trotters and PAGERS OF
this country have suffered no abatement in
speed II Is clear from this rapid glance at
the present condition Of outdoor sports in the
United States that unless the weather hereafter
should he even more unfavOrable than 1t mas
been so far in 1897 every week until the frost
sets IN will be crowded with stirring battles
and struggles for fame and for gain in all the
important cities and towns Of this Republic.
Americans are busy people. When they work
they work hard; but they are fond of play as
well az of business. and American ingenuity and
originality are conspicuous in recreation as well
rs in business.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-08-01

lection Of about sixty thousand prints Of histoncs!
portraits OF ali periods and nstions , pS m 81
Inc author of the Catalogue OF tne EA, ~ ,eSs "
National Portraits at South kens'ns'o" ~
Miss Susan r. Anthony made an address oetore
the berkshire Historical and Scientihc SOCIETY ~
Adams, Mass. on Thursday
In an ANONYMOUS book on the Emperor Wili'ams
suite which has just been published IN berhn DC
ours the following passage: "Of the NE ., Wv
Emperor and his suite on board the Hohen~onern'
the chatter OF the sailors has disclosed some facs
which may he given here. The Emperor noohop'
with individual members or his SUITE as 'n'"s"
they his equals. In many respects "e "e
type OF a German corps student lie IL io"' y.
lively company and harmless pleasures On one Oh
these tours he often took his suite 10 retired SPOT
and there the seamews could bear witness mat
the ruler OF a mighty empire and his compsn1ionns
would take OF their shoes and socks 10 psda'e er N
the shallow water and sling stones along tne III
face OF the sea. The sailors too have 10 conr'oe
ute the entertainment OF their inas,er' SV an
them are good acrobats and conjurers. WINE an
other dressed in girls cothss wins great ofan ar
medals. suitably inscribed. az prizes
Charles and Reese Voorhees,, sons OF the late
Senator Voorhees,, and Miss Halle. his daughter
and secretary. are preparing a two-vo'ume e'''''"
OF the Senator's speeches
Nine Duse IS to play in Rome next season new
piece. called ''The Dead city" written by Gabriel
d'Annunzio for Nine. Bernhardt, who Will produce
It first in Paris Nine Duse's health continues &c
be precarious. She recently was opnge" I" raw
Vienna for the mountains 10 obtain rest
1.-THE London Daily News" says that Samuel
Young the only Irish Nationalist Member OF Par
ament who accepted the invitation 10 the garden
party at Windsor. sought for In every direc-
ton as the Queen had expressed desire that he
should be introduced TO her. II was stated gener-
ally that he had left the grounds OF the castle. He
was however found after digent search. and.
being told OF Her Majesty's wish prayed 10 be ex-
csed from appearing in the royal presence, on
the ground that In the critical state OF the
irish question produced by his action In going 70
the garden party. n personal introduction 10 the
sovereign would be nOpportune. IT Is better, ne
said That the Queen and should not meet; It
might compromise US both"
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-08-01
CALENDAR Reform.

As the century wancs discussion Of the cal
endar wakes The idle debate over the actual
date Of the ending Of the one century and the
beginning OF the other is happily dismissed II
should never have been begun But what Is
now most seriously and officially considered
il the establishment of "A Uniform calendar
throughout the whole civilized world Or per
Eaps il would he better 10 say the whole Chris
tan world There are countries which can
claim To De civilized In which Christianity Is
not the generally accepted religion. and In
which the beginning of the Christian era IL
not. therefore. accepted as the starting poinr
from which 10 reckon current time Mabom-
etan countries cling 10 the calendar Of their
own faith, and Japan adheres TO her national
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-08-01

quite apart from that which II would have as
n commodity only. When this fact is taken
into consideration 1t must be realized that any
incrd1se in the supply of gold Will not neces-
sarlly affect the value of silver as IL might NJ
feet the value Of other commodities.
Generally speaking. the quantlta'ive 'heors
OF money has been effectually exploded by mod
ern experience II is as well established as any
fact can be by statistical comparison that the
amount OF money in circulation. either III any
particular country or in the civilized worid as
n whole. no longer determines even III n gen
eral way the movement in prices Oh coihlhoui-
ties To what extent that movement may pe
affected by Increase or decrease III the none
tary supply. and whether only for SNORT time
or more permanently. remains disputed ques-
ton. But the position Of silver as respects us
price in gold can 40 longer be even approx
mate|y Judged by the demand for 1t In various
countries for Use as money. nor solely by us
relation to gold rs mere commodity. III per-
forms in nearly all countries an important ser
vice as representative form of money. more
satisfactorily representing gold value IN small
amounts than any paper currency, and more
readily and generally accepted as such repre-
sentative. Hence 1t is that mere theoretc rea-
sorlng about the price Of silver has In recen.
wears heen found practically worthless.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-08-01
THE NEWS THIS MORNING.

FOREIGN - Captain-Ceneral Weyler an
nounced that he would grant amnesty 10 hiteen
hundred exiles from Cuba. - Hundreos OF
lives have been lost and great amounts OF prop
ertv DESTROYED by the floods in Silesia. Bohemia
and The Crjmea -=-= simultaneously with
Great Britains denunciaton % the German
treaty Sir Frank Lascalles proposed a new
one A statement from Athens was IN
terpreted in Paris as indicating that should FOR
eign control Of Greek finances be adopted inc
King Of Greece would abdicate. - Britisn
troops were sent from Malta to Crete " ~
landslide in the Riesengebirge peaks IN Ger
many resulted in the death OF SIX persons -
The Gentlemen OF Philadelphia were beaten IN
The last cricket game Of their English tour ny
Surrey
DOMESTIC. Hermann, OF the
General Land Office gave out statement In re-
gard TO the land laws which are in force In
Alaska 60 The situation in the coal miners
strike grew more serious; an outbreak Is iea,eo
at the De Armtt mines -, fres!uei ~, ~.
Kinlev passed a quiet day at the Hotel Chanl-
rlajn - The case of Minister Merry, 70
whom objections We're raised by the Diet Vi sns s
Greater Republic Of Central America, Is uhoef
consideration by the State Department
Charles W. Spalding. treasurer OF limos ota.e
University was convicted OF WrOngluHy IL!
pothecating bonds by the jury In chicago -
The Treasury Department estimates the anouii'
of revenue lost the Government on anticipa-
tory importatiOns at over S32Voo"o. "
Howell G. Rees was released from the HUDSON
River State Hospital at Poughkeepsle.
CITY AND SUBURBAN.-Colonel George
Moore Smith was appointed Police COnhns
sioner by Mayor Strong. TO succeed Coloiie'
Frederick ID. Grant. - John ID Long ,eole
fary Of the Navy. made his first Official WISH
"a tho Navy Yard - There was another al
vance in the price of September wheat. -
The Naval Reserves returned from their week
cruisa - The 1st and I'd Batteries re-
turned from the State Camp which was closed
FOR the season -==- F.. c. Bale won the grea'
bicvcle race at Manhattan Beach. gaining
81 100 Kiser broke track record. nv
parLwa,, driving Clubs trotting meeting was
finished -= New Yori; beat Brooklyn at base
ball by a score Of TO >. -== Stocks were &C.
tive and irregular.
THE WEATHER.-Forecast fOr TO-DAY. an
x,.,,b sIoylv rising temperature. The tempera-
ture yesterday: Highest, SO degrees; lowest -
average. 80.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-08-01

IL brings us face to face with the Iact 'h''
village lfe 10 less than city life. mas III u e'e
ments Of moral danger to civilization. Inc eS
net contrary OF this Is often assumed 10 Dc the
case The Imagination Is touched by the cuiR"
latlve evidence of vice and crime In the great
cities, while on the other hand. small villages
are supposed to be the abodes Of innocence ana
virtue. II Is true that there IL large ana dah-
gerous criminal class In every great city. anu
it Is equally true that village and rural HE tends
to produce many exalted types OF character
But to say that evil Is bred only in the great
city is TO ignore the facts The village loafer
Of whom this man O'Neil Is a type, Is natural
and indeed inevitable, product Of village life
More than that such men help 10 Increase the
sum of evil In the great cities; for when they
have reached the point when they are ready
to become criminals they often drift to the near
est large city. 1t is to be remembered. more
over that evil in the city gets Itself recorded
while in the village II burrows ont Of sight. like
hidden ulcer The one thing certain IL that
the conditions Of village life tend to produce q
class of men who nj best are ne'er-do-wells
and at worst levelop into chronic criminals. As
rule. villages are poorly policed and. as every
body knows everyb 1y. the officers or tie law
are often unwilling, II they are not actually I'M
able. to enforce the law against ncighbors VINO
are offenders. The village hoodlums are not
slow 10 take advantage of that fact; they would
not be human If they did not do so. And the
result often Is that the aw-abiding citizens OF
q village suffer far lore from criminals ana
semi-criminals than do people in the great
cities with their well disciplined hordes OF Grim
nals. There are two ways in which this evii
can be met and overcome The first Is more
rigid enforcement Of the law against oilers ana
petty offenders. But it is hopeless to expect
that so long as the reputable citizens fear re-
taation from the loafers. The second remedy
Is to fill the vacuous lives Of the boys who be-
come village loafers with something good. The
establishment of clubs. gymnasiums and read
ng-rooms for boys and men. together with the
opportunity for innocent recreation and fun.
would do much to eliminate this dangerous and
demoralizing element in village life.