davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-14
rHB SOLDIERS AND sAILoRs' NON
UM EMIT.
Wet In tno rslsnt

To THE EDITOR or THE SuN-Sir: It 10 with
great satisfaction that I nov SEQ that the gen.
eral and we'll founded opposition to the seloc-
ton Of tho Plaza site for tho Soldiers and
Sailors Monument hae found expression. 1 feel
that in the interest OF art and Of patriotism tho
people would object to tho placing OF tho Sol
dlors' and Sailors Monument upon tho Plaza at
Flfty-ninth street and Fifth avenue. n location
where nature, art, and sentiment would seem to
forbid II. And II sentiment were TO be in any
way considered land l do believe that sentiment
ever goes hand in hand with true art), then
where could q moro fitting place be found than
within that consecratod region 30 dearly loved
by Gen. Grant. Riverside Parki
why not place the monument to the soldiers
and sailors, tho companions In arms OF tho great
leader. at one end Of the park. while tho Gen.
erals commanding tomb dominates the other
And why should the connecting link Of memo.
rios be now severed by ~isolating the m numcnt
to the soldiers and sailors from the resting place
/ OF their beloved commander When wo con-
! slider the natural beauties and the expansive
surroundings OF Riverside Park. why in tho
namo Of art and in the name Of the people
should It be set up In tho confined space of
avenue and streets, with their overtowering
buildings, which, of course, must dwarf and be-
little the monument to the memories of our
brave dofenders7
IL tnc argument useu Dy SONIC III authority DC
sound. that the monument should be placed
where the greatest number OF the plain people
can see 1t, then Fifth avenue is certainly not the
place to put 1t; the plain people. so called,
do not from choice seek that aristocratic Sec
ton; the plain people go to the peoples
parks. And II the argument of the same au.
thority Is correct, that the monument should DO
placed whore the soldiers can see 1t, and II 1t is to
be a soldiers and a sailors monument. then 1
contend that 1t should be placed somewhere
upon the waterfront, where the sailors can see
1t from the water as well as the soldiers upon
the land.
So I do hope and pray that this monument
will be placed where 1t will be productive of the
greatest good to the greatest umber. and where
natural surroundings shall offer the greatest
support to art. / believe that upon the fair
brow of Riverside Park this work Of the sculp-
tors art will make its best showing.
w. WALLACE BRowER.
NEW YORK. Dec. 13.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-14

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUS-Sfr: There IL one great
cause Of delay on our elevated roads that Is within
control of the company, and can he remedied with
out opposition or injunction. In fact. the time must
como when this subject will assert itself. and DO
properly considered. Take. for instance, the TrS.
mont express, going down, The people who know that
Fresh air Is conducive to health, insist on standing on
the platform till Ninth street 10 reached, when tho
CIR In the car 10 not Objectionable. as the crowd has
departed. and the air admitted by the occasionally
opened doors has allowed the O o. + microbes to be-
come diluted to a respectable degree. There 10 no
proper ventilation; II the doors are closed there ID no
circulation OF air. as the little yentilstors at the top
air. but none is fed in TO replace II. These little vents
are often. kept closed for economy's sake, or acme.
times turned backward. In which case gas and dust
The company may remark that the health OF the
people regarding ar supply 10 not their business; but
u works TO their injury. A crowd OF fresh air cranks
block the platforms and make passage almost impos.
sible. Last Friday, for instance. the squeeze was 80
tight that at two stations 1t was Impossible to open
the gates. and men climbed over them In both direc.
lions. People stand on the platforms, not because
they want soon to get on. but to escape the foul air.
Consequently. at each stop tho delay OF squeezing
aud pushing causes the train to DO late, and this nat.
urally increases as the schedule Is broken. Meantime
the people who are looking for that express, as we'll
Is thoes who intrnded taking the next local. are will.
Ing 70 stand the crush to save time.
what we want IL a modern system OF ventilation;
ar taken from under the car, heated, and introduced
at the top OF the car; foul air drawn on under the
escape through q tube having n flap valve, which
would prevent the entrance OF the RaSsy air which 10
usually At the top or the car. The motion OF tho car
IN either direction would draw the foul ar out. I
cerned. ALFRED II, HOWE
NEW York. Dec. 1s.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-14
No Postal savInrs Bank. Needed.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE sUS-Sir: Twas much pleased
with your excellent Gas usuaD editorial article In this
mornings paper on the postal savings bank system.
After a lifelong experience In all kinds of banks,
State. national, &c, / am convinced beyond altera.
tion that the very best bank for the savings OF poor
people 10 the modern savings bank. such as We have
AL through New York and New Jersey. 1t may not
be generally understood. but the fact of the matter
Is that these banks. after putting aside an amount in
proportion to the earnings for a surplus or reserve
fuhu 10 DC used Tor the protection OF depositors. pay
absolutely all OF the net earnings to the deposltors.
Is not this a scheme OF benefaction far ahead of any
postal AFFAIR."
l have 1t In mind how many congressman and
others there are who. though very ready to Introduce
various bills' do not in reality know why they do so;
ana IL 10 to be regretted that they do not look into
their local anairs with more thoroughnesa
Our President has followed a wise and conserva.
tive course in ignoring this subject In his message.
NEwARK. N. j.. Dec. IL. E WIS.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-14
NEW YORK.. Dec. Is.
LET LABOR HAVE A FREE Market.
The Erect or Attempts to Restrict Wages and
Hours or Work by LeEislntion.

The Erect or Attempts to RestrIct Wages and
Hours or work by Liquidation.
To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sir: Your
editorial article on the 10 per cent. reduction
In the wages Of the cotton-mill operatives of
Fall River. rendered necessary by the competi.
ton of Southern mills, which have the advan-
tage of labor which works more hours O day
than Is allowed by law in Massachusetts,, Is an
interesting comment on the proposal Of some
so-called economists to enact o general eight
hour law. In particular. it exposes the falla-
cies expounded in q certain school OF social
economics !" In this city, whose Professor" is
an active agitator for eight.hour laws. His
chief argument Is that under tho eight-hour
system the workers will produce as mu CHI goods
as under a ten or eleven hour day. The prac-
tical experience of the Fall River manufac-
turers should be worth at least three dreary
volumes of vague theorizing.
Apart from the benumbing and degrading Of
feet on individual development of paternal laws
regulating hours of labor. wages. &c., 1t is evil
dent that from q purely business point of view
Government restrictions on employers or EN-.
element Of unemployed labor, skilled in tho vari-
gus trades and capable OF learning readily new
ments. national or State. With the e1 1r eSHepnt
of those who can find work. is foolish and injuri.
tion Of society in which it is impossible FOR
Intelligent, willing workers to find employment,
%strictive laws.
Americans should, least of all people, yield
assent to the vicious proposition that q free
labor for 40 many hours a day, and for what
wages, as he may see ft.
In pointing out that all attempts to interfere
by, law with absolutely free competition are an
injury to the producers. THE Sun Is proving
itself a truer advocate Of the interests Of the
workers than the pretended friends of labor"
who delude their followers with schemes alleged
to be for their benefit.
The repeal of all class legislation and not the
enactment of more laws in the interests Of tho
day. WaIDpEN GRaHIM
New YORK, Dec. IL.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-14
CHIoAGo's PosrMAsrER HERE.
He Examined tho Pneumatic Tubes and wat
surprised By the New York Post Omce.

He Examined tho Pneumatic Tubes and was
surprised By tho New York Post ONCE.
, Postmaster Charles U. Gordon of Chicago
visited the Post Office yesterday. He was es.
peel lily interested in the pneumatic mail tube
system.
"1have been requested by the Postmaster.
General" he said to a SUN reporter, " to inspect
the tube system with a view to its introduction
In Chicago. We are erecting a new Post Oflce
building there. and we hope to have it connected
by pneumatic tubes with the six railroad sta.
tions and various branch Post Office stations
throughout the city"
Speaking of rapid city delivery. MIR. Gordon
We have had a bicycle carrier service in Chi.
discontinued it last week. The bicycles could
not be used on rainy days or when snow was on
the ground, and there were too many accidents"
Mr.; Gordon was evidently astonished at the
celebrity with which the heaps of mail matter
were disposed of in the General Post Office, and
congratulated Mr.. Van Colt upon tho efficiency
displayed by the clerks and other employees.
Post Office methods there. He has ALREADY
visited the Boston Post Office.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-14
Mr.. Cooney's Plan.

II 10 Mr.. CooNEY of Missouri, who arises
In the House Of Representatives to offer a
Joint resolution to cut Off Hawaii forever
from this Union by means OF an amendment
to the Constitution
ARTICLE xu.
INC new state. the territory OF which. or n part
thereof. 10 not contiguous to tho United States, shall
be admitted by the Congress into this Union"
Article XVI. of the Constitution of the
United States will be a long time coming;
and when 1t comes 1t will not be in the
shape of Congressman CooNEy's proviso as
to territorial contiguity.
There is Southern Alaska, for example !;
sure some day to be a populous and pros
porous member of the sisterhood of States.
Mr.. CooNEY's amendment, were it con.
ceivable that 1t could ever pass Congress
by a two.thirds vote In each House and
then be ratified by the Legislatures of
three.fourths of all the States, would
compel us to keep out Southern Alaska
until we should have captured and an.
nexed British Columbia, II that interesting
part Of the Dominion, along with the rest
of Canada, had not meanwhile come volun-
tarily Into our Union.
One Of the wisest provisions of that in.
wise and far-seeing instrument,
the Constitution of the United States, is
that which makes 1t so exceedingly difficult
for any fool or fools to change the text of
the fundamental law.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-14

without taking the trouble to inquire
Just at this minute whether the Rev. GEORGE
TRAsK and the Hon. ROBERT REED were cor.
rect In their objections to tho Virginian weed,
we may be permitted to praise the heroic reso-
luton or Mr.. JAMES WOOD OF Portsmouth, N.
H.. who was lOl years old last Thursday. Mr..
WOOD reads without glasses. his mind is
clear, and he Is as active as an ordinary man
OF co. A year ago he determined to do some-
thing to celebrate the fact that he was 100
years old. He had used tobacco for ninety
years. but he "Swore off," He feared that tho
coHtlnued use OF the weed would kill him SVea-
tually, and he "swore on"
Now II MI. WOOD doesn't rival Old PARR,
everybody will be sorry. 1t Is a distinction. and
no mean one. to see q century go by; a distino-
ton which shows that the winner OF 1t has sur
passed tho majority of men who have been born
since the patriarchal times. But 1t may not be
too much to say that 1t 10 easier to come to the
secular age than to renounce tobacco. In spite of
THoAs, men have lived to begin their second
century. In spite of ROBERT REED. men have
smoked themselves easily and genially through
and outo q long life. II this world had ever had
before q man like Mr.. JAMES WOOD. who could
smash his DEMONSTRATING idol after ninety
years OF worship, the world would have found
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-14
Nc National University!

Congress is again asked to carry out one
of the few impracticable propositions of the
illustrious WASHINGTON, namely, the estab.
lishment OF a national university at the
seat of Government.
As a matter of fact, the idea was not origi-
nal with the first President, for in the con.
vention that framed the Constitution, over
which WAsHINGToN presided, CHARLES
PINcKNEY OF South Carolina moved that
Congress be authorized "to establish
and provide for a national unlver-
sity at the seat of Government of the
United States" The motion was rejected.
Later on, when the Randolph plan
was under consideration In the convention,
MIR. PIcKNEY, followed by Mr.. MADISON,
again moved to insert among the list of
enumerated powers to be vested In Con.
gress one "to establish an university In
which no preference or distinction should
be allowed on account of religion" There.
upon G~oUvERNEUR MORRIS said "It 10
not necessary. The exclusive power at the
seat OF Government will reach the object"
That wa the last that was heard of the
subject In that c~onyention.
When WAsHINaT1H read to Congress his
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-14
The Navy Personnel Bill.

Considering the difficult character of the
problem it had to deal with. the work of
the Roosevelt board, which was completed
last week, must be regarded as vigorous
and prompt.
1t had. to be sure, a great advantage in
the fact hat a scheme was already suR-
gested for 1t, that of the amalRamatlon of
the engineers and the line, of which the
substantial features were adopted. Out of
twelve votes cast by the board, all but
three favored the final report, with it's
novel and ingenious method of set.
thing the chronic dispute between line
and engineers, and even the minority, 1t
has been intimated. objected not so much
to that feature as to the plan adopted of
securing more promotions every year by
selecting officers for withdrawal from the
active list. We may therefore surmise
that the project of merging the engineers
In the line is generally regarded as SO
happy a solution Of Odd troubles that Con-
gress, with other things equal, might be
led to sanction 1t.
But some calculations made since the
board finished Its work Indicate that the
Increased cost Of Its new plan as a whole
VIII be $780, o a year. To begin with,
the forced retirement scheme carries an In.
crease OF expense. Unless ten vacancies
occur every year among the Captains, as
many as five such officers can be selected
ior retirement by an examining board In
order to secure that number of vacancies.
Not only will this obviously increase the
TOTAL Number OF officers, active and retired,
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-14
News from tho Old dominion.

From the Harrfsonbur0 Spirit OF the Valley.
The general health OF this community is very good.
Miss Lucy N. Zirkle Is working at Rev. Solomon
Berry. near Dayton.
The good people of Mt. Sinai will build q recess to
their church In the near future.
Mrs. Fanny Argabright 10 lingering In the embrace
OF paralysis. but the chances OF her recovery arc
doubtful.
We have been having plenty OF cloudy weather and
rain the last OF last week. Mud now In abundance.
our esteemed friend Major James F, Lowman Is a
sufferer from q painful rheumatic affection. May
soothing balms soon terminate his agony.
As l go about / learn that we will have to ex.
cuSe our Road Commissioner. "Mr. Clodhopper."
for not doing more. as l have been informed that the
clerk of the Road Board said the Road Commissioner
had no power more than they give him by the Clerk
and Supervisor. They had better give him some
power or they will not have the privilege OF giving
more than two years.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-14

ruary, 1885, the knell Of the Coincidence
had sounded. An ~improvised navy had
closed the last port.
The number of vessels (mostly Britain,
captured or destroyed by this naval estab.
lishment, 20 hastily created from nothing.
was more than 1900, and the valuation of
the property In ships, wares, ammunition.
and merchandise seized or sent to the bot.
tom during this strenuous time was over
$22, 900, 600. The American Navy had vim.
Dictated Its glorious name, and It had we'll
earned It's right to be.
The blockade Of 1s61-85 was finally mazda
effcctual along q coast line of nearly 5000
miles. At the present day Spain 10 unable
to maintain q real blockade along the Cuban
coast line Of 1900 miles, although its
naval forces are concentrated In the waters
that surround "the ever-faithful isle." Il
l. 10 the United States that Spain looks
for an effective policing of the seas that
shall prevent expeditions from landing
arms and ammunition for the Cuban
revolutionists. The report of Secretary
GAGE, conclusive as It IL In all matters
relating to our responsibility for hlibuster-
ing, is also significant as to the ineficienoy
of the Spanish Navy. At heavy cost our
naval and revenue marine vessels have
broken up nearly all of the filibusterinp
expeditions that nave been defeated by
anybody. The Spanish share in this costly
business is virtually nil. In the execution
of our neutrality laws we have patrolled
with extraordinary vigilance the same
coast line that was closed and guarded by
our navy, for our own warlike purposes,
during the civil war. We must insist that |
II the fleets Of Spain were as efficient In
their enforcement of the Cuban blockade
as ours have been On our own coast, " not
one man nor one cartridge would have been
landed in Cuba from the United
We have repeated the experience
Of 1s61-85, n there Is practically no
to the naval power that we may call
into existence upon occasion.
Therefore we say that what has been
lone once may be done again.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-14
American Power on the Sea.

No more striking contrast between the
Innate energies of a young republic and q
played.out monarchy can be had than that
afforded by a comparison of the United
States and Spain. We might say that
the American republic is everything that
Spain Is not. Take the navies Of the
Two countries, for example, by way of
IN illustration of this very general CON-
parison. We need not trouble ourselves
70 institute comparisons between indi.
vidual ships AID naval war engines of
the two nations. The story of our block
ade of the South Atlantic States dur.
ing the late civil war, and the slow
but death-sure strangulation of Anglo.
confederate th%ereupon incident.
AFFORD an instance of what may be accom-.
plished when the republic is thoroughly in
earnest. And what has been done once
can be done again.
1t Is an old story, but it will bear rene.
tition. AT the outbreak of the civil war
the American Navy, a weak arm of our pub.
Tic service, had been endered powerless
by a systematic policy of scatteration. AL.
most no vessels were available for i'm.
mediate use on the Atlantic seaboard.
where the fighting began. The personnel
OF the navy consisted of 1900 men, and
OF that number 800 officers resigned
at once on the outbreaking of hostili.
ties. But the demand for an increased
naval force went forth as soon as 1t was de.
termined that n rigorous blockade of the
South Atlantic ports must be maintained.
30 effective was the demand, SO enthusi.
astic the response, that when the war
ended the navy carried on it's rolls 81, O
men, exclusive of IN army of artisans and
other civilian employees. In innumerable
public and private shipbuilding establish.
ments an unfiagging activity prevailed.
and during the four war years more than
six hundred vessels were added to the
naval fleets OF the country. or these.
2Os were constructed newly and 41s were
purchased from merchant fleets and con.
verted into warships or transports. The
master-spirits of that time had
into being a powerful and widely spreading
force. The paper blockade" was no longer
ederided by our hostile critics across the sea.
When Wilmington fell on tho 22d Of Feb.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-14
STATE FINANCES.
A balance or 81. . az. $40 In the Treasury
Receipts Over Expenditures.


ALBANY, Dec. 13.-The balance in the State
Treasury at the end Of the fiscal year. Sept. so
last, was $7,2i3,379, against a balance Of
S4.930,O44 at the end Of the preceding fiscal
year, showing an increase of So, 1885. The
total funded debt on Sept. 80 was S5, 765, $50,
Of which $495 900 was for tho Adirondack
State Park and the remainder for the canals.
The moneys raised under the annual tax rate
for the present fiscal year aggregate $12,033..
651, of which 81, 1Ol 1856 Is for schools, 50, 1885,.
353 for canals, $i,957, 1884 for the State care OF
the insane, and $S11.257 for general purposes.
The aggregate receipts during the last fiscal
year were $32, 67S, 113 and the payments $780,.
364, 779. The amount received under the cor
poration and organization tax laws was $2,412..
292, q decrease compared with the preceding
year Of 1887, 26s. During the past four years
the number of corporations paying taxes Into
the State Treasury has been Increased from
2,l52 to 4,50l, and the amount of taxes paid by
these corporations has been increased by $780,
734. Tho tax collected under the inheritance
tax law during the last fiscal year amounted to
$1,S29,941, IN increase of $33, 2S9.
The total payments from the State Treasury
last year for educational purposes were S4,93&,.
23O and for the support and management OF
charitable and benevolent Institutions, O. ,262,.
559. The payments for construction OF the
new Capitol to date aggregate 500, 344, 1877.
The receipts under the Raines Liquor TaE
law States share) for the year ended Sept. SO
last, were 81, 002, 93S, an increase over the pre-.
ceding year Of Sass, 1923.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-14
CHURCH CLOCKS STOP SHORT:
No Time for Passers-by ON Trinity steeple OF
81. Pauls. Either, Yesterday Morning.

No Time for Passers-by ON Trinity steeple OF
81. PauI's. Either, Yesterday Morning.
For the first time In remembered history the
clocks OF Trinity Church and st. Pauls Chapel
stopped on Sunday night. They were started
again early in the day, but many passers-by
had looked at them In surprise in the mean
time.
Tho two clocks are wound every week.
Trinity's clock. which was built in this city by
a man named Rogers in 1s46. has three weights,
one of 1000 pounds for strike, another of
about the same weight for tho chimes, and
one Of 500 pounds for the time. Il takes from
two to two and a half hours to wind these
weights up sixty-fve feet with q multiple
crank: The works, especially, tho striking part,
are somewhat worn. which Is responsible for
the trouble the clock has been giving lately.
When the strike trips 1t catches In a snail
wheel, in which are divisions for the twelve
hours, II this mechanism becomes deranged
the time part OF tho clock is stopped. This 10
what happened on Sunday night.
St. Pauls clock Is an excellent example of
English clock building, of 100 years ago. It
WAS built In London and was.put into place in
1913. so that 1t has almost completed a cen-
fury rum, 1t Is In better condition than Trim
lty'5 clock. and the reason why IL stopped on
Sunday only a few hours after it had boon
wound Is not apparent.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-14

The National Conference of the Christian
Principles of Civil Government. which was held
at philadelphia last week. passed resolutions
condemning Sunday Dissertation" the oper-
alton OF railways. steamboats,. electric cars on
Sundays. the publication of Sunday newspapers,
the transportation Of the mails on Sundays. tho
use OF the bicycle. horse. or carriage "for
pleasure on Sunday. and so on. Without en-
tering upon the discussion of resolutions so
sweeping, 1t may be permissible to point out
That the propriety Of the use Of street railways
on Sunday Is an interesting study In casuistry
oven from the point of view Of tho rigid Sabba-
tartan. Is 1t right to go to church In a street
car on Sunday The motorman and conductor
have to do their work on Sunday without regard
to whether their passengers are riding for pleas
ure or for duty.