davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The times., 1899-12-23
CRITICISED BY PowDERLY.
Exceptions Taken to Il Recent Ruling
by Secretary Gage.

The Commissioner of immigration.
Terence " Powderly. criticises Secretary
Gage very severely for his ruling regard
ing certain immigrants recently landed
at Baltimore. The immigrants in question
came from Croatia, in Hungary forming
party of twenty-seyen men bound for
Chicago.
All the men came on the same steam
ship and the suspicious of the immigra-
tion officers were aroused from the fact
that each immigrant had in his possession
the address of a single lodging house in
Chicago. The lodging house has been as
sOciated in times past with the disrepu
table padrone system and the immigration
officers jumped at the conclusion that the
men were brought over as laborers under
the contract system in violation of the
statutes.
Commissioner Powderly decided that the
men should be deported and the case was
appealed to Assistant Secretary Taylor and
by him referred to Secretary Gage. The
result was that Mr.. Powderly's action was
overruled.
In discussing the matter Commiss siouer
Powderly said yesterday thai beyond aues-
tion the men should have been deported
or a fuller investigation made He criUi-
cised Secretary Cages action as arbitrary
and said it was an imposition on honest
labor in the United States to admit the
men. Moreover he declared that the rule
with Secretary Gage and his administra-
tiOn in the Treasury Department seemed
to be to place the consideration of labor
and the labOring mans interests in this
country last at all times.
The times., 1899-12-23
SIX DISAPPOINTED GOVERNORS.
They Reach Washington to Find an
Important Meeting Postponed.

There are six very much disappointed
men in Washington. They are Governor
Shaw, of Iowa; Governor Murphy, Of Ore
gon; Governor Otero, of New Mexico; Gov
ernor Barnes. of Oklahama; Governor
Brady of Alaska, and Governor Steunen-
berg of Idaho They came to Washington
TO attend a meeting of the joint committee
on the celebration of the removal of the
seat Of government to Washington. and TO
participate in the feast proposed in com
memOration of that event. Friday was the
day set for the meeting but these
six Governors found neither banquet nor
programme arranged.
While they were iOurueying hther the
District Commissioners and the officials OF
the Board of Trade. and the Congressional
representatives met and decided TO post
pone the affair until after the Christmas
holidays Commissioner Wight Chair
man Of the Citizens Committee did not
send letters of notification CT the postpone
ment until two days later and at the same
time the letters departed from Washington
several Governors had already arrived here,
They knew nothing Of the postponement
until they reached Washington.
Some of the guests will return to their
homes without waiting for the festivities
Others Will say they have travelled TOO far
to miss the meeting and Will remain.
The times., 1899-12-23
British Diplomacy in Europe.

II we have had occasion to doubt the
superiority of British generals as strate-
gists and taeticians, on the strength of
what We have seen of their efforts in South
Africa. nothing as yet has happened 10
cause any change in the belief that British
statesmen and diplomatists are unsur-
passed in their vocattons by the same kind
Of people in the service of any power on
earth. although. perhaps il should not
be regarded as proving the proposition, we
must say that American experience ought
TO be strong proof that British diplomacy
is not a thing to be regarded with less than
profound respect. We have only to re-
member the Clayton -BuIweE treaty, the
Elgin reciprocity treaty, ''fioated through
on champagne, and the Geneva arbitra-
tion TO be quite convinced in our own
minds that there have been reYenges in
history for events like Saratoga, Yorktown,
and New Orleans.
To come down to the present time,
whatever may have been the ineapacity
OF the blunders of the British military au-
thorities in anticipation of or in the South
African war its bad example does not ap-
pear to have been followed by the Queens
Foreign Office Indeed, there is every rea-
son to assume that, by the time Paul
Kruger sent bis ultimatum of defiance to
London, the Marquis of Salisbury had com
Dleted his arrangements with all the lead
ing Cabinets of Europe to assure England
a free hand in the situation which he saw
to be inevitable Indeed it appears little
doubtful now that the British Premier
knew pretty well what attitude Germany
could be depended upon TO hold, before
the first Boer commando crossed Lalng's
Mex into Natal
Very recent developments justify the
opinion that Lord Salisbury's statesman
ship has succeeded in not only making
the Kaiser friendly, but actually has gone
to the length of accomplishing an alliance
with the already allied powers of Germany,
Austria, and Italy.
a week ago we called attention to the
report that England and Italy had per-
fected an arrangement for mutual support
in Abyssinia and the Nile valley, and that
they had agreed to assist each other with
arms should either be attacked in the
sphere Of action referred to, from any
quarter Now we hear that Italian troops
are 10 replace British forces in Egypt while
the latter are absent on service in South
Africa. If true, this can only mean that
the Triple Alliance, without whose com
bined sanction Italy would not accept such
a responsibility, is selidly back of Great
Britain, as far as any movement on the
part Of Russia and France, threatening the
integrity of the Empire in Asia or the East,
may be concerned. II the facts shall be
corroborated, as We have ventured to say
heretofore, there viii be little chance Of a
hostile movement against the Indian from
tier for some time to come, and none what
ever that any effort viii be made in the
near future to oust England from the
soudan or the occupation of the land of
the Phsraohs.
The times., 1899-12-23
Infants and Their Debts.

Tradesmen in New Haven are in a state
Of nervous excitement over the case of a
Yale student who having taken refuge in
the law Of infancy, refuses TO pay florist
ten dollars for bouquet which he sent to a
chorus girl. The infant in question is a jun
ior at the famous university. and when the
bill for the flowers was presented he calmly
and unblushingly declined to honor it. al
though he acknowledged having purchased
the bouquet He added, in the way of ex-
planation, that he was a minor and there
fore not responsible, as flowers are not
legally considered in the list Of necessaries.
A justice Of the peace ruled in favor of
the infant when the case was brought be-
fore him on suit, and the dunning florist
then carried the matter to the Court OF
Common Pleas The decision Of the justice
is quite likely to be confirmed by the higher
tribunal, for the common law has invariably
held to the responsibility Of an infant-a
person less than twenty years of age
in contracting debts other than those for
necessaries. The courts have been strict
IN the Interpretation Of this rule and have
repeatedly declared that the object of the
law is to throw every protection about the
individual who, in its eyes, has not reached
the age of discretion. The tradesmsn who
deals with a minor is supposed to know
the legal status of such patron. and. if
he gives him credit, # is on his own re-
sponsibility. for time and again the tri-
bunals have rigidly upheld the fundamental
principle Of the law Of infancy to the loss
Of those who have dealt with youngsters
on trust
But there is another phase OF this matter
which is particularly well illustrated in the
New Haven case. While the common law
holds the minor 10 be exempt from the
payment Of foolish debts contracted for
things not necessary to his comfort and
well being. in the majority OF instances
such q plea Is a contemplate one. While
the common and statutory law may excuse
him from compensating the merchant whose
goods he accepted on the ground that he
cannot legally place himself under an OBJ
Iigation TO pay, the moral law does not ac-
quit him as entirely innocent There is
downright meanness in the subterfuge
which, though it has the approval Of the
best interpreters of legal right and wrong
can scarcely be said to meet the laymen's
notion in regard 10 the responsibility Of The
defendant
One Of the unjust features OF the law of
infancy. dwelt upon by numerous writer's
on legal topics, is the deception that Is
pracuced upon unsuspecting persons who
deal with infants by the physical appear
ance OF the latter. Many who are infants
under the Law have the physique OF San
The times., 1899-12-23

whispers of pathos heard above The hum
drum Of everyday life. will not find it 6iai-
cult to picture in his mind the senders of
these Kriss Kriugle epist!es Perhaps
many Of them come from the cheeTless ten
ement, where pinched faces have looked
with childish anticipation for the annual
advent of the robust old gentleman WHO
spends his time making toys and good es
for the infant population. Fearful Of baing
passed hy, doubtless, tiny hands have in
the anxiety of the season, determined to
send the addresses of the poor little folk
to the benefcent old soul, whose pack, the
legend says, is never empty. In this season
Of seasons when the good traits OF hu-
manity force themselves to the surface and
the Golden Rule becomes more fashionab e,
IT is not difficult to paint with the brushes
Of a sympathetic imagination. series of
pictures representing the eXpectant types
Of little chaps and lasses whose lot is
penury and whose aGectionats missives TO
Santa Claus will never reach him.
And the optimist is prone 10 wish, under
the inspiration OF such reflections, that he
were a ubiquitous millionaire for one day
in the year. so that he might Danish from
every heart the disappointments that are
bound to be legion next Monday morning,
when the ragged stocking is found empty
by the children of hoveI and tenement
The times., 1899-12-23
THE FAREWELL TO BROOKE.
Americans and CubRns Fraternize at
an Evening Banauet.

EsNtnAnE b-thIucA-
HAVANA, Dec 22.-The banquet last
night to General Brooke was a pleasant
farewell to the retiring Governor General.
Moreover, it demonstrated beyond question
the purpose of the United States in refer
ence to this island. Every word spoken by
the American officials reiterated in the
frankest. most forcible way the determin
alton expressed in the messages of Presi-
dent Mckinley and the Secretary of War.
There was no evasion, no equivocation, on
the part of anyone. The Cubans were
given to understand that absolute indie
pendence would be given in the shortest
time possible.
If ever there was doubt as TO the plans
of the Administration on this point in the
minds of the Cubans it must have been
swept away by this gathering. All the
high officials, Cubans and Americans, were
present. The number included Generals
Wood, Chaffee, Ludlow, and Humphrey,
and MessTs. Rathbone, Bliss, Queseda,
Lanuza, Capote Saenz Yanez, Desvernine,
CaTdenas. Menocal. Casanova Conant,
HoTatio Rubens, Gualberto Gomez. Federico
Mora, Emilio Nunez, and Lacoste. In all
there were sixty-five guests. Generals
Wood, Brooke, and Ludlow, Mr. Rubens,
Judge LoFente, of the Supreme Court, Mr..
Mora, Judge Freye Andrade, of the Audien-
cia, and Messrs. Lanuza and Quesada spoke.
General Wood said
Il can only refer briefly to the mission
OF the United States in Cuba The United
States is here through its representatives
to accomplish great work. We are here
to do Just what was said in the declara
tion of Congress that we would do and
we are going to do it. I can only do that
which the Executive of the United
States has sent me to perform but l hall
need the assistance and hope I shall merit
the good viii Of every resident of the
island
The other speakers. Cubans and Ameri-
cans alike. were much more positive in
their statements regarding Cubas in
listence upon the right of independence
and the frank intention of the United
States TO grant it Immediately Tha Gu
bans. who were in a majority at the ban
Guet, were greatly pleased and applauded
the speakers furiously.
General Brooke will sail for Tampa to-
morrow. A squadron Of the Seventh Cav
airy, four batteries Of artillery and. the
band of the Second Artillery Will escort
him to the wharf from which he viii
board the steamer
Division headquarters has issued a roster
of the troops In the island. 1t is the work
Of Chief Clerk Steinhardt. 1t includes
much valuable data concerning the re-
sources of Cuba, and especially in mines
forests. and public lands
Senor DolZ Governor of Piuar del Rio
says that the tobacco crop of that province
is worth 500 900, 600. Labor on the plan
tations commands 81 per day.
The times., 1899-12-23
A REORGANIZATION SCHEME.
The Produce Exchange Trust Com
pany May he RehabilitRted.


NEW YORK, Dec. PA meeting Of the
board of trustees of the Produce Exchange
Trust Company, which suspended last Mon
day was held in the eOmpany's board room,
26 Broadway, this afternoon. Nearly every
member was present, as well as Superin-
tendent Kimball. of the State banking de-
partment and Frank B. Platt, OF Tracy,
Boardman & Platt. After the meeting was
over Almon Goodwin and William Nelson
Cromwell, counsel to the special committee
of the board gave out the following state
ment
AT the meeting OF the board Of trustees
of the Produce Exchange Trust Company,
held this afternoon proposition was
made by General Samuel Thomas TO ad-
vance the money necessary to pay the de-
positoTs in full provided that. upon an ex-
animation Of its affairs By his representa-
tive, they should be found by him to be
in such condition as to justify him in as
Stunning tne responsibility. 1t was under
stood that in the event stated General
Thomas would accept the presidency of
the company, and that such changes Of Of
ficers and trustees should be made as he
should determine. The board thereupon
adjourned to Wednesday next 10 await the
result Of such examination. The special
committee in charge has in contemplation
the making of j dividend 70 depositors at
an early date"
General Thomas and Thomas A. McIn-
tyre are old friends. General Thomas was
quoted the other day as saying he would
be glad to undertake to rehabiliJate the
company in association with Mr.. Mcintyre.
but not with Turner a. Beall, President
Of the company when it suspended. Edwin
Gould has said that he would not care to
be Interested in the reorganization with
either Mr. BealI or Mr.. MeIntyre.
The times., 1899-12-23
A TRIBUTE TO GEN. LAwToN.
The Embodiment OF All That Is
WOrthiest In the American Soldier.

WOrthiest In the American Soldier.
To the Editor Of The Times:
The death OF General LawtOn has caused
a thrill of sadness in all parts Of the
country, The gallant. splendid, brilliant
Brumby has just been laid away. and now
comes Lawton's death. To be killed in action
is not an unusual thing in our recent ex-
perience. Many gallant spirits of the rank
and file OF the army and navy. splendid
specimens of American soldiers, have paid
the penalty of their heroism. They are
entitled to, and Will receive, the homage
of all our people. but there is something
in Lawton's death peculiarly pathetic and
touching. He was the head and front Of
the aggressive movement against the people
who turned their arms against their deliv-
erers. His was the one commanding fig
ure, above all Others in the Philippines
that inspired and led the aggressive forces
against the insurgents. The end was near,
and we can imagine how he would have
enjoyed the denouemf mt In saying this, do
not wish to be understood as detractng,
in the slightest degree from others who
have borne themselves so sallantly in
action, and endured. uncomplainingly, that
which is perhaps more trying than the
chances of battle, the haTdships and periis
of campaigning in such a country.
But there is something in Lawton's career
which makes his death at the hands OF
guerrilla or bushwacker especially sad. lie
died as all good soldiers prefer TO die with
his face to the enemy. and 1 have no idea
he would utter word Of protest, If he
could speak. because he knew what war
meant, and was prepared for lis worst pen
alties He received his death wound like
a man, and was spared the agony CT a pro
tracted struggle for life. l have no doubt
that is just as he would have willed 1t If
he had been consulted.
Lawton was cRe of those rare men, TOO
rare in our day and generation of self
seeking. who performed whatever duty
was assigned him with the single purpose
of performing 1t we'll. without regard TO
personal consequences. He never played
for the galleries. Quiet. taciturn, forceful,
able, faithful steady and earnest. he was
the beau ideal of perfect soldier always
measuring up to the full height of the re-
spOnsibilities placed upon him. growing
and expanding as they increased in gravity
and importance.
Let us all drop a tear to his memory. and
rebuke the spirit that wonld curtail the re-
suit of his splendid achievements and sac
rinces His blood. with that OF his faithful
comrades, has oonseCTated the soil on which
he and they died. and should never be
abandoned 10 any other flag than that
which shrouded his mortal remains.
NJ C. BUTLER.
The times., 1899-12-23
BRADsTREEr's TRADE REVIEW
The Greatest Activity in Holiday
Trnde Ever Recorded.

Trade Ever Recorded.
NEW YORK. Dee. % Bradstreet's to-
morrow viii say:
Holiday trade activity. OF course.
reached its highest devslOpmsnt during tie
week now drawing 10 a close. and it is sig
uideant Of the prosperous conditions under
wing the general business situation t1ag
reports almost without exception po.ut TO
q volume OF business having few parallels
IN previous years. Another significant fsa-
ture developed is that the demand for such
goods embraces a higher class and more
expensive grade Of materials. the cOuclu-
SION among trade reporters being hat a
larger buying capacity exists now than in
any previous year 50 the country-s history
mis- state Of affairs IS found notwithsta and
ing the fact thar weather conditions have
not altogether favored the retail dgstrfbu-
tion Of winter goods. the result being less
activity in purely retail lines than had been
looked for
Wholesale trace at this season usslalIy
shows quieting tendency. but it is cues
uouable whether this tendency is a.
marked this year as in former periods. To
the advanced stage OF the season chiefly.
and perhaps also TO the sentimental effect
growing out Of stringent money conditions
in speculative lines may be charged some
OF ire quietness noted. As above inti-
mated, however, this is less marked than
n ordinary years
Just how much influence upon current
bank clearings has been exercised by money
market developments and what effect an
ticipauons OF interest payments on January
/, estimated TO aggregate s19o 90. have
had upon the money market. it would ba
hard 20 state accurately The fact remains
however. that the bank clearings for the
week. six business days. ending with
Thursda3 aggregate s.. .221. $50, $40, total
far IN excess OF any preceding weekly total
ever reported. As illustrative OF the i'm
unense expansion In bank clearings in re-
cent years It might be stated that the
total bank clearings outside of New York
this week aggregate a sum nearly equal
to those Of the entire country ia the cor
responding week OF 1898. and II the clear
ings at all cities, including the metropolis.
are counted the aggregate is not far from
three times what Ii was in the next TO the
last week OF the panic year The tendency
OF money to return to New York Is also
marked judging from the advancing rate
OF exchange noted for two weeks past
Prices generally have shown excep-
tiOnal strength, the great majority ot
staple quotations remaining unchanged as
result OF the weeks operations. As ex-
ceptions to this might be instancsd -four.
pork, coffee, and lead. which are higher.
while copper cotton, and tin are lower.
Business failures are fewer than or
dinary at this season, though exceptional
money conditions have caused some few
heavy embaTTassments, and the ensuing la
bilities viii swell the months totals con-
siderably. The total number OF embarrass-
ments this week is 2l1. a. compared with
21l last week"
The times., 1899-12-23
DISCUSSING P1NGREE's CASE.
A Conference in Detroit to Consider
Impenchment Proceedings

DETROIT, Mich. Dec. 22.-Senato-s
Heald. Sayre. Atwood and Davis. and Rep
resentatives Chamberlin. Mccall. and Cor
don were closeted with Detroit politic.a ans
here today to consider the wisdom Of insti-
tuting impeachment proceedings against
Governor Pingree on account of his con-
uection with the Mcleod municipal owner
snip bill in the Legislature. The bill was
passed under suspicious circumstances, and
after it became a law conyulsed the city Of
Detroit with the hottest kind of a fight.
In order to impeach. the lower house must
authorize proceedings by a majority vote.
and it must be ratified by twO-thirds vote
in the Senate. The Pingree men have
majority of the house When Governor
Pingree was told about the conference he
declared his acqUiesceuee in the pro-
gramme
Give them my compliments and tell
them to go ahead, he said. III the re-
ports are true about my connection with
that Mcleod bill I ought TO be impeached,
and they ought to impeach me. II the re-
ports are true 1 ought to be behind the
bars, too.
The times., 1899-12-23
THE FREIGHT RATE CASES.
Herring Before the Interstate Com.
merce ConmfssInn EnncIn.irh

merce Commission Concluded.
The final hearing OF the representatives Of
the several railroads using the "of.
fetal classification" and the protesting
mercantile and manufacturing concerns
and associations was held by the In
terstate Commerce Commission yester-
day morning. Frank Harriott. Gen.
eral Freight and Traffic Manager OF the
Erie Railroad, was put upon the stand.
No material facts were developed during
MS examination. his testimony being
largely repetition Of that of Messrs. Gill
and Guilford. OF the preceding day.
When Mr. Harriott had concluded Attor-
ney General Monnett. OF Ohio who appears
on behalf OF many shippers from Cleve-
land and other cities in that State. uC-
casioned much surprise by arguing that
the new table OF rates was violation of
the sherman Antitrust law. In support
OF that position he read a petition which
Mr.. Matthews. of Proctor. Gamble & Co.
ana Representative Bromwell presented on
behalf of a number OF commercial firlas
This document represented that the new
rate sheet inUTes to the benefit OF the large
shipper and the practical ruin OF small
firms. and urges the Commission TO present
to the United States Attorney General an
abstract of its proceedings in the matter
that he may proceed against the railroads
Commissioner Clements expressed the
opinion. when the paper had been read
that if the contention was that the schedule
violated the Antitrust law. the Interstate
Commerce Commission had nothing what
ever TO do with the case. For the purpose
OF illustrating the arguments in the petit
ton. Mr.. Monnett introduced several Wit
nesses. the first examined being B. a
Brown, of Cleveland. The witness was
particularly interested in oil shipping he
said. He had prepared a table showing tie
advance in rates. as it would affect short
hauls and small shipments in oil. One ef-
feet was that while the discrimination
against small lots had previously amount
ed TO about IS per cent under the new
schedule, it might reach go per cent, and
could not be less than SS per cent.
c.. II. de Goyler declared that the ad-
vanced classification on carriages would
delmit the area of competition in the Ohio
and Mississippi valleys to territories almost
Immediately adjacent to the factories.
No further testimony was offered and the
hearing was adjourned.