The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-03-01
NEWS HND COMMENT

q shut-off occurred I'm New York Mon
day afternoon, causing also n suspension
OF the steam supply, and the, Sun thus
notes few of the consequences: with
few exceptions all of the big downtown
oiiice buildings get the power for their
elevators from the New York steam conn
pany At o'clock all or the elevators
came slowly down to the ground floor,
but declined to ascend again. When the
engineers I'm the different buildings were
appealed to they declared that the power
had been shut off and that nothing could
be done until It was turned on again. The
steam company's telephones were kept
busy for the next hour, and the clerks
explained to all inquirers that the city
had shut off the water without giving
them any warning and that they were
helpless. In the meantime there was
great unhappiness among the tenants of
the affected buildings. Some absolutely
refused to climb up to their offices, and
sent for the elevator men to tell their
clerks to lock up and go home. Messen-
ger boys who had letters to deliver TO
Offices on the upper floors of the sky
scrapers kicked vigorously at having to
walk, but had to do 1t Just the same.
Men and women who walked down stairs
from the upper floors were completely
exhausted when they reached the street
Altogether 1t was the toughest predica-
ment that the downtown business district
has found itself in since skyscrapers have
been in existence" Fortunately the mat
ter was soon adjusted.
The Texas legislature is considering a
bill which is of interest to liars there and
elsewhere. If this becomes a law, proof
that man has been called liar will be-
come a full defense in assault and bat
terry. That is to say, the man with the
battered nose, blaCkened eye, and hiatt
used front teeth will learn In a court OF
Justice that it "served him right" The
laws governing liars i'm other states vary
says an exchange. In Kentucky it is Il
misdemeanor punishable by a $50 fine to
call any man liar, and a police Justice
or Louisville has declared from his bench
that lie in Kentucky means a blow
This memorable declarat tion was given in
dtscharging honorably a man who had
Knocked down another fellow for calling
him a liar and had been brought to court
TO answer. In Virginia, by the law of
1885 1896, a man who calls another man a
liar is guilty of a misdemeanor and on
conviction may be fined not more than S25
In Georgia it is slander, punishable by
Sl,OOO fine or a year in the penitentiary, or
both, to call man liar unIess you can
prove that he Is one, in which case you
get clear. The Georgia courts hold that a
lie constitutes the first blow and justifles
II violent response. In Arkansas passing
the lie is misdemeanor punishable by Il
fine. In Mississippi insulting words are
clvilly actionable. In South Carolina and
West Virginia the same.
An anonymous German recently re-
turned from the fatherland has Informed
a san Francisco reporter, or else the
reporter has imagined 1t, that Germany
Is preparing to seize the Philippines un-
der preteXt of lack of protection to Ger
mans and other foreigners. He asserts
that Germany is behind Aguinado and
that the arms recently seized on the
steamer Abbey were furnished by the Ger
mans. He says several batteries of 6-inch
krupps are now on their way to the Phil
ippineS in German ships. "Thc ultimate
OBJECT OF Germany he adds, 'is to dis
courage the expansion idea among Amer.
leans. To do this a heavy blow must be
dealt to American pretenslons in the Phil
ippines. The plan is to have Russia and
France to unite with Germany and all
three seize the Philippines. TO strength
en- Germany'S navy an option has been
secured on the Almirante O'Figgins, Es-
meralda and Captain Pratt. which were
refused the United States when the war
was on. These vessels will rendezvous at
the Marshall Islands, and when the time
is ripe all the outlying Philippine possess
ions will be seized. Dewey's ships will be
helpless, as he has none that are as fast
as the new Chilian cruisers" All of
winch is certainly important If true.
California is going to try to regulate
caricaturing by law. a bill has just re-
ceiVed executive approval in the Golden
State which declares that ii shall here
after be unlawful to publish in any news
paper, handbill, poster, book or serial
publication or supplement thereto, the
portrait of any living person a resident of
California, other than that of pers IN
holding public office in the state, with
out first obtaining the consent of such
person, The only exception to this pro-
hibition Is that it shall be lawful TO pub
hsh portraits of persons convicted of
crimes. The section goes on to provide
that II shall be unlawful to publish any
of any person residing in Cali
fornia which will in any manner reflect
upon the honor, integrity, manhood, vir-
tue reputation or business or political
motives of the person so caricatured or
which tends TO expose such person to
public hatred or contempt, but the unhap-
py being who does not reside in California
Is to be fair prey for the California car
toonists. The enforcement of the law will
be watched with interest.
It is gratifying, writes w. L. Curtis, to
learn by an announcement that has lust
been issued from Richard Croker's Dem
ocratc club, that wine cellar has been
added to its luxurious apartments, with
nineteen varieties of champagne, fourteen
kinds of whisky and $4,000 worth of the
finest wines in existence. We are official
lS informed by Mr. Croker and his house
that their agents have
the royal cellars of Europe in
the interest of the Democratic club, and
have selected only the most superb Yint-
ages the chief acquisition being a quail
ity of cabinet blue seal Johannisberger
bottled by Prince Metternich I'm 1886 for
the use of the duke of Nassau. This wine
is listed at Sl2 a bottle, and illustrates
the decadence of the Democratic party,
which formerly took its liquor from a j. s.
The North Dakota senate has taken AN
advanced step on the matrimonial qucs-
tion by passing bill providing for the
of a commission of three
physicians in each county for the eNani-
nation of all applicants for marriage Ii
censes. No license 10 marry can be grant
ed under the bill unless the applicants
present certificate from the board Of
examiners that they are free from certain
diseases and ailments, including dipso-
mania, hereditary insanity. and tubercu-
losis. A fee of $3.50 is required for the
medical examination.
The conferrees Of the two houses Of
have reached an agreement on
the bill for taxing the census in 1900. The
point of difference was over the
provision placing the clerical force under
civil service rules, This was eliminated
and the appointments are to be made by
the director of the census. The 800 su
pervisors, however are to be appointed
by the president and confirmation by the
senate Is made essential After the con-
ference report is adopted the bill will go
to the president for his signature.