The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-03-07
NEWS HND COMMENT

John X. karr responded to the toast, The
Pennsylvania Legislature saying in
part. "The Pennsylvania legislature IS
an aggregate OF gentlemen, 1t Is an sg-
gregate of honest, God-tearing men, al
ways ready to serve the people when tho
people command. The Pennsylvania leg
islature is what the people make 1t. IL
tho people continue to be masters they
can have what they command. The one
great fault with the American people IS
that they do not take the interest they
should in politics. 1t has been said that
the people OF Harrisburg lock their doors
at night on the conNening of the legisa-
ture, but j notice that they are anxious
to have us stay there. They are very
glad to have us spend our heard-earned
salaries in their town. A great many peo-
pie think the Legislature is a band Of
thieves; that they will steal everything
i'll sight. This false opinion Is due TO up-
pOsite factions OF political opinion, and
most OF all to sectional and partisan
newspapers. The fact Is that the leg
islaturc uf Pennsylvania has done a
grand work in the service of the people
1t has built up the finest school system in
this country. 1t has also built up the
finest system of organized charities. 1t
does not serve the wishes of Il lew, but
those of the multitude, that vote at the
polls. In the ten years that / have been
Ill the legislature not one measure has
been enacted that was baneful in the
slightest degree to the welfare of the
people. Yet most of you believe that a
great many vicious things have been
done In Harrisburg in the past two years.
We must not forget that when people
fall out they have their little yarns to
tell, and that these yarns are not always
truthfully told. The maligning, the
abuse that we have suffered is past com
prehension. We have been criticised for
the large number of bills that are intro
duced. Now the truth of this is that
these bills are introduced at the request
of the people themselves. If unfit, these
bills are thrown out"
10 the legislature of Michigan must be
awarded the palm for producing the
most novel temperance reform measure of
the season. This bill proposes that the
man who wishes tu-Cnjoy the luxury of
alcoholic stimulation shall augment the
city, village or township revenues to the
extent of s. a year. The bill requires that
every individual desiring to buy intoxi.
eating liquors by the drink shall obtain
Of the town or city clerk license which
entities him to that privilege. When the
license is issued the person procuring 1t
is also required to Immediately publish
the fact in a newspaper in the county
where he or she may reside. Liquor deal
ers who sell intoXicants to anyone who
cannot exhibit "a legal permit to get in
toXcated arc liable to heavy fine. The
bill also prohibits loaning or transfer of
the license to another person. Its adop-
tion would undoubtedly produce a boom
In the license market.
When a student who has been a mem
her OF one of the many societies in q
Swiss university dies a strange custom is
observed by his associates. On the even
ing of the day of the funeral the members
of the different societies meet, and, form
ing hollow square, march slowly
through the principal streets of the town
to the strains of a dead march All are
dressed in the uniform of their respcc-
tive societies, and those who do not carry
swords hold aloft torches. After the pro-
cession Is over they repair to a hall or
chamber that has either been freduented
by the deceased, or that has been select.
cd for other sentimental reasons. Here a
silent toast is drunk in memory of the
dead friend and the glasses are stimuli
taneously raised and broken in pieces
against the wall.
The British authorities some time ago
made a test of the alleged value of alco-
hOl when men are subjected to unusual
and eXhausting labor. Experiments were
made at different times and under varying
conditions with three regiments from
each of several brigades. In one every
man was forbidden to drink any alcohol
whatever while the test lasted in the
second malt liquor only was taken; in the
third a ration Of whiskey was given tc
each man. The whiskey drinkers mani.
tested more dash at first, but generally
in about four days showed signs of weak.
| ness and fatigue; those given malt liquor
displayed less dash at first but theil
endurance lasted somewhat longer, while
the abstainers improved daily in alertness
and staying powers
Evidence has been found by sounding,
that England and France were once phys
ically one. Professor Edward Hull re-
Gently read at the Royal Geographical so
ciety paper on the "Sub-Oceanic Feature.
OFF the Coast Of Western Europe" Among
these features he described a deep canyon
or river course in the center of the Eng
lsh channel, running from the Straits OF
Dover westward for a distance of seventy
miles, known as "HuIds Deep" Com
mander Hurd having discovered it Will,
| making soundings for the admiralty. Thi.
gorge has a depth of 200 feet to 250 fee
below the bed of the channel. 1t was
kept open by the force of the waters o
! the English channel as they rose and fell
Seven exploring expeditions operated il
Labrador last year, and reports from al
have been received by the Geographical
and other societies of London, The Cor
| sensus of opinion, as derived from these
| reports, is that the country is by NJ
| means such a sterile region as has beer
supposed. Geographically, the formation
n n
Klondike region, and there are scientist.
| who believe that there will be rich dis
| COVeries of gold and other metals there
Vast forests of spruce pines exist, anl
there are other valuable timber trees o
good size and commercial value.
The United States Department of Agri
culture has, by experiments, found tina
the force of growing pumpkin is sui
1 licient to lift two and One-half tons, pro
| vided the weight is so placed as not Il
! interfere with the growth or natural lie
| velopment Of the vegetable. In LondoI
a paving stone which weighed $50 pounds
and which was wedged in on all sides b!
| other stones was lifted up by a mush
room. The growth of big gum tree u
| Honduras, moved the walls of a concret
church three feet in thickness eighteel
! inches in seventeen years.
| A new disease is recorded, known q
| golhcitis This mania, experts say, dif
! fers from others and is incurable. 1t
| symptoms are a loathing for legitimat
| business, an abnormal disposition to co
| pious profanity and nervous irritation,
| passion for giddy and eccentric garments
a profound contempt for truth, a hatrc
| Of domestic restraint, accompanied b.
flushed face and a deprayCd love Of on
| of doors.
| A Viennese commission has reported N
| the possibility of utilizing the sewerag
! for agricultural purposes and has Sc
down it's value at from $500 10 100 flor
| innr An.r or 1 Il Ia