The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-12-31
- He END of the United States presidential
difficulty was seemingly farther in the dim
f,,t,,ra aa thn old century, won't out than q

~ HE END of the United States presidential
difficulty was seemingly farther in the dim
4 future as the old century went out than a
fortnight before. The Fedcraists, needing
not the advice Of their former leader, the great
Alexander Hamilton, to make jefferson president
in preference to Burr, seemed determined to
break tine tie between jefferson and Burr Qhat
would take the election from the electoral col.
lcge and place it in congrcss) by transferring the
government by an act to Chief Justice Jay or
Secretary OF State Marshall or to let it dcvolvc
on the secretary pro TEN. of the senate until the
following December Jefferson saw this would
give the Fcdcralists another years predominance
and the chance of future events lie announced
in letter that the Republicans proposed to press
forward to an election by congress. adding: "1f
We fail in this concert between the two higher
candidates may prevent the dissolution Of the
government and danger of anarchy, by an opera
tion bungling indeed and imperfect, but better
than letting the legislature take the nomination
of the executive entirely from the people," This
'opcration,' Jefferson explained after the
crisis had passed. contemplated a convention,
called by the Republican members OF congress,
with the virtual president and vice president to
amend the constitution to fit the case. He COM
pared the Federal government to clock about
run down, and the proposed convention the force
to wind it up again. This obvious simile used
in the settlement of a terrible jeopardy was writ
ten by jefferson after he had been in the presi.
dental chair nearly month. and could tran.
quilly discuss such national matchmaking af-
fairs.
There were other Republicans, however, not so
conservative, who declared openly and firmly
that the day congress passed an act making Jay
Or Marshall president the Middle States would
arm, and no such usurpaton would be submit
ted to.
And the eighteenth century went out with the
fAaS Stnta tl,a
the worst outcome of frightful dilemma
Statistics showed that the largest city in the
world, London, had consumed 30 OOO, 600 bushels
of coal during the year. The amount OF fire in
surance carried in London was only zoo, ,OOO, 900
pounds sterling, and there were only eight offices
transacting in more or less complete form, the
business of life assurance in all of Great Britain
and Ireland. The effective rank and file of the
army actually serving in the pay of Great Bri.
tain amounted to 16S, ,0s2 1898 900 pounds ster-
ling being spent during the year on the whole
army. The British navy consisted Of 767 ships
of G6S,144 tons, on which there were 1885, 900 men,
This cost 12,42 1877 pounds sterling for the year.
The loss of merchant and other ships by wreck
upon lee shores, coasts and disasters in the open
sea was 365 for the year, an average OF one each
day. OF the remarkable cases there were four:
queen, british transport, grounded OH Treflisis
Point 800 soul pershing; Mastif gun brig
wrecked on Cookie Sands; Repulsc, sixty.four
guns, wrecked off Ushant; Queen, West India.
man. destroyed by fire off Brazil
The year 1900 made a further difference be.
tween the Julian and Gregorian, or new style
calendar The former counted it leap year, the
latter common, making the difference thereafter
Tor century twelve days. History does not re.
cord when the nineteenth century began. "Con.
stant Reader" and "Vox Populi" were equally
silent on the subject
The estimated production of gold and silver
for the twenty years ending 1900 was as follows:
Gold, l,226 100000 francs; silver, 3eO8 OOo. 600
francs. The ratio Of value was then 1871 to l.
The expectation of cotton from the United
States for the year amounted to $4,000, 600
pounds; eight days before it was less than 600