Year: 1874




The condition of the iron industry, as shown
on another page of THE TRIBUNE, continues
very unsatisfactory, and is causing consider
able loss to the work-peOple in the iron re-
gions, as well as to those who depend on them
for livelihood. The irOnmasters deserve well
of the country, and ought not to suffer for the
enterprise they have displayed IN making
traffic for the railroads, and increasing 'ho
general prosperity of the nation.


What seemed likely to be most serious
affair in st. Petersburg. conspiracy at the
very least comes to an almost ludlcrous con-
cusion. The imperial person arrested the
other day was not the Cars brother Dut
nephew of the august monarch. This naughty
young man it seems stole his mothers dia-
monds, and lavished them upon French
actress who is injuriously set down as we'll
KNOWN" 1t is a relief to know that there IS no
murderous plot against existing dlgnlties; put
il is dreadful blow to imperialism to hnd
petty larceny running in the family.


Great Britain pays literally for its protect
crate of the FIJI Islands. The King ana hieh
chiefs are handsomely penslOned ana INC ieo
simple of the lands is not in any way alienateu
from the ruling chief. The result OF TINS VIII
he q general purchase of the arabic lands Dy
british subjects from Australia and gradual
growth of local law among the planters. The
whole scheme is gracious concession to tho
British colonists in the South Seas, and,
whether it be profitable to the Empire or not,
it is designed to strengthen the bonds which
hold Australasia to the Crown.


The struggle of years is ended by the final
lease of the Atlantic and Great Western to
the Erie Railroad for a percentage of the
gross earnings. The more thoughtful friends
of Erie have always regarded this as an
exceedingly dangerous step. President Watson
himself has been, if he is not now, vehemepuy
opposed to it, and we believe he was quite
right in his opposition. We greatly fear that
the result fastens millstOne about the neck
of poor Erie. 1t is, however, anu undoubted
triumph for the management OF Messrs. Bar
low and Company, which for the last twelve
months has been steadily directed to this end


The members of thes Protestant Episcopal
Church have always had peculiar pride In
their beautiful liturgy, and the Council OF the
Reformed Episcopal Church has undoubtedly
done wisely-in It's revision OF the Book OF
Common Prayer-tO retain so many OF the
rubrics, prayers, and orders without change
Radical changes are made, however, in the
Offices of Baptism and the Lords Supper, In
accordance with the opposition of the new
denomination to the doctrines of Regenera-
ton by Baptism and Sacramentarianism, and


Churchpa
assumed in the broad invitation extended in
the rubric of the Communion Service.


We have from time to time kept our readers
well informed of the preparations making for
observations on the transit of Venus, to take
place next December and in the recent
address of Prof. NewcOmb before the Academy
of Sciences at Washington, exclusively reported
in The TRIBUNE, the record OF what the
United States is attempting in this matter
was very clearly set forth. But many addl-
tional details of interest have been grouped
together in the letter of a correspondent pub
lished to-day on our fourth page, and tho
data are given by which the work which
Americans have undertaken for the observa-
ton of the transit can be compared with that
of other nations; comparison in which, hap
ply, we do not appear at disadvantage.


Congress parted so unwillingly with the
franking privilege, it is likely that 1t will de-
mur somewhat at the reform in distributing
public documents proposed by Senator An
thony. The last hope of the frankers has
been that the pressure of matter printed at
public expense would force return of the
franking nuisance. But the bill reported in
the Senate yesterday is designed to put pub
lie documents in reach of all that really want
them at cost price. 1t is sensible plan. If
people do not want agricultural and other re-
ports enough to send for them, and pay a
trife, they do not want them enough to war
rant the present wasteful system of distribu-
ton.


If Mr. Weston were content to gauge his
own powers little more accurately, his public
performances would have less uniform ten
dency to end amid good humored jeers The
man who walked 115 miles in twenty-fOur
hours, and was able on the three successive
days to make such a record as is elsewhere
detailed, is q sufficiently remarkable pedes-
trian to attract attention to what he
can do, Without these perpetual under
takings in which he breaks down. In so
far as his performances tend to increase the
popular regard for pedestrianism and highten
peoples confidence in their own powers of
endurance, they are good thing, and to this
extent he deserves encouragement in spite of
the now inevitable failure of his latest effort.


Within three months there have been fre
quent proofs of the decentralization of the pO-
lice. An inoffensive laborer was shot down
through the blunders of detectives; a mer-
chant was dangerously attacked in Harlem by
a drunken policeman; Mr.. HOLMAN was un-