smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1878

It is the fashion of the Boston school of
political philosophy to sing jeremiads over
the ''boss," the caucus, the barroom politi-
clan and other not very comely features of
the American machinery for choosing public
servants charged with making or executing
our laws. Mr.. Emerson. at Boston on Mon
day evening. mourned over all these things,
and, after referring to the attempt of the
Americans one hundred years ago "to carry
out the bill of political rights in its almost
ideal perfection said they are now pro-
ceeding to carry out 'the bill Of human
duties" We wish them all success, truly.
1t is just as well, however, to put pinch
Of salt now and then on the tail of the Bos-
ton bird of freedom when it spreads its
wings for an extra soar in the tran
scendental. Let lis recall that during tho
mighty upheaval in France of 1883, when
the ablcst minds in tho Assembly had
united in defining and declaring the rights
of man, that an effort was made to supple
ment it with formulation Of his duties.
This was found impracticable in the sense
of its projectors; but the Assembly adopted
O simple affirmation, which may still be
found weighty even in Boston-namely, that
s.the duty of man is to maintain his rights.
II was the fighting apothegm of people
new-risen to the possession of any rights at
all; but, politically, it should be the watch
word OF all nations who have rights to pre-
serve. Come down from the clouds and 20
to the primaries. There are more right
minded, right living people in the world
than there are barroom loungors and roughs,
and while you dribble out your philosophic
skim milk the men you denounce are
making the political butter.
Year: 1878

The ravages of famine in China seem to
have increased to an unparalleled degree,
and eclipse even those of British India in
their magnitude and incidental horrors.
According to the latest news from the north
ern provinces the area of misery has not
contracted and the terrors of extreme cold
are added to those of hunger AS in India,
the parental instinct seems to be deadened
in the presence of personal want and chill
dren are sold by famishing fathers and
mothers for meal. Perhaps the condition
of these children may be improved by
the transfer. because it is evident
their purchasers must possess the means
of supporting them, otherwise the buying
of children would have no object. As in too
many cases men are found heartless enough
to speculate on the misfortunes of their
fellow beings, and the Chinese officials
appear to be largely of that class of human
hyenas who prosper during periods of
widespread misery. The exasperated people
have in some instances broken into revolt
against these cruel spectators, and we
learn Of one mandarin being beheaded by
the people ofPachung. The burning of the
refuge house at Tientsin with nearly three
thousand inmates appears, side by side with
the famine itself, only an unimportant
incident, yet is frightful calamity, on q
scale which thrills the civilized world with
horror
Year: 1878

The long controversy over the Boston


Collectorship was brought to decision yes
terday so far MS the President alone has
power to decide it. 1t has been evident
for several days that the President would
make an attempt to remove Collector
Simmons. With Senator Hoar and the
best sentiment Of the Massachusetts,
republicans opposed to him and with
General Butler as his chief hacker the re-
suit of the contest should not have been


regarded as doubtful. Massachusetts
has given the President frmer
and heartier support than any other
State, and when the republican leaders
by whose influence he was so warmly in
dorsed demanded the removal of the OBJ
noxious Collector we do not see how Mr..


Hayes could have refused. Simmons term
has not expired, and in this respect he is
in the same position in which Collector
Arthur stood when the unsuccessful
attempt was made to remove him.


But Simmons will not be supported by
either Of the Massachusetts Senators as Col
Year: 1878

THE WEATHER.-Yesterday morning great
area OF high pressure was developed over all the
regions from the upper lakes to the Middle and
South Atlantic and the Gulf coasts and west
ward to the plains of Northern Texas and the
Indian Territory. This area, which has since
considerably diminished, was due to the move
ment of two depressions, reference to which was
made in yesterdays HERALD. The Northwestern
depression has advanced slowly TO the Upper
Missouri Valley region and Manitoba with very
high winds OIL its eastern margin The South
western depression, which is apparently Of cy-
clonic organization, has moved up the Gulf coast
of Mexico to that Of Texas, and is now passing
eastward slowly, with heavy gales on the north
western margin and light rains, which will in
crease to heavy ms the storm progresses. Another
depression has reached the Pacific coast, with
rain and heavy gales, and is now entering the
North Pacific districts. The storm on the North
east coast is moving away very slowly, with
strong to high winds OH the Middle Atlantic and
New England coasts A little snow fell yesterday
in Northern New York. The temperature is de-
cidedly high in the West and has generally
risen. The weather in New York and its vicinity
to-day will be warmer and fair, and tomorrow
will bo followed by increasing cloudiness and
general threatening indications.
Year: 1878

General Butler at last got an opportunity
to deliver the speech on the currency which
he has been SO long preparing It is made
up in about equal proportions of the spe-
cial pleading OF an astute lawyer and the
seductive buncombe of shifty politician.
He cares nothing for silver as a part of the
currency, not believing in metallic money
at all He favors the Silver bill only so far
as it may assist in breaking and mellowing
the ground for new crop of greenbacks.
He would abolish gold. silver and bank notes,
and have the currency consist exclusively
of government paper. What he wants is
the much mooted scheme of interconverti-
BILE greenbacks and bonds, the government
being bound to take greenbacks in sums Of
from fifty to ten thousand dollars in ex-
change for bonds bearing 65-1OO per cent
interest, and bound to reconvert the bonds
into greenbacks on demand. General But
ler, with characteristic frankness, boldly
avows the aim which n majority OF the silver
lunatics secretly cherish. They care moth
ing for their silver projects except as a
means of preparing the way for food Of
government paper and destroying all rela-
ton between our currency and either of the
precious metals. We regret that they are
not all as honest in declaring their opinions
as General Butler is.


Butler knows just enough Of financial
principles to enable him to pervert them
with dexterity. He says that the denunci-
alton Of the Silver bill on the ground that
it proposes to declare ninety-two cents
worth of silver a dollar is weak and incon-
sistent, because the opponents of the bill
never complain of the dishonesty of our sub
sidiary silver coinage, which is considerably
below the standard of the proposed silver
dollar. He contends that if it is dishonest
to declare ninety-two cents worth of silver
dollar it must be still more dishonest to
declare eighty and odd cents worth of silver
dollar, as is done in the law providing for
the coinage of small change. This is sample
of Buffers perverse crotchets He knows
perfectly well that the subsidiary silver
coins are maintained at par only by limiting
their amount and paying them out for the
fractional currency. If the Silver bill had
limited the amount to be coined to what is
sufficient for replacing the small legal tender
notes there would have been no opposition
to its passage by the advocates Of honest
money. 1t is needless to follow Butler
through all his easily exploded crotchets.
The significance of his speech lies in his
open avowal that he does not want silver
money at ALL but new food of greenbacks.
Year: 1878

Large audiences attest the favor with which tho
performances regarded at this pleasant place of
tcrtainmcnt. The Tuesday and Friday matinees
especially arc attended by great throngs, ana much
OF tho excellence OF the exhibitions that are given
consists in the tact that ladies' and children may
Joy, without the slightest suggestion Of improper
thought performances which have for their purpose
only the most innocent OF pleasure The variety
show Is excellent
Year: 1878

The managers OF the above named place OF amusc-
mcnt arc evidently doing their best to make first
class Place or entertainment Now and then
preston will creep in among the actors which
makes the wish current that certain words could be
unsad bu., IN the man. the performances attrac
tive and an ord q large amount Of pleasure TO the
public Tor the money
Year: 1878

Birch, Dackus aud Wambod are names so well
known in connection with their company that It is
scarcely necessary to repeat thcm They give excel
ion performances their way vary their entertain
ments with good taste, and the fact that they keep
their little theatre on Broadway open day In and day
out during most OF the days of the year Is good
illustration OF their holt on the public
Year: 1878

AT THE DINNER of the New York Yacht Club
last evening Commodore Schuyler, who was ON
the America when she won her famous race,
gave some pleasant "reminiscences Of that his
tOric event
Year: 1878

WHILE IT Is DESIRABLE to relieve property
from oppressive taxation the proposition of the
German real estate owners to impose tax'on
all kinds Of business as a partial remedy is un-
wise in the extreme.
Year: 1878

THE CONSTITUTION, the second of the naval
vessels with goods for Paris, sailed yesterday,
and will be followed in few days by the
Wyoming and the Portsmouth. The exhibit
will be the largest ever made by us at foreign
exhibition
Year: 1878



 EDIroRs GAZETTE: There seems to be some misunderstanding in re gard to the closing of the Ladies Benevolent Association Hospital, some seeming to think that the clos ing of the hospital will cause the Association to be disbanded. This is not the case. Not having sufii- cient means to assist the city poor and keep up the hospital likewise, WE were obliged, with sincere regret, to notify the city and county author ihes that we could continue this branch of our work no longer. We have simply returned to our original purpose, that of assisting the sick and destitute of this city, although we fear this will be on a very limit ed scale, as our means of support will be from private sources alone. We wish to make another statement here which does not seem to be known. The Association has paid for all the medicines used at the hospital, also those needed by the outside poor who were under our care' we o''sssss,sa ahas,lital with sincere sorrow, not only for it's III mates, but for those who will be obliged to sec suffering which they arc powerless to relieve. We laid Tn a supply of wood, expecting to keep the hospital open through the winter months. This will be used for the poor of the clty. This work was not of our seeking; It grew upon our hands. A family was left in one of tue buildings now used as an hos pital, then bare shed, left without food or attendance, and at the solic itation of citizens the Association took charge of them, and then the hospital was opened. The work has been continued, although the needs have greatly increased, until oui means are insufficient, and we ar' obliged to close. We trust that thit statement will prevent any furthe . misunderstanding upon the part o

 the county and city authorities.

 LADIES BENEVOLENT Ass'N.
Year: 1878

We will not deny that street beggars
may be useful in their way, by giving ex-
ercise to the humane feelings of the heart
but there is evil attending the practice
viz: that the greater the amount of SYM
pathy which begging awakens, the greater
will be the number Of beggars. The law
Of demand and supply holds good in this
instance as it does in trade-the greater
the fund of human sympathy on the street,
the greater the number of beggars to profit
BY it. There may be, we admit, such a
thing as drawing so largely on the human
ity Of the public as TO cause ravulsion of
feeling; and this, too, is bad. 1t is de-
plorable thing for men to grow hardened
and steeled against the piteous appeals of
the destitute; and yet this is one of the
consequences Of beggary, when the number
Of the wretched profession is dispropor-
toned to the means Of kind.hearted pub
lie. On the whole, therefore we regard
begging as nuisance that should b
abated, by providing homes and work 70
the destitute, in place of allowing them 10
run at large. When man comes to de-
pend on public charity for his support, the
public have right 10 take him in hant
and provide for him as they do for tb,


destitute insane and idiolic.
Year: 1878

The Greeks who woke up at the eleventh
hour to learn that there was war, and
took hand in it when everybody else was
getting through with it, are in danger o!
being made to understa and that the Russo
Turkish peace has been signed and ex.
ecuted. Turkey will soon be able to pay
attention to the dwellers on Olympus and
the heroes of the Plddus; and the Thes-
salin insurgents are indiscreet in offering
themselves as mark On which Turkish
vengeance may vent itself. 'o,
Year: 1878




Municipal and State fuances appear to
be getting badly mixed. Virginia has
$lo3 in the treasury, and ia that much bet
ter off than Chicago, which, according to
the latest reports, had nothing but mass
Of clamorous debts and no money, and was
brought to grief not 30 much on account Of
existing Indebtedness as because the laws
of the State prohibited the municipality
from creating more debts. San Francisco
is also in bad way for similar reason
1t cannet spend more than one-twslfth Of
its yearly revenue in one-twelfth of the
year, and its affairs have come to a dead
lock for want of funds at the end of the
second month. If the Board of Super
visors could only have spent two months
revenue In one month, they might have
kept ahoat until midsummer at least. The
giant minds of the West and South have
been 80 busily engaged with national
finances that they appear to have lost con-
troll of their local affairs, but perhaps, after
all, the trouble is in those mischieyous
laws which prevent an initiation of debts.
Year: 1878

In faith. it becomes your immediate duty TO
subscribe for this, the first publication Of the
kind west of the Mississippi, for the extremely
low subscription price brings 1T within the
reach of all, while it makes necessary large
substitution list in order to meet expenses,
Year: 1878

Mr. VIM. Dean has sent a communica-


tion to our City Council, and among his
req uests-one is for them to enact an
ordnance to allow farmers to sell the pro-
ducts Of their farms at our curb stone
markets-and charging then license or
tax for the same. am highly in favor
OF allowing the farmers to sell all they
can raise on their farms in our markets,
but think it would be unjust to make
them payia license. As long as the market
remains at the curb think it should be
free for all farmers and can't see why
they should be prohibited from selling
their veal, lamb and mutton in our street
markets. You might just as well pass an
ordinance prohibiting them from selling
their pork, chickens, ducks and turkeys


as to prohibit them from selling
their veal, lamb and mutton.
We have to pay twenty cents a pound
for leg of lamb, and am satisfied if the
farmers could be allowed to bring it on
our street markets they would be glad to
sell it at fifteen cents per pound. As it is
now in the hands of the butchers, we are
paying entirely too much much for our
flesh meats and l say let us have our
markets so that the farmers can sell the
growth and products of his farm. 1t will
not only lbe benefit to him, but will be
great benefit to every citizen of Will
mington. B.
Year: 1878

THE New Orleans Democrat puts the pleas
ing conundrum whether posterity will con-
firm the verdict of the late war, or decide
that "the head of the Confederacy who led
his countrymen through one of the most he
roic struggles in the annals of mankind, in
defense OF the great principles which he be-
lieved to be right, and which the American
people are now returning to, was the true
patriot and that the real traitors to the Con-
stitution and enemies of the Republic were
Grant and the demagogues and conspirators
who swarmed in Congress on the fall of the
Confederacy." Whatever posterity may do
this generation should have its answer ready
and give it in at the polls this fall. Let the
people refuse to send rebels or rebel sympa-
thizers to Congress. The meaning of that re-
fusal will be unmstakable.
Year: 1878

THE death of Judge Shepley calls to mind
the part he took as delegate at large from
Maine in the National Democratic conven-
tion of 1860. In that convention the South
willingly threw away the only chance for
success the Democratic party had, and took
Its first step toward secession. During that
long wrangle of sixteen days at Charleston
and Baltimore the Southern leaders alienated
by their folly and arrogance, many of their
strongest and most conscientious supporters
in the North. Among these was Judge
Shepley. AT Charleston on fifty-seven bal
lots he had voted for James Guthrie of Ken
tucky, but he, with many others, was pro-
voked to defiance by the hostile attitude OF
the South at Baltimore, and there the unani
nous vote of the Maine delegation was cast
for Douglas. Judge Shepley made the re-
sponse for his State after the nomination, land
closed his ringing speech with the following
quotation from the old Scotch ballad of Bon
ME Dundee, quotation which may be said
to have given the keynote of Northern SEN
timent in that memorable campaign:


There are hills beyond Pentland


There are friths beyond Forth;


Fthere are lords in the Southland,


There are chiefs in the NOrth.''
Year: 1878

far as he personally is concerned his fortunes
would be greatly promoted by release from the
cares of public life, but the Republican party
and the country at large can i'll afford to spare
him. The stake we have in the next election
is so momentous that it will kindle as much
enthusiasm as any that was ever held in New
York not even excepting the memorable cam
paign in which the voters of the Republic
proved that there isn't in this land anything
to beat Grant, YARMOUTH.
Year: 1878

The aim OF the Southern Democracy seems
to be to secure legislation that will place the
state couIts above the United States courts.
If it once gets possession of the government
it will certainly enact such legislation.
Year: 1878

EVERY regular attache of the PRESS Is furnished
with Card certificate couDtersigne6 by Stanley T.
Pullen, Editor. All railway steamboat and hotel
managers will confer favor upon us by demanding
credentials of every person claiming to represent our
ournal
Year: 1878

We do not read anonymous letters and communi
cations. The and address of the writer are in
all cases Indispensable necessarily for publication
but as guaranty of good faith.


We cannot undertake to return or preserve COM
munications that are not used,
Year: 1878

The Republicans of the several cities and towns of
the First Congressional District of Maine and all 9TH
er persons who opposed to the Democrats obtain
ing control OF the next House of Representatives
invited to send delegates to a District Convention to
be held in
Year: 1878

The clock in Trinity tower, New York
City, is the heaviest in America. 1t
might seem that in its construction an
effort had been made to ascertain how
much metal could possibly be planted
in clock. The frame stands nine feet
long, five feet high, and three feet in
width. The main wheel is thirty inches
in diameter. There are three wheels in
the time train, and three each in the
strike and the chime. The winding
wheels are formed of solid castings,
thirty inches in diameter and two inches
thick, and are driven by pinion and
arbor." On this arbor is placed a jack,
or another wheel, pinion and crank, and
it takes eight hundred and fifty turns of
this crank to wind each weight up. 1t
requires seven hundred feet of three
inch rope to wind the clock. The
pendulum is eighteen feet long and
oscillates twenty-five times a minute.
The disls are eight feet in diameter,
although they look little more than half
that size from Broadway. The three
weights are about eight hundred, twelve
hundred and fifteen hundred pounds
respectively. A large box is placed at
the bottom of the we'll that holds about
bale of cotton waste, so that if cord
should break the cotton would check the
| conclusion.
Year: 1878

AN English jury in wife-poisoning
case has made aremarkable recommends
ton to mercy. Two weeks ago man
named Brown was tried in London for
attempting to poison his wife. 1t seems
that the woman was locked up at police
station for some offense, and at midnight
the prisoner went to the station and
asked permission to give her some re-
freshment. In short time he returned
bringing with him jug of coffee. The
police sergeant's suspicious being
awakened, he tasted the fluid, and find
ing that it burned his tongue, had the
contents of the jug analyzed, the result
being the discovery of quantity of
vitriol and opium sufficient to destroy
life. Evidence was given that the pris-
oner had threatened to give her dose
that would settle her before the morning
The jury found verdict of guilty, but
recommended the prisoner to mercy.
On being asked on what ground they
made their recommendation, the fore
man replied, "For the sake of hiswife. !"
The judge, however, sentenced him to
ten years penal servitude.
Year: 1878

A PARIS wine-merchant has set an
ingenious trap for thieves in the cellar.
The device consists of a simple electrical
arrangement, by which his wine is
put into communication with the room
in which he sleeps. The tread of a
mans foot, the sound of his false key in
the door, or even of his movements
about the room, sets in motion an ap-
paratus, and sounds an alarm in other
parts of the house. He had set up his
indicator in his own bedroom, and after
waiting some little time was awoke one
night by it in time to descend with dark
lantern and revolver and effect the
capture of the intruder. The plan will
work, provided the wine-bibber does
not arm himself to the teeth, barricade
the door, bid defiance to the neighbors
and drink the cellar dry, after the man
ner of Athos, the grim mousquetire
Even when the electrical machine doe
its work and the thief is caught, the re
suit is not always certain. A Partisan
who recently captured thief occupie,
cell himself. The criminal made n
resistance, meekly surrendered and fol
lowed his captor up stairs and into tn
street, bnt when a policeman was Ell
countered, had made a charge of il
sanity against the good man, and ha


escaped himself.