smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1877

The claim of the United States for
the return of the 81 500, 900 lent to
help out the Centennial Exposition has
been rejected by the United States
Circuit Court, although there are
abundant funds remaining in the hands
Of the managers with which to satisfy
1t, Consequently, unless the decision
OF the court is reversed on appeal, the
81 500, 900 will be distributed among
the shareholders in the enterprise, and
be just so much taken out of the pub.
lilo treasury for their benefit. That
this would be the result was foretold
~ the opponents of the loan at the
tlme It was proposed, aud was indig
nantIy denied by its friends. Some Of
them, at least, were disingenuous in
their demand, and intended that the
money should be gift and not loan
as is evident from the peculiar wording
of the bill appropr;ating it.


The clause which was relied on to
protect the interests of the nation, and
which was used to secure votes for the
grant, reads thus:


The appropriation hereinbefore
made shdll be paid in tull into the
Treasury of the United States before
any dividend or percentage of the prof
its shall be paid to the holders of said
stock"


TIE advocates of the grant professed
to read these words with comma after
the word dividend" and persuaded
the public that no dividend of any
kind would be paid to the stock holders
until the loan from the United States
bad been first returned. Now, by
their counsel learned in the law, they
have successfully contended that there
is no such comma, and that only a
dividend or percentage Of the profits"
was intended. Inasmuch as dividend
of capital is not dividend of profits,
they have got the Judge to say that the
stockholders may pocket the 81 .500,-
600 as returned capital, and the United
States must lose the whole.


This is not the first time that
comma or the want Of it has been
made a fsh-hook by which to pull
money out of tie public treasury. A
clause in the Tariff act of 1875, by the
omission of this modest sign Of punctu-
alton, admitted free duty of all kinds
of foreign fruits, when the intention Of
Congress was merely to exempt fruits
imported for their seeds The trick in
thar case was universally denounced
and speedily frustrated, but in regard
to the 81, l,50O,O 900 now in question, the
nation is very possibly without RENE
DIV.
Year: 1877

The shock Of railroad disaster like
that of Ashtabula upon the nervous
system OF survivor must be some.
thing terrible. A glimpse of its effects
is seen in the case of Conductor Hem.
who was in charge of the train which
went through the bridge, and who
went on duty again for the first time
last week. A passenger who was on
his train when he went over the new
bridge for the first time, told Toledo
Commercial reporter that be noticed
that as the train neared the bridge
Hem seemed very much agitated.
The horror of that awful night of ter
ror seemed to come over him so COM
pletely that the great drops of perspi-
ration rolled down his face, and he
grasped the seat nervously tor support.
When the train passed off the bridge
on to terra frma he exclaimed, "Thank
God I'm over, and now I'm not afraid
to go over it thousand times"
Year: 1877

Mr.. Bayard Taylor, writing of animal
nature in the -4Hanttc, tells this story
of a parrot owned by friend in Chi
cago: When the great fire was raging
its owner saw that she could rescue
nothing except what she instantly took
in her hands. There were two obi ccts
equally dear, the parrot and the old
family Bible, and she could not take
but one. After moment of hesitation
she seized the Bible, and was hasten.
ing away, when the parrot cried out
in a loud and solemn voice, Good
Lord deliver us !" No human being
could have been deaf to such an ap-
peal; the precious Bible was sacrificed
and the bird saved: He was otherwise
a clever bird. In the home to which
he was taken there were among other
visitors gentleman rather noted for
volubilitY. When the parrot first
heard him it listend in silence for some
time, then to the amazement of all
present it said very emphatically,
You talk too muchn' The gentle.
man, at first mbarassed, presently re.
sumed his interrupted discourse.
Thereupon the parrot laid his head on
one side, gave an indescribably comical
and contemptuous "H'm-m!" and
added, "There he goes again."
Year: 1877

A gentleman who has just returned
from business tour through the sheep
ranges of San Joaquin valley, says the
Sacramento Bee of January Is, reports
most singular action on the part of the
mother sheep in that region. The
ewes of the flock persistently refuse to
give suck to their lambs, driving them
sway from the "maternal fount," thus
forcing the lambkins to die of starva-
ton. Herders and farmers have a
curious theory to account for it. They
consider that it portends severe and
continued drouth, and their theory is
that the sheep have an instructive
knowledge that there is to be a short
crop of food, and thus save the trouble
of fruitlessly raising their young only in
the end to die of starvation, they have
thought it more kindly to permit their
tender lambs to die for the want Of
nourishment before acquiring sufficient
physical 9Th to more acutely suffer
the pangs Of hunger.
Year: 1877




We understand that there has not been
such a depression in the nail trade as at
present exists for the past four years.
The nail manufacturers nearly all sup
ported Grant in 1872 and Hayes in 1876,
suppOsing that such aCliop would bring
prosperity. We are not at all surprised
that they are disappointed.-SteW6enriile
G1:ciiS.


The above is the kind of diet that our
Democratic cotemporary dishes up to the
StenbenTille people at 10 cents per week.
One would suppose that the editor had
never heard of the depression that brood.
ed over this country like a nightmare
from 1887 to 1871, in good old Democrat
ic times, nor the subsequent depression
that fell upon the country in 1857, when
the Democratic party was in power.


It's the judgment Of Senator Thur
man that we are bound to have panic in
this country about once in twenty years,
and that recovery therefrom will con.
sumo four or five years. He so express
ed himself In the U. S. Senate 10 January,
1876. Somehow we can never get a
Democratic newspaper TO remember that
speech.


The older people around Wheeling
and steubenville preserve a very dis.
tinct remembrance Of the panic of 1887
and the dark days Of 1840-the days
when you could rent houses in this city
for merely taken care of them, and when
people, having little or'no money, traded
one thing for another, as in barbaric
times, or elHe paid in irresponsible shin
plasters that they would scarcely keep
over night In their pockets.


We have Rs yet had no such times as
those good old Democratic days since the
present panic set in. The depression in
trade is bad enough, but it ia not 80 de.
pressed by several degrees as it was in
the days to which We refer.
Year: 1877

There sat two glasses filed to the brim.
On & rich mans table, rim to rim
One was ruddy and red as blood,
And one was clear a. the crystal Hood.
Said the glass of wine TO his paler brother,
Let Us tell the tales Of the past to each


other;


lean tel of banquet and revel and mir:h,
And the proudest and erandest souls on


earth,


Fell under my touch as though struck by


blight.


Where l was king, for ruled in might.
From the heads of kings have l torn the


crown,


From the heights of fame have hurled


men down:


] have blasted many an hOnOrcd name,
have taken virtue and given shame;
Ihave tempted the youth with sip, a taS;e,
That has made the future a barren waste.
Far greater than any king am l,
Or than any army beneath the sky.
| have made the arm of the driver fail,
And sent the train from the IRON rail.
| have made good ships go down at sea,
And the shricks of the lost were sweet to me
For they said, Behold how great you be!
Fame, strength, wealth, genius before You


fall,


And yOCr might and power are oyer all
Ho. no. pale brother" laughed the wine,
"Can you boast of deedsa as brave as mine2"
Said the water glass: II cannot boast
OF king dethroned or a murdered host;
But l can tell Of hearts that once were sad,
By my crystal drops made light and glad,
OF thirsts I've quenched and brows I've


layed;
OF hands I've cooled and souls I've saved;
l have leaped through the valley, dashed


down the mountain;
Slept in the sunshine and dropped from


the sky,
And everywhere gladdened the landscape


and eye.


| have eased the hot forehead of fever


and pain;
l have made the parched meadows grow


fertile with grain;
l can tell of the powerful wheel Of the mill
That ground out the flour and turned at


my will;
l can tell of manhood debased by you
That have lifted and crowned anew.
l cheer, / help, strengthen and aid,
| gladden. the heart of man and maid;
l set the chained wine-captIve free,
And all are better for knowing me"
These are the tales they told each other,
The glass of wine and its pale brother,
As they sat together filled to the brim,
On the rich mans table rim TO rim.
Year: 1877

It is the duty of every perso nwho has
used BoscHEE's GERMAN SYRUP to let its
wonderful qualities be known to their
friends in curing Consumption, severe
Coughs, Group, Asthma, Pneumonia, and
in fact all throat and lung diseases. No
person can can use it without immediate
relief. Three doses will relieve any case,
and we consider it the duty Of all Drug
gist to recommend it to the poor dying
consumptive, at least to try one bottle, as
10000 dozen bottles were sold last year,
and no one case where it failed was repor-
ted. Such medicine as the German
SYRUP cannot be too widely known. Ask
your Druggist about it. Sample Bottles
to try at 10 cents Regular size e5 cents.
For sale by Mills and Purdy.
Year: 1877

The Grand Lodge of the United
States at itr recent session in Balti-
more adopted a uniform street dress
for subordinate lodges. 1t consists
of such atyle Of hat or cap as may be
determined by the several jurisdic.
tions, but in all cases to be uniform,
plan, white gloves, a jewel collar q


inches wide, uniting in the front,
made of light blue silk, cloth or
ether material, excepting velvet,
which shall not be used), of the shade


known as silver blue, edged with sill
yer lace or braid, a quarter of an inch
wide, without embroidery Or other
ornamentation of any kind whatever.
Year: 1877

Tho action of the House upon receipt OF
the award of the Electoral Commission yes
terday, although not in accord with the
spirit and intent Of the Electoral bill, is in
keeping with the spirit manifested by the
Democratic party in the Southern States
during the late election. In voting for re-
cess, instead Of acting promptly on the re-
port Of the Arbitrators, one day, at least, is
lost to the latter body, which fact
was probably foreseen and calcu-
lated upon by the obstructionist ma
jority in the House. The decision Of the
Commission is now, however, beyond revo-
cation so far rs Florida is concerned, and
further unnecessary delay on the part Of the
Democrats in recognizing this fact will show
to the country that that party is disposed to
shirk the responsibility and evade the conse-
quences arising from the natural working Of
the solemn compact to which they have al
most unanimously subscribed.
Year: 1877

E1-Goy- SEYMOUR, of New York, expresses
the opinion that the Democrats in Congress
''made great mistake in supporting and
urging the scheme for IN arbitration" His
reasons are based on the low grounds of n
politician viewing the matter from the
standpoint of partisan advantage But he is
quite right in saying that "T1e Democratic
party, by consenting to the Commission and
advocating it, have closed their mouths in
case tie decision goes against them, and will
have no grievance with which to go to the
country four years hence" Yet it is a fact
TINT Gov. SEYMOUR never opened his head
against the proposition of submitting the
Presidential ,mudd1e to a Board of Arbitra~
ton until he discovered how weak case his
party friends had, md that it would not hold
water. Then it was that he began to utter
regrets, and to wish that the party had stuck
to the bulldozing programme, and tried to
carry things by force and violence, count
in T1DES anyhow, and risk the conse-
quences. But it is too late now for such re-
pinings and remorse
Year: 1877

| and yet We have entered upon the sec
ond century of our national existence with


the most inferior and rotten system Of civil


service outside Of Turkey. Men are selected


to fill Offices because they are not tit or able
to make living in anything else. They are


machine~men, used Us tools of other and
more powerful machine-men, toadies and


hangers-on Of certain powerful leaders,


bummers, 1oafers, and vagrnnts. Under the


operations of this wretched system there are


today sixty Or seventy thousand heads of


families in this country who arc liable to


be hustled out Of Office perhaps in few


weeks. They are men who have now been


in office long enough to have learned their


trade and given satisfaction to the business


community and general public, and the pub


lie business runs smoothly and quietly. And


yet the very bread of life Of these thousands


of men depends upon the hazard Of die,


upon the turn Of q card, upon the way one


bypercritical Judge may decide hyper
critical, technical question. If he decides


one way, they remain in; if he de-
cides another, out they oil 60,
from highest to lowest, and their
places arc filled with hungry,
greedy, hnlf-starycd mob, with tigerish
instincts, knowing nothing of their business
and caring nothing for it, wanting their
places only that they may make money, lead
an easy, lazy life, and boast themselves of
consequence among their loss fortunate fel-
lows. # an election only changed the heads
of departments, as it does in England,
France, and other European Governments,
it would take away the deadly animosities Of
our system Of politics. 1t would prove q
remedy for the popular debasement and cor
ruption. Our National Government would
no longer have to bear the disgrace Of the
developments that have been made in the |
Of the past year. The settle
ment of this question is the most important
work Of our statesmen for the future. The |
situation grows worse every four years, and |
the country cannot endure this continual !
strain much longer. There is no hope for
IN end to political confusion and corruption
except in reform Of the civil-seryice system,
aud the sooner that reform is commenced |
the better it will be for the future welfare
md prosperity of the whole country.
Year: 1877

southwest Of Chicago, reaching their roads
by avoiding Chicago, and to this end they
discriminate against this city in making up
their rates. They could not do this if the
Central insisted upon a teriff regulated by
lines of longitude, for it would then be
in position to give Chicago, rates even
lower than any that could be made by the
other roads from points south of Chicago.
It is not likely that Mr. VANDERBILT will
listen to any complaints from Chicago on &C.
count of Chicago but the losses to New
York and to the business !of the New York
Central must bring him to his senses sooner
f,r later
Year: 1877

The most astonishing and unaccountable
thing connected with the great trial is, that
Justices CLIFFORD and FIELD, in the face Of
the plain language Of the Constitution, voted
against their three colleagues on the question
OF upholding the constitutional rights Of the
States to select their Presidential Electors
according to their own laws. Their votes
on this question show the terrible power Of
party over some n1inds,-even over the
minds Of learned and august magistrates of
the Nations highest Court
Year: 1877

| we are glad that Prof. SWINE has begun in


tho alliance the consideration of the fata


attractions of city life for the young men and
young women Of the country. As a topic.
the subject is we1-worn and uncongenial,
but gentleman of Prof. SwNo's position
and influence, and in the manner in which
he is likely to treat it, may yet be the means
of saving many a heartache and a7erting
many crushing disappointment. The vice
of city life is what minister's and moralists
are accustomed to dwell upon, but lectures
and sermons on this phase Of the matter are
not SO apt to discourage the natural tendency
OF mankind to aggregate in large communi-
| ties as the dismal outlook Of failure, which
IS the only perspective city life presents to
the majority Of those who seek it without
experience or preparation. Prof SWING has
been wise in recognizing this fact, and by
continually pressing it upon his hearers and
readers he may make it more effective than
whole volumes Of abstract moralization,
The key to his position mny ba found in the
following paragraph:


Ihat young men and women oze ruined by vice
is well known, but d great nrmbcr are drawn away





rather drive stage feed horse in city than do
good years work on new farn hundred miles
AWAY, There are thousands Of young men who are
anxious to live where they cun wear clean cuffs and
nice black boots every day. And then one wants
to go to concert now and then, and to hear the
great singers. and actors, and orators who travel
along. This IS the universal argument It is often
poor, childish blnnder. If the country Offers one
good labor and Fay all these other things can come
along rapidly enough. Once year to the city will
give the rural youth all the art, and opera, and
drama he will need 4 week q year will do and
there then remain 1fty-one weeks for country work
and country education. Mental fu1uries 20 out to
the country man in these days. As men do not
need to go to Jerusalem to worship SO neither they
go to city to find all good. Books go out to tho
people Music loves tue country too. The society
OF many country towns is as good as any metro
po1itau group one can enter.


The longing for city life that swcl1s the !
bosom of nine out Of every ten young men
and women reared in the country grows out |
Of q misrepresentation It is like the desire
of a stage-struck amateur, who sees only the +
briliancy Of the footlights and the glitter of
the tinsel, who hears only the applause of the
audience in front, who knows only of the
excitement of public life, and
has no conception OF the bitter trials md the
hard work so rarely rewarded with anything
but disappointment and discontinue. The
great mass of poyerty-stricken clerks and
of starving seamstresses
and shop-girls, and. Of the idle and
unemployed Of both sexes in large
Year: 1877

The Electoral Commission, in its decision
IN the Florida case, holds that the Arbitra-
tors have no right to go into evidence aside
from that accompanying the Electoral Ger
ti6cates to prove that other persons than
those regularly certified to by the Governor,
according to the determination Of the Re-
turning Board, had been appointed Electors;
that MI proceedings, judicial or Legislative,
subsequent to the casting Of the vote of the
Electoral College on the day prescribed by
law are also inadmissible.
Year: 1877

When the Joint Committee of Congress
agreed upon the arbitration plan of settling
tue ugly and dangerous Presidential muddle,
HENRY W+11Ensos, II. c., Of Kentucky, re-
marked that the plan might be considered as
ladder by which the beaten side could
climb down With honor and escape from
bad dilemma As the present appearances
indicate that the ladder is for the Demo
crats, good many Of them about Washing
ton begin to indicate an intention to re-
fuse the use Of the 1adder to climb down.
They will find it better to use it than to Jump
down at the risk Of breaking leg or neck.
Year: 1877

The minority report of the Louisiana In
Vestigatiug Committee presents the question
fairly. A Democratic House, following
CoH's legal maxim, that 81 Every thing shall
be considered as done which manifestly
ought to have been done, !" makes novel ap-
plication to the politics Of Louisiana by as
suming that the State ought to have gone
Democratic, and consequently the good of
the party demands that it be considered as
having done SO.
Year: 1877

Dispatches indicate that the Commission
will sustain Electors BREWSTER and LEv1ssE,
of Louisiana. Judge LEr1ssE was q United
States Commissioner and Mr.. BREWSTER was
Surveyor Of the Port Both resigned before
the election, and, in order to make assurance
doubly sure, they vacated the Office Of
Elector, to which each was chosen, and were
then reelected by the College to fill their
own vacancies
Year: 1877

The old saw has it, There is many slip
'twi1t the cup and the Up, and there are
yet many fine technical points to determine
before Congress announces the election Of
RUTHERFORD 3. HAYES as President. But
the present appearances decidedly favor his
chances Of winning the prize.
Year: 1877

The old, old story was told again in the
Assembly yesterday. A member of that
august body rose to question of privilege,
and, after making the startling announce
ment that member Of the House had been
approached with offers of money to infiu-
ence his decision on legislation, moved
that an investigation Of the case be
made by the Committee on Privi-
leges and Elections. This brought Mr..
Hustled to his feet, and the ex-Speaker sug-
gested that the name of the approached
member should be given, in order to facili-
tate the inquiry. But the mover, with an
air of mystery, refused to disclose the name
of the incorruptible representative at pres
ent, and left the House to guess perplexedly
ut the legislative rara avis and the lobbymen
to speculate anxiously as to which of them
had been stupid enough to make bid for a
''squealer.


1t is not likely that the investigation will
bring forth my fruits Ever since the gen.
eral-in-chief of the grand army Of the lobby
testified under oath that he had received n
hundred thousand dollars or thereabouts
from railroad corporation on consideration
that he should walk up and down State
street hill smoking cigars, and escaped
the State Prison, both bribers and
bribe takers have snapped their fin
gers at committees of inquiry. Besides,
who supposes that seven Assemblymen
could be got together who would make any
discovery in relation to bribery? Why
should they interfere with the gentle
men who tried to buy the last indignant
Assemblyman who demands nm investiga-
ton? Don't they know how it is them
selves? And IS not this incorruptible story
an old ono in Legislative annals? To be
sure it is. The Committee on Privileges
and Elections can employ their time more
proftably than in any such business.
Year: 1877

tertained by Governor Bedle influences the
opinion he expresses to our reporter in an
interview published elsewhere, that the
anonymous letters are "of no Importance
whatever" and are only can artful dodge
to clear Oschwald and Ryan" There are
two of these letters-one which was sent to
Oschwald's counsel during the trial
and another which has been pub
lished in the HERALD. The latter OF
these was written too late to be used in saving
the two mems lives, and hence that at least
could not have been an ''artful dodge"
Governor Bedle states that he has compared
the letter first received, and which is in his
possession, with the facsimile of that
subsequently received by the HERALD,
and that they bear no similarity
to each other But why not allow
the letter held by him to be seen and pub
lshed side by side with the HERALD letter !?
Why. in short, should any distractions be
thrown in the way of the discovery of the
real murderer Of Officer Brock if he
is still unpunished Why should not
the Jersey authorities lead in the
effort to unearth the whole truth
Will not their Indifference, their bad temper
when the subject is broached, and their
failure to aid in bringing every clew to light,
be construed as proof that the guilt of
Ryan and Oschwald is not so certain, and
an evidence of their fear that Jersey justice
may, in this instance, have sent two inno-
cent men to dishonored graves?