smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1879

In the HERALD to-day we reprint from the
Paris Ecfnement IN article by Mr.. Aurelien
Scholl, which he perhaps thought was the
last word the world need hear on the SUBJ
ject of interviews published in newspapers.
Mr.. Scholl is scornfulIy severe on inter-
views and interviewers. His words are. in
fact, of the kind which the late Artemus
Ward classified, with his robust photography,
as "sarkazums." But he pretends to be crit
ical as well as sarcastic, and gives mixed up
with mere ridicule much that careless read
ers may mistake Tor argument. Against
ridicule we do not of course undertake to
defend the processes of the interviewer.
interviewing can be laughed at. What cam
not? From the French Republic to the
attraction of gravitation there is no single
subject in the world that some one has not
cule but the attraction goes on just the
same and so does the Republic, and the inter-
view as journalistic institution can stand
far wittier assaults than this one. AS for the
points in this article which are intended to
present arguments against the interview,
they are ultra. homeopathic in proportion
to the whole. 1t is said that interviews are
monotonous; that they are always denied !;
that interviewers may forget what they hear !;
may misunderstood gesture; may be for
eigners and not precisely understand the
language used, and. finally, that ii they
can interview anybody they ought to inter-
view Kaiser Wilhelm. the Gear and Prince
Bismarck-all of which. by the way, they
have done. This argument is for clearness
of ideas, as will be seen, fully worthy the
writer who calls a HERALD correspondent q
s'Massachusettois."


Sometimes distinguished man wants to
get at the public and convince it. Some
times the public wants to get at the distin-
guished man to ascertain his opinions on
some topic of immediate moment in poll
tics, finance, science or what not. In all
such cases it is said by those who object to
the interview that the distinguished man
can communicate his ideas by letters or
speeches if he wants to, and il he does not
want to no is entitled to be left alone.
But If the interview merely afforded one
more line of communication between men
of peculiar knowledge or men of special
social aud political importance and the
general public there would then be much
to be said in it's favor but we hold that
its position is better than this-that it Is o
method of communication of superior value
for many cases, and in some Is the only one
Year: 1879

voluntary repentance is best for sim
ner, but If there is no hope of that the
next best thing is compulsory reformation.
Whenever Congress passes the bill that
Senator Conkling introduced yesterday,
which iorbids the dumping of street sweep
ings and garbage anywhere in this harbor
or within five miles of Coney Island or
Sandy Hook. our Police Board will be COM
PEELED to adopt some intelligent plan to
dispose of the refuse of the city in place of
the present methods. The Secretary of
War, in his annual report, recommended
just such measure as Mr.. Conkling pro.
poses, and public opinion is unanimous in
its favor. The HEnALD's detective observa.
tions last summer concerning the shoaling
of the harbor by illegal and careless dump
ing are bearing their fruit. Such being
the state Of the case the quicker the Police
Board prepares for the changes in its
methods which this bill will make neces-
sary the better for its own comfort and for
the public convenience. 1t has timely
warming now of the necessity for such
preparation, and it will be solely its own
fault if the passage of the bill does not find
it ready with new system in working
order.
Year: 1879

iusted on basis of laws that would render


impossible the collisions of constant occur
renee. might satisfy that supposed sense
of injury which has led to so many recent
Indian wars This wish is. we believe, vain.
Congress cannot make laws that will change
the nature of the red man or the white
man. Therefore it cannot make the
one patient under encroachments nor the
other less adventurous in his activities and
ambitions Natural forces are in collision
in this Indian problem. Swarming migra-
tions are IN motion to make rich and pros
porous States in all that Western country,
and as the Indians cannot accommodate
themselves to such neighbors it will have
to be proved to their entire satisfaction who
is the strongest. There is no other way.
Meantime the government has distinct
function which it seems disposed to per-
form fairly-that is, to keep the struggle as
much as possible within humane limits.
Year: 1879

1t is almost superhuous for the HERALD to
praise the opinions which Senator Hamp-
ton, of South Carolina, expresses to our
Washington correspondent concerning the
financial policy of the democratic party as
righteous, expedient and patriotic-right-
eous in principle, expedient for success and
patriotic by reason of the resulting certainty
OF obliterating sectionalism in national pol
itics. 1t is the same general policy
which we long have been urging upon
the democratic leaders in our desire TO
stimulate both parties to do their best for
the country. Indeed, Senator Hampton re-
fers to the editorial columns of the HERALD
for fuller exposition of his views than he
has given in the notable conversation which
We report.


circumstances have combined to offer the
democratic party sudden opportunity to
reinstate itself in the confidence Of conser-
vative Northern voters by simply resum-
ing its time honored doctrines concerning
finance and the currency. Senator Bayard
shows the solid path, and Senator
Hampton summons the party to step
into it out of the quagmire of
''soft money" business uncertainty and
sectional mistrust in which it has been
miserably foundering too many years,
sinking deeper and dirtier at every step.
simultaneously with this sudden oppor-
tunity contemplate hesitation is dis
played among the republicans to follow tho
lead of their own President and Secretary
of the Treasury. The combination of
chances and motives to persuade the demo-
Gratis into sound policy is almost miracu-
lous, and We cordially agree with Senator
Hampton's declaration that they deserve
defeat if they are not prepared to take ad-
vantage of it.


Every weeks delay to marshal the demo-
cratic Senators and Representatives under
Senator Bayard's wise and courageous lead
ership makes this extraordinary opportu.
nifty shrink. The situation of the party is
precisely indicated in our head line-"Now
or Never"
Year: 1879

Senator Blaine opposes Withdrawing the
general legal tender quality from the
greenbacks or Treasury notes because 1t will
''work great injustice to the people, in
some mysterious way which he does not
specify. Supposing for moment that such
really could be the effect then Senator
Blaine is grossly remiss in his duty as
legislator in not pressing for the addition
of legal tender quality to the national
bank notes. They are not and nevor have
been legal tender in the dealings Of the
people among themselves only in their
Year: 1879

possible. In their speeches men treat
great public issues always in general terms.
They seldom altogether satisfy the public
curiosity. They are not aware of the pre-
else points on which they have failed.
Any average man in the public can
put simply by question the points
on which light is wanted, and so
clear up the doubts. The interviewer
does this. Moreover, an issue arises in
which there is no OCCASION for speech
and on which letter would seem to be
uncalled tor, on which, however, the pub
lie would like to know the opinions of some
one or two men, which men would not be
averse to give their opinions. Here the
interviewer is invaluable to all concerned.
He goes to the source, gets just the knowl-
edge that is wanted and presents it in the
simplest form. He is representative of the
public disposition to put plain inquiry to
the man most fitted to give information.


1t is true that the interview is apt to be
abused, and is abused, and that interviews
are sometimes denied. Often, indeed, in
terviews have been denied because of their
startling fidelity, the speakers only appre-
ciating the danger to themselves Of their
own utterances when they see them in type.
We believe they have oftener been denied
in that spirit than in any other. Some
times, however, interviews altogether fcti-
tious are put in print, especially in French
papers. This fact, not uncomm mon in Paris,
Is OF the rarest possible occurrence here.
interviewing as practised by the HERALD,
and by reputable journals generally in this
country and in England, is open to none of
these reproaches. For our part we always
endeavor to secure for them the correction
and approval of the persons interviewed,
and it is odd that it was this part Of our
merriment of our Partisan critic.
Year: 1879

A physician who has hereditary claims to
speak with authority concerning the appli-
cation and effects of an@sthetics replies to-
day to the argument in favor of killing
criminals by electricity. He maintains the
superior efficacy of chloroform, suggesting
a practical method of applying it within q
bag into which the prisoners head shall be
thrust, and asserting that q comparatively
painless death will be the inevitable and
speedy result, stupor ensuing in from if
teen seconds to two minutes and the action
of the heart ceasng within few minutes
afterward. We deem his suggestions very
valuable, but observe popularity in them
which he shares with the professor of ap-
piled mechanics against whose proposed
electric machine for capital punishment he
/ argues. Both of them declare that the
administration of the fatal contrivance,
whatever it may be, or even superintend-
ence of it's application, cannot be expected
from members of their professions. The
scientific expert or the physician, they say,
cannot consent to be himself the execu-
toner. The sentiment of this declaration
is more respec able than its logic. If cap
ital punishment is commendable ut all
we do not logically perceive why the Office
of executioner is not as respectable as any
of the other agencies preliminary to its in
Fiction. The Samson family in France
were men of good education and polite
manners for several generations. The
public headsman ut Berlin is meritorious
soldier OF the Franco-German war and
wears the decoration OF the Iron Cross.
Nevertheless, we recognize that sentiment
tally there is an unconquerable repugnance
among civilized mankind to becoming the
proximate agent of killing criminals. A
juryman will unhesitatingly bring in O
verdict of guilty against murderer and a
judge will unhesitatingly sentence him to
death. Both verdict and sentence are es-
sential preliminnries to the halter, and yet
no human inducement would persuade
either of the remote agents to perform the
logical consequence of their own acts


Even among n file of soldiers, constrained
by military order to shoot a man, it is Gus
tomary to leave the bullet out Of one of the
guns, and the usage is deemed to be q safe
guard against characterization. 1t follows
that we have reached one definite result in
the debate upon a substitute for the gall
lows-namely, that it must be something
50 simple that the ordinary American sheriff
will be able to work it without direct scien-
tific assistance. Every contrivance, there
fore, which will not stand this test must be
peromptorily ruled out Of consideration.
Year: 1879

dealings with the government. Yet We
never have heard any complaint of their
working great injustice" on this account,
and all that Senator Bayard's resolution
proposes in respect to the greenbacks is to
put them on par with national bank notes
in their legal tender quality.
Year: 1879

THE REMARKABLE Greenfield murder case
may possibly be reopened for the fourth time,
the accused man having been reprieved that his
counsel may have time to obtain new evidence
that is said to exculpate Greenfield.
Year: 1879

THE New YORK FIRE DEPARTMENT is in n
"high state of efficiency" including the per-
sonnel, the apparatus and the buildings. There
is very little doubt that our local fire depart
ment is the best in the world, and there is no
question that the men are both brave and
prompt in discharging their perious duty
Year: 1879

THE ELEVATED RAILWAY COMPANY took n
fare from drunken man the other night, and
one of their conductors afterward pushed him
away from the platform He tried to obtain the
ride he paid for, and now lies in Chambers
Street Hospital. OF course the conductor was
not to blame, but the company might return the
ten cents. They can afford to be magnanimous.
Year: 1879

NEW YoRK's SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS AND ST.
PERINTESDENT are in session this week. So
many able men should manage between them
to find some way of preventing the school room
abuses to which the HERALD has made frequent
reference
Year: 1879

The BOARD OF HEALTH did some good work
in the Court of Special Sessions yesterday, but
why does it not hunt bigger gamel To fine
men for carting manure by daylight and carry
ing ill-smelling bones through the streets is very
well, but why not prosecute the men, 10 matter
who they are, whose neglect keeps whole blocks
and streets smelling bad for twenty-four hours
every dayl
Year: 1879

If this bill is approved. only the shad-
ow of authority of the United States at
the national elections will remain; the
substance will be gone. The snpervis-
ion of the elections will be reduced to
a mere inspection, without authority,
on the part of the supervisors, to do
any act whatever to make the election
fair one. All that will be left TO the
supervisors is the permission to have
such oversight of the elections as politi-
cal parties are in the habit of exercis-
ing, without any authority of law in
order TO prevent their opponents from
obtaining unfair advantages. The OBJ
ject of the bill is TO destroy any control
whatever by the United States over the
Congressional elections.
Year: 1879

This bill recognizes the authority and
duty of the United States to appoint
supervisors to guard and scrutiDize the
Congressional elections, but il denies
TO the Government of the United States
all power TO make its supervision effect
ual. The great body of tho people, OF
all parties, want free and fair elections
they do not think that free election
means freedom from the wholesome re-
straints of law, or that tho place of All


election should be a sanctuary for law.
lessness and crime. On the day of an
election peace and good order are more
necessary than on any other day of the
year On that day the humblest and
feeblest citizens, the aged and iufirn
should be and should have reason Il
feel that they are safe in the exercise o


their most responsible duty and theil
sacred right rs members of society


their duty and their right TO vote. Th'
Constitutional authority TO regulate tn
Congressional elections, which belong


to the Government of the United States
and which II is necessary TO exert 10 sc
Year: 1879

Various illustrations have been sug-
gested to convey to the mind some idea
OF illimitable duration. 1t has been
said. suppose one drop of the ocean
should be dried mp every thousand
years how long would it be ere the last
drop would disappear. and the eccan's s
bed be left dry and dusty? Far on
ward as that would be in coming ages.
Eternity would have but commenced.


1t has been. said. suppose this vast
globe upon which we tread were com-
posed OF particles of the finest sand.
and ono particle should disappear at
the termination Of each million years,
oh. how inconscivably immense must be
the period which must elapse befor the
las. particle would be gone! And yet
Eternity would then be in its morning
twilight


1t has been said, suppose some little
insect, 90 small as to bc imperceptible
to the naked eye, was to carry this
earth by its tiny mouthfuls to the most
distant star the hand Of God has placed
in tho heavens. Hundreds of millions
Of years would be required for single
journey The insect commences on
tho leaf of tree. and takes its little
load. so small that even tho microscope
cannot discover that it is gone, and sets
out on its almost endless journey. A.
ter millions aud millions of years have
rolled away. it arrives back for the
second load. Oh. what interminable
ages would elapse before the whole
tree would be removed When would
the forest be gone And the globe |!
Even then, Eternity would not have
more than commenced rf.t
Year: 1879

volvedtin the adoption Of the motion before Synod
In the consumption Of time the hearing Of test-
mony by the reopening and review OF the whole
case II this is done. he said. he would be prepared
to show that the verdict Of tho Presbytery 10
righteous one. The testimony is Of such charac-
ter that Synod can't adjudicate on 1t withous
trampling on the law of the Church. Thus far DR..
Spear was the defender of DIR. Talmage. Then he
became the defender of the Presbytery of Brook
iyn And in doing this he analyzed the other reasons
se'tdftm. showing their absurdity and incomplete-
ness and closed with glowing tribute TO DR.. Tall
hang from sunday to Sunday--a who has been
greatly wronged and injured by the presentation Of
this case at all and to repair that injury the Presby-
terry had rendered its just verdict" At the proper
time he would be ready to move to throw the case
out or court and to present his arguments therefore,


JUDGE ARMsTRoNG's REPLY.


Judge Armstrong on behalf OF the judicial COM
mittee replied to DR.. Spear. He read the paper on
which the committees report was based, which was
adopted by the Presbytery of Brooklyn on Monday
and published yesterday. and then argued that the
Presbytery acknowledged the correctness OF the
testimony which DR.. Spear now sought to impeach
and upon which it had based what the Doctor called
its righteous judgment. He pointed out the contra
dicton in and faseness OF the Doctors logic aud
argued that the Synod has proper and legal case
before it for review and adjudication.


The discussion will be resumed this morning aud
the opinion of members Of the Synod s that tho
Synod Will order the testimony to be printed and
placed in the hands of members; that it will then
adjourn for two or three weeks and then come to-
gether and decide the whole matter in day.
Year: 1879

Mr.. MULLETT, ex-SupervIsing Ar
chitect of the Treasury. is preparing
plans and specifications for the con-
struction of the Capitol. So are
Brown & Jones, famous architects of
St. Louis, and James B Cook, the lat
ter pupil of Humboldt. They
should know that the limestone quar-
ries are within three miles of the site
of the proposed structure, that the
stone is easily wrought and that the
marble qusrries of Burnet are but six
ty miles distant. The latter stone,
for such a building, ID infinitely
to be preferred, and If Austin
would construct the propcs d
Lampasss road q branch to Burnet
would give US a capitol of marble cost
Ing no more than one built of limestone
like that used on the new postofflce
and Federal Court b1ildiug. It is
strange that men owning q city like
this do not cooperate in making it
great and beautiful. But the weather
is hot and the climate beeet, lassitudt
and slothfulness and there is no one
who will lead or exert himself in effect
ing a thorough industrial and moral
revolution in the habits and modes of
thinking of the sluggish capital of the
commonwealth
Year: 1879

WHATEVER the rousing Gree back
orator may say about it in front of the
bar room or in the losfiog crowds at the
street corners, he cannot help confess
ing TO himself, in bis own shop or st
his own firesIde, consciousness of Rrati-
fcstion because the great stream of the
worlds god Il 'ws steadily in this d.
rection. 1t GENES towards the cotton
and sugar and cattle and wheat crops
OF the South from sll quarters, and
more comes than goes away, and the
country is blest and enriched, and ye'
when the patriot swsshbuckler OF
Brick POmeroy's philosophy appears
before the public he would flood the
universe with paper and drive gold and
silver to hiding places to which it al
ways flies whenever less valuable and
more abundant currency gains access to
channels of trade. Tue poor are thus
cheated and robbed and the rich and
misery made supre malv rich.
Year: 1879

Workmen were busily engaged last night pro-
pairing the Circassia to accommodate passengers
from the City OF Richmond and convey them to this
city. number of the City of RichInond's saloon
passengers will leave by train this morning. The
Crcassia will probably not be able to leave New
York before this evening.
Year: 1879

from the probable result. In closing
the Eagle says: "In view OF the
apparent determination of the Republi-
cans at Washington to so shape the con-


duct of the Government that only one
party can be safely trusted with its Ad-


ministration in their opinion, the up
roofing of this un-American heresy,
through Democratic success and a re-
turn to the old political methodsin the
administration Of Federal affairs, is OF the
first consideration, and whatever pres
tige OF success is brought into this great
contest either by the ascendency of Mr..
Thurman and his friends in Ohio or by
the more ample vindication secured
through Tilden's rightful election four
years ago, will be hailed with satisfac
tion, not only by every true Democrat,
but by every citizen OF the Republic
who is content with Republican rule
and who is determined to uphold it, not
as mere form and shadow, but in its
substance and reality" gs.
Year: 1879

PITTSBURGH, June "a secret meet
ing of the striking iron workers was
held this afternoon, to take action on
the proposition made by the manufac-
turer's at yesterdays meeting, to submit
the matter of wages TO arbitration, but
nothing is known as to the result OF
their deliberation. Another conference
will be held tomorrow between the en-
plOvers and the men.
Year: 1879

General Buffers individual report
upon the Potter investigation makes
document Of some 200 pages. He
maintains that the appointing of Judges
of the Supreme Court upon the COM
mission 10 decide the late Presidential
election has done moral harm 20 the
cause of justice by impairing the rev.
erence the people have always justly
had for the integrity of the oecision of
that court, and the experiment ought
never to be tried again that the count
ing in Of Hayes was obtained by a
series CT gross and unjustifable irregu-
la rites and frauds, which cannot be too
strongly condemned and reprobaied
that il any title to the Goyernorship of
Louisiana resulted from the late eiec~
ton in that State to any one it was to
Governor Packard, who was legally
elected that the act of Hayes in ap-
pointing aud sending the MacV Veagh
commission to Louisiana was an act
wholly unauthorized by the Coustitu-
ton and not within the scope of the
Executive, and specially reprehsnsible,


as its purpose aud motive was to carry
out a corrupt political arrangement aud


agreement on his part, made by his
friends with his knowledge and con-
sent. the fruits of which he is still
enjoying without right AID against law.
Year: 1879

As far as Hickman county is concerned
the contest for the nomination of State
officers is at an eud. The action Of our
county convention was just as we would
have il, except in the choice for Governer.
We have opposed DR.. Black burn, aud viii
continue 10 oppose him until the State
convention has finally settled the matter.
I Clinton Democrat.


In the list of delegates appointed by
the Democracy of Hickman county we
find the name of the editor OF the
Democrat; and we find that the dele
gates were instructed with an enthu-
siasm and unaninity scarcely equalled
in the history of county conventious,
TO vote for DR.. Black burn. Now, cer-
tainly our SUPERFICIAL strict party-or-
ganization convention organ Democrat
don't mean to disobey Instructions :
Why, bless you, this young neighbor
of ours has made it labor of love to
cut at tue COURIER for suspicious of
"disloyalty." And now and now for
it on the first cross to talk thus The
party has, few times, compelled the
COURIER to take some vile nostrums
that gagged cur political stomach, and
we spoke out in open meeting protest
ing against the medicine, but we call
friend or foe in evidence that we never
took such step as the Democrat
Fie; for shame. Get to your hole, M.
Democrat, and pull the hole in after
you'll