smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1879

In General Buffers colloquies concerning
democratic splits he alleges that the main
motive of the Adams or regular democrats
in Massachusetts, for maintaining a separate
political organization from his own is to
claim foothold in the National Democratic
Convention next year. They are famishing
for federal Office, the General intimates,
and really want to keep their numbers con-
veniently small, so that in event of their
recognition AS orthodox and the election of
q democratic President there may be the
fewer to share in the distribution of the
spols. We do not undertake to say how
that is. but the fact of democratic splits in
Massachusetts, and New York, of the election
oftwo sets OF delegates already from Massa-
chusetts and of the possibility of contesting
delegations from this State also. deserves the
anxious attention of Southern and Western
democrats as pivot on which the next
democratic Presidential nomination possibly
may turn. The two States together are en-
titled to ninety-six delegates in the Ma
tional Convention--two for each electoral
vote--New York being entitled to thirty
five votes and Massachusetts, to thirteen.


The total number of delegates will be seven
hundred and thirty-eight, the whole Elec-
toral College consisting of three hundred
and sixty-ninc. Ninety.six Is considerably
more than an eighth of this total. With the
exception of 1864 and 1872 there has not
been democratic national convention for
thirty-five years in which the seating or un-
seating of this number of delegates might
not have controlled the nomination. II the
Tammany boilers in New York are not
whipped into submission or insignificance--
If they maintain their separate organiza-
ton and send delegation to the National
Convention to contest the seats of the
Robinson or regular delegates-thsn tho
Year: 1879

An important budget Of statements and
reports that relate to this subject is given
in to-day's HERALD. Interesting details are
presented of the story of the recently rescued
captives; reported revolt Of savages is
denied by the agent who lives with them;
some Ute families who are lost are said to
have been probably killed by the soldiers,
and it is feared this may be the source OF fur
ther trouble. The report of General Sheri-
dan, giving an account of the distribution
of the troops underh his command, puts with
painful distinctness the utter inadequacy
of our army for the proper occupation of
the posts it is deemed necessary to hold.
In this report it is stated that the Utes re-
volted because they believed they were to
be deprived of their lands and homes to
satisfy the land greed of the white men, and
that they believed the coming of the
soldiers was only to enforce the order.
Undoubtedly the supposition that they
might be treated as the Poncas had been
was enough TO excite all their pugnacity.
1t is to be hoped that the suggestion made
in a letter from Captain Payne on the
neglect of Colonel Dodge by the War De-
partment will not fall upon needless ears
in Washington.
Year: 1879

Captain Williams conduct at the review
was the subject of several Of those succinct
little histories that are known as affidavits.
These histories were studied by the Grand
Jury, which consequently found true bill
against the Captain. Thus two stages in an
important proceeding have been safely gone
through, and there is no reason to believe
that the stability of the universe is i'm
perilled. The next step will be to call the
case up for trial at an early day. because
if the indictment is to be pigeonholed it
might as well not have been found Any
ordinary piece of paper could fill place in
pigeonhole as satisfactorily as this i'm
portant document. This case must be
tried, and then We shall understand whether
the remarkable consideration of Police
Commissioners for this captain is shared by
the men from whom juries are drawn.


Meanwhile readers can find in our re-
ports of the trial of Captain Williams
before the Police Commissioners some nota-
BILE exhibitions of the good manners, cour-
tesy and respect for official superiors that
are produced by years Of training on our
city police. Witnesses who testified against
this ornament of the police were cross-ex-
amined by him, and these examinatigns
are typical specimens of the style Of
bully who relies upon violence and
bravado to browbeat witnesses. 1t should
be noted that the style of evidence in fa-
vor Of Williams is Of the same kind as that
presented in the case of clubbing in Gill
more's Garden. Men swear they did not
see Williams hit Smith. There may have
been ten thousand men around where
Smith was dubbed, but the rest of the
public, say million persons, were not there.
Will he produce the whole million to swear
that they did not see what was done?
Year: 1879

strong man at the head of the government.
The constitution is our ''strong man. "
Within it's limitations the power it confers on
the President is, as European publioists have
often remarked, far greater than that of
any king or emperor. The King of England
has no such power or authority as the Pres
ident of the United States. The Prime
Minister of England, even, has no such
powers in his hands, and this though he
may be turned out of office by Parliament
at any moment of its session.


But it is because the President has,
under the constitution, these great and
almost unlimited powers, because he is the
possessor of such vast patronage, COM
mander besides of the armies and navy of
the country-it is precisely for this reason
that his tenure of Office is strictly limited,
dents Washington, Jefferson and Jackson
refused to accept more than two terms Of
the office. They rightly held that such
great powers ought not to be and could not
safely be too long intrusted to one hand.
They saw that these powers were liable to
dangerous misuse; that the temptation of
over long possession was very great, and
that it was not wise to accustom the people,
if they were to remain free, to see per-
manent ruler in power over them.


What is ''strong man at the head of the
government" Will the Colonel tell us?
Was Mr.. Lincoln q strong man? Would
Mr.. Blaine be a strong man ? or Mr.. Conk-
ling? or Mr.. Sherman? If not, why not
We beg the favor of an early answer. The
Colonel prefers General Grant that is
natural enough he is friend of the Cen
eral and he is always a generous and de-
voted friend. AS the Colonel's friend we
not as ''strong man at the head of the
government" That is un-American bosh.
Year: 1879

The remarkable story of the Marx will
case is continued in to-day's HERALD. It
presents some singular pictures of tho lives
of our contemporaries. The emotional
woman with little fortune, some piety
and great admiration for priest or
preacher figures largely the priest, drawn
somewhat on the lines laid down by
Moliere, but rather more coarsely,
at least as the case is put by
the lawyer on the other side, and
the indignant relatives of the woman
who believe they are robbed through
mistaken generosities--all these are por-
traits which may convince the thoughtful
reader that the people they jostle every day
on the streets are oil characters in some
romance or another. In this case the ro-
nance comes out rather vigorously Oh tho
plea of "undue influence" There have been
great many cases in court within recent
years in which the effort has been to set
aside wills because of one or another im-


proper disposition Of property, and some
Year: 1879

Ir WoULD BE HARD to imagine an experience
more dismal aud terrifying than that of the
lady who recently was for eight days in
u quagmire from which she, could not move,
while all the pangs of cold and starvation were
added to mental agony that must have been in
tense. To have survived such week of hor-
rors indicates mind and physique OF rare
quality.
Year: 1879

Is THERE No WAY of separately testing the
plates that worked into steam boilers I?
Often and often it has been proved that explo-
sions do not always occur because of unusual
steam PRESSURE and the tugboat disaster of yes
terday to add to the evidence in this direc-
tion
Year: 1879

of them have been offensive and disgusting
recitals of family history; but we have
never seen one in which the ''consolations
of religion" were presented in more
strictly speculative light than in this case.
Year: 1879

An important bill was introduced in the
lower house Of the legislature yesterday-an
Insolvency act. 1t is entitled "a bill for an
act to provide for voluntary bankruptcy of
insolvent debtors, and for compulsory pro-
ceedings against such debtors, and for an
equitable distribution of the property of
such debtors among their credito rs, and for
discharge of such debtors from their debts.
and to prevent frauds upon and preferences
among creditors" It is a very long docu-
,nent, covering over sixty large pages of
legal cap, and embracing fifty Sec
tions. It was drawn, it Is understood. bv a
prominent attorney of this city, who has had
much experience in bankruptcy, and after a
long consultation with many of our leading
business mon. It is understood that it meets
their views, and will be strongly urged for
passage.


This is matter in which every business
and professional man is deeply concerned,
and should be carefully considered before it
is finally acted upon. We have not yet had
an opportunity to examine it with sufficient
care to enable US to express an opinion upon
Year: 1879

10 enforce the remarks of the GLOBE a
few days ago on the tramp question, the New
York World calls attention 10 what is being
done by the Legislatures of States adjoining
that, and makes a home application as fol-
lows:


OF course this resolute policy on the part Of
our nelghbors necessitates an equally resolute
policy IN New York, if we wish to protect our
selves from a general swarming hitherwards of
these interesting drones of the national hive.
The outlines OF the Massachusetts, plan recall
the sternness of the provisions adopted by the
Old Bay State just after the establishment of
our Independence, with view to keeping out
Americans Of African descent. Modern tramps
are now to be dealt with by Massachusetts in
like spirit though with less brutality. and
whatever notifications of her system may be
thought desirable, this social disease has un-
questlonably reached or is fast reaching a
point everywhere at which it must he handled
intelligently and with concert of action by all
the States.


With stringent anti-tramp laws in Iowa,
Wisconsin and Illinois, what would be the
fate of Minnesota without one? Our State
would be the asylum for the thousands of
vagrants who live by their wits and make
plunder their occupation. It is imperatively
necessary that the legislature should do
something to protect our citizens from in
cursions that will bring only loss to them.
The State cannot afford, for her own reputa-
ton, to remain unprotected in this regard,
for the prospect is that the tramps will be
driven out of all the States that surround us
only to swarm and eyerrun our own. We
could not endure such an invasion without
serious injury, and ought not to be subject
ed to the possibility of such an invasion.
We trust some action will be had before it is
too late.
Year: 1879

its merits, but from cursory glance at its
provisions We judge that it has many excel
lent features, and that it is sufficiently strin-
gent in its provisions to fully protect the
creditors, but perhaps too stringent for the
good of the debtors. Its merits and dement's
will be more apparent, however, after it shall
have been printed to-day for the informa.
ton of the members and all concerned. It
must be remembered that no enactment can
be made to be absolutely perfect without the
aid of large experience. The defects of the
national bankrupt law, lately repealed, are
we'll known, and our legislators can profit
by the knowledge it has furnished them.
That was susceptible of being nsed for the
benefit of rogues to defraud honest creditors.
We want no such law as that, yet we want no
law that will work injustice to the poorest
debtor in the State.


1t is to be regretted that this measure has
not been brought sooner to the attention of
the legislature. But three weeks remain till
the close of the session, and from this time
forth business will be necessarily hurried, and
it is to be feared that there is not sufficient
time to devote to its examination. But the
legislature should not adjourn until some
such measure is matured and passed. Its
lack has already brought great hardship upon
some OF our merchants. They have in a
number of instances been forced to sacrifice
large stocks of goods to the rapacity of sin
gle creditor-and sometimes the least of a
large number-who feared some other person
would get ahead of him and sue out an at
tachment. We are convinced that not one
tithe of the injury has been done that will
follow unless something shall be done for the
protection of those who are now literally at
the mercy of their creditors.
Year: 1879

WHILE the question of investigating the
manner in which the funds arising from the
sale of lands donated to the State for the
benefit of agriculture and the mechanic arts
is being considered by the present legislature,
would it not be we'll to extend the inquiry tc
the management of the university and school
lands2 An inquiry in this direction, if gone
into with determination to get at the facts,
would, we have reason to believe, result in
showing some very heavy leakages in which
individuals have benefited to the injury
of toe Safe, especially in the line of pine
land trespass.
Year: 1879

The morning session of the Senate was
not prolific of notable events, but there was
little sharp debate between Senator Thach-
er and the chairman of the joint committee
on taxes and tax laws relative to stay of
the provisions of the tax law for the benefit
of farmers in various localities who have
suffered total or partial loss of their crops
the past year, and claimed this slight indul-
gence as an amelioration of their distress.
The vote by which Mr.. Thacher's bill was
indefinitely postponed was reconsidered and
it was recommitted with the understanding
that it should serve as the nucleus around
which should be framed a bill for the relief
Of such sufferers in all parts of the State.


The entire afternoon session was devoted
to the consideration of the bill providing for
the reduction of salaries of State officers,
and it was vigorously discussed. The bill
originated with the Greenback party, and of
the views of that party we give portion of
the speech of Senator Page, the ablest and
failest exponent of its principles in the SEN
ate. He said:


believe that have the moral courage to
contend for what believe to be right. can
not conceive of any reason why we should cut
down the salary of one State office and not an
oth.r in the same ratio if they were relatively
just before this time. Nothing has been shown
that they Were not relatively equal, according
to ability and service.


The action of this committee certainly seems
to me to be discriminating. The salaries
should be equitably equal, and that our public
servants, both State and county, should be SO
reduced as to equally bear the burdens of a
pernicious measure Of public policy forced
upon US by the higher authority, Congress and
the administration.


The burdens upon the Taxpayers have been
practically increased at least one-third by the
depression of prices in all Of the products Of
industry. On the other hand, the
purchasing power of honey has
been increased in corresponding ratio.
Ii these salaries were just at the time they
were fixed, they are not now. The laborer on
the farm, or in any calling, is now, in many
instances, abroad seeking a brother of the
earth to give him leave to toil.' And they, as
we'll as the farmer, are obliged to be con-
tent with about onehalf of former prices for
the product of their labor or that of the farm
Misery likes company, and human nature is
not so ready to complain if the burdens of
these criminally-foisted hard times are equal
upon all. l believe IN the broad principle,
the greatest good to the greatest number, and
justice to all, mi usJice to none.


The results of the consideration of the
ovo,r ell
Year: 1879

IF there was heretofore any doubt as to
the proper course to be pursued relative to
electing city engineer, it would be settled
by the fact that Bill Kings paper wants the
engineer elected by the Board of Public
Works. That ought to settle the matter in
favor of the City Council. The council is
tie body to whom the matter should be re-
ferred. They are responsible for the gen
eral conduct of city affairs, including the
work of the city engineer, and they ought to
be able to wiring his neck when he don't do
his duty
Year: 1879

The work of the investigating committee
at the Stale Prison, yesterday, was little less
than broad farce. The idea that prisoners
would testify against the men in whose power
they are, was absurd. Every one knows that
prison is an absolute despotism, and the
prisoner is utterly helpless. The situation
was we'll demonstrated yesterday by the fact
that the men who are in for life testified in
behalf of the prison, while the only man who
seriously reflected on the management was
one whose term expires in week. There
could be no stronger evidence than this of the
impossibility of securing testimony from the
prisoners. The guards, of course, are cor
respondingly enthusiastic in behalf of the
prison. It is their bread and butter. A
guard who would not testify favorable to the
prison would be kicked into the street in
twenty-four hours. We suppose it was the
duty of the committee to visit Saltwater
but they are certainly too intelligent to imag-
inc that they could secure any reliable evi-
dence by SO doing.


The most impudent thing connected with
this entire State prison business was the for.
NAL presentation Wednesday night of canes
to the warden and his deputy. The present
alton and the fulsome iaudation bestowed
we're simply disgraceful. It was a practica
confession that the charges made are true
and recognition that something is neces
sary to break the force of public opinion. L
was as indecent an act az was ever witnessed
and ought to satisfy the committee that
there is something decidedly rotten in thu
prison. If the warden and his deputy anc
the contractors wished to have bunconbt
presentation, they should have had the wit
if not the decency, to have delayed the per-
fOrmance
Year: 1879

HE House has passed MIR. Larssen's bill
making it felony, punishable with fine and
imprisonment for any person to des-
ecrate any cemetery in the State by robbing
any grave within its precincts. There ought
to be no hesitation in the Senate in con-
curing in the measure. At present it is not
even misdemeanor to rob every grave in
the State, and the sacredness of the tomb
can be violated with perfect impunity.
Year: 1879

The British government is taking energetic
measures to ayenge the massacre of its
troops near Natal. Fifteen steam transports
have already been chartered to carry rein
forcements to Cape Colony, and will start
out without unnecessary delay. We may
soon expect to hear Of bloody work in South
Afrjca
Year: 1879

HERE is proposition before the legis-
lature to transfer the half million acres of
internal improvement lands to the State
school fund for its exclusive benefit. This
can only be done by a direct vote of the
people of the State, and it is somewhat
doubtful if it can secure the necessary sup
Year: 1879

HE Northern Pacific railroad construction
is booming. Two car loads Of iron crossed
the. Missouri river at Bismarck on Wednes-
day, and will be placed along the line of the
new road as soon as possible. And still
there's more to follow.
Year: 1879

The facilities of the HERALD Steam
Printing House for doing job work are not
surpassed In California outside of San
francisco and Sacramento. All work en-
trusted to US will be executed with neat
ness and dispatch at the lowest living
rates.
Year: 1879

NEWPORT, r. l., Feb. z, lS79


Mr.. Nicholas Ball, assistant inspector of life
ing stations for this district has just finished
critical inspection Of stations in this State. All
the stations have recently been furnished with
brass guns to be used for the purpose of throw
ing shot to a wreck. They great improvement
over the old mortar being considerably lighter, and
can be transported more readily. They also
throw line greater distance than the old ones
Mr.. Ball reports that there is only keeper at No
station, at Watch Hill. owing to the lack Of
modation. 1t Is station and the appropriation
for the building was only recently made
Year: 1879

(DY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD


PETERSBURG Va. Feb. 7. 1879.
The stockholders of the Commercial National
Bank the only national bank in the city. and Of
the only three which did not suspend during the
panic of 1879 decided to place the institution in
liquidation. The affairs of the bank entirely
sound and the depression of general business is the
only of closing its operations
Year: 1879

4,


DIR. McEachren. veterinary surgeon. has returned
after extensive visit throughout the provinces OF
Quebec and Ontario in connection with the investga
ton of the cattle disease. In his opinion there is
entire absence Of CONTAGIOUS disease in horned
cattle. both in Ontario and quebec. The three
months prohibition of American cattle will have
to be extended, far the Eastern States
cattle concerned but the Western cattle are al
most entirely free from disease Canada would, how
ever, be compelled to protect herself by rigid
animation of cattle until the Western States proved
that the disease did not exist there. Yesterday DR..
McEachren had long interview with the Governor
General the subject, and ways and means for the
prevention Of the disease discussed freely
Year: 1879

The Southern press eagerly second the
proposition that Gen. Grant shall visit
the South. They want him to zee for
himself whether the campaign s.ories IL
oppression have any foundation In tact.
But even If Gen. Grant went South, he
would take care to see nothing except
what his managers instructed him 10
see. He is Tin the hands of bia frienl..w
Year: 1879




The tarantula of Texas is the


desperate of the spider family


He frequently attains the size


of the hand, and with its great,


glaring black eyes and frightful


claws, seldom fails to present


an appearance so formidable


that sensitive lady, even if


used to seeing the tarantula, will


scream at the sight. The taran-


tula is, in fact, only a big spider,


and usually makes his home in
the open prairie, dwelling with
his family in a nest concealed


beneath the tall grass. If you


tackle him in his retreat you will


very soon repent your temerity,


for he springs at You like a IT,
ger, jumping to an astonishing
helght-sometimes three or four
feet. lie is one ofsthe most
poisonous of the family Of the
arachn@, and his bite is said to
be more fatal than that of the
rattlesnake. In a settlement
called Grapevine Prairie, near
Fort Worth, some time ago, the
son of farmer named Feather
stone was one day occupied
gathering rocks on the roadside.
Upon oyerturning a large fiat
rock he was suddenly confron-
ted by large tarantula the size
ofa mans hand, snugly ensconc-
ed in his nest aloug with a num-
ber of young tarantulas. The
big one was yellow and black
and displayed the same
inimitable colors that nature
bestows upon the "beautiful
snake" Selling a good-sized
stick, Master Featherstone at
tackled the enemy in his strong
hold, and was met with an un-
resistance. He sue
;eeded in breaking off one leg,
Or rather claw, OF the devil fish
of dry land; but the tarantula,
enraged, sprang upon the ag-
5ressor, and quick as thought,
With his great black eyes gilt
ering with fendish ferocity,
astened himself on the boys
land and arm. Before he could
'e dislodgcd the tarantula had
inflicted two probably fatal bites
N the hand and arm, both of
which subsequently swellcd to
hree times their natural eize-
o vlrulcnt is the poison of this
-esperado of the prairics. The ,
10Y, however, succeeded in kill
ng the tarantula.