smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1875

The presentment made yesterday by the
Grand Jury Of the Court Of General Sessions
is not a pleasant document to contemplate.
That body, which possesses extraordinary
facilities for eliciting facts concealed from
the general public, deems it its duty to
declare that the citizens Of New York, in con o !
sequence of the inefficiency of the police
force as at present constituted, are not
secure in the possession Of either life or
property that cool and deliberate murderers
escape without detection or punishment !;
that the Excise laws are not properly en-
forced that there is no combined and har-
monious action between the Excise and
Police Commissioners ; that violators of the
law, when arrested by the police, are dis
charged or held to bail so insufficient as to
insure their escape, even though the evi-
dence Of their crimes is full and ample.
These facts were all previously known to our
citizens, but brought thus formally and SOL
emnly before the public eye in the shape of
presentment by Grand Jury they become
moro impressive. The picture drawn by the
Grand Jury may induce the people of New
York, on the eve of an election, to reflect ON
the sort Of city government they have
secured as the result of their Last verdict at
the polls
Year: 1875

On Monday next the Anglo-American Tel
egraph Company will increase its charges TO
one dollar per word At present the rate is
twenty-five cents This is difference that
must necessarily be Of very considerable con-
sequence to all that portion Of the public
which uses the cable freely TO have to pay
four thousand dollars where you formerly
paid one thousand is Of consequence to every
body, and the burden is none the more agree
able becauseit is imposed by tho mere stroke
of pen in London. But what is the
cause? Will it cost any more TO cable
words next week than it costs now Z
VIII labor be any dearer? Has any
body made terrible corner in the raw ma
terials of electricity No. 1t is the one
word monopoly that explains it all. Some
days ago the Direct cable was in operation
and the rate went down TO twenty-five cents.
Now the Direct cable is crippled and the
rate goes up to one dollar. This rich COM
pany put its rates down to crush COM
peting line, and now it puts the rate up
again to make the public pay for the opera
exorbitant charge for the service. Twenty
five cents is an ample rate, and this offensive
exhibition of the power to levy this ex-
travagant toll on commercial, financial and
other interests is the strongest evidence of
the need for more cables.
Year: 1875

Our yachtsmen were unlucky yesterday
in sailing the "Kane" regatta The weather
was inconstant and played sad tricks with
the vessels. OF the sixteen yachts that
proudly unfurled their sails there were only
eight which went out into the sea- Commo-
dore Kingsland's pretty vessel, the Alarm
went ashore on the West Bank, but received
no special harm. The Mohawk, Vice Commo-
dore Gamers celebrated yacht, was becalmed
tune befell the Resolute. Outside there was
heavy head sea, which carried away the
masts of the Peerless. These misfortunes,
small and great, made the day one of inter-
est if not of enjoyment We can hardly call
it regatta where one-half of the vessels
fail to take part from causes beyond their
control. AS the turfmen would say, it was q
'dead heat" and we should have another
meeting, if for no other purpose than to show
what our yachtsmen can do with an autumn
breeze and an autumn sea. The only first
class schooner that went over the course was
the Atalanta. There were two second class
schooners- Comet and the Estelle-the
former winning. None Of the first class
sloops sailed the course, while the
Sadie was the only second class
sloop that was fortunate enough to
do SO. We regret that Rear Commodore
Kane, who gave the prizes for this regatta
was not more fortunate, as his generous and
enterprising liberality, and his zeal for the
interests of the cluh deserved all the hon0rs
that can rest upon yachtsman's flag. Our
yachting clubs were never in a more prosper
Gus condition, and especially the New York
Club, under the command of Commodore
Kingsland The New York Club has
now fine club house at the anchorage
on Staten Island. This is like the club
house at Cowes, the rendezvous Of the Eng
lish squadrons, and it is owing largely to
Vice Commodore Garner, whose efforts on
behalf Of yachting deserve special recognition
and honor
Year: 1875

There was no disinclination in the Massa-
chusetts Convention to have done with
Grantism, and even to give formal notice Of
its difference with the administration on sew
eral points Of public policy. But though
they were ready for any rebuke Of Grant
they evidently had no quarrel with Vice
President Wilson. Indeed, it was that gen.
tleman's "tea party" and the whole enter
prise was in his hands. Now Mr.. Wilson is
clearly of opinion that there are plenty of
ways Of expressing disapproval of the ad-
ministration without going to the wild
extremity of nominating for Office the
best men in any community. That
is not precisely his notion of reform
in the republican party. He wants to kill
Grant politically, Of course but he wants to
kill him with men who are at least no larger
Intellectually than Wilson. If Mr.. Adams
had been nominated by the Convention he
might have been elected Governor of Massa-
chusetts and an original republican Of his
character elected Governor Of Massachusetts,
in the present conditions, might have ap-
peared to the next National Republican Con-
vention figure of Presidential proportions.
1t would not square with Mr. Wilson's views
Of the future to have this happen.
Year: 1875

The Episcopal CONVENTION YESTERDAY
listened to Bishop PotteT's annual address,
which was mainly devoted to urging the duty
Of continuing the labors Of the missions and
other enterprises Of the Church, notwith-
standing the depressed financial condition Of
the country. There IS money enough, says
the Bishop, but il is locked mp here because
people have not enough confidence ID each
other to put it in circulation But the
Church deserves confidence and yields a re-
turn for all that is given to her Tho Bish-
ops argument is financially sound, and the
missions can no doubt be well supported
without imitation. The review Of the prog
ress Of the diocese made by the Bishop at the
last Convention rendered it unnecessary to
repeat the details now. The financial re-
ports were all satisfactory.
Year: 1875

Hon. FERNANDO WooD requests US to deny
the statement of the New York infationists
that he is raising money for the democratic
canvass in Ohio" He has neither raised nor
given dollar ito assist the election of
Allen" 1t is a strange condition of affairs to
see democratic leader in New York denying
with emphasis and as though it were
o serious imputation upon him, that
he had ''given one dollar to assist
a brother democratic leader in Ohio.
If Mr.. Wood does not think the election
of Allen worth dollar of democratic
money what does he think Of the election
of Hayes2 And if our New York democrats
all feel this way now how will the Ohio and
Indiana and other democrats in the West
feel when the New York delegates appear at
the door of the coming Democratic National
Convention Would it not be amusing to
see these boiling democrats shut out by
Western votes, and Uncle Dick, at the head
Of paper collar rag money delegation, ad-
mitted2
Year: 1875




The autumn meeting at Jerome Park
promises to be a season of unusual enjoy
ment if this glorious weather holds. We
do not see why our Derby should not be run
in the autumn, why we should not make Oc-
tober the chief month in the racing calendar.
This seems to be the purpose of our turf
men We feel sure that if the horses could
have their say they would prefer autumn for
their contest to an enervating day in spring.
The spring days have beauty which is not
to be contemned and we can understand
why in England and France they should be
chosen for racing. England and France do not
have the American October. That blessing,
like the Beecher trial and the Star-Spangled
Banner, Providence has denied them.


We should be law to ourselves in this,
and make our racing meetings to suit our
season. October is our coronal month
Then nature rises to her full majesty. Then
is the time when we can completely enjoy
the ride to Jerome Park, one of the finest
drives in the world, before which those to
Longchamps and the Epson Downs must
surrender their worldwide fame. And If
we only had Comptroller who did not feel
that municipal reform" was municipal
strangulation, how much more attractive the
approaches to the Park might be. But even
Green cannot last forever and after Green
we shall have the Westchester end of our city
made worthy of the metropolis.


Green is always tempting subject as
we pass along, but our concern is with the
races. The stables are full, and some of
is truth that we hear, any one Of them
would make better comptroller than the
present incumbent Mr.. Donahue's hurd-
lers, we know, have more sense, more
conscientious devotion to duty, and more
skill in their performance than two-thirds
Of the men who will be nominated to of
fee by O'Kelly or Van Shafer. We would
match Deadhead, for instance, any day
against Judge Quinn, either for
hurdle-leaping or for downtown can
yass. And much as we respect
the O'Morrissey, especially since he took to
hearing Moody and Sankey and has sold
his gambling shop, we believe that, in fair
race for the Senatorship, Ascension or Calvin
or Galway would give him weight and lead
him to the winning post. The value of
these horses is that, like O'Morrissey, when
they go in they mean to win and not to
throw their hackers. Already more than
one hundred and twenty horses have arrived.
They are in fine condition. There was
rumor few days since that, like the
democratic politicians in Ohio or the
Loring men in the Massachusetts,
Convention, they had the epizootic.
Some Of them coughed as violently as Pig
Iron Kelley. But they are all well now.
The horses, not the politicians, will make
run on Saturday and the succeeding days
that will teach lesson in running even to
the infationists. L. p. Lorillard, j. B. Pryor,
John M. Davis, Z. Snedicor, Jeter Waldron,
J. Pincus, Price McGrath and D. Mcdaniel
have all good stables, filed with horses that
will stand investigation and in their behavior
under trial respect public opinion. This is
good deal more than we can say of Grant
and the present administration.
Year: 1875

Ihe 4EOuDAe lh SeINlA Ahu


Upon the occurrence Of the revolt in Her
zegovina the heads of the Bosnian villages
were seized by the Turks as hostages. They
were not, however held as hostages to secure
good behavior, but were released on the pay
ment of heavy ransoms Government, there
fore, under the pretence oftaking precautions
to preserve the peace, simply practised
brigandage on a large scale against these
people, and, to secure themselves from in
definite repetition of this process they
abandoned their villages and took refuge,
first in the mountains and then over the
frontier, and their departure from their vii
lagos, which was called insurrection, was
thus merely fight. Apparently this explana-
ton applies to all the Bosnians as well those
on the Austrian frontier as those in the in
terror. The consuls who have investigated
the sources Of the trouble now find that
these men are not willing to trust the Turk
ish promises, and that, therefore, the insur-
rection cannot be quieted except upon
the pledges or guarantees Of the
great Powers, which the rayahs declare
their readiness to accept. 1t is not
necessary to suppose the presence behind
this obstinacy Of Russian influence. 1t is the
natural caution Of people often betrayed
by faithless authorities, who have taken
position from which they can only be drawn
by pledges in which they can have conf
dence, or from which otherwise they must be
driven by force Hitherto Servia, though
restiye, has been restrained by the intimation
that hostile course on her part would
necessitate an Austrian occupation of her
territory and our dispatches to-day state
that the representatives Of the foreign Powers
demand cessation Of her ambiguous policy.
1t is doubtful if this apprehension will longer
suffice, however, if the Turks carry out their
threat to occupy point regarded as Servian
territory, which will, it is said, be regarded
as Intentionally forcing an issue This may
stir to flame the smouldering fire and if
Austria occupies Servian territory then in
fact the present status will have passed away
and new one can only be reached by the
consent of Russia. Its basis will probably be
such an administrative reform in European
Turkey as will de-Islamize all that part Of
Iclam
Year: 1875

There is rumor that the presentment made
by the Grand Jury yesterday in regard to the
increase Of crime in the city and its causes
grew out of evidence placed before the jury
with view to secure the indictment Of GER
tain heads of departments for misdemeanor.
If the report be true the attempt does not
reflect credit on those who must clearly have
been it's promoters. The law provides in
what manner unfaithful or incapable munich
pal officers shall be removed, and the failure
Of the proper authorities to exercise the
power when removals are demanded in the
public interests is Of itself breach of duty
amounting to malfeasance There should
be no attempt to shirk the responsibility or
to shift it on to the shoulders of grand
jury. Astupid attempt was made some time
ago to procure Comptroller Green's indict-
ment OF course it failed. No person pre-
tends to believe that Mr.. Green ever did
criminal act while in Office. At the same
time he is incapable, obstructive and AFRO
giant, and the city would be benefited
if its financial management were transferred
from his hands to those of competent
HuauclcT. ne udNG Dttu TGLuONeu
long since on these grounds just as bust
ness man would discharge q cashier or book
keeper who had proved himself unfit for his
position.


The same may be said of the Police Com
missioners WIN hold over from the former
administration. The appointments made by
the late Mayor Hayemeyer were at once
ridiculous and disgnceful to the city. Ex-
perience has proved that they were danger
ous also, for under its present management
the force has become so demoralized and in
efficient as to excite general alarm. But it is
not necessary 10 60 to the jury room for
relief The Mayor has the power Of removal,
and in failing to exercise that power firmly
and promptly when it becomes his clear duty
to do SO he makes himself personally re-
sponsible for any evils that may result from
his timidity or neglect
Year: 1875

THE COUNTY BOARD or FREEHoLDEEs Of Jer-
sey City are endeavoring to turn out of Office
the keeper Of the Hudson County Jail, who
happens to be q female. The counsel 70 the
Board has stood by the jaileross, but the At
torney General Of the State has been ungal-
liant enough to declare that as the law alludes
TO the iailer as ''he, she has no right TO
the Office SO the lady will probably be COM
PEELED to find some other occupation than
locking up Jersey criminals.
Year: 1875

The NEXT MOVEMENT of the horse car COM
panies, led hy the Third avenue line, to de-
feat a rapid transit road will, it is said, come
in the shape Of proceedings in the United
States Supreme Court. A nonresident
owner on Third avenue is to apply for an in
junction to restrain any company from
building such a road. The next Legislature
should apply some disciplinary legislation
to these grasping corporations.
Year: 1875

LAYING Our BIG PIECE OF WoRK.-The
Washington ChronicIe proposes "a restoration
Of prosperity" by the help of the govern
ment, and mentions the following plan:-


The first step advance to attain this desirable
dition Of affairs should be takon by the government,
under direction and with the assistance of Con
gress BY opening resources for industrial pur-
suits in aiding the completion Of the Northern and
Southern Pacific Railways the water highways,
commended by Senator Windom's committee a through
line of water communication from the Mississippi and
Missouri to the Pacific Ocean, through railroad con-
necton with the Mexican Republic, and from thence
through Central and south America until an unbroken
line is accomplished from the United States TO Chill
which, If had to-day, there need not be any scarcity
OF employment but on the contrary as great demand
for more industrious hands Such is the road TO
national prosperitycasy attained by unity Of feel
ing of mutual confidence between the people and their
government-between the administration and Con-
gross


'sAll this can be effected without imitation
or adding much to the public debt" adds
the Chronicle Query: How much?
Year: 1875

The PERIODICAL RAID on SIGNS hung in
violation of law is said TO have commenced
The laws, however, appear to be more loose
and obstructive than the signs, and the end
of such demonstrations is generally the pay
ment Of few penalties and the continuance
Of the nuisance
Year: 1875

THE Speaker Of the Illinois House
decided few days ago that bill had
not been printed, and therefore could
not be considered, because the typo
graphical substitution Of "ander" for
render" made nonsense of a single
sentence.
Year: 1875

ONE reason for the advance Of gold
IN New York Is that merchants are
taking their goods out of bond pretty
freely to escape the little tariff bill
and the threatened revival of what is
called the horizontal tax. Last
Tuesday, the custom-house received
81, 10000 In gold, the largest days
receipts in several years.
Year: 1875

An Independent Reformer IN the
Illinois Legislature has attracted at
tention by offering a resolution that,
inasmUch as the late revised statutes
had not yet been distributed long
enough for the people to get familiar
with them, 1t was the duty of the Leg
islature to make as few amendments. as
possible, and avoid all legislation ex-
cept what was absolutely necessary.
The House buried the resolution in the
Judiciary Committee.
Year: 1875

In THE Department column will be
found some late Cuban news to the effect
that Valmaseda is making wholesale arrests
Of suspected Cubans and lodging them in
prison. ''Whom the gods would destroy
they first make mad is being exemplif1ed
in the Spahish policy toward the ''ever
faithful isle" 1t will be seen also that our
Government is giving vigorous attention to
the Montes case. 1t is to be most fervently
hoped that some means will be shortly
f1und TO bring the Spanish Government to
reason in the prosecution of the war in
Cuba, or TO phi an end to the unnatural
and barbarous strife entirely. The in
terests of freedom, humanity, civilization
and commerce all call loudly for the termi-
nation ofSpSnish reign upon this continent.
Year: 1875

The Detective press is IN great trepida-
ton for fear Governor Shepherd will tell
the American Health Association all he
knows about the sanitary effect Of sewers
and drainage, and how much his system of
sewerage and the accompanying improve
ments has reduced the mortality rate in the
District Let him also tell that body of
eminent sGUans how many tons less of
quinine and other malarial specifics have
been sold since the advent of our improve
ments. All these belongto the credit side
of the expense account
Year: 1875

Notwithstanding the assiduous manner in
which the Centennial finance committee has
passed around the hat they have as yet Sc
cured an inadequate amount of money to
meet the expenditures which they will of ne
cessity have to incur in order to make the
great celebration a success. This is matter
which the United States cannot afford to let
fail through the inadequacy of requisite funds
to make complete arrangements to carry out
the grand system adopted by the committees.
Many of the States whose patriotic duty It is
to render their respective substantial assist
ance have not as yet responded to the call.
The situation at present is not as promising as
the country could wish, and the probabilities
are that the finance committee will be COM
PEELED to strenuously urge Congress to assist
them materially in support of the great meas
ure. The interests of the country and the
expectations of the world demand that the
important enterprise should be a complete sue
cess, and the patriotism of our national rep
resentatiyes in Congress will undoubtedly lose
no effort or opportunity by which that success
can be fully secured.
Year: 1875

sydenham Palace, England, has recently
been the scene of a remarkable cat show. The
English cat must differ materially from the
American feline if it has to be taken into the
magnificent apartments of palace in order to
make an exhibition Of itself. The American
Tabby has peculiar way of showing its own
eccentricities without being placed before the
august presence of a committee sitting in SOL
emn Judgment on the case. England may
take national interest in her felines, but the
interest the people Of this country have in
their cats is simply of local nature. A
Yankee Tabby lie, of sll animals, the most
capable of showing itself, and its shows are
such as never fail to attract the attention of
humanity. Our dogs will idle about the
thresholds of our homes, and now and again
pass out to the sidewalk and bring back sam
pie of some unfortunate passer-by, but they
woefully lack the ability that is innate with
our felines to pounce on to the upper shelf of
our pantries and overthrow q dozen preserve
Jars in their activity to secure piece of cold
roast beef or puncture the surface Of aweIl-
fIled milk pan with their whiskered probos-
cides. Our dogs may frisk about and snap the
feathers from the backs of our neighbors'
fowls in a manner that stirs the spirit of hos
tility and puts stop, for the time being, to
social intercourse and the custom of
borrowing butter, but 1t is well known
that they cannot jump into q
henery with that agility noticed In our cats
and suck enough eggs in fifteen minutes to
make large family happy on Easter Sunday;
but at night they show themselves to the best
advantage. An English cat may require
palace to be interesting in, but one born and
bred under the benign influences of our great
republican institutions WIN occupy plain slab
on the rear roof Of an humble cottage and in
less than ten straightforward bowls attract the
attention of the entire neighborhood, besides
drawing forth all the emphatic expressions,
old boots, hair brushes, books and other light
moyeables that may perchance be accessible.
English cat-shows may be popular, but IL is
Year: 1875

Close upon the heels of the Pacific disaster
comes the painful intelligence of the burning
of the steamship Waco in the Gulf of Mexico
She was a strong, well-made vessel, whose
construction and equipment cost about quar-
ter of million dollars. In the space of one
hour the entire structure Is consumed by the
flames, and all on board are supposed to be
lost. How the fire originated has not been,
and perhaps never will be, ascertained. Why
the officers, crew and passengers on board a
vessel anchored near a great fleet should
perish is an insoluble mystery, and
affords a subject upon which the proper
authorities should reflect with no little serious
ness. The Pacific is scuttled, and sinks in an
hour; the Waco is burned within hailing dis
tance of a dozen vessels, and yet every person
on board both, with but one exception, is
sacrificed to the angry fury of the waves. A
terrible responsibility growing out of this twin
disaster rests either upon those whose duty it
was to furnish ample life-saving equipment for
those vessels or upon those in charge of the
steamers in the hour of ruin. If the latter
were responsible, which there is every reason
to doubt, they have already suffered the awful
penalty of culpable negligence. If the former
are guilty of the wanton sacrifice of human
life which has occurred to spread a pail of sad
ness over hundred households and deprive
the country of over two hundred useful.mem-
bers of society, let justice be meted out to
them in all its fullness and severity, in order
that wicked wrong may be punished and fur
ther catastrophes of a similar nature be
averted-