smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1876

In the cross-exauination of the President
when making his deposition in the BAncock
case, he testified, it will be recollected' that
"Severa1 Congressman had busted themselves
in urging him to interfere with the Conn1s-
sioner Of Internal Revenue; but le thought
it not worth while to name them Ihe
cross-e1aminer said, in that case, he would
not press the matter But in this he was
derelict in his duty; he ought to have press
ed the question for their names. The coun-
t1yshould have the names of the Congressman
who nre prowling around the White-House IN
the interest of the Whisky Rings and using
their influence with the President to have
him interfere with the orders and efforts OF
the Treasury Department to stop stealing
the revenues of the Government. The
names should have been obtained and made
public. The President might feel personal
reluctance to tell who they were, but the
attorney for the prosecution had no such EN-
barrassment holding him back, and nobody
would laye reflected on the President fol
diyuleing their names when acting as q Wit
ness and under oath.
Year: 1876

It is said that the Board of Trade Trans
poration Committee is in possession OF evl-
denca which shows that the Southwestern
cross-lines arc cutting rates as bad1y as ever,
and it is now believed that the recent tariff
was made up by the Eastern pool Lines simply
to quiet public opinion and enable them to
pursue surreptitiously the same discrlmina-
tons against Chicago as before. We have
not much doubt that there is good deal
of truth in ali this. Now, We suggest
that the very best way to counteract
these determinations for the present is to
reduce all the terminal charges ct this point
to the minimum rate. We do not hear that
this movement is being pressed with the
vigor that ought to be used The subject
has been sufficiently ngitated, and the injury
Of the present terminal charges amply demon


strated. to secure their reduction. The


basis suggested Of l cent bushel for mrs
storage charges ito be paid by the railroads
| and the abandonment of the switching, side
| tracking, and Is trimming charges, Will mak'


a saving to the shipper of between 1 and
| cents q bushel, or equal to railroad pull
TOO miles, A reduction in charges to tha


extent can be made without any cooperation


on the part of Eastern pool lines, and it VII


attract grain to this point that might b


otherwise diverted by the cutting of rates q
interior points. In this far, at least, tn


Chicago people can help themselves, and tn
! Board of Trade should insist upon the reform
| immediately
Year: 1876

We have reason to believe that the efforts
to prejudice the President against Secretary
Bg,srow, Solicitor WILSON, and other officers
who have been most efficient in the prosecu-
ton of the whisky~thieyes, have failed, and
that the President is abundanty satisfied, af-
ter thorough examination, that all the cases
have been and will be prosecuted solely with
reference to the public good. If this infor-
nation be correct,-and it comes to us from q
source worthy Of all credence,- is matter
for universal congratulation, and it IS also
an assurance that the Chicago cases will be
prosecuted as conscientiously and forcibly as
the St. Louis cases have been 1t Is good
news for the Republican party and the whole
country, for it will leave Messrs' Bn1s1ow
and WILSON free to complete the good WORK
which they have so successfully begun.
Year: 1876

All signs show that the back of winter is
broken, and that We are emerging upon the
activity and new life Of spring. Builders are
already ut work upon new foundations, arch
itects are busi1y drawing plans, and soon the
work of building will commence in earnest.
Navigation will open earlier than usual, and
all along the docks the vessel-men are getting
ready for trade. The roads have been so oao
all winter that not much grain has come 1o1-
ward, but they will soon be settled and tho
farmers will be alive with business again
In every direction there are signs OF FORTH
coming activity and every indication that the
season will be en unusually busy one. The
columns of TIE TRIBUNE this morning, which
are always unerring indications, show that
people have ceased to hibernate, and arc now
bending down to the work Of the year in q
manner that shows Chicago will soon be alive
and stirring all through her vast hive.
Year: 1876

The taxpayers justly insist that every ex-
penditure of money for municipal purposes
shall be cut down to the lowest possible
notch. It does not follow, however, that the
schools should be closed, the fremen dis
charged, the Water-Works stopped, the police
force disbandcd, the street-lamps e1tln-
euished, or the Public Library shut up.
There is, we regret to say, an ignorant faction
in tho Common Council inimical to the
Library from every point of view. The
Library affords no pickings for anybody, and
it does disseminate useful knowledge
very potent reasons in the eyes Of a certain
class for abolshing it entirely. The sums
appropriated to it heretofore have been SO
small that little progress could be made in
the way of purchasing books to add to the
munifcent English donation that game
to us after the fire. Nevertheless, it hns
| been kept open, and has been of great
public benefit Complaint has been made
of the large number of works Of fiction
kept Oh hand, and of the prefer
enoe of the majority of those frequenting
the Library for works of this kind. This is
| true not only of our Library, but Of every
other Public Library in the country, and
Of every Public Circulating Library in
ENGLAND; but it is not true that
this department is the only one eager-
ly sought after by the public. More
| than Is per cent Of oil the works Of history,
biography, and natural science in the Library
are out in the hands of readers all the time,
and there is great demand for duplicates in
these higher departments of literature. AS
to the novels and so-called trash" it should
be remembered that the persons who resort
to the Library for these works would prob
ably be spending their spare time in ways
much worse than novel-reading if they had
not Library to 60 to, and, since nothing Of
IN immoral or corrupting tendency is kept
in the Library, it is to be presumed that
those who read novels exclusively at first
will soon acquire taste for something better.


No, it will not do to close the Library fol
want of the funds to pay its current expenses,
its bills for binding, and the subscriptions for
its reading-room. We should be sorry tc
stand in the shoes of any Alderman or Other
public officer who should incur the odium OF
voting for such policy. The people who
visit the Library and who enjoy its benedceni
influence are q very large number. They viii
make it persona matter, and we shall helE
them to do SO, if the Council shall refuse the
really necessary support to the institution.
Year: 1876

r.


It is with no pleasure that We again refer
to the question Of the legality of the out
standing certificates issued by the city. Nor
do ne consider the discussion Of the subject
as necessarily fatal or injurious to the credit
Of the city. We can imagine no measure so
calculated TO destroy the credit OF the city
as the persistent issue of Illegal and unau-
thorized paper after the Illegally Of. that
paper is established and we contend that
the best way to maintain the credit OF the
city is, upon the discovery of the mistake or
blunder, TO instantly stop the repetition OF
the error, and to take up as rapidly IS posi-
BILE the unauthorized paper that has been
;ssued. We have been furnished with copy
of IN opinion by Mr.. JOHN n. BrsKIET, of the
Chicago Bar, which holds the issue of the
certificates Of loan to be legal, upon the re-
markab1e ground that the constitutional and
charter prohibitions against becoming IN
debted "in any manner and for any pur-
nose" beyond o certain amount, was
intended and, in fact, applies exclu-
siyely to bonded indebtedness! And this,
after all, is the only legal defense that can be
offered under the present charter for the
issue of these illegal certificates. All other
things pleaded in extenuation Of the issue OF
such paper are but weak subterfuges. If the
Constitution prohibited any and every form
of increased debt, then these certificates are
illegal; if the Constitution merely prohibited
debts in the form Of what is called bonds,
! then the city may become indebted to any e1-
tent to which the Legislature or Common
Council may authorize it. Under these CIR
cumstances, the act OF 1866 may be considered
in force, in defiance of the present charter
| and the plain words of the Constitution


To assume that the Constitution was in.
tended to restrain municipal corporation.
from incu1ring debts in the form OF "bonds
| onlv, and that they were to be at liberty tc
| run in debt to any extent in any other way,


is to assume that the Constitution III fac'


sanctioned and authorized the very evi
| which it intended to arrest Thus it pro


hibits the creation of any debt within the
per cent limitation, unless ta1 be LEVIED a


the same time equal to the payment OF tha


debt with the interest at maturity. Under tht


forced Interpretation placed On the Constitu


ton now tnRL tne pronloluon appAes otuJ u


bonded debts, municipal corporations may
authorize loans, and appropriate the proceed'


thereof, and levy no taxes therefor, and thu!
build up mass of Indebtedness far exceed
ing any bonded debt they could incur. /
public debt, whether in the form OF bond


or certificates of loans, or in any other form, i


legal, is equally obligatory, legally and morally
upon the community. The obligation to pa


is no stronger in the case of twenty yea
,. hond than in the si1-months certificate Of il
debtedness. It is, to our mind, impossible t
aav that either is any more "debt" tha
Year: 1876

It is understood that the COUNCIL Jutue1afy
Committee may report tomorrow evening on
tho question of calling city election for next
April. This Committee should certainly rec
ommend to the Council, in view OF the gen.
cral expression of public opinion on the sub
iect, that special election bo called Tor the
same day to fill the Office Of Mayor for the
succeeding year. Such n Recommendation
from the Committee will unquestionably be
followed by the Councils acqulescence-
There is, without doubt, majority sentiment
in favor of this course in the Council Us well
rs among the people, It is felt that there is
no Justice in permitting A1r. Co1vS to hold
the Office Of Mayor eighteen months beyond
the term for which he was originally elected
Nor can the Aldermen see why the new char-
ter should be so construed as to enable Alr.
Co1y1s to hold his Office one full year beyond
tho extension of their terms, when the char
ter expressly provides for calling special
election in tho case of Mayor. Added to this
natural indisposition to sustain the Mayor IN
SO unfair construction of the charter, the
Aldermen know that the great mass Of their
| constituents, without reference to party, de-
mand their constitutional privilege Of electlng
their own Mayor.


| There is no doubt, then, that, if the Alder
men follow their own inclinatlons and con-
yictions of right, there will be almost unan-
iuous vote in favor Of chilling the election for
Mayor on the same day that the people vote
| for the other city officers. Some of the weak
Enced msy feel restrained by IN opinion
given by Judge D1cKEY when lie was corpo-
ration Counsel, and by the refusal of the
Supreme Court to command the Council to do
its'dutv, which refusal was owing to Judge
D1cEEYs subsequent election to position on
the Supreme Bench. But it must be zemem'
bered that heCouncl still retains full power
to call this election, and that it IS duty tc
the people all the same that such election oe
called. It will give the voters of Chicago the
opportunity of choosing Mayor for them


selves. If they want Mr. CoLyE', they vii
re-elect him; if they do not, they
will elect somebody they do want


The Council may rest assured that whoeve,


shall receive majority of the votes will have


the Office, for the Courts have never yet ven


tured to set aside the verdict of popular suf


frape when rendered in lawful way. L


Acting Mayor Co1yN thinks he IS entitled tt


the office in spite of an election, he canno


reasonably urge any objection to having al


election called and Mayor voted for. Thi
is the only fair way in which his claim can b


properly contested. It cannot be dednitel.


and finally determined whether Mr. CoIvE


bas a r;rht to the place until it shall be con
, tested by some one elected by the people. !
, he holds it without any such test, he is sim
, ply usurper, and the Aldermen who enabl
= him to hold it in this way are merely coward
, " adhefents of usurper. If they fonoN
: their OWL independent notions of right an
fair-play they will not hesitate to furnish
I opportunity to test the case.
Year: 1876

It has been very generally noticed that
Judge POTTER, in his speech to the jury III
the BADcocK case, forced home to them the
conviction that it was not BADcocK alone,
but the President of the United States, who
was on trial The following is one of
many sentences in lis speech that urged such
m impression:


Though thev do not venture to asseEt, they do not
hesitate to iusnuate by innueuuo that the President
himself was privy to the conspiracy. These covert
tnsinuations should be brought from their hiding
places. Let us meet them face to face President
GRANT either was was not prisy to the St. Louis
conspiracy. If he was, it should be proved


Though the District Attorney endeavored
to counteract the effect of this course of az
gumcnt to some extent by telling jury that
the defendant should not be permitted to
screen himself behind the President, he
failed to characterize this line Of defense in
proper terms. It was an outrageous piece OF
business. BABcocK's counsel had no right to
drag the Presidents name into the trial. The
statement in effect that the President was
guilty if BABcocK was guilty was not war
rnnted by any Of the evidence introduced,
md the Judge should have rebuked Judge
PoErEn when he made it, and should have
compelled him to desist from that line Of ar
gument- There is little question but the ef-
feet of this sort OF; talk was favorable to
BAscocK. If persuaded that BABcocK's con-
viction would bo 9 stain upon the highest
official position in the Government, jury OF
American citizens would be naturally averse
to giving verdict Of guilty if it could be
reasonably avoided But no such inference
was warranted by any evidence that has even
been produced but, on the contrary, all The
evidence tends to show that, whether BAp
cocR was knowingly enlisted in behalf Of ths
| whisky thieves or not, the President neve1
had the slightest cause to suspect it, and the
argument Of Judge PORTER in this respect
was at once an injustice to the President ant
deception.
Year: 1876

The New York Herald says that the
Northern Republican leaders are badly
frightened. 1t draws this inference from
their total abandonment ofthe legitimate
Issues of the war and their general de-
termination 1--WE quote from the Herald)
to carry the campaign on the Southern
issue shows = desp and uncomfortable
alarm among the Republican leaders.
They are evidently panic stricken. They
have by this time compared notes, and
their conclusion appears to be that on q
fair and honest canvass, on the real is-
sues of the year, they will lose the cnun-
try, and in desperation the word hai
gone out to fling the "bloody shirt to th'


breeze and make the appeal. not to th'


reason, the honesty and patriotism o.


the country, but to prejudice, hatred


fear and ignorance. That is the way


looks to cool observers; and even if thi


were not the correct theory of their po
: icy it IL still true that such is the in
7 preston it makes. Shrewd political ca
r culators say, if the Republican msn'
y gers were not badly frightened the
0 would not force an obsolete and, to
' large part of their party, hateful issl
d upon the country"
Year: 1876

The Times repeats statement of the
National Republican whose authority it
admits is not of the most reliable, that
"Col. Hooker and other Congressman
fIom Mississippi, who were elected in
November last, went to Washington in
December and Immediately drew pay
from the fourth of March proceeding,
just eight months before they cere elected,
and that the amount thus drawn by each
of these gentlemen was the comfortable
sum of 90, ,3SS.n -


We are perfectly willing to place
against this unsupported averment of the
National Republican with the Times
quasi endorsement, the following broad
and emphatic declaration of Col. Hooker
himself:


Handsboro Democrat.


As to the third charge, that he, (Col.
Hooker } had taken pay 10 which be was
not entitled the orator recited that under
the Constitution and laws no man could
draw pay as Congressman until his
credentials had been presented, himself
sworn in, and his name enrolled as 8
member Of the body to which he was
elected, and asserted that the charge had
its origination either through malice or
ignorance Of the miserable creature"
who had originated the report, and of
khosa sflil mora uniuarahla craafuraa v-ho
had repeated it.
Year: 1876

have been the curse and the ruin of the
Republican party in Mississippi. Most
of them went there without character,
honor or reputation, and have only sought
to get in position and then rob the peo-
pie. He thinks the State will soon get
nd of this scum of creation, and the Re-
publican party, as well as the whole State,
will be thereby benefited.


We know of no man who has had as
good an opportunity of learning the
"ways that are dark" of the class he re-
fers to, than Ex-Gov. Alcorn.
Year: 1876

Brookhaven Ledger.l


Lincoln is one Of the best organized
counties in the State, and will give
large majority for the honest ticket.
Clubs have been formed in every beat
and the enthusiasm of the people is great.
Keep the good work up till the 9Th of
November.
Year: 1876

Many years ago, when in India. l had
hound OF kind Of cross-breed, which
in India is known as the Polygad. These
dogs are unsuited for coursing, but make
splendid companions for long and rapid
journeys on horseback, being able to 20
great distances without fatigue, and caring
little for heat Phakree beautifully. for
such was her name, had been my compan.
ion for years. and during the time was
seldom out Of my sight. When she had
become old and unable to keep pace with
me in my gallops, I parted with her to a
friend whom che seemed to take o great
fancy to, and who then resided on the
Mahableshwur Hills. My own station,
Poonsh, lay about eighty miles east Of
Mahableshwur and is separated from the
hills by three ranges Of lofty mountains,
which in those days were covered with
dense jungle, On the day of my depart.
ure | cautioned my friend to keep Phak.
rec securely chained for some days, 80
that she might not follow me. On this
occAsion-for had been the journey once
or twice before--I left the main road and
selected On unfrequented bridle.path for
my route, in order that might enjoy the
beautiful mountain scenery through which
it led. l had reached Poonah, and had
been thero for several days. living in my
tent. when one night was reused by the
bowling of dog under my bedstead.
struck light, when, to my astonishment,
there was poor Phakree, with COLLAR
around Ler neck, and few links Of chain
hanging to ii. A letter received next
morning from my friend gave me to know
that she had broken loose and ran away


and that, although he had made every
search for her. sho was nowhere to be
found. He regretted that we should
never see her again. She had bosn four
days on her journey; and her famished
condition, and the numerous wounds she
had on her, showed the privation she had
undergone and the treatment she had
received from the dogs of the different
Villages through which she had passed.
The poor creature had no doubt scented
me the whole way. for had she followed
or accompanied any one, she would have
been cared for aud protected. We nevel
parted agaiD.-Chaniber's Journal.
Year: 1876

We loarn that for some time past The
channel between the jetties at the mouth
Of the South pass has been everywhere
more than 200 feet wide for depth oil
20 feet at an average food tide. aud that
in the middle OF this wide channel the
depth is equal to from 22i to 23 feet at
the highest tide OF the South pass, when
range of 8 feet tide, with channel
depth Of l01 feet, for from 80 to 100
feet in width, is usually reported at
Southwest pass. Therefore Il is seen
that the jetties have given. although in
an incomplete state, a magnificent chan.
mel across the South pass bar to the sea,
twice as wide and several feet deeper
than has ever been obtained across the
Southwest pass bar.


We are informed that the works re-.
quired to con6ne the flow of water from
the main river, above the common head
Of the passes, into South pass, so as to
secure like deep channel entrance to
South pass over the river middle ground
shoal above its head, are being energet.
ically prosecuted, with every prospect Of
early success. Already, Notwithstanding
the low stage of the river, the one-dipper
dredge.boat at work there To expedite
the cutting out Of a deep channel entrance
has succeeded, as we are assured, in
obtaining depth Of inlet Of from 20 to
% feet across this shoal, which the tidal
current suffices to maintain and widen.
Soon, we are told, two more powerful
dredges will be put to work there, and,
with three boats working together. an
entrance channel across this hard sand
middle.ground shoal of sufficient width
and depth for the largest class of ocean
steamers, even at the present low river
stage, may be expected at an early date.
With the river at the height it was three
months ago we would have even now a
clear and unobstraoted channel of more
than % feet in depth, from Now Orleans
to the sea. through South pass.


This long looked and hoped for desid.
era!um, ian open river mouth" seems at
last to be near Of accomplishment, and
we take pleasure in congratulating the
merchants of our city on tho prospect Of
the revival Of their business interests
which must result therefrom.- -New Or
leans Picayune.