smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1872

Mr.. Sumner has introduced proposed
amendment to the Constitution of the United
States, providing for an election of the
President by direct vote of the people. No
change l. contemplated in the existing tenure
of the Presidential office, but the amendment
renders an incumbent of that Office for ever
after ineligible for reelection. 1t is provided
that the qualified voters shall assemble at
their usual places of election on the first Mon
day in April, 1876, and choose by ballot the
President whose term begins March 4, 1877; and
that Congress shall prescribe the necessary
rules and regulations governing the
election. Such an election shall be
held each fourth succeeding year. Congress,
at session beginning with the third Monday
in the May following each such election, shall
examine the returns of election, which are to
be duly certified to that body, and shall de-
clare the result. The person having ma
iority of the votes cast is to be declared
President. If there is no choice, new
election shall be held on the second Tuesday
of the following October, at which election
votes shall be cast for one of the three
persons having the highest number of votes
at the preceding election. The Office of Vice
President is abolished, and the Senate Is to
choose their own presiding officer. In case OF
the DEATH removal OF disability of the President,
tho Office shall devOlve on the eldest Head of
an Executive Department; and if there be
no Head of Department, then the eldest
Senator shall act as President. But if Con-
gress be in session at the time vacancy shall
occur in the Presidential Office, it shall meet
in joint convention and elect a President, who
shall serve out the remainder of the unexpired
term. If it is not in session at that time, it
shall be convened Immediately for that pur-
pose by the acting President.


Such, briefly, is the proposition which, with
some notifications, has frequently been dis
cussed in and out of Congress. Whether it
will meet with general approval remains to be
seen. Its distinguished author has followed
his usual custom of opening a subject and
leaving it to germinate, expand, and root it.
self in the popular mind, or to be passed over
and left out of sight if the people so decide
Everybody will acknowledge that there is
little expression of popular will in the
result of party conventions as now managed.
There will be less and less if the One Term
Principle is not adopted. Abuses which have
grown up with the lapse of years have so far
defeated the original intention of the trainers
of the Constitution that Presidential cleo
tiOn unless preceded by some great popular
uprising amounting to a revolution, is but
the mere recorder of party caucus, having
its springs low down in the management of
few politicians, or in the machinery of body
of office-hoders. 1t is possible that some of
these perversions of the will of the people
could be accomplished under the system pro-
posed by Mr.. Sumner; but this is worth care
full examination, discussion, and earnest
thought
Year: 1872

One Of the strongest influences which con-
tributed to the nomination of Gen. Grant was
his acceptability to the soldiers, and one of
the most effective elements of the work of his
election was the vote of his old comrades and
subOrdinates. Many partisans of the renomi-
nation insist that the same reasons now exist
in favor of his second candidacy. But they
are greatly mistaken. The American soldier
is not mere machine-not creature of dis
cipline and pipe-clay. Our army was COM
posed of the best blood and best brain of the
land. They fought for their country and not
for their general. At the first election after
the war it was natural that they should vote
for Gen. Grant, who was the candidate of the
undivided Union party. That was the only
means then open, as 1t seemed, to garner the
fruits of the war. But the soldiers have not
been blind and deaf ever since. They have
seen, in common with oil other citizens.
the evils of the mess-room government which
the present Administration has given us.
They have seen how discreditable throng of
flatterers have gained the favor and conf
dence Of the President They have seen the
Year: 1872

Whoever wants to see the disinterested ma
ture of the support given to Gen. Grant by a
considerable portion of the New York State
press, wherefrOm malcOntents have lately been
taking some comfort, may find it in the list
of editorial ofice-holders elsewhere published
1t would be a marvellous thing, as editorial
office-hoIders go, if these people did not sup
port their master.
Year: 1872

Read the exhibit by The New Yorker Journal
of the attitude of the German press of the
country, elsewhere reproduced this morning,
and see how false and misleading is the clamOr
about the general refusal of the Germans TO
support the Cincinnati ticket.
Year: 1872

When last the friends of Reunion and Re-
form were about to meet at Cooper Institute,
after slight preparation and no use Of the or
binary appliances for an imposing political
demonstration, we ventured to remark that
the politicians who had been declaring that
nobody in New-York sympathized with the call
to Cincinnati, would have an opportunity to
see together few of the sympathizers. So,
now, those who have been affecting to doubt
the overwhelming ratification of the Cincin-
natl ticket by New-York may have an
opportunity to see together few of the
voters who will next Fall give Greeley and
Brown the greatest majority the Empire State
has, since the beginning of the war, given any
candidates. We exhort all who hope to hear
the speeches inside the hall to go early.
Year: 1872

After all the debate and party fnesse on the
subject of the adjournment, a compromise has
been effected, and Congress has agreed to ad-
iourn on the 10th of June. President Grants
Convention will be out of the way by that
time. and if his friends can fOregO their
attempts to get the Force bill through Con-
gress, there is no reason why that body should
not then be permitted to 60.
Year: 1872

Our dispatches from Washington indicate
that breezy state of Indifference exists as to
the fate of the Alabama Treaty. All seem to
agree that it is lost; that SO much time has
been wasted in the abortive patchwork that 1t
is now too late to take any definite measures
before the 18th of June, when the Board is to
meet again at Geneva. Some of the Senators
are amusing themselves with calculating
whether any Of the sections can be saved IN
tact. But most of them care as little about 1t
as they know. Mr.. Fish and Mr.. Grant appear as
happy at shifting the burden of responsibility
upon the Senate as the traditional Magdalene
who leaves her bundle on the doorstep, rings
the bell, and runs away. The President seems
to have informed Gen. Schenck that from the
moment he sent Lord Granville's protocol TO
the Senate he washed his hands of the whole
affair. When the Treaty is now mentioned, he
sighs, and says, in tone of angelic calm, in
the words of that excellent man the Emperor
Napoleon, after Sedan, "ThOugh my heart is
"broken my conscience is tranquil"
Year: 1872

An impression prevails that the order OF tho
Police Board against the Lottery dealers Is as
gross an imposition as the business ITSELF ana
that no genuine purpose exists to break up
system of gambling which defrauds the poor
of millions every year. We shall watch this
action of the Police Board with more than
usual interest and closer scrutiny than we have
generally given its acts. We hope to learn
that the business in all its branches is to be
broken up here as it has been in other cltles'
and, if necessary, the dealers expelled. There
is no reason why it may not be, and every
good reason why it should be done.
Year: 1872

There is a conspiracy at Washington, it is
clamOrously asserted, to force an extra ses-
sion. Who are these bad cOnspiratOrs7
Whom, to be sure, but the enemies of the
Force biIls2 The friends of the President de-
clare that unless these are passed there must
he an extra session; therefore the men who
honestly oppose this unwarranted stretch of
military power in time Of profound peace at
the South are conspirators, compelling q
wasteful extra session. Says the highwayman:
Give up your purse, or / shall have to kin
"you, and then you will be guilty of murder"


The Fifty have discovered another 100000
fraud in the Brooklyn contracts with the
superintendent of the East River Bridge.
This time, however, it is neither bridge, reser-
voir, nor patent pavement, in all Of which
the Committees reports accuse Mr.. Kingsley
of large indulgence, but sewer. The man
ner of this particular swindle appears to have
been the old and too familiar one of giving
the contract To the lowest bidder, quarrel


ing with him on absurd pretexts, and again
letting the work, without advertisement, to
tho regular Ring contractor at double the
Year: 1872

Last month the taxpayers diminished the
debt of the United States by 100000, and
the force of circumstances added in the same
time about an equal amount to the debt of the
City of New-York. The debt of the city, al
ready round S1OOOOO,OO0 is likely to increase
steadily until the taxes begin to be paid in
September; while the debt of the nation will
not be diminished so rapidly as during March
and April, on account of the removal of taxes
and duties and the duller markets for foreign
goods during the Summer months
Year: 1872

They order these little matters of trying and
convicting delinquent public officers better in
jersey City than with US; and we know OF no
part of the municipal administration OF our
suburban neighbor more worthy of metropolitan
imitation than that recorded this morning.
Commissioner Of Public Works (signifcant
title y has been convicted of buying property
by private arrangement at low rates, and trans
ferring 1t to the city at very high prices. H.
now, all the Commissioners of various sorts IN
this city, who have conspired il the same way
to defraud this Corporation, could be similarly
tried and convicted of their notorious offenses,
what a happy accession to States Prison there
would be. But there appears no fair prospect
of any such result even with the half dozen or
so who have been indicted.
Year: 1872

If it were optional with all women to
be intelligent or beautiful, but forbidden
them to be both, which of the two gifts,
Beauty or Brains, would the majority of
the sex prefer? This is delicate ques-
ton, but if put to the vote we are in
cliped to think that Beauty would carry
the day Men bow down to feminine
loveliness, but as a rule they are apt to
fight shy of feminine wisdom. Some of
them even seem to regard it with jeal-
ousy, as an, infringement on their pre-
rogative. Ills true that several tough
old philosophers have inveighed against
the influence of Beauty, stigmatizing it
as "short,lived tyranny" mere ac-
cldent of nature" and the like; but the
probability is, that these caustic fellows
had made bids for it in vain, and that
the acidity Of temper they displayed was
ascribed to sour grapes"
Year: 1872

From official accounts we learn that
three million letters went to the dead
letter Office last year, and that they con.
tanned a sum equal to three millions oil
dollars in drafts, money and checks.
OF this ninety two thousand dollars were
in cash. Fifty-eight thousand letters
had no county or State direction; four
hundred thousand lacked stamps, and
three thousand were posted without any
direction address at all II is estimated
says the Boston Globe, that on an aver
age every letter that goes into the dead
letter Office loses adollar to some one.
Many of these mistakes doubtless arise
from ignorance, but many more must be
accredited to observation-disclosures and the
restless activity Characteristic of our
people. Of.the four hundred thousand
letters going to the dead letter office for
want OF stamps, many were doubtless
stamped, but the gum did not adhere, a
fault far from uncommon in many Of
the stamps issued by the postoffice au-
thorities. The official report fromowhich
these facts are CLEANED should have the
effect of making people more careful
in stamping, addressing and mail
ing their letters We can under
stand how man should forget
to stamp a letter in the hurry of
business, but how be could possibly man
age to place it in an envelope and stamp
it without putting an address upon it,
we must confess puzzles us, especially
when there is money inside. Sometimes
the name is put on without either city,
town or State. Many of these dead
letters are returned to their senders, and
many more have no intelligence within
which can give the clerks clew as to
where they have come from Some are
forwarded to their proper address from
information cleaned from their contents,
but by far the majority are lost to their
senders forever. Such a direction as
Mr.. Smith, Massachusetts, is by no
means as definite as it should be to in
sure accuracy in the delivery, and yet
such directions are anything but uncom-
mon. A very curious and interesting
article might be written upon the ro-
nance of the dead.letter office.
Year: 1872

Reflect that sound mind and body arc the
most necessary requisites to promote connubial
happiness. Indeed, without these the journey
through life becomes y weary pilgrimage, the
prospect hourly darkens to the view, the mind
becomes shadowcd with despair, and filled with
the melancholy reelection that tue happiness OF
another is blighted with our own.
Year: 1872

Below is the account of the final passage
of the lease resolution in the House as de-
tailed by an Intelligent correspondent ofthe
Augusta ConStitutiOndlist:


ATLANTA, Aug. IA, 1S72.-Editors Con-
StitutionaLiSt: At last the sWeltering agony
is over and


- THE STATE ROAD LEASE,


which has cost the State many thousands
of dollars for investigating; which has Great
ed vast amount Of i'll feeling, elimination
and recriminatiOn, is settled finally and for
ever. The lease remains precisely as it
stood before, which is precisely where the
people want it, and where their interest de-
mands that it should remain.


The war upon the lease has been vigor-
GUS and unc0mpromising war, bat it was
the suggestion of hot blood rather than of
sober Judgment. 1t was commenced for
the purpose of breaking tbs lease. The
investigation was ordered for the purpose
of breaking the lease. The whole thing,
upon its final defeat in the House, has
been urged for the purpose of breaking the
lease. There was no spirit of compromise
manifested by the antagonists of the lease.
n thing would have satisfied them but the
taking of the road out of the hands of tie
present lesses, and with this end In view
the fight has been made.


suspect that opposition to some of the
Iessees had a great deal to do with stimula-
ting the opposition to the lease. may be
wrong in this, but it is known that Cover
nor Brown is not favorite with some of
the gentlemen who presented the most Wig
orous opposition to the lease. Neither is
Mr.. Hill. And, upon the hypothesis that
no good thing can come out of Israel,
they may have suspected that there was
fraud in the transaction, simply because
Bullock conducted the transaction on one
side.


But the matter has had full, free and,
as far as appears, an impartial investigation.
1t has had full, free and exhaustive dis
cussion in the Assembly. It has had a
most liberal and able debate through the
papers. Afler all this the verdict of the
representatives of the people is-let the
lease alone. Stop the discussion. Let the
State receive her monthly rental, anL let
she people be glad that it is no less.
Year: 1872

A correspondent of Land and Water, re-
ferriDg to an account of the Goldfish at Port
Logan, remarks that when be visited the
pond, fifty years ago, there was blind cod
fish in the pool, which the woman who had
the pond in charge used to feed with lin
pets taken from the rock. When this fish
came to the surface with the others, she
caught it in her fingers, sat down upon d
stool, having pail of the limpets shelled,
In her lap, with which she fed it out of an
iron spoon, the fish seeming to enjoy it
very much. After feeding she returned it
to the pond. The writer AYERS this to be a
fact, although he evidently scarcely expects
It to be believed,
Year: 1872




MEMPHIS, Aug. 26.-A letter from a
prominent cotton factor of this city written
from Indian Bay, Ark, says that owing to
the drought, no rain having fallen in that
section for seven weeks, the cotton will not
yield more than q third of the usual aver
age, while his information from other por-
tions of the State confirm previous reports
that only half crop will be made.


Planters from West Tennessee and North
Mississippi state that the drought is caus-
ing the cotton to rust and shed, and unless
they have rain very soon the late cotton
will be an entire failure, and the early
planting will suffer severely.


LITTLE Rock, Aug. 2S.-Reports from
all sections of the state say the present
drought has injured the cotton crop at least
one third. The heated term still contin-
ues; Thermometer 90.
Year: 1872

The idea Of sending the New York morn
ing papers to Chicago by pneumatic tube
in time to read at the breakfast table, does
not seem so feasible when we know that
the law governing pneumatic power is said
to be: "The mean speed of transmission
varies inversely with the length and in
versely also with the square root
of the diameter of the tube" II this be
true, body which flashed through tube
mile long in one minute, would take six
teen minutes to 60 through four miles OF
tubing, aud would crawl through the
thousand miles between New York and
Chicago in one year, 229 days, 10 hours
and minutes.
Year: 1872

Hitherto the husk of rice, known as rice
chat, has been considered refuse in the
South. 1t has lately, however, been dis
covered to be quite valuable in protecting
glassware and otter delicate articles when
packed for shipment, and large demand
has sprung up for it, g
Year: 1872

A wag remarks tnas one reason why
street cleaning has usually been neglected
is, that when The dirt is in the form Of mud
people hesitate 70 take any steps In the m +
ter, and when 1t is In the condition Of dust
they're forced to shut their eyes TO It.
Year: 1872

The great doctrine TO teach achlId is, tha
he must labor for what he wants. Is i
riches? Let him stop envying those VIII,
make money, and go to work and make II
himself. Is it the position which character
givesl Let him build up good reputation
for himself. Is It talent? Let him study t.
improve hls mind. He may come honestly
by somebody else's money, without work
ingfor it; but he cannot inherit an eduea-
ton.
Year: 1872

Following close upon the heels of this,
comes Gen. Grant in letter dated Febru-
ary 8. 1t will be observed that he is Care
full not TO deny Mr.. Bowen's statement as
to the cause be had assigned for wishing to
be relieved from the contrat. And again
we are called upon to emphasize in italics
a statement that is fatty contradicted by
the President himself In a letter not yet
pub ished, but in existence, and addressed
about the same time TO the gentlemen in
New York who had go generously present
ed him this very property. BY that letter
it will be seen that the President eject him


self 6rst made the suggestion Of making q
gift of this house to his successor, Gen


Sherman: and after he had sold it to one
party for 10000 he conceived the extrsor.
Year: 1872

HAcKMEN AND THEIR PRIVILEGES.
Board of Aldermen has under consideration
an amendment to the city ordinances by which
hackmen are to be allowed to leave their
vehicles to solicit patronage in the streets and
at the ferry and steamboat landings. With
restraining ordinance this practice is carried
to an extent that is often an annoyance to
passengers. If it is to become legalized
pursuit the solicitations Of hackmen will soon
become positive nuisance. The Board Of
Aldermen will do well to allow the ordinance
to stand without change.
Year: 1872

The CURANs let no opportunity pass with


out showing by word or deed their bitter de-


testation of Spanish rule in the Ever Faithful
Isle" new plot, having for its object the
overthrow of the hated Peninsulars, has
been discovered Eight Of the conspirators
have been executed, others sentenced to i'm
prisonment for life, while many more are yet
awaiting trial and will probably meet with q
similar doom. There appears to be no limit
to Spanish cruelty; it fairly revels in the
blood Of its victims
Year: 1872

ANOTHER ToUR AROUND THE WORLD. Prince
Hassan, son of the Khedive Of Egypt, is about
to start on tour around the world, and it rs
expected that he will be absent for three years.
The Khedive is doing well. The Sultan is not
his equal in ambition and daring. The Gar
Soes not surpass him. If the viceroy of
Egypt goes on a. he is doing it will not much
longer be possible to refuse him the rank Of
sn independent prince
Year: 1872




The criminal calendar has been unusually full
for the past week or two, especially in regard
to burglaries, some of which have been con-
Quoted on a grand scale. The late Baltimore
transaction, in connection with those at Pater-
son and Jersey City, eliminated in the grand
bank vault was relieved Of about half o mil
lion in cash and bonds. It appears that the
latter coup argent was accompanied by some
episodes Of character that might have distin-
guished o similar adventure conducted by such
renowned chevaliers as the notorious Claude
Duval and other heroes Of the highway and
the jimmy. According to the report, the
ladies Of the family Of the unfortunate cashier,
although bound and gagged, were treated with
the ''utmost courtesy and consideration by
the bold cracksmen. 1t seems to us that,
under the circumstances, the courtesy extended
was hardly quid pro quo for the annoy
ance occasioned by the untimely and un-
welcome visitation. Seriously it appears that
the burglar spirit is abroad, and that some
first class professional artists in the line
have honored us recently by visit
from England and other foreign countries.
It behooves our criminal authorities to keep q
watchful eye upon the movements Of these
malefactors, and that those who have the
guardianship Of treasure deposited in banks
in obscure villages without policeman or
watchman Of any kind-as was the case in
Waterford-should see to it that proper
vigilance be exercised for the protection Of
the property placed under their charge. But
everywhere our citizens should be on their
guard against these public maurauders and
assist the authorities in bringing the rascals
to Justice.
Year: 1872

The NORTHERN LIGHTS, whatever may be
said as to the causes of the beautiful meteoro-
logical phenomenon in these latitudes, are
generally followed within day or two by q
heavy storm. We think, therefore, that our
Signal Service Bureau, in devoting some
special attention to this subject, will almost
certainly reach some very interesting and inn
portant demonstrations touching the rise.
development and movement of our great
stOrms