smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1876

one appears unusually good natured
and cheerful. Lastly large majority
of our people incline to the belief that
there is no special significance to be
attached to the coming of the troops /;
that it is merely precautionary, and
cite the intlammatory utterances of
Democrats high in the councils of the
party and of influential papers, insin-
Mating that the people (Democrats)
would not submit to declaration by
the legal officials of Hayes election and
Inauguration, as justifying the move.
But after all, the best Informed seem
to think that the matter needs neither
apology nor extenuation; that the
reticence observed was amply justi-
fed by evidence that in due time will
be made known; and that under or
dinary circumstances the movement
of troops would not have excited the
slightest comment outside military
circles.


The President is busy preparing his
last annual message to Congress, and
the heads of Departments and Bureaus
are all employed on their reports.


The long northeast rain storm which
SO unpleasantlS terminated our Indian
Summer, and which has depressed us
like the effects of a night-mare, has
ut last given way before the profanity
and urgent protests against its con-
tinuance and this morning the blessed
rays of the sun broke over our city
dispelling like mist, the gloom and
despondency that have hung over US
for week.


1t appears to be now pretty gener
ally admitted, even among some DEM
ocrats, that tue vote is likely to stand
I84 to 1856, and consequently elect
Hayes. OF course, it is claimed that
the vote of any one of the three dis
puted States cast for Hayes, will be
fraudulent, therefore null and void,
and so declared by the House.


Members of Congress are daily ap-
pearing, getting themselves settled
for the work of the winter; and the
places occupied by the Centennial
tourists SD short time since are fast
being filled by those people of leisure
who mike Washington their winter
headquarters. SENTINEL.
Year: 1876

The attitude of Governor Hayes,
from the day of his nomination, has
commended him most warmly to the
respect and confidence of the whole
country. There has been manly
simplicity in his bearing, aud i'll the
words spoken by him when he was
apparently defeated such manly good
sense, that should it happily prove
that he is elected, his total freedom.
from the arts and uncommon anxiety
of All old party politician will be re-
freshing and encouraging to his fell
low-citizens. On the other hand
should the gentleman who has man
aged his own canvass prove to have
managed it successfully, Governor
Hayes will pass from the peculiar prom
inence which he has held since his
nomination with the sincere and
grateful regard of the great party
and of the host of representative
Americans who have so earnestly
supported him. He has been true
representative of the good old cause !;
pure, honorable, sagacious, self res
pecting and self-restrained true
type of the best American citizen
an American gentleman without fear
and without reproach.
Year: 1876

From Houston we learn that the
railroad from that city To the Sabine,
whose steady progress we have been
recording from time to time, is at
length completed aud in running or
der The distance hetween Houston
and Orange is l05 miles. The trains
will run three times week. Doubt
less the company will speedily estab-
lish steam communication between
the Sabine river and New Orleans,
either direct by the Mississippi, or by
way of Brashear, pending the promised
and early construction of the road,
in this State, from the Sabine to the
D0nuldsonville road.


The Times intimated a few days
ago, that it is likely there will be u
combination between the New Or
leans, Alexandria and Shreveport
company and the New York company
who control the road from Houston
to New Orleans, so rs to have the two
roads meet at Vermilionyille. This
would be an excellent plan, as it
would form a railroad system for the
State; and from the offers made here
three years ago, by the rich New York
company, they would doubtless be
glad to join in building the road to
Shreveport. There would then be
no rivalry between the two enter
prises, and both would be strength
ened.


We are opposed, on constitutional
grounds, to any shape or form of tax
alton except for its Legitimate purposes
of carrying on. government. But no
sensible man can sensibly oppose the
opening up through individual or cor
porate enterprise, by means of canals,
rivers, railroads and steamships, of
new fields for our commerce.-Or-
ledRiaH.
Year: 1876

There is nobody in the household
who has so many chances to make the
rest happy as the big brother. He is
the pride and delight of his father and
mother, and the Youngest children
fairly Worship him. His sisters are
ready To do whatever he wishes, and
unless he il very unkind and tfisoblig-
ing, they are quite right in this dis
position for the big brother isalways
supposed to be q manly, generous fell
low, willing to help weaker people,
and ready to lend q hand to those
who need it.


| remember one big brother whom
greatly admired. He was about eigh-
teen years old, tall and broad shoHl-
dered, with faint shadow OF NOUS
tache on the upper lip. He was
studying hard for his profession, but
there WAS not 4 moment when he
would not lay his books aside to solve
difficulty for Lulu or Jennie. whose
parslng troubled them, and he never
said AN ungentle word to the little
brother ten years his junior who came
to him with his kites and skate straps
and broken toys to be mended. Tho
manly big brother lost nothing by
his kindness and sauvity, and now,
that he is physician, little bald
and with boys of his own to bring
up, the same gentleness of demeanor
recommends him to patients and
friends. Exchange.
Year: 1876

THE Senate yesterday determined that 1t
could take jurisdiction in the Belknap case.
This seems to US an unfortunate decision.
If correct, it was in the power of the Re
publicans during Mr.. Lincoln's administra-
ton, with a two-third majority in both
Houses, to have impeached all the members
of the Buchanan administration. 1t tplaces
it within the power of any party which has
the requisite majority to disgrace and dis
qualify for the holding of Office all political
opponents who may have held Office before
them. 1t is a dangerous and most tempting
weapon to put in the hands of any party.
The Constitution designed the impeaching
power as q means to remove bad men from
Office and to disqualify them beyond all
possibility of ever again entering. But as
it also provides that no person shall be
twice placed in jeopardy for the
same ofense, and also that the
impeachment shall not prevent indictment
and trial by the courts for the infiiction of
further pains and penalties, 1t Is reasonable
to suppose, indeed it is clear to nany
minds, that the primary and paramount
design Of the trainers of the Constitution
was the removal from Office. At all events


it seems clear to US that this is the only
safe construction to place upon the whole
instrument, and we regret that the Senate
did not view 1t in the same light. One can
imagine how hard it will be to get a two
third vote for the conviction of an accused
person in body nearly one half of whom
do not believe in the power to try the case.
A trial under such circumstances can be
little more than labor in vain.
Year: 1876

THE contest between Captain A. Grant
and Judge Wylie seems to be most un-
equal one. Grants own witnesses, when
closely questioned, join in exonerating the
Judge from all appearance of unfairness in
the transactions under inquiry While
the citizens Of this District have all along
known that this must be the result, be-
cause of their lifelong familiarity with the
integrity of Judge Wylie, they are no
less gratifed to have the matter made
clear to strangers
Year: 1876

THE testimony adduced yesterday in re-
gard TO the Speaker Kerr scandal is Ger
tainlY of q most positive character. And
when taken in connection with Mr.. Kerr's
solemn denial upon oath, leaves the matter
in state Of most mysterious uncertainty.
We deprecate any injustice to the Speaker
of the House. He is just now in most
perplexing dilemma. To well man It
would be exciting and annoying, but to one
in Mr.. Kerr's delicate health it threatens
physical danger. For his sake, as well as
for the honor of the country, it is to be
hoped that he will be able to show that this
charge is untrue.
Year: 1876

Now that the poisoned chalice is COM
mended to Democratic lips it does not
taste so sweet as when it was Republicans
who were being bounded down. We are
glad that the bearing of our friends toward
the accused Speakers that of q just sympa-
thy rather than that of retaliation.
Year: 1876

ALL good Christians will rejoice that the
breach between the Northern and South
ern General Assemblies of the Presbyterian
Church, which grew out of the slavery
question many years ago, has at last been
healed, and that the Church is now one and
iudivisihle
Year: 1876

MISS RANSOM has now the pleasure of
knowing that the accuracy of her outlines
of the battle. field of Chickamauga is in
dorsed by Colonel Cav, who was chief en-
gineer upon the staff of General Thomas
at the time, and the most competent au-
thority, who, as will be seen by his letter,
has verified the accuracy of the painting
by comparison with his field map. We
are glad that the New York Tribune has
accorded tardy justice to Miss Ransom by
the publica ton of Colonel Gaw's letter.
Year: 1876

A Boston editor bushes for the ignorance
Of three young girls Of that city who tried
to get their horses head down 80 that il
could drink, by unbuckling the crupper--
Probably they are the same girls who nm
buckled the breeching strap going dowD hill,
because it pulled against the poor horse 80.
Year: 1876

1t is said they live longest who have
moderate ambitions. The man who quits
work and commences to whittle in front of
a grocery store at the age of thirty is likely
to white and be blessing to his family
for fifty years.
Year: 1876

Ou = '--.o% 80, 1915, a remarkable


enon occurred. The preceding "


been Intensely cold. and the ice ior,..


Lake Erie was unusually thick In


warm days of early spring this mass Of ioe
was looscncd around the shores of the lake
and detached from them. During the fore
noon Of tho day named, stiff easterly wind
moved it up the lake. a little before sun
set, the wind chopped suddenly round and
blew gale from the west This brought
the vast field Of ice back acrin with such
tremendous force that it filled in the neck
Of the lake and its outlet, so as to form
very effective dam, that caused remarka-
dminutiou in the outflow Of the water
OF course, it needed but little time for tho
falls to drain off the water below this dam
The consequence was that on the morning
Of the following day the river was nearly
half gone. The American channel had
dwindled to a deep aud narrow creek The
British channel seemed to have been smit-
ten with quick consumption and to be fast
passing away. Far up from the head of
Goat Island out beyond the old Tower to
the deep channel Of the Horseshoe fall, the
water was gone. The rocks were bare,
black and forbddine. The roar Of Niaea-
ra had subsided to moan. This extraor-
dinary syncope Of the waters lasted all the
day, and night closed over the strange
scene. Bat during the night the dam gave
way, and the next morning the deep river
was restored in all its strength, beauty and
majesty .Scribner's Mon'hty.
Year: 1876

Reynolds was the son of wealthy aud
aristocratio family 10 Tennessee, but was
educated in she North, and when the war
broke out he found himself in a painful
dilemma. He had imbibed enough Of
Northern IDEAS to make him strongly hos
tile to the secession movement, while !
Year: 1876




Whatever else NAV have resulted from the
Landing of the Pilgrim Fathers, nobody can
deDy that it has been fruitful of much paint
ing, poetry, and oratory. The descendants OF
these noble pioneers properly keep up the
memory of the bad dinners OF plymouth ny
eating exceedingly good ones In New iorh'
If the Puritan sermons were long ana duii'
which we fear cannot be denied, albeit the
pious listeners found them neither, the FORE
fathers Day speeches are usually short ana
sprightly. There is rather sameness about
the manner and matter of these post-prandlal
OratlOns, but then it must be c0nsidered tlae
they are post-prandial, and that at late hour
o little fun, wit, humor, badinage, goes great
way. What the stern old gentlemen OF the
Mayfower would say if resurrectionized to TINS
deipnosophlstical method of perpetuating their
memory, it is unnecessary and unimportant 10
inquire. Possibly they would say nothing, but
would fall to and swallow and sip with the
rest, especially if still az hungry as they were
during the parched-com period.


Two and half centuries do wonders IN
throwing the gilded fog of myth and tradition
about our primitive annals 1t is surprising
how Old we Americans manage to feel, es-
pecially during this centennial year. Ger
tainly century is not quite so much as
thousand years, while they are as nothing In
that Eternal sight which knows nothing Of an
tiauity. But two hundred and fifty years are
a long time, especially when it is full OF such
q history as ours. Ii is not hard to make he
roic picture of the little ship, Of the frozen
bov. of the stern coast, and of the courageous
company landing upon it. 1t is good deal
harder for us to find out our definite relation
to our own time. and to do work worthy OF
such an ancestry in our own day and genera
tion, We can talk, it is true, or our reVer-
ence for the forefathers; we admit that theirs
was a heady fight against wrong ana error;
but we do not see that for us too might DE
cross and crown. Yet after all the best VIZ
tue is unconscious, and there may be more
merit in our lives than we modestly suppose
At least, let us think so!


Celebrations like that of last night, as well
as 80 many others which have marked the
nr,,cnt wear, prove, if there was any need OF
nrovinp il. that the best in human affairs has
a touch in it of Immortality. There have
been great, heroic actions which are now los'
to us. their memory all faded out and the
names of their dOers as if they had never Deeh
borne. But how much, on the other manu. is
nreseryedl How deathless are many deeds!
How many actions still blossom and smell
sweetlyl so too, the low, the dastardly, the
cowardly, the selfish, is remembered for our IN
dipnation or hate, and with it still the
wrath which it provoked, and the valor to
death by which it was confronted. When we
are disposed to think ill of this world OF ours
we should remember how lovely Is that which
il does not willingly let die.
Year: 1876

fever, and even by smallpox. The tables Of
births show the well-known but little under
stood result, in which statistics from other
places agree, that January always has the most
births, and April by far the fewest.


Although not in the front rank In that
respect, Philadelphia is healthier city than
New-York. This is chiefly because the tene-
ment-house system is less practiced there than
here But no one can peruse statistics upon
such points without concluding that the health
of any city is very largely dependent upon
the activity of its sanitary authorities. In
certain portions of the year Calcutta has q
lighter dcath-rate than New York, solely be-
cause its health regulations are more strin-
gently enforced. That an immense reduction
in the mortality of New-York might be
effected is not open to doubt. The excess OF
deaths always appears in the district occupied
by tenement-houses, except In the rare in
stances when some epidemic started there
makes general beadway. Our Health Board
perhaps does as well as can be expected with
its very limited means. But New-YOrk, having
a climate tempered by the warmth of the Gulf
Stream possessing every facility for drainage,
being on an island that is high in the
middle and slopes toward the sides, and
supplied as yet without stint or measure with
CrotOn water ought to be one of the
healthiest cities on the globe. That it is not
is from deficiency of sanitary restrictions Cg
from the want of their enforcement AS te
what might be done here and in other cities,
it will be sufficient to quote the words OF Mr.
James L. Gardner at the last meeting of the
American Public Health Association From
the united results of typographical, geo.
illogical, and sanitary surveys OF large area,
" / believe IL possible to deduce, with absolute
" certainty, the principal causes of prevailing
" diseases, and to point out practical remedies
" that will reduce the death-rate to one-haf
"its present amount, and Danish from, the
"world an untold weight of suffering and
"sOrrown


Nevertheless the records of the Health De-
partment of this city for the year now pass
ing show an Improvement which, so far as it
goes, is very satisfactory. The control that
has been obtained over smallpox is exceed
ingy creditable to our sanitary officials.
There is some hope that the efforts to stamp
out diphtheria have been measuraby success
full but as this hope is founded on a reduction
of the mortality from that disease in only
part of the year, it may prove illusory. At
all events it is certain that the spread of sew
eral of the more fatal diseases can be pre-
vented, and some of them can be almost ex-
terminated, whenever our municipal author
tiles shall devote their energies as thoroughly
to the health of the city as they now do to its
politics.
Year: 1876

Speaker Randall seems to have promised
more than he performed. He gave the Repub-
lcans, to be sure, three out of the seven MEM
bers of the Compromise Committee, but III
constituting the committee to consider the
mowers of the House he has allowed them but
one lawyer against four Democratic lawyers,
and in making up both, he violated, 1t Is
charged the tacit rule, not only OF the House
but of every legislative body that we know
ANYTHING about, which allows the minority to
name its representatives for important duties
like this. If long-cstablished precedent did
not prescribe this course, every consideration
of fairness would seem to demand it. 1t is III
the power of Speaker, acting as Mr. Randall
has done in this instance, to cripple the NIL
nority by excluding Its ablest men from the
positions for which they are fitted, and putting
forward its men of straw TO be Knocked down
by the strong men of the Speakers own party.
The legal right of appointment resides, OF
course, solely in that officer, but when the
minority his an equal right to say upon whom
it will bestow the empty compliment of NOM
ination for Speaker, it is not easy to under
stand why it has not an equitable right to
designate the men who shall represent it on
the most important committees that have been
appointed in Washington for years. At time
when the party which wields the majority in
the House Processes TO be making its appeal
solely to the general sense of justice, 1t is a
triae inconsistent for its Speaker to mufde the
voice of a minority.
Year: 1876

The announcement is now definitely made
for which the public has long been prepared
that Mr.. Kelly will in few days retire for
mally from the leadership of the Democratic
party in this city. His withdrawal, speedy as
1t is, is none too prompt for the proprieties OF
his position. The chief of the Department OF
Finance, whatever may be said of the chief OF
any other, ought not to be at the head OF a
great political machine or in too close rela-
tions with the "boys." Who Mr.. Kelly's sue
cessor will be, is the current conundrum. 1t
requires man of no mean ability and no lit
tie physical endurance to command, discipline
and depOy the'army of workers" who march
behind the standard of Tammany Hall. lie
must combine peculiar range of qualities
he must not be above being friendly with the
"boys" aforesaid, and he must not be neces-
sarily an offense to the brOwn-stOne voter.
He must be a man of sufficient wealth to be
able to give Tammany Hall his undivided
time, and he must be above or beyond steal
ing. Now that the political control of Tam
many seems surely reGstahished, the identity
of this new leader is question in which every
Taxpayer has a pocket interest.
Year: 1876

A substitution of kerosene for gas in the
street lamps could no doubt be effected with
considerable saving to the city and with as
good light as is now furnished, or even much
better. There would be some prospect IN that
event of the lamps being lighted earlier than
new. and that they would not be extlnguished
before daylight. At present in this city it
is very much tho darkest hour just before
dawn. But If kerosene-Or worse STILL naphtha
-is supplied to our street lamps, we must be
urepared for certain class of accidents.
earelessly driven or runaway team sometimes
Year: 1876

We are likely now to get at something defi-
mite as to the rights of legislative bodies over
private telegraphic correspondence. The an
swer of the Western Union Company to the
sweeping demand of the House OF Representa-
tives is resolute and courageous determrna-
ton to resist it by every legal means within
its power. In this issue the whole country Is
interested, and, what is more, all of its sober
sense is on the side of the corporation as
against the House.
Year: 1876

The unwise conduct of the French Senate in
voting appropriations which the Chamber had
disallOwed may result in determining the prac-
tice which is to govern revenue bills. Law
and custom are on the side of the Deputies,
who are not likely to surrender any of their
privileges.
Year: 1876

The rumors as to a scheme in London to
capture the Direct Cable Company and con-
solidate it with the old monopoly, dlaws from
The Herald an admirable suggestion which we
are glad to second. 1t is that the cable busi-
ness comes largely from few leading business
houses and from the newspapers; that
these have an interest = in maintaining a
direct competition, and can better afford
TO lay cable of their own than to permit
the old monopoly to be reGstablisIcd. An in
teryiew with Mr.. Lawrence Oliphant, else
where printed this morning, indicates that in
spite of the safeguards in its articles OF assO-
citation, the Direct Cable Company is III danger.
1t has made money, is making money now at
the rate of per cent, and has a steadily
increasing business There can be no
reason for attempting to absorb it into the other
companies save to get rid of its rivalry. The
press and the merchants who use the cable
have vital interest III maintaining that riv-
airy, and they ought to let it be understood
as soon as possible that if this company Is
swallowed another will take the field
which cannot be swallowed. Heretofore we
have seen the absence of competition followed
by an instant doubling and trebling of tele-
graph tolls. We have no desire for repeti-
ton of that experience. While the Direct Ca
BILE has shown how profitable ocean telegraphy
under sensible and economical management
may be made, and while New-York is so
stuffed with idle capital, it would not be a
wise experiment on the part of the old mo-
nopOly 10 force the organization OF stil another
COMPANY.
Year: 1876

There is a tardy afterclap in Florida. The
Supreme Court has issued peremptory order
for q new canvass from the face of the re-
turns, and the Democrats are busy rejoicing
The telegraph does not say whether this order
affects anything but the State ticket, but the
absence of any claim of Tilden's election, or
of any proclamation from Washington to that
effect, supports the inference that it does not
If it had had any such bearing we may be
sure that the National Committee would have
risen up before now and said-as was SAID
because of Louisiana, and of Oregon, and OF
various other things" Well, noW Tilden Is
elected