smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1875

the nose OF o careless public, and laboring In
its coarse and vulgar way to persuade the
world that we are on the eve Of war. There
Is not one circumstance in the affairs OF Cuba
or in our intercourse with tho Madrid
Government to render American Intervention
In the Antilles whit more probable or more
justiGabe to-day than it was or would have
been year ago. SO far as o careful scrutiny
of the situation at home and abroad reveals
ANYTHING, these sensational tales arc utterly
without excuse. But there is Ring OF Cuban
bondholders who would bo happy to ombron
MS in the cause of the insurgents, or failing
that, to bring us just near enough the brink
of hostilities to make q market for the secirl-
ties in which they have been specializing.
Their selfish and unscrupulOus designs arc
we'll understOOd; and. yet they are certainly
able to cause s0mo public uDeasncss.


This is the misery and shame OF it, that
mere iobbers, swindlers, and advonturers ike
these two classes Of bond spectators, stand 80
close to the Government of the United States,
have such familiar access to the White House,
such influence i'm committee and on the
floors of Congress, such control over the official
press that even their most transparent cheats
become entitled to public consideration, and
80 mean thing as an editorial in The " ash
inqt0n Republican becomes an indication oi
danger How long shall We suffer the unelean
brood to defile the white marble of the Capitol
Year: 1875

The story which comes from Washington 0f
4 scheme to induce the New-l 0rk Stock tx
change fe 1uote the 800 bonds OF the Dis
trie. of Columbia as United States securities is
not unlikely TO I've true. The question of the
character of thcae bonds has been raised he
fore: and it i, pretty certain to be raised
again. although there is no doubt i'll any re'i-
sonahle man, mind that they are not United
States bonds AT all, but simply what their face
declares them to he. obligations OF the Gov
clurcut Of the District of Columbia. Being
such the kind of money in which the principal
and interest are TO I've paid depends upon
the intention OF Congress i'll authorizing thtir
issue, aud that certainly was that they should
he PAYABLE irf the current money OF the United
STATES, whatever the current money might be
al the tiule. But il they are recognized rs
United States bonds, then under the Act OF
1869. pledging the faith of the nation to the
payment in coin or its equivalent of all obliga-
ton, of the United States not expressly made
payohle in some other currency, the holders
can demand interest and principal in gold.


The District bonds have been i'll the hands
of iobbels from the very day of their is,iIe
The old certificates of indebtedness of the
Board of Public Works for which they were
exchanged were issued in defiance of law, and
taken by contractors at reduced valuation.
When the Shepherd government was abolished
and Congress provided for funding the ceIilil-
Gates in these bonds ii was found that the
Ring held most of the paper, and because
neither they, nor the contractors, nor any
other human being had given an equivalent
for the face value OF the bonds, Congress fixed
TN interest at the low rate of 3.6j. Then
the Ring induced the President to send n
special message to Congress recommending that
the interest should be increased, because, as he
observed, "bonds bearing this rate of interest
when issued will be worth much less than
"thcir equivalent in the curreat money OF the
" United States y and Congress refused this
scandalous request on the express ground, as
stated in the Report of the Joint Committee
on District Affairs, that the original holders
of the certificates took them at a discount.
The next assault of the Ring was made upon
Secretary Bristow. As the time for issuing the
bonds drew near great pressure was put
upon him to cause them TO be printed at the
Treasury, stamped with the Treasury seal,
and inscribed payable at the Treas
urv of the United States The object
of this mancuvcr is now perfectly plain ;
but the Secretary stood firm and it failed.
The District Bond Ring, however, embracing,
it is reported, nearly oil tho principal MEM
bers of the old Public Works Ring, will not
drop their nefarious project until it has been
officially stigmatzed in the terms it deserves.
They have large pecuniary interests at stake,
they have money at command, and they have
great influence ut Washington.


Is there another Ring operating upon our
relations with Spainf For some time the
semi official press at tho capital has been
thrusting the most solemn and mysterious
double-leaded proclamations of trouble under
Year: 1875

For all subordinate positions, vote for men
whom you would personally trust, no matter
what ticket you find them on. Party lines are
fading out and the political field is chaotic.
Party Endorsements arc worthless as against
your personal knowledge. 1t is always good
rule, but never so important as now, to vote
for any man you know you can trust, no mat
ter whose candidate lie il, rather than for Il
man YOU doubt however regular his noniina-
ton.


Under no circumstances vote for man you
cannot trust. If his opponent is worse. do not
vote for either. a refusal to vote, where both
the candidates are untrustwOrthy. does no
harm. Voting for either is u positive encoiir-
agemcnt to the caucuscs to continue making
such nominations.


Do not under any circumstances he cheated
out of your vote. IL you are unlucky enough
to get to the polls late aud find some repeater
has voted on your name. that is the affair OF
the Judges of Election, not yours. Establish
your, identity aud insist upon the reception OF
your vote.
Year: 1875

genuine sensation was produced In Brooklyn ny
the announcement that DR.. Storrs had accepted
call to the old Brick Church Presbyterian on Fifth
ave. and Thirty seventh-st, in this city. The call
was presented last week. and it Is understood
that tho matter had been much talked OF
for some time before. Tho announcement that
the call was accepted on Saturday evening was
made on what seemed the highest Presbyterian
authority but il appears that the hope IN the case
was mistaken for tho fact DIR. storrs has the mat
ter under consideration, but has. rs yet, gwen no
decisive answer. The membersof tho Brick Church.
however, arc very hopeful of his acceptance,
and church going people on this side OIL
the river will heartily wish them success
in their effort Great earnestncss however, has been
excited in DR.. Storrss congregation by yester-
days announcement and by thoir general knowl-
edge that thoy are in danger Of losing ono OF the
most brilliant pulpit orators in the couatry. de-
termined effort will be mado to induce the
Doctor to stay with his own people. There
is of course a great deal of gossip about
the bearing Of bis present action upon his
relations to the Beechcr case. Many interpret MS
willingness 10 consider the New-York call III the
light of the relief t would afford him from possible
fresh questions in church courts simply TO step out
of the Congregational into the Presbyterian Church.
by crossing the East River.
Year: 1875

with It. ft b possible the Naticna, Conventions win
adopt resolutions expressive Of their attachment to tho
school ysicm and their determination TO keep the limo Of
separation between Church and State as sharply defined
as those who organized the Government designed It
should be. Bat predict that the resolutions OF both
Conventions on the subject vii, be equally explicit and
sincere The cry Of No PoTery will hardly 10 heard
amid tho noise and uproar of the Presidential canvass


into which very grave qestions of public policy viii 10
sure to enter and IL will e the folly Of the ultra Catholic
priest, and newspapers n 1t III at all audible w 1875"
Year: 1875

Contending factions in the French National
Assembly will marshal their forces on Thurs
day next for the last session of that turbulent
body. Our Paris letter, on another page, ex-
hibits the Republicans as full of hope, being
sustained by the consciousness of good cause
and popular approval. The Royalists, on the
other hand, are divided, and lack the ardor
which is essential to success.
Year: 1875

Shrcwd politicians pay FAR less attention this
year than usual TO the Indications OF the pool
room. John MOrrissey is an adept at match
ing bets and arranging the pools so as to create
an impression that the chances are on his SIDE
The hall0t-bOx will be a better indication OF
she result this year than the show bets OF the
professional gamblers who lead The Anti-Iam-
many Democracy.
Year: 1875

Ia the Tweed case the defense still continues
its course of interposing dilatory motions. The
anxiety to avoid trial on the merits of the
case renders it probable that when the real
defense is brought forward it viii not amount
TO much. Meanwhile patience sits ON the
monument 20 the memory of Tweed which the
lawyers are building in foolscap, and smiles at
the grief Of the taxpayers.
Year: 1875

The terrible loss oi life and numerous lnIu-
ries inflicted by the explosion OF locomotive
boiler on the Easton and Amboy Railroad are
almost without precedent III this class OF DIS
asters. The victims were placed in position
of peculiar danger by being in caboosc which
was TO he pushed by the locomotive, and was
close against IT. IT it shall be shown IN addi-
ton to these facts that the engine was Itself
an inferior one, and that the boiler was known
to be defective, the managers OF the railroad
must he held responsible for killing SIX or
seven men and manning twenty or thirty
Others New-Jersey justice il almost proverbi-
ally prompt and severe: We trust that the in
fluences of railway corporation may not III
the present case overshadow it,
Year: 1875

The Senate Committee on Civil Service is to
meet mt Washington Immediately after The
elections. In addition to the consideration OF
the propriety of recommending the transfer
ence of the Indian and Pension bureau, to the
War Department, which they will take IN, 1t
might he well for them to call the Washing
ton Postmaster Judge Ednunds, before them
to make report as t. the amount realized from
assessments of office holders for the Fall cam
paign. We know, for we have it from high
authority, that our Civil Service IL " The best
con the planet" but il would I've interesting 10
know in addition what il can be made to do
for the party under a squeeze. The country
wants to know what the Civil Service did
when Judge Edmunds held ont his contrihu-
tion-boX and said, Come down"
Year: 1875

There are numerous indications OF the gen
eral extent of the interest taken in the revival
movement started in Brooklyn. The readiness
with which the proposition to appoint DAY
for fasting and prayer on the subject has been
accepted there and elsewhere. is one OF these
signs. Its wide Observance may afford still
further proof that the revival is not merely n
local demonstration of feeling.
Year: 1875

The average American citizen has COM
Portable opinion of his own ability, but there
are certain branches of art about which he is
cautious of expressing a public judgment. Ii
he has no taste for literature, he will not give
you a verdict on Tennyson's latest poem or
Emerson's new volume of essays. If he is ignOr
ant about painting, he will not write to the news
papers his impressions of Michael Angelo or
his candid estimate of Bierstadt. But when
there is a question of music all his modesty
and good sense disappear. Upon that subject
he will discourse you with an eflrontery that
is almost sublime and if he knows nothing
about it he is rather inclined to boast OF
his ignorance, and fancy that it gives
him a special claim to be heard In this alone
of all the arts he bows to no authority and
recognizes the need of no technical knowledge.
He will balance Beethoven and Dan Bryant,
"Lohengrinn and "La Grande Duchesse,"
with all the composure Of Jove; and after
remarkng that he is entirely unacquainted
with the rudiments of the art and does not
claim any sort of musical cultivation, he will
lay down the law for managers and perform
ers, or dismiss the verdict of generations with
a snap of his fingers.


Who has not seen q score of such letters az
the one which begins as follows in a Hartford
paper7 "The writer of this effusion makes no
"pretenson TO having a scientific taste or a
"critlcal ear for music, not even to an ac-
"quaintance with the regulation parlance
requisite to write with propriety on the sub
eject. His desire is simply to give some
"candid, unscientific, and perhaps home
"brewed notions as to what kind of music
"suits this market best, or at any rate his
"crude musical palate" And then, having
demonstrated the entire worthlessness of
his opinion, he proceeds to give it
with considerable vehemence, and with
out glimmering suspicion that he
can possibly be saying anything foolish. He
cannot understand why people should crowd
the Thomas concerts to listen to "a stereo-
typed sameness of colicky, inharmonious and
chair pulling diScords,D but he is satisfied that
they cannot possibly like what Thomas
offers them, because it does not suit "his
"own crude musical palate; !" and he is con-
vinced that Thomas will soon play to empty
benches if he does not "give us more har-
"mony, melody, and music now and then
after the American idea'-whatever that
may be.


The avidity with which people who are sensi-
bic enough on other topics will seek for opp0r-
tunities to be absurd ON tho one subject Of
music is curious phenomenon. This Hartford
gentleman would no doubt laugh at man
who being entirely ignorant alike Of seaman
ship, naval architecture, steam engineer
ing. and ordnance, should write for
Year: 1875

could control majority Of votersi Probably
only third-term organ-grinders will deny that
the opposition to the reelection OF Grant Is
stronger in the Republican party now than 1t
was before the elections of 1874 Hardly any
sane man will doubt that the Presidents
patronage influenced some members to
vote against the resolution who are not
really in favor of Grants reelection. But, even
with this influence only eighteen members
were rallied, in House elected year ago, to
favor O third term. Is it not safe to say that
the people are almost unanimous in opposition
to it


Such Democrats as care much for the sue
cess of party and not at oil for the good OF
the country may desire the nomination OF
Grant by the Republicans. There are some
individuals who, for selfish reasons, will work
for his nomination. But every sensible leader
or manager of the party knows that Grant, II
nominated, would be terribly beaten. The
vote of the House is significant in that re-
spect, and the third term business may as well
be regarded as settled.
Year: 1875

1t would seem to be easy enough, if he has
the money to pay for it withal, for q man to
make present to himself and some contrive
to do this without the money. 1t is wonderful
with how little compunction man who is
filed with benevolence toward himself can use
the purse of an easy-going associate, or help
a confding tradesman TO fill up his ledger and
day y-book. All numbers with $ before them


are as nothing to No. 1. Penitent people in a
scrape say, al have been my own worst
enemy" as if they meant it; but the real
opinion of every individual is that he
is his own best friend. The world.
however, for various good reasons,
has put stigma upon selfshness
and whoever asserts. about this Christmas
time. that generosity is humbug or q weak
Year: 1875

The latest discovery by the third-term advo-
Gates is that the President Ia undergoing persecution
he is Methodist Who is doing the prosecuting
is not apparent for the universal opinion, among
the church papers themselves that the President Is
not Methodist enough to hurt"


So far as the newspapers have anything to
do about it, 1t is good decided that the Republicans
will send unpedged CATION from this State TO the
National Convention The Conkling movement was
nippcd In the bud with remorseless abruptness.


Speaker Kers committees command both
astonhment and praise Nobody questions his honesty
in selecting them but his judgment Is criticised AT the
time there is prevalent suspicion that his chair
may better than they expected to
and thus ynd!cate the Speakers choice


i The principal third-term organ at Washing
ton had hard time hearing of Bishop Havens Third
term demonstration at Boston Even now II speaks of
the affair an "allegcd nomination." and II was
noticed by the Associated Press reported In tho
Boston Journals, when the truth Is, the rst news
sent by the Associated Press and all OF the Boston papers
gave reports Of the meeting. But when the Salt Lake
Methodists took up the matter aud censured Bishop
Haven, the organ "impelled" 10 notice tho
came without particle of delay to Washing gop, aud the
organ gives up column TO solid abuse oI the man wao
uttered II.


A few days ago the editor of The Cincn-
nots Gazette amused himself with announcing on "good
authority" that the President did not want third term
Nobody thought tho "good authority" OF sumcens
weight to merit much attention. and the editor himself
seems to doubt it, for he goes to argue against
the possibility Of thrd term, saying mo oonslder@
bic portion OF the people Of any party favor third e
and whatever change may take place, will DO In tho
direction Of torn. and certainly not 10 favor OF
third term This much may bc regarded - ses'ed' ss0
Year: 1875

the newspapers criticism upon the
pIans armament and machinery OF the Van
guard and the Iron Duke, from the point Of
view of an unscientifc outsider having mot
seven an acquaintance with the rcgula-
"tion parlance requisite TO write with
"propriety on the subject" Is it any
less ridiculous to criticise symphony
as co4icky and inharmonious, when one
does not know what symphony is or
what harmony is, and makes "Do prctcnson
"to a scientific taste or a critical carr Yet
he is only one out Of ten thousand.
The critics without taste, knowledge, or
ear, annoy us at every musical per-
fOrmance, discourse at every dinner table,
and hold forth at every club. We suspect the
explanation of their persistency may be found
in q common misconceptiOn of the proper
function of music. 1t is the most popular OF
the arts and there is q vague general notion
that it fullls its highest aim when it affects most
forciby the fancy of the great unculhvated
multitude. This Of course is entirely wrong.
The best music, like the best painting and the
best statuary, is incOmprehensible except by
the educated mind. There are thousands who
prefer Prang to Correggio, and see more
beauty in a colored plaster cat than the
Venus of Milo. There are thousands who
are moved by the Mulligan Guards
and insensible to the Seventh Symphony.
That is only to say that in all stages Of art
the majority never get beyond its rudimentary
forms. But il is only with the higher intelli-
gences that art really concerns itself. To
them it speaks a language which Others can
not understand. In their appreciation it finds
the justification for its existence.


The musician who tries to suit only :" tho
crude musical palate" is a mere Snowman,
false to his calling and curse to the art
which he profanes. He is check upon pOpu-
lar progress, corrupter of taste. an incubus
upon the developing culture of his country.
And the great merit of the orchestra which
our Hartford friend distinguishes by his criti-
cism is that instead Of calculating what will
suit the market, it is constantly leading the
people onward and upward, enlarging their
powers of appreciation, and opening to them
new sources of enjoyment.
Year: 1875

Mrs. Moulton's alleged intention to call an
or porto council in addition to the mutual and
the advisory bodies, adds to the probability
that the old scandal will be very fully revived
We may doubt, however, whether this is
case where in the multitude of counselors
there ia wisdom.
Year: 1875

Canada is wise in endeavoring to be re-
leased from the promise to build Pacific
railway, which she made in order to conciliate
British Columbia The expense of building
the road would be enormous, and could not
DO warranted by the moderate traffic reasona-
bly, to be hoped for.
Year: 1875

Much interest is taken in banking circles i'll
the suit of the Government against the Me-
chanics' National Bank for the recovery OF
81 500, alleged to be wanting in package OF
bills which the bank paid out at the counter
The general rule of banks unquestiOnably is
that no mistakes made in paying money can
be rectifed after the person who received 1t
has left the bank. In practice, however, this
rule cannot well apply to the bills in large
package, such as was handed over in the pres
ent case, since the recipient seldom has time
to count them. In case of dispute as to
whether the package was short before leaving
the bank. it has been customary to examine
the paper strap that wrapped the bills, 80 as
to find out whether the package had been
tampered with. Judge Blatchfords decision
that the return of the strap is not necessary in
making claim for deficiency in a package
may lead to some change in the usual method
of paying checks.
Year: 1875

The January number of The Cot'oHc World
(the most important periodical of the Roman
Catholic denomination in the United 'States)
has rather remarkable article on Gen.
Grants Des Moines speech, and we print some
extracts from it this morning. Readers OF the
magazine will perhaps be startled at the hearty
praise of the Presidents address with which
the article opens, but they will find, as the
writer unfolds his argument only an orthodox
statement of the Catholic view of the school
question, expressed with courtesy and apparent
candor Protestants who believe in State edu-
cation at all will consider these views entirely
erroneous, and the various solutions of the
school controversy suggested by The Catholic
World inadmlssiblc but it is important for us
to know Just what the Catholics want, and
what their objections to the schools are The
last of the paragraphs which we quote contains
q keen and elegant thrust which Gen. Grants
best friends can hardly help being amused at
Year: 1875

The Communication of the sentence Of Jacob
Standermann. the murderer of Louisa Seiden-
wald, was fully justified by the evidence as to
his mental condition. This will be recorded as
one of the very rare cases IN which muir
derer was really insane at the time of commit
ting the crime. That there are few genuine
instances of the sort on record is more for
tunate for murderers who have to resort to
the insanity plea than for the community.
Year: 1875

The exposure of the anti-Catholic secret
society, noticed in another column, is possibly
inaccurate in detail, but the main points as to
the existence and aims of the organization are
doubtless fairly stated. There was no great
secret about it, last Fall, during the progress
of our campaign. In fact, THE TRIBUNE on
one or two occasions received letters from
gentlemen supposed to hold important positions
in the society warning us that its control over
the vote would be much greater than we were
anticipating Some of its leaders confidently
expected to make it and the inexcusablc Gray
Nuns bill so effective as to defeat the Iidcn
ticket by majority nearly as great as that 10y
which Gov. Tilden himself had been elected
tho year before.