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The Weekly Tribune
tH* WKKKLY TKIBUMK.
One year tioo.
»t* iuonth» 50
W required in advance.
" THUKSDaY, DE EWKKK7, 18U3
ihe IRIBCNE.
Ar-nnchee - Mis* Lillian Wans
Orjatal Spiinns—Mrs P M Storey.
Cave Spring—T J Dreis.
BllrerCre. k—George porter.
Valley—B H Sander*.
THE SPREAD OF RELIGION.
Those who think the world is
growing more wicked, or that Chris
tianity is giving way to infidelity
are deceived by the loudness -of the
noise made by a few able but erratic
geniuses. While the world is
growing more liberal and tolerance
between denominations grows apace,
practical piety and regular attend
ance upon divine service is steadily
increasing, if we may put any faith
in the statements of the United
States census. There are now four
times as many communicants in
proportion to there
He ninety years ago, and the ir
i.. 177' last
H-
Hl ■'
I■ - t I. I— I iH r
KBoto 1890 a similar
was maintained, the
creasing 24.8 percent and the com
munieants 41.8 per cent. '1 he
growth 'r-* the churches has out
stripped of the population
thus far through the century, and
this in spite of the enormous in
crease of the population by foreign
immigration, which might not un
reasonably have been expected to
produce a far different result.
“We commend these figures to
Christians who are inclined to des
pair of tLe future. They might be
supplemented by equally striking
tacts regarding the maieial prog
re sos the churches. Surely we are
justified in thanking God and takitd|
courage.”
kinson. In two months more the
various constituencies will be so far
pledged and organized that it will
be impossible for a third man to
come in an<T knock the whole thing
endways. It might be done in the
eleventh hour with a cavalier like
Gordon to dash into the ring and a
genius like Grady to organ ze victo
ry, but there is no Such pair in sight.
If the boys in the bush remain there
till spri .g, they might as well stay
out of the race. By that time it. will
be Evans or Atkinson beyond per
adventure. Every day cf delay
makes it less likely that a third
man will come in, and it is already
improbable.
As matters stand, General Evans
seems to be ahead. His candidacy
is an evolution, beginning tour years
ago. The “old soldier racket” is
but a small part of his strength.
Old campaigners should not forget
that he is a Methodist and that his
name is in all the churches. It is
the old Colquitt combination of the
fighting Christian, with the
brethren to pray for him and the
soldiers to fight for him.
Mr. find it hard to
■ t' n
7 hs'. >' tim'd ni'iu
1 K 1 ’ siq.poit from
ki’i-.<m in. but
. gp 1 ) be found for the
Sfci'T;’ J■*W' 19 about to enter a
Hmerly inactivity ” lie
E'" *’ .Hhmself on high ground.
W he can enter a tut lire
7 with great advantage.
|£|gl|||W promises to d■ » good fight
nsgs|Hi high private in the next
“gainst t'e Third, party,
Hknow he will keep his promise,
HHe saw him in the war of 1892
men in Georgia have more
sßhds than Steve Clay, and he has
Hide more by refusing to
H scramble this \_eajH
■ (leased ' o obsei \ ujMj
INCOME TAX.
It is surprising that sensible peo
aole cannot discuss a business prop
Ksition calm'y when it has anything
to do with politics. In their own
business they’ go through endless
details with infinite patience and
i never a sign ot feeling, but the
! moment they begin to talk about
1 the puplic business, they fly all to
I piecesand begin to tear their hair
This is the way they aie talking
about the president’s message,
which is principally a business doc-
I time tit and far less of a political
address than any state paper he has
ever sent to Congress. It is espe
cially true of the tone men and edi
' tors assume in speaking of the in
We think the considers
Mfc/<Bthat should govern it are
practical. The tax seems
enough, but it is impossible to
collect it equally and fairly. The
conscientious man pays too much
and the unscrupulous pay too little.
Under this head the Mobile Register
says:
“‘The gen 1 cone on,’ sa
the New York Times, ‘is unavoida
ble that the only things ceitain
| about the income tax are its incal
leuluble uncertainty and its large
J and sure crop of lying and cheat
ing.’ Well, it will not do to aban
don the idea for Jiat reason. Un
I •
certainty attends every act in life,
1 and were we to wait for the lying
■ > atnuunices
Indi late for
Is the field
Ken. Evans
Hnly avowed
V other men
l>r and have
■mbition,hut
■in the atti
■ clouds roll
le alignment
Ine rapidity
|e voters will
Evans or At-
the weekly tribune. Thursday: December 14. isos
and cheating on *he part of tax
payers to stop we would never col
lect taxes of any sort.”
This is the truth, but it is a fact
that the incomes of corporations
may usually be' ascertained with
some accuracy.
TH E UN TAXED* CORPORATIONS.
The vest bulk of corporate capi
tai is in railroads and “industrials,”
nearly all of which publish their
net and gross earnings in detail.
Revenue tux on then would be
easi’y and fairly collected, without t
the espionage necessary to personal
income tax.
Consider the qnest’on of railroad
tax as compared with land tax
This class of property has gener
ally escaped taxation in theordinar/
way. O.dy within the last year or
two has it been lawful to assess and
collect taxes from railroads in this
State, as taxes are levied and col
lected on other kinds of property.
Even now they refuse to pay the tax
because the United States Supreme
Court has not handed down its de
cision on the Glenn bill. It is the
same way in most other States.
Here there is property hiding
from taxation under the mask of
railroad corporations, whose total
capitalization in this country is ten
billions—equal to half the value of
all the land, as shown by the census-!
Shall laud pay direct tax continually
and indivuals pay a tariff tax for
ever and corporations, representing
immense untaxed capital continue
to pay nothing? The individual
holders of railroad stocks often es
cape taxation upon the theofy that
the company has paid its own tax
and the stock cannot be taxed twice,
but in realty the corporation pays
little.
The corporations known as “in_
RAILWAY
The Tribune is favored with an
advance synopsis of the Interstate
Commerce Commission's sleuth an
nual report, and from a glance
over it we get the impression that
railway regulation has come to stay.
I’he Commission is gradually get
ting a grip on the great transporta
lion problem.
The great trouble with railway
rates is uot that their average is too
high, for that has been reduced
from two cents to one cent per ton
mile in the last twenty years, but
that the discriminations between
persons and places tend to build up
one man and tear down another, or
build up one town and destroy its
neighbor.
It is the aim of the long and short
haul clause to put all communities
on a fair basis, and it is the aim of
the discrimination clause to settle
the question of rates fairly between
man and man. On this subject the
Commission says:
‘‘Extortionate charges are seldom
the subject of complaint, and an im
mense amount of injustice, caused
by improperly adjusted rates and
by preference in facilities, has been
corrected by the Commission. The
effect of a ruling of the Commission,
directing revision of rates, is shown
not to be confined to ralieving griev
unces of particular persons; it ex
tends to all who use these rates,
*nd frequently affects rates on other
dne°. The act provided what the
common law did not afford—a pro
cedare bv which to test the relation
of rales charged tt different persons
and at different localities. The fear
of greater discriminations or exac
tions no longer deters persons fro i.
complaining of carriers* illegal acts.
A carrier has not gow.the.power to
punish shippers' for protesting
against its wrong doing.. - -.-
“The policy of the Commission
has been to make proceedings before
it as simple as possible. Keeping in
view the necessity of basing any au
< horitaiive action upon due process
of law. There is comparatively lit
tle and often no expense to com
plainants in proceedings before the
Commission. The CMYnitssion may
he directly communicated with by
any shipper or passenger feeling
himself aggrieved. The homely
phrases of the farmer and the con
cise sentences of the busy manufac
tuier are found in the correspond
ence of the Commission as oiten as
the carefully chosen words of the le
gal adviser. These informal com
plaints form a great and important
part of the Commission's work.”
IDLE MONEY.
Idle money usually means slug
gish industry, and this is conspicu
ously true at present. There never
was so much surplus money' in New
York, and rarely have manufactures
been so sluggish.
The stock of specie in the banks
of that city, which on Aug I‘2 last
fdlen to $53,624,800, stood on Sat
urday at $93,56 4,400, and that ol
legal tender notes, which on Aug.
12 was $22,880 700. rose on Satur
day to $104,368,800. The total
amount of lawful money held by the
bmlta Jias. therefo
this is known n any mills must re
main closed or continue to run on
short time, employment must be
handicapped, wage earners kept
idle, values unsettled and markets
uncertain. Any one can sre that
such a condition of affairs is fatal to
a restoration of confidence and re
vival ot business.”
It, is to be hoped that the Demo
crats in Congress will govern them
selves according to the ueetssi ies
of the case.
THE COLLEGE BOYS.
The Police Department of Athens
seems determined to make a reputa
tion at the expense of the college
boys. Instead of that it is more
likely to become notorious. The
published accounts of the trial of
the boys who cheered at the foot
hall game show nothing very bad.
If a boy cannot be allowed to give
vent to his overflowing spirits with
an occasional yell at a foot hall game
we fear the rising generation will
become woefully tame.
The Duke of Wellington, looking
at the boys in their games at E'on,
remarked: “ There the battle of Wa
terloo was won.”
We are astonished at Mayor
Tuck’s severity. He was once a col
lege boy himself. We are not sure
hut he alliliated with the far-famed
Zeta Chi Society. What does he
mean by fining a boy fifty dollars
for having a little harmless fun? If
the city government of Athens pro
poses to treat rollicking school bojg
1 ke ruffians, it will soon kill the pa
tronage of the University.
**_. a
’ FOREIGN PRESS COMMENT.
The following press comments of
foreign papers on the President’s
message will be read-with interest:
L ND'-N Opc. 4. JB93.—the Mit'iiitig
P.>-t*.y*, <>n Pn-Mdeut cieVe and’s m-e
- :—” ITieio i* u<» indication <f*xui
tatioD. Mr. Cleveland leaves 'hie party
(o draw ibe inference to m ibe
raind. although nearly every paiagiapb
wou d be instructive leading if p inieo
in parallel C 'lumns with some of Mr.
Harrii-i'ii’s high Routidinu orat.toi a ”
The Drily N.w* says:— •* I'he message
is well w<>r< llyo f -he areal national crisis
in which it. is «leliv-r«*rt. The iuterrtice
from the Piesidi-nija facts and tiguie*,
whether intended or not, is that it is the
tiuep.licyof the United S ates io culti
vate cloee relations with tne old brnne,
nitoix'erd and s'rettgtlien tbeconi
tnercia 1 nneroou'se of the two alien-.”
Ibe Duly Graphic cotnphmen's Mr.
Cleveland upon his continued tiiniuess
and ijon-istenCV.
The Times says:—“The message <x
tnbi h cieifcf and well reasoned views ul
policy, as well, as much force of char
ge er. Che portions bearing upon for
eign rff ira are ctme-tV'-fi in a highly
creditable spii it and adt quarts sense ot
'he national dignity, conjoined with a
sincere desire of peace and a careful re
g >rd for ttie rights and suscep.imlvii-s <>l
mber cun'ries. The friendly • xpreee
ton* etnp oyed in tneutio ii'i<r thrqies-
H<n* pending between the United Slates
and rhe United Kingdom represent the
dominant feeling, as wed as the para
mount interests of both ”
Ihe Times commends, with special
warmth, the President’s pol cy towaid
H <wai'.
The Standard says:—"Mr. Cleveland
has stood refoitn like a rock. No words
con'd he e'earer in dealing with th»
horny tariff question, and no attitude
c.oiiid he sounder from the Americas
standpoint.
I'he President and his Cabinet have
chosen their position with rem-rkabo
shrewdness. Their policy divides and
demoralizes the enemy at the hegmniii
of the batt e. It is also a p >'icy wh ch
eonim-nda itself to the most ardent
Amer er-'or-ihe-Americans patriot.”
“We wi»h we c >ubi hail i r a-a step
likely to have immediate and fsvorable
re-nt's for the B itish trade, bat it is
likely to proV- jd-t rhe rever-e.”
The Drily Telegraph of Mr.
Qley-lntoi’* utterances C itiCernin t H<•
frank and bon-st sd
■m'S'ske an" avowal of t|>>-
■8 <- vn. RC | r r. II -o'* i lie highest
uo'.n the President, and,
gS _ Kipou the nat'oi l .”
: Wv I h runic h say-: ‘The Pi es-
JjM h- v ■ I h > heat wi-hes ot ev-iy
"ist in ifie hatile >ll it he
bu r it would be prem-nur.
’’ a- a're oiy w.m b. c uise Ibe
are on hi* side ”
Ssgß^V'i n-nciai New* wav*: — [■ is im
° not to he s'iuc uvliihe ear'-
of Mr C evelnd'scoiiwc ion *nd
roa I. sound statesmai shu>. lit.
teem* wth suggestive mveria',
tort of which i* is d. ill JU t to
at a single glance.”
V THE FIGHT FOR CLOTURE.
f While the House is di-cussing
’the tariff bill, the Senate will prob
ably be engaged in a hot fight for
the repeal of the federal elevtjnn
I a if*. AHe r 111
v. o N I be i#®
■frthe public business,
may not, have any
securing the passage of
the bill repealing the Federal Elec
tion laws, but he probably has a
ro-gh toad to travel before he reaches
the point where a majority of th,-
Senators will follow bis advice and
vote to establish a limit for discus
siop. He will soon discover that
some of the Republican Senators
who were disposed to vote for a
change in the rule when the repeal
of the silver bill was the pending
question have changed their minds
on that subject. Late in the extra
session the committee on rules, of
which Mr. Blackburn is chairman,
was authotized to consider the ques
tion and report to the Senate what
measures were needed to ‘facilitate
the course of business.’ That com
mittee held no sessions during the
recess, but will get to work on tld
perplexing subject at the earliest
practicable moment after the reas
sembling of Congress. From the
mass of amendments that have been
turned over to this committee the)
may be able to construct a rule that
wid pieveut what in be House is
called ‘filibustering’ and in the
Senate, ‘deliberation.’ ”
Comptroller Eckels has made
his annual report. Its recommenda
tions are decidedly conservative,
embracing no more radical depart
ure from present methods than a
proposal to allow the issuance of
national bank notes up to the par
value of bonds deposited. Besides
that he recommends certain meas
ures to insure more thoroughness in
thy inspection of national banks.
The comptroller says that the scare!
ty of money during the panic ot 1893
was due entirely to hoarding and
not to a decrease of the amount in
circulation. He says the circulation
had been steadily iucreas ng for
three years when the panic came on.
He thinks the present abundance oi
money should give Congress time to
delijerate on. a proper financial
system.
TO REPEAL THE STATE BANK TAX.
The sub-committee of the commit
tee on banking and currency has re
ported to that body the J'ollowing
provisional draft of a bill to repeal
the ten per cent, tax on banks:
Section I.—The tax of ten per cent,
against State bank notes, etc., paid out and
used as cur re ifty, is repealed. W<7
Sfc. 2.—Except as below {F-*.'>vi<led, no
State bank notes, etc., shall lie paid out and
used as currency outside of the State of
tbefr issue, except subject to »a penalty n»
ten per cent, each time paid <iut.
N. B. It is not expected that this penalty
would be generally colleuted, any more
than is the tax imposed by our present
law ; but rather that, as fast as the prohib
ited notes came into the hands of responsi
ble parties outside of the State of their
issue, the penalty on paying them out will
cause them to be promptly returned for
redemption and thus effectively kept with
in the state of their issue.
Sec. 3.—State bank notes may be paid
out and used as currency outside of the
State of their issue on compliance with the
following:
(A) Blank notes to be furnished and
issue to he registered by the Comptroller
of the Currency, and to be of sharply dis
tinctive design, so as to show (1) that they
are State bank notes, (2) the State of their
issue, end (3) under which section of this
act they are issued.
(B) Banks issuing such notes to be sub
ject to inspection by the Comp roller of
the Currency, similar to that now provided
for national banks; 1 'it (exc.fpß a* to C be
lows for purposes- ot public information,
only the Comptroller having no general
supervision of the affairs of the banks.'
(C) Outstanding notes of each bank to
he limited to 75 per cent, of paid up and un
impaired capital.
(D) State bank notes to be made by
Stares of issue a first lieu on all assets of
issuing bank, and a liability > gainrt stock
holders to an amount equal to their stock in
a Idir.ion to it.
(E) An assessment, ot one-half per cent,
to be paid on taking out circulation, and
also on al 1 circulation outstanding more
than a year, so long and whenever neces
sary (A) to keep good a guarantee fumi of
at least three percent of out-tanding cir
culation mr ultimate redemption of notes,
and (B) to meet expenses not covered by
penalty receipts under section 2 above.
Sec. 4. State bank notes may also be
paid out and used as currency (outside of
the state of their issue) on compliance
with (a
lecti nos statesmen will assemble
no more forever. Some will return,
but all will not.
It has been for the most part a
quiet, orderly body—a good ordin
ary legislature. It is distinguished
in one respect however. It has not
made a spectacle of itself as some of
its predecessors have done. It has
not framed a state road lease or
passed a railroad tax bill, but it has
avoided some of the pitfalls of
folly that usually claim the General
Assembly as their own.
One reason for the quietude of
the assembly is that many of the
burdens which used to trouble it
are removed by the constitutional
amendment which placed the work
of making corporations on other
shoulders. Another reason is that
this is a much more conservative
body than the alliance legislature of
which the Hon. Mel Branch is a
surviving sample.
This General Assembly seems to
have been a training school for in
cipient statesmen, and a grooming
ground for candidates. The most
distinguished of these is the Hon.
A. O Bacon, who seems co he ahead
of all competitors in the Senatorial
race. He succeeded in getting his
political platform adopte I by a
ntarly unanimous vote. Next is
Clay, who once refused a guherna
torial crown. Then comes Atkinson,
who wants one but has not said
so, and last but not least, a whole
crowd of incipient candidates for
judgeships and solicitor general's
offices. To all thesj we say hail,
tint not farewell. The hungry we
have always with us. To the bloom
ing senatorial and gubernatorial
timber we say in the language of
the ring, ‘-may the best man win.”
TARIFF AMENDMENTS.
The fol owing amendments have
been put upon the Wilson tariff bill
by the Democratic majority of the
ways and means committee:
Co lodi n, from JI per pound to 45 per cent
ad va orem.
Ethers, sulphuric, from 23 to 33 cents per
pound.
Lead and lead products Changed from ad va
lorem toone-hslf the p'esent specific rates.
M*g»sic fire brick, 81 per ol .
Pottery classification changed and rates made
35 and 40 p-rcent.
rerro-m mganese, from 22J4 per cent to 10 per
cent.
Common b'ack p'ate, from 35 psr cent ad va
lorem to a specific dut. of a-10 c-tnt.
7ln (date, from an ad valorem duty ot 40 per
cent r <> a specific doty of 1 1-5 cents per pound,
cat l< g ► ffect < ictob >r 1.
» ire from .30 co 35 cents.
Mad sheets, Ac., made specific at IM cents per
pound.
D me* are res-orsd on plane 1 lumbar at the
rate ot 5) esnes per thou sanAA et for each Side
w,* pjfor;-'*"ed, tonguWaid gro >ved on
o <e rid**, and 8 .5) wtiim planed, tongued or
grooved <>n both sidss !
Mali f om 21 per c -n)t to 25 per cent.
Orange*, Scent*, cu'bic footcipacity.
Chocolate confec i'inery, from 2 cents per
pound to 25 per cent ad valorem.
Ch unpagne restored to the present rates.
Twice of hemp In ba*ket danse increased from
0 , er cent to 30 per cent.
Oilcloth fom 20 h er cen' to 25 per cent.
Linen*, lices, <Ssc., irom 35 to 40 per cent.
Carpet*, except Aubnsson and Brussels, in
creased 5 uer cent.
Cotnhedailk re tiredto the dutiable list at
halt the ■ resent rate, 2>c per pound.
Broshes and featner dusters, from 25 to 30 per
cent.
I’earl bTtons, fr>m 13 per cent to 1 per cent
per Hue and 15 pej* cent ad valorem.
Jewelrv in.re w d from 25 to 35 per cent.
001. iv iry. sajAid or cut into logs, Is on the
free list. '/
Petr de'm. er tde or refine 1, is made free if
the country pialucing it «d tuts oir* f ee.
< original dr tf.ng* an I *ketche*. artist's proofs
of etching* ,vln.e and itr a tuaiy of wood
are ad nitt-Ai t .e free art clan e.
*ftr her off* *S'rr%ii<slLtAAmit. Is taken from
the free list and left among the m *nufaetures of
pearl.
The li nit of wea-ioy apoa'el which may be
' r ught in fr -e is reduerd irom >SOO to J 250.
Cotton thread y,rn. warps or warp yarn,
wheth-r aingl •or adv meed beyond the Condi
tion of i-i igle by grouping or twis’ing two or
more simile yarns togetnei. whe ner on beams
or in bundles, skeins or cops, or io any other
form, except ep ml tbr ad of cotton, beielnafter
proidrd'or va’ued at n >t exc-edlng 12 cents
p*-r pound, -0 per c *nt ad valo-tm; valued at
over 12 Cents per pound and nit exceeding 20
cents p-r • ou»d, 25 pe*cen r ad valorem: valued
at over 20 cent* per p >u id an 1 n ittexcsediiit 30
I ernes er pound 3) per cent ad valorem; valued
.at 30 cents and no; ex feeding *0 cents per
pnnnd .35 per ■feat, valued at over 43*cents per
pound 40 per cent *d valorem.
Burlaps, 15 percent.
The f-llowinz res iludtns have been unani
mously adopted by ihetarifiT Reform Committee
of tt e Ref rm ' luh;
“liero ved. That th* co-nmiit“C, althnngh of
opinion tnat the <tu i-s imp >se iby the Wilson
1 ardt hill are in many c *ae* much too high atd
* >s large a
!>'■ ootained, nevcihee-a
■ Wnl Ulf ■' 'll! ti m of tax-s
ind favors ilie p, Hage ol'
T . '■•.tn iiliui.it. red i lug rat.u
'■ *'*/. .jit**' I 'f Hie i’'.ir:>osi' of o.trying
- ‘ r ’. 1 ■ 1 a C I’lonittee
Hh-.l by ill" Ib. ill , with liliTty to
wbi, h all ,11 haie poster to
H wbic i in .y ei-ui t ' rbein ex
Hr'jPj iS t l,! I"'" ■ r| ‘" ,n * c t
'..99 Tsriff 'ol . with pro,.er amend-
eminent has
|wiiation for thecon
upon the
oceanic railroad across the Isthmus
of Tehuantepec. The completion of
the line has been delayed on account
of the lack of funds, but the en
gineers now vive promise that it can
be made ready for traffic by the
year 1896. There is an idea preva
lent in Mexico that the Americans
desire to impede the progress of the
work, in the interest of the Nica
rauga canal. This idea is erroneous.
We favor the Tehuantepec railroad.
It will be advantageous to Ameri
can as well as to Mexican commerce.
It cannot make any less necessary
to the world the construction of the
Nicaragua ship canal. -
The spectacle of m n ney seeking
real estate loans at 4| per cent with
in three months after currency sold
fora premium, shows the severe and
rap d changes to which our financial
system is liable. The tollowing is
from the New York Herald:
“Money to loan on mortgage at
4 12 and 5 per cent made itself
visible in large quantities in the
offices of the leading loan brokers
yesterday, but thete are not at the
present time many desirable appli- -
cations. Ihe 412 per rent money
is on'y to be bad on downtown
property of the highest character
where the amount ai-ked fcr repre
sents about 50 pel cent of the value
of the property. On uptown prop
erly, bo 'ever, the luling rate is 5
per > ent and the mortgages repre
sent possibly sixty per cent of the
value.”