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4 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.”