Newspaper Page Text
T, A. HAVRON, Publisher.
THE SCAFFOLD.
Spies, Parsons, Fiacher and Engel
Pay the Penalty.
They Go to the Scaffold With Stolid In
difference and Meet Their Fate With
out a Shudder - Every Thing
Pascod Off Quietly.
THE LAST DAT.
Chicago. Nov . 12. -The day fixed for the
execution of the Anarchists dawned bright
and clear. The early morning air was
rather sharp, but as the day advanced the
sun shone out warm and pleasant. Soon
after sunrise people could be seen hurrying
along all the central thoroughfares of the
city, intent upon securing places in tlic
immediate vicinity of the county jail,
where the execution was to take place!
and by nine o’clock there had col
lected quite a largo number, but not
nearly as large as many had expected. The
sun’s rays, lighted up the dingy-looking
building comprising tho Criminal Court
and county jail, covering the cost half of
the square bounded by Clark. Illinois,
Dearborn and Michigan streets, just below
Igpjyp mkim*
THE CONDEMNED MEN.
the point where the ultra-fashionable sec
tion Ytf the North Side begins. Lines of
grim and determined-looking policemen,
armed with rifles, and seemingly amply
prepared for any emergency, stretched all
about the square in which the jail is situ
ated, and no one except representatives of
tho press and various city officials were
allowed to enter the interacted section.
On top of the jail and on the tops of nu
merous buildings in the immediate vicinity,
were to be seen more armed policemen,
ready, from their elevate I positions, to aid
in suppressing any dis urbanee that might
arise. Other policemen were pacing up
and down Clark street, some distance from
the jail, keeping a sharp look-out on the
movements of those who were gathering
on all the streets contiguous to the scene
of the execution.
At five o’clock in the morning everything
was quiet at the jail. The sheriff was
asleep in the jailer’s private office, and
nearly one-half of his guard was enjoying
a rest also. The streets were almost de
serted, save by policemen and night watch
men, and if there is to be any trouble there
are now not the slightest indications of it.
At 1:30 o’clock the death watch was
changed.
Parsons woke up shortly after two
o’clock, or, rather, he was awakened by
tho noise tne crowd in trie office made. He
sat bolt upright, and turning to the watch
at the door, exclaimed: “Why don’t you
stop that noise outside! 1 can’t sleep if it
is continued.”
The watch called a man to relievo him,
and going to the door leading to the office,
closed it, and thus shut out the sounds tho
Anarchist cqmplained about. Parsons laid
down agaiu, and was soon sound asleep.
COOK COUNTY JAIL—MiI IMG AN STREET EN
TRANCE.
The other three did not complain of the
noise, for thev slept too soundly to be dis
turbed by it. The in.in who silently watched
over thorn and listened to their regular,
heavy breathing, said they were sleeping
as peacefully as if they were in their own
homes.
The other 200 prisoners, notwithstanding
that they were all crowded together in the
cells" of the south corridor, wero u nusually
quiet. They made scarcely a sound. They
seemed to realize the import of the work
that was going on so quietly in the north
corridor, and they behaved as if they wanted
the last night of the doomed men to be a
peaceful one.
The scaffold was all ready for service at
two o’clock. It was not only up and all in
place, but the ropes that wero used to
swing the four Anarchists into eternity had
been thoroughly tested by means of 200-
pound sand bags.
The lour coffins —hideous emblems of
deuth—arrived shortly after three o’clock
and wero placed in tho basement of
the jail and locked up. Thev were
very plain, but were considerably
better than the coffins that are
usually furnished on such occasions. It is
not probable, however, that any of the four
men will be buried in them, if their bodies
are turned over to their relatives and the
Anarchists of the city are allowed to hold
such a funeral as they have been planning
for months back. No very plain coffins
will do for them. They will have nothing
but the best that can bo obtained lor
money. There seems to be » grain of
doubt as to whether the sheriff will turn
the bodies over to relatives, even if the lat
ter demands them. They belong to the
State, and the State can do whatever its
proper officers care to do. In tho light of
recent developments and the chances for
extensive rioting, if a funeral is held, it is
not impossible that the sheriff will inter
the bodies himself. If lie gives them to
relatives or iriends it will only be so upon
condition that there-will be no public dem
onstration.
KEAtI OF .FAIT*
Mrs. Parsons, .with her two children and
a Mrs. Holmes, put in an appearance at the
Dearborn street entrance and demanded to
see her husband. She was refused admit
tance and declining to go away, the four
were placed in a patrol wagon and taken to
the Chicago avenue station.
All this time none but representatives of
the press had been admitted to the jail
office. This arrangement was an admirable
one for the newspaper men, who, at previ
ous executions in this building, have been
compelled to perform their duiies under
great difficulties. It, was not relished, how
ever, by tho outsiders, who stood and shiv
ered in the cold air and stamped their feet
to keep the blood in circulation.
At ten o’clock two dispatches were taken
to Parsons. Just as the dispatches had
been taken in the sound of singing, in gut
teral voice, broke upon the ears of those
gathered in the office. In an instant all
was as still as death. The voice was that
of Fischer, and he was standing at his cell
door, singing the Marseillaise with all
tho strength of his powerful lungs.
There was a smile upon his face,
not one of cynicism, but a hearty, open
faced smile, as that of a man who was
entering heart and soul into the sentiment
of the words he was singing. He sang
two stanzas of Rongent de l’lsles, famous
song of the French Revolution, and then
subsided. None of his comrades joined in
the chorus, although the faces of Parsons
and Spies brightened up and they listened
intently until the note 3 had died away.
Schwab, who, many a time in days gone
by, had joined in the chorus at the meetings
of the International, was considerably ex
ercised by the episode, and paced up and
down his cell with energy. Fischer was
talking with his death watch. Ho said last
night he dreamed of Germany and his
happy childhoood’s home. Just then a loud
noise was heard. It was a deputy testing
the scaffold with sand bags. Engel came
to the door of his cell. He knew what the
sound meant, and winked at his death
watch.
f|f|p Oj^-7 1
TIIE JAIL COURTYARD.
Rev. Dr. Bolton (10:15) again visited the
cells, but from none of the condemned did
he receive a word of encouragement.
“When I get to heaven I’ll put in a good
word for Bill Stobie” (one of the guards),
said Fischbr to his death watch. Stobie
had been very kind to the condemned man.
At 10:25 Fischer talked gaily with his
guard. Spies lighted another cigar and
aiso talked to his keeper. He exhibited
signs of nervousness. He received a letter
and Parsons a telegram. Engel walked up
and down his cell. He was offered some
stimulant, but refused it.
At 10:40 a. ni. all of the condemned men
were composed, except Parsons, who was
slightly nervous, but otherwise all right.
At 10:50 County Physician Moyer took
his leave of the men to whose health he
has been daily ministering for the past,
seventeen months. All of them shook him
by the hand, but not one of them displayed
the slightest emotion.
From 10:50 to 11:00 Spies occupied himself
in reading a paper. The others paced up
and down thoir cells, stopping at every
turn to look out through the bars like
caged criminals. The narrow corridors,
upon which the cells of the quartette look
out, was filled with the deputies who were
to conduct them to the scaffold.
At 11:21 a. m. all the men took a lunch
and stimulants except Parsons, and then
called for coffee.
The sheriff then read the death warrant
to each of the condemned men, and placed
on them white shrouds. The procession
was formed and the men walked unas
sisted, with firm steps, to the scaffold,
which they reached at 11 tnT.
Sheriff Matson lead tfce procession, and
the prisoners, accompanied bv deputies,
followed. When tho procession reached
the scaffold the four men were placed upon
the trap. All were ghastly pale. Spies’
hair seemed to literally stand up on end.
Engel’s shoulders seemed nearly to touch
the top of his head. Parsons set his teeth
firmly together and looked down calmly
upon the crowd beMath. His face was the
face of a man of iron.
A murmur of admiration for his unflinch
Ing nerve went through the crowd. Engel
turned round and said something inaudible
to the deputy. It was evidently of a jocu
lar character, for the condemned man
laughed heartily. Eiseher looked at him a
moment and then he, too, put in a remark.
Spies and Parsons, at either end of the
scaffold, maintained a stolid and dignified
demeanor, but there was a look of uuutter
able woe upon the face of the ox-editor,
which pierced tho hearts of those sur
rounding the scaffold. *
The shrouds had already been adjusted
before the men left their ceils. Nothing
TRENTON, DADE COUNTY, GA., FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18. 1887.
remained but to encircle each neck with
the noose, and to cover each head with the
cap. Jailor I’oiz approached Spies. A
quick movement—so quick that it could
hardly be noticed—and the rope was
around his neck and drawn taunt. There
was not a movement of a muscle.
The same stolid look, the same woc-begone
look from the eyes. Foiz moved a step,
and in a moment tho throat of Fischer was
encircled by the noose. He moved his head
up and down, as if it hurt him. Engel did
not move while the operation was being
performed. Parsons riveted his gazo on
the ground and his features were r.on
trae'ed. All four were evidently deter
mined to die game.
A deputy approached Spies wi'h the
rap in his hand The condemned man said
something in an undertone; lie was evi
dently lemons rating. The deputy wavered
for a moment. Spies then spoke still more
earnestly. The deputy looked at the sher
iff; the latter closed his eyes. It was
enough. The cap was quickly drawn over
the face of the Anarchist leader. It had
been seen for the last time in life. The
head of Engel was next covered; then
Fischer—Parsons last.
Fischer’s head moved up and down in the
direction of the sheriff, who, with his hands
upon the iron railing of the gallery, was
ready to give the signal. It was as though
Ihe Anarchist, as well as he could in his
muslin-covered head, was beckoning the
sheriff to approach him. That official, how
ever did not respond.
ANARCHISTS’ CELLS AN D VISITORS’ CAGE.
There was a moment of death-like still
ness. Then clear and distinct came the
voice of Spies. His form straightened up;
the muslin seemed to move in harmony
with his lips. “Our silence is more power
ful than speech,” that was all, but there
was a ring to it that echoed far away
down the corridor. Silence then came
again for a second. Then, in a round,
full voice, a shout: “Hurrah for
Anarchy,” came from Engel. Another
pause, broken, this time, by the voice of
Fischer, “This is the happiest moment of
my life,” he says. Then the clear, well
modulated voice of Parsons breaks the op
pressive stillness. There is not that enthu
siastic ring in it which marked the utter
ances of the others. It is not the voice of
a judge delivering a decision. A scarcely
definable pause between each word—“ Shall
I be allowed to speak, O meu and women of
dear America?”
The sheriff shifted his position a little;
he was several feet away from the
speaker, but tho speaker must have seen
the movement through the folds of the
cap. There was a rising inflection in his
voice, not so mucli of pleading as of de
mand. “Let me speak, Sheriff Matson,”
is what he said. “Le; the voice of the peo
ple be heard ” down went the drop. The
last words of Parsons died upon his lips.
Four bodies swung in empty air, and the
Havmarkot massacre was avenged.
The drop fell at 11:55:96. From the first
step of Spies upon tho scaffold until the
cutting of the rope, precisely six minutes
and three seconds had elapsed. For a mo
ment after the drop had fallen not a soul
stirred. A low murmur, like a pent-up sigh
of relief, went through the corridor. Then,
as if moved by one common impulse, every
man rose to his feet, and every eye was
riveted upon the body of Spies. The arch-
Anarchist was dying hard. His legs and
arms moved convulsively and with extra
ordinary rapidity—it was as though he was
alive and conscious and struggling to free
himself from the cords that bound him.
His whole frame was agitated by a tremor.
Low groans of horror came front many lips,
and the expression “He’s dying hard,” was
heard on all sides.
If <
'/fQy I. ifr^ v *s£w" jjr
A j,
Ip
WHERE THE EXECUTION TOOK PLACR.
This continued for over a minute, and
then the sti uggles grew fainter and fainter,
until they finally ceased. The bodies of
Engel and Fischer wero motionless for a
moment after the drop, save for the swing
ing to and fro. Then Fischer’s legs drew
up and down, and there was a convulsive
movement in his arms. Engel's struggles
were brief.
Parsons atone died as though his heart
had been pierced by a bullet. He came
down like a log. There was not a twitch,
not a single contraction of the muscles.
His neck hud boeu broken install ly. All
three of the others evidently slowly
strangled to death.
The bodies were lowered at 12:2">, after
having been hanging thirty minutes. The
coffins—plain ones, painted a dark brown,
with silver-plated handles, were placed
under the bodies, acrjss short wooden
horses. Spies’ body was the first to bo low
ered into the coffin. Tho white cap cover
ing his head w'gs drawn up some little dis-
tance, exposing his neck with the rope
tightened around the skin. It was with
great difficulty that the noose was loosor.od
by a deputy. After much tugging, the knot
was slipped and the white cap was taken
off. Spies’ face was covered with a greasy
perspiration, and his mouth was open show
ing teeth somewhat discolored. There was
no discoloration of the face, and the noose
left no mark on the neck. Dr. Lewis
placed his linger under Lhe right side of the
neck and pressed in. “Spies died from
strangulation,” ho said. “The neck is not
broken.” Instantly tho cap was replaced
and the cover ol tne coffin was screwed
down.
As soon as lhe coffin lid had been ad
justed Fischer’s body was lowered and pre
pared for encasement. His long neck
allowed a blue-black line of discoloration,
with a slight coagulation under the left
ear. Engel’s body was warm, although
his hands showed great discoloration. The
strain on his handcuffs had been so severe
as to imbed the irons iu the flesh. The
somewhat frail form of Albert Parsons was
easily handled. Over a spotless yndershin
lie wore a new suit of dark blue flannel. It
is given out that. *SOO has been offered for
the clothes which Parsons wore at the
hanging.
After the bodies of Engel and Lingg had
been embalmed they were placed in plain,
unpretentious coffins and taken to the resi
dence and store of Mrs, Engel. Hundreds
of friends of the dead men filed into and
out of the little shop and took a last look at
the faces. At one end of the store Mrs.
Engle sat with eyes red with weeping, and
her face shrouded in a black veil. Eda
Mueller, too, sat Deside tho casket which
held all that remained on earth of her lover.
Her face was pale as death, and she sobbed
convulsively as the symprlhizing /riends
filed in and out.
Further up Milwaukee avenue, at No.
536, is another undertaker's shop, where
the bodies of Spies, Parsons and Fischer
were cared for. Mrs. Parsons was the most
noticeable person there. She sat with her
back to tho window, through which a hun
dred eager, curious eyes peered. A woman
clothed in black, with face covered with a
heavy veil, held Mrs. Parson’s hand. This
was Mrs. Van Zandt, mother of Spies’
proxy wife, and she was as deeply affected
as the Anarchists’wives. A small bowed
figure sat alono in a corner on a low
stool. It was Mrs. Spies, August’s mother.
Her head was buried in. her hands,
and they were- almost in her lap.
She rocked to and fro in agony of grief,
strangely at variance with the action ol
of Mrs. Parsons, who sat bolt upright and
toward where the body of her husband lay.
Her eyes were fixed in a stony stare, they
were large and lustrous, but seemed te
have lost llio power of weeping. She sat
with one hand clasped in that of the woman
next her, her lips moving as though mut
termg some resolves, the thin, peaked,
dark features peering from behind the
mass of crepe, and looking as though there
was something in the future to anticipate.
Prof. Sullivan, of Bostfln, cmbalmer, ac
companied by Dr. J. J. Morrison, Charles
Hager and C. H. Saunters, embalmers of
this city, went to tho undertaking estab
lishment at No. 495 MUvvaukee avenue yes
terday afternoon mejFopare for burial tho
bodies of Spies, JJrecher The
body of Spies was embalmed first and
turned over to his mother, who took it to
her home late in the evening. Tho em
balmers next went to work on the bodies
of Persons and Fischer and may not finish
their work until this morning.
‘fudging from the appearance of the
bodies^,” said Prof. Sullivan to a reporter,
“the hanging of these men was a thor
oughly ?Sj£iitifie piece of work. I did not
witness and my judgment
up<Mi tho skill with which it was managed
is tmsed upon my observation of the ap
pearance of the bodies which I am now
wonting upon. Yes, Engel was the only
one of the four whoso neck was briken.
The other three choked to death.”
Five hundred dollars was presented yes
terday to tne widows and orphans of the
men killed at the Haymarket, as follows:
To the widow of Officer Nels Hansen and
her four children-#l5O, $125 to the widow
of Officer Flavin, s2sto Mrs. Redden, SSO t,o
Mrs. Barrett and $59 to tile son of Matthias
J. Degan. The money was the girt of a
prominent business man, who put it in In
spector Bonfield’s bands at the time well
known citizens began to sign the petitions
for clemency. He refused to allow the use
of his name. The money was distributed
iu proportion to the size of the family and
was handed out in the inspector’s office
yesterday afternoon.
The ArbHter Zeihtng was not issued yes
terday, the employes having decided that
they could best testify to their respect for
the memories of “their best comrades of
the past” by closing the office. The build
ing was draped a little, a streamer of black
and white having been strung from tho
top windows.
Mrs. Parsons was released from custody
in the afternoon and she immediately called
a cai> and was hurried to her home on Mil
waukee avenue. Once there she secluded
herself in her room and refused to be seen.
A report was circulated that Nina Van
Zandt had committed suicide. The report
was generally believed, but at the Van
Zandt residence the servant stated that
Nina was a'ive and well and bad been out
driving with her mothor during the after
noon.
Just before tho march to the gallows
Fischer lifted his face to tho cells of Field
en and Schwab, in the gallery above, and
shouted: ‘Bruder Schwab, Wir wuenschen
ihnen ein glueoklishes leben, und dass sic
bald heraus kommen.” I Brother Sehvvaib,
We wish you a lmppy life and that you may
soon be free.) Then ho addod: “Good by,
Sam.” ‘-Good by, Sam,” echoed Spies and
Engel. Parsons said nothing.
“O, my God, my God!” exclaimed Field
en as his comrades disappeared from sight
forever. Then he threw himself into a cor
ner of his cell, dropping to bis knees hiding
his face in his hands. His powerful frame
shook under the terrible strain of the mo
ment with convulsive sobs. He was writh
ing in agony.
Schwab stood at the door of his cell, his
hands folded behind, his brow overhung by
matted hair pressed against the iron bars.
Tears streamed down his cheeks and ran
into his black and unkempt beard. He Avas
so overcome by emotion that he could not
speak. Not one of-the spectators was un
moved. %
William Roger, a German printer, and
Herman Miller, a German carpenter, were
arrested for seditious talk. They were
looked up at the Chicago aveuue »{atic«a as
disorderly persons.
LAND PURCHASES,
Borne of the Most Gratifvlus Products of
Democratic Policy.
The United States originally com
prised the old thirteen colonies east of
the Alleghenies which fought the revo
lutionary, war and afterwards became
the thirteen original States. When
tho treaty of peace was made at Paris
in 17.83 it was an interesting question
what should be the Western, or rather
the Northwestern boundary, the British
commissioners proposing to draw a line
from Lake Erie to a point somewhere
on the Upptft- Ohio river. This would
have reserved to the mother country
all the magnificent Northwest Terri
tory. as it was called, which the old
colony of Virginia had partially con
quered from the Indians and then
claimed as part of its domain. The
American commissioners insis ed on
the surrender of it to the United
States, and two of them, Franklin and
Jay, declared if it was not conceded
they would return home and leave
matters where they stood at the battle
of Yorktown. The British commis
sioners yielded at last; they eouhl not
foresee the future value and impor
tance of a wilderness occupied at the
time by hostile Indians, and, in sur
rendering their claim to it, they
had little conception of what they
were doing. The country, as de
fined by this treaty, comprised
all the domain south of the St
Lawrence river and lakes on the north
and east of tho Mississippi, with the
exception of that part of the present
State of Louisiana east of the river, and
the Territory of Florida—an area of
827.500 square miles. This was the be
ginning. The domain was a mag
nificent one and the statesmen of that
day thought—if they ever took the
trouble to think about the matter at
all—that it was enough for all time.
But they could not grasp the tremen
dous future that was about to press
upon them. Twenty years later, and
while some of the American commis
sioners who had. negotiated the treaty
of Paris were still living, President
Jefferson, by a stroke of statesmanship
which, in the language of James G.
Blaine, deserves to be commemorated
by a statue to the Father of Democracy
in St. Louis, bought the Louisiana
territory from France, paying $15,000,-
000 for it. Iu telling the Louisiana
territory Napoleon had a better idea of
what he was doing than the British
commissioners had when they gave up
the Northwest territory in 1783, hut
even Napoleon only dimly discerned
what the wilderness he was parting
witji would grow' into. It included the
vast domain lying w r est of the Missis
sippi and north of Texas, Mexico and
California, and extending to British
America, now embracing the States of
Arkansas, Colorado, Missouri, Louis
iana, Kansas, Nebraska, lowa, Minne
sota and Oregon, the Indian Nation,
and the Territories of Dakota, Idaho,
Montana, Wyoming and Washington
—the whole having an area of 1,173,-
000 square miles—nearly a third
greater titan the original domain of the
country.
The next acquisition of territory was
that of Florida, bought from Spain at
a cost of $5,000,000 by the Monroe
Administration, in 1321. By this pur
chase we gained 70,000 square miles
of new territory, and secured a contin
uous line of seacoast from Maine to
the Sabine river.
Texas was annexed in 1815, under
the Polk Administration, giving us an
additional 270,000 square miles. Out
of this annexation grew the Mexican
War, under the same Administration,
in 1847, which ended in the conquest of
Lite territory now embraced in part of
Arizona, California, Colorado, New
Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and small parts
;>f Wyoming, and hating
an area square miles.
Under the Administration of Mr.
Pierce, in 1853, we negotiated the
“Gadsden purchase,” as it was called,
by which we acquired an additional
45.500 square miles, now included in
Arizona.
The next and last acquisition was
that of Alaska, under tho Andrew
Johnson Administration, in 1868. This
added a territory, of 575,000 square
miles area to the country, ami extended
its northern limit up within the Arctic
circle. Wo paid for it $7,500,000. An
examination of tiie map will show that
Alaska is the only part of the
public domain separated from
the hotly of the country. A part
of British America lies between the.
two. This awkward arrangement
grows out of the Oregon boundary
treaty of 1810. The British and our
selves both claimed the whole of Ore
gon Territory; we up to latitude 54.40,
and the dispute waxed so warm and war
like that "Fifty-four Forty or Fight,”
actually became an alliterative war
cry; but a treaty was finally made at
Washington, by which the British
backed up and we back d down to the
forty-ninth parallel, which has ever
since constituted the boundary.
It will be observed that this succes
sion of Requisitions by which, in the
brief period of sixty-live years, the or
iginal domain of the country was ex
panded fvpm 827.500t0 3,600,000 square
VOL. IV.—NO. 39.
miles, or more than quadrupled, was
the work almost exclusively of D >mo
cratic administrations. Indeed, if we
call Janies Monroe and Andrew John
son Democrats —and they can notprojv
erly be called any thing oise—then
every foot of territory added to the
original domain is the product of the
Democratic policy which Mr. Jefferson
inaugurated in the Louisiana purchase
in 1803. —St. Louis Republican.
DEMOCRATIC REFORM.
Dishonest Republican Postmasters -Made
to I)l«i«rje Tlielr Spoils.
Very little lias been said about the
good work done by the Democratic
Administration in turning tho
out of post-offices- they held all over
the country, hut nevertheless it has re
sulted in a very considerable retrench
ment of expenses. There w r as wide
spread stealing by Republican post
masters, but it would never have been
heard of if the people had not decided
to open the books Find have Dem
ocratic officials to examine. That
is why a great many fourth
class post-ofliees which used to
pay the postmaster from SSO to SIOO
a quarter do not pay the present in
cumbent more than one-tenth of that
revenue, lhe reason is that the new
Democratic postmasters charge just
wdiat their business entitles them to,
whereas their Republican predecessors
charged just as much as they thought
they could gel from the profligate Re
publican Administration. Fourth-class
postmasters are paid according to the
number of stamps they cancel, or, in
other words, according to the amount
of mail originating at, that office to be
forwarded to the rest of the world.
“The department,” says Chief Clerk
Rov, “lias very frequently to send out
an inspector to see what is the reason
for the serious falling off iu postal busi
ness, as indicated by reduced salaries
earned by the new postmasters. A
postmaster now r at the end of
the quarter claims only $5 or
$6 as the amount due him
on the business of his office for the
three months. The books show that
his predecessor was in the habit of
making S7O or SBO every quarter. The
inspector investigates and finds that
there has been no apparent falling off
in business. The office is not boy
cotted; fully as many people patronize
it as formerly, and they send as much
mail matter as they had been accus
tomed to send. The explanation is
that while the Republican postmaster
had only done $5 or $6 worth of busi
ness he represented that he had done
ten times as much and claimed accord
ingly. The department has practically
had to take the word of the post
master; at least, it has generally done
so. The marked difference between
the large charges made by the post
masters of the old regime and the
small charges made by their Demo
cratic successors, who did not know
how to steal, suggested to the Demo
cratic Administration that there ap
peared to be something wrong, and
that an investigation was needed. The
investigation lias proved that the Re
publican postmasters have been charg
ing away out of all proportion to the
business done. The charge has been
brought home to a large number of
them, and so thoroughly that gener
ally the delinquent returned to the
Government what he had wrongfully
drawn in years past, and whenever tho
delinquent official has failed to settle
the bondsman has generally come to
the front with alacrity. In this way
the present Administration has already
recovered about half a million dollars
from Republican fourth-class post
masters who had been in the habit of
drawing for a bigger lasiness than
they really transacted.”— Washington
Post.
NOTES OF THE DAY.
day: What has become of John Sher
man. — N. Y. Post.
The Democratic party guaran
tees free and fair elections, and an
honest count, so long as it shall ad
minister the Government. — Richmond
Whin. •
The return of one hundred mil
lion acres of land to the people is cer
tainly ground enough for continuing
Democratic administration, — Louis
ville Courier-Journal.
To the Hon. J-m-s G. B-a-ne,
I’aris—Cleveland's tour ended. We
watched him close, but he failed to
put his foot in it once. Sorry 1 can't
send you more cheerful news. Burn
this dispatch. St-p-cn B. E-k-ns. St.
Louis Republican.
The fact is there* never yet was a
politician in the wake of Mr. Biaim
w ho would not rather distort the truth
than acknowledge any lark of popular
strength in the mendacious statesman,
hike leader, like followers. Chicago
News.
There are more Union veterans
in the'employ of the Government at
\Ya hington under this Democratic
Administration than there ever were
under any Republican Administration.
Of course Republican papers can t
span* space to give their readeti items
like thia.v-'Boston Globe,,