Dade County weekly times. (Rising Fawn, Dade County, Ga.) 1884-1888, December 09, 1887, Image 1

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T. A. HAVRON, Publisher. mm n. The President Discusses but One Subject-Tariff. The United States is Collecting Too Much Money From the People. Does Not Want the Internal Reve nue Taxes Reduced. If l>ij«sLer KfMulU Irotn (lie Continued Inaction of Congress, the Krgpuusihllity Must Best Where it Belongs —The Mes sage in Full. To fhe VoiojvpSA ij !lit Umfeti Sf.o.lt* You avo confronted at llic threshold of your legislative duties with a condition of the National finances which imperatively demands Immediate and careful consideration The amounted money annually exacted through the operation of present laws, from the industries and necessities of the people largely exceeds the sum necessary to meet the ex penses of the government. When we consider that the theory of our institutions guarantees to every citizen the full enjoyment of the fruits of his industry aim. en terprise, with only such deduction -as may he his share towards the careful and econopiical maintenance of the government which protects him. it is plain that the exaction of more than this is indispensable extortion and a culpable betrayal of American fairness and justice. This wrong inflicted upon those who bear the burden of National taxation, like other wrongs, multi plies a brood of evil consequences. The public treasury, which should only exist as a conduit, conveying the people's tribute to Its legitimate objects of expenditures, becomes a boarding place for money needlessly with drawn from trade and the people's use. thus crippling our National energies, suspending our country's development, preventing investment In productive enterprise, threatening financial disturbance, and inviting schemes of public plunder. This condition of our treasury is pot. altogether new; and it has more than once of late been submitted to the people's rep resentatives In the Congress, who alone can ap ply a remedy. And yet. the situation still con tinues, with aggravated incidents, more than ever, presaging financial convulsion and wido spread disaster. It will not do to neglect tills situation, because its dangers arc not now pal pably imminent and apparent. They exist none the less certainly, and await the. unforeseen and unexpected occasion wljen suddenly they will be precipitated upon u<. On the 30th day of June. 1885. the excess of rev enues over public expenditures after complying with the annual requirement of the sinking fund act, was 117.859.735.8-1; during the year ended Jmw 3, 1880, such excess amounted to *49.405.- M 3.30; and. during the yo«r ended Jtiue 'lO, 1887, It reached the sum of t55.50T.519.5i. The annual contributions to the sinking fund during the three years above specified amount ing in the aggregate to $133,058,320.94, and de ducted from the surplus as stated, were made by calling in for that purpose outstanding three per cent, bonds by the Government. During the six mouths prior to June 30, 1887, the sur plus revenue liad grown so large by repeated ac cumulations, and it was feared the withdrawal of this great sum needed by the people would so affect the business of the country that the sum of $79,801,100 of such surplus was applied to the payment of the principal and in terest of the three per cent, bonds still out standing and which were then payable at the eption of the Government. The precarious con dition of financial affairs among the people still needing relief, immediately after the 30th day of June. ISBI. the, remainder of the three Jmr cent, bonds then outstanding, amount lug with principal and interest to the sum of 118,877,50) were called in and applied to the sinking fund contribution for the current fiscal year. Notwithstanding these operations of the Treasury Department, representations of dis tress in business circles not only continued, hut increased, and absolute peril seemed at hand. In these circumstances the contribution to the sinking fund for the current fiscal year ,was at once completed by the expenditure of $27,684,283.55 in the purchase of gov ernment bonds, not yet due, hearing four and four and a half per cent, interest, the premium paid thereon averaging about twenty-four per cent, for the former, and eight per cent, for Ihe latter. In addition to this the interest accruing during the current year upon the outstanding bonded indebtedness of the Government was to some extent anticipated, and banks selected as depositories of public money were permitted to somewhat increase their deposits. While the expedients thus employed to re lease to the people the money lying idle in the treasury, served to avert immediate danger, Our surplus revenues have continued to accu mulate, the excess for the present year amount ing on the first, day of December to *55.258.701.- 19, and estimated to reach the sum of *14,000,- fl'Wl on the 30tU of June next, at which date it is expected that this sum, added to the prior ac cumulations. will swell the surplus in the tieus ury to $140.000,030. There seems to be no assur ance that, with such a withdrawal from us of the people's circulating medium, tour business community may not. in the near future. be subjected to the same distress which was quite lately produced from Ihe* same cause, and while the functions of our National Tieas ury should he few and simple, and while its best condition would he reached. I believe. Jn its entire disconnection with private business in terests. yet, when, by a perversion of its pur poses, It idly holds money uselessly subtracted f*qm the channels of trade, there seems to bo re a on for the claim that some legitimate means should he devised by the Government to restore in an emergency, without waste or ex travagance, such money to its place among the people. . , I r such an emergency arises there now exists no clear and undoubted Executive power of re lief. Heretofore the redemption of three per cant. bonds, which were payable at the option of the Government has afforded a means for the disbursement of the excess of our revenues; but these bonds have all been retired, and there are tic bonds outstanding the payment ol which we have the right to'insist upon. The contribu tion to the sinking fund which furnishes the oc-. fusion for expenditure iu the purchase of bonds has lieen already made for the current year, so that there is no outlet in t hat direction. In the present s*ate of legislation the only pretense of any existing executive power to restore, at this time, any part of our surplus cvjeuc* to the people by Us expenditure, cq»- ?‘ st » 1n I *’o supposition that the Secretary of the Treasury MAY ENTER THE MARKET and purchase bonds of the Government not yet due, at a rate of premium to he agreed upon. Ihe only prov ision of law from which such H power could he derived is found iti mi appropri ation hill passed a number of years ago, and it is subject to the suspicion that it was in tended as temporary and limited in its applica tion, instead of conferring a continuing discre tion and authority. No condition ought to exist Vhioh would justify the grant of power to a single official, upon his judgment of its necessity, to Withhold from or release to the business pi the people, in an unusual manner, money held In the Treasury, and thus affect, at his will, the financial situation of the country; and if it is deemed wise to lodge in the Secre tary of the Treasury the authority in the pres ont junctur. to purchase bonds, it should be plainly vested, and provided, as far as possible, with such checks and limitations tis will define this officials right and discretion, and at the same time relieve him from undue responsibil ity. In considering the question of purchasing bonds as a means of restoring circuhitioh the surplus money accumulating in the Treasury, it should be borne in mind that premiums must of course be paid upon such purchase, that there may be a large fiart of these bonds held as investments which can not be purchased at any price, and that combinations among holders who are w illing to soil rtiay unreasonably en hance the cost of such bonds to the Govern ment, ft has been suggested that the present bond ed debt might ho refunded at a less rat*'of interest, and the difference between the old and new security paid in cash, thus finding use for the surplus in the Treasury. The success of this plan, it is apparent, must depend upon the volition of the holders of the present bonds; and it is not entirely certain that the induce ment which must be ottered them would result in more financial benefit to the Government than the purchase of the bonds, while the latter proposition would reduce the principle of the debt by actual payment instead of extending it. The proposition to deposit the money held by the Government in banks throughout the coun try, for use by thie people, is. it seems to me. ex ceedingly objectionable in principle, as estab lishing ton close a relationship between the operations of the Government Treasury and the business of the country and too extensive a corn mingling of their money thus fostering an un natural reliance in private business upon public funds, If this scheme should be adopted it should only be done ns a temporary expedient to meet an urgent necessity. Legislative and Executive effort should generally bp in the op posite direction, and should have a tendency to divorce, as much and as last ns can safely be done, the Treasury Department from private enterprise. Of course, it is not expected that unnecessary and extravagant appropriations will be made for (he purpose of avoiding the accumulation of mi excess of revenue. Such expenditure, beside the demoralization of all just conceptions of public duty which it entails,-stimuli’:• a habit of reckless improvidence not in the least con sistent with the mission of our people or the high and beneficent purposes of our Govern ment. I have dmaied-t* myWtily 4o ton* bring-to the knowledge of iny countrymen, as well as to the attention of their representatives charged with the responsibility of.legislative relief, the gravi ty of our financial sit uation. The failure of the Congress heretofore to provide against the dangers which It was quite evident the very na ture of the difficulty must necessarily produce, caused a condition of financial distress and ap prehension since your last adjournment which taxed to the utmost all the authority and ex pedients within executive control; and these appear now to be exhausted. IF DISASTER RESULTS from the continued inaction of Congress, the re sponsibility must rest where it belongs. Though the situation thus far consid ered is frouglit, with danger which should be fully realized, and though it presents features of wrong to the people as well as peril to the country, it is lint a result growing out of a perfectly palpable and apparent cause, constantly reproducing the sam' alarming cir stances—a congested National Treasury and a depleted monetary condition in the business of the country. Tt need hardly be stated that while the present situation demands a remedy, we can only be savbd from a like •predicament in the future by the removal of its cause. Our scheme of taxation, by means of which this needless surplus is taken from the people and put into the public treasury, consists of a tar iff or duty levied upon importations from abroad and internal revenue taxes levied upon the consumption of tobacco and spirituous and malt liquors. It must he conceded that none of the things subjected to internal revenue taxa tion are, strictly speaking, necessaries; there appears to he no just complaint of this taxa tion by the consumers of these articles, and there seems to he nothing so well able to hear the burden without hardship to any portion of the people. But our present tariff laws, the VICIOUS, INEQUITABLE AND ILLOGICAL Source of unnecessary taxation, ought to he at once revised and amended. These laws, as their primary and plain effect, raise the price to con sumers of all articles imported and subject to duty, by precisely the sum paid for such duties. Thus the amount of the duty measures the tax paid by those who purchase for use these imported articles. Many of these tilings, however, are raised or manufactured in our own country, and the duties now lev ied upon foreign goods and products are called protection to these home manufac turers. because they render it possible for those of our people who are manufacturers, to make these taxed articles and sell them for a price-equal to that demanded for the imported goods that have paid customs duty. So it hap pens that, while comparatively a few use the imported articles, millions of our people, who never use and never saw any of the foreign products, purchase and use things of the same kind made in this country, and pay therefor nearly or quite the same enhanced price which the duty adds to the imported articles. Those who buy imports pay the duty charged thereon into the public treasury, hut Ihe great majority of our citizens, who buy domestic articles of the same class, pay a sum at least approximately equal to this duty, to the home manufacturer. This reference to the operation of our tariff laws is not made by way of instruction, but in order that we may be constantly reminded of the manner in which they impose a burden upon those who consume domestic products as well as those who consume imported articles, and thus create a fax upon all our people. It is not proposed to entirely relieve the country of this taxation, it must be extensively continued as the source of the Government's in come, and in a readjustment of our tariff the in terests of American laloi engaged in manufac ture should he carefully considered, as well as the preservation of our manufacturers. It may be called protection, or by any other name, but relief from the hardships and dangers of our present tariff laws should he devised with espec ial precaut ion against imperiling the existence of our manufacturing interests. But this existence should not mean a condition which without regard to the public welfare or a Na tional exigency, must always insure the realiza tion of immense profits, instead of moderately profitable returns. As the volume and diversity of our National activities increase, new recruits are added to those who desire a continuation of the advantages which they conceive the present system of tariff taxation directly affords them. So stubbornly have all efforts to reform the vremt coatUUoQ bm resisted by those of our TRENTON, DADE COUNTY, GA.: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1887. fellow-citizens thus engaged, that they can hard ly complain of the suspicion, entertained to a certain extent, that, there exists AN ORGANIZED COMBINATION All along the line to maintain their advantage. We are in the midst of centennial celebra tions, and with becoming pride we rejoice in American skill und ingenuity, in American en ergy and enterprise, and in the wonderful nat- 1 ural advantages and resources developed by a century’s national growth. Yet when an at tempt is made to justify a scheme which per mits a tax to he lgid upon every consumer in the land for the benefit of our manufacturers quilp tpyond a reasonable demand for Gov ernmental regard, it suits the purposes of advocacy 1o call our manufactures infant industries, still needing the highest and greatest degree of favor aqd fostering care that can he wrung from Federal legislation. It taaiso said that the increase in the price of domestic Ynuiuifactures resulting from the pres ent tariff is necessary in order that higher w ages may be paid to our workingmen employed in manufactories than are paid for what is called the pauper labor of Europe All will acknowl edge the force of an argument which involves the welfare and liberal compensation of oui la bor which is honorable in the eyes of every American citizen, and as it lies at the founda tion ol our development and progress, it is en titled. without affectation or hypocrisy, to the utmost regard. The standard of onr laborer's life should not be measured by that of any other country, less favored, and they are entitled to their full share of all our advantages. By the last census it is made to appear that of the 17,392.099 of our population engaged in all kinds of industries. 7,670,493 are employed in agriculture, 4.074 238 in professional and person al service <2,934.876 of whom are domestic ser vants and laborers i, while 1,810,256 are employed in tradqjft’nd transportation, and, 3.837.112 are classed as employed in manufacturing and min ing. For present purposes, however, the las' num ber given should he considerably reduced. Without attempting to enumerate all, it will he conceded that there should he deducted from those which it Includes 37.3,143 carpenters and joiners; 285. Ml milliners dressmakers and seam stresses; 17.2,723 blacksmiths; 1*3,750 tailors and tailoresses; 1112.478 masons; 76 211 butchers : 'll,- 309 baker-: 22.08T'pla»terers, 4,691 engaged in manufacturing agricultural implements,amount ing in the oggn gate to 1.214,023, leaving 2.623,- OS9 persons employed in such manufacturing in dustries as’are claimed to he benefited by a high tariff. To these the appeal is made to save their em ployment and maintain their wages by resisting a change. There should he no disposition TO ANSWER SUCH SUGGESTIONS By the allegation that they arc in a minority among those who labor, and therefore should forego an advantage in the interestof low prices for the majority; their compensation, as it may be affected by the operation of tariff laws, should at all times be scrupulously kept iu view; and yet with slight reflection they will not overlook the tact that they are consumers wilh the rest; that they, too. have their own wants and those of their families to supply from their earnings, and that the price of the neces saries of life, as well as the amount of their wages will regulate the measure of their wel fare iwnbenittfbrt But the reduction of taxation demanded should be so measured as not to necessitate or justify either the loss or employment by the workingman nor the lessening of his wages; and th*' profits still remaining to the manufac turer, after a necessary re-adjustment, should furnish no excuse for the sacrifice of the inter ests of his employes cither in their opportunity to work or in diminution of their Compensation. Ndr can the workers in manufactures fail to un derstand that while a high tariff is claimed to he necessary to allow the payment of remunera tive wages, it certainly results in a very large increase in the price of nearly alj. sorts of manu factures, which, in almost countless forms, he needs for the use of himself and his family. He receives at the desk of his employer his wages, and perhaps before he reaches his home is obliged in a purchase for family use of an arti cle which embraces its own labor, to return in the payment of the increase in price which the„ tariff permits, the hard earned compensation of many days of toil. The farmer und the agriculturist who manufacture nothing, but who pay the increased price which the tariff imposes, upon every agri cultural implement, upon all he wears and upon all he uses and owns, except the increase of his flocks and herds and such things as his hus bandry produces from the soil, is invited to aid in maintaining the present situation; and he is told that a high duty on imported wool is neces sary for the benefit of those who have sheep to shear, in order that the price of their wool may be increased. They.of course are not reminded that THE FARMER WHO HAS NO SHEEP Is by this scheme obliged, in his purchases o' clothing and woolen goods, to pay a tribute to his fellow farmer as well as to the manufactur er and merchant; nor is any mention made of the fact that the sheep-owners themselves and their households must wear clothing and use other articles manufactured front'the wool they sell at tariff prices and thus as consumers must return their share of this increased price to the tradesman. I think it may he fairly assumed that a large proportion of the sheep owned by the farmers throughout the country are found in small flocks numbering from twenty-five to fifty. The duty on the grade of imported wool which these sheep yield, is ten cents each pound, if of the value of thirty cents or less, and twelve cents if of the value of more than thirty cents. If the liberal estimate of six pounds be allowed for each fleece, the duty thereon would he sixty or seventy-two cents, and this may he taken as the utmost enhancement of its price to the farmer by reason of this duty. Eighteen dollars would thus represent the increased price of the wool from twenty-five sheep and *36 that from the wool of fifty sheep: and at present values this addition would amount to about one-third of its priee. If upon its safe the farmer receives this or a less tariff profit, the wool leaves his hands charged with precisely that sum, which in all its charges will adhere to it until it reaches the consumer. When manufactured into cloth and other goods and material fot use its cost is not only increased to the extent of the farmer's tariff profit, but a further sum lias been added for the benefit of the manufacturer under the operation of oiher tariff laws. In the meantime the, day arrives when the farmer finds it necessary to purchase woolen goods and material to clothe himself and family for the winter. When he faces the tradesman for that purpose he discovers that he is obliged not only tooeturn in the way of increased price's, his tar iff profit on the wool he sold, and which then perhaps lies before him in a manufactured forr*. hut that he must add a considerable sum thereto to meet a further increase in cost caused by a tariff duty on the manufacture. Thus in'the end he is aroused to the fact that he has paid upon a moderate purchase, as a re sult of the tariff scheme, which, when he sold his wool, seemed so profitable, an increase in price more than sufficient to sweep away all the tariff profit he received upon the wool he pro duced and sold. When the number of farmers engaged in wool raising is compared with all the farmers in the country, and the small proportion they bear to our population is considered; when it. is made apparent that, in the case of h large part of those who own sheep, the benefit ol the present TARIFF ON WOOL 16 ILLUSORY; And, above all. when it rr. i'st be conceded that the increase of the cost of *he living caused by such tariff, become t a ouiUvu uyvu those with moderate means and the poor, the employed and unemployed, the sick and well, and the young and old, and that it constitutes a tax which, with relentless grasp, is fastened upon the clothing of every man. woman sjid child in the land, reasons are suggested way the removal or reduction of this duty should he incliid d in a revision of our tariff laws. T " speaking of the increased cost to the con sumer of our home manufactures, resulting front a duty laid upon imported articles of the same description, the fact is not overlooked that competition among our domestic producers sometimes has the effect of keeping the price of their products below the highest, limit allowed by such duty. But ft is notorious that this competition is too often strangled by combina tions quite prevalent at this time, and fre quently CALI,ED TRUSTS, Which have for theirobject the regulation of the supply and price of commodities made and sold by members of the combination. The people can hardly hope for any consideration in the operation of those selfish schemes, If, however, in the absence of such combination, a healthy and free competition reduces the price of any particular dutiable article of home production, below the limit which it might otherwise reach under our tariff laws, and if. with such reduced price, its manufacture continues to thrive, it is entirely evident that one tiling has been dis covered which should he carefully scrutinized in an effort to reduce taxation! The necessity of combination to maintain the priee of any'eonimodity to the tariff point fur nishes proof that some one is willing to accept lower prices for such, commodity, and that such prices are remunerative, and lower prices pro duced by competition prove the same thing. Thus where either of these conditions exist, a case would seem to be presented for an easy re duction of taxation. The considerations which have been presented touching our tariff laws are intended only to enforce an earnest recom mendation that the surplus revenues of the Government be prevented by the REDUCTION OF OUR CUSTOM DUTIES, And. at the same time, to emphasize a suggest ion that in accomplishing this purpose, we may discharge a double duty to our people by grant ing to them a measure of relief from tariff taxa tion in quarters where it is most needed, ami from sources where it can be most fairly and justly accorded. Nor can the presentation madv of such con siderations be, with any degree of fairness, re garded as evidence of unfriendliness toward our manufacturing interests, or" of any lack of appreciation of their value and importance. These interests constitute a leading and most substantial element of our National greatness and furnish tae proud proof of our country's progress. But if in the emergency that, presses upon us our manufacturers are asked to sur render something for the public good and to avert, disaster, their patriotism as well as a grateful recognition of advantages already af forded, should lead them to willing co-operation. No a mand is made that they shall forego all the benefits of Governmental regard, but they can not fail to he admonished of their duty, as well as their enlightened self-interest and safo ty, when they are reminded of the fact that FINANCIAL PANIC AND COLLAPSE. To which the present condition tends afford no greater shelter or protection to our manufac tures than to our other important enterprises. Opportunity for safe, careful and deliberate re form is now offrered, and none of us should be unmindful of a time when an abused and irri tated people, heedless of those who have re sisted timely and reasonable relief, may insist upon a radical and sweeping rectification of their wrongs. jM The difficulty a who-* uni fair revis ion of our tariff l-.JK is not underffliniated. It will require on the part of Congress great la-, bor and care, and especially a broad and Na tional contemplation of the subject and a patri otic disregard of such local and selfish claims as are unreasonable and reckless ol' the welfare of the imtire country. Ltader our present laws more than four thou sac if articles arc subject to duty. Many of these do i.cwY’i any way compete w ith our own roanu •factur«K, and many are hardly worth attention as revenue. A considerable reduc tion can hex*ado in the aggregate, by adding tliqui to the free list. The taxation of luxuries presents no features of hardship, but the neces sur Is of lib' used and consumed by all the peo pie. ihe duty upon which adds to the cost of living in every home, should be greatly cheap ened. The radical reduction of the duties imposed upon raw material used in manufactures, or its free importation, is of course an important fac tor in any effort to reduce the price of these necessaries: it would not only relieve them from the increased cost caused by the tariff on such material, hut-the manufactured product being thus chepened, that part of the tariff now laid upon such product, as a compensation to our manufacturerers for the present price of raw material coald he accordingly modified. Such reduction, or free importation, would serve be side to largely reduce the revenue. IT is NOT APPARENT how such a change can have any injurious effect upon our manufactures. On the contrary, it wotiid appear to give ihem a better chance In foreign markets with the manufacturers of other countries, who cheapen their wares by free material. Thus our people might have the opportunity of extending their sale - beyond the limits of home consumption, saving them from depression, interruption in business, and loss caused by a glutted domestic market, and affording their employes more certain and steady labor, with its resulting quiet and con tentment. The question thus imperatively presented for solution should he approached in a spirit higher than partisanship and considered in the light of that regard lor patriotic duty Which should characterize the action of those intrusted with the weal of a confiding people. But the obiiga tion to declare party policy and principle is not wanting to urge prompt and effective action. Both of the great political part 9 - now repre sented in the Government have, by repeated and authoritative declarations, condemned the condition of our laws which permit the col lection from the people of unnecessary rove nue, and have, in the most solemn manner, PROMISED ITS CORRECTION. And neither a- citizens or partisans are our countrymen in a mood to condone the deliber ate violation of these pledges. Our progress toward a wise conclusion will not he improved by dwelling upon the theories of protection and free trad*-. This savors too much of bandying epithet', tt is A CONDITION WHICH CONFRONTS IT not a theory. Relief from this condition any involve a slight reduction of the advantages which we award our home productions, hut the entire withdrawal of such advantages should not be contemplated. The question of-free trade is absolutely irrelevant, and the persist ent claim made in certain quarters, that al' ef forts 10 relieve the people from unjust and un necessary taxation are schemes of se-called free traders, is mischievous and fie removed from any consideration for the public good. The simple and plain duty which we owe the people is to reduce taxation to the necessary expenses of an economical operation of the Government, and to restore to the business oi the country the money which we hold in the Treasury through the perversion ot-Goveni mental powers. These things can ami should be done with safety to all otir industries, with out danger to the opportunity for remunerative labor which our workingmen need, and with benefit to them and all our people, by cheapen ing their means of subsistence and increasing the measure of their comforts. The Constitution pfov.Ues that the "President shall, fram time to time, gt ze to the Congress tn formation of the State of the Union. Tt has been the custom of the Kxecutive, in compliance with this provision, to annually exhibit to the Congress, at the opening of its session, the gen eral condition of the country, and to detail,with some particularity, the operations of the differ ent executive departments. It would be espec ially agreeable to follow this course at the pres ent time and to call attention to the valuable accomplishments of these departments during the last, fiseal year. But T am so much impressed with the paramount importance of the subject to which this communication has thus far been devoted, that, 1 SHALL FOREGO THE ADDITION OF ANY OTHER TOPIC, snd only urge upon your immediate considera' tion the “state of the Union" as shown in the present condition of our Treasury and our gen eral fiscal situation, upon which every element of our safety and prosperity depends. The reports of the heads of departments, which will be submitted, contain full and ex plicit information touching the transactions of the business intrusted to them, and such recom mendations relating to legislation in the public interest as they deem advisable. I ask for these reports und recommendations, the deliberate examination and action of the legislative branch of the Government. There are other subjects not embraced in the departmental reports demanding legislative con Bideration, and which I should be glad to sub mit. Some of them, however, have been earn estly presented in previous messages, and as to them f beg leave to REPEAT PRIOR RECOMMENDATIONS. As the law makes no provision for any report from the Department of State, a brief history of the transactions of that important department, together with other matters which it may here after be deemed essential to commend to the attention of the Congress, may furnish the occa sion for a future communication. Grover Cleveland. Washington, December 6. - EDWARD BULWER LYTTON. A Sketch of the Present British Ambassa dor at Paris# The lit.-Hon. Edward Robert Bul wer Lvtton is better known to the world as a poet and writer of fiction than by his achievements as a states man and diplomat. His record in the latter capacity is similar to that of Lord Lyons. He entered the diplo matic service when eighteen years old, being appointed in 1849 Attache to his uncle, Sir Henry Buhver, at Washing ton. In 1852 he xvas transferred to Florence, and two years afterwards was removed to the Embassy at Paris. He was thence promoted in 1856 to The Hague, and in April, 1858, ap pointed first paid Attache at St. Peters burg. From thence, after a short stay of two months, he was removed to Con stantinople, and in 1859 transferred to Vienna. There he was employed as Second Secretary until the beginning of the year 1868, when be was pro moled to be Secretary of Legation at Copenhagen. The year after he was gazetGd in the same capacity to Alliens, whence in 1865 he was trans ferred to Lisbon, from thence to Mad rid in 1868, appointed to the Secretary ship at Vienna the same year, and transferred in 1872 as Secretary of Em bassy to Paris. Scarcely three months afterwards (January 18, 1878) he suc ceeded to the title as the second Baron Lytton, and in December, 1871. was appointed her Brittannic Majesty’s Ambassador at Lisbon. After occupying that post for a year the Earl of Bea consfield selected Lord Lytton as Vice roy of India, which high office he re signed in 1880, after having previously been created Earl of Lytton, in the County of Derby, and Viscount Kuebworth, of Knebworth, in the County of Herts. From this long and varied record it will appear that the Earl of Lytton was eminently fitted for his present important post, being ac quainted with nearly Uvery court in Eu rope. An Ambassador’s social duties are not always the least, important, and Lord Lvtton possesses these gifts in a superior degree, coupled w ith his inti mate knowledge of France and the French. The Parisian papers especial ly note the social qualities of the new Ambassador, j Lady Lytton. the wife of the new since 1861 and a highly accomplished lady, is the sec ond daughter of the Hon. Edward Vil liers and niece of the late Earl of Clarendon, who January 1, 1879, was includedriit the select list of recipients of the Order of the Imperial Crown of India. Chicago Tribune. —A young Italian visiting Washing ton was sadly perplexed over our lan guage; Having been quite indisposed an American friend inquired after his health. "Beil fifth,” was his senten tious reply, with a smile and a bow, “Did vou have a cough?’’ “No-o-o" (laying his hand sympathetically across his diaphragm), ‘met was myEcnterior De-par-r-t-ment!” Gotten Day*. —— ' —Young Gentleman —So then, if you know of a young lady who is good looking, young, rich, and amiable—” Agent (interrupting him) —Allow me to tell you, sir, all that suffices me to make four matches with! —Tar is Jour nal Amusant. —An irate female seeks admittance to the editor’s sanctum. “But 1 tell you, madam,” protests the attendant, “that the editor is too i 1 to’talk to any one to-day. ” “Never mind, you let me in. I’ll do the talking.”—Sacra mento Dec. “l’m afraid, Georgie, it’s too far to walk to Gryme’s Hill to-day,” “\V ny, auntie! It’s not far; it's awful ly near w hen you get there. iter's Bazur, VOL. IV.—NO. 42. IMPORTANT DECISION. ■ The Legislature the Protector of Pub lic Health and Morals, With Authority to Designate What is or What is Not a Nuisance—The Kansas Pro hibition Law Sustained by the IT. S„ Su preme Court. Washington, Dec. 5.—A very important decision, aud oue likely to be far-reaching in its consequences, was rendered in the Supreme Court to-day in the so-called Kan sas prohibition cases of Mugler against The Btate of Kansas and The Stale of Kansas against Ziobold and others. The judgment of ihe Court was pronounced in a long and elaborate opinion by Justice Harlan, who said: The general question in each case is whether the prohibition statutes of Kansas are in conflict with that clause of the Fourteenth Amend ment which provides that “No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States, nor shall any State deprive any person of life, lib erty or property without due process of law.’’ That legislation by a State prohibit ing the manufacture within her limits of intoxicating liquors, to be there sold or bartered for general use as a beverage, does not necessarily infringe any right, privilege or immunity secured by the Con stitution of the United States, is made clear by the decisions of this court, rendered be fore and since the adoption of the Four teenth Amendment. It is, however, con tended that although the State may pro hibit the ynanufacture of intoxicating liquors for sale or barter within her limits for general use as a beverage, no conven tion or Legislature has the risrht, under our form of Government, to prohibit any citizen from manufacturing for his own use or for export or storage, any article of food or drink not endangcringor affect- ing the rights of others, the ar gument made in support of the first branch of this proposition, briefly stated, is: That in the implied compact between the State and the cifiizen certain rights are reserved by the latter which are guaran teed by the constitutional provisions for the protection of life, liberty aud property against deprivation without due process of law and with which the State can not in terfere; that among those rights is that of manufacturing, for one's own use, either food or drink; that, while according to the' doctrines of the communes, the State may control the tastes, appetites, habits, di-ess, food aud drink of the citizen, our system of Government, based upon the individuality and intelligence of the people, does not claim to control him except as to his conduct to others, leav ing him the sole judge as to all that only affects himself. With reference to the assertion that the prohibition of the manu facture and sale of liquor deprives liquor dealers of their property without due pro cess of law, the court says that all property, • underour form of government, issubjeetto the obligation that it shall not be used so as to injuriously affect the righto of the community aud thereby become a nuisance. The State of Kansas had a right to prohibit the liquor traffic. It did not thereby takeaway the property of the brewers It simply abated a nuisance. The property is not taken away from its owners; they are only prohibited from using it for a specific purpose, which the legislature declared to be injurious to the community. Depredations in a Cemetery. Washington, Dec. 5. —Complaint has re cently been made to the Secretary of War by the Superintendent of Arlington Na t'cr.a'j Cemetery, which is located within the Fort Meyer Military Reservation, Va., that the colored inhabitants of Freedman’s Village, which is also located within the reservation, have been in the habit of cut ting down trees in the cemetery. It has been found impossible to prevent the dep redations, and the Secretary has issued an order requiring all the inhabitants of Freedman’s Village, as well as all other unauthorized persons living within the reservation limits, to remove within thirty days. Official Vote of New York State. Albany, N. Y., Dee. 5. The official re turns of the late election, completed to-day, shows Ihe following result for Secretary of State: Frederick Cook, Dem ocrat, 469,888; Frederick D. Grant, Repub lican, 452,811; Henry George, United Labor, 70,055; Do Witt C. Huntington, Prohibitionist, 41,850; Edward Hall, Labor, 7,622: Thomas K. Beecher, Greenbacker, 953; Preston, 1,017; blank, scattering and defective, 1,179; whole number of votes, 1,045,375: Cock’s plurality, 17,077. Black Diphtheria. Little Rock. Ark., Dec. s. —Alarming reports co'nt nue to come in of the spread of black diphtheria in Clay and adjoining counties. Local phy icians unable to con trol the disease have advised that physi cians from abroad be called upon, and this lias been done. The mortality list foots up over fifty, ail of whom have died with in three weeks. There are three deaths reported in a family named Spurgeon in side of twelve hours. The disease is as tata! as it is rapid. Switzerland's New President, Berne, Dec. s—The Council of State has elected M. Gavsid, of Geneva, Presi dent. and M. Sehoch, of Shaffhausen, Vice President of Switzerland. Both are Radi cals. l-’atlior ami Children Burned. Bkainard. Minn.. Dec. s.—At Wright's S afion, two children of a family named Roberts, aged eigh’ and '.cn, were burned to death by the burning of the family resi dence. The mother escaped, jumping from an upper win low with a babe in her arms. The lather was so badly burned he may not recover. >1 ns! tlnil Kiissia. Vienna, D o. 5. -All Austrian and H n giirian subjects employed in the Russian provinces border ng on Galicia and Duko vi da have been ordered to quit Russian territory before January 3.