Newspaper Page Text
Ifttonitlt anti Smtinri.
WEDNESDAY ........JUNE 2. 1875.
, KU*LUX I CHATTOOGA.
W# leani from the Summerville
Gazette that Ka-Kloxiam has reoeath
broken oat again in Chattooga. Bat
both negroea and white men have been
whipped, and of both political parties,
this Ku-Kl axing cannot be attributed to
political canaea. A negro man on the
plantation of Mr. Elihu H*hlt was
whipped on the night of the 10th inafc—
After whipping the negro, throe Ka-
Klax went to the residence and rolling
ont Mr. Jossrfc Smith, the aawyer at
Hzuly's mill, whipped him ao cruelly
that hit hands were ao badly
beaten while attempting to ward off from
his neck the blows that one or more
fingers had to be amputated.
We folly agree with the Borne Com
mercial that << th%citizeas of Chattooga
owe it to themselves, their county and
the violated law to see to it that these
lawless ruffians suffer the extreme pen
alty of the law.”
MISTAKEN MEBCY.
The New York Journal of Commerce.
has some strong words of condemnation
of the clemency of the good Grant. Ii
thinks clemency is a very lovable quality.
The poets have been greatly addicted to
■praising it, and when properly exercised,
it deserves all the fine things said of it.
Bat in common with all the best traits
of haman natnre, it is liable to abase,
then it may be transformed into ax
agency of positive injury to tbe cause of
jnstiee and good morals. We wish it
were habit of the President, and °*
power, wt tneir merciful
lease of convicts with satisfactory state
ments of the reasons thereof. When a
person convicted of a grave crime, after
a fair trial, is condemned to prison for
a term of years, the Executive of the
Nation or of the State who turns him
' loose in a short time owes it to society
to explain his conduct in thus tearing
down tbe feeble barriers which have
been erected for the protection of honest
people against rogues. Long arrears
of explanations are now due from Presi
dent Grant. Few, if any, Presidents
have been so liberal or careless in the
distribution of their favors to felons;
and he is never so generous as when
these men have been Government offi
cers. The last case of this kind report
ed is the pardon of Custom House In
spector Habbis. -This man was convict
ed last January of smuggling cigars, and
sentenced for ten years to the Kings
County Penitentiary. After about four
months’ imprisonment he is now out
again. One would like to know exactly
why a sworn servant of the Government,
convicted f an offense which it was his
bonnden duty to prevent in others,
should be honored by a remittance of
nine years and a half of the sentence im
posed by an.hpnest Judge after a verdict
of guilty from an honest jury. We can
conceive of no reason which could war
rant such interference with the course
of justice. To the normal mind it
would seem as if Government officers
caught in frauds should be seriously
punished as a warning. President Grant,
judging from his action in several
cases, evidently holds to another view.
We should be glad to know on suf
ficient authority that his motives
in issuing these astonishing par
dons are higher- than political! With
regard to some of the President’s par
dons, personal influence explains what
would otherwise be a profound mystery.
Of this we have a recent aggravated in
stance. One Habeli was caught robbing
the letter boxes on Third avenue, New
York. A largo number of letters and a
false key (of peculiar construction, cap
able of unlocking any letter box in
town) were found upon him. The
police pronounced him the most expert
‘ letter thief in the oountry. Babel was
convicted in April, 1874, and was lucky
in getting off witli three years’ imprison
ment for a crimo which deserved ten
years. After serving only one year of
hie short sentence Habkl is made free
on the recommendation of three or four
personal friends of the President. The
thieves will take new courage from this
misplaced act of mercy; and we might
advise people not to put money letters
in the boxes with any hope that they
will roach their destination.
JOURNALISM.
The Richmond Enquirer has a good
idea of modern journalism. It declares
that the popular notion that almost any
man with a fair sharo of brains and a
good English education can make him
self an editor after a little practice is a
mistake that sometimes misleads an un
wary youth fresh from “academic
groves,” espeSially if he has the reputa
tion among his fellows of being “a fine
writer." It is one thing to indite an
essay at college, or in later years to
prepare an artiole now and then on some
subject of interest to the author, and it
is quite another thing to write regularly,
on all sorts of questions in all sorts of
styles, for all sorts of tastes, from day
to day, through the Winter, and the
Spring, and the Summer, and the Fall.
And it is not the writing'only; it is
judging what to touch, and what to
leave untouohed with the editorial sty
lus that is so delioate a weapon to wield;
in judging what to print and what not
to print of the thousand contributions
that come; in keeping the policy of the
paper dear, and consistent, and right,
and true.
A man may write like Junius, or Gib
bon, or Macaulay, or Irvino, and yet
he may be not only unfit for the editor
ship of a daily paper from the want of
the proper judgment and experience,
but he may not have that ever-recur
ring, ever-recuperating creative capacity
so rigorously required.
The editor of a daily paper can sym
pathise with Sisyphus in rolling that
famous stone from the bottom of the
hill to the top, when it would always
oome rolling back again. What we have
said was suggested by an artide in the
Philaddphia Press referring to offers of
editorial assistance made by professors
and students of colleges, with a view to
intellectual amusement and improve
ment during the Summer months. We
make the following extract from it:
“It has oftsn occurred to ns that, were the
duties and the difficulties of journalism more
fully appreciated and understood, there would
be fewer volunteers at the portals of the sanc
tum, and did we feel competent to the task we
should do our correspondents a real favor by
seeking to enlighten them ss to the true nature
of the work they would undertake as a pleas
ant Summer pastime. But there are one or
two points to which we venture to call the at
tention of our well-disposed friends, which
they may not haTe considered, and which may
eerre to show them why their services are not
called into requisition. It is not because they
lack scholarship or abilities, or qualities of good
aenee. that they are not wanted in journalism,
but because they have no training for its du
ties. The difference between a college man
and the practiced journalist is the difference
between the raw rec.nit and the trained sol
dier. Journalism is sow universally recog
lined as a profession, and it is a profession
which require* a long and thorough training
, for the proper performance of its duties. It is
not merely a pleasant occupation for a Summer
vacation, but a calling of the highest and most
arduous character, for which years of study
and practical training are prerequisites. We
hardlv thick any of our correspondents who
think they could be of use in newspaper work
would lender their services for the Summer to
the surgeon to help him saw off legs, or to
help the lawyer along in his complex cases be
fore the courts, yet the offer would really be
hut little more presumptuous in the one case
when in the other.”
The Charleston Telegraph says
the sleeping cars on the Sonth
Carolina Railroad have been visited
with the general maledictions of travel
ers. The editor of the Telegraph must
have traveled in company with the
demon of indigestion. The night cars
on that road have been universally
voted cooler, cleaner and better in every
respect than the Pullman “sleepers.”
THE CENTENNIAL TEST OATH.
The dailies having exhausted the
teat oath correspondence the weeklies
have taken hold of the matter and will
probably discuss the Secretary of Btate’s
typographical error with becoming
vigor daring the heated term. An ex
change asks for the proof of qpr asser
tion that other Commissionera of the
Centennial are required to take the
iron-clad. Our information on this sub
ject is derived from the second letter
of Mr. Fish to Governor Smith. In
this letter the Secretary of State ex
plains tbe mistake of punctnation which
caused the transmission of the iron-clad
oath to the Georgia Commissioner and
then gives his reason for requiring an
oath from the appointee :
As your Excellency is pleased to state that
yon know of no law requiring an oath of
allegiance. I take the liberty of informing you
that on the second of July, 1862, it was enset
ed by Congress that erery person appointed to
any office of honor or profit under the Govern
ment of the United States should take and sub
scribe so oath similar in form to the oDe
which accompanied my letter. But when the
war had cessed. Congress, instesd of repealing
the act, enacted, by another statute, that per
sons who “ had participated in the late re
bellion and from whom all legal disabilities
arising therefrom had been removed,” should,
if appointed to office, insteal of the oath pre
scribed by the act of 1862, take and subscribe
tbe following oath before entering upon the
duties of tbeir office, etc. •
It is not difficult to ascertain from
this letter, if it be typographically cor
rect, that all Commissioners who do not
call if>t tbe oath prescribed for those
who “ participated in the late rebel
lion” and afterwards had their legal dis
utilities removed are required to take
tbe test-oath. Under thia law and tbe
construction placed upon it by the
Becretaa# gf Stgte. every Commis
sioner who iftirnfiWSSpSuse the Cause of
the Sonth is required to take one of
the most odious political test oaths of
which history makes mention. It is
even true that managers of a celebration
m honor of the first rebellion are re
quired to swear that they gave no sym
pathy to the second.
THE LIBERAL REPUBLICANS.
The New York correspondent of the
Charleston Newt and Courier asserts
that the Liberal Republicans of that
State intend competing with the Demo
crats for the offices at the approaching
convention. It seems, too, to become
daily more apparent from the tone of
the Liberal Republican and Independ
ent newspapers that an attempt is being
made to control national politics and
honors in the interest of these organiza
tions. We desire to say just here that
this programme will not succeed. Dem
ocrats and not Liberals will frame the
platform and furnish the candidates for
1876, and the sooner the Liberals and
Independents recognize this fact the
better. They will save themselves time
and trouble by getting rid as speedily
as possible of the very preposterous
idea with which they at present seem to
bo possessed. The Democrats would
like very much to have the assistance of
these factions, but they do not propose
to obtain it by turning over the control
of their party to Messrs. Whitelaw
Reid, Murat Halstead, Samuel
Bowles, A. K. McClure and Charles
Francis Adams. To do any such foolish
thing as this would be to pay a price
out of all proportion to the value of the
article obtained. We permitted these
gentlemen to manage affairs after their
own sweet will in 1872, and it is scarcely
necessary to rehearse the resnlt. They
made the platform, they named the candi
dates,they conducted the campaign—and
a corporal’s guard of Liberals led a whole
army of Democrats to crushing and dis
astrous defeat. It will not do to repeat
this dangerous experiment. There is
too much at stake to risk defeat next
year by another Cincinnati movement.
There will be, there can be, but two par
ties to the coming contest. The battle
must be won by either Democrats or
Radicals.
Of oourse we wish the assistance of
Liberal Republicans and Independents,
of every element in opposition to the
usurpations and corruptions of Radical
ism. The Democrats need all such as
sistance, for they are well aware that it
is no easy fight in which they are about
to engage. The enemy is still strong,
notwithstanding recent reverses; he will
fight hard and die game. We wish the aid
of every present friend of liberty and con
stitutional government, no matter how
he may have voted and acted in the
past. We shall welcome every recruit.
Wo believe that the National Democrat
ic Convention will frame a platform
broad enough for every such man to
stand upon—that the declaration of po
litical faith will be liberal and catholic
enough to satisfy every such man. We
believe that the National Democratic
Convention will preseut candidates whom
all honest Liberals and Independents
can support without hesitation. But
wheu these things are done everything
is done, and Messrs. Reid and Company
must elect to fight with us or against
ns. Every reasonable effort will be made
to retain their assistance, but we shall
not bribe them to have us beaten by
turning over the party to their command.
FRATERNAL FEELING.
Every dtiy brings fresh evidence of
the fact that the bitterness of war is
passing away from the hearts of North
erners and Southerners. At a recent
meeting of the citizens of Cincinnati,
held to provide for the decoration of
soldiers’ graves at Spring Grove Ceme
tery to-day, a resolution was passed to
the effect that no distinction would be
made between the graves of Union and
Confederate dead. In compliance with
this resolution the following invitation
was issued:
Cincinnati, Mv 25.
Major S. F. Reid:
Dear Sib—ln compliance with the spirit of
resolutions passed at a meeting of citizens of
Cincinnati, held at the Council Chamber, you,
and all other ex-Confederate soldiers in Cin
cinnati, Covington, Newport and vicinity, are
respectfully invited to co-operate with other
citizens, and with ex-officers and soldiers of
the Union army, in the ceremonies attending
the observance of Decoration Day. Saturday,
May 29, in this city, and at Spring Grove Cem
etery. We propose to honor, in an appropriate
manner, the graves where rest the remains of
both the Union and the Confederate dead
On behalf of the Committee on Invitation,
H. G. Kknnett, Chairman.
The ex-Confederate officers and sol
diers residing in Cincinnati then held a
meeting and returned the following re
ply:
Cincinnati, May 25.
Col. If. (I. Kennett, Chairman:
Dear Sir— Yonr communication of this date,
addressed to Major S. V. Reid, inviting the co
operation of the Confederate officers and
soldiers in this vicinity in the decoration of the
graves of the honored dead who fell in the late
war, is most cordially accepted. We embrace
this opportunity to draw over that nnhappy
strife the veil of forgetfulness, and to unite
with yon in doing merited honor to the gallant
dead of both armies. We trust that the spirit
which animated yon in offering, and induoed
ns to accept, may be emulated by the heroic
living of both armies, and that coming gene
rations may rejoice in a common nationality,
cemented by the blood of the fallen, over
whose graves we will cheerfully join in strew
ing flowers. Geo. B. Hodge, Chairman.
We publish this morning a full tele
graphic report of the fearful accident in
South Holyoke, Massachusetts. The
French Catholic Church caught fire—
from an altar candle—while there were
seven hundred persons in attendance
epon Vesper services. The flames
spread rapidly and a panic ensued.—
Most of those in the body of thus church
escaped, hut there were only two doors
by which those in the gallery could es
cape, and these were soon blocked up by
terror-stricken people and rendered im
passable, and those unable to get
through were burned to death. The
loss of life was simply fearful.
Diamonds of the Ristori troupe valued
at two thousand dollars have been found
on the person of a colored porter in a
sleeping car at St. Louis.
In Detroit, yesterday. Lieutenant
Gov. H. H. Holt was eowhided for al
leged familarity with a lady named Mrs.
Troth
SAVING SILENT LETTERS.
In this day of bankruptcy, hard times,
tight money markets, dull business and
economy, anew kind of saving is sug
gested. We are to save both time and
labor by dispensing with the multitudi
nous silent letters which now encumber
English words. The New York Tribune
recently contained an editorial advising
contributors to “boil down” what they
wrote. A correspondent, evidently in
imical to silent letters, takes the author
to task in this wise :
“By actual count yonr article contains 337
silent letters—that is, letters that are not of
the slightest use in expressing the written idea
or the sounds of the words as spoken. Four
teen per cent, of your article conveys do ides,
expresses nothing, and is worse than useless,
because it occupies valuable space." Then fol
lows a computation of the amount of waste
room in the columns of the Tribune through
which these ghosts of letters stalk without aoy
aouL or idea, or fuhetiod whatever. And with
apparent candor the author remarks: “If
they would only ‘squeak and jibber.’ there
would be a modicum of sense that would justi
fy the parade, but they do not. There they
stand stupidly, stolidly silent.”
If this contemplated raid upon orthog
raphy enlists the efforts of any consider
able number of people, or if the scheme
should meet with general favor, we may
witness some curious changes in the
next few years. Received systems of
orthography will be upset, the simple
rule of sound will be adopted, and the
heroes of the recent spelling bees must
go to work as rapidly as possible to un
learq all they have just learned if they
would win the dictionaries and the gold
coin of tbe coming contests. The pho
netic principle will be tbe only guide,
and the shdrt-band writer, whose occu
pation renders it so difficult for him to
spell after the customary manner of
men, will find himself master of the
bHU*&oiM 'VVKBsran and ’Worcester
will be retired to the lumber room or
the paper mill and Graham will become
standard authority and take the place
of honor. Fourteen per cent, saving in
time, space, paper and ink constitute a
considerable inducement to thrifty peo
ple these days and the project of the Tri
bune writer will doubtless speedily find
favor in the eyes of all reduced and
economical people. If the rich choose
to adhere to the old system let them do
so, and the world Will be given another
sign by which to distinguish wealth
from poverty. As the rich man is now
known by the number of his houses, his
servants, his horses and carriages, so in
the future he will be known by the
plentifulness of *his letters. An ortho
graphical gulf will be%added to the ex
isting impediments between Cnees us
and Dives and we may safely assume
that when the latter spells chorus with
a ch instead of with a simple k that he
has crossed the chasm and is revelling
in dictionary purple and fine linen. A
single successful speculation in futures
—grain or cotton —may alter a man’s
whole system of spelling, and he who
on one day was forced to exercise the
utmost parsimony in this respect may the
next morning be able to indulge in the
most lavish display of dipthongs and
silent letters.
THE PRESIDENT’S REVENGE.
As our readers well know, for some
time past there has been a most unfor
tunate state of affairs existing upon the
Texas frontier. Armed and organized
bands of Mexican bandits under the
lead of Cobtinas or some of his subor
dinates have made frequent incursions
across the Rio Grande and devastated
the American frontier, plundering farms
and farm houses and murdering the
settlers. These incursions have been
invited and aided by the Mexicans who
live upon the Texas side of the border,
and who are on the most unfriendly
terms' with their American neighbors.
Some time since the President, at the
request of the Governor of Texas, sent
a small force of United States troops to
protect the frontier. Of course the
plans of the officers have often been
frustrated and the operations of the
troops retarded by the hostility of the
Mexicans in Texas. A short time since
a patrol consisting of a sergeant and
four privates of cavalry sent out to
watch for some of Cobtinas’ raiders
were ambushed by a party of these
Texas-Mexicans and two of the soldiers
killed and robbed. During the melee a
Mexican was killed, in all probability
by his own people. Upon the trial of
one of the assassins the sergeant and
the two privates who escaped were
arrestod while in attendance upon
the grand jury, and sent to jail un
under a charge of murder. Colonel
Hatch, the commandant of the United
States forces in that portion of Texas,
reported the fact and asked that
such orders be given as would
prevent the future 'imprisonment
and trials by Mexican juries, leagued
with the raiders, of soldiers and officers
for oheying orders. He also reported
that the country bordering on the Rio
Grande below Ringgold was virtually
in the hands of the invaders from Mexi
co, aided by the Mexican population on
this side of the river, and that the
Americans were being driven into the
towns. Col. Hatch’s statement was
telegraphed to Washington. It seems
to us that such a report should have
induced the President to send additional
forces to the border, and to have asked
the Governor of Texaa.to concert meas
ures with him for the punishment of the
Mexicans in Texas who were aiding the
raiders in their work of spoliation and
murder. Instead of doing this, how
ever, he instructs the Secretary of War
to send Governor Coke the following
extraordinary dispatch:
I have the honor to invite yonr attention to
the enclosed copy of a telegram from General
Sheridan, dated the 15th instant, relative to
affairs in Texas in the country bordering on
the Bio Grande, and reporting the arrest of
United States soldiers. The President desires
me to call yonr attention to this subject, and
to say that if soldiers of the United States
forces placed in that State for the protection
of the citizens are to bo treated in the manner
indicated in this dispatch, when they have
simply done their duty, it may become necessa
ry for htm to withdraw the United States troops
from that locality.
The President is informed that the
incursions of the bandits from Mexico
and the hostility of their Mexican brothers
living in Texas are rapidly driving the
white population from the country into
the towns for safety, and he telegraphs
the Governor of Texas a threat to with
draw the troops and turn over the
whole border to violence and murder.
This telegram was an insult to the peo
ple of Texas, who have invoked the as
sistance of the National Government,
and who, according to the statement of
Col. Hatch, are in no way responsible for
the arrest of the soldiers. We think’
that General Grant would have reflect
ed more credit upon himself and upon
the administration by requesting Gov
ernor Coke to see to it that treacherous
Mexicans were not permitted to use the
machinery of the State Courts to annoy
the soldiers and by sparing his brutal
threat to leave the Texas border de
fenseless to Cobtinas and his cut
throats.
The Governor has appointed a State
Board of Health, as follows : First Dis
trict, Dr. J. G. Thomas, of Chatham
county ; Second District, Dr. Benja*
min M. Cromwell, of Dougherty coun
ty ; Third District, Dr. George F.
Cooper, of Sumter county; Fourth Dis
trict, Dr. F. A. Standfobd, of Muscogee
county ; Fifth District, Dr. J. P. Logan,
of Fulton county; Sixth District, Dr.
C. P. Nottingham, of Bibb county ;
Seventh District, Dr. S. W. Holmes, of
Floyd countv ; Eighth District, Dr. H.
F. Campbell, of Richmond county ;
Ninth District, Dr. H. H. Cablkton, of
Clarke county. The Board will meet in
Atlanta, on the 9th of June, for organi
zation.
Washington, May 29.—A1l bnsiness
closed to-day. The President and Cabi
net were at Arlington. The managers
of the decoration of the Confederate
graves at Arlington, Tuesday, have con
cluded to have neither an oration, music
nor procession—nothing bat flowers and
tears.
THE SCHOOL QUESTION.
Objections Answered.
Editori Chronicle and Sentinel :
I propose in this paper to consider
two objections to onr school system
which I have sometimes heard urged—
and much oftener by members of the
General Assembly than by others. There
is really very little force in them, and
the surprising part of the matter is that
men of acknowledge intelligence should
take them up and repeat them. A few
captious persons, very earnestly op
posed to a measure, often raise no little
clamor, while the friends of the measure
move quietly on, giving their counten
ance to its execution, and enjoying its
fruits. I think this has been true, in
maDy places, in respect to our school
system. Those who oppose are active
and make much noise, while those who
favor say but little; and the representa
tives of thepeople, judgingof the state of
popular feeling by what they hear, are
misled. In this way objections are
taken up without proper investigation,
and repeated, Indeed,those who mention
the objections, which we propose, to
consider, usually state them as objec
tions which they have heard.
The first of these objections is that
our school law is hard to understand,
and that the system which it creates is
complicated and difficult of administra
tion. Those who originate this objec
tion have not stopped, perhaps, to con
sider what it is to frame a school sys
tem for a State. Doubtless their minds
have failed to take in t he full magnitude
of the work. Georgia has a school
population of 394,037. To provide for
instructing this large number of chil
dren, teachers must be examined,
licensed, and contracted with; and when
ifeeir work is finished, in order to a pro
per exhibit of what has been accom
plished, reports must be made. The
enumeration of the school population
must be taken at regular intervals, the
schools must be visited and inspected,
and the reports of the teachers must be
consolidated, and a return made to some
central authority for the information of
the General Assembly and the people.
A local agency or authority must be
created in each county for the supervis
ion of the school interests and for the
administration of the school laws and a
record of the proceedings of this agency
must be kept for the benefit of all per
sons interested therein. In order to in
sure uniformity in the administration,
to systematize the entire school opera
tions of the State, to collect statistical
and other information indispensable to
intelligent school legislation, and to
hold in baud and direct the entire ma
chinery, a central authority or head of
department must be provided for. The
rights of teachers, of parents and of
pupils must be elarly defined; provision
must be made for collecting, holding
and disbursing funds; the liability of
financial agents must be distinctly set
forth, and the proper agencies for en
forcing that liability, if occasion should
arise, must be created. These are some
of the provisions which a law must con
tain, which seeks to systematize and
give vitality and efficiency to so great a
work. Does any one suppose that in
terests so complicated can be provided
for by a brief, simple statute containing
only a few sections ? If so, all I have to
say is that he is not very well read upon
the subject of school legislation. All
the States of the Union and most of the
Territories now have systems of public
instruction. I have had the opportunity
of examining the school laws of quite a
number of the States, and I have found
no school code simpler or more easily
understood than ours. The best prac
tical test of this question, however, is
that afforded by actual administration.
Since my entrance into office in January,
1872, four thousand, four hundred and
fifty letters have been received. Many
of these related simply to the details of
official business. Quite a number asked
for an official interpretation and con
struction of the provisions of the
law. The number of the latter class
has been continually diminishing,
until now comparatively few of
that kind are received. The whole sub
ject of publio schools was new both to
the public and the school officers, and
for this reason alone many inquiries
have been made. The number of let
ters of mere inquiry affords no proper
test of the intricacy of the school stat
utes. Our law provides for an appeal
from the County Boards to the State
School Commissioner, and from the lat
ter officer to the Stato Board, in all con
troversies in relation to the construction
or administration of the school laws.
During the last two years about five
thousand teachers have been employed
under contracts with the various local
boards. Men are more apt to differ
where money is involved than upon sub
jects of any other kind. Yet, notwith
standing our school law provides for
carrying up cases from the lowest to the
highest school tribunal without a cent
of cost to the parties litigant, only ten
cases in all have been brought up; and
more than half of these cases originated,
not under school law proper, but under
the different acts passed for paying the
school debt of 1871. These facts de
monstrate clearly that there cannot be
any great amount of ambiguity, com
plexity or intricacy in our school law. I
will dismiss this objection by simply
adding that I will yield to its force, if
any fair minded, sensible man will take
the school law, read it Carefully and
then declare that he does not understand
its provisions.
The second objection, which I pro
pose to consider in this communication,
is that an unreasonable amount of the
fund is absorbed in paying the claims of
county officials, leaving but little for
the educating of the children—the prime
object for which the fund was provided.
I first heard this objection at the session
of the General Assembly in January and
February, 1874. At that time a biil was
introduced abolishing the office of Coun
ty School Commissioner; and the main
argument relied upon was the objection
above stated. The school law does not
require the amount of compensation
allowed to County Commissioners to be
reported to the office of the State School
Commissioner; and the records in my
office did not show what these officials
had received. The objection thus de
rived all the force which it had from
vague statements received from un
official sources. I immediately sent pos
tal cards to every Commissioner in the
State, asking for the desired informa
tion, and, in a very short time, had an
swers from over ninety counties. These
answers showed that some four or five
of these officers had received unreason
able compensation. A few had received
very meagre compensation, amounting,
in some cases, to only 2$ per cent, of the
fund handled. The average compensation
was a little over nine per cent, of the
fund, which I did not consider exorbi
tant in view of the services rendered
in the year 1873 ; for that year, in addi
tion to the regular duties of examin
ing teachers, visitiDg the schools, meet
ing the Boards, and receiving and pay
ing out the fund, the Commissioners
were required to take the enumeration
of the school population. If the fund
had passed into the hands of the County
Treasurers they would have received,
as the law now stands and as some un
derstood it to be then, five per cent, for
simply receiving and paying out. If it
had been shown that the Commissioners
of that year received too much, the
clamor against the office was not well
founded, as any one can see by reference
to the school law. If it was an error at
all it was simply an error of administra
tion. The law provides that County
Commissioners shall receive a per diem
not to exceed three dollars, to be deter
mined by the Boards of Education; and
makes it the duty of the Boards to limit
the number of days for which the Com
missioners shall render an account for
official sercecs. These two provisions
of the law put it in the power of the
Boards to fix the compensation of the
Commissioners at whatever amount they
may see fit. If the Boards will not act
reasonably the law provides still another
remedy. It is made the duty of the
Judgeof tlse Superior Court, on address
of two-thirds of the grand jury, to re
move the members of the Board from
office “ for inefficiency, incapacity, gen
eral neglect of duty, or malfeasance or
corruption in office.” If the people of
the counties failed that year, or if they
shall fail hereafter, to protect the rights
of their children, with all these means
of protection at hand, they will have
only themselves to blame for failure.—
The law is,as it should be. The whole
power of regulating the compensation
of the County Commissioner —the only
school officer of the county who receives
compensation —is in the hands of the
local authorities, where it should be.—
The services of this officer are worth
more in some portions of the State than
in others;' and who is so well prepared
to judge of their value as those upon
the spot when the services are rendered ?
The danger is evidently not in the di
rection of excessive, but of insufficient
compensation. Popular clamor may i
lead to the fixing of the compensation |
so low as to secure the services of only j
that elaa3 of men whose services would j
be dear at any pries. It will be an un- i
fortunate day for our school interests if j
popular complaints, in the future, j
should lead to the abolition of the office
of County School Commissioner. Local
superin tendency,as all experience shows,
is indespensable to success. Almost
every State in the Union and nearly all
the Territories have a county super: n
-tendency, or what is equivalent; aßd an
experience of m an y y earß } a som f °t
the States, has bnt served to strengthen
the general conviction of its indispensa
ble necessity. Our own experience has
been a short one, bnt short as
been, it has been sufficient to convince
me that we can not dispense with the
office in question. Wherever have we
had good County Commissioners our
school interest have been well managed,
aDd the comparatively good results
achieved have very much strengthened
the system with the people; and candor
compels me to say of my subordinates,
that, as a rule, we have had good men
filling' these, position*. I do not hesitate
to affirm that, as a class, they are the
most intelligent, efficient, reliable coun
ty officials known to onr laws.
Gustavus J. Orb.
LOUISIANA.
State Taxation and the Increase of
Debt—Public Contracts—Sad Dis
tress in the Towns and Cities
[Charles Nordhoff in the New York Herald.]
New Orleans, May 10, 1875. — Here
are a few figures which give some idea
of how the affairs of Louisiana have
been managed under the Radical rule
since 1868. For mileage per diem and
contingent expenses the General As
sembly of the State cost, in 1860, before
the war, $99,435 ; in 1861, $131,489 ; in
1866, the year after the war, 3164,906 ;
in 1868, the vear of reconstruction,
$363,156 ; in 1869, $370,214 ; in 1870.
$722,231 ; in 1871, $158,954 ; in 1872,
$350,000 ; in 1873, $4(51,450 ; last year
a much smaller sum,
still the Comptroller of the State says
$60,000 above his estimates of the proper
cost. In 1860 the Btate printing cost
$40,900. In 1867, the year before re
construction, it cost $75,000. 'The Legis
lature of 1868 adopted a system under
which each parish has an official organ,
which prints at the public cost, not only
the laws, bnt the journals of the Legis
lature and the proceedings of police
juries. This abuse has been checked,
but not yet by entire stopped. Duringits
height these petty journals were, with a
very few exceptions, owned by members
of the Legislature. Hence these per
sons every year voted themselves hand
some subsidies, and the State printing
bill, which amounted to $75,000 m 1867,
jumped to $431,345 in 1869, $313,920 in
1870, $397,600 in 1871, $154,752 in 1872,
and $160,866 in 1873. That is to say,
reconstruction managed to spend out of
the treasury in five for printing
alone very nearly great
part of this they volwrunto
pockets. In 1861 the State tax amount
ed to 29 cents on SIOO ; in 1867, the
year before reconstruction, to 37-J cents;
in 1868 to 52J cents ;in 1869 to 90
cents ; in 1871 to $1 45 ; in 1872 to
$2 15 ; in 1873 to $2 15, and in 1874 to
$1 45, at which "it fixed now, I believe,
by the Constitution.
State Debt.
In spite of this enormous increase in
the tax rate, the debt of the State has
trebled since 1866. In that year the ab
solute and contingent debt (by which
the State accountants here mean the
debt owing and for which the Stat.o has
engaged itself for the futnre), amounted
to $11,182,377. In 1868, the year of re
construction, it amounted to $16,885,682,
In 1870 it had been run up to $40,456,-
734. The report of the Joint Legisla
tive Committee to investigate the State
Auditor’s office—the committee is com
posed entirely of Republicans—gives the
following summary of the State debt at
the beginning of the present year :
Floating debt $2,165,171 71
Bonds loaned property
banks 4,830,683 33
Bonded debt proper 22,134,800 00
Contingent debt reported
by Auditor 10,895,000 00
Contingent debt not report
ed by Auditor 9,605,500 00
$49,604,155 04
Add trust bonds and bonds
missing 993,194 91
Total j. $50,597,394 95
The committee add to this statement
these remarks :
“In conclusion the commission find
that a large portion of the public debt
has arisen from extravagance, profligacy
and misuse of the revenues of the State;
that as to all that portion created since
1865, the State did not realize over fifty
cents on the dollar, Dor was the amount
realized expended for the benefit of the
State to the extent of more than one-half;
in other words, the State has not been
actually benefitted in an amount exceed
ing one-fourth of the debt created, nor
to an amount exceeding one-half of the
taxes collected since 1865. The entire
balance, say one-half of all the taxes
and three-fourths of all the present
debt, have been squandered or done
worse with by the administration of the
government since that date.”
Taxes Collected in Seven Years.
The State revenues, as given in the
Auditor’s reports for the different years,
were :
1868.. . .$3,452,069 1872 $4,312,033
1869.. 4,937,759 1873 4,016,690
1870.. .. 6,537,939 1874 3,514,332
1871.. 6,616,843
Total $33,387,665
Collected in taxes from the people for
the support of the State government in
seven years, besides city and parish
taxes. The various petty monopolies
and swindles to which State aid was so
profusely given, and some of which I
mentioned in a previous letter, account
for a small part of this huge debt and
expenditure. Such extravagance as is
mentioned by the Auditor in his last re
port (1875), in the following words ac
counts for more : “Thus the number of
pages (in the Legislature), which by act
No. 11 of 1872 is limited to ten, at a
compensation for each of SIBO, was in
creased more than sixty, and vouchers
issued to them at from $l5O to SIBO
each, nor was this practice confined to
this particular class of employes, but
was carried to other classes, such as en
rolling and committee clerks, porters,
etc.” He also, in the same report,“com
plains that he has vainly tried to get the
Legislature to adopt anew plan of as
sessing property for taxation which
“would save the State $156,000 a year.”
In the Auditor’s report for the year 1871
complaint was made to the Legislature
of the great cost of collecting the taxes.
“In 1870,” says this report, “the actual
commissions paid on account of asses
sors was $181,975, and the amount paid
to tax collectors $215,411. In 1871 the
commissions of tax collectors amounted
to $320,252, and that of assessors to
$250,838.”
Penitentiary.
Of course there were some heavy jobs,
which helped to run up the debt. For
instance, in the Auditor’s report for
1871, I find a statement that during the
two previous years the State, under an
arrangement with the firm of Jones &
Hugez, lessees of the penitentiary, had
issued $500,000 in State bonds for ma
chinery for that institution. The les
sees were to pay one-half their clear
profits to the State. They paid nothing,
and in 1870 transferred their contract to
another set of men, the State agreeing
thereafter to accept $5,000 a year in lieu
of all profits, with an increase of SI,OOO
a year. Between 1869 and 1871, two
years, “the peniteniteutiary had cost
the State $796,000.’’
A Railroad Job.
In 1868 the New Orleans, Mobile and
Chattanooga Railroad was chartered in
Louisiana, and it was determined to
connect Mobile and New Orleans with
Houston, Texas. In 1869 the Legisla
ture agreed to endorse the second mort
gage bonds of the road to the extent of
$12,500 per mile, and to make the en
dorsement for every section of ten miles
built. They built seventy miles, and the
State endorsed $875,000 of their second
mortgage bonds. The next Legislature
agreed in addition to give the road a
State subsidy of $3,000,000 of bonds,
and of this they drew $750,000. The
company now proposed to build a rail
road from Vermillionville to Shreveport,
and in 1871 the State agreed to take
stock in this enterprise, $2,500,000, pay
ing for it in bonds, and the whole of
these bonds were delivered to the com
pany when they had done one day’s
work on the road 1 They have never
done any more. That is to say, the
company have built in all seventy miles
of an uncompleted, and, -therefore,
worthless road, and received from the
State $4,250,000, or over $58,000 a mile,
besides a grant of the use of a part of
the New Orleans levee, yalued at sl,-
000,000, and they have kept it all. Fi
nally, it remains to be said that two dif
ferent companies of Northern capitalists
offered to build the Houston and New
Orleans Road without subsidy or State
aid of any kind, but the Legislature
would not give them a charter.
The Levee Company.
A great deal of money has been spent
and squandered since the war on the re
construction of the levees and their re
pair, and Democrats as well as Repub
licans have taken part in this jobbing,
the greatest waste, however, being
since 1868. Between 1868 and 1871
$4,750,000 of State bonds were issued
for levee purposes, and still no levees.
Most of the money was spent by a
“State Board of Public Works,” whose
members were appointed by Governor
Warmoth. In 1871 a different system
was adopted, which still is in force, and
under which a large part of the reve
nues of the State lias been handed over
for a long term of years to a private cor
poration, with privileges which enable
it to misuse and squander them iu a
most shocking way. By the act this
corporation, which was to furnish a mil
lion of dollars in capital stock, agreed
to bnild and repair the levees of the'
State and to be responsible in damages
to the planters and farmers who shonld
suffer loss by overflow or crevasse. In
return lor this the Legislature gave them
a million dollars down, before they be
gan work, and the proceed#, annually,
for a term of years, of a tax of four mills
on the whole taxable property of Louisi
ana, and authorized them to charge,
against the great fnnd, sixty cents per
cubic yard for their work. But a great
part of the levee work, done by piuuters
for themselves, cost only from fifteen to
eighteen cents per cnbic yard, and
thirty cents for the average of all kinds
of works all over the State would be,
experts tell me, a high rate. In fact,
the first charge was so exorbitant that it
has been reduced to fifty cents, and in
1874 the levee tax, which the company
contines to receive, was reduced to three
mills. But the company never had any
money; the levees have not been kept in
proper repair and the losses from over
flow have never been so great as since it
weut into operation; and, having no
capital of their own, if they are sued for
damages they must pay these out of the
State fund, and thus, in fact, the tax
payers pay their own insurance. The
company receive about §720,000 a year.
This was one of the most notorious
jobs perpetrated by the’Legislature, and
attracted attention at the time because
a great many members not only received
bribes for its support—which was toe
common an occurrence to be noticed—
but actually gave their receipts for the
money paid them. The following letter,
of which the original is before me,
shows how openly legislative bribery
was carried on under Warmgth’s admin
istration. The writer was then mem
ber of Assembly, is now State Senator
and member of the State School Board,
and, I am sorry to say, is a negro:
House of Representatives, i
State of Louisiana, >
New Orleans Feb. 25th, 1871. S
Gentlemen of the Finance Committee
of Louisiana Levee Company :
Sirs —Please pay to Hon. A. W
Faulkner the amount you may deem
proper to pay on account of Levee Bill,
I being absent at the time under orders
of the House. But would have voted
for the bill had I been here. Mr.
Faulkner is authorized to receive and
receipt for me. Very respectfully gentle
men yonr.obt. servt. T. B, Stamps.
Surely the brazeness of corruption
could go no further than this—when a
legislator claims a bribe on the score
that he would have performed the ser
vice had he been in his place, and seuds
his friend not merely to receive but to
receipt for it.
' ' Orleans,
The city of New Orleans is made to
pay a very great part of the State tax,
and has beeu besides burdened in vari
ous ways by the Legislature, which has
set apart a large part of its revenues for
State or special purposes. It has now
a debt of its own of about §22,000,000,
and its tax rate has been run up to three
per cent. About §17,000,000 of its bonds
are worth about thirty five cents on the
dollar in the market. Here is an example
which tells the tale of wasteful mis
government. An estate, which could
have been sold in 1867 for over $1,000,-
000 showed on its books, in 1872, this
remarkable condition :—After paying
for insurance and usual repairs, the
taxes levied that year on the property
exceeded the entire rental by $540. In
the next year the receipts exceeded the
taxes, repairs and insurance by S9OO.
Yet, in 1867, this property netted seven
per cent, on over $1,000,000 —that is to
say more than $70,000, after paying in
surance, taxes and repairs.
It is not the wealthy alone who com
plain. I have spoken with at least a
dozen small property owners in the city
and they all tell the same tale. In the
country the small farmers complain that
they are lorced to pay the heavy taxes,
while id many cases their rich neighbors
resist and are allowed to refuse payment
or to delay. I was struck with the story
of exasperation told mo by a man wh,o
said: “One piece of property after
another belonging to members of my
family had been sold out for taxes. Two
years ago we came nearly to the end.—
We could not sell, and we could not pay
the terrible taxes. I went to the sheriff,
and said to him, ‘This property which
you are advertising is the last posses
sion of my mother and sisters, and their
only support. I warn you that on the
day you put it up at auction I am going
to attend the sale with my double-bar
relled shotgun.’ And it was not sold.—
Next year we were fortunately
able to pay.” Now I know the
man very well who thus did, and I
know him to be a peaceable, law-re
specting citizen, one of the most im
portant and most useful members of the
community in which he lived. He saw
that I was shocked and pained at his
story, and said, “What could I do ? We
were wealthy people before the war; we
have beeu contented in our poverty
since, and I have worked hard aud lived
very economically. My sisters teach
school. But the times are so hard and
the taxes so high that it was all we could
do to live, and when I saw the last little
dependence of my mother and sisters
about to be sold to satisfy these cor
morants and thieves I could not stand
it.”
So great is even yet the distress that
the Legislature has just passed a tax re
demption law, forbidding sheriff’s sales
where inability to pay taxes is shown.
In the parish of St. Landry alone, as I
• think I have before stated, there were
between November, 1871, and Novem
ber, 1873, 821 sales of plantations and
lands for taxes. The newspapers in New
Orleans speak of this Tax Stay law as an
act of beneficence. Yet Louisiana is by
nature one of the richest States in the
Union and New Orleans is one of the
greatest commercial ports. Is it sur
prising that the whole population of the
State, except the office-holders and their
intimates, united, in 1874, in the endea
vor to overthrow a party which has so
abused its powers ?
Charles Nordhoff.
TIIE COURSE OF COTTON.
Review of the Week.
[New York Bulletin.]
The general condition of the market
has been somewhat slow, and apparent
ly unsatisfactory to both buyer and
seller. The movement of actual stock
has been moderate and uncertain, and
in a speculative way it was seldom pos
sible to infuse any vitality into busi
ness, while the fluctuations have been
too slight to admit of much chance for
profit. Disappointment in the telegrams
received from abroad has no doubt
checked operators to a great extent
both in spots and contracts, but the in
disposition to invest freely at ruling
rates continues a marked feature, which
will evidently require a decided stimu
lus to overcome. The indications, to
be sure, at times seem to show that
values are pretty nearly down to an ex
port level, and indeed a great many of
the trade claim to be in monetary ex
pectation of a sudden development of a
brisk demand on foreign account, but
the realization and not the hope of an
increased outward movement is what
the majority of operators desire to see,
and until this does come, it will be
probably a difficult matter to restore
confidence. The outlook on home ac
count, too, instead of growing better,
offers even less encouragement than
heretofore, the mills in several cases
being stopped by strikes of the work
men, spinners generally complaining of
the unremunerative return on their pro
duction, and it is said that in a few
cases they are proposing to sell off ac
cumulated stock of raw material as like
ly to afford them a better bargain than
to manufacture it. Still we find no de
sire prevailing to sell the market off on
the months covering the present crop,
and so far as actual cotton is concerned
holders have refrained from urging sales
throughout. In short, there is a sort
of mutual standing off on the part of
two contending interests, with each
warily watching for some development
calculated to decide the issue for the
balance of the current cotton year.
Nearly all advices from the South have
been of a favorable tenor in regard to
the next crop, and this, too, has con
tributed a neutralizing influence against
bullish tendencies. A. portion of our
operators rather favor the belief of an
increased acreage, but some of the
Southern journals take contrary ground,
on the theory that planters propose
giving greater attention to the product
of breadstuffs and provisions than here
tore.
In the purchase of “spots” both the
English and the Continental operators
have again been engaged, but hardly
with the freedom of last week, and a
very cautious policy has evidently gov
erned all movements. Indeed, in sev
eral cases where pending negotiations
were in such shape as to make it appear
almost certain that sales could be effect
ed, the business fell through on the
smallest fractional differences. The ex
ports from this point are now covering a
great many through shipments. On
price the market has remained unchang
ed, while the offering of stock at full
current figures was quite equal to the
offering. The supply available, in fact,
has a tendency to increase, as many lots,
tied up with contracts, are gradually
becoming released by quiet settlements.
On contracts there has been some set
tlements of outstanding engagements,
but little, if any thing, in the way of a
fresh element drawn in, and so indiffer
ent were manv of the leading operators
that frequently brokers have been
obliged to make up a sort of market of
their own, in order to present complete
stagnation. As before, the attention has
been confined in the main to the balance
of the current cotton year, the great
bulk of the business being the manipu
lation of engagements for June, July
and August, with some indications that
a few of the leading operators desired to ;
close out as soon as possible. The new
crop has been speculated in moderately,
with operations extending from Septem
ber to April, but investment was rather
cautions iu view of the continued en
couraging crop advices.
Memphis Cotton Report.
Memphis, May 27.—One hundred aud
sixty-six responses state that planting
is completed, except replanting; 2 * less
acreage than last year; oi stands 95 re
port good; 71 report 11 per cent, short,
2-5 of which will be replanted. The
weather is farorable except it is too
cold; 94 report material improvement;
31 moderate improvement; 36 no change;
5 not so good in labor. The average
stand is six days later than last year.
GREENE COUNTY.
Crop Prospects-Georgia Railroad—
The Superiutendency.
[Special Correspondent -e of the Chronicle and
Sentinel J
Greene County, Ga., May 27, 1875.
Crop prospects in this county are in
deed flattering at this date, though a
few days backward from last year. The
cotton stand is generally good and in a
few days more will be hoed to a stand;
the young plant has a healthy and vigor
ous look. Com is growing finely; area
planted is larger than last year. Cotton
area about the same. Small grain looks
well, though the major portion of the
wheat is somewhat affected by rust; as a
whole, I consider the crop prospect flat
tering.
I notice “Stockholder” in yesterday’s
issue of your paper on the vexed ques
tion as to who will make the Georgia
Railroad Company a good Superin
tendent. With me it is not a vexed
question, nor is it with many, yes, very
many stockholders and well wishers of
that corporation in Greene. Col. S. K.
Johnson, the present Superintendent, is
undoubtedly the man for the place. He
is energetic, quick, firm—in age has no
superior uud has considerable experi
ence; bis reputation for integrity and
upright honesty cannot be questioned;
besides he is a corteous gentleman. I
cannot see why Col. Johnson, with the
number one Board of Directors, cannot
fill the bill; possibly Col. JoliSson has
same opposition locally. I hope he has,
all good officers have, as well as bad
ones. Greene.
TUB SUMMER CAMPAIGN.
The First Campaign—The Pennsyl
vania Republicans—Meeting or the
State Convention—The Third Term-
Meaningless Generalities.
Lancaster, May 2G.—The Republican
State Convention was called to order by
Russell Errett, Chairman of the State
Committee, at 12 o’clock. John Cessna
was elected temporary Chairman. After
roll call several committees, including
oue of thirteen on resolutions and plat
form, were appointed. Hon. E. Mc
persou is Chairman of the Committee
ou Platform. The Convention was per
manently organized by the election of
Ges. Harry White President, and C. D.
Elliott Secretary. The anti-third term
resolution received tremendous ap
plause.
Lancaster, Pa., May 26.—The Con
vention met here to-day and adopted
resolutions affirming their continued
adhesion to the party and declaring the
fundamental principles of their political
faith as follows : First, The equality of
all men before the law—equal justice to
all and special favors to none. Second,
The harmony of the National and State
governments—both are parts of oue
system alike necessary for the common
prosperity, peace and security. Third,
The unity of the nation—we are one peo
ple; the Constitution of theUuited States
forms a government, not a league.
Fourth, a faithful execution of the laws,
an economical administration of gov
ernment, integrity in office, honesty in
all branches of the civil service and a
rigid accountability of public officers. —
Fifth, protection to home industry and
a home market for home products.—
Sixth, the right of the laborer to pro
tection and encouragement and the pro
motion of harmony between la
bor and capital. Seventh, cheap
transportation and the advancement
of closer intercourse between all
parts of the country. Eighth, free
banking, a safe and uniform national
currency adjusted to the growing wants
of the business interests of the country
and a steady reduction of the national
debt. Ninth, the public domain being
the heritage of the people should be re
served fur actual settlers exclusively.
Tenth, the equalization of the bounties
of soldiers aud a speedy settlement of
all just claims arising out of the late
war. Eleventh, Honest men in office—
men with brains enough to know dis
honesty when they see it and courage
enough to fight it wherever they find it.
The resolutions also declare against a
third term, but eulogize in the highest
terms the administration of Grant. In pre
senting the name of Gen. Hartrauft for
re-election, they declare it meets the
unanimous wish of their constituents,
who desire to indicate in this manner
their approval of his conduct as Chief
Magistrate of the State. They arraign
the Democrats for failing to redeem the
•pledges on which they partially obtained
power in the State, and heartily com
mend the efforts of the Government
against the whisky frauds.
NO QUESTIONS ASKED.
How ihe Milford Bank Bonds Were
Recovered President Towns De
scribes His Negotiations with an
Agent of the Thieves —A Trial of
Nerve.
On the 19th of October last the
Souhegan National Bank in Milford,
N. H., was robbed by six masked men,
who entered the house of the cashier,
Mr. Frederick T. Sawyer, gagged that
gentleman, and, after closeting his
family aud putting a strong guard over
it, led him to the bank by the aid of a
rope about the neck, aud compelled
him to open the safe, where %re re de
posited bonds and securities in consid
erable amount belonging to the bank
and its customers, which were taken,
and the robbers escaped. The New
York Times says :
Mr. Towne, president of the bank,
some month afterwards received a com
munication from, what is known as “an
independent detective” in Baltimore.
This person signified his knowledge of
the whereabouts of the missing prop
erty, and his readiness to conduct nego
tiations leading to its return. Probably
the wide publicity given to the robbery,
and the advertisement of tl*e description
of securities stolen, interfered with the
immediate sale of the property. The
brigands wanted to “ realize ” without
further delay. After various visits to the
office of the “ detective ” in Baltimore,
the details of which lend additional
mystery to the the tale, Mr. Towne
satisfied himself that the man could, if
he choose, return to him tho stolen
bonds. The sum demanded was between
$40,000 and $50,000. We are not told
what amount was finally agreed upon as
the price to be paid for the restoration
of the property, but an agreement was
reached. The banker sat alone with the
agent of the thieves, in a lonely cham
ber, at night, and in a strange city, and
having about his own person a large
sum of money. Preliminaries were ar
ranged ; the money to be paid was
known to be in the banker’s pocket.
The Nashua (N. H.) Telegraph, which
publishes a detailed report of the trans
action in Baltimore, gives an account of
the proceeding as follows :
In Baltimore Mr. Towne was met at
the hotel, and, in the night time, con
ducted to the detective’s office, only a
short distance away, where he was ush
ered through the reception room on the
first floor of the building to an office
about fourteen by fifteen feet iu dimen
sions, where he found a desk in one end
of the room, a table in the other, chairs
and other furniture. After the usual
courtesies, Mr. Towne, who had got the
idea that they were to go somewhere, he
knew not where, to obtain the stolen
property, inquired, “Where shall we
go ?” This was the detective’s cue, and
he improved it. “Wifen will you be
ready with the money ?” “I am ready
now.” “Then I want you take out of
your poeket so much (naming a sum of
money) and place it upon the table. ”
“This,” says Mr. Towne, “was the try
ing moment of my life. My mind
quickly conjured up all the evils that
could possibly befall me. The prespira-
tion oozed from my whole body, and I
was undecided. I feared I was sitting
on a trap. I feared the presence of
another person, forthe moment I placed
a roll of money upon the desk the man
arose, stepped to the door, and gave a
loud rap, when it quickly opened, and a
bundle was thrown upon the floor. I was
requested to examine it. I did so, and
for nearly an hour was engaged in ex
amining the contents of the package and
checking wbat belonged to the bank. I
should say that about one-half the bonds
were not ours. During all this time the
detective showed no impatience. In
fact, he was as pleasant and agreeable
as he well could be under the circum-.
stances.
“When I got through,” continued
Mr. Towne, “he continued his former
proceeding. Take out so much money !
I did as requested, when the door was
opened as before and a bundle thrown
in.” Another hour was spent in ex
amining and checking the contents from
this package, in which Mr. Towne found
various documents that he had not
missed, and a large amount of the
stolen property. He was assured that
this was all that could be done for him;
whereupon he tied the bonds and pa
pers together, placed them upon his
breast, buttoned up his coat, and asked
the detective to open the door. This
was another trying moment. “Imagina
ion pictured mj - assassination in the
next room,” says Mr. Towne. Passing
into the reception room of which men
tion has been made he found it empty.
He saw a crowd of men at the door. It
was late, and therefore this again alarm*
ed him. He therefore returned to the
office and said to the detective, “Why,
won’t yon go to the corner of the street
with me ?” The detective agreed that
he would, conducted him through the
crowd, which made no remarks, and ac
companied him to the Express office,
where the property was deposited, after
which they pleasantly said good night.
THE HERD OF THE TORCH.
The Great Teeumseh—A Radical Edi
tor Takes His Scalp—The Child of
Luok—Baved by Subordinates.
[Cinomn&ti Gazette’s Editorial.]
General Sherman’s life surpasses a
fairy talo. If truthfully told, not that
of Aladdin would seem more wonderful.
Placed at the beginning of the war in
command of the forces in Kentucky,
his actions, talk and military orders be
came so exoited aud strange, and his ex
aggerations of the enemy’s forces so
wild, that it was thought the excite
ment had unbalanced his mind. He
was then placed in charge of the organi
zation of troops in camp. Yet he turned
up in complete charge of the disposi
tions of the army which took base at
Pittsburgh Landing to advance on
Corinth. There, on ground of his own
choosing, and which was admirably
adapted for defense, he left the parts of
his army separated by wide distances,
without disposition to resist attack;
without providing the ordinary means
to notify him of a near enemy; refusing
to credit the signs which convinced all
the subordinate commanders that an at
tack was threatened, aud he permitted
himself to be surprised and his army
sacrificed when common-sense general
ship would ha.e insured the enemy’s
repulse.
Yet this disaster of his own contriv
ing was wonderfully turned to a reason
for promoting him as the savior of the
army lie had sacrificed. The various
and conflicting accounts Gen. Sherman
has given of that battle; the different
and strange reasons he has given for his
loose disposition and his surprise; his
imputations on other officers, his dis
paragement of his troops, and his free
charges of cowardice upon them to
cover-
example of his irrationality and untruth-'
fulness. The same fatality in general-
ship and the same luck in honors fol
lowed him. At Chicksaw Bluff he sent
a fine army to the slaughter in what
all he knew to be an attempt at tho
impossible. In the march on the rear
of Vicksburg only Sherman’s command
met any repulse. In the march to At
lanta, with greatly superior forces, he
failed to bring Johnston’s army to battle
save on ground of Johnston’s choosing,
where he was impregnable. Sherman’s
course was a series of assaults on im
pregnable places, repulsod with heavy
losses, and followed by flanking move
ments which could have been made
without the sacrifice, and which were
then too late to hinder the enemy. His
famous march to the sea, which lie ac
counts thegreatest generalship and glory
of the war, was a march of his army
away from the enemy he had failed to
destroy or cripple, leaving it to General
Thomas and to troops which had been
widely distributed to protect Sherman’s
line of supplies. The decisive victory
achieved by General Thomas, with the
hurriedly gathered troops, saved Ken
tucky and the States north of the Ohio,
which Sherman’s pic-nie excursion with
the bulk of the Western army had un
covered, and saved his march to the sea
from tbe jeers aud scoffs of all future
time. Yet this same fatality attended
him as soon as his march to the sea met
an enemy of any sort. At Bentonville,
N. C., his straggliug army met a severe
check, which came near being a defeat,
by a greatly inferior force. Then, in the
madness of his egotism, he proposed to
take to himself all the glory and effects
of the victories of other commanders,
and to settle the political terms of peace,
Yet he marched at the head of the mili
tary pageant at Washington, as if he
were a Roman conqueror and that were
his triumphal procession; and he had
the arrogance to offer a public indignity
before the army and the officers of the
Government to that officer who had
spoken the voice of the country and the
Government in setting aside General
Sherman’s wild attempt to take charge
of the political affairs of the nation, and
to dictate the condition of restoration to
the Confederate States. After all this,
this fatal and lucky General succeeded
to the special rank of General, a rank
created to reward extraordinary military
genius; a rank which should have ex
pired with Grant’s incumbency of it,
but which was extended to Sherman; a
rank which has a pay not far behind
that which the President has received
till the present time. Yet this wonder
ful rise through disaster did not con
tent him. Helias complained of non
appreciation, and has told wbat honors
and rewards Great Britiain heaped on
Marlborough and Wellington. And he
must write liis memories, to exalt him
self by pulling others down. Aud thus,
driven by the fatality of liis genius, he
must expose the glass house of his own
military fame to the truthful retaliation
of others.
GOVERNOR OF GEORGIA.
Charles J. Jenkins.
[Rome Courier.]
There is quite a number of aspirants
for the Gubernatorial office, aud if we
are correctly informed, they are at work
very industriously to secure the Demo
cratic nomination, and some of them,
it has been asserted, have entered into a
sort of combination to secure as many
of the members of the Legislature as
possible as delegates to the Gubernato
rial Convention favorable to their nom
ination. These members it is further
charged were feasted and flattered in
Atlanta last Winter with the view of
making fair weather with the suscepti
ble who were to be approached in that
way. Whether these charges are true
or not, we cannot say. Those feasts
may have been simple acts of hospitality
ou a big scale and not intended to blar
ney the honorable members of the Leg
islature.
Now, Charles J. Jenkins has not even
intimated that he desires to occupy the
Gubernatorial chair. If he has such
desire, he is satisfied to leave the matter
to the people without any solicitation
from him or manoeuvering on his part,
believing that if his services are deman
ded they will be called into requisition.
If he cannot receive such evidences of
popular confidence as come spon
taneously from the people, he will never
become a mere office-seeker to secure it.
Mr. Jenkins was driven from the Guber
natorial chair, where he was placed by
the sovereign people of Georgia soon
after the war, at tho point of the bay
onet, when the Federal Government
undertook to run the State government
of Georgia through the medium of the
War Department. "We all remember
how bravely, how gallantly and with
what dignity Charles J. Jenkins acted,
and how sternly he protested against
military usurpation and bayonet rule as
he was driven from that office and took
his place as a private citizen, “the
noblest Homan of them all.” Geor
gians cannot well forget the conduct
of their grand old Governor, nor the
heroic manner in which he endavor
ed to maintain the dignity of this
beloved old Commonwealth. No true
Georgian’s heart will fail to swell with
emotions of gratitude to such a man for
his sublime heroism in that memorable
epoch in our State’s degradation when
we were terrorized with the gleaming
sword and the bristling bayonet; and
there can be no trua Georgian who
would not desire to honor the man—the
Governor who shrank nor faltered under
‘the tyranny of a despotism that cowered
the hearts of so many and caqsed them
to close their mouths to all manly pro
test against the infamies of military
rule in the local affairs of a grand olu
State. Such a man was Charles J. Jen
kins—a name unsullied and bright in
the lustre of its grandeur, its association
with events that placed it conspicuously
in the constellation of great names that
have illustrated the noblest deeds of hu-
man history, and which will go down to
posterity as a bright star to guide the
great and the good of coming genera
tions. That name can again shed lustre
upon the administration of Georgia and
illustrate the character and renown of a
State that has placed upon the pages of
history the record of the noblest people.
As this grand old man is quietly pre
serving the even tenor of an honored re
tiraoy, expecting nothing and wishing
nothing and striving for nothing of po
litical honors, it would be a fitting trib
ute to place him at the head of the State
as a last testimonial of a State’s love as
he passes that age in life when man
naturally seeks retiracy and repose from
the bustling scenes of the busy world,
where he may meditate iu the sunset of
his life upon what he has done for his
fellow-man. Such a testimonial of a
State’s love and a people’s confidence
would be a beautiful event to place up
on the record of the noble old man to
cheer his heart as he approaches the
end of a useful, unselfish, patristic and
an honorable life. In view of all these
facts, and on account of his eminent
fitness, his stern integrity, hi unblem
ished character and as a recognition of
his virtues and brightly shining record
of patriotism to the State, we most re
spectfully suggest Mr. Charles J. Jen
kins as a suitable candidate for the next
Governor of Georgia, believing the peo
ple of this grand old State fully appre
ciate the virtues, the manhood and the
statesmanship of a beloved and honor
ed public servant. '
Bain is much needed in this section*
VICTIMS OF THE FLAME.
A Fearful Fire in South Holyoke—The
French Catholic Church Catches no
Fire—No Egress from the Galleries—
Seventy-five Persons Perish—An
Appalling Disaster Heartrending
Scenes.
Springfield, May 28.—The French
Catholic Church of South Holyoke,
Massachusetts, was burned yesterday.
A candle on the altar fired the drapery.
Most of those in the body of the church
escaped. Those in the gallery mostly
perished. The service had nearly closed
and Vespers were being sung. There
was but one exit from the gallery, which
extended round the building. There
were 700 worshippers present—seventy
five of whom perished. The efforts of
the people to get into the church aud
rescue their friends increased the con
fusion and added to the disaster. Per
sonal violence had to be used iu several
instances to keep women from rushing
into the flames to save their children.—
The church has been established 7 years
aud the parish included all the French
Catholics in the vicinity—numbering
2,000. The church was built in 1870 and
was 100 by 60 feet, two stories high and
built entirely of pine. The galleries on
the sides aud north end were about 25
feet wide. There were two doors in the
north end and vestibule, from which two
doors opened into the body of the
church. The galleries opened into the
vestibule. At tho rear end was
another door by which a few persons
escaped. Immediately upon the break
ing out of tho flames all tho occupants
of the galleries rushed to the east door
and crowded so that they fell upon one
another and choked up the passage
with their bodies piled iu all ways, seven
or eight feet deep, and here most of the
lives were lost. From this mass Chief
Mullin rescued one young woman after
taking off two dead bodies from above
her. It was almost impossible to face
the flames, and Chief Mullin and others
had their clothes almost burned from
them, and were badly burned them
selves abontjtke hands. In the rear of
the church was the priest’s residence,
which was also destroyed. The walls
were pulled down after thefire was near
ly put out. One woman jumped from
the highest window down upon the front
knoi’u to have "been otherwise in piled.
A man with two children in his arms
jumped from tho window and escaped.
One poor woman, enveloped in flames,
shrieked out, “For God’s sake save me,”
and she was dragged out by John Lynch.
The latest dispatch to the Republican
from Holyoke says it is not quite certain
that all the bodies have beeu taken from
the ruins. Iu tho haste to get as many as
possible from the building before it fell,
many were taken out a short distance,
aud it is possible that a few more may
be taken from the debris.
Identifying the Dead.
Fifty bodies have been identified, in
addition to fifteen or twenty at once re
moved to their homes. There are sev
enty and forty more or less burned
aud otherwise injured. A person who.
lost his wife and daughter is insane.
THE GRASSHOPPERS.
The Pents of the West—What the Peo
ple are Doing—Great Distress.
St. Louis, May 27. —For the oast three
days the grasshoppers in this vicinity
have been marching in a southwesterly
direction. Whenever they strike a field
or garden they leave scarcely a vestige
of vegetation. Whole fields of grain
are devoured in a few hours, and the
sections which they visit are laid waste.
However, their ravages are not univer
sal. They seem to collect in armies,
aud all march in one direction, turning
aside for uothiug. Some sections are
devastated, while others are free from
the scourge. Many plans are being de
vised for their destruction. Tho most
successful appears to be that of digging
deep trenches in front of them and
‘driving them into them and then de
stroying them. Had this course been
pursued from the time they began
marching there would have been none.
As it is we fear most of the small grain
will be destroyed, although the crops of
corn and late potatoes will, it is hoped,
be safe.
Fort Scott, Mo., May 27.—The grass
hoppers iu this vicinity are not near so
plenty as a short time since. Wliat lias
become of them is not known. The
crops are looking forward, and the farm
ers are a little more encouraged. In the
northeast part of the country, around
Booueville, they have done an immense
amount of damage, eating everything
green they came across.
Nebraska City, May 27.—Tho grass
hoppers are beginning to leave this
county, and are moving in a southerly
direction. The reports from farmers are
more encouraging to-day, only a small
portion of this county being afflicted
with the grasshoppers, aud the people
have generally been more seared than
hurt. Corn can be planted where small
grain has been badly damaged, and
thus only the seed will be lost. Five
miles east of the river all kinds of grain
never looked better at this time of year.
The farmers in Jacobson county met in
council at Independence yesterday, to
devise ways and menns to relieve the
destitute. Reports from some sections
state that the people are living on
leaves. A committee was appointed to
see the bankers aud get money at low
rates to relieve the sufferers, aud an ad
dress was issued calling on the people
in the country for help to enable the
farmers to replant the crops.
Reliable Intelligence From Western
Missouri.
The grasshopper plague in Missotft-i
still continues to be a subject of inter
est, and reliable information on the
matter has been somewhat diilicult to
obtain, Many of the stories told seemed
exaggerations, and it was difficult to be
lieve that such ravages as those reported
could bo real. There is no doubt, how
ever, that at least in some portions of
the State the accounts have not been
overdrawn, Rev. J. K. Martin, of Kiugs
ville, Johnson county, who is in St. Lou
ison his way to Monmouth, Ills , to pro
cure seed for replanting, confirms the
report of the devastation iu his neigh
borhood. He says that four-fifths of all
the wheat, oats, rye, corn, flux, meadow,
wild grass and garden products in his
region are utterly destroyed. He men
tioned a couple of instances as illustra
tion. At a meeting of members of liis
congregation last Wednesday, reports
were made in regard to the wheat crop
of those present. They represented
about 700 acres, all of which, with the
exception of about 40 acres, was so ut
terly destroyed that on a casual inspec
tion it could not be told that any wlieat
crop had ever grown there. The forty
acres left were in tho centre of a two
hundred acre field, and the patch
was surrounded by grasshoppers, mak
ing a clean sweep as they converged
to the centre. At some distance
away was a 25 acre field of wheat about
a foot high, growing thick and strong,
and beside it 15 acres of pasture. Tho
two fields being surrounded by plowed
ground escaped attack by tho grass
hoppers until last Wednesday, when they
made an assault on it after cleaning off
every green thing in the neighborhood.
On Saturday afternoon when Mr. Mar
tin left for St. Louis there was not a
blade of wheat or grass left of it. The
stalks were eaten to the gronnd so
closely that the butts only could be dis
covered by a close inspection. He re
ports that many of the grasshoppers
having nothing more to eat were flying
away, but that the larger portion were
dying on the ground of starvation. Mr.
Martin formerly lived at Monmouth,
and his reasons for going there for seed
are two-fold. First, it is thought that
seed grown iu the North will be better
adapted to late crops, and secondly, he
expects to get the most, if not all, the
necessary supplies gratuitously. The
Missouri Pacific Company has kindly
agreed to furnish free transportion for
these seeds. He will get every kind
suitable for planting so late in the
season: Northern corn, millet, buck
wheat, turnips, <te.
THE CAR LIFTER.
The Invention a Complete Success.
Washington, May 29.—C01. Foreacre,
General Manager of the Virginia Mid
land, reports the steam lifter at Lynch
burg in complete and perfect operation.
The palace car leaving New Orleans to
day will come through to Baltimore
without change via Atlanta, Knoxville,
Bristol, Lynchburg and Virginia Mid
land, likewise the palace ear leaving
Baltimore Monday morning will go to
New Orleans by the same route, it being
the commencement of a permanent lino
of through cars between the Chesapeake
Bay and Gulf of Mexico.
The Chatham Artillery will be present
at the Bunker Hill Centennial on the
17th of June. They have petitioned the
City Council of Savannah for an appro
priation to defray expenses.
The commencement exercises of the
West Point Female College will be from
the 4th to the 7th of July, inclusive.
Hon. O. A. Lochrane will deliver the
address before the graduating class.
The other speakers will be duly an
nounced.
It will be remembered by our readers
that we mentioned not long since the
capture of the negro who committed
minder at Hartwell about Christmas. —
Last week the murderer who had been
in jail, for some time succeeded in re
leasing himself of tho shackles and
chains with which he was bound, and
digging a •way under the foundation of
the jail effected his escape.
