Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 February 1883 — THE EDMUNDS LAW. [ARTICLE]

THE EDMUNDS LAW.

Judge Jj»ro. Black's Argument as to its ConstitaUoaality Creates a i Bvnsation. \ Hon. Jere. Viac has concluded! hi- at guinea t before tbe judiciary O mimtttee of the house in favor or repealing the Edmunds law to crush out polygamy In Utah, on the ground that it is.clearly unconstitutional. A m‘tuber of the judiciary committee said to-day that uo one could read the argument without reaching the conclusion that every member of GaugrvSH who voted for the bill perjured himself. In his argument Judge Black says that tbe aim and avowed purpose of tbe law was to plunder the Mormons of their propel ty und to make Utah a Republican state. He say a that the opportunities for plunder ure not so great as they were in the south, but the purpose of the Republicans, with regard to Utah, Is the same us it was iu the south. The argument has croaed something of a sensation.

Rev. S Hyatt Smith, a Republican Congressman fiom Bio>klyn, thus forcibly expressed himself recently on the tariff debate: The Republicans are a pack of fools, arid ihe Democrats are talking fora purpose. The Republicans gabble without an idea where the thing will end. I told Keifer this was the farce of 1883. but that it' will be the tragedy of 1884. It is simply trifling with ihe people. Nothing less than a reduction $50,000,000 will satisfy the country The H use bill reduces the tariff $20,000,000, but that reduction is simply constructive. The measure, in reality, gives no relief whatever. The Republicans ask me why I don’t speak pn the subject. I will speak soon enough for some of them. There is too much talk all around. If all the wind that has been expended during the past and present sessions were gatheied into one gust, it would be strong enough to blow that abortion of a Goddess of Liberty from the dome of the capitol.

The history of John E. Kenna, who is to succeed Henry G. Davis as a United States Senator from West Virginia, is a good one for the small boy to read and reflect upon. Kenna is but thirty-five years of age. He began life as a farm hand, and when a mere youtb went to the War and fought for what afterward came to be known as the “los-cause.” He came out oi the Army in 1865, only eighteen years of age. and, amidst the greatest of difficulties, obtained a g*;od education for himself. He next studied law aud went to the Bar. Hia success was brilliant, and due to his own persistent,, unaided efforts. In 1876, at the age of twenty-nine, he was eleoted to Congress’ reelected in 1878 and 1880 and in 1882. He now goes to the Senate for a term ofsix years, and may yet be president of tne United S'ates. Mr. Kenna has always been :a Democrat, and while highly honored by his party with public office, be has held the respect of his political opponents because of his sincerity and consistency.

This is a specimen us the Washington special that the Chicago Tribune a Republican paper, prints from day to day. concerning the tariff jugglery. Under date of February 9 a special to that paper says: This wasn’t a good day for th® Pennsylvania Protectionist in the House. Ever since the “sell-out” which made Keifer Speaker, and his appointment of three Pennsylvanians as mem hers of Ways and Means Committee, republicans as well as democrats have declared that if the opportunity should ever come, they would give Pennsylvania a rub The metal schedule of the Ways and Means bill furnished opportunity which they have coveted, and they have not allowed to let it pass unimproved. By a vote of H 0 to 95 the duty on steel railway bars was reduced from $lB, per ton, the com mittee’s figure, to sls- Twenty-five Republicans voted for the reduction, and only five Democrats —Klotz Randall, Mitchell and Wise, of Penas', ivania, and Flower, of New York - voted against it.

The Proposed Postal ItoT*.—Tips proposed postal note, which U to take the place of money orders for sums of $5 and less, is a out as large as u greenbuck and made payable to bear* ev. Alteration of the arao int is pre vented by a system of punching in the style* of long distance railroad tickets. The order will be issued for a fee of ;hree cents. Similar notee in England, and last year no less than 4,402.9*20 of them, amounting so over $10,000,000, were issued. They were in circulation, on the average, six days, showing that there is little danger of the notes being us d as currency. tm i Messrs. Bedford & Warner have an extensive stock of Groceries, Hardware, Tinware, Wooden ware, Brick, Tile, etc., etc., on hand, to which they invite the attention of the public. The authorities of Berlin called upon the gamblers of Germany to give what they made on a certain night to relieve the flooded sufferers, and the result was so magnificent that they called upon the gamesters to do it once more. The practice among many German peasants ot making their property oyer to their children is having a moat diabolical effect. Iu order to escape the care ol their parents and to secure the prop, erty-all to themselves, children engage in the most unnatural crime of parricide. It ha 3 so in creased of late that the govesnors of some ot the districts in Germany have issued addresses advising the ptasants to retain their property till they are through with it.

Some Austin amateurs recently got up a theatrical performance called the “Captive, Crusader.” Gus DeHmkk and Kosciusko Murphy took leading parts, between the acts, behind the scenes, Murphy begged Gus, who was the (Japtive Crusader, to lend him a quarter.” “Can’t think of it. You know well enough that in the next act I have to raise an ran jom of 100,000 piasters to pay toe Suitan before I will be allowed to return io Jerusalem.” “That settles it,” responded Murphy, gloomily.—Texas Siftings.