Democratic Sentinel, Volume 14, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 August 1890 — Page 9

LODGE’S FORCE BILL.

BY EX-SENATOR M’DONALD OF INDIANA. Aa Able Latter Pointing; Oat the Un constitutionality of the Measure Proposed. hy Lodge—ls a Law. It Would Deprive American People of Their Bights. Very recently ex-Scnator Joseph E. > McDonald, of Indiana, received a copy -of Congressman Wheeler’s speech, made in the House of Representatives, against d;hat Republican monstrosity known as dhe force or bayonet bill. In response Mr. McDonald wrote the following letter do the brilliant Alabama Representative: Son. Joseph Wheeler: Mr Dear General,—l have read with much interest your very able and exhaustive, •discussion of the House bill to “amend and supplement the present laws of the United '•States,” known as the Lodge bill. Your review of the proceedings of the national -provision under which the Republican party -claims the right to enact such laws, and of -the subsequent action of the several State -conventions in relation thereto, is a most valuable contribution to the constitutional ■history of the country, and demonstrates -that if the friends of the provision •had then claimed for it tho construction which the Republican party has now put "upon It, It never would have been engrafted upon the Federal Constitution. It was only Advocated as a conservative measure, a secondary power not to be exercised unless the State Legislatures should neglect or refuse to make laws or regulations for the -purpose, or from any cause be incapable of -making the same, and then only until the Legislatures of the States should make provisions In the premises. The laws to which this bill professes to be -supplemental are the first In which the right -of federal supervision over the election of members of Congress‘were ever asserted. Down to the time of their enactment the .right to make or altor “regulations" for the •election of members of Congress was regarded as a reserved right, only toTje used by Congress to correct any negligence In .any of the States In making provisions for such elections. Believing these laws to be a violation of -the spirit of the Constitution, and most -dangerous In their tendency, as a member •of the United States Senate, in the spring of 1870, I introduced a bill the main purpose of which was to repeal them. This, I am sorry to say, was not done; and they have remained on the statute books as the stock -upon which It Is proposed to engraft measures much more extreme and more directly violative of the Constitution. The general scope and purpose of the Constitution of the United States In regard to 'the election of members of Congress would ■seem too plain to admit of any construction' which would permit the control of such -elections ty Federal officers. The second section dec/ares that the House of Represhall be composed of members •chosen every second year by the people of the several States; and the electors In each State shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of 'the State Legislature. .The control of suffrage is In the States. The qualifications of the voters are such as may be prescribed by the States In defining' tho qualifications of -the “most numerous branch of the State Legislature.” In brief, in the language of the Constitution of the United States, members of the House of Representatives are to “be chosen “by the people of the United States.” It is incompatible with the free exercise ■of these rights that the officers who supervise their exercise should be chosen by some •other than the people of the States within which they are exercisable, and yet the Federal laws on that subject now in force •and the so-called Lodge bill in a more marked degree assume to provide and do provide for just that kind of supervision. The Lodge bill goes further and vests In the Federal Election Commissioners the power "to determine the qualifications of voters by Authorizing them to revise State registers, to reject votes and to certify results, so that votes which may be received and counted toy the State officers for members of the “most numerous branch of the State Legislature” as legal may be rejected by the Federal officers when offered for members of •Congress, although offered at the same time And place and on the same ballot. Their' States are deprived of a right which the ■Constitution vests In them of determining who may vote for members of Congress. This is an unwarranted usurpation, and if persisted In and submitted to will lead to •other and still more dangerous Infractions of the Constitution.

The same language that reserves to Congress the right by law to make or alter the regulations made by a State for the election •of members of the House of Representatives applies to the election of U. S. Senators, exi•cept as to the place of choosing Senators. In all other respects the power Is the same. Senators, It Is true, are to be chosen by the Legislature of each State, but that right Is no more sacred than the right of the people •of the several States “to choose members of •the House of Representatives.” Iu one ■sense it Is lesa so, as the qualifications of ■electors of members of the House so* expressly limited, and must be defined by the laws of the several States. If the people tolerate Federal Interference In the election iOf members of the House of Representatives, as proposed in the Lodge Bill, can any one say how long it will be until the Republican party will attempt through Congress to interfere with the “manner” of holding elections for U., S. Senators and virtually take those elections out of the hands of the State authorities, and thus put the election of members to both branches of Congress under the control of Federal officers, with power to supervise the elections and certify results? It was a long time before any party arose In this country that possessed the hardihood to insist upon a departure from the undoubted spirit and true meaning of the Constitution on the subject of elections, but once having broken through the just bounds which the founders of the Constitution had Indicated, there seems to be no limit to the -demands. Mr. Justice Story, In his “Commentaries on the Constitution,” As quoted by you, said: “A period of forty years has sin 20 passed without any attempt by Congress to make any regulations or interfere In the slightest degree with the election of members of Congress.” and after further comment adds: “The truth is that Congress would never resort to a measure of this sort for the purpose of oppression or party triumph until that body ceased to •represent the will of the States and the people, and if, under such circumstances, the members would still hold office, It would toe because a general and Irredeemable corruption or Indifference pervades the whole •community. No republican constitution •could afford any remedy for such a state of things.” The time has come when a majority of ■Congress seems willing to pervert the Constitution for the purpose of securing the triumph of Its party and Intrenching It In .power, and It remains to be seen whether the people will submit to Its usurpation. Such schemes have failed In the past, and I, have faith to believe they will fall In the future. If the Constitution “ affords no remedy for such a state of things,” ttoe people will have the power and, 1 believe, the virtue to correct the wrong, T’ery truly

yours,

A Gigantic Political Trust.

British journals usually have very hazy ideas both regarding American politics and American geography. On the matter of the tariff their utterances are •especially discredited by the high protectionists of this country. The following editorial from the London DaUy News is so pointed and so true, however, whatever motive may have”inspired it, that it makes good reading even in this country: “Mr. Blaine, scandalized by the excesses of American protectionist** is\

Boots and shoes are protected by a tariff of 30 per cent., which is a little above that laid upon paper, but much less than the average levied upon cotton and woolen goods. About 60 per cerft. of the total number of employes in this great industry are represented in the wage tables. Of this number only 6.5 per cent, receive less than 85 per woek—which compares with 22 per cent, in woolens, 25 per cent, in worsteds and 40 per cent, in cottons. Only about onethird of them receive less than 89, nearly one-half get 812 and over and one-fifth ' get 815 and more. Of the males more than one-half receive sl2 and over a week. If these great industries represented the whole situation we should be obliged to conclude that high wages were more apt to be found in lightly protected than In the more highly protected industries. And this is generally the case. Certain it is, in any event, that high tariffs do not make high wages. They are based upon conditions very different from the tariff enactments of Congress. Congress may heap up duties on woolens, or worsteds, or cotton goods, or linens, or what not, but the employes in these industries will go right on toiling for less than 88 a week just the same. This is made so evident from the facts presented in the statistical report referred to as to need no further demonstration.

J. E. MCDONALD.

tight, for men, If not exactly for superior tofltegs. can now be witnessed In all its lurid beauty at "-Vashington. Mr. Blaine declared before the Senate oommittee that the McKinley bill was the most infamous measure ever concocted. The bill in question represents the attempt of the Republicans to divide spoils not of the party but of the nation. It is the most perfect machine ever devised for stopping every avenue or loophole by which' untaxed products may find their way to the American consumer. “In this sense it appears to bo too much even for the leaders of the Republican party, who after all have to consider how the Government of the republic is to be carried on. The last election was won by the subscriptions of wealthy manufacturers, and these capitalists as a consideration now demand the absolute right to dictate the fiscal policy of the administration. They are plain dealers. They have bought the Government in, and they expect the Government to serve their interests at the expense of the nation. They establish a gigantic political trust, which promises to pay better than all the other trusts'put together. All appointments are submitted to them. They have made a clean sweep of most of the free-trade incumbents of American offices throughout the world. •

TARIFF AND WAGES.

Some Interesting Facts and Figures. [From the Chicago Herald.] If any one should look through the last part of the State Bureau of Labor Statistics’ report In the expectation of tracing some connection between the wages paid in manufacturing industries and the tariff he would bo very much disappointed. It is impossible to find any such connection. U-pon no other industry, for example, has tariff been lavished with so liberal a hand as upon woolens. We should naturally expect that here a high rate of wages would rule. And yet, according to the Springfield (.Mass.) Republican, it appears that. 23 per cent, of the employes who are included in the wage returns receive less than'Bs, moro than one-half receive less than 7, and more than three-fourths less than 810 a week. As 74 per cent, of the total number employod in this industry are represented in the wage returns, theso results no doubt give the average situation. Worsteds are another product upon which much tariff has been imposed. But over ono-fourth of the employes represented get less than 85 a week and over three-fourths get less than 86. Cotton goods, again, enjoy a very liberal protection, the tariff here ranging from 40 to 75 per cent., and the leading mills are paying dividends of from 0 to 20 per cent. If the rate of wages in any way depends upon the tariff, one would expect to find very good w ages prevailing here. And yet, of the 48,178 employes representech.in the wage tables, or 80 per cent, of the whole number engaged in the industry, over 19,000, or, over 40 per cent., receive less than 85 a week, or less than 84 cents a day. Moro than three-fourths receive loss* than 87 a week, and more than 84 per cent, less than 88. That cannot be called large pay. Take now the paper industry. This enjoys the least protection of any great manufacturing business of Massachusetts. Three-fourths of the total number of employes are represented in the wage tables, and it appears that less than 13.5 per cent, of these receive less than 85 a week, and less than 40 per cent, get under 88 and over, and quite one-fourth get over 810. Nearly onehalf the men in this manufacture get 810 and more a woek, asid nearly one-fourth receive over 815. In woolen goods, on the other hand, only about 21 per cent, of the men get $lO and over, and only about 5 per cont., or one-twentieth, get over 815.

The McKinley Bill.

Even though the bill should never beoomo a law, the attempt to make It so will fasten upon its advocates an odium not loss than that under which they will rest should it be placed upon the statute books. See the purpose and scope of the bill when it becomes a law. Under the specious guise of protection to American homes and industries it taxes every man, woman and child to heap up increased riches to a favored and privileged few. It takes from honest labor with one hand the meager subsistence it pretends to give with the other. It imposes upon the homes of the peopie burdens of debt which toil and thrift can. never raise while it continues. It’ destroys foreign commerce by rates of duty prohibiting imports of goods which cannot be furnished or fully supplied at home. It fosters and builds up gigantic trusts by import discriminations, and so pours added millions Into already well-filled treasuries. It provides rewards In the past and recolnpense in the future to those who have shamelessly bought seats, official power and patronage. -It yields to the call of monopoly and hastens to do its bidding as a hireling his master’s will. It belittles and belies the great declaration that all men are born with inalienable rights. #t usurps the authority of State sovereignties in order to give more power to the Federal head. It wrings vast sums from overburden* ed taxpayers, not for Government use, L but to bestow those wh*» stjnport it,

however unheeding or u a wo-thy tho/ may be. It poor* money into the nation’s coffers to be poured out again in profuse end profligate expenditures. It leads nway the uninformed with the delusion that taxation increases wealth and professes to seek reduction of redundant revenue by increasing taxes on the necessaries of life. Ik creates antagonism between sections, the West and South against the North and East, which will grow into retaliatory conflicts and which will quickly pass beyond the power of the best statesmanship to control. Finally, whatever there is of folly in partisanship, of error in economic statement, of falsehood in popular assumption, of hypocrisy In professed belief, all this; all these and more, is comprehended in the McKinley bill, a sum of political wrong such as no people in any country or in any ago were ever before confronted with. —Chicago Herald.

REBUKE TO PARTISANS.

LECTURE READ TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Ttao Minority Report In the Clayton-Breok-ln ridge Klect on Contest Denounces the Action of the Majority as Unjust, Scandalous, and Full oi Slanders. [Washington special.] Through Mr. Maish, of Pennsylvania, the Democratic members of the House Committoe on Elections have filed a minority report In the contested election case of Clifton R. Breckinridge against John M. Clayton, from the Second District of Arkansas: The report is particularly severe on tiie sab-committee that investigated tho murder of Colonel Clayton and ■on the Elections Committee. After citing the fact that the Second District had returned Democratic members in all except one election, and contending that the presumption, therefore-, is in favor -of ; Mr. Breckinridge, the'report admits the stealing of the ballot-box from Plummerville Precinct, but holds that this did not change the result and that Colonel Clayton could not have been elected with tho addition to his returns of Republican ballots cast at Plummerville. Relative to tho instructions given by the House for a “full and thorough investigation” of the case, tho • report calls attention to tho great number of Issues involved. The sub-com-mitteo, it states, spent but twelve days in taking evidence. “The House may judgo upon this,"the report goes on to say, “and it will be called upon to judge, from proceedings still more unusual and shocking, how disgracefully and criminally this case has boon handled. Party prejudice, malice and a purpose to accomplish an improper end seems to have deadened every sensibility in„gentleqion from whom the House and'the country had a right to expect bettor things. Some unworthy purpose seems to be their end and object. Some ignoble compact seems to have forestalled their action. Some base and disingenuous mind seems to have guided them, and it is far short of tho truth to say that this investigation has been a miserable farce and that the majority report is unfounded in truth, not justified by the evidence, and is defaced by the repetition of partisan slanders not sustained by any testimony. Knowing the utter insufficiency of relative evidence to unseat Mr. Breckinridge, knowing, indeed, that it proves Mm elected, the majority report ranges in every imaginable direction formattter to distort in the vain' hope to borrow strength thereby,” The report says in conclusion that when those intrusted with official power so forget right, justice and duty as to act as the majority of the comqiitte. has done, it brings distrust and odium on a party and the House, an# their actions and conclusions should be rejected and rebuked. “Never has a great question been so wretchedly, so feebly, so unjustly, and so scandalously treated and adjudicated,” adds tho report, “but passion under injury and wrong is not the mode of redress, and if the House puts the seal of approval on the report and recommendations of the committee, then we appeal to the people to rebuke It and right it by their votes.”

A PRIMITIVE AFRICAN CANNON.

Ordnance Used by the Warrior* of the Dark Continent, Among the trophies of Germany’s past triumphs that grace the grounds which surround the Marine Academy Building at Kiel none is of more interest than v a cannon made by natives of Africa and captured from them in a battle near Pangani. It has not the

AN AFRICAN PIECE OF ORDNANCE.

slightest contrivance for aiming and its caliber is very small. The carriage is made of wood. The wheels are cut out of one piece, approximately round, and are fastened to the wooden axles with long rusty nails. The piece of ordnance apparently would prove more dangerous to its owners than* to the enemy. Among unscientific “medicine men* there is a practice and a form of prescription known as the “shotgun,” and it consists of prescriptions containing twenty or thirty different ingredients, the idea being that some one of them will hit the mark blindly aimed at. The largest number of ingredients in any one Pullman prescription of which we haveMearned is twenty-three. The motto of the writer of such a prescription must have been “to hit it if it was a deer and miss it if it was a calf.” Of course,’it is useless to tell an intelligent person that no one but a moss-covered, brass-buttressed, copperlined, zinc-bottomed gorilla could submit to such treatment with any hope of recovering. But there are those whose vigor and vitality enable them to rally, notwithstanding their doctors. —Pullman (EL) Journal. Each ten years of a man’s life has its own fortunes, its own hopes, its own desires. Woe to him who is induced to grasp at anything before him or behind him.— Anon. A vessel jaay lose its grip, and, strange to say, retain its hold.

AFFAIRS IN INDIANA.

INTERESTING ITEMS GATHERED FROM VARIOUS SOURCES. What Our Neighbors Are Doing—Matters of General and Local Interest—Marriages and Death*—Accidents aud Crimes —Personal Pointers. Poisoned Whisky Given a young Farmer. William Coble, son of Richard Coble, a prominent farmer in Carroll County, is lying at the point of death, the victim of a dastardly outrage. Young Coble, who is nearly twenty-one years of age, attended the old settlers’ daneo at Delphi, accompanied by the daughter of Joseph Been, of Rock Creek Township. During tho evening young Coble was offered some whisky by Frank Bending, a tough young man of the same locality. After drinking Coble became deathly sick, and Bonding took him in his buggy to the Beiwiing homestead, and later on, becoming worse, took him homo. Dr. Smith, of Delphi, and Dr. Stewart, of Rocktield, were called to attend the unfortunate young man. They quickly pronounced it a case of poisoning. It develops that Bending had put cantharidcs in the whisky for a joke before lotting Coblo drink. Bonding’s character is very bad, and should young Coble dio ho will bo severely dealt with. Minor State Items. —While adjusting the machinery in a flour-mill, at Lexington, John Wliitlatch had an arm torn off. —Justice David Baldwin, one of tho pioneers of Clark County, died at Oregon on Sunday, aged 80 years. —Miss Alice Morgan, a school-teacher for half a century, is dead at Jeffersonville, at tiie age of 90 years. —Michigan City’s famous sand hill is to go. It lias been sold to Chicagoans, who will use it for building purpose. —John Ryans,a farmer living six miles north of Fort Wayne, was kicked on tiie head by a 3-year-old colt, and is dying. —Alvin Parks, of Oregon, Clark County, was fatally beaten by Wm, Pennington, tho weapon being a pitchfork. —Philip Rhodes, of Columbus, aged 73, was found dead in ids bed. He was in apparent good health the night previous. —Mrs. M. W. Hamilton, wife of a prominent grain-merchant, of Greenfield, was thrown from a buggy aud seriously injured. —A rich vein of silver is said to have been discovered on tiie farm of John It. Canine, near Waveland. The vein outcrops on the banks of Sugar Creek. —The Southern Indiana Fish Associatian has offered a reward of 825 for tho conviction of any person guilty of violating tho law for the protection of fish. —A reunion of ex-soldlors of Northern Indiana and Southern Michigan will bo held at Elkhart, September 22. Addresses will bo delivered by Gen. Alger and Corporal Tanner. —Henry Priddy, of Rochester, bought a vicious stallion for almost nothing, but when he attempted to hitch tho animal to a buggy Priddy was almost kicked to death. The horse was shot. —Clarence Mitchell, u years old, fell from a trapeze at Charleston, breaking tho left arm so badly that the bones protruded through the flesh. The elbow and wrist were both dislocated. —Witchcraft treatment is alleged to have causod the death of the child of Mr. and Mrs. William Davis, residents of Schultztown, a suburb of Logansport. The matter is under investigation. —A brakeman on the B. E. & W. R. Railroad, while coupling cars at Portland, had his head badly crushed by tiie bumpers and was sent to his home in Van Wert, O. The injury appears fatal. —George Bowers, a deaf, and dumb man at Greencastle, was struck by a locomotive while crossing the track near the depot in that city. He was knocked down, but fortunately escaped serious injury. —The little child of J. B. Henderson, near Leesvilie, was playing on a large log, when, by his pranks, it was overbalanced, and in rolling down a hill it threw the little fellow to tho ground, killing him instantly. —John Miller, of Heth Township, Harrison County, rested a loaded shotgun on one of his feet, the barrels down, a few days ago, and it was accidentally discharged. Miller is now minus one of his toes, and his foot is badly mangled. —Edward Gillganon, a machinist, employed in the Louisville & Nashville shops, near Evansville, met with an accident which resulted in his death. Ho was working on an immense drive-wheel, when it fell over on him, crushing him in a manner. —Willie Mancy,* the 6-year-old son of T. C. Maney, of Clarksville, a suburb of Jeffersonville, was accidentally shot by a 12-year-old son of James Smith. The weapon was a floboiyt rifle, the ball entering the left temple and penetrating the brain. He died soon afterwards. —Bate Kirkham, a ’bus driver, got off a Terre Haute and Logansport train at Ellsworth to get a glass of beer at a near-by Saloon. In attempting to board tho moving train he fell between the platform and the wheels cut his body in two. The remains were taken to his home at Sullivan. —Dr. Laban Palmer, of Knightsvilie,a practicing physician for sixty years, died. He was born in Virginia in 1809, and came to this State in 1845. His deatli was the result of Injuries received three years ago in a runaway accident. —Robert Long, while fishing in Ohio, at Clarksville, found a leather valise floating in the water. On opening, the decomposed remains of a white female infant, two months old, fell at his feet. It was buried in the potters’ field at Jeffersonville, j . l! i

—William Fintor, ot Jeffersonville,was arous»d a few nights ago by the cries of a child. Going ty the’door he found his 13*year-old daughter standing outside in licr night attire. She is a somnambulist, and had walked out of the second-story window and fallen to the ground.twcntyfivo feet below, escaping with only slight injuries. —An t'xplosion in the McCracklin coal mine at Farmersburg was caused by gas becoming ignited from a miner’s lamp. Emery McCracklin, an operator, was taken out dead, and his brother Frank was so badly burned that ho cannot recover. Lafayette Saunders, another operator, is still in tho mine and thought to be dead. —The Southern Indiana Fish Protective Association will take measures to have tho proper authorities compel the owners of mill-dams in the streams of Floyd and adjoining counties to have fish ladders placed over them. This device is useful from tho fact that fish at spawning time ascend to the head-waters. of the stream to deposit tho spawn in order that tiie small fry may have protection from tiie voracious largo fish that swim in the deeper water near tho mouth. ■ —Three boys, named Mann, Richardson and Snieitzer, were hunting a few miles south of Elkhart with but one gun, when Smoltzer, who carried tho gun, asked the others to go further with him than they wished, and, upon refusal, told them ho would shoot them unless they did so. The other boys started to run away, whereupon Smoltzer shot Mann in tiie neck, making a wound, tho outcome of which cannot yet bo determined. Smoltzer made no effort to escape.

—Miss Sarali E. daughter of Dr. McKaig, of Noble Township, Cass County, committed suicide at Logansport by taking morphine. A touching letter was found under her pillow addressed to C. W. Buchanan, a Pan Handle brakeman,of that city, a former lover of tho unfortunate girl, in which she asks that slid be buried In white, with a bunch of for-get-me-nots. Tho letter also upbraided Buchanan for jilting her. Tho dead girl was 18 years of age, and bright and attractive. —Joseph Kleinrickort, a young farmer who resided six miles north of B’ort Wayne, mot with a horrible death, lie was engaged in sharpening a plow point at an emery wheel placed inside of ids barn, tho power being supplied by ahorse engine on tho outside. The boy who drove the -horse was astonished by a loud crash from within tho barn, and hastening inside found that tiie, whirling wheel had bUhst, and discovered Kleinrickort lying on the floor dead. A portion of the wheel had carried away tho top of his head. ~ —An unknown disease has fastened upon several fine horses ip the stables of James V. Mitchell, near Martinsville. Tiie horses were apparently healthy in every way when their throats began swelling and have continued until breathing lias become very difficult and painful. Nothing as yet has been found to alleviate the suffering. Tho Swelling is attended with no other Sickness. Farmers throughout tiie neighborhood are using disinfectants, burning brlmstono and exercising great .caution to prevent thediseaso spreading. —Carrollton Township, Carroll County, is greatly wrought up over tho elopement of Lottie, the l!)-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Brown, and Henry J. Cline, a prominent young farmer of that neighborhood. The young couplo left tho bride’s home after midnight, and, arousing Rev. Riley Montgomery at 3 o’clock in the mornifig, were made man and wife. The news of tho marriage so shocked tiie bride’s mother that she-is now lying at tiie point of death. Brown ' threatens to inflict serious injury on ills new son-in-law and on tiie minister who officiated at the marriage, —Moses Decker and Louis Preston, two men who made their homes near Middletown, were struck by the eastbound express on the Big Four road, near Chesterfield, and instantly killed. They had been working for a few days in tliht neighborhood, and were paid off. They immediately went to a saloon, and both were soon in an intoxicated condition. The last seen of them they were on the railroad, walking arm-in-arm, singing alid shouting. It is supposed they lay down upon the track, went to sleep, and were caught by the train. Both were horribly mangled, Preston being literally cut to pieces. Botli were unmarried. —The other night, a band of White Caps numbering six persons entered the house of Joseph Wilkey, near Epsom, in the northern part of Daviess County, took him from bed and escorted him to a wood near by, where they administered a light whipping to their victim. Tho men had blackened their faces, but under this disguise Wilkey recognized three of the band, who will be arrested immediately. Wilkey is a harmless fellow, owning a little farm, and has a wife and several children. His assailants charged him with being too intimate with a woman of the neighborhood, but this story is not believed. Tho authorities are aroused at this, the second Whitc-cap outrage that has occurred in that county within the past six months, and will make every effort to bring the guilty wretches to justice. —A representative of art Indianapolis gas syndicate offered the Madison Gaslight Company 870,000 for its plant. The offer was declined. —Farmers In the Southern pa;t of the State report that young quail were never so abundant in the stubble-fields as they are this season, and fine sport is predicted when the season opens. Young squirrels are also plentiful in the woods, and rabbits can be seen bounding along every unfrequented country road late in in the afternoon.

Dls man V«d The Shih Pan contains .he folloVing story, translated from the Chinetq »»«««.- “There is a prevailing custom a district called Sheng-teh, in Canton Province, among female society t<* form different kinds of such as ‘All Pure’ sisterhoods, ‘Never to-be-married’ sisterhoods, etc. Each sisterhood consists of about ten young maidens, who swear vows to heaven never to get married, as they regard marriage as something horrid, believing that their married lives would be miserable and unholy, and their parents fail to prevail upon them tb yield. T A sad case has just happened; a band of young maidens ended their existence in this world by drowning in the Dragon Eiver, because one of them was forced by her parents to be married. She was engaged iu her childhood, before she joined this sisterhood. When her parents had made all the necessary arrangements for her marriage, she reported the affair to the other members of her sisterhood, who at once agreed to die for her cause if she remained constant to her sworn vows to be single and virtuous. Should she violate the laws of her sisterhood and yield to her parents, her life was to be made most unpleasant by the other members, and she be taunted as a worthless being. She consulted with them the best niode of escaping this marriage, and they all agreed to die with her, if she could plan to run away from her parents on the night of the marriage. As there were many friends to watch her movements, it was almost impossible for her to esoape, so she attempted her life by swallowing a gold ling, but any serious consequence that might have reiulted was prevented by the administration of a powerful emetic. She was’ finally forced and made over to the male side to her great grief.. According to the usual oustopi. she was allowed to return to her parents. During all this time she waa planning a way to esoape to her sisters. lly bribing the female slants she was taken one night to her ’ sister® under the cover of darkness. . The sis-' ters at once joined with her to terminate their lives by jumping into the Dragon River with its swift currents, which,rapidly carried them off. This kind of tragedy is not uncommon in this part of the land. The officials have from time to time endeavored to check the formation of such sisterhoods, but all their efforts are in vain. They must have reasons of their own for establishing such societies. Married life must have been proved by many in that region to have been not altogether too sweot. However, such) wholesale suicide must be prevented by law if the parents have no control over their daughters.”

A Battle with Fortune.

When I was a young man, said the Doctor, with a wife and two children dependent upon me for support, I Eassed through some very dark days. [y practice was small and for the most part non-paying, and at the close of an unusually severe winter I found myself one day literally penniless. I was tramping about the streets, debat* ing whether I had better not drop into the river and end the struggle, when the cry of an old knife-grinder caught my ear. He was bent, decrepit and weather-beaten, and went pushing before him a grindstone on wheels, stop- . ping now and then to utter his monotonous cry. I asked him if he would kindly answer a few questions as to his business. He eyed me for a moment curiously, then consented. A series of inquiries elicited the fact that hio earnings wtore between two and three dollars a day. An idea floated through my brain. I asked the old fellow if hisj trade were easily learned, and if he would take me with him for a few days. l He consented for the sake of company, he said. At the end of three days he offered to sell me his grindstone and route, as he was tired of tramping. My need was great, and I gladly closed with the offer. A bargain was struok,. the man demanded to be paid in weekly installments, and I went to work at once. At first the cry affected my throat a little, but I soon got over that, and when in December I gave up the business I had accumulated nearly seven hundred and fifty dollars, besides supporting my family comfortably. I haven’t had a happier summer my whole long life than that summer, tramping the streets with a grindstone. But when the cold weather set in I had to abandon the route, because I could not work with gloves on, and my fingers became so numb without that I ruined more scissors than I improved. So I opened an office in a fashionable quarter, was fortunate to make a happy hit* and became famous; but years of success have not sufficed to erase tho recollection of that terrible winter or of the happy and contented summer of knife-gnnding that succeeded it. And that is the secret of that old grindstone you see in the corner,” said the Doetor, pointing to a battered old stone on wheels that seeemed strangely out of place amid the elegance that surrounded it. “But for your life you must not mention my name in connection with the old relic; it would ruin my praotice in a day.” ;

Pretty Young Widows for Chaperones.

Widows young and pretty head the list of chaperones. They are looked upon as altogether desirable. Two giddy creatures at the beginning of this season went to a charming widow, whose face is her fortune, and said: “Now, see here, Mrs. , won’t you act as our chaperone for this summer? It shall not cost you a cent, and yon will hit it off immensely with the men.” “Yes, do, please,” echoed her companion. “We want a good drawingcard and not a scarecrow for a chaperone.” Without a doubt the comfortablelooking dowager is still to be found • who indulges in stolen naps in out-of-the-way nooks while her dear girls flirt/ to their hearts’ content. —Memphis Avalanche. Bronson— What an unselfish man Brown is! Always sacrificing himself for the sake of some friend. Parker— And what has he done now ? Bronson— Why, he’s just ran away with Tim, Henpeck’s wife.