Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 June 1896 — Page 2

BljegcmotraticScntiiifl J. W. McEWES, Publisher. RENSSELAER, - - * INDIANA

CLEVELAND FOE GOLD

PRESIDENT EXHORTS DEMOCRACY TO BEWARE SILVER. Say* Free Coinage Will Bring Disaster Upon Both Country and Party —Nail Trust Preparing to Put «n the Screws a Little Harder. Grover to His Followers. Id reply to a request from the -New York Herald for a statement concerning the Democratic situation President Cleveland Tuesday night sent the following to that newspaper: "I refuse to believe that when the time arrives for deliberate action there will be engrafted upon onr Democratic creed a demand for the free, unlimited and independent coinage of silver, because I know the Democratic party is neither unpatriotic uor foolish and because it seems so clear to me that such a course will inflict a very great injury npou every interest of our country which it has been the mission of Democracy to advance, and will result in the lasting disaster to our party organization. There is little hope that, as a means of success, this free-silver proposition, after its thorough discussion during the political campaign, will attract the majority of the voters of the country. My attachment to true Democracy is so strong that I consider its success as identical with the promotion of the country's good. This ought sufficiently to account for my anxiety that no mistake be made at onr party convention. In my opinion no effort should be spared to secure such action of the del•gates as will avert party demoralization, -t is a place for consultation anil comparison of views, and those Democrats who believe in the cause of sound money should there be heard and be constantly in evidence. A cause worth fighting for is worth fighting for to the end. If soundmoney Democrats suppose there is danger of u mistake being made, such danger should stimulate their activity iu averting it. instead of creating discouragement. 1 am very far from arrogating to myseif a controlling influence upon the policy of my party, but as an unflinching Democrat, who has boon honored by his party and who desires hereafter no greater political privileges than to occupy the place of private in its ranks. 1 hope I may not be Mamed for saying this much at this time in the interest, as it seems to me, of the grand old organization, so rich in honorable traditions, so justly proud of its achievements, and always so undaunted and brave in its battles for the people's welfare.”

NAIL TRUST'S BONANZA. How Nails Have Come to Cost More than Flour. If the nail pool succeeds iu gobbling up all of the nailmaking machines and patents in the country, and can form an alliance with the machinery men, as it now contemplates, it will continue as at present. If it fails the pool is certain to collapse, as competition in manufacturing is springing up on every hand, And the feeling in the trade against the combine is very bitter. Mails which sold in l'ittsburg a year ago in carload lots at So cents are selling now at $2.55, base rates. The latter term is simply a technical one, so far as the consuming buyer of nails is concerned. To this price must be added anywhere from 50 cents per keg for all sizes from sixty-penny to teh-penny, and GO cents to $2.50 for sizes ranging to the smallest. In less than carload lots there is 10 cents per keg still to be added, so by the time it has passed through the hands of the retailer into the hands of the consumer the price is decidedly stiff. The ordinary ten-penny nail used by the farmer to build a corn crib costs $2.55 at Pittsburg. In Chicago it costs, with the freight, $2.70. With the additional 50 cents, as per the nail card, the price is $3 .20, and to this must lie added another 10 cents, which the retailer pays when buying in less than carload lots. West of the Mississippi river a twenty-five bushel farmer's wagon load of corn will just pay for a single keg of nails, providing the retail dealer pins himself down to a 10 tier cent profit. The retail grocer next door to the hardware store will sell a barrel of the finest flour for a trifle less than the hardware man can sell a keg of nails, though the nails weigh but 100 pounds anil the flour 100 pounds. M’ails for export are offered within a week for $1.20 per keg, free on board New York, or less than half the price in Pittsburg, which is the market from which all others are based. According to the latest quotations in the trade papers, the price at Antwerp is $1.75 per keg.

t-tandins of National League. Following is the standing of the clubs in the National Baseball League: W. L. W. 1.., Cleveland ...27 10 Brooklyn ....25 2-'f Baltimore .. .29 lSl’ittsburg ...23 22 Cincinnati .. .30 20Chicago 25 24 Boston 2(i IV)New Y0rk....20 _o Philadelphia. 28 21 St. Louis 13 :ti Washington. 24 20Louisville ...10 30 Western League Standing. Following is the standing of the clubs in the Western League: W. L. W. L. Indianapolis. 20 14St. Paul 21 22 Detroit 25 17Milwaukee . .23 23 Minneapolis. 25 20Columbus ...18 30 Kansas City.2s 20G’nd Rapids. 10 31 Killed by a Pitched 8011. William Swartz, 19 years old, was killed while playing baseball qt Newark, Ohio. A pitched ball struck his temple. After falling, Swartz arose and ran to first base, where he became unconscious, dying within a few minutes. Hunyadi Janos Wins a Cross. Audor Saxlehner, of the firm of Andreas Saxlehner, of Buda-Pesth, Hungary, proprietor of the celebrated Hunyadi Jarios natural aperient water, has been decorated by Francis Joseph 1., emperor of Austria and king of Hungary, with the cross of the -ron Crown, Order of the Third. Banker Shot Down. A desperate robber or crank shot George H. Wyetoff, president of the Bank of New Amsterdam, N. Y., Monday, because he refused to hand over to him $6,060.The assassin then shot himself. Chance for American Factories. The Argentine House of Deputies has passed a law exempting from duty machinery of all classes, destined for mining purposes, for a term of ten years. The bill is certain to pass the Senate. It will give great advantage to factories In the Catted States if they choose to compete. Green Goods Gang Captured. Q. B. Bell, T. A. Robins and M, A. McGinnis are arrested at Neosho, Mo., charged with attempting to sell green goods and for using the mails for fraudulent purposes. Bell sab dhe was an agent Of the Government to dispose of canceled iZJailed States greenbacks. -

HAWAII WON'T PARDON ASHFORD

Great Britain’* Demand Worrit* the Dole Government. The steamer Australia from Honolulu bring* confirmation of the report concerning the demand made by Great Britain that Volney Ashford be permitted to return to Hawaii. The Dole Government is very much excited over the report, but the president of the little republic is pursuing a conservative course in dealing with the matter. The news of England’s demand originated iu Washington, and was forwarded in private correspondence to a Hawaiian paper and several private concerns. The situation is said to be that Great Britain has made a rather sharp demand upon this Government on behalf of CoL V. V. Ashford. The “request” is stated ns a suggestion, in diplomatic sentences, that a pardon be issued to Ashford and that be be pegmitted to return to Hawaii without conditions of any sort. The Honolulu Star says the republic declines to accept the British foreign office’s view of this case, and refuses to grant the pardon, or remove the ban. There is a likelihood of Hawaii calling upon the United States to extend its offices in the dispute. CoL V. V. Ashford was convicted by the military commission of misprision of treason. The evidence waj that he had advance knowledge of the outbreak. His sentence 'was imprisonment for a year and a fine of SI,OOO. In letters to Hawaii on British subjects mixed up in the revolution and tried, the queen’s foreign office gave the opinion that court martial was unconstitutional and that there could be no objection to any of the cases except Ashford. It was claimed the evidence against him was insufficient. It seems that CoL Ashford has followed up this point. Maryland for gold. Democrats Emphatically Declare Opposition to Free Coinage. By an overwhelming majority the Democrats of Maryland, in convention at Baltimore Wednesday, arrayed themselves against the 16 to 1 free coinage movement. The supporters of .the free silver plank, although in a decided minority, were given a fair hearing in open convention, but the sentiment for a gold standard was unalterably fixed. Major Stewart of Talbot was the spokesman of the silverites in urging the adoption of a miuority plank, but the convention, after voting it down, adopted the following by .a vjya voce vote: “Believing that the true interests of the people require that the earnings of agriculture and trade and the wages of labor should be paid in money that is intrinsically worth in all the markets of the world what it purports to be worth, we demand the maintenance of the existing gold standard of v lue, and further, that the Government shall keep all its obligations at all times redeemable and payable in money of the greatest intrinsic value and of the highest standard adopted by the civilized nations of the earth, and we therefore resolve to oppose the free and unlimited coinage of silver at the ratio of 16 to 1.” The resolutions also favor a tariff for revenue only and indorse “the vigorous policy of President Cleveland."

FLAN A FIREWORKS TRUST. Leading American Manufacturers Arranging a Combine. The six leading manufacturers of fireworks in the United States are planning a trust —to save themselves from ruin, they say, because prices have gore below cost. Three of these are in New York — the Consolidated. Pain and Detwiner & Street. The others are the Rochester Fireworks Company, the St. Louis Fireworks Company and the Due company of Cincinnati. Great secrecy is observed concerning the combination. The secretary of one of the interested corporations said: “The negotiations so far have been entirely of an informal nature between the presidents. Even I have not been let in. But we all know that some sort of agreement must be reached. The principal question is whether an incorporated company should be formed or the companies retain their individual existence and be bound by an agreement concerning prices.” FEW FAVORS FOR THE WEST.

Only Four States Succeed in Getting New Public Bnildinga. Excepting the case of Savannah, Ga„ the Western Congressmen from the four new States—ldnho, Montana, Wyoming and Utah—are the only delegations which have succeeded iu securing public building bills from this session of Congress. The House policy has been to report no bills for new buildings, and after exhausting their efforts in that body the Western men turned their attention to the Senate. They secured amendments to the sundry civil bill, and those items were the hardest fought between the two houses and threatened to prolong the session for some days. Senator Dubois, who engineered the campaign in the Senate, was importuned to consent to drop the amendments, but the Western Senators and Representatives refused to capitulate on any conditions, and finally the House accepted them .when Mr. Wilson of Idaho made the motion to that effect.

Trade Showa No Gain. R. G. Dun & Co.’s Weekly Review of Trade says: “Speculative reaction hns not in the least changed the business outlook. The fictitious prices made for wheat and cotton meant no good except for individuals, and the change to prices more nearly in accord with actual relations of demand and supply only conforms to conditions which have been well known for months. The attack on stocks was so plainly artificial that its influence passed with the day, and neither in foreign relations nor in domestic business was there anything to justify alarm. The Government report as to wheat indicated a much smaller yield than anybody really expects, but that has become so much the rule that the report had no real influence, and the principal effect was the serious depression caused by large sales in anticipation of the report, which seemed to be tnoroughly known in advance to some speculators.” Coatly Revenge. Because he was not paid his wages an employe of Wood Bros.’ circus at Chicago,' cut one of the main guy ropes of the big tent Wednesday night. The lofty center pole swung to one hide, the tent partly collapsing. Three trapeze performers fell thirty feet aud two gasoline tank lights dropped at the same time, exploding as they struck the ground. Thieye wus a stampede among the 1,100 persons who filled the seats about' the circus ring. Charles Camm. 8 years old, of 703 West Ohio street, who was burned about the head, was the only person injured. ;• T— ~ Tv "y'j. Sullivan Doesn’t Need Sleep. John Sullivan, of Fhjlacfelphia, issued a challenge to aby mmYlif rae world to engage with him in a sleepless contest for thirty days. Sullivan works in the Swedes iron furnace, and for exactly one month he never slept. He was in perfect health and worked regularly every day. Confesses That He Killed Shottmer. John O’Meara gave himself up at Cincinnati and confessed to shooting George Shottmer Tuesday night. They were driving teams and quarreled while trying to pass each other. Shottmer hit O’Meara with a whip and O’Meara fired. Sbottmet died the next day. Deadly Work of Duelists. At Hartselle. Ala., a desperate duel took place Saturday night between Monroe

Jackson and J. W. Vest, resulting In tb« death of both men, who were prominent Populist politicians holding opposite views. Jackson and another man were drinking in Vest’s saloon and expressed view* offensive to Vest, who ordered them out.- On reaching the street Jackson and hia friend became involved in a difficulty and Vest went oat to part them. As a result he and Jackson became involved In a wordy quarreL Finally Jackson drew a knife and Vest a pistol and a terrible fight ensued. Vest was cut in the abdomen two or three times and Jackson waa shot through the lungs, in the thigh and in the kidneya Both combatants fought until they coaid stand no longer, and bled to death soon after friends had carried them home. Vest had a wife and seven children, and Jackson leaves a widow and six children.

HAVANA BESIEGED. Insurgent* Attack Water Supply and Bridge Approaches. Havana was startled Saturday eight by two explosions. It was soon found that the stone bridges of Christina and Concha and the aqueduct of Fernando Septima were the points that had suffered from the dynamite. The bridges were partially destroyed, and the pipes on the aqueduct, upon which the city is dependent for its water supply, were much damaged. It cannot yet be stated how extensive is the damage done or how long it will require lo remedy it. The dynamite was placed by agents of the insurgents. The greatest apprehension is felt on account of the secrecy and effectiveness with which the insurgents hare been able to carry out the plan. Fever and smallpox have broken out, which, in the unwholesome state of affairs, threatens to become epidemic. Many are suffering from measles, and there is much intestinal trouble among the inhabitants owing to poor and insufficient food. The failure of the water supply puller these conditions is a dire calamity.' SAY CROFTON IB UNFIT. Commander of Fort Bhewidan Physically Incapacitated. CoL R. E. A. Crofton, in command of the Fifteenth infantry at Fort Sheridan, has been pronounced physically unfitted for nctive service by the post surgeon, Major Henry Lippincott, and his assistant surgeon, Captain Charles E. Woodruff. Acting upon the report of the post surgeon, Major General Merritt, commander of the Department of the Missouri, has forwarded a recommendation to the Secretary of War that the colonel be ordered before a retiring board for examination. For a long .time matters at the post have not been running smoothly. Col, Crofton has been in several shooting scrapes wjitj his subordinates. He declares he is ns physically sound as ever, and says this latest move is the work of his enemies.

HAD A PREMONITION OF DEATH. Farmer John Tear* Dispose* of Business Affairs and Dies. John Tears, a Burlingham, N. Y., farmer, who last year rented the Halliday farm, where the triple murders were committed three years ago, died Thursday, as he had predicted. Early in the morning Mr. Tears arose from bed and startled his family by saying that he hail received a premonition of his death, to occur before the close of the day. His wife tried in vain to convince him that it was a hallucination, but the man contended he was not mistaken, and gave directions regarding his business affairs. About noon he went to bed anil soon died. Miners Lose the Strike. News from Globe, A. T., announces that the mines of the old Dominion Mining and Smelting Company have closed down, throwing 250 men out of employment. The shut-down is the result of trouble between miners and the superintendent, who reduced the wages of the carmen from $2.50 to $2.25 per day. The miners took up the grievance of the men affected and demanded $3 per day for all men, none but union men to be employed, and all Mexicans to be discharged. The superintendent was warned that if he did not accede to these demands he would be marched out of town. Under these threats he acceded to the demands. The matter was reported to the Boston office and the mine was ordered shut down. The Old Dominion is one of the best in Arizona, and waa recently purchased by Lewisohn Bros, of New York, the price being $2,000,000. Murdered Hia Brother-in-Law. Ben Dice, a rancher pear Visalia, Cal., killed his brother-in-law, Grant Smith, in a quarrel about water in an irrigation ditch. Dice surrendered. Dice’s wife is a sister of the murdered man. Bad blobd had existed between the two families on account of water. To Refund Hawaii’s Debt. P. C. Jones, a member of one of the largest banking houses in Honolulu and minister of finance under the late monarchy, is in New York to interest Eastern capitalists in the refunding of the Hawaiian Government’s indebtedness. Free Masons Are Bnrned Alive. In the Indian revolt in Oaxaca, Mexico, Free Masons were attacked, particularly at Jaqulla, where the Indians committed awful atrocities, burning prominent Masons alive.

MARKET QUOTATIONS.

Chicago—Cattle, common to prime, $8.50 tt> $4.75; hogs, shipping grades, $3.00 to $3.75; sheep, fair to choice, $2:50 to $4.50; wheat, No. 2 red, 57c to 58c; corn, No. 2,27 cto 28c; oats, No. 2,17 c to 18c; rye, No. 2,32 cto 33c; butter, choice creamery, 14c to 15c; eggs, fresh, 9c to 11c; potatoes, per bushel, 15c to 25c; broom corn, common to choice, $25 to SSO per ton. Indianapolis—Cattle, shipping, $3.00 to $4.50; hogs, choice light, $3.00 to $3.50; sheep, common to prime. $2.00 to $3.75: wheat, No. 2,58 cto GOc; corn, No. 1 w-bite, 27c so 29c; oats, No. 2 white, 21e to 22c. St. Louis—Cattle, $3.00 to $4.50; hogs, $3.00 to $3.60; wheat. No. 2 red, (lie to 03c; corn, No. 2 yellow, 25c to 27c; oats. No. 2 white, 17c to 18c; rye, No..A 31c to 33c. Cincinnati—Cattle, $3.50 to $4.50; hogs. $3.00 to. $3.50;, sheep, $2,50 to $3.50; Wheat, No. 2,62 cto 04c; corn. No. 2 mixed, 28c to 29c; oats, No. 2 mixed, 19c to 21c; rye, No. 2, 3&c to 37c, • r Detroit—Cattle, $2.50 to ..S4;SQ; hogs, $3.00 to $3.50; sheep, s2,po to $3.75: wheat, No. 2 red, 64c to 05c; corn. No. 2 yellow, 26c to 2&c; oats, No. 2 white, 21c to 22e; rye, 32c to 33e. ' f ' Toledo—Wheat, No. 2 red, 63c to 640:* corn, No. 2 yellow. 26e to 28c; oats. No 2 white, 19c to 21c; rye, No. 2,34 cto 36cclover. Seed, $4.45 to $4.80. Milwaukee—Wheat, No. 2 spring. 57.to 58c; corn, No. 3,26 cto 27c; oats. No. 2, white, 19c to 2Qc; barley, No. 2,30 cto 32c; rye, No. -1, fee to 35c; pork, mess $7.00 to $7.50. Buffalo—Cattle, $2.50 to $4.75; hogs. $3.00 to $3.75; sheep, $3.25 to $4.00; wheat, No. 2 red, 67c to 69c; corn. No. 2 yellow, 31c to 32c; outs, No. 2 white 23c to 24c. New York—Cattle, $3.00 to $4.50; hogs, $3.00 •to $4.25; sheep, $2.00 to $3.75: wheat, No. 2 red, 64c to 65c; corn, No. 2. 33c to 34c; oate,>N<n ; £ white, 22c to 23c; butter, qreamery, 12c to 16c; eggs, Western, 11c to 13c.

HOW THE CASH WENT.

THE FINANCIAL LEGISLATION OF CONGRESS REVIEWED. Hr* Cannon Bays the Appropriations Were Small and Economical, While Hr. Sayrea Says They Were Knormone and Profligate. Aa Viewed by Both Bidea. Chairman Cannon, of the House Appropriations Committee, and ex-Chairman Sayres Thursday made public a joint Statement concerning the expenditures authorised by this Congress, discussing them troea the Republican and Democratic *andpoints respectively The total appropriations for the session, Including permanent annual appropriations, is $515,759320.49. Mr. Cannon's statement begins: “The appropriations charged to this session include $119,054,100 under the permanent laws, of which amount $50,000,000 is for sinking fund and $30,600,000 for interest on public debts, or $3,855,614.40 more than was included at the last session of Congress in the statements of appropriations, and is on account of the increase of $162,315,400 in the bonded indebtedness of the country by the present administration np to February, 1895, the interest and sinking fund charge on account of the later bond issue of SIOO,000,000 in February, 1896, amounting to $4,400,000, not being included in the estimates of permanent appropriations. Iscrea»e in Public Debt. “The increase in the principal and interest beefing debt of the country under the present administration amounts to $262,316,400, which entails annual interest change of $11,492,616, and to meet the sinking Ynnd obligations the further sum of $2,628,154. “During the administration of Mr. Harrison the principal of the interest bearing debt was reduced $258,192,900 and the annual interest charges $10,327,716. “The regular annual bills, including deficiencies, as passed by the House made a reduction in the total estimates submitted by the executive of $26,083,191.67;

CONGRESS ADJOURNS—THERE IS JOY AT HOME AND ABROAD.

they we/e increased by the Senate $22,920,442.30, and as they became laws they appropriate $10,636,624.06 less than as passed by the Senate, $12,283,818.24 more than as they passed the House, and $13,374,373.48 less than the estimated requirements of the administration. Excluding River* and Harbors. “The regular annual appropriations, including deficiencies, made at the last session, of Congress amounted to $383,630,896.97, and included river and harbor bill. Excluding the river and harbor act passed at this session, the regular annual bills as passed by the House appropriated only $373,505,052.25, or more than $lO,000,000 less than was appropriated by the last Democratic Congress.” Mr. Cannon criticises the Treasury Department because it has expended $7,377,440 for the present year in c#llecting the revenue from customs estimated at $105,000,000; whereas for the last fiscal year, 1892, under President Harrison’s administration there was collected under the •McKinley tariff act $177,452,000 of customs revenue at a total cost of only $6,607,517. The bills establishing salaries, instead of the fee system, for Officers of tjie United States courts, he says, will save sl,000,000 annually and minimize frivolous and malicious prosecution, and special attention is called to the fact that Congress made no increases of salaries or employes In the Government department.

Table of Appropriation*. The following table of appropriations is given: Fifty-first Congress ... $988,417,183 34 Fifty-second Congress. 1,027,104,547 92 Fifty-third Congress... 989,239,205 69 Fifty-fourth Cougress—first session 515,759,820 49 The revenues tor three fiscal years of the Harrison administration ending June 30, 1892, are given as $1,150,631,214; expenditures, $998,132,501; for the two complete fiscal years of Cleveland’s administration, revenues, $611,112,094; expenditures, $723,720,578. Mr. Ssyres, in his statement, says of the total appropriations for the session: “This sum exceeds the appropriations made during the last session of the Fiftythird Congress by $18,751,299.83, and those of the first regular session of that Congress by $23,529,135.46. It is less than 1 the appropriations by the second session of the Fifty-second Congress by only $3,744,538.72, although at the latter session $39,352,494.85 more was appropriated for pensions than at this session. It is more than those by the first session of the Fifty-first Congress by $21,303,571.84, and $25,464,040.80 less than the appropriations at the second session of the Fifty-first. “The Senate, organized this session by a combination of Republican and Populist votes, placing the control of committees in the hands of Republicans, by its amendments to appropriation bills as they passed the House, proposed to increase the total $22,920,442.30: By conferences between the two Houses this aggregate Increase was reduced to $12,283,818.24. ,“The appropriations made at the second session of the Fifty-first Congress exceeded those made at the first session of the same. Congress by $46,767,612.64, or nearly 10 ser cent. If the same proportionate increase should be made at the next session, then the appropriations will not be less than $565,000,000.” Contracts authorized by this session he estimates as follows: Rivers and harbors, $59,616,404; public buildings, lighthouses and revenue cutters, $1,400,000; defenses and armament, $4,195,076; new warships, $12,900,bu0; District of Columbia, $125,000. Total, $78,241,480. In conclusion Mr. Sayres says: “If the present Congress had rigidly refused authority for additional contracts and had appropriated only to meet the immediate or fiscal-year requirements under existing ones, the next Congress and administration would have been in a position to largely reduce appropriations and expenditures, and the administration of the government could easily have returned to an economical method of expenditure. This, however, has not been done, and the majority in Congress must be held responsible for this grave dereliction in public duty.”

MARION BUTLER.

North Carolina's Populist Senator and Father of ths Bond Bill Marion Butler, the Populist, who la father of the bond bill passed by the Sen* ate, is in Congress by grace of the sovereign State of North Carolina. Senator Bntler is Matt W. Ransom’s successor. He was made Senator in 1896, and this w as a climax of a career which began on a North Carolina farm. Mr. Butler was born In 1863. His mother prepared him for college. The University of North Carolina graduated him in 1885, and then be began to be a lawyer. He studied for a short time and then was called home. He was the first born, nis father had died, fnd he must take care of the farm. He sowed and reaped and betyeen times he looked after the education of bis brothers and sisters. In addition, he taught at

SENATOR MARION BUTLER.

a neighboring academy for three years. Then he branched out In 1888 he joined the Farmers' Alliance and boughAi newspaper—the Clinton Caucasian. His ideas suited the alliance, even in that early day, and Butler wns sent to the State Senate. Here he was leader of the rural forces and introduced all their reform measures. The alliance made him its State president in 1891 and 1892. He be-

came the principal organizer of the People’s party. His greatest success was his •carrying out the campaign of 1891, at which his party was triumphant and for which his reward was the toga. Senator is a trustee and member of the eiecutivq board of the University of North Carolina.

THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION.

three Meg Who Are Candidates ft>r the Honor. With the Republican nomination disposed of, the attention of the country will be directed toward Chicago, wLere the Democratic convention will meet July 7 to place in nomination candidates toi President and Vice-President and adopt a platform. Who the nominees will be is-a matter of conjecture, but, a press correspondent stfys, there is no longer any doubt that the platform will declare for the free coinage of silver. The silver element will control the gathering and will doubtless dictate the nomination. Whether they select an out-and-out silver man for President or take a milder one —solid silver with a gold lining—will depend upon circumstances that cannot be foreseen. The present probabilities favor Horace Boies, of lowa, but there are other strong candidates, such as William R. Morrison of Illinois, Richafd Park Bland of Missouri, James E. Campbell of Ohio, Claude Matthews of Indiana, and Benjamin R. Tillman of South Carolina. All of these are too well known to require even a brief biography. Mr. Campbell is the distinguished ex-Governor of Ohio, who defeased Foraker and was himself defeated by McKinley and Bushnell. He is about 60 years of age. Claude Matthews is the farmer-statesman who sfnee 1892 has been Governor of Indiana and has distinguished himself as an able executive. Benjamin R. Tillman first came into national prominence when as Governor of South Carolina he introduced the dispensary laws which placed the liquor traffic under the control of the State. He has since gained notoriety by his erratic course in the United States Senate.

The Ola Idea of Electricity.

When people speak to-day of the “electric fluid’’ and the “electric juice,” they are only carrying out the Idea, common a generation ago, that electricity was not only a fluid, but a liquid, which flowed from point to point as water flows. That, at any rate, was the theory held by one good old lady. This story is told by an operator who now “works” one of the press wires In New York: I learned telegraphy, as I suppose most boys do, by setting up a “sounder” at home. I had It on a shelf by the kitchen window. The battery stood in a corner under a table. The wires from the battery to the sounder were full of kinks, as they always are, to take up the slack wire without cutting It One day the sounder would not work at all, and I got out oUpatience. Then my good old grandmother, who had been watching me, said: “John Henry, you let me get at it a minute. I’ll make it go, if there’s any go to it" She put on her big silver-bowed spec tacles and looked it all over. Then she crawled under the table—forgetting all about her rheumatism—and carefully straightened out all the kinks and loop’s in the wires. Such a satisfied smile as she wore when she got up! “There, John Henry,” she said. “I don’t belieVe but what It will work all right now. You try it and see. You' hadn’t ought to expect that electric fluid to run through anything b 0 crooked as them wires was.” The funny part of the storv is that “it did work all right.” In straightening the wires the old lady had probably pulled one of them a little vsaythrough the zinc in the battery, and so had made the connection; but she insisted that all that was necessary was to get the kinks out es the wires.

LABORS OF CONGRESS

RECENT SESSION THE SHORTEST FOR THIRTY YEARS. Bills that Have Become Laws —Manx Measures Introduced, but Few of Importance Added to the Laws of the Country—Pending Legislation Done at Washington The Fifty-fourth Congress was the shortest “long session” in thirty years, and one of the shortest in the history of the Government. Of the measures which have become laws, the most important, from an international standpoint, was the bill creating the commission '‘to determine the true divisional line between Venezuela and British Guiana." Of scarcely less general interest were the bills prohibiting prize fighting in the territories; permitting appointments in the army and navy of former United States officers who had served in the rebellion, and making one year’s residence in a territory a prerequisite to obtaining a divorce there. Excepting these, however, the remainder of the 225 bills and resolutions which received the President’s approval were not of a character to warrant special mention. The more important were the bills Incorporating the National Society of the Daughters of the Revolution; opening the forest reservations in Colorado for the location of mining claims; regulating proof of death in pension cases; providing for a naval training station in San Francisco harbor; making it unlawful to shoot at any railway train or any person thereon, or to throw missiles into such train, and repealing clause Cl of the tariff law, providing for a rebate on alcohol used in the arts. The session, however conspicuous by reason of its brevity, resulted in the introduction of a larger number of bills in the House than during any similar period for a.: quarter of a century. The total number of bills introduced during the entire Fifty-third Congress was 5,987, of which 4,405 were introduced during the first session, which corresponds to the session just closed, and in which latter the aggregate is swollen to 9,500.

Status of Cuban Legislation. The popular interest in the Cuban revolution was shown in the large number of resolutions—more than fifty in all—that was introduced and referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. After careful consideration a concurrent resolution was reported, for which was subsequently substituted, in conference, the Senate resolution expressing the sympathy of the United States with the insurgents, recognizing their belligerency, and calling upon the I resident to use his good offices to secure the independence of the island. Being a concurrent and not a joint resolution, it did not call for the President’s signature, and its only effect was to express the sentiment of the American people as reflected in the two houses of Congress. Measures for which there has been a widespread demand include the bankruptcy bill, the McCall bill, providing an educational test for immigrants; the labor commission and labor arbitration bills, and the bill simplifying the rules of the pension office, so as to facilitate the adjustment of private pension wises. The Finance Committee, to which was refeired 100 different measures, succeeded in getting through the Senate but three of any importance that have become laws the filled cheese bill, the amendment to the administrative feature of the tariff act permitting express companies to pay the duty on packages valued at lot more than 8500 and deliver it to the residence of the importer direct, and the bill to repeal the free alcohol clause of the tariff law. The Dingley bill came out of committee with a free coinage amendment which prevailed in the Senate, and this proposition was rejected by the House. Bills Placed on the Calendar. Some of the most important bills prepared by the committees were not given a hearing in either house or passed but one house, and will be on the calendar for consideration during the short session if their supporters are able to secure time for them. Among the most important of these are the Lodge-McCall bill for an educational test for immigrants, with the Corliss amendment to prevent the invasion of Canadian day laborers; the Philips industrial commission bill; the Curtis bill to lessen the number of crimes for which the death penalty can be imposed by United States courts; the bankrupt bill, and the Pickier pension bill, all of which were passed by the House. Among those passed by neither house are the statehood bills for Arizona, New Mexico and Oklahoma; that for a territorial form of government for Alaska; the Pacific railroad funding bill; the Nicaragua canal and Pacific cable bills; the plan for the reorganization of the Indian territory government, for which the Dawes commission and Representative Curtis of Ivansus are joint sponsors; the Loud bill to reduce the scope of the fourth-class mail matter, and bills to reorgauize the revenue marine personnel, to increase the salaries of railway mail clerks, to revive the grade of lieutenant general for Gen. Miles. A large fraction of the session’s business related to the public lands, and important amendments were made to the public land laws.

Miscellaneous Bills. Among the miscenaueous acts passed during the session were the following: For the detail of revenue cutters to enforce order at regattas and yacht races and insure the safety of the spectators and participants. To reconvene the United States delegates to the international marine conference for the destruction of the income tax returns. For the deputation of refugee Canadian Creek Indians from Montana. To establish the government of Greer County as a county of Oklahoma (after the decision by the Supreme Court that Greer County was not a part of Texas). Forbidding divorces in territories unless the parties applying have been residents for one year before the applications. Authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to distribute medals and diplomas awarded by the World’s Columbian Commission. Authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to remit fines, penalties and forfeitures in laws relating to vessels and to discontinue prosecutions. Giving the use of the White lot and Washington monument to the Christian Endeavor convention of 1800. To allow the return, duty free, of all articles sent from the United States|for expositions and fairs. Fixing penalties fox failure to use automatic brakes on railroad trains. Establishing the district of Chicago as a collection district for Indiana and Illinois. Extending the limits of the port of New Orleans. Making Palm Beach, Fla., Stamford, Conn., and Conueaut, 0., sub-ports of entry. Syracuse. X. Y., Pueblo, Durango and Leadville, Colo., ports of delivery. Fixing the terms of Circuit and District Courts in the northern and southern districts of lowa, the northern division of the eastern district of Tennessee, the northern district of California, making Perry County, Tenn., part of the middle judicial district of Tennessee.

A NEW DISCOVERER OF AMERICA

Did Hl» Work About the Tear ColnaM bn# Waa Born. To sum up briefly. The shortest route from the old worid'to the new IB from Cape Verde to Brazil. Wind* and currents tend to carry a ship across. There is, therefore, an inherent probability that a Portuguese vessel should have been dri-in on to the Brazilian coast This actually happened to Cabral in 1500. It might have happened at any time after ships began to round Cape Verde. That cape was first rounded in 1445. In 1448 a remarkable map was made by Blanco, showing the most recent Portuguese discoveries. On It a long stretch of coastline is shown southwest from Oape Verde, with an inscription saying that it is authentic, and 1,500 miles to the west. The only land In such s’ position is South America. The discovery must have been made between 1445 and 1448. It is recorded that an unknown island was found far to the west in 1447. On the first map dealing with the Atlantic Ocean after Bianco’s map, a large island is found in the position indicated by Bianco. The Portuguese' had good reason for not troubling much aboilt such an island, until the papal bull of 1493, with its line of demarcation, when their conduct leading to the Tordesillas treaty of 1494, by which the line was shifted so far that they secured Brazil, seems to have been based on knowledge of the existence of land in the position of that country. Moreover, there is evidence to show that they publicly claimed the possession oi such knowledge. If the views here set forth are tenable, the interesting and Important result is obtained tint America was discovered by the Portuguese in or about the very year in' which Columbus is believed to have been born. Without removing one iota from the real merit of Columbus, it would add the crowning laurel to the already great glory of that marvelous man, Prince Henry the Navigator, who, it is pardonable to remember, was half an Englishman.—Geographical Journal.

A POOR MAN’S GOOD LUCK.

A Disheartened Prospector Finda a, Bowlder Worth a Million Dollars. A romantic good luck story comes from Spokane, Wash.: Martin Neillj was returning home disheartened from an unsuccessful prospecting tour in the Salmon River district and sat down on the bank of the Columbia River to eat his dinner. As he did so he noticed a huge bowlder half burled in the sand in a dry portion of the river not fas

neilly’s bowlder.

from where he sat Wheu he v.as through with his repast he shouldered his pick and sauntered over toward the huge bowlder. He struck bis pick into it several times and dislodged a piece of the decomposed rock. Great was his surprise when upon picking up the fragment he saw traces of gold and copper. Chipping a few more pieces he carried them to the nearest town and had them examined by assayera, who found that they would average SSO worth of gold and copper to the ton. Neilly has established a claim and Is now holding off for a syndteate offer. The bowlder is estimated to weigh 20,000 tons, and its value is considered to be a million dollars. In speaking of the discovery Neilly says: “It was some time before I fully realized what a fortune I had discovered, but when it dawned upon mo that at last I was a rich man I am afraid I made such demonstrations as would justify anyone who might have seen me in believing that I had lest my senses. For several years I have been ‘grubstaked’ in prospecting these mountains without success, and many is the time I have gone hungry for the want of the price to get something to eat, and can you blame me for going nearly crazy when I realized that I was no longer poor?”

American Schooner Competitor.

Now fampus as a filibuster, her crew having been captured by the Spanish In Cuba and sentenced to death by drum head court martial.—New York Herald.

Handsome Persian Women.

Many of the Persian women of the upper class are exceedingly beautiful, the frequent mixture of Circassian and Georgian blood having greatly improved the original heavy features of the native Persian race. They are lively and clever, and are often of great assistance to their husbands in directing and managing business affairs. In fact, in no country do women have more Influence than in Persia, where they are quite content to pull the strings from behind the throne. A doctor isn’t up in his profession unless he can see something in every man that should be cut out Most people spend all the money they can get, whether it is a dollar a week,, or a thousand.