Rensselaer Republican, Volume 15, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 May 1883 — Page 2

Or gtepublicau. BI GEO. E. MARSHALL. RENSSELAER, : ': INDIANA

Th® New York Court of Appeals has made an example of Constantine Faber in a way that he don’t enjoy. It appears that some time ago he got a divorce, coupled with an order from court that he should not marry during the lifetime of his ex-wife. Like many others, in years past, Mr. Faber concluded to marry again, and did so, despite the inhibition of the court Heretofore such an act has been construed simply as a misdemeanor. But this time the court pronounced him guilty of bigamy and sentenced him to five years in the penitentiary. Upon the body of a man who died in Philadelphia the other day, was found a canvas belt containing several thousand dollars. He was of a suspicious nature, and had come gradually to distrust every human being but himself* He abandoned Iris wife, avoided his relatives, placed no confidence in banks, and converting all his property into cash, carried it constantly on his person as the only means of saving it And yet he died suddenly leaving his heirs to quarrel over his possessions, as they might not have done hail a savings bank had a chance at them first. _______________ After some weeks of almost complete ignorance of the movements of the Mohammedan Prophet of the Soudan, we are told that he has at last taken Khartoum, the metropolis of Nubia, and in fact all of Egypt above the cataracts. In this position, with the ready fanaticism of the Moslems to help him, and the Sultan not particularly averse to seeing him make trouble for the refractory Viceroy, there will be nothing surprising in a serious disturbance of Egypt and its dependencies that will make the English protectorate a costly business. The belief in a new Messianic visitation, which has a firm hold on the great body of Mussel mane, is a favorable condition for the proposition of a bloody fanaticism.

Dynamite, which about thia time is makirg so much trouble and suffering, is in appearance very much like moist brown sugar. Nitro-glycerine, which is formed by the action of nitric acid upon glycerine at a low temperature,is the act* ive agent in dynamite, but it is mixed with some absorbent substance to make it safer to handle than the liquid nitroglycerine. The absorbent material used ia a officious earth, a fine white powder composed of the remains of infusoria,and resembling powdered chalk. This takes up two or three times its weight of nitroglycerine without becoming pasty, and the ingredients are easily mixed, leaden vessels and wooden spoons being used to avoid dangerous friction. If fire is applied to this mass it burns with a strong flame, but will not explode; but when ignited with a detonating fuse, or even by a sudden blow, its explosive force is tremendous, being about six times that of gunpowder. The Nihilists at Vienna are highly gratified by information just received from a trustworthy source at St. Petersburg that the Czar has decided to commute the sentence of death, and to pardon a large number of others who have been sentenced to various terms of imprisonment. One report says that this act of clemency on the part of the Czar is only carrying out the traditions of the Emperors of Russia, who have always upon their coronation, released prisoners, and done many other acts as charity and mercy. A dispatch, however, from wellinformed parties at St Petersbvrg, who are familiar with the recent Nihilistic movements says that this concession by the Czar is due undoubtedly to the extent and mysteriosness of the Nihilistic activity, and the fear entertained by the Czar that he would meet his father's fate.

The popular impression that an editorial room is a constant battle-ground, that the editors are being incessantly hounded for copy, that the indignant subscribers rush in with complaints and horsewhips, that the editor is a persecuted creature—is all a fallacy. The average editorial room is a very quiet sort of place—a spot where loafers are seldom tolerated, and where disturbances very infrequently occur. The idea that the foreman is inveterately howling for copy is an erroneous one, invented probably by some amateur journalist long ago, who did not know that all well regulated editors make it one of the important details of their business never to let the printers stand around and charge time. The editorial room is not a luxurious spot, but it is invariably comfortably quiet. It is especially a rare field for the study of character. In the course of a brief year every phase of human nature passes before the eye of the editor in his sanctum, and it is there the cant and hypocrisy of humanity are more frequently self-ex-

posed. &The hollowness and rottenness of politicians are first detected by the editor, ter the politician has a confidant in the editor. And it is so with lawyers, preachers, merchants and every manner of man who steps into the editorial sanctum. If they are weak and hypocritical, the editor is the first to discover it, for the editorial room is a sort [of disrobing chamber for the rest of the world —a chamber where people come and lay off their masks and toggery and display their blemishes rnd weaknesses. t To those who are in the secrets of the sanctum it is no wonder that editors are invariably the most confirmed of cynics. Ireland is a pretty expensive portion of the United Kingdom for tue British Government under the present Russian policy. Prior to the Land League organization three years ago it cost about sll,000,000 to run the governmental machine there. The policy of repression has necessitated larger expenditures. An army of 25,000 men was maintained during 1881 and 1882; the constabulary last year numbered about 12,000; the Dublin p.lioe force alone costs $1,250,000 last year; the Land Act cost $700,000 a year, and Arrearages Act about $300,000 more. During the last six months the administration of the Crimes Act has cost over $150,000, which goes largely to the lawyers who hang around Dublin Castle. It is probable that Mr Gladstone’s Irish policy cost British tax-payers, not less than $25,000,000 last year. As he does not propose to change that policy of militarism and repression, it is very certain that the Irish estimates must continue to grdw in every succeeding budget. •

The French have never made an encouraging success of their Algerian colony. It has, during the forty (years they have held it, been an ever incrqpsing expense, without adequate returns. France in fact, has never been a very successful colonizer anywhere. She was driven out of India by England and out of this continent by the same power. Her colonies are now reduced in number, and those she retains are expensive experiments. In view of these facts, it is not apparent how the French Government can make its present colonizing efforts in Asia and Africa successful. The Anamese territory is held at the risk of a war with China, and the effort to establish French authority on the Congo, in Africa, has met with the angry protests of Portugal, who claims not only the mouth of Congo but the sovereignty of the lower Congo country. The British Government is opposed both to the Portuguese and French claims, and especially the Portuguese, because the Government levies the most exorbitant duties on goods going into the interior of Africa. The opinion in England seems to be that the Congo river should be internationalized like the Danube. Just now there is imminent danger of a collision between France and Portugal on the subject.

The Agricultural Department costs the country half a million a year. It is not worth the money. There are a dozen first class agricultural papers in the country which furnish more information than the Department does. Some of the State Agricultural Societies overshadow the whole Agricultural Bureau in usefulness. The seed distribution of the Bureau is an absurdity. Read this statement from George ueddes made to the New York Tribune: ‘'Some days since 1 received, as did many of my neighbors, a package of seeds from this Department, and soon came a printed official card informing us of the object the Department had in view. 1 quote from the card: ’The object of this distribution is the promotion of the interests of agriculture by introducing into the various sections of the country such new and valuable products as may be adapted to the soil and climate of each.’ ’New and valuable’ seeds are desirable, and may be worth testing and reporting upon, as requited in the caid, to the Department. I took a package of these seeds, seven articles, put up nicely in small papers, to a leading seed store in [Syracuse, and found that six of these varieties of seeds were theie and then on sale, and their merits well known and proven for many years, the seventh, Kankakee watermelon, had an unknown name. It may be a 'new and valuable’ variety, iut more nkety is one of the half-score well known and fully tested varieties on sale, under another name, assuming this Department watermelon to be of the average value of those on sale, the whole seven papers were worth at retail just twenty-five cents. Can the Commissioner believe that he w promoting the interests of agriculture by sending out these seeds, giving them away to the manifest injury of the regular dealers in garden seeds ? Eight thousand dollars a yea) in liltie bribes of squatter of a dollar euvh to in ks this Department popular! ‘New and valuable products;' six-sev-enths, certainly, on sale in every great seed ■tore,” _____________ The diplomatic corps of the United States is poorly paid compared with those of England and Germany, and it is a matter of some wonder now they keep up their state in competition, especially as few of them have personal fortunes like most of the British Ministers. Our ministers at London, Paris, Beilin and ot Peteisourg aie allowed $17,5u0 a year. The English Embassador at Paris gets $50,(J00, at Vienna S4u,OUO, at Berlin $35,000 and at St. Petersburg $39,000. American representatives at Vienna, Rome, Madrid, Pekin, Yeddo, Rio de Ja-

niero and Mexico get $12,000, and Guatemala, Santiago and Lima SIO,OOO, at Brussels, Bogota, Stockholm, the Hague, Port au Prince, Constantinople, and Honolulu $7,500. The English Embassadors get at Constantinople $40,000, at Washington $30,000, Madrid $25,000, Lisbon and Rio de Janiero $20,000, the Hague SIB,OOO, Athens $17,000, Stockholm $15,000, Santiago, Bogota and Lim $lO,000. The German Ministers get, at Paris $30,000, at London and St Petersburg $37,500, at Vienna and Constantinople $30,000, at Rome $25,000. at Pekin $15,000. We are economical in public salaries at any rate,be our other extravagances what they may. This holds good in the comparison of home salaries or allowances. Here the President receives $50,000 a year, the Vice President slo,ooo,Senators SB,OOO, Representatives $5,000, Cabinet officers SB,OOO, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court $10,500, and Associate Justices SIO,OOO. In England seven Cabinet officers get $25,000, the Lord Chancellor gets $50,000, the Solicitor General $30,000, the Attorney General $35,000, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland SIOO,OOO, the Archbishop of Canterbury $75,000, and the prelates of York and London $50,000. In Germany, the Imperial Chancellor and Prime Minister—Prince Bismarck—is allowed a salary of $14,000, a house, and an additional $5,000 to keep it in order.

WASHINGTON NOTES.

Of the 260,000 Indians in the United States, about 160,000 ih the West, Northwest and Southwest require more or lees military surveillance. One-fourth of them —or 50,000 in round numbers—are adults capable of bearing arms, but there are seldom more than from 100 to 1,000 Indians on the war-path. Yet we have on the border a force of 17,500 men for purposes of repression and suppression. The treasury department has prepared for the change in the revenue laws affecting stamps to be placed upon articles jrom which internal revenue will be collected after May 1, by shiping to collectors throughout the United States stamps of new denominations to the value of $30,000,000. The stamps weigh sixteen tons.

The President is said to have been sorely troubled in soul when he learned that his son Allan had been having a good time at the White House while he was away. Sad havoc was played with the wine cellar. This fact was communicated to the President Tuesday. He gave utterance to some words the fishermen of Florida use when they have bad luck, and young Arthur was melancholy for hours afterward. Commissioner Raum says there will be no reduction in the price of tobacco, cigars or cigarettes to the consumer on account of the reduction of the tax. Manufactured tobacco has gone up in price since the tariff’bill passed, and employes of cigar and tobacco manufactuers are striking for increase of wages. In preparing tobacco and cigars for retailers a tive-cent basis is adopted. There will be no change in the method of preparation, says Mr. Raum. The result will be that the consumer will be in the same position as he was before. “When 1 last heard from the Yellowstone Park,” said an official of the Interior Department, “Rufus Hatch and his associates. had their big hotel almost oomph ted. The bai ns were finished, and by the time travel fairly sets in they will be in readiness for the reception and care of guests. The company has only split up its ten acres into a half dozen pieces scattered about in one and two acre lots They get for S2O a year what they originally offered the government an annual rental of $9,000 a year for. There never was a more absurd charge than that accusing Rufus Hatch of trying to convert Yellowstone Park into a private pasture for countless thousands of wild cattle. Goats would have a hard time finding enough to subsist on in that region, and cattle would starve to death. They won Id have to have hay transported a long distance through the mountains to live on.

The busiest of Uncle Sun's workshops is the government printing office. The amount of printed matter delivered from that office, consisting of full-bound blank books, printed books and pamphlets documents, department blanks, circulars,* letter-heads, cards, envelopes, etc., for the six days ending on the 17th inst, is believed to be the heaviest ever delivered from auv printing office in the world in the same length of time. The number for each day was as follows: April 11, 2,038,900; April 12, 5,195,485; April 13, 6,407.975; April 14, 15,476,440; April 15, 6,919,81°; Apnl 16,11,124,580; total 47,164,148; making an average of nearly 8,000,000 a day. The office has also completed what is probably the largest single order for printing ever issued,namely 50,000,000 of labels in red ink for the Treasury Department. The job required 1,000 reams of fine paper and 31,000 worth of red ink. It was completed within six days after the order was received. The Treasury Department has issued a

circular to the customs officers giving notrceofa discovery that on some importations of wool into the United States the costs and charges specified in the invoices have been fraudulently increased above the usual rates with a view to diminish the dutiable value of wool, under a provision of the tariff act of March 1883, abolishing duties on charges and the department’s regulations allowing a deduction of charges specified in the invoice. It is possible that similar practices may be resorted to in the case of importations of other cases than wool. Appraising officers are. therefore, directed to scrutinize carefully invoices specifying charges to be deducted from the invoice value, and if, in any case, they shall discover by comparison with invoices formerly presented, or in any other way that the charges have been unduly increased they will make such additions for market value as the circumstances may render proper.

Taking the World Easy.

Florida Correspondence. I have been greatly interested in conversing with these new and independent citizens, the colored farmers. One interview will serve as a sample for a dozen: “Well, uncle, how are you getting on with your spring work?” Pease like ain’t gettin’ on at all mos’ly, sab, spring so late.’’ “I see you have a mule. Is that yours?” “No, sah. Boss furnishes de mule.” “What do you pay for use of ( the mule?” “Four hundred pounds of cotton, sah.” “At ei?ht cents a pound, that would be $32 a year for the mule, wouldn't it?” “Spec you’s ’bout right, boss.” “How many acres do you work?”

“Well, sah, I’s ’lowd forty acres, but can’t git in mor'n ’bout thirty or thirtyfive.” “Do you work it all yourself?” “Oh, no, sah; I works two hands, sah.” “Two hands? Who are they?” “One’s my wife and tudder my fader, sah.” “What do you get to live on till you make your crcp?” “Well, cornmeal mos'ly, sah, and some bacon.” “Do you make your own corn?” “No, sah; de boss, he advances de cornmeat” “I see. He advances the cornmeal and the bacon, and gets his money back out of your cotton. Now what does he charge you for your cornmeal when you come to a settlement?” “Two dollar a bushel, sah.” “Two dollars a bushel! Why‘ it is not worth one dollar a bushel in Tallahassee. Are you sure he charges you two dollars?" “Ain’t no mistake ’bout dat, sboah. He gits two dollars for ebery bushel” “Well, now, what rent do you pay. for the land?” “Eight hundred pounds for de land and four hundred pounds for de mule.” “And how much cotton did you raise last year?” “Nigh as I kin remember it was seben bags and little over 300 pounds.” “That was nearly 4,000 pounds, at eight cents a pound, say S3OO. How much did you have left after you had settled your rents and paid all the advances?" “When I settled, sah, dey were nigh on to S2O cornin’ to me.” “Twenty dollars for the year’s work of three hands! And what did you do with all that money?" “dpree’d it off I spec, sah, and had a good time. Anyhow dey wusn’t none ob it left when Christmus done gone.” And actually the serious darkey chuckled and grinned a broad smile of satisfaction at the recollection of those Christmas doings, and how much fun he got out of that S2O. Although, they are a cheerful, goodnatured and amusing race, these sons of Ham, and now that society has been shaken down sines the reconstruction period, and the forces of superior intelligence and politioial sagacity have brought the whites to the top and to the practical controal of affairs in State, county and municipality, there is a remarkable degree of tolerance, of good temper and of good mutual understanding between the diverse elements of the population here. Political bitterness has disappeared, and order and law prevails.

A Faded Shawl.

A touching incident is related of Professor Orocker, of Michigan University Shortly before his death he called the attention of his pastor to a worn and faded shawl, spread on his bed, and requested to have it wrapped around his body and buried with him. He had made it himself when a young man in England; had worn it in all his journeyings to and fro over the Atlantic and Pacific oceans; when residing in Australia; when he escaped from the Feejee Islanders as they were preparing to roast him, and when he was shipwrecked. It accompanied him when he landed in the United States, and even clad the remains of his dead child when, penniless and disheartened he first arrived in Adrian. His wish was gratified.

MAID OF ATHENS. Maid of Athens, we must part, I hear your father—l must start: He’s broken of his midnight rest; Discretion on my part is best; I’d better git. Maid of Athens, ere I go, Kiss me once, for luck, you know: Your father’s foot is on the stair— None but the brave deserve the fair— The gas ain’t lit. Maid of Athens, just once more — Little ships must hug the shore; Hark ! the dog has broken hie chain. Zounds! lam in hard luck again—- . Great Scot 1 I’m bit.

CONDIMENTS.

“Now is the time to subscribe,” said the cross-roads editor, as he led his wealthy bride to the marriage register and shoved a pen into her trembling hand. Blobson says he does wish the ladies would give up their fondness for long trains in society, and run an accommodation train once in a while—an inch above the floor, for instance. “How do you like my waffles?” asked a society belle of her guest. “Could not be nicer,” was the reply. “Did you really make these yourself?” “Oht yes indeed, I read off the recipe to the cook and turned the patent flour-sifter all myself.” First dude, with an embarrassed smile: “Say, Augustus, 1 really believe Pve broken a corset lacing. Have you an extra one with you?” Secobd dude, withan expression of horror: “Really! Why, Algernon, where could you fix it if I had one? The gyurls are all looking at us, ye know.” A young city fellow dressed in a faultless suit" and a pair of shoes which tapered to a point in the most modern style, was visiting in a rural district A bright little boy looking him all over until his eyes rested on those Shoes. He looked at his own chubby feet and then at his visitor’s and then looking up, said: “Mr., is all your toes cuttedoffbut one?”

Unfortunate little Levi: “ Why so gloomy this morning, Jacob?” “Ah, mypoorlettle Penjamin Levi—he is tead!” “Dead? You susprise me. How did it happen?” “Veil you see, my leetle Pen jamin he was at der synagogue to say his prayers, and a poy putin his head at der toor and gries; “Job Lot!" and Pen jamin—he was vas gilt in der grush.” “Dude” has been discovered to be the ablative of an irregular Latin moun “Dud” signifying brown goose. It is thus declined Singular—Dud, dudis, dudi, dudem, dud, dude. Plural—Dudes, dudium, dudibus, dudes, dudes, duibus. Being in the ablative it is so much taken away from a real brown goose. Under the homeopathic doctrine it follows that the cure of adudeisto rub him with goose grease.—[A Oakey Halt Myomatoses tumors growing in the ciliary muscles are often mistaken for ciliary staphyloma. [Louis. Medical Herald.] This is only too true; and the ignorance at the bottom of such mistakes can not be too severely reprimanded. The man who does not at once perceive that his myomatoses tumors are not ciliary staphyloma, cught, perhaps, to be permitted to live, but that he should be allowed to raise a famliy is altogether preposterous. Phrases of Women. ’ Wrinkles disfigures a woman less than ill-nature. —Dupuy. Woman is an idol that man worships until he throws it down. Women love always; when earth slips from them they take refuge in heavefi. The whisper of a beautiful woman can be heard further than the loudest call of duty. v There is no torture that woman would not suffer to enhance her beauty.—Montaigne. Of all things that man possesses, woman alone take pleasure in being possessed. —Malherbe. Before promising a womat to love only her, one should have seen them all, or should only see her. —A. Dupuy. We meet in society many beautiful and attractive women whom we think would make excellent wives—for our friends. We censure the inconsistency of women when we are the victims; we find it charming when we are the objects.—L. Desnoyers. The highest mark of esteem a woman can give a man is to ask his friendship; and the most signal proof of her indifference is to offer him hers. Men are so fearful of wounding woman’s vanity that they rarely remember that she may, by some possibility, possess one grain of common sense.—Mis e Bradden. Women among savages is a beast of burden; in Asia she is a piece of furniture in Europe she is a spoiled child.—Senac de Meilhan. It is not easy to be a widow; one must re-assume all the modesty ofj girlhood, without several hundred thousand dollars. Women of the world never use harsh expressions when •>, condemning their rivals. Like the savages, they hurl elegant arrows, ornamented with feathers of purple and azure, but with poisoned points.