Rensselaer Republican, Volume 21, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 June 1889 — We are pleased to note that a West. [ARTICLE]

We are pleased to note that a West.

ern Territory has enacted a law making train-wrecking punishable by death. We believe it is a Btep in the right direction. There is or was a law iB New York which made the malicious setting afire at night of a building occupied by human beings a capital offense. Such laws are founded on sound logic, and ought to prevail more generally than they do. The wrecking of trains must be especially condemned. The thought is revolting that monsters exist who would thus maliciously endanger the lives of many if not hundreds of human beings for the plunder that he might secure, and yet such is tne fact. A natural and almost inevitable consequence of railroad wrecks is the injury of many and loss of life. The world is full of maimed veterans of such calamity. The crime of railroad wrecking cannot be atoned for by any ordinary punishment, and the monster who hazzards human lives for the plunder he may secure, or through maliciousness, desejves no lees punishment than hanging. '

We have called attention lately to the poor homes of the country. Nothing better, nor perhaps as good, can be said of our jails. Mr. Wright, Secretary of the Wisconsin State Board, says the jail is a disgrace to civilization, and, in many cases, no better than it was in the days of John Howard. There is rarely any classification of prisoners, so that tbe old teach the youngtEe foulest forms of vice. The decent, and" often the innocent, are herded in with the Indecent, and even sexes are not separated. Vulgarity is the universal language, and vile story telling the recration. Our land is thus supplied with a regulated set of schools of crime. That is what they amount to. The end is not a suppression of crime, but the encouragement of crime. We must get rid of our present system of poor houses and jails. Out with them. George Bancroft is 6aid to he particular to remove his gloves before shaking hands. The point is a good one. Just introduce the fashion of ungloving before shaking, and shaking will soon subside. If there be one pre-eminent-ly disagreeable and distressing fashion in America, it is cur universal and eternal hand-shaking. Its origin, we believe, runs back to oar savage ancestors, who clasped hands in sign of peace instead Of war. Is there any reason for swearing a treaty of peace with every Tom, Dick and Harry of your acquaintance whom you chance to meet in the street? The custom is a terrible fag on health.

A big force of laborers has been collected at Greytown, one of the ends of the projected Nicaragua Canal, and operations will be begun in a few days. The preliminary work has all been done, and actual construction will commence, it is probable, aoout the Ist of June. Five years, at the outside, is the time which the engineers say will be required to finish the work, and $64,000,COO is the estimate for expenditure, after making an allowance for all conceivable contingencies. The prospect that the waterway will be opened for traffic about the middle of 1894 is favorable at this moment. The General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, composed of 100 delegates and representing sixteen States, is kt session at Kansas City. This sect organized in Kentucky in 1797, and its system of belief differs from the ordinary Presbyterian creed principally with respect to the doctrine of election or predestination. It now embraces 15 synods, 119 presbyteries and 160,000 communicants; and its record of usefulness and of sympathy with the interests of religious progress and conquest is very creditable. Cahada acts now as if it is anxious to end the fishery dispute. That country seems to be seriously endeavoring to prevent trouble and friction with the United States in the matter. It is to be hoped that some treaty satisfactory to both Americans and Canadians may he negotiated soon. The continuance of the controversy through so many years is unpleasant, and in some respects discreditable to both countries. Fbance has had more sorts of government in the past 100 years than any other country in the world, but it would be scarcely logical to reason from this fact that the present Government will soon be converted as the others were. It should be borne in mind that the third republic has endured longer than any other system which baa been in existence in France since the downfall ! of Loois XVI a century ago. j