Saturday Evening Mail, Volume 13, Number 31, Terre Haute, Vigo County, 27 January 1883 — Page 2

13.—No. 31

THE/MAIL

A Paper

bor the

People.

T?wn

Talk.'

C'ATY AFFAIRS.

AltheugkMhe city election is yet far In the diot'«nd distant future the battle las already commenced. Generally the ight is postponed as long «s possible ind is bitter while it lasts. This year is ^n exception, and the dominant party is it present on the defensive. The records Fpave becu ransacked, the -figures arranged to suit the occasion and placed

In Uie most damaging array which irewd political workero *can devise. iThua far the contest has been confined to khe question of streets, but when the engagement becomes general other mat(ers will be taken up in detail, and the ,-oter will have to swallow the dose an lually presented for bis-consideration Pbe saying that figures won't lie doesn Stpply during a political campaign, for Jhen they can be twisted to prevent facts as eloquently as tbo mqst distin [?uisbed politician of the age.

During the past week there has been fmlich said of the expenditures of the resent administration cm streets. It is ».rged that the expense is now double at it was under Democratic rule. Sueb f* statement seems rather strange, and the average reader indicates extrava jjance. One of three things must be true. The Democrats must have neg Pocted taking the proper care of the Streets, the Republicans must have been Extravagant, or there must have been plarge extension of thostreets. Probably ill tlyee are true to a-certain extent. rill be remembered that In the summer ind fall of 1879 typheid fever was almost ldemic in certain .parts of the city /lie board of health investigated the latter and said it was caused through i/eglect of the sanitary condition of the ||ty. The streets and alleys were in bad pndition, and no amount of persuation

Lt that time could induce the council to Kmiss an ordinance for its improvement jvhich had been drawn up. Some im [Vrovenient was made, but not that ^liich the board of health believed the Occasion demanded. During the Demo ||*atic administration, John Garretson vim street commissioner. He was |**»4»mao for the place, and received redit for his work irrespective of party 1ft'? party considerations. He executed work honestly and did it well. The ne can be said of the present commistoner, and the lionorehould be awarded where it in duo. Jacob Torhees is a man vho is probably botter posted in his

Business than any other in the city, and [e was selected for commissioner on that jjround. His work speaks for itself The stroets are now in better condition shan ever before, and that, too, in all f-ortions of the city. In making im roveniontH no locality has been favored ^3ore than another. Stone crossings |ji 1 iron gratings have been laid over all city. The streets are even and firm ul no one finds fault but politicians then only on the eve of an elec m. There are in the council at present time a number of gentlemen |f»io are heavy taxpayers. They have ide their money by industry, econo and sound business judgment. They •re elected because it .was believed they [i ould manage city affairs as they have fi in a god their own,and it does not seem jokbable that they would squander I .mey which would have to come out of i«ir own pockets in4the shape of taxes ich aery does not*cause much exdte•wt outside of the newspaper.office# influence* very few voters. Business iV, 5 us© see throughiitand pay little or no 'ention to it,aud the workingman will morally cast his lot with the party aich will contribute most te bis suj* .-,t. Instead of such a howl about pense there should be a little more I We exhibited in endeavoring to main* ^fa/the reputation of the city of being "i«imost beautiful in the West, or, in t, ativwhere. And with all tWalalk of

ItwkTaganoe Terr© Haute has a saaaJler I bt in proportionjto wealth! sad populadthan any other city in the State, atcfe doesJnot,bear witness that her afrsase badly managed. In order to old those senseless wrangles the rOMHJTTKKS SHOUI.D BE DIVIJMB*

The chances are nineteen to twenty at every!man who is now crying so udly against extravagance would have [Med for every appropriation had he len a member of the committee that remmended it. It is a great mistake to ipolnt committees that contain none lt members of our political faith. Give "S minority a representation on each nmlttee and board and there will be cause for complaint. Where a man Is do voice in appointments or the reluiuendation of appropriations he "ncraily makes a successful kicker

Kju v*rv small provocation, bat put in a j**8ition where Im must abare responsibility of the work, and be II be mow careful in his action*. By 9 way, how many of the Democratic

members of the council voted for the appropriations about which the fuss is now being made, how many objected to them and could the city be governed at less ex pense than at ppe»ent—that is, prop governed? sZ&i

THESALOOSS.

The members of the saloon keepers •union wear upon their visages a mysterious look which indicates that there is something in the air. All of them refuse to talk, and a few simply say "Wait and see." It has been known for some time that an effort is soon to be made to close those grog shops which pay no license, and place the business in the hands of the better class of saloon keepers. If the movement has yet assumed definite shape it is not known outside of the charmed circle of the interested persons, No Dill has yet "bobbed up serenely" in the legislature promising the desired relief, but there is a rttmor that such an one will soon be presented. It will pro vide for the appointment of State agents whose business it will be to travel over the State, visit all places where liquors are retailed, examine their papers and prosecute all who violate the law. The license will probably be raised to about $300 per annum, and a violation of the law will be severely punished. Such a bill should receive the hearty support of all parties. The necessity for more stringent'legislation on the liquor traffic is apparent to all, and the adoption and enforcement of such a law would meet the hearty approval, not only of citizens generally, but of the legitimate element in the saloon business. The small fry who sell villainous liquor and keep dens of iniquity from which emanate nearly all the crime in the land should be clutched with a firm grip and severely punished and driven from their busi nesB. This would place the traffic in the hands of better class of men, and make the business more respectable than it now is. It would drive the bummer element from their haunts and compel them to 30 to work. It would reduce very largely the number of saloons and aid tbe cause of temperance materially In fact it would be just such a law as the case demands, and the sooner it i$ passed the better.

A Woman's Opinions.

9

..

THE Sfifew CONTRIBUTOR.

We naturally expect to find in every first class newapaper^sftt Iqast one lady contributor. &he is tiTthe paper What sauce is to the meat, flavor to the pudding, sparkle to the wine—very little in themselves,

3*et

giving a relish to the

dinner. Of course a woman's writing don't amount to much, little wit, less logic, no depth or breadth of thought and yet, sandwiched in among the pol ished satire, the burning eloquence and the profound wisdom of the masculine contributors, it acts something like landing in along flight of stairs—gives the reader a chance to get his breat^riuu keeps him from growing dizzy. So we are glad to welcome "Faith" and her spicy articles in the columns of the "daisy Democrat," even though, accord ing to the editor, she is going to "snow Woman's Opinions under." In the language of the Signal Service, "Look out for the Blizzard!"

Now, my dear, we won't do like thoss naughty newspaper men—the -first day that a rival appears, devote whole paragraphs welcoming him to the profession, praising his paper and wishing him success, and the very next day begin mak ing faces at him, calling him names and trying to run him out of the field. Women are not inconsistent, like men, and we'll be good friends to the end of the chapter.

By the way, what an appropriate name that is for the Democrat—"daisy." Little, timid, meek-eyed blossom, so shy and diffident it scarcely dares to make its presence known. One never reads a copy of the Democrat without being reminded of the charming modesty, the graceful humility of the "daisy." It is Seldom ridge that grows so sweet a flower!

THE TEMFBRAIQCKQUKSTIOIV. It is awfully discouraging te be told that "there is a vein of cynicism running through your writings which entirely spoils them," and that "you area woman who has never written a goodnatured thing," both of these criticisms being freely volunteered by different persons during the past week. In studying up some excuse for having been so disagreeable, the idea suddenly occurred that tbe fault all lay in the subjects. Topics had been selected which admitted of various opinions and of course in that case everybody who differs from you, thinks you are ill-natured and skeptical. In casting about for a subject upon which everybody agrees the above suddenly suggested itself, and being one ip which all am interested, seemed the very thing, lite question has assumed so many forms that it ta impossible to tell bow it will break out next, bat it is, undoubtedly, the most important issue before the country. Woman Suffrage can wait awhile, for women are not suffering half so badly from being deprived of the franchise as

they afe from the evils caused by in temperance, and yet, if they dp not vote till the temperance question is disposed of, I am afraid Gabriel will have blown his horn and ordered the polls dosed

The temperance element, after deducting the fanatics, is unquestionably com posed of the best citizens in a com munity, best as regards morals, behavior and general character, and they work very hard and very unselfishly, for they receive no compensation and expect no reward. The saloon-keepers and the drinkers are very sarcastic and insulting and bitter toward these people who, they say, are interfering with their business and their pleasure, but when the wives and children are reduced to poverty and want, these same people, who have been industrious and temper ate, must come to their relief. The saloon-keepers

and

drunkards make the

paupers and the temperance people take care of them. All the efforts made in the direction of temperance are worthy although all are not judicious. Just now the question is. Shall we compel a a man to fill himself full enough by eleven o'clock at night to last him till six o'clock the next morn ing or worse still, shall he take enough on board Saturday night to run him till Monday morning He can't do it, he won't hold it. If this law is enforced the saloon keepers will have to open "bucket shops," so their regular customers can take tne stuff home by the bucket full. The saloons ought to be closed on Sunday, because the bar-keep-ersneeda rest. They are the busiest men in town and never know an idle moment.

But why do 3,000 citizens petition the Council to make a law which it has no authority to make and which would be null and void if passed And why do they want any more laws You can't scare a saloon keeper with a law oh no, he has too much confidence in lawyers, for that. Then comes the old question, Wny don't you enforce the laws It can't be done. The statute says explicitly that no liquor shall be sold after 11 P. M., neither shall liquor be sold on Sunday or Fourth of July or New Years or Christmas or Thanksgiving or any llection Day. It shall not be sold to person in a state of intoxication, nor shall it be sold to one who is in the habit of being intoxicated, if any citizen in his ward or township shall give notice to the liquor seller. It shall not be sold to minors nor within one mile of any re ligious assembiy or agricultural fair, Now where is the need of any more laws? These laws are just as good as can be made, yet they are openly and continually violated. There is not an officer in all our city government that dares to enforce them. The Mayor has full authority to command the Chiof of Police to see that these laws are complied with. The Chief of Police has as much power to order his men to arrest these saloon keepers as he has to make the semiannual raid on Second street. The Policemen have quite as good an opportunity to see that the saloons' ate breaking the law as they have to know that a game of faro is in progress somewhere in the back room of a fourth story, yet they break up the faro. But all, from the Mayor down, stand back and say, "Let somebody make complaint." Who has made complaint in these other cases Is it necessary that some one must make complaint before law-breakers can be arrested

Look at the political parties dodging this issue, each trying to pile it upon the shoulders of the other, and failing in this, both seeking to escape by crawling through the loophole of a technicality. If the Mayor should lay so much as the weight of a little fiuger upon a saloonkeeper he not only could never hold another office, but would greatly injure the party to which he belongs. Shonld Policeman arrest a saloon-keeper there would be a vacant chair at the next rollcall. The very temperance advocates are cowards since they can see for themselves, at night and on Sunday, that the saloons are defying the law, and yet they fear to make complaint. Why this universal cowardice Simply because these liquor dealers have the balance of political power corked up in the bottles on their shelves. But suppose you undertake to prosecute one of them. It will be very hard, in the first plaoe, to find au informer who will go before the Grand Jury and not lose his memory as soon as he gets there, but should you succeed Ih having your saloon-keeper indicted it is impossible to obtain a conviction. There area hundred little technicalities by which he can escape, but even if he does not take advantage of these you can never find a jury of twelve men who will agree upon a verdict.

t* be?

are

If you should take the opinions of all the best legal minds in the state you will find them almost unanimously in favor of a very large license law and tbe violation, a penitentiary offense. In this way, about half the saloons would be closed and the other half would become, in a measure, responsible for the character of their business. But it might be said, If I CHANGE MAKES CHANGE. tbey do not pay a small license, how Women childless in Europe after years could you make them pay a large one? of marriage often have families in Au|p Juatin the same way that they are com- tmli*.

•TERRE HAUTE, IND., SATURDAY EVENING. JANUARY 27, 1883. W&rW'Thirteenth Yea

pelled to pay the Government license which even tike most disreputable among them never dftre to evade. Let tbe State appoint Agents, just as the Government does, whose legitimate business it shall be to see that this law is complied with, snd if it is not, send the offender to the penitentiary. All the more respectable r-laan of the liquor dealers are in favor of heavy license and a.compulsory law. They condemn those of their number who do not pay the license at present required, but are afraid to prosecute them lest they, themselves, should be prosecuted in return, for selling on Sunday, etc "r *t '"J* *5?

The statute, as it d&W feadC Quires every liquor seller to pay a lioense of $100, but there are ill Terre Haute over 100 saloons which pay no license at all. This, if collected, would realize more than fi0,000 each year for the publio schools. Tho$e gentlemen who are so exceeding worried lest the School Fund should be defrauded are invited to attend to this matter immediately^ $

The object of our prominent temperance advocates is the very highest and noblest, but they must be guided by practical common senae, and can only hope to reduce and modify this evil which never will be entirely suppressed. In the meantime, it is the duty of every one who loves his fellow men to use all bis influence in favor of sobriety, to create a- powerful public sentiment against intemperance, and to cultivate in the hearts of the children that strength of morals and firmness of character which will enable them to resist temptation, whatever form it may assume.

I can not close this article without referring to GEOBOB ALFRED TOWNSEND or ''Gath" as he is best known to the literary world, who is to lecture here on Mondayyevening. He probably stands at the head of newspaper correspondents, a prominent feature of the nineteenth century literature. If one's time for reading were limited he could get good understanding of the entire political situation from "Gath's" daily let ters to the Cincinnati Enquirer. His knowledge of. men and events is wonderful, and it is said, what he does not now, he imagines. Asa political writer he is withoflt a peer, but when it comes to social questions, the better class of men and women must certainly take excejkions. For instance, a short time ago, in reflecting very seriously pn the obarac&ft ofc BsnjamhiPraiSkUn,he closed by saying, "In view of these facts we

not surprised to htjar that he

drank only water!" It will be a new idea to a great many persons,that drinking wine is conducive to morality.

But it is principally in speaking of women that "Gath" allows his sarcasm to get ahead of his judgment. One is always nettled and irritated at his manner, rarely referring to them except to describe their physical appearance, Sometimes we are told that they are buxom and well-preserved again, that they fire "well-fed and well-exercised," or "fine* affd young enough to marry again," generally winding up by stating how nriBny children thfey have "brought forth." He usually gives the breed, bints at the age and tells how long it takes her to trot a mile. Last week he devoted one whole letter in the Enquirer to what he would probably call "fe males,"a few extracts of which are given below. 'It is the object of all considerate parents to marry their children and get them beyond temptation and particu larly to see that the females, whose knowledge of the world is less thorough, be wives, and under the magistracy of a man at the proper age." Again,

The object of pursuit of every healthy woman is a man to love her." "Men are apt to look below them for their wives." "The well-fed, well-eAerdsed, radiant young woman grows very restless under her independence and is apt, like Mother Eve, to see her way clear to a man as he cornea in sight." "The number of worldly women is increasing who do not believe in matrimony, at all." "Housekeeping, obedience, fixed habits are the scorn of many a woman whom modern, times have corrupted." It is not necessary to quote farther to show the gentleman's opinion of woman, a sensual creature, crazy to marry, yet not believing in matrimony under the magistracy of a man, yet scorning obedience. Will the Khedive please come over and replenish his harem?

When "Thomas, the Doubter" has finished his lectures, and wishes to pursue his studies of tbe inferior sex, will he kindly select his models elsewhere thati among tbe worldly women of New Yerk and Washington City

"*X* "tVA $

IDA A. HARDER.

SHOWS HER SENSE!. London Truth.

A French woman would rather wear a dean petticoat and a smart pair of boots that a gay gown.

Our Breakfast Table.

"Met your particular admiration, Mr. Howe, on the street yesterday," said Derby to Miss Laura, breaking up what seemed a profound reverie. "You did! Why didn't you come right here and tell me—and I so positively wild to see him! Just a glimpse of him cures me of blues and makes me content with the world and myself. Do you know you feel with him that if he likes you, you must be of some amount, and you are sure he does."

Derby laughed and said: "Well,he certainly has the trick—faculty, I mean—of impressing one that way. He has the fine culture that Emerson taught: that pleasing and flattering attention to the one before him, that earnest and sympathetic interest in another shown by so few. I wonder sometimes why I am so awfully bored by certain folks. I know now—because they only talk of

Why, Mr. McEwan!" exclaimed Miss Laura, aghast. "Then you wouldn't want any laws against gambling, prize fights, or—or—all kinds of awful things." "There you go. Because I am not a Sabbatarian, therefore I am a gambler, a rough, and so on. Don't I say I want laws to protect the orderly from the disorderly, which would include gamblers, etc."

I

1

4I,'

'me'

and 'mine.' I suppose if they flattered me with a hint now and then that my own personality interested them I would enjoy them more. I get very tired of men who talk 'shop' and women who talk 'domestic affairs.' But to return to your first loves, Miss Laura, what right have you to go out of yeur fold to admire strange shepherds?" "Oh, I am general enough to admire any Catholic spirit—but I do with Mr. Howe, that time he studied the thirtynine articles, had become an Episcopa lian—he would have made such a good bishop." "Clever hit, Miss Laura! That's his forte, organizing and administration, untanglijpg snarls, and lifting loads— that's a bishop's work. My impression of the clever parson is that he is the social element in orders, a sort of conse crated unknown quantity always needed to make our perplexed sodety a harmonious whole. When he moves up-stairs in that fine hundred thousand dollar church the liberal Peorians are building, he will not thank you even to be a bishop."

McEwan, to excite the Major, remarked: "You seem to be arranging matters to give us the May election. I think if you take on your shoulders a few more reforms like prohibition, and Sunday laws you may as well hand the city over to us Democrats on a perpetual lease." "We are not fixing things. It is you •crafty fellows that are artfully shaking such questions, along withpayingstones and streeet bridges^ as they do reS ragfc to draw on bulls—and geese—I believe they both object to red." "Are we indeed? Did we inveigle three thousand to sign your Sunday petition—did we entice P. into print? Of course he had to be coaxed." "No, but if you did not," said Derby, "your game is evident. But why mention P. or any of his principles with a sneer you know they are working for what they believe right and for the general welfare. Because you were raised in a country where churches are open of a Sunday morning, and saloons in the afternoon, are you going to insist on the same here?" I" 'No need of it. I think Jrou divide the people on that subject as much as we divided the day. You know if I don't go to church, neither do I go to saloons on that day. Also, that I have no faith in legislating religion. I see you shudder, Mrs. Welby. Why do I think so? Because I see as the world grows older and wiser it cares less for such laws, and yet it is better than it onoe was. Law is to protect penple from one another not to teach them morality. You have to teach children to be good before they knew what law is. Law don't make people good. I do not believe any have a right to bid orderly me to go or not to go here tod there. If so, the majority might make me go to mass or chapel, as' in old times. I will admit one such law if you can define it—one that will protect orderly people from the disorderly." "What a heathen you profess yourself, Mac," said the Professor. "Hasn't a christian community aright to guard its Sabbath from profane occupations and amusements, to guard its observers from» hindrance and disturbance "Show me the people*that wants to," thumping the table till the plates rattied. "Show me a community where such lawa are not a dead letter. Yes, sir, and always will be. If everybody wanted such laws you wouldn't need them, and you don't need them becau&e you don't want them."

1

"But you want P's and Q's to stop working for Sunday law and a quiet Sabbath, and all that." "No, I don't," said tbe stubborn Mac. "I enjoy seeing them work. Am I not a Democrat, and as one of our silvery orators has said, is not Democracy tbe

rock in the desert from which flows the" pure undefiled stream of political and religious truth and he winked at the Major as he continued: "Of course I want them to work for a quiet and restful Sunday, but not on the basis of an* impracticable old law adopted by a mud die-headed legislature from a middleaged priestcraft. There is no use of hammering away at the Mayor and Coundl. They cannot do anything. I suppose," he added, with a laugh, "if you could have a P. for a Mayor, twelveof him for a Coundl, and thirty more of him on the police force, and a good big jail, you could enforce the law for about three months—then the jail would be chock-full."

The Major said: "McEwan has some general ideas of personal liberty that worry him—and he is half right. We need for the general good of men whoought not to work more than six days«a. week—to secure to every man who is bound by another's bidding, a day of' rest. To secure to him this right we^ ought to protect him from unscrupulous^ competition. If Phil May, or Owen^. Pixley & Co., or Rippetoe close their establishments and dismiss their employs, thdr rivals must not be allowed, to steal their trade. The law should be very simplq, very liberal in its exceptions and based upon the existing habits of people. And yet, it is ever so simple it cannot be rigidly enforced. You know 'judgment must first begin at the-' house of God,' and so must practice.. Until the custom is withdrawn the supply will continue. Until the principle is developed, the temptation will prevail and succeed." "Well, I am glad, Major, you left a loop-hole for retreat," exclaimed MrsWelby. "I thought you were going tor say nothing could be done, nor need be done." "Oh, bless you, no! Plenty to do, but I don't believe in moralists relying on laws too much nor would it be pleasant to think of our amiable, zealous reformers stopping work. Think what ahuBh there would be if we were never tohear one of them Say more 'this thou shalt do,'and'this thou shalt not do.'* Like as whon a clock stops in tbe night, we almost hear the silence—and dread it." 'Twould be," exclaimed the Professor, "like the awful calm of tbe Revelation when 'there was Bilence in* Heaven for the space of half an hour.' "And what came then asked Jack,, with renewed interest. '•Then came, with the opening of tbe? 1, seal,tempests and hurricanes, blight and pestilence, freezing and fire, floods and famines, and unutterable woes." "All from silence," said the youth.,' "Well, let the work go on but why is it when some of our .most intensely in-1 tense reformers get to work that opposition seems to spring up under their feet,, wherever they plant them."

The Professer replied, on classic loreintent: "I think they worry us because^ they are so very right, And we often sovery wrong. Like Aristides, you know,, who when the Greeks wereyoting on his banishment, was asked by a slave to* write the name of Aristides 011 the sbell'I don't know him,' said the slave, 'but 1 am angry and tired from hearing him called the Just.' So Aristides went into exile, and when the Greeks wearied of the sileuce they called him back to resume his lectures, for I suppose, like% other good men, he would talk."

THE BIS AD VAN TA QE OF

rf-ITJST* Jt

THEY DANCE IN J**IL Y.

HOW In Italy, when the country mOn and women dance together, the first thing they do is to toss off their shoes, if they wear any. A man doesn't go up to a

Sirlandask

if she will dance, but he

xes his eye on her from a distance and nods. She nods in return, and then both* V* kick off their shoes and advance toward! each other ond begin to dance. Tbe dance, besides being an incessant up and down of steps, represents also quite a «.* little love drama in gestures, and the success of the dance depends on the cleveraess of the dancers to express this mimic scene. Tbe man courts, pleads, „, beseeches, runs after bis dancer, tries to clasp her waist and kiss her all the time be is dandng, without ever pansing. Tbe girl, of course, denies, laughs, shakes her head and escapes her partner. till at last, the dance finished, she rushes to he a an re he 3

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