Terre Haute Weekly Gazette, Terre Haute, Vigo County, 17 October 1878 — Page 4

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•j^e DAILY GAZETTE

WU. C- BALL & CO.

GAZETTE, Terre Haute.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER, 17,1878.

DID any one ever know of lovelier fall 'weather than we have had since the election in Vigo county? A Prmocratic^yic tory brings blessings with it,

HENDRICKS'fetar is in the ascendant. His chances for the Presidential nomination in 1880 were greatly improved by the result of the elections last week.

DEMOCRATS have succeeded best this year where they have made the lie6t fight and kept themselves fn»e from all entangling alliances. The lesson should not be forgotten in future campaigns.

THE emocratic victory in Indiana, the Republican in Ohio and the defeat of Tilden by Tammany in New York all conspire to improve the chances of Hendricks (or the presidential nomination in iSSo. He is now at the very head of the heap, so to speak,

A MEETING of the editorial association of Indiana wil 1 be htld at New Albany. Indiana, on the 24th of this month. The gay and gallant Ledger-Standard, one of the liveliest and best papers in the State, and with one of the stiffest backbones on matters of principle, will plav host to the assembled pencil put hers

ON and after the 4th of next March our national legislation will be largely conducted by new men. In many re" spectB this will be an improvement, but in certain other particulars it will be detrimental to the transaction of business. New men, lacking the experience of older members, are apt to commit blunders which others trained in legislation would avoid.

JUSTIN S. MORRILL was, Tuesday, re-elected United States Senator, by the Vermont Legislature. He had no opponent except the antiquated Luke P. Poland, and even that venerable relic o^ the paleozoic age was scared off the track before the home stretch was reached. Luke will stay at home and soothe the verdant inhabitants of the Green Mountain State with a view of his blue coat and brass buttons.

IN 1873 the yellow fever w*s very de. structive in Memphis. Up to that time nothing half so severe had been experienced. In that year 1,202 persons died. Up to date, this year, 3,100 persons have fallen victimR to the pestilence. This mortality is simply frightful. At the breaking out cf the fever fully one half of the people of Memphis fled, leaving it a population no larger, if so large as Terre Haute. The deaths, therefore, have amounted to about. one-seventh of the population.

IN 1876 the vote of Indiana, by congressional districts and for congressmen, was as follows:

Rep.

*, District?. Rep. Dem. Gr. First ...18,168 14,727 1,240 Second ...18,786 18,888 944

Third ..11,676 17,226 1,804 Fourth .14,930 14,570 Fifth ..15,593 14,069 6 Bixth .17,408 17,127 816 Seventh .19,68* 18,296 1,696 Eighth ...14,368 18,165 4,704 Ninth ..16,990 16,690 Tenth .17,962 16,804 88 Eleventh .17,980 16,483 Twelfth ...12,777 19,148

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IT6T7 afternoon exovpt ft fc&lfy, and gofil by the carrier at 30 c. p4r fortnlflfrts by mailf $8.00 per yete{ $4.00 fir si* months $e.00 for three months. XHE WEEKLY OAZETTE is issued *rery Thursday, and contains all the \|WJrt matter of the six daily issues.

IpB WEEKLY GAZETTE is the \argest paper printed in Terre Haute (tod is sold,/or: One copy per year $1.(0 six months, 76c three months. 40*. All subscriptions must be paid fo gdvance. No paper discontinued t)»41 all arrearages are paid, unless at tJe option of the proprietor. A failmre to notify a discontinuance at the •nd of the year •will be considered a new engagement. i*' •ddress'.all letters,

''Thirteenth ...18,481 16^73 188

THE Danville, (111.) News says, in commenting on the defeat of the Fiatics in Vigo county, that "it is a crushing blow to fiaticism as Terre Haute is its stronghold in the West and the Express its ablest advocate." It continues: "This settles the question of repudation and fiat money it insures an honest, faithful payment of the public debt a solid but abundant currency, as. good as coin it insures steady business prosperity, for capital will no longer shrink fr6m a supposed powerful foe, but seeing the weakness of«its enemy, and that order, honesty and business" sense are triiim-* phant will seek the channels of enterprise and industry.

REDISTRICT1NG THESTATE. The Democrats promised if they elt cd the legislature to make a fair, just and honest division of the State. This trust be done, and equal justice given to all arties. The first man who sugge&ts a

onesided g^mnander mast be squelch' ed.—[Fort Wiy.ne Evening Sentinel. .. To this the GAZBTTK says, amen. The State must be districted so that succeeding Legislatures, no matter what political party is in the ascendency, shall not dream of changing it. The districts must be, as nearly as possible, of equa size, and be grouped about commercial centers, so that each and every part shall be easily accessible from the principal town in the district

iN tlie present Congress Ohio has 12 Republican members and 8 Democrats In the next Congress the delegation wil consist of 12 Democrats' and 9 Republicans. This is again of 3 members for the Democrats and gives the vote of the State to the Democrats in 1880 if the election of President should be thrown into the House. Indiana's delegation in Congress at present coiuisls.of 4 Democrats and 9 Republicans. By the recent election the Democrats gain two, making 6, and the Republicans, lose 3, leaving them 6. 1, De La Matyr, a Notiona^ was elected by the Democrats and wil! vote with them.

SENATOR THUBMAN has not been stricken with paralysis, as was reported in the dispatches yesterday. He is not well, but hi* indisposition id only slight, and in a few days he will be himself again. Besides, the result of the elec tion was not as satisfactory to him as he had expected. He mu6t feel that his partial surr^er to the "Ohio Idee," ?s promulgated and championed by the Cincinnati Enquirer was a very grievous mistake. 'He measuraMy lost the dbnfidence of the conservative por tion of the Democratic party, at the very head of which he has been (be several years. He mu6t by this time be satisfied that consistency is as important for a conspicuous and able man as it is for less prominent ones. He should take OCCH 6ion this winter to*give the country the benefit of his convictions on the finances, uninfluenced by the various manias which prevail in Ohio. %?x 1

THE VIGO COUNTY VOTE. On another page of this issue ef the GAZSTTE will be found, for tl^ third and last time, the table giving the vote of Vigo County at the late election. It has been carefully corrected from the official figures compiled at the County Clerks office and forwarded to the State Capital this morning. It can be counted on as absolutely correct in each and every particular, and as entirely free from the unavoidable errors of aU other and previous publications. We would suggest to the reader that he cut this table out and paste it in his scrap book, C^or better still, preserve the paper, which con tains othei valuable political matter of a statistical nature that will be of great use fpr future reference. Persons desiring to inform absent friends of the result of the election here will find this issue of the GAZBTTE to be especially adapted for the purpose.

The table containing the names of the members of the next Legislature, classified according to politics and the counties from which they were elected, will also be found to be valuable and worth RWrving.

IMMIGRANTS are pouring into thi country more rapidly now than for sev al months past This of itself is a proof of returning prosperity among the people themselves, for the new comers have been, for the most part, induced to come on representations sent to them in letters by relations or friends already ere. Last month 8,955 immigrants landed in New York, 5,136 males and 3,819 females. There were from Germany, 2,428 England, 2,077 Ireland, 1.415 Scotland, 375 Wales, 24 Sweden 638 France, 450 Russia, 398 Italy, 257, Denmark, 219 ,Switzerland, 168 Norway, 129 Hangary, 45 Holland, 34: Poland, 31 Belgium, 33 Sicily, 20 Spain, 26 Portugal, 9 Jamaica, 5 Cuba and China, 4 each N«w Brunswick, 5 Turkey, Finland, Greece, Mexico and borne at sea, 2 each Nova Scotia, Brazil, Hayti, Malta, Africa and Algeria I each. During the same month last year 6,673 came an increase this.year of twentyfive per cent or more

THE INDIANA LEGISLATURE. The next Legislature of Indiana will stand as follows:

The Senate will stand 25 Democrats, 21 Republicans and 1 Nationalf^With the Lieutenant Governor, this gives the Democrats control of the Senate, even supposing the National sides with the Republicans^

The Hoise will stand 56 Democrats, 3y Republicans and 5 Nationals. This will give the Democrats a clean majority of 12 overall in the House, and on joint ballot a majority over all of 12.

This insures the reapportionment of the state. It will be districted and distincted fairlytoo. That is settled.

It also secures the election of a Democrasic Sena^&V.fill put the unexpired term of SedftSf'fftortibn which would not end until the 4th of heitfc.Ma.ch, and to %fcct a Senator for, tbe fall term of 6ix ^eafgjrom the 4th of next March.' For bothm

vthese

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terms the Democrats

"will elect D. p,V, Voorhees the present incumbent", by appointment

of Governor Williams. He has filled the place to the satisfaction of the voters -of the State, and has made a record, for himself of which Indianians are proud. There should be and will be no opposition inside the Democratic party to his election, and, as for outsiders, it is none of their business.

A WOMAN correspondent expresses her opinion on the subject of elections and politics generally in a communicapablished in another column of (his issue of the GAZETTE. She is probably iristaken in her inference that there was any considerable amount of drinking dene on last election day or on any election days. By a proclamation of the Mayor, and this is always thasce. tfce.salcons of the city were closed.

Again, the number of persons who can not read and write, the only educationa test that has ever been proposed, i6 so inconsiderable in this

But the general elections do not occur until November. On the 5th of that month the last and decisive contests of the year will be fought in the following States: Alabama, Atkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, IUi nois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, .Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessep, Texa^ Virginia, -Wisconsin. .a

On the result in these States, much will depend. It is, of course, to be expected that the victories gained by the Democrats so far will strengthen the organization elsewhere. Democrats may look to the future with confidence

THE BUSINESS OUTLOOK The business public has looked forward with unusual interest to the report of the failures during the 3rd quarter of the present year', ending with the last of September. It has been the more anxious to learn of the wrecks during that period because the repeal of the bankrupt law took effect in the time embraced by it, and, as everybody remembers, the last few days of it existence was signalized by unwonted activity in the bankrupt court

In the rush and hurry ot the times anthentic figures could be procured eit er of the number of failures or of the amounts involved. Hundreds who had practically been bankrupts for years availed themseUes of the departing opportunity to wipe off the slate and begin over again. The merchantile agency of Dunn, Barlow & Co., have compiled their report tor the quarter ending Sept 13, and from it we take the following abstract in reference to the failures for the past three months and the outlook now:

The number of failures Car the third quarter of 1878 were 2,853, as compared with 1815 for the same quarter last year Liabilities for the last quarter, 66 millions, as compared with 42 millions for the same period of 1877. For the first nine months of 1S7S the failures number 8,678, as compared with 6,565 for the same period in 1877. The liabilities for. the first nine monthi of 1878 are 197 millions, against 14* millions for the nine months of 1877. It is admitted that the petitions in bankruptcy filed in the period named considerably exceed the figures Hiven above, but it must be understood that a large number of applicants for relief were either those whose failures had been previously reported, or those who

THE lfifeKE HAU'lfi WEEKLY GAZETTE a

The educational qualification of voters is a subiect to which thev are two

sides. It was urged when colored people were enfranchized that the ballott was an educator, and that it secured to the poor black man, armed ed with it, a consideration and a respect for his rights from his more powerful white brother which would not be otherwise accorded him. It must be admitted there is something in the argument.

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try, and the per

sons so circumstanced are so uninfiuential, that it is difficult to see what danger to the Republic exists in their being clothed with a right which, once or twice a year at the most, makes them ther subjects of tender solicitude on the part of their better educated, stronger and more successful neighbors.

Besides—but we were not intending to argue the question our object being to call the attention of the reader to it, and that has already been done,

THE NOVEMBER ELECTIONS. For two months past there has been a rattling fire of elections along the skirmish line. First came Vermont, then Maine, followed by Connecticut and Colorado, and closing for the present with the elections of Tuesday last in Indiana, Ohio, Iowa and West Virginia. So far the advantage ha6 rested with the Democrats. They have made gains in these elections and strengthened their Congressional delegation s« tliat there is now almost absolute certainty of their controlling the next congress by a majority which can hardly run below thirty and ^may exceed fifty. In Indiana the Democrats now have only four congressmen. They have "elected six. In Ohio they made a gain, and have eleven out of the wenty in the state. In both delegation they have a control 60 that if the presidential election in 1880 should be thrown into the House the votes of these two im por tan states would be cast solid for the Democratic candidate. 'n

had gone out ot business, or were not engaged in mercantile pursuits, and hence not included in mercantile failures. The above figure* refer to failures only among those who were in active business and suspended payment during the period under review. The agency considers thet the number of actual failures were not as large as might have been anticipated among the 700,000 traders reported in business, and in view of the temptation offered to obtain relief from past misfortunes or anticipated embarrassment The trade of the country is believed to have survived what threatened to be a serious shock to confidence and credit, growing out of the ^circumstances of the repeal ot the bankrupt law, and excepting the unfortunate epidemic in the south, the general condition of trade ar» more healtv than at any time since 1873.

THE NEXT SENATOR. The sensational Cincinnati Enquirer among Democratic papers, and some few Republican papers which have managed their awn party until there is not enough of it left to occupy their massive intellects, are busily engaged in unearthing a conconspiracy in the Democratic party, the purpose of which is to defeat Senator Voorhees for re-election. There is absolutely nothing in this. As politica matters are ipanpged in this country conventions do not nominate candidates for the United States Senate. It is lef* entirely in the hands of the Legislature. A caucus of the parties determines the choice of each for the position. In the open session the candidates are voted for by their respective partisans. Since Indiana was admitted to the sisterhood of States, she has'had a number of Demo cratic Senators, and each and every one was elected in just this way. The same rule will be applied this winter. The^Demo cratic members will meet in ^caucus. They will decide among themselves who shall receive their combined support. It is within the province of any member to vote for any man he pleases in the caucus, but they will all agree to abide by the decision of the caucus and they will vote for that choice. It will done this winter it has always been done be-

fore.

If Mr.*jf Voorhees i«f

the nominee of the caucus he will be elected in the open session, and the same will be true of any other Democrat whom they might select.

And this brings us to the question of Mr. y.'s, ^nomination. There can be 4W no:„" possible doybt of it. He made a very thorough canvass of Indiana during the recent campaign. Everywhere he spoke to immense crowds, and he was everywhere recognized as the choice of the party for the senatorship if the Democrats carried the state. To his efforts more than to those of any other man the successful termination cf the campaign is^ due. More than has ever been the case in Indiana his candidacy has been understood. In many counties it was the overshadowing issue. He has won the position by reason of his service to the parly in the canvass, and he has twice won it by his career not only in the House but in the Senate last winter. The choice ot the people, he will be the choice of the Democratic caucus. Nothing can be more certain than his election, and it is idle to talk about any one else.

THE campaign in Indiana is over. The battle has been fought, and victory has perched on the banners of the Democracy. It is now time to consider the results of the contest. Many promises were made, It is now in order for the Democratic party to prepare to fulfill its pledges. In the campaign ne of the most important issues under consideration had reference to the wages of laborers. For a very long' time workingmen, mechanics, and employees of corporations .and institutions, large and small^ have complained that the laws for the collection of their wages were not accomplishing their purpose. Corporations have gone out of business or failed, of changed ownership, and the worthiest class of their creditors, the men. of small means who had sold their labor and could leant afford to lose anything have been unable to collect what was due them. Other more favored creditors have stepped in and absorbed the assets The remedies left them, where there have been ], any remedies,

posfcible^

have been ineffective and so expensive as to preclude them irom attempting to wrest their small and hard earned wages from the legal meshes in which they were purposely tangled. In this way great hardships have been experienced by that class of honest laborers to whom the country owes so much of its national prosperity, and for whose welfare it should be especially solicitious.,-

Again, under existing laws, the time and manner ^of paying laborers their wages is left exclusively to the employers. We do not believe in hedging about business! with too many hampering restrictions. Nor do we be" lieve that all, or half of the employers ot the country are in any wdy unfair in their treatment of their employees. A law upon the subject would, perhaps, make no change whatever in the conduct of one half of the employers of the country. But the point is that the law, as it now is, enables employers, if they are so disposed, to discriminate unfairly against their men in this matter of pay

ing the* their wages. The treatment which jast and fair men give to their employees a favor, perhaps should be formulated into a law so that they can demand it as a right and exact it from good sad bad alike.

This is not a new question. It was 4f)tted in the GAZETTE over a year ago. That agitation was started by a Terre Haute mechanic. It was taken up by the Democratic papers over the Stpte, advocated by them,

and

the fundamental idea involved in it wa3 incorporated into the Democratic platform as folllows:

That we sincerely deplore the recent violent collision between labor and capital, and to prevent the recurrence thereof, and to protect the future public order and security we believe that the wages of corporations engaged in the business of mining, manufactu#ng and transpo. tation should le a first lien upon the property, receipts and earnings of said corporations, and that such lien should be declsred, defined and enforced by appropriate legislation. fs-

This promise of the canva&s must be kept by the Legislature. We must have a law enacted which shall make the wages of laborers a first lien on the'prop erty of their employers, and secure them prompt and certain payment of their dues. It should provide for the payment of interest to them if their wages are retained beyond the stipulated pay day, 60 that they may reap the advantage of ownership of that which belongs to them, This law, the Democratic Legislature, this winter, will enact.

AST EASTERN DEMOCRAT'S VIEWS. A few days ago a reporter ot the New York Sun interviewed Abram S. Hewitt in relation to several important political questions. Mr. Hewitt was chairman of the Democratic National Committee during the presidential election of 1876, and was then, as he is now, a member of Congress. More than this, he is a candidate for re-election to Congress, and is certain to succeed. He has held and will holjl a prominent position in the councils of the party, being one of its most able and influential leaders on the floor of the House. With his ability and experience it is not unlikely that he may become the. leader of the Democrats in the House after the 4th of next March, at which time many who might otherwise dispute the position with him, will retire to private life, by and with the consent of unappreciative constituencies. Itfr. Hewitt has been a conservative man, and has done good service, not only tor his own constituents, but lor the whole people. The deep sea dredging into the fathomless ignorance of New York communists and fiatics, by the congressional committee of which he was the head, did much to clarify public opinion on certain economic questions, by showing to the hard-headed masses the ruinous possibilities of chaos as exemplified in the schemes of reformation demanded by these apostles of change. On all of these accounts, and because he is a clear-headed man of large business engagements, who does not make his living off of politics, the opinions of Mr. Hewitt are entitled to serious consideration by all Democrats. On this account, and because the GAZETTE partially, though not entirely agrees with him, we reproduce in this place a portion of the interview, with an allusion to which this article was begun: "Does the Syracuse platform represe the sentiments of the Democratic party?" "I think it represents very largely the thinking men of the Democratic party. They stand where Silas Wright and Marcy stood. They are hard money men, and the party has always been a hard money party. I would rather lose the election entirely than to have any compromise, tp that question. The platform is sound." "Is the Greenback party as formidable as it looks?" 'I have no knowledge of the Greenback party other than that which 1 get from the newspapers but I believe that it represents rather the spirit of discontent with the present state of things than any particular economic or political views. Its members are dissatisfied with the old parties because' the latter have not instituted the means for general pecuniary relief, and if Democrats have joined its organization in larger numbers than have Republicans, it is because of a feeling of disgust that the leaders of the Democratic party did not succeed in placing Mr. Tijden in the Presiwntial chair to which they and I believe that be was elected." "What is the future of the Greenback party. "The Greenback party has no experienced leaders, and therefore I think it will disintegrate after the present election. if we pursue a sound financial policy, there will be a «reeJy revival of business. Discoi t...iiucnt will then disappear, and, with it, the party founded on discontent If the rebumption party, o%the contrary, should be overthrown— which I do not expect—then we shall return lo the same evils from which we are now emerging, and there must be a reconstruction of parties in which hard money Democrats will unite with hard money Republicans in order to rcscu'e the country from the overwhelming^ distress that mu»t follow any succes^ml attempt to produce inflation." "What, then, is the duty of the hour?" "The hpur is a very critical one, so far as the financial question is concerned. No compromise should be made by which the right of the government to establish any other currency than gold and silver under the Constitution, shall be admitted.' I am not only opposed" entirely to the whole greenback doctrine, but to -the compromise suggested by

Senator Thurman. I thin'i that at the earliest moment the government should divorce itself from the issue of paper money in any shape or form."

MUNICIPAL INDEBTEDNES. The municipal indebtedness of this, country, and the seeming popular indifference to it, consititutes one of the most serious dangers that threatens our American system. Careful estimates reveal the astauading fact that city debts have increased 50 pfer cent, since their tabulation in the census of 1870, and the ratio of increase in State and county debts is relatively alarming. Wherever the increase has not been checked in city, town, or county, by constitutional limitation, there has been a persistent and enourmous increase within the last five years. Any exhibit calculated to bring the enormity of municipal indebtedness, vividly before the people is especially valuable. A discussion in the Britislr, Parliament two or three years ago: brought out a statement of the municipal debts cf the Kingdom. Those cities owing more than 1,000,000 aggregate as. follows:

Cities. Population, *7!. Deht. London .. .:.. 8,M8 *7 |25,918,0T0 Liverpool 498,405 10.562,000 Manchester 879,874 16,800 040Leeds 269,21 11,800,000 Bradford 145,880 8,950,000 Bristol 18-2,552 5.MJ8.0001 Hal'f&x 95,510 6,080,000 Bolton 98,658 8,000,000 Brighton 103.758 2,960,000 Birmingham. 843,787 3,885,000 Oldham 118,100 2.000,003 Salford 124,601 2,480,000 Rochdale 68,482 2.1£0,X0 HnUdersfleld 74,8'8 !OU,OW Wolverhampton 1E6.978 1,^78,(j00 Preston 85,427 1,180,000 Newcastle 128,443 l,t»54,650| Blackburn *2,928 1W,00OI Ashton 87,889 ],li7.000 Snnderlanil 101,400 1 112,00a Swansea (Wales) 80,772 J,090,000*

Total ..$131,668,660-

At about the time the above table was published, a statement was prepared, giving the indebtedness of American cities of the 6ame class. For purposes off comparison it is exceedingly valualle:

N«w Tork Philadelphia Boston Brooklyn Baltimore Washington New Orleans St. Louis Chicago Cincinnati Jersey City Louisville Providence Newark'Pittsburg Cleveland Portland Charleston Memphis San trancisco Savannah tlbany Milwaukee Dtt'O'.t Bangor Mobile Augusta St. Soseph Indianapolis St. Paul

|JS2,8C0,78O» 61,000.000 43,512,011 85 0«8,«J1' 29,OOO.OCO 25,l00,l)00i. 22,000,00J 1V,S40,000 7,000,000 16.00. ,000 14,247,500

074,022 1S1.497 896,200 267,854 69,199 191,418 810,864 288,977 2 6,289 82.543 100,758 68,904 106,050 86,079 92,829 81,418 £8,866 "40,1:80 lie, 2v86 69.422 "7i,i50 69 «1 ]p,?89 82,034 7,808

IV,600,000

8,400,000 8 896,006! 7,527,801 7.26', 0#0 6,178,800 5,514,814 4,(89 OOl 8 7uu,000 8,000,640 3,89J,tf» 2,421,187 2 182,90© 2,184,00 1,077,800 1,761,000' 1,497,800 1,276,500, 1,0 8,167

IB 5 a 46,21* *0,030

Total

$486,682,761

The story told by these' two tables make* a startling exhibit Twenty-one cities in England, with a population of over 6,000,000, do not owe as much: money as the single City of New York, with a population of less than 1,000,000 London, with its population of over 3,200,000, taking in not only the city proper, but all the consolidated municipalities of the metropolis, owes not quite half as much as Philadelphia, with 700,000 people, but little more than half as much as Boston, with less than 300,000 inhabitants, and not as much by several millions as Brooklyn, Baltimore or Washington. Cities like Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham, have vastly smaller debts than cities of the same class in this country. Birmingham, for instance, with nearly 350,000 inhabitants, owes but $2,865,000, or less than some of our cities having but from 30,000 to 40,000 inhabitants. The twenty-one cities of England, with their population of over 6,000,0000, owe bu( about one-fourth as much as thirty American cities with a population of little more than 4.000,000'

The reasons of this vast difference between the "municipal debts of England and those of the United States are obvious enough. It is owing mainly to three causer, viz: (1) The prevalence of the ward system of politics in the gov-'

ernment

of our American cities

(2)

the

temptation of a corrupt system of contracting for work, whereby the spoils are divided between contractors and local» office-holders and (3) the borrowing oft money without limit, to pay for public improvements, instead of [paying for them out cf the taxes levied.

These causes are not beyond the control of the people themselves, but will continue to exist so long as there continues to be a general indifference on the part of the public in regard to the in--crease of municipal indebtedness. It will not be until the oppression becomes unendurable, and perhaps not until the disgrace of repudiation has beeq added in some of the cities, that the system will be so remodeled as to render the present lrightful disproportion of city debt to populatiqn impossible.

In some states, notably in Illinois, a constitutional provision prohibits the incurring of municipal obligations beyond a certain per cent, of the as#essed valuation of property. In Illinois, that rate is fixed at five per cent. The provision is a wise one and should be generally adopted'if the people of large cities hoje to escape bankruptcy.