Difficulties of an Income Tax. .
from nnrpor's Weekly.
Alexander Hamilton was
asked
by
Secretary Wolcott for a brief on
rent taxes.'' It is dated Februar
'di
rest taxes." u is tiatea reuruary 35,
tyn5. He said there was no antece
dent rule or opinion or principle by
which to classify "direct taxes." The !
classification must therefore be, he
said, by "'a species of arbitration," ami
he classified the "direct taKei" of the
Constitution thus !
. . : 1, .
"1. apiiaiion, or pwii taxes.
'j. Taxes on lands and buildings.
"3. General assessments, whether on
the whole property of individual, or
on their whole real or personal estate."
The third and last item is in effect
the "general property tax." As Tin's
income tax was not imposed till three
years afterward, Hamilton could not
have had it in mind. The test of con
sumption or expense catching the
citizen when he is expending applied
by the Supreme Court in the "Car
riage" case, would probably be un
workable to-day by Congress.
No more satisfactory is the modern
test suggested by John Stuart Mill,
and now adopted so generally by
economists, namely, that "indirect
taxes" are those demanded from one
person in the expectation and inten
tion that he shall indemnify himself at
the expense of another, and that all
other taxes are "direct." The diffi
culty a lawyer has with that test grows
out of the possible position of the tax
payer, and of possible private bargains
relating to payment of the tax. hven
when a tax is so indirect as is a cus
toms tax, the same person may be the
first a"d the final payer of it. No "di
rect tax can be levied which may not
affect personally others than the payer,
Congress is not likely to consent to
make a tax valid or invalid according
to its actual incident in a particular
case ascertained after the enactment.
There must be a more tangible divid
ins line than that between direct and
indirect taxes.
No accurate and ascertainable classi
fication existed in England between
direct and indirect taxes at the end of
the last century, and the absence
there and here, then and now, is due,
no doubt, to the wisdom of those who
felt the difficulty of explicitly distin
cuishing direct from indirect taxation,
and prescribing a rule for the future.
It may be that Congress can over
come and remove in a new income
tax the difficulties displayed in the
execution of the last one, some start
ling inequalities of which were report
ed at the time to be these:
In the fiscal year 1869 the total
amount of income tax paid in the
United States was $34,229,893.32,
and of that sum seven States Massa
chusetts, New York, New Jersey, Penn
sylvania, Ohio, Illinois, and California
$25,895,597.87, or a little more
than three-fourths. But those States
embraced ooly forty per cent of the
population of the Union, and by the
census of iSoo the value of all the real
and personal property in those seven
States was only $6,816,629,409, or a
little more than forty per cent, of the
aggregate wealth of the Union.
The income tax must have been as
sessed according to the conscience of
the tax-payer 1
The Congressional districts were, in
1869, 233 in number, and arranged so
as to be nearly as possible equal in
population ; yet out of the whole 233
there were six that paid $8,281,431 45,
or very nearly one-fourth of the whole
tax. Seventeen of them, selected
from the States of Massachusetts,
Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, Illinois,
Missouri, and Cali ornia, paid $17,
066,277 01, or, as nearly as possible,
one-half of the tax. Mr.- Astor paid
more than the whole State of Ver
mont , and Mr. A. T. Stewart paid
more than the aggregate amount paid
by Florida, Arizona, Colorado, Dako
ta, Washington, New Mexico, Utah,
Idaho, and Montana.
It is nossible that a conspiracy of
States, by fixins an exemption from
an income tax up to a sura so large as
to generally preclude the tax in those
conspiring States and then by imposing
a forty-per cent, tax on all incomes
above that sum. could do ereat in
justice. In case of such a conspiracy,
a command in the Constitution that
when the Federal government seeks
revenue bv a tax on income it must
first declare the sum in the law, and
then distribute the sum among th
States according to their numbers,
would be of inestimable service.
Feeble and capricious appetites are
best regulated by the use of Ayer s
Cathartic Pills. They do not debili
-tate, by excessive stimulation : but
cause the stomach, liver, and bowels
to perform their functions properly.
As an after-dinner pill, they are un
cq-Jaled.
Now 13 the time even-body wants
an Almanac for the New Yeai. Num
bers of these are published and scat
tered throughout the country. The
one issued by the Centaur Company
01 xsew York City ii by far the most
Beautiful and complete. They can
be had free of our druggists.
In the fall it is always best to unite
all.weak colonies and get all as strong
as possible tor winter.
Children Cry for
Pltcher'q Castorla.
"Baising" Greenbacks.
TREASURER WALTERS DISCOVERS
COt'NTKRl F.t riMCl SCHEME.
The latest method of counterfeiting
nis i.e-n brought to liejit by. Assistant
United States Treaturer L. R. Wal
ter! at Philadclphi-i. It is the raising
of the denominaiious of greenbacks.
On Saturday an apparent f 50 green
back was received at the local sub-
treasury, nrj now it has been discover
ed that the note was originally a $io
inn 01 me series or 18S0, and that it
had been so carefully altered that it
took more than a cursory glance to
detect the forgery.
1 ne word "silver" had been deftlv
pasted across the face of th! green
back to give it the appearance of a
silver certificate, and the figure "5"
had been placed over the figure "i''
and alongside of the cipher wherever
the original figures are minted.
The sub treasury officials believe
that the forgery was committed in
West Virginia, as it was first detected
in Wheeling. Assistant Treasurer
N aders stated that $1 bills are being
raised to $10 notes by the same pro
cess, and that the circulation of these
forged greenbacks is comparatively
large.
Aycr's Sarsaparilla makes the blood
pure, rich, and vitalizing. Sold by ail
druggists.
A Hundred Ton Magazine Order.
An event in periodical literature,
not without its significance to the gen
eral public as showing the growth of
the reading classes, was the receipt on
tne nth ot Nov. by The Cosmopol
itan Magazine of the order given be
low. A single order from a news com
pany for one hundred tons of maga
zines 1 l hat is almost an event in
the history of the world. A like order
has never before been made, and if
past rations be maintained it means
considerably more than half a million
circulation lor the December Cosmo
politan. Yet, when the list of authors
and artists in the December number
is examined, one is not so much sur
prised. It contains the onlv known
unpublished manuscript of De.Mau
passant, illustrated by Vierge, perhaps
.1... . e r i- in.. ..
111c uiuai i.miuus vi r.uiuucui mutila
tors ; After the World's Fair, by Paul
Iloureet, lohn T. Insalls, William
Dean Ilowells, Lyman J. Gage, Ar
thur Sherburn Hardy, Mark Twain,
Kobert urant and others nearly as
famous, and nearly two hundred illus
trations, to which the following artists
contnoute : Hopkinson Smith, Kem-
ble, Harry Fenn, F. O. Small, Att
wood, Henckel, Dan Beard, Reinhart
and Remington. Think of having the
World's Fair done by such expensive
as Howells, Mark Twain and Paul
Rourset. and sending such as Charles
S. Reinhart to Chicago for a singl
number of a masazine to be sold for
only 15 cents, or by subscription 12 $
cents, A book publisher, preparing
such a book would not dare incur
these expenses short of $5.00 a copy,
It is not a revolution that is an im
provement upon old methods a revo
lution of vast importance to the read
ing public ? The order to which refer
ence is made reads as follows :
"Publisher Cosmopolitan. Dear
Sir: Of the 200, 000 copies of De
cember number to be sent us, please
send as follows : 1 7 2,650 copies regu
lar edition, 27.250 copies R. R. edi
tiou. Yours respectfully, The Amen
can News Company.
To Brace Up
the system after "La Grippe," pneu
monia, fevers, and other prostrating
acute diseases : to build up needed
fleh and strength, and to restore
health and visor when vou feel "run
down" and used up, the best thing
in
the world is Doctor Pierce's Golden
Discovery. It promotes all the bodily
functions, rouses every organ into
healthful action, purifies and enriches
the blood, and through it cleanses, re
pairs, and invigorates the entire sys
tem.
For the most stubborn Scrofulous,
Skin or Scab Diseases, Dyspepsia
Rilimisness. and kindred ailments, the
"Discovery" is the only remedy that'
ueA. If it doesn t benefit or
cure, you have your money back.
Can vou think of anything more
convincing than the promise that
made bv the proprietors of Dr. Sage':
Catarrh Remedy ? It is this : "If we
can't cure you your Catarrh, we 11 pay
you $500 in cash '
All bearing apple orchards should
be given a broadcast mulching with
barnyard manure.
A coat of manure is one of the best
mulch-- for anything of a tender char
acter. If a fruit tree is of full size for bear
ing and dees not do so it should be
root-pruned.
No better aid to digestion,
No better cure for dyspepsia,
Notliina more reliable for biliousneis
and constipation than De Witt's Little
Early Riseis, the f.-.mous little pills.
W. S. Rishton, Druggist.
Clear up all the trash in the garden
and burn it if you would keep free
from cut worms.
WASHINGTON LETTER.
TUB TARIFF BIIL.
INTI KNAt, kEVENUE iiUX.
Work of t'ae Ij7clL-atiu Ccirm
From our KrguUr Cones purulent.)
Washington, Dec. 11, 1893. I
President Cleveland was no more !
disturbed by the seeming discourtesy !
of the Senate in adopting a resolution, !
asking lur topics 01 an siate depart
ment documents relating to Hawaii,
than he was by the senseless clamor
which followed the publication of Sec
retary Gresham's recommendation on J
the same subject some weeks ;ico. I
Before the resolution was introduced 1
he had given orders that all of the
documents be copied for the purpose
of sending them to Congress with the
special message on the subject which
he stated in his annual message wou'd
shortly be sent in. The message and
accompanying documents are ail ready
and they will go to the Senate this
week, and some of those documents
will not be pleasant reading for repub
licans, either in or out of Congress
They will show a long series of plot
ting that is entirely opposite to what
ha always been the recognized for
eign policy of the United States.
xour correspondent had a little
chat with Chairman Wilson concern
ing the tarilT bill. He said that the
bill would be reported to the House
tins week, probably on Wednesday,
and that he had been agreeably sur
prised at the weakness of the demo
cratic opposition to the bill. The
question of submitting the bill to a
democratic caucus is still an open one.
Personally Mr. Wilson is lndificrent,
being perfectly satisfied to leave it to
his democratic colleagues to decide
whether to hold a caucus on the bill
or not. He thinks that the perman
ent benefit which the bill will carry to
millions of our people will far out
weigh the hardships that it will tem
porarily impose on thousands, and
that in the end it will be generally re
garded as one of the best tariff laws
ever placed upon our statute books.
He looks for minor changes in the
bill, both in the House and in the
Senate, but not for any changes in its
underlying principles the welfare of
the masses rather than that of the fav
ored few.
The internal revenue bill has not
been entirely completed, but it proba
bly will be this week. It has been
definitely decided to double the tax
on cigarettes ; to tax playing cards,
and to tax inheritances. Tne income
tax is still undecided, but die proba
bility is that the tax on net incomes
of corporations, which was first agreed
upon by the committee, will remain in
the bill, the understanding being that
those members of the committee who
favor a personal income tax instead
will be at liberty to offer that a3 a
substitute for the corporation income
tax and leave it to a majority of the
House to decide which, if either of
them, shall remain in the bill. Repre
sentative Bryan, of Nebraska, who is
recognized as the leader of the demo
crats on the Ways and Means com
mittee who favor the personal income
tax, has not abandoned hope of win
ning in the committee. He said on
the subject : "The fact that the cor
poration tax would bjar heavily on
many people with very limited means,
while the individual tax would be col
lected from the wealthy who escape
taxation in many forms, is having us
influence. If the tax is levied on in
dividual incomts the rich will then pay
their proper proportion which they do
not at present and would not under
the corporation tax." A compromise
has been suggested by which both cor
poration and individual incomes will
be taxed.
The first result of the work of the
joint Congressional committee which
has for months been investigating the
methods of the executive departments
of the government will be seen when
the legislature, executive and judicial
appropriation bill is reported to the
House. That bill will make some
radical changes in several of the De
partments, ail in the interest of econo
my and a more prompt transaction of
public business. Among these charges
will be the abolishment of the postal
note and of several bureaus of the
Post OiTice department, the work of
which is not considered necessary.
This is only the beginning of the wotk
of the committee, which has three ex
pert accountants aiding it in locating
all unnecessary handling of public ac
count and duplication of work. Its
intention is to put the government
business upon the same basis as that
of the railroad or other big private
concerns before it gets through, but it
is already finding it a hard ta-k as the
employees of the useless bureaus ap
pear to have more Congressional
friends than any o;her cla,s of govern
ment employees.
Democrats in the House are deter
mined that the bill admitting Utah to
statehood shall be passed, and if the
republicans persist in filibustering to
prevent a vote upon it, as they did
last week, it will be made a party
question and forced to a vote under
an order from the committer on
Rules.
The Senate will this week begin the
consideration of the election reped
bill. Senator Iliil will lead the demo
cratic forces.
EGG-PRODUCTION.
r.sprt
Artvlne to the
Method.
nut Modern
WINTER
The following la from the "Country 1 ntoteIng to know that wo Ii.ivp n
GenMcm.ih : To obtain 11 bnvd ot j well-crgnul.Tcd mill Ha force of cinnli'
fowl tli.it nre perpetual layers in the cr-nhle numbers. The litest returns re
..bject that ninny ulm ut This In an ; ,,rt nn organiBed militia of 112.";7 In
impossibility, for nature will exhaust : iu Mutes, of whom. In riin.l mini
l.self 11ml must Lave a pei1.nl ot rest, i irs c.ooo pre In the artillery nnn,
ui onler that wo have a perpetual tr.i'.ntnlr.ed by thirty-four States, nnd
production of fresh eggs, tin business , .-,,imi In the cavalry, maintained by
must be nrnimicd beforehand. There j twenty-four Hlntm. KtHjuests for the
is a difference lu breeds, some laying eo-opeintloii and iissis'auee of the Fod
botter than others nt nny time of tlm j ,.ral Cov nnnent In tin' equipment and
year, nnd others, nfraln, giving their , Instruction of the militia nre renter
i;trs In winter. Thero Is little dillleul
ty lu obtaining e In summer, but
the winter i'ks must be worked for,
nnd the fowls uinnap'd beforehand,
liens that have laid well during the
summer cannot be depended on for
Into fall or early winter, even If well
fed, but will tfenn-ully commenco In
January, and keep It up throughout
February nnd March, giving a good
aiinnlv ut OL'irs If not too old. But It
Is lienor not to nllnw such birds to go j
Intu the winter. They nre generally
fat, after having finished the annual
moult, nnd should be killed for the
table. After the second annual moult
hens nre npt to tweome- egg-bound,
especially If well fed nnd fat. The ex
cess of fat that accumulates about the
lower Intestines nnd ovaries weakens
these organs nnd renders them Incnpa
blo of performing their ollices. Heuco
the fowl suffers nnd becomes profit
less. When left too long the bird be
comes feverish nnd the flesh Is unfit
for food. The better way Is to avoid
this trouble, since the re Is no cure, by
not allowing the birds to go Into the
second winter. Trouble of this kind
seldom occurs with pullets or young
hens.
To obtain a supply of winter eggs,
we must have the chicks out In March,
or April, lyeghorns nud some of the
smaller breeds will do In May or the
first of June, but the Itrahmas nnd
Cochins must come off early, that they
may have the full season for growth.
The Aslastics are generally good lay
cin lu winter, mid u-ed less artificial
heat, as nature 'is not furnlshiMl them
with uny ornamental appendages
which suffer by exposure to frost For
them It is not necessary to spend largo
sums In warm buildings. What they
can dispense with lu this respect they
demand In feed, which must be k'vcu
regularly. The feed must be kept np
nud varied with animal nnd vegetable
diet. The supply of water must never
fail. We must feed nnd feed a long
time before the eugs will come. Any
breed of hens will consume nn enor
mous quautlty of feed before com
mencing to lay. but after having onco
begun they will not require, or even
take so much grain. When laying,
their great craving Is for vegetable
and unimnl substance, aud crushed
clam or oyster shells.
Fowls that ure regularly trained have
certain portions of the day for their
different feeds. My birds reqiUre
their shells at night, as well as their
greens, and their grain lu the mora
lng, nnd always fresh water. When
one has the time nnd convenience,
nnd enjoys the petting of fowls, mak
ing warm stews on very cold days Is
an admirable plan, nnd the blnls rel
ish them marvellously. Take beef or
pork scraps, aud put into nn old ket
tle, having them previously chopped
line, nnd fill It half full of water.
While stewing, throw In a dozen
chopped onions, two dozen cayenne
peppers, nnd the day's coffee and tea
grounds. Thicken the mixture wlrli
cornmeal, and servo It around among
the hens hot. They relish It amazing
ly when once taught to eat It, and will
hk for the ration daily at tie certain
time. On cold winter days give this
feed between 2 nnd 3 o'clock In the
afternoon, nnd the chicks get their
crops warmed up for the coming cold
nt night. If scraps nre not handy,
boil unpealed potatoes, nnd serve In
the same manner, adding a little
grease or cold gravies left over from
yesterday's dinner.
The combed varieties require wanner
quarters nnd sunnier exposure than
the Asiatics, nnd nre good winter lay
ers after December ami early Jnnuory.
They will lay lu the fall If early
hatched, but the change of fall to
winter, and
the getting Into winter
quarters nffects them, nnd they sel- ! while the windows are uolhlng but
doru commence ngnln before the days j frames covered with parxT. The aver
Iwin to lengthen, nt which time nge Chinese Inn Is usually a menagerie
Brnhmus will cense egg-production I and zoological garden combined. In
and bi-ome broody. Where one has j the yard can be seen and heard mules,
the convenience It Is well to keep ; donkeys, dogs, cats, fowls of all kinds,
both kinds, in order to Insure a sup- pigs nnd camels, while In the rooms
ply of eggs. It Is useless to expect t where the weary traveller Is supposed
many eg's from old fowls or any
variety. Have the buildings ready
early, and the fowls of the right nge
nnd In condition to Insure success.
The business of our domestic hen is
to produce eggs, and we must feed her
for It.
A Mlnatnr Green Hoiue.
This Is a convenient and ornamental
apparatus for growing flowering house
plants, or for starting cuttings or seeds
early In the season that are after
wards to be transplanted to open
ground. B B Is a large earthen vessel
or pot. In the center of which, at the
bottom, the small pot. A, Is Inverted.
The space G G around this is filled
with drainage material. Ou the top of
this pot a smaller one, C, of porous
Csirthi-n, and having straight sides. Is
ser, nnd the space around this. DD
aud E E, Is tilled with mold and sand
In which two circles of plants may ba
set. The pot. C, Is filled with water,
which percolates through the porous
sides and keeps the mold moist enough
for purposes of vegetation. Over all
the bell glass, P, U placed. If the bell
glass nnd large pot cannot be obtained
conveniently, the same principles can
bo nearly carried out by constructing
a square lwx of wood nnd framing
paues of glass for the cover.
To Inor- t-gg.
It an increase of 'ggs be desired In
the poultry yard, before large sums
are expended lu tho purchase of ever
tasting layers, we would recommend
ho system of keeping no hens after
the llr.Nt, or nt most, after the second
yetir. Early pullets give the Increase,
iuid the only wonder Is thnt people
persist, ns they do. In keeping up a
Block of old hens, which lay one day
nnd stop the next In some parts of
Europe it Is the lnvarlnble rule to keep
the pullets only one yvar. Feeding
will do-a great deal 11 surprising
work. Indeed lu the production of
egfjs, but not when old lieu are con
corr.etl: they niny put on fat, but they
cannot put down eggS. Their ta!a Is
tld. tl'e-ir work Is done; nothing re
uiaius 10 bo done with them but to
give them a smell of the kitchen lire,
and the sooner they get that the better.
I penAItm-i for senconst defense for the
I vcar ending Juno 3, lSO't, wore f3,-
i With our small retrd-ir nrmy It I
' than ever In times of pence, nnd nre
the Index of an Intelligent Intercut In
the nation's military growth and prog
ress. Ititorcft In the Hawaiian question
has not declined, nnd the strong reply
made by ex-.Minlster Stevens to Mr.
I'.lonnt's report has aroused much In
terest In the coming debate on the sub-
Icet In Cotnrrcss lhore will certainly
! Ix some very lively exchanges of orn-
torlenl compliments In connection with
the controversy ns to the overthrow
of Queen LU's Government.
TOWN SB NO.
Tlio Holly anil the OiHstmwi Trre.
In connection with the holly, which
: figures so conspicuously lu nil our
! Christinas decorations, we find a
; quaint old conceit chronicled, that
' every holly lmugh nnd lump of berries
' with which you adiwn y;ur house Is
nn net of natural piety ns well ns
beauty, and will, lu summer, enable
I you to relish that green world of
' which you show yourself not unwor
! thy. In Germany nnri Scandinavia the
' hollv. or holy tn-e, is called "Christ's
1 thorn." from Its use In church decora
tlons, nnd tiecnusc It bears ltn lorries
' nt Christmas tide. The loving senti
ment Imprisoned In the holly bough
and translatable Into every language
can hardly be more happily expressed
thnn In Charles Maekay's verses,
"Under the Holly Bough:"
Ye who hnve (mnidl ui'h other,'
r Ifijiirnl frl-ni or brother.
In thl taut fadinir yenr;
Ye who by word or deed
Hnve made a kind heart bleed.
Come, irithcr here!
Let ftlnned turnlnntand sinning
lorfvl their utrifo n Ijesfimiing,
Ami Join In friendship now;
He UukK no longer broken.
15o nwx-t furtfiveniM spoken.
Under the holly bough.
To Germany the civilized world Is
Indebted for one of the most enjoyable
of oil Christmas delighu, the Christ
mas tree. This custom was little
known In F.nginnd before the marriage
of Queen Victoria, and was, wo be
lieve. Introduced by the late Prince
Consort. We coil It a gift from Ger
many, and yet, lehlnd the quaint fig
ure of Kris Kringlo, coming from the
snowy woods, with the tree rising high
alsve his genial shoulders, laden with
gifts and glittering with lanterns, ns
he suddenly Invade the lowly Gorman
cottage on kindly errand tent, we see
the yet more ancient toy pine-tree,
hung with oscllla, which boys and girls
In ancient Home looked for on the
sixth and seventh days of the Hatur
nalla. But we vho aro not nntlqunrles
are content to accept these pretty cus
toms, come whence they mny, and to
Improve on them If we can. A wide
gulf Is fix etl Ix-twecn the Puritanic
days, when Christmas was frowned
upon ns a remnant of evil superstition,
and to-dny, when nothing Is too rare
or good for the mnklug of our homes
bright nml our sanctuaries beautiful
In honor of the Author of the Christian
Feast. Wherever civilized man Is
found, there, In one form or another,
we find the tokens of ndoratlon and
; tumiuui-.-.n-v. ,,-u..J(s
Chinese Inn.
No one who has ever stayed at one
of these caravansaries Is likely to for
get his experience. They are all built
on the same plan a largo courtyard,
n round the four sld of which nre
built rows of small rooms, the restau
rant nnd office being in front The
buildings are built of sun dried bricks
nnd nre usually In the last stages of
dilapidation. F.ach small room con
tains a brick lxil in which a fire can
be lighted. Tlvere Is no furniture ex-
i cept a rough choir and perhaps a table.
: to find rest mere is niso a ncn vaneiy.
The scorolon. and at times a small
variety of the centipede, often take
stinging measures to repel any attempts
at friendship.
But the chief glorv of the Inn is the
waiter. In China this Important func
tionary has thnt patronizing air which
distinguishes the gentlemen of bis pro
fession In other countries. The inevit
able napkin always accompanies him.
With It in summer he mops his sweat
ing brow or bare shoulders, whilo In
winter, wrapped about his head It pro
tects him from rain and wind. At all
seations of the year It Is the only ar
ticle he has with which to clean table
ond plates or chop sticks. Chinese
Landlords are reasonable in thlr
charges, which to some degree offsets
the unpleasantness of living In their
bins.
Thli Woodchnck Had to Climbs Tr.
j Men who have hunted woodchucks
know that they never climb trees. Taat
Is, It is not their nature to do so, and
no ouo familiar with their linblts would
I believe that one ever did unless h saw
j It himself. The pastor of a little Bap
tist Church in Kentucky know tun
characteristic of the animal, and on It
based a tory. The congregation wsa
In debt $-tiX) for Its new church. aul
one Sunday was set for making tu
appeal for suliscriptiona. It. tho
course of his exhortation that Cte u ru
bers of his flock be liberal, the miclrtet
said:
"This congregation Is like a wood
chuck a mau once told me about. He
was hunting the woodehuek wlfh doj-,
he said, and they pressed it o cl"e.j
that it finally climbed a tree.
" 'But,' 1 said to my friend, 'veod
chucks can't climb trees, and yoa kao
it.'
" "Tills woodehuek had to climb a
tree,' replied my friend, and that's the
way It is with this congregation. You
Fiy you can't nils $4oO, but you'r
got to do It."
Tho conjr.-gatlon saw the point, and
! S."ki was raised on the spot, US tin
i rest whs secured that week.
The pr per , boutounlere for Christ
mas Day Is a sorig of holly.
Tlin NATIONAL CAPITAL
THU LEGISLATIVE MILL AGAIN BE
GIN3 TO TURN.
Till AdmliiNlrntloa MUp It Fortunes
e i n 1-ow Tariff 1111 Civil HerTlee
t rm A Const IX;fenoe I'ollejr-Tlie H
w. IIhii fpientlon.
fiieclnl Washington Latter.
With ' ngress ngaln In session, the
nUion.Ml capital has assumed Its wont
ed erudition of political activity. The
eov.i'.ng sslou wlil be one of great In
u iist and excitement. As previously
M.itei In this eorrespoiidence, the Ad
ministration has resolved to stake Its
siiieiss or failure, and with It that If
tiu pa 1 ty It represents, on the passnge
of a low tnriir bill. The Wilson bill,
which has been introduced In the .
lioUec, Is to all Intents and purposes
nn Administration measure. Its sched
ule have been made up In the Treas
ury Department, and the bill in. Its
lii.'iin features has been framed to meet
the views of President Cleveland nnj
Secretary Cnrllsle. The bill will not
be carried through Congress without
determined opposition. The Republi
cans Interpret the late elections ns
ccinmlsslening them to oppose to the
fullest extent nny changes In the Mc
K'.nley tariff bill. The new bill will
undoubtedly pass the House nt nn enr
Iv "e!.v, with n few amendments, nud
tin n ii protracted struggle mny be ex
pi "tod in the Senate.
The Administration Is developing &
policy In favor of extending the opera
tions' of civil service reform. This Is
sho.vn clearly lu Post master-General
r.is.soir report. Mr. Bissell Is now
iveoindzed ns the stnunchest ndvoeate
of the civil service reform policy that
lvis ever been nt the head of the Tost-
OtH:u Department. His recommenda
tions look to placing the whole depart
ment undr tbe operations of the law.
The removal of Clrll Sendee Com
missioner Jirfinston by the President If
a'.sA In the line of the civil service pro
giamiiie of the Administration. Mr.
Talking Tariff.
Johnston Is a Louisiana Democrat, who
was appointed by President Harrison.
He bait been a thorn in the side of
loinmlssloner Itoosevelt and had stead
ily set his face against any further ex
tension of the civil sen-ice rules. The
chances nre that the new appointee,
Mr. John It. Proctor, of Kentucky, will
net lu harmony with Mr. Roosevelt.
Rumor also has It that Commissioner
Lyman will go at nn early day.
Nobody expected any particular in
terest to attach this yenr to tho re
port of the War Department, but Sec
retary Lament has managed to pre
sent a very Interesting document. He
hits taken up the subject of seaconst
fortification, which was a hobby of tho
late Samuel J. Tilden's, and he makes
a very able presentation of the argu
ments In favor of the policy of grad
ually concentrating our little army on,
the sencoast and the frontiers. Col.
Lamont considers thnt Indian warfare
!h practically nt an end In the United
States.
The total strength of the army on
September 30, lS'j.'t, was 2,144 officers
and 2."i,77-S enlisted men. For various
causes discharge, purchase, desertion,
etc. the army lost P,4r0 enlisted men
during the year nnd gained 9,074 re
cruits. The discipline, health and gen
eral condition of the array are reported
good.
The adoption of the new magazine
rifie Is the most Important sep taken
for the Infantry since the civil war.
A limited number will be completed
w'thl'i Blxty days at the Springfield
Armory, and the entire Infantry force
will be equipped with the new arm
before the close of the coming year.
The gradual manufacture of a reserve
supply of the arm, sufficient for the
iiritnalzed militia. Is recommended. The
issue of the 1. v 3.2 st4 Held gun
to the militia, n l In limited numlcra
to collej.i m" i.hools which manifest
a special in tercet In military Instruc
tion, is suggested.
One-third If the report Is devoted to
tho progress of the last eight years In
the manufacture of heavy ordnance
and In seaconst defense under the
nrojoet of the Endleott Bonrd of 1815.
The progress already made warrants
the belief that within the time specl-tii-d.
thirteen years from the first ap
propr'.arton. the essential features of
M i-. Vv'l-tef'il jg i'li'lJeJ
Vje ivs; cSice Dciwrtment.
t';e ;.l.-u .-,-'.:! bo carried out. By Janu
y i. lvi. ther will be ready for
:u-ei;:;: .4 nine I'J-lnch g'ins, twenty li
i; : u'h.i thirty-feiir Much gur.s, and
! -live i'2-incii mortars. The En
.. '..li- Cor4s Is preparing ut Portland,
. -.. i' .-i' i;. New Verk, Washington,
,;::!,;;." Roads, and San Francisco
Ui-;l"iv.c:-.:ents in all for four 12-Inch
g .!'!.;, twenty 10-lnch guns, five tvinch
.'.:r.s, aud .Ixty-four 12-inch mortars,
: !.-' tvmty-four casements for suh-
t-ln" torp-.'dii operations. Work on
c "st defenses of Narrag.uisett
'.:ij", Vi-.i'It stnn, Tybe Roads, nnd the
:--van:;nh River end Peusneola Will bo
V'..u daring the year. Wt.rk will be
;c..i:;a u!ng next year ut thirteen of
.:.( iv.vnty-vlght ports proposed ur
l'.-!-t:;i?uti.u by tiio Enilcott Board.
T nnn i:il output of the WaurvHi-t
i:-..n 1'ietoiv Is fifteen 12-Ineh guns, flf-
c. ,-r l'Vlueh and twelve S-inch guns.
X;- fi.M 1' tho 100 largo guns con
': "t-ii fir v.-ith the Bethlehem Iron
Wi !;.. la d--.e next year. To keep pace
.'1 -.! i . .:iu"iictur of guns, Keere
t..i.) !.u:m'.ih recommends ample np--.:
.1.1 i:s for e-jipbiceincuiB and b.;t
e:l. r.ml for the purchase of sites for
fci-r,r.e-.itiou8, all in aei-ordauco with
tie schemo adopted in lbiJS. Tn cx-
' i