CLONING THK DKItATK.
HERD'S GREAT SPEECH DEFENDING
THE DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.
AN EFFORT WIIIOII DROUGHT OUT CONTIN
UOUS AI-lU.AI.SK FROM CONSKKVATIVK
MKMMKRH—NO SURRENDER NOW OK
L lIKKKAFTFR —THE ISSUE CI.BAR
LV DEFINED AND THE
CONTEST OPENED.
The follow ing is the speech of Hon.
Frunk 11. Hurd, in the House, on
Friday, June 27, in auswer to Mr.
Garfield :
MR CHAIRMAN: A session of unusual
excitement appear* to be drawing to a
close. Question* of tlie greatest inter
est to Hie people of tbe United State*
have been from the first day until now
the subject of discussion, and it seems a
proper thing at it* termination to in
quire into the result of it, and inquire
whether or not the action of the majori
ty of this House meets with the appro
val of the American people.
My colleague from i 'liio (Mr. Garfield),
who has just taken his seat, has seen
(it, in answer to the positions winch
have been maintained by the Democratic
party in the progress of the argument,
to enter upon a disquisition us to the
nature of the Federal government and
the relations of the states to that Gov
ernment under the Constitution which
they created. Never, in all my studies
of the political history of this country,
never in all my knowledge of the po
litical debates which have taken place
in the Congress of the United Ntatii.
have 1 heard such views ol consolidation
advanced as iiuve been suggested to-day
by that gentleman.
lie advanced the extraordinary pro
position that the Union preceded the
slates, when the 7th article of tbe Con
stitution declares: "The ratification of
the conventions of nine Slates shall be
Hutticient for the establishment of this
Constitution between the States so rati
fying the same." [Applause on the
Democratic side of the House.)
Rut in order thai ail doutil might be
removed U|Kin the subject, that the
Constitution and the Union was the
creature ot the States, it wa* declared
in the tenth amendment of the < -insti
tution : "That the (towers not delegated
to the United Stales by the Constitu
tion, nor prohibited by it to the States,
are reserved to the Stales respectively,
or to tho poot-le."
Nor is the opinion of the highest ju
dicial tribunal in this country wanting
upon this proposition, in the case of
laine County vs. Oregon, the following
is the decision of Chief Justice Chase,
to be found on page T• of 7th Wallace -.
"The people of the United States con
stitute one nation, under one government,
and tliis government within the scope ot
the powers with which it i< invested, i su
preme. On tbe other hand, the fieoplq of
each State compose a State, having its own
government, and endowed with all the
function# essential to separate mid Inde
pendent existence. The States disunited
might c nlinun to exist Without the
State* in union there could lOJ no such po
litical body a# tho United States."
Rut. Mr. Chairui.trfT for the purposes
of the present discussion it i# not neces
sary to enter into an elaliorate conid
pration of the doctrine* of states right*
or the power of the Federal Govern
ment. It i* sufficient for the bill now
under consideration that we should in
quire a* to whether it is within the
scope and the jKiwers of the Federal
Government to (HUM law# to interfere
with elections in the tates. and only so
far a* this question is involved do 1 pro
jxwo to discus* the doctrine of slate#
rights at all.
At the beginning of this session of
C-ongres* the Democratic party declared
three proposition*: We insisted that
the army should tie kept away from the
(Kills; that the test oath should be re
flated, and that Uw* should be enact
ed for the impartial drawing of juror* ;
and that the Federal Government
should not exercise authority over elec
tion* held within the state*.
We insisted and maintained, that lie
cause of, and by virtue of the Constitu
tional provision, that the House of
Representatives alone shall originate
money bills; that the representatives
of the people had a right to insist that
the grievances of which they complain
ed should fie remedied before appropri
ation* *hould be made for the support
of the Government.
in the discussion, which ha* continu
ed for three months, one of the most
earnest and able that ha* ever occurred
in an American Congress, the Demo
cratic party has maintained these prop
ositions. It is not necessary to enter
ioto the detail* of the argument: it is
sufficient for my purpose to briefly re
capitulate them.
We said that the measures to which
we objected were unconstitutional ; we
said that there was no *uch person as a
voter of the United Slate# a* such ; that
every man who had a right to vole, had
it because of State authority and under
State laws, and that, therefore, the Fed
eral Government, not creating the voter,
had no power to interfere with him in
the exercise of hi* right* of franchise.
We inai*ted that under the laws a*
they now stand there is no such a thing
a* a National election; that under the
provisions of the Constitution, in order
that there should be a National election,
it wa* fundamental that Congre** nbould
fix the place*, times and manner of
holding such elections. In that event
there might he a National election, but
that is not this case; for in every in
stance the times, places and manner of
holding elections sre fixed by the con
stitution and the law* of tho Stales, ex
cept in a single instance a* to the time.
Tbe States having exercised power upon
the subject there is no occasion for the
exercise of power by the United State*;
and to say that the United State* and
each State at the same time possess the
power of fixing tho time, place and
manner of holding elections, is to say
that two sovereignties (io*#ee* tho power
to do tbe same thing at the samo time
on the same subject matter, which is
Itself an absurdity. Wo maintain as to
the army lhat, it being a creature of
(yOtigroM, it Hm no power to be within
the limit* of the sovereign States ex
cept as tbe Constitution of the United
Slates provides, and then only for the
purpose of suppressing domestic insur
rection or repelling the armed enemies
of the United Statee, end then only at
tho request of the Legislature thereof
or tho Kxecutive of tho State, if the
Legislature he not in session.
More than that. We have referred
to the decision* of the Supreme court
of the United Slate* approving uii these
propositions and declaring tiiat tlio
voter* were voter* of tho State, and
that the Federal Government ha* noth
ing to do with them. To these deci
sion* gentlemen on the other aide, with
one < r two exception*, have uliHolutely
refrained in the debate from referring.
In addition to that we urged the argu
merit that the law* wo nought to repeal
enabled the supervisor* to come- into
the State and interfere with State elec
tion* for the selection of Stale officer*,
and we also referred to-the fact that in
the State of New York ami other State*
the greatest outrage* had been commit
led by the arrc*t of citizen* without war
rant by officer* who hud not seen them
commit any offense against tho law*,
and who, upon bare suspicion that an
offense was intended, had arrested them.
Wo showed from experience how, in
the South, justice hud been made a
farce; that jurors w re drawn in the
interests of partisanship, and that cane*
were decided in tho interest* of parti
sanship, and that the courts had abso
lutely failed fo administer justice to the
people in that great section. We re
ferred to the city ol New York, where,
on an election day, more than S,(KM)
American citixen* were imprisoned by
the authority of supervisor* of elections,
ami afterwards discharged by a judge of
the United Slate* court, who decided
that there was no authority to arrest,
and that they hail been guilty ol no
crime. More than that, we referred 111
our argument to the great doctrine of
civil liberty, and maintained that the
measure* we nought to repeal were in
imical to freedom, un-American in
spirit, and in the end would prove sub
versive of free government.
No more manly, no more dignified,
no more logical debate, so far as the
Democratic side of this House is con
cerned, wo* ever conducted on this
lioor ; but ill what way were our argu
ments treated by gentlemen on the oth'
er side of the house? With the excep
tion of half a dozen speeches, the pre
tended answers to our arguments might
as well have been made on any other
subject as upon the bill now before the
House lor consideration. When we
- ud that these measure* were violative
of the I '.institution of the United States,
Republican orators replied that on this
side of the House the majority were
Confederate brigadier*, wiio ti id attemp
ted to overthrow the < '-institution of the
United Slates. When we refered to the
fact of the outrages committed on
American citizens, they replied by cit
ing the outrages committed at Ander
* mville and other prisons in tho south
during the war, ami when we urged
that the power of the army should Is l o
limited and qualified that it might not
be used to overthrow the liberties of the
people, they said your *i-i w is whipped
by that army, and, therefore, you are
opposed to it.
Never in all my knowledge ha* a de
bate been so honestly conducted a* this
lias been tijon our side of the House;
never have argument* been more un
fairly met than have our argument* by
gentlemen on the other stde. There
are honorable exceptions, of course. It
would fie invidious to name them, but
I will venture to mention the names of
two. snd I refer to the distinguished
gentleman from Connecticut, Mr. Haw
ley. snd the gentleman from New J-r
sey, Mr. Kobeson. As the result of this
debate, bill* have been passed and sunt
to the President of the United Slates
and have l>een vetoed. The veto pow
er was designed by the Constitution as
a power to prevent unconstitutional leg
tslation, or hasty, or ill-considered leg
■station, or to enable the Kxecutive to
protect itself against encroachments
from other branches of the Government.
I defy any gentleman to point mo to
any argument in the deflate upon the
adoption of the Constitution which did
not give in favor of this provision one
or the other of these reason* ; and in
the history of this Government, from !
the day of its foundation until now, the ;
veto jiower was never before exercised i
to prevent the rejieal of a law, or to pre- !
vent the enactment of a general appro
priation hill. Certainly, never before
was the veto power exercised to prarti
eally take away from one of the two
house# of Congress a jwiw'er which it
conferred upon it separately by the pro
visions of the Constitution itself, the
|K>wer to originate hills of revenue is a
power which belong* to us, and it i* a
jiower which, if the President interfere#
with it a# he has done by this veto in
this case, he can ah*olutcly take away
from u.
What reason* have fieen urged for '
these extraordinary vetoe* ? Chiefly
that the hill* we sought to pass took
away ftom the Kxecutive authority the
jiower to enforce the law. Recatise we
would not let him use the army on elec
tion day to keep the peace at the jiolls,
he said we took away from him the
jiower to enforce the law*.
Sir, the army is the creature of Con
gress. The Cori*fitution declare* that
the Congress may raise an army. The
Constitution declare* that appropria
tion* for the army shall not last longer
than two years. The Constitution de
clares that (Congre** may make rule*
and regulation* for the government of
the army : rules and regulations, "rule*"
coming first, "regulation*" afterward*.
Therefore the army is absolutely the 1
creature of Congress. Whether it shall ;
be used to execute the law* or not is !
for Congre** to say and not for the Pre*- i
ident. ! Applause on the Democratic
side.] He must take the army as we
give it to him, for the purposes which |
we declare it *hall lie used for, woheing
the (Kiwer to create it.
Strange to say, the President and his j
advisers, and the gentlemen on the
other side of the House, seem to have
lost sight of the constitutional provision
which gives the President the jiower to
execute the laws. The language of
that instrument i* (hat the President
of the United States may call upon the
militia of the several State* to execute
the law*. There is the power given to
him for the execution of the Uw*; not
the army, unless Congress says so, hut
the militia of the States, because the
Constitution so provide*.
Never for an instant did our bills in
terfere with the power of the President
over the militi* of the States, but only
over thin army, thin creature of our*.
Tim President loot the militiii of tlm
State*, from one end of the United
State* to the other, to aid him in exe
cuting the law* on election day or at
any other time, at the |>OIIH or any
where else.
What i* the result now after the vo
toe*? Homo gentlemen have *aid that
the Democratic party iia* hacked down,
lihh Niirrendered. Sir, when we entered
upon tin* tight we did not expect to
gain the victory in u day. When
power ha* lor twenty year* heen en
trenching behind all possible legisla
tion, we cannot dislodge it in a moment.
We entered upon thin context knowing
that many a battle mu*t tie fought,
many u victory be gained, before the
ultimate triumph could lie achieved.
In the Forty-fifth <'ongrew we mud to
the President, your army—our army, I
mean—our uimy ahull not be u*ed a* a
poue comilalus. In the Forty-six Oongre**
we have said our army shall not housed
a* a part of the police force. And be
fore the Forty-sixth Congress shall have
closed its terra, I say to gentlemen that
we will have taken from the statute
book every law which proposes to use
this creature of ours at the polls to in
timidate American citizens in the exer
cise of their highest prerogative. lOreat
applause on the Democratic side. |
I would have gentlemen on the other
side and the country remember that
there ha* been no surrender of theprin
eiple with which we began tins contest.
We claim that the representative* of
the people, ly virtue ot their power to
originate appropriation bill*, can secure
redress of their grievances by stopping
the supplies for the support ol the
Government, either of the ['resident or
any other branch of the Government,
unless our views on the subject* to
which the appropriation* relate are car
rieil out. I say to gentlemen on the
other side snd to ih country, that no
long as the Democratic parly i* in a
majority in this House, it will never
surrender that grand healthful power
winch more than any other ma le Kn
gland a Ire.- nation, and which was put
into our Constitution in order that the
legislative authority might have a whole
some method of controlling executive
power.
Mr. Chairman. th*- extia session has
made up the issue between the two
parties. The Democratic party declare
that the army shall be kept from the
poll*; that the juries shall be tmpnrti
ally drawn: that the test oath shall be
repeab-d, and that the Federal author
ity shall not interfere m elections with
in the State*. rpon that question the
Republican party takes iue with n.
Confidently appeilingot.lv to the pa
triotism ol the country, the Demo, lattc
party goes into tin* contest. Never, in
all the history of this land, have more
important <]t|.-*tions I submitted :o
the American people for tlx ir determi
nation. They relate to the pur.- admin
istration of justice: they concern the
gt.ive-t question* of const tut; 1..11 law .
they ntb-ct tl>- fundtmentnl j rincij leg
of civil liberty. Kerry nun who runs
for any office in any State, and every
citizen who goes to the ).olls to .It p.eit
his ballot, is inter, sit .I. The whole
method of ascertaining'he popular will
in the Republic is involved in the iue.
S • far reaching are these principles that,
it ii|-<>n thi* isue the R'-juf.finn party
shall be successful, then all the power
over elections in states wonM be drawn
to the eentral Government. The Slate*
would lose their place* in the federative
system, and whether the army 'hall l-o
used at the polls or not would he a
question not ol right and of constitu
tional law, but of Kiectitive discretion.
Such a result means the end of the Re.
public and the uplifting of the empire.
Can there he any doubt as to a contr.v
versy like this ? In Russia, where abso
lute <l.-s|>otism silence* individual opin
ion, it might la? doubtful. In Germany,
whs-re imperial power sustains itself by
an immense standing army, it might he
doubtful. In France, where the people
under monarch* and emperors for aces
have slumbered, it might be doubtful.
Rut here in free America, with the tra
ditions of our English ancestors, and
with the sacrifice* and triumph* of our
American for.dather* in behalf of civil
liberty, it cannot be doubtful. J Ap
plause.) Shall civil lil>crty perish upon
its own threshold and by its own fire
side? Shall the la-aeon light which ho*
shone from our shores for the encour
agement of struggling freemen every
where flicker in it* socket and go out
even a* tbev are gaxing upon it ? Shall
the sun of free government in this con
tinent, ere it reaches the meridian, sink
into night? Shall the shadow and the
cloud ol the army darken our free
fields, and free rivers, and free lakes,
and free prairies, and joillute the sir *0
that a freeman cannot breathe it? The
century of triumph just ended protests :
the bright pros|*>eU of our future pro
test; the hopes of the world protest;
and, what is practieally of more value,
the I>emoeratie party, with its majority
of half a million of American |*oplc,
protest*.
Gentlemen, the contest will soon be
gin. Aye, it ha* already begun, I
near the whispering of American in
quiry. I hear the mutierings of Anglo-
Saxon reaolve. I hear the tread of the
legions forming, with the Itanner of
civil liberty above them. The contest
ha* already begun, ami God give victory
to freedom and the right! | l/otid ap
plause. J
Lost (lutrlie ROOM.
Christian K. Rosa has written a letter
to a lady in Charleston, S. C., in relation
to hia lost boy, the AV.cz ,I*,/ Courier
printing the letter entire. Mr. Rons
says that hia wife ia now very much
prostrated. Ilia last trip to North Caro
lina " seems to have disappointed her
more than any for a long time, or possi
bly it was the Inst feather add.-d to the
previous burden that prostrated her.
It seem* she built great hoi.es of a
favorable result from it; why, 1 rannot
say, as I told her before leaving that I
regarded it a* only a possible ehanbe;
hut on my return, after telling her the
result, she manifested more disappoint
ment than I had notieed in a long time
and soon took to her bed with nervous
prostration. I may a*y here that the
newspaper report of uiy object in going
to North Carolina U not correct. I did
not go to see a child there, hut to in
vestigate a matter remotely connected
in the place to which I went. The
matter is still undergoing investigation
and I cannot toll what may be the final
result."
THE LIGHTNING ROI> DISPENSER.
A r.\KM lIAM. All.
lIY Wll.l. . AKI.KTON.
If lII* .irl.t Is Willi.,*, |S * lulls v.,el I/, say.
Of * ll*liliiliiK-ru.l <11j,..,-r ilist il.u|<i-.--l .kiwi, ...I ins
HUM 'l,
WHh u in lII* m tioiia, wllli m •r-rinuti in Mm ittlrn,
Willi luml* ga wltllr m ItllifM, ftutl it tm> m himzxuinioii
It-mi.
Nri wrinkle li*l hit tw(niMif, •ml lit* liuffi
fl whit**,
Aii'l in* tir-w nijatrii' t**| neck tie wea an iuU'fwtlnK
•iKht;
Which | aim*rat w|ah liia nu*f liiml in*!*- rw| that
hit"*kiiiiiM| thruet,
Ati'l th* tiw- HI a! railed n- kti*' Itiul i <jiii|s.<a*-l a
haiitfin in • knot,
| hrv he hmtitfht hi a)** k tiitiinicl rercnea f<r my
WM|||i.|,-|.,|ka In eetr.
Ami lII* ri|)MW toll gut- la blS*llt' for to g"Ug<? M £**ll
lu m.
)Illt I couldn't li< 11• hut Ilk' him mi I *)*.) think
I 1. .n*,
The g„J.| i.| my own I>M tflflMl ill M f*thW h*j. of .1-I*l .
hrn I Anil 111) own u|'iuiona at thla |*tm-u i-un<l 1)
I'liml,
Th) •!'•* an ansa- ring tullajr, f n tt-ty almilar
eoumJ,
I tourliad turn on religion, ami the h<|-w my h-aif
kifl k now n ;
ll* **il fir •! li*d • |*rrt-tirr quite atrnllar .f Ills own,
1 told iiirn of Ilia lioul'tiii ■ tfiat made <lark uij early
If- he<! laid awake till riioriting, with that n*tn* old
l.rn-sl of Nil. ,
I told ht III of tlir niligtl |*rtfi Ihj- 1 to ItMnti to
ll' Maeuntliat bf) Iwhi* I, only ju*t a r"itb'l l##low
Il *l*l hint of my t ieiotia of titr ainfulm-e*->f gain.
ll' had •• ti thr • it aw 111*' {ilctera, though liol quite a**
• l-ar ami plain.
fhir |e. It tire mm iliftrr'-nt, an I at flta! h gallr-l ar.l
wlrn 1,
Hut I nig'ad hllti to aMc, he mu yit; arott conrihrMl
And 'taaa getting toward the middle <rf a hungry
hummer d-tt ,
Thrr- was <tll.ii. i Ilw UUr, hi, I I uknl 1.18. Suul'l
lr atay I
Ami 1, a*t iiirn'loan among m, r 'flatting trim and
limt,
Ami a-k- I aliort, • rtj> Id. eaing alrmnit £••'*•1 * t. ugh
to eat .
Then he nr. I u|> on the mrrtic-wof our (treat l.t*rnal
A'riend,
And ga-• (In (gord Almighty a g<< I firat•* )* lartiiu*
mend ,
And 1- i fr.ll an hour • li*t< nd to (lie • igafa -.at**)
Talklr. lik- all' *o| • 4i ', <-ttfi like a —l|laatx*|
tramp.
My wife, alia Itk si t), at ranger, aunhng "fi loin Wanu
and ivri-t
It a1 *\ • flatten tm n, wlarn their gu<en> an en
th eAt J
And h hint I tfiat • me |*di • uer |.ae -ari)
• har uk.
At"! km , her lit eat l*al-y. arid r'Ci"vl ft in tJa art.i*
e--t Ht.-I d a Ugh (era like-.| him, t -f fie had ||u;ri*>
lie H- an.
Am! rh'*'d if*- q-11 f fanry, art I ga* 4on Ih<
ft*-*t lie* ,
And 1 oiitd'i t help hut like him , m I fear I -aJaw
The g . f tuy xii d> trin*-*. In a frllua Imp -f iluit.
If. p fl| r. b4lm ImhtlM thr 'a | t t . f gp| U jaa, !
Mh n he |ii's !, ami i-*-.i*J up u ua with a tai ii.
hia off eye. j
An l *at I, i, !•.;.j.y family '—your himainga io*ka
V . *al| t . mi(4*l th' "*r Vli"* tliat 111 hp|'ii*f day*
A wife at •*• • t %a th * . a lale r%a t-ngi.t an I fair .
% lift; ,iii Willi r.n, -U, ttk. that ne over tb- ra
t dhi| ;c| them 1 o hiindiy m> mw with kar
w- r. dim '
< -I t ■ t, th* > to lit* own h'art, and fi rw I w rahin
llim
Hot h-'l Ir -t negte. t>l tiie fnrittt within li.r wa),
I t th lu. ht • fri• In 1• * >g, a*-* lirm ai" t#s-i%y.
*•• hi, I t 11,1 . * ,0 a Utnfeat, the thti.der-j*-i!a
Tl- r 'I • tint lfirn| -l fcls o ua, f •h'jotzt'g I* ta
of Af* ,
In my .ru b-ue, I. Ijin;. • fldnking, to my hlarne, |
II . -tia I .1 g u . aa.iat thoa hafU tM ftama
Wlidi. 'a*h t <.i. r f and c-ni i; ll. ii.l)
llghtwiug 1 iail.
And killed uiy i|< ai.-l hildren. ahd only I al<ft.
thif 1 -1 f U., | tk iifatrsl, an l n Ugllf fr r
Ida Im <mi' •!,
f rare i,t luted . let, •bur lire* ha*' J't
leap ijiml •
T trl! ki*l •- • *1 * . *o* tightnt i-nwh- at •
V* ith *urr f 'tf gp! ■ : Ij (-, lii * l"t i* jor I I *
l.g n'rr,
T" ' tt 1 . ft ah llara ;**h*f-a a trifle r• f
Vk'nat little ah- It f <•**,*• I at wl prtre I I | ,i,
\ *mi mag thi *g:•* in* >t to |) a mo Ii |rt f t J**
I atgri* t it. whit* tnr fam 1m all gj-j*r-M a'- i*
\i 1 dtof p<d ah uje-W it - tut If Gidft t I l<-t it . , j
That tery lay with •• iiim n. n-n. 1 dh gr*M*t
W
They rliml- I ii|"U mi hwildlngt jft a* If th r • ■ ned
'in all.
Ti**) l.a k J em. and they hew*d aganii
my loud •lanrM.
They Uima><-| Vm u|> with gewgawa, an I Ikry Ies4 i
Vm d Wtr With w iroa
Thay trimmed >rn and they wired 'em, lal they trim
ati'l Wlrad em Hill,
And re) preHua minute kept a running up the Mil,
My w.ftj*he goewt a we- ki rig, did 1 rate and ruali
and run .
lie Wa* *u|qdi'g with a might**, JtHt a thtee mile
further on.
" Ik' ft/H think,** I fhrrel) ibrnlel, "that I want a
mile •' air*. j
To aa* rah acparat* hay ork out o* ltfii *e n
•utnin' Are*
tki p.q think t krejt my I uildio'* aafe from a-me
underlain harm.
I m go*n' to il*i y<m ♦ all the hataarw of my
farm f
lie lw*k' I up qutte Mt'ifigrkel, With a far# defohl f
guile.
And he pinbol l*t the eititrwl, with a reamurlng
•mile
It aaa the Art* nrraaka that he diagrw| wjth me.
Hut he held me to that |a|" r. with a AmiD'w ami
to or .
And hr that thunder-V*ry, ere tlm rwral finally went,
I |Mud two hundred doilara. if I paid a aingle rent.
Anl If aay lightain' r.-W*r wanta a dinner dialogue
Willi the restaurant l'partm* ut of an euterpriaiwg
*l.
I#et him aet hia mill a-rwnwin* jwat inakde my outerd#
gate.
Awd 1 II l-t two hnrelred doilara that he w<'t hara
l"g to wait
The quern of Ihr Antilles.
C. C. Awlrewa in July Atlanta.,
The Spaniah West I miles, Cuba ml
Porto Uico together have a jsquih; .ion
of n little over two millions. Cuba, it
self i* seven liumlrcl miles long, 'Vttli
an average breadth of eighty mile*
and ]toKe**es resource* which, if tJiey
were devclo|>cd, would sustain a popu
lation of twelve millions. It* surface,
though for the most part very slightly
undulating and covered with dense
forest*, is finely diversified. A moun
tain range run* through its whole
length near the center, the highest ele
vations, naked and hare, being eight
thousand feet above the sea. It has
numerous rivers well stocked with fish,
and m:uiy beautiful ami fertile valleys.
One of it* cascade* is rcmarkahlo tor
beauty, lu hillsides and defiles are
clothed with a variety of hard wood
tree of the evergreen sjrecies, of which
the more valuable nre the mahogany —
which grows to n hugh sixe—toe lig
num vitrc and (he ebony. The palm,
"queen of ihe Co ban forest*," with its
deep green plumage; the giant-leaved
and prolific hnnnna ami plant tin, re
semhiing tall Indian com; the cocoa,
with its weeping foliage, and the "prim
orange" an; abundant. Two hundred
sorts of birds nre native to tho island.
Pine marble is found in the nxaintains,
and there are valuable mines of cop
per. Coffbe ha* Ireen ealtivabrsl on the
lower hill slope* with sucocsw, and its
production could be largely extended.
The Cuban tobacco has peculiar value,
aud is sought for the world v ver * ihc
J Americans alone being purchasers of
over two milliou dollars' worth of ci
gars frotn there every year. Cuba's
principal crop, however, is sugar,
! which amounts in value to over om
hundred million dollars it year. H r
udvantage in its production over Iu
-i.-iana, tor example, is that in Cuba
there is a space of four or five months,
when all the mechanical work must Is: ,
done, between the time when enongh
cane is rija.- to justify starting the mills
ami the time when the cane Iw-gins to
spoil; whereas in Isjuisiaiut this period
is only alroiit two months. Though
some of Cuba's coast lands are subject
to overflow, she is uncommonly well
supplied with fine harbors. Of her
cities, Havana, the capital, has a pop
ulation of two hundred and thirty-five
thousand, Santiago tie ( hi Hit forty thou
sand, and Muutuuza* thirty-seven thou
sand. The sumptuous marble man -
si<'ii* of ii* capital, with their lofty
porticoes and long colonnades, indicate
something of its tropical wealth and
luxury. lis catis and restaurants art
said to he hut little inferior to thow.- of
I'aris.
- -
Remarkable Masonic Incident.
The first Masonic fuuchd that ever
oceured ir (California L'>ojk place in the
year IH4R, and w;i* |-rlotjjied over the
Isslyol'a brother found drowned ill
, the bay of Sun Francisco. An account
of the ceremonies states that cm the
body of the deceased was found a sil
ver innrk of a rnit-ou, ujsm which were
! engraved the initials. A little further
j investigation revealed to the beholder
the most singular exhibition of ru.'isoit
ic emhlcms that was ever drawn by
the ingenuity of man upon the human
skin. There i- nothing in the history
of tradition- of Freemasonry equal to
it. Ih-autitiill)' drawn on In* left arm,
in red and blue ink, which time could
not efface, appeared ail the emblems
of the entire apprenticeship. They
were the holy llihlc, the square ami
the coin pa-.-, the twenty-lour inch
g u age ami common gavel. There
f W r' at 1 the >| asottic pavement, rcp
! rc-cnting the ground fl<or of Silomou's
| Temple, the extended te--> I which -ur
r.'Utel- it, ami tin- blazing star in the
centre, t>n hi* right aim, and artisti
cally executed in the same indelible
' Infold, Were the etiihletii- |s rtainiug to
tin- i.-liow > rult degree, \ i/.: the s-)Uare,
; the level and the plumb. Tlx re were
live columns n-prcM-ntiug tl.< five
orders of architecture —the tus< ati, do
ui., ionic, corinthiuti, cotuposite. In
r< moving the garimuits from his Isslv
the trowt i jire-cnt'-d itjwli wttii all tlx
otiu r liszis of oj" rative Masonry.
Ovr his In-art was the |*>t of im < n*..
On the oth r |>arl of his body was the
j lw-e hive, the ls>k of constitutions,
i guarded hv the Tyler's sword; th<
| -word pointing to the uaktsl heart, the
i All-s.s-iug eve, the anchor aud ark, the
i hour gla--, t he m vtlie, the forty-seventh
i problem of Kuclid, the sun, moon, stars
i and comets, the thre< stepsernbletnaU
'<al of youth, rnanlnssl and age. Ad
! mirahly exemiU*! wit- the weeping vir
-1 gin, reclining on a broken column up
on which lay the book of the constitu
tions. In her left hand she held the
; jsti of incense, the Masonic emblem of
a (Hire heart, and in her uplifted hand
a sprig of Acacia, the emblem of the '
immortality of the soul. Immediately
bem-ath h<-r stood wing'd Time with
his scythe hv hi- side, which cuts the
brittle thcaii of life, and the hour glas"
at his feet, which is ever reminding us
thai our lives- are withering awav. The
witiicn-d and attenuated fingers of the
/destroy<* were j.laeed amid the long
and gracefully flowing ringlets of the
diacoiiaolale luourm r. Thus w:re the
striking emblem* of mortality and im
roortality blended in one
pirtoriral repruaeolation.
It wa-> a sjxs taelc such a* Ma-ons
never saw before, and in nil probabili
ty such a* the fraternity will never
witness again, the brother'* name was
knowo.
Hi hold the king.
Fgi tb Virflnlk (Km ) Clltiiflk.
He loved her as hia own soul, and i
he railed on last Sunday at her resi- I
deuce on south li stre*>t to put a $2-">0
engagement ring ou her finger.
"( an we sail down the stream of
Time, pet, in the same Iroat?"
"Yes, George, down to the shoreless
sea of etcruitv.aml beyond in the mys
tic spirit-lami our souls shall still en
twine, and Oh, my, there he goes
now!" and the young girl,tearingher
aelf from George's arms, rushed to the
window and looked out longingly for
oeveral minutes.
"What's the attraction *" n.kod the
young man, somewhat annoyed.
"He's just too sweet for anything," j
niuritiure*l the maiden too much ab
sorlwsf to hear George'* voice. Then
lie got up and looked out, and saw the
end man of the minstrid troupe pass
ing along on the other side of the
street, and fully understanding the
situation he calmly sat down and
waited for the show to ]>ass.
■ - ■ - - ♦ —-
OtJT of three dozen samples of wall
pa|wr examined by a l/indon chemist
scarcely half a dozen were found to lie
free from arsenic. The presence of
|M>ison was not confined to the green
na|ier. The Jighl blues and sombre
browns were among the worst s|wxd
inens.
Ooixißrn men object to riding in
smoking ears iu Tennessee after |*y
ing first-class fare. They don't care
for the money, but the smoke is bad
i| for their complexion*.
Hew la* Jain in Pennsylvania.
A ww revenue bill wa* pasted by
tin- late legislature of lViinsylviwia,
ami hecnme a law by the signature of
(Governor Hoyt. The bill make* a
g<wl rnuny important change* in the
tax NVHtein of the Htate, the mode* of
which for raiding revenue* are different
from that adopted elsewhere, the Ktate
taxing only jsmonal proierty, while
local taxation is practically r*trictcd
to real e*late. The bill set* out requir
ing every company or institution of
every sort doing business in the KtaUi
! to register a full description and all
the particulars of its organization in
the office of the auditor general, and
also to make annual returns of busi
ness, dividends and other profits to the
same officer, who is to value the stock
•of such companies upon the basis of
the returns made. If companies or
corporations earn or pay dividends
amounting to more than 0 js-r cent,
upon the. par value of their stock tlicv
are to be taxed at the rate of one-huff
mill per centum of dividend so declar
ed. If no dividend, or less dividend
than six per centum Ire declared, the
eorporation i- to he tax<-d at the rate
of l( mills on each dollar of valuation
ot the stock of tlte company as .seer
tained by tin- Auditor-Tit ncral. Tin-<•
taxes, and all others set forth in this
law, are to constitute prefi rred lien*
u|siti all property of the corporations.
J.imit<d aiid*for< igu [ artm rships are
to b<- suiijf < t to the -aim regulations,
and taxed a- companies and other cor
porations. I tail road and other trans
portation comp:ini<- of all sorts, and
telegraph coiiipaiii<-s, Ac., are required
t< pay a tax of eight-tenths of one per
cent, upon th< ir gro-s receipts, and in
irauce companies the satitC, very rig
id inea-ure- to I*' provi<led to cornjel
ail Mj h corjsrations t> make lull and
a urate returns to the auditor, under
a heavy jsnulty for neglect. Coal
corn panic- arc taxed three cents jwr
ton on every ton mined this year; one
cent |n*r ton on all mined next voir,
and after that this *]>ecial tax shall
cease.
Private hanker- and brokers and
unmcor|sirated companies ami insti
tutions are required to pay an income
tax of tiiree wr cent, on annual net
earning*. The tax law aitccifically
-■ t - a|iart tic revenue derived from
certaiu source-. aligning some to sink
ing fund purjs>-s, and sotue to the
payment of ordinary current expense*
of the government. Tlte auditor
general, the trca-urt r, or Uieir de-ig
nated agents are authorized to cxam
ine the book- and accounts of any
corjsirat.' n. Delinquent tax< are
ordered to pay interest at the rate of
1 j rent. P r annum, and no cor
poration can Ire dia-olvcd by the de
cree of any court in the State until
the tax<* due to the States hav i<-i n
fully paid. Foreign corporations, ex
cept foreign insurance companies,
-ball not be allowed to have a place of
busincK- in tbc State without a license
from tbc auditor general, ami the fee
for the annual concession of tbi li
cense i- to be one-fourth of a mill on
each dollar of capita! stock, which the
company is antnorizxsl to have, but
tbi* is uot to apply to companies the,
majority of the capital stock of which
|i* owned within the State, or which
invest or use their capital in the Com
monwealth. Mortgage*, Promissory
note*, bills, bonds, judgrucuts, articb*
j of agreement, account* bearing iuirr
j est, shares of sDs-k, public Iwans, etc..
except United State loaus and alt
other moiteyl capital in the band* of
individuals in the State, arc made tax
able for State purjKise* at the rate of 4
mills on the dollar, but are exempted
from all other taxation ; and banks
may pay, in lieu of the above, a tax
I of six-tenths of one per cent., on the
par value of their shares, thus secur
ing the exemption of shares, capital
and profits froru any other taxation.
This new tax law, which goes into ef
fect immediately, is pronounced by ex
|*rts to be so complicated that no one
can calculate the probable revenuo
which will likely bo collected under it,
1 Mortgage.
In the whole range of sacred and
1 profaue literature. perha|ts there i*
nothing recorded which has such stay
ing qualities as a good, healthy mort
gage. A mortgage can be depended
|Hn to stick closer thaw a brother.
It has n mission to pevform which Dov
er lets up. Day after day It is right
' there, nor docs the slightest tendency to
slumber impair its vigor in the night.
Night and day, on the Kahltath, and
holiday times, without a momenta
time for rest or recreation. the bitiug
offspring of its existence, interest, goua
on. The seasons may change, day*
run into weeks, weeks into month*,
and months may be -wallowed up into
the gray man of advancing years, but
the mortgage stands up in sleepier
vigilance, with the interest, a perennial
stream, ceaselessly running on. I.iko
a huge night mare eating out of the
i restless slttmherer, the unpaid mort
gage rears up its gaunt front in jor-
JH tual torment to the miserable wight
who is held in its pit Acs* clutch. It
hold* the poor victim with the relent*
j leas grasp of a giant; not one hour of
recreation, not a moment's evasion of
ita hideous presence. A genial snv
ago of modifying *pe< t while the in
terest is |*aii; a very devil of lrop*
leas destruction when the ]tnynicnta
fail.
lI A MI TIMKS always affect the loaf
er who will not work. He borrows
with greater difficulty.