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IVOfiS FREE TRADE.
feeorge A. Macbeth Wants ITo
Duty on Saw Materials
OB THE GOODS HE HAKES.
iPerfectly Willing to Compete With
Foreign Manufacturers.
HIS AEGUMEHTS MET BY BATHE,
KpvBefnted hr Eepresentatives of the
GIis3 Workers.
rP WOOL ISDDSTEI 05 DECE HEXT
lassware and earthenware industries
ird 4y the tails' cub-committee of
"Ways and Means Committee yes
Mr. George A. Macbeth, of Pitts
same out flat-footed for free trade in
jiia . isiness, the manufacture oflamp glass.
He wants free material or free trade, he
Isays. Bepresentatives of class blowers or
iranizations1 refute his arguments. Mr.
&Bayne and Mr. Macbeth had a lively and
interesting tilt. '
"Washin gton, December 31. Although
the. "Ways and Means Committee had as
signed to-day to the hearing of persons in
terested in the manufacture of glass and
earthenware, the committee first listened to
'an argument from Robert M. Thompson, of
fjfew York, in favor of the free importa
tion of copper ore, intended for exportation
as refined copper.
, Ik L. Bodine, of New Jersey, impressed
upon the committee the necessity of restor
ing the rates of duty which prevailed prior
it
J to
SS3 on cylinder window glass and bot
flies, green and French. Since the act of
1883 foreign glass had been taking the place
of American glass, although there existed in
the United States -furnaces enough to pro
duce glass for the whole country.
., POTTEEIES SOT PBOTECTED.
Ex-Congressman J. Hart Brewer, of
.Trenton, representing the potteries, said all
their trouble grew out of the system of ad
valorem duties. The pottery industry had
'sever been adequately protected. It had
maintained its market, not because of the
duty, but because of its locality and be-
cause of certain styles which had been
produced, and which had pleased the
' public taste. It was his honest
opinion that if something was not done to
jcheck the importation of German goods,
' Bohemian wares would have the market of
ithe United States -within five years, and the
American potters wonld have to succumb or
3fcould have to reduce the wages of labor
very materially. The only reason the for-
geign manufacturers did pot sell all the
j. goods used in the United States was that they
were"not able at the present time to produce
them.
A PITTSBTJBG PBEE TRADES.
The committee listened to an argument
f-om George A. Macbeth, of Pittsburg, who
lis a manufacturer of lamp glass. He stated
that he manufactured 200 styles of lamp
glass, and ot that 200 styles only 20 were
'competed with by foreign producers. One
of the principal articles used in his business,
'was soda ash, which now bore a duty of
"23 per cent, and he favored the reduction
" of the duty on that article. He would take
the duty received from soda ash last year
,iand buy the soda ash manufactory of Syra
cuse four times over. He bought foreign
soda ash, though he could get the domestic
ash cheaper. He thought of going into the
business of matins soda ash, and believed
'that he could manufacture it at the rate of
CO cents a hundred pounds. The present
price was 1 45, The location of the factory
was an essential feature in the manufacture
of soda ash.
WEEBE1HE COST "WOrnD 7AX.Ii.
.'"In reply to a question by the Chairman,
Mr. Macbeth stated that he had to get some
thing not yet found to enable him to make
soda ash at the price stated. Another in
gredient which entered into his manufacture
was carbonate of potash, which bore a duty
of 20 per cent. There was not enough of
'that . article in this country to .supply his
factory alone. The increase of duty, he
argued, would not cut off the importation of
" foreign glassware or crockery. It would
4inake the people who wanted that identical
kind of ware pay more for it than now, but
pit would not prevent its importation. The
T foreign and domestic producers would com-
Spete as much as ever. The only effect
(would be to increase the price of the 180
kinds oflamp glass for which he had no
competition. He wished to have duties
Remitted on soda ash, carbonate of potash
jana ieau.
M BATKE QUESTIONS HIM.
if Mr. Bayne If the Germans came into
j competition with you, with their lower rate
Jof wages, could you compete with them on
your ISO varieties of lamp shades outside of
this country?
J-Mr. Macbeth Give me free material, or
ree trade, such as England has, and give
me the propef products of my labor, and I
gefy any competition en the face of the
earth.
Mr. Bayne And pay your workman the
wages you now pay him?
fMr. Macbeth I will pay him more.
Mr Bayne How much do you pay your
- working men, on the average?"
f?Mr. Macbeth About 4 CO a day.
jjMt. Bayne Do you claim that you could
jiffy your men $4 60 a day if the Germans
could manufacture exactly the same kind of
ctiimney, and employ the same amount of
labor at say 52 25 a day?
OMr, Macbeth Yes, Bir.
t HE COULD COMPETE.
j.Mr. Bayne Ton cculd, nnder this con
dition, compete with the German manu
facturer? ftl&T. Macbeth Yes, sir.
$Mr. Bayne--On the hypothesis that
American workingmen are more efficient
and skillful and better organized than the
German worKingmen, you conclude you
could compete?
ptr. Macbeth Yes, sir.
,Mr. Bayne Did you contemplate at any
time moving your works to Germany?
MJMacbetb-Yes, sir.
MrBavne T)id nn v,...rf.. vm
fnlkMsnd inefficiency..- of the German!
She Graciously Welcomes Fresh Young 1890, and Points With Maternal Pride to the
Splendid Record Placed to the Credit of 1889.
- mfmi s j If III i 1 1
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Mr. Macbeth I was going there to exam
ine into it.
Mr. Bayne Suppose you had found the
German workmen to be inefficient?
Mr. Macbeth I would have taken my
workmen from here.
Mr. Bayne Would you have paid the
wages yon pay here?
Mr. Macbeth No, sir.
Mr. Bayne What would you have paid
them?
Mr. Macbeth What I could get them for.
wouldn't leave pittsbueo.
Mr. Bayne expressed his doubt as to any
workman leaving Pittsburg to work in
Germany at lower wages.
Mr. Macbeth said that his leading idea in
going to Germany was cheapness of ma
terial and plant x
Mr. Bayne Was labor an clement?
Mr,- Macbeth Of. course, labor .was an
element. " ''2?'
In reply to a question by Mr. Carlisle,
Mr. Macbeth expressed his belief that not a
man, woman or child in this country paid
labor more than he could help. Laughter.
If he had free trade in his raw materials lit
would be perfectly willing to have free trade
in his product. Speaking of the Lead
Trust, Mr. Macbeth said that he was not
opposed to trusts. Those were business con
cerns. The United States Government was
a partner in the Lead Trust.
Mr. Bayne inquired whether the Govern
ment was a partner in the Sugar Trust, and
received an affirmative answer, as he did
also to his next question, as to whether the
trust put up the price of a product.
EFrECT OP TRUSTS.
Mr. Flower Do'trustR increase the price
of an article more than a corporation ?
Mr. Macbeth That depends. Laughter.
The Chairman inquired whether the con
sumer of lamp chimneys would be benefited
by allowing Mr. Macbeth's raw material, as
well as the finished product, to be admitted
free. As chimneys were now sold at 30
cents, how much would they sell for if the
duty were taken off?
Mr. Macbeth The difference would be 3
or i cents a dozen.
Mr. Gear That is to the retailer. Wonla
the woman who goes to the store to buy a
chimney get it for less?
Mr. Macbeth My individual opinion is
that I doubt it. Laughter.
oames uiiianaer. oi -rnusaeipnia, said
that lamp chimneys largely used in this
country were manufactured here and were
sold for less than the imported chimnevs.
The imported chimney was used principally
on special lamps, and was bought by people
of means.
DIFFEBS PEOM MACBETH.
The witness did not agree with Mr. Mac
beth, that the workingmen of Germany were
less efficient than those of the United States
in the industry which he represented. He
did not want free raw material in the glass
industry. Every article which needed pro
tection should be protected, but the glass
manufacturer should not be compelled to
pay a higher duty on his raw material than
was imposed on the finished article. He ad
vocated the increase of duty on various
grades of glass. If his raw material, as
well as the finished article, was admitted
free, he could not pay his workingmen the
present wages and compete with the foreign
goods.
William F, Smith, a manufacturer of
ereen and plate bottles at Alton, 111., said
that from 80 to 85 per cent of the finished
product was represented by labor. In regard
to the question of the comparative efficiency
of the German and American workingmen,
Mr. Smith said that the former were the
more careful, and therefore more slow.
PrSTEST -WORMEIT IS THE WORLD.
The United States had the finest working
men in the world, said Mr. Smith, but
American push and the extra aggressive
ness of the American workman were shown
in his work. Therefore, at times quality
was sacrificed to speed.
William J. Smith, of Pittsburg, Presi
dent of the Flint Glass Blowers' Union,
controverted a statement made by Mr. Mac
beth, that of the 44 hours a week which the
blowers worked nine hours were waste time.
He denied other statements made bv Mr.
Macbeth, and declared that while he was
an American and an American workman,
he was forced to admit that some of the
chimneys brought from foreign countries
were not inferior to those produced in the
United States.
D. C. Bipley, of Pittsburg, President of
the American Flint and Lime Glass Asso
ciation, advocated a protective duty on cut
glass. He presented several specimens ot
Belgian glass, and averred that they could
be laid down here at a less price than they
could be merely cut for in this country.
-f. -u. June representing the Urvstal
Plate Glass Company, of St. Lonls, favored
the retention of the present duty on press
glass. He only wished that a provision
should be inserted in the law to make it
more explicit.
The committee then adjourned until
MISS PITTSBURGH
Thursday, when the representatives of the
wool industry will be heard.
CHEAPENING SUGAE.
The Different Wnjs of jjeiseclna the Coi
of Sweetening to be Comldored
Turee Planr Propoed The
Dliadrantagea of Each.
tTROK A STAFF COBEESPONDSVT.J
Washington, December 31. On Satur
day the Ways and Means Committee will
commence the consideration of the question
as to how best to reduce the duty on sugar
from its commercial standpoint, by hearing
the representatives of the Sugar Trust. The
planters' side of the story will be presented
on the following Monday. There are sev
eral proposition before the committee for
the settlement of the question, and the
methods proposed vary considerably. One
suggestion is to place 'sugar on the j
free list at once, and dispose of it altogether.
Another is to reduce the present duties one
half, while a third includes that proposi
tion, and then proposes to give a bounty to
the planters.
The question is one full of embarrassing
situations. There are the sorghum and beet
sugar industries to be taken into considera
tion, each of them backed by strong publio
sympathies. Then there is the recognized
fact that sugar is every day becoming more
and more a necessity rather than a luxury,
and the consequent sentiment in parts of the
country not interested in its production, that
it should be as free as the kindred articles,
tea and coffee.
OF GENERAL INTEREST.
Of course Louisiana is the State most
greatly interested in whatever action maybe
taken by Congress, bnt the Kansas torghum
raisers and the California beet producers are
equally as desirous to see the present duties
maintained as are the Louisianisns. As
soon as the Congressional delegation from
the Pelican State is reunited after the recess
they will hold a meeting, at which doubt
less the Kansas and California members will
be invited to attend, to consider the position
they shall take on the matter.
One of the members of the delegation who
will be present at the meeting, and who
therefore does not desire to be quoted, said
to-day:
1 expect that all the sugar men in Congress
will be united against the proposed bounty sys
tem. You see. if it were adopted, Congress
could only appropriate the necessary money to
pay the bounties for one year. That action
would not be binding on any succeeding Con
gress, and It would not be long before that por
tion of tbe law would be repealed. It would be
an unpopular thing to keep on the statutes.
Then tbere Is no cood reason why a bounty
shonld be paid to the producers of sugar and
not to tbe producers of iron or coal, and tbe
operation ot the proposed law would be nnjnst
to mat extent.
AS TO THE EFFECTS.
You ask ma what would be the effect of the
different propositions made for the settlement
of this question. In a general way I will tell
you. m the nrst place, Mr. Fithian proposes
to put sugar on the free list. If that were
adopted, it wonld paralyze Louisiana. Fully
three-eighths of tbe interests of tbe State are
In tbe sugar business. Under the present
duties tbo sugar men find it bard work to make
both ends meet. Take all the dnties away,
and their business wonld be destroyed. Their
investments in tbo shape of plant and ma
chinery would be valueless, and tbey them
selves wonld be ruined. Tbe taxes on other
property would be raised to compensate for
the depreciation of theirs, and consequently
every citizen in tbe Btata would be made to
suffer, ,
The hill introduced by Mr, Drown, Of In.
dlana, proposes to reduce the present specific
duties to a 25 per cent ad valorem dnty, and
give 1 cent per pound bounty to tbe planters.
The value of sugar fluctuates considerably, ac
cording to tbe state of the market, but the
bounty remains fixed. The result would be a
very complicated condition of affairs, and the
pian is naraiy iiueiy to ds aaoptea. Anotnor
suggestion is to cut the present duties down to
oue-balf and give 1 cent per pound bountv to
the planters. The average duty now is 2.75
per pound, so that this plan would practically
leave matters lust about where tbey now stand
through the whole schedule. I am afraid that
this last pian Isthe one which the Ways and
Means Committee will be tbe most likely to
adopt, and then it will take the hardest kind
of fighting to have tne appropriation for the
bounties made every year.
KEW T0BK WANTS A MINT.
Either That City or Philadelphia In Lino for
a New Bclldlncr.
tsrxcru. txlzqbax to tus dispatch.!
Washington, December 31. It is ex
pected here that the news of the intention
of Philadelphia to ask Congress for a new
mint will arouse some feeling in Now Sork,
where a good many people have maintained
for years that a mint ought to be estab
lished. It is very certain that in the one
city or the other there will be a new build
ing before long.
The old one consumes some $40,000 a year
in mere patch work. It is old-fuhioned
and inconvenient, and ill-adapted for Its re I
qofarementf, -
HAPPY $EW YEAR.
,,
DATITPUNCTUEED IT,
TBAT O'SnEA-PARNELL SCANDAL IS
TJTTEKLY I'OUNDATIONLESS.
What Rev. E. R. Donehoo Knew of It In
June Tuo Irish Leader and His
Scroll-Saw A Society Unter
Who Hn Other Diver
sion at Home.
"That O'Shca divorce case is, in my opin
ion, a base conspiracy against Parnell," said
Bev. E. B. Donehoo, of the Eighth Presby
terian Church, to a Dispatch reporter lar,t
evening; "and I'll tell you why I think so:
From the standpoint of a little inside knowl
edge, which I picked up quite by accident
while in London last June, this whole effort
to make the Irish leader appear as co
respondent in Captain O'Shea's suit for a
divorre irom ls wife, ie?mjjo me not only
eatleufyruSlwS tuaatrihU farcical iff"
the extreme.
"You want to know what my inside
knowledge or information of the case is, and
how I came by it? All right; I'll tell you.
While I was wandering around the great
city upon other errands last summer, I
naturally heard a great deal of gossip about
the great Times trial, which was then iu
progress. I had several friends in London,
among them .Michael Savitt, who had made
itt, , who had made
fnendof thelnsh
my acquaintance here as a
home rule cause.
"One day, while strolling down the
Strand, I met'and recognized Davitt. We
had not talked long together, when
I called the attention of this
well known Irish patriot to a
bit of ugly scandal about Parnell,
which, as I had learned, was being indus
triously doled out in a quiet way by the
enemies of Ireland's home rnle cause. It
was the preliminary gossip of this same
O'Shea scrape. "
AN ENTIRELY EXPLODED BUBBLE.
"Why!" said Davitt, emphatically, yet
with evident disgust, "I have personally
investigated all that stuff, and with the
heartiest co-operation of Captain O'Shea
himself, who was even more interested thau
I in having it all cleared up, one way or the
other. Now you know I have not always
worked in the heartiest sympathy with Par
nell; he's a cold-blooded man, not halt en
thusiastic enough in this cause of ours. Sol
thought if there was the slightest shadow of
foundation for that O'Shea scandal, we
radical iriends of Ireland wanted to find it
out as soon as possible, and dump our ac
knowledged leader overboard, so as to pro
ceed at least with clean hands in any event.
" 'But it's all a barefaced lie, invented d
the Times or its friends!' exclaimed Davitt:
'and I only wonder now, since I have s3tis-
'n 1 -1 .U.. -x r At t.
ucu uiyaeii iu tuait euect Jruui a uiuiuuu
investigation, that I didn't know it without
investigating. Why, my very knowledge
of the man gives the lie to such a scandal.
If ever there was a woman-hater, a man
wno avoiaea society and all its environ
ments from choice, Parnell was and is
such a man. He was a good
friend of the O'Sbeas, it's true, and,
spent considerable time at their home lor
the Captain's companionship, however, not
fnr XIV. n'Rh.i'. Al !. ll ,!, i t.
for Mrs. O'Shea's. Oh, it's all boshl Par
nell simply couldn't be a party to such a
f caudal; and, more than that, I now know
that it isn't, and hasn't been.
PABNELL AT HIS SCBOLL-SAW.
" 'Why, do you know how this patriot
and leader of ours spends the bulk of his
time?' concluded DaTtit. 'I'll tell you how:
Hot ID the society of any woman; not in any
society at all; bnt with a scroll-saw that he
keeps down at that surburban home of his.
Yes with a scroll-saw I sawing out little
devices and knick-knacks, when some of the
rest of us think occasionally, that he should
be about his country's business. That's one
of the points whereon I have differed with
him so radically at times--because,with this
Durning issue still before us, be should still
seem, even at intervals, so conservatively
phlegmatic, so cold-blooded as to fall back
on that scroll-saw diversion of hist But he
must have some relief trom the weight of
responsibility that is put upon him, I sup
pose. Still, you may rely upon it that his
relief does not, cannot, come in any scan
dalous form I know it!"
"So you see," added Bev. Mr. Donehoo,
"I had occasion to draw out as early as
June last sometime before O'Shea had
turned against Parnell and united his forces
with those of the London Times the fact
that the conspirators were at work upon an
utterly groundless foundation to rnin his
character, if possible. Such a conspiracy
should not, cannot, succeed. Davitt knew
what he was talking about, and he always
tells the truth."
A Prisoner's New Year's Gift.
Spbingfield, III., December 31. Gov
ernor Fifer has commuted the sentence of
Baureisen, the Chicago, Burlington and
Quincy Eailroad dynamite conspirator.
Baureisen will be
prison January 2,
released from Joliet
SBtf
A SWINDLE STOPPED.
The Philadelphia Traction Company" Un
earths a Conspiracy to Blalct It for
Damages Witnesses Hired to
Slake Good a Claim
tSTECIAI. TBLEOHAJI TO TUX DISPATCH. "
Philadelphia, December 3L The
Philadelphia Traction Company, which has
been mulcted in some very large sumsforin-
juries to passengers on its lines, has just suc
ceeded in running down a nest of conspira
tors who had planned to get a large sum of
money from the company on a fraudulent
claim. Julius C. Moncayo, his wife, Maggie
A., and Malcolm Buxbaum, a stenographer
and bookkeeper, were arrested last night on
a charge of conspiracy and subornation of
perjury, on complaint of the traction com
pany. This afternoon Magistrate Durham
gayj5ihe trio, hearing, and held them In
52,500 each to answer at court. The traction
company furnished bail for the woman so
that she could go home to her children, but
the men were committed in default. Mon
cayo and Buxbaum are cigarmakers.
It was in evidence that Moncayo and
Buxbaum demanded (he payment of $10,
000 from the traction company for alleged
injuries to the wife of the former by the
sudden starting of a car. The company m-
J yestigated and then declined to pay the
fn,0ney. A suit for 810,000 damages was
thereupon brought by Moncayo. This suit
is still pending, and is set for trial next
month.
Clara McOrann, of Camden, swore at the
hearing to-day that the Moncayos had
offered her (100, 6r a new suit of clothes
from head to foot, if she would falsely swear
in tbe civil suit that she was on the car and
witnessed the accident. She also testified
that Mrs. Moncayo took her to the depot and
explained what she should swear to in
court. Also, that she was present on one
occasion when the Moncayos offered a
painter named Smith a reward if he would
swear he saw the accident. Also, that she
was present when Mr. Moncayo gave Bux
baum $3 and asked him to put $7 to it, and
purchase another witness, uptown, whom
no one would know, and promised .him a
"divvy" out of the damages in addition to
the $10.
Buxbaum admitted the allegation of con
spiracy to a certain extent, but declared that
he intended to withdraw, and had returned
to Moncayo the money received to pay wit
nesses. Also, that he informed tbe trac
tion company of the, conspiracy. A num
ber of papers found on the men were identi
fied. One of these was a letter, in which
Buxbaum offered to betray Moncayo to the
traction company if rewarded for doing so.
This had not been sent. After the hearing
Mrs. Moncayo made a full confession,
acknowledging the alleged injury was en
tirely fictitious. , '
A DEBEETEE AND SWINDLER.
Ono of Ttanrber's Clerks Can slit nnd Jailed
by His Fnlber-ln-Lavr.
IEPECIAL TELEOBAM TO TBS DISPATCH.1
Denveb, December 31. Thomas Lith
gow, a purchasing clerk in Thurber's im
porting house oi teas and coffees at New
York, is at present confined at the county
jail, on the charge of desertion and swind
ine. Several months ago Lithgow, while
en route from Washington to Chicago, met
Mrs. M. C. Phillips a"hd daughter, of Salt
Lake City. He appeared oomo weeks later
at the Phillips mansion, where he was most
cordially welcomed. Through his handsome
appearance and affable manners he was soon
engaged to Miss Frances Phillips. The
marriage was the social event of the year.
Before departing the groom called on his
father-in-law and borrowed $3,000. Lith
gow claimed to be a wealthy San Domingo
planter. When the bridal couple got to
New York they put up at the Fifth Avenue
Hotel.
Meanwhile Mr. Phillips thought he would
make a tour of inspection on his own hook.
He arrived in New York as soon as the
young couple, and put up at the same hotel
with them. Lithgow said he was to meet
his brokers in a few days, in order to settle
some financial business. Making some ex
cuse, Lithgow absented himself, and alter
breaking open his wife's baggage, took the
valuables and left for Syracuse. His wife
and father-in-law returned to Denver, to
which city a decoy dispatch brought the
swindler.
HE. BANDALIi HUGH BETTER.
Ont of Bed and Able to Attend to His Corre
spondence. Washington-, December 31. A rumor
was current at the Capitol this morning that
Mr. Bandall's condition was much worse.
Inquiry at his house was answered by an
emphatic denial from his family.
Mr. Bandall was much better, and was
out of bed attending to Ms'eorresfondence.
CONFIDENT c
BOTH BEICE AND THOMAS QOIJE
OFVICTOUY. J.
o &
Beginning of tbe Final Straggle qj
Ohio Senatorial Honors Plenfy ?&,
the Hostlers on the Gonod
A Lack-of Flgares. i-
Jsrxctu. teliohxk to thi cispatcb.1
Columbus, December 31.--The boodlers"
are here in force. Among them are a num
ber who figured prominently in the contest
of six years ago and assisted In the over
throw of the late George H. Pendleton.
These men, along with their records, which
are of an unsavory character, have valuable
experience in tne businessot Senatorial auc
tioneering, and, as a matter of course, are
indispensable to the present canvass.
While a majority of them are keeping
shady on the Senatorial question, and in
same instances actually try to make it ap
pear that they are here in the interest of
some of the "complimentary candidates,"
it is no secret to those who have taken the
trouble to investigate, that these slick bood
lers are at work for the man from New
York, who wants to represent Ohio in the
United States Senate. They are here for
business, and. the opposition might as well
understand if.
THET WILL BE USEFUL.
The intention is to use them in driving
the deals with members who wish to increase
their lost accounts early in the new year.
The speculation as to the result of the con
test is on the increase, and there is no eud
of talk abont deals and combinations.
There is no question that the Brlce men
are considerably" wrought up over the bold
and defiant claims set forth by the Thomas
contingent. They have not denied the pub
lished statement that the Springfield candi
date will have thirty votes at the start.
Hon. Walter B. -Bitchie, of Lima, is in
charge of, the Brice headquarters
in Qf the absence of Hon. J.
B. Townsend. He is assisted by
Hon. George W. Hull, Prosecutor Matter,
Hon. John O'Conner and Editor W. B.
Mehaffey. A -visit to the headquarters by
your correspondent failed to secure an esti
mate of Brice's strength. The managers
expect to capture the nomination for their
favorite, but declined to give the names of
the Legislators upon they rely for support
or indicate the probable vote on the first
ballot.
MAKES IT MOBE INTERESTING.
"The confidence of the Thomas men,"
said one of the gentlemen, "makes the can
vass more comfortable for them and more
interesting for us. We shall continue in
the contest, and as a matter of course, ex
pect to and have reason to believe we will
succeed."
While indications still point to the final
triumph of the Brice boomers, there are
some who assert that theycan see a decided
change of sentiment within the last week.
As an illustration of this, the substance of a
talk with Bepresentative Counts of Shelby,
is given. He receives dozens of letters daily
from Democrats in his Congressional
district and elsewhere. Up to a week ago
these were substantially unanimous tor
Brice. Within the past week, says Mr.
Counts, there has been a decided change.
There is no diminution in the number of
letters received, but more than one-halt of
those now arriving manifest a very bitter
feeling toward the New Yorker. Some
favor Thomas, others McMahon, and the
tenor of many are unmistakably anything
to beat Brice.
BEICE COMING IN PEBSON.
There is a report that the 'Thomas men
have entered Brice's stronghold in the
Northwest- and are preparing interviews
against him in the hope of gaining some
strength from that quarter. This will be
met by the: Brice bureau, promptly. While
there-ace-qui tea number of workers here
for Brice to-night his principal manager
has been detained and Brice will not arrive
before Thursday.
Lu x. .Heal, who has been loosed upon as
a strong compromise candidate, is here, and
in an interview states he would not think of
entering the contest so long as Mr. Thomas
is in the fight, as he is under obligations to
him, and has" promised him his support. If
Thomas were outlof the way Neal would
enter for the prize. As to the relative
strength of Brice and Thomas Mr. Neal
professes not to be informed.
DELAMATEE AND HASTINGS THEEE.
A Banquet at Which Two Gubernatorial
Candidates Were Gaests.
rSPICXlI. TELEOUAM TO THE DISPATCH.
West Chesteb, December 31. The oc
casion for which extensive preparations
have been mating for some weeks, culmin
ated this evening in the second annual
banquet of the West Chester Pioneer Corps
No. I, and a brilliantly good time was
enjoyed by both hosts and guesta. Adjutant
General Hastings and Senator Dalamater
were among the gnests, and during the
evening were called upon for some remarks.
Both responded in their happiest moods.
They did not touch upon the Gubernatorial
qnestion, but they did say nice things of
the Pioneers, and referred to their political
work as an organization. During their re
marks tbey were loudly applauded, and no
body could tell which one received the
heartiest ovation.
General Hastings captured the colored
vote this alternoon, by getting shaved at
the shop of George Fry, a colored artist,
and when the job was done he deltly tipped
the barber a silyer dollar. In another Con
ner of the same room he planked down
thirty-five cents for a "shine" and thus
scored two points on Delamater so far as
heard from.
CADGHT DI A PIKCUSMOS.
A Bowery Olasenm Freak Has a Girl's
Ab-
d actor Sent to the Island.
rSFXCIAI. TXLIGRAH TO TBI DISFATCIM
New Yoke, December 3L Levi Golden,
a mechanic, brought 14-year-old Katie
Burns here from Newark, yesterday, to show
her the town. Louis Beck, the "Human
Pincushion" In a Bowery museum, met the
couple in the Bowery, and at once concluded
that something was wrong with them. He
followed them to several beer saloons and
disorderly houses, and organized himself
into a society for the prevention of vice gen
erally. He finally had the conple arrested.
To-day Golden was arraigned for abduc
tion, and was sent to the Island for six
months. i
CODSIN BEN TO BE KETAiKED.
Mr. Blaine Remembers a Favor Dona Him
by President Cleveland.
tsrxcnv tzlzo hoc to tux DurATcn.i
Washington, December 3L It is defi-
nitelv decided that Beniamin Folsom is to
be retained by the present administration as
Consul at Sneffield, England. It may be
recalled that when leading Democrats urged
the appointment by President Cleveland, to
tbe postmastership of Augusta, Me., of a
man personally obnoxious to Mr. Blaine,
the latter protested, and his protest was
heeded.
The good nature manifested toward Mr.
Folsom is in recognition of that obligation.
A Grip Victim Hboots Himself;
Boston, December 31. George P. Smith,
63 years old, a watchman at the Massachu
setts State prison, suicided with a revolver
this morning, while temporarily Insane trom
an attack of la grippe.
Ullca's First Grip Vlctta.
Utica, N. Y., December 8L Michael
Hopkins, a prominent drygeods merchant,
died here to-day. He was the first victim of
la gnppe in this city. ,
A WAR ON COLOMBIA
Boldly Declared by an Importing'
Firm of tne City of Sew lorlr.
HEY WILtf FIGHT FOR EIGHTS,
And Not Surrender Quite as Peaceably aa
Some Others Have Done.
A VESSEL ASMED ASD SENT SOUTH'
With Instructions t Fire on tio Goaboat
Molests Her.
That,
A New York importing firm has declared
war jon the United States of Colombia. It
has fitted out one of its vessels, sent to
Colon, with arms and ammunition, In-
structed to forcibly resist any attempts to
seize her. The law has been thus taken in'
their own hands. Complications may
ensue.
New Yoek, December 31. The firm of
L. Scheff & Co., importers, at 165 Duane
street, has declared war against the United
States oi Colombia. At least, tbey have
sent an armed vessel to Colon and the coast
of Panama, with instructions to make
forcible resistance if the gunboat La Popa,
which recently seized several trading vessels,
should attempt to interfere with her.
Matters have been brought to this crisis
by the high-banded action of the Colombian
authorities with reference to the American
trade along the San Bias coast. Merchants
in New York, Philadelphia, Boston and
Baltimore have a trade amounting to several
millions annually with the Indians of the
Isthmus, 100 to 200 miles south of Colon. A
great variety of miscellaneous goods is sent
them in exchange for cocoanuts, ivory nuts,
tortoise shells, rubber, etc.
A TBADIKG UCEXSE 2TEESES.
A law of the United States of Colombia,
enacted in 1883, makes the ports ot the
Isthmus free. Duties are imposed only at
Carthagens and certain other so-called
habilitated ports on the South American j
coast. The law requires vessels which de-
sire to trade at the small ports along the J a
Isthmus to enter tbe port of Colon first, and, 'J
for statistical purposes, to take out a li- ;
cense. The cost of the trading license is A
about $50. M
American trade has been increasing of m
late vears along this coast, and has been
driving out tbe slow Spaniards of '
Carthagens and other places. These Span- ;
ish merchants have influence with the local ,
or national authorities, and they hit upon a
plan to retrieve their waning fortunes. They J
resurrected a long-obsolete law, passed more 1
than a half century ago, which they con-
strued to require all coast-trading .vessels to
go first to Carthagens, there discharge
their cargo, and pay heavy duties, and then
reload and retrace their courso to the San
Bias or other trading points along the
Isthmus. N ,
death to oitb teade. 1
Such a requirement would, of course, "
mean death to American trade. No notice
of any change was given the American
traders, and the seizure of a vessel was the
first knowledge they gained of what was on
foot. The first ship seized was the schooner
Pearl, belonging to James Herron, of 14
Water street, this city. The Pearl was cap
tured by the La Popa. on the San Bias
coast, on October 2. She was taken to
Carthagens and held subject to confiscation
for smuggling. In her case it was thought
to be not improbable that she had neglected
to take out a license at Colon.
La Popa is not a very formidable gun
boat. She is more properly an armed steam
yacht of about 100 tons. It is said she was
formerly a pleasure boat owned by Wash
ington E. Connor, of this city, and that he
sold ber to the Colombian Government to
be used as a coast cruiser. The Julian could
probably have resisted capture successfully,
and Mr. Foster, her chief owner, is very
sorry she did not.
INDIANS EAGEB TO FIGHT.
The Indians with whom the ship was
trading were even more indignant at the
seizure than the officers. There were on
board a quantity of big, long-bladed knives,
used to cut bunches of bananas from the
trees. The Indians begged the Captain to
lend them these weapons, saying they would
board the gunboat and kill everybody on
board. There werq enough of the half
breeds to have carried out the threat if they
had attempted it. But the Captain of the
Julian preferred to submit.
The gunboat carried a hawser aboard the
schooner, and set out to tow ber to Cartha
gens. Before starting the captain and some
men irom the gunboat rame aboard and pro
posed to carry away the sails of the Julian,
so that she could not possibly escape. The
crew rebelled at this, and threatened to
massacre the first man wh'o attempted to
lower a sail. The attempt was not made.
STH.I. IN CAPTIVTXT.
The Julian was towed to Carthagens, and
there she now lies, with her captain and
crew prisoners, in charge of keepers aboard
her. Her cargo, which is perishable, is rap
idly decaying, and there is no prospect of
the release or the vessel or her cargo.
On learning of the action of the Colom
bian authorities, Foster & Co. sent the
schooner Edith B. Coombs, under the
American flag, to bring home the perish
able goods from San Bias which the
Julian would have taken. The Coombs went
to Colon for her license, and she is held
there by the authorities, for what reason
Foster & Co. are unable to learn.
The facts were laid before the State De
partment at Washington, several days ago,
and application was made for the active in
terference of the Government. When the '
embargo was placed on the Coombs, Mr.
Foster telegraphed to Mr. Blaine as fol
lows: New Yobs, December 3L
To the Honorable Secretary of SUte, 'Wssblag-
toD.,0. c:
Asplnwall authorities retina to dUpitCh.
American schooner Edith B. Coombs to seenra
our goods lying on San Bias coast. Not a
trading vessel, but chartered to transport one
property home. Delay very expensive. Kindly
wire us what to Instruct master of vessel.
FOSTZE & CO.
No reply has yet been received from the
State Department.
THE LA.YT IN THEIK HANDS.
L. Scheff & Co. have promptly taken the
law into their own hands, without bothering
with the slow processes of the State Depart
ment at Washinston. On Saturday last
thev dispatched the schooner George W.
f Whitford to Colon, and thence to the San
kBIas coast. The whitford is equipped
with two small cannon, rifles and revolvers
and plenty of ammunition. She carries a ' -K"
picked crew of eight men, and her owners
regard her as fully able to cope with the
gunboat, as ordinarily manned. The Cap
tain, William Foster, is instructed to pro
ceed first to Colon, to procure the usual
trading license, and thence to the San B'as
coast, and to resist to any extent any at
tempt at capture, after the usual require
ments have been complied with. The WhiU
ford carries the usual miscellaneous cargo,
and sails under the American flag.
A QTTESTION OP EIGHT.
An interesting point arises as to the right
of a vessel to go to sea thus equipped, and
with such a declared purpose. The mani
fest of the Whitford. filed at the Custom
House on Friday, makes no mention of hex
arms and equipment. There is a blank tot '.
'such a purpose on the clearance papersbnt
ICantinutd on Seventh age.
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