--. V Ut $. 1 i v f I anton Me only scranton paper receiving the complete news service of the associated press, the greatest news agency in the world, SCRANTON, PA., WEDNESDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 2G, 1900. TWO CENTS. t , s.ji jMf i TWO CENTS. JF HAS SANCTION OP HISTORY The Caucus Is Pronounced an Indis pensable fldhmct to Partu Government. AID TO MAJORITY RULE What the Custom Has Been in the Past in Determining Unity of Party Choice for Elective Offices. Difference Between a Caucus and a Conference Eule of the Majority the Corner Stone of Our Form of Government. Spu Inl to Tin- Tilbiuii'. Murrisburg, Doc. 23. The following statement has been ls.-iucd by the reg ulars or organization KepublleatiS' concerning the merits ot the party caucus: (Vrttiin Insurgents ami newspapeis In l'eiimjl i.mla jie busily engaged In :in droit to induce the ltcpubllciiu p.irt.v to uhiudon th" caucus method of fcelectiiij? candidates (or ofllce, anil i specially candidates for tliu United Stales sen .ilc. They argue with much lie.it anil Utile icmsoii of knowlcelirc. One of thene disputants for ilisorKanballon, E. I. Acheron, goes so t.ir n his mi'-Kiililril 7cal as lo dctlire tlul .1 r.ituus of the Ilepublli.iii- in Hie Icirlslaturo would be "for Ihe sole purpose of cn.ihllnt: the minority of the lciiUlattuc In illctate to the liujoilty In Hie ihoiic of ;t United Males senator." Is it possible to Imagine nnM hint; further fnun the sober fict than tli.it nlisuid statenient.' Who composes the "mlnoiitj" refened to by the insurgent author of tli.it statement ? The majority of the Hepiiblicatis In the Ictrislatme Who compose the "majority" to which the "minority" is supposed to lie pining to "die late iu Hie choice of a United States senator!" 'Ihe )cmocial.s in the lcgisl.ituie and a small fictions nilnoiity of the ltepuhlieati", and in this case an actual minoiity of the whole body of legislators. A Government of Majorities. ' nn-ider ccitain controlling pu'niary princi ples or polities whiih most of us learned at the kiudeig.ilten age, but which our opponents either failed ti lcain or now comcnicnlly ilmuse lo foijcel. Ouii is a tioiorumcut of ma luiiliex. 'Hie iiilc of the majoiity is the fun damental piimiple of our go eminent, the cor nel si one nf th fabric of our institutions. Our pt(idciits aic (hosin by a inajorily in the clcc tiiial (ollcuei; our gouinnis and congressmen by majorities over tlieit priin.ip.il tiimpetltois; our United slates sin. iters by a majority of the legislature:,, and our laws, nationil, state and municipil. ale enacted by niajnillies. Knjiying flic institutions, cur guwmmenl is curled or, hi politiial pailies into whieli Ihe people fiecly dhide, and .soiuetiiurs one and sometimes an other of these political parties is in powci. A puliticil pirty is a collection of iiidiiiduals holding the same Rencr.il .iew.s upon public: ntr.ihs and acting together for Ihe putpose of impicssing those Mown upon the polity and coiidiii I of the government. This can only be done by rlitllng congresses and legislatures and o.ouitic and judicial officers in aicord with those liews, and these arc all elected by 1111 joiities. I'.crjwhcie in this country we find majoiity iiilc, and Kicdcrick V. Whitridge, in bis article 011 the "Caucus System in Lalor's I'olltiral t'.M lopeilia," and from which the in furgent writer uferied to, gingerly quotes in the aln hope of bolstering bid argument, fauns up the whole matter in a single sentense: "The caucus is a necessary consequence of majority rule." Klsewhcre in the same aiticle be sajs: "Willi the dnelopnicnt of parlies and the rule of majorities the caucus, or some cquiialcnt, has become an indispensable adjunct of parti gov ernment." An Indisputable Proposition. Whitridge ai lived at these conclusions, not because ho (sought them, for ho ttioic against them, but because as an honest and intelligent student of political history be could not arriic at any other conclusions. Government by party means government by majority rule. That is an indisputalilc proposition. Equally indisputable is it that the principle of majority rule must be extended to the party itself. That is an inevitable corollary of government by majority rule. Kiist, the majority rules in the gen eminent, and, hccondly, the majority controls in the pirty. To dispute these conclusions is in cllect to assert, tlrst, that the minority rules, or ought to rule, in the government, and, secondly, that tlio minority controls, or ought to control, In the parly. This is the leduction and absuidmn to which the arguments of the opponents of the caucus logically reduce iheinsehcs. The writer quoted fiom in Hie beginning nf this article is so befogged as to the nature of the real question as to argue tliat because a majority of the majoiity paity would control in caucus, fhcrefore "the nilnoiity" of the legislature "would dictate tu the majority In the choko of a United Stales senator," That is exactly contrary to the tuitli, because for the minority faction of 'a party to lefuso to go into caucus would be equliulcnt to u demand by the minority that the majority submit to its dil ution, thus setting up minority rule In the pl.no of majority rule. The only way in which the minority faction of the llepublkan paity In the Icgishturo can bicome a pail of the mi jority of the leglslatuio Is by Joining hands witli the majority of their own party, or, If there be enough of thtjiii, by going oier lu the Democrats in n fusion tiinicnicnt, after the maimer of the Silver Hcpublicaus at SI. Louis. Is that what they arc aiming at? The Caucus in Congress. It is loudly claimed by Iho antl-cauius udio cjtes in their desperate t (Torts to sustain an untenable position that the Jlepubllcim paity in congress lias abandoned the caucus. Xotlilng could bo further from the truth, They are sim ply confusing two icry different soils of party meetings, in order to throw dust in uhe eyes of the people, Two kinds of party meeting ate ricognteed by the members nf both political parlies in both brandies of congress. One Is a caucus, (lie oilier a confeicuce. They arc held for dllftmit purposes and tn consider dllfeient liuitttl.-, v;nd the differences between them is as clear and plain as sunlight to all sate those who baling eyes sen not. A caucus is oliiajs held to nominate .1 candidate or landldatei for otlice ami is binding upon every member of iho pirty. The lest of pally fealty iu congress, In both hoiues and with both parlies, consists jn attending the parly caucus and abiding bv the result. This is a plain, simple, unadorned statement of, fact nothing more, nothing less. A ccnfcienee Is held to consider matins of proposed legislation and for that purpose only, and it is ulwajs stated iu advance that its ac tion will nut be binding, and thciefnrc 110 test of party fealty is invohed by .1 loufereme. The speaker of the house, the president pro lempoie of the senate, and the elect he otiiccii of the two houses arc Invariably selected by a caucus of the party liming a majority held In adtanic of the election. The selections thus made become the candidates of the party, and eirry member of the party I icqulrcd to ote for the candi dates tu named under penalty of loss of party -wrung, I 1 l'or mote thin forty jcitis the Hcpublleans when in a majority of the national house of rep roscntatlici liaie selected tlio speaker by 1 caucus, which was held li hind anil did bind every Republican member nf the house lo vote for the candidate named by the caucus. tt ill call the loll: Crow, Colfax, Ill.ilne, Heed, and Henderson, all chosen by caucus, that ter rible "fetich," lo quote the exaggerated phiuse of 11 ncwspipcr, .Republican when party policy accords with its Interests, which "binds the eonsclcmc of the representatlie," nnd enable n "mlnnilty to dlctnle to the majority." The irturgciit argument is tli.it nominations in caucus me made by the minority, but th"j' arc not. If they were, the disorganizing disputants would le found prostrate before the "fetich." Nominations are made Iu uncus by a majority of the caucus, that Is, by a majority of the .iity that hit contiol of the leglsl.Hiie body, and this Is goiernmtnt by majority rule. Conferences Defined. C'onleiences, as already stated, are held by both political pirlles in bolli blanches of con gress to consider matins of legislation. These meetings 111 c not callid caum-es, because they me not binding upon the Indh ldual members of the paity holding them. Tlio meetings of the Republican members of the house last spring nier the l'oilo llican bill were conferences, not c-niitUM.. This wa.s in aeiordanee with the party pulley of both polllleal organizations in congress. Hut hid the matter under eonslileia tlon been the selection of a candidate for office, speaker, clerk, sereant-at-aims, doorkeeper or postmaster, those being the electlic olllcers of the house, the meetings would luiu been cau cuses nud their action would bale been bind ing upon cieiy number of the paity. The dlf fount es between these two forms of meetings held for the eonsldtiatlou of different classes of subjects grows out of the necessities of politics. When it Is 11 question of the election of officers the problem presented is u clear cut party matter In the decision of which theie Is no 1I1 nice of ciaslon nor opportunity for com promise. II Is a straight-out contest, a duel between two antagonistic political foices or pirties, and Iho practical political question, the real and only question Is how best and most surely can the strength of the party be con centialed to gain the lietory. The eperlence of a hundred years teaches that this can be done only by means of the caucus, width Wliitridge tells us, after a calm and dis passionate suney of the whole field of politics, is not only "an indispensable adjunct of party government," but "a necessary consequence of majoiily rule." To brtak down the caucus would be to destroy p.ntv organization and a parly without organization would be as help less as a ship without a ruddei. To cast aside tlio caucus is to 1 educe a contest for office to a scramble between indiiiduals instead of a stiug gle between partic. After a century of polit ical existence? the caucus is the best, iu tact the only feasible, fair and practicable method of deciding hetween the riial candidate; of the same party for the same office. Misrepresentation Corrected. Jluch vocal and manual labor and newspaper space has been wasted on a paiticular ruling and a particular action in Republican 111tin11.1l eon- lentions. Neither his the slightest bearing upon the question of a caucus, but it is just as well to explain wlnt they were. The iiilng was that of Ihe late Hon. Ktlwaul Mcl'heison as picsident of the Cineinuali romention In 1STB. It aiosn oer Ihe demand of two delegates from the Ches ter district of Pen11s.vl1.1nia that Ibeir lolcs be counted as lliey wanted (hem instead of as thj majority of the sl.ito delegation wanted thim east, 'these two delegates had been chosen by a district eomenlion and not by the stale con tention, so that the instructions of the stale con lenton were in no sense binding upon them. Under Mr. JltThei son's ruling tliej were allowed to into as they chose. On the lust Iwo ballots, the question arising nud the iiiling being made cm the first ballot, they otcd with the iet of tlio state delegation for C'neemor llaitranft, and on the othcis for 111 line. The other incident was the action of the Chicago convention of 1S60 in net expelling Mr. Campbell nnd two other dele gates from West Vligina for lefusiug to agiee lo scppoit the nominee of the contention after the onvcntion.by a oto unanimous except for them, had ncrccd to support the nominee, whomsoeter he might be. The contention good natuieclly let them lemain. They were but three out of nearly one thousand delegates and besides were fiom a state rtgaidcd ha j-ear as surely Democraic. These three men were for Blaine and bitterly op posed Genual Grant. Four years later niaine was nominated and a contingent of delegates headed by the late George William Curtis, of New York, and influential by reason of their ability and preiious higlV paity standing refused to abide by the action of the comention and led in the bolt against niaine which gave to tlio country its flist Democratic president since Buchanan twenty-four jcars befoie. It is a similar result at which our anti-caucus minority is aiming? Precedents. After discussing the caucus In congress, Wliit ridge, to the particular confusion of disorgan iers, says: "In Ihe state legislatures the caucus Ostein also prevails, but iu a less degree than in congress. The- authority of the caucus is there mainly invoked iu the selection of candidates for the positions filled by the legislatme itself, It is especially used in selecting the candiditcs for the spcakciship and the United Slates senate." nut, sats the no-caucus writer heretofoie al luded lo, Veimont elects a senator without the Inteiientlon of a caucus. That is the exception that protcs Hie rule, that is all. Vermont, a state in which Hie Republican paily has prac tically no opposition, a stale in which the Deinneialic pirty meets in mass contention In Iliadley Smallet's lncltyatd there's no sating prrcedenl there for insurgents. An instance ino.- in point may no cited fiom North Dakota, A little mote than six liars a?o the Republicans had a small majority iu the North Dakota legU lalure, Theie was a factious minoiity that io dised lo enter the Republican caucus for the nomination of a United Stales sen'itor. After mimemus fruitless ballots enough of the mlnoi lly factlonlsts joined with the Dcmociats to elect Wllll.nn Roach, a Demoirat, and for six jcars ho oeiupied a seal In the United States senate tint by political light belonged lo ihe Republican iily, Is that the suit of thin,' tint l'llnn, Mar tin and their satiaps 111c aiming at? The Majority's Eights. The majority paity In a leaislntltp or pollllcil body is tlio body for all practical purposes. Upon It tests the responsibility of what It has done and what Is not, dom If theie aic rcitatds (o enjoy, Hie mijorlty enjoy them. If theie Is ceiisiue to bj borne the majoiily boars It, The minority party In such a body can only stand by anil criticise, If there are officers to elect the mln oi lly does not expet to elect them, and never does so saie In laie instances tiuough tlio folly or paity treachery of some members nominally of the majoiily who refuse to abide by tlio de cision of their own paity ns aseutalned In can ens. The majorty pirty, being responsible for the nets of omission or commission of the body of which It Is In nominal control, it Is neees siry Iu order to accomplish (he object for which It was elected to llnd and utilize some method of concentrating its stnngth upon n tan. illdate or a lino policy or a leglslathe meusure, A hundred years of political experience has de xeloped that where candidates for any office be. fore a leglslathe body aie concerned, the cau cus is (lie only method by which a political party ran concentrate and command its strength. The conference will answer In matters of policy or legislation, but for the selection of a paity candidate for an elective office before such a body, 'the caucus is the only effcctlto method the wit of man has jet dUotered. The caucus is the invention of necessity the product of polit ical common sense the instrument of the major ity lie cert ant of the people-xobnoxlous only to factlonlsts, disorgauUem and boodlers. John II. Scott. Steamship Arrivals. Uy Excluslte Wire from The Associated Press. New Voik, Dec. 23. Aiiived: Amsterdam, Rot tcidam and Iloulvgue. SAYS CHINA WANTS PEACE Prince China's Comment In Recelv- Ino Prellmlnaru Joint Note of the Powers. LI HUNG CHANG ABSENT His Credentials and an E.xcuso Pre sented by His Colleague Contents of the Note to Be Immediately Communicated to the Emperor and a Speedy Reply Promised French Punitivo Expedition Has a Brush with a Party of Boxers. By Kxcluslic Wire from The Associated Press. Pokln, Dec. 25. The preliminary joint note was delivered today to the Chi nese. Li Hung; Chung found thul he was unable to attend the meeting of the ministers and his credentials and those of Prince Chlttcr were presented by the latter to the foreign envoys. Prince Ching replying to the Spanish minister, Senor 13. J. DeCoIogan, xvho presented the note, .said he would im mediately communicate Us contents to the emperor and assured the ministers that a speedy reply xvas the desire of the court.as It felt that all China wants peace and prosperity. Tien Tsln, Doe. 23. A French de tachment of one hundred men left here Dec. 20 for Hung Tsu, twenty miles westward, to search for arms. Approaching a village across a frozen creak, a force of Boxers opened fin-, killing Lieutenant Cental and wound ing another ollicer. The French burned the village. MILLIONS TO BE IN SUMATRA TOBACCO Experiments Show That It Can Be Grown in Connecticut at a. Net Profit of $900 nn Acre. lly i:e-lu'iie Wiu fmni 'Ihe A.-oihted IVss. Washington, Dec. 25. Milton Whit ney, chief of division of .soils of tins agricultural department, reports :i suc cessful termination of xppriments oondue-tod in co-operaf'ion witli The Connecticut experiment station in the production of Sumatra tobacco near Hartford. One-third of an acre was planted tinder a cheese-cloth shade nine feet high, and cultivated and fer mented under the direction of AI. L. Floyd, tobacco expert of the depart ment. The yield of cured tobacco was seven hundred pounds, making an es timated yield for one acre of 2,100 pounds. The crop has just bpcn sold by L. B, Haas & Co., of Hartford, to Jlltchelson & Hlbbard, of Kansas City, for $473.07, making ait estimated value for one acre of $1,421. The cost of pro duction, including the whole cost of the shade the frame for which will last live years will not excised ?500 per acre, leaving a net profit of over $000 per acre. This was an average price of 71 cents per pound. The crop grown In the same Held without shade, and fermented In the same way, Yielded about the same quantity and brought 27 cents per pound, or at the rate of $507.87 per acre. Deducting the cost of cultivation, fertilization and treating, this would leavsj a profit of about $300 per acre. The ordinary crop of the Connecti cut valley brings the farmer about 20 cents per pound, or $:'.G0 per acre and, deducting the cost of expenses, leuv a profit of about $2G0 per acre. The Sumatia tobacco, grown under shade, has been submitted to New York and Philadelphia business men, and has been pronounced entirely satisfactory and fully equul to imported Sumatra These facts taken In connection with the award nt the Parib exposition of two points for the Florida grown Su matia over that given for the Import ed Sumatra show that we can grow Sumatra tobacco of thu highest qual ity In this country and save our far mers between $6,000,000 and $7,000,000, which Is now sent abinad annually for the foreign-grown leaf. This work Is the result' of the soil survey mad3 in the Connecticut valley two year ago and similar results can bo expect ed only from very similar" areas where the soils and cllmatlo conditions arts pluillur to those in the Connecticut valley and Florida. HANNA PUNCTURES THE LOBBY STORY No Unfair Efforts Ave Being Taken, He Says, to Secure Adoption of the Ship Subsidy Bill. lly Vxduthf Wiio from The Associated I'rcw. Cleveland, Dec. 25. Senator Hunna was informed today of a statement, which Is In circulation to the effect that there was a powerful lobby In favor ot the subsidizing of American shipping at the Philadelphia convention and in Washington. "The only lobby of that hind I know anything about," was the senator's re ply, "wbh 11 lobby of steumshlp com panies, which is trying to defeat the bill. There was no lobby at Philadel phia at alt, The subsidy bill is a busi ness measure und there is no desire to force it through congress. We want it to go through on its merits. It has been three years In preparation and has been amended twenty times. The president In all his messages has urged the necessity of sonio such measure and It was made a plank in the St. Louis platform and the Philadelphia plutform. The detulls are left to con gress to work out." IS THIS A FIX-UP P Alleged Discovery in Kentucky Btato House Which Looks Queer. By Exclusive Wire from The Associated Press. Frankfort, Ky., Dec. 2fi. Ono of the clerks in the state auditors ofllce, In searching the vault for old rccordti today, found a cartridge box contain ing eight motnl patched smokeless powder cartridges, thlrty-clght 'fifty five calibre, corresponding exnetly to the bullet found In the tree and which was believed to have passed through Senator fioebel's body. Th(lgnlflcance of the discovery Ibis In the fact that Henry Youtsey, con victed of participation in the Goebal assnsslnatlon In October, was a clerk In the auditor's ofllce at the time of the nssaslnatlon, nnd had access to the vault whore the cartridges wore found, and that Oeorge Barnot, un other clerk In the oilfce, testified he raw Yotit.sey with a bos oC cartridges. POX HUNTER THROWN AND NECK IS BROKEN Tragic Ending of a Cross Country Bide to Join the Celebrated Chester Valley Hunt. By Inclusive Wire from The Assoel.ited 1'res.s. Philadelphia, Dec. 15. While riding cross country to join the Chester Val ley hunt today, Henry L. Wilbur, aged forty-two years, son of H. O. Wilbur, the well-known cocoa and chocolate manufacturer of this city, was thrown from his horse and killed on the farm of A. J. Cassatt, president of the Pennsylvania railroad, near Valley Forge. Air. Wilbur, who lived at Bryn Mawr, started out on a magnificent horse, ac companied by T. N. McCartney, an other huntsman. They were too late for the start at Stafford, a suburb or this city, wlieio the thirty-four hounds were .released. The two men caught sight of the forward fox hunters on the Cassatt farm and galloped at great speed to catch up with them. On the farther side of the property there Is a three-foot rail fence and beyond this a ditch. Mr. Wilbur's horse took the ob struction easily, but in landing beyond the ditch one of the horse's ,'orwurcl feet sank into a small hole. Mr. Wilbur was pitched forward and thrown headlong to the ground, where he lay uncins-clous. He was hurried toward Devon, but Ills c mdition grew worse and he tiled in a farm house. The exact cause of death Is not known, but it is believed to have occurred from a broken neck. He leaves a widow. STATE DEPARTMENT IS MAKING MONEY It Collects Annual Griest's Fees Nearly Twice Its Expenses Secretary Views Upon Ballot Reform. fly i:elusie Wiie ficiu 'Ihe Associated 1'rpf.s. Harrlshuig, Dec. 25. A summary of the business tiansaeted by the state department during the past two years is lurnlshed by Secretary Orient in his biennial report to Governor Stone. During this period 1,439 charters wore granted under the corporation ' net of 1.X71, and charters were gtante.J to SV locomotive railroads and to 12S street railroads. There were S.171 commissions issued from Dec. 1, 189(1, until Dec. 1, 1900. Secretary Grlest says there has been a growth during the past two years In the number ot papers filed which nearly doubled tho work of the ofllce, all of which was accomplished without an increase In the number of employes. The depart ment Is now not only on a secure self sustaining basis, but is a source of 1 revenue to the state, the collection of fees alone being $7l',O0O In excess of the ordinary expenses of the office during the period covered by the report. The secretary rays that corporat3 actions now pending Indicate thatdur ing the Incoming year the bonus col lections through the provisions of the act of Mny :i, 1899, will be double the collections of the year just clooi, thoteby making those collections near ly If not quite four hundred per cent, greater than they were at the time of Governor Stone's Induction Into of llce. The number of commissions issued during the tlrst two years of the pres ent administration exceeds by 1,971 the number Issued during the correspond ing putiod of the ptevlous administra tion. 1 Mr. Grlest says the cost of advertis ing the proposed constitutional amend ments will not exceed $30,000, which is $20,(0 less than tho original estimate. He says an adequate remedy should be devised and applied to prevent er rors In transciiblne bills and that the rooms occupied by tho department, al though completed for occupancy but seven years ago, are Inadequate, He says also that tho present ballot system has been almost wholly unsat isfactory to tho steto department by reason of the complexity nnd ambigu ity of those provisions which devolve duties on that ofllce and tho contrari ety of judicial Interpretations placed upon them. "Inasmuch, however," he adds, "as legislative consideration will bo given this subject during the ap proaching session, I refrain from com ment or recommendation other than to say that u ballot enactment which will combine the simplicity of the old sys tem with sufllclent safeguards for an honest result will, In my Judgment, subserve the best interests of the peo ple of this commonwealth." DEATHS OF A DAY, By Exclusive Wire from The Associated Trees. London, Dec. 25. The Dowager Lady Churchill, senior lady of tliu bed chamber and uu intimate friend of the uiui, was found dead 'in her bed. room at Osborne this mornliv . Jlllwaulee, Dec, 21. Colonel Hinry I). Har 'ihaw, fonncr state treasurer of Wisconsin, diet! in Miluuukeo today at the residence of his daughter, i'eilunel lIjrBluu's home was In Oshkosh. Ho beiud in the ron brigade during the civil uor. CHRISTMAS IN MANY LANDS Interesting Features o? Its Celebra tion as Gleaned In Va rlons Gountrles. JOLLITY WORLD WIDE Wife of the President of France Gave 7,000 Francs to Needy Widows In Russia Prince and Peasant Dined Alongside in Newly Opened People's Palace Presidont McKinley Passod the Day Quietly in His Family Circle-Other Ways of Celebrating. By Inclusive Wire fiom The Assoel.ited Press. Paris, Dec, 25. Chiistmus-tlde was favored In France with bright, cheer ful weather end Parisians celebrated It In characteristic fashion. All the restaurants and cafes were crammed Christmas eve with festive supper par ties, which did not 'l-'sperse until early this morning. At midnight masses with special musical attractions filled the leading churches to overflowing. The charitable side of the festival was represented by numbers of free meals nnd seasonable gifts to poor families and outcasts. Madame Loubet gave 7,000 francs to be used for the relief of widows in necessitous circumstances. In Russia. St. Petersburg, Dec. 23. The Prince of Oldenbourg, president of the gov ernment temperance committee, at noon today declared the People's pal aen open to the public. After the In augural ceremonies, the prince and twenty of the higher army officers, in cluding the commanding generals along with high officials, noblemen and ladles, dined side by side with upas ants and the families of worklngmcn. President McKinley'c Christmas. Washington, Dec. 25. Christmas day was geneially observed here, all of the churches holding special services. At. the white house the president and Airs. McKinley had with them as guests at dinner this evening Surgeon lionet nl and Mrs. Sternberg, Or. and Mrs. Itixey, Mrs. O. S. Hirstan, General Corbln and Secretary and Mrs. Cor telyou. The president did not go to church, but ie and" Mrs. McKinley took two drives out into the country during the day. Secretary nnd Mrs. Hay, Postmaster General and Airs. Smith and Representative Payne, of New York, called on them. The government departments were closed and until late in the day the streets ptesented an almo.-it deserted appearance. Salvation Army Dinner. New York, Dec. 25. One of the chief features of Christmas clay in New Yoik city an-i its vicinity was the flno weather. Of all the set Christmas feasts that of the Sulvation Army at Madison Square garden this even'n? was the largest. A bountiful Christ- n,us dinner was served to about 4,000 persons, men, women and children. The cost was defrayed from a fund of about $r,000, collected by the army chlelly tiuough the kettles, which for several weeks 'have hung from tripods In various parts of tho city, to receive contributions "to keep the Christmas pot boiling." GAPE COLONY IS IN THE BALANCE Energetic Steps Have Been Taken to Stem the Invasion Danger That the Boors Will Get Through. By Kxclusho Wiie from The Associated Ires3. London, Dec. 23. The position of Capo Colony Is hanging In the balance. According to the Morning Post's Capo Town correspondent, everything de pends upon tho quantity of ammuni tion In possession of tho disloyal Dutch residents, 1,."00 of whom havu joined tho Doors in tho Phlllpstown district alone. Knergctlo measured have been taken to stem tho invasion, but there Is unquestionably danger that parties of Roers will get through Into parts of the colony nnd gradual ly raise the whole Cape Into rebellion. Reinforcements can urrlvo none too soon. Most of tho dispatches from Cape Town, however, descilbo the raiders as doing little harm' and as being rapidly iinoiu3ii't by Lord Kitchener's combina tion. Lord Kitchener Is In tho heart of tho disaffected districts. He has the advantage of being personally ac quainted with local conditions. Last March he supervised tho suppression of the rising which occurred then. Ho Is bringing down thousands of troops from tho north. Tho Standard's Cape Town corre spondent says the local loyalists de mand that martial law shall be De claimed throughout Cape Colony, but adds: "Such a stop Is now tmposs,ble, owlntr to the lack of sufficient troops to enforce It," Cape Town, Dec, 25. Fighting Is going on near Do Aar. Particulars are unobtainable. Two hundred Roers have left Brltstown, after commandeering all supplies available. Promotion for D. H. Bacon. By KxclufcUe Wire from The Associated I'.rtss. Puluth, Minn., Dec. 23. I). II, llaeon, of Dulutli, who has been president of the Minnesota lion company for tho past ten jeais, will on Feb. 1 resign his present position to become chairman of the board of directors of tho Ten nessee Coal, Iron and itailroad company, Mr. Bacon will reside In New York city and will have the direction and management of all the departments of tlio companj's busline THE NEWS THIS MORNING. Weather InJIcitlons Toiay, FAIR J WE3TeRLY WINDS. 1 General Party Caucus an Indispensable Ad junct to Party Government. I'rlnco Chlus Says Chlnt Wants Peace. The Newspapers of the Future. Christmas Ohservnnce in Many Lands. 2 General Carbondalc Department. 3 Local Christmas Kterclsra In Cliuich and Sunday School. Mention of Some Men of tlio Hour. 4 Killtoilnl. Note and Comment. 5 Local Imported Trolley Men Come and Go, N'o Score in the Foot Ball Game. 0 Local Weat Scranton and Suburban. 7 General Northeastern Pennsylvania. 8 Local Live Newi of the Labor World. INDIANA'S TURN TO HAVE A RACE WAR Owing to Clash Originating in Drunken Spree Village of Comont- ville Is in a Stato of Terror. By Exclusive Wire from Tlio Associated Press. Jeffersonville, Intl., Dec. 23. A race war Is In progress at Cemontville, a small station on the Pan Handle road, five miles north of this city, and seri ous trouble is expected, The negroes are armed and the whites are keeping within doors to avoid them. The out break began yesterday afternoon, when I-ee Hanger and John Redmond, ne gross, became Intoxicated and started In to Intimidate whites. When their insults were resented other negroes joined Ranger and Redmond and cap tured Samuel Kendall's saloon. Near ly twenty shots were fired, but no one' was hurt. An appeal by telephone was made to Sheriff 'Rave for help and he drove to Cementvllle and to some extent quieted the negroes while he was pres ent. After his departute another out break took place and message after message came to the local police to send men to the town. Ranger was shot by Kendall, but how badly is not known, us lie was carried away and secreted by his companions. Kendall's life .was threatened and about mid night he managed to escape from his store and came direct to this city, awakening Prosecutor Montgomery, and begging him to issue warrants and have deputy sheriffs sworn in to serve them. It wan almost daylight when the community became quiet, the negroes having everything their own way. So far today no outlncak has taken place. The whites are Intimidated 10 such an extent that Uiey are using every pos sible precaution to prevent a collision. POSTAL EMPLOYES STRIKE BUT LOSE Overworked Registry Clerks in Chi cago Take This Method of Calling Attention to Grievances. fly Ilxcliusiic Wire from The As.iociatrd Picss. Chicago, Dei-. i'S. A strike among the clerks of the registry department of the postotllce department yesterday menaced for a time the prompt deliv ery of thousands of Christmas gifts. Kxtra hours of work was the griev ance of a score of operatives, who dur ing the holidays have been compelled to labor fourteen hours a day. The trouble was quickly adjusted by the postotllce authorities, who suspended the leader of the strikers. The rank and file of the protesting clerks then returned to their labors. Superintend ent Mnrr, of the registry department, said: The malts were Hooded tills .icar and there Is no other way than to make the clerks wok. We aie li.iiiilltntr W per cent, moic woil; this jcar than in ib.M. I liavo tliirty-idx men asktiiiR llic Hltular force, nnd I would add more but for the fact that theie ure no experienced hands .unli able and I cannot break in ureen ones, Some of the employes complained but later returned to work and I anticipate no further trouble. The leader of tho btill.erd refused to work any longer and of cour.se lie had to be suspended, BOUTELLE TO RESIGN. Document Will Be Tendered Before March 4. By Exclusive Wire from Tlio Associated Press. Washington, Dec. 23. The resigna tion of Captain Charles A. Boutelle, of Bangor, Maine, as a member of tho house for the Fifth-seventh congress, will be tendered ubout March 4, ac cording to an understanding with President McKinley. Thu resolution passed by congress n few days ago through tho efforts of Senator Halu and others of the Maine delegation authorizing tho appoint ment of Captain Boutelle to the re tired list of the navy with tho rank of captain, will ho clfectlvo before that time. The president, however, will not make tho appointment till the resig nation from the house occurs. BRYAN'S CHRISTMAS CHEER, Tells His Followers That Victory Is Only a Matter of Time. By Exeluslic Wire from Tho Associated Press. Leavenworth, Kan., Dec. 23, AVll lllam J, Bryan today, wiring from Lincoln, Neb., to the Evening Stand ard, states the following: I'lrass present Krcctinirs to my poltlcal friends ot I.eaienworth und of Kansa. Tho principles of Dinuitrae bllll lhc and the pollcleit for which the fusion forces fumjlit wl Jet be Indicated. Wc ran inter tho tiuntl th lenlury wlih the cn. fldciit bi'llil that the pcoplo will toon return to the tcaclilnus uf the lathci'd and to the tri dllons ot the republic," Funeral of Murdered Auditor. By Cxcushe Wire fiom The Associated Press. Clei eland, Dec. 25. Ihe body of Frank II. Jlonls, tho murdered auditor of thu wat dc partmtnl, was brought here today from Wiwliltu; ton, be-liif accompanied by the widow and on of the deceased. Ilrief (mural services were held lu the chapel at Lukeiiew cemetery. NEWSPAPERS OF NEXT CENTURY Will Be Printed in Compact and Handu Pamphlet Form with Complete Index. ISSUED SIMULTANEOUSLY That Is to Say, One Immense Pub lishing' Concern, Owning Its Own Paper Mills, Ink Foundries, Ma chine Shops, News Service and Plenty of Labor-Saving Machin ery, Will Have Duplicate Plants in Many Cities and Control the Newspaper Field So Bays tho Publisher of the London Daily Mail. By Exclusive Wire from The Associated Press. New York, Dec. 25. Alfred Harms worth, editor and proprietor of tha London Dally Mall, who Is a passenger on the Teutonic, due In Now York to morrow, has contributed to the Janu ary number of the North American Re view an article on what ho calls ths "Simultaneous 'Newspapers of the Twentieth Century." Mr. Harmsworth expresses the opinion that in spite of all the progress that has been made In the development of newspapers hitherto, we are still merely at the fringe of journalistic development. Mr. Harmsworth takes exception to the hopelessly clumsy shape of tho ordinary newspaper. "With the news paper of the whole civilized world be fore me," ho stiys, "each week I look In vain for any great and Impressive stroke of originality or daring. We still cling to the clumsy and awkward shape In which our newspapers are issued, and the man who has attempt ed to manipulate one of them on a. windy day will best, appreciate the force of my remarks. By the use o Improved machinery It would be possi ble to issue the newspaper of the fu ture in what Is obviously its proper form a small, portable and neatly in dexed publication." Power of tho Press. Tito power of tlio press is not what It used lo be, is Mr. Harmworth's opinion. This, ho says, Is especially tine of Kngland, where the editorial or leader, which was formerly read and quoted by nil men of intelligence, is now scaicely glanced at. Tho great cry Is for news. Mr. Harmsworth pays a high trib ute to the prcs-s of the United States, as being, in one respect, far in ad vance of Ihe press of his country. "The question," he says, "what to put befoie the qublic and In what manner to place It before them Is one that calls for tho keenest acumen and best Judgment on the part of the news paper director. Heie. undoubtedly, tho press of the United States Is in advance of that of Great Britain. The Instinct that tells what is news, and how the public will best take it, is not given to every writer. There Is a great art in feeling the pulse of the people." Journals of tho Future. Predicting what the journals of tho twentieth century will be, he rays: "t feel certain that the nuwspaper oC tho twentieth century will bo drawn into the vortex of combination and centralization. In fact, given the man, the capital, the organization and tho occasion, there seems to be no reason why one or two newspapers may not presently dominate great sec tions of the United States, or almost the whole of Great Britain. In other words, wheio there are now a multi tude of papers, good, bad and indif ferent, there will then bo ono or two great journals. The method by which such journals would be established would be precisely those employed in the formation of the ordinary trust. Possessing Its own cables, wires, dis patch boots and special trains, tho simultaneous newspaper concern, would soon have its own paper mlll.i, printing ink factories, machinery shops and the like. "Tho simultaneous newspaper would represent a standard of excellence which has never beforo been attained: and with Its vast resources It would be ablo to carry out on an unprece dented scale enterprises outside of tho strict newspaper Held, Influencing Public Opinion. "Mr. Pulitzer's wonderful stroke of journalistic genius In connection with tho bond Issue. Mr. Hearst's successful nppeal to the people on tho war issue between tho United States and Snaln and tho work of British newspapers In connection with tho South African campaign go to show what can bu done In tho direction of Influencing publlo opinion even under existing circum stances. Imagine, then, the Influence which would be exerted If an over whelming majority of the newspapers In the United States spoko with the samo voice, supported the samo prin ciples and enunciated the samo policy, Such a state of things would bo a ter ror to evildoers nnd to tho supporters of anything Inimical to the common wealth." Mr. Harmaworth Is strongly of tho opinion that tho newspaper fehould not be partisan ,ln u political sense, but should endeavor to represent tho will of the people, m 1 - - --"--tt WEATHER FORECAST. f . f Washington, Dec. 23. r'orecait for eastern I'rniuyhanla: Fair Wednesday and Thursday; probably preceded by wiow Wednesday moinius In uoitheru poitlon; colder in northern portion; fieili west erly winds. tt -f-r-f -r t ttii - .V" s eu. , , -iiMjiit ,'