OUR AMERICAN LETTER.

Evening Star, Issue 8553, 27 June 1891, Page 1 (Supplement)

OUR AMERICAN LETTER.

Keokuk, lowa (U.S.A.), May 24. THE BACKDOWN OF ITALY. The Bombaatea Furioao performance of Italy over the New Orleans lawlessness is ended. Premier Rudini and his colleagues have discovered that they had misunderstood the position taken by the United States in that matter. They had supposed that the Amerioan Government declined to admit that the death of naturalised Italians should be made the subject of jadioial investigation. What the United States did say, through Secretary Blaine, was that they could give no aßsuranoe of punishment. Mr Blaine stated a constitutional limitation and a moral truth. Premier Rudini misconstrued the language into a declaration that the American Government would make no effoit whatever to procure justice for the families of the Italians who were butchered in New Orleans after trial and acquittal by the law courts. Mr Blaine's reply to Italy's demand is clear, comprehensive, forcible, and sound. The Italian subjeots who fell in New Orleans stand in precisely the same position that they would had they been full fledged oitizens of the United States. The only action that could be taken would be the indictment of such rioters as could be identified and brought to trial before a petty juiy. Beyond this, neither the' State of Louisiana nor the Government of the United States oan go. The United States is as powerless in the matter as the King of Italy is himself. The General Government have no jurisdiction over such offences in the several States. The bluster and hot haste of the Italian Government were, to say the least, a blunder, with reference to which there is a paragraph in Mr Blaine's letter that deserves circulation as a proverb: "The impatience of the aggrieved may be natural, but its indulgence does not always secure the most substantial juatioe." There will be no war, and we feel relieved. Italy has one of the finest navies in the world, and our fortifications for the protection of our many seaboard cities are sadly out of repair. The report of the New Orleans grand jury who investigated the riot has bsen made public, and sounds more like a lawyer's brief in defeuce of the mob than an honest effort to find out and indict the guilty parties. The grand jury assume that all the people, if any, are guilty, and that it is impossible to present indictments against the whole people; therefore they adjourned without presenting anybody. BUSINESS AND CROrS, The business prospects of the country are looking up. Everyone seems to have an inspiring hope of good times coming. Stocks are active and steadily advancing. Legitimate trade, however, is not so lively. A late spring rr.akes dull trade, and merchants are cautious. Money is easy and plentiful, while the Government are adding L 1,000,000 legal tender to the currency every month. The promise of winter wheat presents a condition surpassing the most sanguine expectation to be the largest yield for many years. The reports from Europe indicate a large deficiency in wheat for Russia, Germany, Holland, Belgium, and Roumauia. Wheat is sold now ia Chioago for May delivery at an advance of 25c per bushel. The lifting of Germany's embargo on ; American pork has sent the price up 15c per lOOib. Present indications are that wealth is about to flow into the pockets of success- : ful Amerioan farmers, and, through them, good fortune to the entire country. The : recent alliance of France and Russia on the one hand, and Germany and Great Britain , on the other, together with the active pre- , paration made by these Powers for war, is taken as a hint by our people to have plenty • for the market, oa the principle " It'u aa ill , wind that blaws naebody guid." ; GOLDWIN SMITH ON CANADA. I Canada needs to be saved from its friends. : Professor Goldwin Smith has written a book | on 'Canada and the Canadian Question.' It is an able book, full of information, and i written in that charming style so peculiar to the author; but after perusing it many i will be disappointed. It is simply special pleading for annexing Canada to the United States. No matter what the line of his thought, his main object is alwayß apparent. When he describes the extent and boundaries of the Dominion he shows that it ia a part of the great American Continent, which, he thinks, naturally and legitimately should belong to one nation. When he describes the monarchial Government of Great Britain, ,l where the Queen reigns but does not govern." and the Constitution of the Dominion, where Bhe is " represented by a governor-general, who does the same," and who." solemnly delegates his impotent influence to a puppet lieutenant-governor in each province," he attempts to belittle everything pertaining to them, while exalting the Government of the United States. The Canadian question, which occupies the major portion of tho book, is a long, ingenious, and well sustained argument for annexation. Nowhere does he even hint that Canada might prefer independence to annexation. He has evidently overshot his mark, NEWFOUNDLAND FISHERY TROUBLES. An old treaty gives the French a foothold on the island and the right to catch-and cure fish. A later promise in interpretation of the treaty was made to the effact that the British Government guaranteed to the French the full exercise and enjoyment of treaty privileges. This is like giving a neighbor's children the right to play in your garden and forbidding your own children to molest them, or the neighbor demanding that your children shall not play there at all. The lobster fishery, which had no existence when the treaty was made, and has only become important through the energy and enterprise of the Newfoundlanders, has been suppressed by the British naval officers aa being an interference with French rights on the shore. The people of Newfoundland feel outraged and are aDgry. The British Government, having so many colonial questions to manage in regions as remote from their knowledge as tho orbits of the planets, have paid very little attention to this really grave question. CANADA. A late report places the debt of the Dominion at L 46,854,600, or very nearly LlO per capita, and the end is not yet. The Canadian Parliament, now in session, has a first-class political scandal on its hands. Mr J. Israel Tarte, editor of ' Le Canadion' and member from Montmorency, rose in his seat the other day and charged Mr Thomas M'Greevy, also a member of Parliament, with raking in over L 40.000 through his intimacy with Sir Hector Langevin, Minister of Public Works, and by furnishing contractors with secret and confidential information of which Sir Hector was cognisant. The specific charge is that Mr M'Greevy got himself appointed a member of the Harbor Commission of Quebec, and that in this capaoity he secured valuable contracts for the firm of Larkin, Connolly, and Co., of which his brother is a member, and that he profited largely by these transactions. Sir Hector is also charged with having guilty knowledge of these transactions and of sharing the "boodle." It ia through a quarrel between the alleged guilty parties that the scandal was made public. Both parties have entered a denial, and court investigation, which will be had, as the matter has been referred to a select committee. The * Toronto Globe' thinks it is unfortunate that Sir Hector should have limited his denial to receiving any of the money for his own use, profit, and advantage, and boldly intimates that the money was used as a corruption fund in the recent elections; in other words, that the money was received from the contractors for the corrupt purpose of debauching constituencies, which, if anything, is worse than the original aceußatioD. [A. late cablegram intl- ! mates that the charges have been proved, and Sir Hector Langevin has been dismissed from the Ministry.—Ed. E.S.] The Canadian Parliament is flooded with petitions for the total prohibition of the \ manufacture, sale, and importation of in- ' toxicating liquors. There is not, however, much expectation that the prayer of the petitions will be granted. In the last Parliament a straight resolution in favor of , Prohibition was defeated by a vote of 99 to I 59 in the Lower House. The Prohibitionists ■ have made some gains in the present : Parliament, but not enough to overcome the majority against them. Sta- > tistics recently published show that tho I drinking capacity of the Canadians was last year 3Jgal of beer per oapita, or about

16gal to the man $ one-tenth of a gallon of wine and lgal of spirits per capita, or about sgal to the man. The quantity of whisky produoed last year was 6,091,475 proof gallons. The quantity imported was 1,596,40jrgal of wine and whisky, and 384,662f1al of ale, beer, and porter. The priuoipaj increase of consumption has been in beer. In 1885 it was 2|gal per oapita. It has gained steadily every year, and is now as stated, 3&gal per oapita, while the consumption of spirits shows no sign of increasing. On the whole the pious Cannucks swallow-about as muoh vile intoxicants as their wickeder neighbors south of the Line, TROUBLE IN THE CHURCHES. All around the theological horizon dark olouds are gathering and portending a storm. In the Protestant Episcopal or English Church.the Macquiry heresy has been followed by numerous other cases, Drs Herber, Newton, and Rainsford (of New ■. York) will Bhortly be on the rack for violations' of the discipline and usage of the ohuroh by association and fraternising with other shepherds not of their fold. Another prominent divine is acouaed of unoanonioal practices bordering on Roman Catholicism. The professors in the theological school at New York were shocked recently to find that some of their students left the seminary at the dead hour of night, and gone to a Roman priest to be received into that communion.

In a recent famous novel, by Mrs Humphrey Ward, there was introduced an illusion to a brotherhood of monks of the Episcopal Churoh. That was not, as the reader of 'Robert Elsmere' might have thought, a fancy. There was such an organisation when Mrs Ward wrote her book, but its members have since all passed over into the Roman Catholic Church except one, Father Ignatius. He is now in this oountry holding meetings in New York and Brooklyn, that are largely attended. He wants to re-establish, as a part of Christian continuity within the Protestant Episcopal Church, all the usages of the church when it was Catholic, except the acknowledgment of Papal supremacy, The rock-ribbed Baptist Churoh has also been invaded by heresy, The Rev. Dr Boardman, of New York, has resigned his pastorate because he no longer believes iu hell, He has been followed by the Rev. A. J. Bonsai, of Rochester, Pa., who declared from his pulpit that there is nothing positive as to the authorship of the books of the Bible ; that he did not believe that St, Paul was inspired; that he did not believe that Jesus Christ when on earth was conscious of being God ; and that the Bible should be put into & crucible and its dross expunged. The staid and steady old Presbyterian Church, that is so conservative, and the last to move in any direction, besides having the revision of its Confession of Faith on hand, is all torn up because the Rev. Dr Briggs, one of the tutors in its theological school, has been found to be unsound. The Presbytery of New York have suspended his chair, preferred charges, and cited him for trial. President Hastings and Professors Schaff, Vincent, and Prentiss, of the Union Theological School, have come forward in hia defence, and the controversy is becoming so fierce and partisan that it promises to bo as bitter as that which separated the church into the old and new schools.

The indictment of Professor Briggs, of New York Presbytery, was ordered by a vote of 44 to 30. That it may be clearly understood, tho expressions of Professor Brigga should be kept dearly in view. Ist. He assumed that the three great fountains of divine authority are the Bible, the church, and reason. 2nd. There are errors in the Scriptures that'jio one has been able to explain away, and the theory that they were not in the original text ia sheer assumption, upon which no mind can rest with certainty. 3rd. That there is no authority in the Scriptures or in the creeds of Christendom for the doctrine of immediate sanctification at death, and that the only sanctification known to experience, to Christian orthodoxy, and to the Bible is progressive sanctification. These are the issues upon which the professor is to be tried.

The 103 rd General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church meet in the city of Detroit, Michigan, next week. The revision of the Confesßion of Faith and the trial of Professor Brigg3 for heresy will give opportunity for debate by the ablest and most scholarly minds in this grand old church, THE NICARAGUA SHIP CANAL.

The party of engineers and capitalists who left New York some time since to inspect the route of the proposed canal and the work already accomplished have returned, and the president of the company ,(ex-Senator Warner Miller, of New York) brings cheering reports of its progress. The entire line of the canal from the Atlantic to the Pacific (170 miles) was gone over, of which thero are but twenty-nine miles of actual excavation, sixty-four miles being river, fifty-six and a half miles of ;lake, and twenty and a-half artificial basin navigation. The construction parties thus far have been engaged in piers, barracks, workshops, storehouse, and railway. The dredges have excavated half a mile to a depth of 17 ft. Another set of dredges will follow immediately, when the full depth of 30ft will be reached. In the course of the interview Mr Miller said : " Tho entire party wore greatly pleased with their trip across the country, and all of the engineers expressed themselves as entirely satisfied of the feasibility of the route and of the perfection of the plans of the engineers of the canal. In addition to the several surveys of this route made by the United States Government since 1872, the present company have spent nearly three years of time and employed a large number of engineers in the field, and no work of any great magnitude has ever been so thoroughly surveyed and studied in advance of its execution as this. The party expressed great satisfaction at the quantity, character, and stability of the work that had been done at Greytown, In addition to what I have already mentioned, the company have established machine shops and store houseß, built docks and wharves for unloading vessels, and constructed fifty buildings, including warehouses, offices for engineers, quarters for the men, and railroad terminals, besides locomotive houses and other structures necessary to carry on the work of the railroad. Personally I was much I knew before going that the work had been done; but, after my examination upon the ground, I found that it exceeded my own expectation. The party was much interested in Nicaragua, and gave much attention to the development of the country and its products. Nicaragua seems to be prosperous at the present time, and the growing of coffee is largely increasing in the face of rising prices. We were most cordially received by the people everywhere. They were deeply interested in the construction of the canal, knowing that it would develop tho country and add to their wealth. In conclusion, I must say that I am thoroughly satisfied of the entire feasibility of the plan for building the canal, and I believe that the cost will be less than our estimates. All of the work has been below the estimates of our engineers, and I have no doubt of the ultimate success of the enterprise." The Secretary of the Navy, in a conversation with Mr Miller, said that " we must maintain two navies—one on the Pacifio Coast and one on the Atlantic—or else we must build the Nicaragua Canal." Thus it is being seen that the oanal is both a commercial and military necessity, and the next Congress will find no difficulty in authorising the bond guarantee asked for to make the canal a substantial fact. THE BEHRING SEA QUESTION is still open. The diplomatic correspondence on the subjeot between Lord Salisbury and Mr Blaine is both voluminous and interesting. They are not nearly so far apart as they were at first ; the tendency ia toward arbitration. The propositions involve an inquiry as to the rights claimed by Russia, with the express or implied consent of Great Britain, in the waters of Bebring Sea while they were in Russian control, and a determination by the arbitrating Power as to the title of the United States acquired by the purchase of Alaska. If it should appear th»t Russia did not have or exercise such rights as the United States now claims, then the question will arise: " What new rights are necessary to the United States for the protection of the sealß whioh breed upon the Aleutian Islands after they have left their breeding places ?" Against the British plea of a limitation of American power to the traditional three-mile line, Mr Blaine presents the fact of Great Britain's

claim to marine jarlidiotion over 2,700 square miles of open water adjoining some of her Sootoh fisheries. Lord Salisbury adds a new proposition to the effeot that if judgment be given against the United States by the arbitrating Power, then each Power shall award the measure of damage to be paid by the United States to the owners of Canadian vessels seized by its orders as poaohers upon its seal reserve in the waters of Behring Sea. To whioh Mr Blaine assents, upon condition that if judgment be given in favor of the United States the British Government shall pay full value for all sealskins taken by its own sealing vessels or by those of its Canadian colonists while the Aleutian Islands have been United States property. The publication of the correspondence by autho:ity of Mr Blaine may be accepted as evidence of the willingness of the British Government to submit the questions to arbitration in the manner and form desired by the Administration of the United States. THE EFFECTS OF RECIPROCITY. The benefits of reciprocity, under the recent treaty with the Republic of Brazil, may be seen clearly, and its effect upon the Amerioan markets is distinctly felt. Sugar retails at five cents a pound, or 22ilb for a dollar, American currency. The outgoing steamers for South American ports are laden with every conoeivable article of manufacture and American products. Lard in cases and kegs from the Ohio and Mississippi Valleys; glassware from Pittsburg ; Eoap from Chicago ; telephones and telegraph supplies from Philadelphia; gymnasium outfits from Detroit; turpentine from North Carolina; wheat and corn starch from lowa and Kansas; washers and wringers from Maine; tobacco from Virginia and Kentucky ; perambulators from Wisconsin; codfish from Massachusetts; wheelbarrows from Connecticut; fans and brass jewellery from New Jersey; cotton goods, cigarettes, post-hole diggers, and windmills from New York. A new treaty with Spain, applicable to Cuba, has just been concluded, and it will go into effeot on July 1, and continue for one year. This provides for the free entry into the United States of sugar, cocoa, honey, coffee, and a low rate on tobacco and iron ore. In exchange, the Spanish Weßt Indies will receive from the United States coal, ice, woods, boots and shoes, fresh and salt meats, butter and drippings, and flour reduced from 3dol a barrel to l£dol per barrel of 1961b.

Corresponding reciprocity treaties with other South American nations are being negotiated, and will go into effect as rapidly as possible, so that the new policy will have passed the expeiimental line before Congress meets in December. THE AMERICAN WOOL MARKET. The flood of imported foreign wools which began in December, immediately after the passage of the now famous M'Kinley Bill, continues to rise higher and higher. The following tables, compiled from the revenue department of the Treasury, shows the imports of wools of the first-class for the first three months of the year, and also of 1890:CLABS I.—CLOTHING WOOLS. 1890. 1891. January 318,545 2,230,229 Februiry- .. .. 804,435 2,109,299 March „ .. .. 2,522,501 8,52.,202 Totals .. .. 3,645,479 12,871,700 Fiscal year ended June 30,1890 _ 16,649,480 The duty on this class of wools was advanced 25 per cent, and a more rigid classification ordered, so as to keep them out altogether, or at least seriously check importation, and thereby force up the price of domestic wool. The imports have increased more than threefold, This remarkable increase grows out of the fact that the manufacturers of cloths found out soon after the M'Kinley Bill went into effect that, buying a handsome Australian wool which cost 20c, or with duty 32c, and mixing it with coarser American wools or with the imported carpet wools, they t could do without the fancy fleeces of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Michigan, which was costing 50c per lb, and turn out a fabric which, as far as looks went, equalled anything made from American wool. • : , ; The following table shows the importation' of second-class wools for the first quarter qf this and last year : CLASS lI.—COMBING WOOLS. IS9O. IS9I. January .. -. .. 271,227 108,536 February 95,217 405,376 March 84,084 514,512 Total .. .. 451,128 1,128,424 This is the grade which most seriously supplants Michigan and Ohio wools. The following table gives the importation of third-class or carpet wools, which has also increased enormously : CLASS 111.-CARPET WOOLS. 1890. IS9I. January 7,327,975 9,430,918 February.. _ .. 4,314.954 <J,-i74,335 March 4,118,919 8,277,409 Total .. .. 15,761,848 26,988,662 Fiscal year ending June 30,1890 .. 80,851,259 The duty on this class of wools is an ad valorem, and was advanced 8 per cent, on some grades and over 20 on others, Yet it has been found impossible to keep them out. The following shows the importation of all three clasees : WOOL IMPORTS OF ALL CLASSES. 1890. 1191. January 7,917,747 11,881,683 February .. .. 6,214,604 11,789,010 March 6,726104 17,318,183 Three months .. 19,858,455 40,988,876 The American wool-growers east of the Mississippi River who, under the leadership of Delano, made all the clamor at the last CoDgress to advance the tariff, are losing the market by their stupid folly. They are offering their fleeces for 4c and 5c per lb less than last year, and find few buyers. They must lower their price, which is already .below the cost of production, or go out of the business, except a 9 an incident of mutton product, and leave the growing of wool to the ranch men of the arid regions beyond the Missouri River. THE REPUBLICAN PARTV'.S POLICY. The elections which occurred immediately i after the adjournment of the last Congress, and the disastrous result to the dominant party, set the leaders thinking, and then to action. There is an undercurrent of thought and political sentiment that is drawing the party leaders and the people nearer together, with a unification of aim and purpose, to present about the following distinctive features of national policy, preparatory for the contest of 1892 ; 1. Moderate Custom-house duties, for the purpose of revenue and protecting the American working men and manufacturers from ruinous competition. The duties to be scaled down to equalise the conditions between this and foreign countries. Higher duties only tend to foster trusts and combinations, that do away with honest competition.

2, Recripocal freetrade with all countries supplying non-competitive products, and raw materials not produced in this country profitably, or in such quantities or variety necessary to enable our own manufacturers to turn out manufactuced articles as cheaply as other countries; and the making of agreements with such countries by which their ports will be open to our surplus products, and provide new markets for our breadstuff's and other farm products. 3. The building up of a mercantile steam marine, which will find a profitable and increasing trade under the new policy.

4. The construction, by the aid of the national credit, of the Nicaragua ship canal to bind the eastern and western seaboards together more closely without the necessity of rounding Cape Horn. This canal finished will add to the security of the nation in case of war, and increase its prospeiity in peace. 5. The fortification of our ports and the strengthening of our coast defences, and arming them with the most approved modern guns. 6. The construction of such a navy that in time of war can destroy the enemy's commerce, and be able to resist any line of battle-ship made, and to enable this country to enforce the "Monroe doctrine" against any European Power that may wrongfully aggress upon our sister republics. 7. The maintenance of an honest ourrency (bi-metalism), but not silver (monometalism), silver and paper to be as good as gold; honest money, honest trade in honest goods, the maintenance of public and private faith, and the prompt punishment of fraud and cheating of every sort. There will be a strong and determined effort to ignore the question of Prohibition. It haß been found impossible to enforce the

law in Communities where the sentiment of the people is opposed to it; therefore, the party leaders conclude that the people are not ready for Prohibition, wherefore they are disposed to refer the question baok to the realm of morale. The saloon party are never satisfied. When a prohibitory law is enforced they cry for high license, when high license is the law they want low license, and when they get low license they want unrestricted freetrade in all spirituous liquors. The war against the saloon must go on for ever. THE FARMERS* ALLIANCE. A general council of all the various farmers' societies have been in Convention at Cincinnati, and given formal birth to a third political party, adopted a platform, appointed a central committee, and provided for entering the field for the Presidency in 1892. The Committee, before adjourning, put itself upon record as to Prohibition. _ A delegate from California offered a resolution —" That we are in favor of the abolition of the liquor traffic "—the effeot of which was like Bhaking a red rag in a park of bulls. The resolution was rejected in an uproar by an overwhelming majority. The next session of Congress will give very close and particular attention to the claims of the farmers. A RAILWAY HOEHOR. Prom Potter's County, in Pennsylvania, comes word of a terrible railway catastrophe, a train having become derailed while travelHag through a blazing forest. The train, in which were seventy-five men, was making a dash through a mass of fire when it ran off the line and fell over. In an instant the flames caught the cars, and the passengers, some injured and all dazed by the overturning of the train, had a fearful struggle for life. All behaved with unexampled gallantry, each help'mg the other as far as he could. About thirty escaped unhurt. Thirty sustained horrible burns, seven are missing, and have probably perished, and six are known to have been burned to death. Mr Badger, superintendent of the line, perished in his efforts to assist others. Ulysses.