OUR AMERICAN LETTER.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7647, 21 August 1886, Page 3

OUR AMERICAN LETTER.

San Francisco, Julyif.

WASHINGTON ITEMS.

President and Mrs Cleveland have returned to Washington from Maryland, whither thoy wont immediately after tlicii marriage, tliat the lirst days of thoir wedded life might bo passed in quiet and retirement. It is said that the President is much chagrined at the so-called enterprise of the newspaper reporters who, notwithstanding the precautions which had been taken to keep tho details of the wedding and tho subsequent movements of himself and wife from gaining publicity, succeeded in giving to the Pross an accurate and most minute • report of the whole affair. Several reporters, in their zeal to keep the country advised oC the every movement of its chief magistrate and the wife of his bosom, followed the pair to thcii country retreat, and would have obtruded into tho privacy of their cottage but for the patrolmen stationed near it to intercept interlopers. President and Mrs Cleveland gavo thoir first official reception at the Whito House on the eveniug of June 15. They were assisted by the ladies of the Cabinet, and the guests, who numbered 2000, included tho diplomatic corp3, justices of the Supremo Court, senators and Congressional representatives, together with many others conspicuous in social and official lifo. Jlrs Cleveland was attired in her wedding dress of white silk. Her only ornaments were were a diamond necklace, the gift of the President, and a bouquet of white roses, worn at the coi'Mige, and her hair was dressed iv Grecian coils. This simplo attire only served to show to greater aclvantage the dignity of her carriage and graceful poiso of her figure. The grace and ease with which Mrs Cleveland played the part of hostess on this occasion, which must have beeu a most trying one, fully justified all that has been said respecting her qualifications for the high social position she now occupies. Miss Cleveland, her predecessor at the White House, will soon assume the editorship of a literary magazine in Chicago, and probably will not be often seen at Washington. The Morrison Free Trade Bill was defeated in the House of Representatives, as I predicted it would be. This will put an end to Freetrade legislation during the present session of Congress, and will make that question a most important issue in the elections to be held for State and Congressional officers during the approaching autumn. Representative Randall, a pronounced high-tariff representative, has also introduced a Revenue Bill in the House, which abolishes the internal revenue duty on domestic tobacco and certain other articles, and increases the duty upon various imported articles, which under the Morrison Bill would have been admitted almost free of duty. The duty on iron, steel, and other metals used largely in manufacturing has been materially increased by the proposed bill, as has also tlio duty on wool and woollen goods, as will be seen from the following extract: — Wools are divided into three classes—namely, clothing, combing, and carpet wools. On the first and second classes tbe duty is fixed at 10 cents per lb, and on the third class three cents per lb. Washed wool of tho first class is to pay double duty, nnd on scoured wools of all classes the duty is fixed at three times the amount to which they would be subjected if imported unwashed. On carded or combed wools or tops the 'duty is fixed at 48 ceuts a lb and 10 per cent. ad valorem. Wools on the skin are placed at the same rates as other wools. The duty on woollen rags, shoddy, mungo, waste and flocks is fixed at 10 ceuts a lb; woollen or worsted cloths and unenumerated manufacturesof wool—valued at not exceeding 60 cents alb, 30 cents alb and 35 per cent. ,ad valorem; between 60 and 80 cents value, 35 cents and 35 per cent, ad valorem; above 80 cents in value, 35 cents and 40 per cent, ad valorem. The Fitz-John Porter Bill was recently signed by the President and thereby became a law. Porter, during tbo earlier part of the late war, held a major-general's commission in the Federal Army, and was looked upon as a thoroughly loyal and competent officer. But immediately after one of the hardest battles of the war, his superior officer, (Jeneral Pope, charged him with disobedience of orders. He was tried before a Military Court of Inquiry, and dismissed from the army. As it was intimated by the court hat he had deliberately failed to comply with his orders, and thereby caused tho defeat of the Federal forces, he was a disgraced man, and looked upon bytbepeopleas a traitor. For 12 years he rested under this grave imputation, although protesting all the while that the finding of tbe court was unjust, and the result of a conspiracy between his accuser and the members of the court—all of whom were his military rivals and enemies. At last the charge was re-examined by a second court of inquiry, by whom he was completely vindicated. He next sought to obtain the passage of a bill through Congress reinstating him to his former position in the army, and donating to him the sum which he would have received as a salary had he remained in the arnjy. Although this bill was clearly an act of simple justice to a brave soldier who had been most grievously wronged, Congress at first failed to pass it. At every session for twelve years Porter strove to accomplish his purpose, and succeeded only the other day, when Congress passed and the President signed the bill. The Senate has been in the habit of holding secret sessions from time ont of mind for the consideration of important matters of legislation. The practice has never commended itself to the people, who have always insisted that all the work of their legislative servants' should be openly transacted. But all these protests have been made in vain, Recently a resolution abolishing the secret session systeqi was introduced in tbe Senate, but defeated. Another salutary resolution, concerning the personal conduct of senators, was also introduced into the Senate and overwhelmingly passed. For years many senators who°are also lawyers have practised law in the' Supreme Court of the United States as attorneys for railroads and other corporations. This custom has also become unpopular with the people, because they deemed themselves entitled to the constant attendance of their representatives in the Senate, and for the further and better reason that the affairs of corporations are often the subjects of legislative action, and therefore a senator, while acting as the attorney for a corporation, would be tempted to promote its interests in Congress at tbe expense of the people. The Senate, by promptly adopting the resolution, has done much to raise itself in popular estimation

DEATH OP DAVID DAVIS.

The recent death of tlie Hon. David Davis, Of Illinois, recalls several important facts of political history with which his name will forever be intimately associated. In J.BG3 he was made an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States by ex-President Lincoln, and held the position during the memorable controversy that occurred) in 1876-7 as a result of the presidential election between Rutherford, Hayes, and Samuel J. Tilden, the candidates of the Republican and Democratic parties respectively. The contest between these candidates was the most exciting and closelycontested that ever occurred in the United States. The popular vote was largely in Tilden's favour, and the electoral vote of the various States was also in his favour by a small majority. It was claimed by the Republicans, however, that the electoral votes of Lousiania, Florida,! and South Carolina were given to Tilden fraudulently, and because of intimidation practised upon negro voters by the Democrats. For this reason the Republicans insisted that the vote of these States was a nullity, and ought not to be counted. This course, if carried out, [. would have given tho election to Hayes, as I the vote in the electoral college, without the !, votes or the three States abovenamed, i would have stood 185 for Hayes, and 1 184 for) Tilden. 'J lie question finally came I before Congress, the body authorised by the | law of the land to count the Presidential vote j and declare the result. In the Senate the i Repub'icans were in tho majority, and .J decided J; hat Hayes had been legally elected; y while the House of Representatives, which 77 was largely Democratic, declared fcr Tilden v.j This left the the matter indecisive, and j party feeling became so strong throughout ■'■.j the country, that civil war became imminent, .1 each party being resolved to forcibly seat their candidate. At this juncture it was agreed that the question be referred to an extra judicial body consisting of five mem■z bers of the House of Representatives, five senators, and five Supreme Court judges, the ■•' latter to be selected in the order of their ■' seniority. Pursuant to this arrangement, • ten congressmen, five of whom were *'" and five Republicans, were selected. Of the four oldest judges who were also selected, two were of each party, and Pavis, who was the fifth judge, was aa Independent but in sympathy, it was supposed, with the Democracy. • JThe Democrats very confidently calculated ' 1 upon receiving his vote, which, with the votes iot" their seven representatives, would have [ resulted in a decision favourable to the i claims of Tilden. But a few days after the '.agreement to submit the contest to this i tribunal had been made, and before its mem.bcrs were formally selected, the Republicans '.elected Davis to a seat in the Senate .'from tho State of Illinois, and he at. once '•resigned his judicial position. This made it necessary that another judge should / '^be selected in his steal?, and the choice fell X upon Judge Bradley, a roost pronounced 'Republican. This gave the Republicans a of one on the electoral commission, 'which decided the contest in Hayes'favour by 'a strictly partisan vote o£ eight to seven. It

then dawned upon the chagrined Democrats that tlicy had boon outwitted by their cunning adversaries, who elected Davis to the Sonato with tho express purpose of substituting ti member of their own organisation in his stead on the electoral commission. As there was no question but that Tildon had been fairly elected, the Democrats submitted with a very ill grace to the installation of Hayes, who during his four years' administration was denounced as a. usurper by all Democrats and many Republicans who were dispassionate enough to realise that Tildon was fairly olectcd. Davis also came in for a good share of Democratic wrath, and was Jacvcr forgiven by them for having deserted them when it was within his power to elect Tildon had ho chosen to do so. Davis' career on tho bench wa.s very creditable to bim, and his subsequent record in the United States Senate was good. At the conclusion of his torm in that body ho retired to private life, and never again emerged from it. LOCAL STRIKES. The strike fever, which has beon so pre- ■ valont in the East for a number of months, has at last reached San Francisco. That of the steamship employes nnd sailors in the service of Spreckles Brothers, tho agents of the Oceanic Steamship Company, has attracted no little attention. It grew out of the refusal of tho company to increase the force of firemen upon one of its steamers, as stated in my last. Thereupon a general strike was . made by tlio entire crew, in obedience to an order of the Labour Union, of which they wero members, and the Mariposa was obliged to leave this port for the colonies with a crow composed of non-union whites and Chinese. Tho crews of other

steamers and sailing vessels in which the Spreckles' are interested also left the company's service, and some difficulty was had in obtaining men to fill their places. Although Messrs Spreckles express a determination to deal justly with their men,

they declined to yieid ono jot or tittle to the strikers, as a matter of principle—it being their privilege to exercise tlieir discretion as to the numbor of men they employ, as in all else that appertains to the management of the company's affairs.

Another strike of some magnitude occurred ou the 20th instant, at the workshop of the Union Ironworks. Three hundred and fifty

journeymen ironmoulders, blacksmiths, boilermakers, aud patternmakers, all of whom were members of tbe Federated Trades; Union, left their work because the company declined to dismiss a few workmen who arc not connected with the union. No other complaint was made against the company, it boing conceded by the strikers that they wore well-paid and lightly worked. Tho company find it difficult to supply the places of the strikers, but avow their intention of doing so, even it be necessary to import mechanics from Scotland and England. The company say that this strike amounts simply to an attempt on the part of workmen who have no personal grievances to coerce their employers to discharge mon who do their work satisfactorily simply because thoy are not in harmony with those who are seeking their removal upon the question of trades unions.

Although as a rule publio sympathy is with labourers who strike for higher wages or fewer hours' work, yet in this caso it is with the company. The right of men to resort to a strike as a means of curing their own wrongs is not questioned; but their right to do so merely because their employers refuse to do their bidding in a matter which does not directly concern tlie strikers is generally questioned. This matter of strikes has become a serious public inconvenience, and small tradesmen, landlords, and others who have business relations with the labouring classes suffer greatly in consequence of tbem. Take as an illustration the Union Ironworks strike: It threw 350 men out of employment, and tbe prospects are tbat they will remain idle for several months. They must live in the meantime, although many of them have no means of subsistence save what they obtain by their daily labour. The result is that they must curtail their ex-

penses and contract debts, thus crippling the business of the tradespeople with whom they deal.

THE STANFORD TOttVEESIT?

Senator Stanford has boon devoting a great deal of time to the selection of a suitable plan for the buildings to be erected for the use of the prosposed university which he endowed so liberally nearly a year ago. He lias subordinated his railroad business and his senatorial duties, to the affairs of tbe university, and it is reported that he will sdon resign bis seat in the Senate that he may give the important subject hia whole atten-

tion. As the health and comfort of the students is a matter of the utmost importance, he lias personally examined many college buildings both in this country and in Europe that he may select a plan well adapted to promote them. He feels inclined to build a number of cottages for the occu-; pation of the students, in the stead of the one or two large buildings generally devoted to the residence of students at American colleges. He will also arrange to provide places of residence near the university for the parents of students that they may be under parental influence and control while pursuing tlieir studies. It is also his purpose to make the university non-sectarian; and although the students will be given an opportunity to attend church, it will not be made compulsory. After all these details have been satisfactorily arranged, tbe senator will turn his attention to the selection of a college faculty, carriculum, kc. He will spare no pains to select an able corps of professors and teachers, and will also equip the university with every facility for the

highest as well as the intermediate study of all branches of learning.

LAEGE OPIUM SEIZURE.

It has long been known to the revenue officers that large quantities of opium have been smuggled into this port from China and Japan, but the illicit traffic was so cunningly carried on that no seizures were made until a few days since, when a deputy revenue collector made a heavy capture. The suspicions of the customs authorities were aroused against the stewardess of the steamer 'Gaelic, and a Mrs Sheer, a custom house inspectress. The residence of .the latter was watched by a custom house deputy, who had not been long at bis post when he observed a man leaving the house carrying a large hand satchel. He was stopped and the satchel opened, and found to contain a large quantity of opium. He was arrested, as also was Mr Slicer.

Mrs Alice Guffin, the stewardess of the Gaelic, was also suspected, and during her absence from the steamer the officers entered her state room and found concealed in various parts of the room 59 fivc-tael boxes of opium of the best quality, worth 17dol per pound. And on the lst inst., a police officer observed a small boat move swiftly alongside of the Gaelic, and saw someone on board throw several packages into the little craft, whereupon it was rowed ashore. The officer followed, and was rewarded by a capture of SOOOdol worth of opium, contained in the innocent-looking parcels which he had seen delivered from the steamer.

It is believed that a number of subordinate officers in the Custom House are in collusion with the smugglers, and Custom House

figures also indicate tbat tho work has been carried on upon a large scale. In 1873 the imports through the Custom House wero 92,000 pounds, and in 1883 55,000 pounds were imported, and last year but 53,000 were imported. It is estimated that these 53,000 pounds represent but one-third of

the amount of opium annually imported into San Francisco from China. As the revenue duty on imported opium is lOdol per lb, the Government loses annually through the smuggling of opium alone no less than one million dollars. SALE OP A WIFE. One hundred dollars is a very low figure on a wife, and is particularly so whon the said commodity is young, good-looking, and buxom. But such a transaction actually took place lately in Utah, and the facts of the case serve to show how littlo sanctity the average Mormon attaches to the holy institution of marriage. A young Scotch lass recently went to Utah to visit her father, who lived there. But upon arriving there she found that ho was dead, and that she was a stranger in a strange lind. As the unfortunate girl was in needy circumstances, she sought employment as a household servant in the family of a Mormon. She had not been long in this service when her youth and beauty attracted hor employer's attention, and he offered to make her his wife. She

declined his offer, bnt ha threatened to coerce her, and finally she complied with his desire through fear, and became his wife. Shortly afterwards she communicated to an uncle residing in the East the condition in which she had been placed, and he at once came to her. He remonstrated with the girl's Mormon husband, and demanded that ■ she be restored to her friends; but he stubbornly declined to surrender her. As the sentiment of the community was decidedly Mormon, tho uncle feared to appeal to tbe law, lest he should excite the wrath of the Mormonsand bringdown summary vengeance on his own head. It then occurred to him tliat the use of money might enable him to accomplish his purpose, and so he offered the Mormon lOOdol for his young wife. The fellow greedily accepted the bargain, and in the presence of two witnesses delivered his wife to her uncle, and formally relinquished all his right, tjtle, spd interest in and to her. NOTKS. Several students of Harvard University, while intoxicated, entered a shooting gallery and made themselves so obnoxious to the

proprietor and his patrons that he ordered thorn to leave tho place. They then made aifj attack upon the proprietor and the bystanders, and a free light ensued. One student receivod a severe blow upon thohcatl, which will probably result fatally, and several others were severely injured.

The last fow months have been most unfortunate for tbe various lire insurance companies holding risks upon San Francisco proporty. Within the past two months ilrcs have been numerous. Among the heavy establishments destroyed wero Bancroft's building and stock, valued at SOO.OOOdol; the Schmidt Lithographic Company, loss .HOO.OOOdol; and tho Antisoll Piauo Company's building and stock, valued at 300,001>d01. The lire department, although a most efficient one when its limited facilities are considered, i.s entirely inadequate to tho requirements of a large city like Sau Francisco. The fault, lies with the city govornment, which is too penurious to properly equip the department. Tho insurance companies are complaining bitterly, aud insist tbat thoy will increase rates of insurance to cover extra risk unless the lire department is speedily improved. The people of Nova Scotia have been clamouring for yeais to be released from their connection with the Canadian Government. Secession from Canada and reciprocity with the United States were the principal issues involved in tlie election held throughout Nova Scotia on Juno 1(1, which resulted in an overwhelming victory in favour of both propositions. lt is announced by the friends of James G. Blame that ho proposes to enter the campaign this autumn in the interest of the Republican congressional ticket, and that he will formally open his own campaign for the Presidential nomination in 18S8.

Archbishop James Gibbons, of Baltimore, and Primate of the American Catholic Church, was admitted to the cardinalship at Baltimore on June 20. Tho scene attending his investiture was one of great brilliancy, and has never before been equalled in the ecclesiastic history of the United States.