American Notes.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XX, Issue 43, 12 August 1892, Page 2

American Notes.

The Republican Convention at Minneapolis, for the nomination of a candidate for the Presidency, has been the chief event of the season. Mr Blame's friends were very hopeful as to the chances of his election. His services to the country had been acknowledged even in quarters where there was no great affection felt for him. His Secretaryship was allowed to be successful. His promotion of the pan-American movement for the benefit of the trade of the United States ; his attitude towards Protection ; bis action in the Behring Sea question ; and his negociations with Italy respecting the New Orleans lynchings— all were allowed to have done him credit ( and to have maintained the interests and dignity of the country. The completeness of his rejection and the nomination in his stead of Mr Harrison have been severely felt. Blame, himself, however, has acted a brave and honest part. He has called upon the party to be true to their principles and to give a faithful and fervent support to the decision of the Convention. The programme of the party embraces a renewed advocacy of Protection ; the U9e of both gold and silver as standard money ; a free ballot ; a more stringent watchfulness as to immigration ; sympathy for Irish Home Rule and for the Bussian Jews ; liberty of thought and conscience, of speech and Press ; and a warm support of all agencies that contribute towards the education of the children of the country. The programme, or platform, as they call it, is generally admitted to be a good one. What its effect on the country is we shall see on November 8.

A curious, and withal to some people a very welcome, sign of the times is that while wages, as a rule, have not falleD, prices have done bo very materially. The decline on laßt year is marked. As examples, take the following : in flour it is 19 6 per cent ; m poik 18 30 per cent ; in live cattle, 153 per cent ; in butter, 21-7 per cent ; in refined sugar, 2'B per cent, and so on. The reductions are heaviest in those necessary articles consumed ia every household. Clothing, too, is cheaper. As compared with a year ago, therefore, the workman has cheaper food, cheaper clotoiDg, and cheaper lodging, with no reduction in the quality of either.

An explosion, caused by a cloud-burst, attended wiih floods, of three gasolene tanks at Oil City, Pa., on Sunday, June 5, was the occasion of a frightful catastrophe. The oil oa the neighbouring creek caught fire and formed a stream of flame eighteen miles in lerjgtk. The loss of life is calculated at 200, and the destruction of property was enormous— the scece of the event being a busy and crowded centre of industry.

The Boston Pilot of June 11, contains the following biographical notice of a rather remarkable Irishwoman. " Mißß Maria Morgan,

the cattle-reporter, better known as • fclidy Morgan,' who died last week in Jersey City, N.J., was, according to the competent verdict of the New York Sun, the most remarkable newspaper woman in the world. She was born in Cork, Ireland, in 1828, and on her father's estate acquired the knowledge of cattle, and the skill in horseman- , ahip, which afterwards brought her money and fame. She made a • sojonrn in Italy daring her early womanhood, and while at Florence, her bold riding attracted the attention of King Victor Bmmanneli who sought her acquaintance, and gave her a formal commission to replenish the royal stables. This she executed in such a manner as to win marked evidence of the King's appreciation. In 1869 she came to New Tork, intent on earning her living. Manton Marble, of the New York World, engaged her to report the races at Saratoga. John Bigelow, of the Times, In answer to her application for a permanent place, jestingly offered her the position of cattle and livestock reporter. She took the proposition in earnest, accepted it, and held it to the day of her death. Later, she reported for the Bridgeport Forum, the Rural New Yorker, Turf, Field and Farm, Hearth and Home, the Horseman, Breeder's Gauette and other papers ; besides contributing an occasional editorial to the New York Tribune. She had, as might have been expected, much prejudice and jealousy to overcome in her extraordinary field of labour— the more because she was a humane woman , and never saw animals ill-treated without a public and energetic protest. But finally, by her competence, dignity, and generosity, she conquered all obstacles, and became widely known and respected. She made an address before the Legislature at Albany ; went to Washington by invitation and gave the President her views on cattle transportation ; went to Chicago and examined and reported on the condition of the stock-yards there. Her htalth failed a few months ago, and she died at St Francis' Hospital, Jersey City, on June 2, leaving many grateful hearts to mourn the loss of a true helper.

America is mourning over a renunciation pronounced against her by the famoaa Blondin. Tbe advance of the female and the equality of man, ho says, have rained everything :— " It is not the same country at all. There are too many foreigners there. They do not pay any attention to yon at all. Anything in the way of female performers gets all their attention. There is too much equality ; too much of ' one man is as good as another.' It's all humbug. They pay attention to Barnum and take no notice of a clever acrobat, and you cannot live unless yon buy your way." Was it for this that he walked across Niagara— and, indeed, it did not ueem to be for anything much better.

A case of lynch law which has occurred at Port Jervis, New York, has attracted more than ordinary attention from the prominence of the locality where it occurred. The victim was a negro, who certainly deserved heavy punishment for a crime committed by him, But the phenomenon of an avenging mob belonging to one of the most advanced States of the Union, and finding no excuse in Southern blood, is looked upon as quite out of keeping with the civilisation of the day.

Great expectations are entertained with respect to the exhibit which the Pope has promised to send to the World's Fair at Chicago. His Holioess has promised that it shall be " worthy of the Vatican and of Columbus, the child of the Church."

A Bill ia now before Congress for the more stringent enforcement of the law against paaper immigratiou. Its principal provision is one for obliging steamship companies to prepare descriptive lists of emigrants before they are taken on board.