CHAPTER XXVII.
The Island of AlphoiiHO.
Wo had Homo dread of savages ,
being totally unarmed , wo penetrated
Inland with more anxiety than pleasure -
uro nt first ; but ere long wo became
convinced thnt the Island WUH totally
destitute of humnn IntmhltnntH.
Not n vcstlgo of wigwam or hut , of
road or path , not oven of the smallest
track or trail ( Have Hiicli as the wild
goats made ) was visible anywhere , and
thus wo became Impressed with new
emotions of wonder and awe , In tread
ing a soil whcro man lived not where
no human foot seemed to have trod
and where only the hum of Insect life
stirred the Bolltudo of that wild island
of the South Atlantic.
For a considerable distance wo
traversed Hat ground that was covered
with Hedge grasa , Interspersed by
shrubs of bright green. Uoyond this
level plain rose a series of ridges cov
ered by trees , and those ridges formed
the first slope of the great mountain ,
which watt some thousand feet In
height , and also of the great bluff wo
had first descried at sea.
Wo found AlphoiiHo to bo the largest
of a group of throe Islands. It Is a
mass of rock nearly twelve miles In
circumference. The other two are
cavernous and Inaccessible , and every
approach to them lu dangerous and dif
ficult , In consequence of the foaming
of the aca about them , so that during
the weary days of our sojourn there
wo made no atteufpt to explore them ,
lest the longboat , In our circumstances
a priceless property might bo swamp
ed or dashed to pieces.
IIIslop Informed mo that ho had read
BOinowhoro that In the month of
March , 1C06 the sarno year In which
the great Columbus died two adven
turers of Spain or Portugal , named
Tristan da Cunha and Alphonso do
Albuquerque , sailed for the Indies on a
voyage of discovery , with fourteen
great caravels.
During this expedition they found
three great Islands , which they named
after Tristan da Cunha , and elsewhere
three others , which wore named from
Alphonso , who , after their fleet had
been scattered by a great tempest , sail
ed through the Mozambique channel.
Ho discovered many sea Isles and
channels hitherto unknown to the Portuguese
tuguese or Spaniards , and ultimately
reached the Indies , of which ho be
came viceroy for Ferdinand the Catho
lic , and died in Ifilfi , holding that
olllco.
Jt Is very strange that since that
remote period no European country
has turned thcso Islands to any ac
count , as they do not llo more than
fifty leagues from the general track
of the shipping bound for the coast of
Coromandel or the Chinese seas , and
in time of war would form a useful
and Important rendezvous for a fleet.
They llo exactly In that portion of
the wldo and mighty ocean where
It was fabled and bolloved a great con
tinent would yet bo found.
The three Isles of Tristan da Cunha ,
which Ho seine hundred miles distant ,
bavo now a mixed population of Eng
lish , Portuguese and
mulattocs ; and a
ntrong garrison was maintained there
during the captivity of the Emperor
Napoleon at St. Helena.
Being thus cast away upon n shore
so far from the general track of ships
wo resolved to make preparations for
a probable residence of some time to
build a hut wherein
to store our pro
visions , and to use every moans for
adding to our stock , by angling In the
creeks , which seemed to abouttl with
fish , and by hunting In the woods ,
which teemed with goats and boars
running wild ; by collecting birds' eggs ,
as the cliffs seemed to be literally allvo
with petrels , albatrosses and sea-hens ;
and all these exertions were the more
necessary , as none could foresee the
probable length of our sojourn there.
A ship might heave In sight tomor-
row ; but a year might pass before one
came near enough to bo attracted by
our signs.
Wo resolved to have a signal-post
erected on the mountain top , a bcacon-
flre prepared , and amid these and
many other deliberations the night
closed In and found ua tolerably con
tented with our Island , and even dis
posed to bo merry over misfortunes
that wo could not control.
But considerable
speculation was ex
cited when Billy Wllklns , the cabin
boy , who had been In pursuit of a
little kid along the beach , returned to
us , dragging after him a long spar
which ho had found among the layer
of shingles , bright shells and dusky
weeds deposited by the sea ; and on ex
amination this spar proved to bo one
of the lower studding-sail booms of the
Eugenie , and the same which had part
ed from the brig on the eventful
evening of the punishment ! /
"It Is our own property , " eald Billy ,
"and may bo useful when wo have a
fire to light. "
"Boy Bill , wo have a better use for
It than burning , " said Tattooed Tom ;
" 'tis the mast for our signal-post , al
ready made to hand , and we'll step It
on the hilltop tomorrow. "
For that night wo bivouacked under
a large tree , the name and geilus of
which were alike unknown to us. At
times some were conversing , some
slept , others lay waking and thinking ,
with the murmur of the shining sea
close by In their ears ; and I could see
the stars of the Southern Cross shin-
' 1
Ing with wonderful brilliance at the
verge of the watery horizon.
Thn novelty of our situation kept mo
long nrwako , and with my head pillow
ed on a bundle of dry seaweed , with
the sail of the long boat spread over
us as an Impromptu tent and for pro
tection from the dew , I lay In medita
tion and full of melancholy thoughts
ore sleep came upon mu , and with 11
confused dreams of the burning ship ,
of my secluded home , and of
" the schoolboy spot ,
Wo long remember , though there long
forgot. "
Again I was at Eton ! Again I saw
( ho smooth green playlng-Ilr'lds alive
with ardent schoolboys In the merry
summer sunshine , and again I heard
the clamor of their young voices and
the balls rattling on bat and wickets ;
again I heard the pleasant green leaves
rustle In the old woods of the Tudor
times ; or again I was In the shady
quadrangles where the monotonous
hum of many classes poring over their
studies stole through the mullloncd
windows on the ambient air ; and In
my dreaming car that "drowsy hum"
seemed strangely to mingle with the
chafing of the surge upon "th * unnum
bered pebbles" of the lonely shore
close by.
At last , overcome by weariness , by
lassitude and toll , I slept soundly.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
Wo Build a lint.
My old tutor at Eton used to say ,
quoting some "wise saw , ' that "a lazy
boy made a lazy man , Just as a crook
ed sapling makes a crooked tree. "
It was fortunate for me , however ,
whllo on the island of Alphonso , that
my habits were those of activity , and
that I was never lymphatic by nature.
After dawn next morning wo sot
about the erection of a hut , though
wo had no other tools than a small
hatchet and our claspknlvcs. With
those wo cut or tore down a great num
ber of largo branches , and stuck them
In the earth , selecting a place where
two angles of impending rock conven
iently enough formed two solid walls
for our edifice , leaving us but two
others to erect
As Tom Lambourno said , "tho follow
who cannot use a hammer or ax Is only
half a man , " so wo all worked hard
with such Implements as wo had , until
our hut was complete.
Wo left an entrance next the rocks
by which to- creep In and out , and
then thatched or built over the Inter
twisted branches with turf , torn up by
our hands , and with broad plantain
leaves , creepers and all kinds of ten
drils that had toughness and consist
ency woven to form a roof.
At the erection of this most primi
tive wigwam wo tolled the whole day ,
save during the scorching Interval at
noon , and cro nightfall It was complete ,
with piles of dried leaves and seagrass
for couches and bedroom furniture.
Therein wo placed all our provisions
the three bags of bread , two kegs
of rum ( which , by unanimous consent ,
were placed under the solo supervision
of Hlslop ) ; our four casks of water
wore also brought ashore , though there
was no lack of pure springs on the
island.
In this wigwam wore also placed our
blankets , the sails and tackle of the
longboat , and then the succeeding days
were spent In accumulating provisions
( as wo looked forward with dread to
our last biscuit ) , and a signal-post was
erected on the mountain.
With Probart , the carpenter , and
Henry Warren ( two of our stoutest
hands ) , Tom Lambourno and I went
upon this duty.
Alternately carrying upon our shoul
ders or dragging in our hands the
studding-sail boom , wo tolled through
wild and untrodden wastes toward the
summit of the great and yet nameless
conical mountain that rears its lonely
scalp to the height of flvo thousand
feet above the waves of the Southern
sea.
sea.Tho hope that on reaching Us sum
mit wo might descry a sail was an ad
ditional Incentive to toll up the steep
slope without lingering by the way.
On leaving a flat savanna of sedge
grass wo reached a series of wooded
ridges , which form the base of the
mountain , at every step rousing clouds
of birds , especially a species of black
cock , and twlco in the Jungle wo came
upon the lair of wild boars of great
size and such ferocity of aspect that
we wore glad to shrink astern of Tat
tooed Tom , who carried the hatchet.
This Jungle was exceedingly difficult
of penetration , owing to Us density ,
the number of wild aloes , with creepIng -
Ing plants , prickly pears and other
tropical weeds , of what kind I know
not , twined about them , It was a lit
eral wilderness of serrated grass
blades , yellow gourds and great
squashy pumpkins , like gigantic vege
table marrows , all woven Into an In
extricable network of leaves , tendrils
and branches.
In other places wo had to force a
passage through thickets of richly
flowered shrubs and tall plants , with
mighty leaves , the general greenery
of the landscape being increased by
the many runnels of flno spring water
which poured down the fissures of the
mountain Into the plain wo had left.
By the sides of those runnolo wo
frequently paused , and making a cup
of a large loaf , tilled It with the cool ,
limpid water that gurgled over the
rocks , to quench our constant thirst ;
and for a time such cups were the only
drinking vessels wo had whllo on the
Island of Alphonso.
At last wo gained the summit of Lbo
mountain , and with mingled satisfac
tion and anxiety In our hearts , uwupt
the horizon with eager eyes ,
Not a sail was in sight !
Far as our eyesight could roach
around us In a mighty circle , rolled
the waters of the Southern Atlantic ,
almost tepid with heat , and pale and
white , they scorned to palpitate under
the rays of the unclouded sun.
At our feet lay the whole Inlo of
Alphonso and Its two rock appendages ,
with the encircling sea boiling In the
narrow chasms between them with a
fury which was the result of contrary
currents , and which formed a singular
contrast to Us calmness elsewhere.
After a brief rout wo prepared to set
up the signal-post.
Tom took off his shirt , and drawing
from his pocket a piece of spunyarn ,
which a seaman Is seldom without , he
lashed his undergarment to the end
of the studding-sail boom , and by the
aid of the hatchet and our hands , wo
Ecrapcd a hole sufllclently deep In
which to erect the spar , and then Jammed -
mod It hard and fast with stones. As
the shirt was blown out flag fashion
upon the wind , wo hoped It would
prove a sufficient Indication to a ves
sel approaching from any quarter that
there were people on the Island In
want of succor.
For some hours we lingered on the
mountain-top , In the fond hope of seeIng -
Ing a sail , and then returned slowly
downward to the beach , where our
shipmates awaited us at the wigwam
which now formed our homo , and
which wo Jocularly designated the cap
Ital city of Alphonso.
CHAPTER XXIX.
A Wild Boar.
Wo felt very much the want of fire
arms. The air seemed alive with birds
the woods with game of several
kinds ; and now an old musket with a
few charges of powder would have
proved more useful to us than the
treasure of the Bank of England.
Hlslop recovered strength rapidly ,
and his convalescence Inspired our lit
tle band of castaways with now confi
dence and vigor , as they had Implicit
reliance in his superior knowledge and
Intelligence.
Wo were never Idle ; for , unarmed
as wo were , the task of procuring food
for our general store was by no moans
a sinecure to those who undertook It.
Tom Lambourno and John Burnet ,
the cook , first brought us a valuable
contribution In the shape of a great
seallon , which was furnished with a
rough and shaggy mane , that added
greatly to Us terrible aspect , for It was
an unwlcldly brute , us largo as a
small-sized cow.
They had fallen In with It when It
lay basking on the beach. Burnet
courageously attacked It. with ono of
the stretchers of the longboat , and
dealt It a severe stroke on the head.
The animal uttered n hoarse grunt
and turned upon him open-mouthed ,
when ho thrust the staff down its
throat and held It there till Lam-
bourne hewed off the head with his
hatchet.
Ono or two others were afterward
dispatched In the same way ; but wo
had to llo long In wait , and could not
catch them only by cutting off their
retreat to the water.
Their hearts and tongues were con
sidered the best food by Uio sailors ,
who broiled them over a fire which
we kindled by striking two stones to
gether , and letting the sparks fall upon
a heap of dry leaves ; and to the dis
covery of these Impromptu flints wo
were Indebted to Ned Carlton.
As for salt , I found plenty of It ,
baked In the crevices of the rocks up
on the beach , where the spray had
been dried by the hot sunshine.
( To bo continued. )
ENGLISH JOKES FROM RIVAL.
Grocer : "What arc you grumbling
about ? D'ye want the earth ? " Cus
tomer : "No , not In the sugar. "
"Miss Makeup wears her hair just
the same as she did ten years ago. "
Yes , Tom , but not the same hair.
"Is It tru ? that sailors , after becom
ing quite old , always stop swearing ? "
Old Salt : "My friend , you'll have to aak
some ono older than I. "
Grocer : "Well , little one , what can I
do for you ? " Jenny : "Please , sir ,
mamma says will you change a sovereign
eign for her , an' she'll give you the
sovereign tomorrow ? "
"Have you broken off your engage
ment , old man ? What's the matter ? "
"Well , I was hard up , you see , so I
quarreled and had all my presents re
turned , and was able to realize upon
them. Couldn't possibly have raised
the money any other way. "
"Auntie , dear , Mr. Malor , the artist ,
has asked mo for my photo ; ho wants
to make use of It for his next picture.
Ought I to send U to him ? " asked Alice.
"Yes , you can do so. but be sure to
Inclose with It a photo of your mother ,
or some elderly lady. It would bo
highly Improper to send your photo uy
Itself ! " exclaimed her aunt.
To Pulnt California Flownr * .
Now York Tribune : Paul do Long-
pro , the well known flower painter ,
after spending seven years In Now
York , Is transporting both his studio
and his entire establishment from West
End avenue to Los Angeles , where hb
proposes to spend the next three years ,
dovotlug himself to the portrayal of
the beautiful and relatively unknown
flora of the Pacific coast. Ho expect *
to start next week.
Voiilhly ,
"If that Isn't Just like a womonl
Hero two fellows fought over a girl ,
and she married the loser. " "Perhaps
that was a condition of the flght. "
IRONY OJ ? JIISTO.RY.
SOUTHERN DEMOCRATS FACING
TOWARD PROTECTION.
They Arc Vrgt' < \ to " ( let
Without Delity In Oriler to limp the
Horn-fit * of a 1'ollcy Tlint Hug HroiiRht
I'roniierlty to the North.
"Between prosperity and tradition
the choice should be prosperity. " Such
la the closing sentence of an article
of exceptional Interest which lately ap
peared In the New Orleans States , n
Democratic newspaper , over the sig
nature of "W. H. R. " It Is a conclu
sion full of force atiu strength. Well
Indeed It would be for the south If
It had long ago chosen for Us motto ,
"Prosperity rather than tradition. "
The tenor of the article printed by the
States Is protectionist. Obvlousiy
written by a Democrat and a former
free trader , Us argument Is all the
more effective In favor of the support
of protection by the people of the
southern states. He says :
"If the south forces the tariff Issue
to the front again It will be detri
mental to the best Interests of this
section. It is an inexorable fact that
the south now needs a protective tariff
more than any section of the Union.
With cotton and Us other agricultural
staples at present prices there Is no
apparent possibility in this section of
rivaling the north In the accumula
tion of wealth as long as the chief lo
cal Interest Is agriculture. The south
Is naturally the best manufacturing re
gion of the country. It has the ores ,
the coal , the timber and the Intelli
gent population to compete In Indus
trial enterprises with any portion of
the world , and Us future prosperity
depends more upon the number of fac
tories , that are built here than the
quantity of cotton which can be raised
to the acre.
"The south for years baa borne what
was to this section no doubt a bur
den In the > orm of a piotectlvo tariff ,
and at this hour when Us Industrial
development has Just begun It would
Indeed be superlative folly to cast
aside what In the future will not be a
load , but a fostering Influence In the
development of Us resources.
"What the tariff has done In the past
for the north It is calculated to do
In the future for the south. The In
fant Industries of the present are lo
cated below the Mason and Dixon
line , and it Is a question if a large
percentage of northern manufacturers
would not soon be better off with free
trade and unrestricted European com
petition than with protection by tar
iff and the south doing as much Indus
trially as Its resources warrant. "
Thou follows a stirring appeal to
the Democrats of the southern states
to follow Samuel J. Randall's advice
and "get together. " But It Is to be anew
now sort of getting together. Instead
of maintaining an unbroken front for
free trade , as they have done for near
ly three-quarters of a century , they are
now urged to "get together" on the
tariff question and concentrate their
strength for the continuation of the
protective policy. Perhaps the oddest
feature of this rallying call Is the rea
son cited In support of the plea for
prompt action namely , the possibility
that the flourishing Industries of the
north may , In a few years' time , de
cide to abandon protection rather than
see Us aid extended to the establish
ment of powerful competing Industries
In the south. It Is the dread of such
an eventuality that Impels the writer
In the States to aay to his fellow Dem
ocrats :
"The Republican party Is not so
ivedded to the protective tariff theory
that It will seek to perpetuate the
Dlngley or any other variety of tno
article a day longer than It serves the
mercantile Interests of the states It
controls. It would bo the Irony of
fate , Indeed , If tariff for revenue only ,
or free trade , became a national policy
at the hour when U would blight the
Infant industries of the south like a
Dakota blizzard. "
Whatever the irony of fate may have
in store for southern Democrats In
the far future , it Is the Irony of his
tory to flnd so queer a turn as this
In the meandering ways of politics
to flnd the party which followed Cal-
houn's lead Into the ranks of free trade
chiefly because protection was build
ing up New England and the eastern
states Into great manufacturing com
monwealths whose potency in nation
al affairs menaced the south's suprem
acy , now contemplating a swift right
about face to protection lost that pol
icy should bo abandoned by the north
through fear or Jealousy of n greai In
dustrial rivalry from the mills and
factories which the south shall build
up by the aid of protection. Politics
has furnished few developments more
unique than this. In any case , however -
over , It U to bo construed as a cheerIng -
Ing Indication of the dawn of better
things In the south. That portion of
our common country will prosper
mightily when Us people shall once
for all turn their backs upon a past
full of mistakes and stand with their
faces toward a future full of promise.
As "between prosperity and tradition
the choice should bo prosperity. " Un
doubtedly.
VVIiy llutiilliitlnn I * Not
The absurd contention sometimes
jinde by free traders that our protec
tive policy will call forth retaliatory
measures from European nations has
received another blow from the state
ment recently made by Robert P. Porter
ter , who Is now abroad for the purpose
of studying the commercial situation
In Europe , and whoso authoritative
knowledge on such subjects cannot be
questioned , Mr. Porter said :
"The Importance to all European In
dustries of American raw materials la
so great that It is almost impossible
for the continental countries to threat
en us with adverse legislation without
Injuring themselves. "
No well-informed person has ever
( aken the threat of retaliation serious
ly. Nations , like Individuals , buy
where it Is to their Interests to buy ,
and European nations have bought
from us solely and wholly because U
has been to their advantage BO to do.
The way In which the matter Is put
by Mr. Porter , however , clearly Indi
cates the Impregnable strength of our
position. We hold an advantage over
the rest of the world , not only In our
manufacturing capacity , but In the
wealth of our raw materials , and espe
cially In our capacity to supply food
products.
The Satisfaction of CravliiRH.
In an extended article entitled "Cus
tom House Tyranny , " In which wrong
Information , lack of Information and
bald mlsstatement run a close race
and make a "dead heat" finish , the
Evening Post , always frantic with rage
at the very thought of a protective
tariff , fumes forth this proposition :
"Tho duty on embroideries of linen ,
cotton , or other vegetable fibers Is CO
per cent ad valorem , a rate sufficiently
monstrous , ono would think , to satisfy
the cravings of the Protective Tariff
League. "
Yes ; one would think that such a
duty , If honestly paid and collected ,
would suffice for the purpose for which
that duty Is Imposed namely , revenue
to the government and protection to
competing home producers. But how
If this duty bo not honestly paid and
honestly collected ? How If payment
were evaded and collection thwarted
by undervaluation ? How If the sys
tematic pursuit of this nefarious prac
tice had cheated the government of Us
rightful revenue under the law , and
at the same time had given to certain
dishonest Importers an unfair busi
ness advantage over Importers who
turned lu honestly valued Invoices and
paid full duties on them ? Certainly
such a state of things would not "sat-
Isfy the cravings of the American Pro
tective Tariff League" or of any body
else who Insists upon honesty , fair
play and the collection of the revenue
to which the government Is by law
entitled. It Is because of a vigorous
Interference with precisely this state
of things that the free trade Evening
Post froths at the mouth.
Jugtlflnblo Homicide.
To Ilullil or Not to lliilltl.
Henry Watterson , since his Idea of
running Admiral Dewey for president
on the Democratic ticket has proved
to be of "the stuff dreams are made
of , " has apparently lost all hope of
carrying the country for that party In
the immediate future , or else he ex
pects that party not to adhere to Ua
old-time policy of free trade. At least
such would seem to bo the case , If
wo are to credit Mr. Watterson with
any reasoning faculties whatsoever.
Ho uas lately been advising men of
money to build now mills. The whole
course of events , both past and pres
ent , has proved that one of the surest
waya to sink good money where It
will bring in no protable returns Is
to Invest U In mills during the time
when free trade Is the prevailing pol
icy of the country.
Closed mills do not mean profits ,
and closed mills are approximately the
only kind of mills we have under free
trade. If Mr. Watterson Is sincere In
his advice to men of money that they
build new mills , U must be that he
la convinced , as well he may be , that
the policy of open mills , which Is syn
onymous with the policy of protec
tion , Is to bo continued.
Industrial Inquiry Cards.
The American Protective Tariff
League is sending out inquiry cards to
the employers of labor throughout the
United States , asking for Information
as to the number of hands employed
and the amount of wages paid during
the month of March , 1899 , and also the
figures for the month of March , 1895.
In this way , U is thought , a clear and
unmistakable showing may bo made of
the great advance in material pros
perity that has taken place In the last
two years. In order that this Investi
gation may be made as thorough and
far-reaching as possible , the Tariff
League will take pleasure In mailing
these Inquiry cards to all who may ap
ply. A summary of these Industrial
returns will be published in the Amer
ican Economist.
The Di-nili'St of I.oxols.
"Abolish the tariff , " howls the In
dependence Conservative , "and prices
will seek their natural level. " Yes ,
the dead level of 1893-1897 under the
Democratic Wilson bill. Manchester
( Iowa ) Press.
nnil T.ouerliiff ,
The robber tariff Is still at work
raising the wages of labor and lowerIng -
Ing the spirits of the Sage of Prince
ton Inn. San Francisco Chronicle.
lti\l\i > il by Jfrotrrtlon.
Under the present protective tarin
the wool growing Industry of the
United States has been greatly revived
and encouraged In the past two years ,
and the country hay been able to sup
ply Its own needs more nearly than In
any previous years. We have lm
ported only auch material as could not
be furnished by our own wool grow
ers. Our demands upon other nations
necessarily depend upon the amount
of wool grown and manufactured here
each year. In 1893 wo Imported near
ly $43,000,000 worth. The next year It
fell to $29,600,000. In 1895 , during the
latter part of Cleveland's free trade
odministratlon.when our markets were
open to the wool manufacturers of Eu
rope , our wool Imports reached the
high-water mark of nearly 191,500,000.
The next year , the first of the opera
tion of the Dlngley tariff , the wool Im
ports dropped to $57,900,000 , though
the following year , owing to causes decreasing -
creasing the domestic supply and the
congestion of the market due to heavy
Importations In anticipation of the
tariff , the Imports ran up to $90,000.-
000. Last year , however , they dropped
to $26,700,000 , the smallest wool Im
ports for two decades. From 1887 to
1893 the average annual wool Imports
amounted to $60,000,000. Kansas City
( Mo. ) Journal.
Unco Derided , Now Adopted.
Sugar fed with a home bounty and
shipped to India Is now to have the
bounty scalped oft by an Import duty
of corresponding amount , the purpose
being to protect the vast and Indigen
ous trade based on free enterprise and
Industry , and which the subsidized
products of foreign countries tend to
destroy. The economics of sugar are
Intricate and curious the world over ,
from Wall street to Hlndoostan , and
the statesman or stock operator who
tries to regulate them sometimes finds
his hands full. That Is what Lord
George Hamilton , secretary of state
for India , promoter of the protective
scheme for that country , may do , but
the soundness of the principle which
he advocates Is unimpeachable. Pro
tection , spurned and derided for fifty
years , dally gains favor In the politics
of the empire as the century draws to
Us close ; even the relics of the Cobden
club being too feeble to utter , forth a
bleat of remonstrance. New York
Tribune.
Protection Times.
The failures In April , 1899 , according
to Dun's Review , were the smallest
in any month since records by months
began , 38 per cent smaller than In
April of last year , not a third of the
amount In 1897 , and not half the
amount In April of any previous year.
Both In manufacturing and In trading
they were the smallest ever known In
that month , and In trading the small
est ever known In any month , as In
manufacturing they were If the larger
failures were omitted. The ratio of
defaulted liabilities to solvent pay
ments through clearing houses was less
than 70 cents per $1,000 , against 90
cents In January and $1.19 in March ,
$7.98 in August and $8.02 in September ,
189G. A great share of the risk in the
business world has been eliminated.
Truly these arc good protection times.
I'rt'0-Trailo Inconsistency.
Lord Curzon's demonstration that
the Indian duties on bountlflod sugar
are not only reconcilable with free
trade , but carry out Its first principles ,
is neat , though it lacks the merit of.
originality , In so far that Cobden him
self made a similar announcement. We
are even more pleased with Lord Cur
zon's view that free trade principles
may , and ought to be suspended when
they cease to be utilitarian. Our pas
sion for free trade Is founded on the be
lief that It is far and away the best
policy for this country , but exceptional
cases must modify all hard and fast
practice. Countervailing duties on
bountlfled sugar are as consistent with
our free trade views as the existence of
a deficit In the budget Is with the sol
vency of the nation. London Finan
cial News.
Should Not He Forgotten.
The Democratic theory Is never correct -
rect In practice , and the disastrous ad
ministration ot Cleveland from 1S93 to
1897 will never bo forgotten. It was
then that the Democratic party , for
the first time since the close of the
civil war , had full control of the gov
ernment ; and everybody knows wha *
a mess U made of business. The Unit
ed States Is just now regressing most
favorably and there Is no reason wny
we should not still further Increase
our export trade. The business men
are reaching out for foreign trade , and
they are getting U. Wilmington ( Del. )
News.
Ill 1000.
The Republican party In 1900 will
bo more of a unit than for many years
past. This has been made poaslblo
by the excellent administration of pub
lic affairs given the country by Presi
dent MoKlnley. Wllllamsport ( Ind. )
Republican.
Unworthy of Trust.
With Tammany men forming some
trusts and blackmailing others , and
with Bryan aa the chief agent of the
silver miners' trust , the Democratic
party asks for the people's trust.
Cleveland Leader.
A T.OIIK AVnlt.
Maid You got homo early , Mr.
Blnks. Shall I call Mrs. Blnks ? Mr.
Blnks ( who loves a Joke ) Don't toll
her I am here. Just say a gentleman
wishes to see her In the parlor. "I'm
afraid you'd get tired. " "Tired ? "
"Yea , sir. She'd spend about two houro
making herself pretty. " Now York
Weoklx.
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