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ILLINOIS INCIDENTS SPURNED BY SPAIN GOD'S JUVENILE ARMY! SOBER OR STARTLING, FAITH FULLY RECORDED. 6UBAN REPORTS SHOW OLNEY OFFERED MEDIATION. SUNDAY SCHOOL CONVENTION! AT BELLEVILLE. RUSHING' IN GOODS, IMPORTERS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF LOW TARIFF LAW. Foreign Goods Being Bushed In Under the Wilson Law in Vast Quantities-- Treasury Department Figures--One Cause of Gold Going Abroad. Importations Increase. Special Washington correspondence: The Treasury Department has re­ cently issued a document containing tables of figures showing l^rne very interesting facts. Among other tilings It shows that the March importations of wool in 1S97 were 58,085,339 pounds, against 17,781*547 pounds in March, 1896, and against 3,488,415 pounds in the last March under the McKinley Jaw. This is the contrast between Re­ publican protection and Democratic- free trade. The importation of rags, nails, etc., in March, 1897, amounted to £>,406,461 pounds, against 1,504 in the last year of the McKinley law. This is -the contrast between Republican aoid Democratic legislation, rags,'noils, shoddy, etc., be­ ing on the free list under the present tariff law. The number of cattle im­ ported in March, 1897, under the Wil­ son law, was 56,860. In March, 1894, under the McKinley law, the number imported was 311. Contrast Demo­ cratic and Republican tariff. Jaws.. The number of pounds of hides imported iu March, 1897, in •view of the -prospect •of a duty being placed on raw hides was two and a half times as much as .in March of the last year of the Mc­ Kinley law, amounting to nearly three million dollars in value. The hay im­ ported in March, 1S95, 1800 and 1897 under the Wilson law was over seventy thousand tons, averaging about three times as much as was imported in the last March of the McKinley law. It shows that the world is being raked over to find wool which can be brought into this country free of duty before the Wilson law puts a tariff on that article of farm production. The. importations of AVOOI during March, 1897, came from Austria-Hungary, Bel­ gium, Denmark, France, Germany, It­ aly, Portugal, Roumania, Baltic, Rus­ sia, Spain, England, Scotland, Ireland, Nova Scotia, the Black Sea ports, Dutch West Indies, Argentine, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela,' Chi­ na, British East Indies, Asiatic Russia, Turkey in Asia, British Australia, Brit­ ish Africa, Egypt. Thus we see that the importers of foreign wools are ransacking the world fdr wool-which they expect to get into the country before the new Dingley law gets onto the statute books. The im­ portations of clothing wool in March, 1894, the la^t'March under the McKin­ ley law, amounted to only 924,512 pounds. Those in March. 1S96, under the Wilson law, amounted to 12,770,405, and those in March, 1897, 38,585,455. The total wool importations in March. 1897, were 58,085,339 pounds, against 17,781,547 pounds in March of the pre­ ceding year, and against only 3,488,415 pounds in the last March under the McKinley law. A further indication of the activity of importers in getting foreign goods into the country before the new tariff bill goes into effect, is shown by the fact that the goods remaining in bond­ ed warehouses o<n the first of April were valued at only $21,120,(535, against $42,490,325 on the corresponding date last year. The reciprocity feature of the new tariff law is likely to be even more sat­ isfactory than that of the McKinley law. The addition of tea and hides to the dutiable list increases the opportu­ nity for obtaining favorable reciprocity treaties, and it is understood that the Senate will put into the bill such pro­ visions as to make it practicable to se­ cure very advantageous reciprocal ar­ rangements with many countries, all of which will be especially in the interests of the agriculturists of the country. The duty on raw hides which is pro­ posed by the tariff bill in the Senate would probably add about 5 cents to- the cost of the foreign hide used hi making the leather which goes into a pair of shoes, luit as only one-fifth of the hides used in the country are im­ ported. the ^average increase in the price of shoes would only be one-fifth of that, or one cent per pair. Assum­ ing that the average man buys three pairs of shoes in a year, his increased "tax burden" would be three cents a year, while the advantage to the far­ mers will be millions of dollars. Democrats Delay. The Democrats and Populists in the Senate still evince a disposition to de­ lay the tariff bill as much as practica­ ble. They scolded last week because the comparative statement which was to accompany the bill was a couple of days late, and made this fact an excuse for announcing that they would not l>e responsible if the bill was delayed in passing J.he Senate. Tliey know that every day's delay of the bill enables their friends, the importers, to add to the enormous supply of foreign goods now coming under the Wilson law. The growth of the protective senti­ ment in the South, which was clearly shown by the fact t over thirty Southern votes were cast for the Ding- ley bill in the House, will be again em­ phasized when the voter for the bill in the Senate are counted. At"least five Southern votes will be in favor of the bill in the Senate, one of them by a Democrat who announced before his election that lie should vote for a pro­ tective tariff. When it is considered that every one of tho.se five Southern Senators who will support the protec­ tive tariff bill succeeded'men who voted for the free trade law now upon the statute books, the growth of the pro­ tective sentiment in that section will be recognized. Looks Like Business. The calamity shriekers who have been insisting that the promised pros­ perity has not materialized, are thrown into confusion by a recent announce­ ment from that reliable business ba­ rometer, the Weekly Review of R. G. Dun & Co., which in last week's issuer says: "Nearly all will be astonished to learn that actual sales in April by lead­ ing houses in each lines of business in the principal cities east of the Rocky Mountains average o-nl^- about 10 per cent, less than in April, 1892, the year of largest business hitherto, and were 6.1 per cent, more than in the same month last year. Yet this is the sum­ mary of 357 reports, each covering ac­ tual sales of merchants in one of four­ teen cities. They:are especially encour­ aging, in view of great fall of prices within the last five years, and floods and other retarding influences this year." A. B. CARSON. Exports of Gold. Exports of gold fast week amounted to nearly $1,000,000.a day. This figure has not been reached before since that fatal February when the treasury trembled upon the verge of. suspension of gold payments and Mr. Cleveland was compelled to make a hasty con­ tract at pawnbrokers' interest with the New York bankers to get the $62,000, 000 necessary to replenish the gold re­ serve. Of course, the cause is Very different now. Then the balance of trade was in our 'favor and there "was no commercial reason for exports. Gold was sent abroad because foreign creditors demanded it for American se­ curities, which they Avere sending home because they doubted our ability or in- tentiqn to pay them, when due, in the money of the world. The cause' of the present movement is purely commercial, though it is not strictly natural. The distrust that brought our securities back was remov­ ed by McKinley's Election. The treas­ ury reserve lias a surplus of over $5p.- 000,000, and gold is no longer hoarded in New York. We can spare gold for export, and the movement causes aio alarm. Nevertheless, the export is not natural, and, strictly speaking, not nec­ essary. Gold is going abroad to pay for exports of all kinds of dutiable articles, far in excess of the present needs of the country. In anticipation of Increase of duties of the Dingley bill, importers are bringing in enough goods of cer­ tain kinds to meet the home demand for a year or two to come.--Portland Oregonian. Heavy Free Importations. The collection of customs duties on foreign goods entered at our ports dur­ ing last month aggregated $24,454,351. The customs receipts have shown a re­ markable gain since the election of Mc­ Kinley, the total receipts for November last being only $9,930,385. The figures from the custom houses, however, do not convey an adequate idea of the lively manner in Which the country is being stocked with goods. It must be borne in mind that a very large portion of the importations that are being rush­ ed are now on the free list and will in all probability be placed on the dutia­ ble list in the new tariff bill. That there lias been an enormous increase in the importations of articles on the free list is indicated by the following table, which shows the value of the importations of nondurable articles from Aug. 1. 1896, to May 1, 1897: 1896-- | 1897-- August . . .$20,645,1011 Jan. $27,299,130 Sept 25,955,7721 Feb 32,764,969 .Oct 24,013,430] March 41,152,201 Nov 27,819,9061 April 45,000,000 Doc. 32,899,388! --Chicago Times-Herald. Bimetallism in Kticland, An item of news from London may or may not have special significance, but in either event it is worthy of note that the first formal luncheon to Am­ bassador Hay was tendered to him by the Bimetallic League of Great Britain. It is certainly to be hoped that this in­ cident may have in it an element of prophecy. The term bimetallism as used by our British cousins does not mean free silver or anything'? akin thereto. Nor does°the cause of genu­ ine bimetallism require that Great Brit­ ain should abandon its monetary policy of the last eighty-one years, the sin­ gle gold standard. What the United States seeks by the promotion of an­ other international monetary confer­ ence is not interference with the do­ mestic money of any country, but the fixing of an international ratio.--Chi­ cago Inter Ocean. Japan's Cotton Goods. Among the changes in the past few years in the expert movement of cot­ ton, those that have taken place at points on the Pacific Coast and at Pen- sacola are most worthy of notice. The exports from San Francisco to Japan for the first five months of the season 1895-96 were 20.640 bales, against 25,- 257 the same period of the present sea­ son. The exports from Puget Sound to Japan for the same months in 1895- 96 were 2,000 bales, against 13,090 in 1S9G-97, 5,850 of which passed through Taeoma and 7,240 through Seattle. This shows an increase in the exports to Japan of 25,707 bales in the first live months of the present season. All of this cotton is reported as having been forwarded from interior Texas points, and every pound of it is for use in stimulating the manufacture of cotton goods by the cheap labor of the Orient. "A Club of Satellite*.?' ' That a club of satellites should con­ spire to place him (Grover Cleveland! again in nomination is not merely proof of the treason of its members to their country and to the party to which they profess allegiance, but of a degrading sacrifice of patriotisin and manhood.-- Henry Watterson. Of course, this "club of satellites" de­ grades its "patriotism and manhood." Is not this "Reform" club a branch of the Cobden Club of London, whose sole aim is to destroy American industry and ruin American labor, "treason to their couutry?" Such "a degrading sacrifice of patriotism and manhood" is being advocated through­ out the country by the Democratic pa­ pers.', supplied with free plates by this "club of satellites." One of the Has Beens. By no possibility can Mr. Cleveland affect the cause of genuine reform ex­ cept for ill. He has had his day--a sad one for his party.--Henry Watterson. True. But he did not limit the sad effects of "his day" to "his party" alone. It was equally a "sad" day for those who were not of his party. All suffered alike--Republicans. Demo­ crats, Popocrats and Prohibitionists-- under the saddest of all sad days of gloom that Grover cast o'er us. Watterson Knows Him. All of his life an officeseeker and an officeholder, lie differs from the riff­ raff of his class only by his high pre­ tensions and profound duplicity." He hopes in the hurly-burly of affairs to force himself first upon the party and then upon the country as the represen­ tative of clean politics and the; public order. He represents neither. He rep­ resents only his own lust for office.-- Henry Watterson. The export prices of wheat since ljS66 have varied from $1.27 in that-year to an average price of 67 cents in 1894. i * - Belleville's Ex-Treasurer Kills Him­ self--No Extra Session of <th9.-X.eci fi­ lature -- Willing to Pay High for an Incendiary's Acquaintance. Haiicintr in a Smokehouse. J. H. Doering. ex-City Treasurer, hang- ed^tiinself with a clothes line iu a smoke house at his home at Belleville early Sat­ urday morning. About 7 o'clock one of his daughters Went into the sifeoke house after some meat and .iCseovered the body. Life was not quite extinct. She ran screaming to tihe house and other mem­ bers of the family cut the hotly down. He expired almost at the same, moment. Doer- ing's term expired in April. At the be­ ginning of'tihe year lie delayed ip renew­ ing his bond. It was impossible for the members of the Council committee oil treasurer's report to get him before them, and a resolution was adopted by the Council directing the chief of police to 110- tify.him to appear before the committee at its next meeting. He did so. renewing his bond in the meantime,' and satisfied the committee that his account's were all right, at "that time, although it was. apparent that his' methods of bookkeeping had-been decidedly lax. lloWns not asked to .make a cash showing, Sb'far it has. been shown that Doering is. short about $<500. He -had been notified that he hlnst make a .final settlement. He could; 110L; do so. Doering was a hardware merchant, but had been in financial straits for some 'time. " Ramsey's HeWair l for a Firebug, The Ramsey village' authorities by reso-' lution have authorized the president of board to offer a reward of $1,000 for the conviction of the person who tired the business portion of the town May 5. It is generally thought that.the fire was the work of an incendiary, as this makes three big fires«since May 1. 18!*~>. and four since 1894. A thing peculiar about Tihe two general fires is that both seem to have been started in the only hardware store in town in August last. The hard­ ware store of" Still well & Pauley w«js in a frame building in a cluster of frame buildings, and the fire started in the hard­ ware store, sweeping over some twelve or fifteen .frame business hoiiSes, destroying all the business part of the town down to the beginning of the brick block, which had been erected in that part of the town, where a frame row was the year previous burned out. At the recent fire the hard­ ware store was located in the middle of a massive brick block, and as 110 one ill the block Was at the time nsing any fire it fol­ lows in the minds of the public that it was the work of an incendiary. What was the most beautiful part of the town is but a mass of ruins. Will Call No Kxtra Session. Gov. Tanner has authoritatively denied that he intends calling a special session of the Legislature to secure revenue-legis­ lation, The story that he had such inten­ tions has been current in legislative cir­ cles for some time, and for that reason some members have been inclined to avoid the subject of revenue legislation at this session. Two companion revenue bills advocated by the Chicago .Real Estate Board have already passed the Senate and are now before the House. In view of the Governor's declaration a deter­ mined effort will be made to push these measures through the House before ad­ journment. The Legislature may not finish its labors as soon as has been ex­ pected. Stole News in Brief. The caSe of Bastian versus the Modern Woodmen of America was decided in the Supreme Court, and the headquarters of the order will remain at Fulton as a re­ sult. The litigation has cost the order several thousand dollars. The African Methodist Episcopal minis­ ters and delegates held a conference at St. James' Church in Elgin. Addresses oaf welcome were made at the opening ses­ sion by Corporation Counsel C. II. Fisher and Rev. Horace Graves. R. C. Itawson of .Chicago responded. Presiding Elder G. W. Gaines of Chicago is in charge. Addresses 011 various topics were made by Rev. C. H. Thomas, Rev. A. A. Burleigh. J. R. Clemens, W. S. Brooks and F. .1. Peterson. The evening session was en­ tirely devotional. For the accommodation of its widely,, scattered membership the officers of the Fulton . Street M. E. Church. Chicago, have fitted up a vacant barn at the rear of the edifice with bicycle racks and have arranged a checking system, which is in charge of a committee during each servico. The officers believe that wheelmen should be encouraged in spending a part of the Sunday at church services. Sunday the pew plan was inaugurated and many members of the Church took advantage of the arrangements. A telegram received at' Bloomington from Harrodsburg, Ivy., brought the IH^VS of the birth of a daughter to Itev. and Mrs. Martin D. Hardin. Ex-Yice-Presi- dent Stevenson now becomes for the first time a grandfather. Mrs. Hardin is Mr. Stevenson's eldest daughter and as Miss Julia Stevenson was one of the social fa­ vorites of Washington. The infant will be named Letitia Stevenson Hardin in honor of the mother of Mrs. Hardin. The child was born at the home of P. Watt Hardin, her paternal grandfather. After being out eighteen hours, the jury in the case of Col. William It. Brown and W. P. Bruner, indicted for the em­ bezzlement of money deposited in their bank at Metropolis prior to its failure two years ago, brought in.a verdict find­ ing them guilty. The cases were taken to Marion from Massac County 011 a change of venue. The jury's verdict is a compromise, fixing the penalty at one year iu the penitentiary and a fine of $410 each. Great sympathy is expressed for the defendants on account of their old age, 70 and? 82 years. A motion for a new trial was made. James French was convicted rn the Cir­ cuit Court at Rockford of the murder of his wife 011 July 19 last and the penalty fixed at death. The defense was insanity and the tri.al lasted "ten days. At the joint convention of operators and miners of the northern Illinois district at Streator, the miners presented their scale of prices, they having rejected the scale proposed by the operators two weeks ago. The operators replied that the scale pro­ posed by them two weeks ago was their ultimatum, and unless that price was qjjreed to they would be compelled •• to close their mines. At the funeral of Dr. Robert Iloskoten, in Peoria, no services were held at the house because of the critical condition of his widow. The Masons conducted the services at the grave and L. P. Wolf, and Dr. Boal delivered orations. Carrie Finch and her son, as a result of keeping a swarm of bees in their house at 34 Ogden avenue, Chicago, are defend­ ants in a $25,000 damage suit brought ra the Circuit Court by Jennie Oberholtzer, their' neighbor. The, plaintiff' declares that the bees one day left their hives in the attic of the Fincjh residence and de­ scended in a body on her as she,sat in her parlor next door. The numerous stings she received caused blood poisoning". J. M. Latter, 79 years old, died at Mo». Leansboro. He* was a member of th#. Illinois constitutional! convention of 1847, was sheriff of the county before the war, and for many years was the leading mer­ chant of the place. He had been married fifty-seven years. With the arrest of Albert E. Morris, a minute clerk in.Judge Burke's court, Chi­ cago officials believe they have rounded up the promoter, as well as all the parti­ cipants,, in the daring scheme to rob the county through the comptroller's office. A confession made by Charles Haller in Judge Freeman's court indicated Morris as the.man who secured fifty blank juror certificates and filled them out with in­ tent to defraud. Five indictments before the grand jury resulted. The sixth annual heat} camp of the Roy­ al Neighbors of America, the woman's auxiliary of the Modern Woodmen of America, was held at Rock Island. There were 200 delegates in attendance, repre­ senting 652 camps in fhe jurisdiction which is the same as that embraced in Woodcraft. The order has a membership of 40,000, of which number 10,000 belong to the beneficiary division. The disburse­ ments during the last year were $35,- 202.17, of which $17,580 was for benefits. About, one hundred dentists were pres­ ent at the session of the Illinois Dental Society., held at Peoria. President C. R. Taylor of Stpea'tdr called the meeting to. order, and Dr. A. W. Harlan of Chicago presented the report of the committee of -dental science and literature. Dr. J. E. K'eefe of Chicago, presented the .report of the committee on. .dental art and inten­ tion, and Dr. J. W. Wassail of Chicago read a technical paper." W. E. Harper of Chicago , read a paper on-"Classifica­ tion. of Cavities and; Rules Governing Their Preparation." . " » Joseph Steiner of Alton has been noti­ fied by W. T. Bucliauan. United States 'minister at Buenos Ayres, of an award in his favor by the Argentine Government. While traveling' in that country eight years ago Steiner was 011 a train which encountered one of the fierce grass fires common in the valley of thfe Rio de la Plata. The train was consumed and many passengers cremated. Steiner was terri­ bly burned, but escaped. The railroad was controlled by the Government, and Steiner filed a claim against it for $50,000. The case has been decided and he will re­ ceive $50,000. Frank Westerfield, collector of the town of New Trier, Cook County, is said to be short in his accounts $4,200. He was first elected in April, 1896, and re-elected last April without opposition. Westerfield has lived in New Trier since he. was a boy. He has a wife and four children. He has been in the coal and wood business and also sold lime and cement. His bondsmen, Dennis Kloeffer, George Scully, -Bernard Brown, William Meyers, Matthew Borce, Joseph Stemns, Anthony Engle and John Fisher, who are hound in the sum of $150,- 000. have taken charge of his affairs, and will endeavor to recoup themselves. They have not caused Westerfield's arrest, 'and will probably not prosecute him. His af­ fairs are said to be in bad shape, most of his property being heavily mortgaged. Westerfield gives 110 explanation of the shoftage further than that he»invested the money in his business and lost it. A. Lv-Schimpff, Illinois' new department commander, G. A. R., stands as one of the foremost citizens of Peoria. He was born in Rhenish Bavaria, and came to this country in 1856, when lie was 12 years of age1. When he was scarcely 17 years of age Mr. Schimpff attempted to enlist in the Union army,*but was refused, as all the companies were filled and his size and youth were against him. He then went to St. Louis, where for three days he at­ tempted to enlist, with no better re­ sults. He was final- engaged as offi­ cers' boy of Com­ pany A, Twenty- sixth Missouri infan­ try, a position he held for six months, when he enlisted and became an active Soldier. He served in this capacity for a year and a half, and was with the company in the siege of New Madrid, the capture of Island No. 10, bat­ tle of Iuka, battle of Corinth and all tfhe engagements preceding the capture of,: Vicksburg. At the battle of Champion Hill, Miss.. May 16, 1863. his regiment lost severely. He was shot through the left shoulder, and with 200 others was so severely wounded that he could not be transported. He was left 011 a planta­ tion, where, after a few days, he was taken prisoner. After being confined in a rebel prison for a month he was Ex­ changed and sent to Memphis. In the full of 1S63, being unfitted for further military duty, he received his discharge. The Supreme Court has cleared its docket of several important cases. Among other decisions is one affirming the valid­ ity of the indeterminate sentence or "pa­ role" act of 1895. The decision of the court was unanimous, cxcept as to Justice Magruder, who dissented. The indeter­ minate sentence apt constitutes the com­ missioners of each penitentiary a prison board to whom the cases of all convicts en­ tering the prison shall be referred on statements forwarded with the commit­ ments. Juries trying prisoners, in case of conviction, shall bring in a verdict of guilty only and no term of imprisonment shall be named. After a convict reaches the penitentiary the prison board may pa­ role him on the expiration of a certain period of the term fixed by statute as the penalty for the offense of which he had been convicted. A record of his conduct while on parole is to be kept and he need not return to prison if the record is favor- able. The act has been questioned in sev­ eral circuits where criminals were con­ victed and indeterminate sentences were pronounced. In cases where the act was held to be invalid serious apprehensions were felt as to -whether the administra­ tion of criminal justice would not be seri­ ously embarrassed. But the decision set­ tles the law and all cases pending where its validity was in question. A telegram has been received at Bloom- ington from Paris, .France, announcing the marriage there at the American Epis­ copal Church of Frank J. Fitzwilliam, Jr., of Bloomington and Miss Alice Cary of Champaign. Mr. Fitzwilliam is studying architecture in Paris. Twelve-year-old Nora Boyle is voted the heroine of the Florence apartment house fire at Chicago. She wildly ran to the vestibule at 3 o'clock Wednesday morning and rang the electrjc bells that awoke the occupants of the building and enabled them to escape from a dangerous fire. Fire broke out in the big plant of the .T. R. Dayton Tablet Company at Quincy, in a four-story block in the business dis­ trict. The firms burned out, besides the tablet company, are: Yolk, Jones & Mc- Mein, big printing housfe, and "Brum­ baugh's book store. The loss will exceed $100,000.. .James White, famous as an abolitionist in central Illinois, died at Bloomington, aged 78. He was the man who rescued the abolition preacher Spencer from a mob in 1849. He was one of the founders of the town of Hudson, caming'there from Delaware County, New York, in 1838. He was also one of the founders of <fhe We»« leyan University of Bloomington COM. A. L. SCIIIMPFF Senator Foraker Springs n "Sensation fiy Makintr Known Diplomatic, Cor­ respondence -- Secretary's Flan for Pacifying the Island is Disclosed, Given Out In Secret. Sensational developments marked the Cuban debate 111 the Senate Wednesday. It was disclosed that President McKinley and Secretary of State Sherman had given to the Committee on Foreign Re­ lations certain information furnished by our consuls in Cuba, and requested that the names of the consuls be kept secret, because of fear that they Would meet with violence, in. case their identity be­ came known to the "Spaniards. Several - Senators complained because confidential information had been given the Foreign Relations Committee, while it was withheld from' the Senate as a whole. Then Senator Foraker submitted to the Senate copied of correspondence be­ tween Secretary Olney and- th* Spanish minister of foreign affairs a year ago, in which this Government proposed to Spain the use of pur good offices in bringing about* peace in Cuba, With continued Spanish sovereignty, a , proffer which Spain"rejected,"with the plea that "there is no effectual way to, pacify the Cubans except upon the condition that they first submit,to the.mother country;" The pressure.-of the Cuban question, says a Washington Correspondent, is, be­ coming so greatsin various'cHreetion^ that it is. difficult to see how some action on the part of this Government can be much longer delayed. ' Growth of the feeling in favor of direct intervention, without wasting more time in Useless resolutions of recognition, was indicated by two powerful pleas in favor of interference by this Government for the purpose of putting an end to the war. These speeches were made by Senators Lindsay of Kentucky and Foraker of Ohio, and both were strong and impres­ sive. Thus the Cuban question is gradually assuming an* acute form nt the capital. There is not much difference of opinion as to the proposition that the United States has a duty to perform in Cuba, and that in all probability the only solution of the problem is intervention on terms which will save Spanish pride and give Cuba a free government under the protection of this Government and without war be­ tween Spain and our country. The real difference is between those who wish to^go at this delicate task in an orderly, cau­ tious, reasonable way, doing everything possible to avert war, while still pressing on to the main0 point in view, and those who would rush into war at the drop of a hat or the firing of a pistol. There is some surprise that the adminis­ tration should have given the official copies of the correspondence which took place between this Government and the Government of Spain a year ago concern­ ing mediation or the use of our good of­ fices. That the administration had a pur­ pose in permitting this correspondence to be'eome public just now is generally ac­ cepted, and the purpose was, in "the opin­ ion of most Senators, to show the world that this Government had already at­ tempted the mild form of settlement call­ ed good offices, or mediation, but to no purpose 011 account of the unwillingness of Spain to accept our kindly intentions. The inference is that the administration wishes it known the1 next step in the mat­ ter which the United "States may take with a proper regard to its own dignity is direct intervention. Annexation or a protectoracy might nat­ urally follow intervention, for if Spain and her colony be separated order and peace must be secured iu some manner. But a desire to meet the responsibilities of the United States in a strong and un­ selfish way, to suppress a useless and ap­ parently interminable war and avert hu­ man differing, is the impelling motive. The agitation indicates that a great deel of history is to be written during the com­ ing six months. KENTUCKY MAY BRAND THIEVES Extraordinary Bill Introduced in the State Legislature. There was recently introduced in the Kentucky Legislature a bill providing for the branding of ail burglars who wore cofnmitted to the penal institutions of the State. The measure directs that all such convicts shall have the letter "B" brand­ ed 011 both cheeks during their incarcera­ tion. The purpose of the father of the bill is to forever separate such criminals from honest men and prevent them from hiding their past. The bill has many MAI'.KKD FOR I.IFE. supporters and many enemies. Chief among the latter are the optimists who believe that criminals can and will re­ form under proper influences and circum­ stances. In such instances, they claim, the branding would he an outrage. It would prevent their living a decent, hon­ est life, even if they were so inclined. It would also, they argue, drive men to more desperate crimes after their release, for the brands would be a barrier to a life of anything save crime. FLOOD OF 1897 OVER AT LAST. Relief Work Practically Abandoned-- Loss Estimated at $14,520,000. The rapid fail Of the Mississippi at all points from Memphis to the gulf gives notice that the flood of 1897 is ove&. It is now conceded by all the engineers, State as well as national, that there is no longer need for any fear from high water. Not even from the rise which comes down the Mississippi in June. The Mississippi will have fallen so by June that it can take care of any rise that nniy come down from the Ohio or upper Mississippi. It has been decided also to abandon all re­ lief work, except in a few localities. The colored relief committee at Vicksburg has disbanded because its services are no longer needed. The refugee camps at Natchez and Vicksburg have been broken up and the refugees sent home. An estimated the actual damage done in the loss of stock and crops, houses de­ stroyed and swept away, and railroad track injured is: Louisiana, $1,975,000; Arkansas, $4,325,000; Mississippi, $8,- 220,000; total, $14,520,000 The House Thursday passed Mr. Schu­ bert's bill amending the fees and salaries act affecting Cook County. Mr. Gomp- ton's bill providing that the salaries of the judges of city courts shall be' paid out of the State treasury was discussed at some length. Mr. Avery's bill amending the law in relation to fraternal beneficiary societies was taken up. Mr. Avery offer­ ed as an amendment an entire new bill, which, after a brief debate, was ppstponed until Tuesday. The Senate bill increasing the number of the Lincoln Park commis­ sioners from five to seven was advanced to second reading. Practically no busi­ ness was transacted in the Senate. There was less than a quorum present. Both houses adjourned'to 5 p. m. Monday. The House met at 5 o'clock Monday and was in session a little more than an hour, The time was occupied chiefly in calling up bills by, unanimous consent or under a suspension of the rules, and ad-, vancing them on the calendar, and in most cases makes special orders of them for some day of the current week. In the Senate no business was, transacted owing to the obsence of a quorum. The Senate Tuesday failed to pass the primary election bill. The $1,500 Chicago Aldermanic salary bill passeijL»3G to -1. Senator' Efygardus' bill i aufMwizing the establishment of classes in the public schools? for the education of the deaf was passed. The following bills were also passed: Providing that specimen bal­ lots" be printed in two newspapers repre­ senting the tWo, leading political par-ties;' amending the election law st> as to" pro­ vide that When persons register they shall also register their age and "occupation for the purpose of determining their- quali­ fications for petit jurors. In the House Avery's fraternal beneficiary insurance bill was discussed. Amendments. had been offered practically a substitute for the original bill. These amendments, in brief, placed all fraternal beneficiary so­ cieties under the supervision of the in­ surance superintendent; one amendment prohibited anyone from obtaining an in­ junction against any such society, except upon application of the Attorney General at the request of the insurance super­ intendent. The bill, with the Avery amendments, originated with the Modern Woodmen of America and has been con­ strued to be in the interest of the move­ ment to remove the head offices of the order from Fulton to some other city. After a long discussion, during which the injunction clause was stricken out, the bill was advanved to third reading. A message was received from the Senate announcing the adoption of the joint res­ olution for sine die adjournment, with an amendment fixing the date at June 4. In' the Senate Wednesday, Mr. Littler introduced a street railroad bill which is much like the lately defeated Humphrey bills, except that it confers upon munici­ palities the power to grant franchise ex­ tensions for thirty-five instead of fifty years, and authorizes a 5-cent fare for the first twenty years only, instead of the full term. The gas frontage bill failed to pass, 21 to 17. The Senatorial appor­ tionment bill caused an angry alterca­ tion betiweeu Mr. Mahoney and President Pro Tempore Fisher, and the former called the latter a liar. The gas consoli­ dation bill was defeated, 23 to 12. The House concurred in the Senate resolution to adjourn sine die .Tune 4. The bill in­ creasing. Supreme Court judges' salaries failed to pass. The bill to regulate the sale and manufacture of beer, ale -and porter was killed; the bill to cegulate and prohibit sensational or false adver­ tisements in newspapers or otherwise, was passed, 100 to 6. In the House Thursday the Senate bill providing for the appointment of three supervisors of assessments in Cook Coun­ ty was amended and ordered to third reading, amid scenes of the greatest ex­ citement. The resolution introduced re­ cently by the Committee on Mines and Mining was referred to the Committee 6n Appropriations. The Senate libel bill was advanced to second reading. In the Senate the gas frontage bill was made a special order for Tuesday. The special assessment bill was passed. A resolution was adopted indorsing the Illinois Man­ ufactory Exposition of home products to be held und'er the management of the Chicago Exposition Company at the Col­ iseum in Chicago Sept. 25 to Oct. 10. The butterine bill was passed. Among the other bills passed were the follow­ ing: Providing that suits in the justice courts of Cook County shall not be brought more than fifteen miles -from the residence of the defendant, and that where the plaintiff fails to recover he shall pay all costs; the suit not to be called earlier than 9 oiclock in the morning, and not later than 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Over Fivo Hundred Delegated Attend! the Bixtir-ninth. Annual Meetinat--» The State Has Nearly 8,000 Schools^ with Membership of 789,480. Welding Cold Metals. Professor Roberts-Austin has made the remarkable discovery that metals are not only capable of diffusing into each other when they are molten, but also when they are cold. He has shown that if clean surfaces of lead and gold are held together in vacuo at a temper­ ature of only 40 degrees for four days they will unite firmly and can, be sep­ arated only by a force equal to one- third of the breaking strain of lead it­ self. Gold placed at the bottom of a cylinder of lead seventy millimeters long thus united with it will have dif­ fused to the top in notable quantities at the eud of three days. Such facts as these will tend to modify, if not to revolutionize, our notions of solids and our ideas of the relations to the liquid and solid states of matter and open up a wide area of application.-- New York Independent. Found a Sapphire in the Glove. Howard Jelleme, of Passaic, is sec­ retary of the gun detachment of the Second Regiment, N. G. N. J. When the detachment was ordered to Washing­ ton last week it devolved upon him to purchase" eighteen pairs of heavy serv­ ice gloves. He sent the order to a store in New York, and in due time the gloves arrived and were distributed to the members. Jelleme tried his gloves, on the other day, and discovered that there was a small object in one of the fingers. He turned the glove inside out, when a val­ uable sapphire ring iu gold setting fell to the floor. In some way it had be­ come fastened in the glove. Perhaps some oue trying the gloves on had lost it. At all events, Jelleme shows the ring to all his friends and cherishes it as a curiosity.--New York Herald. » The Lowest. > " At the present time the Australian aborigines are the lowest in the mental scale of known species of humanity. They have little or no reasoning facul­ ties, and their only idea of a higher power is one of fear. They are choco­ late-colored, wear little clothing, and their weapons are of wood. The Oldest Actor. The oldest actor in the World is Hen­ ry Doel. He will be 93 on his next birthday, and was an actor for sixty- five years. As a child he 'was rowed out to Plymouth Sound and saw Napo­ leon walking the quarterdeck of the Bellerophon. - Sunday School Workers Meet. The sixty-ninth annual convention' o€ the Illinois State-Sunday School Associa­ tion -was held at Belleville Tuesday, Wed« nesday and Thursday. Over SOO^dele- gates were in attendance, including a host' of Sunday, school workers. Secretary Ja-J cobs' ann'iial report showed 7,92G school* in the State, an increase of ninety-one.' The total present membership is 789,480; a gain of 15,132 .over last year. Secre­ tary Jacobs said: " The number of officers and teachers ia 93,678; of scholars, 095,803. Fifty-four counties show a gain of 23,755, twenty- seven counties a* loss of S;023. Twelva counties report a gain of over 500 each, as follows: Cook, 6,749; Fulton, 1,773> Clay;. 1,199; Jackson,-. 1,153; Sangamont 1,019; Livingston, 1.112; Peoria, 933: Der kalb. 592; Tazewell, 586; Wayne, 582; Lake, 556, and Pike, 529. : Six counties show a;loss*of over 500 each, viz.: Union,' I,677; Washington, 1,228; Menard, 702; Hamilton, ,638; Iroquois, 631, and Shelby* 578. - . .• The figures given do not. by any,means, indicate the growth aJud improyejfient"ot our work. Our advance has been along! lines which do not appear in a statistical report. Better conveniences^ a larger number of normal institutes and greater interest in them, more intelligent and con­ scientious work by county and township officers, more schools adopting the homel department, the loyal army plan, normal! study, and other improved methods, with­ out losing sight of the supreme object ofi our work--the bringing of Christ into thai hearts and lives of our scholar^. Thesa afford a convincing evidence that the Suij-i day school army in Illinois is at? the front and marching forward, Yet with all thesa encouragements, these tokens of good, wei praise not ourselves, nor make claim that: Illinois is a model State in Sunday sdhool work; our weakness is too apparent for. that. But with thankful and joyful hearts we praise our gracious God, who tlirotjghi another year has led us on, kept us in tha way, overruled our mistakes and abund-i antly blessed our efforts. His guidance! and love and faithfulness have plainly] shown that He considers this work Hiaj own, and these wdjrkers His servants,' "separated unto His work," guided by liUi spirit, accomplishing^ great good becausa He works in, and through, and for us. j And what of the future? A continually brightening path, increase of grace and! power, more tokens of His loving pres­ ence, greater success in winning to Him; and training for Him the precious lives- committed to our hands. Our God is with! us. He will not fail us. Let us arise and- possess this hind for Him! - B The report of Treasurer It, W. Hall showed receipts of $S,389.59, which is $84 less than the disbursements. ' t. An interesting feature of the session was an address by B. F. Jacobs on the! world's third Sunday school convention* which will be held in London next year. Mr. Jacobs Is not only a chairman of tha Illinois executive committee, but also of the International Sunday School Asso­ ciation. At the convention last rear it was revealed that in America there aro II.500,237 scholars in the 142,147 Sun< day schools, with 1,474,491 teachers. The National and World's associations have similar purpose to the State organiza­ tions, with the exception that the field is, of course, much larger. The membership of the Sunday schools has grown vastly, and Mr. Jacobs told the convention that the gain in membership throughout the continent during the last three years was 1,339,520. The association has beeoi in existences since 1859 and now includes all of tha, evangelical Sunday schools in the State.- Its leaders are men eminent in Sunday; school work, many of whom have a more; than national reputation in their field of: labor. - The association is also designed to af­ ford an opportunity for the exchange off ideas among Sunday school workers ands to train teachers for their work. It in­ cludes all Protestant religious sects and! attempts not to reach a portion of tha people, but every person in the entire State. This great work is carried on by means of a perfect system of organization. In: the first place there is the State associa­ tion, which inaintains headquarters in- Chicago under the direction of the execu­ tive committee, of which B. F. Jacobs is chairman. There are also district, coun­ ty and township associations, which hold* monthly, quarterly and annual conven­ tions, Where workers of every Christian denomination can meet on a common plat^ form and confer together for the evange­ lization of the community represented. There are fifteen members of the State- executive committee, representing the dif-< ferent Protestant denominations, and! geographically representing all portions off the State. This committee meets three times each year and transacts the actual' business of the association. The present executive committee consists of the fol-i, lowing members: B. F. Jacobs, chairman,! Chicago; J. W. Hart, Rockford; It. W. Hare, Chicago; G. It. Shawhan, Urbana; It. H. Griffith, Rushville; G. W. Barnett,| Chicago; II. T. Lay, Ivewanee; Prof. J.t R. Harker, Jacksonville; C. M. Hotchkin, Chicago; R. C.'Willis, Toledo; A. E. Mc-I Donald. Chicago; W. S. Rearick, Ash-, land;- Henry Augustine, Normal; T. .M. Bckley, McLeansboro; Prof. H. W. Read, Galesburg. The State is divided into twenty dis­ tricts, each in charge of a president, who is ex-officio vice-president of the State as­ sociation. District conventions are not- held, but as far as possible normal insti­ tutes are held, in each district under the direction of the State superintendent off normal work and the district- president.! The district presidents are: I. R. Jeffers,! Chicago; Dr. C. C. Miller. Marengo; Geo.' P. Perry, Sterling: Dr. W. E. Simonds,' Galesburg; J. S. Thompson, Lacon: Hen-! . ry Augustine, Normal; H. M. "iShiifchy Hopedale; Rev. J. A. Renwick, Biggs- ville; W. S. Rearick, Ashland; J. B. Joy,„ Concord; David Ziegler, Greenview; W, B. Rundle, Clinton; J. M. Current, Fair- mount; M. N. Beeman, Robinson;-T. H» Cunningham, Stunner; H. M. Ferguson, Reno; Townsend Blanchard, Tamaroa; Dr. W. E. Buxton, Samsviile; Rev. J. G. 'Tucker, Shawneetown, and E. J. Ayera, = Villa Ridge. The methods of increasing the member­ ship of the Sunday schools are numerous. In the first place, the association attempts to see that enough Sunday schools are es­ tablished to place one within the reach of every family in the State. It provides for a house to honse visitation by officers, Who seek to secure the attendance of every child at Sunday school. Various plana have been devised for securing.punctual attendance, faithful lesson srtudy and reg­ ular contributions from the'Sunday school pupils. An organization known as fcha Loyal- Sunday School Army has been' formed, which is composed of faithful' scholars, who receive quarterly certifi­ cates of merit .an d an annual diplomairon* the-State association w(h$n they have complied with all of the conditions for £ sear* • " v;