August 21, 1886





The   Record  and Guide.





1049





THE   RECORD   AND   GUIDE,

Published every Saturday.

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YOL. XXXVIII.            AUGUST 31, 1886.





No. 963.





A volume which shoidd be in the hands of every builder, con¬
tractor, architect, and owner and dealer in real estate, is now
ready and can be procured at the offlce of The Record and
Guide. It is a new edition of the law relating to buildings in
the City of New YorJc, with added matter, marginal notes and
colored engravings to illustrate the subject. It contains the laio
limiting the height of dioelling-houses, also the existing Mechanics'
Lien Law. This work is edited hy 'William J. Fryer, Jr., ivhose
original and well-thought-out comments give it a special value.
Tlie volume ivill also contain a complete directory of architects
in New Yorh, BrooMyn, Jersey City, NewarTc and Yonkers. The
hook is handsomely bound in cloth, and is sold at the low price of
seventy-five cents, by mail eighty-five cents.





The trade returns from all parts of the country are excellent.
We are now assured of fair corn and good wheat and small grain
crops. Taking the country through the hay crop, the most import¬
ant of all, is above the average. The Middle and Eastern States
have never had such abundant grasses as this year. Our animal
products are very large. The cotton crop looks as if it would
reach 7,000,000 bales. It is now almost certain that our small
grain and corn crops will bring us a larger return than did those
of last year. All our manufactories are doing well, arid while
production is large it does not outrun consumption. It is true that
money has been tight in Wall street, but that is not an unwhole¬
some symptom at this period of the year. So far as the general
business of the country is concerned all looks well.





Foreign affairs have a warlike look. It is evident that the
Eastern question will shortly be reopened. European observers of
the situation have long believed that the great international con¬
flict would have begun ere novs^ were Kaiser Wilhelm dead; but
the aged monarch does not wish to pass away with the clash of
arms resounding in his ears, and he is making every sacrifice to
keep the peace while alive. It is, however, an open secret that the
Russian attitude is warlike both in Southeastern Europe and
Southern Asia. France is ready and eager for the fray, and will
probably be the only ally of Russia in Western Europe. Russia's
aim, of course, is Constantinople in Europe and Herat in Affghan-
istan—the one to give an outlet to a vast commerce and the other
to get possession of the key to Hindoostan. France wishes to be
revenged on Germany and recover the provinces of Alsace and
Lorraine. Disquieting rumors are current in the capitals of Europe,
and it is a noticeable fact that our exports of wheat and provisions
just now are the largest ever known. The recent enormous addi¬
tions to the metallic money reiserves of France is especially signifi¬
cant in this connection.





The nomination of a Knight of Labor to head the Democratic
State ticket in Ohio is a fact of great significance just at this
time. Then the Democratic State platforms, both in Ohio and
Pennsylvania, contain a number of planks intended to propitiate
the labor vote. We have frequently dealt on the probability of
the temperance and labor issues being important factors in the
political situation for several years to come. The employing class
will naturally be much disquieted at the influence of the labor
organizations in being recognized by the politicians. The fact
should never be forgotten that while the employers are wholly
unorganized the workingmen have their unions and Knights of
Labor and can threaten to move on the polls in organized masses.





bow than the one on prohibition.    The Republican party have
reason to be very apprehensive of the temperance vote this fall.





The people are to vote this fall for or against the calling of a new
State constitution. The press generally favors a convention to
revise our organic law; but, so far. The Record and Guide is
the only journal in this country which has called attention repeat¬
edly to the necessity for radical changes in the Constitution of the
United States. The greater part of the machinery of that venera¬
ble instrument is worn out. We are in peril of civil war at every
Presidential election, but while we keep on reforming and chang¬
ing local city charters and our State constitutions, nothing is done
to improve the working of our federal political machinery. A
convention to revise the Constitution of the United States ought
to sit on the centennial anniversary of its adoption. What an educa¬
tion it would be for the American people if they were forced to
discuss and examine the fundamental principles which lay at the
foundation o f our government! Who seconds the motion for a
grand national convention to make our organic law conform to the
exigencies of our modern political life ?





The Prohibitionists are putting new planks in their platforms
to attract popular attention. They favor civil service reform
laws, taking away of land grants from defaulting railroad com¬
panies, encouragment to labor organizations and aa amendment
to the federal constitufcion giving Congress power to pass a
national law regulating marriage and divorce. These temperance
people show their cleverness iu trying to have more strings to their





The Mayor-Attorney canvass may be said to have commenced.
Three persons have already been named. Park Commissioner
Beekman is favored by Mayor Grace and expects to receive the
support of the County Democracy. Ex-Congressman Dugro is
backed by the Sun and World, and is apparently the favorite
Tammany nominee. A suggestion has also been made that Cor¬
nelius Vanderbilt be put in the field to represent the solid citizens
of New York, who care nothing for the local machines and think
only of the good government of the city. Mr. Beekman is a law¬
yer, a man of means, character, and represents what may be called
one of the historic families of the metropolis. The objection urged
against him will be his commitment to Mayor Grace's policy, espe¬
cially with reference to the parks in the annexed district. Mr. Dugro
is an amiable gentleman of fair repute, but he would simply repre¬
sent Tammany, and probably the contractor interest in the aque¬
duct job. It is a pity that there could not be a union of the leading
men of all parties in favor of some such a candidate as Cornelius
Vanderbilt. He is a modest, high-toned, public-spirited citizen,
trained to business of a kind which would fit him admirably to be
the chief executive of a city like New York. But there is a preju¬
dice among voters against rich men, and, it must be confessed, not
without reason, for as a rule they are grasping and put their own
interests before those of the public. But Mr. Vanderbilt would
make an ideal Mayor if he could only be elected.





We venture to propose Theodore Roosevelt. Although a Repub¬
lican he would poll tens of thousands of Democratic votes. He
also comes from one of our historic families, and, being a young
man, he would call out the enthusiasm of the same class of active
young business men who elected Seth Low in Brooklyn. Mr.
Roosevelt is a practical legislator—one who is thoroughly aware ot
all the wants of New York. The city owes him a debt of gratitude
for aU the reform measures identified with his name.





But it is idle to hope that a really first-class candidate wiU be
chosen. The next Mayor of New York will work in the interest of
the corrupt gang who have control of our public works, more
particularly the aqueduct job. It should be steadily borne in mind
that in all the large cities the contractor is supreme in local politics.
It is he who owns the wire-pullers of all the machines. It has been
the fate of every municipality in the country to be finally ruled by
the men who are interested in local improvements for the profits
they can make out of them.





Secretary Bayard was indisputably "too previous" in demanding of
the Mexican government the instant release of Editor Cutting. He
put himself in a mortifying position by making an unjustifiable
demand, and one which has not been acceded to. The report that
he contemplates resigning is a very probable one. Mr. Bayard is a
high-toned Southern gentleman, but he is out of place in any
executive position. He was just fitted to be a Senator from a
small State like Delaware. His appointments show that he is no
judge of men. In his opinion he is a doctrinaire of an old Demo¬
cratic-Bourbon type, and it would have been a sad misfortune for
the Democratic party as well as the country had he been elected
President of the United States.





While we are wholly neglecting the fortifying of our coast and
are creating a navy in a very dead-and-alive manner, the building
of war ships by other nations is being pushed with energy and
without any regard to the expenditure of money. Italy is con¬
structing some remarkable ships of war, and Spain, which has
already a very fair iron-clad fleet, has borrowed £9,000,000 to add