August 17, 1889





Record   and  Guide.





1127









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Vol. XLIV.





AUGUST 17, 1889.





No. 1,118





The daily papers of this city have, metaphorically speaking,
thrown up tlreir hats in approval of the Exposition committees
which the Mayor has appointed. Undoubtedly the names selected
are good ones; they are the names of men well known by every¬
body, and if we needed reception committees for any purpose, or
names to preface an appeal for a citizen's meeting or anything of
that kind, they would do admirably. But in thia affair of the
Exhibition, in which New York has at least two energetic rivals to
cope with, something more thau names is needed, aud that some¬
thing is hard workers. Under certain conditions Mi-. Gould's
name might possibly be a tower of strength to a financial enter¬
prise, so might that of Mr. Himtington and many others to be
found on the Mayor's list, but these gentlemen themselves would be
the first to admit that better ones could have been chosen to do the
hard planning and hard working that must be done if the quadri-
centennial Exposition is to be held in New Tork, Of course these
remarks do not apply to the names of all the committeemen, but it
does to a great many; and it is because the committees
are committees of good names and not because they iire com¬
mittees of hard workers that the daily press applauds.
The problem before us is entirely misunderstood if it is thought
that all New York has to do to obtain the Exposition is to write
down a number of well-known names of men who have little time
to spare from their own affairs and display them before the country.
It has already been stated in these columns that Washington has
been at work for many weeks while New York scarcely thought of
the Exposition, and has obtained the written support of the Gov¬
ernors of many States and the Mayors of several cities; and as to
Chicago—well, a gentleman returning to New York from a visit in
the Northwest passed through Chicago the other day and asked a
friend "How about the Exposition?" "It's all settled," was the
reply.    " We have got it,"





The week in Wall street has been a waiting one, with no decided
manipulation from either bull or bear. A noticeable feature is
the almost entire absence of foreig-n orders to buy our securities,
with the exception of what httle the German element may be
doing in the Northern Pacific stocks. There is no reason to change
anything which has been said in these columns for two weeks
back, and, barring frosts and tight money, there is no danger in
accumulating good stocks, particularly Northwest, Rock Island
and Bm-hngton. The West seems to have sufficient money, and
is not likely to make any very urgeut demand on the East for the
moving of the crops or for any other cause. The reverse of the
condition of the wheat crop of a year ago now exists. In
August last wheat began rising in price, and the heavy
frosts of the 13th of August, which did so much damage, was the
signal for the speculators to begin the work wliich finally raised
the price of a bushel of wheat to a point that prohibited export
demand. This year we will ship largely—probably 70,000,000
bushels more than last year—and it is not rash to predict that very
soon foreign exchanges will be largely in our favor. There is
altogether too much money in the Treasury, and something must
soon be done to restore a large part of this to its accustomed chan¬
nels. So fai- Ml-, Windom shows no more sense than any of his
predecessors, but seems disposed to wait for actual stringency in
the money market before he takes any steps to help it.





The sectional feeling that is being manifested as to what city
shall be the site for the proposed World's Fair is producing an
unpleasant exhibition of bad manners on the part of the daily press.
Even the New York papers, which have lately been free from the
full-flavoredvituperationof provincial journalism, have embellished
the controversy as to sites with epithets which must have made the
rhetoricians in the Chicago and St. Louis editorial rooms fee) that
even in the effete East there were still some masters of a "live
style." Seriously, however, nothing is to be gained by crying
" windy city," "mushroom town," because some Chicago black¬
guard thinks he scores a point on New York by caUing it " the
rotten    democratic   [town    on    Manhattan    Island,"    or    " the





daughter of the horse-leech crying, ' Give, give I'" as the
Chicago Tribune does. Let us frankly admit that Chicago
is a marvellous and magnificent city, and that its claima
deserve full Consideration, as do those of Washington, New
York and all other places where it is possible for the Exposi¬
tion to be made a success. It is for New York to show that she can
really do better than any other city in the Union. If she can't
demonstrate that then she should have patriotism enough even
to demand the selection of the better site. After all, the Exposi¬
tion is to be a national affair, and the selfishness of no one city,
State or section should be allowed for a moment to stand in the way
of the vastly greater interests of the entire country.





It is a lamentable fact that from sweeping the gutters to the con¬
duct of national affairs nothing of a governmental nature in this
country can be kept free from the debasing influence of politics.
In reading the consular reports, published since the beginning of the
Harrison regime, it is curious to notice the complete change in the
tone of the reports compared with what it was when Cleveland was
in office. Then the statistics and facts sent to Washington were
frequently given a twist in the dii-ection of the economic principles
of the ruling administration. With statistics as with Fi-ench cook¬
ing the x>rincipal thing is the sauce, and a year ago our representa¬
tives abroad cooked theu- reports on Sheffield mamffactures a la
free trade, and their statements about the French currency came
with a strong- flavor of monometallism. Now it is all changed; and
our consuls seldom loose an opportunity to show the efficacy of
subsidies in building np a merchant marine and how essential pro¬
tection and bimetaUism are to the prosperity of a nation. It is plain
that all this is principally "politics;" excursions into "political"
economy which it would be much better were they uot taken, as few
of our consuls are men whose opinions on these matters ai-e of very-
great value to anyone. There is quite enough of it in the partisan
press to satisfy everyone. The Republican who finds that statistics
cooked to suit his taste add a zest to existence can obtain tbem in
the Tribune 3.nd the Press, axid the Democrat has even a wirier
choice. Our consular seiwice should be for the benefit of the entire
nation; and the reports should not be used as the propaganda of the
economic principles of any party.





Postmaster-General Wanamaker has incun-ed a good deal of
criticism by his action in putting the government rate of compen¬
sation for its telegi-aphic services at one mill per word, but he is
still more open to censure from his attitude since he issued the
official order. A public servant that descends to controversy and
explanation with a private individual through the newspapers about
an act perpetrated in Ms official capacity cannot be regarded as a
dignified governmental officer. An executive has a number of
ways of justifying himself, in case any action of his is severely
criticized, and still preserving his dignity. In Great Britain a per¬
sonal explanation to the House is the best method; in tliis country
a written communication to Congress, incorporated in his regular
annual report, or, if it is of enough importance, in a special mes¬
sage to Congress, is sufficient and proper. But in no case should a
Cabinet officer begin a conti-oversy with a private citizen affected by
his acts; his argument should be preserved for the President and
Congress.





Tlie dissension that is now disturbing the camp of the "Single-
taxers" is such as sooner or later occurs in all " one man move¬
ments." The followers, or certain of them, run ahead of their
leader; dissatisfaction ensues, and the chief who perhaps bas learnt
from the crijcism of his opponents to be conservative, is charged
with being a traitor bent upon taking- his forces over to the enemy.
As a matter of fact, it is the followers who have changed their
position and not the leader. This is the situation in which Mr. George
finds himself to-day. There is no reason for believing that he ia
forsaking his principles, or contemplates burning his books, lower¬
ing his Standard and coming out in defense of the sacred right of
the individual to the unearned increment. We are sorry to see Mr.
George " among the prophets," and the multitude of vendors of
economic panaceas for the regeneration of Humanity, which are
crying their wares in the market these days, but unfortunately there
is little doubt that he is there, in the vulgar phrase, " to stay." The
Pentecost wing of the single-taxers comprises the extremists of the
party who object to have their enthusiasm fettered by prudence,
and who disdain the common sense that dictates the advisability
of going around a stone wall when it is impossible to climb it. If
it were not disrespectful we should say they were the out-and-out
cranks of the movements—men, who like the King of old, desire
then prophet to curse them then enemies from all and every point
of view, Mr. George has stated his position very clearly in the last
two numbers of his paper, and not even those who oppose most
bitterly his economic teachings have ever had auy cause to charge
him with not being entirely frank. It appears that some " single-
taxers " are in favor of robbing the owner of real estate (in the name
of taxation) of all the economic rent, whereas other single-taxers





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