November 28, 1889





Record and Guide.





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Vol. XLIV.





NOVEMBER 83, 1839.





No. 1,132.





In the next issue of The Record and Guide a handsome illus¬
tration will be given of the buildings of the Argentine Republic
and of Brazil, which attracted so much attention at the Paris
Exhibition.





As was UQiversally expected after the traffic agreement between
tho Northwestern Hoad and the Union Pacific was announced, still
other agreements have followed. A similar contract has been
signed between Rock Island and Atchison. It is somewhat curious
that these practical amalgamations are taking place during times of
comparative prosperity—a fact which shows that railroad managers
are gaining in wisdom. There was no urgent demand for such
steps. It had indeed long been seen that the system of every road
for itself produced suicidal results; and consequently the Interstate
Railway Association was formed. But so loose an agreement was
found to be worthless; and the different roads, finding it impossible
to make a closer combination among all the competing lines, started
in to combine with that particular company which would do
it most good. It has been objected to these agreements that they
ara liable to bring about adverse legislation from the Legislature of
the Western States. This does not seem probable eo long as tarife
rates continue reasonable. Moreover the power of separate legisla¬
tures will be comparatively limited in that the systems will spread
through many different States. Meanwhile the market continues
irregular,with a slight upward tendency, except in the case of some
specialties. The general conditions of trade are as favorable as
ever, and the booming condition of the iron market makes it seem
probable that Mr. Benner's top price will come even sooner that he
anticipated. It is incredible that good stocks are not a purchase,
in view of the present universal and sustained increase in earnings.
A conservative buyer is almost sure to make money iu the long
run. A boom is not perhaps to be expected, because the more
speculators know about the mai-ket the less cham.-e there is that all
of them will rush one way; but a rise is as sure as the day is long.
In a paragraph in our last issue, Milwaukee, Lake Shore and
Western should have been substituted for Lake Shore.





Revolutions are becoming very tame affairs. It has been custom¬
ary to associate them with secret counsels, the underhand propa¬
gation of treasonable literature, street revolts, bloodshed, and in
the end a bitter fight. Apparently, the Brazilian revolution has
been characterized by none of these perilous proceedings. The
Republicans have had a walk-over. They proclaimed the Republic;
the Emperor submitted witbout a murmur; the people acquiesced
without a commotion. There does not seem to be any pressing
urgency for the change. Tiie people were not oppressed; their
desires were not thwarted; their favorites were never ill-treated.
On the contrary, wben they last expressed their opinion on the
question of a Republic, in so far as any opinion was implied by the
failm-e to elect Republicans to their legislature, they declared in
favor of the monarchy. They were, it is true, displeased with the
son-in-law of the Emperor, who is said to be a snob. What an
admirable reason for overturning a government. Verily, the sins
of the son-in-lnw are visited on the head of the father-in-law. The
success of the revolution does not speak very well for the future of
the country. The Brazilians must be a strangely indifferent people
to permit an inoffensive old man, wlio had occupied the throne
•since 1831, and who could be succeeded by no member of his own
family, to be turned unceremoniously out of the throne aud packed
off to Europe. A people who have eo little respect for existing
institutions as to permit such an upheaval of the powers that be
pre not any more fitted for self-government than some of tlie
Other Central and South American States, where revolutions are as
frequent as demagogues are numerous. The news from Brazil for
the next year or go promises to be interesting. The new govern-
.. ment, like all of their kind, will endeavor to compass reforms aud
undertake enterprises in order to gain the confidence of the
people,

In reading the reports from Brazil it should not be forgotten that
m Qt them ^r? ?cc-pflr(? Statements of the cpnditl-jp.gf that country,





the sentiment of the people and the political outlook. The tele¬
graph is in the hands of the Provisional Government, and all
dispatches'are subjected to the unrepubJican inspection of a censor.
Nothing derogatory or unflattering to the revolution or Ihe revolu¬
tionists is allowed to go out to the world. There isvery Httle doubt
that with the expulsion of Dom Pedro the last tattered rags of
kingship departed from this continent, not entirely without dignity.
Nevertheless, it will be discovered in Brazil that it is a very much
easier matter to abolish the monarchy than to estabhsh the republic.
Difficulties of a serious nature are sure to arise, if indeed they have
not already arisen. One of them will be concerLing universal suf¬
frage. A rejiublic without universal suffrage would be an anomaly
in these days, and would surely be exposed to the turmoil of fac¬
tions, agitation, nnd perhapsrevolution. But can Brazil with safety
extend the suffrage to many millions of slaves recently emanci¬
pated, mulattoes, Creoles or Brazileiros as they call themselves, and
an uneducated population possessed of very few schools? The aris¬
tocratic and conservative portion of the population comprising the
most educated, the commercial class and the wealthy will certainly
oppose any such step as dangerous; but granting that their opposi¬
tion is overcome in the enthusiasm of a great political movement,
what is likely to be the outcome of universal suffrage? History,
however, has shown that the mass of jjeople, even though unedu¬
cated, can safely be trusted with political power. This fact under¬
lies the vitality of democracy, and has made it a success in spite of
its failures.





The guarantee fund is now so near to the needed $5,000,000 that
it may be regarded as assured. In a sense, the financial part of
the matter is settled, and the questiou whether the Exposition shall
be held in New York or not becomes political, or to a degree politi¬
cal. The situation being such as it is, if political considerations are
to rule, Chicago has, perhaps, a better clianee of Congressional
indorsement than this city; but, apart from political prejudice,
there is no good reason for thinking that the site will be chosen
with any other view than that of making the Fair the greatest
success possible. There is now very little doubt that the Exposition
will be held in New York. It is worth noting that the subsciiptions
to the guarantee fund have been principally from the rich; our
mechanics and tradesmen, who will be greatly benefited by the
Fair, having contributed practically nothing. There is scarcely
any use in doubling Ihe guarantee fund, or "raising the ante''as
one of the speakers at the Cooper Union expressed it. Five mill¬
ions is ample for a guarantee fund. What the different trades
should do now is to organize to perfect the part of the Exposition
which specially concerns themselves.





The figures of the increase during the past year of the elevated
traffic but emphasize the statement so often made in those columns
of the crying urgency for better accommodations—an urgency that
cannot wait for a new and more permanent system of rapid transit,
but which imperatively demands an immediate increase of present
facilities. Ten years ago the elevated roads transported 46,000,000
passengers; last year 179,000,000 were rarried—au increase of
133,000,000, or 289per cent., an average of 38 per cent, a year. The
increase has been 8,000,000 during the past twelve months, or a
little over 4K per cent. Had the augmentacion during the past
year kept pace with the average of the whole ten years, it would
have amounted more nearly to 50,000,000 than 8,000,000. Allow¬
ing for the fact that the tendency would be towards a larger rate of
increase during the earlier part of the period—that is, when the
transit facilities first became appreciated—it is necessary still to
account for a large percentage of decrease in the annual increase.
It is impossible, of com-se, accurately to gauge how much the upper
sections of the city liave lost by the lack of proper facilities, but
that the loss has been large the figures plainly show. The most
important fact in the case is that not only is the city always grow¬
ing, but that a constant shifting of population already resident ia
taking place. This shifting is continually increasing the average
distance which business men are obliged to travel iu order to get to
their offices. Consequently the transportation question is at present
the question of questions—one of far more importance thau paving,
gti-eet cleaning, or the thousand and one improvements which the
increase in population is necessitating.





There is every sign thafc Congress will be the arena for a bitter
fight over the sUver question, and some prospect that the silver men
will be able to force, if not an unlimited coinage of silver, at all
events a larger rate of coinage than obtains at present. Instead
of two million dollars a month, as the minimum which the director
of the mint will be ordered to turu out, very possibly three millions
will be substituted. Secretary Windom is not indeed altogether
favorable to this increased coinage; but we doubt whether he wili
be able to prevent it. The new States will bring five representatives,
all of whom probably will vote and talk on the silver Bide. More¬
over, political conditions are sucb that it is unlikely that the Eepub-
Jican.Bi T^m dM9 tp oppos* suy xae^vr^ -which js Ypry etxop^lj desjie^