Paternalism means the system of government that, instead of confining its attention to the preservation of order and the enforcement of justice, descends to the regula tion of the details in the life of an individual. These, experience has shown, can best be left to the individual himself. As the term implies it is fatherly care and supervision over the individual by the state. One of the most highly developed examples thereof is the German Empire of to-day.

Pathfinder.-A popular name given to John C. Fremont, in allusion to his success as an explorer. Patronage. (See Civil Service Reform.) Patrons of Husbandry. (See Grangers.) Patrons of Industry. (See Grangers.) Patton Resolutions. (See Gag Laws.)

Pauper Labor is a phrase which we hear chiefly in connection with a discussion of free trade and protection, the advocates of the latter doctrine maintaining that protective duties are necessary to prevent the competition between American labor and so-called European pauper labor. The lower wages and less comfortable position of laborers abroad has led to the adoption of the phrase. It came into use about 1842 and has been reiterated ever since.

Peace Conference, Congress or Convention.In January, 1861, several States having already seceded, Virginia issued an invitation to the other States of the Union to send delegates to a conference to be held at Washington for the purpose of devising a plan for the peaceable settlement of the existing difficulties. The Conference met February 4th, fourteen free States and seven slave States being represented. The voting was by States. Ex-President John Tyler was chosen to preside. A committee of one from each State was appointed to report" what they may deem right, necessary and proper to restore harmony and preserve the Union." There were several minority reports: the majority report was, however, adopted. It recommended several amendments to the Constitution, as follows: 1. In the Territories north of thirty-six degrees, thirty minutes

slavery was to be prohibited. In Territories south of that line the institution was to remain as it then was, and no law was to be passed abridging the right of a man to take his slave thither. The status of new States was to be determined by the Constitution adopted by them. 2. No new territory was to be acquired except by discovery or for naval and commercial stations or depots, without the concurrence of a majority of the Senators from the free States and a majority of the Senators from the slave States. 3. Neither the Constitution nor any amendment thereof was to be construed as giving Congress power to interfere with slavery in any State; nor to abolish it in the District of Columbia without the consent of the State of Maryland and of the owners, nor without compensation to the latter; nor to prohibit representatives and others from taking their slaves to the District and bringing them away again; nor to prohibit slavery in any place under the jurisdiction of the United States, if within a slave State; nor to prohibit the inland slave trade between slave States, but not in or through free States. The slave trade in the District was prohibited. Section 4 provided for the delivery of fugitive slaves, section 5 for the prohibition of the foreign slave trade, section for the payment to owners by the United States of the value of slaves that might escape by reason of the interference of mobs with federal officers, and for "securing to the citizens of each State the privileges and immunities of citizens in the several States," while section 6 ordained that sections 1, 3 and 5 and Article 1, section 2, clause 3, and Article 4, section 2, clause 3, of the Constitution were to be amended or abolished only by the unanimous consent of the States. This plan was introduced into the Senate, but was voted down, and in the House it likewise failed. It was satisfactory to neither party.

Peace Organization. (See American Knights.) Peace with Dishonor. (See War, the, a Failure.) Peanut Politics is an expression used to indicate political acts having in view some peculiarly small party advantage.

Pendleton Bill. (See Civil Service Reform.)

Pennsylvania was one of the original States of the Union. The capital is Harrisburg. The population in 1880 was 4,282,891, and in 1888 is estimated at 5,074,527. Pennsylvania is entitled to twenty-eight seats in the House of Representatives and to thirty electoral votes. It is Republican in national politics. It was named after William Penn, its founder. Popularly it is called the Keystone State, because it occupies the place of the keystone in an arch representing the thirteen original States. (See Governors; Legislatures.)

Pennsylvania of the West.-A name applied to the State of Missouri.

People's Party.-In 1884 Benjamin F. Butler, of Massachusetts, was nominated for the presidency by the Anti-Monopoly party at Chicago, May 14th, and by the Greenback-Labor party at its convention in Indianapolis, May 27th and 28th. This common ticket of the two parties was known as the People's party.

Pensions.-A pension is a regular payment of money to a person by the government in consideration of past services in its employ. Pensions were formerly granted in the United States only to enlisted men of the army or navy who had suffered during our various wars, except in a few special instances. But in 1869 an act was passed providing pensions at the rate of their salary to United States judges who have served ten years and resigned at seventy years or upward. Pensions have also been granted to the widows of former Presidents, Mrs. Lincoln, Mrs. Garfield, Mrs. Polk and Mrs. Tyler. Employes in the life-saving service, in the quartermaster's and paymaster's departments, and nurses have also received them. Private pension bills are often passed, but by far the largest number of pensioners of the United States are such under general laws. As early as 1806 the United States had adopted a system of pensions for those who had become disabled in its military and naval services. In 1818 the system was extended to persons in reduced circumstances who had served at least nine months at any period of the Revo

lution, whether disabled or not. Abuses at once began to be apparent, and many persons received money who were not entitled to it. From that time till the period of the Civil War, the general rule in the many successive pension acts that were passed was to extend the government's bounty. Since 1862 the pension laws have been more numerous and generous than ever, especially for the last few years, when a surplus in the national_treasury has made Congress liberal in the extreme. One of the most conspicuous of these laws was the "Arrears of Pensions Act," approved by President Hayes on January 25, 1879. It provided for the payment of pensions from the date of discharge or disability, and not from the date of application, as previous laws had provided in case the claim was not made within a certain time. The political parties seem of late years to be afraid of alienating the votes of soldiers if they refuse to pass the most extravagant laws. This particular bill was a measure rushed through by the claim agents almost without debate, and has given rise to countless abuses. Widows (till remarriage) of soldiers or sailors who have died of wounds contracted in the line of duty in the United States service, children under sixteen, and mothers, and sisters under sixteen, who were dependent on the deceased, are entitled to a pension in the above order of priority. Only one full pension is allowed, and if it goes to children or to sisters, it is equally divided between them. It is impossible to enumerate all the causes for which pensions are granted, or the circumstances under which they are allowed. The United States is probably the most liberal nation in the world in this respect. The Forty-ninth Congress passed a multitude of private pension bills, most of which were vetoed by President Cleveland, and only one of which was passed over his veto. The amount paid by the gov ernment in pensions in 1791 was $175,813.88. The smallest amount paid in one year was $62,902.10, in 1803; the largest was $74,815,486.85, in 1887. The largest amount paid up to the Civil War was $4,589,152.40, in 1833. The following table shows the number

of pensioners on the roll, and the disbursements on account of pensions since 1861:

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Pernicious Activity.-On July 14, 1886, President Cleveland directed a circular letter " to the heads of departments in the service of the general government,' warning them and their subordinates against using "their official positions in attempts to control political movements in their localities." The letter contained the following sentence: "Office-holders are neither disfranchised nor forbidden the exercise of political privileges; but their privileges are not enlarged, nor is their duty to party increased to pernicious activity by office-holding.

Personal Liberty Laws.-A name given to laws passed by many of the Northern States for the purpose of impeding the operation of "fugitive slave laws."