li i A Ru ho.
SS
fonte, Pa., Novembr I, 1889.
Belle
AN OLD PATRIOTIC SONG.
A lady sends us the following, which she cut
out of an o!d newspaper, with arequest to re-
vive ancient patriotic memories by its publi-
cation :
Messrs Enrrors.—I see in the last Democrat
thata couple of my old and eccentric acquaint-
ances, Col. Wm. Wilson and Wm. McClelland,
had been regaling them selvesat nobody’s ex-
pense, and being chuck full of 1812 patriotism
discoursed in your sanctum the following
song, which was composed by Mr. Samuel Tag-
gart, of Centre County, and published in the
Center Ranger. It was sent to me when I was
twelve years old. I am now seventy-one and
sing it often,
Hue KILGORE.
Callensburg, May 13 1873.
September the eleventh day.
As we do understand,
Our bold mariners on lake Champlain
Subdued the British band.
Our gallant tars prepared for war,
McDonough did command ;
Whoon the iake the foe did rake,
The scene was truly grand.
At nine o'clock the dreadful shock
Was felt on lake and land,
For two long hours in dreadful showers
Dealt death on every hand.
The gpardian angel of our rights,
Who viewed this bloody scene,
Now mingled with the fight,
And did our cause maintain.
Their Commodore all drenched in blood
Pale on the deck was laid;
Besides, three score of men and more
Within his ship lay dead.
Our Commodore, that hero bold,
Now gave them the last round.
Huzzah! Huzzah! my hearts of gold,
Their bloody flag comes down.
Four vessels now we took in tow,
And brought them safe to shore ;
Such dreadful wrecks I do expect
Was never seen before.
The great Provost, whose mighty host
Had fought through France and Spain,
Now took to heels and run like deals,
From Plattsburg and Champlain.
They took their flight in dead of night,
Thir wounded left behind. . ¢
Our Yankee lads they were so glad
Pursued them to the lines.
The grizly monarch, king of beasts,
Upon their flag portrayed ;
Who came to rob our eagle's nest,
That day tull low was laid.
Our eagle's claws soon taught him laws
Which Europe could not do;
She cocked her crest and saved her nest,
And then aloft she flew.
Come, let us toast our Commodore,
Ana his most gallant band,
And sing his fame from shore to shore,
Throughout our happy land.
e———————
« NUMBER ONE HARD.”
That was all the name he went by in
Skytown. He had never thought it
worth while to give his full name, and
out there, where eastern titles were
considered as delicate subjects and
handled accordingly, no one in the
community caredto press the matter.
He had to be catalogued, however, and
Charley Atwood demonstrated his in-
genuity by christening the sturdy
blacksmith “Number One Hard.”
The boys shortened the appellation
to suit themselves, but it was ao mat-
ter so long as identification was com-
plete.
No. 1 was of powerful build with a
biceps and stature of herculean propor-
tions. It has never been my fortune to
see another such magnificent physique.
He was old and gray, but his majestic
shoulders were erect and straight as
those of a youth. His temperament
was peaceable and retiring and he was
never seen in the saloons or at the card
tables of Skytown. He minded his
own business, put in six full days at his
anvil every week and allowed the world
to wag as 1t would. He hada fine face,
but I,who was broughtinto contact with
him more than any of the rest, could
trace lines of a deep sorrow among the
wrinkles of age.
“Some family skeleton,” I thought;
“unhappy in the east, he has come to
this rough section to bury his sadness
and end his life. Poor No. 1.”
* ® ££ x wn =
Though six years have passed, I re-
member as if it had occurred but yester-
day the strange event which brought
No. 1 conspicuously before the rough
denizens of S:ytown and proved a
turning point for the better in the old
man’s life.
The fall of '83 was a particularly
disgraceful one for the pioneer commu-
mity in which I found myself. Row-
dies from the Mouse River country and
cowboys from the far Montana boarder
conspired to keep alive an element of
lawlessness that put civilization to the
blush. The scattered farming popula-
tion evaded the towu to trade at anoth-
er village, even though obliged to go
many wiles further. I had opened a
general store in Skytown, and this eva-
sion by the farmers nearly ruined me.
fn company with two or three law abid-
wg citizens, equally as interested as
myself in the preservance of the peace,
I openly expressed my disgust and dis-
approval to the Sheriff, but he (being a
mere figure-head and too much of a
rascal himself to perform his sworn
duty) paid little heed to our demands,
save to reassure us by stating that “it
would only last a few days.”
One particularly lawless individual
had come down with the Mouse River
delegation, who rejoice in the soubri-
quet of “Long Haired Pete.” He was
an athletic young fellow of 22, or there-
abouts, but very quarrelsome either in
or out of “his cups,” and no one had
the hardihood to cross his will or go
agaiost his slightest wish, Ile was
lvoked up to and universally: admired
by all the Mouse River rowdies. *‘Pete
did this, or “Pete did that,” was a rigid
demand upon his followers to go and
do like likewise. This gentleman
reigned supreme in Skytown until the
demoralized Montana faction dragged
a rival god from beyond the Missouri,
crowned him and flaunted his colors
malignantly in the faces of Long Hair
ed Pete's partisans,
I had noticed the trend of affairs
from afar and had about concluded to
pack my stock in divers wagons and
move to a more congenial clime. There
would soon be a war of extermination,
A AT Fo EAR rR RO EO BR SAE LT
I felt positive, and the sooner I moved
to less barbarous surroundings the bet-
ter—for me. But the climax was
reached before I had fairly decided and
I was compelled to see the drama
throngh.
Covert sneers and half-uttered threats
had been carried back and forth’ be-
tween the two champions until both
parties were warm for an encounter.
They both sought itand, one afternoon,
Pete collected his followers about him
and they surged into Splangler’s saloon
where Montana Dick was holding
forth with his friends. Sundry jeers
and derisive laughs were indulged in,
but Pete heeded them not. He stalked
straight to the bar and then, turning
half around, he looked at Montana
Dick.
“Hev a drink with me?” he asked,
smiling blandly.
Was Pete backing down? Had he
acknowledged a superior ? These were
the startled thoughts of his people as |
they stood in an agony of doubt behind
their hero.
Montana Dick seemed surprised, too,
and he looked his rival all over and
gave a contemptuous sniff, Then he
looked about him triumphantly.
“] don’t mind, seein’s ye want me to.
I'd drink with the meanest feller that
walks, ”’ he added when the liquor had
been poured.
“] wouldn't,” said Pete, suddenly
raising his glass and dashing its con-
tents full in the other's face.
What a bedlam of approbation went
up from Pete's friends! For a second
Dick, with the liquor streaming from
his eyes, was dazed and seemed not to
realize what occurred; then, with a yell
of rage he jumped backward, drew his
revolver and emptied every shell at his
enemy. He was too insane with liquor
and rage to fire accurately and every
bullet went wide of the magk save one,
and that passed through Pete’s shirt, but
did not touch his body.
“If you want to fight,’ cried Pete,
when the smoke had cleared away,
jist come out-doors an’ fight like a
man. We stand too big a chance of
hittin’ some one else in here.”
Pell-mell they rushed out upon the
prairie, and the combatants were soon
facing each other with loaded revolvers
in their hands.
“Wen I drop my hat you fellers fire,”
cried “Roxy” of Montanians.
But before Roxy could drop his hat,
Number One stepped from the crowd
of onlookers. He raised his hand im-
periously.
“Wait.”
Something about the man command-
ed attention and he was accorded a
hearing.
“What's the use of this needless,
bloodshed ? In this manner both of
you are liable to die. I cry out against
it.”
“Git out o’ the way,” yelled Dick;
and the crowd, taking its cue from
him, endeavored to frighten the old
man off.
“We're here to figh,” said Pete,
“and fight we will, whether one or
both of us go under.”
Number One never looked at him.
“Let me propose a way of settling
the difficulty,” said he drawing two
pistols from his pocket, both exactly,
alike. “One of these weapons is load-
ed with power only; the other with
powder and ball. Now, I will lay
them on the grass here and you Mon-
tana Dick, and you, Long-Iaired Pete,
are to approach and take one, each of
you. Iwill toss up a dollar, and the
one that wins the toss is to put his
pistol at the breast of the other and
fire. In the event of that pistol being
loaded with powder only, then the
other shall have his turn. In this way
only one of the duelists will be killed,
and one life saved at all events. Itisa
fair method of settling the dispute. Fate
will decide it. What have you to say,
gentlemen 2”
Not a sound came from the assem-
bled men. The awfulness of that bat-
tle seemed 10 strike even their hardened
hearts with fear.
Pete bowed his head and his broad
bosom heaved a moment.
“I'm ready,” he declared, looking
up.
There wasa murmur of admiration
from the crowd, and I fancied the old
blacksmith looked toward the young
fellow with sudden pride. But it was
only a sudden shadow that crossed his
face and it became as passive as be-
fore.
To be outdone by his enemy would
have cost Montana Dick his laurels,
and shaking back his shoulders with
the air of a braggadocio, he eried :
“I'm ready, too.”
Number One stepped back. Dick
strode over to the pistols and selected
hig, and Pete then approached and
took the remaining one.
They stood facing each other,but the
bully had faded entirely out of Montana
Dick's bearing. The combatants, both
of them, wee white-faced and both
filled with foreboding.
One of them had the loaded pistol—
which was it?
The rabble about the two men was as
quiet as the men themselves, and even
when Number One tossed the coin and
Montana Dick won there was only a
faint cheer from his supporters.
Dick's eye shot a malignant gleam at
Pete as he approached and placed the
muzzle of the pistol within a foot of his
breast.
It I should live until the end of eter-
mty I could never forget the bravery of
Long-Haired Pete at this supreme mo-
ment. His face was of an ashy pallor,
but, drawing himself to his fuil height,
he folded his arms and awaited the de-
cree of fate.
With a sneering laugh Montana
Dick pulled the trigger. There follow-
ed a bright flash and load report, but
Pete still stood erect before his enemy.
The Mouse River men gave a shout of
exultation. Realizing that he had se-
lected the wrong pistol, Montana Dick
fell back in dismay and fear.
His enemy had failed! Pete grasped
his pistol firmly and rushed towards
the cowardly champion of the Mou- |
acians, Atthis moment Number One
stepped between them.
“Stop!” he commanded.
Pete looked at hin angrily, with a
harsh reply on his lips, but, meeting
the steady gaze of Number O..e, he con-
tinued looking as by some weird fas-
cination. His arms fell beside him and
he staggered back. His lips moved, but
they uttered no word.
“Give me that pistol.”
It was mechanically handed to him.
“Now, go!” commanded Number
One; “leave this town at once.”
Pete turned, walked slowly out on
the prairie where his horse was graz-
ing, saddled and bridled the animal,
mounted and rode away.
Asin a kind of stupefaction the
crowd had observed this strange pro-
ceeding. When Pete had disappeared
in the purple haze where horizen and
prairie met, the men passed silently
away, and Number One was the first to
go.
* * * * * #*
After this, although “white-winged
peace’’ did not roost in the neighbor-
hood of Skytown,the backbone of|dissen-
sion was broken and everything settled
down to a fairly harmonious channel
for a pioneer village. Business picked
up so well that I concluded to chance
it awhile longer, and I have lived to be
glad that I did.
The never failing topic of conversa-
tion continued to be the strange duel en-
gineered by Number One, and for
months after that affair the all import-
ant question of “what made Long Hair-
ed Pete throw up his hands and get out
when Number One told him to” re-
mained unanswered. For me the mys-
tery was cleared away, but I never
breathed the secret to a soul in Sky-
town.
About four weeks after the duel
Number One Hard came into the store
dressed in his best clothes and carrying
a satchel in his hand. I expressed
great surprise at his intended depar-
ture, and he, drawing me to one side,
thrust a letterinto my hand.
“Read that, Mr. Barlow.”
I obeyed, and, as near as I can re-
member, the following was written in
the note in a very awkward hand :
Mouse River, D. T.
Dear Op FATHER: —
It’s no use—you’ve found me, and I never
wanted to go home so bad in all my life as I do
now. I will meet you in Jimtown the 15th of
this month. I'm tired of this life and ready
for something better. Will you meet me there ?
If so, we will go East together and try our for-
tunes once more in the little shop at Roxbury.
Affectionately,
Pere.
“Who is Pete ?”
pletely nonplussed.
“Why, ‘Long-Haired Pete.’ ”
“No Cid »
“Fact. All I came out west for was
to find him. He always was a harum-
scarum boy. Nothing bad, mind you,
only just wild. Well, he left, and
mother and I never knew anything
about it till he was gone. He left a
note saying that he had become a little
restless ; didn’t think blacksmithing
was his forte, and all that, and thought
he'd try it out west a while. I thought
where he'd come,as I had a brother up
at Devil's Lake, so I started after him.
Brother Joe hadn't seen Pete, however,
so I calculated to settle down in Sky-
town for a spell and just Lope and hope
and meybe I'd find him in some wgy.
You see I wasn’t disappointed, for I
ran across him just on the point of
fighting with that Montana rowdy.
Didn’t I fix that up pretty cute?”
“Perhaps so, but I think your son
stood a poor show—"
“Not a bit of it! Why, Mr. Bar-
low, neither of those pistols was loaded
with bullets. I lied a little, but I sav-
ed Pete.”
I felicitated the old gentleman on his
ingenuity.
“If I can only save Pete from that
whiskey appetite he has contracted out
here, it will make me a happy man.”
“Don’t let that worry you. A young
fellow that can look into the muzzle of
a revolver with as much impunity as
he, whether it is loaded, or unloaded,
is capable of the highest moral develop-
ment.” -
“He's brave—nobody ever doubted
that. I knew he'd write me! I firmly
expected that letter. ‘Will I meet him
at Jimtown ? Of course I will, and it
will be a happy day for mother when
she sees Pete and I come home togeth-
er and goto work in the dusty little
shop just across the street. Just chink,
we've been gonefrom home two years !
My sakes, I feel twenty years younger
now that I'm going back with Pete.
Here's the stage. (Good-by, Mr. Bar-
low; I'm much obliged to you for all
your kindness.”
I shook his hand heartily.
“Good by and good luck to you!”
He boarded the stage, waved his
hat at me from the window and—that
was the last of Number Oue.—[ Detroit
Free Press.
I queried, com-
Don’t Drink New Beer.
From the Anti Adulteration Journal.
No premature beer is fit for consumyp-
tion. A beer under four months old is
as injurious as any slow poison ever
consumed. No matter how pure the
material may be from which the beer is
made, it is, however.an impure beer un-
til it has had at least four months to
punfy itself by eliminating certain yeast
germs, carbonic acid gas, and other
foreign matters.
A well preserved old ale, it seems,
would be much better to use than new
beer, where malt liquors are needed, or
perhaps better yet for the sick, a malt
tonic or extract of malt or good grape
wine, until good beer is produced. In
Bavaria tbe law enforces the aging as
well as the purity of beer, and for such
laws we are contending here.
Frostep Levon Pre—Take two lem-
ons. Grate about one third of the peel
and squeeze out the juice, removing the
seeds. Add eight tablespoonfuls of su-
ear and the yelks of four eggs. Stir
smoothly and add three-fourths of a cup
of rich milk. Huve ready two pie-pans
containing under crust. Pour in the
custard and bake. Whip the whites of
four eggs thoronghly,add a grate of lem-
on rind and six tablespoonfuls of
powdered sugar. When the custard is
baked pour the meringue over the pies
and return to the oven till of a delicate
brown.
FARMERS OF PENNSYLVANIA!
A Vote for Edmund A. Bigler for State
Treasurer is a Vote for Treasury
Reform,a Step Towards Equali-
zation of Taxation, and
His Election will bea
Decisive Victory
in War against
Monopoly
and Ring
Rule.
x |
ExTRACT FROM ADDRESS oF Hox GER- i
ARD C. BRowN, DELIVERED AT IN-|
TER-STATE PIC-NIC EXHIBITION AT
WILLIAMS GROVE, Pa., Avaust 25,
1889.
The pertinent question now comes
home to each one of us : Does the Ameri-
can farmer enjoy in full proportion the
national prosperity which he has so
largely created ? A certain class of au-
thorities hold that he does, and would
make us believe that ¢all is lovely.’
Farming, which should be, and nat-
urally is, the most profitable of all legiti-
mate vocations, and which we are so
often informed by the aforesaid awut/ori-
ties, is the ‘most honorable and inde-
pendent,’ in reality returns less profit on
the investment, and pays less wages to
its votaries, than any other business at
the present time.
The census specifically informs us that
it does not yield three per cent. net in-
come.
The recent rapid increase in sherifl’s
sales in the very finest farming sections
of the State shows its precarious condi-
tion.
The augmentation of tenant farmers
and of mortgages on far: property
throughout the whole country clearly |
demonstrates its dark and critical future
‘We must ascertain the cause of this |
depression. We cannot afford to ignore
it. It grows yearly and daily worse.
It threatens the existence of farming |
as an independent, honorable business.
For so great and marked a declension
as the past twenty years has shown in
farming for profit, there must exist ac-
tive and powerful causes.
conceding all that we have claimed, and
ostensibly providing a method of relief
and reform through a commission ap-
pointed to revise the fevenue laws.
del, all classes of laborers are equally
interested with those who till the soil
. that we shall win this fight, their battle
las well as ours,
© The men who receive the furmers’
votes [should] be men on whem they
| ean rely.’
etracts from address of Hon Jno. H.
Brigham, at Williams Grove Grang-
ers’ Picnie, 1889.
“We realize that as a class we are un-
equally burdened by taxation. The as-
sessors know little us to the value of a
merchants’ goods, but are better inform-
ed on the value of the farmers’ stock and
tools. Then a farmers’ means are all in
sight, you can’t hide an acre of land if
it 1s on edge. That we areunjustly tax-
"ed I have not the least doubt. We can
do better than complain of it. If it is
true that we are over taxed, we ought to
try and devise some way to make other
people pay their share. Iam sure that
the farmes, when they act unitedly, will
in a great measure right this wrong.
No man, no corporation, will ever light-
en our burden a feather’s weight until
| we compel them to do so, and we can
compel them if we will. We cannot by
any spasmodic effort right this wrong;it
will require long, careful, patient effort.
Having in our hands more power than
any other class, perhaps more than all
others combined, we have done nothing.
You hold the reins! Do the driving.
You are the party! Select your own
public servants.”
LEGISLATION,
For the purpose of cqualizing taxa-
tion and relieving the overtaxed farmer
the following bill was introduced at the
last session of the Legislature.
House Bill No. 10, entitled An Act
! Providing for the assessment and valua-
WHERE SHALL WE LOOK FOR THEM, AND
WHAT SHALL THE REMEDY BE?
The most cursory view will induce
the conclusion that the trouble is not of
natural growth and is not inherent to
our calling, but is rather the outcome
of our own inattention and indifference,
“ETERNAL VIGILANCE IS THE PRICE OF
LIBERTY.”
This covers the case exactly. As it
happens, the chief factors in this depres-
sion of farming as a paying business
have sprung from our neglect and are
remediable by our own action.
tion of real estate, personal and corpo-
rate property for taxation for county,
township, borough and municipal pur-
)ses.
This bill which was introduced on
! January 11, 1889, and pass the House
No one cause is so prolific a curse to |
us as unfair legislation ; no weapon is
so deadly as unjust taxation; no means
so potent to win the one and wield the
other as combination and organization
against our right and well being.
MONOPOLY 1S OUR BANE,
Trusts are its ripest fruits «nd fullest
development. The beneficiaries of the
one are open apologists of the other and |
do not hesitate to
are mere private atiairs with whom a
President (or any one else) hasno right
to interfere.”
They have grown audacious to the
point of temerity and insolent as impe-
rial dictators. Confident in the brute
force of the millions they have extorted
from a long suffering people, they no
longer disguise their buccaneeri ng pro-
jects.
UNEQUAL
Here is the key-note.
TAXATION.
1 think it was
Fox, from his seat in Parliament, who | *“%¢
2 ; | relief to the people of the Common-
deciared that ‘‘the right to tar was
the power to destroy.”
This was the cord on which the hearts
of the Revolutionary patriots struck fire
and urged them to devote their lives to
save the nation’s life.
We have allowed ourselves to be ca-
joled on one pretext and another to sub-
mit to an excessive increase of taxation
and what is even worse, to a most in-
iquitous distribution of its burdens.
We have permitted the revenue laws
of the State to be so shaped from time to
time, that, as at present, a good one-
half ofall the property in the Common-
wealth is not assessed.
This is the more outrageous, inasmuch
as the property thus exempted is the
most profitable that exists in our bor-
ders. Its holders are millionaires and
corporations.
All other classes of property, except
real estate, when taxed at ail, pays not
to exceed the sixth part of that which
is levied upon farm property of equal
assessed value.
I will recall to your attention right
here, that there are levied in Pennsyl-
vania, for all purposes, about $40,000
000 yearly, of which real estate, mainly
farm property, pays »34,000,000,licenses,
ete., more than $2,000,000, and the bal-
ance, not exceeding $4,000,000, whichis
all that is demanded of all that vast cor-
porate and personal property, in amount
actually exceeding in value and im-
mensely over-topping in income all the
real estate.
Roughly estimated, should real estate
pay its own share, and nomore, it would
puy about $17,000,0 0 per annum, or
just about one-half of what it does pay.
Should corporate and income produc-
ing personal property be required to pay
its just proportion at the same ratio, it
would pay $22,000.000, or more than
five times what it does now.
Is there any sound reason why it
should not? We claimitis an act of
common justice—nothing more.
HOW WILL THAT EFFECT THE STATE.
Allowing the situation to be as here
stated, what can we do about it?
Equalization of tawation, which is not
only just and proper, but which we re-
gard asa vital necessity, an ab:olate
sine qua non, isa great reform move-
ment. It must advancein spite of the
organized opposition of many of the
most powerful interests and influences.
THEY WILL FIGHT.
For three or more sessions of the Leg-
islature has the farmer’s organization
beert leading in this effort, in fact, it
initiated it.
Our bill, defeated at one session by a
trick, was 20 powerfully pushed at the
last one, that it was only beaten by one
vote, after the corporate and moneyed
interests, thoroughly alarmed, had been
obliged to strain their every nerve to
down it. Kven then they were forced
to passa resolution acknowledging the
injustice of the present system, virtaally
declare “that #rusts |
finally on the 26th of March, provided
as follows:
Section 1. Be it enacted &e., that
from and after the passage of this act as-
sessors of the several tonwships, bor-
oughs and cities of the Commonwealth
shall annually, as to persenal and cor-
porate property, and triennially, as to
real estate, assess for county, municipal
and other local purposes, all taxable
persons, natural and aruficial, owning or
holding in trust real estate or personal
property, horses, sheep, cattle and swine
over four years of age, household prop-
erty and tool implements necessary for
trades or occupations exceeding four
hundred dollars, in value, except only
the property authorized to be exempted
trom taxation by the first section of arti-
cle nine of the Constitution of Pennsyl-
vania, the stock of building and loan as-
sociations, watches, household furniture
and pleasure carriages: Provided, that
all classes of property subject to tax for
State purposes when assessed for county,
munieipal or local purposes shall not be
taxed ata rate higher than one-half
the mill tax levied on real estate.
The practical effect of this bill, had it
become a law, would have been the tax-
ing of the property of Corporations—
now not taxable—for township, bor-
ough and eounty purposes. And in oper-
ation would very largely increase the
total valuation from which the local
taxes are to be derived and therchy
would decrease the rate and be an actual
wealth.
After tinal passage in the House, the
bill was sent to the Senate forits concur-
rence.
On May 2nd, 1889, Senator Gerard
C. Brown (of York) moved that the
Senate F nance Committee (to which
the bill had been referred) be discharged
from the consideration of House Bill
No. 10, for the purpose of giving the
Senate an opportunity to consider the
measure. This required a two-third
vote and upon the yeas and nays being
called there were 23 yeas and 13 nays.
Lacking one vote of two-thirds the veso-
lution,was lost, and bill practically kill
ed, it never having been reported from
the Comu ittee for action.
Of the 23 yeas 13 were Democrats, 10
Republicans. The nays were Messrs.
Brown, (Montgoniery) Cooper, Crouse,
Delemater, Mehard, Newmeyer, Pen-
rose, Reyburn, Smith, Tompson and
Upperman,—13 all Republicans.
DISCRIMINATION IN FAVOR OF CORPORA-
TIONS.
Extract from Senator Gerard C. Brown's
Address at Williams’ Grove, 1889.
But this question (equalization of tax-
ation) is rot the only one that we have
deep interest in. Weare the victims of
atrecious discrimination by the great
corporations which controtour transpor-
tation, our telegraphic, telephone and
express busiress.
The great transportation and trans-
mission corporations, for instance, have
been for years not merely hostile to the
interests of the people which they were
chartered to subserve, but by using un-
scrupulously their iminense resourees to
destroy the Constitution as far as it lays
down the law affecting them, have come
to occupy a position closely hordering on
treason to the State.
It would indeed be difficult for a die-
passionate judge to define wherein it
does come short of a {reasonable con-
spiracy.
At all events, railroad influence has
notoriously run Legislature after Legis-
lature. Certain valuable considera-
tions have been given, accepted and
used unblushingly with scarce a mantle
of secrecy, and this, too, contrary to a
proper personal pride, a decent self-re-
spect, and nct merely in violation of
the organic law, but of the solemn of-
ficial oaths of members of the General
Assembly and of State officers as well.
It is our highest duty to secure if pos-
sible the enforcement of the Constitution
as it is, and until that is accomplished
we may well treat any proposed amend-
ments as of secondary consideration.
Even to anticipate this may be consider-
ed eutopian by many persons who know
something of the immense forces leagu-
ed against it. A noted political leader
remarked to a speake during a debate on
this issue in the Senate two Fears no,
i “Oh! no, you will never get there,” but
I will trust to the virtue, intelligence
We are assailing monopoly in its cita-
| and patriotism of the people to confound
| his prediction.”
WHERE THE FAULT LIES.
“Fifth. We hold the Republican
party responsible for the failure—a fail-
ure wilfully and corruptly incurred—to
enforce by ‘appropriate legislation’ the
sixteenth and seventeenth articles of the
Constitution, designed to protect the
lund and labor, the people and indus-
tries of this Commonwealth.’ —7The
Democratic Platform, 1889.
All Sorts of Paragraphs.
—A two-legged horse is on exhibition
in a New York museum.
.—Madison, Ga., claims to have a
horse that took part in the Indian wars
in 1830.
—A pure white English sparrow
dwells with a colony of browns in Hart-
ford, Conn.
— Erastus Wiman has contributad
$100 to the fund for a monument to
| Horace Greely.
Umbrellas are being imported into
India in great numbers. Last year 280,-
000 arrived in Calcutta alone.
| —John Masgatt, aged 76 years, of
West Elisworth, Me., drove 40 miles
last week to be initiated a Good Temp-
lar.
—A Hannibal, Mo., man has killed
910 squirrels since the first of June, but
probably he has not done much of any-
thing else.
—At Pensacola, Fla., a mustang that
was abused by its driver rushed into the
water and held its head beneath the sur-
face until it drowned.
—The people of the Northwest say
that the
houses unuzally high, and that this is a
certain sign of & very cold winter.
—The wine list on the bills of fare
used in dining cars on railroads crossing
Towa has this notice at the bottom .
“No liquors sold in the State of Towa.”
—The Prince of Wales is said to be
suffering from Bright's disease. It is re-
ported that the extension of his trip to
Egypt is recommended by his physi-
cians.
—A plague of monkeys afflicts Tan-
jore, in Southern India. The creatures
do so much mischief that an official
catcher receives a rupee for each monkey
captured.
—The grave of a woman buried in
Cohoes, N. Y., 18 years age, was opened
recently and the body found petrified.
The features looked as natural as if the
woman had just died.
—-The Hon. R. M. McLane, formerly
Minister to France, has offered his ser-
vices as a stump speaker to the Demo-
cratic State Committee of Maryland for
this fall’s campaign.
—A London cable says that it is esti-
mated that C. P. Huntington will have
to pay $10,000,000, in dowry and settle-
ment of debts, to Prince Hatzfeldt, who
is to wed his daughter.
—Three boys, attending gymnasia or
high schools in Berlin, have shot them-
selves within the last few days on ac-
count of disappointment in not being
promoted into higher classes.
—A Litchfield, Mich., couple who
have been married 30 years, had a mis-
understanding about two years ago, and
since then they have never spoken to
each other, though living in the same
house.
—Justice Stephen J. Field looks none
the worse for his exciting experience in
California. It troubles him, however,
and he discourages all allusions to it.
His friends understand that he is tqQ
speak of it first.
—TItis proposed to bring in a bill at
the next session of the British Parlia-
ment to put a restraint upon improvi-
dent marriages, the great proportion of
such marriages being made by those un-
der 25 years of age.
—In Houlton, Me., lives a lady who
never wore an article of jewelry, a piece
of lace nor a collar, even in the days of
courtship, which experience she has pass-
ed through more than once, havng
married twice.
—The Paris beauty show begins to-
day with 30 candidates, including 2 En-
glish, 1 Irish, 2 South Americans, 2
from the United States, 2 Russians, 2
Hungarians, 2 Italians, 2 Roumanians,
5 French and 4 Orientals.
—The monuments of antiquity at Ath-
ens are being cleansed from the dirt
and rubbish of ages for the approach-
ing royal wedding. In doing this sev-
eral cntire streets of ths modern town
have had to be pulled down.
—The fish are getting so numerous
around the docks at Port Tampa, Fla.,
that they jump out of the water and
land on the wharves. A king fish
weighing 17 pounds was captured by
Captain George Warner in that way on
Tuesday. :
—A Maine girl put a note and her
address in a box of toothpicks, request-
ing the finder to write to her. A Kansas
City man got the box, opened a corres-
| pondence, and a few days ago started
East to see if the young lady was the
sort of woman he wanted for a wife.
—On September 22 a man was exe-
cuted at Ossuna, in Andalusia, for
murder, who up to the last moment was
in full expectation of a reprieve from
Queen Christiana. Thereprieve was ac-
tually signed, and orders were sent to
carry it out, but it arrived just after the
execution was over.
—The Flathead Indians of Montana
differ widely from other tribes on this
continent. They are not warriors, nor
are they lazy and good for nothing. On
the contrary, most of them are thrifty
farmers, whose industry and skill are
attested by big stacks of hay and grain
about their dwellings.
—Daniel Frederick, of Knox county,
Ind., was 100 years old October 16. He
was born in Knox county and has al-
ways resided there. His life pursuit has
been that of a farmer, and his habits,
plain, simple and regular. He has nev-
er been sick but twice in his long, quiet
hfe, and to-day he is a remarkably hale
spry and vivacious old man. His hair
is still black, with but a few silver
threads, and he has no use for spectacles.
muskrats are building their -