TRE ITE
Deworsaiic Waldinn
Terms, 82.00 a Year,in Advance
Bellefonte, Pa., March 28, 1890.
P. GRAY MEEK, - - - EbIiror.
Figures ThatShow the Deception.
When we first cailed attention to the
fact that the Commissioners statement
for the past year omitted items of in
debtedness already incurred, which if
paid, or deducted, would very mater-
iaily lessen the alleged balance in
the county treasury, we had no idea it
would cause a such troubling of hearts
among the Republican managers to ex-
plain the matter, nor did we imagine
that they would be silly enoagh to
plead as an excuse, for what might
have been accounted for as an over-
sight, that it is not customary or neces -
sary to show “contracted ind ebtedness”
or known liabilities, to give the tax-
payers an idea of the financial condi-
tion ot the county.
If it is not necessary, as the Republi-
can claims, show “contracted indebted -
ness” in the county statement, why is
there a list of outstanding indebtedness
under the head of “Liabilities” pub-
lished in each annual statement 2 And
if this list of liabilities does not include
all known indebtedness, is it not a frand
and a deception upon the tax-payers?
In the last statement, as certified to
by the Commissioners, the outstanding
indebtedness as given, under the head
of liabilities, including’ commissions for
coilections and exonerations of bad
taxes, is put at $3,199.69, and yet in
less than one month after the publica-
tion of that statement, the mouth
piece of the Commissioners a! mits that
the contract price for erecting the
Karthaus bridge was $6,500, on which
amount but $400 had been paid, leay-
ing a balance of $5,100 of indebtedness
on this one bridge alone, of which
nothing at all was said, no account
taken, and the tax-payers left to be-
lieve that nosuch indzbtedness existed.
It is the same with the Howard bridge.
And yet with a Znown debt of $6,100 on
the Karthaus bridge, which is conve-
niently dropped in making up the state-
ment,and an unsettled account aggregat-
ing half that much more, due for work
on the Howard bridge, the Commis-
sioners published that the ‘estimate
expenses for bridges for the coming
year is but $5,500, all told.
If the statement was not made up to
deceive the tax-payers, why was the
known indebtedness of the Karthaus
bride—$6,100—left out of the liabili-
ties entirely, and why was the total
estimate of money to be paid out for
bridges the present year, fixed at a
figure thatlwould not pay the indebt-
edness on this one bridge ?
Can you make anything else but a
clear, clean cut case of deception and
fraud of sueh a financial exhibit?
De —————————————
Explanations That Need Explaining.
Nearly every week since the publi-
cation of the commissioners, statement,
we have called attention [to the fact of
their - being $1,566.60 of state tax,
shown to: have been paid into the
county, unaccounted for. We have
asked an honest, fair explavation of
where it was, or what has become of
it, and had a right to expect an ex. |
plicit and truthful answer, but in,
place of this we get fwo explanations
which are so utterly at variance with
each other, that we are compelled to
believe them both the work of some
person or persons who know nothing
about what they attempt to explain,
or else intentionally state what are
not facts, in order to further deceive the
tax-payers of the county.
In the issue of the Republican of
March 20th we find the following as
an explanation of this matter :
“As to the former charge we fail to find
“from an examination of the statement, where
‘‘the Warcumax finds the $1,566.60 that it
“charges was never paid into the state.
“Admitting, however, that it is there, it is very
“easily to explain why it was never paid
“in. IT HAS NOT YET BEEN COLLECTED.”
In its issue of this week the same
paper, gives another and entirely dif-
ferent explanation of the matter. It
says :
The amount of State tax levied, not collected,
for 1839, was $0125,32. Unecolleated $3337 .89,
leaving a balance of $5738,43. There was paid
to the State, treasurer's commission and extra
clerk hire on account of State tax, $3607,24.
This would leave a balance of $2131.19 yet to
account for. In addition to the above pay-
ments on account of State tax are the following
which does not appear on the statement
simply because . tha statement is a
statement of the ‘Receipts and expenditures
of Centre county” and not the receipts and ex-
penditures of the State, even in Centre county
Abatements on act, of State tax $293,64
Commissions for collecting same 243,65
Assessors pay making assessment 653,0
Exonerations on acct. of State tax 791,86
Total $1982,15.
Take $1982,15 from the $2131,19 as above
given, and you will find a balance of $149.04,
which last and final balance is now in the
treasury of Centre county and stands on the
books of that office to the credit of the State of
Pennsylvania, and which amount can be had
whenever the State wants it.
Now the question is] which of these
two statements does the Republican ex-
pect the tax-payers to believe ? It can’t
be both, for if this $1.566.60 has not
‘been collected, how could the commis.
sion for collecting be charged ap, and
“exoneration’” and abatements on ac-
count of state tax,sbe made? If it has
been collected and the books of the
commissioners’officé make the showing
the last statement in the Republican as-
serts they do, why did not the com-
missioner’s statement make the same
showing? Why smuggle up these
charges amounting to almost $2,000?
It will not do to say, as does our neigh-
bor, that it “is because the statement
is a “statement of receipts and expendi-
ture of Centre county” and not the re-
ceipts and expenditure of the state, ev-
en in Centre county.” Other expendi
tures are charged up against this state
tax and set forth in the s!atement.
Why not the ones just discovered by
the Republican ?
Are not both these explanations
made up specially to cover a mixed up
state of matters at the commissioners’
office. Which of the explanations
‘explaing,” and how will our neighbor
explain both so that’they will fit?
——
A Clear Give Away.
From the evidence of a combination
oflcircumstances we were led to believe
that Me. JaMes MILLIKEN was the auth
or of articles that appeared in the Daily
News and Republican ofthis place, con-
demning Postmaster General Wana-
MAKER for his project to make the tele-
graph business of the country a part of
the post office service, and we said so
in our issue of last week in an arficle
headed “A Mystery Explained.” In an-
swer to this the Daily News had the
following paragraph :
We have always given the editor of the
WarcHnax eredit with possessing considera-
ble fore-sight, reasoning and powers of intui-
tion, but after reading the first article in third
column on fourth page of last week’s paper en-
| titled, “A Mystery Explained,” we have come
to the conclusion that there is one more weak
minded, giddy-headed editor in the world than
we thought there was.
This piece of foolishness is of no
weight in the question, buton Wednes-
day morning anincident occurred which
confirmed our belief that it is our friend
and neighbor, Mr. MiLLikEN, who is
throwing hot shot into the post office
department through our neighbor's col-
umns. The incident to which we refer
was the appearance in our sanctum of
a colored man who handed us an en-
velope well filled with manuscript and
directed to Mr. GaTEs, editor of the
Daily News, saying that Mr. MILLIKEN
had sent it. Seeing that he had made
a mistake and got into the wrong shop,
we set him right, ard he took it over to
the place where it belonged. In the
afternoon the Daily News came out
with another fierce attack on Wana.
MAKER. A man could be hanged on
circumstantial evidence iess strong
than that,
Colonel Ricketts for Governor.
T:e Pittston Times claims that
Colonel R. Bruce Ricrerts is rapidly
gaining strength among the Demo-
crats in that section as a candidate for
Governor. Upon the ground of his
having been a brave soldier in the late
war that paper holds that his nomina-
tion as the Democratic candidate would
at least “test the sincerity of those men
who clamor for honor for the soldier.”
We are afraid that the class referred
to do not care much about honoring the
soldier unless there is a contingent ad-
| vantage to the Republican party. The
regard of that party for the soldier con-
sists largely of political selfishness,
with humbug as a prominent element.
Colonel Ricketts is an excellent citi-
zen,a good Democrat, and would make
a very reputable candidate, but the fact
of his having been a brave soldier
would draw but few votes from a party
whose Jove for the soldiers is limited to
the political use that may be made of
them, for which it is willing to give an
equivalent in unlimited pensions.
——The New York Sun ridicules
HAarrIsoN's ambition to be his own sue-
cessor in the Presidency, he being too
unpopular with his party to warrant
such an ambition. 1t says he
hasn't the element of popularity, but
“a President of force and popular sym-
pathies might disgust the leaders of his
party and still be too strong with the
people to be set aside for any other can-
didate.””—With what accuracy DANA,
to whom CLEVELAND is as a red hand-
kerchiet to an enraged bull, unintention-
ally and unconsciously describes in that
paragraph the case of the ex-President.
The Boss Report ed to Be in Trouble.
There are interesting rumors about
Quay. Tt is said that he is coming
home in haste from Florida to fix up
some weak points in the political fence
with which he has corralled the Re-
publican party of Pennsylvania. He
has heard alarming reports about the
i danger that threatens DELAMATER even
! should he be nominated.
| This danger does not consist in any
; Republican having the hardihood to
run against him after he has been des-
ignated as the choice of the Boss, but in
thethreat of the Farmers’ Alliance that
it will oppose him. Thisorganization of
farmers, which is beginning to take an
proposes to take a hand in Pennsylva-
nia politics, and pretty strong intima-
them. It would seem that there is
trouble ahead for the Boss.
a ————————
Something More About Bad Roads.
The bad condition of the country
roads which prevailed during the entire
winter has not been improved any by
the mud that usnally attends the advent
of Spring. From all quarters we hear
complaint that they were never so bad.
are deterred from using their teams for
the ordinary purposes of traffic or trav-
el, a journey to towa or elsewhere
being a task almost impossible to ac-
com plish,and thus business of much im-
portance to the agricultural interest is
greatly impeded. The situation affords
a forcible illustration of the disadvan-
tage of bad roads, and should serve to
induce the adoption of measures that
shall furnish the country with roads
that can be easily and expeditiously
traversed at all seasons of the year.
The loss that has been sustained by
the farmers during this season of mud
ness in consequence of impassable
roads, represents a value in money that
would go a great way in making the
highways what they should be. Of
course, as this loss Joes not appear in
tangible dollars and cents, it is not sus-
ceptible ot proper appreciation, but in
the long run it amounts to the same as
that much deducted from the profits of
the farmer's business.
The experience of the past winter
should mark the beginning of impros-
ed methods in the management of the
country roads. But it is not necessary
that the turning over of a new leaf
should be attended with extravagant
expenditure, Makeshifts, cheap at the
time, but dear in the end, should be
discarded, and what is done should be
done thoroughly, with a view of being
permanent. It has been found that one
side of a road macadamized has afford-
ed excellent traveling in muddy weath-
er when the other side was completely
impassable. No more than this is ne-
cessary, as a clay road in dry periods is
preferable to a turnpike, affording a
smoother avenue of traffic and travel,
Several townships. of this county have
roads of this character and they an-
swer an admirable purpose. There
should be more of them. ’
Foolish Impudence.
About the most impudent thing that
has come under our observation in
many a day is the charge made by the
Republicans that the Democrats have
gerrymandered Ohio. They speak of
it as a wrong unparalleled in the po-
litical history of the State, and their
tone would lead the uninformed to be-
lieve that the highly moral leaders of
their party would rather sacrifice their
precious lives than to do so wicked a
thing as to gerrymander. There is an
extent to which impudence may go
without stultification, but this Republi-
can fuss aboutthe unfair redistricting of
Ohio exhibits as great a lack of sense
as of shame, in view of the fact that the
new apportionment is merely the cor-
rection of an outrageous gerrymander
by which the Democrats, within a few
thousand of being equal in number to
the Republicans, were allowed to elect
but five of the twenty-one Ohio Con-
gressmen. !
Unfair and unequal apportionment
should not be resorted to by any party,
gerrymandering being a vicious prac
tice that should be abandoned as an-
tagonistic to the principle of popular
representation, but when the Republi
cans show a sample of guilt in this re-
spect such as was presented in Ohio,
and exists at this time in Pennsylvania
where it has been so managed that
526,091 Republicans elect 21 congress-
men and 446, 633 Democrats elect but
7, therr whining about the Damoeratic
gerrymander in Ohio displays an ex-
tent of cheek that is immeasurable,
A Democratic Council.
At a meeting of prominent Democrats
of Pennsylvania drawn together last
week in Philadelphia to consult on the
political situation, matters pertaining
to the good of the party and the exi-
gencies of the coming campaign were
considered. It was an assemblage of
counsellors and not of bosses, consisting
of congressman MuTcHLER, of North-
ampton county, Hon. Wa. L. Scott, of
Erie, State Senator Ross, of Bucks, ex-
State Senator EckLey B. Coxg, of Lu-
zerne, W. U. HeNsEL, of Lancaster, ex
Postmaster Harriry, of Philadelphia,
BexsaMinF, Meyers, of Harrisburg, an 1
Jory B. Reap of Philadelphia. The
subject of the nomination of Gov-
ernor was considered without any dis-
position to dictate the choice that
should made.
Ten or twelve names were mention-
active part in polities in the South,
ed in this connection, but no one of (he
gentlemen present was committed to
any particular candidate. Looking so
far ahead as 1892, there was a remark-
i Ln :
| able unanimity in regarl to the Presi-
|
tions have been made that DELAMATER, |
as a corporation man, would not suit !
The residents of the country districts |
through the interruption of their busi- !
dential candidate, all being in favor of
Grover CLeveLanp. In respect to
the Democratic State Convention this
year, the prevailing sentiment was fa-
vorable to calling it at an early date.
Starving Miners,
More Tales of Suffering and Destitution
Jrom Seranton.
SCRANTON, Pa., March 24.—A shad-
ow blacker than anthracite is extending
its phantasmal proportions through all
the coal regions of Pennsylvania. It is
the shadow of want, and its baleful in-
fluence is felt in hundreds of homes |
throughout the mining valleys of the
Keystone state.
Mr. B. G. Morgan, of Hyde Park, a
prominent member of the releif com-
mittee, says that the destitution is be-
yond description. He tells of a man
who went to a storekeeper and
begged to be trusted for a sack of
flour. The storekeeper said he could
not afford to give any more trust.
When the man was going away he
seized and carried off one of the sacks of
flour which he found outside the door.
The storekeeper was informed of the
occurrence a few minutes later and
hastened to the man’s home. There he
saw a sight which touched him to the
heart. The sack of flour lay open on
the floor and the poor man’s children
were sitting around it helpiag them-
selves to its contents with spoons.
Stories of distress all along the min-
ing hamlets of the region are numerous
and well authenticated, and the worst
feature is that there does not seem to be
a silver lining to the cloud which hangs
over the coal trade.
A Tramp's Good Fortune.
He Receives a Legacy of $10,000 and
Returns to the Tramps’ Retreat.
West Cresrer, Pa., March, 25.—
Jessie Matlack is a well-to-do-farmer
living about four miles from this place.
On his farm is a large stone barn, which
is the rendezvous of many tramps, who
make it a sleeping place.” A few nights
ago Mr. Matlack was called to the door
by a loud knock. He answered the
summons and found two men there, who
asked if there was a large barn in the
neighborhood in which tramps slept.
Mr. Matlack answered that his barn
was probably the one meant. The men
said they were looking for a tram
named Jack Murphy. Mr. Matlack
lighted a lantern and went with them.
They went to the haymow, and after
calling several times for Murphy a rag-
ged, miserable looking fellow "crawled
out from under the hay. “Are you
Jack Murphy ?” asked one of the men.
He was. = “Then come along with us.
Your uncle in Philadelphia has died
and left you $10,000
This announcement made Murphy
open his eyes to their widest extent
and brought out of the hay a half dozen
more tramps as ragged as Jack himself,
Jack went with the men, who proved to
be lawyers’ clerks, and true enough got
his $10,000. But he did not desert his
companions at Mr. Matlack’s barn.
He roosts with them as usual.
ET ——
A Letter from Mr. Cleveland.
The students of the Ohio State Univer-
sity held a Democratic National Mock
Convention, and nominated Hon. Grov-
er Cleveland and Governor James E.
Campbell for President and Vice Presi-
dent respectively: The nominees were
informed, through a committee, of the
convention’s action. The following re-
ply has been received from Mr. Cleve-
lard :
New York, March 20, 1890,
To Mr. W. H. Clarke.
DEAR Siw : I received the dispatch
signed by you and others with pleasure,
as aL evidence of friendship and kind-
ness which caused me gratification, but
1 know that you will not fail to under-
stand me when I essay that I am sure
that there are questions and topics which
press upon the minds of our people, the
solution and treatment of which are of
vastly greater importance than the
political fortunes of any man. I do
hope that the students of the University
of Ohio will appreciate this tact, and
will see their full measure of political
duty inlaboring to enforce the doctrines
of true Democracy and in retrieving the
people from the delusions which beset
them to their undoing.
Thanking you and your associates for
the kind expressions contained in ‘your
dispatch, I am, Yours, very truly,
“GROVER CLEVELAND.”
e—
The Montana Fraud.
Philadelphia Record.
Ir has seemed good to the majority of
the United States Senate Committee on
Privilege: and Elections to report that
Messrs. Saunders and Power, Repub-
licavs, were duly elected Senators from
Montana. This report will carry con-
viction to no one. Republican partisans
may applaud the authoritative declara-
tion of the majority ot the committee,
but the Democrats will always believe
that they have been cheated and de-
frauded out of two Senators. In any
event, the pitiful and contemptible spe-
cial pleading of the majority of the Sen-
ate Committee will unquestionably be
estimated at its true value by the indig-
nant people of Montana. The public
interest in this flagrant crime against
popular suffrage consists, after all, in its
direction of popular attention toward
the open Et violation in the
various States of the laws regulating
the election of United States Senators.
There are too many clouded titles in the
upper branch of Congress. Where the
law-giving fountains should flow the
purest,its waters are most brackish and
defiled. Some other and better method
of choosing United States Senators is
imperatively demanded by public senti-
ment. The system which has resulted
in creating at the Capital a club of
millionaires and rotten-borough spoils-
men cannot much longer be tolerated,
.| candidate for the nomination for Gover-
Mothers of Soldiers.
The Woman's Relief Corps of Penn-
sylvania wish to ascertain as soon as
possible how many widows and mothers
of soldiers, sailors or marines of the late
war,or disabled veterans with their wives,
are inmates of charitable institutions of
the State, or receiving aid from poor
boards in counties where there are alms-
houses, so that they may gather into
the Pennsylvania Memorial Home at
Brookville all who are eligible to be re-
ceived into that institution. If these re-
ports are made to the nearest Corps of
W. R. C. they will at once be forwarded
to the proper authorities and receive at-
tention.
What the Deficit Will Be.
‘When ex-Speaker Carlisle’s statement
Was published recently that the ap-
propriations which the Republicans of
this Congress intended making would
cause a deficiency in the treasury at the
end of the next fiscal year, Mr. Can-
non, chairman of the House committee
un appropriations, stated that it was a
misrepresentation made for political |
effect. Now as good a Republican as |
Senator Hawley states on the floor of the |
Senate that the appropriations to be
made for the next fiscal year ageregate
$523,000,000 against an estimated re
venue of $450,000,000, making a deficit
of $73,000,000. Certainly Mr. Hawley
was not talking for political effect.
|
{
The Ever Growing Burden, |
|
Think of this, ye tax-payers, says
Pomeroy’s Advance Thought, “thirteen |
vears after the war of the Rebellion end- |
ed, the pension. list required for one |
year was $26,000,000. The coming year
$96,000,000 are to be taken from the
people to be given to the army of
pensioners who appear to be increasing i
cach year. And yet the poor farmer |
who cannot get out of debt, and the
mechanic who is at the mercy of the
usurer, goes right on down hill to his
grave, leaving his children in bondage.
How - strange it is that American
sovereign citizens, each of whom is a
king in his own right, should preter the
taxation, dishonor, poverty, bondage
and death, to organization and protec-
tion of all who live by honest industry.”
BE a——
Harrison's Southern Policy.
Nashville American.
The appointments made in the South-
ern States have, to a great extent,
beensuch as would never have been even
suggested in any community north of
Mason and «Dixon's line. ~ The most
disreputable and notorious rascals, men
without intelligence, without character
—except bad character—without the re- i
spect of any decent man in the commun-
ity, have been chosen to fill offices of
their@orn,
great importance and responsibility.
Feder: 1 judges, United States marshals, |
postmasters without number, have been |
chosen without any other reference to |
their fitness except their unfitness. A |
judge and a marshal who conspire to |
pack juries to secure convictions without |
regard to law, who prostitute the ma- |
chinery of the law to hound and perse-
cute their personal and political enemies,
would not be tolerated anywhere in the
North; nor would the President dare
to outrage public sentiment by such ap-
pointments. ;
Solid for Cleveland,
Lock Haven Democrat.
As we mentioned yesterday the confer-
ence of Democratic leaders in Philadel-
phia was solid for Cleveland as the next
Democratic nominee for the Presidency.
This, we think, is the general sentiment
of the masses everywhere, although it
may possibly not suit some of the poli-
ticians. But the man who led in the at-
tack upon the high war tariff and struck
such a vigorous” blow that the whole
edifice of high tariff wickedness rdcked
and trembled, is the man to whom ought
to be confined the task of finishing the
great work for the emancipation of the
people from the tyranny and outrage
that have been practiced upon them.
Let the entire Democratic host, mighty
in number and powerful in sentiment
for effectual and permanent tariffreform,
_shout for Cleveland from one end of the
country to the other, and in 1892 there
will be no difficulty in restoring to his
proper place in the White House the
great President who was only displaced
by the corrupting use of hundreds of
thousands of dollars and the basest
treachery of pretended friends. Let
the Democratic masses avenge this out-
rage upon them and him.
EE
Don’t Borrow Presidential
Troubles.
Philadelphia Times.
It is intimated that the contest for
the Democratic nomination for Gover-
nor in Pennsylvania is likely to be a
contest for the supremacy of the friends
of Cleveland or the friends of Hill, as a
preliminary skirmish for the Presiden-
tial nomination in 1892.
It is intimated also that Democratic
political leaders are making the guber-
natorial battle with the view of control-
ling the patronage of the next President,
if a Democrat, rather than with the
view of electing a Governor.
It would be well for leaders who are
involved in any such movements not to
borrow Presidential troubles just now.
Besides, there couldn’t be any greater
waste of time and effort. If an avowed
Cleveland man were nominated for Gov-
ernor, it wouldn’t put Cleveland a whit
nearer the nomination in 1892, and if
an avowed Hill man were nominated, it
wouldn’t give Hill the shadow of a
chance for the national nomination.
The next Democratic candidate for
President woa’t be decided by the suc-
cess or defeat of any faction in Penn-
sylvania. If the occasion shall call for
Cleveland, a solid delegation against
bim from this State wouldn’t make a
i ripple in the strife ; and solid de'e ‘ations
for Hill from both New York and Penn-
sylvania wouldn’t make him seriously
thought of as a national candidate.
Don’t borrow Presidential troubles.
It is bad policy for any party, and it
would be next to certain to defeat any
nor, and would be absolutely certain to
defeat him at the election.” When the
people of Pennsylvania went to elect
an honest reform Governor, they won't
want a mixture of Presidential monkey-
i ing in the effort. Look to the election |
“of a Governor this year and don’t borrow |!
Presidential troubles.
Senator Voorhees Scores the Thieves’
Tariff,
Last Monday in speaking on his re-
solution for an inquiry into the cause of
the existing agricultura! depression, Sen-
ator Vorkees, of Indiana, spoke of the
deep, strong current of anxiety, discon-
tent and alarm prevailing in the furm-
ing communities, and said that he pro-
posed to aid ‘them in the injuiry as to
the causes of the existing depression.
It was now nearly thirty years since
the close of a terrible war had given to
unhallowed avarice an opportunity to
prey upon the selt-sacrificing patriots of
the country, such as had never before
been presented to the basest passions and
the most sordid and odious” vice. The
measures then resorted to for the taxa-
tion of one class of citizens and for the
enrichment of enother class, hud been
the legislation by which the burden of
the public debt had been doubled, silver
demonetized, and a high protective tariff
established.
He characterized the protective tariff
a as curse and nota blessing. He was
dealing not with a theory, but with a
condition, which even a blind man could
look at and draw from 1t an unerring
conclusion. The farmers of the United
States to-day did not receive on an aver-
age more then 10 cents a bushel for
50 cents for their wheat,
and from 2 to 3 cents a pound for
their hogs. The time would come, at no
distant day, when the faraer would look
on the proposition to tax him and his
wife and children for the protection and
benefit of other people beside himself as
he would look on a law of Congress to
establish the army worm and weevil in
his wheat, to infest his cattle with mur-
rain and his hogs with cholera.
Every pretence of a home market for
the farmer was a fraud, and every pre-
terce of taxing wheat, oats and pota-
toes for his benefit was a cheat and a
sham. Ttis a notorious and self-evident
truth that the tariff, as it now stood, in-
creased the farme:s’ expense account
from 35 to 100 per cent on every imple-
ment of industry with which he toiled ;
and last year binding twine had been
enchanced eighteen cents a pound by the
tariff and Twine Trust. He did not be-
lieve that the hands of the farmer would
hold a Republican ticket at the next
Presidential election.
He declared that not only had there
been no increase in the value of land for
the last quarter of a century, but there
had been an absolute loss of 33 per
cent. If the improved farm lands of the
United States werd put to sale to-day
under the most favorable circumstances,
they would not (he said), on a gener=
al average, realize more than two-thirds
of what their value had been twenty-
five years ago. The farms of the State
of Ohio were now under mortgage to
the amount of $300,000,000. In the
State of Illinois things were no, better—
the mortgage in that State amounting to
$402,000.000. Twenty-three per cent,
of the whole face of the State of Illinois
was under mortgage
The State of Michigan was still worse.
Forty-seven per cent. of the whole sur-
face of that State was under mortgage.
In the States of Indiana, Kentucky,
Missouri, Kansas, Towa, Nebraska and
the whole Northwest from 20 to 50 per
cent. if the farm lands was under
mortgage at such rates of interest as the
farmers could never pay out of their
crops, to say nothing of the principal.
The farmers were thus brought face to
face with the loss of their homes-—with
ruin—and hundreds of thousands of
them were standing in that attitude at
the present day and hour.
In thy face of such appalling facts,
who,he asked, would eulogize the work-
ings and results of a system of tarifi
protection which had for a continuous
term of twenty eight years accomplished
nothing save the concentration and
amassment of wealth in the hands of a
few protected people? He went on to
speak of the recent Carnegie banquet in
Washington. That banquet brought to
his mind the feast of Belshazzar. His
earnest prayer and beliet was that the
handwriting on the wall of the Carnegie
banquet would presage the overthrow of
a system of extortion and robbery more
wicked in the sight of God and man than
all the sins of Babylon ‘when her robes
were scarlet with iniquity.
Summing up, he said. “In the face
of these things (referring to the subsidiz-
ing of the press, the perchasing of votes
in ‘‘blocks of five,” official patronage,
etc.) and with » full knowledge of what
is before us, ws will gird up our loins
like men and go forward to the fight.
The battle may be long and weary, but
the sun will go down on a great and
final victory of the eternal right over
legalized wrong, of freedom and equality
over caste. ‘‘Hail, mighty day of the
swifting coming future.”
EE ——————
The Pension Situation.
New York Commercial Advertiser.
‘We cannot repeat too often that the
Urion soldiers were poorly paid and
that patriotism was the main motive for
enlistment. We cannot repeat too of-
ten that we believe in a pension system
which shall compensate the soldiers gen-
erously for services rendered and for in-
juries received. Such a system would
be equally to the honor of the nation
which gave and the veterans who receive.
But the surplus squandering legislation
now proposdd,would be as disgraceful
as it would be disastrous. With these
bills pushed through the bounty and
nsion record would stand as fol-
OWS :
Total... ernerennnnnenene.. $5,270,000 000
The Grand Army cannot afford to have
it said that in freeing the slaves they de-
livered over the whole nation into’ per-
petual bondage.
—
Probability of a Long Session.
Boston Herald.
There isn’t much of a chance that
Congress will adjourn before the dog
days, if it does then. There are thirteen
Democrats yet to be deprived of the
seats to which they have been elected,
and this promises to absorb all the ener-
gies of the average partisan membar
for a good while yet. It is a pretty
small business, but it seems to flourish
all the same, '