BY P. GRAY MEEK.
Ink Slings.
—Philadelphia will have plenty of
fresh lamb this spring, but it will have
no new Mint.
—The Philadelphia congressmen ap-
pear to have overlooked the fact that it
takes a mint of money to build a Mint.
— Ballot Reform involves almost every
-other kind of political reform the coun-
try is in need of. The others will nat-.
rally follow in its wake.
REED and Rusk is sufficiently alliter-
ative for a Presidential ticket, but “Rum
Romanism and Rebellion” will always
be a warning of the danger that lurks in
the letter R.
—New York has subscribed $25,00C
for a statue of General SHERMAN. The
metropolis may be liberal in the matter
of statues, but in the Grant case its par-
fimony is monumental.
—The smallest town in Kansas has a
hotel called the Metropole. But towns
are like human beings; the smaller
they are th> greater is their disposition
to swell.
——The contention for the next Re-
publican Presidential nomination is
likely to be between BLAINE’S brains
and ALGER’S money. HARRISON will
‘not be in it.
—The funeral of Senator HEARST of
California will cost the government
$100,000. 1t is questionable whether a
live Senator is worth that much to the
government.
—Those who are dissatisfied with the
backwardness of the season should re-
member that this week two years ago
the big blizzard was howling through
the country.
—-Editor WATTERSON claims that Gov-
ernor HiLL should not have been oftend-
ed by the letter he wrote him because he
wrote CLEVELAND one that was equally
offensive.
—A hundred years have passed since
the death of the great Wesley, yet the
the Methodist brethren have not been
sufficiently liberalized to allow the sis-
ters to take part in the conferences of
the church.
—Whiie the Brazilians are regarding
Mr. BLAINE'S reciprocity with suspi-
cion the Canadians absolutely reject it
at the polls. From either point of the
compass the great Pan-American pro-
ject receives but little encouragement.
—Lieutenan Governor JoNES of New
York has definitely announced that he
will be a candidate for Governor, and in
consideration of the promptness with
which he has “paid the freight’’ higher
honors should be awarded bim,
—Immediately after the adjournment
of congress the President went duck-
shooting. It was well for his personal
safety that his gun didn’t kick as hard
as the country did when he attempted to
shoot off his Force Bill.
—The idea which prompted an Ed-
gerton, Ohio, Doctor to have the band
play Annie Rooney as his coffin was be-
ing lowered into the grave, was evident-
ly more in the line of his tactics as a
physician than as a balm to the mourn-
ers who rapidly succumbed as those
chestnut strains were blown forth.
—REED manages between his tears to
denounce the Democrats of the last House
as‘‘an unprincipled migority.”” But sure-
ly the people must have thought that
that minority had principles, otherwise
they would not have converted it into
an immense majority that will wipe out
of existence the tyranical rules of the
beefy czar.
-—In allowing BurraLo BILL to take
u hundeed more Indians to Europe to
perform in his Wild West Show, the
Interior Department acted upon the be-
lief that foreign travel has a civilizing
effect even upen the untutored savage.
It may do for the Indian what it has
failed to do for many a white American
tourist.
—The passage of a bill anthorizing
the building of a Mint without provid-
ing the money needed to build it, was
not the only slovenly piece of work done
by the last congress. It actually passed
a bill in March, concerning the new
Circuit courts, that was to go into ef-
fect in January of thesame year. Its
operation was to begin two months be-
fore it became a law. But what better
could be expected of a congress whose
time was taken up with squandering
the millions wrung from the people by
tariff taxation ?
—No sooner do we Lear of the pru-
dish Governor of Wyoming refusing to
use the State seal because itis orna-
mented with a naked woman than the
baldheaded Minnesota legislators pass
a bill which will deprive their hopeful
scions of the pleasure of sesing the gid-
dy whirls and high kicks of the Amazon
ballet dancers who appear in tights.
But the old women of Philadelphia cap
the climax with their protest against
nudity in art. What is the world com-
ing to anyway ? If the first man had
had such modesty as these people profess
poor Eve would be somewhere up that
apple tree yet.
STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION.
VOL. 36.
BELLEFONTE, PA., MARCH 13, 1891.
NO. 10.
Appalling Expenses.
The people of this Republic are com-
pelled to face the appalling fact that
the appropriations made by the profli-
gate congress that has just gone out
of existence amounted to the enormous
figure of one billion of dollars.
Every expedient of extravagance
was resorted to. Every means by
which the treasury could be depleted
was employed to dissipate the money
wrung from the people by increased
taxation.
One billion of dollars spent by one
congress in a period of profound peace
—almost a third as much as was re-
quired to see the country through
four years of the most expensive war
in history !
The hundred million surplus jthat
was left in the Treasurer two year ago
when the Democrats went out of pow-
er has been squandered, and other
hundreds of millions have been added
to the profligate expenditure by which
the party which the people repudiated
at the last election appear to be deter-
mined to overwhelm the couutry before
they relax their grip on the reins of
government.
This amazing extravagance means
either a bankrupted treasury or more
oppressive taxation to meet these reck-
lessiy incurred expenses.
ee, .. —————
In a Hole.
The Republicans in the State Legis.
lature,although they have a decided ma-
jority in both houses, appearto be saf-
fering for want of leadership. In neith-
er house is there any ote of sufficient
force of character or commanding abil-
It May Be Strangled.
Imfnediately after the late election
public opinion set in the direction of
reforming the method of managing the
money in the State treasury, the defects
of the present management having be-
come conspicuous in the Delamater
and Jamison defaults, which involved
a large amount of State mouey. It
was declared on all hands that these
funds should be better protected and
that the loose manner of giving them
to favored banks and bankers should
have an end put to it by required legis-
lation.
The matter has been put in the
hands of a committee with the design
of furnishing a bill chat would meet
the necessities of the case, but this
committee is reported to have made
but little progress, and there is asuspi-
cion that it doesn’t want to do any-
thing in the matter,but intends to adopt
such a course of ‘masterly inac-
tivity” as will ignore its object entire-
ly, leaving the question of improved
treasury methods among the strangled
propositions of the session. Nothing
would better suit those who have an
inwerest in the present loose way of
managing the State money.
——No less than fifty amendments
have been made to the Road Bill pend-
ing in the Legislature, all this patch-
ing having been made to satisfy the ob-
jections and protests which have come
from various parts of the State. The
principal amendment, we understand,
is in dispensing with the county engi-
neer originally proposed by the bill.
It is claimed that it is much simplified
by the changes made and that it is
likely to be more favorably received by
the people most interested in better
roa is.
Waving Aside.
A Republican organ induiges in lof-
ity to become a leader and assume the
dxeotion whidkall bodies of men re-'
quire. The consequence is that the
party is losing the advantage of its
numerical strength. This was admit-
ted by a prominent Republican who is
represented by a reporter to have said
the other day :
We are all at sea. Nobody seems to know
what must be done, or the best way to accom-
plish it. The Democrats have a steering com-
mittee appointed by their caucus, and when
important bills are to come up they meet and
agree upon a course to pursue. We have no
organization. Lasl week we had an excellent
chance to put the Democrats in a hole on the |
ballot bill. They are pledged to it the same as i
we are, but when it came up we sat in our seats
practically dumb and let Wuerry and Fow
postpone our bill for a week. On Thursday |
we let the solid democratic party, aided by
some Republicans, amend the Brooks law and
stulify our party on this question. We have
control of both houses, and if we let the Dem™
acrats outwit us, and cause us to break the
promises made in our platform last year, the
Republican party will have to suffer.
This is really a distressful situation,
and when it is attributable to the want
of a “steering committee” the distress-
ed party should at once supply itself |
with that necessary article. But why
should they want “to put the Demo-
crats in a hole on the ballot bil 1?”
If they are pledged to a reform of the
ballot they couldn’t do better for that
issue than to support WHERRY'S bill
for a constitutional convention which
offers the only thoroughly reliable way
of securing honest elections. But it is
altogether likely that it is ballot reform
as well as the Democrats that the
Republicans in the Legislature would
like to put in a hole, but, as they admit
they have no ccmpetent leaders, they
won't be able to do it.
——1If the Republicans of the present
State Legislature are really in earnest
about carrying out their pledges of bal.
lot reform, tax reform and other meas-
ures beneficial to the people, they
shouldn’t waste so much time of the
session with irrelevant resolutions con-
demning CAMERON for opposing the
Force Bill and praising Reep for play-
ing the part of the petty tyrant. The
hundred days in which they have to
do their work are fast slipping away
and they shouldn’t waste any more
time with nonsense that doesn’t belong
to their legitimate duties.
——Mr. WHERRY's sinking fund bill
should be passed, and it will likely be
passed this week, as both parties are
united in its support. It will add a
million dollars more to the revenues of
the State, a feature which is in itself a
ty language when it says that “in the
matter of ballot reform legislation the
re ublican legislature should calmly
wave the democratic minority aside
and tell them their interference is un-
warranted and cheeky.”
The waving-aside business is not
likely to be as successful in the Penn-
sylvania Legislature as it was in Coo-
gress under Reep’s administration. If
they had the ability the weaklings who
lead the majority in the State Legisla-
ture would not only wave the minority
aside, but they would also wave aside
ballot reform and every other retorm
measure that the people demanded at
the last election. But the Democratic
| minority, backed by public sentiment,
will so persistently keep these meas-
ures to the front that the waving aside
scheme will not succeed as well as it
did at the last session when a proposed
ballot reform bill was waved complete-
ly out of sight.
Money for the Factions.
The two opposing Irish factions have
sent representatives over to this coun-
try to raise money for their conflicting
campaigns. Lhe Americans have tak-
en a warm interest in the Irish nation-
al cause, believing that the people of
Ireland bave a right to manage the lo-
cal governmeant of their own country,
and that England has done a wrong in
depriving them of that right; but the
factious division that has sprung up
among the Irish leaders has dampened
American ardor for the Irish cause and
weakened their confidence in its suc
cess. Under the circumstances the
representatives of the factions who
come over to ask pecuniary assistance
will not find the Americans as ready
to give as they would be if the Irish
were themselves united. It is a great
pity that so good a cause has degener-
ated into a factional fight.
——The resolution which passed the
House at Harrisburg on Monday, com-
mending Speaker REED for the manner
in which he performed his duties as
presiding officer of the lower house of
congress, was, of course, of Republican
origin and rereived no other than Re-
publican votes. There is an appear-
ance all along the line that the Republi
cans are unsettled in their belief that
REED did the correct thing, and this
may account for their effort to bolster
it with resolutions, But such expedi-
ents will not make the people regard
REED in any other light than that of
recommendation,
an upstart iyeant who abused the brief
authority which his office gave him.
Tax Equalization.
Among the most urgent duties that
have devolved npon the present Legis-
lature is the consilleration of'the Reve-
nue Commission Tax bill which was
started on the thorny path of legislation
this week and will no doubt receive as
much opposition from its enemies as it
will receive support from its friends.
It 18 a continuation of the prolonged
but often defeated effort to secure a
more just equalization of taxation in
this State. It is of most interest to
the landholders and other owners of
real estate who have heretofore borne
the heaviest burden of the taxes.
The second reading of this bill has
been fixed for March 18, and the third
reading for March 24. In its consider-
ation two especially conflicting interests
will come in contact. The farming in-
terest is enlisted in its passage, and the
Granger members are preparing to
concentrate their strength on this bill
as through it they hopé to lighten the
tax burden of the farmers. But on the
other hand the railroad companies and
large corporations, which are benefited
by the present tax arrangement, will
fight tax equalization to the uttermost.
It is to be seen which has the greater
influence with this Legislature.
The Difference.
A lot of New York railroad mag-
nates, including CuauNceEy DEPEW, are
under arrest. There is an important
question at stake now, and the out-
come will be watched with the greatest
interest all over the country. A coro-
ner's jury decided that the company,
and hence the officials, were responsi-
ble for the tunnel catastrophe. This
means a long-drawn-out legal fight. To
predict the conviction of the accused
would be hazardous, and to expect
their punishment, if convicted, would
be almost ridiculous. Railroad mag-
nates are not sent to jail, although oc-
casionzlly a careless or drunken em-
ploye is punished for his criminal neg-
ligence. The reason is as obvious as
the difference between the two cases.
The Massachusetts House of
Representatives has refused by a vote
of 95 to 68 to adopt a resolution en-
dorsing the Force Bill. After its de-
feat in congress it is hard to see what
was expected to be obtained by the ac-
tion of the Massachusetts Legislature
on the subject. If Hoar and Lobge
wanted an endorsement of their force
project in their own State they signally
failed in that object.
It May Make But Little; Difference.
On account of a stupid blunder the
bill for the building of a new Mint at
Philadelphia did not provide the mon-
ey for it, nor is there an appropriation
for this purpose in any of the appropri-
ation bills. It was completely overlook-
ed. To the ordinary comprehension this
would appear like a stoppage of the
project until the money is provided,
but its promoters are already at work
trying to twist the bill so as to make
the Treasury spend the $2,000,000 be-
fore Congress has authorized it. Speak-
er Reep says this can be done, but,
from the antics he cut with the rules,
we should not esteem him a very safe
interpreter of the'law. As the;Repub-
lican party has spent piles of money
with no greater authority, we shall not
be surprised if they go to work and
spend the whole of the $2,000,000 be-
fore Congress shall have given them
authority.
——The Baltimore Sun says the
leaders of the majority in the last con-
gress actel as {if there was to be no
hereafter. This thought is shared by
many, but the strangest thing is that
it seems to occupy the minds of half a
dozen of the most influential Republi-
can leaders. Hoarand EpMuNDs have
staked their reputations on the predic-
Jon that the shelving of the force bill
practically shelved the party. It is be-
ginuing to be understood that some
other issue than the bloody shirt will
be necessary to revive the party.
——The Legislature of Indiana was
polled the other day on the Presiden:
tial question and of the 40 Republican
members only 17 were for Harrison.
Most of them preferred Brave. If
Hagrrsiox is Indiana's favorite son this
was a poor way of showing it. Of the
Democrats in the Indiana Legislature
the big majority were for CLEVELAND.
The Rapid Increase of Expenditures.
The estimates of the total appropria-
tions made by the last congress place
them at $1,000,000,000. This total is
$190,000,000 greater than the appro-
priations of the last Congress and $255,-
000,000 more than for the preceding
one. Ia a period of less than fifteen
years, starting from a poin% where ap.
propriations had been brought down to
the lowest figure since the war, there
has been nota gradual but a rapid in-
crease in national expenditures. Dur-
ing the first half of that period, the in-
crease of each was forty to sixty mill-
ions, or twenty to thirty millions for
each year.
Daring a decade of peace, when the
population has increased something
over 26 per cent. the expenditures of
the Government have increased over
112 per cent. While there has been a
gratifying growth of population, it is
not gratifying to observe that public
expenditure has grown at a four times
greater rate of speed. It was never
charged prior to 1880 that the national
apprapriations were insufficient for the
creditable maintenance of the Govern.
ment ; but it now appears that we had
then only a faint idea of what was
meant by lavish expenditure.
——Secretary WiNDoM was not as
good at figures as he has had credit
for. The expenditures for 1891 and
1892 will exceed his estimate by $150,-
000,000. At this rate of expenditure
where will the Government get to by
1900? If the people are watchful of
their own interests they will never
again allow the same wasteful party to
get hold of all branches of the Govern-
ment.
A ——————"
Another Negro Problem.
Has the negro question been solved?
A solution now presents itself that is
novel in the extreme "and must bring
joy to the hearts of people who long to
be white. Some time ago we had a
story of a doctor who claimed to hay2
discovered a way to make the black
white by a process of skin-grafting.
But what good will that do if the new-
ly-made white man is still to have
kinky hair? Some way must be found
to make the locks straight. So a Phil-
adelphia “professor,’”’ himsélf the color
of the proverbial hat, announced to
the world that he had a means off do-
ing this very thing, and his office was
soon swarming with vain blacks. But
now the professor is under arrest for
taking a fat fee from a colored matron
without giving her the value received,
that is, straight hair. So the advance
of science is thus blocked,but only tem-
porarily. Kinkless hair will some day
be placed within the reach of the color-
ed people, and then there will be joy
in the land.
He Isn't Alarmed,
Ex-Senator INGALLS, in a recent ar-
ticie in a New York periodical, vigor-
ously handles those Americans who
are inclined to be alarmists. He de-
nies the danger of a war involving the
United States, and claims that if there
should be one our resources are such
as to enable us to defend ourselves at
short notice. In making this argu-
ment he, of course, hits certain Repub-
lican statesmen some pretty hard blows. | :
3 n . ‘train on the Lewisburg branch of the Penn-
He is, perhaps, unnecessarily bitter to- |
wards Great Britain. The English
have their faults, but they can’t be
charged with cowardice.
Mr. IncaLLs is right, however, in
arguing against the need of a gieab ar-
mament to protect our coast. IHe.may
be mistaken in being too confident that
when the necessity for a navy arrives
the vessels will be ready just as will be
a mighty army and generals. to com-
mand it. In the matter of a navy
some preparation 18 necessary.
m—————————
——Staunton, Virginia, is a very
beautiful place, and is the capital of
Augusta county, in the Shenandoah
Valley. It is rapidly improving and
offering great advantages to persoas
who wish to locate themselves in one
of the most delightful sections of the
South. A very interesting and hand-
somely illustrated pamph'et descriptive
of the place has been issued by the
Staunton Development Company, the
receipt of wirich is hereby acknowledg-
ed. The work does credit to both com-
pany and publisher and is certainly an
excellent send off for the good old
town, naw renewing its youth,
Spawls from the Keystone.
—Pow-wow Dr. Henry Grate has been arrest-
ed at Allentown minus a diploma.
—Prof. 8. G. Boyd, of York, Pa., began th e-
practice of law at 61 years.
—Oné of the Lucy funaces owned by Car-
negie & Co., has been shut down,
—The State Fish Commission has but 2,125,
600 trout fry to supply applications for 3,000,000:
—Alice Kissinger, a dissolute Reading wo-
man, died ina deserted building, on Tuesday
night. ;
—State Directors of the Poor convene at
Rea ding on the third Tuesday in Octobe
next.
—A Pittsburg student found a corpse, that
had turned to India rubber, in an abandoned
mine.
—The four rescued miners at Jeanesville
are all doing well and gaining in strength
every day.
—Cyrus A. Porter is on trial at Uniontown,
for poisoning sheep and cattle belongirg to
Miss Adeline Moore.
—The Adelaide silk mill, of Allentown, has
reduced the wages of heavy grads ribbon
weavers ten per cent.
—All the saloon keepers of Bethlehem have
been summoned to appear at court, before any
license will be granted.
—The resiaence of Joseph Robb, at Latrobe
was destroyed by fire and a domestic, Miss
Wilson, burned to death,
~The Nicely brothers were refused a rehear-
ing by the Board of Pardons, and they will
be hanged at Somerset on April 2.
—The condition of Vicar General Koch, of
Shamokin, who is suffering from neuralgia of
the stomach, is slightly improved.
—A 75 ton casting of an anvil to be used on
government work was success {fisfly made at
the Bethlehem Iron Works on Monday night.
—Thirty-niue fatal accidents in the mines of
the Ashland district last year—one to each
115,357 tons o fout put, on which 18,257 persons
worked.
—With a towel twisted over a..gas jet Ulica
Wahpo Ina, a Russian woman, banged herself
in the ladies toilet roo m in the Union Station,
Pittsburg. -
—William McGrath, of Philadelphia, is
hunting about Slatington, Lehigh county for
his daughter, who has eloped with a man
named Hull.
—The Big Vein Colliery and the New Phila-
delphia Coal Washery near Pottsville, have re-
sumed operations, giving employment to 400
men and boys.
—Anticipating the strike will last four weeks
many of the Hungarlaus are leaving the coke
regions for a visit to the old country. Some
will not return.
—A valuable team efhorses driven by Char-
ley Cook, sprang over a forty foot embankment
at Jeanette, smashing the wagon and killing
one of the horses. .
—James Hamilton, of Altoona, an engineer
of the Pennsylvania Railroad, on Tuesday,
made a misstep and fell from a bridge;: by
which he was killed.
—E dward B. Carr of Sunbury, who is ae-
cused of conspiracy with intent to defraud
William Bensinger, wazs-arrested in Carlisle by
Detective Johnson.
- Two unknown Arabian peddlers were
struck by a train on the Lehigh Valley Road
at Shenandoah and terribly cut and braised:
One of them will die..
—The Slate Lick Presbyterian church, near
Freeport, was destroyed by fire on. Sanday
morning. The loss will amount to about :$20,-
000; insurance only $2,000.
—Harry Gundlach, aged 18, was terribly
beaten and robbed of some money with which.
he was sent to pay the rent late Saturday night:
in the lower portion of Reading.
— Yesterday evening the wife of: Chief ;of*
Poli ce Fry, of Mechanicsburg, acoidently fell
into the cellar. Both her arms were broken
and she was also:severely cut about the head:
—Lee Springstel, a bridge builder from €in-
cinnati, fell from the new California Avenue
br idge in Allegheny, and was so-badly injured:
that he died while being removed to the hos-
pital.
—Charles Sastmann, a Poitstown butcher
was committed to Norristown Jail on: the
charge of felonious assault on the fifteen-
year-old daughter of a Pottsgrove township
farmer.
—A mortgage of $2,000,000 in favor of: the
Girard life-insurance company; at Philadel
phia, has been recorded at Bbensburg against
the Cambria and Clearfield railroad ‘company,
payable in 1941.
—The next annual fair of the Perry: county
agriculpural society will be held in~ the so-
ciety’s: grounds, at Newport, on. Tuesday,
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday: September
15, 16; 17, and 18.
—Mrs. Ziba Brown was arrested: and held
under bail at Scranton, charged: with arson
The building in which she lived was fired
and circumstances seemed to indieate that she
had, set it on fire.
—The trial of Frank Braden, of" Jolnstown
charged with killing his wife; was begun at
Ebensburg. The prisoner’s son: and: daughter
wens placed on the stand, and their testimony
was very damaging.
— While standing on top-of: a mowing freight
sylvania Railroad, Brakeman Harry Ulse was
yesterday struck by a covered: bridge near
Shamokin and killed.
—Order were issued Tuesday for the shut-
tingdown of the Alaska. shaft, Buck Ridge
and Bear Vslley collieries at Shamokin. They
are owned by the Reading Company and em-
ployed about 2,000 men.
—The Congressional bribery cases, in which
three delegates to the Rapublican convention
last June were charged with accepting money:
to vote for Alexander McDowel,, were contin®
ued, at New Castle, until t he June term of
court.
~The committee appointed at the last
meeting of the. “Pennsylvania German So-
aiety,” have issued a call asking all represent-
ative Germans to attend a meeting to be held
in Laneaster- during the latter part of this
month.
—TIt is stated that the Harmony society at
Economy has offered one half of the large lot
on Seventh avenue, Beaver Falls, for $10,000
as a location for the new government build
ing. The price is one-half the actual value of
the ground*
—A colored driver from a Carlisle. livery sta=-
ble started on Wednesday evening to drive a
drunken stranger over the South| Mountains.
The colored man and horse were found frozen
into the middle of a mountain stream, dying
next day. Nobody can explain it.
—Zack Walton, in jail at Morgantown for the
robbery of Mrs. Hoffman, has een granted a
new trial, owing to the belief that the crime of
which he was convicted was committed by
Teaters and the Durr boys, who were ‘convict-
ed of the toll gate tuyder in Washington
county. = 4