or emer
Ink Slings.
— Without honest registration Ballot
Reform is but a mockery and a delusion,
—Notice of a birthday party at the
White House the other day revived the
drooping public interest in Baby Mc-
KEk.
—Thanks to her bungling congress-
men, the new Philadelphia will have to
get along for awhile yet with the old |
Mint.
—The summary treatment of the
Mafia assassins at New Orleans was a
sort of Sicilian Vespers in the American
style.
—The promising buds that are wait-
ing to throw their pink mantle over the
Delaware orchards at the first call of
gentle spring, preclude the evil prophecy
of the peach pessimist.
—Treasurer HusToN says that the
government treasury vaults are insecure,
but what difference does that make since
the Billion Dollar Congress has left
STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION.
Adnaquy 9vIg
Ln
i
V&
“2S
-
16 16¢
VOL. 36.
NO. 11.
Irregular Justice.
The lynching of eleven Italians who
| had rendered themselves obnoxious to
an exasperated populace, which occur-
| red last Saturday in New Orleans, was
‘the most extraordinary case of irregu-
lar justice that this country has ever
seen. The victims of this outburst of
public wrath were criminals who as
| members of an association of assassins
"had committed a succession of murders.
' It is said that within a few years as
many as thirty offences of this kind
nothing in them that requires security ? were perpetrated by these murderous
—The dispatch which Mr. BLAINE
sent to the Governor of Louisiana on
the Mafia lynching was a little too im- |
Italians, chiefly upon people of their
own race.
When at last an attempt was made
petuous to be creditable to a first-class di- | to bring them to justice they murdered
plomatist, and may cause him to do
some undignified hedging.
I the chief of police of New Orleans who
had assumed the duty of suppressing
— Ballot Reform that won't interfere their lawlessness, A number of them
too much with the registry-padder, the were arrested for this crime and upon
repeater and the personator, 1s the kind |
that the Republican legislators at Har- | them,
risburg prefer for prudential reasons in- |
volving party interests. |
—The maple sap wends its capillary
way to the outward branches with
accelerated flow this Spring, impelled
by the encouragement it has received
from McKINLEY'S putting it among
the protected products of the land.
—A robin, a song-sparrow and a blue-
bird vocalizing on the same apple tree
on Saint PATRICK'S day, gave Winter
a gentle notice that he has no business to
be lounging in the lap of Spring and
should be ashamed of such unseemly
dalliance.
—-Since we have had a Billion Dollar
Congress the millionaire will be consid-
ed a common sort of pecuniary indivi-
dual and will soon give place to the!
billionaire. The course of the money |
power in this great Republic is onward
and upward. f
-—Saint PATRICK'S day this year was
unusually fine, and yet if there wasev-
er a time when the good Saint had rea- |
son to be blusterous on his natal day it |
was this year in view of the ugly mess
which the factious leaders have mada of |
the Irish cause.
—Queen VICTORIA is in mortal terror |
at the prospect of another visit from the |
Shah of Persia, that rare old oriental
potentate whose personal habits are such |
that when he leaves a royal residence |
where he has been lodged the service ofa |
corps of house-cleaners is indispensable, i
—The California U. S. Senatorship,
in place of Senator HEARST, deceased, is
a question of a few hundred thousand
dollars judiciously used where it will do
the most good, which may be regarded
as being quite cheap, considering that
‘millionaires will compete for the,
prize.
—The condemned murderer at!
‘Wilkesbarre says that he would go out
of the world in a happier frame of
mind if the Sheriff would allow him to | salutary lesson that, although corrupt-
assist in building the scaffold upon | ed or terrorized juries may acquit them,
which he is to swing. There 1s no ac- | they are not secure against the ven-
counting for the sources of some peo- |
ple’s happiness.
--Last Monday completed the six
weeks covered by the forecast of the
ground-hog, and the wintry manner in
which that period came to an end vin-
dicated the weather-wisdom of the as-
tute animal and rebuked the gibes of |
those who presumed to criticise its me-
teorological lore.
— When Senator PEFFER, of Kansas
saw how the Republicans were getting
away with the surplus: he prudently
concluded to draw as much of his pay in
advance as he could get hold of before
the treasury became entirely swamped.
The western granger is not the man that
is going to be left.
—I[t is unreasonable for Secretary
Rusk to be angry with the Germans for
not allowing the importation of Ameri-
can pork, for isn’t it one of the cardinal
doctrines of the party to which he be-
longs that it is a nation’s duty to erect
barriers that will keep out the produc-
tions of other nations ?
—Rev. McQUEARY, an Episcopal
clergyman of Canton, Ohio, has been
found guilty of heresy by an ecclesias-
their trial last week the jury acquitted
It was generally believed that
the jury had been bribed, and under
the circumstances the outraged and in-
dignant populace saw no other way of
enforcing the demands of justice and
protecting the community against or-
ganized assassination than by taking
the law”in their own hands. Upon
due uotice given an orderly crowd
‘assembled at one of the most public
places in the city, deliberately marched
to the prison from which tae acquitted
criminals had not yet been released,
and, after forcing their way into it,
cooi.y proceeded to carry out their pur-
pose by shooting and hanging the of-
fenders whom the defective machinery
of the law was about to liberate.
Under any other circumstances
these proceedings would have been
most reprehensible, but the situation
in which the community of New Or
leans found itself upon the acquittal of
undoubted assassins took from this
bloody enforcement of lynch law
much that otherwise would have been |
indefensible. Assassination was vin: |
dicated in the courts. An associa |
tion of murderers were assured,so far as
the failure of justice could assure them,
that they could continue their crimes
without fear of punishment. There was
no safety for any citizen who might be
brought under the ban of their displeas-
ure.
It was a terrible situation for a |
community to be in—a problem of
danger and terror that could be solved
only by action as violent, irregular and
bloody as was the evil it proposed to
suppress. The Mafia, rejoicing over
their exemption from punishment, and
believing themselves to be beyond the
law’s restraint, would have continued
the perpetration of their murderous
deeds. But the deadly process of
Judge Lynch has taught them the
geance of an exasperated populace that
will not hesitate in an extreme emer-
gency to take the law in their own
hands.
We do not believe that the jury
which acquitted the Mafia assassins
were bought. It is more reasonable
to believe that fear of the vengeance of
the murderous gang restrained them
from rendering the verdict which the
evident guilt of the offenders demand-
ed. For the safety of the community
the moh had to do the work of justice
which an intimidated jury had not the
nerve todo. It was a terrible expe-
dient, but the fearful circumstance of
organized assassination endangering
the safety of the citizens and paralys-
ing the machinery of the law required
the application of a remedy as dread-
ful as it was irregular, but which, no
doubt, will be effective.
There is a sentimentality that in-
veighs against such proceedings. Re-
gular justice stands aghast at the invo-
cation of irregular violence for the
treatment of offenders; but when law
fails to secure public safety the court
of Judge Lynch is the only tribunal
tical court. If this offense were punish-
able by burning at the stake, as it was in
the good old times, the heretical Ohio
preacher wouldn't take the matter as
coolly as he no doubt does.
——ANDREW JACKSON was horn in
March, a month which, like Old Hick-
ary, is distingnished for its force of char-
acter. The fact of March being his
natal month may have had something
todo with the way he marched his politi-
cal enemies out of office, a Jacksonian
example which should be followed by
his Democratic presidential successors.
that can furnish the protection which
| society has a right to claim,
——The Grangers' Tax Bill was be-
| fore the House this week and was
; made the subject of lively discussion,
t It is being cut and carved to such an
extent that if it gets through at all it
will be difficult for its originators to
recognize it. Itisto be hoped, how-
ever, that a bill of some kind will be
passed that will secure a more just
| against fraud.
"equalization of the tax burden.
Imperfect Ballot Reform.
The old Republican ring which so
long has ruled and corrupted the poli-
tics of Maine, making the political
condition in that State the synonym of
political debauchery, are greatly rejoic-
ed over the defeat of the ballot reform
bill in the State Legislature. Congress-
man BouTeLLe’s Bangor Whig calls it |
“a grand victory,” exultingly declaring
that “this is the third time we have
opposed the Kangaroo system and in
each instance our position has been
handsomely vindicated.”
There is no other State in which
Republicanism is so strongly entrench-
ed as in the State of Brave and REED,
and in no other State is the proposi-
tion to have fair and honest elections
more openly condemned and opposed
by the party leaders. In fact in the
recent contest in the Legislature they
grounded their opposition to Ballot Re-
form on the assertion that it would in-
jure the Republican party.
It is not unjust to believe that the
sentiment of the Republican leaders in
Pennsylvania on this subject is similar
to that of the Maine managers. We
have evidence of this in the manner in
which the ballot reform que-tion was
treated in the last Legislature. The
proposition of the Australian system
was denied a hearing and ignominious-
ly rejected. Since the contemptuous
treatment it then received the people
have been heard from, and in conse-
quence there is a show of zeal on the
part of the present Republican Legisla-
ture for Ballot Reform, but as there is
reason to believe that the Penunsylva-
nia lewders are as fully assurel as are
those of Maine that fair and honest
conducted ander the Aus-
stems would reduce Republi
elections
tralian sy
can mijo 8, there is ground for the
appreliension that the ballot reform bill
which a Peansvivania Republican Leg-
islature wounld pass would be found
defective in very essential features.
It would be reform with the larg
lest possible omission of the safe-guards
Without honest regis-
¢ tration, which would be secured by a
"constitutional convention, much of the
accustomed election rascality could go
(on under such an Australian ballot
law as is now before the Legislature.
Local Self-Government,
The chief objection to the new
Road law as proposed by the commis:
sion bill is the centralizing of au-
thority in a county engineer. To
many this seems like the creation of a
needless office, involving expense that
is not necessary, while others apore-
hend that it would become the subject
of party scramble, and that road en-
gineers would be elected more on ac-
count of their capacity for political en-
gineering than for the reason of their
scientific knowledge of road making.
There probably is too much ground
for such a fear. And yet it is impos-
sible to get the kind of roads this age
requires and the public interest de-
mands without a more scientific 8ys-
tem of road making than has obtain-
ed in the past,
But the strongest objection to taking
the roads out of the control of the
townships springs from a very natural
feeling. It is founded upon the senti-
ment of local self-government, a senti-
ment that lies at the base of popular
institutions. The people of the rural
districts ever since Pennsylvania has
been a commonwealth have been in
the habit of making and repairing the
roads through the agency of their own
township authority, and whether . they
have doue the work skillfully or not,
whether it has been to their advantage
or not, they would surrender that pow-
er very reluctantly.
But even the most conservative com-
prehend the necessity of becter roads,
and it will be for the wisdoin of the
Legislature to effect such compromises
in the Road law as will improve the
system of road making without too
great a conflict with local authority
and too great a shock to the sentiment
of local self-government.
”
I'he last was the first“billion dol-
lar congress’’since the war ;s0 called be-
cause it appropriated a billion dollars.
The people will not forget the “billion
dollar congress’ very soon, and it will
besome time before they again allow all
branches of the government to pass
into the hands of the “billion dollar
party."
BELLEFONTE, PA., MARCH 20, 1891.
The Funeral Scandals.
Accounts from Washington repre-
sent that it took $232,000 of the pub-
lic money to bury three recently de-
ceased United States Senators. This
method of stealing should be stopped,
but it.seems impossible to stop such
Republican practices. These funerals
of Senators and Congressmen are littie
better than drunken, gambling orgies,
alike disgraceful to the country and to
the persons who take part in them.
The funeral of the late Senator
Hearst is a good sample of the swin-
dle perpetrated on the Government in
this line. A long train of Puliman
cars crossed the continent loaded with
political dead-beats and other friends
of the Senator, who were provided
with wine, cards, and all other appli-
ances that favored dead-heads require,
In the Hearst funeral so much did
Senator SANForD, an old friend of the
deceased, become shocked at the con-
duct of the alleged mourners the train
was carrying at public expense, thathe
cut loose his car, refusing to travel
with [a party of poker-playing and
wine drinking dead-heads, supposed to
be mourning for a dead friend, but, in-
stead, were only making a pleasure
trip to California at the government
expense.
Can not such disgraceful proceedings
be stopped ? It Senators and Members
of Congress have not a sufficient sense
of shame to put an end to it,the people
will call them to account in tones that
will not be misunderstood.
RRC IL
Governor Parrisox’s lead in
genuine ballot reform for Pennsylvania
is well set forth in an article elsewhere
printed from the New York World,
which discloses a clear knowledge of
the situation in the State. The Re-
publicans are dealing in elaborate
plans of humbug, just about as they
did on" prohibition. A constitutional
convention, not next year, but this
year, is the one way to secure ballot
reform so that it may apply to the
P residential elect’on of 1892.
A Fool Joke.
A protectionist pa er, remarking on
the abolishment of sugar duties by the
McKinley law, which will go into ef-
fect on the first of April, claims that
then the price of suzar to the house-
keeper will decline from two to two
and a half cents a pound. Tt exulting-
ly remarks: “There is no fool joke
about this. Famiiies who have been
paying a dollar for fourteen to fifteen
pounds, will get twenty to twenty-two
pounds for the same money.”
fn view of the tact that the removal
of the sugar duty will enable families
to get their sugar at a cheaper price,
what sort of a “fool joke” does this
protection paper indulge in when it
claims that a tarift isn’t a tax ?
It is the old story. The strik-
ers in the Coanellsville coke region,who
some months ago resorted to a strike
for the purpose of securing higher
wages, realize that they are defeated
and are willing to resume work at the
old rates; but their victorious ermploy-
ers will not be satisfied with {this and
insist on a reduction. Even with the
blessing and assistance of a ‘protec-
tive’ tariff labor can’t hold 1ts own
against the exactions of capital. La-
bor shonld not be in this plight with
the McKinley tariff in full operation.
The bulletin of the population
of Pennsylvania, by counties shows
that in twelve counties the population
fell off since 1830 from 12 in Fulton to
3,603 in Wayne, away up in the north-
eastern corner of the State. Crawford,
in the northwestern corner, fell off 3,
233 and Clarion 3,526. In six coun-
ties the increase was less than 1,000 in
each. The increase in Pennsylvania
was about a million, the largest per-
centage being in the anthracite and
bituminous coal regions.
Daring the heat of the senator-
ial contest in the Illinois Legislature,
which lasted through many weeks and
happily ended in the election of Gener-
al PALMER, it was suggested to him
that a little money would smooth his
election and make it certain and
' speedy. “I don't intend to go to hell by
"the way of the United States Senate,”
was the response of the grand old man.
The Test of Sincerity in Ballot Reform.
The Baker Ballot Bill is the only one
that the Republican majority will al-
low to pass through the Legislature.
They want it to be distinctly under-
stood that it is a Republican ballot bill
which will not admit of any Democratic
amendment, and they have assumed a
Czar Reed attitude in their determina.
tion to drive it through. It is offen-
sively announced that the minority
have no right to claim an interest in 1t
and should keep hands off.
But the Baker Bill isdevoid of some
of the most essential features of true
Ballot Reform. It doesn’t provide for
absolute secrecy, without which there
can not be absolutely fair and honest
elections, and no mere statute can pro-
vide for such secrecy without a consti-
tutional provision that will dispense
with the numbering of the ballots,
The Baker Bill is also defective in
that it does not provide for the im-
provement of the present system of
registration. It does not meet the evil
of the tax-paying qualification which
has developed a means of fraud in the
large cities, even extending into the
country, which would seriously eoun-
teract the benefit of an Australian Jaw.
Ballot Reform, such as will thor-
oughly protect the elections against
traud, bribery and intimidation, can be
secured only by a convention that will
furnish the necessary constitutional
safe-gnards. A statute may answer as
a temporary and partial expedient, and
as such will no doubt be supported by
the Democratic members and senators
notwithstanding its inherent defects,
but the vital measure in this question
is presented in Mr. WaERRY'S bill for
a constitutional convention, and ic will
be upon that point that the sincerity
of the Republicans in regard to Ballot
Reform will be tested.
They Raked It.
The total expenses of the four year’s
of CLevELAND'S administration were
$1,039,565,000. When he went out of
office there was a surplus of over a
hundred million dollars in the treasury.
The two years’ appropriations of the
Reed congress amounted to $1,006,270,-
471. Iu not only won the unenviable
title of “the billion dollar congress,”
but 1t went out of power with the sur-
plus used up and the treasury entirely
empty.
Thereckless extravagance of “the bil-
lion dollar congress” reminds a con-
temporary of a case that happened in
the California Legislature some years
ago. There was a bill before it relating
to an increase of salaries and the
question was raised whether the treas-
ury was in a condition to:stand the in-
creased expense. In the midst of the
discussion one of the members excused
himself for a few minutes and when he
returned said : “Mr. Speaker, I have
just seen the Treasurer and he tells me
there is $475,654.49 in the State trea-
sury and I move that we rake it.”
The Reed congress found a large sur-
plus left in the treasury by the Cleve-
land administration and they raked it,
So completely did they rake it that
there isn’t a dollar left.
—-The New York Tribune is capable
of deriving happiness from a most sin-
gular and remarkable source. It pos-
itively chuckles. over the fact that the:
last congress so completely drained the
treasury that the Democrats of the
next congress will be embarrassed in
carrying on the business of govern.
ment. It actually says: “The recent |
Congress began its work with a large swr-
plus to be distributed, and that exists: no
longer. There 1s not offered to the
Democrats next Winter as pleasant an
alternative as some of them now im-
agine.” Itis true, that large surplus
exists no longer, but the party whose
profligacy squandered it should be
ashamed of their conduct instead of
bragging about it and making merry
over it.
——TIt is likely that the Hearst fu-
hauling of the whole practice of con-
gressional funerals, which are expen-
sive as well ae pretentious, and al-
ways accompanied by some disgrace-
ful performance on the part of some
one. In the private palace car of the
congressional funeral train there ie lit-
tle more solemnity than is exhibited
by a lot of sports off for a high-toned
* prize fight.
neral scandal will lead to a lively over |
Spawls from the Keystone.
| —Lancaster counly cattle have pleuro-pneu-
{ monia again.
—Anvother Pittsburg check-raiser has learned
how to make $25 look like 8500 in cash.
—There were Hibernian banquets at Lancas-
ter and Chester in honor of St. Patrick.
—Miss Alice Francis,of Reading, committed
suicide by hanging while her mother was at
church.
—A Corry physician has retired on the
strength of having received $16,000 in back
pensions.
—Fred. Wier, a Lawrence county farmer,
was frozen to death during the storm Saturday
| morning.
—A new school-house at Bethlehem has
| been named after the late State Superintend-
ent Higbee.
—Samuel Cook, a resident of €entralia, while
working in the Morris ridge colliery, was kill-
ed by a rush of coal.
—The family of John Mayerman, of Morris-
ville, ate canned salmon the other day and
was nearly poisoned.
—Sick and unattended for four days in his
miners’ hut at Ashland, Isaac Jones, single,
was found dying Saturday.
— Rachel Price officiated at the funeral of
Dr. Thomas L Allen Monday in the Friends’
meeting-house, Langhorne.
—Simon Yeager,ex Clerk of the C unty Com-
missioners, has sued the county of Lycoming
for $829.10 for extra work done.
—A switching engine at Thorndale, near
Coatesville, killed Milkman George Swischer
and his horse on last Sunday.
—Isaac Jones, Mine Inspector at Ashland,
was locked in hig room five days without food,
and is likely to die from the results,
—Pittsburg has 44,461 buildings, of which
36,943 are dwellings, valued at $57, 179,350, and
7518 business houses, worth $24,135,975.
—It is announced that Republicans in the
State Senate have tacitly agreed to defeat the
House amendments to the Brooks law.
—The Fost Office at New Millford, Susaue-
hanna county, was broken into and $3 0 worth
of stamps and a sum of money carried away, -
—A forman of the Bethlehem Iron Works, at.
Bethlehem, has been discharged for demand-
ing money from workmen whom he engaged.
—As a baseball bat is not a deadly weapon,
Boyd Gillmore, who killed his uncle Stewart:
near Altoona, has been set free by J udge Dean.
—Through trains from Pailadelphia and:
Pittsbarg to, Bedford, yill be put on this sum-
mer to revive interest in Bedford as a summers
resort,
—G. Martin Riot, a.wealthy farmer, was ar--
rested on Tuesday at Ebensburg for mailing
a letter addressed to the Louisiana Lottery:
Company.
—About 100 young men of Pottstown have
organized a World's fair club, the object of
which is to secure to each member a trip to’
the fair In 1883.
—Mine John Meyer, of Freylertown, caught
rides on shifting Lehigh Valley trains at Al-
lentown, ‘ell, was run over, had bth legs cut
off and died.
—A farm at Pithole which was bought some
years ago during the oi. excitement by Chicas
co speculators for $1,500,000, was sold recently
at a tax sale for $100.
—Several carloads of telegrams, papers and
records were shipped from the Lehigh Valley
Railroad office to a papér-mill Saturday. It
was the decennial clearimz out.
—Little 4-year-old Sallie Jennings, of Bush-
kill, Monroe county, caught fire, at her moth-
er’s kitchen stove, and burned to death while
her mother hung out clothes.
—Ildward Kinney, of Girardville, clerk at
the County Almshouse, Pottsville, has left for-
Seattle. His accounts areall right, but friends
believe him: to be deranged.
—Isaac Stover, aged 70, 0f Ephrata township, ,
was found dead in bed by the side of his wife.
He had retired in excellent health, but died.
in his sleep from heart disease.
—Robert Kane, who was in jail at Atlantic
City charged with stealing from Mrs. Anna:
Burns Hogan, of Norristown, died in the jail
from an attack of delirinm tremens.
—The 12 and 13-year-old sons of Frank Price, .
a Barren Hill, Backs county man, read dime
novels and started West the other day. The-
father caught them at Hellertown.
—Ira W. Moe and J. C. Stagg, an Eastoll.
lamp firm, feft that tewn suddenly and noth-
ing of their whereabouts. A number of per-
sons are out of pocket in consequence.
—Conspiracy and false pretense are alleged
against Forst & Greenlee, Titusville oil Pro-
ducers, who sold for $35,000 a well with crack.
ed casing to the Midland Oil Company.
~The 16-year-old daughter of Daniel Stoop,
of Shamokin, was abducted last Wednesday
night, and it is believed she was carried off in:
order to secnre money from her father:
Within the past ten days Mrs Jerry Copelin,.
oft Decatur township, Clearfield county, gave
birth to four children atonce, and Mrs. Snyde
of New Washington, gave birth to triplets.
—George W. Moss, the Wilkesbarre wife
murdere, asked the Sheriffto allow him to
assist in the erection of the scaffold on which
he is to be hung. His wishes were refused.
—James McCullough, a farmer of Collins,
Lancaster county, was killed Friday« moaning
in his woods by a tree falling on hima, He was
73 yoar’s old, and leaves a wife and five ehil-
dren.
—Conductor Fickerson, of the Pittsburg and
Western Railroad, confesses that he engineer-
ed many thousand dollars worth. o ffreight rob
beries near Foxburg, Pa. Seven accomplices-
have been arrested, and others have fled.
—J. Wright Gregory, convictadin this State
of breaking into a post office, has been. pardons
ed by the President, and John Emmet, Jr., of
Maryland, fined $591 for violating postal laws,
has had his fine remitted at the same hand. -
—A committee of the local organization of
the Junior Order of United American Mechans
ics called on the Mayor of Pittsburg and tried
to induce him to issue am: order prohibiting
the carryiug of the flag of Ireland in the St.
Patrick’s day parade.
—~John Leahy, who was suspected of being:
! the man who, with a companion, attempted to,
| rob the residence of Samuel Kreider, at Leban-
on, by passing themselves off as census takers,
and who shot Mrs. Kreider, was arrested and
lodged in jail. His companion is still at large.
| —John and Joseph Rothgaber, brothers.
| convicted of robbing the St. Charles hotel,
| Lebanon, were sentenced by Judge McPher-
| son to eight yeara each in the Eastern peniten.
; tiary. Jacob Schall, convicted of robbing the
| Annville depot and breaking jail, wag, sentene-
{ ed to ten years.
—At Lancaster Herman Peters, an electric
| light man, was stopped on the street early in
: the morning by three strangers, who knocked
' him down and gave him a bad beating, no pro-
vocation whatever having beem given. Dur
ing the last few weeks a number of similay
outrages have been committed there,