~e.
TEETER IRE
Beware
Terms 2.00 A Year,in Advance
Bellefonte, Pa., February 26, 1892.
P. GRAY MEEK, Ebpiror
A Good Nominee for Supreme Judge.
We do not know it it is the inten-
tion of Judge HEeiprICK, who was ap-
pointed to fill the vacancy oceca-
sioned by the the death of Judge
CLARE, to be a candidate for nomina-
tion tothe position he now holds,or not,
neither have we knowledge of the sen-
timent of the Democracy of the State
as to their preference of candidates for
this important place. We speak,
however, what we know, in saying
that the Democrats of this section are
deeply interested in the matter of who
shall be the candidate for supreme
Judge, and as it has been many de-
cades since the central counties have
had a Democratic nominee or a Judge
upon the bench, an organized effort
among the members of the bar of ad-
joining counties has been started to
present Judge D. L. Kress, of Clear-
“field, for the position.
Judge Kress is in the prime of life,
having just passed his forty-fifth year,
and the eight years that he has so well
and so satisfactorilly, to the people,
presided over the courts of Clearfield
county, have proven him to be one of
the clearest headed, most expeditious
and unprejudiced Judges upon the
bench. During that time he has
shown an unusual capacity for work
and an intelligent idea of the dignity
and duties of the place, that have been
as beneficial to the public as they have
been creditable to the high position he
holds. When he went upon the bench,
the issue list of his county, one of the
largest in the State and one in which
many valuable land titles were in the
course of litigation, was from three to
four years behind. At present the
work is not six months back, and of all
the cases that baye been tried before
him, many of them involving large in-
terests, a smaller proportion have
been carried to the Supreme court,
than of those of any Jud.e in this sec-
tion, and of the ones that have been
carried up, less than one fifth have
‘been reversed.
These facts show his capacity for
work and the correctness with which
he determines legal questions, many of
which required the clearest conception
and most minute knowledge of the
land laws--qualifications imperatively
necessary in any candidate who may
aspire to the Supreme bench.
When Judge Trunkry died, the
western portion of the State, that was
entitled to his successor, allowed the
‘the nomination to go to the extreme
northeast without an effort to secure
it. Whether intentionallyj or not, it
‘gave away its opportunity and claims
at that time. Judge CLARKS successor
properly belongs to the Allegheny coal
and lumber region of Central and
Western Pennsylvania! and Judge
Kress, residing as he does, in the ad-
joining county to that of the late Judge
whose place is tobe filled, has the loca-
tion as well as the qualifications to
commend him to the people of the
State as the proper candidate.
Re
A Bad Subject for the Gazette.
In another column of this issue of
the Warcnmaxy we publish a candid
and intelligent statement, by the Dom-
ocratic members oi the board of com-
missioners, in reply to the long and
misty explanation of Commissioner
Stromr, why his name did not appear
to the financial exhibit for 1891. We
also give place to an article furnished
us by a gentleman fully conversant
with the county finances, and which
we have allowed to take the place, for
the time being, of a few facts we pro-
posed furnishing the tax payers, in re-
ference to the charges made against
the Commissioners by the Gazette of
last week.
Wisdom on the part of the editor of
that paper should have inciined him
to wish that nothing be said, that
would bring up references to the man-
nér in which the connty finances were
managed under the late Republican
board of Comumissioners. = He seems to
lack sufficient sense to appreciate this
fact, and if his long tirade against the
present Democratic members results’in
refreshing the memories of the tax-pay-
ers as to the reckless and extravagant
methods by which his party squander
ed the public money, he can take the
responsibility of it himself.
The mouth piece of a party that, in
addition to every cent of taxes collected,
got away with a treasury surplus of
over $24,000; robbed ‘the different
townships of their land funds to the
amount of $7,633.00 ; used for county
purposes, $8,358.35 belonging to the
State and left the treasury bankrupt
and without a cent to pay current ex-
peases with, in a single term in the
commissioners’ office, as the Republi
cau party did, 1s not in a coudition to
invite comparison or to iinpress a tax
paying public with the idea that be-
cause its creatures have not the control,
the finances of the county are not ca-
red for as they should be.
TEA ——————
Mr. Strohm’s Real Reasons.
It was not so much a desire to be
right, as to try to make a little politi-
cal capital for the Repulican party,
that induced Mr. Strony, the Repub:
lican member of the board of commis-
sioners, to withhold hissignature from
the county statement and then occupy
two and a half columns in the Gazette
in explaining his reasons for doing so.
Mr. Strom, if he is fit for the posi-
tion he holds, knows very well that the
item to which he takes exception as
not being published as a liability, was
not at the time of settlement, nor is it
now a liability of the county—and will
not be until the work contracted for fs
completed and accepted by thejjcom-
missioners. Its proper place is just
where it was put, among the estimated
expenses, that are to be met this year.
But this was not what troubled Mr.
StrouyM. He had been clerk to the
Republican board of commissioners
that went into office in January 1888,
with a surplus in the county Treasury
of over $24,000, and went out of office
in January 1891, leaving the treasury
bankrupt, the county in debt over $12,-
000, the public buildings dilapidated
and out of repair, and not a penny in
the hands of the Treasurer to meet or-
dinary expenditures with. He discov-
ered that through the economy and
business like management, of the pres-
ent Democratic board, the financial ex-
hibit of the county, for 1891 would
rake a very different showing from
that of 1890, when he and his friends
were in control. In fact it would show
as it does, that in a single year Demo-
cratic management, had paid the Re-
publican indebtedness, made and paid
for improvements to the public build-
ing, restored public credit, and could
claim a small balance in favor of the
county.
This was in damaging contrast to
the Republican mismanagement with
which Mr. STronM was connected; and
to deceive the tax-payers as to the real
condition of affairs, in order that so
creditable a showing should not be
made by the new Democratic board,
Mr. StrouM insisted on charging up as
a present liability for 1891, the con-
tracted price for office flxtures, etec.,
that had not been put in place, not
been accepted, and were not to be paid
for even if the work was satisfactory,
until November, 1892.
This was the kernel in Mr. StrouMm’s
political nut. He didn’t want a Dem-
ocratic board-to have the credit it de-
served for sensible and careful man
representation of the county’s financial
condition, for the simple purpose of-
saving his party from the damaging
contrast an honest and fair presentation
of facts and fizures made.
a —————
tic Commissioners.
Mr. Strohm’s Long Letter Fully Answered and
Explained.
To the Citizens of Centre Co.
In the explanatory (?) letter, publish-
ed in the last issue of the Keystone Gaz-
ette aad signed by a member of the
Board of Commissioners, we find the
facts considerably distorted and our-
selves unjustly misrepresented. The
tone of the letter apparently attempts to
show the “usurpation of power,”
practiced by the Damocratic members of
this board, rather than to justify the
stand taken by our esteemed colleague
wiih reference to the classification of our
annual statement.
During the one year in which we
have been associated in the affairs of
this office harmony has existed, and we
is
courtesy and consideration which
that we have found in him a most agree
able and reasonable gentleman, with
the one exeaption in question.
year, when it became necessary to take
a ballot, if it were not unanimous, the
member, no matter who it enhanced to
be who. stood alone in his views, was
expected to accept the situation as be-
comes a man and yield to the majority
of the board -reserving of courses, the
right to have his vote recorded on the
minutes as he should dictate. The idea
that the majority cannot legally publish
the statement, when the minority mem-
ber refuses to sign in, is ridiculous. Mr.
Strohm’s protest eontained only a par-
tial statement of the facts, and could we
have added below the facts complete
and an explanation of the matter in ful}
the privilege of publication would have
been granted Mr. Strohm ; but we will
leave to every sensible reader of this
article the propriety of taking up the
space on the annual statement with the
In other business matters during the.
agement and insisted on making a false |
argument pro and con of this board.
We desire tocall attention briefly to
the main facts of the matter to which
our colleague took exceptions: In the
article of agreement made October Tth,
1891, first: The Office Specialty M’fg
Co. agrees to furnish files and fixtures
for the vaults of the commissioners and
prothonotary’s offices, deliver and put
up the same in the vaults, the fixtures
for commissioners’ vault to be ready to
put up by the month of December,
tary’s vault shall be put in Febuary,
1892. Second : The county commis-
sioners agree to pay to the Office Spe-
cialty M’f’g. Co. the contract price on
November 1st, 1892, “provided the work
meets the approval of the commissioners’
main part of the article of agreement,
of this year.
ply because we “dare to be Democrats,”
three years of Republican man:gement
account instead of another.
ment could not hold its
unscrupulous political advisors.
G. L. GoopuART,
T. F. Apawms,
(COMMUNICATED.)
passed its former well established record
for abusing, and misrepresenting demo-
in which it assaulted the democratic
members of the present board of County
Commissioners.
tirely upon the tact thatthe republican
statement which the Commissioners are,
|
A Frank Statement from the Democra- |
| by law, required to publish.
distorted, misquoted and made to say
| things which do not appear upon its
| face. Even Mr. SrroHM in his very
| lengthy, but thin article, would leave
the public under the impression that the
majority of the board garbled the state-
| ment, and made the figures to lie.
On February 8rd, the very day on
: which the copy of the Annual State-
| ment, went into the printers hands, Mr.
| STROHM wrote out and asked to have,
as!
this note,placed on the statement,as giv-
ing his reasons for not attaching his
name to it, with the other Commis-
sioners,” ~
Bellefonte, Pa ., Feb, 3rd, 1892.
“I concur in the foregoing report except in
“the Statement of liabilities which in my
“judgment should conirin the item of $4500 of
| “contracted indebtedness for metalic vault
| “furniture as per contract dated Oct. 7th, 1891.
due to a minority of any board ; and in |
justice to Mr. Strohm we wish to say |
| that the
| “ber 1st, 1892, is, in iny judgment, as
have tried to show to our colleague the | “liability as the note for $5000 held by the
“I'his debt although not payable until Novem:
much a
“Centre County Banking Co., and the other
“notes enumerated amoag the liabilities and
“which fall dae as stated in 1892:”
J+ B. Strona.
Ia this brief note we have the fact
republican mamber of the
board was satisfied with the report,and
found it correct as made out by the ma-
jority of the board, except in the one
item.
Mr. SrrouM would have agreed to
the statement as made up and published,
had he honestly” fbilowed his judgment
and not sought to take advantage of his
associates for political purposes, or list-
- ened to unscrupulous and wu nprincipled
vagabonds who tramp our streets and
abuse our citizens,
Mr. Stroma, however seeks refuge in
the law. That is what ails the minority
of the board,—he prides himself on his
knowledge of the law.
The 22nd Section of the Act of 15th
of April 1834. “makes it the duty of
County Commissioners to publish an-
nually, once a week for four successive
weeks an accurate statement of all re-
ceipts and expenditures of the preceding
year, ete.”
1891, and the fixtures for the prothono-
With reference to the villification and
abuse which Mr. Fiedier and other un-
scrupulous party leaders heaped upon
the Democratic members of the board,
in last week’s issue of the * Gazetie, sim-
(nstead of Republicans) and because our
record for the first year in office presentS
so marked a contrast to the one left by
we have ncthing to say further than to
respectfully refer the public to our an-
nual statement which we consider com-
plete and correct and in every portion
of which Mr, Strohm concurred with
the exception of placing an item in one
In conclusion we sincerely regret tha,
our colleague’s good sense and judg-
own when
brought in contact with the advice of
Facts for Centre County Tax Payers.
The Gazette of last week, even sur- |
cratic officials, in the indecent manner
The onslaught it must
be remembered, however, is based en-
member of the board refused, for only
an imaginary reason, to sign the annual
Because of this, the whole report is
The 23rd Section of the same Act pro-
vides “that such statement shall enum-
erate the respective sums paid by each
Ward and Township within the county,
and also designate all} sums expended
for the support of prisoners, the pay of
Commissioners and of their clerk, the
repairs of old or the ercction of new
bridges and the sums paid to individu-
als for lands over which roads may have
laid out, together with such other items
as may have a tendancy to convey gen-
eral information of the transaction of the
' previous year.”
Wherein does either of these sections
| provide for an estimate of funds needed
jor a statement of liabilities, or what
| items shall or shall not be set out under
either head ? When the Commission-
when set up.” The above embodies the | ers make up their statement they make
lan estimate, as they did this year and
which ison flle in tkis office and open to | properly so, of the tunds needed for the
the perusal of those in doubt as to who ! coming year. It is of little consequence
has quoted correctly. The reader will how this statement is made, so it states
see that the fixtures for the prothono-
tary,s vault, which is more than one
half of the entire order, shall not be put
up until the month of February, 1892.
Further at the time our statement was
published, nons of the boxes containing
the fixtures were opened. Upon the
comparison made in Mr. Strohm’s letter
between a note given for value received
and an article of agreement, the condi-
tions of which have not been completed,
we will respectfully ask business men
to form their own opinion. The item
above referred to is not left out of the
statement as his article would have you
believe, butis placed where we believe
it rightfully belongs, as an estimated lia-
bility for the year 1892, and for which
we will make provision in our tax levy
the truth and is so plain that it can be
understood.
Under the head of funds needed, there
is nothing to prevent, and it would be
eminently proper, to set out every item
which the Commissioners intend to pay
during the year. Inthe statement of
funds needed for 1892, allowing that
there were no assets, and the Com mis-
sioners were under the necessity of rais-
ing funds to pay all outstanding notes
and other indebtedness, the proper place
to put all these items in the statement
would be under the head of “funds
needed.”
The very item which is the occasion
of Mr. Srzomm’s labors and the Ga-
zette’s eruption, is set outin bold fig-
ures. Why? because it must be met
by the tax levy for 1892. And the other
notes and items of indebtedness are set
out under the head of liabilities because,
when they were made it was intended
that the tax levy of 1891 should meet
and discharge these liabilities. And
this the assetts do and leave fa balance
of $951.66 in favor of the county.
When the statement for 1890 was
made out it showed an actual indebted-
ness of $5267.62. Beside this the audi-
tors in making up their report for
1890, in January 1891, say ‘‘there is due
the several districts for road, school and
poor purposes, arising from junseated
lands the sum of $20,178.17. Of this
{sum the Commissioners drew out for
county purposes the sum of $7.663.09.”
The Republican board of 1390 had
been trying to run the cour.ty on a two
mill tax. When they fell short, as every
body knew they would, they used the
funds belonging to the townships. No
money belonging to any district, for the
purposes set out by the Auditors, was
paid out during 1890. When the over-
seers of the poor or the Treasurer’s of the
school boards, or the Road Supervisors
called on the Republican board of com-
| missioners the invariable answer was
that “there is money here due your
township, but it is not distributed yet,
we can’t pay it because we do not know
how much is due you.” But when the
statement for 1890 came out, and show-
ed that thers was $20,173.09 due the
several districts, it was demanded and
the present board of Commissioners in
all decency had to pay it.1
Funds on hands there were none.
The republican ‘board started in with a
surplus of $2,4096,00 as shown by the
statement sent out in February 1888
over the signatures of HrNDERsON and
Decker. They not only left a debt of
$5,267.62, but had misused and illegally
appropriated $7,663.09 of funds bel ong-
ing to the townships. Thus making a
deficiency of $12,930.71. As there were
no available assetts or funds, the new
Commissioners, wece of necessity, com-
pelled to raise the money otherwise.
Beside these items, state tax for 1889
to the amount of $1856.46 remained un-
paid, as well as $7001 89 for 1890. Tt
was not only a gross neglect of daty but
a clear violation of law on the part of
the Republican Commissioners not to
bave paid these amounts to the State
during the years of 1889 and 1890. The
first amount was placed in the hands of
Attorney Gen. HeNsEL, in a few days
after he came into office, and because
heir old board hai naglected their duty,
it cost the taxpayers of the county
$35.39 interest and $67.89. commis-
sions on the collection to the Attorney
| General. The State tax for 1890 unpaid
amounted to $7001.89. These sums
with interest and attorneys commissions
amounting to $8,462 17 had to also be
met before the tax levy of 1891 or any
part of it could be made available. To
do this the Commissioners were bound
to raise the funds upon the credit of the
county. Adding these sums ($11,930,-
71 and $8,462.17) together, we have a
deficiency of $21,392.83, and nothing
meet it. The statement “concured’’ in
by Mr. STROHM shows, that on the first
of January last there remained unco)-
lected, of this levy $16,378.25. The reason
that there were outstanding notes to the
amount of $10,500, in the face of the
fact that the tax levy of 1891 was in-
creased one mill, is very plain, and the
necessity for increasing the levy is j ust
as plain, oh ie
—— James Grove hanged himself
without apparent reason at Brogueville,
I York county.
but the tax levy of 1891 with which to |
One of the Most Daring Robberies in the
Annals of Crime.
Tackled the Express Messenger, Was Called
Down, Then Jnmped on a Freight Engine
and a Wild and Ecciting Race was the Con-
sequence.
Rocuester, N.Y., February 21.—
The shooting ot an express messenger on
a Central Hudson train, the nfling of a
valuable safe, the flight of the robser on
the engine of another train; from which
he drives the crew at the point of a re-
volver, a running fight from the engine
cab for miles, chased by another engine
filled with railroad men and the final
capture of the desperado by a sheriff's
posse in a swamp after a wild pursuit
across the country, are some of the sen-
ational features of the most desperate
attempt at train robbery in the history
of the Central Hudson railway and
which cast in the shade as an exhibition
of coolness and nerve the famous ex-
ploits of the Jesse James band or other
outlaws of western fame.
Train No. 81, on the Central Hudson,
is known as the American Expres com-
pany’s special. The express company
pays the Central Hudson many thou-
sands of dollars yearly for the use of
this train. The train leaves New York
at 9 o'clock each evening and is due in
this city at 7.05 o’clock in the morning
One car is known as the ‘money’ car
and in it is sent the specie from the Un-
ited States treasury for western banks,
as well as the money in process of ex-
change between the banks of New
York and the west. The load of wealth
sent out from New York on this train is
usually greater on Saturday evening
than on other days and often amounts to
more than a million dollars, in addition
to jewelry and other artizles.
Daniel T. McQuery, of this city was
in charge of the money car on the trip
Saturday night: The train was made
up of eight express cars and one day
coach for the accommodation of the reg-
ular train crew. Only one {messenger
was assigned to the money car. as the
work of billing was light. The other
cars had two messengers, The train
left Syracuse at 65 o'clock this morning,
When the train was near Weedsport
the conductor, who was in the coach
with his two trainmen, thought he
heard the air whistle sound very faintly.
It was enough to arouse the belief that
something was wrong in the car. Going
climbed on the rail and, looking through
the hole which the bell cord comes
through, he saw the upper part of a
man whose face below the eyes were
concealed by a red flannel mask. The
messenger he could not see. He went
back, set the air brakes and called his
two men. The three stood leaning out
from the platform looking forward
along the sides of the express car. Sud-
denly a man’s form appeared at the side
door of the express car. Revolver bul-
lets whistled past their ears and a voice
was heard calling on them to signal the
engineer to go ahead or take the conse-
quences. The trainmen were unarmed.
The conductor told one of his men to
jump off and run back to Jordan and
telegraph along the line to Rochester
that they had a train robber on board.
This was done and the conductor signal-
led the engineerto go ahead at full
speed, thinking that the robber would
not dare to jump and would be captur-
ed at the next stop.
The train went to Port Byron. Here
brakes were set again and the conduc-
tor and the trainmen went to the ex-
press car. The car showed signs of a
desperate struggle. Money, packages
and jewelry were lying scattered around.
Everything in the carseemed stained
with blood and Messenger McQuery was
lying bleeding from several woundsand
almost unconzious. The robber was
nowhere to be seen and was supposed to
have jumped and made good his escape
McInery wanted to be brought on to
Rochester and the train went on to
Lyons, the next stop. The news had
spread along the line by this time and
the staticn at Lyons was alive. Among
the crowd wasa well dressed young
man wearing gold eye glasses and carry-
ing u satchel. Now it happened that
the trainmen had noticed this same
young man at the station at Syracuse
before the train pulled out and they had
not seen him since and the question of
what he was doing at Lyons and how he
got there at once suggested itselt. An
atten.pt was made to seize him but he
pulled out two revolvers, held the
crowd back and backed across the yard
until he reached a coal train, the en-
gine of which had steam up ready to
pull out for the west. He pulled the
pin holding the tender to the first car,
climbed info the cab, drove the engineer
and fireman out with his revolvers and
started the engine. The conductor of
the express train and one switchman
procured a shot gun, freed the engine of
the express {rain and with the fireman
and engineer started in pursuit of the
fugitive.
It will be remembered that the Cen-
tral Hudson is a four tracked road and
the two engines, though both going
west, were not on the same track The
express train scon overtook the robber,
who suddenly reversed his engine and
left his pursuers pass him, pouring a
perfect trail of pistol bullets into the cab
as his pursuers went by. Tre the pur-
suers stopped ard the pursued went
ahead. Another artillery duel ensued,
the shot gun taking a part this time.
No one was hurt. About two miles be-
yond the robber found that his engine’s
steamn was giving out. He jumped off
at a crossroad und started across the
country. going south. He managed to
| terrorize a farmer into letting him have
a horse and rode on about two miles
further south. Here he procured a
| horse and cutter, persuading the owner,
i a German farmer, to entrust him with
| them by firing on him.
| The party on the express engine had
returned to Lyons, wheve the sheriff of
| Wayne county had organized a posse-
which under command of Deputy Sher-
iff Collins, started in pursuit. Mean-
time the farmers along the robber’s line |
of retreat ®had also turned out, fully |
armed, in pursuit. The runaway was |
sighted anout five miles , south of Ne.
wark. The roads are very bad and he
had made poor speed. He abandoned !
his rig and ran across the lots to Ben-!
ton’s swamp. Bat the swamp proved
too full of water to be penetrated and
the fugitive took his position behind a
stone wall and faced his pursuers. Af-
ter some parley he surrendered to Depu-
|
|
|
|
out on the platform of the coach he
ty Sheriff Collins.
He was taken back to Lyons and
lodged in jail. He gave the name of W.
M. Cross, said he was from New Mexi-
co and bad been boarding in Syracuse
forsome time. He admitted that he
was the man who had attempted the:
train robbery to Chief of Detectives
Den of this city, who had been wired
for. He is believed to be the much-
wanted Oliver Curtis Perrv, who robbed
Express Messenger Moore near Utica
last fall. :
The Railroad Consolidation.
[Last week we published by request an ar-
ticle from the Philadelphia Times on the Read-
ing and Lehigh Valley railroad combination
side of the question. Herewith we give two
articles, forwarded us with the request topub-
lish, and which the reader need not be told is
from those opposed to the late deal. These,
as was the article inserted last week, are given
as the opinion of others—not the Warcmman. —
Eb.
THE COAL COMBINATION.
From the Evening Herald, Philadelphis.
The great combine of the coal carry-
ing railroads so skillfully engineered
by President McLeod, of the Reading,
is to be investigated by the New Jer-
sey authorities. Despite the assur-
ances of those in the deal that there
will be no raise in'prices there is g
feeling that the deal is contrary to pub-
lic interest and should not be” allowed
to hold. In this connection the New
York World, under the bold caption
of “Break It Up,” says :
“The coal combination i$ a conspir-
acy of capital against industry, of
wealth against poverty, of greed
against need.
It ismeant to make every poor man
use less coal and pay more for it. It
is meant to levy a tax upon every in-
dustry that uses coal, and the tax will
be taken in the end out of the earnings
of the men employed,
The people need more and cheaper
coal. The conspiracy is intended to.
give them less and dear coal.
Production has already been curtail-
ed in order that the price may be
maintained. The price will inevitably
be advanced in order that the conspira-
tors may the more rapidly absorb to
themselves the earnings of other men.
Under conditions of healthy com pe-
tition surplus production would be re-
duced, not by stopping the work and
wages of miners, but by a reduction in
price sufficient to induce the people to
use more coal. The conspiracy is in-
tended to destroy healthy conditions,
preclude competition, and decrease
production, while increasing the profits
of the monopoly in control.
It is a conspiracy against good mor-
als and against the public welfare, It
violates the spirit of the law. It sets
at naught every principle of equity,
It threatens the people in their homes
and in their workshops, It is unjust,
iniquitous, aud very cruel. It must
be broken up if there be law enough in
this free land to protect a free people.”
We commend the foregoing article
from the World as in the right spirit.
These are days of monopolies against
the people, and the need now is for
thorough work active resistance in de-
fense of the people’s rights and against.
the power of combined money.
Our Constitution condemns this deal.
Its language is to plain to be obscured.
The Reading and the Lehigh Valley
were and are competing lines, and the
prohibition is plain. The case of Coxe
Brothers, fresh in the memory of all,
only need to be referred to in order ta
demonstrate the conditions violated.
They fell out with the Lehigh Valley
and wentto law with it, Did their
works stand? Were their collieries
idle? No; but an arrangement was
made at once with the Reading and it
did the work that the Lehigh had be-
fore been doing. Coxe Brothers had
two carriers ready to carry their coal.
They broke with cone and favored the
other. [tis too plain for argument
that the two lines were bidding tor the
same work. If bidders, then competi-
tors. It competitors, then their mer-
ger or lease is forbidden.
GOVERNOR PATTISON AND THE CON-
SPIRACY.
From the New York World.
Pennsylvania law created the cor-
porations which bave entered into the
coal combination. Itis the duty of
Pennsylvania to protect the people
against the wrongs which its corpor-
ate creatures have set out to do.
The combination is a conspiracy
against the people, azainst public poli-
ey; a conspiracy to tax comfort, to
levy tribute upon industry, to oppress
and rob the poor for the benefit of the
enormously rich.
This conspiracy is in plain violation
ofithe Constitution of Pennsylvania.
The elected officers of Pernsylvania
are under every bond of duty and jus-
tice to break it up:
To Governor Pattison especially the
public has a right to look for early and
vigorous action. He is the chosen de-
fender of the constitution, But Gov-
ernor Pattison has referred the matter
to the Attorney General, and intimates
that he will await that official’s initia-
tive. The Attorney General in his
turn declines to do anything unless
some directly injured person or inter
est shall make comp'aint.
This seems to mean that nothing is
to be done; that Pennsylvania corpor-
ations are to be permitted to levy tresh
tribute from the grate of poverty and
the furnace of productive industry;
that the Constitution is to remain un-
defended, and the people to be left in
subjection to a monopoly as odious as
itis powerful,
The World hopes that this seeming
will prove false. It has learned to re-
gard Governor Patiison as an energetic
conscientious officer, a relentless foe of
| wrong, a fearless champion of the
rights of the people against all forms
of frand, lawlessness and oppression,
Oaly he can altar that opinion of his
character.
primer —
Fine job work of ever discription
at the Warcnman Office.