-
Benin
BY P. GRAY MEEK.
|
Ink Slings.
—A cranberry trust would be a tart
organization.
—.If you don’t wash your face how
car you expect your friends to recog-
nize you.
—Tne man who made the most New
Year calls did not necessarily see the
most people.
--A fellow usually gets along well in
everything after he breaks the ice,
This rule does not held in skating.
—A call for a convention to organize
a new party has been issued from Pitts-
burg. Is this JonN DALZELL’S or
Curis McGEE's work ?
—Pennsylvania is to have a ‘‘do
nothing” U. S. Senator and it is alto-
gether probable that the Empire state
will hollow: Philopcena!
—This thing of paying onedollar for
a Columbian half dollar which contains
but thirty cents worth of silver seems
like a little too much of a fgond thing.
—Poor old Pennsylvania, she is
still in the toils. Quay will be re elect-
ed tothe Senate and the Keystone state
will have something to fill the chair in
the chamber at least.
—'Twill be but ashort time until the
rosy dawn of another Democratic ad-
ministration brightens the political hori-
zon. Tariff reform will prevail. Busi-
ness interests will be promoted and the
pension scandals wiped out.
—Hogs are taking their turn on the
market now. Pork is higher than it
has been since 1882. The government
might replenish its depleted treasury by
selling off a few of the biggest ones to
be found in office now.
—Pennsylvania’s display of pisca-
torial beauties at the World's Fair
promises to be the finest of any State in
the Union. There are no grounds for
the inference that her quota of suckers
in attendance will surpass the others
however.
—Congressman JERRY SIMPSON has
appeared in a new role out in Topeka,
Kansas. He is there threatening to use
force in behalf of the Populists in or-
ganizing the house of representatives.
The sockless agitator had better go a
little slow lest he strike a snag.
--The biennial report of Attorney
General HENSEL which has just been
presented to the Legislature, is the con-
summation of the work of a careful
official. Mr. Hensel’s tact and rare
qualifications as an attorney are mani-
fest in every one of his undertakings.
—The Panama canal scand=l is still
threatening the French government,
but Americans have judiciously decided
to keep quiet. It was lots of fun pok-
ing fingers at our neighbors until they
asked about the $2,500,000 that came
over here to placate certain congressmen
‘We might take up the investigation
work on onr own hook.
--The Economites out 1n Beaver
county, are beginning to find out that
the serpent has at last crawled into their
garden and the courts are petitioned to
adjust their differences. It was only a
few months ago that this peculiar sect
was bragging of the great harmony
which existed among its members, while
to day it finds 1tselt torn with internal
dissension. Alas, man is only mortal
after all.
—The courage which Uncle JorN
CEssNa, of Bedford, displays in even
intimating an opposition to QUAY’S re-
election to the U. S. Senate is quite re-
freshing, but while allowing bim a de-
gree of credit for daring to dethrone the
Boss, we are nevertheless cognizant
of the fact that the veteran politician,
from Bedford, has very little to lose by
such a stroke. His days of political
usefulness are fast waning and be hss
nothing to ask.
—The homely old adage, “hind sight
is always better than foresight.” finds
much to substantiate its precept when
we look back over the year which has
just passed into history. Undertakings
political, social, economical, mechanical,
scientific, literary and otherwise that
failed could have been successful had
their originators known at the incep-
tion what they know now. While we
see many things that have been done
that might have been improved upon
there is one, however, that stands pre-
eminent as a finished and thoroughly
satisfactory work—the election.
—Captain GEORGE W. SKINNER,
whom the Fulton Democrats have re-
turned to the Legislature, meets the sug-
gestions of his friends that be announce
himself a candidate tor the office of Pen-
sion Commissioner, in a manner charac-
teristic of such a liberal minded and
t-ue Democrat. Capt. SKINNER is
qiite right in
office “should be given to a soldier of
world wide reputation.” If there is
one department in
where-in radical changes should be made
it is the Pension department and Capt.
SKINNER does well in advising the ap-
pointment of a statesman of national re-
pute.
STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION.
VOL. .38
BELLEFONTE, PA., JAN. 6, 1893.
»
NO. 1.
The Prospect of Pension Reform.
The national administration, which
to the great relief of the country, is
about drawing to a close, has been
characterized by the practice of many
abuses, but of all its sins of commis:
sion and omission, its management of
the Pension Bureau has been pre-
eminently bad. A system which, if
properly regulated and judiciously lim.
ited, is a just and beneficent medium
of relief to the worthy class of incapac-
itated veterans, has been prostituted
to the purposes of party politics, and
been made to include a class of pen-
j sioners whose names on the rolls are
an insult to old soldiers entitled to the
gratitude and bounty of their coun-
try.
It is true that the vitiation of the
pension system did not begin with the
Harrison administration. The evil
has been of long growth, progressing
to its present alarming proportions
through a succession of Republican
administrations, and having its origin
in the desire to make the Pension
Bureau a political machine in the in-
terest of the Republican party. But
this outrageous abuse has reached iis
most shameful stage of development
under the administration of BENJAMIN
Harrison,
When TANNER, in anticipation of the
reckless course he intended to pursue
as Commissioner of Pensions, exclaim-
ed, “God help the Surplus,” it was a
sufficient indication of the carnival of
extravagance and plunder that was to
mark the management of the pensions
under this administration. The large
surplus left in the Treasury by the pre-
ceding Democratic administration,
amounting to more than a hundred
millions, was soon obliterated, and the
palatial mansions of the pension
agents in Washington show where a
Jarge partof it has gone. After Tan-
NER came Raum, to whose inanage-
ment of the Pension Bureau scandals
bave attached which would have
caused his removal by any administra-
tion that did not approve of and sym.
pathize with the abusive methods
which he has practiced.
Fortunately for the good of the
country, as well as for the benefit of |
the truly worthy veterans, there will
soon be a new order of thicgs ia regard
to the pensions. Those who remember
the clean, orderly, decent and honest
management of Commissioner Brack
under the first CLEVELAND administra-
tion, and compare it with the scanda-
lous records of TANNER and Rau,
have reason to expect a similar fulfill-
ment of that trust during the next
Presidental term, and they will not be
disappointed.
It is said that Mr. CLEVELAND is)
anxious to have General Corse take
the position of Commissioner of Pen-
sions in which a man of his force of
character, purity of purpose and un-
doubted patriotism is so greatly needed
to correct the evils which have grown
to such formidable proportions in the
pension system, constituting one of the
greatest dangers of the republic. It is
the coming of just such a man as he
that is now needed to redeem the pen-
sion department from its present cor-
rupt and degraded condition.
This noble specimen of a Democra-
tic soldier is said to be averse to assum-
ing the heavy responsibilities of the
position offered him by the President
elect, Should he positively decline, it
is never-the-less certain that Mr.
CLEVELAND will select a Pension Com
missioner who will be worthy of and
competent for the trust, and then, with
such Democratic amendment of the
pension laws as will remove the
skulkers, deserters, coffee-coolers,
bounty-jumpers, and all fraudulent
pensioners from the rolls, rescue the
| pension system from the abuse by
; which it has been corrupted and dis.
| graced, and restore it to its true pur-
thinking that such an |
our government
pose of being a benefit to the old sol-
diers, who have a real claim to the
bounty o f the government.
Pennsylvania's Political Redemption.
With the beginning of a New Year it
will not be out of place, aor out of
time, for the Democrats of Pennsylvania
to take the bearings of the situation
and to judge from them the possibili-
ties of the future. It has been a long
while since the Democracy has had
the upper house in the State that used
to be the keystone of the Democratic
arch, but are there not existing condi-
tions which justity the hope that a bet:
ter state of affairs in this State can be
made to respond to uuited and ener-
getic Democratic action ?
The result last fall showed that
much more could have been accom-
plished in Pennsylvania by the Demo-
crats, if they had realized the possibil-
ities of the situation and made an ex-
ertion adequate to their opportunity.
It cannot be said that they would
have actually carried the State, but
there was such areduction of the Re-
publican majority in the country dis
tricts that if it had been supplemented
by an equally favorable result in Phila
delphia, the Republican majority in
the State would have been reduced to
a rather insignificant quantity.
There are influences at work that are
necessarily sapping the Republican
strength in Pennsylvania. Much of that
strength was due to the tarift delusion
prevailing among the working people
but since the workers are becoming
convinced that their wages are not de-
pendent upon tariff protection, and
that in the cost of living it is more of
a detriment than a benefit, an influence
is reverted that told greatly in favor
of Republican majorities. In addition
to this, the dissatistaction, with the
hopeless bossism that dominates the
Republican party of this State, is large
ly contributing to the decline of Penn-
vania Republicanism.
Giving due weight to these facts, and
a proper recognition of the hopeful fea-
tures of the situation, the Democrats
are encouraged to make an exertion
for the political redemption of the
State. The result last fall demonstra-
ted what the country districts can do
towards so desirable an achievement,
The short-coming was in Philadelphia
where the factions sacrificed the party
interest. It the factionists of that city
shall agree to stop their fighting
and reconcile their difterences, and
shall present a united front to the.
enemy, the country Democrats wiil do
their fullshare in restoring Pennsyl-
vania to its former place as the key--
stone of the Democratic arch.
Should be Attended to Now. |
As the township Auditors are made
responsible, under the Baker ballot law,
for printing and furnishing the tickets |
for thre local elections, in February, it
would be well for them to arrange for |
having them doue at as early a day as |
possible.
The work of printing, perforating
and binding for a District cannot be
done in a few hours, and as but four |
days is the limit of time the work can '
be in the printers’ hands, those that |
have their contracts in advance, and
for whom the necessary paper has been |
secured and prepared, will be most cer- |
tain of having their work done prompt-
ly.
To make sure that this work is done
promptly and on time, auditors should
give their orders at once to the print
ing office, at which they expect to se-
cure their printing, so that the necessa-
ry paper can be ordered and be on
hand, by the time the ticket is com ple-
ted and ready to be handed in. If the
order for this work is left until after
the ticket is made and the time for fil-
ing objections closes, many of the dis-
tricts may be left without tickets on the
day of the election.
This is an important matter and au-
ditors will save themselves trouble and
expense, by attending to it at once.
A Senatorial Question,
A good deal of unuecessary fuss, pro
and con, is being made about the pro-
position to elect Mr. Epwarp MurpHY
to the United States Senate from New
York. While some object to Presi-
dent-elect CLEVELAND'S expressing an
opinion on the subject, viewing it as
an unwarranted interference, others
represent Mr. MurPHY as incom petent,
and unworthy of such a position as
that of United States Senator.
It should be observed that Mr.
CLEVELAND did not present his views
on this subject in the form of a dictum,
but that they were drawn out of him
by an interviewer. Active interfer-
ence of a President elect in such a
matter would be objectionable, but it
can hardly be held that because a
"than they have.
man has been elected to the Presiden-
cy it is improper for him to express
an opinion in regard to the election of
a United States Senator from his own
Sfate. He would go beyond the line
of propriety only by taking a part for a
particular candidate.
On the other hand it ought to be
conceded that the Democrats of the
New York Legislature have the right
to elect the next United States Senator
from that State, and are likely to ex-
ercise it with discretion. It is to be
believed that they understand the
capacity of Mr. Murpay. He has
been prominent in the politics of the
State for many years. He has been
active in the affairs of the Democratic
party in many a campaign. We trust
that it can be safely left to the major-
ity in the New York Legislature to de-
termine whether he is the right kind of
a man for United States Senator, or
not.
The State Law Makers.
The Legislature of Pennsylvania
convened at noon, on Tuesday, and
organized both branches by electing
the Republican officers who had been
slated at the caucus the night before.
The house characterized its first assem-
bling by trying to unseat a lawtully
elected Democratic member, Mr.
Hiesy, [of Crawford county. This
move is on the direct line of Republi:
can political methods in the State. Not
satisfied with the worst gerrymanders
known to any of our State governments
the party of the bosses uses its unfair
majority to increase its hold by trying
to unseat regularly elected Democrats.
It is a little early to undertake a
forecast of the work which will come
up and be acted upon at the present
session, but it is certain that several
measures of vital interest to every
citizen of the State will be introduced.
As well as a goodly number praying
for local laws.
The Baker ballot bill will come in
tor its share of abuse and from the
many-amendments, that will undoubt-
edly be offered, it is to be hoped that
its few vuloerable points will be
armored. Itis not probable that any one
' will have the audacity to move its re-
| peal, though many amendments, both
‘from the political knave, who aims to
defeat its secrecy, and the statesman,
who labors to promote the purity of
the ballot, may be expected.
Many counties throughout the State
will doubtless ask for local option laws,
as a number have voted that way, and
the fence question will be a matter of
much consideration for some of them.
A new apportionment should be made
by this Legislature. Itis needed about
as badly as anything could be. The
present senatorial apportionment is
based on the census of 1870 and is out
of all bounds ot reason. Nearly every
District has its disproportion of votes
when compared with its repre.
sentation. A number of counties
are entitled to more representation
The Legislature will
surely not pass over this question.
The Road question is going to both-
er the State law makers during the ses-
sion far more than they have any idea
of and it is not premature either. The
farming classes are beginning to
awaken to a realization that bad
roads are the greatest obstacle,in their
way to prosperity, They are keginning
to become cognizant ot the fact, that
all of the work they have putlon coun.
try roads since the State was first a
State has been thrown away. This
system of working out taxes on the
roads is pernicious and unfraitful. The
Legislature will be called upon to reme-
dy it. In what way it is now too early
to say, but a number of good bills are
ia preparation one of which will per-
haps meet all the requirements.
These area few of the more impor-
tant measures which will come up for
cousideration, but the whole work will
be carefully watched by the people of
the State. - And each representative
held to account for his vote on the
meagures which affect his constituent,
Partisan excuse has given way to the
voice of the liberal minded masses
whose interests know no party and
whose ballot will be the
which legislators need fear.
weapon
——The WArTcaMAN office is turning
out better work than ever. Bring in
your printing and let us make an esti-
mate on it for you.
Neering the End.
From the Philadelphia Times.
‘Wheat struck 69 cents in Chicago
within the last week. This is the low-
est price it has reached since December,
1884, and only once in the last quarter
of a centuary has wheat been lower in
any month of the year.
This lowest price of wheat recorded
but once before in more than twenty-
five years comes to the farmer under the
highest tariff taxes on everything he
buys ever levied by the government in
time of peace ; and it clearly teaches the
farmer-the studied mockery of pretended
tariff protection by increased taxes on
grain, wool, etc. With the highest taxes
imposed avowedly to protect the farmer,
his wheat, corn, iL etc., now sell
close to the lowest prices ever reached.
Another feature of the MCKINLEY
tariff is pointedly illustrated in the pre-
sent exceptionally high price of potatoes.
To delude the farmer with the hollowest
mockery of protection, a tax of 25 cents
per bushel was levied on potatoes, and
now, with the potato crop a failure, our
farmers have few if any to sell, and
many farmers, along with the great
mass of people, must pay 25 cents extra
for every bushel of potatoes they con-
sume.
The farmers, as a class, receive no
benefit from the tariff taxes on wheat,
rye, corn, oats, hops, barley, potatoes,
butter, cheese, eggs or wool. With the
exception of wool and potatoes we ex-
port vastly more than we import and
must seek foreign markets for our pro-
ducts while few of like foreign products
are consumed here. Our high taxes on
wool have lessened the use of wool in our
so-called woolen fabrics, and lessened
demand has lessened the price.
The tariff on potatoes is a studied
mockery of protection to the farmer.
When we have an ordinary crop at
home, our importations do not exceed
two per cent of the consumption, and
do not affect the price. ; but.the potato
crop fails but once in five years, and
when it fails more than half the farmers
of the country are buyers and not sellers
of potatoes. Instead of protecting the
farmer, the tariff on potatoes becomes a
tax on him when it affects him at all,
and to-day it is a fearful tax upon for-
ty-nine fiftieths of the whole people af
the country.
Thus is the farmer doubly assessed.
double robbed, by the high taxes of the
McKinley tariff.
Republicans Hunting Their Holes.
From the Pittsburg Post.
The fact that the Western peniten-
tiary is filling up so rapidly does not
indicate a lower condition’ of morality,
as might be supposed at first. thought.
It must be remembered that the pcpu-
lation of this end of the State is increas-
ing by rapid strides, and that a certain
percentage of every community is crimi-
nal. It is a simple explanation of
Warden WRIGHT'S report that will no
doubt be accepted by him or any other
experienced man in criminal matters,
You Are Sure to Get Burned.
From the Altoona Times.
The frequent accidents that result
from carelessness with fire should teach
prudence to all, but such does not seem
to be an effect. In our houses there are
many inflamable articles that require
but the touch of fire to ignite them and
start a disastrous conflagration. Con-
stant familiarity with the dangerous ele-
ment of fire should not blind us to the fact
that it must always be carefully hand-
led or there may be dreadful consegen-
ces.
A Satisfactory Appointment.
From the Philadelphia Inquirer :
Governor Pattison appears to have
made a good selection in appointing
Augustus S. Landis to the Common
Pleas Judgeship of Blair county, made
vacant by the promotion of Judge Dean
to the Supreme Court. Judge Landis
has been a teacher, an editor and a law-
yer. He was a member of the Constitu-
tional Convention of 1873, and has had
an experience of practical affairs which
is always so valuable on the bench.
The Big Country Town is Growing.
From the Philadelphia Record.
The ‘Ledger’ announced yesterday
the probable estahlishmentof a new
steamship line between Philadelphia,
Antwerp and Bremen. Itis proposed
to begin business by semi-monthly ser-
vice, to be inereased with increased
freight offerings. Philedelphia’s new
railway facilities offer large encourage-
ment to foreign trade. Itis a pleasure
to note that this fact is arousing the at-
tention of the owners of shipping.
————————
The Desired Cold Wave Came.
PrrrsBURG. January 2.—The predic-
ted cold wave reached here this morning
and prevented a break-up in the rivers.
The ice is still sclid at all up-river
points and no danger is apprehended,
unless the temperature rises.
Unmitigated Disgust.
From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
If nature abhors a vacuum what must
be her feelings toward the Treasury of
the United States as it has been managed
by the party which is about to retire
from its control ?
The Pith of It.
From ti.e Galveston News.
The citizens who did mest to secure
Mr. Cleveland's renomination have
only one thing to ask of him —good,
economical, Democratic government,
‘| Miller, of Lancaster
Spawls from the Keystone,
: —Nine Allegheny County breweries have-
formed a trust.
—The Edgar Thompson Steel Works re
opened work Monday.
—A Birdsboro furnace idle for two years re.
sumed work Tuesday.
—Nearly all - anthracite coal mines were:
idle Monday and Tuesday.
—Five horses dropped dead from some
strange disease in Pittsburg.
—Blast furnaces at Leesport, Robesonia and
Sheridan will go into blast shortly.
—Three children of Mr. and Mrs, Albert:
8. Heinie, were buried Wednesday.
—While skating on the Susquehanna, Mar.
tin Marion, of Pittston, was drowned.
—John Morgan, an old man, lost his way in
the storm at Freeland and died of exposure.
—Great culm banks are on fire at Pottsville-
and threaten valuable property in that vicini-
ty.
—Injuries inflicted by falling down stairs
ended the I ife of Mrs. Julia Riley, of Lancas-
ter. .
—The destructive fire on Blue Mountains
Berks county, was put out Sunday by the
rain.
—The case involving the title to Father Mol-
lingers relics, at Pittsburg, is far frem settle--
ment.
—An are light dropping on a young girl ina:
sleigh at Butier caused injuries that may prove
fatal.
—Rev. Edgar Miller, of Philadelphia, was
elected pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church,
Easton.
—A man supposed to be P. A. Horn, resi-
dence unknown, was killed by a train. near
Christiana.
—A stallion that cost a stock company of
farmers near Beraville $2860 was sold at auc-
tion for $90.
—A rich yein of coal was struck at Middle-
port, Schuylkill county, and will be worked:
by L. Lorenz.
—The Berne Creamery Company, at Berne,
Berks county, one of the oldest in the State,
has disbanded.
—Lockjaw caused by an injury received
while coasting will end the life of Willie Zwei
ful, of Bethlehem.
—Bowmanites began suit at Lancaster to
oust the Dubs preacher from the Evangelical.
Church at Terre Hill.
—A bullet was fired through the store win. °
dow of David F. Wise, Lebanon, and just
missed a customer.
—Eleven-year-old Walter Jones had his legs
badly crushed while playing. on a railroad.
turn-table at York.
—Lancaster county Golden Eagles met to
arrange for the conclave of the Knights in
Lancaster City, May 9.
—Guilfoyle and Coleman, arrested in Cinein--
nati for complicacy in the Homestead poison-
ing, will be released.
—Father Duss, of Economy, says- Dr. Teed:
doesn’t run him and he doesn’t run Dr. Teed
nor care to ally with him.
-—Standing before the mirror, Edward Fish
er, a Pottsville jeweler, fired five bullets into
his body and may die..
—John Parkison, a Honeybrook m iner, was
buried under coal in a chute for an hour and
pulled out nearly dead.
—Warrants were issued in secret against
three men at Pittsburg accused of being in
the non-union poison plot.
.—Three Pittsburg houses are looking for
‘‘Adonis’’ Dixey and his players with guns:
A week’s board bill is unsettled. .
—The King’s Daughters of: Easton, gave an.
entertainment Monday night for the benefit of.
the carriers of the local papers.
4
—While getting a pail of water, Michael Ba--
reri fell through the ice on th e Delaware Riv-
er at Easton and was drowned.
—The body of an unknown suicide, with a
handkerchief tied tightly around the neck.
was found in a cave near Reading.
—While asleep, George W. Netz, of Phila-
delphia, jumped from a train as it stop ped in:
Reading, but was only slightly hurt.
—N. C. Barclay & Sons retired, Monday from
the Altoona Gazette publishing company; and
the Bell brothers assumed full control.
—There is a firm in Reading that makes. a.
business of cashing checks for outside work-
men every week, amounting to $15,000.
—The Philadelphia Gas Company purchased:
franchises comprising 15,000 acr es. of territory
in two townships of Allegheny county.
—The north branch of the Susquehanna Riv-
er is covered with ice a foot thick from Towan-
da to Nanticoke—a distance of €0 miles:
—A train struck the wagon in which Jacob
Lerch and a boy were driving, at Hazelton, in—
jured both severely and killed the horse.
—At the twenty-eighth annual meeting of
the Turbot Horse Protective Association, at
Watsontown, John P, Deuther was made presi.
dent.
—Burgess McLuckie and Messrs. Ross and
Diebold were released from Allegheny County
Jail under bail ranging from $23,000 to $26,000
each.
—On the ground that skilled supervision
was lacking, Antonio Ringo, injured at Home-
stead, has sued the company for $5000 dam,
ages.
—Once convicted of torturing and robbing
“Larry” Reynolds, a hermit, Samuel and Jo-
seph Lewis were granted a new trial at T.ap-
caster.
—J. C. Blakaney, who forsnok the prineipal-
ship of the Solesbury school to dig in the
mines for his health, was instantly killed by
a fal! of coal.
—Dismissed from his school by the direc”
tors on the ground of incompetency, M. P.
county, has sued the
board for $5000 damages.
—To prevent cutting of prices the plate glass
manufacturers of the United States appointed
S. E. Wheeler, of Butler, agent to handle the
product of all factories.
—Wesley Christman, formerly assistant
marager of the Prudential Insurance Compa®
ny, was arrested at Mt. Carmel Monday on
charges of embezzlement.
—A distillery, with $1,000,000 capital, opposed
to the Whiskey Trust, isto be established at
St. Louis, with Cliff Richardson, of the Chem-
ical National Bank, at the helm.
—John Fritz, for 32 years Superintendent of
the Bethlehem Iron Works gave up that office
Monday and will become a consulting engi-
neer. Owen Seibert is his successor,
—%. J. Adams, Jr, colored, who. claimed to
be the son of a Philadelphia clergyman and
" was thought to have committed suicide in
Pittsburg, has turned up and threatens to sue
the police for false arrest.