Democratic watchman. (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1855-1940, June 14, 1895, Image 1

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    AL UDINE. Sra
BY PRP. GRAY MEEK.
m———
Ink Slings.
—The ticket is made. Now the next
thing to do is for the Democrats to elect
it.
—The Cuban revolution is still be-
tore the people, but the average Cuban
revolutionist is usually behind a tree or
a fence.
—The Legislature just adjourned ap-
propriated $817,000 for salaries for new
officials and increases for old ones dur-
ing the present session.
—When HARRISON visits WANA-
MAKER and then says there is no poli-
tical signification in it, ordinary people
are excused if they laugh.
—The sweet girl graduate who has'nt
sized up to an honor position in her
class puts a few more yards of dimity
in her sleeves and looks just as puffed
up as the valedictorian,
—The fellows who had their pockets
picked during the Centennial have some
satisfaction, at least, in the thought that
other people have been informed that
they had some money on their clothes
—“Two Students Shot” was a start-
ling head line in Monday’s papers and
many readers were surprised, when they
read the particulars, to learn that bullets,
not rum, were the missiles of destrue-
tion.
—To-day is the anniversary of the
adoption of the stars and stripes as the
national emblem. Cumberland county
people should pay particular attention
to their Representative, BEN SPANGLER.
A man who loves the flag as BEN does
should not be neglected on an anniver-
sary of this sort.
—The Legislature adjourned at noon
on Saturday and signalized its comple-
tion of work by ousting Senator Lav-
BACH, of Northampton county, and giv-
ing HELLER his seat. Senator LAUBACH
is to be congratulated that he has thus
been freed from connection with such a
disreputable body of law-makers.
—The Legislature adjourned on Sat-
urday and the robbers left Harrisburg
for their respective homes as soon as
they could. While they all acted as
though they were glad to get away
everyone knows how much of an effort
it must have been for them to let go the
public teat they have sucked so hard
since January.
—The rate at which many State
papers are cackling over the defeat of
the apportionment bills at Harrisburg is
enough to give their readers an attack
of bilious colic. There is nothing that
Republican Legislatures cannot be
guilty of and this offense should not be
looked upon as a crowning act of wicked-
ness. It was only a case of dog eat dog,
and QUAY carried off the canine bone.
—Seven Big Run girls were bathing
in Mahoning creek, near DuBoise, on
Sunday, when all of them got in too
deep and four were drowned. One of
the girls could swim and was able to
save two of her companions. They
were all between 13 and 16 years old
and came of well known families. There
is a little raoral attached to this sad
story which should teach young women
to stay out of the water when they want
to go swimming on Sunday.
--Editor HARTER, of the Gazette
made a Decoration day s peech at Phil-
ipsburg and of course it was one of his
regular pyrotechnical effusions, larded
over with cheap poetry. He managed
to veer oft at one place long enough to
lie a little about ex-President Lincoln.
He declared that the war time Presi-
dent had offered to sattle the trouble
without a fight by paying for all the
Slaves. Just where Mr. HARTER got a
‘scoop’ on this bit of news we are un-
able to learn.
—President CLEVELAND has been in-
vited to make the address at the formal
opening of the new two million dollar
CARNEGIE library in Pittsburg. What,
with giving all hands a ten per cent in-
crease and having GROVER on this oc-
casion, more could Democrats want to
prove ANDY'’s affiliation for Democracy ?
‘Why it was only a short time ago that
he declared that the WiLsoN bill would
do the country good and now he is cer-
tainly proving his assertion in a way
calculated to make the average Repub-
lican sick.
—There was something really pa-
thetic in the appeal of the Mennonites,
Dunkards, Moravians and Quakers,
who appeared in delegations at Harris-
burg, asking the Legislature not to
pass the religious garb bill that
would prohibit school teachers belong-
ing to those sects from appearing in
habiliments to which they are con-
scientiously attached. The purpose of
the fanatics in the Legislature was to
strike at a particular denomination by
their intolerant measure, but its blind
aim strikes at protestant denomi-
nations that have been among the
best and worthiest people of the State
ever since its settlement. The passage
of that bill was as great an outrage up-
on religious liberty and personal rights
ag could be perpetrated by a legisla:
tive body. s
STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION.
VOL. 40
BELLEFONTE, PA., JUNE 14, 1895.
NO. 24.
The Close of a Disgraceful Session.
Last Saturday closed the session of
one of the most disreputable legislative
bodies that ever disgraced the annals
of any State. It took its character
from the majority that controlled its
proceedings, the Republican party be-
ing responsible for its acts of commis-
sion and omission. No Legislature
ever had the public confidence reposed
in it to 80 great an extent, and none
ever so completely betrayed that con-
fidence. The people invested it with
the power of an.overwhelming majori-
ty, and there was scarcely an interest
of the people that it did not trample
under its feet.
Thies shameless majority, an aggre-
gation of political henchmen and tools
of a party boss, had hardly gotten to-
gether before it began to plan for the
profligate expenditure of the public
money by making more officers and
increasing official salaries. This was
required for the reward of party
workers who demanded the substantial
recognition which new offices and en-
larged pay would afford.
The interest of the corporations and
monopolies was next attended to.
First and most impudent in its de-
mands was the Standard oil company,
which had no difficulty in having a
pipe line bill passed that has removed
the last vestige of competition with its
grasping monopoly, and given it abso-
lute control of what is left of the oil
traffic in this State. In addition to
this corporate favoritism bills granting
exorbitant franchises to street railroad
companies, and giving them privileges
which deprive the public of the advan-
tage of competing lines, were put
through at the bidding of those corpo-
rations. The end of the session wit-
nessed the disgraceful passage of bills
that are intended to create electric
light monopolies, against which neith-
er municipalities nor citizens will be
able to protect themselves. These
acts in. behalf of corporate interests
are such outrageous infringements up-
on public rights that they can be ac-
counted for in no other way than that
the beneficiaries of such legislation se-
cured it by the use of money .
ery is the only plausible explanation |
of such legislative conduct. While
such probable corruption was in pro-
gress for the advantage of incorporated
wealth, labor, which has no filthy lucre
to extend for legislation, had to stand
waiting for recognition, and failed to
get it.
Religious tolerance and meddlesome
sectarian bigotry helped to increase
the offensive character of that Legisla-
ture, as manifested in the passage of a
bill intended to increase denomina-
tional discrimination into the schools
by regulating the garb of teachers for
a sectarian reason. The religious
garb bill is a blow aimed not only at
religious liberty, but also at the per-
sonal right of citizens, affecting some
of the oldest protestant denominations
in the State as well as the Catholics;
all this being the result of the domina-
tion of an intolerant and oath-bound
secret organization over the law mak-
ing body. The education force bill
is also to be placed to the discredit of
that body, a measure which uncalled
for by the educational interests of the
State, will encroach upon the personal
authority of parents, furnish positions
for unnecessary officers, increase the
expense of the school system, and re-
sult in no appreciable benefit to the
cause of education.
But the most shameful blot on the
record of the past session is the
outrage committed upon the organic
law of the State by the deliberate re-
fusal to pass the apportionment bills
required by the constitution. The his-
tory of legislation can show no paral-
lelto so flagrant a disregard for a
clearly defined duty, no similar con-
tempt for the obligation imposed by
an official oath. The constitution,
which these Legislators were sworn to
obey, requires the apportioning of the
State which hae been wrongfully dis-
obeyed ; but the interest of the party
and the bosses called for the defeat of
apportionment, The constitution was
kicked aside that the party interest
might be served and the bosses obeyed.
In the meanwhile the financial con-
dition of a depleted Treasury is neg-
lected by the failure of legislation
needed to furnish revenue. There is a
deficiency of money for necessary State
expenses ; the appropriation for the
aa Sa
Brib- |
schools has to be cut down, the aid to
charitable institutions must be cur-
tailed, new outlays are incurred by
new offices and bigger salaries, and in
the face of this condition a prolonged
session is allowed to come to a close
without the passage of a revenue bill
that would relieve this embarrass-
ment.
We have attempted to picture some
of the glaring iniquities of the worth-
less law making body that concluded
its sessions last Saturday. We have
nct alluded to its levity, its idle waste
of time, its insubordination to parlia-
mentary restraint, and its want of self-
regpect as a responsible organization.
But there is no use to continue the
picture. That legislative body played
its shameful part in full eight of the
public. The people have been looking
on with disgust, and they feel relieved
when an adjournment stops the pro-
ceedings of such a Legislature.
The Proof of Its Good Effect.
It is announced that the CARNEGIE
company are altering one of their mills
at Braddock into a tinplate mill,
This ought to be taken as one of the
evidences that the WiLson tariff has
put vigor and profit into the tinplate
industry. When a business man of
Mr. CARNEGIE's sagacity gives such an
endorsement of the good effects of the
Democratic tariff there can be no
doubt about it.
The development of the tinplate
business under the new fiscal regula-
tions borders almost on the miracu-
lous. It will be remembered that one
of the industries that was to be espec-
ially promoted by the McKiNLEY poli-
cy was the manufacture of tinplate,
and for this, purpose heavy duties were
imposed upon everything connected
with that line of production. That
policy, adopted in 1890, had four years
in which to show its eflect and all that
it could show in that time was a few
‘one horse establishments employing a 1
small number of imported workmen.
The country was standing a heavy, tax
on tinplate for the supposed encourage-
ment of this insignificant industrial de-
velopment.
| The WiLsox tariff bill cut off the
| duties on tin and its products about
t one half, making the success of the
| tinplate industry in this country to be
dependent upon the enterprise and en-
ergy of those engaged in it, and upon
healthy competition, instead of Mo-
KinLeY coddling, and the result has
been most wonderful. Since the
Democratic tariff went into operation
the starting of new tin mills, and en-
largement of the little one-horse old
ones, have altogether amounted to
about fifty, some of them in size and
capacity being first class establigh-
ments, and all doing an enlarged and
prosperous business.
Impudent Assumption.
Among a batch of bills signed by
Governor HasTiNGs was one “to honor
the United States flag and to protect it
from domestic and foreign insult.’
Of course this act represents nothing
but wind. Its only object was the ex-
ploitation of cheap patriotism. Its ab-
surdity displays itself in the idea that
a set of roosters like the majority of
the recent Legislature, who repudiated
a constitution they were sworn to sup-
port, and bent their servile necks to po-
litical and corporate bosses, should as-
sume the guardianship of the Ameri-
can flag as against domestic and for-
eign insult.
The offer to take this duty off the
bands of the United States govern-
ment, to which it properly belongs,
would be ridiculous even if made by a
reputable State Legislature, but when
made by such & gang as that which
recently exercised the law-making
power at Harrisburg it is difficult to
say whether absurdity or impudence
was the more predominant feature of
the proposition.
———
——As a result of the liberality
with which the recent Legislature
looked out for the interest of the office
holders, it was found necessary to ap-
propriate $817,000 more for salaries
and contingent expenses connected
with the new offices than was appro-
priated for such purposes by the pre-
vious Legislature. This increased and
unnecessary expense was created not.
withstanding the scarcity of money in
the State Treasury for legitimate pub.
lic expenses.
The Ohio Straddle.
The proceedings of the recent Ohio
Republican State convention gave evi-
dence of what the Republicans intend
to do with the silver question. Their
intention 18 to straddle it. The Ohio
convention had not the mistaken can-
dor of the extreme gold advocates in
demanding an exclusive gold standard
nor the honesty of the silver support-
ers in declaring for a restoration of sil-
ver to its proper monetary function.
The bi-metalism which the convertion
dubiously squinted at is dependent up-
on such a remote and uncertain con-
tingency that as an issue in the next
presidential election it can be of no
practical account. American politics
can’t wait upon the slow movement of
international agreements. Such bi-
metalism as that suggested by the
Obio Republicans in convention as-
sembled can serve no other purpose
than that of a straddle.
JOHN SHERMAN was the moving
spirit and chief spokesman at the
Zanesville gathering, and a nice man
he is to take the lead in the question
of an honest monetary policy. While
the general effect of his statesmanship
has been to favor the plutocracy that
is interested in maintaining the gold
standard, be was nevertheless the au"
thor of a silver bill that gave the fia-
ances of the country most serious
trouble, and did more than anything
else to bring into disquietude a metal
‘which, if properly used, is indiepenss-
ble to a well regulated monetary sys-
tem. With such a record it is not sur-
prising that “honest” JonN is prepar-
ing to perform a straddle on the most
important question that will force it-
self into the next presidential and con-
gressional contest.
SPECIE SI ARG
Causing Trouble Already.
The educational force bill is al-
ready showing its evil tend:
eocy in Philadelphia. A controversy
- going on between the board of
education and the sectional school
boards as to which authority shall
have control of the official patronage
in the appointment of the truant offi-
cers. In the political machinery of
the city it will be a great object to con-
trol the army of officials which this new
law brings into existence.
There is no doubt that the full limit
of the law will be taken advantage of
by the appointment of two truant of-
ficers for each school district and in
view of the number of districts in the
city 1t is easily seen what a large of-
ficial force will be brought into the
political service of the party machine
that controls the city elections. Not
only in Philadelphia but in most of
the localities of the State an office
worth $2 a day will be used as a re-
ward and an incentive for party work,
This in itself will be an evil not less
objectionable than the expense that
will be entailed upon the school dis-
tricts.
oa s————————
~——It is to be regretted that in pass-
ing the Quay county bill the eervile
tools of the party boss, with no other
object than to pay him a compliment,
removed the restrictions which had
been wisely set up against catting the
State into small counties to satisfy am-
bitious localities. The precedent set
by this Quay county bill will encour-
age projects for new county formations
that will cause local strifes and entail
upon communities the heavy expense
that is always involved in such con-
tests. Happily the State had been rid
of this nuisance for a long while, but
the impediment to the formation of
new counties has been removed and a
bad example set, in order that a com-
pliment might be paid to a boss who
owned a Legislature.
——The superior court bill was a
measure that should not have been
passed. There wae no urgent judicial
necessity calling for it. Its chief ob-
ject was to furnish lucrative places for
ambitious Republican lawyers. The
great attraction that induced its pas
sage was the seven new judgships with
a salary of $7,500 attached to each en-
cumbency., The Governor 1s to ap-
point these new judges until the places
can be filled by popular election, and
with that porcine disposition that
governs the Republican idea of appor-
tionment, he is going to apportion
these judgeships at the ratio of six Re-
publicans to one Democrat.
Quay 1s Getting Foxy.
From the York Gazette.
Senator Quay is, of course, in sympa-
thy with the movement to make Senator
Cameron the Republican nominee for
the Presidency next year. He has not
shown any opposition to Senator Cam-
eron’s silver views, and is looked upon
as a friend of silver.
Mr. Quay is keen enough to see, how-
ever, that the more silver is talked about
the weaker and weaker the cause of free
silver grows, and he fears, and rightly
go, that a whole year of active campaign-
ing on the part of the sound money
men will eliminate the free silver issue
from practical politics.
That he believes this and is desirous
of hushing up the present discussion is
shown by his late interviews in which
he deprecates all this talk about the sil-
ver question and declares that the Re-
publicans ought to try to get the coun-
try back to the tariff issue.
These interviews are preparatory to a
fight which is going to take place at the
convention of the National Leagueof Re-
publican clubs soon to be held at Cleve-
land. Quay does not want the conven-
tion to say anything about silver. The
western silver men, on the other hand,
will insist upon taking advantage of the
opportunity to commit the Republican
party to as pronounced a position on the
subject as possible.
his convention affords the only op-
portunity this year of having the pariy
speak nationally. Of course none but
a national convention can make a plat-
form for the party, but a National
League convention has come to be used
as 8 mouthpiece of a party during the
period between national nominating
conventions, and while sometimes deem-
ed a very valuable and useful part of
the political machinery of a national
party, yet at such times as this, for in-
jienss, it ie considered a very dangerous
thing.
Tees said that the Republican leaders
are so afraid of unwise action on the
part of this convention that they will
turn up at Cleveland in strong force. If
this is true the country will attach all
the more importance to what the con-
vention may say.
All the signs point to a characteristic
straddle.
ee ——————— "———
Ships Without Sailors.
From the Doylestown Democrat.
Why will g great Government, like
that of the United States, constantly
be “pence wise and pound foolish’
and exhibit it to the world? In view
of the increasing number of our war-
ships, an effort was made at the last
session of Congress to add 2,000 sailors
to the navy, which Secretary Herbert
strongly recommended, but it was
without avail further than to increase
the number 1,000. Now it is found
there are no sailors to man the four
new battle ships, Indiana, Oregon,
Iowa and Massachusetts, rapidly ap-
proaching completion, unless the De-
partment shall put out of commission
some other ships and transfer their
crew to the new vessels. Unless the
number of sailors be increased at the
next session there will be a recurrence
of this thing. Constantly building
new ships but no sailors to man them
is a species of Congressional tomfool-
ery our national Legislature should
not indulge. The problem of new Con-
gressional timber is a query that will
torce itself on the mind of citizens.
That Would Be an Easy Job for Him.
From the Pittsburg Post.
The western silver Republicans are
strongly in favor of nominating Don
Cameron for President. We do not see
how Don, with all his agility, can run
as a Republican candidate for United
States Senator in Pennsylvania and a
Populist candidate for President sll
over the United States, and all on the
same day. Failing in the Pennsylva.
nia Senator, the silverites, who seem
bent on separate nominations, are
talking of Senator Teller, of Colorado,
for President, and either Senator Mor-
gan, of Alabama, or Daniel, of Virgin-
18, for vice-president.
A Degree of Suspicion About This.
From the Westmoreland Democrat.
For some weeks past Senator Thomas
H. Carter, of Montana, chairman of the
Republican national committee, has
been in the east boosting the free and
unlimited coinage of silver and Senator
Don Cameron for the presidential
nomination. With facts like these sta-
ring one in the face, the truth of the
statements by the organs that the Re-
publican party is united for sound
money, is not apparent to the naked
eye.
A Word in Time.
From the Scranton Times.
If Governor Hastings really believes
that he has a presidential boom he
had better get it vaccinated against
some of the politicians that are rub-
bing up against it.
—The CocrrAN bill to tax beer
twenty-five cents a barrel passed the
House finally on Wednesday. If it
becomes a law the treasury will be
$800,000 richer per annum.
+ =—If you want printing of any dis-
cription the 'WATCcEMAN office is the
place to have it done.
7
sSpawls from the Keystone.
—Reading’s public bath house will b
completed this week.
—Forest fires in the region of Bra dford
were checked Tuesday.
—A new 10,000,000 reservoir will in a few
days add to Reading’s water supply.
—Carlisle's School Board will elect a
City Superintendent of Public Schools.
—Michael Gears drank a fatal dose of
laudanum in a Mahanoy City drug store.
—Caught by a runaway carin a Pitts"
ton mine, little Frank Davitt was ground
to death.
—Forest fires in the western part of the
the State continue to destroy valuable
timber.
—Founzo Levento blew out the gasin a
Pittston hotel and it is doubtful if he
shall recover.
—Eighteen mules were suffocated ina
Pittston mine owing toa break in the
ventilator fans.
—A son of Sheriff Fullmer, of Lycom _
ing County, received a bullet, intended
for a target, in the neck.
—A Lancaster Judge sent John Wea-
ver to prison for 10 years for robbing S. P.
Levyy’s storeat Mount J oy.
—An unknown man was killed and
Brakeman Renninger seriously injured in
a railroad wreck near Kane.
—One hundred Catholic clergymen of
the Scranton Diocese began their annual
retreat Monday at Glen Summit.
—The annual convention of the Central
diocese of the Episcopal Church of Penn -
sylvania is in session at Reading.
—To stop Sunday drinking at South
Bethlehem, warrants are out for the ar-
rest of half a hundred saloonkeepers,
—The Schuykill region Mine Inspectors
will examine applicants for mine fore"
men at Pottsville on June 14 and 15.
—The Lancaster Bar Association Tues:
day formerly requested the County Com-
missioners to enlarge the Court House.
—Five big carloads of scrap were gath-
ered up on the scene of the Reading’s
coal and freight wreck, near Ashland.
—C. A. Rittenhouse was yesterday ap.
pointed a fourth-class postmaster at
Eleanor, vice John Nichols, removed.
—A National Guard headquarters order
announces the appointment of Hay G.
Trexler as an aide on Governer Hasting’s
staff,
—Samuel Street was killed and Robert
Henderson fatally injured by the fall ofa
1000-pound bloom at the Latrobe Steel
Works.
—H. M. Smith, of Pottsville, was bitten
on the hand while handling bananas by
a tarantula, and amputation may be
necessary.
—Agent Charles ¥. Hoffman, of the
Pawnee Bill Sho.v, was arrested at Leb.
anon, charged with embezzling £390 of the
concern’'s funds.
—Work was resumed on the Pennsyl-
vania Midland railroad from Bedford to
McKee’s Gap on Thursday, after a cessas
tion since January.
—As he sat upon a keg of powder ina
Wilkesbarre mine, Joseph Smith struck a
match and is now dying as the result of
the explosion that followed.
—A keg of spikes was placed on the
Philadelphia & Reading’s track at Mid-
dleport on Sunday, and nearly resulted
in the wreck of the Buffalo express.
—A spring from which they procured
water has in several years caused the
death from typhoid fever of five mem-
bers of Edward Keffer’s family at Read-
ing.
—Owing to the low condition of the
state treasury no appropriation will be
made this year for the holding of farm-
ers’ institutes in the various counties of
the commonwealth.
—An Altoona woman has had eleven
hotel men arested for furnishing her hus.
band liquor after she had notified them
not tosell him any, as he is a man of
known intemperate habits.
—The State Board of Charities is ex-
bected to inspect the Schuylkill County
Almshouse this week in response .to
charges made against the steward by a
doctor and one of the directors.
—Altoona has taken a forward step in
the matter of sidewalks. The laying o
board walks has been prohibited and
brick, stone or cement will hereafter be
used. Loose planks and rotten boards
will soon cease to cause] trouble and ex.
pense.
—Two men, giving their names as
James Fleming and George Shultz, were
arrested at Lewistown last night and
lodged in jail charged with passing coun
terfeit money. The men had been follow-
ing Pawnee’s show and were arrested on
the information of Chief of Police : DeFor.
rest, of Huntingdon.
—At DuBois Sunday evening 5 year old
Edna Fassett was badly burned by her
clothing igniting from the flames of fire
she had started in the back yard to smoke
mosquitoes. The timely arrival of a
neighbor, who succeeded in extinguish
ing the flames, prevented the child from
being burned to death.
—A tramp called at the residence of
Thomas Gorsuch, in Huntingdon on
Saturday morning and asked for some-
thing to eat. While Mrs. Gorsuch was in
the cellar preparing him some food, the
ungrateful scamp spied Mr. Gorsuch’s
vest hanging on the wall from which he
stolea valuable silver watch, and de-
camped.
—A Pennsylvania railroad train at Idle-
wild ran down an Italian, cutting his leg
off. The man at once drew a pen knife
and cut his throat. This act was perform
ed before the scores ot passengers on the
train. The superintendent of the divis®
ion was also on board. Ex-Postmaster
Bide Wilde, of Hazleton, told the officials
that they were committing anjinhuman
act by passing the unfortunate man. The
train was not stopped, however, until
Halifax was reached, and a physician was
sent down from there.
—Robbers Sunday night entered the
home of aged William Condon and wife,
near Williamsport, bound the old couple
with ropes and then compelled them to
tell where they kept their money. The
robbers got $25 and then stole a horse and
wagon and escaped. Mrs, JCondon suc-
ceeded in freeing herself and §fled to a
neighbor’s house a half mile away when
an alarm was given, A pursuing party
found the stolen horse in a barn fifteen
miles away. One of the robbers threaten.
ed to kill the the old man with a butcher
knife if he made any outery.