BY RP. GRAY MEEK.
Ink Slings.
—Leap-year is a realized fact. Tke |
girls know it. 2
—If the Governor of Pennsylvania
can find no other cure for his bilious-
ness possibly Schlatter, ‘the healer,”
might do him some good.
—Governor HASTINGS is being talked
of as a possible successor to CAMERON
in the United States Senate. Mark
you, we have only said : talked of and |
possible.
—The Pittsburg Fos? asks: “What
kind of Kentucky chivalry was it that
burned a womun to death near Leban-
on?’ Can it be possible that our co-
temporary has never heard of the
BRECKENRIDGE chivalry ?
—The man who yelled fire!” in a
crowded Baltimore play-house, on Fri-
day night, thereby causing a panic in
which twenty-three people lost their
lives, has more than likely been con-
signed to a land where he will be able
to indulge his horrible design to his
heart’s content.
— Another bond issue seems to be in-
evitable. This time $100,000,000 will
be the value of the bonds that the gold
sharks will gather up as the result of a
policy that discriminates against silver
in the payment of public obligations,
when silver is just as much money, un-
der the constitution, as gold.
~The commissary general of the Ger-
man army has just ordered 500,000
pounds of dried apples from a Knox-
ville, Tenn., firm. Should those Dutch
soldiers get all those schnitz into them
and then get into a battle where they
would have to ‘‘take water” there
would be the worst busted up By)
over there the world ever saw.
—1It is reported that PETER MAHER
has expressed the fear that he won’t)
‘give the sports a run for their money”
in his coming fight with FITzZSiMMoNs.
This means that the Irishman expects
to lick the Australian in short order.
‘We don’t believe it. Bos’s wind is en-
tirely too good. He disclosed that fact
in his encounter (?) with CORBETT.
—The Senatorial investigation com-
mittee that has made such a farcical
stand in Philadelphia for some weeks is
now in Pittsburg making a one-eyed
investigation of municipal doings there.
PENROSE and his confreres will have to
use both optics if they intend to pene-
trate the veil of corruption that hangs
over the public buildings in the Smoky
city.
—The world is minus one fool, at
least. A Bridgeport man committed
suicide, one day last week, because he
feared he could not manage $300,000 to
which he had lately fallen heir. Such
an one did great justice to humanity in
making away with himself, but the
freak managers have lost a find of what
was undoubtedly the only one ofits
kind in existence.
—-The war still flourishes in Cuba.
The insurgents are taking everything
they can lay hands on and in this are
only forestalling General CAMPOS of the
Spanish forces. The main features of
the warfare down there seems to be the
press gang and the pillagers. Both
sides confiscate everything they find
then press the unfortunate property
holders into service. If the trouble
keeps up much longer there will be
nothing left on the island but the two
armies. =
—Ex-Congressman BEN BUTTER
WORTH, of Ohio, upset an Italian fruit
vender, in Washington, on Saturday,
and when the latter demanded satisfac-
tion BEN promptly complied with his
request by knocking him out. For
some time BEN has been eclipsed by the
light of a son who was a great toot ball
player, but now it won’t need reference
to the star athlete to identify the
ex-Congressman any-more. He has
demonstrated his own right to distinc-
tion as a scrimmager.
—LiILLIAN RUSSELL, the comic opera
singer, has an original way of getting
newspaper notoriety through discussions
as to whether she will appear in tights
on the stage. It will be remembered
that some years ago she had a lawsuit
with her manager rather than put them
on and even though she didn’t expose
her nether limbs they were a good ad-
vertising kink. The comic opera and
the girl in tights go hand-in-hand and
LiLLIAN finds that if she won’t appear
with the lattershe will have to talk
abont it, at least, to make money. <
—Talking of war with England, Mr.
ARTHUR KITSON, who has gained no-
toriety through original ideas embodied
in his “scientific solution of the money
question,” thinks it would be a good
thing if only the jingoists on both sides
were forced to do the fighting. It is
not exactly known what one of the
Americans of this class Mr. Kitson
would like to hold a wake over, but
there is little doubt that a foreign en-
velope with a black border would strike
little grief to his heart if it bore the
SALISBURY crest. Mr. KITsoN is an
“with a mean political trick.
Englishman, but is not a tory.
Demacralic
TRO
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STATE RIGHTS AN
D FEDERAL UNION.
“VOL. 11
BELLEFONTE, PA. JAN. 3, 1896.
NO. 1.
The Response of Congress to the
President.
On account of the duty imposed upon
the government to pay the demand
notes, known as greenbacks,in gold, the
treasury is put to great embarrassment
in performing that duty. Much diffi-
culty is experienced in securing and
maintaining the stock of gold needed
for this purpose. The public credit
becomes impaired if this reserve is
materially diminished, and euch im-
pairment has an injurious effect upon
general business conditions,
It is unnecessary, in this connection,
to discuss the wisdom or unwisdom of
basing the public credit exclusively on
gold.
During the first CLEVELAND admin-
istration there was no difficulty on this
account, for the finances were so well
administereu that there was ample
means to meet every governmental ob-
ligation, When that administration
went out of power it left an overflow-
ing treasury and an unimpaired gold
reserve. With such resources, inher-
ited from its Democratic predecessor,
the HARRISON administration entered
upon a career of extravagant expendi-
ture that had reduced the treasury to
an exhausted condition when the peo-
ple compelled the piratical crew to
leave the ship which they had well
nigh scuttled. This was the condition
of affairs imposed upon the second
CLEVELAND administration, which has
been compelled to keep the wheels of
government running, hampered by ex-
hausted means and a vicious system of
currency that had grown up under Re-
publican rule, and embarrassed by
every method of opposition and mis-
representation which the leaders of
that party could devise.
In its heroic effort to maintain the
public credit, and to meet the govern-
ment obligations in the manner re-
quired by law, no administration ever
met with such unfair and contemptible
antagonism. Confined by legal restric-
tion to but one medium of payment,
every demand it has made for assist-
ance in the performance of this restrict-
ed duty has been opposed and mis-
represented by opponents who would
wreck the public credit and throw the
business of the country into disorder
to gain a political advantage.
At the opening of the present session
of Congress the President and secretary
of the treasury stated, in plain and
earnest terms, the causes that were
embarrassing the treasury, disturbing
the financial situation, and menacing
the business condition of the country, |
and they asked Congress for remedial
action, The cause of this embarrass-
ment was hy no means a want of
revenue, for the new tariff will furnish
all that is needed, but the trouble came
from the requirement of the currency
laws that a constant stream of demand
noies should be paid over and over
again in gold. It was shown by the
secretary of the treasury that within
the last four years four hundred mil-
lions in gold have passed from the
treasury for the redemption of these
demand notes, a greater sum than all
the outstanding greenpacks, and yet
notwithstanding all this outlay of gold
there has not been a demand note per-
manently redeemed for, as the law re-
quires their reissue, the process of their
payment in gold will*have to be gone
over again.
It was to remedy such a vicious
feature of the currency laws that the
President asked the action of Congress,
and the obvious remedy would be, not
an increase of revenue, but some meas:
ure that would avoid the necessity of
keeping a stock of gold on hand that
ig liable to exhaustion, and the evils
attending its fluctuation.
What has been the response of the
House of Representatives to the re-
quest made by the President with so
salutary an object ? It answers him
It meets
a great public emergency by the intru.
sion of a strictly partisan measure. It
is true, there is offered a temporary
bond bill, of doubtful efficacy, and not
likely to pass the Senate; but the
Houee has also managed to intrude
upon the emergency of the situation a
rank McKINLEY tariff measure, in.
tended as a political manceuver, which,
aside from its politics, can have ao
other object than to benefit “certain
favored interests, and could bave no
other effect than to increase the living
expenses of the people.
The Monroe Doctrine Vindicated.
The position taken by President
CLEVELAND in his Venezuela message
was merely an assertion of old-fashion-
ed Democratic patriotism.
It is no new thing for the statesmen
of Democracy to maintain the national
rights and to vindicate the honor of
the Republic. It was JEFFERSON who
prevented Louisiana from falling into
the hands of the English by purchasing
it from France, and it was under the
Democratic successor of JEFFERSON
that this splendid acquisition was hero-
ically defended against the British at-
tack at New-Orleans. President JAck-
SON, the exemplar of Democracy, com-
pelled every foreign country to respect
the nation of which he was the chief
magistrate, and forced the proud
French government to the payment of
a debt of long standing. President
PoLk’s foreign policy was made illus
trious by the triumph of American
arms, resulting in the conquest of Cali-
fornia and the acquisition of territory
that now composes one third of the
area of the United States.
These were mere illustrations of
what Democratic Presidents have done
for the honor, glory and interest of the
Republic, and when President CLEVE-
LAND took his bold stand for the main-
tenance-of a national principle, known
as the Monroe doctrine, his action
was in line with the examples and tra-
ditions of Democratic patriotism.
Of late years there has been a
cheap, pinchbeck sort of patriotism
indulged in and paraded by Republi
can “leaders for political effect. It
showed itself in the pretty intrigue.
that characterized the Hawaiian trans:
action, and it has displayed its mean-
ness in abusing the CLEVELAND ad-
ministration for not interfering in for-
eign matters which they did not dare!
to touch when they were in power.
The encroachment ot England upon
Venezuela was going on all the while
the Republicans were in control of the
government, but there was no Republi-
can President to call the British land-
grabbers to account. The Republican
jingoes were not heard clamoring for
an enforcement of the Monroe doc-
trine and a patriotic foreign policy un-
til a Democratic administration came |
into power.
President CLEVELAND, however, has
given them such a foreign policy, with
a force of expression and determination
of purpose that has completely dazed |
them. His message has done more to
| enforce the position of this government
on the Mo~Nroe doctrine, and to im-
press foreign nations with its earnest
purpose to prevent their encroachment
upon this continent than could be ac-
complished by the yelping Republican
jiogoes in a hundred years. The
MoxroE doctrine has now been made,
not merely an American policy, buta
principle of international law, and
Grover CLEVELAND is to be credited
for it.
A ————.
A Tricky Tariff Scheme.
.What a sneaking game the Repub-
licans are trying to play in their at
tempt to re-impoee a protective tariff
“for revenue only ;"” and what a ridicu-
lous position they assume in imitating
the horizontal plan which they so
roundly abused when the Morricon
bill was up for discussion.
The assumption that it is “for reve-
nue only” looks very much as if the
Republican jackass was trying to con-
ceal his identity under the skin of the
Democratic lion, and the adoption of
the horizontal plan makes DINGLEY
an imitator of the Democratic MoRrrI-
80N, but a decidedly poor counterfeit
of that honest statesman.
But this trick is easily seen through.
It is entirely too thin to serve their
tariff mongering purpose. To meet an
urgent public necessity the President
requested that something be done to
remedy defects in the currency that
were causing trouble to both the gov:
ernment and the people. This reason-
able ahd patriotic request was seized
upon by the Republican House as an
opportunity to do some tariff tinker-
ing, acd straightway the Ways and
Means committee offer a bill to restore
the tariff on wool and lumber, and to
increase the duties on woolen goods
and other manufactures. This is done
under the plea that more revenue is
wanted, when the fact is that there is
enough revenue for all necessary ex-
penses ; but itis a defective currency
ernment, which the President asked
to have remedied. :
Tkis uncalled for tarift legislation
is insincere as a revenue measure. If
the Republicans were earnestly desir-
ous of increasing revenues, it could be
done with more immediate effect by in-
creasing the tax on liquor, beer, cigars,
other subjects of internal revenue,
which could be made immediately
available for $60,000,000 of revenue a
year. It would look more like a rev-
enue measure than this bill which in.
tends to eneak the McKINLEY duties
back on the clothing of the people.
This smart trick will not avail the
tariff mongers. It is no use for them
to declare that it is not their purpose
to puss a tariff measure. No one will
be fooled by the pretense that the ob-
ject of their bill is revenue only, and
merely intended as a temporary ex-
pedient.
The design of the McKINLEY tariff
bill is to destroy the most beneficent
featire of the WiLsox tariff which se-
cured cheaper clothing for the people
and cheaper lumber for their habita-
tions, Its alleged revenue purpose is
a fraud, not only for the reason that
there is no occasion for an increase of
revenue by such means, but also be-
cause revenue, if an increase of it were
restoration of discarded tariff taxes.
Republican Foreign Policy.
From the way the Republicans have
been prating about vigorous foreign
policies, and maintaining the national
hooor against European offense, and
enforcing the MoNRroE doctrine, and all
that sort of talk, it might be supposed
that there isn’t a feather in the tail of
the American eagle, or a stripe in
Uncle Sax’s trousers, that wasn’t put
there by the patriotic Republican
party.
Now as regards foreign policy let
us see what its record is. It has not
| done much in that line, but still it has
{ done something. Hardly more than a
| contemptuous glance need be taken of
, the disgraceful prostitution of the na-
tional power in taking a part in the
conspiracy by which the friendly gov-
ernment of Hawaiia was overthrown
in the interest of a lot of sugar specu-
lators. But Republican administrations
had other foreign transactions. Take
for example, the Geneva arbitration,
by which the advantage of the United
States was shamefully sacrificed. Dur-
ing the rebellion of our Southern States
Great Britain, through the assistance
she gave the confederate cruisers, suc:
ceeded! in almost entirely sweeping
American commerce from off the
ocean. The direct and consequential
damages amounted to hundreds of
millions of dollars ; in fact our com-
mercial interests have not yet recovered
from that injury; but a Republican
administration compromised this great
wrong for the comparative trifle of
$15,000,000, and what was worse, it
relinquished the future chance of pay-
ing England in ber own coin by agree-
ing to abandon the right of privateer-
ing. Rather than to have agreed to
such a settlement a Democratic Presi-
dent, like JacksoN or CLEVELAND,
would have advised immediate war
with such an offender.
But another sample of Republican
foreign policy should not be overlook-
ed. It had eomething to do with seals.
The Harrison administration con-
ceived the notion that England was
trespassing upon the seals in Behring
sea, which it claimed as domestic ani’
mals, and arranged to have the matter
arbitrated. Whether its case was a
poor one, or was badly managed, the
arbitration resulted in imposing dam-
ages upon the United States to the
amount of $4,500,000. The money
cost of this great stroke of foreign pol-
icy bas not yet been paid, as Congress
will not pass an appropriation for it,
but probably DincLEY’s Republican
“horizontal” tariff bill “for reveuue
only” is partly intended to raise the
money for the payment of that cost.
These are not very creditable sam-
ples of foreign policy, but they cover
about all the Republicans have done
in that line; and yet they presume to
condemn the manner in which a Dem-
ocratic administration conducts our re-
lations with foreign countries. But
GROVER gave them an eye-opener with
bis Venezuela message.
system that is embarrassing the gov-
tobacco, bank checks and drafts, and.
needed, could be obtained without the.
Breaking Down With Their Own Su-
Premacy.
From the Philadelphia Times.
The passage of the financial bill in
the House on Saturday by a vote of
17Q yeas to 136 nays shows that
speaker Reed’s political lines are al-
ready broken, and it is doubtless but
the beginning of Republican disinte-
gration in the House that is likely to
make the Democratic demoralization
in the last Congress comparatively re.
spectable. 7 ‘on
The bond.bill forced through the
House by speaker Reed, is purely a
political invention, conceived primari-
ly to aid speaker Reed's nomination
for the Presidency and next to save
the party. It was well known to every
Republican leader in the House that
the bond bill could not pass the Sen-
ate; that if passed by the Senate it
could not be approved by the President,
yet it was forced through under whip
and spur; but 47 Republicans bad the
courage to declare their independence
and vote with 82 Democrats and the
Populists squarely against the meas-
ure.
The fact that speaker Reed’s forces
have been broken' into fragments at
the very threshold of the session clear-
ly indicates that the different elements
of the Republican party will play poli-
tice rather than statesmanchip during
the present session, regardlees of the
interests of the nation; and it is not
improbable that before this session
shall have closed the Republican ma-
jority of the House will bein little
more favor with the nation than was
the Democratic majority of the last
Congress at the close of its first ses-
sion. Every attribute of statesman.
ship seems to have been subordinated
to mere politics, and that is likely to
teach the nation, as did last Congress,
that the party in power is incompelent
to rule the greatest republic of the
world.
New Year’s Day.
From the Phila. Record.
“The birth of a New Year,” says
Charles Lamb, ‘‘is of an interest too
wide to be pretermitted by king or cob-
bler. No one ever regarded the 1st of
Janunary with indifference. It is that
from which all date their time, and
count upon what is left. Itis the Na-
tivity of our Common Advance.
And yet the date of the New Year
has not always begun with the lst of
January. Ib fact, that month was not
universally adopted as the first month
of the year by modern European na.
tions until the eighteenth century,
and this is the more remarkable inas
much as the Romans, whose Empire
in the course of their history embraced
go considerable a part of Europe, thus
considered it not only since time was
fixed from the birth of our Lord, but
for 250 years before that event. Bat
now the 1st of January is an imperial
day in the calendar of modern peoples.
It is the day of festive observance, and
the exchange of good wishes ; the day
of merrymakings and good cheer ; the
day consecrated to mirth and surcease
of labor.
The Way of the Cuban War.
From the Williamsport Sun,
The Spaniards, uuder Gen. Campos,
were forced to retreat from Colon be-
fore the brave assault of the Cuban in-
surgents, although the Spanish greatly
outnumbered the Cubans. General
Maceo has proven himself one of the
ablest commanders the insurgents
have bad, and his strategems and bold-
ness have proven beyond General
Campos’ power to cope with thus far,
With 80,000 Spanish troops in Cuba,
well equipped and well disciplined, it
would appear that the handfull of
Cuban patriots would prove an easy
prey to Campos, but the present situ-
ation shows that the Cubans are mas.
ters of the situation. Whether Campos
is laying a trap for Maceo into which
he hopes the latter will blindly fall re-
mains to be seen.
A ——
Venezuela's Commerce.
From the Chicago Chronicle.
Venezuela imports from the United
States in a year about $4,100,000
worth of goods, chiefly manufactured
articles. From Great Britain it im-
ports $3,800,000. From Germany
$2,100,000 from France $2,000,000, and
from Spain $300,000. This 18 the
country from which Venezuela im-
ports most, and this is the countryito
which Venezuela exports most. Vene-
zuela's exports to the United States
average $12,000,000, to France $7,000,
000, aod to Germany and Spain
$600,000 each.
1t Must be Put to More Effective Use.
From the New York Sun.
“There have been wars” says the
Cincinnati Enquirer, “ever since those
in which David killed Golliath and
the Philistines were defeated by a pow-
erful man wielding the jawbone of an
ass.”” This is very true, but the En-
quirer should have added that Amer.
icans cannot yet be defeated or driven
from the path of patriotism by the
wagging of that weapon on the plat-
form or in the pulpit.
—If you want printing of any dis-
cription the WATCHMAN office is the
place to have it done.
Spawls' from the Keystone,
—Berks county poultry show last week
Was a success.
—Pennsylvania’s Governor has gone to
Hot Springs, Ark.
—Stockholders have ratified the new
Reading traction combine.
—There isa welcome flood in the Sus-
quehanna river at Wilkesbarre.
—Leaning over a furnace cupola at Cat-
asauqua, young Thomas Walker was suf:
focated.
—Burglars secured $100 worth of plun-
der in Henry Roscoby's tailor shop at
Pheenixville.
—Twenty-three cases ot typhoid fever,
have been reported to the b card of health
at Ridgway.
—The Union boiler works, of Lebanon,
were reorganized with recorder E. M.
Boltz, as president.
—Frank Dublinskie, of Mt. Carmel,
whose wiferecently disappeared, offers $5
reward for her return.
—During the year the State issued 29
land warrants for 1875 acres of land and 32
patents for 933) acres. .
—Henry Gelvis and his wife, of Mertz-
+ town, died of fever the same day and will
be buried together.
—Richard Stevens, of Hoboken, N. J.,
hada fine yacht, the Aileen, launched at
Rodch’s, Chester, Tuesday.
—After a brief idleness nearly all the
Lebanon iron mills are busy and will re.
main so during the winter.
—Thievesstole several hundred dollars
worth of goods from Wallace's store at
Blue Ball, Lebanon county.
—Resident physician H. J. Donaldson,
of the Williamsport hospital, resigned
and will remove to Wellsboro.
—Two tramps fired on a locomotive
crew who tried todrive them from the
railroad near Lebanon, Tuesday.
—Ex-Assemblyman Walter W. Franklin
of Lancaster, has been prosecuted for al:
leged embezzlement by a client.
—The burgess of Beaver Falls sued
three councilmen because they wouldn't
attend meetings, but lost his case.
—The Ohio river below Pittsburg is so
shallow at the normal condition that eve
en coal barges frequently ground.
—There are 500 members of the Agricul.
tural Home Reading circle connected
with State College, Centre county.
,
--Little John Thomas in a quarrel shot
another boy in the eye with a small rifle
at Williamsport, and is underarrest.
—The civil engineers 6f the Pennsyl.
vania railroad are making surveys for the
widening of the Spruce Creek tunnel.
—Allegheny city’s new pumping sta.
tion and water plant will cost $205,0007and
will hoist 36,000,000 gallons of water daily.”
—Farmers along Mahanoy Creek re-
ceived $12,000 from the Lehigh Valley and
Reading companies for damage done by
coal culm.
—The saw mill of the Lackawanna lum-
ber company at Cross Forks is cutting
apout 150,000,000 feet of lumber and 68,000
lath daily.
—A nervous affliction unbinged the
mind of John Stubblebine, a railroad
brakeman, at Easton, and he shot himself
to death.
—In 16 years there have been 46) mur-
ders in Lackawanna county. Yet only
three persons were sentenced to be
hanged. »
—Rev. J. C. Trauger, of the English
Lutheran church, at Minersville, hasre.
signed to take charge of missionary work
in South Carolina. .
—Shootingat.an eagle at Muncy, while
on horseback, Boyd McMichael was
thrown to the ground by the concussion
and severely hurt.
—The coroner's jury at Pottsville on
Monday rendered a verdict that it didn’t
know who killed Mrs. Katharine Gor-
man, on November 22,
—The south track on a new piece of road
on the Pennsylvania railroad, east of Fos.
toria on the Middle division, wus opened
for traffic last week.
—The Williamsport Times says that
more revenue is immediately wanted to
carry on the administration of{that town
and meet its current expenses.
—The jewelry store of Ermold & Tyack,
at Reading, Pa., was closed by the sheriff
on three executions amounting to $2600
The failure is attributed to dull holiday
trade.
—Flynn’s log drive reached North Bend
on Saturday. Blackwell was close be-
hind him. Itis expected the late rains
will carry 25,000,00) feet of timber to Wil-
liamsport.
—The number of deaths in Clearfield
county was not as large in 1895 as it was
the year previous and the region wasas
free from disease of all kinds as it was
ever known to have been.
~The Pottsville Chronicle has issued for
1896a splendid calendar that ought to have
a place in every Schuylkill county home.
It is filled to the covers with all manner
of useful and interesting information.
—Recent deaths in Miffin county : John
Breneman, Oliver township, aged 55
years; Mrs. Robert Hockey, Granville
township, 70; Mrs. Rebecca Smith, Lewis -
town, 58; Mrs. Hanaah Webb, Lewistown
8l.
—An unknown man was found fatally
injured on the railroad track at the upper
end of Altoona on Saturday afternoon.
He was immediately removed to the hos.
pital in that city where he died half an
hour later.
—The sons of America of Emporium,
will donate the sum of $100 to any manu-
facturing establishment that will per-
manently locate in Emporium within six
months and give steady employment to
thirty-five American citizens.
—At Tyrone Friday W. W. Latherow, a
brakeman, had the flesh torn from the
bone between the knee and foot by being
dragged along the track after losing his
footing. He was taken to the Altoona
hospital. His home isat Newton Hamil.
ton.
— Albert F. Osterlob, of Hollidaysburg,
a pioneer hardware merchant in that sec-
tion and the builder of Chimney Rocks
furnace, died there aged 92 years. He
was one of the active workers In the early
days of the state militia and was one of
the organizers of the Lancaster Fencibles.
the crack military organization of east.
ern Pennsylvania, in’ 184.45.