“Boncain BY P. GRAY ME:zK. Ink Slings. —Autonomy is too big a word with too little in it to please the Cubans very much. —Luck to the Dutch, so that they will send us more orders for $400,000 bridges. —The fool who stands with his chin rest- ing on the muzzle of his loaded gun seldom lives long enough to jeopardize any other than his own life. —Senator HANNA is in bed with the grip. How contentedly he would lie there if it were only a dead sure cinch on that Buckeye Senatorship. —Lives of married men oft remind us, that in marriage you’d better go slow, for after-days, with affections minus, they al- ways have a tale of woe. -—The way they are carrying on over in Bohemia will suggest some new features for attractions for the *‘Nights in Bohemia’ gotten up in this country. —Is it possible that Hawaii with her 3,000 American population, is to be hauled into the Union, while Oklahoma, with her 300,000 Americans, will be left outside the gates ? —Next week Washington will hecome the garden in which ambitious Congress- men will sow the seed of discontent that will grow the flowers for their political graves. —Bellefonte has a colored individual who wants to be cremated when he dies so that his widow can have the satisfaction of telling her old-maid friends that she had husbands to burn. —1It has been a matter of personal obser- vation with us that the man who is ‘‘tight across the chest” rarely walks with that erect, buoyant carriage so noticeable in whole-souled, active livered manhood. —The story of the recent hold-up near Zion leads us to believe that there is a young man in Centre county who was cut out for a story book writer—of the JULES VERNES order—and not for the life of a farm boy. -—Yale’s innovation of giving her foot- ball team champagne with every dinner, as part of a dietetical system for perfecting their physical conditions, is likely to give her more foot-ball candidates next season than her coaches will know what to do with. —The two LEBoS, who were convicted of selling hard cider down in Lycoming county, are in limbo for thirty days and will pay fifty dollars fine in addition. They will hardly imagine that their cider was as hard on its victims as is justice on the West Branch. —The Ridgway miner who got drunk and froze to death beside an old tipple evidently had some idea of the eternal fit- ness of things. Being a tippler, himself, he laid down beside an old tipple and let his tipple put him to the sleep from which he never woke up. —The first chill winds of November made the shivers run up and down the naked limbs of a Lemont mountain-ash and from out the tree’s spacious trunk came a new suit of clothing of the kind that EVE used, when more serviceable ones were unheard of. —Georgia’s three year old boy preacher must be the advance agent of BELAMY’S new theory advanced in his latest work, “Equality.” When we reach his ideal of enlightenment the children will do all the work and everybody over twenty-years old will rusticate all the time. The thoughts of it makes us envious of our posterity. —VFor the cause of justice in all parts of the country the district attorney, of New York city, has no right to accept a plea of guilty in the first degree of manslaugher, from Mrs. NACK, the paramour of MARTIN THORN. To save her own neck she ‘‘peached’’ and told how THORN and she had horribly killed and dismembered her former lover. The immunity that is grant- ed State’s-evidence witnesses should not, in justice, be extended to this case. -—DANIEL BROADHEAD is the name of a traveling salesman from Waverly, New York, who distinguished himself, in Will- iamsport, on Saturday night, by catching a buxom colored girl and giving her a right hearty smack on her big, thick osculatory organs. Of course DANIEL was full, else he would not have done it, but his condi- tion had no effect upon the magistrate be- fore whom a patrolman hauled him. It cost him $4.75 for that off color kiss. —The cold weather seems to have no ef- fect on the busy candidate and the Repub- lican local slate is already fixed up. Col. REEDER is to run for Congress, so they say, all of them by AL and CLEMENT DALE; E. R. CHAMBERS is to make a dash for the State Senate, so everybody has decided without Jim McCLURE’S consent ; the Hon. Jou~N DALY, of Curtin township, and C. P. Lona, of Spring Mills, areto go to Harrisburg as Legislators, so every body but the voters say ; HENRY C. QUIGLEY, is to be put up for district attorney again, so everybody but HeNRY, himself, says and C. F. DEININGER, of Centre Hall, and FRANK CLEMSON, of Scotia, are to be com- posited into one candidate for pro- thonotary. What do you think of it all? Sa | | Democratic VOL. 42° STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION. _ BELLEF ma LEFONTE, PA.. DEC. 3. 1897. The Pension Enormity. It became customary to impugn the pa- triotism of those who objected to making the pension system a means of swindling the government. If any one objected to swelling the pension list by admitting un- worthy claimants to the bounty of the gov- ernment a clamor was raised against him as being no better than a rebel. As a consequence the pension manipula- tors have been allowed to have their own way. Honest objection to their proceed- ings has been stifled by a mistaken idea of patriotism, and the result has been that the American pension system has been per- verted into the most gigantic fraud that was ever practiced upon a nation. It has become so great an abuse that the want of patriotism may be charged against those who refrain from representing it in its true color and denouncing it accordingly. From no other evil is the republic sustaining so great an injury as from the fraudulent per- version of a system that was intended for the benefit of those who fought for the Union. There is really something startling in the information given in the secretary of the interior’s report that, with the pension rolls already containing more names than were enrolled as soldiers during the war, there are 200,000 claims awaiting adjudi- cation, a majority of which the secretary says will be admitted, with an. increase of $5,000,000 to $7,000,000 to the pension ac- count ; and this, it should be remembered, will happen after more than thirty years haye passed since the close of the war. It is not difficult to understand the pro- cesses by which the pension rolls are made to contain, as reported at the end of the last fiscal year, 976,014 names with ma- terial in reserve sufficient to add thousands to the list, annually, for an indefinite period. This frightful abuse which last year was attended with the enormous expense of $141,990,936.75, not including the cost of the service, has been practiced for two spe- cial objects, either of which is a public im- position and a menace to our free institu- tions. The one object is to attach toa particular political party a large body of voters who are made to look to it as the source of this personal benefit, which is in effect a gigantic method of political bribery. Another object is to create a vast expendi- ture of public money that will necessitate the continuance of taxation through the agency of tariffs required for the promotion of monopolistic interests. The pension system has been brought to a degree of perversion that renders ita public duty to denounce the abuses con- nected with it, and to expose the purpose of those who have made it the medium of their nefarious designs. Instead of its be- ing what it was originally intended to be, a means of justly compensating those who had rendered their country real service in its time of peril, it has been converted into a colossal scheme of public plunder for the political benefit of the Republican party and the personal profit of the pension ring. The rascals who have profited from pen- sion abuses are sure to represent opposition to their methods as springing from hostility to pensions, but the true friends of the pension system are those who desire to keep off the rolls those who are not entitled to government bounty, and confine it to veterans who really served their country in the field. Corporate Oppression. A Chicago court and jury is to be credit- ed for having at last done something for the protection of humble people against corporate oppression. It is so seldom that courts make a record that is not favorable to the corporations that this case is worthy of notice. In this particular instance the victim of black-listing by railroad companies brought suit for the injury done him and recovered damages to the amount of $21,666. There is not a more oppressive, unjust or cowardly practice than that of a set of cor- porations, which band together to punish a working man, or a party of working men, who may have offended them. The victim may be an individual who resisted some oppression and arbitrary rule or regulation of the corporate tyrants, and as a punish- ment he is put on their black list which, so far as they are able to effect it, will pre- vent him from getting employment and earning bread for himself and family. That this wrong and oppression can be practiced in a free country is simply atro- cious, but it is done frequently and exten- sively, and is one of the repulsive phases of the overbearing power of corporations. A number of other cases will be tried in the Chicago courts, the circumstances of the prosecution from which the black-listed men suffered, they having heen driven from every job over which the unrelenting corporations could exert an influence, ap- pear almost incredible as happening in this republic, and as actual occurrences are a libel upon American freedom. If there is any law that will protect op- pressed people surely no class have a strong- er claim to its protection than those who perform the labor of the country. Misconstrued Law. The gold-bug journals and speakers have succeeded in creating the impression that the credit of the government is involved in gold payment, and upon this false repre- sentation the humbug has been worked off on the public that payment in silver would be a breach of faith and a violation of the national honor. Nothing but the incorrect impression that the government is obligated to make its payments in gold could give rise to the report that among other measures of cur- rency reform which the President will recommend in his message will be one ad- vising ‘‘the passage of a law repealing the act requiring greenbacks to be redeemed in gold.” There could not be a more misleading statement than this. It is based on a thor- oughly false assumption. There is no law requiring the payment of greenbacks in gold. Therefore there is no occasion for a repealing act. There is no law specifically requiring the government to pay obliga- tions, whether notes or honds, in gold. The law calls for their payment in coin, and as an unmistakable interpretation of the meaning of the term ‘‘coin’’ in this connection Congress has made a specific declaration that it means either gold or silver. At any time when the speculative cor- morants were raiding the treasury with the presentation of greenbacks for pay- ment in gold the treasury authorities could have lawfully paid them in silver. There would have been no breach of the public faith in such payment, as the government was not pledged to pay in gold. Secretary FOSTER, under the HARRISON administration, commenced this unlawful system of exclusive gold payment, even going so far as to decide that treasury notes, specifically payable in silver, should be paid in gold if the holder required it. CLEVE- LAND betrayed his Democratic faith by continuing this unlawful system, with the result that gold payments, unauthorized by law, necessitated the borrowing of gold, and occasioned the issue of bonds which imposed upon the people an increase of the national debt amounting to $262,000,000. It was by thearbitrary ruling of treasury officials that the law has heen: violated in this matter for the benefit of the gold in- terest. This has been a breach of the national faith pledged to the payment of the public debts with the lawful eoin of the country, silver equally with gold ; and yet these violators of the law, backed by the supporters of gold monometallism, make the outrageously impudent charge that the advocates of siiver entertain a terrible design against the public faith, and national honor. Boomerang Effects. The cotton manufacture of New England is not in prosperous condition. It suffered a slump when the business depression struck the country in 1893, but its trouble at that time was conveniently charged to the WILSON low tariff, which was rather a singular cause for a break down that came on a year before that tariff bill was passed. It was expected, however, that after the higher duties of the DINGLEY bill should begin to show their effect the New Eng- land cotton manufacturers, whose claim te increased protection was well looked after in that measure, would find a great im- provement in their business. This expec- tation is not being realized, although the DINGLEY act has been in full play for nearly four months. As a remedy for this defective situation, which the high tariff has failed to correct, a general cut in wages is recommended as the only expedient that will maintain the profits of the mill owners. Following closely upon the passage of a tariff bill avowedly intended to benefit labor this would be a most remarkable result of an alleged protective measure. But the great trouble with the New England cotton mills is overproduction. They are producing more goods than they can find markets for. Under the lower ‘WIiLsoN bill trade conditions were such that foreign markets took a considerable part of this New England product. In 1896 nearly 20,000,000 yards of these cot- ton goods were sent to Canada, which, in 1897, were increased to 30,000,000 yards, but the discrimination of the DINGLEY tariff against Canadian products has driven Canada to retaliatory measures, the effect of which is shown by the fact that the Canadian importation of American cotton goods, which, in July, the month before the DINGLEY bill was passed, amounted to $1,447,538, fell to $809,865 in September, the month after that measure went into effect, a falling off of nearly 50 per cent. The New England mill owners are ex- periencing some boomerang effects from the high tariff policy. Foreign markets, which were. being opened to their goods under a lower tariff, are now being closed against them, and with a diminished de- mand for the output of the mills they will endeavor to make up their loss by cutting the wages of their workmen. Is this what was promised the laboring people as the effect of a Republican pro- tection ? A Probable Do-Nothing Cuban Policy. Ex-minister HANNIS TAYLOR, who rep- resented this government at the Spanish court during the CLEVELAND administra- tion, entertains positive views in regard to the methods of the Spaniards in their war with the Cuban rebels and concerning the policy which our government should pur- sue on the Cuban question. The ex-min- ister had exceptional opportunities of oh- serving and understanding the Spanish policy and the inhuman character of the operations for the suppression of the insur- rection, and what he saw and understood impressed him with their thoroughly inde- fensible character, and convinced him of the imperative duty of the United States. to take some action that will put an end to the barbarous proceedings that are going on in Cuba, and restore peace to the island. He has been giving free rein to his views on this subject, both in speech and writing, and from his expressions, which his super- ior knowledge of the situation justifies him in making, it may be inferred that the present administration is pursuing a course in regard to Cuba that will be no more ef- fective in putting an end to Spanish out- rages and securing the rights of the Cuban people than was the course adopted by its predecessor. If Mr. CLEVELAND showed too greata deference to Spanish influence there is an appearance of President McKINLEY being under that influence to a still greater de- gree. Spanish minister DE LOME is cred- ited with being able to wind this adminis- tration around his thumb, and it is said that the imbecile diplomacy of secretary SHERMAN is no match for his superior acuteness. It is positively declared by ex-minister TAYLOR, as the only policy that can be pursued by our government in this matter, both for its honor and its interest, that it should take decided action in its treatment of the Cuban question. The occasion for such action has existed ever since it became apparent that Spain was incapable of put- ting down the rebellion and that her con- tinuing the war was nothing more than a prolongation of ineffectual butchery. He would have Congress not merely recognize the belligerency of the Cuban insurgents, but acknowledge their national independ- ence.' The government should then be prepared to meet the consequences of so righteous a line of procedure. But can it be expected that President McKINLEY will recommend such a course ? It is suspected that he will ask Congress to do nothing in regard to Cuba, neither in recognizing belligerency or acknowledging independence, and that he will imitate CLEVELAND in his Cuban, as well as in his monetary policy. The Austrian Method of Legislation. Foreign critics have been severe in de- nouncing the disorderly character of Ameri- can Legislatures. If their pictures were correct the American law-maker would be |. but little better than a rowdy. But of course this is in line with the European dis- position to exaggerate the defects that ap- pear in the institutions of this country. This often amounts to down-right men- dacity, as in the English misrepresenta- tions that in the triumph of TAMMANY in the recent New York municipal election that city was handed over to the rule of the mob. Foreign carpers have had their fling at American Legislatures for their alleged dis- orderliness, but how will they explain the uproarious proceedings of the Austrian Parliament, the legislative body of the old- est monarchy in Europe, which for some weeks past has discounted = Donny- brook fair as an example of irrepressible turbulence ? MARK TwAIN, who is in Vienna on another voyage of innocence around the world, was in the Austrian Reichsrath, last Sunday, and eye-witnessed one of its daily scraps. For a first-class row in which everybody took a hand, it could not be surpassed by the liveliest Irish shindy with all the blackthorns in vigorous operation. A conception of the scene, as described by TWAIN, may be formed by imagining the Democrats in the House at Washington making a rush at speaker REED with the object of throwing him out of the window, and the Republicans making a counter charge to prevent so unparliamentary a proceeeding, with the district militia com- ing in eventually and restoring order by running them all out. This has got to be the Austrian method of legislation, and in view of its highly ex- citing character, and the amusement it af- fords outsiders, the Americans have the laugh on the effete foreigners. —The dose that GILHAM, the Philips- burg wife shooter, got at the hands of Centre county justice wasn’t the kind that he said he was most used to having, but it sufficed to put a dangerous man in a place of safety. ——Subseribe for the WATCHMAN. The Sixth Annual Report of the State Factory Inspector. In compliance with the provisions of the 5th section of the factory law, approved June 3rd, 1893, I submit the 8th annual report of the factory inspection depart- ment, and in doing so, I am pleased to in- form you that mills that were idle for two and three years, are now in operation. Others have increased their capacity, new ones in course of construction, and a large increase in the number of persons employed over what there were at this time last year. The inspection work has been satisfactory, and the orders issued, generally complied with. There have been 3,317 orders issued ; of that number, 3,044 have been complied with. Those not reported are largely due to the fact that all but three deputies have been inspecting bake shops since July 8th, and were unable to look after their orders. There is no doubt but what the most of them have been complied with, and will he reported in due time. ACCIDENTS. There were 940 accidents reported ; 94 less than last year. 50 of that number be- ing fatal ; 27 less than last year. A ma- jority occurred in the iron and steel works in handling the product where machinery could not be used. Machinery, asa rule, is well guarded with safety appliances, and accidents from that source are often the result of carelessness. In the annual report for 1896 I recom- mended a number of changes and additions to the factory and sweat shop laws, and that bake shops be subject to factory in- spection, all of which met with your ap- proval, were enacted into law, and are now in operation, and while it will increase the work and expense, the benefit that will accrue to the working people, the cleaner and more healthful conditions under which much of the bread and clothing will be wads, justify all the additional cost and work. ‘SECTION 1, prohibiting the employ- ment of girlsand women for a longer period than twelve hours in any one day, nor for a longer period than sixty hours in any one week,’ has met with some opposition, on the grounds of interfering with the right of contract. A similar law, passed in Massachu- setts, met with the same opposition, and was carried to the supreme court where it was decided that women are wards of the State and the law constitutional. “SECTION 2, requiring all children be- tween the age of 13 and, 16 years to be able toread and write the English lan- guage, or attend school sixteen weeks bhe- fore they can be employed,’’ goes into effect January 1st, 1898. As the State ap- propriates a large amount of foney in sup- sport of the free schools, in aullition . to fur- nishing free books, the ultimate result of that provision will be to establish a higher standard of education, and better fit them to become useful citizens and capable of turning their talents to account in what- ever situation they may be placed. . ‘‘SECTION 4, requiring all establish- ments, subject to factory inspection, where girls and women are employed, to provide suitable seats for the use of the girls and women, and permit the use of such by them when they are not necessarily engaged in their active duties for which they are employed,’’ will result in protecting the health of the girls and women so em- ployed. SECTION 10, enlarging the powers of the department, in the question of erecting and locating fire escapes, will remedy the diffi- culties that we have had to contend with under the old law. SECTION 11, giving the department the authority to require of those who use boil- ers for the generating of steam, evidence of their safety, has resulted in a large number of boilers being inspected and put in a safe condition that were in use for two and three years without an inspection. Under such condition, it is marvelous that so few boiler explosions have occurred. The changes in the sweat shop law, extending its provisions to family workers, will remedy many difficulties heretofore en- countered in the enforcement of the law. The law, regulating the manufacture of flour and meal food products, approved May 27th, 1897, requiring bakeries to have proper ventilation, good sanitary arrange- ments, and subjecting them to factory in- spection, has received universal approval, outside of Philadelphia, and the only ob- jection raised there is to Section 1, which prohibits Sunday work before 6 p. m. Thirty master bakers have been prosecuted for working their employes in violation of Section 1, and in almost every case an ap- peal was taken on the ground of interfer- ing with the right of contract. From the bitter opposition manifested to the law by the master bakers of Philadelphia, there is no doubt but what the question’ will be carried to the supreme’ court. Many of the bake shops are kept in good cpudition, but the 2,604 bakeries inspected since July 8th, resulted in the issuing of 4,882 orders, requiring ventilation and better sanitary arrangements, a majority of which have been complied with, all goes to demonstrate the absolute need of the law. Much credit is due to you and the members of the last General Assembly for the wholesome legis- lation enacted for the protection of the working people of the State. I desire to extend my thanks to the law department for the State for the prompt and able assistance they havé rendered this department in the past year. Remembering your instructions, on re- ceiving the appointment of factory inspec- tor, to enforce the law and allow no money to be extravagantly expended, I have en- deavored to keep the expenses down to the lowest minimum amount, consistent with the successful administration of this office. There was appropriated for the fiscal year, ending May 31st, 1897, $14,000, as a con- tingent fund for this department. From this fund is paid all the traveling expenses, hotel bills, car fare, postage, telegrams etec., of the inspector and 20 deputies. On the first day of June, 1897, I turned back into the state treasury over $4,500. The last General Assembly enlarged the scope of this department by making all the manufacturing establishments, factories, (Concluded on page 4.) Spawls from the Keystone. —James Forrester is in custody at Costello for passing counterfeit silver dollars and halves, —~Charles Fitzimmons was killed at Pitts- burg by the sides of an excavation falling in on him. —Ex-Congressman E. M. Womer is erit- ically ill at his home at Lebanon and may not recover. —The first national brewing company will shortly begin the erection of a 3 25,000 brew- ery at Pittsburg. —In a rear end collision on the Lebanon Valley railroad, near Palmyra, five freight cars were demolished. —The alderman and justices of the peace of Berks county have organized, with William F. Weber as president. —Governor Hastings reappointed Conrad B. Day, of Philadelphia, an inspector of the eastern penitentiary. —A surgeon saved the life of W. B. Donely, who shot himself at Luzerne on Monday be- cause of domestic trouble. —Bangor capitalists will hold a meeting this week to consider a project for erecting a silk mill to employ 400 operators. —John Leither Rankin formerly of Nova Scotia, was on Sunday installed pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran church at DuBois. —Sarah Moore, of Pittsburg, has been committed to prison on the charge of murder for fatally sheoting her husband. —If Laurence Coleson survives injuries re- ceived in an explosion in a mine at Mahonoy City he will be left totally blind. —The Miller organ company is running its factory at Lebanon 13 hours a day, with an increased force, to fill holiday orders. —John Mullin, aged 34, was killed and four were injured by the explosion of a boil- er at the Soho blast furnace Sunday. —Henry Fasnacht. tax collector of Union township, Lebanon county was kicked by a horse which he was driving and will die. —Mrs. Hastings, wife of the Governor, is recovering from a severe cold that confined her to her room at Harrisburg several days. —William Trout, an Indiantown Gap poultry thief, in whose possession 17 stolen turkeys were found, isin jail in Lancaster. —A stranger found unconscious on a road near Brownsville lived long enough to give his name and address as Leon Lennox, Bridgeport. —At Montgomery Monday morning W. C. Adams, a Susquehanna River ferryman, walked off the end of his flat in the darkness and was drowned. —The Shippensburg branch of the needle- work Guild, out of an ingathering of over 600 garments has made donations to several Philadelphia charities. —The management of the Womelsdorf or- phan’s home has appealed to the churches that maintain it for $7000 in contributions during the Christmas season. —Jerry Welsh was instantly killed and August Hohman was fatally injured by be- ing struck by a Pittsburg & Lake Erie rail- road train at Pittsburg Monday. —Observing a burglar in the yard adjoin- ing her residence on Sunday night, Mrs. George Witmer, of Lebanon, shot at him sev- eral times and frightened him off. —By means of a decoy letter postoffice in- spectors entrapped John C. Hutchinson, a let- ter carrier at Pittsburg since 1889, and have him in custody for robbing the mails. —A farmer’s institute at York Monday was addressed by Aera Agee, of Ohio; Pro- fessor George C. Butz, State College, and Dr. C. E. Goldsborough, Adams county, Pa. —Over 1,000,000 bushels of coal left Pitts- burg on Sunday, for Southern States, and it is expected that during the present rise over 50,000,000 bushels more will be shipped. —The two vagrants arrested in DuBois the other night for disorderly conduct were put to work on the street. Their duties consisted of cleaning the brick paving. Each man wore a pair of manacles attached to his ankles, a la southern style. They appeared to be good workmen and paid no attention to the curious people who found in them objects of interest. Burgess Knarr proposes to put all professional ‘bums’ caught in town through the same mill. —James English, of White Pine, met death on Thanksgiving day while attending a shooting match at Brookside school house, near his home in Lycoming county, The ac- cident occurred about 4 o’clock in the after- noon. James had arrived at the scene of the match only a short time before and was stand- ing behind an outbuilding. His cousin, Jacob English, was not far oft, having a Win- chester rifle in his possession. In some man- ner the weapon exploded. The ball carried away the top of James’ head and left the brain exposed. —A strange story has come to light through the Pennsylvania railroad excursion to Gettysburg, says the Jersey Shore Spirit. On the first of the recent excursions two Muncy veterans boarded the train at that place. They had not seen the field since the battle in 1863. On the last day the one hid his musket and the other his canteen under a ledge of rocks on the field, and they were going down to hunt for them. After a short search the rocks were found and under them to the intense surprise of the veterans were found the canteen and the barrel of the mus- ket, the stock having almost entirely rotted away. The prizes were secured and are now in possession of the owners in Muncy. —One of this season’s fortunate hunters is George Lipp, of Huntersville, Lycoming county. Friday, Mr. Lipp was hunting on the mountains near his home and was return- ing from the hunt with the usual small game that generally falls to hunters thereabouts. As Lipp was descending from the moun- tain there appeared before him a pure white spike buck. Lipp shot, but the deer, instead of falling, ran a considerable distance. Mr. Lipp was again preparing to shoot when the animal fell. An examination showed that the bullet had entered the front shoulder and pierced the heart. The deer weighed 108 pounds and was a yearling. Mr. Lepp feels justly proud of his game, as a white deer is a scarce article of game. The skin was taken to Williamsport and offered for sale.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers