Demarest
BY P. GRAY MEEK.
Ink Slings.
—Oh, the fishermen are many ’long old Spring
Creek
From their pockets comes the smell of bad,
bad rum,
Through their baskets speckled beauties are’nt
gleaming
For both fishermen and Spring Creek’s on the
bum.
—While Congress waits the Spanish
flotilla draws nearer to Cuba and thousands
of starving reconcentrados draw" nearer to
death.
—It is no crime to be wealthy, but you
will observe that political reformers are
seldom struck with the reform notion until
after they are well off in this world’s goods.
—*‘‘Dixie’” and ‘‘Marching Through
Georgia’ will make a combination of
martial tunes, for the United States army
in action against a foreign foe, so significant
that the whole world might listen and
learn.
—When AL DALE began his fight for
QUAY in Centre county you would have
been called a fool had you predicted that
in so short a time as two years the county
would be electing QUAY delegates, yet
that is about what it will do at the coming
convention.
—The regular Republican machine
would cheerfully put up the $100,000 neces-
sary to run Dr. SWALLOW’S campaign, for
after the fight for State Treasurer last fall
they will be convinced that there are thous-
ands of Democratic fools who will be crazy
enough to desert a good Democrat to vote
for a man who has no show of election.
—The Rev. Dr. SWALLOW announces
that he ‘‘will sacrifice his love of retirement
on the altar of his love of country, even if
it implies a chastened ambition to manage
for the right rather than be managed for
the wrong.”” The sentiment is very pretty
and reads fine, but that ‘‘love of retire-
ment’ is all in his eye.
—The Republican idea of reform is in-
deed a peculiar one. No matter who the
reformer may be, nor what he intends to
reform, if he is a Republican he is all right.
Now JoHN WANAMAKER is the original
corrupter of Presidential elections, yet he
is being exalted now as the honest man of
Pennsylvania politics simply because he is
telling on the other rascals, knowing full
well that they can’t get back at him because
the story of that $400,000 campaign fund
he raised to elect HARRISON is too stale for
use.
—We have never seen it claimed by
bibliographers nor by ancient historians that
they had milliners in the days of the Master,
but there must have been something to
justify all this running amuck of the true
intent of Easter Sunday. The day has
come to be more of a milliner’s show than
a service commemorating the ascension and
we are at a loss to know what view our
Presbyterian friends take of it. According
to their doctrine they have to accept this
millinery digression as part of the divine
order of things.
—The ‘Philadelphia Inquirer remarks
that ‘‘prosperity in Centre county is shown
by the transfer of $80,876 worth of real
estate and abundance of money among the
farmers.”” The Inquirer must have a cor-
ner on this prosperity information, for no
one up here knows anything about it. The
fact that the $80,876 worth of real estate
was probably worth $161,752 ten years ago
tells the story of Centre county prosperity
in an emphatically negative way and ‘‘the
abundance of money among the farmers”
is, like the moonlight on the banks of
Wabash, only to sing about.
—Utter destitution, caused by their
three month’s strike for higher wages,
have forced most of the New England cot-
ton mill hands back to work on their old
terms, thoroughly convinced that they had
been fooled by a certain ‘‘advance agent of
prosperity.”” They are poorer in their
pecuniary condition, but they have gained
something in experience which has taught
them that labor is sure to be the loser in a
contest with capital.
—The meanest thing they could call an
American down in Havana, before they all
left there on Sunday was ‘‘pig.”” Now we
confess that it isn’t very pleasant to have
the American people spoken of collectively
as ‘‘pig,”” but we must confess that there
are a few individuals among us at whom
we could right cheerfully join a Spanish
jeer of pig. We mean the fellows who are
always berating their home papers for not
boosting the town and saying nice things
about them and their business, but who
forget all about home interests, when the
time comes to buy their stationery and
they have a chance to save five cents on a
thousand of paper or envelopes by sending
out of town for them.
—Brother WANAMAKER is telling so
many scandalous things from the stump
about the complete rottenness of Republican
administration in this State that it ought
to cause a regular stampede from the ranks
of the corrupt old party. But unfortunate-
ly it won’t. The bulk of the membership
of the organization delights in wearing the
party collar. They don’t know how it
feels to own themselves, and don’t want to
experience the sense of freedom. Their
support will enable the boss to rule the
state convention and make the state ticket,
and the only chance of defeating it lies in
a union of all the elements that are op-
posed to a continuance of the base and de-
grading machine rule.
/
'86 230
Adl
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Lrvagy oj
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VOL. 43 $
Nearly Another Postponement.
McKINLEY’S message to Congress on the
Spanish difficulty came near being post-
poned again last Monday. Its appearance
on that date was promised without fail,
but at a cabinet meeting on Sunday Me-
KINLEY laid before it the information that
Spain had offered to proclaim an armistice
in Cuba, a circumstance which made it ad-
visable not to send in the message on Mon-
day, as promised, but to procrastinate a
little longer.
This proposition was actually agreed to
by the cabinet, and there would have been
another fooling of the public, if at this
juncture a delegation of Senators had not
called to see the President in regard to the
pending Spanish difficulty. They told him
that further delay in his communicating
with Congress was out of the question, and
that if the sending of the message was
again postponed it would be perfectly im-
possible to control that body. It was up-
on their insistence that another trespass up-
on the patience of Congress was not in-
flicted.
And what was the character of the com-
munication from Spain that caused Presi-
dent McKINLEY to again halt in his duty
of resenting Spanish injury and insult? It
was simply another piece of Spanish de-
ception in the promise of an armistice to be
proclaimed in Cuba, which could be of no
value or account unless agreed to by the
Cubans, who spurn all Spanish schemes and
will be satisfied with nothing but inde-
pendence.
McKINLEY, however, was willing to halt
the action of this government, and again
disappoint the anxious expectation of the
American people, on the flimsy basis of
such a Spanish offer.
A Man of Heroic Mould.
After sticking to his post with unflinch-
ing courage, and a determination to do his
duty whatever might be the danger of his
situation, Consul General LEE retired from
Havana, with his trust faithfully and hero-
ically discharged, a trust that required the
sagacity of a diplomatist and the courage
of a soldier.
No other servant of the American gov-
ernment, acting in a civil capacity, was
ever assigned so delicate and dangerous a
duty. To Consul General LEE was entrusted
the guardianship of American interests, in-
volving questions of both life and property,
at a point where they were threatened by
authorities and agencies scarcely more than
half civilized, and influenced by a fierce
hatred for the people and nation he repre-
sented. The task assigned him by his
government was to see that no wrong was
done to American citizenship in Cuba, and
to safe-gnard the life and property of Ameri-
cans by his interposition with local authori-
ties whose hostility towards our government
and people was undisguised and was with
difficulty restrained.
No man with less courage, tact and cool
determination than was displayed by Gen.
LEE in dealing with crafty and bloodthirsty
Spaniards, could have served his govern-
ment so efficiently in a position so difficult
and dangerous. Even after Spanish
savagery and treachery, which his tact and
courage so long restrained, culminated in
the unprecedented crime in Havana harbor,
he remained calmly and heroically at his
post, attending to every detail of the situa-
tion that required faithful and unflinching
supervision and direction, until he had
provided for the safety of every American
in Havana, and was the last to leave the
scene where he had. shirked no duty and
quailed before no danger.
The best days of our republic could not
furnish men of more heroic mould than
General Fitz Hugh LEE.
A Meeting of the County Committee.
County chairman HuGH S. TAYLOR has
called a meeting of the Democratic county
committee to be held in this place on Mon-
day evening, April 25th, for the purpose of
having a general discussion of a plan of
campaign for this fall, as well as to take
some action on the division of the delegates
from Walker township in conformity with
the recent division of that township into
precincts.
The time selected by .chairman ‘TAYLOR
might seem to some as a little early, but
aside from the fact that no time is too early
to begin good work it is particularly op-
portune because of its being court week
and only six weeks ahead of the county
convention, on June 14th. The meeting
should be attended by a representative
from every precinct in the county. The
Democracy of Centre county has fooled
long enough, in fact too long, for in truth
it is just wakening up to the realization
that hustle and not the ‘‘oh, everything's
all right” policy is what is needed.
We have two assemblymen, a prothono-
tary and a district attorney to elect in the
county this fall and we want to elect them,
besides doing our share towards the re-
demption of the congressional and sena-
torial districts. Conditionsare particularly
favorable for the Democracy, but no matter
how much good fortune may come the way
of the purty it won’t win if it don’t work.
Let there be a full representation at the
meeting on the 25th. A battle well begun
is more than half won.
STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION.
Raising Money for War Purposes.
War expenses will necessitate an increase
of revenue, and measures with that object
in view are heing proposed. There are a
number of ways in which the government
may secure an increase of funds, some of
which are decidedly objectionable. The
proposition to raise more revenue hy in-
creasing the tariff duties, or enlarging the |
number of dutiable commodities, would be
extremely unpoplar, as the people are al-
ready sufficiently burdened by that kind
of taxation. It is a burden that bears
most heavily on the common people, the
wealthy being comparatively exempt from
its exactions.
The least objectionable and burdensome
way of raising revenue for war purposes,
or any other government use, is by taxing
things that can least stand it. The food,
raiment and general necessaries of the
people are not among the things that can
best stand taxation, although Republican
tariff-makers have made them the princi-
pal source of revenue. More should be
raised from internal taxes, which it has been
Republican policy to greatly reduce or
to abolish entirely. Beer, whiskey and
tobacco could bear an increased tax better
than the clothing of the working man, and
would furnish a large increase of revenue
without anybody being oppressed.
There are taxes which effect the wealthy
that should he again revived upon such
subjects as property transfers, contracts,
bank checks, promisory notes, and like in-
struments employed in financial transac-
tions. But the tax by which the revenue
could be most justly raised for government
purposes is an income tax, from which
wealth has succeeded in being exempted
by influence it was able to exert upon the
highest judiciary. Justice will not be
done in the exercise of the taxing power
until the constitution is so amended as
to render the income tax unquestionably
valid in point of constitutionality.
Taxation could be so adjusted as to raise
sufficient revenue for war purposes, with-
out a sale of bonds, but if the government
should be compelled to resort to that
method of raising money there should be
no such favoritism shown as would repeat
the enormous profits made by the MORGAN
syndicate in recent bond sales. The peo-
ple should have the opportunity of becom-
ing the creditors of their government by
popularizing the loans which it may he
necessary to make for war purposes.
The Logic of Wanamaker’s Movement.
WANAMAKER opened his gubernatorial
campaign with speeches in Lancaster coun-
ty, which did not produce the gratifying
results he expected, as he was thoroughly
beaten at the primaries that immediately
followed. Evidently the Lancaster county
Republicans had no confidence in his prom-
ised reform, or preferred to continue
QUAY'’S corrupt management. It is proba-
ble that they didn’t believe that ‘‘hon-
est JOHN’ would be any improvement on
the dishonest boss.
But notwithstanding the Lancaster coun-
ty backset the ‘‘reform’’ candidate for
Governor continues his stump speaking
with the object of showing the Republicans
what rascally administrations their party
has been giving the State. He told them
in a speech at Conshochocken, last Saturday,
how public money has been squandered,
how rascals in high places have been pro-
tected from prosecution and punishment,
how the elective franchise has been de-
bauched under machine rule, and various
other public iniquities attributable to
QUAY’S one man power.
In communicating these things to his
hearers WANAMAKER tells them nothing
that is new. Every citizen of the State
is well aware of the corruptions of its gov-
ernment. Under these circumstances what
will be WANAMAKER’S logical duty as a
reformer if he shall fail to make the nomi-
nation for Governor? He would be duty
bound, not only to oppose the nominee of
this corrupt boss, but to take an active
part in his defeat, and advise all other
honest Republicans to do the same.
If it is merely his intention to run for
the party nomination, and, if defeated, to
fall in and help to elect the regular party
ticket, his posing on the stump as a censor
of machine abuses is but a sham, and the
role of reformer which he assumes to play
will stamp him as an impostor. The truth
of what he is telling about the iniquities of
machine rule will hold him to the duty of
opposing a machine state ticket, which
there is every probability of being nomi-
nated by the state convention. WANA-
MAKER can’t decently escape this logical
consequence of his movement alleged to be
for reform.
——The only man thus far whose heroism
in the pending Spanish difficulty has won
the applause of the people is an old ex-
confederate. But FITZHUGH LEE is hon-
ored in both the North and the South, and
his courageous example will have imitators
in both sections of our common country.
———Subscribe for the WATCHMAN.
BELLEFONTE, PA., APRIL 15. 1898,
Wanamaker’s Ineffectual Reform.
JOHN WANAMAKER is conducting his
campaign for the Governorship on the
proposition that the state government un-
der the management of the QUAY machine
is corrupt in every respect and injurious to
public interests. The speeches he is mak-
ing from the stump are a correct arraign-
ment of a dishonest gang of politicians
whose official practices have no other object
than private plunder, and whose govern-
ment of the State have resulted in the de-
basement of its politics, the prostitution of
its legislative bodies, the squandering of
its revenues, and the increase of the tax
burden upon the shoulders of its people.
Mr. WANAMAKER goes into details in
telling his audiences how this disgraceful
state of affairs has been brought ahout.
He gives the full particulars. He omits no
item in his statement of legislative profli-
gacies and administrative misdemeanors.
The whole rotten thing he duly ascribes to
the machine rule by which the State is
governed. But does he array any facts be-
fore the public view that had not been
previously disclosed ? Has he told the
people anything in regard to the prevailing
corruptions that they did not already
know? The WATCHMAN had expatiated
upon these evils and abuses in the state
government long before Mr. JoHN WANA-
MAKER found it to be his interest to in-
veigh against them from the stump, and,
in fact, when he was cheek by jowl politic-
ally with the corrupt characters whom he
now denounces. There was a not Demo-
cratic journal or speaker in the State that
did not anticipate JOHN WANAMAKER in
ascribing to its true cause the debased
condition of Pennsylvania’s state govern-
ment.
What remedy does he propose for this
political and governmental degradation ?
Can it be corrected by taking the state ad-
ministration from the control of one ‘set of
Republican politicians and giving it to an-
other. The common sense of the people
should be able to see that this would not
make any practical difference. The evil
is a radical one. It has its existence in
the organic demoralization of Pennsylvania
Republicanism. Better state government
cannot be secured until that party is put
completely out of power in the State, and
kept out indefinitely. Action on the part
of the people that will effect this object is
the action best adapted to the present situ-
ation. Can it be effected by independent
movement that will divide the forces
operating against the strongly organized
machine, or by a co-operation of all the re-
form elements with the Democratic organ-
ization which has in the past sufficiently
proven its disposition and ability to give
the State good government ?
A Mistaken Reformer.
Doctor SWALLOW is no doubt sincere in
his hostility to the state corruptionists,
and earnestly desires to see their dishonest
rule brought to an end, but it is question-
able whether he is pursuing the right
course to effect that end. Last year the
prominence he gained by his attack on the
ringsters, and the prosecutions they
brought against him in the courts, gave
him a popular standing that put him for-
ward as a candidate for a state office. The
vote that was given him was phenomenally
large, but it was absolutely wasted ammuni-
tion as far as state reform was concerned.
It served to show the personal popularity
he had gained by his attack on the rotten
gang that run the state machine, but in re-
moving those corrupt men from power it
did not produce the least effect. If really
did the cause of reform harm in that it di-
vided the vote which should have been
united for the overthrow of the machine.
Doctor SwALLOW’S candidacy last year
was a miss-shot if it was aimed against the
corrupt machine which he proposed to an-
tagonize. His candidacy for Governor this
year, if state reform is to be the object,
will be a greater mistake than was his
candidacy for a minor state office last year.
If he should succeed in drawing as large
a vote for Governor, it would be more
through his instrumentality that reform in
the state government would be defeated,
and the machine enabled to remain in
power than through any other agency.
It is beginning to look as if there is more
self-seeking in Doctor SWALLOW’S guber-
natorial ambition than real interest in
the welfare of the State. He is displaying
too ready a willingness to enter the politi-
cal arena, evincing more the spirit of the
politician than the reformer. If reform is
really what is needed, it should occur to
Doctor SWALLOW that there is less chance
of securing it with a divided than with a
united force fighting the party that is re-
sponsible for corrupt state government.
-—England’s love for the United States
is being emphatically displayed every day.
England has her weather eye on the spot
where the rich girls are found who are
ready to buy the impoverished titles she
has to sell with a man hanging onto them.
——Subscribe for the WATCHMAN.
Why McKinley Truckles to Spain.
WILLIAM McKINLEY, as President of
the United States, has shown but a scant
amount of zeal in defending his country
against Spanish injury and insult.
There have been dodging and shuffling,
backing and filling, evasions and subter-
fuges in the entire course of his action in
dealing with the insolent and treacher-
ous Spaniards. Plutocratic considerations
have been dead weights upon his patriot-
ism. Such foul agents of national dishonor
in the interest of pelf as the HANNAS,
ELKINSES, and the syndicate of contribu-
tors to his election fund, have held him
back lest his action, that would represent
the patriotic feelings of the people, and ex-
press the sentiments of the nation, might
be injurious to wealth.
This is the reason why McKINLEY has
been a skulker during the entire course of
the pending difficulty with Spain. He has
surpassed GROVER CLEVELAND in serving
Spanish interests. He continued in that
base service long after it bad become a na-
tional disgrace. His truckling subser-
vience has been responsible for a large
share of the atrocities committed by the
Spaniards on the Cuban people. A less
cowardly posture on his part would have
diminished the inhumanities practiced up-
on the reconcentrados. A firmer and more
determined line of action would have pre-
vented the conditions that required the
presence of the Maine at Havana and re-
sulted in her destruction and the murder
of hundreds of our sailors. With a less
weak and cowardly character in the Presi-
dency none of these enormities conld have
occurred. His disgrace culminated in his
treatment of the Maine horror. American
feeling was outraged by the wording of his
message which classed that unparalleled
crime as a matter that could be entrusted
to Spanish honor and justice for rectifica-
tion.
The weeks that have passed since the
Havana horror have been taken up with ex-
hibitions of his weakness and vacillation.
The measures he has proposed have been
intended solely for delay. With this object
Congress was asked to suspend its action.
One delay has followed another, 1 the dis-
appointment of Congress and the disgust of
the people, until the long promised and
frequently postponed message was handed
in last Monday, mn which McKINLEY asks
to be invested with power, not to drive
the Spaniards out of Cuba, but to put an
end to the Cuban patriots struggle for their
freedom. This would be virtually the ef-
fect of giving him the right of interven-
tion without recognition of Cuban inde-
pendence. z
Such a proposition could be intended for
no other purpose than to cause confusion
and more delay. Itis designed to spring
an issue over which there may be conten-
tion and division in Congress. The money
interests which would sooner have the
country disgraced than to risk having their
accumulations interfered with by the dis-
turbance of war, seem determined to use the
man whom they have put in the presiden-
tial office as the agent in forcing a dishon-
orable peace upon this nation.
S—r—————
For National Honor Alone.
If McKINLEY should carry out the pro-
gramme of national disgrace which his plu-
tocratic owners are putting him up to, it
would create such a feeling of indignation
among patriotic American citizens that his
party would be visited by overwhelming
defeat at the next election. . There would
be scarely a corporal’s guard of Republi-
cans returned to Congress. Though this
would be to the practical advantage of the
Democrats, they want to reap no party gain
from their country’s dishonor.
It is on account of the patriotism that
has always distinguished the old historic
party that its members, in Congress and
out, stand as a solid phalanx in support of
every measure that may be required to
chastise the treacherous enemy who have
dishonored our country’s flag and mur-
dered its defenders by blowing up one of
the ships of its navy. .
The Democrats in Congress, if they have
enough patriotic Republicans to back them,
will not allow McKINLEY to disgrace the
nation in this matter.
——A thirty page souvenir number of
the Connellsville Courier has just been issued
in magazine form and bears the mark of
superiority that characterizes that journal.
It has special reference to the past, present
and future of the Connellsville coke region
and was compiled by R. T. McMANIGAL,
who will be remembered as the editor of
an industrial edition of the Keystone Ga-
zette; published several years ago. The
souvenir will prove particularly valuable to
the people of the coke regions, where the
Courier is recognized as the trade journal.
It is an attractive form and so substantially
bound in an illumined cover that it should
be a very handy reference book.
—To-day the Cuban war liar is along the
banks of a trout stream making ground for
| fabrication after the war is settled.
Spawls from the Keystone.
—A new silk millis to be built at Hazleton.
—Thieves are operating in the suburbs of
Lancaster.
—South Scranton has organized a bache-
lors’ club.
—Scranton will spend $90,000 on new mu-
nicipal buildings.
—Bristol storekeepers sold 2000 Easter eggs
on Saturday last.
—Bautler citizens have voted in favor of Si-
mon Frankel for postmaster.
—Reading’s new public library will be
ready for occupancy on May 1st.
—Five hundred boilermakers at Erie on
Saturday struck for an advance.
—M. P. Quinn has declined the appoint-
ment of county commissioner of Montgomery
county.
—MTr. and Mrs. James I Blakslee celebrated
their 60th wedding anniversary at Mauch
Chunk Sunday. .
—James H. Edwards, secretary of the
Reading Y. M. C. A,, is one of the Red Cross
representatives in Cuba.
—John Monar, a Slavish miner, was in-
stantly killed yesterday in the Cambria mill
mine at Johnstown.
—Two miners at Ridgway, Elk county,
James and Joseph Goodyear, were killed by
the falling of rock in a mine.
—D. P. Guise, the well known Williams-
port contractor has failed, and his property
has been seized by the sheriff.
—The Neversink mountain railroad, near
Reading, has undergone extensive repairs,
and is ready to accommodate summer travel.
—Mrs. Mary Zolander, while walking on
the tracks of the Delaware, Lackawanna &
Western railroad, at Wilkesbarre, was killed.
—Sergeant Kline, of the Wilkesbarre po-
lice force, is organizing a regiment for war.
The Hiberian rifles have also tendered their
services.
—The Mack Wood working company, at
Weatherly has started a force of 60 men
working 12} hours a day to fill the large or-
ders on hand.
—Two and three-quarter days per week is
the working time among the Reading collier-
ies for April, but no orders have been re-
ceived for May.
—The saloon of Peter M. Dago, at Exeter,
Luzerne county, was blown up on Saturday
night by dynamite, and the occupants nar-
rowly escaped death. o
—The fifth annual session of the Chester
teachers’ institute convened in the Chester
grammar school Monday, and will continue
in session until to-day.
Samuel Swartz, the Jersey Shore young
man who was seriously injured several days
ago by jumping off a freight train at Wil-
liamsport, died in the hospital in that city
Sunday night.
—At Scranton a defendant in a civil suit,
who was charged with damaging trees, resur-
rected a law of 1725 which provides freedom
from arrest to any person who holds property
to the amount of $250, or £50.
—While Lewis Keating, a Hungarian, was
unloading coal on the Goodyear railroad at
Galeton, Saturday, he was run over by three
cars. His skull was crushed. He was 33
yearsold. His wife and two children sur-
vive.
—John Nicely, known as “Saw Mill
John,” Ligonier township. Westmoreland
county, has three cows that gave birth to
nine calves within a year. Eleven months
ago they each gave birth to a calf, and last
week they each had twins.
—Lewistown council has passed a curfew
ordinance, in which the penalty for violation
is fixed at $5. The parent allowing or per-
mitting children under 16 years of age to
roam the streets after the hours named in the
ordinance are subject to just twice the fine—
$10.
—At Jersey Shore Friday last Mrs. Geo.
Bridge, wife of a Beech Creek brakeman,
heard her six months old child coughing as
though it was choking. She ran upto the
room and found the child apparently sleep-
ing. She picked it up and was horrified to
find it dead.
—At the request of the commissioners of
Blair county, a number of counties through-
out the state have agreed to proportionately
contribute to the expense of testing the alien
tax law at the court of last resort, and the
test case of Juniata limestone company vs.
Blair country will be passed upon by that
tribunal at an early date.
—The report of the department of agricul-
ture for April 1st makes the average condi-
tion of winter wheat 85 against 81.4 last
April and 77.1 on April 1st, 1896. The lead-
ing winter wheat states report averages as
follows : Pennsylvania, 92; Ohio, 80; Mich-
igan, 92; Indiana, 87; Illinois, 75; Missouri,
81; Kansas, 101; California, 62.
Sherman Dunn, a colored man who was
until recently porter at the Arlington hotel,
Tyrone, was taken to the Altoona hospital
from Tyroue last night suffering from a gun
shot wound ofthe left hand. He was fooling
with a pistol some days ago and accidentally
shot himself. Lacke of care caused the
wound to become infected, and as a result he
is now a raving maniac from the injury.
—The 26th inst. is the date fixed for the
execution of the two murderers, Rockwell
and Banza, at Ridgway, Elk county. Attor-
ney E. J. Wimmer, the Star says, is hopeful
that the hanging will not take place and as
the attorney for the condemned men expects
to go to Harrisburg this week to urge Gov-
ernor Hastings to grant a reprieve in the
Rockwell case. If he is successful, he will
also go before the Board of Pardons and ask
that Rockwell's sentence be commuted to
imprisonment for life. :
—The coustables throughout the State are
receiving a circular from the state commis-
sioners of forestry, calling their attention to
two acts passed by the last Legislature, mak-
ing constables ex-officio fire wardens. They
must report to court the first week of quarter
sessions © of any forest or timber land
fires. If they extinguish any fires they will
be compensated at fifteen cents per hour, and
assistants will receive twelve cents an hour.
Any person who is-called upon to act as an
assistant must either serve or undergo a fine
and imprisonment. No county is to pay
more than $500 in one year for such work.
One-half of the amount for such work is to
be paid by the county and the other half by
the State.