«RR ee 8Y P. GRAY MEEK. errs ink Slings. —Have you contracted the habit of writing it 1906 yet. —ODELL'S days of bossism in New York appear to be numbered. —By the way has anyone beard that pame J. LEE PLUMMER mentioned since early last November ? ~The Bellefonte Republican is awake at last. It sees breakers ahead for the Repub- lican party in Pennsylvania. —Stocks are jumping now but the man who doesn’t have money to lose should be wise enough to let them alone. —Sonday will be Russia’s Christmas day, but our dear word ‘Merry’ can scarcely be used in connection with it. —A New York minister wants to know if the coming man will marry. And we rise to remark that he will scarcely get here if someone doesn’t. —The advent of 1906 loaded the water wagon to over-flowing and that is probably the reason that some of the good resolvers fell off so easily. —Bellefonte did not have a New Year's parade of Mummers, but it bad enough shooting to put the whole San Domingan army to rout. : —Just to keep some of the other fellows from getting it three of the recently ventil- ated insurance companies have decided to give Mr. Grover CLEVELAND $12,000 a year. ~The cruise of the good ship Lithia, that began so hopefully Monday ie already pearing an end. Desertions have been so frequent that there are scarcely enough men left aboard to man the pumps. —1It is estimated that JOHN JACOB As- TOR'S income is only $30,000.00 a day. Poorman. Possibly his friends could get him a job as president of one of those New York life insurance companies. — After heing assured that he was hon- estly elected Mayor MCCLELLAN, of New York, declared ‘“‘this is the last office I ex- peot to hold.”” From the sloseness of the contest he had the last one came very near being the last one. —A Chicago newspaper is fitting out an air-ahip in which WALTER WELLMAN, the explorer and writer, is to make a try for the North pole. We are glad nothicg more than WALTER and air is to be risked on the venture. —Now that that very onerous dusy of disbursing railroad passes has been lifted from the shoulders of our Legislators the fellows who didn’s get any will think about as much of our worthies as the fel- lows who did. ~The Bellefonte public school teach- ers are carefully carrying out the require- ments of the law in regard to vaccination. Every teacher and every one of the 713 pupils in attendance at the public schools has been vaccinated. ~It is quite probable that there will be enough lieutenants at home herealier to look after the political armies. Passes having been called off so many of them will henceforth not feel so frequently calied upon to travel. ~The spring election is scarcely six weeks off and very little talk of candidates has been beard up to this'time. The Re- publican bosses have decided to run Wai. B. RANKIN for treasurer and W. C. Cas. sipy for tax collector, so that much is settled. —Judge ENDLICH, of Berks county, bas just handed down an opinion in which he declares thatsuckersare not game fish. Of course this applies only te the piscatorial tribe because every one knows that the other kind of suckers are anything but ~— Things are never so bad that they couldn’t be worse. Even the political graft- ers whose business seems to have gone to pot since the last election may be able to find consolation in the fact that there are still some hen roosts in the country that are nob under lock and key. —@Governor PENXYPACKER bas jost ap- appointed editor W. A. KINSLOE, of the Lock Haven Express, to the position of as- eodiate judge of that county made vacant by the death of James W. BRIDGENS. The appointment is a meritorious cne and inasmuch as the appointee is an editor it is really a notorious one for PENN YPACK- ER to make. _ =—Dr. Harrington, of the Massachuseit’s board of health, says ‘‘the majority of the people are going pure-food crazy’’ and that is no joke. Just take a look at the break- fast food, vegetarian, two meals a day cranks and compare them with their grand. dads who ate sausage and pie for break- fast, back-hone and boiled cabbage for din- ner and any old thing that would swim in grease for supper and you will see what is becoming of long life and happiness. —Joax A. McCaLu, president of the New York life insurance company, on “Tuesday paid back to the company $235,- 000.00 of its funds that he bad wrongfully applied. Vast as the sum may appear it is probably a mere bagatelle in proportion to the moneys that have been filched from the policy holders of that company by similar processes during the years it bas been do- ing business. While the credit of the New York life bas never been questioned it is probable that had its affairs been hon- estly administered the value of every policy it has issued would be far in ad- vance of wlat it is today. Give Smoot =n amare Deal. We are in cordial sympathy with the movement of the women of America to bave REED SumooT, of Utah, excluded from the floor of the United States Senate. S»o00T is an Apostle of the Mormon church, | JO the doctrines of which are abhorrent to moral impulses and principles, and the fact that the women have prepared a memorial signed by a million mothers is moss encouraging. The constitutional rights of the individual muss be preserved, of course, in the matter, however. ‘‘Con- gress shall make no law respecting an es- tablishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,” is a mandate of the fundamental law of the land and Smoor can’t be expelled because of his religion, But plural marriages are prohibited alike by common law and the statutes of all the States and if Saoor is guilty either of bigamy or an accessory to that crime, he is ineligible to a seat in either branch of Congress and may be properly expelled from the Senate. Bot there is a good deal in the dootrine of a ‘square deal,’”’ and the people of this country have learned, not lately as some people imagine, but long ago that equality under the law, which is the basic principle of our government, requires that all men be treated alike. There are plenty of sin- pers and few Saints in this ‘‘vale of tears,” and one must be used precisely as the otlier in thisas well as other affairs. In other woids, if 8BMooT is not a polygamist, but has offended against the moral, the common and she statutory laws as an ao- oessory, a ‘square deal” will require that others equally guilty be just as severely punished. In other words, il Syoor is expelled from the Senate ROOSEVELT must be cast ous of the White House for he has done as much to piomote the practice of polygamy and enhance the influence of the Mormon church as Smoor. In facs it may be said that the President has done more than Samo07 could if he lived a thousand years and married a hundred wives. The Mormon church was in pretty hard lines when the late MARK HANNA took it under his wing in 1900. Is was having what might justly be a tough time, because its last in Con- gress bad been expelled from ‘the House and the lines were beimg drawn perilously tight around the hierarchy. But at the pychological moment the Republican Na- tional committee went into partnership with the Mormon church and guarantetd a seat in the Senate to a Mormon Apostle in exchange lor the electoral vote of the State of Utab for the Republican presidential ticket of which Mr. ROOSEVELT was the tail. It will be remembered that Roose- VELT not only approved of the bargain but ratified it by a personal visit to that sec- tion of the country. In 1904 the bargain was renewed, and so far as the Mormon church is concerned, was carried ous in both cases and consequently if SMo0T is expelled for aiding and abetting the Mormon church a ‘‘square deal’’ will require the same treat ment of TEPDY. Unique Legislative Session. The extra session 0 of the Legislatare which will begin work in Harrisburg next Tuesday week, will be a unique body. All or nearly all of the Senators and Repre- sentatives will pay their way to the State capitol and presumably they will sit every day, Sundays excepted, from the opening to the close of the session. The business of the body will be to correct the faults of those who compose it, for with the exception of a dozen or so to be elected next Taesday to fill vacancies, the mem- bership will he the same as that of last session. It may be said, therefore, that every act of the majority during the ses. sion will be a stultification. The session will cost the people of the State something like a bal! million dol- lars. It may be hoped that the reforms contemplated will be worth the money for the reapportionment of the State into leg- islative and cenatorial districts and the enactment of a personal registratien law for the cities will be of great value. But the time to have performed both these chvious duties was during the reguldr ses sion when the majority refused to ach though urgently requested to doso. The cost of the new session, therefore,may be re- garded as a fine on the people of the State for creating and maintaining the atrocious QUAY machine, now happily extinet. But the most important reforms will be left for a new Legislature to perform. That is to say, under the call of the Governor the extra session will not have authority to consider measures looking toward honest elections. Personal registration is a step in that direction for the recent slec- tion proved that in the absence of repeat- ers thereis no enormous Republican ma- jority in Philadelphia. It is a fact, how- ever, that honest primary and general eleo- tions can be secured uly hy legislation and such | must be deferred until after a new is chosen. Proba- it is as well thos, for the banditti which compose the present body wouldn't be Hely to give ns a very er sort. STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION. BELLEFONTE, PA., JAN. 5, 1906. Let Us Step Forward. By the Rev, F. E. Lauffer Ph. D. pastor of the Reformed church, at Aaronshurg. al hiough some miscarriage of the mail the bawiog contribution reached us too late for Jutyeat among the many valuable articles t proved such an interesting feature of the last issue of the Warcumax heoce we pablish it at this time——En] When we are nearing Christmas, when we shall see and hear more of the incarnate Christ, it is a splendid time to ‘‘tuke stock” that we may be better equipped for the winter's campaign in the service of the Master. We all desire to bave the New Year open with opportunities for greater usefulness and more eflicient service. If Christmas brings nothing more to us we can be sure that if it brings Christ vearer so us we will be stronger to walk with aod to work nobly with the greatest of all heroes. If we open our hearts and admit the Christ to dwell there and be central it will encourage us to foster new plans and methods tosolve the leading questions of the day. I believe, with the Hon. W. E. Glad- stone, who when he was solving the great questions of national interest and shaping the policies of a great Empire, when talk- ing of questions bis ringing utterance voie- ed the glistening truth. He said : “Talk about the questions of the time,—there is but one question—how to bring God's word into vital contact with the minds and hearts of all classes of the people.” The editor of The Christian World says: ‘‘How difficult it is to keep the needle of life's compass pointing toward the north star of that truth of truths!” The noblest life work is that of him who plans, and prays and pleads with the one great purpose of bringing the prodigal hack to bis father’s home. Thick of JENNY LIND sitting out on the sand of the seashore with the Bible in her haed and looking out on the glory before her. When asked why she left the stage at the height of her success she said: “When every day it made me think less of this’’ laying her fingers on the Bible, ‘‘and nothing at all of that,” pointing to the sun, “what else could I de?'’ Oh! may we be guickened to action and walk in the steps of the Master. Achievements of Last Year. Eutering upon a New Year with hopes high and confidence strong it is fit that we should cast a retrospective glance over the incidents of the year which has gone into history. It wasa year of vast prosperity and splendid activity. In commerce and manufactures this country bas advanced rapidly and sobstaviially during 1905. The crops have been abundant and it labor has not been compensated as liberally as wealth bas increased it is because faulsy systems have worked discriminations. In other words, in the midst of plenty the fruits of industry and intelligence have not been justly divided. In politics the year has marked a revola- tion the good effects of which will be en- during or not, according as the people adhere to the purposes asserted in the recent elections. In Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York and other States the spirit of re- form surged forward with oyclonic force and swe pt the atrocious machine that had been despoiling the public for years completely away. Bat such organizations don’t yield to the first adverse blow and unless the trinmph of right is supported by constant aod vigilant effort in the future there will be a relapse which will bring a worse con- dition than existed before. We look back upon the political achieve- ments of 1905 in this State with intense satisfaction. Since the election every agency of reform bas been sotively at work to improve the public service and the in- terests of the people will be necessarily promoted by that fact. Bat the improve- ment is not a willing service on the part of those participating in it and if the local elections next monih should indicate a relaxation of purpose the reform work will goon be dropped, for the machine managers still think there are years of good stealing in Pennsylvania yet. This expectation can and ought to be disappointed. The Difference. Up in Potter county the court and a jury of taxpayers have just convicted one of their connty commissioners for ‘‘neglect of duty and wasting the county funds,’ by the letting of an iron bridge 70 feet span and 16 feet roadway for the sum of $1,680. Down here the Republican voters, at the last election came within a few votes of re- electing to office two commissioners who bad paid $6,800 for s, bridge 35 feet span and 80 feet roadway. Evidently there is Siudidesiie difference of opinion hetween the taxpayers of Fotter county and the Republican voters in Centre as to what con- stitutes a carefoi administration of county affairs or what bridge building should cost, —Subsoribe for the WATCHMAN. The Right i Thing at Last. We are unable to subdue a thrill of pleas- ure at the announcement that the Isth- mian canal commissioners have determin- ed to employ a bunch of musicians and organize a brass hand. It is impossible to imagine why this featere of the enterprise was delayed so loug but on the principle that it’s better late than never the past neglect may be forgiven in the greater de- light which attends the tardy coming of an essential incident. It is true that the work may have been held baok for months, even for years, by the absence of the melody which not ouly soothes savage beasts but injects activity into lazy bones. But les the dead be dead, the future work cn the canal will be cheered and the completion of the enterprise expedited by the inspiring cadences of the trombones in rendering the musical masters. The art of canal building is progressive and while onr forefathers may have got on fairly well with no other accompaniment than the swish of the pick and the sound of the shovel, it is easy to see that in thie period of advanctd civilization something of a more wepiring and refining nature | in must be provided in order to keep things moviog. The caval construction of the past long antedated the musical develop: ment of the present age and we may easily helieve that a mouth organ skillfully operated in the shanty after the work of the day was completed amply satisfied the untuned ear of the simple-minded toilers of those days. But most of the dich dig- gers of the present time are gradnates of musical conservatories or schools of sym. phony and nothing less than brass bands will move them to action. Besides the main purpose of the I