BY P. GRAY MEEK. funk Slisgs. —Storm clouds continue to hang over Bellefoute's council chamber. —The bituminous miners are again to profit by the troubles of the anthracite workers. —Will the Pike at the next great expo- sition we have sabstitute its ‘Great Johns- town Flood for the recent Johnstown fire? — ALICE and NICK certainly are on the toboggan to obscurity. They are good for ouly two or three inches in the great dailies these times. —The water will likely be cold and high on the 15th. All the more reason why your bottle of *‘bait” should hea little longer than usual. —The Pittsburg Dispatch, a Republican paper, refers to tbe Philippines as ‘‘our white elepbant.’’ Sarely the Dispatch is an audaciously independent paper. —It you didn’t bave the spring fever Monday and Tuesday you must be a chronic loafer and immune to the enervat- ing effects of the first really spring days. —The Hague Peace Congress is to meet this summer. Strange it didn’t bave a single session while war was wasting and gearing at the vitale of both Russia and Japan. —The Delaware Judge who bas just handed down a decision sayivg that it is not a crime to steal coal must have been running a railroad at some time daring a coal strike. —1f the striking miners become obstrep- erous— and we hope they wont—— the public will bave an opportunity of finding out what the new state constabulary is be- ing paid for. —Some people move to save paying rent, some move in order to get new wall-paper, gome move because they like it. But why the latter class no one but themselves will ever he able to figure out. —The Bellefonte Methodists have a new preacher, thank you! Not that they didn't love the old one, but fate decreed that they should not be clear out of all the hab-bub that is being raised about new ones. —The Russian elections, the first they bave ever enjoyed, passed off quietly. The man with the bar'l hasn't had time to get into Russian politics yet, but he'll be there ere long leaving bis trail of corruption be- hind biw. —The Republicans will control both branches of Pittsburg’s newly organized council, but then it is bard to tell what the word Republican really means when applied to the kind of politics they have in the Smoky city. —The News startles us with information that council has reduced the horough bonded debt from $118.00 to $110.00. Verily this is cutting it down some, but w hat became of the balance of $109,890 of bouds we thonght we had to pay. —It long has been a popular epigram that *‘nothing is sure but death and taxes.” Judging, however, from the amount of the latter that remain unpaid in this town there must he a great many people who have their doubts about taxes being sare at all. ’ —InpA GRACE MACOMBER, a patiert in the Norfolk insane asylum, has been con- dooting ench a flourishing and profitable matrimonial agency there the U. 8. postal authorities have had to inter- fereand stop ber business. _.n insane asylum is no place for such a woman. She shonld he on Wall street. —Gen. BLaxco, who succeeded ‘‘Butch- er” WEYLER as Governor General of Cuba, js dend. He wasn’t such a bad old Span- jard after all, and he was immensely amusing in his reports to his home govern- ment of how completely he was putting “'ghe bug on’’ the American troops that were taking his island right ont from un- der his very nose. —It is no wonder the Russian navy was licked. On Tuesday one of their torpedo boats struck a reef and was about to sink. At that time a snow squall broke and the cowardly sailors ashore were alraid to put out to the rescue of their comrades. They all drowned, of conree. But they weuldn’s bad Capt. CAsTRO of the Atlantic City fishing fleet been there. —It took three Pallmans and a diver to carry Governor PENNYPACKER aod his paper soldier staff South, while the old boys who survived the awful carnage of Vixbarg bad to ride in ‘‘straight-backs’’ and eat ous of lanch pokes. The Governor never mingled with the Vets, nor did he appear at stations where crowds bad as- sembled to greet and cheer them and now the papers are saying heacted as if asbam- ed of them. However that may bave been it is probably much nearer the truth to say that he was ashamed of himself. —Joux ALEXANDER DOWIE, the false prophet of Zion, bas at last been dethroned and stripped of every vestige of power be held in the city he has spent twenty years io building. All manner of stories are be- ing told about his gros: immorality and trandulent business methods so that noth. ing is left to those who contributed to his fanatical scheme but the gall of disap- pointment and regret. He has been for- bidden to again enter Zion City and even his wife and con have turned against bim. What an old rascal “Elijah IT" must have been, but what a cute rascal not to have been found out before. Senator Knox Disappoints. Senator KXOX made an able speech on the rate question the other day, but it wae disappointing. That is to say, he failed to refute Senator BAILEY'S assertion that the lower federal courts are creatures of Con- gress and amenable to restraint by Cov- gress, and that is what he set out to achieve. Senator BAILEY based his con- tention that an act of Congress forbidding the lower courts from exercising the pow- er of injunction against a rate deal by the Inter-state Commerce Commission would be constitutional. The railroad lawyers in the Senate denied thie proposition, and one after another undertook to prove the point, FoRAKER failed absolutely, SPOONER practically admitted the accuracy of Bar LEY'S view and KxoX didn’t even refer to the matter. It may as well be cdmitted that a rate bill which allows the inferior courts to suspend the rate by injunction is of no earthly use. Everybody knows that every rate made by the Commission will be held up indefinitely by the courts and complete’ ly nullified. Once suspended in that way the slow processes of the law will drag along until patience is exhausted. There ia a case now pending in the United States District court for the Eastern district of this State, which was begun seventeen years ago and is likely to ron for some time yet, because of failure to get service on JoHN D. ROCKERFELLER to testily. In the face of such facts what help could a rate bill be to a citizen who is suffering from ill-treatment by the railroads. Besides, the railroad lawyers in the Sen- ate have practically admitted Senator BAI- LEY'S proposition. That is to say, they bave expressed a willingness to put some restraints on the courts or at least puta limit on the time within which au injanc- tion may hold. Now, if Congress has pow- er to do thatit certainly has power to do that for which Senator BAILEY contends. In other words, the power to regulate courts is either absolute orit doesn’t ex- ist at all. II, as SPOONER and KNOX al-- lege, the courts are created by the consti. tation and comprise a co-ordinate branch of the government equal in power with Congress, then Tolfitfess can't Tegulate it at all. Bat if it can regulate in part it can altogether. Call the Convention Early. Taat the consensus of Democratic opin- jon favors an early Staté convention this year admits of no doubt. It is expressed in most of the newspapers of the party faith and endorsed by the party leaders with practical unanimity. The reasons for this public sentiment are obvious, moreover The Democrats stand now and bave stood for years for the reforms that are so gever- ally demanded by the people and it is not only eminently fis, but entirely expedient that the convention of our party should take the lead in declaring for them. It will be supported by a record of contention for years. . In 1895, when the late Senator QUAY discerned signs of a political revolution against the iniguities of the machine he compelled his State convention to make a false pretense of ballot and other reforms and completely fooled the people. When the Democrats, a few weeks later, declared for civic improvement aud condemned po- litical immorality the anewer was that the Republicans bad “turned over a new leaf” and baving promised the reforms were en- titled to an opportunity to fulfill the pledges. The machine hopes to turn the same trick this year. It will promise everything that is desirable in the expecta- tion of deceiving the people again with ‘‘a promise to the ear to be broken to the hope.” The people of Pennsylvania demand im. proved civic conditions. They have endur- ed the evils of political piracy as long as possible. They are determined to look to the Democraiio party for the reforms and our party should be ready to weet the ex- pectation. The surest and heat way of achieving this result is to hold our State convention in advance of that of the Re- publicans and make our declarations with euch directness and vigor as to command not only attention but confidence. With such a platform and a ticket worthy the party there can be no doubt of the result. The experience of last year will be repeat- ed. —~—At a meeting of the Bellefonte school board Monday evening Hard P. Harris was elected a director to serve uniil the next regular epring election in place of Thad. Longwell, who resigned when he moved to West Virginia. There was a little contest for the place but as the vacancy was caused by the resignation of a Republican the board evidently believed it but right to elect a Republican as his successor. Mr. Harris served three years as sohool director and will be just as le a man now as be was during bis regular term of office. ee ——The Centre connty wheat fields are said to be looking much better since the snow has gone than they did before it fell. STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION. Absurd Extravagance, Io the matter of the 19,000-ton battle- ship Congress has touched the limit of ab- surdity. There is no more use for such a monster than there is for two tails on a pet dog. We have no war on hands and none in prospect. There is no possibility of any pation on the face of the earth making war on the United States. This country bas come tobe the granary of the world. It supplies the food deficit of all nations of the world. It would be as reasonable to talk about a war between a mother and the helpless babe feeding at ber breast. A declaration of war against this country would bring any other to the verge of starvation. No people can endure without our food. The 19,000-ton battleship is therefore an expression of senseless braggadocia. It is the Jor CANNoONization of Congress. Eng- land built a 17,000-ton battleship and the CANNONS in Congress and throughout the country interpreted it as a challenge to “‘do as well or better.”” On rational minds the incident would have had no influence. They would have known better. There is a story of two envious children who were trying to ‘‘put up a front.” One said, “‘our house has a portico on it.” ‘‘That’s vothing,”’ replied the other, ‘‘our house bas a mortgage on it,”’ and neither koow- ing the meaning of the words, both felt tri- umpbant, and with quite as much reason as we have to feel elated over the 19,000- ton battleship. We have no reason for such fighting wa- chines. We have no reason for any war ships other than such as are necessary for the yachtiug purposes of the President and the Secretary of the navy. We would be as little in danger of war if our floating armament were reduced to a ball dozen pleasure boats. It may be different with Europe and powers who are not dependent but are envious of each other. Prepared- ness for war may be in these cases wise pre- cautions. But as far as we are concerned, big armies and vast navies are only useful to consume revenues and keep the people poor by onerous tax burdens. Poverty subdues men when all other things fail. An Object Lesson. Japan bas just emerged from a suoccess- ful war with a signal victory. Recent ex- perience reveals no more signal trinmph. From beginning to end of the operations she never lost a battle or even sustained a serious delay or reverse. In the nature of things the Japs ought to be a happy and prosperous people. Bat they ate far from that. According to published statements there are a round million of people in that victorious country who are starving. While the war was in progress the force necessary to cultivate the soil and produce harvests were withdrawn from that field of labor in order to maintain the ranks of the army. They were making history and winning glory for the Emperor and the na- tion. Bat they were achieving these re- sults at vast expense. The neglect of the farms and the incidental failure of the crops are now bearing fruit in the million starv- ing stomachs and the wretchedness such things entail. : In this experience of Japan there is a lesson which the people of this country ought to study with great care. We are drifting toward the militarism which leads to misery and want. We are spending with a profligate hand in building up ar- roy and navy and the chances are that in striving to equal the military prowess of Europe, we will forleit the opportunity to exceed all other countries in productive- nessand in the arts of peace. The experience of Japan should serve as an admonition. ——Bellefonters whe usually migrate Atlantic City-wards during the summer season will be interested in learning thas Mrs. J. D. Hall has moved from the Hall. woode, to the hotel Pitney, on New York avenue, near the beach. The Pitney ie delightfally located, is fitted up with all modern conveniences and bas a capacity of two hundred guests. The change is a most desirable one in every way and Mrs. Hall is to be congratulated on this evidence of her success and prosperity as a summer resort hotel proprietress. —~—The railroads avd express companies are already beginning to reap a harvest from the traffic of beer kegs to and from Bellefonte. Since we bave no wholesale license or no brewery agency, every Tom Dick or Harty, whether of age or not, tele- phones to a brewery and gets a keg of beer. Last Saturday there were filty-two kegs ordered hy telephone at one time, that we koow of. —What GERTRUDE ATHERTON lefts nn- said abouts New York society must certain. ly be things unfit to print. In her article in the April Cosmopolitan she quotes authors from the inside to prove her statement that what is known as ‘‘society’’ in New York isa body of people so arrogant, ignorant, brutally selfish, immoral that really de- cent persons couldn't tolerate. BELLEFONTE, PA. | was possible, he has yielded to the railroad "APRIL 6, 1906. The Granger's platform to which we re- ferred last week is not far removed from good Democratic dootrine and might well be adopted in whole orin part by the Democratic state convention. The enforcement of the constitution has always been a Democratic tenet. Strict construction of the fundamental law as against a too careless interpretation was among the early differences between the parties and the Democrats held to the literal observance. Therefor the euforce- ment of the seventeenth article of the con- stitution ‘by appropriate legislation’ isa Democratic policy older than Grange. The other propositions expressed in the Grange platform are developments of the new economic and civie conditions, but have been from the first accepted as Demo- cratic policies. The proposition to authorize trolley rail roads to carry freight, for example, has been urged on the Legislature by Democrats for the last ten years. ‘‘Farmer’’ CREASY, of Columbia county, has been the champion of this policy from the start and during the last two regular and the special session he bad the uvanimons support of his party associates on the floor in his contention. The failure to adopt that proposition by the Democratic convention would, therefor, be a step backward and a sort of recreancy. Upon the question of a just division of the rescurces between the State and county governments there can be no doubt of the attitude. Vast treasury balances have al- ways been abhorrent to the Democratic mind as 1 erdless tax burdens have been reprobat.d. Ever since the policy of piling up big su.plusses in the Stat: Treasury has Leen hi. pulioy of the Repuhlican party Demoerzt«. 1 and ont of the legislature, have been protesting and there ix no reason why the piotests should not be officially and emplatioally declared in the Demo- cratic plattorm this year. Roosevelt Backs Down. The President has failed again at the cracial moment. That is to say, just at the time that a rate bill, that might have groven effective and beneficent, lawyers of the Senate and given his con- sent to a provision which will nullify the measure, In other words, he has agreed to the proposition of Senator KNOX, of Pennsylvania, to amend the measure by incorporating a court review provision with the unlimited right of injunction and the bolding up of the rate bill until the court has passed upon its merits. Of course this will make any rate adopted by the Interstate Commerce Commission an absurdity. Io other words, no such rate will ever become effective unless it has the approval of the railroad managers concerned in advance, and no rate which is for the benefit of the shipper will ever have such approval. It may be set down as a cer- tainty, therefor, that the railroads will ap- peal from every rate made by the Commie- sion and the courts will hoid the question under consideration until the patience or; purse of the shipper is exhausted and he gives up in despair. The reason which iufluenced the Presi- dent to this abject surrender to the rail roads is that he has been led to believe that in the event of the passage of an effi- cient rate bill the credit of the achievement would go largely to Democratic Senators. Even Republican papers had begun talking of the able speeches of Senators BAILEY and RAYNER and the importance of their work for the measure. This was too much for RoosevELT. He wants all the credit, him- self, and if he can’t get it the people's in- terests can go hang. ———A delegation of millers from Blair county visited Bellefonte on Tuesday for the purpose of interesting Centre county millers in organizing a local millers asso- ciation which shall have for its object the establishment of uniform prices to be paid for grain of all kinds and rates at which flour snd feed staffs shall be sold. The proposition was favorably received by the millers of Bellefonte and another meeting will be beld here on Tuesday, May firss, when it is likely an organization will be perfected. . ——The West End Finance Co., whose | stroge! advertisement appears in another column of this issne, has a rather novel proposition to offer persons who have small amounts of money to lend. They guarantee 11 per cent | Rest per annum and so far as we bave been ableto find out have been making good on it. The concern is not a get-rich-quick operation, bot 8 legitimate husiness enterprise that has | 81 been established for years and has shown a patural, healthy growth. If you are in- terested yon might write for particulars. A ——————————————— ——From the reeling condition of the ‘naval crowd lounging around on the streets, Tuesday afternoon and evening, there was cause for deep speculation as to whether they bad been able to lay in a supply of “Oh, be joylal’’ before the no-bottle ruling went into effect or, if not, where they were getting it now ? Maurice Splain, Washingten Cor. Pittsburg Post. A glance over the political field shows there is good reason for the anxiety of the Republicans and the hopefulness of the Democrats at the outlook for this fail’s con- gressional elections. Everywhere there are sigas of Jativieal unrest, which always tells against the party in er. In several of the most important States, like New York, Ohio and Iowa, there are bitter factional quarrels within the Republican party. Old leaders have passed away or are being dis- placed because of their bad management of party aflairs or as a result of scandals in which they have become involved. The attempts to i te a pew deal have d or alienated the adherents of the old leaders and the old regime. It does not matter if the object of the new leaders is to cleanse and elevate Pasty S- dards and eliminate the grafters com- mercialists who bave brought discredit on the name of Republican, Reform means unrest, recasting of lines, weakening of party ties and a tendency to independence of action among a considerable percentage of former reliable partisans. Then again new leaders are almost necessarily inex- perienced and inefficient leaders. They don’t know the tricks of the cralty old- timers who spent their lives in building up and managing political machines. THE DISRUPTION IN NEW YORK. In New York ly all the old leaders of the Republican party are on the toboggan slide, discredited or disgraced. Senator Platt, for more than a generation master of the party in the State, was dis- placed by the malodorous Odell, one of the worst of his own creatares. Odell in turn has been marked for the scrap-heap by the followers of the national admiuistration. It he is thrown out he will uusdoubted] tarn on the party and knife it in the back at the first opportunity, for the party bas meant nothing to him but a chance to en- rich himself and his friends at the public expense. Its achievements and its tradi- tions make no appeal to his gross and sor- did nature. If he can’t get the ‘‘stoff,”’ if he is to be shut out from office and the op- portunities office-holding affords of person- al enrichment and advantage, what is the Repablican or any other party to him and men of bis type ? NEW ENGLAND SORE ABOUT THE TARIFF. In Massachusetts and to some extent in other New England states there is disocon- tent among Republicans at the con- temptuous treatment accorded the demands for tariff revision and reciprocity by the gand-pafiers, There is no doubt some New land industries are in serious straite because of the high price of raw ma- terials. This is notably tiue of the leather industry. Bat the stand-patters will not heed the appeals of the leather people for fear of an all-around tariff agitation which might disturb businesses that are prosper ous and whose managers are content. They don’t want tariff agitation, but they would rather the New England manu- facturers and workmen who are agitating didu’t know it. Now it is this condition that ia going to cause the Republicans of New England serious trouble in the elec- tions this fall. They are going to find it Joesn’s pay to try to fool the people all the time. MIDDLE STATE MACHINES BUSTED. In New Jersey there is a condition of al- fairs in the blican party similar to the condition in New York. A strong element of reformers has forced the old corporation- serving leaders to make concessions to the new epirit of decency aod patriotism. The old leaders have been reluctant and have done grudgingly as little as possible. They and the political degenerates who support them are furious as the reform element, and will take their revenge when the op- portunity offers. On the other hand, the rank file of the Republicans, havi go the taste of better things and Briibin. their power, are dissatisfied at what has been accomplished, and will punish the old leaders at polls this fall. Nearly all the New Jersey Republicans are straight products of the old machine, and if the Democrats put op againet them, the latter will gain two or three seats in the State at the November election. The way things are torn up in Pennsylvania need not be dwelt on Pere There is the best of reasons to believe that the Democratic membership from the State in the next Congress will be six or seven instead of the one it is now. In Ohio and icans There is no State with a finer in this fall's in Obio. One- FACTIONAL FIGHTS IN THE WEST. In Wisconsin will come this fall the final e between the La Follette faction and the remains of the stalwarts, who are in daoger of utter extermivasion. The ight will be a desperate one. Is will cen- tre about Representative Baboook, the big- man left in the stalwart camp. e La Follette men will make a desperate at- tempt to eliminate ‘'Old ” and the chances are will , motwith- standing all the help the can ve their old-time servitor. The Demo- crata are almost certain to gain Baboock’s seat and one or two more in the State. In Towa the fight between the Cummins and Shaw-Hepbura-Hull factions of Republi cans will attain its maximom of vieious- ness. Each side is now ont for blood aud if the lowa Democrats bave any skill in gotitien) maneavering and a real desire to 0 something for the , they will put up for Congress in all districts their Yery bestuen and a5 them with vim. In Missouri the icans will te al most certain to lose six of the nine mem- . # CS — Spawls from the Keystone. —Norristown’s new $75,000 government building was thrown open to the public on ~The Susquebanna Sportsmen's associa: tion, of Northumberland, is arranging for a big spring tournament, on May 11 snd 12. ~Joseph Boccia shot and killed his child wile, Mrs. Anvie Boccia, thirteen years of age, on the streets of Easton, Saturday night: —Paralyzed for twenty-three years by an injury in the Civil war that developed twen- ty years thereafter, Solomon Derk has just died at Shamokin. ~The Bedford Hardwood company is a new industry which is about to start in the town ot Bedford. The object of the company is to manufacture locust tree nails. | Titusville, it is claimed, will havea wireless telegraph station. It will be com- pleted and in running operation for the receipt and sending of messages by July. —Mules are in great demand among the farmers of Lancaster county, who prefer them to horses, as high as $575 being paid for ateam at a recent sale, while very few teams bring less than $400. ~The town of St. Benedict, Cambria coun- ty, has been passing through the throes of an epidemic of diphtheria. Fortunately the disease bas not been particularly fatal, only two deaths having occurred. It is thought that the worst is over. —Mount Pleasant, Westmoreland county , isto have a new industry known as the Wonder Manufacturing company. The pro- posed plant wiil cover two acres of land and it is estimated that it will involve the ex- penditure of £300,000. —Two more coal plants are planned for Indiana county by the Iselins. One will be located on Yellow creek, above Homer City, and the other in Centre township. The in- vestment of the Iselin interests in that coun- ty aggregate $10,000,000. —The output of Somerset county's famous product—maple sugar and maple syrup— promises to break all records and before the season is half over dealers are complaining that the market is glutted with the usually highly prized table luxury. —Grant Davis, of Milton, sustained a severe loss a few nights ago when fire de- stroyed bis chicken house and 150 chickens which were in it. It is thought the fire started from the explosion of a lamp which was in one of the broeders. —Joseph Rager, who was arrested recent ly for the murder of “Cap” Donahue, at Barnesboro, has been released as the result of habeas corpus proceedings. He will be tried on the charge of manslaughter atthe June sessions of the Cambria county crim- inal court. —The Clinton county auditors Saturday placed their report in the hands of Judge Hart. Among the items they refused to allow were those for bounties on wild animals other than wolves and wildeats,thus saving the county about $600 under the law repealing the bounty act. —0. D. Cully, of Millersville, has given up his occupation as as lineman for a pipe line company and accepted a position in Palo Alto, Franklin county. Cully worked as a lineman eleven years and in that time traveled 46,000 miles, or nearly twice the circumference of the earth. —Over at Connoquenessing, in Butler county, & man concluded to put an oil well down in bis back yard. He did so, and to- day, as well as for ten days past, he bas heen reaping some twenty-five barrels an hour from it. As oil is worth §1.58 a barrel, that back yard is an acre of diamonds to its owner. ~Edward B. Morgan, aged 23 years, a farm hand working near Eldorado, Blair county, was found early Sunday worning partly submerged in a peol of water near his home, with his skull cracked and numerous bruises about the body. He died in the Al- toona hospital Sunday night. He is believed to have been the victim of footpads. —The Homestead Business Men's associa tion held a meeting one day lust week and decided to cut out programme advertising and stick to the newspapers. It was shown that some merchants pay $200 a year in pro- gramme advertising, which brings them no returns. An agreement will be drawn up and signed, —One day last week the largest hemlock log ever cut in Potter county was taken to the Austin mill. The log was forty feet in length, forty-six inches in diameter, and from the butt to the upper end it varied only two inches in diameter. It wascuton the Thomas Fee job on Lyman Run, and it is | said will produce $120 worth of timber. —Thomas and John Keenan, sons of Thomas J. Keenan, a well-known contractor, of Johnstown, formerly of Hollidaysburg, felt into the swollen Stoney creek while playing on its banks Saturday evening and were drowned. The body of John Keenan was recovered, but that of the other child floated down the stream and was lost to sight. —~Luke A. Byrne, who owns the old grist mill at Garman's Mills, received a verdict of $3,365,83 in his suit at court last Friday against the Clearfield and Pennsylvania rail road companies. Mr. Byrne alleged that damuge resulted to his mill race and dam when the defendant corporation ran its road near his place and deflected the course of a stream of water. —Valuable clay deposits have been dis covered not far from Jersey Shore which will likely be worked in the near future. Lewis Metzgar, of East Hill, has been doing con- siderable prospecting in the vicinity of Pew- terbaugh mountain of late and struck a vein of clay of wonderful thickness. The vicinity seems to abound in the clay and there issome talk of a narrow gauge railroad as a means of bringing the clay out of the mountain. —Robert Pugh, » Baltimore and Ohio rail- road brakemam, Sunday evening shot Mrs. Charles Witt st her home on Bedford street, Johnstown, and sent a bullet crashing through bis own brain. Mrs. Witt was wounded in three places but will recover. Pugh died instantly. The couple had been schoolmates, snd Pugh, it is said, was oen- gaged to Mrs, Witt at one time but was jilt- bers now have in the House. practically concede this themselves. They | ed. For some time Mrs. Witt bas been part- ed from her husband.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers