— BY P. GRAY MEEK. Ink Slings. —A terrible plague is said to he smiting the turkeys of the land. It is probably hamaochuoogeritis. —The snow in the mountains during the fires two days of the hunting season was disastrous to the deer. —Bellefonte youth have the roller skat- ing craze good and proper. They have it standing up bat they bave it worse sitting down. —Its a poor day for the legal profession in that they can’t convict u trust of some- thing. The Sugar trust bas been conviet- ed of rebating. —1I1 they succeed in dissolving the Stand- ard oil trast poor old JoHN D. will geta rest that be can't possibly bave as long as it is in operation. : —PEARY is trying to get back from bis trip in search of the pole. Of comse he is pot bringing the pole with him because it hasn't been located yet. —The President has promised citizen- ship to the people of Puerto Rico. Well and good if they have a full knowledge of what citizenship means. —The change in the weather yesterday morning was very timely. The unusually warm period we bad bad for a week] was the direct cause of much sickness. —It is beginning to look as if Alle gheny will have to marry Pittsburg wheth- er she wants to or not. The pre-nuptial sorimmage was ended by the courts on Tuesday. —The cost of living has increased from eighteen to thirty-nine per cent. within the past year. No where bave we heard of wages being increased more than ten per cent. —Is DurHAM is home again. He couldn’t stay away from his dear old State any longer after the pressing invitation that was sent him to come back on No- vember 6th. —Next week the foot ball season will end and many a gridiron hero will discover for the first time this fall that it was ‘‘book larnin’’’ he was sent to College to get ac- quainted with. —RICHARD CROKER'S belief that Hearsts defeat in New York wasa pro” vidential occurrence must be founded on the personal experience RICHARD bad bim- self in New York some years ago. — Bellefonte councils are debating overa new street lighting contract. That these de- bates have been profitable to the borough is “ ghiown by the gradual shading of the pr per are light per year from 105 down to $66. - —8oc Mrs. SAGE's millions are to go to "= the poor who are ‘‘too proud to ask for assistance.”’ Of course our pride precludes our speaking for ourselves, so won't some kind friend please drop the old lady a live concerning us. —Maritime statistics reveal the fact that three and one-hall million people are al- ways at sen. Political statistics showed that in Pennsylvania, alone on the even- ing of November 5th, there were six mil- lion and more people at sea. — President ROOSEVELT has bad a look at the “‘big ditch’ and is so tickled with it that be would like to bave one of his boys at work on it. TEDDY is probably think- ing that a job there would keep the hoy at work until old age overtakes him. —Sigoor CARUSO the grand opera singer who has been arrested for annoying wom- en in the monkey house in Cential Park, New York, displayed W fine sense of the eternal fitness of things when be selected such a place for his moukey-business. —Criticism of the local authorities in the matter of recent murder cases in Centre county should be withheld until the conu- ty has had time to show its bhavd. There can be no doubt of well planned efforts to apprehend the culprits but they would cer- tainly fail of their purpose if they were made public and that is probably the very reason that the average citizen thinks there is nothing being done. - —It is easy for a great corporation to raise the wages of its employees voluu- tarily because it has the advantage of rais- ing its charges voluntarily. The Pennsyl- vania railroad company increased the wages of its men ten per cent and now announces that it will advance the freight rates a like amount. Of course the shippers are the people who are making the advance aud not the railroad company. ~—There is considerable discussion Jahout the wisdom of the President's order dis- charging from the army companies of color- ed troops thas participated in the murder outrages at Brownsville, Texas. Because the soldiers would not reveal the identity of the guilty the President summanly ordered the dismissal of all. With busa superficial knowledge of the facts we com- mend the action of the President. A sol- dier, whether white or black, is a peace officer, not a warandivg murderer or one whom a false sense of honor prompts to protect and conceal those who donot have a proper conception of a soldier’s duty and obaraoter. When a man wears the unilorm of the United States government his con. duct at all times should be such as to make the private citizen feel tbat in him there is a friend and a protector and not one to be onrta. - The President would bave 8ismise. companies just as promptly bad Shex been white en Just + heir De had nothing to do with it and all this effors to create sentiment on the nd thas they were colored men without a pull or friends is the veriest tommy-ros. VOL. 51 "STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION. BELLEFONTE, PA. NOVEMBER 28, 1906. Standard O11 Litigation. We would not haild expectancy tco high in reference to the Standard Oil litigation. The proceedings were inaugurated, all right, the other day, and Attorvey General Moony promptly took the public, includ- ing the defendant, into bis confidence and revealed all his plans. He showed, more- over, that he has plenty of evidence to sop- port his accusations and that if Mr. RoCK- ERFELLER and those of his associates against whom the proceedings are directed, are wise men, they will head for the tall tim- ber. They are far from secure in their per- eons, property and liberty if Moopy car- ries out his program. But we have heen so frequently disap- pointed in snob things that it is utterly im- possible to work up anything like entbu- sinsm in respect to them. We recall the coal trust prosecution, for example. In that case Attorney General KNoX bad made great preparations not only for trial but convie- tion. Bus juss at the pyschological moment Senator QUAY died, President CASSATT ap- pointed KNOX to fill the vacancy and the prosecution of the coal trast Was offforevey and a day. KNOX knew thisas perfectly wel) as did RoosevVELT and everybody else and he was disposed to decline the appoint: ment. ROOSEVELT wouldn't tolerate such devotion to duty and literally pushed KNOX out of the cabinet and into the Senate. Attoroey Geueral Moony bas worked bard ard assiduoosly in preparing a case against the Standard Oil company, aud be- ing an able man we have vo doubt that he bas an excellent chance of achieving bis purpose, just as KNOX would have; put an end to the coal trust if be bad remained in the cabinet a few weeks longer. But the trouble is that MooDy will be withdrawn from the Standard Oil case just as KNOX was withdrawn from the coal trust prose- cation and with precisely the same result. When Moopy goes out there will be noone remaining in who knows anything about the case and it will collapse jost as the pro- ceedings agaivst the coal trust case when KxoX was taken out of it. It could hard- ly have been otherwise. A lawyer must know his case. | the President for the failure whish scems inevitable any more than we would blame him for the failure to prosecute the coal trust after KNOX was taken out. It is true that KxoX would not have gone out if the President hadn't urged him to that course, In the pending case he is taking the only lawyer who knows the case out of it, but he can bardly help that. It was necessary to fill the vacavey on the Sopreme court bench and Moopy is the only man, of course, (?) between the oceans who meas- ures up to the high judicial standard. Therefore there is no alternative. He must be appointed no watter what else happens. Plenty to he Thanktal For. There are a good many things to he thankful for this year even though the result of the election was disappointing to some of us. There is the retirement of General CHARLES H.GROSVENOR to private life after twenty ‘years in Congress. Gros. venor is one of those men who feel proud of their immoralities. Like Speaker Canuon he delights in political spoil=.c- He has no time for civil service or uvther kinds of reform and ridicules anything which makes for an improvement in political morals, His obscurity is, therefore, a public bene. faction. There is reason for thankfulness, more. over, in the probability of the early retire- ment from pablic life of SENATOR PLATT, of NEW YORK. For years he bas heen in Congress the agent of the express compautes and retarding the passage of wholesome legislation in the interest of the people. It was he who prevented the passage of the parcels post measure in several Congresses, | thus compelling the prople to pay tribute to the express mogopolies. He will soon be cast upun the political serap heap to remain there as lobg as his boldly cumbers the earth. Last but not least, we will soon be rid of that most intolerable of all public nui- sances, SAMUEL W. PENNYPACKER, who having been catapulted into a conspicuous place by the Inte Senator QUAY bas been a source of shame to the people of the State ever since. His term of office is rapidly drawing to a close and his administiation will soon he nothing but a bad dream. The people of Peunsyisania may well rejoice in these facts and iu congratulating our neigh- bors of Ohio and New York on their deliv. erence from GROSVENOR avd PLATT we can felicitate ourselves on the passing of PENNYPACKER. Regarding Next Spring's Primaries. Regarding the holding of the primaries the latter part of January for the February election the Centre couuty commissioners bave decided that they sball be held uoder the old law, just as they bave heen the past four or five years. The new primary election law contains the proviso that the above can be done in the event that the “Ol course we'bave no idea of blaming (2) proper nreparations for holding the pri- |. maries under the new law cannot b= made, and the county commissioners have decided to take advantage of that prosiso, so the voters of Centre county will make their nominations for the February election on the last Satnrday in Janoary as usuval. In addition to theahove the Attorney Gen- eral has not yet passed on the constitution. ality of the new act, an opinion that shonld he had hefore the acs is regarded as the law. Who is Responsible ? Possibly it woald be well for that class of people who are trying to place the hlame for the result of the Jate election upon this man or that to look at results about his own home, and ascertain who is responsi ble for these, before making np jhis mind defiaitely as to the political delinquent so greatly meriting the censure of the pub- lic. Whatever reasons there may be for the failure of the reform forces, they cannot be laid at the door of any individeal, nor of any particolar section of the State. Since the returns are all in, and a comparison of the vote of 1906 can he made with that graft by deolaring that the accounts are all cast for Mr. BERRY in 1905, itis plain to any one that the failure to elect Mr. Ex- ERY, and the balavce of the fusion ticket, is attributable to that class of Democrats and Reformers who valued a days work more than they did the rights of franchige, aud who deliberately, we may say orimin- ally, remain! away [rom the polls, and allowed the old Machine and their gang of thieves at its hack, to rcore a vie. tory. And this class of people you «ill find in every section of the State. Of the sixty- seven counties of this Commonwealth not a half dozen of them shows up with a fall vote, and in fally one-balf of them the vote is from ten to twenty per cent. short, in both city aud country districts. Why this ia so is the matter for politic: al critics and chronic complainers to deter: mine before placing the responsibility upon any one. Here in oor own county there was a falling off in the Democratic vote of over 800, and uo one who knows anythi gfe of conditions with Cant WoakEAhink ota. tributing this result to either treachery on the part of leaders, or factional intiunevces, such as are suggested by those who would hold others responsible for their own short- comings. Charges and counter charges, crimination and re-crimination, now that it is over, will dono good and the man who puts in his time trying to discredit the efforts ol others, who possibly did their doty, could much better employ his spare moments seeing his Democratic neighbor, who failed to cast his ballot, aud ascertain what is the matter with him. He is the fellow that brought about our defeat. He is the one that the Machine can now thank for its new lease of life. He is the one above all others, responsible for the seeming endorse. ment of the most giganticsteal that ever dis- graced any State, and to whose door can be laid the covering up of the robbery com- mitted by the party in power in the erec- tion of the State’s New Capitol building. He is the fellow to go after. It Will be Spurtons Reform. That some of the reforms promised in the Republican platform will be fulfilled is quite probahle but too much caunot be taken for granted even at that. In other words it is more than likely that the reform legistation which will be enacted during the coming session will he of the dubious variety, such av that enacted during the special session held at the beginning of the present year. The Republican machine is not willing to relinquish all its opportu- nities for graft and though it will of neces: sity make a pretense of meeting the public dewand for improvement, in so far as pos- sible the pretense will be falsified by the facts. Before the election, for example, it was universally believed that passenger rates on railroads wonld be limited to two cents a mile by law. Upon that point the Repub- lican platform is positive. But since the election a report bas become current that the Pennsylvania railroad will resist such a measaze or at least put upon it conditions which will to some extent qualify its efficiency. The railroad wants a Joop-hole and is may be safely predicted that it will get what it wants. The money dumped into the campaign fund four or five days before the election was not exactly in the shape of wiatuity. It was more in the form of an investment. The rate bill is not the only reform measure that will contain a joker, either. The Republican machine has recovered from the panic into which it was thrown by the election of State Treasurer BERRY a year ago, and before the Legislative session is half over it will be doing business at the old stand and in the old way. There will be uno establishment like the Boas man- gion, probably. That feeble imitation of the ‘House of Mirth”’ at Al Was an idea of DurEAM’S and dido’t fulfill ex- ations. Bat the wachine will in Harrisburg and they will direct ‘the work of the Legislature quite as effectively as ever before. Grafting Growing Bold. The capitol graftersare growing bold in their confidence of immunity. PAYSE & Co., for example, replying to the questions of the Attorney General intimates pretty strongly that it’s nobody’s business but their own while HusTON, the architect, declares that there was no extravagance in the farnishing but simply ‘‘richness of de- sign.”” The question to which the contrac- tor objects relates to sub-contracts and the amount paid to sub-contractors, He posi- tively declines to answer and admitting that he was paid for some of the work per- formed by Congressman CASSELL’S Penn Construction company declares that he re- taived the money because he had lost on some similar feature of the work. Of course there is a reason for this re tarning confidence and it may easily be conjectured. The Auditor General who will pasa finally on these accounts is RoBERT K. Youso, who was solicitor for the Capitol Building Commission, permitted their regu- larities even if be didn’t participate in the profits. It will be an easy matter for Mr. YOUNG to quiet gossip on the subject of satisfactory and even if PAYNE & Co., and CASSELL'S conatruction company were paid for the same pieces of furniture or the same work the Auditor General's “0. K.” will settle the question finally aod forever. There is no appeal from his settlement and it will not jeopardize his liberty. Asa matter of fact the people of Penusyl- vania not only deserved to be robbed but to be insulted afterward. In the face of the most overwhelming prool of graft they have not only restored the grafters to power but have entrenched them hy electing one of those responsible for the graft to andit the accounts. That is the most absurd thing of all and it is small wonder that the con- tractors are growing bold, They are secure in the possession of the gralt and the Astor- ney General will be propertly disciplined if be fires too many embarrassing questions at em, The State belongs to thesaints I they are the saints, The people have ¢d them into power and opportunity for vo —————————— A Little Premature. The WATHCMAN is always glad to give fall credit for any and every good act of those who represent the public service, but it don’t believe in going ‘‘off balf-cock’’ at every promise that is given or every pro- fession that is made. For this reason, and unlike many of its contemporaries, it prefers to wait and see just how much in earnest Attorney General Carson is in un. covering the thievery that characterized the building of the new State Capitol be- fore it plasters him over with commenda- tions for doing that which is but his plain duty to do, and which up until after the election he hesitated and refused to under- take. Mr. CARSON may be in dead earnest now, but writing a few letters to the fellows who he suspects, or would bave the public suspect, of beinge the guilty ones don’t prove it by a long shot. Until he goes after the officials whom the State entrusted to oversee and have charge of the job, the men who were its agents, vepresentatives and trustees in this mat. ter, we can have noidea other than that his efforts now are hut the veriess pretense, and that results will prove them so. When the individuals comprising the State Cap- ito! Building Commission and the public officials con