Democratic watchman. (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1855-1940, October 25, 1907, Image 6

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    SHEATES FALE
PRETENSE 16 A
FATAL MISTARE
Forced to Vote for Vicious
Legislation by His Obli=
gations to Machine.
Grafters Under Indictment as Weil
#8 Those Still in Office Working
for His Election ~Interesting
Rumor of an Anti-Penrose De-
fection.
(Special Correspondence.)
Harrisburg, Pa., Oct. 28.
Posing as morally better than uis
party John O. Sheatz, the machine
Republican candidate for State
Treasurer, stands to-day, convicted
of falsifying his record in the Legis-
lature, in order to support an ab-
surd claim. Dragooned into voting
for the Susquehanna canal bill, he
declared, over his own signature, and
with manifest deliberation, the other
day, that be had voted against that
iniquity. There could have been no
misunderstanding in the premises.
He knew how he had voted and why
he voted as he did. His purpose in
claiming to have voted the other
way was obviously to deceive the
publie,
A braggart running from an im-
aginary danger is not an attractive
figure. A professor of morality be-
comes despicable when he is caught
fn the perpetration of crime. Lying
f# not a characteristic of honesty.
False pretense is not a habit of a
man of Integrity. John O. Sheatz
protesting constantly that he'is an
honest man has convicted himself
of falsification and is entitled only
to popular contempt. Moreover his
falsehood was malicious as well as
deliberate. He aspersed the reputa-
tion of others in order to create a
false reputation for himself. Every-
body despises a malicious liar.
The Penrose machine controls the
Republican party in Pennsylvania.
It nominated Sheatz because its man-
agers believed that he will serve it
in the event of his election. The
Penrose machine wants the State
Treasury in order to ‘farm’ the
patronage of the office. It was one
of the most productive of the assets
of the machine before Berry was
elected. Bankers who are involved
will pay anything for funds to tide
them over. Frequently if they
can’t get funds they commit suicide
Penrose likes to hold a lot of bank-
ers in that equivocal position. He
can get “money to burn’ under such
conditions.
Sheatz Under Obligations to the Ma-
chine.
No man who is under obligations
to such a political combination has
strength to resist its importunities.
A man with the courage and probity
to maintain opposition will not put
himself under obligations to that
kind of a machine. Sheatz has al-
ways been under obligations to “the
gang.” When he was given the place
honored by J. Claude Bedford he
mortgaged his manhood. That
lightning doesn’t strike twice in the
same spot, ls proverbial. That a
political machine doesn’t make two
mistakes in the same Legislative dis-
trict, 1s equally certain. In select-
ing a man to humiliate Bedford the
machine wouldn't take a man like
Bedford. They make certain to get
the opposite sort.
It was because of this obligation
tc the machine that Sheatz voted for
the Susquehanna canal bill. He
knew that was a vicious measure.
He had even declared his intention
to vote against it. “While in Phila-
delphia the day before the bill came
up,” says the editor of the North
American, “he inquired of The
North American when it was to be
called. Uppn learning that the vote
would be taken the following day,
Lhe canceled an important business
engagement and went to Harrisburg
specially to do his duty and vote
against the measure.” Yet when he
voted the next day he voted for the
bill. The machine managers forced
him to “throw conscience to the
dogs” and serve, not his party, but
the machine.
What absolute folly it is to talk
of resisting the machine in a matter
in which cupidity has stirred the
manager: to an acute stage by a
man who couldn't withstand it in a
trifling affair like the Susquehanna
canal bill? An organization which
drove Hopkins, Blake, Walters,
Clark of the Enterprise bank and
others to suicide, worried Norris,
Hart and Haywood Into premature
graves and sent Livesy into exile as
a fugitive, is not likely to abandon
its most cherished hope because of
fear of a man who hadn’t the wit to
keep his legislative record right or
the wisdom to remain silent when
his faults were revealed. It would
be as safe to hand the treasury over
to Huston or Sanderson.
Judged by the Company He Keeps.
If Bheatz had the courage and con-
science which is claimed for him,
moreover, he wouldn't have the sup-
port of the element which is doing
most for his success. Every one of
the indicted conspirators is working
to the full measure of his power to
— | elect Mr. Sheatz. Huston, Sander |
son, Snyder, Payne, Cassell and all
the capitol grafters are moving
heaven and earth in his Interest. If
he is anxious to prosecute them why
are they so urgent for his election?
It is not likely that they would pre-
fer to be sent to the penitentiary by
Republicans rather than by Demo-
crats. Their partisanship hardly
takes that form.
Then the grafters in all the other
departments are taxing their ener-
gies and taking chdnces of punish-
ment in order to promote the elec-
tion of Sheatz. Take the case of
John 8. Neal, chief clerk of the State
Highway Department, for example.
Neal is under suspicion and unless
the, machine is restored to power it
will be impossible to retain him in
the public service. He is one of
those who organized “a bureau of
information” in the Highway de-
partment three or four years ago,
to sell advance information to con-
tractors, to the prejudice of the
State. If the Department hadn't
been rotten he would have been
turned out then.
But he wasn't even rebuked. It
has been said that he was obliged to
refund some of the money, not by
the department, but by his victims.
But that rumor has not been veri-
fied. He lost no standing among his
associates, however. And why should
he? The department was organized
as a grafting bureau. It was in-
tended as a political machine.
was designed to be a sort of asylum
'
Penrose’s Sufficient Reason
That is why Penrose rominated!
Bheatz this year. The voters
wouldn't stand for a machine man
with “the courage of his convictions.”
On the other hand Penrose wouldn't |
stand for an anti-machine man who |
would not be amenable to orders in |
the event of his election. Sheatz was |
the compromise invented by Penrose.
He is a machine man in mask. He
serves the machine, and, as in the
| case of the Susquehanna canal hill
vote, has the stupidity or inverality
to deny the fact even though he
must have known that the recorde
would reveal his hypocricy. |
G.D. H.|
Our Nine Days Wonder:
From the Philadelphia Record.
Nine days have elapsed since Can- !
didate John O. Sheatz calling “The
Record” to account for the “extrava-
gant writings, and in many cases ab-
solutely false statements, of men
employed for their ability in that
line,” denied that he had voted or
any of the “infamous” water snake
bills of the legislative session of
1903.
Nine days have elapsed since this
newspaper called the attention of
Candidate Sheatz to page 24356 of
the Legislative Record, whereon it
is officially certified that he did vote |
| for the most Infamous of all the
n
for party pensioners. Besides the
vast force of employes in and about
the office here, the considerable num-
ber of engineers and draughtsmen
in the field, there are a number of
contractors who employ great ar-
mies of men.
Chief Clerk Neal's Hold-Up.
That all of these employes are ex-
pected to contribute to the campaign
corruption fund is made plain by a
water snake bills.
As yet Candidate Sheatz has not |
condescended to explain why he set |
up a defense that was so easily de-
molished by reference to his official |
record. He promised in his letter
of denial to “reply to the rest of the |
misstatements” at his first oppor- |
tunity. Has he thought better of it? |
| Have the gangsters who are manag-
“hold-up” letter recently issued to
the contractors, inspectors and other
employes of the Highway Depart-
ment by Chief Clerk Neal. “We are
raising a fund to assist the Repub-
hean State committee in paying the
expenses of its present State cam-
paign,” he writes to those who are
largely dependent upon. him for their
tenure of office. “Should you de-
sire to make a voluntary contribu-
tion for this purpose,” he continues,
“please forward me a check as
promptly as possible.”
The Highway Department graft-
ers are alarmed at the pro:pect of
Harman's election. They know that
there will be no interruption of
work in roadbuilding, for Mr. Har-
man, in the Legislature and out is
and has been one of the most enthus-
fastic advocates of good roads. But
If he is elected the grafters in the
Highway Department will have
“troubles of their own.” He won't
have power to remove inefficient or
venal officials or agents of the De-
partment. But he will have the
right to compel the fulfillment of the
law and the proper performance of
the work and every man concernad
understands that he will exercise
that right.
The other departments are also
more or less concerned on the sub-
ject. At least the ‘fat frying’ has
bern extended to all the departments
and men are held up for “volun-
tarv' contributions on every part of
the ‘‘palace of graft,” except in the
office of the State Treasurer. Chair-
man Andrews’ collectors know that
there is nothing to be got there for
them and State Treasurer Berry will
not indulge in that most contempt-
ible of all forms of robbery. The
election of Harman will go a long
way toward a stop to that canker in
the official life of the Commonwealth.
Rumor of Anti-Penrose Defection.
There is an interesting rumor cur-
ing his campaign called him off?
The Veterans and the Grafters
From the Butler Herald.
John O. Sheatz, the Republican
machine candidate for State treas-
urer, offers as an excuse for the
vetoing of the soldiers pension bill
the statement that it would have
cost the State over $4,000,000 a year
to pay the pensions to the veterans.
Had it not been for the election of
Willlam H. Berry it is safe to say
the bunch of capitol grafters would
have robbed the State of $4,000,000
more in addition to that already
stolen and the machine campaigners
would now be pointing with pride to
the magn ficeut cap tol which WE
built and, furnished. It costs too
much to give the old veterans $10 a
month, but an expenditure of mii-
lions of dollars for “fake” trimmings
is a legitimate expense.
Spell the Name Correctly.
From the Philadelphia Record.
Some of our esteemed county and
city contemporaries are in the habit
of misspelling the name of the Demo-
cratic candidate for State Treasurer,
Hon. John G. Harman, of Columbia
county. It is well enough to be cor-
rect. The misspelling of names has
sometimes led to grave after-election |
disputes. Luckily, there is no mis- '
taking of Sheatz for Harman nor
of Harman for Sheatz; but it is not
well to alter the spelling of either
candidate's surname.
Todd Tarries.
From The Harrisburg Patriot. i
The Attorney General of the |
State, who is in charge of the pro- |
gecution [of the Capito! thieves], Is
away on his vacation, It was stated
at his office yesierday that the date |
| of his return has not yet been fixed. |
If the administration Is using all
energy and diligence to bring the |
criminals to justice and to recover |
| the stolen money the place for the |
rent iu political circles now which |
has come out of the center of the
anti-Penrose Republicans of the
State.
element in the party's voting
strength, and it reasons that the
easiest and best way to eliminate
Penrose from the political equation
would be to forget to vote for Sheatz.
Penrose nominated Sheatz not out of
love for Sheatz but with tae idea of
promoting his own interests. If
Sheatz is elected Penrose will be
strengthened because all the patron-
age of the office, appointments as
well as deposits, will be employed in
his behalf. The defest of Sheatz, on
the other hand, will not only dep.ive
Penrose of these potent influences,
but it will imply condemnation of
Penrose's policles and management.
Naturally a good many of Penrose's
enemies in the party look with far
or upon a proposition to adopt this
easy way of effacing Penrose.
There is no doubt that the elec-
tion of Sheatz will make Pen ‘n-
vincible, Ever since the death of
Quay those who are opposed to Pen-
rose have been complaining of “is
incapacity for leadership and his
proneness to blundering. His sue-
cess in rescuing the organization
from desperate situations, however,
is a constant refutation of s‘'ch
charges. It may be gravely doubtad
if Quay could have gave the party
last year. It ir known that he was
irretrievably committed to the nom-
ination of Colonel Watres of Scran-
ton for Governor and Watres would
“have been skinned a mile.” Quay
never encountered such a perilous
situation as the capitol scandal put
up to Penrose this year. He was
equal to the emergency last year and
if he succeeds again this year the
anti-Penrose element of the
may as well “bag its head.”
This force is an important
Attorney General just now is Harris- |
burg, not the woods of Maine. |
Responsibility for the Graft. i
From the Reading Telegram.
Can you touch a man who had any-
thing to do with this monumental |
conspiracy of plunder and betrayal |
without touching a minion of the!
Republican state machine, to which
Sheatz is indebted for his presant
nomination?
Must be Plucked Out.
From the Sunbury Democrat.
The long continued system of loot
practiced by the Republican leaders
in the State must be completely erad-
icated, or else the fruits of industry
will be absorbed in the payment of
unearned and unlawful bounties ©
the corruptionists.
Precisely What They Know:
From the Pittsburg Dispatch.
It is to be hoped the alleged Capl-
tol” grafters will not delude them-
selves with the fancy that there is
“politics” in their arrest, and that
after election they will be on Easy
street.
Pennypacker Needed in the Group.
From the Phila. North American.
The old pirate chorus used to be
“Fifteen men on the dead man's
chest.”
mony at Harrisburg {f Pennypacker
had been added to the defendant
fourteen.
Can't Break the Habit,
From the Pittsburg Dispatch.
Former Governor Pennypacker has
been taking the hero killers to task
in a speech at Phoenixville. Poor
old man can't get over it!
| in the death of Lee Dick and Lee Ting
murder of Long Yung, on July 7 last.
! He was on his way to court when he
| gerously wounded. A general fight fol-
| equity to restrain the Pennsylvania
| tween the two corporations null;
| June 30, 1907, was 967,371, and the
Might be sung In close har- | #0
KILLED MURDER WITNESSES
Warring Philadelphia Chinese Fac
tions in Fierce Combat.
Philadelphia, Oct. 19.—The warring
factions of Chinese in this city, who
have periodically recorted to the use
of knives, pistols, and hatchets to set-
| tle their disputes, engaged In a fierce
combat in Chinatown, which resulted
and the probable fatal shooting of
Leoy Tong.
The authorities say the killing was
the result of a premeditated plan made
by members of the Hip Sing Tong so-
ciety to assassinate witnesses who
were to have testified in the trial of
Hip Sing Tong men, charged with the
| Long Yung was a member of the On
Leung Tong society and was shot
down and killed after he had given
testimony against Hip Sing Tong men
in another murder trial.
Just as the Hip Sing Tong men were
placed on trial for the murder of Yung,
Chinese, who the police say were
brought here from New York, Boston,
San Francisco and other cities, began
shooting in the streets of Chinatown
and riddled with bullets Lee Dick and
lee Ting, a friend. Both were mem-
bers of the On Leung Tong, and Dick
was to have been the star witness
against the Hip Sing men in the trial.
was shot down and killed, and the
case was postponed. Members of the
| Leung Tong faction ran from their
headquarters and began shooting when
| the first shots were fired and Leoy
Tong, a Hip Sing followers, was dan-
lowed, in which many heads were bat-
tered and several were slightly in-
fured. Wholesale arrests were made
by the police who descended upon the
Chinese settlement.
ATTACKS MERGER
Buit to Restrain P. R. R. From Oper
ating the Philadelphia & Erie.
Philadelphia, Oct. 22.—A bill in
railroad from operating the Philadel
phia & Erie railroad as part of its
system under the merger effected by
a vote of the majority stockholders of
both corporations last spring, was filed
in the common pleas court here by
Andrew J. Reilly and Walter S. Hum-
phreys, trading as Frank T. Bell &
Co., and Gustav S. Soulas. The plain. |
tiffs, who are Philadelphia & Erie
stockholders, hold that the agreement |
entered into by the defendant com: |
panies is unconstitutional and confis-
catory and deprives them of their
property without due process of law |
and without adequate compensation. |
They argue that the law of March 22,
1901, under which the merger was ef |
fected, is unconstitutional and that
one railroad corporation under the law
may acquire the franchise and rights
of a connecting railroad in which it
owns at least two-thirds of the capital |
stock. The Pennsylvania railroad, it
is argued, did not hold this amount.
The court is asked to declare the
law of March 22 unconstitutional and
void; to declare the agreement be:
to |
restrain the Pennsylvania railroad |
from operating under the present
agreement and to resume under the |
| terms of the original lease, and to
order the Pennsylvania pailroad to
render an accounting for moneys se- |
cured from operating the Philadel
| phia & Erie since the merger was ef-
fected.
PENSION ROLL DECREASE
But Amount of Money Paid Increases
By $4,613,131. |
Washington, Oct. 22.—The decrease
of 18,600 in the number of pensioners
on the rolls at the end of the fiscal
year 1907, as compared with the year
! previous, is the feature of the annua!
report of Pension Commissioner War-
ner, just issued. This is the greatest
decrease in the history of the pension
bureau.
The total number of pensioners on
total value of the pension roll at that
date was $140,850,880. This is greater
by $4,613,131 than the value of the
roll for the year previous, and is ac |
counted for by the higher rates of
pensions provided by the act of Feb-
ruary, 1907, under which act there
had been enrolled on June 30 of the
present year, 116,239 pensioners. The
tots! number of pensioner on the roll
on account of the war with Spain was
24,071.
Carnegie Says Financial Crash Is Near
Queenstown, Ireland, Oct. 19.—An-
drew Carnegie predicts a big financial
crisis in America. He believes it has
already begun, in fact. It will extend
to England, too, he says. The Laird
of Skibo regards the coming flurry
with composure, however, because he
thinks its ultimate results will be good
by restoring actual values and putting
a stop to the general craze for specu:
lation.
Dies From Worry.
Pottstown, Pa., Oct. 21.— Worried
because she was accused of having
spent a souvenir $5 gold piece that
she had accidentally left on the
counter of a Pottstown store, Mrs.
Henry Nester died in New Hanover
township. The doubting of her word
preyed on her sensitive mind that
she was prostrated. and at times fit
required several men to control her.
Finished 1000-Mile Walk.
Cincinnati, 0. Oct. 21.—The long-
aistance walker, Dan O'Leary, finished
a 1000-mile walk at Norwood Inn. He
walked one mile during each hour for
1000 consecutive hours. He is nearly
65 years old, but has shown no signs
of faltering.
SE
Bellefonte Shoe Emporium.
The New Season
Came in nicely. The late styles are on
exhibition and all are invited to look
them over. We offer the best in styles
and makes and always save yon money.
Yeager & Davis
BELLEFONTE,
PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD
BULLETIN,
ALL ABOUT THE WINTER RESORTS.
“> Have you made your plans for the winter outing ?
The Pennsylvania Railroad Company wil! issue November 1st,
its Winter Excursion Book, containing about 200 pages of infor-
“mation concerning the various resorts open during the Winter
“and Spring.
From this book one may make a choice of nearly two hundred
resorts—the east and west coasts of Florida ; the Gulf coast from
the western border of Florida to the Rio Grande ; New Mexico,
Arizona, California, and the Pacific Coast.
If one cannot find time for so extended a trip, there are the Vir-
ginia, West Virginia, or North Carolina resorts, only a day's
journey from eastern cities.
Health seekers will turn to the pages devoted to the places in the
highlands of North Carolina, the long leaf pine region of South
Carolina and Georgia, or the nearby resorts in the pines of New
Jersey.
Among the all-the-year-around seaside points, Atlantic City and
Cape May stand pre-eminent.
Winter Excursion tickets to the greater number of the resorts
listed in this book, and good for return passage until late in the
Spring, will be on sale on and after November 1st.
Full information concerning winter trips and copies of the Winter
Excursion Book, when issued, may be obtained of Ticket Agents.
"se42.1t
Paints, Etc.
Wall Pape Paper,
A
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OUR EXPERIENCE
In combining colors harmoniously is at your serv
ice, with Pure White Lead and Oil to back us up.
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We have can be made to give many novel forms
of decoration. We'd be glad to suggest original
treatment for your house—They need not be ex-
pensive. Wall papers, Window Shades, Curtain
Poles, Paints, Oil, Glass, &c., at
ECKENROTH BROTHERS,
Bush Arcade, Bellefonte, Pa.
, 62-01
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