BY P. GRAY MEEK. Ink Slings. —The Kxo0x boom failed to boom even a little bis. —The Republican ticket will probably be Tarr and CUMMINS. —The price of steel has been reduced, but reduction of prices doesn’t create 8 demand. —The Republican national couvention pominated TAFT on the first ballot yester- day afternoon. —The ROOSEVELT rooters tried their best to stampede the Chicago convention for the President on Wednesday. —The Republican national convention is emitting harmonies that sound very much as if ROOSEVELT were at the key-board. —The fact that a bet cannot be legally laid on a horse race in New York does not prove thas the racing will be any better. —Poor FAIRBANKS ! Was it the ocook- tail or saving that drowning girl in Yellow- stone lake that killed him ? It wae neither. Is was the ice. —A new election law in Oregon pro- hibits a candidate from asking a friend to vote for bim. What if BERT TAYLOR were running for office in Oregon ? —The man who has just found out that there is ‘‘nothing in is,”’ after being a criminal for forty years, evidently wasn't in on the capitol job at Harrisburg. —There isn’t much new timber in the Republican national platform. It is about the same old worm eaten thing that has had the dry-rot for the past sixteen years. — When the promise of a bumper crop of teed stuff presents itself the price of bee! sakes another jump upward. Strange how utterly ous of harmony economic condi- tions seem to be. —The injection of an anti-injunction plank in the Republican national platform looks like another effort on the part of the enemy to ran away with some more good Democratic thunder. —1In New Zealand everybody ie required by law to take a weekly ball holiday. We presume that in New Zealand there area few, at least who are never in any danger of making an infraction of the law. —State has a pew president. May the SPARKS that are flying at the head of the great institution pow prove the bright spots pointing the way onward and up- wand to greater fielde of usefulness. —Our friends at Chicago didn’t have so much $0 say this time about sound money and the fall dinner pail. The sound of money isn’t so loud in the land these days as the rattle of the empty dinner pail. —The small boy now divides his time between the green apple tree and the old swimming hole and with all the cramps and goose-flesh that follow in the wake of his daily wanderings who wouldn't like to be a small boy again. —The increase in salaries of our mail carriers 18 a matter of much gratification to all whom they serve. A more diligent, patient, bard working set of men cannot be found in the federal employ and they earn every cent they get, and more. —During WILLIAM'S reign in Eogland bachelors and widowers were taxed one shilling a year. There is no such an in- centive to get married in this country, but we notice a great many of our bachelors and widowers getting very busy these days. —The effort of the Boston Waiter's anion to have a law passed probibiting the employment of women to serve drinks at any restaurant or cafe is a movement that should meet with snccess. The farther women can be kept from that traffic the better for humanity. ~The West ward gentleman who was wandering home the other morning at a rather early hour and ran up against that already famous stone fence post at the corner of High and Potter streets is soarce- ly to be blamed for thinking be had lost his way and had wound up in the Union cemetery. The fear of the revelations of the law bas evidently influenced someone to dis gorge. Is was announced yesterday that the Allegheny National bank of Pittsburg will now pay one hundred cents on the dollar. Funds bave been mysteriously re- appearing in the wrecked institation just as mysteriously as they disappeared. —The duty of every good citizen now is to hegin to consider the merits and qualifica- tions of the vari nominees for county office. Now is the time to arrive at a reasovable conclusion, before the heat of a presidential campaign warps the judgment and prejudices the consideration you should exercise in this all important matter. Make up your mind what to do and stick to it. —It nations that pay the highest wages produce the cheapest goods, and statistics prove that the statement is a fact, then why do we bave a tariff at all. Of what benefit oan it be to anyone but the trusts. We pay the highest wages and produce oar goods cheaper than any people on the earth 80 why the necessity of protecting any- thing. By a fair and open competition we could win every time and, perchance, such an open door might make other foreign doors open to our manufactures. Afterall, the whole tariff system is wrong. It should be one of reciprocity shroughout. VOL. 53 Lincoln Steflins and Roosevelt. Mr. LixcoLs Srerrixs isin Chicago, ‘igs citizen interested in the general problems of government and of common, social living,” according to hie statement. He imagined that that city, at the time the Republican National convention was in session there, would be an eligible view- point for such observations. But he bas been disappointed in the result. Writing three days before the convention opened, he said : “The work of the convention is practically done. The delegates elected by the Republican electors are not yet here. They will not begin to arrive for a day or two ; they don’t meet till Taoesday ;' and when they do sit down together, they i may not deliberate at all. Most of what they will do ha« been decided upon or it will have been by that time, in private, not here in Chicago, bus in Washington, D.C.” Mr. STeFFINs sigoificantly adds, ‘‘shat is bad.” But he subsequently gualifies bis criticism. Because THEODORE ROOSEVELT is “doing the deciding,” be is partially reconciled. If it were anybody elee it would be intolerable. Thus his sycophanoy is revealed. Nobody knows better than be of the piratical instincts of she Presi- dent. For example be was commissioned to write «un article for one of the Jane magazines. Like most of the magazine “pot-boilers,”” STEFFINS submitted his manunscript to the President before he saroed it over to the publishers. Is con- tained a striking paragraph which caught RoosevELT's fanoy. It described ‘‘ove of our successful millionaires’ in graphic phrases. ‘‘He bas money, yes, bat what has the money cost him ?'’ STEFFINs asked. “Cruel lines in his strong face ; soft spots in his once mighty body. His wife is as sad (or as bad) as he ; the boy is a fool and the girl isa foreign princess,” We quote from memory but with sufficient acouracy to serve the purpose. The magazine for whish the screed was written was scheduled [for appearance about the 20th of May. A few days before that ROOSEVELT sent a special message to Congress in which the striking sentence of Mr. STEFFINS' article appeared almost in his exact language. The President had plagerized _ only his idea but his phraseology pilloried him in the eqnivocal position of baviog committed the offence himself because the message came under public scrutiny first. What better evidence of a dishonest heart and dishonor- able mind conceived. And yet STEFFINS, like a our licking the hand that smote him, declares that is “‘a big gain,’’ that ROOSE- VELT is directing the political iniquity at Chicago. When MARK HANNA did the same thing it was atrocious in the opinion of STEFFINS. Then it was ‘‘a husiness like machine,” and something odious. But there is nothing to execrate in it now. It has been converted into ‘‘an en- give for the enforcement of his popular policies,” to be tolerated if not commended. Bat that is not the only conversion the incident reveals. It shows that STEFFINS bas been converted from a virile foe of political iniquity into an apologetic sycophant kowtowing at the feet of power. Probably the charact-r of his employment makes such perversion necessary. Mayhe the pages of she magazines are closed to all except those who worship at the dirty shrine of ROOSEVELT. But one would have thought that a man who could aseail vice entrenched behind millions in gold wouid have been able to stand out against such poltrooneiy. STEFFINS is his own aconser, however, and upon the testimony which he himself offers he stand+ eanvioted. Frank Hitcheoek's Reward. Last week we predioted that FRANK HITCHCOCK would be promoted for the snc- cessful brutality with which be controlled the committee on contested seats of the Re- publican national committee. Since then it has heen announced that President RoosE- vELT and Secretary TAFT favor him for the office of chairman of the national commit. tee. In other words, because it is believed shat he will “rough house” the oimpaign, ROOSEVELT has ordered that HITCHCOCK be made manager. The ruffianly spirit which controls the President is to be extended so as $0 cover the entire country and the ocor- porations will be put under tribute or out of husiness. This is easily the limit of political iniqui- ty. Four years ago CORTELYOU, who had acquired corporation secrets through bis of- ficial relation to them, was made chairman because his information enabled him to blackmail them and RoosevELT himself so- licited corruption funde through ‘‘Dear HARRIMAN. Bat those operations were conducted in a polite way, comparatively speaking. They were what might be termed “gentlemanly burgling,’” rather than the rough form. Bat shat system no longer serves the purpose of the political pirates. The bludgeon in the hands of a bully is necessary and ROOSEVELT welcomes the new conditions. Possibly Hrrorcock will be able to con- trol the election by the rough processes he ean —————— adopted in creating a Tarr majority in the national convention. ‘If the leaders of bis party are sufficiently servile to submis is a fair presumption thas she rank and file will be equally docile. Bata government thos created will nos endure. A servile oit- izenship bas nou made and never will con- stitute a self-governing State. The silly claim that ROOSEVELT means well will not ezouse such excesses forever. He doesn’s mean well any more than CESAR or Na- POLEON meant well. He means empire as they meant it and the opportunity to him will be seized as it was by them. Pennsylvania Republicans. Severs! hundred citizens of Pennsyl- vania bave been parading the streets of Chicago, with bands and banners, dariog the past week, in the interest of the presi- dential candidacy of PHILANDER C. KNOX. They bave gone to vast expense to make such a demonstration as would challenge the respect, if not the admiration, of the country, for their candidate. And the gen- $leman deserves the distinction they bave bestowed upon him. Compared with the average Republican politician of Pennsyl- vanis, his superiority stands acknowledged. is judged by the company he keeps and KNOX bas not ouly kept the company of the gangsters, but has freely obeyed the orders of the machine leaders. The Pennsylvanians who have been marching the streets of Chicago in the in- terest of KNOX have had their labor for pensee in a dead loss. The ROOSEVELT juggernaut has overtaken and ran them down, notwithstanding their servility to him. Like other politicians the President understands that there is no necessity for conciliating the parsy in this State. Peon- sylvania is ‘joined to its idols,” and TAFT, or CANNON, or a yellow dog would be equally certain of she elactoral vote of the State if either of them or it, were nomi- pated for President. For that reason so respectable a candidate as Sevator Krox is ruthlessly turned down by the ROOSE- VELT machine, for a favorite of the Presi- dent without half KNoX's merits. If the Republican machine were brought to the knowledwe that there is sufficient independence and manhood in Peunsyl- vania to resent a wanton insult, the resalt of the Chicago convention would be dif- ferent. In that event the merits of their claims would be considered, at least, and their candidates for favor treated decently. There would then be no autocrat in Wash- ington capable of controlling the action of the highest court of she party for the pur- pose of establishing a dynasty or continuing ‘my policies.” Unbappily, however, things are as they are aud the friends of Senator KNox will be obliged to accept their disappointment with whatever grace they can summon. All that remaive for them is to lick the hand that swiped them. The Fallure of a Party. The strenuous efforts to deceive the pub- lic into the belief that industrial and com- mercial activity has been restored is only partially successful. There are abundant reasons why it should be true. The soil bas yielded most bountitully. ‘Bumper’ crops have lollowed each other in regular succession for a dozen years. Last year the aggregate value of the farm products of the country reached the enormous total of over $7,000,000,000 and the promise of this year is of more prodigious amount. No people in the history of the worid bave en- joyed euch gifts of nature. Industry and shrift have never before, since the begin- ning of time, been so generously reward- ed Bat industrial and commercial prosperity has not been restored and the false reports to that effect are not deceiving the people. In every industrial centre in the country vast armies of idle men are suffering from want or appealing to public benevolence for relief. The ahundance which has been prodaced has been absorbed in specula- tive enterprises or seized by predatory monopolies for questionable uses. This evil is the result, moreover, of misgovern- ment. Vicious legislation enacted at she behest and in the interest of Wall street not only made it possible but inevitable. Is encouraged the speculation and the speculation did the rest. Effect followed the cause. Congress assembled when the panic wae in ite incipient stages. The plain duty of the majority of that body was to enact remedial legislation. At she outset the obligation was publicly acknowledged and the promise specifically made. Bat the conspirators of Wall street intervened. They were not willing to relinquish their grip upon the throats of industry and com- merce and betrayed the pledge that bad been made. In the closing hours of the session a palpably inadequate measure was enacted in spite of the opposition of every friend of the people. But it was nos re- medial aud the offer of such a make-shift was an insult to the intelligence of the people. But such distinotions are invidious. A man pre their pains, however, and their bill of ex- ey “STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION. EFONIE, Pa: NE 19, 1908. and recounted, in the HEARST contest of the election of GEORGE B. McCLELLAK to thé office of mayor of that city with the re- sult that 288 votes had been thrown out, Iatgely for technical reasons. The New York balios, like shat of Pennsylvania, is a complicated affair, bat the system there, un- like ours, permite of mo assistance in the booth except to those physically incapable of marking their own ballots. It is fair to presume, therefore, that instead of being a {randulent election shat which resulted in the viotory of McCLELLAN over HEARST, was an exoepsiovally fair ome. In this State the proportion of irregular, and cone uently invalid ballots, would be great is contest, which bas been dragging slow length along for three years, has the people of New York vast sums of id and the contestee more shan he hs to have been com pelled to pay in de- tense of bis title to the office. It is the frais, however, of a political mania which bas bad possession of the minds of she peo- It was expressed in the posterouns of CoXE a few years and is being continued in the surpris- ple for some years. ing popularity of President ROOSEVELT. It whe revealed in the candidacy of DEss for President four years ago aod in the recent pomination of Tox Wassox, of Georgia, for the same greas office this year. It is a mischievous mania which portends great ils to the Republic unless checked by an overwhelming popular condemnation. HEamsT is a political adventurer who having inherited a vast fortune and ao: quired a large sesortment of absurd ambi- tions, has been trying to buy his way into pablio office of some kind. Sinoe his defeas for mayor he bas succeeded in buying the nomination for Governor of New York from the leaders of the TAMMANY society, with the result that there is a Republican Gov- ernor in that State now while all she other elective officers are Democrats. Io the con- test for mayor he squandered nearly a han: dred thousand dollars in an attempt to de- bauch the voters and his campaiga for Gov- ernor cost him double that amoaut. Wher- ever he has operated he bas left a tail of corruption to mark his sinuoas and sinister way, and made political office a purchasable commodity. Like all others of bis kind he ought to be execrated by public opinion and it is to be hoped that the result of his contest of mayor MoCELLAN'S seat will have that result. The Comnspirators Acquitted. As seemed to us likely a week ago, the second trial of she capitol graft conspira- tors resulted in their acquittal on Sator- day morning last. The evidence of their culpability was strong. The overcharges were made plain, the mismeasurements olearly proved. But the court held that so far as the State officials were concerned, there was no conspiracy for the reason that is was their deputies who acted, and the jury, not unreasonably, concluded that if the architect and contractor didn’t conspire with the officials, they didn’t conspire with anybody. It was a palpable miscar- riage of justice but precisely what was to be expected. There are several years of “good stealing’’ in Pennsylvania yet. There are other graft cases to try hut they may as well be abandoned. The conviction of the first group, early in the year, was a mistake, the result of what mighs be called a moral hysteria. The ma- chine was scared into a etate of panic. The hosses imagined that a wave of oivic right. eousness was sweeping over the Common- wealth. But before the second trial began this illusion was dispelled. The result of the election last fall, when she people literally canonized orime, inspired the confidence which was expressed in the acquittal of CASSELL and his associate con- spiratore last week. There wiil be no farther signs of timidity. The machine will resume business ‘‘at the old stand.” The frauds perpetrated by these preda- tory politicians cost the people of Penn- sylvania something like ten millions of dollars. They were expensive and demor- alizing bat they were the logic of events. The QUAY precepts were fulfilled in those iniquities and the QUAY monument ie a fis memorial of their achievement. SANDER: s0N and his associates in the first rial have not been punished yet and probably never will be. They are no more guilty than Cassgry and HusToN and their turpitude is less than that of PENNYPACKER. In view of these facts there ought to bea judicial review of their trial and their srinmphant acquittal be celebrated by the unoveiling of the $20,000 statue of Senator Quay. ——Children’s day services were held in the Methodist, Presbyterian, Reformed and United Brethren churches and at each place exceedingly interesting programs were given. The decorations were quite elaborate and appropriate. In addition to the Children’s day services Flag Day was also celebrated in most of the oburohes. From the Lancaster Intelligencer. The state capitol acquittals are received by guy great with a degree calmpess which may not mean indiffer- ence, but hardly suggests a fis degree of on. price. In the same breath we find it reasserted, with a variety of phrase and but a unanimity w argues a well estab- lished impression shat the assertion is the voice of the people forcing itself to be heard through the prem; that the Pennayl- vania state capitol building is a monument to one of the moat scandalous of oconspi- racies to defrand a le. From a legal point of view, there may be po paradox about this, bat it is as plain as a pike-staff that the vailing popular or pitiful feebleness. There will be plenty to say that this miscarriage of justice would not have bappeved if the elections bad gone dif- ferently last November. Wilf there be as many to remember this when Shey are once more called upon to exercise duties of citizenship as sacred as any official duty ? LT ———————_ A New Kentucky Condition. From the Johnstown Democrat. Politicians are wondering what may he the possible political effect of the pardou by Gov. Willson of Caleb Powers How- ard, who were twice convicted of complicity in the murder of Gov. Goebel. There is no doubs that Goebel was murdered, there has been no question that the shot was fired from the office of Powers, who was at that time secretary of state. It is equally admitted shat the whole power of the state administration at that time was exerted to shield the murderer whoever he might bave been, and that the then governor has ever since been a fugitive from justice protected hy successive Republican governors of Indiana. It appears that with the accession of a Republican administration in Ken- tucky nobody is to be punished. Among Republican politicians outside of Kentucky there is a general apprehension that tue ac- tion of Gov. Wilson will have a decided effect in throwing the state back into Demo- oratio control. *‘It means,” said one New England Republican, “that the Republican party in Kentucky is willing to recognize assassination as a legitimate political expe- dient. I notice also thai in his message of pardon the governor made no reference fo the pardon granted by Gov. Taylor dated in advance of the crime and in possession of Powers when be was arrested.” Desperate Conditions. From the Lock Haven Democrat. In the army the pull is wightier than the sword by ail odds. Itis no wonder that conditions in the military service, as described by obairman Hall, of the house military committee, are ‘‘desperate.’’ Mr. Hull's son was made a major and soou afterwards liententant-colovel in violation of the rule of promotion by sen- jority and merit. The son-in-law of Seoator Warten, chairman of the senate military committee, was promoted from the rank of captain to that of brigadier-general av one bound, in violation of she same rule. General Wood, for being a obum of the president, was raised from the rank of colonel to that of major-general. Political pil and personal favoritism bave filled the igher ranks of the army with incom- petents ; and this has disgusted the trained officers who have been kept down by that vicious policy. Isis now p to conciliate those professional military men by raising their pay ; or in other words, by bribery. But the panic hronght on by the extravacance aud vicious tariff an financial legislation of the Republicans is likely to make the brib- scheme impossible, and many young oor will abandon the army for civil life. The private soldiers are already deserting by scores. That Tariff Plank. From the Pittsburg Post. You can not note all the joints in thas tariff plank in one day and certainly not in one column. Instead of justifying a tariff because revenue is needed, profit is brazen- ly stated as the incentive. Supply aod de- mand and other venerable laws of trade shall not operate, but a tariff supplant them to e profit. The maximam and minimum scheme is to work ‘‘auto- matically.” The big stick is to be sos- pended in full sight of fureijfo pations and their friendship, the germ of commerce, he thus ER The ** ¢ high stand. ard of living’’ must be maintained. Bee! the protected trust way up the standar like a weight on astrength tester at county fair, stuck. Tobacco aud singled out as exceptions to freedom trade with the Philippives. And yet there ie a plank about trust busting. ——Notwithstanding the dull times which bave prevailed for some time the Katthaus fire brick company bas been in continuous operation and been able to dis- pose of their entire output. This company bas just opened several new beds of super- jor olay and are now better equipped than ever to make the best briok possible. They bave also opened several new coal mines whioh it is estimated will yield from eigt- teen $0 twenty million tons of coal. This will also be mined and put on the market. 1 ~The tag method for securing contribu- tions for the city hospital, was practiced in Williamsport last Wednesday, snd the total amount secured from those who were tagged was about $1,400. ~The Pennsylvania Funeral Directors’ as- sociation which held its annual convention at Uniontown last week, increased its mem- bership 150 during the year and its members vow number nearly 1,000. —8. Simeox, general manager for the New York and Pennsylvania Paper Wood Co., has ten thousand cords of paper wood cut and ready to be conveyed to the cars for ship~ ment on bis laud a few miles east of Philips- burg. —Arraugements have been completed whereby the Tidewater Pipe Line company will ask for bids for the construction of a 550-mile line of pipe which will extend from Bradford to Robinson, Ill. Between} $2,000,~ 000 and $3,000,000 will be speut. —Among the articles auctioned off by the Adams Express company at Altoona last Sat. urday waé a suit case which sold for thirty~ five cents. When the purchaser opened it he found a full set of burglsr's tools and in the bottom wrapped in a piece of dirty paper $125 in cash. —Charley, a young son of James White, of Philipsburg, is at the Cottage hospital with » fractured skull and is in a very serious con- dition, the result of having been hit with a baseball bat which accidentally slipped out of the hands of James Nixon during sn exhi- bition game on Friday afternoon. —Last Wednesday evening Joseph Wiser of Knox township, Clearfield county, killed a grey eagle on the farm of David Patterson. The bird measured seven feet from tip to tip and weighed nine pounds. It had been kill- ing and carrying off a lot of chickens and lambs from the farners in that vicinity. —William H. Hauck has instituted an ac- tion in trespass at Bloomsburg, against the Pennsylvania railroad for $10,000 damages. The action is one for fire damages, it being alleged by the plaintiff that34s5 acres of tim= ber land were burned over by a fire started by coals from defendant's enginelon April 4th, 1908. —~DuBois is getting a new industry, & plant for the manufacture of cement blocks for building purposes aud paving and also for all kinds of cement ornamentsjfor build = ings, cemeteries, lawns, artificial stone troughs, posts, ste. A baildinglfor the plant 55 hy 100 feet, two stories high, is in course of erection. —The costs in the capitol contract trial wil be borne by the commonwealth, not by James T. Walters, the prosecutor, and the bail of all defendants in the capitol cases will be respited until next fall when additional eases will be called for trial. The metallic cases which served as exhibits were removed from the court house to the capitol. —The Logan Iron and Steel company at Burnham, Mifflin county, resumed at their plant on Monday afternoon to run on full time, giving employment to several hundred ‘men who have been idle for the past three months. The Logan company’s return to activity will be a boon to Lewistown and surrounding community which have been held tight in the grasp of the general finan. cial depression. —The authorities around Huntingdon, but not particularly in the borough, have been receiving information from reliable sources that some automobilists around that section of the State are using false numbers on their machines and thegmatter is being investigat- ed by the proper authorities. The penalty for violation of this act deprives the offender of the use of his machine for a period of six months and he is also subject to a fine. —The State Dairy and Food division states that its receipts from eleo licenses so far have amounted to $32,209.27, the nomber issued being 287, of which 269 are retail. A gratifying announcement in connection with this statement is that 290 samples of butter examined and 231 were found pure, 80 of 83 food samples found pure, 27 of 35 vinegar samples found pure, und xl of 13 milk sam- ples. This indicates compliance with the law. —On Thursday evening just one wminnte hefore he was to quit work for the day, Martin Lukich, un employee of the Booth and Flvun company at the Blue Rock quar ries, near Latrobe, tripped on a piece of stone ut the top of the quarry and fell over the edge, his body flving through thirty feat of space und landing in a heap on the jagged rocks below, cousiug his instant death, De- ceased has 8 wife aud children iu the old country. —Alex. Wallace, the veteran hunter and herder from Hublet's camp, was viciously attacked by a wild cat on Saturday afternoon about three o'clock, at the mouth of Stove run, Clearfield county, while fishing for trout. The cat made a leap for his face, but he dodged to one side and was only struck on one arm by the furious beast. As it was the animal tore out the left sleeve of his red flannel shirt and scratched long gashes in bis shoulder and arm. —Seveaal boys of Lock Haven while spending the day in the woods near Ferney on Thursday came upon a rattlesnake coiled beside a log. They were instantly imbued with a desire to capture it alive and become snake charmers. With a forked stick they proceeded cautiously and just as Donald Yealey went to catch it so a string could be placed about its neck the reptile sank its poisonous fangs into the left thumb. His condition is quite critical, his hand and arm being greatly swollen and the flesh is much discolored. —When the people of Lewistown arose Thursday morning they found that the trees surrounding the public square bad all been chopped down. Although diligent inquiry has been made, the identity of the tree chop: per remains a mystery, the axe wielder hav. ing carefully covered the trail. Asa result, neighbor is looking suspiciously at neighbor, and nearly everyone there is busy framing up an alibi. Two years ago, when the sol- diers and sailors monument was placed in the park, the city authorities planted trees around the shaft their action was severely criticised at the time, as it was asserted that the trees would hide the monument from view. It is believed that one of the old ob- Jectors, and there were many of them, dia the chopping.