—Good Republicans are beginning to
wonder whether TAPT or their party is
the elephant they seem to have on their
hands. !
—When the Emperor of Germany and |
Col. ROOSEVELT meet there will certainly
be an union of twins in every characteris-
tic except looks.
—An early spring is not necessarily
fraught with everything to be desired. It
brings us flies, mosquitoes and snakes
that much sooner.
—Aeronauts have been doing some
high and lofty tumbling in Germany dur- !
ing the week. In most of the cases it
was their last act also.
—If something doesn’t happen soon to
carry TEDDY out of the limelight we fear
his admirers will be harping for TAFT'S
abdication by the time he gets home.
—Senator BEVERIDGE put the Washing-
ton situation up to his “home folks” in
Indiana Tuesday and the result was any-
thing but reassuring for the stand-patters.
~The result of Tuesday's election in
many towns and cities of Illinois was a
victory for the “wets.” Most of the larg-
er places voted old King Booze back into
power.
~The man whose needs are the great-
estis the one whose return for his labor is
least. The common laborer is the real suf-
erer when high prices put most of the nec
essaries beyond his reach.
—Pittsburg’s local government is now
administered in the newest and tallest
skyscraper in that city. From our view
point things governmental seemed pretty
much up in the air out there before.
—It is the irony of fate that after his
life long fight for three cent car fares in
Cleveland it should be shown that they
will pay in the very first year of the term
of the successor of ToM JOHNSON as may-
or.
—Under a recent decision of the Su-
preme court private cars on railroads are
subject to demurrage charges just the
same as any others. Inasmuch as we
don't have ours in commission any longer
we do not regard this ruling as a person-
al slap.
—Peru and Equador are fighting over
their boundaries and Uncle SAM is invit-
ed to intervene. He got his nose so bad-
ly nipped by poking it into that Nicara
guan affair that Senator KNox will proba
bly advise a little more conservatism in
this instance.
—Mr. ROOSEVELT'S declaration that
“after our interview,” meaning his meet-
ing with Forester PiNcHOT, "I shall have
nothing to say and I shall be surprised if
PINCHOT has,” makes it look like ascheme
for conservation of gab. A very desira
ble end to be accomplished for many rea-
sons.
—All honor to the women of Clifton
Heights, Pa. They surrounded a drunk-
en wife beater and after pounding the life
nearly out of him were about to finish
the job by throwing him into the creek
when a policeman rescued him. If there
were more women with gumption like
this there would be fewer half starved,
half naked children in the land.
—If the Hon. THEODORE ROOSEVELT |
didn't care to have an audience with the
Pope under certain conditions; that was
his business. If the Pope didn't care to
give the Hon. THEODORE ROOSEVELT an
audience except under certain conditions;
that was the Pope's business. Irrespect-
ive of what any of its creatures might
say or do the business of the church of
God is saving souls. Why mzke a moun-
tain out of a mole hill ?
—The two Atlanta, Ga., deacons who
advertised that they would pull off a prize
fight in the pulpit of their church say
they did so merely to draw a crowd.
Their pastor has resigned as a result of
the rather startling episode and we would
have done the same thing under the cir-
cumstances. It would be rather humil-
iating for a minister of the gospel to real-
ize that people could be enticed to his
church only by false pretense.
—The movement, just inaugurated, of
the Chicago and Northwestern railroad
to curtail wherever possible its Sunday
work in order that the employees may
have the day of rest for themselves will
be watched with interest. Modern in-
dustrial development has been along lines
that presume one day of the week to be
the same as another so that this, the first
attempt of a great corporation to work
back to a real Sabbath observance, is a
step that we hope will prove so satisfac
tory that others will follow.
—The presence in town during the week
of an emissary of the Hon. LEw EMERY,
of Bradford, and of Mr. CHARLES PATTON,
of Curwensville, in person, makes it look
as though Centre is regarded as good
fighting ground by the gentlemen who are
after the seat in Congress now kept warm
by the statesman from Sinnamahoning.
There are likely to be big doings in this
particular campaign and already a few of
the little dogs in the political ten yard
over here scent thebar’l. PATTON, EMERY
and BARCLAY are all rich, but of the trio
the two first named are likely to be the
more readily separated from part of theirs.
It is a fair guess that the latter would
rather give up Congress than much
“dough” so those who are after it can be
guided accordingly.
STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION.
VOL. 55.
Malady Without Remedy.
Nearly two months ago Senator ALD-
RICH, the Republican leader in Congress,
announced thatthe government costs
$300,000,000 a year more than necessary
for a wise administration. He failed to
indicate the sourceof the waste but left it
to conjecture. The multiplication of
offices, the needless increase of the navy,
the useless coast defences and the ex-
travagance in the executive departments,
all contribute to the result. In fact there
is a perennial orgie of profligacy in Wash-
ington, for which the Republican party is
responsible and from which the people
suffer. Nobody knows this better than
Senator ALDRICH and in referring to it
{on the floor of the Senate he performed a
public service.
| But what's the use of diagnosing a|ed.
| malady without suggesting a remedy? Of
| what use is it to point out an evil unless
a cure can be proposed? Ever since Sena-
tor ALDRICH made his statement we have
been patiently waiting for a word from
him that would indicate his purpose to
introduce the business methods to which
he referred. But not a sound has come
from his lips. The profligacy goes on
without interruption or even further pro-
test. In fact the signs point to greater
expenditures. Instead of one new battle-
ship of the largest type and most expen-
sive pattern, the administration demands
two of a still greater capacity and ex-
pense. Besides the multiplication of of-
fices continues.
Does Senator ALDRICH imagine that the
| people are fools that they can be thus im-
posed upon? When the billion dollar
| mark was first reached in the matter of
appropriations, ToM REED, then Speaker
of the House of Representatives, declared
that we have a billion dollar country and
! the people, flattered by the boast, let it
go at that. But ALDRICH’S statement puts
a different face on the affair. He plainly
tells us that whatever kind of country we
have we are wasting the money of the
people at the rate of nearly a million dol-
"lars a day and then fails to take steps to-
| ward checking the robbery. This is a
, crime against the public and the party in
| power is responsible for it.
—w-W. HARRISON WALKER Esq, who
recently announced himself as a candi-
date for the Democratic nomination for
Congress in this district, this week with-
drew his name and will not make the run.
His reason for so doing is that his large
and increasing practice demands his en-
tire attention and he considers it best to
devote all his time to it in preference to
making the run for Congress. Mr. WALKER
was the Democratic candidate two years
ago against Mr. BARCLAY and made a
good run, but the odds in this district are
; so overwhelmingly in favor of the Repub-
licans that he was defeated. Did he elect
to stay in the race this year he could like-
ly have the nomination without opposi-
tion but he feels that it would be detri-
mental to his business and professional
interests to do so, hence his withdrawal.
Taft Favors a Grafter.
! In a few days there will be a special
| congressional election in the Thirty-second
district of New York to fill the vacancy
caused by the death of Representative
PERKINS. Both parties have candidates
in the field and the Republicans will ex-
haust all their available resources to carry
the district. They want no more tidal
waves like that which occurred in Massa-
chusetts a few days ago when a change
of 20,000 votes was revealed. That re-
sult repeated in New York would spread
paralysis in the party throughout the en-
tire country.
If the Republican candidate is not de-
feated in this coming electior, however,
the result will be an aspersion upon the
character of the people. The Republican
candidate is GEORGE W. ALDRIDGE, of
Monroe county, formerly a conspicuous
figure in the Legislature of the State and
in the lobby at Albany. A few days ago,
during the pending investigation of in-
surance frauds and the bribery of legis-
lators in connection with insurance Legis-
lation, one of the witnesses testified that
he had paid Mr. ALDRIDGE $1000 for his
vote and influence on a bill. ALDRIDGE
admits the transaction but declares that
the money was used for political pur-
poses.
The day that the witness was testifying
as to the culpability of ALDRIDGE Presi-
dent TAFT was in conference with that
gentleman and was probably arranging to
bring him into the field as the candidate
of his party for Congress. TAFT unques-
tionably knew the character of the man
he was thus inviting into a larger field of
political activity. His venality was notori-
ous about Albany. But the President
doesn’t mind such things in his own party.
He is himself a grafter as is proved by
his acceptance of an emolument contrary
| to the constitution and he favors ALD-
| RIDGE because he is popular as well as
| corrupt.
BELLEFONTE, PA. APRIL 8, 1910.
Taft’s Nerves Affected.
Recent political troubles appear to
have got onto President TAPT'S nerves.
Since the congressional election in Mas-
sachusetts he has changed his mind
again on the tariff question. Two days
before that event he made a speech in
Rhode Island in which he re-expressed
the opinion that the PAYNE-ALDRICH tar-
iff bill is the best piece of tariff legisla-
tion ever enacted into law. A few days
later he sent a special message to Con-
gress asking for an appropriation for the
purpose of further investigation of the
question. In this message he quotes
tariff revision downward and plainly inti-
mates that if the people are :
with the present lawit ought to be chang-
In November, 1908, the Republican can-
didate for Congress in the Fourteenth
district of Massachusetts had 14,000 ma:
jority. In the election of ten days ago
the Democratic candidate had a majority
of 6,000, a difference of 20,000. The same
ratio of change in Pennsylvania would
give a unanimously Democratic delega-
tion in the next Congress. Last fall Mr.
Munson, Democratic candidate for Jus-
tice of the Supreme court, carried nine
congressional districts at present repre-
sented by Republicans, and the malign
influences of the tariff had not then re-
vealed themselves.
We do not expect togain nine Congress-
men in this State this year but we have
more than an even chance to gain six or
seven and there is a possibility of gain-
ing ten. Last fall the Democrats failed
to take advantage of their opportunities
in Pennsylvania. Our entire State tick-
ticket ought to have been elected and if
that had been the result of the vote there
would have been an exodus of Republi-
can politicians unprecedented in the his-
tory of politics. The grafting in Pitts.
burg is nothing to what*has been
in the State government of other cities.
Next fall there will be a better under-
standing among the voters and we shall
be surprised if the result is not vastly
different.
—Nine times out of ten the first stgo a
man takes on the road to dishonesty is
when he finds himseif unable to pay a
bill that he expected and wanted to pay
when he contracted it. Sickness, loss of
work, a thousand reasons there are for his
getting behind so far that the thought of
catching up is hopelessand take hope out
of life and there is nothing left of it.
Mr. Carnegie’s Mental Distress.
Mr. ANDREW CARNEGIE’S heart bleeds
we are told on account of the graft revela-
tions in Pittsburg. The “Smoky City” is
beloved of the Laird of Skibo and it
breaks his heart to hear that any of the
people there have been doing anything
wrong and been discovered. Mr. CAR-
NEGIE may have had suspicions, in the
past, that all was not exactly right in the
municipal affairs of Pittsburg. He didn't
mind it so much,however, while the facts
were kept “under the rose.” But he can't
endure the shame of exposure. The odium
of being found out is simply intolerable
to his reason. It indicates a mental as
well as a moral slovenliness which is most
reprehensible.
There is no occasion, however, for Mr.
CARNEGIE to go into “conniption fits” on
account of the turpitude of the public life
of his cherished Pittsburg. The differ-
ence between legal and illegal grafting is
not so great that it should disturb a con-
the most exciting conditions. It is true
that the legal grafter isn't liable to prose-
cution and punishment and is free from
the danger of forced restitution. But
morally one is as bad as the other and
the grafting processes which have made
ANDREW CARNEGIE “rich beyond the
dreams of avarice,” are quite as repre-
hensihle as those which simply made fools
of some of the Pittsburg councilmen.
Mr. CARNEGIE is now and has been for
years the beneficiary of a system of ex-
tortion which has spread desolation among
the poor while it was multiplying his
wealth with such rapidity that he has
been unable to dispose of it. Moreover
he has always been a supporter of poli-
cies which rob the poor to fatten the
rich. Special privilege is the father of
| graft as tariff is the mother of trusts and
ANDREW CARNEGIE is the insatiate search-
er after both. His pretended grief over
the exposures in Pittsburg does him
no credit. Long ago he set the present
day cheap grafters the pace which they
were unable to follow, however willing,
and the exposure is the inevitable result
of their weakness.
—LESLIE M. SHaw, formerly Secre-
tary of the Treasury, is the latest recruit
to the army of jingoes. He is reported
as saying that “Japan purposes to domi-
nate the Pacific or make it run red.”
RicHARD PiErsoN HoBsoN could hardly
do better than that.
The Logic of Two Incidents.
who made the charges upon which Sena-
tor ALLDS was convicted of boodling, has
been forced to resign his seat. ALLDS
was the Republican leader of the New
York Senate and some years ago demand-
ed a money consideration for supporting |
CoNGER was concerned. When he
came a candidate for the office
be-
That he made good is proved by the
practically unaimous vote of the Senate
condemning ALLDps. But it didn't do
only in Albany but elsewhere. At first
he imagined that it was on account of a
misunderstanding of the facts and believ-
ed that in the course of a few days his
service in the cause of political morality
and official integrity would be appreciat-
ed. But this expectation was disappoint-
ed. The antipathy to him increased un-
til finally he determined to resign. He
discovered that an attempt was to be
made to expel him.
NO. 14.
Reaping the Whirlwind.
i When the Republican party last year
: its tariff promise to the ear only,
a result which the
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Three years ago Congressman LILLY, | put us.
of Connecticut, asserted on the floor of
the House of Representatives in Washing-
ton that the builders of submarine boats
had attempted to corruptly influence
Congress to buy that type of naval equip-
ment. An investigation was ordered but
instead of directing the inquiry toward
the ascertainment of the facts an at-
tempt was made to discredit LiLLy. Both
he and his wife were shadowed by detec-
tives employed by the government and in
the end he was able to escape expulsion
only by a dangerous illness which ulti-
mately cost him his life. These cases
taken together prove that it is more dan-
gerous to expose crime than participate | T:
in it while the Republican party is in
power.
—J. W. CHASE, of Clearfield, spent
several days in Bellefonte the latter part
of last week in the interest of Lewis
EMERY Jr's. candidacy for Congress. His
particular work at this time was securing
a list of the Republican voters in the
county and it doubtless would be quite
interesting to know just how he classed
some of them.
Pinchot and Ballinger.
We are all interested in the controver-
sy between Secretary BALLINGER, of the
Interior Department, and GIFFORD PIN-
CHOT, former Forester in the Department,
It is a bitter quarrel and it, involves more
than appears on the surface. Mr. PIN-
CHOT is contending for the ROOSEVELT
policies, right or wrong, and has prac-
tically proved that BALLINGER is an un-
worthy public servant. He has betrayed
the interests of the government in order
to promote those of the land pirates who
have been preying upon the public
domain for years. If that were the only
issue involved, therefore, all good citizens
would be in sympathy with the dismissed
Forester, necessarily.
But PINCHOT is contending for lawless-
ness and his quarrel with BALLINGER was
not because of the recreancy he has since
exposed. During the administration of
and Forester conceived a scheme of what
they called “conserving the resources of
the government,” without respect to and
in actual violation of the law. Mr. BAL-
LINGER, who is a lawyer, refused to pur-
sue this course. He protested that he
was in favor of conservation but insisted
that it be conducted within the law. In
that he was fundamentally and practical-
ly right. It is as much a crime against
the government to usurp power as itis
to cheat in some other way.
If the issue of the controversy, there-
fore, happens to be that BALLINGER will
be denounced and driven out of the serv-
ice on one hand and the usurpations of
the ROOSEVELT administration will be re-
buked and condemned on the other, the
proceedings which are now occupying the
attention of Congress will be worth while.
Of course BALLINGER is impossible. He
has acted as an agent for land pirates
striving to despoil the government and
ought to be prosecuted and punished in
the criminal courts. But PINCHOT is
equally reprehensible. He set an example
which can have no other effect than create
popular contempt for law and dishonesty
can be no worse than that.
—Senator GORDON, of Mississippi,
didn’t serve long in the Senate but his
going will create a void, just the same.
——Subscribe for the WATCHMAN.
SL
Although our friends have
been a great deal of capital out
of the fact that minimum tariff rates
B=
g
—Sixteen ont of thirty-one cattle owned by A. A.
were slaughtered by the State recently because
they were victims of tuberculosis.
~The open season for shooting wild fow! will
close in this State next Saturday. Reports re-
ceived by the state game commission indicate that
the season has not been very good.
by Attorney Storey that the sum in question is es,
timated to amount to upwards of $20,000.
—Ebensburg, in spite of the fact that it has no
policeman at the present time, intends to make
autos keep from speeding at a greater rate than
the prescribed limit. A three-cell steel cage has
been ordered by council for the new municipal
building.
—C. E. Reisinger, of Howe township, Perry
county, not long ago sold four of the finest pigs
that have been raised in that section for some
time. Their age was 8 months and their total
weight 1,178 pounds. The owner received 12
cents a pound for them, a total of $141.36.
~Harry Green, who had been imprisoned in
the Clearfield county jail on the charge of forg-
ery, was taken before the court and admitted his
guilt. He was sentenced to the western peniten-
tiary for not less than two years and a half and
not more than six years, and has been taken to
the Pittsburg institution.
Harrisburg. The capital is $30,000 and the incor-
porators are John Lochrie and Hugh Adams, of
Windber, and Charles Bond, of Beaverdale. The
concern will engage in mining and the selling of
the by-products of the coal industry.
—The ruins of the First Methodist Episcopal
« | church at Huntingdon are being torn down. This
building is one of those destroyed in the recent
fires and the tottering walls and turret have been
blown up with dynamite. Soon only a hole will
remain where once stood the beautiful building.
Plans are already under way for rebuilding.
~John T. McClure, of Lancaster, a Pennsyiva-
nia railroad flagman, received leave of absence
Wednesday, to begin at the end of his run, so that
he could visit his aged mother, whom he had not
seen for a long time. Within half an hour of the
end of his trip he fell from his train. Both of his
legs were cut off and he died from his injuries.
—Not later than the middle of June will the
Duncannon iron works be put into at least partial
. | operation, according to the plans of the new own-
ers, a group of Lebanon iron and steel men head-
ed by Harry H. Light, president of the Lebanon
Valley Iron & Steel company, The plant was
sold at private receiver's sale to the new owners
several weeks ago.
—Franklin hus become a city of the third class.
Attorney Robert E. Glenn, the first Democrat to
hold the office in more than fifteen years, is the
new mayor. He was elected on the fusion ticket.
Both councils are Republican. The mayor's sal-
ary has been increased from $1 to $300; the con-
troller, who is clerk of councils also, will receive
$1,600 and the treasurer about $2,200.
Clement's successor, and whether it is just possi-
be the wmasitle may fall pon Col, HS. Taylor. of
employed in this industry at present, but it is
hoped to increase the output of the plant unti
300 are given work.
—State College's school of mines is growing rap-
idly. A 1,000-pound cyanide plant and ten tons of
gold ore are recent acquisitions to its equipment,
and it has the finest museum in the United States.
The school of mines and metallurgy is now in the
seventeenth year of its existence. It was estab-
lished in 1893 and was reorganized in 1908, when
two new courses were offered, Inading to degrees
of bachelor of arts in mining engineering and
metallurgical engineering.
—Tuberculosis Sunday’ will be observed on
April 24th in this State. It was started in Phila-
delphia and has come to be country wide. The
co-operation of labor unions and fraternal organi-
zations is sought to make the day notable. Al-
ready 215,000 of the 330,000 churches of the coun-
try have signified their intention to observe the
day. Sermons will be preached and printed mat"
ter will be distributed. Ministers may secure lit-
erature from state and local organizations and
boards of health.
—Sunbury will be the scene of a big gathering
- | of representatives of the laymen of the Reformed
churches in Schuylkill, Lebanon, Dauphin, North-
be present at this, the first district laymen’s con-
vention. A strong program of speakers interest.
ed in the Reformed and other churches has been
prepared.
—The forestry department of the State will
make a systematic inspection of Pennsylvania
trees for chestnut blight in an endeavor to stop
the ravages of the disease. The inspection of the
counties west of the Susquehanna river will start
before the end of the week. Deputy commission-
er S. I. C. Williams, has been placed in charge of
ths work and every county in Pennsylvania that
can be reached to advantage will be included in
the inspection. Hundreds of acres of chestnut
trees have been planted in the State in the past
few years.
I