—No amount of ice and snow is able to
keep new candidates from springing up
in the political fields.
—The idea of the Democrats in the
Legislature fighting is almost as ridiculous
as some of those Central American revo-
lutions.
—If that nine million dollar chewing
gum trust goes through it won't be the
gum chewers who chew the rag most
about it.
—Congress, Legislature and Governor
all belong to PENROSE now. He owns the
government of Pennsylvania, root, stump
and branch.
—If your New Year is not freighted
with good health, good cheer, good deeds
and good business it is not because we
have failed to wish it were so,
—1910 went out claiming a fearful tol]
from the aviation army. HoOxeYy and
MOoOISANT both met death by falls from
the clouds on thelast day of the old year.
—The Legislature is in session and any
old law can find its way into the statute
books through the log-rolling practices
that centre around the appropriation
bills.
—The fellow who thought Tuesday
broke the back-bone of winter hasn't
thawed out enough since yesterday morn-
ing to realize that “them that wait long-
est see most.”
—Again Mr. OLIVER is directed to fil}
the seat in the United States Senate that
should be occupied by a representative for
Pennsylvania. Boss PENROSE wished it
so and that's what his being boss means
to the bossed.
—So little is heard of turning over “a
new leaf” now-a-days that one who didn’t
know better might be led to believe that
the world is getting so good that it is no
longer necessary to do any of that old-
time New Years day swearing off.
—That Michigan man who has dis-
covered a chemical process whereby he
can make a three dollar violin sound like
one worth three hundred would have
pleased the public more had he discov-
eted a way of having a three hundred
dollar artist perform on one at the rate
of three dollars.
—Ohio may hold onto her claim to
being the “mother of Presidents,” but
viewed in the light of those Adams coun-
ty revelations, it would appear that the
old lady has been so busy landing a few
of her sons in the White House that she
lost sight of the fact that many of them
were growing up to be damned rascals.
—The new multiplex telephone involves
no material changes in the installation of
the old systems yet three or more con-
versations may be carried on over the
same line at the same time. Won't that
be a boon to some of the subscribers on
rural lines who have to wait for hours,
sometimes, before they can get to use
their own phones.
—The deaths of Gen. JOHN I. CURTIN,
JouN I. OLEWINE and SAMUEL RINE, all so
sudden, and within the Holiday season,
proved a tripleloss of no small moment
to Bellefonte. It would be hard to name
a trio of men better known in their re-
spective spheres than were the three who
slipped out so suddenly that we scarcely
realize that they are gone.
—The WATCHMAN feels particularly
gratified over the fact that Hon. J. C
MEYER was picked by his Democratic
colleagues in the Legislature as their
choice for Speaker of the House. Grati-
fied, because we have always advocated
the policy of having Centre county ably
represented at Harrisburg and gratified
because the Democratic Members from
other counties have thus acknowledged
the eminent qualifications of our present
Representative.
—Secretary of Agriculture WILSON has
doped it out that the telephone is respon-
sible for the high cost of living. While
good judgment prevents our going the
whole way with him we do agree with
the gentleman in the belief that it is part
of the cause. The telephone puts producers
everywhere in constant communication
so that almost at a moments’ notice they
can fix prices to suit themselves. We do
know that the rural lines in Centre coun-
ty have had this effect on the products of
the farm and garden. Before the tele-
phones ramified the country districts
produce was taken to the markets and the
prices fixed there. Now the growers
communicate before going to the market
and decline to go unless their price is
offered.
—According to the decision of Park
Commissioner STOVER, of New York city, | }
a cow is tobe added to the Central park
menagerie so that thousands of children
who have never seen one may have op-
portunity to see where the milk supply of
the land comes from. It borders on the
pathetic to think there are children who
have never seen a cow, but if the news
item in Monday's papers was inspired it
would seem that Commissioner STOVER
has devoted far too much of his time to
park matters and not enough to the
faunal world. It would have you believe
that he is going to select a Jersey cow
for the menagerie because “Jerseys yield
milk twice a day.” Up here in the coun-
try where cows once were as common as
dogs on the streets of the town we never
heard of a cow you couldn't milk twice a
.
lina ten,
VOL. 56.
The Congressional Apportoinment.
The present Congressional apportion-
ment was enacted during the last session
of the Fifty-sixth Congress, was approv-
ed by President WiLLIAM MCKINLEY Jan.
uary 16, 1901, and fixed the number of
Representatives in the House at 386, with
a provision that "whenever a new State
is admitted to the Union, the representa
tive or- representatives assigned to it
shall be in addition to the number.” New
States have since been admitted to the |
Union sufficiently to increase the mem- tive chambers. There was no trouble in
bership of the present House to 391, not the operation. The machinery work-
including delegates. The population, ac- | ed smoothly, all obstructions had been
cording to the census of 1900 was 75,303,- | removed and there wasn't even a hitch
387,s0 that the ratio was about 194, in the proceedings. Boss PENROSE was
| personally in attendance overseeing the
In order to prevent the increase of the | work.
membership of the House of Representa- |
tives, under the impending apportion. |
ment, to a total that would be cumber- | Out of a total membership of 207 in the
some, the probabilities are that the ratio | House 161 are Republicans. But the
516.
will be raised to 225,000. At the present
ratio the membership would be increased
to about 480. The proposed ratio would
make the membership about 396, an in-
crease of five. There are not likely to
be any new States admitted to the Union
within the period to be covered by the
census just completed. Alaska, Hawaii
and Porto Pico compose the only avail-
able territy for use in making new States,
unless in the improbable event of the an-
nexation of Cuba, and it is not at all
likely that either of these “possessions”
will be converted into States.
Under the new apportionment, likely to
be made during the present session, there-
fore, representation of the several States
will be about as follows: Alabama nine,
Arizona one, Arkansas seven, California
ten, Colorado three, Connecticut five,
Delaware one, Florida three, Georgia
ejeven, Idaho one, Illinois twenty-five, In-
diana twelve, Jowa ten, Kansas eight,
Kentucky ten, Louisiana seven, Maine
three, Maryland six, Massachusetts fif-
teen, Michigan twelve, Minnesota nine,
Mississippi eight, Missouri fifteen, Mon-
tana one, Nebraska five, Nevada one, New
Hampshire two, New Jersey eleven, New
Mexico one, New York forty, North Caro"
th Dakota two, Ohie twenty-
one, a seven, Onegon three
Pennsylvania thirty-four, Rhode Island
two, South Carolina seven, South Dakota
two, Tennessee nine, Texas seventeen, |
Utah one, Vermont one, Virginia nine,
Washington five, Wisconsin ten and Wy-
oming one.
There will be gains in representation
in seven States and losses in eight. The
gains will be—in California two, New
York three, Oklahoma two, Pennsylvania
two, Texas one and Washington two,
making a total of fourteen. The States
which will lose are Iowa two, Kentucky
one, Maine one, Missouri one, Vermont
one, Virginia one and Wisconsin one, ag-
gregate nine, leaving a net gain of five.
Of the gains seven are in the Western
States and seven in Eastern States, while.
eleven are in normally Republican States
and three in normally Democratic States.
Of the States which will lose in represen-
tation five are in the West or near—West
and three in the East, while five are
normally Republican States and three
normally Democratic States.
Of course there will be more or less
trouble in making this apportionment for
the reason that the States which stand to
lose in Representatives will contend for
such a ratio as will avert that. But any
apportionment that would achieve that
result would increase the membership
vastly and militate against deliberate and
expeditious legislation. In the Congress
the eight States which stand to lose in
representation have seventy-one Repre-
sentatives out of 391. Therefore if the
other States, in the interest of order and
celerity, should determine on the ratio
indicated, the opposition would be weak
and impotent.
——0Qur friends from Pleasant Gap, the
Mummers, gave us the go-by last year but
they made up for it last Saturday in the
large and excellent parade they made
through the towp in honor of the new
year. All told there were about one hun-
dred and fifty of them, seventy-six of
whom were ca horseback and the others
of the other features in the parade were
§
Organization of the Legislature.
The Legislature assembled on Tuesday
with the machine in absolute control and
Boss PENROSE, booted and spurred, in the
saddle. Before those who compose the
majority got a chance to get acquainted
with each other or had an opportunity to
exchange opinions on any subject,
GEORGE T. OLIVER, of Pittsburg, was nom-
inated for United States Senator, and
WiLLiam E. Crow and Joun F. Cox were
catapulted into the chairs of the legisla-
The present Legislature is anomalous in
some respects but it will be obedient.
meager minority is divided into groups.
The Democrats supported our own capa-
ble Representative, Hon. J. CALVIN MEY-
ER, for Speaker, while the Keystoners of
Democatic proclivities supported Hon.
JEROME T. AILMAN, of Juniata county,and
those of Republican antecedents voted
for ROBERT R. DEARDON, of Philadelphia. |
There was no reason for this division of
strength. If the adherents of the Key-
stone party had been sincere in their
professions of reform they would have
united in support of Mr. Meyer and thus
presented a solid front to the common
enemy.
Obviously, however, the mission of the
Keystone party is to perpetuate the Re-
publican machine and with this purpose
in view it seemed desirable to break the
opposition into fragments. It makes the
work of the machine easier of achieve-
ment, the opposition less potential. That
the Republican Keystoners should desire
this is not surprising. But that those
of them who profess to be Democrats
should lend themselves to such an en-
terprise is inexplicable from any view
point. But it has come to that if the
action at Ha means anything.
of the PENROSE | i
Charles P. Taft Again. |
In Adams county, Ohio, 1258 citizens
have been indicted for selling their votes
and the work goes bravely on. In each
case, with five exceptions, the court has
imposed a penalty of $10 fine, forfeiture
of the right of franchise for five years
and confinement in the county jail for
six months, with the jail service remitted
for good behaviour during the period. In
the excepted cases the jail sentence was
enforced for a special reason. No actions
have been taken against the bribers of
the voters thus far. It had been deemed
best to round up the professional vote
sellers first. This may be a good plan
but the wisdom of it remains to be seen.
Vote sellers and vote buyers are equally
guilty.
There is probably a substantial reason
for this differentiation, however. Some
time ago we referred to the fact that the
criminal prosecution of those responsible
for the Sugar trust frauds was called off
as soon as it was discovered that the
trail led up to the President's step-broth-
er, CHARLES P. TAFT. The investigation
of the purchase of the Panama canal
had been previously stopped when it was
discovered that this same Mr. TAFT and
the brother-in-law of Colonel ROOSEVELT |
were among the beneficiaries of the gi-
gantic swindle. The investigation of the
FRIAR lands frauds in the Philippines
was discontinued because CHARLES P.
‘TAFT was involved and the Ohio election
bribers are not prosecuted for some rea-
son.
Adams county, Ohio, has been notor-
ious for years as a cesspool of political
corruption. The people there have been
taught to believe that there is no harm
in buying and selling votes. ‘the Judge
who has been hearing the cases and im-
posing the penalties declared, the other
day, that “hundreds have taken the
money and boasted of the amounts they
received.” Now it has been discovered |
ly
that CHARLES P. TAFT is among those
responsible for this condition of affairs.
When his brother was a candidate for
President and he for United States Sena- |
—According to statistics compiled by
Col. HENRY DEMMING, geologist, of Har- |
risburg, the bituminous and anthracite |
coal beds of Pennsylvania will not be
for seventy-five years; if!
continue at the rate it was
“Collier's,” the so-called National Week-
ly, in its last issue perpetrates this: “Sup-
pose a man holds the following political
beliefs: 1. The tariff should be made gen-
erally lower than it is and not made by
the big trusts. 2. The National govern-
ment should have more power than it has
in certain matters, as, for instance, con-
servation of health and injuries done to
foreigners in the United States. 3. There
should be parcels post. 4. The currency
should be reformed, not with a central
bank, in the old sense, but with a much
more centralized control than at present.
Will somebody kindly tell us for our own
personal use and information, whether
this person would be a Democrat or Re-
publican.”
That's dead easy. He wouldn't be
either. He would be simply a “damphool.” |
If he were a Democrat he would favor | rado,
tariff for revenue and for no other pur-
pose and the big trusts would not make
tariff on those lines. If he were a Demo-
crat he couldn't desire more power for
the National government for it has ample
power now for all proper purposes. If
he were a Democrat he would necessarily
favor parcels post as a means of checking
the extortions of the Express trust. If he
were a Democrat he would be opposed to
a more centralized control of the cur-
rency than that which obtains under ex-
isting conditions. These are fundamental
Democratic principles. Democrats must
adhere to them.
On the other hand a Republican is
bound by the tenets of his party to favor
a tariff for protection and only the big
trusts take sufficient interest in it to give
it the necessary attention to produce re-
sults. As a Republican he would favor
the increase of the power of the National
government without restraint and he
would favor all the centralization of the
currency that Wall street might demand.
The principles of the parties are diamet-
rically opposite on these subjects and it
would be impossible for any man to split
up in the way suggested by our esteem-
ed contemporary. Of course a fool may
his views with every change of
“wind but he is neither Democrat nor
Republican.
Champ Clark’s Election Assured.
The decision of the Ohio Democrats in
the Sixty-second Congress to vote as a
unit for CHAMP CLARK for Speaker prob-
ably settles the question of the successer
to Speaker CANNON and it may be said
that it has been wisely settled. Mr.
CLARK is thoroughly equipped mentally
and temperamentally for the office and
he is absolutely sane and safe politically.
A Democrat of the best type he will con-
serve the interests of the party as well as
foster the interests of the country. His
election to the Speakership will be ac-
cepted by the public as a portent of good
intentions safely lodged in authority.
The certainty that CANNONism will dis-
appear with CANNON'S retirement from
the chair is also guaranteed by the elec-
tion of CHAMP CLARK to the Speaker-
ship. He has already expressed his desire
that the system of making assignments
to the committees shall be changed with
the change in the political complexion of
the body. It would not be just to say
that the system which has always ob-
tained in the past is responsible for the
abuses which have developed in recent | gold,
years. That system properly employed
might be as good as any other. But dur-
ing recent years it has been abused to
such an extent that it has become odious
and it is well that thereis to be a change.
Under the new order of things com-
mittee assignments will be made by elec-
tion and each member will have a voice
in the matter. It is not certain that the
fittest men will always be chosen under
this process for even among Congress-
men personal considerations are potent.
But it is sure that the perscnal and selfish
rule of the Speaker will be checked the
moment the power of making committees
according to his fancy is taken away.
Therein has been the fault of the old
method. But it began before CANNON
became Speaker. The late Speaker REED
was the original offender and the mistake
was in allowing him to get away with it.
——Rev. S.C. Stover began his fwork
the Reformed charge, Boalsburg, on
December first, 1910. Since that time he
bers of the charge have received their
pastor very kindly and have done every-
thing possible to make his welcome ‘a
cordial one. The stable on the parsonage
property was repaired and a stock of
corn, oats and hay placed therein for his
pee——
Senatorial Luxury.
From the Johnstown Democrat.
It cost the $2,012,374.52
tain the United States Senate
fiscal year 1910. Some of the
| why it that much are in
it OO tt ach 2
5
|
I
i
i
He
38s
+
3
8
2
| the latest model to
| at least would
j ee Presiden,
| chauffeur’s
! ple to reimburse him
railroad fare
| Washington
| President's
<
T
7
H
Is
F
en and
| the s coat
Senator Si Eo
ples
money
For
automobile side trips Senator Car-
ter paid handsomely. For a two days’
Se Wi ny Pathfinder Dam, ber
’ yo., y
Teh, 1910, the Montana a be
$150 for tion alone.
their luxuriously appointed cars on a sid-
Angus: 29th, Senators
Paynter, with their
¥
i
ing at Seattle,
Warren
na good spender.
terzge” and mele o which no
vouchers were obtained, ran into a thous-
i fa
of the of the
Senate 786 closely Td
aL Ie Co I
ngs or were: t
n ladies’ scissors, onedozen Toy
scissors, two dozen cork screws and bath
brushes. Under another head come:
Twenty-six boxes of lemons, 2 barrels
ulated sugar and 32 cases White
k water splits. Then come 1.000
2 n quinine pills, soda mint tablets,
olive oil, castor oil, glycerine, Colgate ex-
tract rose, nail brushes, 2,000 more quinine
pills, Seidlitz powders, vaseline, listerine
and 1,000 calomel tablets.
The Connecticut Idea.
From the New York World.
_ Says Gov.-elect Baldwin of Counecticut,
i the valuable interview elsewhere pub-
i :
“Here in Connecticut we want free
he RR
our t is
what tariff reform means to us.”
That is what tariff reform means in
gvery manufacturing and commercial
Such tariff reform menaces no great
American staple of the farm, the forest,
the mine or ranch. Our cotton, our
our wheat, our timber are
a if he could cheap-
— CO! t
er clothing, binding twine and hardware
and if American farm i were
sold in Wichita as cheaply as in Cape
Town or Teheran. 5
Relieve the farmer, the manufacturer,
the workingman. That is tariff reform,
not for Connecticut, but the entire coun-
3
~The Indiana Lumber and Supply Co. recently
received a large contract for mill work to be ship-
ped to New Jersey towns. It means plenty of
work for the men.
~The Columbia Plate Giass company, of Blairs-
} Ville save gachof ita mare than 400 employees 3
Christmas gift of a $5 bill.
~The Brubaker Coal company last week had
the deed of Colonel J. L. Spangler for 250 acres of
fine coal land recorded at Ebensburg. Consider-
ation, $35,000.
~The proposed rehabilitation of the affair of
the Pennsylvania Coal and Coke company is anx-
iously looked for by Cambria and Indiana county
business men.
~There are twenty applicants for liquor licens.
es in Indiana county. This is a decrease of four
over the present year. Saturday last was the last
dav for filing of applications.
~The Pittsburg and Susquehanna Valley rail-
road recently filed a $2,000,000 mortgage at Ebens-
burg, a move which is taken to mean a new rail-
road for northern Cambria county.
~The Pittsburg-Buffalo Coal company gave a
suitable Christmas gift to all the widows of the
victims of the Mariana explosion. All that could
a check for $100 by the
~Charles Schrum, of Gladfelter Station, York
county, has complicated relationships by marry-
ing Miss Minnie Beck, his step-sister. There is
no actual relationship, yet the girl's mother is also
her mother-in-law.
—The assertion is made that no less than five
score men, young and old, living in Berks county,
do nothing in the worid but follow their traps
every day, and make a comfortable living out of
the pelts they secure.
~The Methodist church at Kylertown, built
twelve years ago at a cost of about $2,000 and only
a month or two ago repainted, repapered and oth-
erwise improved at no little expense, was destroy.
ed by fire on Sunday afternoon.
—Charles Kreamer, a pioneer lumberman, died
at his home in Lock Haven on Monday last. He
was for nine years a member of the council of
that city, was a member of the Methodist Episco-
pal church, and is survived by three daughters
and two sons.
—One day last week the governor on the engine
in the Thompsontown rolling mill became dis-
placed by the main belt hitting it and the engine
attained such speed that the large fly wheel ex.
ploded. Considerabledamage was done to both
building and engine.
~The Associated Producers’ company, one of
the larger oil producers in the Bradford field, has
instituted suit against the Buffalo, Rochester and
Pittsburg railroad to recover $20,000 damages due
to forest fires for which it is claimed the defend-
ant company is responsible.
—Since October last the family of Charles M.
Smith residing on the ridge west of Lewistown,
has been sorely afflicted. One member of the
family had diphtheria and five typhoid fever. The
mother has just recovered from typhoid and two
of the children are still sick.
—John Steely, a boy whose home was near Sha-
mokin, was scalded to death on Friday by falling
into a tub of boiling water. On the same day
Perry Steely and Norman, his brothers, fell into
a swollen creek when a bridge they were crossing
collapsed, and were nearly drowned.
—At a meeting of the Pottsville school board
Friday, George W. Glenn, a member, charged
that the diphtheria epidemic, which has pre-
vailed there for several weeks, was due to germs
disseminated by the books in the new Patterson
school building. He urged that new books be
supplied.
—At Ebensburg on Monday, while the court of
naturalization was in session, one Italian, when
sponded “Penrose.” He received his papers—
his other answers being correct. There were be-
tween twenty-five and thirty applicants for natur-
alization
—~Members of the committee in charge of the
drafting of the school code will hold a meeting in
Harrisbarg next week at which they will finally
consider the bill. It is the plan to have it ready
for the Legislature as soon as the committees are
named and to urge that the education committee
take it up at once.
~The replenishing of Lock Haven's water sup-
ply by the recent “spell of weather” was not the
only benefit that resulted therefrom. The damp-
ness gave the tobacco strippers opportunity to
start their season's work. The crop this year is
large and many persons find employment during
the stripping time.
{ —=Mrs, Bertram Lippincott, Mrs. Harrison Mor- |
ris and Miss Mary Wharton, daughters of the late
Joseph Wharton, who was a wealthy iron manu-
facturer of Philadelphia, have presented to that
city for park purposes a tract of land valued at
$100,000. It is located in Germantown and is
known as Fisher's park.
~Clearfield had a murder on Thursday night
the victim of which was Fred Fulton, aged twen-
ty-threeyears. The young man hadbeen teasing
Si Rizzo, an Italian fruit dealer. who became in-
censed and fired the fatal shot, striking Fulton in
the head. He then made good his escape. His
sons are in jail, his wife heart broken and his bus-
iness wrecked. Fulton's mother is quite ill of
heart trouble.
—]J. A. Hartman, a Perry county resident, had a
finger amputated at the Harrisburg hospital re-
cently. He was bitten in September by a copper-
head snake that had found its way into a bag of
feed at his barn. For a month he was in a serious
condition, owing to the spread of the poison
through his system, but lately the trouble had be-
come localized and it is hoped the amputation will
restore him to health.
—State Secrelary of Agriculture N. B. Critch-
field doesn’t take any stock in the Osler theory.
He is now in his seventy-second year and still
hard at work. He has been prothonotary of Som-
erset county, superintendent of her public schools,
Senator for eight years from the
ford district and now in his eighth year as Secre-
tary of Agriculture for the Commonwealth. Mr.
Critchfield lives in Jenner township, on the
Stoylestown pike, where he owns a two hundred
‘and thirty-six-acre level farm on which he has
lived for thirty years, and which has been and is
still the pride of his life.
—Petitions are being circulated by the sports-
men of Blair county in which the signers thereto
protest against the proposed bill to be introduced
in the legislature, requiring that all persons desir-
ing to hunt or fish shall first take out a license. for
which shall be paid a certain amount of money.
The petition is addressed to the Senator and Rep-
resentatives from that county. The petitioners
consider that the proposed bill is an unfair one
of Philipsburg, assisted by Chief of Police Stoner, _
of Clearfield. ai ay aes