INK SLINGS.
—March has done right well, thus far,
in the snow business.
—It is back to real conservation and
the pines for Mr. BALLINGER.
~The first robin has made its appear-
ance and it won't be long till BiLL LYON
or GEORGE Buse is out with a straw
hat.
—If prices keep on soaring seven pas-
senger touring car can be bought in Cen-
tre county for less than a yearling hay
motor.
—It isn’t the sins of commission as
much as those of omission that the last
Congress will have to answer to the pub-
lic for.
—The Coinel is off on another tour of
the country. Look out for variable winds
through the south and west for the next
six weeks.
—It isn’t so much the strenuosityjof the
campaign as what their opponents say
about them that makes the candidates for
office feel all run down.
—It took three years to land ABE REUF,
the San Francisco grafter and briber, in
the penitentiary, but it will take ABE
fourteen years to land himself out again.
—Right or wrong the retirement of
Secretary BALLINGER from the Interior
Department will end a squabble that has
been inimical to the dignity of our gov-
ernment.
—The mobilization of an army of
twenty thousand soldiers on the Mexican
border looks a little as if Uncle SAM were
getting ready to benevolently assimilate
something.
—The Pennsylvania Legislature has
given local option another set back, but
it takes more than a machine controlled
body like that to dampen the ardor of the
local optionist.
—If President TAFT really did say that
he finds “much to rejoice in over the
work of the Congress just ended” he
must have meant that he rejoiced because
it was no worse than it was.
—Senator BAILEY, of Texas, is a very
able man. There is no refuting that.
But Senator BAILEY is not the alpha and
omega of all that is wise and therein lies
the folly of the stand he has taken in the
Senate.
—Adeclphus Busch, the millionaire
brewer, was given a gold loving cup at
his golden wedding anniversary on Tues-
day. Atub’o suds. wera ‘have been
ri
fh -angl #4
Monday a large
elected Democratic mayors to succeed
Republican incumbents.
—If that New England high brow is
right in his statement that it was a pear
and not an apple that ADAM and EVE ate
it will be entirely proper to speak of
your Adam's pear, if you are a skinny
man and have just cut it while shaving.
—The tortoise lives longer than any
known animal. But science will recon-
struct its views when it reads the memoirs
of Senator BAILEY, should his hasty resig-
nation be accepted. About threelyears as
a private citizen of Texas will fit him to
tell how long some lives really seem.
—Every Democrat who is to occupy a
seat in the next Congress should! see to
it that some one knocks all fool notions
out of his head between this time and
April 4th. The country wants Democ-
racy and sense. Nothing else will answer
and if it doesn’t get that there will not
be another Democratic Congress.
—The call for the extra session of Con-
gress may prove a boomerang that will
force more than the Canadian reciprocity
pact on President TAFT. The people voted
for more than that and when the men
they elected to give it to them get busy
we fear the President will be unable to
stem the tide that is unmistakable in its
trend to a tariff for revenue only.
—The Democrats of Centre county
would do well to let the matter of reor-
ganizing the party rest until after we get
our county ticket elected. No matter
which side you are on keep quiet until we
decide the thing of most importance right
here at home. A hasty word now may
mean a good many votes against you or
your friend in November and argument
isn't going to settle the controversy any-
way. Let's all pull together to get a good,
strong, clean ticket. Then pull again to
elect it; then argue our heads off, if we
want to, about this reorganization busi-
ness.
—The Rev. Dr. AKED has grown tired
of the professions of the ROCKERFELLER
church in New York and has resigned.
He declares that the professions of his
wealthiest congregation in America are
only “such stuff as dreams are made of”
and he wants work, not professions.
While we admire the ambition of the
Doctor we are prone to think that possi-
bly he might be failing in getting the
“work” tecause he has failed to inject
the right kind of religious ginger into his
flock. It is certain that some people are
hard to move. It is just as certain that
all human beings, savage as well as civil-
rel senti-
VOL. 56. -
The Reorganization of the Party.
By the narrow margin of one vote the
Democratic State Central committee, at
"STATE
Washington Was Surprised.
The Washington correspondents in-
form the public that the call for an ex-
RIGHTS AND
SELLEFORTE, PA-MARCI)O,
FEDERAL
UNION.
1911.
NO. 10.
Senator Bailey's Resignation. |
Senator BAILEY'S resignation the other
' day was an exhibition of temper as little
majority of her cities
its recent special meeting in Harrisburg,
adopted the recommendation of the Mc-
CORMICK committee authorizing the ap-
pointment of a special committee of
seven to reorganize the State Organiza-
tion. The reasons given for this revolu-
tionary proceeding was that the Demo-
cratic vote of the State, as expressed at
the polls, had fallen to a meagre propor-
tion. The party strength has been grad-
ually diminishing, the supporters of the
revolutionary movement declared, until
at the last election it reached the mini-
mum of less than one-third of its full
complement. Inferentially the blame for
this lamentable fact was shifted upon the
shoulders of the present State Chairman.
Nobody regrets more than we this de-
cadence of Democratic strength and no
one hasjlabored more assiduously to avert
it. There have been influences at work
within the large cities during recent
years, over which neither the Democratic
State organization nor the active Demo-
crats of the State, have had control,which
account, in part, for the condition. The
traffic in federal and other offices, so
eloquently reprobated by Senator BOURNE,
of Oregon, the other day, is one of these
agencies. Voters have been debauched
by such methods of bribery, the high cost
of living contributing largely toward the
result. Honest differences of opinion
among Democrats upon financial and
economic questions have been contribu-
tary causes of demoralization in the party
ranks but these were not the only or
even the most potential influences in the
evil operations.
During the last fourteen years there
has been workingin the Democratic mind
the spirit of faction. In the beginning
those who believed in one system of
finance repudiated the candidate of the
party for President because he was an
advocate of another theory. Gradually
! : a
and though the party leaders in control
in Pennsylvania had been faithful
throughout, the followers of Mr. BRYAN
resented the nomination of Judge PARKER
and organized a systematic campaign to
punish those in authority in the party be-
cause Judge PARKER was nominated. Out
of this unjust and unnatural quarrel has
come the disaster which we all deplore.
For six years or more this strife has
been maintained.
Professed Democratic newspapers have
attacked with surprising vehemence party
leaders who were guilty of no offence
unless generosity in supporting the party
candidates and unselfish fidelity to the
principles of the party are faults.
These same papers have worked assid-
uously to discredit the organization in
every way and to belittle every effort it
put forth for party success.
Men posing as Democrats, like those at |
traordinary session of Congress was
complete surprise. The President had
stated in the most positive terms that in
of the Canadian reciprocity agreement
Senators and Representatives in Con-
gress didn't believe him. They were bet-
ting on the other side. As a matter of
fact nobody takes TAFT seriously, except
himself, and nobody has the least respect
for his word. He prevaricates whenever
it serves his purpose. He falsifies when-
ever it suits his convenience. He doesn’t
vilify men or bear false witness against
his neighbor as his predecessor in office
did. But nobody can depend upon his
word.
We own to an agreeable disappoint-
ment in the issue of the call for the spe-
cial session. We had read his positive
statements on the subject but in view of
his previous departures from the line of
veracity, paid no attention to them. The
Senators in Congress understood his re-
lations to the trusts and tariff mongers,
as we did. They believed that he would
yield to the importunities of the “inter-
ests,” as we did. But he disappointed
their expectations, as he did ours. Dur-
ing a lucid interval, in which courage as-
serted itself, he fulfilled his obligations
and carried out his threat. It was the
life and the most gratifying. If Congress
is equal to the emergency it will work
splendid results for the country.
Itis a safe guess, however, that TAFT
will try to make the special session yield
as little harm to the interests and as lit-
tle good to the public as possible. He
will try to limit the activities of Congress
to the Canadian reciprocity agreement,
which may dosome good, but can’t achieve
much. The decrease of tariff taxes on
woolens is of greater importance than
puttting potatoes on the free list. But
Tarr will exhaust every expedient to
the decre: of the tax on wool-
3
time. If he had more intelligence and
less conceit he would know better.
The Extra Session of Congress.
| President TAFT has called anextra ses-
sion of Congress for the purpose of de-
termining “whether Congress shall, by
| the necessary legislation, make operative,”
ithe Canadian reciprocity agreement.
| Obviously his purpose is to limit the
| activities of Congress to that proposition.
There is a parliamentary maxim that a
| legislative body in extraordinary session
! can consider only questions enumerated
| in the call. President TArr has stated
| that he will veto any tariff measure other
| than this Canadian treaty, which may be
| enacted and the call for the extra session
| next month enumerates no other subject
' than the Canadian agreement.
| It may be presumed, however, that the
! Democratic majority in the House and
a creditable to him as some of his recent
the event of the failure of the ratification
he would call an extra session. But the
most surprising incident of his official |
, ties of
the head of the present movement to as- the Democrats and Insurgents in the
sume control of the organization without Senateof the new Congress will pay no at-
consulting the Democratic voters, refused | tention to traditional restrictions. Article
to do anything for the party, or to even 2 Section 3 of the constitution of the
vote its ticket because they had not been | United States authorizes the President to
chosen as its leaders or acknowledged as | “convene both Houses, or either of them,”
its bosses. on extraordinary occasions. He regards
Petty factional feelings controlled the | the failure of the Canadian agreement as
actions of others who were constantly | justifying the exercise of this authority,
throwing every obstacl® in the way of and he is right. But the right of Con.
party success they could because their A gress to amend the agreement cannot be
faction was not directing the party. | denied. Therefore itis not only the right
These things brought discouragement but the duty of Congress to so alter the
to the masses. Discouragement of the agreement as to make it apply to all
masses brought hopelessness to the voter countries with which we have trade rela-
and the result was a large stay at home | tions and to include all necessaries of life
vote. as well as food stuffs.
It is to the stay-at-home Democratic President TAFT is under obligations to
vote that our present condition is most the tariff mongers and the trust magnates,
. | but he will hardly dare to veto legislation
And to the course of the very men and Which will instantly and effectively solve
newspapers that are now seeking to take the problem of the high cost of living. He
charge of the Democratic party that the is a candidate for re-election and with
stay-at-home vote is attributable. the record of such a veto he wouldn't
It was nota lack of diligence upon the carry a State in the union. But he will
part of the Chairman or recreancy of try to prevent such a proposition coming
leaders. | before him. He will exhaust every re-
' source to limit the action of Congress to
——1It is worth while to observe that carrying out his own program. Such a
though more than half the time which course would beruinous to the Democrats
usually marks the length of a session of in Congress who are responsible to the
the Legislature has elapsed since the people. The Democrats of the House will
beginning of the present session no im- be recreantif the tariff tax is not abolish-
portant legislation has been enacted as ed on every necessary of life during the
yet and some of the important bills have Session.
not even been started. The school code, Hon. J.C. MEYER has as far as we
the mine code and the road bill are in can learn the universal approval of the
are yet to be introduced. It is either the of the State. Unfortunately for the tax-
sion very long or the output of legislation [egisiature do not have the judgment or
exceedingly short. the independence that Mr. MEYER shows
wensiSptiag will die ere in Jess than | LogSln0,
two weeks. | ——Subscribe for the WATCHMAN.
‘votes and speeches. He was chagrined,
: he says, because a number of Democrat-
ic Senators voted to approve the consti-
tution adopted by the people of Arizona,
as the basis for Statehood. The people
of that new State have written into their
fundamental law some Populistic here-
sies, he declares, and for that reason the
Territory should not be admitted as a
State. It seems to us that the eloquent
but too opinionated Texan is asserting
poor political philosophy, froma Demo-
cratic view point. We have always un-
derstood that home rule is a cardinal
Democratic doctrine.
We are as little inclined to the initia-
tive, referendum and recall as Senator
BAILEY, but if the people of Arizona
want such things its their affair, not ours
or Senator BAILEY'S. Oklahoma [has
written a lot of those things into its con-
stitution and seems to be getting along
fairly well with them. Oregon and other
western States have incorporated a lot of
absurd things in the fundamental and
statutory laws governing’ them, but we
can see no reason why citizens of New
York or Ohio should complain. A recent
‘incident in Seattle, Washington, revealed
the absurdity of the recall, but the shame
of it is orr the people of that city and not
on those of Pennsylvania or any of its
cities.
! Viewed from this distance it looks§as if
the Democratic Senators who projected
| themselves into the affair with the pur-
! pose of inducing BALEY to withdraw his
resignation were “butters in.” BAILEY
has been acting a good deal like a spoil-
ed boy lately. He may be, as some of
his colleagues estimate, a very able Sen.
ator. He has proved himself to be a
very persuasive and eloquent debater.
But he is in the habit of misusing his
talents and misapplying his influence. ‘He
is largely responsible for the presence of
briber LORIMER in the Senate and al-
together blamable for some of the iniqui-
the PAYNE—ALDRICH tariff law.
ults of that measure are to be
HARE BatLEY
DE —
- i ow om,
Taft Prostitutes the Appointing Power.
The failure of the permanent tariff
commission bill to pass finally is one of
the gratifying’ incidents of the last Con-
gress. It was one of the President's favo-
rite measures. He didn't care for it for
the reason that it was needed or would
be beneficial to the public. He wanted it
because it would have provided a lot of
official patronage. If it had passed he
would have been able to take care of sev-
eral of the Congressional “lame ducks”
who, without it, will be obliged to earn
their living by some sort of labor or serv-
ice, honest or otherwise. TAFT hoped to
be able to put them into comfortable
berths at public expense. This expecta-
tion has been disappointed.
The President has revealed to us what
he would have done with this tariff com-
mission if it had been created. For the
last ten or twelve years one of the Georgia
Congress districts has been sending to
the House an insignificant little nobody
named HOWARD who hasn't enough brains
to grease a gimlet. At the organization
of the Sixty-first Congress HOWARD de-
serted his party and supported the CAN-
NON interests in the fight for improvement
of the rules of the House. Inresentment
of this recreancy he was refused a re-
nomination and consequently failed of
election to thenext Congress. In order
to recompense him for thisloss TAFT has
appointed him to a seat on the existing
tariff board.
It is a safe bet that HOWARD wouldn't
know an economic principle from a flying
machine. As a member of the tariff
board he will be of no more use than a
fifth wheel to a wagon. But in an emer-
gency he helped the Republican congres-
sional machine by sacrificing his honor
and TAFT rewards him by placing him in |
a lucrative position which if it were of
any use at all would require the highest
order of talents. Senator BOURNE, of
Oregon, denounced TAFT the other day
as a “huckster in official patronage” and
this appointment of HOWARD, of Georgia,
to a seat on the tariff board correhorates
every accusation made. He is a briber
and pays his obligations by trading in
offices. |
——The Pennsylvania Democratic dele-
gation in the next Congress hasn't been’
very generously treated in the committee
assignments if the list of probable chair-
men published recently is anywhere near
accurate. Possibly, however, the Pennsyl-
vania Democrats in the next Congress
have formed a voting trust and are so
elated over getting a seat in the Ways and
Means committee for the “holding” mem-
ber that they don’t care for individual
honors.
What Congress Did and Did Not Do.
From the Philadelphia Press.
Out of the smoke of the closing battle
in Congress emerge these results of larg-
er interests:
POSITIVE RESULTS.
Provision of $3,000,000 for the fortifica-
tion of Panama Canal.
Recodification of the judicial code—re-
garded as most important for the amel-
ioration of the law’s delays.
Creation of forest preserves in the
southern Appalachian and White Moun-
tains.
Providing for the construction of em-
bassy and legation buildings abroad.
sor iting the inspection of locomotive
Creating Robert E. Peary a rear ad-
miral on the retired list of the navy and
Joswally tendering thant of Congress to
Creating a commission of five Senators
and five Representatives to investigate
conditions in Alaska.
NEGATIVE RESULTS.
Failure of the Canadian reciprocity
agreement and consequent calling of an
Failure of the permanent tariff board
bill, which the Senate but was
killed by a filibuster in the House.
Failure of the resolution to admit to
Statehood Arizona and New Mexico, kill-
ed by a filibuster in the Senate.
Failure of the proposal to increase the
rate of postage on the sec-
tions of the large magazines; but a com-
mission provided for to investigate the
subject.
Failure of the resolution for
the direct election of United States Sen-
ators.
Failure of the general age pension bill.
Failure to act on Ballinger-Pinchot in-
tion reports.
Failure to enact the ocean mail subsi-
dy, passed by the Senate alone.
Failure of the effort to unseat William
Lorimer as Senator from Illinois on the
ground of bribery in his election.
Failure of fixing canal tolls and set-
tling form of government for Panama
Canal zone.
Lorimer.
From the Altoona Times.
It is a significant and not al er
agreeable fact that Senator illiam
Lorimer, of Illinois, retains his seat in the
Senate of the United States by the votes
of the Senators, who have been dismissed
by the withdrawal of public confidence
and public support at the last election.
The “lame ducks" were almost unani-
‘mously for the man whose main defense
» did not have guilty know!
pf the crobkedness which landad him
the Senate. The opposition of Lorimer
was no means an insurgent -
tion. tor Root, who must be ited
with some degree of intelligence and who
is at the same time little given to radical
moves, delivered a philippic against Lori-
mer which must stand for many years as
a brilliant example of patriotic oratory.
Mr. Root declared that the future of the
Republic depended on the United States
Senate uttering a clear judgment against
the sort of political corruption which
made the election of Lorimer possible.
The vote on Senator Lorimer is declara-
tory of character and intention. It will
be hard to convince the country that that
vote does not imply full committment to
the methods and purposes which have
brought the Senate of the United States
into no inconsiderable measure of dis-
repute throughout the coun If per-
sons of the rasher sort draw the conclu-
sions that those who voted for Senator
Lorimer believe in all the things which
have made Senator Lorimer possible, we
cannot much blame them. It is sufficient
to say as the final comment on the whole
case that the Lorimer vote will do more
than any other event in our recent politics
to push forward the demand that the
election of Senators hereafter shall be by
a direct popular vote.
No Higher Rate.
From the Pittsburg
By a ruling of the Interstate Commerce
Commission Saturday the Eastern and
Western railroads will not be permitted
to put into execution their proposed in-
crease of freight rates, which were to
have taken effect on the 10th of March.
The Southwestern roads fare a little bet-
ter, as they gain a few points in which
the inequality was so apparent that an
2
fe
£2
i
AS DNR Gs sim or ri i
; tral Railroad of New Jertey. For
SPAWLS FROM THE KEYSTONE.
—Mill Hall is to have a National bank in the
near future. A new building is to be erected for
its occupancy.
—B. F. Gregory, of Lewistown, has invented a
street sweeping machine that is said to be a great
improvement on any now in use.
—Something of a sensation was created by the
discovery that a man who had been handling pro-
visions in a Harrisburg warehouse had small-
pox.
—A DuBois chicken thief was sighted by some
young folks of that town a few evenings ago.
The police got the chickens, but the thief got
away.
—After thirty-eight years in the Pennsylvania
railroad employ, Samuel Walls, aged 58 years, a
brakeman in the Renovo yard, was killed on Sat”
urday.
—Fires have been lighted at the big milk con-
densary at Mill Hall. Within the next ten days
the tests will all be made and the plant ready for
operation.
~The epidemic of measles existing in Philadel-
vhia shows no signs of abatement. Last week
there were 518 cases of the disease as compared
with 466 the previous week.
~Henry W. Maxwell, of Slatington, who died
recently, left $100,000 to his widow as long as she
remains unmarried. Should she take another
husband she is to have but $4,000.
—Seeking to gain possession of a $200,000 farm
at Fairview, Erie county, A. F. Dobler’s children
have sued him, while he is in a hospital and is said
to be under a young wife's influence.
~Fifty-seven Zelienople wives wrote a local pas-
tor that the ideal husband should be truth, eco-
nomical, liberal with the needy, not join a club
that has a sideboard and never gamble or swear.
~It is the theory of some health experts that
the epidemic of typhoid fever which has been af-
flicting Erie is due to the practice of throwing
tons of decaying fish into the lake from fishing
—Frank Lee, condemned to be hanged at Lewis
town on March 9th, has been reprieved until April
10th. His attorney will make an effort to get the
board of pardons to commute his sentence to life
imprisonment.
—Bricks from the Clymer plant are to be used
in street paving operations at Indianz this spring.
They will be hauled about one hundred miles by
rail, although but nine miles is the distance be-
tween the two places.
~The deputy attorney general decides that the
State cannot be made to pay any part of the cost
of certain cattle introduced into the State without
a permit and killed as the cause of the foot and
mouth disease epidemic of 1908.
~Valley Forge Chapter, Daughters of the
American Revolution, at a meeting held at Nor-
ristown, adopted resolutions protesting aaginst
the removal of the remains of General Hancock
from Norristown to Arlington.
—Owing to the fact that there are several claim-
ants for the reward of $200 offered for the cap”
ture of Si Rizzo, the Clearfield court is asked to
decide who gets the money. The case of Rizzo,
who was acquitted, cost the county $476.
—While returning to their home near Washing-
ton on Saturday night, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Pat-
terson were halted by a masked robber, who
pointed a gun at Patterson and compelled him to
hand over his money, which amounted to $10.
—Of a total of thirty-two new applicants for li
quor license in Cambria county, Judge O'Conner
granted two. He held over nine new applications
and eleven old ones. Four new ones were with-
drawn and eleven refused. In all, 338 licenses
were granted.
—William Schrock, an adventurous Pittsburg
youth, aged 18, created a commotion in certain
sections of the city by capturing a West Penn lo-
comotive Sunday moming and taking a wild ride
over the tracks for several miles. He was cap-
tured and locked up.
—Samue! Adams and his wife Mary, ended
their lives by hanging themselves in the attic of
their home on a farm near Hamburg. He was 35
and she 29. They couldn't agree and concluded
to end their lives rather than ventilate their trou-
bles before the public.
~The Huntingdon Home for Orphan and Friend -
less Children closed its thirtieth year on March
Ist. Owing to large demands made upon it, the
name has been changed to Juniata Valley Chil-
dren's Aid Society. A considerable endowment
fund has been raised.
—Thomas Hussey, of DuBois, who had just
been released from the Clearfield county jail after
making good worthless checks he had passed,
worked the same trick successfully on a Punxsu.
tawney grocer. He was arrested but the grocer
was merciful and the man was allowed to leave
town.
—John Hoover, of High Run, near DuBois, killed
a large wild cat last Saturday. Mr. Hoover'sdogs
were being badly used in the battle when he
brought the animal down with a rifle shot. It
measured three and one-half feet from tip to tip.
It is the third Mr. Hoover has caught this season, -
besides a fine silver gray fox.
—Lewistown wants Mifflin county to build a
bridge over the Kishacoquillas creek in order that
a street may be opened to connect the north and
south sides of the town. As the town pays one-
third of the county's taxes, it feels that it has
“rights.” The county commissioners are non-
commital as to their course of action.
—The Pennsylvania railroad is shipping many
railroad ties from northwestern Pennsylvania.
Heretofore the company would buy only high-
priced railroad ties, but nowadays any old thing
is bought. The ties are treated chemically and
the beech, maple and other woods that were
formerly om aside become as lasting as white
—~Workmen repairing the roof of the house of
Nathan Chester, a Montgomery county citizen.
were routed by a swarm of bees. Nine buckets
of honey were obtained beneath the roof after the
bees had been taken care of. Under the same
wonderful roof were found bushels of walnuts
which squirrels had carried into the place as prov-
ender for the winter.
—About two thousand men and boys will beem-
ployed when the Stanton breaker in Luzerne
county is reopened for operation in April. The
new breaker, which has been in the course of con-
struction for several months. while not one of the
largest in this section, is one of the most modern
in equipment and will have a capacity of 3,000
tons of coal a day.
—There are over 4,500 signatures to the general
remonstrances against the granting of liquor li-
censes in Huntingdon county. Of these, over 2,-
500 are qualified voters. In Huntingdon 1,042
signers affixed their names to the paper. In
Black Log valley only three voters refused to sign.
Specific remonstrances have also been filed
against the different hotels. The Interdenomina-
tional Temperance committee of the county and
the Woman's Christian Temperance Union took
charge of the work.
~Residents of Avoca have been warned by
mining men and old experienced miners that, ow-
ing to the removal of coal pillars supporting the
surface, the entire town may at any time drop in-
to the abandoned workings. Many families in
the town are preparing to move from the town.
Caveins have occurred in the streets and under the
railroad tracks of the Lehigh Valley and the Cen.
some it
company was
Ea