INK SLINGS.
—Go to it; you Democratic Congress. |
—It's the self made man who objects |
to having his work criticised. |
—Anyway it ought to be a good ses- |
sion. It’s an “extra” one, you know. |
—Anyway it is patent that New York's |
new Senator O'GORMAN is not of French
—When the cat's away the mice will |
play. Oyster Bay, ROOSEVELT'S home, |
has gone Democratic again. :
—Mr. CANNON now knows what it is to
sit in the dress circle and watch other
fellows monopolizing the lime light.
—The new Democratic Congress has
started with its one eye on the spigot.
Let us hope that it focuses the other on
the bung.
—Even if Mayor MAGEE, of Pittsburg,
is as bad as attorney WEIL, of that city,
proclaims him to be, there are others in
Pittsburg.
—Diaz should be poking up that na-
tional telegraph line of his. It hasn't
squelched the insurrection row for about
three days.
—Well, we are glad to know that the
re-organizers are going to have commit-
tee rooms at least. Even this will be
much better than having nothing.
—The 1910 rye crop of the United
States weighed thirty-three million tons.
Is it any wonder then that so many men
had to carry an occasional “load.”
—So Mr. CARNEGIE is sorry that he
never became a newspaper reporter. Too
late! Oh! Laird of Skibo, have you dis-
covered the lost opportunity to die poor?
—The average farmer just won't per-
mit himself to be happy until the familiar
kick of the plow handles along his ribs
tells him that his spring work is under
way.
—If they'd run a vacuum cleaner over
some of those Pittsburg officials once in-
a-while, the newspapers possibly wouldn't
be kicking up such a dust about them all
the time.
—The opening of rival Democratic
headquarters in Harrisburg will probably
inaugurate a series of very delightful Five
O'clock Teas. Mrs. Grouch will be the
hostess at all of them.
—No, Mr. Agriculturist, there is no
ce for cheaper lime for some time.
: > much white-
_VOL. 56.
The Public Service Bill.
The so-called Public Service Compa-
| nies’ bill was read in place, in the House
of Representatives in Harrisburg, by Mr.
ALTER, of Pittsburg, on Monday evening.
It is labelled “an Administration Meas-
ure.” In other words it was submitied
to the Governor and obtained his approv-
al before the Senators and Representa-
tives in the Legislature were permitted
to even glance at it. The Consiitution of
the State declares that “the legislative
consist of a Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives.” There is an unwritten law
as old as the British constitution which
provides that one branch of the govern:
ment shall not encroach upon the pre-
rogatives of another. Nevertheless the
facts are as stated. The Governor has
enacted this law and the Legislature is
merely asked to ratify. It is a political
anomaly.
There is a good deal of merit in this
measure. It may be characterized as
simply an amplification of the Railroad
Commission bill, enacted four years ago-
That was what might be called a politic-
al job. Public sentiment demanded some
sort of regulation of service corporations
and the Railroad Commission fooled
them, for a time, into the belief that they
were getting what they wanted. But as
a matter of fact it was only an asylum
for decayed politicians. It provided good
places for a few faithful party servitors
at generous salaries and accomplished
nothing else. The pending bill, on the
contrary, if properly interpreted and vig-
orously enforced, would work important
reforms. It would compel all the public
service corporations to serve the people
in a reasonable way. It would put an
end to the grafting of utilities companies
at the expense of the public.
But too high a price may be set on
even the most desirable things and the
power conveyed in the proposed legisla-
tion, if improperly used, might work such
ne to hope for a re-
Spring creek than bridge it.
—“Economy at Washington.” Well, it
may sound funny and be something new
down there, but all the same the microbe
seems to have gotten a grip on things,
and its the general hope that it can hold
on.
—The dearth of news concerning the
QUIGLEY—HURLEY fight for the Republi-
can county chairmanship gives rise to
the suspicion that HENRY CUTE is going
to put a gum shoe campaign over on the
highly ambitious sheriff.
President GEORGE F. BAER, of ine Read-
ing, will probably be all the more con-
vinced that some people have “a divine
right" to certain things when he reads of
the election of CARTER H. HARRISON to
be Chicago's Mayor for the fifth time.
—They talk about Arabian camels
going two weeks without water, just as if
that was something wonderful. Down in
Lock Haven they have plenty of fellows
who get along months at a time without
either knowing what it is like or caring
to try it.
—A good roads movement on the part
to make it a curse rather than
oppressors rather than servants of the
people. They regulate rates on the vi-
cious principle of seizing “all the traffic
will bear,” and laugh at protests against
the iniquity. These are not only great
evils but intolerable offences against the
principles of right and justice. But the
subversion of the principles upon which the
government is founded by infringing the
inalienable rights of the people to regu-
late their own affairs in their own way,
which this bill does, might work greater
harm.
New York’s New Senator.
A month or more ago the WATCHMAN
predicted that before the opening of the
special session of Congress the Demo-
cratic Legislature of New York would
elect a Democratic United States Senator
to succeed DEPEW who would be a credit
to the party and of enduring service to
the country. We predicted this expecta-
tion upon a sublime confidence that in
the end, and in ample time, the Demo-
crats of the Empire State would come to-
gether on rational and reasonable terms,
of about three men right between this of-
fice and the Bush house might scrape 4ff
four inches of mud without marring the
beauty of the town or causing regret on
and fulfill their obligations. Such a course
| can be depended upon in every State ex-
cept Pennsylvania. Here we have a con-
' tingent of ambitious malcontents who are
the part of those who have to drive or | determined to ruin if they cannot rule.
walk through it.
—Standing at the corner of Lamb and
Water streets and looking into the back
yards of three of the lately remodeled
homes, on west Linn, a stranger might
easily imagine that they
proach to a “white city” or some other of
the modern amusement enterprises.
~ —Returns from the election in Mil-
waukee indicate that that city has grown
al-
the practical Socialist too Anarchical.
—Philadelphia papers are happy be-
—It will be works, not words, the coun-
try has a right to expect of the new Con-
gress and if they are not forth-coming
we are American enough to insist that
everything reasonable the public de-
mands yet its work can bear no fruit if
the Republican Senate and President
stand in the way.
{
| of immediate tariff reduction, Canadian
On Friday evening last the Democrats
| of the New York Legislature elected Jus-
"tice JAMES A. O'GORMAN, of the Supreme
bench of that State, to fill the Senatorial
| vacancy. He is 2a man of splendid ability,
mark the ap- | high character and eminent fitness for
the office. He declares that he isin favor
, election of Senators by the
people and an income tax. He declares
with equal emphasis that he is opposed
| a man will add strength to the Senate |
and force to the Democratic minority in
| the interests, are striving to destroy the
Democratic party. It was brought against
him in New York, to be sure, but un-
availingly. The independents there are
influenced by other considerations than
personal ambition and lust for power,
and Justice O'GORMAN’S Tammany con-
nections helped rather than injured
him. We are glad that the vexed prob-
lem in that State has been so satisfactori-
ly solved. It will help the in all
ed a omy and ges addition:
al security of success next year.
lic place, and generously applauded by
leading citizens of Pittsburg, a prominent
member of the bar of that city recently
accused the Mayor of embezzling public
funds. In other words, Mr. WEIL, a con-
spicuous lawyer, openly declared
that the Mayor of Pittsburg had taken
of the funds of the city out of
the municipal treasury and converted
them to his own use. This, continued
Mr. WEIL, not only makes the Mayor
an embezzler but degrades the City
Treasurer into a defaulter. The Mayor
answers the accusation with a denial and
the statement that he has been elected to
office since a similar accusation was
made by the same lawyer two years
ago.
This is hardly an adequate defence.
Mr. WEIL'S charge is that money was
taken out of the treasury and the May-
or’s due bill put in its place. If that is
not true the answer should be an exposi-
tion of the treasury books. In Pittsburg
the Treasurer is appointed by the Mayor
and presumably his power over his crea-
ture is sufficiently potent to achieve such
a criminal use of funds. But the books
ought to show. Mr. WEIL declares that
the books do show and the Mayor is con-
tent with a denial and a claim that he
has been vindicated. It is "a lame and
impotent conclusion.” If the charge is
false the accuser is a traducer and libeler
and should be brought to justice. The
books of the office will afford ample testi-
mony.
Of course we know nothing about the
matter except what has been published
in the newspapers. But it seems to us
that the Mayor is pursuing the wrong
course. If Mr. WEIL made such a charge
two years ago, and it was false, there has
been plenty of time to bring him to pun-
ishment. The fact that the Mayor has
been elected since and that schemes of
his have been subsequently endorsed by
the public is not evidence of innocence.
A popular vote in Pittsburg is an exceed-
el § Wil ‘prosecut : ! nd U
the treasury records as evidence to con-
vict him.
—In commenting on the proposed in-
clusion of Philadelphia in the legislative
investigation of Pittsburg the Public Ledg-
er of the former city, remarks that “the
Legislature is not in need of any infor-
mation about thie city.” Whether it is
or isn't the rest of the State certainly
craves no delving into the filthy political
cesspool of its largest city.
Good But Not the Limit.
The Democratic majority in Congress
is beginning business wisely and well. It
proposes to effect a saving of $182,680 a
year in the running expenses of the
House of Representatives, by cutting out
! all sinecures and redundant offices. The
salary list of the House is about $744,000
so that the saving will amount to a con-
siderable fraction more than one-third. A
similar pruning of the civil list in the
Senate and the several departments
would work an aggregate saving of well
on to $1,000,000 a year and possibly might
exceed that enormous total. It would be
a great achievement, certainly, and go a
long way toward fixing the Democratic
party in the confidence of the public.
But the Democratic majority in the
House of Representatives in Washington
must not delude itself with the idea that
having effected such a saving in the ex-
penses of legislation and administration
it has fulfilled its obligations to the peo-
ple of the country. Senator ALDRICH al-
leged in a speech some time ago that he
could conduct the government of the Unit-
ed States at a saving of $300,000,000 a
year. That would be a saving of nearly
a million dollars a day. Compared with
that offer the achievement of the Demo-
crats of the House is a mere trifle. Sen-
mind.
Of course economies to be commend-
able must be effected without impairing
| the eficiensy of the service ali ALDRICH
obviously contemplated some reductions
other than in the number of offices and
salaries of employees. Probably he has
in mind a curtailment of expenses in
building battleships and constructing for-
tifications that are not needed and serve
no good purposes. The Democratic ma-
' jority in Congress should look into this
over $1,000,000 a day. The last Congress
appropriated $1,025,489,661, nearly $3,000,
000 a day. Maybe the Democratic ma-
jority can reduce the per capita cost of
government to the figures of thirty years
' ago.
In a public apeech, delivered in a pub- |
matter. In 1880 the aggregate appropri- |
ations amounted to $372,119,629, a trifle |
liamsport last Saturday. Hon. WALTER
E. RITTER was a member of the commit-
tee of seven under an appointment by
Chairman DEWALT. Mr. RITTER favored
various propositions of compromise. But
the irreconcilables would consent to noth-
ing except destruction. Having deserted
the ticket last fall they were determined
to punish those who were faithful and in-
sisted on aspersing the characters and
humiliating the minds of Colonel J. M.
GurreY and Chairman A. G. DEWALT.
Mr. RITTER has been chairman of the
Lycoming county Democratic committee
for several months. The annual meeting
of that committee to elect his successor
was held on Saturday. The Keystoners
in the party conceived the idea of pun-
ishing RITTER by putting up a candidate
against him for the chairmanship. In
furtherance of this purpose the “leaders”
in the destructive movement were ap-
pealed to and used their influence in be-
half of Mr. RITTER’S opponent. But they
were unable to accomplish anything.
The vote resulted in the election of Mr.
RITTER by about three to one. The Dem-
ocrats of Lycoming county put the seal
of disapproval upon the methods as well
as the aims of the deserters.
This may be safely taken as an expres-
sion of current opinion in the party
throughout the State. By the narrow
margin of one vote the committee of sev-
en was authorized, not to asperse or hu-
miliate Democrats, but to reconcile dif-
ferences among leaders and unite the
voters upon a sound basis. But the pack-
ed majority of that committee usurped
power to accuse and punish without hear-
ing and so disgusted healthy Democratic
sentiment that if the majority and minor-
ity reports had been submitted to the
Central committee the minority would
have been almost unanimously approved.
he majority refused to submit reports,
RITTER to measure the temper of the
people upon it.
——CARTER HARRISON has been elected
mayor of Chicago for the fifth time as
the Democratic nominee and in this
achievement has scored a famous victory.
He has always given the people good gov-
ernment and as nearly just as possible,
but he has never followed the devious
paths of bogus reforms and made voting | ciary,
for him an offence by filling the offices
with those who opposed him most bitter-
ly. In this last compaign the political
Pharisees of both parties assailed him
with marvelous vituperative energy, but
he has emerged from the contest with a
good majority. Reading the future from
the signs of this result, with the recent
senatorial scandal as a sidelight, it looks
as if Illinois might be set down as likely
to be with Ohio and New York in the
next vote for President and if that should
happen Pennsylvania wouldn’t matter
much in the equation.
——We are not at all surprised at the
rumors of a reconciliation between the Re-
publican factions of the United States
Senate. The so-called insurgents in that
body are active only when activity doesn’t
menace the sacred tariff. Senator CuMm-
MINS, of Iowa, for example, is a rank tariff
reformer when the stand-patters are se-
curely entrenched and LAFQLLETTE is for
all kinds of reform when the majority on
the other side is safe. But the moment
that insurging becomes likely to prove ef-
fective, these gentlemen hasten to the
coverts of the regulars and join in thede-
fence of privilege and plunder.
—If the Bellefonte were
desirous of observing the Sabbath day and
at the same time accommodating the pub-
lic, before denying the people the deliv-
ery of mail on Sunday he would at least
arrange to give patrons what comes on
week days during the week it comes. As | the
he has now ordered, mail that reaches
this office at 8:15 on Saturday, will be
held until some time on Monday before
the public can get it, unless it is for | fair
some stranger who can get it by paying
ten cents for thus being accommodated.
Regular patrons of this office are denied
even this poor privilege.
—Mr. GErBERICH, of Lebanon, has in-
troduced a bill in the Legislature prohib-
iting the sale of any adulterated alcoholic
drink. If his measure should become a
law all bottles will have to be labeled
showing the age, name and maker of the
contents. Of course this is a very com-
mendable move to secure pure liquors,
but the fellow who drinks most of the
booze will be the least interested because
its the effect he's after and the sooner he
i gets it the less it costs.
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From the Pittsburg Post.
After one of the most
bitter contests in the
York
of the New
a United
and
brightest lights in the Metropolitan judi-
, and fact that his name was suf-
ficient to bring the factions together and
smooth out the troubled surface that
threatened to leave that State but half
Topressnted in the United States Senate,
the special session convenes next
Tuesday, is a tribute to his popularity as
a Democrat and a statesman. His name
was introduced as a compromise early in
the day, i) Shee due Consideration was
w n opposing
the Tammany element in the Legisla-
ture.
When the final ballot was taken early
in the evening Justice O'Gorman received
112 of the 192 votes cast, 15 more than
the number necessary to a choice, the Re-
Piblicatis as usual voting for Mr. Depew.
successful ballot was the sixty-fourth
taken since the 6th of January, when the
famous deadlock first developed, and it is
a matter for general party rejoicing that
the controversy has been so happily con-
cluded and the Democrats of the State
Sought together in their own party cam
The and distinguished abil-
ity of tor is an assurance
that the Empire State will lose none of its
prestige in high legislative body.
Two Investigations.
the
by Mr. Leo A. Weil, it is proposed to
Lexow that city. According to Mr. Weil's
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| SPAWLS FROM THE KEYSTONE.
. | Saturday
. | during the night.
the the federal authorities on a charge of misusing
_ —Owing to the destruction of many apple trees
in Berks county by the San Jose scale, whole
orchards have been cut down and the trunks sold
for saw handles.
—Pittsburg has just made a shipment of over
5,000,000 bushels of coal for southern points. The
rise in the waters was the occasion of this re
sumption of activity on the rivers.
—Jumping into Conestoga creek with the in-
_ | for acomfortable death and scrambled to shore.
—Mrs. Bridget McCormack, an elderly resident
of Big Run Mine, Schuylkill county, fell asleep in
an armchair with a lighted pipe in her mouth, She
Was go terribly burned that her life is despair:
—It is six miles overland from Ebensburg to
Colver, a new mining town, but almost twenty-
eight by rail. A new branch from Vintondale has
been completed for freight and soon passenger
trzins will be running into the new town.
—Sagamore, an Indiana county mining town, is
to have twenty new houses built at once. Twen™
ty-six have just been completed and others tom
down at Onondaga, will be rebuilt at Sagamore.
Additional mining machinery will also be in-
stalled in the near future.
—Wayne county jail is practically tenantless.
only one star boarder, George Adamities, who
was convicted of complicity in the Lake Lodore
riots last summer and sentenced to a six months’
more than $900 have been instituted at Patton by
to own their own lines is at the bottom of the
trouble.
~Rev. A. R. Day, of Alexandria, will or Easter
complete a half century in the active ministry of
the Presbyterian church. He is 76 yearsold and
is in possession of his faculties to a remarkable
degree, with prospect of still accomplishing great
good in the cause to which he has given prac-
tically his whole life.
—Until the abandonment of the Delaware and
Hudson canal at the close of the boating season
in 1898, Honesdale was the greatest coal storage
station on the face of the globe, no less than 575,-
000 tons having been piled on the decks at one
—Jumping into the cab of an engine that had
just been taken from the round house of the
aged 21, opened the throttle and sped away. He
rode twenty miles before lack of power stopped
the engine. Then he left it and when picked up
explained that he had just wanted to take a ride,
—Fifteen thousand catalpa trees will be given
to the school children of Erie on the first spring
arbor day. They will be planted in that city.
Such a work, if done with an appreciative sense
of harmonies in proportion and location, will
within a few years work a great benefit to Erie,
which is already noted for its magnificent shade
trees.
~The Clearfield Public Spirit suggests, as a
neat way to boom Clearfield, that May 1st be
“Postcard day.” Every resident of the town is
asked to send out as many postcards as possible,
each having a local view on it and a sentiment
boosting the town. The postoffice clerks of that
town will do some heavy lifting if the plan
materializes.
—Judge O'Connor, of Cambria county, has an
unique legal knot to untie in the shape of a Hun
garian divorce suit. The wife came first. The
husband followed but, instead of landing in this
country, went to South America. The wife wants
a divorce and the court is of the opinion that
there is legal warrant for granting it, but the
technical law points are being looked up.
—With a deed of ownership to a cemetery lot in
* | his pocket, Charles S. Davis was found hanging to
the bars covering his prison cell in Moyamensing
morning, having committed suicide
He had been sent to prison by
the mails, the specific accusation being that he
had written Black Hand letters to his aunt in
Philadelphia.
—A freight train more than six miles long
would have been required to haul all the apples
shipped from Adams county in 1910, had all the
fruit been shipped at one time. Eight hundred
and twenty-five carloads of apples were shipped
from that county in the past year, as against 600
cars in 1907, the former banner year. Twenty
thousand more barrels were shipped in 1910 than
three years previous. The apple output in the
county has increased 356 per cent. since 1903,
—]Jt is stated that the Central Pennsylvania
Lumber company will begin at once to cut out
50,000,000 feet of standing hemlock timber on
their tract between Penfield and Force, along the
Pennsylvania railroad. A crew of men has already
started in to lay the switch from the Pennsy
tracks and it is expected that the jobbers will
shortly start in on the actual cutting. The logs
will be hauled to the company's mills at Wil-
liamsport where they will be made up into lum
ber.
—Alexandria is wrought up considerably over
mad dog matters. A few days ago three dogs
belonging to George Hutchinson, the butcher,
showed signs of rabies. A horse belonging to
Mr. Hutchinson was bitten by one of the dogs:
The canines were at once penned up but not be*
fore two of the neighbor dogs were bitten. All
the dogs were killed that were known to have
been bitten by the supposedly mad dogs and a
couple of the heads were sent away for examina-
tion as to whether the animals were really mad.
The horse isbeing carefully guarded.
—Ira A. Milliron, a lawyer, at one time a mem-
ber of the Pennsylvania Legislature, and the son
of a clergyman at Franklin, Pa, who was ar-
rested on Wednesday in Chicago by postoffice in-
spectors, was arraigned Friday at New York be-
fore United States Commissioner Shields on the
charge of using the mails to defraud. He was
held in $2,000 bail for examination. The complaint
charges that Milliron, alias Cole, by means of
correspondence devised a scheme to defraud by
offering to sell books to instructors in schools at
two cents each. His victims are said to number
nearly five hundred.
—The first 17-year locusts which will appear
this year have been seen. W. E. Mier, of Penns-
ville, Fayette county, reports the discovery of
numbers of the insects. Frank Richter, employ-
CE