east. Here is a kind of conservation that
probably isn't so much desired at Oyster
po
BY P. GRAY MEEK.
INK SLINGS.
—Leaders may come and go, but
Democracy will live as long as people
hope to rule themselves.
—There is a good chance of our being
drawn into war with Mexico, just like we
were into that with Spain.
—Anyone who knows anything about
climatic conditions in Mexico will agree
with GRANT'S statement that "war is hell”
down there.
—There may have been one trout in
Spring creek for every fisherman but if
there was we know a lot who failed to
connect theirs.
—While the milliner is busy counting
up the profits of Easter sales the husband
and father is busier still figuring out
where they are to come from.
~The Columbia professor who says
few persons in this country speak good
English any more has probably been sit-
ting in the bleachers at the Polo grounds.
—Now wouldn't there be doings in sas-
siety in the Faderland should CORNELIUS
VANDERBILT be appointed Ambassador to
Germany. It is considered a possibility
at Washington.
—That Kansas woman who has a col-
lection of eight hundred pitchers might
have got the fad through taking care of
the “growlers” her husband rushed before
Kansas went dry.
—So far as Centre county streams and
Centre county weather were concerned
the trout fishermen certainly had nothing
to complain of for the opening of the
season. Both were ideal.
—The farms of the United States
have a gross income of thirty-three per
cent of their value. And that is the rock
upon which the finances of this country
are most substantially founded.
—It has been two weeks since the re-
organizers opened a place of business in
Harrisburg and up to this writing there
have been no signs of anything important
doing. The public awaits with interest.
~The time of year is at hand when
you should clean up your premises. It is
surprising what a transformation a little
bit of work, morning and evening, will do
with that littered yard and garden and
how proud you will be of it afterwards.
—Col. ROOSEVELT has arrived home
and altogether his entire swing around
the circle didn’t draw two columns of
space in the metropolitan journals of the
Bay.
—The automobile facturies of Mich-
igan, alone, employ seventy thousand men
and we imagine that a portion, at least,
of the time of the balance of the popula-
tion is put in either helping or watching
the owners of some of those automobiles
trying to make them go.
—Anyway, the reorganizers have no
room to kick if the mail addressed to
Democratic State Headquarters at Har-
risburg, is sent to the dead letter office.
If they were right when they declared
that the old leaders had killed the party
isn’t the dead letter office the proper
place for its mail.
—A Chicago expert, after going over the
books of the gas producing companies, has
reported that a fair charge per thousand
feet would be seventy-seven cents. It is
mighty cheap at eighty, the present rate,
as compared with prices charged else-
where; but gas should be cheap in such
a notoriously windy city.
—By actual count there were just
eighty-three fishermen on Spring creek
between the falls above this office and
Beezer’s garage, a distance of about six
hundred feet, at half after twelve o'clock
Saturday morning. They were all cer-
tainly going on the thought that the
early worm catches the trout and evi-
dently all forgot to respect the sentiment
to protect that portion of the stream.
—The WATCHMAN does not approve of
the bill now before the Legislature pro-
viding for the impeachment of judges but
it would heartily favor a measure making
it a criminal offense for them to fail to
keep the dockets cleaned up within a
reasonable time and to force them to
hand down opinions on cases argued be-
fore them. This thing of a judge delay-
ing the rendering of an opinion for months
and even years is an outrage on the rights
of the parties interested and public senti-
ment is slowly but surely moulding itself
into the determination that such officials
were better given no further chance to
procrastinate.
~The honor paid'to the memory of the
late J. CALVIN MEYER by the | Legislature
of Pennsylvania was unusual. It was an
honor that those men of Centre county
who sent him to Harrisburg to represent
us should feel muchpride in. And it was
an honor that should seriously impress
both political parties with the knowledge
that, after all, a country district may be
potential at Harrisburg if it sends men
there with the capacity to become so.
publicans alike, now resolve that our fu-
ture Members must be men whose quali
fications can command the full measure
of respect that we witnessed on Tuesday
when the Governor of the Commonwealth
and the Legislature came en masse to pay | not be interfered with
STATE RIGHTS AN
D FEDERAL UNION.
OL. 30,
Bill for the Punishment of Judges. |
BLL ON Dan ATRIL
Tariff Debate Wisely Begun.
The conservative press of the State as | The Democrats of the House of Repre- | It begins to look as if intervention in
well as the intelligent citizenship is just-
ly alarmed over the prospect or rather
the danger of the SHERN bill, providing
for the punishment of judges who offend
the machine managers. Under this
bill, if it should become a law, no
judge would be secure in his tenure
of office if he refused to obey any
mandate of the machine. The machinery
of punishment which it creates would be
instantly invoked and he would be de-
prived of the ordinary means of defence
which the constitution guarantees to the
vilest criminals. That such a measure
of legislation should receive the support
of a branch of the Legislature is almost
incredible. |
Unquestionably this dangerous proposi- '
tion was inspired by the recent litigation
in Philadelphia through which the munic-
ipal administration was restrained in its
mad purpose to squander the resources
of the city in absurd enterprises to en-
rich the municipal contractors. Several
of these jobs were prevented and con-
tracts given in violation of law revoked.
Mayor REYBURN at once denounced the
judges who had participated in these
verdicts and declared that he would “get
them.” No doubt the enactment of the
SHERN bill into law is the process by
which he expects to achieve the result.
But as Judge SULZBERGER says the Sen-
ate will never concur in such a vicious
conspiracy.
The bill provides that if any judge per-
forms any act not indictable under exist-
ing law or impeachable under the pro-
visions of the constitution one hundred
citizens may petition the Governor to!
appoint a commissson to try him and if '
the report of the commission is adverse |
to the judges he shall be dismissed from
office. The sentencing of a ballot box
stuffer, ruling against a corrupt contract-
or would afford ample grounds for the
proceeding and no reasoning man doubts
that it would be easy enough to get the
signers. The Governor is given no dis- |
cretion in the matter and it is practically |
certain that unless he were a different
rAor than any we have had lately |
the commission would bring in any sort
of a report the machine managers de- |
sired. {
——
——Meantime you will have to show |
us that a by-stander, near enough to the !
Mexican firing line to be injured by the of Congress on the fact that he “can Who voted with the Republicans against
bullets of either side is innocent. The |
chances are that he is getting within the | 3 unanimous vote on any question.” But |
danger line in order to perpetrate some |
crime on the victims of the battle on one |
side or the other and if a stray bullet hits | Legislature. That isolated gentleman |
him little actual harm will be done.
Utilities Bill not Likely to Pass.
We would admonish the public against
placing too much confidence in the pub- |
lished statement that the Governor of the |
Commonwealth is determined to force |
the so-called Public Utilities bill through !
the Legislature. No doubt Governor
TENER is sincere in his desire for the
passage of that measure. He has heard
the talk about the absence of any thing
like achievement from the records of the
STUART administration and would like to
accomplish something that would secure
his own administration from similar cen-
sure. But we hardly think he will go to
the limit of forcing such a measure to
passage. After PENROSE strikes a few :
bars on his eardrum he will change his |
mind.
The Republican machine bosses are a
unit in opposition to the bill in question.
They are not nearly confident enough in
the continued control of the State gov. |
ernment by the Republican party and |
correctly measure the consequences of |
putting the power that bill conveys into
the hands of an executive who might be
unfriendly to them. They have abundant
faith, probably, in the servility of the i
present Governor. But at his election a |
thai likely that ail the opposing elements
will act together with the result that a
Democrat with inclination and ability to
smite will occupy the executive mansion
after the vote. |
Take it from us that the Public Utili- |
ties bill will not be passed during the
of the Legislature and |
be special session for |
passing it. Possibly a
be created to prepare
for future consideration
far the matter will go
Commissions are valuable
and Senator PENROSE fa-
the
|
FE
1
&
2
i
REESLEEE
fig
purposes
tribute to the worth of the one whom we , Governor TENER may talk independently
last sent to work with them.
but he won't act.
of the opening of! the tariff debate.
not only a consistent Democrat but a
capable statesman and an eloquent ora-
and the Democrats in Congress appear to
be doing that exactly. A blunder in the
beginning, however slight, might have
completely by the selection of Mr. KiTcH-
EN to deliver the opening address. He is
equal to the highest standards of the
House.
Mr. KITCHEN began by reviewing the
campaign pledges of the Democratic party
and the achievements of the Democratic
majority during the present session and
declared that “the Democratic House has |
done more in two weeks of the present
session than Republican Congresses had
accomplished in ten years,” and that is
literally true. Great economies have been
effected in the running expenses of the
House, the resolution to amend the con- |
stitution providing for the election of
Senators by the people has been passed, a
bill for the pre-election publication of cam-
paign expenses and contributions has been
adopted and bills to make effective the
Canadian reciprocity agreement and the
relief of agricultural interests from use-
less but burdensome taxes have been in-
troduced.
We still believe that the tariff reduc-
| tion bill should have been given prece-
| dence to the reciprocity agreement for
the reason that TAFT is a treacherous
man and wanting in veracity. But in the
wisdom of the majority of Democrats in
Washington the order of consideration
was reversed and the reciprocity agree-
ment taken up first. But it will be fol-
lowed immediately by the tariff tax re-
duction bill and if President TAFT vetoes
it the responsibility for continued unjust
tax burdens will be upon his head. Be
sides the people will by that time .
stand the matter and their judgment
will be expressed at next fall's elections
and punishment made summary.
—An esteemed contemporary con-
gratulates the single Socialist member
hold a caucus at any time and command
even at that he has ncthing on the single
Socialist member of the Pennsylvania
has all the advantages of his Congression-
al contemporary and a first rate standing
on all the House committees. The Re-
publican majority in the Legislature of
this State appears to be cultivating the
Socialists for use as a mattress to fall on
in the near fu
Investigations Promised.
Word comes from Washington that!
there is likely to be investigations, in the |
near future, of the Postoffice and Agri- |
cultural Departments of the government.
There has been profligacy, corruptionand
vice in all the Departments, it is admitted,
but not tu so great an extent, the story
goes, and consequently the two Depart-
ments named are to be singled out for
immediate action. That is probably as
wise a course as could have been adopted.
Some of the crooks in the War and Navy
Departments may get “immunity baths”
through this policy but the people may
stand for that if the big game in the other
departments is exposed.
There has been no time since ROOSE-
VELT headed off an investigation of the
a halt on such practices.
The Agricultural Department is little
better and probably would be worse if
the antiquated old fossil at the head of it
had the genius of HircHCOCK. For years
Secretary WILSON has been using that
Department as a jobbing depot. His ab-
surd experiments have had no other pur-
pose in view than to provide employment
| sentatives in Washington could hardly | this Mexican disturbance is inevitable.
| have chosen more wisely in the matter | There are suspicions, moreover, that con-
i ditions have been deliberately arranged
CLAUDE KITCHEN, of North Carolina, is | to bring about this result. The Wall
street pirates have been looking with
' lustful eyes on the mineral wealth of our
‘tor. It is good policy to do things well | sister Republic for years and they now
"have a man in the White House whom
, they can use for any ulterior purpose in
any way if they pay the price. In pur- |
: suance of this sinister purpose the army |
| has been settiedso close to the American | worqe
| line that damage on this side may be |
| traced to the other.
President TAFT wants to be re-elected |
he will resort to any means, fair or foul,
to accomplish his purpose. A foreign war
in progress at the time of the election
would greatly advarice his aims. No ad-
| ministration has ever been defeated in
this country during the progress of war.
Passions are excited and the army as well
as the civil forces under control of the
administration can be used to much ad-
vantage under such circumstances. Be-
sides the spirit of covetousness, neces-
sarily stirred up by war can easily be
coined into campaign capital by those
who direct the army and control the
purse-strings of the government at such
times.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT admits now that
the Panama canal zone was literally
stolen from the Republic of Colombia. A
greater crime against civilization was
never perpetrated. The main purpose of
the atrocity was to enrich President
TAPT's half brother and former Presiaent
ROOSEVELT'S brother-in-law. As Secretary
of War at the time President TAFT was
an accessory of the crime and if he would
consent to such a prostitution of power
to put money into the pockets of a relative
who can doubt that he would perpetrate
| another crime in order to prolong his
lease of power and continue his control
| of patronage? We hope a congressional | €
| investigation will expose this conspiracy. | wu
! ——1It is worthy of note that WILLIAM
B. WiLsON, Representative in Congress
| for the Fifteenth District of this State,
| was among that small and not too re-
| spectable group of Democratic recreants
the bill to compel the publication in ad-
vance of the election, of not only the cam-
| paign expenditures but the sources of
! supply. Mr. WILSON was a member of
| the MCCORMICK conspiracy to disrupt
the Democratic organization of Pennsyl-
| vania and now that he has broken off
| from his Democratic colleagues at Wash-
! ington he will probably try to reorganize
! the party of the entire country so as to
| prevent the election of a Democratic
| President next year.
——The weather has been atrocious
beyond question and little can be said in
palliation of its outrages upon the public.
But it certainly deserves some praise for
“sitting on” that hoary and ancient hum-
{bug, the lie about the failure of the
! peach crop in Delaware. The inclement
| weather prevented the development of
the bud to the freezing stage but there
was plenty of frost to nip the tongue of
the peach crop liar and that is something
to rejoice over.
—As it is practically certain that the
Governor's so-called utility bill will not
pass during the present session there-
fore it would be in order for some one
who desires to serve the public to intro-
duce a bill to regulate the charges of tel-
ephone companies. As a matter of fact
some of the telephone companies in some
| but it hardly ever gets far on its way un-
til it gets a quietus. The truth is that
the power of granting licenses could be
lodged in no safer place than the courts
and it will probably remain where it is
for many years to come.
—]It looks now and at this distance
from Washington as if the money spent
to secure the election of Mr. LORIMER,of
Chicago, to the United States Senate was
money wasted. On the next trial of his
case in Washington the element of white-
wash will be entirely eliminated.
~—While the men who are beating their
own carpets and digging their own gar-
dens, these days, do you imagine that it
at the expiration of his present term and | tion
at the Jefferson day banquet of
&
tions is nothing but a subterfuge employ-
Fo Mothing Yon a Ser ky:
that this t shall build not less
regularly year in and out
during the decade are the iberate
work of these who who would profit by
rest of a soldier’s outfit, to see to it that
hire ure rughlanly curring wat scares.
It is a cause for congratulation that the
eyes of men like Foster are
Congressman
now open to the truth about this danger-
ous agitation.
i
i
g
£2
Liege
un
52
|
4;
HT
makes the work seem lighter to see their
wives sail off in their new spring hats.
—That Easter hat will probably be on
duty until Thanksgiving. Treat it kindly.
SPAWLS FROM THE KEYSTONE.
—Six rafts containing 320,000 feet of hemlock
and 24,000 feet of oak timber, have reached Mari"
etta from the west branch of the Susquehanna.
~The committee of arrangements for the state
firemen’s convention, to be held at York in Sep-
ember » has decided to award $700 in prizes to vis_
—Huntingdon’s new federai building is to be lo-
cated at the comer of Fourth and Washington
streets according to information received there
late last week.
~Clearfield borough is in better financial con-
dition today than for many years. The author-
~William Myers, of Dover, York county, is
convinced that the man who robbed his chicken
coop the other night is a strong one, because he
carried off 200 pounds of Plymouth Rocks.
—Owing to murder rumors in connection with
the death of John E. Slagle, who was found a
week ago along the Juniata near Lewistown, =
coroner's inquest was held early this week.
—DuBois last week reported only two cases of
scarlet fever and one of diphtheria under quaran-
tine, but had fifteen deaths during the first half of
April, as contrasted with five during the entire
month of March.
—Rev. A. R. Day, of Alexandria, who is cele-
brating the fiftieth anniversary of his entering the
Presbyterian ministry, left on Monday for a visit
to Denver, where, a half century ago, he founded
the church he is about to visit.
—A State live stock sanitary board agent was at
Portage last week. He tried to impress on the
minds of dog owners the law as to the dog quar-_
antine and by way of illustration shot fifteen dogs
on the second day of his stay.
~There are rumors at Barnesboro that the
holdings of the Susquehanna Oil and Gas com-
pany are to be purchased by the Carrolitown cor-
—Cool as the weather has been Montour county
seems to be turning out a heavy snake crop.
Sheriff Maiers, while taking a walk in the vicinity
of Danville, killed five copperhead snakes and
saw two others that had been killed by some oth-
er pedestrian.
—Twenty-four inmates of the Huntingdon re-
the formatory have served their paroles and been
granted their final discharges recently. One died
while on parole. Three were returned to the in”
stitution and two violated their parole and are
liable to arrest.
—A remarkable escape from instant death oc-
curred recently at Houtzdale. Forsome unknown
reason a can of powder in the cellar at the home
of John Lowe exploded. The family were at sup-
per and were thrown about the dining room, all
but Miss Annie, who wasin the hall.
~In an effort to remove freckles from an other-
wise beautiful face, Miss Halen Casey, of Blooms-
burg, used a lotion that had been advertised to re-
move freckles after a few applications. The
freckles have partly disappeared, but she issuffer-
ing from a serious case of blood poisoning.
—A steam hammer for forging automobile
axles, said to be the largest in the world, has been
shipped from the Chambersburg Engineering
company's plant to Milwaukee. The hammer is
twenty-nine feet in height, eight and a half feetto
be underground. The hammer has a striking
power of 1,500,000 pounds.
~At the next York county fair among the visit-
ors will be fifty farmers from South Carolina, who
will come for the purpose of getting in touch with
up-to-date farming methods. John Woods, secre-
EE fd .
radmin idee sito di ens SET SECT
a result of hunting wild ducks recently. One was
taken to Indiana and fined $25 and costs. The
other went out in a boat, lost his balance when
the gun went off and also lost his gun. He left
the boat go and swam 125 feet to shore. The
ducks whereabouts are not recorded.
~The people of DuBois are busy cutting down
their poplar shade trees in accordance with the
borough law which says that all poplars in the
town must be down by summer. The roots of
this particular species of trees are a nuisance be_
cause of the fact that they spread and fill the sew.
~The Semi-Weekly News of Huntingdon, which
for the past nine years has been owned and edited
by Kimber Cleaver, passed into new hands this
week, having been purchased by Joseph H. Bid-
dle, of Everett, Bedford county, who has assumed
its active management. The Semi-Weekly News
is one of the enterprising newspapers in Central
Pennsylvania.
—Willie Shadle, a 7-year-old Lock Haven lad,
met death suddenly on Saturday. He and a com-
panion were throwing stones into the river from
the cribbing below the dam, when this little lad
overbalanced and fell into the river. Had a
grown person been at hand he might have been
saved, but when help arrived it was too late. The
body was recovered.
~—Bradford oil operators are subscribing to a
fund to be used in drilling a test well in the Tuna
valley to the depth of 5,000 feet in the hope of find-
ing a new and prolific oil sand. A number of
years ago Mike Miller, a Tuna oil man, drilled a
well to a depth of 4,100 feet and at that depth
found a black oil in a soft sand. It is not known
that a well has ever been drilled below that level
in McKean county.
—The Mont Alto nursery attached to the Penn
while that produced on the farms is bringing 35
cents. “It’s just this way,” said adealer: “Cows
have not yet been put on pasture and less milk is
given than at any time in the year. On the other
hand, it is plain that cold storage houses have un-
loaded great quantities of creamery butter.”
for
Krise, charged with the same offense, and for
other son, who is charged with having threatened
bodily injury to the man who bought the proper™
ty. Itisclai.sed that the new owner took advant .
age of small arrears on a mortage to force a sale
and obtain the property, thus embittering the
Krise family.