soon be the man with the hoe.
—February was only one day longer
than usual, but it seemed longer.
—This week's court lasted a day and a
half. Surely Centre county is getting
good.
—Those seven Governors for ROOSE-
VELT made nine come for TAFT. It wasn't
quite seven come leven.
—Those who imagine a new “white
hope” has been discovered in Bellefonte
are mistaken, that's all.
—Hereafter when you read the Outlook
you must do so with the knowledge that
it isn’t what it says that counts. It's
what it means.
—It would be most comforting to have
this March first day act like the proverbial
lion if we were certain that the last day
will be the proverbial lamb.
——The public is waiting patiently to
hear LAFOLLETTE shout for ROOSEVELT
and the public may be compelled to wait
until “patience ceases to be a virtue.”
—RoosEVELT'S Columbus speech pro-
claims to the world that he has absorbed
the worst features of the early Populist,
BRYAN and LA FOLLETTE propagandas.
—Dodging stray bullets on the Mexican
frontier isn't in it for excitement with
what is to come before the Republicans
finally select the leader of their forlorn
hope.
—The primaries and the opening of
the trout season are both so near at hand
that the politician and the fisherman are
beginning to look as though life were
worth living.
Tom BEAVER has declined to run for
the Legislature. He didn't say, however,
that he was afraid the Democrats might
hold another election and forget to notify
the Republicans to attend.
—Young Mr. SHUSTER, the deposed
Treasurer General of Persia, has gone
the way of all celebrities. There being | Sancy.
no immediate call to vaudeville he has
janded on the lecture platform.
—President TAFT is probably beginning
tounderstand that his friend's idea of “a
square deal” is tohave a marked deck up
his sleeve for use when the regular one
doesn’t produce the desired hands.
—Russia is said to have the fewest
physicians of any civilized country and,
excepting China and India, it has the
largest population of any country on the
globe: There is no moral to this story.
—We are so.frequently told that it is
acts not words that count that we under-
stand why editor HARTER was so mad
when he was fined for using words when
he would much rather have had a chance
to act.
—The North American may keep on
with its straw votes to make ROOSEVELT
sentiment in Pennsylvania, but PENROSE
will be there with the tombstones and
pug dogs when the delegates are to be
elected.
— There are a few of us left who were
Democrats when it meant much to stand
up for the party and its principles and,
strange as it may seem, the few old-
timers are the ones who are to be
re-organized by a lot of later day
prophets.
—The memoirs of JAMES JEFFRIES
might have been very profitable reading
for Colonel ROOSEVELT. If he loses in
this fight, which he surely will, it will be
back to the minors for the man once
almost as popular as HANS WAGNER or
"Home run” BAKER.
—Col. ROOSEVELT'S hobby, of course,
will be the enlargement of the governing
And, as a
natural sequence, "The People” will be
too blinded by the dust he is throwing in
their eyes to see that the Colonel really
means ROOSEVELT when he speaks of
powers of “The People.”
“The People.”
——1If TAFT had allowed ROOSEVELT to
invade Mexico with an army of rough-
riders, a couple of years ago, the menace
to popular government, of which ROOSE-
VELT complains, might have been avert-
ed. But then that course would have
brought on other troubles so that “it's as
broad as it's long.”
—Half the co-eds in the University of
Wisconsin are reported as being knock-
kneed. It seems to us that the state-
ment should not have occasioned the sur-
prise that it has throughout the country,
for everyone knows that the girl honestly
in pursuit of higher education has very
little time to become beaux legged.
—The horrors of the conditions of the
striking mill workers at Lawrence,Massa-
chusetts, seem incredible. They sound
more like conditions among the serfs of
Russia or the Peons of Mexico than of
free-born American citizens. If you want
to know why Socialism is growing; iff
you want to know why the masses are
listening to such dangerous proposals as
“the recall;” if you want to know why
such soldiers of fortune as ROOSEVELT
sway the people as they do read the
stories of the Lawrence strike and you
will be convinced that something is
wrong. Something is wrong, but it is
not with the laws, as the agitator would
have you believe. It is with the system
that prevents their fullest operation.
—Every man who owns a garden will |
| a
STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION.
VOL. 57.
What Claim Have They to Leadership. |
| It may safely be said that the Presi-
| dential campaign of 1896 was a crucial
event in the history of the Democracy of
Pennsylvania. We were a minority party
then, but an earnest, virile and courage-
ous minority, faithful to principles and
devoted to ideals. At the Democratic
State convention of that year, GEORGE
W. GUTHRIE, of Pittsburg, was honored
by the nomination for the office of elector
at large. He had behind him nearly half
a million voters of the Commonwealth
ready and willing to make sacrifices of
time, labor and funds in order that the
distinction of sitting in the electoral col-
lege of Pennsylvania and casting his vote
for the Democratic candidate for Presi-
dent might be bestowed upon him.
After the nomination of WILLIAM
JENNINGS BRYAN as the Democratic can-
didate for President, at Chicago, Mr.
GUTHRIE, repudiated the compliment
which had been conferred upon him. In
a somewhat scurrilous letter he declined
the nomination and announced his opposi-
tion to the candidate of his party. Up
until that time Mr. BRYAN had done or
said nothing to make him obnoxious
politically or morally. He had been a
faithful and efficient worker in the ranks
of the party and in private and public
life was as “clean as a hound’s tooth.”
But Mr. GUTHRIE was in opposition to
him because he represented the aims and
aspirations of the people rather than the
schemes of special interests. Mr. VANCE
McCoRMICK and others of the "disorganiz-
ers” were in sympathy with his recu-
In this period of comparative freedom
from party dominance and growing in-
dependence in political action there is
probably no valid cause of complaint
against an individual for exercising his
right to vote as he pleases. But a man
who asserts that right and acts upon it
has no just claim afterward to leader-
ship in the party which he shamelessly
betrayed. Besides, in view of subsequent |
developments, Mr. GUTHRIE may not be
an individual who. happened to be the
candidate for his party,
expressed principles to which he was op-
posed. But in the campaign in question |
Mr. GUTHRIE and Mr. MCCORMICK con- |
tributed freely to a corruption fund to
defeat candidates for Congress, the Gen-
eral Assembly and local offices who had
never faltered in their devotion to Democ- |
racy. Why should they be elevated to
the leadership of the party now? i
——In a straw vote recently taken by |
the Appeal to Reason, a semi-socialist,
semi-anarchist publication, EUGENE
Dees had the highest vote and Mc- |
NAMARA, the dynamite fiend, was second. |
good showing, having received 41,384 |
votes to 54,726 for MCNAMARA. The
“Coinel” appears to be getting into bad |
company. |
i
An Excellent Candidate.
The Democrats of the Twenty-sixth
Congressional district are to be congratu®
lated upon the fact that Horace DEY.
LENTZ has entered the contest for the
Congressional nomination. He is a law-
yer of splendid ability and a citizen of
the best type. Perscnally popular, his
fitness for the office will command the
enthusiastic support of all the Democrats
in the district as well as the full strength
of the independent electorate. He was
reluctant to enter the contest and yielded
only to the demand of an earnest public
sentiment. Being in, however, he will
strive assiduously for the success which
he deserves.
Under the uniform primary election |
law there is a possibility of the larger
counties in the several Congressional dis-
tricts unjustly dominating the lesser and
thus destroying the incentive to party
coherence and effort. Four years ago
the counties composing the Twenty-sixth
agreement Carbon county is entitled to
the nomination this year and failure to |
accord it the full measure of justice will |
naturally disappoint the voters and proba-
bly alienate some of them from the party.
‘This would be a great misfortune, to say
the least.
The protection of the minority is one
of the fundamental principles of the
Democratic party and unless this principle |
is protected in the making of Congres-
sional and Senatorial nominations in dis-
tricts composed of more than one county
grave party trouble will be inevitable. It
is in order to fulfill thisprinciple that Mr.
LENTZ, of Carbon county, has consented
to be a candidate and he ought to be
nominated by an overwhelming majority.
The Twenty-sixth district is Democratic.
The only time it has ever failed to elect
the Democratic candidate was when an
attempt was made to violate this just
principle. |
BE LLEFONTE, PA.
Mr. Bryan Again Rebuked.
The adoption of a resolution to investi
gate the “Money trust,” by the House of
Representatives at Washington, the other
day, is a complete refutation of Mr. WiL-
LIAM JENNINGS BRYAN'S recent imputa-
tion against the sincerity and integrity of
the Democratic leaders of that body.
Mr. BRYAN had fixed in his mind a policy,
in connection with this matter, which
was not concurred in by leaders in the
House. Thereupon he assailed them bit-
terly, alleging that they were under con-
trol of "the interests” and unresponsive
to the sentiment of the rank and file of
the party throughout the country. At
the time we suggested that he was both
premature and unjust and expressed the
belief that his charges were unfounded.
This prediction has been fulfilled.
Representative HENRY, of Texas, chair-
man of the House Committee on Rules,
espoused Mr. BRYAN's side of the conten-
tion at the time and summoned a party
caucus with the idea of disciplining those
who took a different view of the matter.
The subject was fully and freely discussed
in the caucus and the plan of procedure
since adopted was outlined. Since then
it has been carefully considered and fully
digested and when brought before the
House the other day Mr. HENRY was the
first speaker in its favor. In fact only
three of the entire Democratic member-
ship voted in the negative and the reso-
lution was adopted by the extraordinary
unanimity of 270 against 8, one of the
minority being Mr. DIFFENDERFER, of
That there is a "Money trust” is hardly
susceptible of doubt, and that it has
proven inimical to the commercial and
industrial life of the country is equally
certain. But the concensus of opinion
among the Democrats in Congress was
that its evil influences can be restrained
effectively without plunging the country
into a financial panic which Mr. BRYAN'S
drastic methods threatened to entail.
Mr. Pujo, of Louisiana, chairinan of the
House Committee on Banking and Cur-
amenable to censure for voting against | rency, which will conduct the inquiry, de-. turning him to a seat of power which he
walpably hopes to pervert. Besides, the
people of this country will not contribute
clares that it will be “complete, fair
if that individual | effectual,” and that is all that can be de-
sired. The action of the House, there-
fore, is another rebuke to Mr. BRYAN. It
ought to admonish him against further
meddling with the business of Congress.
——After all it begins to look as if the
nine Congressmen who joined the disor-
ganizing force of GUTHRIE and McCOR-
MICK were more interested in retaining
|.their own Congressional seats than in re-
juvenating the Democratic party of the
State.
One Battleship is Enough.
The President insists that it is the duty
But THEODORE ROOSEVELT made a fairly | of Congress to provide for the building |
of two battleships during the present
session. In view of the activities of Ger-
many in the matter of naval construction
he believes that four dreadnaughts ought
| to be ordered this year but realizes that
such extravagance is out of the question.
He hopes, however, to be able to cajole
or dragoon the House of Representatives
into consent for two. They would cost
ten or twelve millions of dollars each and
the “rake off” from such a constructive
enterprise would make a considerable
campaign fund. The President is a trifle
anxious about money for the coming
campaign.
The President doesn’t attempt to show
why the activities of Germany in the
matter of naval construction should have
any influence upon the policies of this
country, in that respect. Probably he
shares with some others of the jingo type
of statesmanship the absurd notion that
the navy of the United States should be
equal to that of any other country. But
he ought to know that equaling the Ger-
man navy does not achieve that result
and that there is no chance of putting
oyr navy on a leyel with that of Great
Britian. Besides this country is in no
such an encounter with Great Britian.
Government of the United States
needs a respectable naval equipment for
purely ornamental purposes, such as pay-
ing compliments to friendly sister govern-
ments and transporting our official digni-
taries on their too frequent junkets for
buncombe. But we do not need’ a navy,
the construction and maintenance of
which will impoverish the people or make
the problem of living more difficult than
it is at present. Even with our pres-
ent force warships become obsolete
before they have been fairly tried out
and the false pride which leads to such
policies is that which “goes before a fall.”
If the Democratic Congress is wise one
battleship will be the limit this year.
——Anyway it will be a rollicking,
rough-riding campaign but the principal
equestrian is “riding for a fall,” unless
the signs are misleading.
MARCH 1, 1912.
NO. 9.
Roosevelt Has Burned the Bridges.
Mr. ROOSEVELT has "burned the bridges
behind him.” That is to say he has
finally announced his candidacy for the
Republican nomination with a strong
intimation that if he is not nominated,
he will run as an independent candidate.
“I will accept the nomination if it is
tendered me,” he writes to the seven
Governors who solicited him to be a
candidate, but he will not sit idly by wait-
ing for the tender. Heisin the fight for all
it is worth, and he is an adroit politician.
made him so potent a force four years
ago. The public patronage which he trad-
ed like a huckster then is under other
control now and the steam roller is
operated by other hands.
circumstances” would he “be a candidate
for or accept another nomination.” His
entrance into the campaign for the nomi-
nation is, therefore, a violation of his
pledge to the people. But that is not a
matter of surprise. He has frequently
proved himself a falsifier and this addi-
tional offence adds little, if anything, to the
moral turpitude in his previous lapses
from the standards of veracity. But it
ought to admonish all right-thinking
men against putting confidence in his
promises of whatever kind. His obvious
purpose is to convert the government
into an oligarchy and his professions of
patriotism are “as sounding brass and
tinkling cymbals.”
We do not regret this action of Mr.
ROOSEVELT. In the first place we have
no idea that he will be nominated and
in the event that a majority of the
National Republican convention, under
the influence of hysteria, should commit
that egregious folly, it is inconceivable
that a majority of the voters could be
hypnotized into voting for him. His
record as a grafter, his reputation as a
traducer and his absolute disregard of
moral obligations will certainly forbid
thoughtful men of all parties from re-
to the violation of the unwritten, but
sacred, law against a third term.
Declines a Renomination.
The WATCHMAN greatly regrets to learn
that Hon. JouN G. McHENRY, who for
the past four years has so ably and satis-
factorily represented the Sixteenth Con-
gressional district at Washington, is com-
pelled to decline a renomination and has
‘withdrawn his name as a candidate for
re-election. Mr. MCHENRY gives his rea-
' son for this course as “prompted purely
| by business necessities” and the “decree
| of his business associates that he either
quit business or politics.”
During his two terms in Congress Mr.
McHENRY has made a record for himself,
as a working and influential member of
that body, that is equalled or surpassed by
few,—a record that his constituency, his
party and he can point to with much
satisfaction. Notwithstanding the fact
that the WATCHMAN does not approve of
his action in joining, with other Demo-
crats elected to Congress from this State,
in fomenting and encouraging the fac-
tional fight that is demoralizing and di-
which now bids fair to defeat the re-
election of a number of them, it takes
great pleasure in recognizing his ability
that his withdrawal from active partici
pation in political affairs, may be but for
a short period, as we feel confident it
will. The public can ill afford to lose the
services of men of the stamp of Mr.
MCHENRY.
——JACK ABERNATHY would make an
ideal Chief Justice of the Supreme court
after ROOSEVELT'S Columbus speech has
been substituted for the constitution of
district entered into an agreement for the peril of war with any foreign power while the United States. Then there is “BAT”
rotation of the nomination. Under that Germany is constantly menaced with MasrtersoN. How admirably he would
| fit into the office of Secretary of War.
| Believe us, we're going some.
——Counting gubernatorial noses TAFT
appears to have the best of it. There
are nine on his side and only seven on
the other.
——The state highway engineers who
have been located in Bellefonte the past
two weeks surveying on the route from
Centre Hall to Bellefonte, have about
completed their survey to the borough
line and taken the grades and elevations
to the Diamond and this week will leave
for their headquarters in Bioomsburg.
Their work in the future will be confined
to their own district, of which Centre
county is not a part.
——How do you like the kind of weath-
er we have been having this week?
~—=Subscribe for the WATCHMAN.
But he is without the resources which | Mr
In 1904 and again in 1907 Mr. ROOSE- | ;
VELT solemnly declared that “under no | made
viding the party in Pennsylvania, and | the
For National Delegate.
From the Clearfield Republican,
The McKean Democrat published at
| Smethport in issue of February 8th, con-
| tained the Sllowing relative to the can-
| didacy of William , of that coun-
| ty, for delegate to the National Demo-
| cratic convention:
! “In its proper place at the head of
| these columns appears the
of William Hanley, of Bradford, -
| pires to represent this dis-
| trict in the National Democratic conven-
| tion which will be held in Baltimore next
| June. While the editor of the Democrat
has never had the good fortune to meet
,we know him very
|
who as
. Hanley
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and will do what they can to bring about
his election.
“Regardless of itical affiliations a
great multitude of friends here would be
much gratified to learn of His success in
this, his first venture as a candidate.”
No Increase Necessary.
Bram the Harrisburg Star-Independent.
tis hardly to be expected that the
Congress will respond to the message of
President Taft by increasing the
on second class mail matter. There is
no necessity for such increase, and there-
fore no excuse for it.
When Postmaster General Hitchcock
first proposed an increase in the rate of
postage the department reports showed a
deficit of some $17,000,000. The report
for the last fiscal year showed that the
deficit had been wiped out and an excess
of $200,000 substituted.
The President says that it costs five
and one-half cents a pound to handle
second class mail matter, the postage on
which is one centa pound. He gi
that as a reason for increasing the pos-
to
and faithfulness as a representative in | were collected.
Congress, and to express its sincere hope |
We don’t mean the economy that
onem in the mail service,
I ns of which more labor is exacted
a under annoying conditions, but
that economy which would lesson the
absurd cost of second class
matter, which would senders to
pay for ing that is carried in the
mails, and which would mean the
ars
t
cost of handling
what is suggested
business the departmen
a surplus every year.
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§
Forces an Irrepressible Conflict.
From the New York Evening Post.
There is no need of laboring
pols. The outstanding fact is that
t has forced upon the Repul
party a conflict which is sow
t is not simply a fight between Taft
avorded ‘hep
Mr.
SPAWLS FROM THE KEYSTONE.
~Three new cases of scarlet fever were report,
ed in Huntingdon last week and every precaution
is being taken to prevent an epidemic.
~Carl Keller, the 4-year old Lock Haven lad
who was so badly burned last week succumbed
to his injuries at the hospital in that place.
—On the recent observance of Patrons’ day in
the public schools of Connellsville no less than
2,531 visits were recorded to all the departments.
—Organizers have left Graceton and danger of
a strike at the coke ovens is thought to be over.
The men didn't give them any encouragement to
stay.
—~Samuel Eshelman, a demented citizen of
Lancaster, who kindled a fire in his barn and re-
fused to leave it until removed by force, is dead
from his burns.
—A man giving his name as Charles Johnson,
after being fed recently at the Salvation Army
barracks at Philipsburg, stole a $12 bible, sold it
and got drunk on the proceeds.
—The contract for the new Y. M. C. A, building
at Indiana has been awarded and work will begin
in the early spring. E. M. Lockard, a local con-
tractor will do the work for $30,485.
—Mount Union royally entertained the bankers
of Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Centre Clearfield and
t | Huntingdon counties at their annual group meet-
ing on Washington's birthday. They had a
turkey dinner and an exchange of ideas.
~E. W. Cleeves, manager of a large Somerset
county dairy, comes to the front with figures to
show that, despite the high price of butter, the
average cow nets its owner a profit of only $3.72
ayear. He allows $25 a year for labor bestowed
on her.
—Claire Kauffman was dismissed by the Black
Lick school board on December 29. His father
sues for his wages to the end of the term and
patrons complain that he was not giving “values
received.” The outcome will be awaited with
interest.
—Alexander Irwin Thompson, of Curwensville,
one of Clearfield county's best known citizens, an
old time lumberman and one of the ablest pilots
on the river in running rafts to Lock Haven, died
at his home Thursday after nine months’ iliness,
aged 77 years.
~-John Leshko, of Lilly, who was recovering
from a self inflicted wound, escaped two hours
before the constable arrived to place him under
arrest for cutting the wife of his boarding house
boss. As he was very weak, it was thought that
he would be recaptured.
—John Leshko, of Lilly, on Friday cut the throat
of Mrs. John Krezda, wife of his boarding house
boss, and then tried to kill himself in the same
way. The woman is not seriously hurt and the
man may recover. There had not been any
intimacy between the two.
~The oldest person now living in Union coun-
ty is Miss Sarah Templeton Steans, of New Ber-
lin, who has just completed her 7th year. She
is a staunch Presbyterian and up until two years
ago made a practice of repeating the whole of the
shorter catechism each Sunday.
—Barneshoro had a fire a few days ago when
the water plugs in the neighborhood were useless
owing to a break in the main. The firemen had
papers to
at a recent session. Elkis one of the smallest
counties in the State and the addition to the
I= | voting list of forty at one “swoop' is unusual.
and users of coal look upon it with longing eyes.
~At a meeting of the executive committee of
the State Firemen's association at Allentown, Sat-
urday, the date of the convention this year which
will be held at Lebanon, was changed from the
first to the second week in September. The peo-
ple of Lebanon sent word that the original date
was the week after the Lebanon fair and they
desired a week intervening.
~The Milton Electric company is arranging for
the building of two concrete towers to carry their
wires over the river at Lewisburg. The company
has made several efforts to secure the use of the
bridge for its lines, but the commissioners and
the company could not come to terms. The
towers will be built between the two bridges.
The span of wire between the two towers will be
1500 feet.
~There was a war on between Punxsutawney
and DuBois. There was a meeting at Indiana
recently, when Apollo and Punxsutawney were
admitted to the Coal, Iron and oil racing circuit.
The DuBois secretary was sick and the town
was not represented. In the arrangement of
dates Punxsutawney was assigned those previ-
ously held by DuBois, and the latter threatens
to go ahead on the old dates.
—Wearied of the inconvenience occasioned
by the old system, or lack of system, of procuring
water on his two farms, J. G. Bower, of Allen”
wood, has instalied a compressed air pump, a
gasoline engine and 2900 feet of pipe to force and
carry water from a large spring on one of the
farms. Each stall for horses and cows has a
faucet and the houses and other buildings are
equipped with numerous faucets, doing away
with the old pumps, the moss-covered buckets
and the “long hauls” by pails.
—An explosion at Winburne last Thursday
afternoon caused the death of one person and
shattered the home of Andrew Kitchen to pieces.
. | It was his three year old son who lost his life.
Kitchen is aminer, and had a quantity of powder
and carbide in his home. Just where it was
stored could not be learned, but in some manner
fire reached it and the explosion followed. The
child seems to have been the only person in the
house at the time, the father being away at work