Bewocraic Wada.
BY P. GRAY MEEK.
INK SLINGS.
—The flittins have begun. i
—The vagaries of the weather man
are surely beyond the understanding of |
the ordinary person. i
—Centre county roads are reported as
being in worse condition than they have
been for many vears.
+A ROOSEVELT campaign is being |
made in Centre county; thus are the]
troubles of county chairman QUIGLEY
multiplying.
—Mr. KimporT has been our county
chairman for two terms. It seems to us
that he should be willing to let some else
have a chance by this time.
—It the Democratic party has to be re-
organized let us start right in on the
ground floor to do it. Let us begin at
home and reorganize Centre county first.
—The season is about over now and he
is a poor fellow indeed who hasn't his
name tacked to the bottom of a sale note
that will be worrying him about this
time next year.
—There scems to be nothing new in
the coal strike situation and as the first
of April approaches the coal dealer and
the consumer are growing more and
more concernec.
——Mr. HENRY PHIPPS is very gener-
ous to his children but if he had enjoyed
fewer special privileges and less tariff
graft in early life he wouldn't have so
much money to give away now.
——Really it begins to look as if ROOSE-
VELT won't have enough delegates in the
Republican National Convention to form
a respectable body guard and TEDDY
likes a body guard when he gets into
crowds.
——No doubt it is true that Secretary
KNoOX's valet is paid out of the public
treasury in violation of law. KNOX serv-
ed some time in the cabinet of ROOSE-
VELT and "evil communications corrupt
good manners.”
—Mrs. MARY BAKER Eppy, founder of
the Christian Science church, left an es-
tate worth two and a quarter million dol-
lars. Inasmuch as she was once a poor
woman here is evidence, indisputable,
that she improved her talents.
——Colonel ROOSEVELT seems to have
changed his opinion of Senator PENROSE
since the time he gave the Senator a free
hand in trading patronage for power in
Pennsylvania. Nevertheless he can hard-
ly be too severe in denouncing PENROSE,
" ==Those who profess to know say that
Mr. KiMPORT personally doesn’t care to
be county chairman any longer, but that
his boss compelled him to stand for it
again so that he could continue to own
the chairman of the Democratic party in
Centre county.
—That Ferguson township woman who
hid her life time savings in her house be-
cause she didn't trust the banks is now
minus both her savings and her house.
They burned up last week. How fool-
ish! A miilion houses burn down while
one bank busts.
—Dr. WILEY enjoys the good opinion
of a vast majority of the people but he
should bear in mind that adulterating
the public morals is quite as bad as pol-
luting the food of the people. A man
can't monkey around the “"Coinel” with-
out putting himself under suspicion.
—Dr. Harvey W. WILEY will lose
some of the popularity that he is now en-
joying if he doesn’t put a stop to his
wife's running around the country telling
all the rest of our wives how poorly they
are paid. That isn't news to the men
and the women to whom it is news are
far happier in ignorance.
—The returns from Indiana and New
York were not of the kind to encourage
the ambitious ROOSEVELT. It may take
a few more States to do it, but TEDDY
will surely find out that the American
people have had quite enough of turmoil
and unrest of the kind he injects into
_ everything he is connected with.
~—Mr. GUTHRIE doesn’t want much.
Any man who honestly wanted to be fair
could have accepted Mr. RITTER'S propo-
_ sition. It is now clear beyond question
that all that GUTHRIE and PALMER want
are offices and they don't care a hang
what becomes of the Democratic party
while they are trying to snatch them.
——The hotel keepers of Baltimore
are very much like those of other cities
but there is danger of “killing the goose
that lays the golden egg.” In other words
if the Baltimore hotel keepers charge
exorbitant rates during the coming Dem-
ocratic National convention they will
plant the seeds of an enmity which will
work night and day for many years to
come.
—To vote for ABRAM WEBER, of How-
ard, as the delegate from Centre county
to the forthcoming Democratic State
convention means that the party will
have one of the most reputable and sub-
stantial men it possesses to represent it.
The son of that pioneer merchant and
Democrat, the late BALsErR WEBER, ABRAM
is known, at least by reputation, all over
the county. He is a candidate for state
delegate and he is too big a man to be
anybody's tool, consequently you can re-
pose every confidence in his intention to
do what he deems best for the party.
VOL. 57.
STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION.
BELLEFONTE, PA, MARCH 29, 1912.
NO. 13.
The Question of Party Harmony.
No careful observer of recent political
events will be surprised at the reply of
GEORGE W. GUTHRIE to the candid and
manly proposition of Hon. WALTER E.
RITTER, chairman of the Democratic State
Central committee, for an adjustment of
the factional differences in the party.
Mr. GUTHRIE consents to every condition
except the vital one. Mr. RITTER propos-
ed that delegates whose election is certified
by the County Commissioners of the sev-
eral counties assemble in one convention
and fulfill their obligations. Mr. GUTH-
RIE had previously suggested that him-
self and RITTER censor the list which
was absurd, in view of the law on the
subject. But in accepting this proposi-
tion of Mr. RITTER Mr. GUTHRIE claims
it as his own. As a matter of fact itis a
part of the law of 1906 and if but one
convention is held no other method of
making up the roll can be considered.
Mr. RITTER also proposed that in order
to facilitate the harmonizing process
Colonel James M. Gurrey and Congress-
man A. MITCHELL PALMER, claimants for
the seat in the Democratic National
Committee, voluntarily eliminate them-
selves from the contention. He pointed
out the fact that the National Committee
had already passed upon the question
and affirmed the claim of Col. GUFFEY
and therefore the withdrawal of Mr. PAL-
MER would be little or no sacrifice. In
conjunction with that he also proposed
the resignation of both GUTHRIE and
himself of the chairmanship of the State
Central Committee, to which they lay
claim in order to permit and promote the
election to that office of a suitable per-
son not affiliated with the factional differ-
ences. Mr. GUTHRIE refuses to consent
to this proposal both on behalf of Mr.
PALMER and himself. He wants to hoid
on to the modicum of power he has, at
any cost.
This is precisely what was to have
been expected from Mr. GUTHRIE and his
associates in the conspiracy to destroy
the Democratic party in Pennsylvania.
The so-called movement for reorganiza-
tion, in so far as it had form in the minds
of GUTHRIE, PALMER and McCormick,
was intended for the sole purpose of put-
ting those political recreants in control
of the organization that they might use
it for selfish and probably sordid purpos-
es. For years GUTHRIE has been trying
to pervert the party to his personal in- |
terests. In 1896 he left it absolutely and
during three Presidential campaigns gave
all his influence and energy to the oppo-
sition. When the Democratic leaders of
Pittsburgh bought his title to an office he
used the power which he had acquired to
destroy the party that favored him.
Vance McCorMiICK's political record is
equally tarnished. He also betrayed the
party when he had an opportunity to
build it up.
Mr. RITTER'S plan is the only one by
which an enduring and éfficient reorgan-
ization of the party can be accomplished.
Col. GUFFEY has done nothing which de-
serves to be penalized and Chairman
RITTER has certainly not betrayed any
party interest. But they offer to take
themselves completely out of the equa-
tion in order that harmony may be
brought about. On the other hand
GUTHRIE, MCCORMICK and PALMER have
been constant and conspicuous enemies
of party progress and political success
but because of their inordinate ambition
to dominate the party they refuse to
agree to the unselfish proposition of Mr.
Ritter. To the non-essentials they as-
sent, because the law might take them
by the throat if they refused. But to
the real measure of reconciliation which
involves some self-abnegation they will
not agree because they care more for
personal power than for harmony and
success.
However the Democratic people of
Pennsylvania can bring harmony if they
set their faces to the task and they will.
The Democratic State Convention has
been called to meet at the Majestic thea-
tre, Harrisburg, at 12 o'clock noon, on |
May 7, 1912. It makes little difference
who calls it to order and the certificates
of election from the several County Com-
missioners will determine the member-
ship of the body. The Democratic vot-
ers can see to it, however, that men of
character and courage to do right are
elected to compose the convention and
they can and will take Mr. GUTHRIE and
Mr. PALMER out of the selfish and sinis-
ter contention in which they have been
engaged for a year. Their ambitions
may be vital to themselves. Mr. GUTH-
RIE'S desire to shine in ambassadorial
robes in foreign courts may be import-
ant to himself and his family. But itis
not of sufficient consequence to Democrats
generally to stand in the way of har-
mony.
Chairman RITTER'S offer was not only
fair but magnanimous. Col. GUFFEY'S
readiness to obliterate himself is gener-
ous and characteristic. His management
PPS
| of the party has been able and effective.
i Under his direction the party has achiev-
ed some splendid victories. Against odds
| of almost incredible proportions, he has
| held the party together. Under his man-
| agement minority representatives in both
| our appellate courts, of the highest
character and sturdiest integrity, have
| been elected. In the face of continued
| attacks from GUTHRIE and MCCORMICK
{ he has been able to maintain a militant
! minority in this ring-ridden Common-
| wealth. But he now offers to immolate
| himself on the altar of patriotism while
| GUTHRIE, the recreant and would be dic-
| tator, refuses to acquiesce. It is for the
Democrats of Pennsylvania to assert
| themselves now. Let them abandon
| their factional fight for their own person-
| al aggrandizement, or be scourged from
the party as the Pharisees were driven
| out of the temple.
Roosevelt Unnecessarily Alarmed.
Colonel ROOSEVELT is unnecessarily ex-
cited about the present form of govern-
ment in the United States. He says that
we are living in an oligarchy of political
leaders. The people have no voice in af-
fairs, he declares, and are threatened with
all sorts of evils. While he was President
things were precisely as they are now,
but he felt no fear, probably because he
was able, in an emergency, to avert the
attendant dangers. Now, however, there
is no harbor of safety. The politicians,
like hungry wolves, are ready to devour
everything before them and are certain
to do their worst unless the Colonel is re-
turned to the seat of power. It is cer-
tainly a sad picture that he paints.
As a matter of fact there is no graver
danger confronting the people of the
United States now than ROOSEVELT. Dur-
ing the seven and a-half years that he oc-
cupied the office of President he did more
to debauch the public life of the country
| than all his predecessors in office. He
| was the boldest in using the patronage
‘of the government to bribe Congressmen.
| He was the first to graft from the public
treasury the funds to pay his individual
‘ expenses. In fact he is responsible for
| most of the evils which have increased
| the cost of living because his official
| profligacy multiplied the burdens of gov-
| ernment and led to the extravagances in
individual life which are the sources of
| evil.
Colonel ROOSEVELT may safely calm his
| perturbed spirits. There is no danger
| that TAFT will run away with the gov-
i
(ernment. TAFT will be safely retired to
i ent term of office and the people of the
| United States will resume the manage-
' ment of their own affairs and conduct
| them just as they did before the assassin
catapulted ROOSEVELT into the White
{ House. But ROOSEVELT won't take his
| place. The people have determined to
| put Governor Wooprow WILSON into
command of public affairs and there will
be none of the disasters which ROOSEVELT
; predicts. The period of peril from mis-
| government has passed forever. The
| demagogues will take their proper place
: —What dutiful sons are those of HEN-
| RY PHIPPS, of Pittsburg. He had ten mil-
lion dollars, the care of which was worry-
ing him so he decided to relieve himself
of further concern by dividing it up
among them. Did they shirk the duty?
Not the sons of HENRY PHipps. They
stood right by the old man ready toshare
the last burden he had.
I —
The Question of a Strike.
We are not as apprehensive of a coal
of miners on the first of April or soon
| afterward. Anything of that kind is liable
in view of the suffering of the poor and
! the profligacy of the rich. But it doesn’t
look to us as if the present strike agita-
tion is either economic or sociological. It
is purely political unless all the signs are
misleading
The plan is to lead up by devious ways
and measured processes to an industrial
| climax when the President, who is a can-
didate for re-election, will come forward
and propose terms of settlement accepta-
ble to both sides. As President BAER, of
the Reading, once said: "the request of
the President of the United States is a
command,” to the operators. It is an en-
ticement to the politicians who farm the
labor vote and thus works the same re-
sult at both ends.
In 1900 McKINLEY'S re-election was se-
cured by such a scheme, engineered by
the late MARK HANNA. The operators
who wanted Republican success at any
price made a few questionable conces-
sions and the crafty politicians did the
rest. It looks now as if this expedient is
to be invoked again on behalf of TAFT,
and TAFT is now rehearsing for his part
in the performance. There may be a
strike, but don’t be surprised if the
threatened trouble turns out to be more
of a political comedy than anything else.
RA
private lifeat the expiration of his pres- |
strike as some of our esteemed contempo- |
raries. Of course there may be a strike '
Defeat the Party Recreants.
The Democrats of the communities in
which they live can perform no better
service to the party than by defeating A.
MiTcHELL PALMER, VANCE C. MCCORMICK
and James I. BLAKESLIE at the primary
election in April. Eachof these political
conspirators is ambitious to control the
party. PALMER is a candidate for re-
election to Congress, to be delegate-at-
large to the National convention and
Member of the Democratic National
committee. MCCORMICK aspires to a
seat in the State convention and to be a
delegate-at-large in the National conven-
tion and BLAKESLIE wants to be a district
delegate in the National convention.
Incidentally they desire to elect GEORGE
W. GUTHRIE a delegate-at-large to Balti-
more.
These gentlemen have been, for a year,
engaged in a conspiracy to destroy the
Democratic party of Pennsylvania. GUTH-
RIE and MCCORMICK are so closely related
to the protected industries and special in-
terests of the country, that they are
probably influenced solely by selfish con-
siderations. PALMER and BLAKESLIE are
obsessed with political ambition and the
lust for power is likely the influencing
cause of their recent actions. But what-
ever the cause of their party recreancy
the best interests of the Democratic party
of Pennsylvania will be conserved by de-
feating all of them at the coming pri-
maries. Neither one of them should be
allowed to misrepresent the Democracy
of Pennsylvania longer.
The gratifying information comes from
the communities in which they live, that
each of these gentlemen will be over-
whelmingly defeated next month. Six
yedrs ago Mr. PALMER entered into an
agreement to retire at the expiration of
his present term. He is now trying to
repudiate that agreement but the voters
of the district have taken the matter in
hand and will compel him to be fair.
BLAKESLIE was retired by an overwhelm-
ing vote of the people of Carbon county
four years ago and VANCE MCCORMICK
satisfied the people of Harrisburg, during
one term as mayor, that his proper place
Js private life. all of them are can-
didates, and they shotild go down to “de
feat together.
But One Convention.
There will be but one Democratic con-
vention at Harrisburg this year. Demo-
crats can depend upon that, no matter
whether Mr. GUTHRIE accepts all of Mr.
RITTER'S propositions or not. The con-
. vention that will be heJd will be the one
‘ called over the SIGNATURE of chairman
RITTER, to meet on the 7th day of May
at 12 o'clock, in the Majestic theatre.
There will be but one convention be-
cause there is but one legal and regular
‘organization, and Mr. GUTHRIE is lawyer
enough to know which one that is. And
it is not his. For that reason, while his
followers may meet at ten o'clock as he
has requested them to do, at the place he
has indicated, they will not attempt to or-
ganize a convention. And they wili not at-
tempt to do so, because they know that
nothing they would do, as such would be
recognized, either by the courts or by
the National Convention.
No delegates that they would nominate
would be recognized in the National
Convention.
No ticket that they would nominate
| would be sustained by the courts.
No action they would take on any
| question would be recognized as legal or
binding on the party.
' AND MR. GUTHRIE IS AWARE OF THIS
FACT.
And because he knows it is the reason
that he is now willing and intends to
abandon the bluff he has been putting
up.
A Plain Showing of What it is For.
“If GUTHRIE and PALMER step down
and out, what will there be left forus
to fight for?”
That's the basic question underlying all
the trouble and all the turmoil the Dem-
ocracy has been having here in Pennsyl-
vania for the past two years. Its the
question that contains all the milk that's
in the disorganizer’s cocoanut. Its thesum
total of all there is in the Reorganized
movement.—The one thing they are
fighting for—the one thing they would
divide the party for—The one and ONLY
PURPOSE they have in view. It simply
means that in place of trying to better
the condition of the party in the State this
fight for re-organization is solely and
alone to get GUTHRIE and PALMER the po-
sitions they want.
respondent for the honest acknowledg-
ment given in the foregoing query,—for
opening the eyes of hundreds of Demo-
crats to the real and only purpose for
which that pushed.
Read it Democrats and thes mw by
your actions if you are willing n
a fight among yourselves simply to satisfy
fia ambition of Mr. Curate and Mr.
i
Party Peace in Sight.
From the Pittsburg Post.
The Post believes that it is justified in
Democra
redicting peace for the ts of
ennsylvania by the coming r of
the factional leaders who have con-
tending for supremacy in tion
control. Messrs. Guthrie and Ritter, rival
claimants for eo gi are Bee
posed to t this newspaper
urged them to do, as is shown by their
exchange and acceptance of propositions
calculated to bring them together, there-
by avoiding the suicidal policy of holding
two conventions, and thus dividing a
party that is pleading for a chance to
unify. This dispute t has kept these
leaders apart is not the di of the
party itself, for Democrats al with-
out exception have been decrying a con-
dition that could mean disaster and noth-
ing else.
Last week Mr. Ritter submitted a plan
to Mr. Guthrie for the healing of the dif-
ferences, and declared that its acceptance
would remove all dificuley i the way of
Pp -
that is a matter for the party, and not
uals, to pass on, Mr. Ritter, in jus-
tice to himself and the
|E
¥
:
g
From the Baltimore American.
There is now a strong foundation for
the belief that not one of the seven Gov-
Roosevel
7
aged the Colonel to announce his candi-
dacy grossly deceived him as to the prev-
Blefice | of poring 1 his renom-
inal tal iss expresses
the belief that within the next sixty days
Colonel Roosevelt will ence the
greatest humiliation that he has ever
known in his political history. Inci-
dentally, Mr. Sturgiss declares that there
will be a solid delegation for Taft from
West Virginia.
There will be a diversity of opinion
over the question whether the Governors
fooled the Colonel or the Colonel himself
sized the situation up wrongly. But, as
in the charge of the Light Brigade,
“somebody blundered.” The most enthu-
siastic third-term propagandist in the
entire aggregation must by this time have
waked up to the fact that somebody—the
seven Governors or somebody else—made
an error of judgment in bringing the Col-
onel out. The State convention in West
Virginia doesn’t meet until the 16th of
May, but the signs that the delegation
from that State will not be for the Col-
onel grow more convincing every day.
Bryan on Candidates.
From the Harrisburg Star Independent.
William Jennings Bryan hit the mark
squarely when he said at Milwaukee that
the third term candidacy of Theodore
Roosevelt was a menace to the Republican
form of Government, and that he was an
of the
Hats n Pqlitics.
From the Newark News.
Mr. Wilson wanted to knock Mr. Bry-
an into a cocked hat.
Mr. Roosevelt's hat is in the ring. Not
his Panama
ha tying, inpocently i
of the road to Baltimore, fled
Mr.
the
Really we thank the Patriot and its cor- | with
bricks.
Mr. Clark’s hat is being spoken of by
admirers of
of the picturesque.
Mr. Taft's hat is being spoken through,
it seems to us.
Mr. La Follette will eat his hat if he
has withdrawn.
Mr. Harmon has a bee in his bonnet.
——For high class Job Work come to
the WATCHMAN Office.
-— et ——————————————————
SPAWLS FROM THE KEYSTONE.
=A cavein at the Sand Patch tunnel will necs-
sitate three months’ work to repair the damage.
One man was seriously hurt.
—Bids are being asked on Johnstown's new
federal building and it is thought work will be
ordered started in the near future.
—A check forger has been visiting DuBois. He
specializes in small amounts, about $8, and buys
a few goods, getting the change in cash.
—Williamsport is to have a new industry in the
near future, a wooden water pipe and steam pipe
covering factory, employing 75 to 100 men.
—Williamsport has lost another prominent citi-
zen by sudden death—]. A. Beeber, president of
the First National bank. He died of paralysis.
Robert Thompson, an Indiana county farmer,
has one rib broken loose from his backbone and
ui lungs injured. the result of being kicked by a,
t.
~All but two of the twenty-one deer placed in
the state game preserve at Latrobe escaped
though the wire rence. Their recapture is ex-
pected.
—Among two gangs of yeggmen captured at
Elmira recently were found two men wanted for
the recent robbery of the New York Central sta,
dis- | tion at Jersey Shore.
—Clinton county's commissioners have increas-
ed the county tax levy for this year from4 to 6
mills, to meet an increase in expenses and to pro-
vide for a new bond issue.
—Two little girls, bare foot and hungry, on a
Nanticoke side walk, told a neighbor that their
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Adam Apalski, had been
“asleep all day.” They were found to be dead.
—An entire saw mill outfit was blown up with
dynamite recently in Hopewell township, Hunting-
don county. Its location on disputed territory is
supposed to have had something to do with the
outrage.
~The York Valley Lime company in the midst
of its busiest season, suffered the loss by fire of
unknown origin of its plant near Stoney Brook.
Loss is more than $25,000 with practically no in-
surance,
~Inthe border land of Huntingdon and Fulton
counties has been discovered an immense deposit
of red hematite iron ore. The location so near
the Broad Top coal region is highly favorable to
development.
—At one of the Decatur township, Clearfield
county, schools it is said that when some of the
directors called they found three pupils playing
and the teacher taking a nap. A truant officer
was put to work.
—An old trunk about to be sold at the McAlis-
ter sale at Getiysburg was opened by one of the
crowd and a tin box containing $140 in gold was
discovered. Other money was found in books
and other unexpected places.
—According to an estimate of one of the lead-
ing furriers of Allentown, the farmers and trap*
pers of Lehigh county during the season just clos-
ing realized about $300,000 for the skins of various
fur-bearing animals they trapped.
—Judge Albert W. Johnson, of Union county,
Friday morning named Wesley W. Wolfe to be
burgess of Lewisburg, to succeed Captain John
A. Owens, who died. Burgess Wolfe served a
term as burgess about twenty years ago.
—H. D. Walbridge, of New York, connected
with the corporation that recently took over the
trolley and Philipsburg electric light and steam
plants, personally subscribed $1,000 toward the
new $150,000 Johnstown Y. M. C. A. building.
—Recently a second attempt was made to burn
the Methodist Episcopal church at Templeton.
Combustibles had been placed under a stairway
and set afire. The church door was left open and
a passing operator discovered the incipient
blaze.
—Elk county will not have an April session of
» in 1 i
pleaded guilty and will be sentenced on 3.
‘Two or three civil cases will go over to July and
the vacation will allow the remodeling of the
court house.
—It is now nearly two weeks since there has
been a new case of scarlet fever in Huntingdon.
The Fourth ward school building has been thor-
oughly disinfected and it is thought that the
pupils who have been staying away through
fear of it may now return without danger.
~The Greene City, Butler county, school board
gave a lease of the school lot to a company that
drilled a well that was finished last week and is
in the gusher class. The royalty will amount to
$10 daily, and the board is at a loss to know what
to do with the money, as there is no law govern-
ing the case.
—A Pennsylvania railroad train arrived at
Northumberland a few evenings ago with one car
minus its steps. The peculiar accident was un-
explained until Ralph Metz, of Northumberland,
told how his horse ran away and was wedged into
a culvert as the train passed. It knocked the
steps off and received some ugly cuts and bruises,
but no serious injuries.
—Fire at Lewisburg Thursday destroyed the
municipal gas works and the old electric light
plant. Before the fire was exhausted men were at
work erecting a temporary building in which to
operate the machinery, which was not badly
damaged. Fortunately, the gas tank was filled
and families using gas for domestic purposes
were not left without fuel.
~In the Fulton county court last week Judge
W. Rush Gillan of Chambersburg sentenced Rus-
sell Sipes, convicted of barn burning, to not more
than 6 years or less than 2 years in the Western
penitentiary at Pittsburg. Sipes was convicted
of having burned a number of barns in and
around McConnellsburg and he is the youth over
whose escape from jail Sheriff Harris got into
trouble. :
—Fifty years of active railroad service without
a black mark against his name is the record of
William R. Wherry, a Pennsylvania railroad con-
ductor, who retired on Friday at the age of 67.
He had been a conductor for nearly 46 vears and
during that time a passenger had never been
seriously injured or killed on his train. Mr.
Wherry is anative of Cambria county, Pa., and
served on the Pittsburg division, :
—The New York Central passenger station at
Jersey Shore, which also contains the office of
the American Express Co., was entered by rob-
bers last Thursday night sometime between the
hours of 10.30 and 7 Friday morning, the safe
of jewelry valued at $250 is missing.
—Edgar R. Weimer, who has been named as
TH
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