—Jt wasn't “Let George do it” when | the cherry tree was chopped. —Anyway I'd rather have a case of small-pox than be President of Mexico. ~The local option bill has passed first reading in the House at Harrisburg, but there's many “a slip ‘twixt the cup and the lip.” —What the Hon. Geo. W. GUTHRIE didn’t know about politics when he be- came state chairman he is learning now by experience. —Anyway the suffragette cause has reason to congratulate itself. It is not “cold” feet but only “sore” ones that has taken hold of its hikers. —Anyway, the longer Governor WIiL- SON holds off his Cabinet announcements the longer a lot of impossible “possibili- ties” will remain in the lime light. —Possibly the Balkan war is still going on, but really Mexico has kept us so busy watching during the past few days that we have lost sight of the Turks entire- ly. —Its a funny condition of affairs when J. PIERPOINT MORGAN can have an attack of indigestion in Cairo, Egypt, that makes nearly every broker on Wall Street throw a fit. ——The suffragettes are pursuing their weary way trom New York to Washing- ton and it looks now asif the only reward for sacrifices will be sore feet and sad disappointment. —From the way some of our Jingo ex- changes have been declaring war on Mexico they evidently imagine them- selves clothed with the power the Consti- tution has vested in Congress. —Many a fellow who is after a twenty- five dollar cross-roads post-office will spend fifty in going to the inauguration to whoop ’er up for the new President. But think of the good time he'll have. —Of a truth misfortunes seldom travel alone. Just when Mr. BILL FLYNN'S voice fails him his “reform” sheriff gets .. into the hands of a grand jury for fail ure to properly perform his official dut- “tien. ~ =If anything should happen to the confirmation of E. W. BIGELOW, as state tined to be enacted into laws of New Jer- sey. Let us hope they become more fa- mous than the Seven Southerland Sisters were when they were making us believe they could grow hair on bald heads. —Governor SULTZER, of New York: may not succeed in making a farmer out of VINCENT ASTOR, no matter how much the youthful millionaire longs to become one, but he did succeed in getting a del- egate who would pay his own expenses and represent the Empire State at the world’s congress of agriculture in Rome. —The Altoona Times sums up a lengthy editorial on “Home” in these words: “The real possessions are not what the hands may grasp, but what the heart holds.” How true! And that accounts for the supreme content- ment and happiness to be found so often in humble homes and so rarely in the more pretentious ones. —The metropolitan papers are full of comment on the fact that as professor of law at Yale President TAFT is to receive $5,000 a year while Howard Jones, the foot ball coach at Yale, is to receive $4,000, Why laugh ? JoNEs will make more men who can earn their own living by athlet- ics than the professor of law will make lawyers who will not be utter failures or parasites on their families for ten years at least. —People who decline to visit Bellefonte because of the small-pox “scare” have a perfect right to do exactly as they think best. But those who persist in exaggerat- ing it are doing a gross injustice to this community and one that there should be some law to prevent. It would be crim- inal for any official, physician or newspa- per in any community to cover up the truth in a time of contagious disease, but it seems that the effort to tell the exact truth about the situation in Bellefonte has had no effect whatever. All manner of wild stories are in circulation, notwith- standing the fact that, all told, there have not been ten houses under quarantine for the disease in this place. -Jt seems to us that the calling off of the regular term of February court on account of a small-pox “scare” is ill-ad- vised. If it were anything more than a “scare” it would be justified. But when the schools, the churches, places of amusement and every public enterprise is working as usual in Bellefonte we cannot understand how the sit. uation is serious enough to warrant a suspension of court; especially if there are litigants who must suffer by such a delay of justice. Nothing has been con- cealed here. The local papers have giv- en full publicity to every case duveloped and they are so few as to constitute on ly a “scare.” Far be it from us to advise our readers that there is no danger in Bellefonte if there were, but we do so ad- vise because if there were danger here the State Board of Health would have on. | demand for a place in the cabinet? He is STATE RIGHT a. VOL. 58. Mr. Palmer's Disappointment. The Washington correspondent of the | New York World writing upon the per- sonnel of President-elect WILSON’S cabi- | net, the other day, said that “the friends | of Mr. PALMER, who isgenarally credited | with having rendered valuable service during the campaign, say that he will be | grieviously disappointed if denied a cabi- net place—the Attorney Generalship pre- | ferred—but they also say he is too good a sportsman to sulk over it.” Mr. PALMER having put bis political service on a commercial basis desires to realize early upon his investment. So far as the records available show he has done nothing to entitle him to such recom- pense as he demands, however. It is true that he was instrumental in break- ing up a Democratic organization in' Pennsylvania which had twice elected a State Treasurer and brought the vote of | a Presidential candidate to the highest ever reached. But that sort of service | hardly deserves the reward which Mr. | PALMER claims. It is absolutely safe to say that no Democratic candidate for President with. in half a century enjoyed greater personal popularity in Pennsylvania than Woob- | ROW WiLsON. No campaign within that | period has seen the party in the State more harmonious and enthusiastic than | that of last fall. Yet under the direction | of Mr. A. MITCHELL PALMER the aggre- gate vote for Mr. WILSON was something like 50,000 less than that for WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN four years previous, though it is well known that Mr. BRYAN had hosts of enemies in the party and was bitterly fought, by many of our most influential Democrats—the present chair- man of the Democratic State committee among the rest. In the light of these facts what services have Mr, PALMER performed to justify a party leader whose faithful should inthe past Hero ed for him a nomination in 1908 and put him forward whenever op- portunity presented itself subsequently. But he was not known as a party leader until his revolt against the organization which had befriended him and the vote of last fall shows that that was a misfortune. We have no desire to interfere with President-elect WILSON'S plans or prefer- ences either in the formation of his cabi- net or anything else and if A. MITCHELL PALMER is called to the council table we shall not object. But let us hope that the commercial spirit in which he ap- proaches the matter will be abandoned. Neither the party nor the President-elect owes him anything and the party is not urging his appointment. —Speaking of coming events we can already discern the shadow of the disap- pearance of the dollar diplomacy. An Excellent Idea. Governor SULZER, of New York, has set a wholesome example to other admin- istrators of public affairs. It was report- ed to him that there is likely to be a de’ ficiency of something like $6,000,000 in the revenues of the State. He looked into the matter carefully and finally rec- ommended that the Legislature double the tax on the transfer of speculative stocks and automobiles. In this State such things would not have been thought of. Our statesmen would have suggested a tax on coal or some other necessary of life so as to put the burden on those least able to bear it. Governor SULZER has a different notion of things. The country will never attain a full measure of prosperity until our system of taxation is reversed. Prosperity is not big wages on one hand or extraordinary profits on the other. It is theadjustment of the burdens and benefits of govern. ment on a basis that will bring content- ment. In other words, the taxation of wealth in at least equal ratio with the burdens put on poverty so that neither the laborer nor the capitalist can feel that he is being imposed upon, is what is wanted. The proposition of Governor SULZER to collect the additional revenues needed from speculators in stocks and owners of automobiles will accomplish the result. \ That taxes are paid by the consumer is axiomatic. Whether the levy be upon coal, wool or cotton, the man who uses the product pays, not only the levy, buta considerable per centage for collecting and paying the money. But a tax on speculation will hurt no one who onght to be helped. Even a tax on corporations is paid finally by the people who use the corporations in business and the public gains little by the process. Therefore, the SULZER idea is worthy of considera- tion. No matter which end of the specu- lative operation is hit, little harm is done. quarantined the town long ago. It is a case of “dog eat dog.” a BELLEFONTE, PA. FEBRUARY Justice Miscarries Again. The convicted conspirators of the Bath Tub trust have been fined in various sums aggregating $51,000. They were convicted, last week, in the Federal court at Detroit, United States District court udge, CLARENCE W. SESSIONS presiding. They were accused of restraining trade, regulating prices and various other things in violation of the SHERMAN anti-trust law. The defendants were corporations and individuals and the trials were in the criminal courts. But there was no dif- ferentiation between individuals and cor- poratious and as corporations can't be put in jail the learned court probably thought there would be something like discrimination in making a distinction in the sentences. Early in ROOSEVELT'S first term as President special counsel for the govern- ment were employed to investigate charges of rebating against the Topeka & Santa Fe railroad. Among the lawyers entrusted with this service was JUDSON | HARMON, who had been Attorney Gen- eral in CLEVELAND'S administration and has since served two terms as Governor of Ohio. Mr. HARMON made the report and in it declared that “crime is person- al,” and indicated the culprit in the case. The culprit having been a friend of Pres- ident ROOSEVELT criminal proceedings against him were forbidden but the San- ta Fe railroad was tried, convicted and fined. The penalty was paid out of the treasury of the corporation at the ex- pense of the share owners, and the cul- prit went free. In the bath tub case the same result is likely to follow. Fourteen individuals were fined in sums ranging from $5000 to $1. But the fines will be paid by the corporations rather than the individuals so that as usual the real criminals will escape without punishment of any kind. Of course the stockholders who had nothing to do with the offense and prob- ably got This may seem to the outgoing administration a good way to deal with such subjects but the average citizen will take another view of it and happily the present administration will soon be ended. We have no prejudice against Re- publicans who have been appointed to postmasterships within the last month or so but we own to some emotion on the subject. No Democrat within this broad land can see the local postoffice pass under the control of a Republican for “four years more,” without emotion. Resident Hunters’ License. The attempt to levy a gun license tax on resident hunters in Pennsylvania is again being made in the Legislature at Harrisburg. A bill for that purpose was introduced by Mr. Davis, of Lackawanna county, in the House of Representatives several days ago and is being pressed in committee by the State Game Commis- sion. Its supporters are mainly city men who represent, so far as this question is concerned, wealthy members of gun clubs and owners of game preserves. There is no game in the cities but there are plenty of hunters. At this distance it looks as if they want more than a fair share of the opportunities to take game. We can see no substantial reason for imposing such a tax on hunters of Penn- sylvania. In the first place it would be unjust because it would be an unequal tax. The ostensible purpose of the tax is to provide a fund to protect bird life from noxious animals and other predatory en- emies. All citizens are equally concern- ed in this achievement and should be burdened alike for it, if it is necessary to burden at all. The preservation of bird life is a universal necessity and the ex- pense of it should be shared alike by all concerned. Because a man hunts is no reason for putting a special tax upon him. Our game laws are sufficiently confus- ing and incongruous now without adding another complication to invite contempt. The resident hunters’ license would cer- tainly have that effect for it would be un- fair upon its faceand no man with red blood in his body will submit patiently to unjust and unequal taxation. For these reasons we hope the measure in question will be defeated by an overwhelming ma- jority. It was so disposed of two years ago and ought to be again. We hope our representative in the Legislature, Mr. GRAMLEY, will put his seal of disapproval upon it by voting against it at every stage of its progress in the House. —]f TAFT had behaved half as well during the earlier periods of his admin- istration as he is behaving now in the face of a grave emergency the political history of the country might have taken a different turn last fall. But it was all for the better. WiLsoN will be better than TAPT at his best. Jo ep YL day, that the Mexican muddle be referred | to arbitration and that the several other Latin-American republics be invited to | participate in the deliberation. This sug- | gestion has greatly offended some of the | dignitaries of the State Department at | Washington. Those “high-brows” resent any interference with their prerogatives | and imagine that suggesting methods of | settling troubles in Mexico and every | place else, for that matter, is essentially a prerogative of the State Department “highbrows.” For more than a week the city of Mex- ico has been in a state of anarchy be- cause of a sort of military mutiny. The legal, and so far as indications go, the capable President of the Southern Repub- lic has been unable to maintain order or even protect life in the capital city and the jingoes in Washington and about the ship yards and ordnance factories have been ali the time clamoring for interven- tion. Intervention means the conquest of Mexico and the absorption of the gov- ernment and territory of that friendly neighbor. But the suggestion of a ration- al solution of the problem provokes re. sentment when, as a matter of fact, it ought to have been welcomed as a remedy for a grave evil. The truth of the matter is that th® “high-brows” in the State Department at Washington are vastly more concerned abeut the interests of the shipbuilders and the the ordnance makers of the country than they are about those of the people. If ROOSEVELT had been Presi: dent when the disturbance began our armies would now be occupying the mili- tary posts of Mexico and war expenses would now be “eating up” money faster than it could be collected from the peo- To his credit it may be said that has been able to stand out aire magnates but there is no telling how long he will do so. Let us hope, how- Read ever. that it will be for a couple of weeks, ——Spring is fast approaching and nat- | urally business men are beginning to pon | der over the outlook for the coming sum- | mer. While there are the usual pessi- | mists always to be found in every com-! munity, who can see nothing but dul] | times ahead, there are many who look | into the future through optimistic glasses | and not only believe that business will be | much improved during the coming sum- | mer, but have faith enough in the future | ! of the town to help it along all they can. In this respect we refer to men who ex- pect to erect new dwellings in Bellefonte. While only tentative plans have been made there is assurance that more build" ing will be done in the town this year than for some years past. Of course much of the hope of improved conditions is based on the work to be done in build- ing the new penitentiary in Benner town- ship; and this will depend to a large ex- tent on the appropriation for this purpose made by the present Legislature. If the latter is adequate and a few hundred men put to work on the new penal insti- tution it cannot help but be of some bene- fit to Bellefonte. —Quite a sensation was created in Philipsburg last week over the distribu. tion there of a paper called the New Re- public, published at Westerville, Ohio, which contained the names of all the signers to the applications for liquor license in that town, and a scurrilous at- tack on men generally who vield their influence in such a cause. An effort is now being made to locate the author or source of the article and if the man is found he will likely find himself in hot water for a time, at least. — With gasoline soaring around the 25¢. mark and giving promise of going much higher automobilists are in a quan- dary over selling their machine or put- ting a blanket mortgage on it to pay for the gas it uses. At present prices travel- ing by auto is more expensive than it ought to be. — “ —What an opportunity the present situation in Mexico would have given Mr. ROOSEVELT to swing the big stick if he were in the White House now and how much better we are off that he isn't there? President TAPT appears to have always been anxious to get out of Wash- ington but then getting out of the city didn’t take him off the payroll and that makes a vast difference as anybody can see. —We recall the fact that the first an- nouncement of President CLEVELAND'S complete cabinet was made on the day of his inauguration, March 4, 1885. But politicians weren't so meddlesome then. —S ATR FEDERAL UNiON. 21, 1913. NO. 8. The Mexican Muddle. One Scorching is Enough. Mr. JouN BARRETT, who has been for ' Proms the Hassisbure Stan lodeSgedetlt A head of a btireau for the pro- n years turday battle- ino tei of hn Lo DN EE 1 he hr American Republics, the other | j; was due to accident or design, tated the war between the United tes and Spain. War might have been averted had not the bal been de- and had not an in ting commission reported that the ion that rent it came from the outside. When that was made war became inevit- able. Here was a casus belli that could be ignored, BE he Sash ernment had de- mands of the United States with regard brought 3 to the government of Cuba. Intervention in this case has g 2 i iE H HH is 3 di i tf ha that he is ready at a moment's no- tice to return to Mexico to die fighting the United States should intervention be undertaken. The old president would join the new president and the revolu- onists now making war on the Madero t weuld unite in a common would rally instantly to a n patriotic protest against ble indies. While T: vention is contemplated and while he is insisting that in any event the of an invasion of | te was received by the to with a sense of relief. This is as itshould H i i ¢ | | | LL | | employes of the which had charge of t SPAWLS FROM THE KEYSTONE. | —Mt. Union needs fifty houses to accommodate | the people who want to live there. The new | refractories plant causes the scarcity. | —Conemaugh is compeiled to ask state aid to | fight smallpox, having spent all its money for | street paving and other improvements. : —C. A. Deitrich, who escaped from the Hunt- | ingdon reformatory on Monday night, was cap” | tured in Washington county on Thursday night and is now back at the institution; reduced in grade. —The family of Albert Wresh, of Lilly, is sorely afflicted. Two children died in one day of scarlet fever, another is thought to be dying, th® mother is broken down and the father is suffering from erysipelas. —An order issued from the National Guard Department announces the discharge of Captain William H. Nevin, of Company E, Twelfth in" fantry, it appearing that he is unfit to discharge the duties of his office. —David Scalbetti, aged 10 years, is the young, est prisoner ever tried for murder in the West- moreland county court. Angry at his brother, he had, the prosecution says, picked up his fath- er's revolver and pulled the trigger just as Andy ~The Pennsylvania Coal and Coke corporation on Monday fired some 400 coke ovens at its No. 10 mine at Gallitzin. They have been idle for the past week or longer for repairs and these have been finished and all will be put into opera- tion as quickly as possible. —Leonard Huling, aged 12 years, stood and jooked at a burning shanty at Cook’s Run, near Renovo, recently and has likely lost the sight of an eye by so doing. There were some 38 calibre cartridges in the shanty and when they exploded one of them struck the boy in the face. —Miss Ruth Fisher and Miss Violet Winkle- man, of Flemington, went skating on Bald Eagle creek a few days ago and skated through thin ice. They went in the water up to their necks but fortunately touched bottom and were able to cling to the edge of the ice until their cries brought help. ~The W. C. T. U. of Eaglesmere showed enough violations of the law to knock out the last remaining liquor license at that summer re- sort. Before they did so, however, they secured financial backing for a temperance house which will be open to the public in a short time and will remain open all the year round. ~The diphtheria scare in Blanchard is fast dis- | which was advanced to a critical stage when covered, has proved the efficacy of this method of treatment. ~Grace Stidfole, the Williamsport girl shot by John Erble last November, has recently bean im- proving. For a long time she lay at the hospital between life and death and was taken to her mother’s home to die. It is now thought that she will recover and Erble, who had not been out- side of his cell since the shooting, is allowed to exercise in the corridor. —Last Thursday afternoon, at two o'clock, the Penn Vitrified Brick works, located near Cameron, was sold by attorney Chas. G. Stroth, master, under had of U. S. Court; the bondholders pur- chasing same for $12,000. What disposition will be made of the property we are unable to learn. It is a valuable piece of property, costing consid. erably more than $100,000. ~John P. Kissell, formerly of Jersey Shore an construction work of the new railroad shops at Avis, and now has charge of the work on the new shops at Lima, Ohio, was struck by a large piece of iron at the latter place on Saturday, which crushed his skull and broke his neck. Just how the accident occurred is not « | known. -~Mt. Union is excited over a case of black smallpox. Arthur Hill. the victim, had been mingling freely with neighbors and a number of quarantines are expected. Rev. A. C. Lathrop, Baptist minister, and his wife are among the first to be isolated. It is stated that during the epidemic of “Cuban Itch,” declared by state offi- cials to be smallpox, Mr. Hill was one of the victims. —A deal has been closed by which I. W. Sea- mans and Thomas B. Palmer, of Uniontown, se, . | cure possession of 2,400 acres of timber lands in Somerset and Westmoreland counties, a half in, dealers in adulterated soft drinks. —~Mary Ann Hughes, an aged serving woman died at Williamsport and left a small fortune a $7,000, saved from her earnings. The estate is made up of valuable securities. By her will she devises bonds to the value of $3,540 to Mrs. J. H. Breeze, a daughter of a family the woman served for 30 years; $1,500 to Frank B. Otto, §1,000 to the Catholic church of Annunciation; $500 to St. Joseph's parochial school and $575 to the city greater advantages. It is now thought the home will be erected in Dauphin county.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers