BY P. GRAY MEEK.
ae
INK SLINGS.
—1It is a safe bet that when the Re-
publicans get together there will be a
scrimmage on.
—July and August may make the corn
but the May showers are the milk to the
infant seedling.
—On a limestone road it is only a mat-
ter of a few hours of sunshine and a lit-
tle wind to make the change from mud
to dust.
—If the Colonel keeps on in his abste-
mious way he will some day grow to be
as good a temperance man as HARRY
KELLER.
—If President WILSON is going to drive
the lobby out of Washington he will sure-
ly supplant it with a move to pay those
Senators higher salaries.
—It must be encouraging to old maids
and others when they read of the matri-
monial possibilities of such men as NAT
GoopwiN and DEWoLF HOPPER.
—Oh—what a wonderful bird is the pelican,
His beak can hold more than his belican,
He can store in his beak,
Enough food for a week,
But I'm damned if I see how the helican.
—Former President ROOSEVELT, Dutch
to the core, said on the stand at Ishpem-
ing, that he abhors beer. Rather unusu-
al for a Dutchman but then TEDDY is an
unusual Dutchman.
—The federal government is planning
to plant a million lobsters in New Jersey.
And, incidentally, A. MITCHELL PALMER
is planting a few in federal jobs in Penn-
sylvania on his own account.
—They say that the sausage eaten in
this country in the course of a year
would encircle the earth more than six
times. It would, but it never will, for
that isn’t what it is made for.
——The Progressives, meaning the fol-
lowers of BILL FLINN in this State, have
determined upon an energetic campaign
in 1914 and so long as FLINN provides
funds there will be no change in plans.
—With an appropriation of $1,470,000
for The Pennsylvania State College it is
beginning to look as though the Com-
monwealth has decided to own its child
and dress it up fit to be seen in college
circles all over the land.
~The KAISER'S guests at the wed-
ding of his daughter engaged in a free
fight for souvenirs of the affair before
they left the palace. Even royaity re-
veals the passion of covetousness on
occasion the same as us common folk.
——Chairman MCKINLEY, of the Re-
“is giving a good imitation of 1
under adverse conditions. In an address
to the public, the other day, he declares
the future of his party is most hopeful.
—And the way the Pittsburgh Pos/, the
big newspaper noise in the Progressive
fight last year, was throwing bouquets at
Senator PENROSE, in its Wednesday is-
sue, was enough to make a cigar Indian
think that the motives of the Post are
not beyond suspicion.
~The New York animal rescue league
befriended 2117 homeless cats in March
and just a week or so ago an up-State
lad who had gone to the city to look for
employment jumped into the East river
in dispair, after failing to find a soul who
had a kindly word for him. Strange
world, isn't it?
—Mr. ROOSEVELT made oath before
that Ishpeming court that he never drank
more than “one mint julip at a time.” It
would have to be a most insatiate thirst
or peculiarly formed gullet that would
require more than one at a time to satis-
fy it, and the ex-President wasn't asked
either, how many “times” that one time
was.
—*“In a few words it may be said” that
the editor of the WATCHMAN would care
more for what the editor of the Centre
Reporter may say if we had not heard so
recently, the surprising story that the
people of Centre Hall would be only too
happy to trade back for the old newspa-
per regime that they bought out for
brother SMITH.
—Every living soul in the town of Wy-
oming, near Cincinnati, went to church
last Sunday. Who'll head a moe to ac-
complish such a remarkable and al-
together praiseworthy outpouring in
Bellefonte? It would be novel enough to
be very interesting and, at the same
time, might get a few of the “big church”
in the habit of going to one of the little
ones.
—Well, the fight's on. N. B. SPANG-
LER is quietly counting the fellows who
are going to stand for him for president
judge, as against Judge Orvis, and while
it is probable that we won't have quite
as much excitement as our friends, the
Republicans, yet there is every indica-
tion that there will be some strenuous
campaigning before the winner goes un-
der the wire.
—If the 360,537 Keystoners who voted
for Mr. BERRY in 1910 had voted for Mr
GRM we would have a Democratic Gov-
ernor at Harrisburg today. On the same
theory, IF the 119,305 Democrats who
voted for Mr. GRIM in 1910 should vote
for Mr. PALMER the Keystoners may
have a Governor in Harrisburg in 1914.
We emphasize the if because Mr. PAL-
MER is acting very much as if he prefers
not to have Democratic votes.
STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION.
VOL. 58.
«BELLEFONTE. PA. MAY 30. 19
Both Wholesome and Admonitory.
The conviction of State Senator STEPH-
EN J. STILWELL, of New York, upon the
charge of soliciting money as recompense
for voting for a measure pending in the
Legislature of which he was a member
ought to have both a wholesome and ad-
monitory effect upon Senators and Rep-
resentatives of other States. Mr. STIL-
WELL favored the legislation in question
but represented to the promotor of it that | py, the whole campaign was a bluff and designed only to put a new boss in
members of the committee to which it
had been referred would fail or refuse to
report it out unless they were paid. The
suggestion was not followed but an ex-
posure was made and a senatorial inves-
tigation was instituted. The inquisition
resulted in a generous coat of whitewash
for the accused Senator.
This is not a good year for disposing
of such charges in that way, in New
York, at least, and the district attorney
brought the matter to the attention of
the grand jury. Much testimony was
taken to show that Senator STILWELL is
an exceedingly exemplary gentleman
whereas his accuser is anything else than
that. But the incident was sufficiently
supported by fact and circumstance to
convince the jury and upon the first vote
of that body a verdict of guilt was ex-
pressed and the accused was remanded
to jail for sentence later. The penalty is
very severe, being several years in the
penitentiary and a heavy fine. The trial
judge refused a motion to set the verdict
aside.
If the prosecution of Senators and Rep-
resentatives in Legislatures for such ac-
tions should become a habit, what would
become of some of the statesmen who
have adorned the legislative chambers
of this and other States? Solicitation of
bribes to vote for or against pending
measures has been a rather common oc-
currence in Harrisburg, if recurring ru-
mors in the corridors are to be relied up-
on, and a good many Senators and Rep-
resentatives have, at one time or another,
supplemented their salaries by getting on
one side or the other of “pinch” bills in-
troduced mainly to get those interested | true v
to “come across.” But the incident just | more a
tious if not honest and therefore itshould
be regarded in the light of a public bene-
faction.
——Mr. CARNEGIE declares that he is
ready to shoulder a musket in the event
of war with Japan but the chances are
that was only a Scotch joke. In any
event Mr. CARNEGIE with a musket on
his shoulder would be a joke.
Hitchcock’s Policy and Burleson’s.
Postmaster General BURLESON has been
receiving many complaints, since he en-
tered upon the duties of his office, of in-
efficiency in the postal service. The de-
livery service has been bad in various
cities, these complaints indicate, and the
employees in postoffices and in the rail-
way mail service have been overworked.
With the view of ascertaining the causes
he instituted an investigation. The re-
sult has been the discovery that his pred-
ecessor in office had been sacrificing effi-
ciency in order to wipe out the deficien-
cy which has occurred almost from the
beginning of the service. Mr. HITCH-
COCK appears to have conceived the idea
that a surplus is preferable to good ser-
vice.
We have no quarrel with the most rig-
id economy in the administration of the
government. Profligacy is one of the
greatest evils of public life. Many men
imagine that the squandering of other
people’s money is a virtue. But econo-
my ought not to be practiced at the ex-
pense of efficiency. Overworking men is
not a good way of reducing expenses,
anymore than withholding wages is a
wise method of making favorable bal-
ances on the books. The wages have to
be paid some time and itis better to pay
promptly than cause suffering by delay.
Mr. Hitcucock held up bills until after
the close of one fiscal year in order to
make a good showing and saddled ex-
penses upon the new administration
which ought to have been paid by the
old. ;
Postmaster General BURLESON will
pursue a different policy with respect to
these things. He will exact from em-
ployees of the Department full and effi-
cient service but will not impair their
usefulness by overworking them or de-
stroy their efficiency by withholding their
just recompense. Much additional labor
has been put upon the Department by
new regulations and the way to meet it
is to make the force adequate and this is
what Mr. BURLESON proposes to do. Pos-
sibly an inadequate force can perform a
given amount of work if given sufficient
time. But tardy service is inefficient and
the people demand efficiency and are en-
tirely willing to pay for it.
~The Bellefonte hospital apprepria-
tion bill passed the House unanimously
y.
on Wednesda,
Are the People Rulin g?
In the conclusion of a two column discussion of Mr. BRYAN's definition of Dem-
ocracy the Centre Democrat last week used these words: “The Centre Democrat
is confident in the ability of the people to rule.”
If you read the article at all you came to the conclusion, no doubt, that it was
merely a rehash of what the editor of the Democrat has been harping on for the
past year. Putting the bosses out and letting the people rule.
every Democrat in the county, whether he be Progressive or Regular, is willing to
admit now. For nothing could savor more of complete domination than the ar-
rogant assumption of A. MITCHELL PALMER and VANCE MCCORMICK to pass the
last word on the aspirations of men for office all over Pennsylvania. And, further
still, they have delegated a part of the business of bossing to a favorite or two in
each county, and gone so far as to let it be known that no man need apply for
favor unless he first secures the endorsement of their delegated local boss.
In Centre county, where the party never had a boss and where no man can
point to a time when the word of one individual was final in matters of Democrat-
ic policy or Democratic preferment, PALMER and MCCORMICK have designated
the editor of the Centre Democrat boss. We make this statement for three rea-
sons, viz.:
Mr. PALMER himself told RoBerT F. HUNTER that he would consider no ap-
plicants for office from Centre county unless they could get the endorsement of
Kurtz and KiMporT. This was on the occasion of a visit which Mr. HUNTER
made to Washington to ascertain what chances he had of being made United
States Marshall for the western district of Pennsylvania.
When Mr. JOHN M. SHUGERT went to Harrisburg to see VANCE MCCORMICK in
the interest of Rev. JOHN HEWITT, who is an aspirant for a consular appointment,
Mr. MCCORMICK told him that before Mr. HEWITT'S application could be consider-
ed he would have to have the endorsement of KURTZ.
Within the last week it has come to our knowledge that applicants for post”
offices in various parts of the county have received written advice from Mr. PAL-
MER himself that they must have the endorsement of KURTZ before they can be
considered at all.
What does it all mean? It means simply this. PALMER and MCCORMICK,
with the disposal of the federal patronage in Pennsylvania at their command, pur-
pose building up a machine in your party that will inake it as completely their
tool as it is possible to become and all through such local agencies as the Centre
Democrat.
Voters of Centre county the Centre Democrat and KURTZ fooled you last year.
They may have “been confident in the ability of the people to rule,” but that
wasn’t the game they were playing. The Centre Democrat was using every one of
_ you as levers to lift its editor into a five thousand dollar job and the position of
boss in Centre county as well.
that it has been preaching rang
? Why, out of a dozen or
should the one be selected whom
Mr. ROWLES, we understand, is a very deserving young Democrat, clean and
quite competent to make a good postmaster. But while he is a comparative new-
comer to Philipsburg and even may not have had the majority support of the pa-
trons of the post-office there, all he actually did need was the endorsement of
KUrTz. Why then, if the people are to rule, is the postmaster at Philipsburg re-
ally appointed because a boss in Bellefonte says he can be. It seems to us that
the people in Philipsburg amounted to nothing in the selection of their own offi.
cial and, in truth, they didn’t. The question is how long will they stand for this
kind of thing?
Understand that we have no intention of dignifying the editor of the Centre
Democrat by declaring that he is boss of the Democracy of Centre county. Because
while there have been many changes within our party lines here, we still have
unswerving loyalty for fifty-eight years, to believe that it could not fall solow as to
submit to such humiliation. But he is the delegated boss of bosses PALMER and
McCorMICK and they are playing the game to take the party by the throat and
choke it into swallowing anything that may be designed to further their own self-
ish ambitions. The one wants to be Governor, the other United States Senator.
You have seen every one of these Reorganizers, from GEO. W. GUTHRIE down,
placed in high salaried positions and what have you gotten in the way of better or
cleaner party organization. Nothing, absolutely nothing, but the orders to go to
KURTZ before you can get even a hearing from the men in charge of your party.
If you stop and ponder over these things soberly you will come to the conclu-
sion that while the people may be able to rule they are getting less opportunity
to do it now than they ever had before.
Next to putting the bosses out the favorite theme of the Democrat was to
make you believe that a few were getting more than their share of the crumbs
that fell to Democrats in Republican Pennsylvania. While it is a matter of record
that the Centre Democrat has drawn more from the county treasury, since it has
been owned by its present editor, than any Democratic paper in thz county,
how has its catspaw, county chairman KIMPORT been served?
For nine years he was clerk in the Prothonotary’s office. Then he had seven
years as Prothonotary. Sixteen years at the public teat -is some record for
a man scarcely yet in middle age. To add to this it is now rumored that because
our county chairman can be relied upon to carry out the orders that boss PALMER
sends here he is to be given a federal job with a salary of $2500.00. Thatwill last
four years at least and run the grand total of KIMPORT’S graft from the party up
to twenty years.
With these facts and these figures staring you in the face, if you area ration-
al man, you must admit that it wasn’t all to let the people rule and to get rid of
the bosses and grafters that KUrTz and KIMPORT were working last year or
are working now.
They are for themselves, first last and all the time and in order to get jobs
have sold you completely into the hands of PALMER and MCCORMICK.
The people rule, forsooth! When men like HILE GRIFFIN, of Stormstown, fifty
years 2 Democrat in a district where it means something to stand up for the par-
ty, and last year a Progressive, have to come crawling like cravens for the en-
dorsement of PALMER'S little boss before they can hope to have a look in for post-
master of their home town where HILE has spent seventy years and KURTZ prob-
ably no more than ten minutes.
It isn't what you voted for Progressives. Is it? But itsall you'll get as long
as PALMER and McCormick and KURTZ and KIMPORT can use you.
mm —— Ens
——Anyway the KAISER'S son-in-law | ——Senator LA FOLLETTE has announc-
has the promise of a job. The KAISER ed, semi-officially, that he is opposed to
says he will make him King of Hanover, the UnpErwoOOD tariff bill and will fight
with a population of a million or so and | it no matter what alterations are made
that number of people can be held for a | in the Senate committee. The Senator
good salary. is more concerned about his own political
estate than about the interests of the
——Still the calamity howler is discon- people.
| solate. Nothing but good reports of fu-| ——The rainy weather we have had
| ture business prospects can be heard | the past two weeks was just the kind the
anywhere. farmers wanted.
13.
faith enough in and respect for the party, to which the WATCHMAN has given its
§RECEATIEE EERE
HE
From the New York Wi
The high sasifl lobby 2 Washingion
was concen
gS on ie So
a gia a
o
was elected by 435 of the 531 electoral
votes. There was no chance for the lobby
in that situation.
os Beet 5
are
0 :
lege and plunder, and
cans of every variety. ,
that was another unpromising or
narrows and the hopes of the lobby rise.
The Democrats commissioned by States
and people to reduce the cost of living
and check the trusts and combines num-
the polls and phenomenal majorities in
the college and the House of
tatives, expresses itself in the
Senate by a majority of six—and that un-
certain. If the Republicans hold togeth-
er it will be necessary for the lobby to
detach but four Democrats to gain a ma-
jority and defeat a reform which a few
months ago seemed irresistible.
Here is the weak spotin the people's
lines, and here with unerring sagacity
the sappers and miners of the protected
trusts are already at work. atch the
Senate! Watch the lobby!
Things are Different Now.
From the New York Tribune,
Washington dispatches say that Senator
Ollie James has received a letter of con-
gratulation from President Wilson on the
able manner in which he chewed up the
two Democratic Sena
who are
tariff bill.
such a letter a matter of genuine con-
Harry is Worse than a Buzz Saw.
Pegusthe YWadhinithon Ss: :
Instead ping himself out, Harry
other people into
——For high class Job Work come to
the WATCHMAN Office.
| there under the new law
_ SPAWLS FROM THE KEYSTONE.
—The Huntingdon county jail has but four
inmates, the smallest number in four years.
—Rev. Dr R. R. Reed, of State College, was the
speaker at the Punxsutawney high school com-
mencement a few nights ago, when nineteen
young folks received diplomas.
—State troopers, although reported discourag-
ed, are keeping up a search for the murderer of
Grace Johnston, the Trafford City girl whose
tragic end stirred the entire State.
—Punxsutawney merchants will keep only
half holiday on Memorial day, July ith, Thanks-
giving and Labor day. On Christmas they will
close all day, for the only time in the year.
~The rebuilding of the Clearfield Brick Man-
ufacturing Co's plant at Krebs, destroyed by fire
on April 16th, is progressing rapidly. This same
company is adding a new kiln to its Riverview
—~Sykesville is having a boom. With work
rapidly progressing on the new coke ovens, the
town is filled with busy men and houses are in
great demand. A new powerhouse is going up
Lewistown had to suspend putting up measles
quarantine cards and wait on a fresh supply from
the printers. Doctors also exhausted their sup-
ply of report blanks. Eleven new cases in one
day is the latest report.
~—James Moyer, of Yeagertown, according to
the Lewistown Sentinel, caught a trout measur-
ing twenty-six inches and weighing six pounds.
He proudly exhibited his catch to a number of
Reedsville people who vouch for the big fish
story.
. Andrew Spanogle, of Lewistown, who
is only 90 years old, has purchased a Ford touring
car and is learning to it himself. Heis
in the habit of spending the winters in Florida
and expects to journey thither next fall overland
in his new car.
~While Miss Edith Smithgall, of Wallis Run,
near Williamsport, was standing on the porch at
her home a few mornings ago, she saw a big
black bear sitting in the yard. While she was
calling her brother, the bear leisurely started for
its mountain home.
—Mrs. William Shannon, aged 75 years, com"
mitted suicide by hanging at her home in Milton
late Saturday afternoon. She sent her husband
down town on an errand and when he returned
he found the woman's body hanging by a rope
from a rafter in an outhouse.
~The Susquehanna silk mills at Milton are
working steadily and in a short time several car-
loads of new looms will arrive and be placed in
position. When these are installed there will
be work for many more people. The silk mill is
one of Milton's thriving industries.
~While Miss Mabel M. Derby, of Latrobe, lay
dying of anacute attack of diabetes a seamstress,
not knowing of her sudden illness, was taking
the finishing stitches in a gown intended for her
wedding trousseau. She was aged 24 years and
was to have been married in June to James Mc-
Clay, of that place.
—Folk dancing is barred in the Johnstown
schools as a part of the curriculum. The action
was taken by the board of directors, because of
objections of patrons to the teaching of dancing.
The millage was fixed at six and one-half mills
and a bond issue of $170,000 authorized for build-
ing and improvements.
—The Gettysburg battle semi-centenial com-
The time for filing such applications will cease
on June 1 and those which are received after
that date will not be filed.
—Bert Balog, a 16-year-old Hungarian resident
: , was the first to be arrested
prohibiting minors
using cigarettes. He claimed ignorance of the
law and said the smokes had been given him by
a stranger at a wedding celebration at which he
had been one of the orchestra.
—At least two robbers and a wagon are sup-
posed to have been busy at the Weaver store,
Montoursville, recently, to get away with more
than $200 worth of clothing and shoes. A show
case was smashed, evidently in a malicious
spirit. There is no clue to the identity of the
thieves, who had broken open a back door.
—Blairsville is to furnish its own power for its
water plant. The town council recently turned
down a proposition from the Penn Electric com-
pany and will use coal from its own coal land.
of which it owns five acres. The coal can be
hauled for ten cents a ton and mining will cost
fifty cents. Steam will be used instead of elec-
tricity.
—A peculiar accident occurred recently at
Force, which cost the life of Conductor H. Luth-
er, of the Pittsburgh, Shawmut and Northern
railroad. A barre! of molasses which was being
unloaded at that place slipped as it was being
taken from the car and fell striking the conduc-
tor who was below the car, on the head and
crushing his skull.
—A dispatch from Washington says: The Penn-
sylvania criminal “indeterminate sentence” laws
of 1909 and 1911 were declared valid today by the
supreme court in denying writs of habeas corpus
to J. Harry Spencer, Albert L. Scholl and Frank
L. Moyer, formerly of Williamsport, Pa., who
sought release from the Pennsylvania peniten-
tiary in test cases.
—~Tramps sleeping in a hay mow are blamed
for the destruction by fire of a barn belonging to
Daniel Devlin, a prominent Somerset county
farmer, near Vinco. Four horses, four cows, a
fine steer and a calf succumbed to the flames
and a lot of farming implements are a total loss.
There is only partial insurance on the more than
$4,000 worth of property destroyed.
—Mrs. Charies Egler, formerly Miss Mary
Geisinger, of Portage township, Cambria county,
may secure $500 if she makes her whereabouts
known to the Cambria county authorities. Mrs.
Egler is the only sister of George Geisinger, who
died in a hospital at Johnstown several days ago
and in his will he bequeaths $500 to her if she can
be located within five years.
—William Nighthart, the veteran fisherman of
night recently he caught 540 fine shad, the next
night he got 78. He has shipped some fine speci-
mens to his home in Lewistown. Mr. Nighthart
has been a fisherman for thirty years past. Last
season he caught carp in the Juniata river waigh-
ment.