Bemorralic alco,
BY P. GRAY MEEK.
INK SLINGS.
—The threatened railroad strike
has been averted, but the end of the
controversy that gave rise to it has
not been reached.
—Candidate Hughes is simply fol-
lowing the tactics of the lawyer who,
when he has no case, turns in and
gives the other side h—.
—And Jim Blakeslie has finally
come across with an apology to the
United States Senate. What a dose
that must have been for Jim to take.
—Are you helping to clean up
Bellefonte or are you blaming what
filth and pestilence breeding places
there are on some one else and letting
it go at that?
—Some farmers would rather have
$1.40 in the hand than $1.50 or $2.00
in the bush for their wheat. And it
might prove out that $1.40 in the hand
is worth $2.80 in the bush.
—1It is beginning to look very much
as though the Phillies will repeat.
The same might be said about the
Athletics, except that the latter is
more certain than the former.
—The Bellefonte tax payer who
writhes under his burden of thirty-
seven mills ought to be comforted a
little when his Philipsburg brother
says: What are you kickin’ about!
I pay forty.
—Have you noticed how far to the
south the new moon is. If the weath-
er wise know what they are talking
about that means a season of warm
weather, which will be very accept-
able to the Grangers during their en-
campment at Centre Hall, '
—Naturally it isa great disap-
pointment that the scourge of infan-
tile paralysis that has so distressed
many schools of Pennsylvania and
other eastern States is not abating as
was hoped for with the approach of
September and cooler weather.
—The withdrawal of the Hon.
Cephas Gramley from the Washing-
ton party ticket for the Legislature
will make the fight between Gardner
and Scott more interesting. It ought
to help Gardner and it would if a lot
of Centre county citizens had the
habit of voting as they talk.
—Hecadquarters for the county
Democracy haye been opened in Cri-
der’s Exchange, 2nd floor. Let it be
made attractive enough to serve the
purpose for which it is designed and
~let it show signs enough of life to in-
ject a lot of pep into the organiza-
tion in all parts of the county.
—After the Grangers’ picnic there
will be little to look forward to but
Thanksgiving and Christmas and that
reminds us to admonish you to begin
your Christmas buying right now.
Nothing will be cheaper and the
chances are great that everything
will be more expensive later in the
season.
—We presume we will not be mak-
ing enemies of the residents along
that thorofare when we call the at-
tention of the street committee of
council to the fact that Spring street,
from High to Pire, seems to have
missed its share of the good work
that has been going on for several
years on our streets. Let it be next
on the list for grading and re-surfac-
ing.
—A new industry employing five
hundred or more men has been the
dream of Bellefonte for so long that
if some of our business men were to
waken up one of these fine mornings
to find the dream come true they
would have to pinch themselves be-
before they could realize that they
are awake. It might be well to have
the pinchers ready for work, because
the unexpected sometimes happens.
—Most of the big metropolitan
dailies have been compelled to dis-
continue their arrangement whereby
they exchange papers with many of
the country weeklies. They state
that the high price and scarcity of
news print has necessitated this cur-
tailment. It is very complimentary to
the “Watchman” and at the same
time an indication of regard these hig
city papers have for its utterances
that almost all of the ones with which
this paper exchanged have asked to
have their names put on our regular
paid subscription list.
—For some reason, as yet unex-
+ plained, the Philipsburg Ledger has
dropped the names of Bros. Rowland,
candidate for Congress, and Scott,
candidate for Assemblyman, from
the ticket it carries at its masthead.
There have been mutterings in the
Republican camp in Philipsburg for
some time and it may be that this is
one of the sequels. Be that as it may
their names will be back on the
Ledger’s ticket ere long and the
fine Italian hand of George Zeigler
will probably write them there. We
question the Ledger’s courage to
carry through the bluff it has evident-
ly started.
_VOL. 61.
STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION.
Woodrow Wilson Averts Calamity.
Two weeks ago when the threaten-
ed strike became imminent and the
attendant calamities hung over the
country like a cloud we expressed the
confident belief that through the in-
strumentalities of President Wood-
row Wilson it would be averted. That
prediction has been fulfilled. New
legislation was necessary but by the
exercise of his influence on Congress
the legislation was “eracted in time
to serve the purpose. It was a diffi-
cult problem to solve but he was
equal to the emergency. Mental
force, physical strength and a vast
fund of endurance were required to
compass the result but all these
forces were available and the desired
result has been obtained.
A labor strike such as was contem-
plated by the railroad trainmen of the
country would have been a calamity
so great that the thought of it is re-
pugnant. Industry would have been
paralyzed, commerce prostrated and
public order destroyed. Millions of
people would have suffered and thous-
ands starved within a week from
the beginning * of the disorder and
poverty and desolation would have
spread throughcut the length and
breadth of the land. A less resource-
ful President would have been incap-
able of dealing with such a situation
and a less couragecus President
would have failed to assemble the
forces necessary. But Woodrow Wil-
son had both courage and capacity
and achieved the purpose.
Of course there ars differences of
opinion as to the adequacy of the leg-
islation enacted 2s a permanent cure
for the evil that menaced. Possibly
the Supreme court, the majority of
the members of which are Republi-
cans, will hold that it is class legisla-
tion. But it is sufficient for the time
and served the purpose of the occa-
sion. There was no strike on Monday
and the industrial and commercial
life of the country Is unimpaired.
Time will be required to test the va-
lidity of the legislation. The wisdom
of it is undisputable. And meantime
other legislation can ke thought out
and enacted that will meet every test.
The achievement is ancther proof of
the wisdom of Woodrow Wilson.
Penrose and Oliver on Labor.
The railroad men and other wage-
earners in this town and county are
respectfully referred to the votes of
Senators Penrose and Oliver on the
eight hour day law for railroad train-
men. Only a couple of weeks ago
these two gentlemen distinguished
themselves by voting alone against
the workmen’s compensation act
which had the support of every Sena-
tor in the chamber at the time, ex-
cept themselves. In this last effort
to benefit labor a number of Repub-
lican Senators voted with them in the
negative. But in both instances
Messrs. Penrose and Oliver revealed
their utter contempt for working men
and their absolute indifference to the
interests of labor.
But Senators Penrose and Oliver
strictly fulfilled their public obliga-
tions, as they understand them, to the
Republican party of Pennsylvania
which is responsible for their pres-
ence in the Senate. They represent,
not the peonle of Pennsylvania, but
the Manufacturers’ Club of Philadel-
phia, the American Manufacturers’
association and the plutocrats gener-
ally speaking. Those organizations
and those men are averse to allowing
wage-earners to ‘ndulge luxuries of
sufficient rest and the society of their
families, and eight-hour days and
workmen’s compensaticn laws make
for such things for working men.
Hence the vote of Senators Penrose
and Oliver on labor legislation.
The friends of Senator Penrose will
henor him more than ever, ro doubt,
because of his votes against these
two pieces of labor legislation. It re-
quired a good deal of nerve, for ex-
ample, to cast the vote he did on the
eight-hour day law. If the measure
had failed the industrial life of the
country would have been plunged into
disorder, distress and disaster of im-
measurable proportions. Human suf-
fering indescribable, would have fol-
lowed through all sections. But the
Republican party is not concerned
about such things. Its mission is to
conserve the interests of monopoly
and plutocraey and Senators Penrose
and Oliver fulfilled their party obli-
gations in voting against labor.
~=Put your ad. in the WATCHMAN.
Wilson’s Speech of Acceptance.
{
An esteemed Philadelphia contem-
porary that is very much opposed to
Woodrow Wilson, states that in his
speech accepting the Democratic nom-
ination, he presented his case in its
best aspect. No man honestly and
justly speaking could present the case
of President Wilson in anything other
than a good form. The case of Presi-
dent Wilson is the reccrd of achieve-
ment during the three and a half
years he has been in office. As he
says during that period he may have
made some mistakes. No human
judgment is infallible. But he has
made fewer mistakes than any other
man acting under the same conditions
would have made and those made
have been “of the head rather than of
the heart.”
The President’s speech of accept-
ance was simply a review of events
for which he was responsible in
whole or in part during the time since
his inauguration as President. It has
been a period of great work and his
brief summary touched only the more
important matters involved. But it
revealed a volume of constructive leg-
islaticn and administrative achieve-
ment unmatched since the beginning
of the government. And the admir-
able work was as diversified as it was
effective. No evil has escaped and no
opportunity to do good has been ne-
glected. From tariff reform to the
conservation of the interests of agri-
culture every subject has received at-
tention and proper consideration.
In the opinion of many the speech
of acceptance is President Wilson's
“ablest State paper.” It is certainly
a persuasive argument in favor of his
re-election. There is no “pussy-foot-
ing” about it. It expresses in plain
upon the subjects it treats and leaves
nothing to conjecture. Referring to
the hyphenates he says “I neither
seek the favor nor fear the displeas-
ure of that small alien element among
us which puts loyality to any foreign:
power above loyalty to the United
States.” Contrast this with the drivel
employed by Hughes in referring to
the same subject and there will he no
difficulty in discovering which ex-
presses true Americanism.
Roosevelt's Speech in Maine.
Theodore Roosevelt has spoken con-
cerning the campaign and strangely
enough the earth has not trembled.
At Lewiston, Maine, the other even-
ing he spoke in behalf of Hughes but
if there is a single sentence in his
long harangue which supplies any rea-
son why anybody should vote for
Hughes it is so effectually concealed
as to be undiscoverable. It is from
start to finish a tissue of malice and
misrepresentation so woven together
as to excite the wonder of any
thoughtful man who wades through
it. Abuse of Wilson is the beginning
and the end of it and the passion and
prejudice are so obvious that even a
blind man may see it. It is the domi-
nant tone of the speech.
No man who reads the Roosevelt
speech can fail to see that the Colonel
has lost his cunning. Misrepresenta-
tion may be presented in such subtle
form as to deceive and during the
period of mental healthfulness Theo-
dore Roosevelt was a master in that
art. But when a man stands up be-
fore an audience of Amercian citizens,
presumably of average intelligence,
and declares that nothing has been
done to strengthen the defensive
equipment of the country within two
vears, he simply sets himself down an
egregious ass. The smallest boy in
his audience knew tha: he was falsi-
fying. Every man within the sound
of his voice able to read must have
been disgusted.
We had, in commen with most
others, felt some apprehensions as to
the effect of Roosevelt’s stump service
in behalf of Hughes. But after his
performance in Maine they are dis-
sipated. The voters of the United
States have no feeling except that of
contempt for a common scold and no
sentiment other than that of aversion
for a villifyer of men. Theodore
Roosevelt has degenerated into this
state. He not only misrepresents
facts but invents falsehoods concern-
ing those to whom he is opposed.
His invective fails because it is malig-
nant and his accusation falls for the
reason that it is absurd. Taking one
consideration with another Roosevelt
is a dead one.
—In just two weeks summer will be
over.
language the views of the President
Death of Governor Pennypacker.
The happy admonition against
speaking other than good of the dead
will restrain many a criticism of the
late Governor Samuel W. Pennypack-
er, who died at his Schwenksville
home on Saturday. Much good may
be said of him truthfully for he was a
ripe scholar, a jovial companion and
of sunny disposition. But much
might be said with equal accuracy
less flattering to his memory. His
public service consisted of several
years on the Common Pleas Bench of
Philadelphia, one term as Governor of
Pennsylvania and a seat in what is
now the Public Service Commission
from the time it was first organized
as the Railway Commission. It can
hardly be said that he distinguished
himself in either service.
If Governor Pennypacker had left
politics alone ard devoted his some-
what curious mind to the study and
writing of history he might have
earned a higher place in public esti-
mation thar he attained. But in pol-
ities he was more cunning than capa-
ble and perverted every agency of
power to personal aggrandizement or
party chicanery. During his term as
Governor the grafters had full license
to loot and thcugh none of the pro-
ceeds of their operations went to him
he silently acquiesced in the venality
under the belief that it was for the
benefit of the party which had honor-
ed him and from which future favors
were ‘expected. It is charitakle but,
we fear, inaccurate, to say that he
didn’t know.
Mr. Pennypacker reached the bench
by appointment and to the surprise of
most of his associates at the bar. But
he was a ccusin of therlate Senator
Quay who was at the time the politic-
al autocrat of the State. He became
Governor as a reward for personal
service to Quay. After that party
leader had escaped the penalty of em-
bezzlement by pleading the statute
of limitation, Pennypacker wrote an
eulogy of him which placed him on.
‘thé highest pinnacle of virtde: ;
relationship was not known and the
judicial atmosphere which clung to
the praise exercised a vast influence
on the public mind. The gubernator-
ial office was not an excessive recom-
pense for stemming a flood tide of op-
position.
——As President Wilson said in his
Hodgenville speech Lincoln needs no
eulogy, but Wilson's interpretation of
Lincoln’s life is a beautiful specimen
of biographical literature and may
well be considered in the class with
Lincoln’s Gettysburg address.
—“Hungry Hi” has been nomi-
nated for Senator by the Republicans
of California and Hughes will have
to 2xplain why he attached himself to
the other side during the primary
campaign. “Hungry Hi” is a fighter
and he is mad all over.
——1It is said that Mr. Hughes in-
tends to answer Woodrow Wilson’s
speech of acceptance. There is noth-
ing more amusing than a lap-dog try-
ing to provoke a mastiff to fight, but
Hughes is evidently preparing to give
the public some fun.
rr ———
——Wher. the war ends Europe
will be crippled financially, physical-
ly and morally. The people of the
United States have nothing to fear
from any people or all the people who
are in that condition.
——1It is easy to guess what Roose-
velt would have done if he had been
President when German troops invad-
ed Belgium. He would have dcne, in
a bungling way, what Wilson did in a
masterly manner.
——=Some of our esteemed but en-
tirely too timid contemporaries are
afraid that the trainmen will take
Congress by the throat and strangle
it. There is no occasion for such
fear.
The Mexican members of the
Commission now in session at New
London, Connecticut, may be able to
explain why Villa has not been cap-
tured or killed.
——When
the labor vote hits
Hughes he will never know whether
it was a trip-hammer or a streak of
lightning that got him.
—Tuesday’s rain was just what was
needed to prepare the ground for the
fall seeding.
~——They are all good enough, but the
WATCHMAN is always the best.
BELLEFONTE, PA.. SEPTEMBER 8, 1916.
NO. 35.
Threatened Railroad Strike Averted.
The threatened railroad strike and
consequent disarrangement of all the
important railroad systems in the
United States which looked so omin-
ous when the “Watchman” went to
press last week, has been averted by
Congress passing the Adamson
eight-hour day law at the earnest so-
licitation of President Wilson. The
bill was passed by the lower House on
Friday by a vete 239 to 56. The Sen-
ate passed the bill on Saturday even-
ing by about a two-thirds vote. Pres-
ident Wilson signed the bill in his pri-
vate car at the Union station at
Washington, early Sunday morning,
while on his way from Shadow Lawn,
N. J., where on Saturday he was offi-
cially notified of his re-nomination
for the Presidency, to Hodgensville,
Ky., where he officially accepted a
farm dedicated to the memory of
President Lincoln.
Three hours after the bill was pass-
ed by the Senate the leaders of the
four great Brotherhoods of railroad
employees sent six hundred code
messages to their general chairmen
in all parts of the country calling off
the strike which was to have taken
place on Monday but it was not until
midnight on Sunday that the Penn-
sylvania railroad company lifted the
embargo on all kinds of freight mat-
ter. In fact the railroad company did
something on Sunday that probably
never happened before. Local
freights were run everywhere to
‘clean up the freight matter.on hand,
the trams on the Lewisburg making
the usual trip. Freight stations were
kept open so thzt consignees could
lift their goods, if they so desired and
every effort was made fo clean up
everything.
Local freights were annulled on
Monday, owing to it being Labor day,
but passenger trains ran on sched-
uled time and Tuesday morning wit-
nessed the general Tesamptios of
freight traffic. :
and Frovides that the men’ hall re-
ceive the ten-hour rate for ‘eight
"hours. The bill also provides for the
appointment of a commission to in- |
vestigate for a period of from six to
nine months on the effect of the new
law and to make due report thereon.
Railroad officials threaten to contest
the legality of the bill before the Su-
preme court.
——There has been considerable
discussion in Bellefonte recently on
the question of locking up the big
spring to conserve the purity of
Bellefonte’s water supply, and as
with everything else, there are two
sides to the question. Bellefonters
have drank from that spring for over
a century and there never yet has
been a case of illness traced to the
water thereof. Further than that
every resident of Bellefonte takes
pride in doing everything possible to
.keep the spring pure and uncontami-
nated, but if the story told the writer
recently is true it is a strong argu-
ment in favor of more watchfulness
over the spring. The story is in ef-
fect that a car or two of tourists
stopped at the spring one of the re-
cent hot days and they all went in to
get a drink and view the matchless
beauty of its crystal waters. Finally
one and all tock out their handker-
chiefs and proceeded to take a facial
bath in the cool water. We do not
know who the tourists were or where
they were from, but it must have
been from some place where they do
not teach or practice along the Dr.
Dixon ideas, and what they needed
was for the man in charge to take
them each and every one by the cuff
of the neck and the seat of their
breeches and throw them bodily out
on the street, with an emphatic ad-
monition never to return.
——The newspaper publishers who
are bewailing the scarcity of news
print probably wouldn’t think it so
scarce had they seen the three wagon
loads of Sears & Roebuck and Mont-
gomery, Ward & Co. catalogues that
came to the Bellefonte postoffice on
Monday evening. And these were
only a small part of a consignment of
ten tons of such catalogues that
were distributed from Sunbury, while
three full freight car loads was the
amount sent to Harrisburg for distri-
bution from that point.
—Penn States faotball candi-
dates to the number of about thirty
have arrived at the College and start-
ed training for the season.
SE ——
SPAWLS FROM THE KEYSTONE.
—Five congregations in Washington, - Pa.,
are without pastors, owing to the recent res-
ignation of the officiating ministers. Various
reasons for resigning were given.
—The Spangler brewery was offered at
sheriff's sale on Monday, and was bid up to
$77,715.00, but as this was considered too low
the sale was postponed until today.
—St. Francis’ college, at Loretto, will re-
open for the fall term on the 11th inst., sub-
ject to the restrictions imposed by the State
Health Department’s quarantine for infantile
paralysis.
—The members of the Conemaugh United
Brethren church held a special service last
Sunday evening, one of the significant fea-
tures of which was the burning of a $4000
mortgage.
—The village of Mazeppa, five miles north-
west of Lewisburg, was almcst wiped out Sat-
urday evening by a fire which consumed sev-
en dwellings, a store and a number of barns
and other buildings.
—Kenneth Powers, a lad residing on a Clin-
ton county farm, is now an inmate of the
Lock Haven hospital, suffering from injuries
received when he was kicked in the face by
an unruly horse. One cheek bone was ecrush-
ed and part of the boy’s nose was torn off.
—An Allentown teamster was startled to
see a gold watch and chain dangling from the
tail of one of his horses as he drove along
the street. His theory is that the switching
of the animal's tail jerked the wateh and
chain out of the pocket of some passing pedes-
trian.
—E. Moran, a Clinton county farmer -whose
home is in Woodward township, has in his
Possession a brass button as large as a silver
dollar containing the initials “G. W.” and the
inscription, “Long live the President.” It
was either a campaign badge or a souvenir of
some event in the life of George Washington.
It was plowed up in one of Moran’ s fields
about a year ago.
—TFire early last Thursday morning at the
Williamsport Dickinson Seminary caused a
loss estimated at $10,000 snd forced Puesi-
dent B. C. Conner and his wife to jump from
the second story to escape the flames. His
two daughters were rescued by the janitor
while the matrons and maid, who were also. in
the buildirg, leaped to safety. No students
were in the building. The fire will not delay
opening school beyond the State quarantine
order.
—The source of the typhoid epidemic in Al-
toona has been discovered in the watershed of
the Kittanning Point reservoir, near the
Cambria county line. Three cases of typhoid
fever have been found by the Altoona and
State health authorities among farmers resid-
ing on the watersheds, and it is believed that
these contaminated the city water. All the
patients have been removed to hospitals.
There are now about 90 cases of typhoid in
that city. All residents have been ordered to
boil the city water before using it, while the
Pennsylvania railroad is not permitted to use
he water in its passenger cars.
—A caveat filed in the court at Williams-
port on Friday presages a contest of the will
of Mrs. Flora B. Humes, of Jarsey Shore, who
died several weeks ago. She was the widow
of Hamilton B. Humes, a Jersey Shore bank-
er, who died two years ago, leaving an estate
of $1,200,000. His widow's share’ was $400,-
000. The caveat was filed in'behalf of Mar-
| garet. Humes, 22, a granddaughter of Mrs,
Humes, and daughter of Samuel Humes, de-
ceased. The action ‘also affects her brother,
Samuel Humes,
of County
Line, near Herndon, Northumberland county,
makes the provision canceling the notes for
$12,000 held against half a dozen debtors. The
—The will of Elias Bingaman,
balance of the estate, consisting of three
farms, stocks, bonds and perscnal property,
said to be worth more than $25,000 was giv-
en to thé Verdilla, Snyder county Lutheran
church, where he was a member. More than
five years agd the old man, fearing that some
one might wrest his property from him, gave
a power of attorney to the Rev. A. S. Blairly,
his pastor, and turned his property over to
Blairly with instructions to pay Bingaman an
income during his life.
—Love’s young dipam was shattered at
Beaver Falls on Friday, by an irate father
with a shotgun, when Caleb Smith, 96 years
old, chased Roman Williams, 92 years old, in-
to the County Recorder's office and fired both
barrels, loaded with salt at Williams, who had
eloped witk Caleb’s daughter, Cynthia, 78
years old. As Williams was attacked by the
angry nonogenarian the coy maiden fainted.
Her father was thoroughly wrapped up in his
job, however, and he rained blows on the lov-
er and paid no attention to his daughter's
plight. Williams, who looked more like a
railroad accident than a rcmantic Lothario,
hoisted the white flag. After the altercation
was over the father dragged his blushing
daughter, who was with him weeping bitterly,
home with him.
—Robert C. Sandy, of Philadelphia, through
his attorney, R. A. Henderson Esq., of Al-
toona, last Friday brought suit against the
Pennsylvania railroad company for $3,000
damages for false arrest, Plaintiff is a travel-
ing salesman, and during periodical business
trips has his headquarters in Altoona. In his
statement filed in the office of the clerk of the
court of common pleas at Hollidaysburg,
Sandy avers that on Monday, August 21 last,
he went to the Altoona passenger station, in-
tending to take passage on an accommodation
train east. He had a mileage book contain-
ing over 500 miles, which he presented to the
gateman, who punched it, but before handing
it back, inquired where he was going. To this
inquiry, Sandy declares he retorted that “it’s
none of your business,” whereupon. the gate-
man closed the gate, leaving him within, and
called a railroad policeman whom he instruct-
ed to arrest Sandy. The forcible detaining,
he declares, greatly humiliated him, and hurt
him in a business way. Mr. Sandy demands
a jury trial.
—Near Grazierville, Blair county, there is
now quite an indignant farmer. He had
planned early Monday morning to visit a tree
in a wooded district near his farm and re-
move from several of its limbs wild honey to
the value of approximately $250. For over
two weeks he had watched the spot and Mon-
day morning early was the time set for get-
ting the prize. Sunday morning at 5 o’clock
a motor car drove up a private road leading
past the tree while the farmer and his house-
hold slept. Shortly afterwards a crash was
heard. In the morning when the farmer
arose he saw in the distance a newly fallen
tree. The miscreants had chopped down the
tree and taken the honey. No trace as to
their whereabouts has been found. About
two years ago a repetition of this act, in
which Fred Bland was the loser of over 100
bs. of honey and a fine specimen of sycamore
tree, occurred in the Bland grove. As in that
case a big reward has been offered, but it is
not likely that the thieves with the honey
will be apprehended.