BY P. GRAY MEEK.
st
INK SLINGS.
—At last some one has been arrest-
ad for reckless driving on the streets
of Bellefonte.
—The cabinet makers are showing
no signs of invoking the Adamson
law tc shorten their working hours.
—Congressman-elect Bleakley, of
Franklin, has decided to fly to Wash-
ington in an aeroplane. Symptons
that there will be another flighty
member in the House when he takes
his seat.
—Cauliflower has gone to one hun-
dred dollars a ton in the New York
markets. Here would be a chance for
a lot of exprize fighters with “cauli-
flower” ears to turn their deformities
to good advantage.
— There is so much to be thankful
for in all of our lives that we should
remember not to let the day specially
set apart for that purpose slip by
without a prayer of thanksgiving for
the many blessings that have been
ours.
There will be no nation-wide
railroad strike on January 1, for the
reason that the eight-hour law has
not been put into operation because
that law will be put in operation on
that day. This is not official but it is
absolutely true.
—Might as well give it up, you fel-
lows who are still counting on the
possibility of an, eror in the count of
the vote in California. The official
canvass is nearly completed and not
an error of any magnitude has thus
far been discovered.
—We sit and smoke the pipe of
peace and wonder what thing more
could add one jot to the happy lot that
we have had in store; and then the
steam runs down and quits and the
gas it flickers dim and our happy lot
is gone to pot and our language? Its
a sin.
—Inasmuch as most of us believe
that Col. Goethals is in a position to
know most about the Panama Canal
we are not inclined to believe the pro-
fessor of geology at Lehigh Univer-
sity, who declares that it is a failure
and that the Culebra slides can never
be stopped.
—As the court proceeds it looks
more and more as though Congress-
men Barchfeld and Coleman have both
been defeated for re-election in Pitts-
burgh. When Pittsburgh sends two
Democrats to Congress we ave forced
to arise and reiterate our remark of
last week to the effect that in 1920
there won’t be a Republican party.
—Rumors here are to the effect that
our boys on the Border will either be
home or in Mexico within a month.
While we will all pray that it will be
home for theirs, we all feel that if
they have to be sent into Mexico they
will add more lustre to the already
jllustrious record of the home county
as a producer of brilliant military
men.
—What a wonderful thing the poise
of the American people is. It is just
fifteen days since the election of a
President of this great country of
ours and all the excitement engender-
ed by a heated campaign in which
over two million of dollars were spent
in arousing it has simmered down
until about the only persons who ever
think of the contest are those who
have an office itch that must be
scratched.
—1If you can enjoy mock turtle soup
and relish chicken salad that has been
made out of veal, call ginger
cakes ginger cakes when they haven't
a flake of ginger in them why in the
world can’t you eat a big fat chicken
that has cost twenty cents the pound
for your Thanksgiving dinner and
imagine it is turkey at forty cents.
Really, the only thing good about
turkey is the white meat and you all
know there never is enough white
meat “to go ’round.”
—Chicago is all excited over the ex-
periment that has been started there
to feed one dozen men and women a
week on an expenditure of not more
than ten dollars for food. It might
be a wonderfully enlightening propo-
sition to the Chicago Board of Health,
but in a community like ours the suc-
cessful working out of such a scheme
of economics would not cause a ripple
of excitement, for the reason that
scores of families here are living
healthily on a far less expenditure for
food than that.
—The “Watchman” heartily com-
mends the sentence which Judge
Quigley imposed on Philipsburg’s con-
fessed fire-bug. Twenty years in the
penitentiary may seem like a long
time, and it is a long time, but not too
long a confinement for a man who
wilfully caused the destruction of
over a hundred thousand dollars
worth of property and jeopardized
the lives of innocent people. The only
way crime can be held in check is by
making the penalty of its commission
as fearful as human practices permit.
VOL. 61.
Concerning the New Cabinet.
Naturally there is a good deal of
mental speculation concerning the
next cabinet. The President has giv-
en no sign of his purpose with respect
to the matter and none of the mem-
bers of the present cabinet have indi-
course all of them will resign and it
is equally certain that some of them
will be reappointed. But it is reason-
ably sure that some new material will
be brought into service. The West
has earned greater consideration than
it has received in the past and it may
be assumed that in recasting the cab-
inet some of the strong men of that
section will be summoned to the coun-
cil table. There is plenty of good ma-
terial in the West.
It has been intimated that Post-
master General Burleson has ambi-
tions in another direction and in pur-
suit of them will withdraw from the
cabinet. His home is in Texas and in
all probability his successor will be
a Western man. It is also reported
that Secretary of War Baker will de-
cline a reappointment and his State,
Ohio, has earned the right to claim
his successor. There are rumors cur-
rent in Washington that Secretary of
the Treasury McAdoo will refuse to
serve longer than the close of the
present term. He is a splendid official
but it is commonly believed that he
could earn a couple of hundred thous-
and dollars a year in his business
and if that be true remaining would
be a great sacrifice.
The cabinet slate makers, and they
are legion, ali include the name of
Vance C. McCormick for a place in
the new cabinet but none of them has
placed him in the position which
would be congenial. That is heis
generally selected to be Secretary of
War and his natural place would be
Secretary of the Treasury. All his
life he has been concerned in vast
business undertakings and in organ-
izing the Federal Reserve banking
system the President selected him as
a member of one of the bcards.
Mr. McAdoo desires to retire, there-
fore, the natural thing would be to
call Mr. McCormick to the vacancy.
Pennsylvania would thus have two
seats in the cabinet but the Keystone
State is big. '
Knocks Out Class Distinction.
In an address to a delegation repre-
senting the American Federation of
Labor, at the White House, last Sat-
urday, President Wilscn sounded the
keynote of true Americanism. “What
I am striving for, and what I hope
you are striving for,” he said, “is to
blot out all the lines of division in
America and create a unity of spirit
and purpose founded upon this, the
consciousness that we are all men and
women of the same sort and that if
we do not understand each other, we
are not true Americans.” The evil of
our day and generation is the mistak-
en idea that American citizens are
divided into classes and that wealth
or birth makes a material difference
between one element of our people
and another.
The main hope of the American
Republic is that class spirit and class
distinction shall be entirely and com-
pletely eliminated. Based upon
wealth it is bad enough but the pre-
tensions of the New York and New-
port men and women who find their
diversions in vice and their remedies
in divorce courts was -nore amusing
than important to right-minded folk.
But recently there has developed an
element which imagines that within
its membership is vested all that is
patriotic and wise and that they have
been put upon the earth to govern,
and rule and regulate the affairs of
the nation. This presumption is as
harmful as it is absurd and in his de-
termination to wipe it out the Presi-
dent should be cordially supported.
There are Republicans who imag-
ine that nobody outside of that party
faith is capable, honest and patriotic
enough to administer the government
and unfortunately this element of
that party is in control of the organi-
zation. Possibly there are some Dem-
ocrats who imagine that they alone
are fit to hold office but they are in a
hopeless minority. The truth is that
there are genuine Americans and true
patriots in both parties and the wor-
thy men of all parties aim to con-
serve the interests of the people. No
party has a monopoly either of patri-
otism or intelligence, and the rank
and file of both parties are earnestly
striving to promote prosperity and
avoid public and’ private misfortune.
cated his plans for the future. Of :
If |
BELLEFONTE, PA
|
STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION.
Real Truth About Mexico.
Events clearly show that the ban-
dits of Mexico whether partisans of
Carranza cr adherents of Villa are
murderous enemies cf the United
States. For several weeks a bogus
peace conference has been in session,
first at a New England coast resort
and subsequently at Atlantic City, in
which distinguished American diplo-
mats have been earnestly striving to
guarantee the safety of the lives of
residents of the border and such
security of property as will make
residence there tolerable. But upon
one pretext or another every sugges-
tion is rejected ky the Mexican Com-
missioners who seem to have no pur-
pose except the protection of Villa
and his murdering marauders.
For more than five months an army
of nearly one hundred thousand
troops has been kept on ‘he Mexican
border as a measure of protection of
the regular troops which compose the
punitive expedition sent to capture
Villa. Within a month from the time
that General Pershing entered upon
Mexican territory Villa would have
been captured if the defacto Mexican
government hadn’t shielded him. But
he is not only not captured but he is
able to defy the United States and de-
feat the force of the de facto Mexican
government whenever he is inclined
to do so. That means, if it means
anything, that Villa and Carranza are
in a conspiracy to raid the border
regions and murder and rob American
citizens there.
The President has been as wise as
his policy has been beneficent in his
treatment of the Mexican question up
until now. He has refused to put the
force of the United States behind the
land pirates like Randolph Hearst and
the Standard Oil company who have
probably financed the operations of
both Carranza and Villa in the hope
that their crimes would force inter-
vention. But the time has come when
the Mexican murderers of all factions
must be brought to panishmert. In
other words an expedition of sufficient
strength should he sent tc Mexico to
capture and hang Villa and Carranza
and give to the honest and patrictic
people of Mexico an opportunity to
set up a real government.
Good News from Washington.
The gratifying information comes
from Washington that the President
will bend his energies from the be-
ginning to the completion of the leg-
islative programe outlined soon after
his inauguration. We still confident-
ly believe that the next Congress will
be Democratic in both branches but
in that event the margin will be so
narrow as to preclude the hope of en-
acting party legislation. But during
the last session of the present Con-
gress which assembles a week from
next Monday a vast amount of benefi-
cent legislation may be enacted.
There are three full months in which
to work for the public good and every
moment of the time ought to be used
to best advantage.
Easily the most important legisla-
tion to be considered is the perfection
of the tentative programme expressed
in the eight-hour day. All the cor-
porations concerred are preparing to
fight against the fulfillment of this
promise to labor and it will tax the
energy and ingenuity of the Congres-
sional leaders to circumvent them.
Their first attack will he made in the
courts where it is hoped adverse in-
terpretations may be obtained. But
if Congress is sufficiently alert and
energetic the expectations of railroad
managers with respect to this will be
disappointed. Before the courts have
opportunity to decide the weak points
the legislation may be strengthen-
ed and the validity of the law secured.
Nearly ten years ago Congress en-
acted a law making eight hours a
day for tower operatives employed by
railroads. The corporations concern-
ed fought the prcposition at the time
but when the measure became a law
quietly acquiesced and now freely
admit that it was a most beneficent
measure. But they are not going to
permit an eight hour day for train-
men for the reason that they believe
that the passage of the bill providing
for it elected Wilson President and
defeated Hughes from whom they ex-
pected much. The suits entered to
nullify the law are reprisals through
which they propose to punish organ-
ized labor for voting to conserve its
own interests.
———For high class Job Work come
to the “Watchman” Office.
- NOVEMBER 24, 1916.
| Good Suggestions for 1920.
The correspondent of a New York
| newspaper who suggests Theodore
| Roosevelt, of New York, and Hiram
| Johnson, of California, as the Repub-
i lican ticket in 1920 has sounded a true
note. Roosevelt and Johnson is a fa-
! miliar combination in nomenclature.
| It was with those names the army of
| Armegadden conjured in 1912 and
| though defeated ihen both gentlemen
| have managed to keep themselves in
| the white light ever since. It will be
| admitted that their popularity has not
ing the interval but the tail of the
ticket has at least heid his own in
California while the head has lost
none of his strength in Wall Street
and among practical men.
Besides it would afford so much
pleasure to the vast majority of the
chance to swipe Roosevelt. His hy-
pocrisy has been so clearly revealed
within the last few months that every
man with red bloed in his veins, and
nearly every American citizen has red
blood in his veins, would take delight
in an opportunity to prove Roosevelt
the weakest candidate who has ever
offered himself for popular support.
A falsifier, coward and traducer of
men soon finds his level in the lowest
depths of public contempt and Roose-
velt has written himself down as all
of these. Taft would not, as he
should not, hold the low record as a
Presidential candidate.
Of course so far as results are con-
cerned it doesn’t make much differ-
ence who the Republican candidates
for President and Vice President will
be in 1920. By that time the people
of the country will be so completely
attached to the policies of the Demo-
cratic party that the Democratic tick-
et will be invincible. But it would be
so much more enjoyable to overwhelm
such an arrant hypocrite as Roose-
velt and so confirmed a demagogue as
“Pangry Hi,” than to defeat 2 couple
wiil be ho mourning at the funeral
and no regrets when the event is fin-
ished.
Democratic Vote of Pennsylvania. .
The Democratic vote in Pennsylva-
nia this year is considerably larger
! than the average of recent vears and
almost up to the highest ever polled.
| The official returns are not available
i as vet but the unofficial returns make
the total in the aeighborhood of 110,-
000. In 1912 the Democrats of Penn-
sylvania polled 895,637 votes which
‘was the smallest with one exception
since 1888. In 1904 Mr. Parker poll-
ed only 835,430 votes and the highest
record was made in 1892 when Cleve-
land got a magnificent total of 452,-
264. Mr. Bryan got 427,125 in 1896,
424,232 in 1900 and 448,782 in 1908.
Many Democrats of 1892 have been
alienated by policies since adopted but
this year we are nearly up to high
water mark.
ascribable almost entirely to the work
of the present administration. The for-
eign policies of Woodrow Wilson have
appealed to the hearts and consciences
of the voters of the State as the acts
of no other President have. He has
kept us out of war and without the
least impairment of national honor.
He has guided the country through a
labyrinth of difficulties, encountered
myriads of troukles and solved vast
numbers of vexed problems without
moral or material harm to the people.
The big vote of the Democratic party
in Pennsylvania three weeks ago is
the free and full tribute of popular
appreciation of these splendid
achievements of President Woodrow
Wilson.
It is up to the Democratic people of
the State to hold together for future
occasions this magnificent force of
voters and increase the number as
population multiplies. This may easily
be done if those who have control of
the organization of the party have
the breadth of vision and the unself-
ish devotion to duty to be just and
fair to those who contributed to the
result. Thousands of railroad men
voted the Democratic ticket for the
first time this vear. Other thousands
of working men followed their exam-
ple and still others were almost per-
suaded to do so. The Democrats must
prove that they deserve the confidence
thus expressed in them. President
Wilson will do his part.
——Subscribe for the “Watchman”,
kept pace with their pertinacity dur-
American people to get one more |
of reputable gentlemen, that we hope '
the suggestion of the correspondent
in question will be adopted. There .
The increased vote of this year is |
NO. 46.
| Worrying Over the House.
{ From the Philadelphia Record.
It is rather amusing to note the fev-
osien interest with which Republican
newspapers follow the changes from
day to day in the political complexion
of the House of Representatives and
‘how exultant they are over the possi-
( bility that the G. O. P. may tie that
body or have a majority of one or two
in it. They seem to imagine that they
will be able effectually to block any
' beneficent legislation urged by Presi-
dent Wilson and to embarrass his ad-
. ministration at every step. They even
talk of making that horeless reaction-
ary, Congressman Manrn--of blackmail
law fame—Speaker of the House.
All this shows how hopelessly Bour-
bon a large element of the Republican
party still is and how little it learnt
from last Tuesday’s election. Certain-
ly it should kncw thet Republican
. Congressmen from such States as
‘ Kansas, California, Nebraska, Wash-
ington and others which gave major-
, ities for Wilson, while electing the G.
0. P. State tickets, are not going to
{form an alliance with Eastern pull-
| backs to block all progressive legisla-
tion. That would be political suicide
: for them.
| It is a safe guess that, whether
! Democrats or Republicans secure the
| House by a trifling plurality, a sub-
! stantial majority of its members will
{ be in accord with the President’s ad-
| vanced views and will tolerate no
| backward steps. The votes in the
! present Congress show that. It must
i also be remembered that the new
- House will not meet until Decemker,
11917, and that ir the meantime there
are large possibilities for events that
may obliterate all political lines. Why
worry, therefore, over the switch of
one or two districts from Democrats
to Republicans, or vice versa?
Pennsylvania is supposed to be
weak in its Democracy, but according
to the unofficial returns reported this
State cast more Democratic votes
than Delaware, Maryland, Virginia
and West Virginia and North Caroli-
na and South Carolina combined. The
votes are here, but they need more
thorough organization to make them
thoroughly effective. This should be
one of the great tasks of the coming
four years.
Wilson’s Re-Election.
From the Johnstown Democrat. . . °
The American people did oy ont
themselves with saying “Thank God
for Wilson.” They voted as they
prayed. The result of the election is
a tribute to accomplishment. What is
' more, it is noticed that partisan ap-
peals, demagogic outpourings or.the
poisoned personal rancor of disap-
pointed leaders can no longer be re-
lied upon to swing elections in this
country. No President, not even Lin-
coln, was ever forced to sustain the
storm of vilification that Woodrow
Wilson faced. No Democratic candi-
date, not even Bryan in 1896, faced
such a flood of misrepresentation, of
direct misstatement, of falsehood art-
fully conceived, of innuendo framed
with cunning malice as was launched
upon the President. Insincere from
ihe very start, the Hughes campaign
fell of its own weight. The Republican
nominee became a stalking horse for
Roosevelt, spoke an alien tongue and
mouthed phrases with whose inner
meaning he could not in conscience
agree.
During the last days of the cam-
paign there appeared the brazen but
futile attempt to convince the Ameri-
can worker that if he did not elect Mr.
Hughes he would surely starve. That
contention, Mark Hanna’s contribu-
tion to Americar politics, failed to
stem the drift toward Wilson. The
record of the administration has been
given an emphatic endorsement. The
Progressives of this country under the
leadership of Woodrow Wilson are
now at liberty to proceed with the
broad legislative program foreshad-
owed by the congressional enactments
of the last four years. Forward-look-
ing citizens, in whatever party they
may be found, may be assured that
the arena is now open and that pro-
gressive ideas can enter there to con-
tend like gladiators. -The re-election
of Woodrow Wilson marks the en-
dorsement of a record. It is a tribute
our people have paid to earnest and
sincere endeavor. It marks the defi-
nite triumph of patriotism over par-
tisanship.
The Buzzing of the Bee.
From the Springfield Republican.
The colonel, of course, is ‘“men-
tioned” for 1920. He won’t talk about
it, for he doesn’t ‘discuss pipe
dreams.” But he cannot so easily con-
vince us that the bee is not buzzing.
Not a Rainbow Chaser Either.
From the Philadelphia North American.
If all the cabinet members are going
to stick, the President might make
Vance McCormick chief of the weath-
er bureau, in recognition of his abil-
ity at making predictions.
S————————————— CC
A thought to Console.
From the Pittsburgh Gazette Times.
Nothing is as bad as it seems. When
prohibition arrives saloonkeepers will
cease to be marks for holdup men and
macers.
‘Mary’s Lamb Up to Date.
From the Louisville Courier-Journal.
Mary has a little lamb. Its fleece is
white as snow. Its chops are worth
10 cents apiece. Its quarters $56 or so.
SPAWLS FROM THE KEYSTONE.
—Jacob W. Haney and son, Ira, of
Boggs township, Clearfield county, raised
ove 800 bushels of Sir Walter Raleigh po-
tatoes this season and are disposing of the
lot for a snug little sum.
—Judge Charles N. Brumm, of Schuyl-
kill county, may succeed the late former
Governor Pennypacker on the State Public
Service Commission, according to a state-
ment made at the ccurt house at Pottsville.
—The first oil-producing
brought in in Jefferson county has been
drilled near Corsica. The well, which is
producing five barrels a day, is about fif-
teen miles from what was once one of the
greatest oil-producing sections in Pennsyl-
vania.
|
well ever
—George Stuart, of DuBois, recently
lodged in the Clearfield jail to answer a
serious charge, has had another criminal
count added to his list, having been
caught just about as he was going to
leave the jail after having made exrensive
preparations to escape by digging through
the stone wall.
A building to cost from $10,000 to $15,-
000 will be erected at the Loysville Or-
phans’ Home by the York County Con-
ference of the West Pennsylvania Synod
of the Lutheran Church as a monument of
the quadricentennial of the Reformation.
It is expected that the building will be
completed in time for the celebration next
year.
—With probably 1,000,000 bushels of
potatoes held for higher prices in the
great potato belt in northern Berks coun-
ty, signs of a slump in prices are appar-
ent, rural bankers and shippers say. The
price at present ranges frcm $1.35 to $1.65
a bushel, with the latter price the excep-
tion, hut many farmers believe they can
get $2.
—Seventy-seven prizes, totalling $500,
were distributed by the insurance depart-
ment of the Berwind-White Coal Mining
company on Tuesday, the 14th, at Wind-
ber, to the tenants whose premises are in
the best kept condition, or which showed
the greatest improvement during 1916. The
prize distribution is an annual event, and
every house-holding employee of the Ber-
wind- White company is interested.
—Samuel McCollis, the 18-months-old
child of Mr. and Mrs. M. McCollis, of
Market street. Jersey Shore, choked to
death on a piece of raw potato shortly after
12 o'clock Saturday morning. The child
was playing in the kitchen and his mother,
who was preparing dinner, gave him the
piece of potato to chew. It lodged in his
throat and the child choked to death be-
fore Dr. S. E. Bickell, who was summoned
by the frantic mother, could reach the
house.
—David M. Mast, of Morgantown, has
won the Berks county corn-growing cham-
pionship. He harvested 3.600 bushels from
twenty acres. By experimenting with
seed he succeeded in producing a large-
eared variety with ¢ heavy stalk growth.
The ears average 14% inches in length,
twenty-two rows and about fifty grains
to a row. It was grown on limestone soil,
with a heavy manure dressing on a thick
sod, fertilized with a high grade chemical
combination.
—DMore than $2,000 bet on the Wilson-
Hughes fight is in jeopardy at Sunbury
over a threat of the poor directors to at-
tach the money and take it for poor pur-
peses. “It is said a law passed in 1872
makes it mandatory for the directors of
the poor to cause the arrest of bettors or
stake-holders and that money be confiscat-
ed. Wires are being pullad among politi-
cians to prevent the threatened raid and
exposure of the bettors, some of whom are
prominent in business and social affairs.
—George Emmler, of Big Soldier, who
pleaded guilty to selling liquor without a
license and was released on his own recogn-
izance by Judge Corbett, at DBrookville
last week, declared he was born in Russia
103 years ago. He was a soldier in the
Russian army fifteen years and fought all
through the war with England. For 20
years he had been living with a broken
back, which he received in a mine acci-
dent at Flderton from which he was only
recovered after he had spent six days and
nights behind a wall of dirt without any-
thing to eat or drink. ’
—One man was burned to death and two
others badly burned when a boarding
house owned by the White Deer Lumber
company at a logging operation five miles
west of Milton burned on Sunday. The
dead man is Daniel McLaughlin, about 48
years of age, of Philadelphia, aud the in-
jured are Joseph Markle, burned from
head to foot, may die, and William Win-
terode, many burns over his body, will re-
cover. They were taken tc the Williams-
port hospital. The men were asleep and
Winterode was awakened by the smoke
and was able to get Markle out.
—One of the heaviest single shipments
of express that has gone out from Clear-
field county for some time and especially
to such a distant point, was shipped on
Thursday morning, November 16, from
Wallaceton to Silver Bow, Montana. The
shipment consisted of ten cases of fire
brick bound for a powder company at
that distant point. The shipment weighed
4,400 pounds and the express amounted to
almost $300. It is significant that such a
fine quality of fire clay is produced in this
section of the country that shipments of
the finished products are sent to such
distant points. fe
—The Etna Explesive company, of Mt.
Union, has received an order from ‘the
British government that will keep the
plant going for at least a year, according
to an official announcement made on Mon-
day. The plant has been idle for several
weeks, but will resume operations on the
first of the month with a force of 2,000
men. According to the werd received the
company is under contract to deliver 750,-
000 pounds of powder during December,
1,500,000 pounds during each of the
months of January, February, March and
April. Following that the company is to
manufacture indefinite amounts until the
end of the war.
—After a four day’s trial, a jury in the
United States District court at Philadel-
phia last week, ordered the Pennsylvania
railroad company to comply with an or-
der of the Interstate Commerce commis-
sion, awarding the Clark Brothers Coal
Mining company $31,127.96 damages for al-
leged coal car discrimination. While the
jury allowed the principal of the award, it
gave no interest, which was also sued for
from June 25, 1907. This is the third time
in little more than a month that federal
juries have enforced awards against the
Pennsylvania railroad. In the suit of the
Bulah Mining company, awards were made
for $49,791 and to the Hillsdale Coal and
Coke company, which is owned by Clark
Brothers, $42,592, was allowed.
-