BY P. GRAY MEEK. INK SLINGS. —It is just twenty-four days until Christmas. Have you shopped any all yet? —1It is beginning to look very much as if Roumania is to suffer the fate of Bel- gium and Serbia. —The pecentage of illiteracy in this country is constantly on the decrease. is about ten per cent. now. —Villa will be careful to do his ram- paging at a safe distance from Pershing’s column, you can bet on that. —.No, Mabel, it isn’t because Centre county so nearly voted dry at the last election that so many farmers arej{com- pelled to haul water now. —Somebody started the social uplift business several years ago and, natural- ly, everybody lacking in the sense of dis- crimination thought the movement in- cluded prices. — With three months in jail to think it over “Smoke” Miller will probably come to the conclusion that he will be safer on the water wagon than on a smoke wagon when he gets out. —The fellows who ate forty-cent turkey yesterday are not feeling a bit better to- day than we poor mortals who were just as happy and probably more thankful over twenty-cent chicken. —1It would be in order for “Our Boys” at N° Amc VOL 61. It “ - Worrying Without Good Reason. The accumulation of gold in this coun- try is the latest source of worry to the calamity howlers. One of them, posing as a financial expert, exclaims, according to a Washington correspondent, “get rid of the blamed stuff. It isn’t doing us any good and it may do immense harm. We, as a nation, are just like an individ- ual. When we have just enough to keep us, we keep striving all the time. If each individual in the nation had a lega- cy left him suddenly, there wouldn't be much striving. That is our fix. We have got more gold than we can use. It may lead to unwise loans and resultant speculation. It is keeping us back now because bankers, afraid of an overbal- anced loan system, are afraid to loan money.” This overburdened plutocrat may com- pose his perturbed soul. There is no danger of such trouble as he apprehends. A surfeit of depreciated currency might be harmful because loans based upon band to get the music and practice up on “When Johnny Comes Marchin’ Home.” That will be the tune tof! escort such security would be unsafe. But there is no danger of anything of that Troop L up High street to. kind when the basis is gold. It doesn’t — The death of Inez Milholland ~Bois- | Shrink much in value, however plentiful sevain removes from the ranks of the Suffragists their most beautiful member. Let us hope that no unseemly scramble occurs for recognition as the departed beauty’s successor. it may seem, and can’t run away. No banker, unless he is trying to qualify as a patient in an insane asylum, will refuse to oblige customers who offer gold as se- curity for a loan. In fact it is a safe guess that most of them would prefer —Why not send that friend or relative who is now living away from the old home in Centre county the “Watchman” for a year? It would be a present worth while. One that he or she would appre- ciate every week in the year. —The United States Steel Co. didn’t burn any red-fire or hire bands to make a noise over Wilson's re-election. It sim- ply raised the wages of all of its workers ten per cent. to show that it has confi- dence in the new President and the par- ty that will make the laws under which this great corporation must operate dur- ing the next four years. — Holiday business has already begun to tax the capacity of the express compa- nies and we want to remind you that anything you have in mind that you might need before Christmas, should it be necessary to employ either the mails | or express to carry, should be ordered on the way early. It might save you a great disappointment later. —The Penrose promise to have the “assistance” clause wiped out of our election law will be looked upon with suspicion by those who remember how he corrected the unsatisfactory “party circle” that caused so much clamor be- cause of its being a means to so much crookedness in elections. He simply squared the “circle” and made it the ‘party square.” —It might be interesting for you to know that for well nigh half a century the “Watchman” has been printed on paper made in the same mill and bought from the same firm. It might also be interesting for you to know that the price you are paying for this copy of the “Watchman,” three cents, is only a trifle more than the raw sheet of paper could have been sold for before it was sent through the press; SO rapidly has the price of paper advanced since this sheet was bought. —A lot of editorial writers who have spent their lives pushing pencils and have finally worked up to a desk that commands forty dollars a week are gravely telling the country the calamities that are to befall it on account of Wil- son’s re-election. And there’s that poor, illinformed Charley Schwab ordering his engineers to spend a hundred million dollars in enlarging plants so that they will be ready to take care of the business that he expects to get within the next four years. Surely Charley is too dumb or can’t read the productions of these prophets of woe. . —The esteemed Pittsburgh “Dispatch” is sorely distressed because two Demo- cratic Congressmen have been elected from Allegheny county, the very heart of the industries that require the policy of a high protective tariff to maintain them. The “Dispatch” is working itself into a fury of indignation, we surmise, not so much because it believes what it says as because it wants to capitalize the defeat of Barchfeld and Coleman in the next municipal elections in Pittsburgh. It does say quite truthfully, however, that the defeated Republican Congressmen owe their defeat principally to the fact that they both voted in Congress accord- ing to orders from Senator Penrose rath- er than according to the sentiment of their constituents. This is exactly what caused the near elimination of Congress- man Rowland, of this District, and we understand that Mr. Rowland is going back to Washington in December to be a very different Congressman as a result of the lesson he has learned. such collateral to even guilt-edged for- eign bonds or shares in the most popu- lar “war-bride” corporations. Moreover the analogy which this ex- pert sets up is not substantial. He says “if each individual in the nation had a legacy left him suddenly there wouldn’t be much striving” and adds, “that is our fix.” Thatis not our fix “by a long shot” and likewise by “a large majority.” Only a few are burdened with too much gold even though the European war has caused a considerable flow of the pre- cious stuff in this direction. There are enough of us left to strive to keep things moving and unless appearances are de- ceiving moving at an accelerated speed. Prices are sparing and if there were a dangerous excess of currency in gold ! All things ' that would not be the case. considered we decline to worry. — When Troop L comes home it is to ! bring thirty-two of its border trained horses with it. What an inspiration seasoned mounts will be to Capt. Curtin and his gallant troopers and what a help in keeping up to the standard of efficien- cy they have set for themselves while on duty in Texas. Investigate the Philadelphia Election. Let us hope that the promise of a Con- gressional investigation of the Philadel- phia election will be fulfilled. For years electoral frauds in Philadelphia have de- feated the purpose of the voters of the State and the corrupt contractors who organize fictitious majorities in that city are sent to Congress or the State Senate instead of to the penitentiary, where they belong. This year the usual frauds were perpetrated and because it was a Presi- dential and Congressional election a Con- gressional investigation will be legal. Therefore it should be instituted and prosecuted to the full extent and those responsible punished as severely as the laws allow. Election frauds have become a custom in Philadelphia because they have the sanction of the Union League and the suport of the Manufacturers’ club. The | millionaire grafters who compose the membership of those organizations long ago persuaded themselves that any sort of electoral frauds are justified in order to preserve a system of taxation which robs the wage-earners in order that un- earned bounties may be bestowed upon the tariff pensioners. Accordingly they have freely contributed funds to pay | party rounders for the hazard of stuffing ballot boxes, falsely counting votes and filing fraudulent returns. Contractors who have grown rich out of the loot of politics may bear the expense largely now. But they were taught by those higher up socially. The vote returned for President Wil- son in Phildelphia this year was the high- est since 1888 when Cleveland polled up- ward of 92,000. But there are substan- tial reasons to believe that it is much less than was actually cast for the Demo- cratic nominee. Probably an honest re- turn of the vote would not have changed the result on any candidate but it is cer- tain that it would have reduced the ag- gregate Republican majority in the State and created hope for the future of the party that would have been felt through- out the entire country. For these rea- sons a thorough and searching Congres- sional investigation should be begun and carried to the limit. ——— ——They are all good enough, but the WATCHMAN is always the best. STATE RIGHT There Will be No Embargo. AND FE BELLEFONTE, PA.. DECEMBER y, The proposition to put an embargo on foodstuffs would be absurd if it were less | brutal. { millions of people in Europe without af- | fording the least mitigation of the evils | in this country which suggested it. The | high price of foodstuffs in this country is | not ascribable to exports. It is the re- ! sult of criminal conspiracies to withhold | the commodities from the markets of vote in Pennsylvania was the result of an It would mean the starvation of | this country. Out in Chicago, at the | | present time, there is a fiend in human form who boasts that he can and will | | run the price of eggs up to a dollar a | his obligation to the industrial element | dozen. If he were taken intoa public of the electorate. But the actual cause place and scourged with a whip no one | of the increased vote of the party was | would imitate him for a generation. Happily eggs are not essential to life. voters. | | They are nutritious, healthful and appe- | tizing but may be dispensed with. But | made permanent if those in control of ! in creating a corner in eggs reveals such | a cruelty of nature, such astrocity of mind, that any one guilty of doing so is |an enemy of humanity and should be treated as venomous serpents and rabid | dogs are treated. That would soon put | a stop to such cruelty. The wealth ac- | quired by such methods would afford lit- | tle recompense for the punishment which | such treatment would inflict. Punishing | others for the offences of such miscreants { would be alike unjust and inadequate. i The suffering should be imposed upon | those responsible for the condition that brought it about. An embargo on foodstuffs would not perceptibly decrease the price of any of the commodities involved. It might make the manipulation of the market more difficult but it would not prevent it. Possibly it would require a great amount of capital to create the condition but the money would be obtainable and the con- dition would be reached. An embargo is the instrument of a quick economist and would work infinite harm without doing the least bit of good. But there will be no embargo. Reason has not been entire- ly dethroned at Washington and while it retains its seat quack remedies will not be adopted. Woodrow Wilson is a guar- antee against such an absurdity. ——Along with the other misfortunes , we have undergone this week the “Watch- man’s newsy letter from Corp. Harry 1. Cohen failed to arrive yesterday and we know that many readers will be as much disappointed in not finding it as we were in not receiving it, and the only thing we can do is to promise to publish it next week. ———————————————————— Penrose Takes Long Chances. Senator Penrose is taking long chances in adopting Richard J. Baldwin, of Dela- ware county, as his candidate for Speak- er of the House of Representatives. It may be worth the hazard for it is certain that in the event of Baldwin's election Penrose would have a servile instrument in control of legislation. But the elec- tion of Baldwin would so outrage public morals, would be so repugnant to every principle of political progress, that who- ever might be responsible for it would be under popular condemnation for many years. Penrose can hardly afford to as- sume such a burden at this time. The fight against him in his own party is not . ended or likely to be relaxed. “Dick” Baldwin is a sort of political “rough-neck.” Unpolished but with keen intelligence and abundance of cunning,he would be a power in the Speaker’s chair either for good or evil. He is a typical | political rounder. He believes in all the | old theories of plunder in politics. The spoils of office, in his mind, the just re- ! wards of sinister party service. Such | a man in the chair would make a | travesty of legislation if he set himself to serve politics rather than public inter- ests, and he has always served politics. | Nevertheless Senator Penrose may se- riously contemplate putting Mr. Baldwin in the chair at the opening of the coming | session. He is a bold buccaneer in poli- | tics himself and may have in mind a pur- ‘pose to ride rough-shod over the opposi- tion that has been set up against him and end it by force. On the other hand he may imagine that it would be wise to take up the reform side of the political | situation and justly conceives that Bald- | win would be a most efficient instrument ‘to guide the work. In any event the adoption of Baldwin is a dangerous ex- : | periment and if Penrose has determined | upon it we shall await with intense anx- | jety the development of his plans. came maim — Don’t worry because there is too much gold in the country. Gold is not perishable and rarely shrinks | in value; besides that it is attractive to the eye. mm —— — Our Republican friends might | as well have remained in the Salt | River region for the return trip will | be hazardous as well as uncomforta- ble. ERAL UNION. Future of Pennsylvania Democracy. The splendid total of the Democratic absolutely harmonious and united party. Thousands of those who voted for Wood- row Wilson on the 7th of November had just grievances against the managers of the party. But out of pure patriotism and in obedience to a keen sense of fi- delity to principle, they submerged per- sonal resentments, forgot animosities and voted the ticket. New accessions swelled the total, a token of appreciation of the President’s just interpretation of the unity of action upon the part of the This full measure of harmony may be the party organization are wise and ca- pable. The one weakness of the Wilson administration was revealed in the dis- tribution of the rewards of the victory of NO. 47. Penrose as a Party Problem. From the Johnstown Democrat. The esteemed “Leader” opines that Senator Penrose will be very glad to permit the Brumbazughites to play ward polities while le poses as a statesman at Washington. It is pre- dicted by our contemporary that the Senator will be doing business as a statesman long after his enemies in the Republican party have been plac- ed away in the political graves in which ward politicians are sooner ov later entombed. The “Leader may be quite right. Pennsylvania probably loves Penrose, but as long as it does the cause of the Republican party in the nation is very materially weaken- ed. The middle west has its own idea about Pennsylvania’s Senior Senator There are even western States in which Penrose is an issue. Congress- men from the west and middle west frequently complain bitterly to their Pennsylvania colleagues that while members of the lower House from Pennsylvania do not seem to he damn- ed because of Penrose they frequent- ly are. One of the circumstances that had a good deal to do with the defeat | | of Mr. Hughes was the afct that Pen- rose trotted over to New York to the headquarters of the Republican party 1912. Bosses were substituted for lead- ers in the party government and the par- ty patronage used as reprisals for enmi- ties of the past. Men were favored with important places, not because of merit or fitness, but for the reason that their ele vation was offensive to former party managers. The President loaned himself to this perversion Qf power and patron- age, without understanding, no doubt, but nevertheless it harmed the party and impaired the efficiency of the force. But “let the dead past bury its dead.” The Democracy of Pennsylvania is re- united and a potent instrument for good in the Commonwealth if it continues in harmony. But factionalism must be eliminated alike in the distribution of awards and the administration of party affairs. The names of men who were formerly unselfish leaders must not be anathema because of the enmity of oth- ers. The hand of fellowship must be ex- tended and the sign of fraternity ex- changed among all who are willing and able to work for the good of the cause. If this policy is pursued the splendid etal of the last election will be augment- ed each year until success is achieved. If Congressman-elect O. D.! Bleakley depends upon the manner of getting to Washington "to give him distinction he has a rude awakening coming to him. Something besides absurd idiosincracies are necessary to attract enduring attention in the House of Representatives. — Tt looks now as if the Demo- crats will have a safe majority in the House of Representatives at Wash- ington and though not a matter of grave importance it is gratifying be- cause it will keep the Chicago rough- neck Jim Mann out of the Chair. — If it is t-ue, as has been asserted, | that Roosevelt wanted to defeat Hughes | so as to make it easier for himself next ! time, it may be said that he won “a fa | mous victory.” Every State in which Roosevelt spoke voted for Wilson. ——Nearly all the Ohio officials—elect are or have been newspaper men and the esteemed Springfield Republican is mean enough to say that good newspaper men “stick to their jobs” instead of running for office. — The returning guardsmen get cordial welcomes everywhere and they deserve all the honors that are be- stowed upon them. They “have done the State some service.” S——————————— The high cost »f living will probably decrease the indigestion of the country the day after Thanksgiv- ing. That is the silver lining to an exceedingly dark cloud. ——0Of course Thanksgiving dinners were expensive this year but there is abundance of prosperity to meet the cost and “may good digestion wait on appetite and health on both.” cir sbi — “The test of great wealth is upon us,” writes a Philadelphia banker. Well let it rest on us. We'll try to bear our share of the burden with a good imitation of fortitude. ——————————— — When Hughes gets into his Wall Street law office he will be able to serve his friends though not as well as if he had gotten into the White House. xara meee ——When those eggs which the ‘“egg king” has corralled get good and ripe he would make a shining mark to throw them at. — —.That talk of an embargo is probably only one of Representative Fitzgerald's jokes. Fitz is an Irishman and full of fun. mmm — —Villa may be limping along on a crutch but it must be admitted thatitisa nimble crutch. i ducer and continue for the express purpose of pulling the organization out of a hole. Penrose’ friends made a great deal out of the fact that his help was needed. So did Mr. Wilson’s frineds in the west and middle west. There was many a California Pro- gressive who sat pon the fence until Penrose was called into the Republi- can councils for the purpose of help- ing to save Hughes. That minute the Californian got down from his perch and began shouting for Wilson. As long as the people out beyond the Mississippi can be assured that Pen- rose is one of the Republican party managers just so long can the: be re- lied upon to help the Democrats along in their national fights. If Penrose really had the welfare of his party at heart he would get out fo the .politic- al arena. The way things stand now Pennsylvania Republicans can choose between two alternatives. They can keep Penrose in the Senate and by so doing help the Democrats keep a President in the White House or they can take Penrose out of the Serate and by so doing increase their chances of capturing the Presidency. When it comes down to brass tacks it ig a pretty safe wager that Penroibghdnld’ rather be in the Senate than get out and by so doing help a Republican be- come President. ——— The High Cost of Living. From the Harrisburg Star-Independent. What will be the results attained in reducing the high cost of food products since President Wilson has determined to personally superintend the investiga- tions to ascertain the causes for the ex- traordinary increase in the prices re- mains to be seen. According to all ac- counts the cost of foodstuffs has risen because speculators have bought up near- ly all available stocks at a minimum fig- ure and then stored them in warehouses until a scarcity of the articles in the markets would send the prices skyward. The federal probe of this apparent conspiracy should be thorough and far- reaching. It ought to start with the pro- in all. channels through which the food travels until it reaches the confines of the cold storage houses. In order to get these alleged conspirators into a trap the government officials will discover they have rather a tough proposition to contend with. The food pirates know they are violating the law but they are shrewd, and if they don’t beat the devil around the stump it will take some of the best legal talent in the Department of Justice at Washing- ton to prevent it. Meanwhile, as the investigations con- tinue, there is little hope of consumers being benefitted before the cruel wintry blasts sing requiems over the larder which, though bare in a land of plen- ty, ought to be well stocked with the necessaries of life were it not for the machinations of the food sharks who, in their greed for pelf, override the laws and have no consideration for a long- suffering public. Relief can only come quickly if federal as well as state officials can compel those in charge of food stor- age houses to place the contents of the latter in the market. There is not much prospect of this being realized, however. Not unless the speculators become alarm- ed over the activity of a governmental probe and decide to unload. It is not ex- pected the latter will be done until the owners put up a strong legal battle to prevent it. In the meantime the people will pay the exorbitant prices for food and continue to grin and bear in the hope that relief will be forthcoming assoon as possible. ee a sie Shifting. From the New York World. This election throws many useful po- litical terms into the discard. After the contrasted performance of New York and Indiana with that of Kansas and Utah and Ohio, who will dare to name the “doubtful States.” T. R. and California. From the Washington Star. Of all the strange things Theodore Roosevelt ever struck in his travels, those returns from California are far and away the most remarkable. aman or esi ——Hughes is going to practice law in New York and we hope he will have better success as a lawyer than as a ~andidate. ETA SORE A SARA RTE, 'SPAWLS FROM THE KEYSTONE. —A 950-pound hog has been fattended by farm- er Blair Kauffman, near Mexico, Mifflin county. —Thomas Koske, a 16-year-old boy, of Cran- berry, was crushed to death in breaker machine- i Ty. i —Robbers on the farm of G. L. Strock, near ' Mechanicsburg, entered his chicken house and i killed 30 fowls. { —The city of DuBois is to have a garbage in_ | cinerating plant, the city council having agreed | to install one costing $5,000. | —A charter has been granted at Harrisburg to the Denver & Ephrata Railway company, of Lan- caster county. The route is 4 7-10 miles long. —Lawrence Dolan, a Reading conductor for more than 25 years, failed to notice a train ap- proaching cars at Mahanoy Plane, and was kill- ed, —Butler county’s banner potato crop this year was raised by H. C. Fleming, of Penn township. He harvested 738 bushels on three acres and sold them for $1,052. = —Two hundred thousand cords of chemical wood and 100.000 cords of hemlock bark are awaiting transportation by sled in the forests of Warren, McKean, Elk and Forest counties. —Westmoreland county coal business is to be further augmented by the opening of 1,200 acres of coal land recently purchased by a Greensburx company in the northern part of the county. —One of the worst epidemics of apple blotch is gaining headway through Montgomery, Bucks and Berks counties, with the disease rapidly spreading toward the central part of the State. —Judge Bell has cancelled the December "term of criminal court in Clearfield county. The triz! list was so much smaller than usual that it was deemed best not to hold the regular session of court. —The town of Cassandra, Cambria county, has been considerably demoralized by an epidemic of measles which has broken out among the town’s children. It is said some families have as many as five cases. —The Vintondale Colliery company, with ex- tensive operations at Vintondale, Cambria coun- ty, has closed a deal for the purchase of 5,800 acres of coal and surface land from the Lacka- wanna Coal and Coke company, in Indiana county. —While plowing in a field near Spring Grove, John Amspacher uncovered a pocketbook which he lost four years ago. It contained silver coins, bills and a check. The check and all of the bills, except a $10 note on top, were not in condition for circulation and were sent to Washington for redemption. —The largest bee tree cut in the Tuscarora valley fora long time, says the Port Royal “Times,” was felled by Frank Harris at the foot of Tuscarora mountain. It was a large hollow pine and was packed full of honey, the largest comb was 9% feet long, in some places it was four inches thick. The tree contained nine large pails of choice honey. —Will Lutz, 30 years old, a farmer, is ina hos. pital at Warren suffering with anthrax. He con tracted it when he skinned a cow ten days ago, but it did not show until Wednesday. A blood culture taken showed negative, and physicians say they may keep it out of his system. One hand is affected. The hide has disappeared. Health officers are trying to trace it. —A tramp who was given a Sunday dinner at the home of William Burnell, of Lock Haven, showed gratitude by taking his host’s watch and chain while Mr. Burnell left the room for a min- ute. The loss was discovered at once and with the assistance of two friends the man was caught before he had a chance to board a freight. He gave up his booty without remonstrance and was allowed to leave. —Gov. Martin G. Brumbaugh has granted par- dons to Fred A. Hoover and Joseph Sbarado, who are now in the new State penitentiary at Rockview, Centre county, Hoover 'was sentenc- ed from Indiana county in July, 1915, to serve from four to fifteen years on a serious charge, and Sbarado was sentenced at the same time from Somerset county for from four to six years on a charge of larceny. —Mary Ritter, aged 32 years, a resident of Wil- liamsport, committed suicide by jumping from the Market street bridge into the Susquehanna, early the other morning. Her body was seen floating in the river a couple of hours later. She was in ill health and is said to have been disap- pointed in a love affair. A pair of spectacles which she wore when she jumped from the bridge were still on her nose whenthe body was taken from the water. —1I. C. Burd, of Shamokin. last Friday started work on scrapping the Winfield and New Berlin railroad for junk. He recently acquired the property at receiver’s sale for $11,000, and, itis said, expects to realize twice that much out of the rails. Built fifteen years ago to connect New Berlin, a college town, with the Philadelphia and Reading railway, five miles away, the railroad was never a success. Four years ago the road- bed was virtually ruined by a cloudburst. The cost of repairs burdened it with debt and it could not meet expenses. —On motion of counsel for the coal miners Judge Bailey on Monday postponed the hearing on the injunction of the Rock Hill Coal and Iron company against the Robertsdale miners until Saturday. Meanwhile all the mines in the Broad Top region except two are idle with no immedi- ate prospects of resuming operations. A confer- ence of the operators was held at Saxton Mon- day to formulate what action they will take. The Huntingdon dealers, unable to obtain any Broad Top coal for their patrons, are delivering hard coal instead. —The State Livestock Sanitary Board has is- sued a quarantine embargo against the importa- tion to Pennsylvania of any cattle, sheep or swine from Nebraska or through the Kansas City stock yards. The quarantine embargo fol- lows the discovery of an outbreak of the foot and mouth disease in the two States and every pre- cautionary step will be taken to prevent the in- troduction of the disease into this State. The quarantine embargo positively prohibits the im- portation from the restricted districts for any purposes Whatever. —The A. J. Haws Ganister company, of Johns- town, is clearing fifty acres of scrub timber from Black Log mountain, inthe Lewistown Narrows, on which toerect an up-to-date brick plant of large capacity. The deposits of ganister rock within easy reach of this plant include billions of tons of the best quality. Some of this land, de- nuded of valuable timber ten years ago, sold for less than $1 per acre, but could not be bought at any price today, the value of ganister rock and the advent of the state road through the Nar- rows having made it one of the most select sec- tions of the State for summer cottages. Another year will see it one of the favored monntain re- sorts. —David Benjamin, head of the Pennsylvania Quarrying, Stripping and Contracting company, president of the Benjamin Iron and Steel works, and one of the best known men in the anthracite field was killed, and his son Harry seriously in- jured on Tuesday in an accident at the Ebervale operations of the firm. Riding on the bumpers of a small locomotive running backward up a grade at good speed, the elder Benjamin was seized with a fainting spell and fell off and was crushed to death. His son, in trying to rescue him, sustained several broken ribs, a probable fracture of the leg and contusions. Benjamin was a Republican candidate for national delegate in Luzerne county a year ago, but was defeated.