Pemoreaicy alan
BY P. GRAY MEEK.
INK SLINGS.
— The groundhog seems to be losing
a little of his grip.
—The snow is disappearing so
gradually that the possibility of a
flood is becoming more remote every
day.
—Hampy Moore will probably get
himself worked up to the point where
he will break off relations with every
Congressman in Washington.
— Willie Hearst might also be
willing to enlist as a Major General
though if the country is prudent in
other things we may Worry along
without him.
—__Some better method of fight-
ing than that in the trenches will have
to be discovered or the European war
will never end. The gain of a couple
of yards a week gets them nowhere.
— The fellow who thought spring
was here on Sunday and discarded his
heavy overcoat and rubber shoes is
now having another think while he
sits in the house nursing a case of
grip.
— Ambassador Gerard has got
himself very much disliked among
certain elements of the population of
Berlin, but good men are sometimes
«loved for the enemies they have
made.”
—_ With Mexico, Cuba, Germany,
Austria-Hungary and Turkey all do-
ing their best to make a little trouble
for Uncle Sam he is still playing the
watchful waiting game and its a good
one at that.
—Hans Wagner, of Pittsburgh, and
«Alexander the Great,” of the Phillies,
represent the ups and downs of base
ball just now. The former is growing
old and his salary goes down. The
latter is still young and his goes up.
—The Hon. Charles Rowland, our
Congressman, voted with the “drys”
in Congress, on Wednesday, to make
the twenty-five States of the Union
now having prohibitory laws, “bone-
dry” after July 1st. This act prohib-
its mailing or shipping by any means
liquor into dry territory.
—Some farmers are fearful that
the coating of ice that has covered
the grain fields since early in Janu-
ary may have smothered out
much wheat. - It is too early
to tell just what damage may
have been done, but ice has a very
different effect on winter wheat from
a SHEE ies
—One Pittsburgh poker player is
in jail and another in the hospital
merely because they both happened to
show down four aces at the same time,
during a little game they were sitting
in a few evenings ago. Its awful, isn’t
it. Yet we have seen some very love-
ly old ladies “hold out” cards in a
game of five hundred.
—The Legislature of Pennsylvania
is on record as being against com-
pulsory military training and we are
inclined to believe that our Legisla-
tors are right, for once. It could not
help the present situation a bit and if
the world war really is a war against
war there will be no need for such
legislation in the future.
—In another column of this issue
will be found a letter from the treas-
urer of the Democratic National Com-
mittee acknowledging receipt of all
the funds which the “Watchman” was
able to collect for the indebtedness of
the party. It will be seen that we
are still considerably in the hole and
if you feel moved to help a little you
can send your remittance to us or
forward it directly to the treasurer,
Mr. Marsh.
— Some poultry fanciers get more
satisfaction out of crowing over hav-
ing the first chickens hatched out in
the spring than they could possibly
get out of seventy-five cent eggs in
the winter. And investigations of the
government experts find that the
early hatched chickens are the poor-
est layers in the winter. So that if
you want eggs and not satisfaction
of the above sort don’t hatch chicks
before the latter part of March.
—Now that potatoes are ranging
in price from two to three dollars a
bushel don’t you think it is time to
make that ground in your back yard
produce something. Last year the
“Watchman” called attention to the
fact that there were enough unculti-
vated gardens in Bellefonte to have
produced half as many potatoes or
cabbage as the entire town consumes
in a year. Economists insist that food
stuffs will be little lower next year
than they are now and it behooves
everyone, especially the poorer people
to look about for a bit of ground
which will yield them food. A little
work in the morning on a lot of the
fallow gradens in Bellefonte last sum-
mer would have put enough potatoes
into the cellar to have supplied the
owner and his family all year. We
have no right to complain of the
high cost of living when our own lazi-
ness is responsible for very much of
it.
VOL. 62.
Governor Brumbaugh’s Dilemma.
The Sproul joint resolution to in-
vestigate the State administration is
now in the hands of the Governor.
Whether he shall approve the meas-
ure and thus create an opportunity to
expose the iniquities of the Republi-
can machine during the past dozen
years, is problematical. Most men
who have been studying the subject
believe that he will veto the measure
and thus “save the face” of the Pen-
rose outfit. Brumbaugh has certainly
revealed a measure of mental stupid-
ity since he became Governor, that
justifies any prediction in the wrong
direction. Guided by the prejudices
of the Vares and influenced by the
malice of Shunk Brown, any absurdity
on his part is possible.
But why should Governor Brum-
baugh thus lend himself to the serv-
ice of the Penrose machine? He has
nothing to lose by an investigation.
He is already daubed over with the
filth of graft from head to foot so
that nothing can increase his burden
of infamy. Everybody knows that
the only legitimate purpose of an
“executive contingent fund,” is to pay
the proper expenses of the Governor
in the discharge of his official duties.
Pressing the gubernatorial pants and
buying cosmetics for the Governor’s
wife are equally graft and it has been
amply proved that the Brumbaugh
contingent fund was used for such
purposes, thus increasing his com-
pensation in violation of the consti-
tution which he has sworn to “sup-
port, obey and defend.”
The Penrose machine has discover-
ed another way of proving the
charges of graft against the Governor
and one which guarnatees immunity
for Penrose and the conspirators as-
sociated with him in the enterprise to
flay Brumbaugh. . Therefore they
want Brumbaugh ‘to veto the Sproul
resolution for! the reason that such
action will be interpreted as a con-
fession and’ used as corroborative evi-
dence tu. the testimony of -théir own
witnesses. Of course Vare wants the
measure vetoed because the Senate
Committee on Appointments cannot
involve the immoralities and iniqui-
ties of the Vares. Equally, of course,
Shunk Brown wants the resolution
vetoed for the same sinister reasons.
“Every fellow for himself and the
devil take the hindmost,” is the motto
of these Brumbaugh advisers.
But why should Brumbaugh sacri-
fice himself to save one set of con-
spirators and help another set? He
stands to lose in either event but if
he signs the bill and takes his medi-
cine like a man the others will suffer
with him and he will earn a small
measure of public gratitude by open-
ing up a means for purging the State
of the vicious pirates who have been
looting it. If the Sproul resolution
is approved and the proposed investi-
gation is conducted with the energy
and purpose that is possible, Penrose
and his gang will emerge from the
ordeal quite as besmirched as Brum-
baugh and the State will be rescued
from two sources of vice. In the
light of these facts Brumbaugh’s
course is clear. He should approve the
resolution and aid in the investiga-
tion.
If the resolution is vetoed there
will be no inquiry into any of the im-
moralities which have been perpetrat-
ed by Penrose or for Penrose during
the past decade. The Vares will enjoy
equal immunity and though the Sen-
ator of that name openly acknowl-
edged that he has been “accessory
after the fact” to the electoral frauds
in Philadelphia during recent years,
he will go Scott free. Is the Gover-
nor compelled to compound this
felony in order to shield Vare? Cer-
tainly not through gratitude for there
has never been a moment since the
beginning of this quarrel that the
Vares would not have betrayed Brum-
baugh to his enemies if such perfidy
had promised advancement of their
selfish purposes.
The death of General Funston
will be universally regretted. He was
an industrious and capable soldier
and had the merit of minding his
own business well developed. If other
Generals who got advancement
through favoritism were equally wise
public confidence in our army would
be considerably strengthened.
— Let us hope that President Wil-
son will be able to construct his cab-
inet without the help of a certain
Philadelphia newspaper which bitter-
ly opposes him in everything and
constantly butts in with advice.
BELLE
‘paid on- Subscriptions whether in Set~|
“Hampy” Moore’s Pipe Dream. :
«Hampy” Moore, a Philadelphia |
Congressman, has introduced a reso- |
lution, or is about to introduce a reso-
lution, or wants to introduce a resolu-
tion to the effect that all the leading |
newspapers of this country have been |
bought up or subsidized by British |
gold. Hampy lusts for notoriety |
and because a bone-head Congress- |
man from Indiana gained a lot by |
introducing a preposterous resolu-
tion with reference to leaks of some
sort, Hampy thought the wild rumor
of wholesale newspaper sales to
Great Britain, opened up a chance for
him that was worth while. He says
he will act upon it if he hasn’t done
so already, and will tear things wide
open.
Mr. Moore declares that he got his
information on the subject from a
Texan named Calloway who said
something on the subject during a
speech on the floor of the House at
Washington, the other day. Mr. Cal-
loway’s story is that the purchases
were made by J. P. Morgan who had
not only bought the properties but
had employed editors to guarantee
the proper use of the columns thus
acquired. Neither Calloway nor
Moore has indicated what papers
have been purchased by British gold
but as both say that “all the leading:
papers” are included, we are compell-
ed to look upon the matter as person-
al for the “Watchman” is certainly
and easily in the front rank.
Now we desire to say in the most
positive terms and unequivocal lan-
guage that neither the British gov-
ernment nor Mr. J. P. Morgan has
purchased the “Watchman™ or in any
other way acquired control of its
columns. No doubt both would like
to add it to their possessions but have
not expressed themselves thus far.
But we can positively assure our
friends that the “Watchman” will
continue business at the old stand and
that nobody need fear that money
tlement of old arrears or for new
acquisitions to our list will find its
way either into the treasury of the
British Empire or the coffers ofl. P.
Morgan.
Worthless Report Riddled.
Phofessor Clyde L. King, of the Uni-
versity of Pennsylvania, riddles the
absurd report of the Commission re-
cently appointed under the authority
of the Legislature, to investigate the
causes of the increase in the price
of anthracite coal. The Commission
completely exculpated the coal com-
panies from blame and specifically
declared that the tax on anthracite
coal, levied under an act of the Legis-
lature during the administration of
Governor Pennypacker, had nothing to
do with the matter. As a matter of
fact, however, the price was raised
immediately following that levy and it
was given as the reason. Subsequent-
ly the levy was declared unconstitu-
tional but the tax was not refunded
or price reduced.
Professor King shows that the Com-
mission has not treated the subject
intelligently or based its report on
existing facts. On the contrary it
justifies the increase in price on the
ground that some operators are not
favorably situated for the production
of coal and that those who are have
a right to-fix the price of the product
on a scale which will afford profit to
those who are not. That is not only
an absurd but immoral doctrine. The
laws forbid the fixing of price by col-
lusion and the restraint of trade and
production for any reason. In set-
ting a scale of prices on the lines in-
dicated by the report both provisions
of the law are violated and the con-
sumers mulcted coming and going.
The Commission probably made
precisely the kind of report it was
appointed to make, however. Pro-
fessor King overlooked the fact that
the resolution creating the Commis-
sion was introduced by Senator Vare,
of Philadelphia, and legislation em-
anating from that source is likely to
be filled with snakes of every varie-
ty. His interest in the dear people
is of a negative sort but his interest
in corporations both active and prac-
tical. In any event, however, the re-
port is worthless, ought to be ignor-
ed and a new investigation ordered.
The coal trust, like the paper trust,
can be brought to terms and a real
investigation will accomplish the re-
sult in one case as it did in the other
the other day.
—If you find it in the “Watch-
he pred States by Germany, it will be
FONTE, PA. FEBRUARY 23, 19
Senator Sproul who hopes to secure |
the Penrose endorsement for Gover-
nor next year has deceived no intel-
|
Sproul Touching On Treason.
| ligent person as to his purpose in in- | single
troducing a resolution instructing
Congress how to raise revenues. It
is not the menace to State revenues |
that worries him. His soul purpo
was to embarrass the administrat:
at Washington, at a time when suv,
action is nothing short of treason.
The copperheads of the Civil war
period had the excuse for perfidy
that the enemies of the government
were kindred and countrymen. The
Sproul type of traitors have no such
justification. They don’t care for
Germans or Germany. All they think
of is embarrassing the administration
at Washington.
Of course Senator Sproul imagines
that his treacherous movement is in
the interest of tariff taxation and pos-
sibly he believes that there are men
who think that an enormously increas- '
ed tariff tax would supply the gov-
ernment with revenues necessary to
the work of preparedness now in
progress. But he only is deceived. It
would make no difference in the cus-
toms revenues whether the tariff tax
on steel were ten dollars or ten cents
a ton. The threat of submarine
atrocities has taken commerce from
the sea and there are practically no
imports of steel or anything else.
Dependence upon customs receipts for
‘| revenue when there are no importa-
tions is as absurd as depending upon
the Republican machine for decency.
Senator Sproul and other leaders of
the Republican party of Pennsylva-
nia have entered into a conspiracy to
show Germany and Great Britain
that the people of the United States
are not in sympathy with the Presi-
dent. That is giving aid and comfort
¢o those countries and in the event
that war is declared against Germany |
by the United States or against the
h“teason. That is a ‘precarious
situation for Senator Sproul but the
Republican machine exacts high prices
for its favors. Senator Penrose has
been fooled once or twice and here-
after all applicants for nomination :
must submit to the acid test. -
——————————————
——The undersea craft may be do- |
ing the best they can but they are not
accomplishing much in the way of |
sinking ships.
he
ee |
Insincerity of Reform Pretenses. i
The insincerity of the Penrose pre-
tense of reform in official life is clear- |
ly revealed in the vote on the resolu- |
tion, the other day, to take a census
of the legislative offices. The resolu-
tion proposed to compel each official
in the Legislature to disclose the du-
ties of his office, the amount of his
compensation, the hours required to
perform the work and the agency
through which he obtained the ap-
pointment. The measure was indefi-
nitely postponed on motion of one of
the Penrose followers, though candor
compels the acknowledgement that
some of the Brumbaugh adherents
voted for postponement. :
There is no greater abuse in the
public life of the Commonwealth than
that at which the resolution was aim-
ed. It has been the custom for years
to create as many new offices as were
necessary to satisfy the demands of
disappointed party workers who had
failed of getting places on the regu-
lar roster. Then the places are farm-
ed for the benefit of the lame ducks.
For example the men who get the of-
fices draw the compensation of six to
eight dollars a day and hire boys
about the capitol to do the work at
from one dollar and a-half to two dol-
lars a day, spending their time in
their regular employment at home.
Four years ago when the Bull
Moosers were strong enough to pre-
vent fhe machine from electing the
officers, an attempt was made to
abate this evil. An inquiry was be-
gun and the testimony of many of the
officers taken which showed that most
of them had little if anything to do
and that all of them were overpaid.
But the two wings of the Republican
party were soon brought together in
the presence of this menace to graft
and the aim of the Democrats to ex-
pose the outrage was defeated. Then
as now the “cohesive power of public
plunder” brought both factions of the
Republican party into unison and the
proposed reform failed.
i
|
— Even if the winners of election
bets do have to pay income tax the
man” it’s true.
- itself. We have
| spiracy.
Republicans needn’t worry.
17.
NO. 8.
How We Might Prove Effective.
From the Scientific American.
If we are drawn into the world war
we may well prove to be the decisive
factor, even though we land not a
soldier upon European soil. For
it is a fact, well understood by the
statesmen and strategists of Europe,
that if we were lined up with the
allied cause we should place it in an
impregnable position in respect to
two of the most vital necessities for
the winning of a war of this magni-
tude, namely, financial resources and
munitionment.
Excellent though it may be in
morale and in its all-round military
efficiency, our army would be lost
amid the embattled millions of Eu-
rope, and the fact that Great Britain
defeated the German fleet off Jutland,
and drove it back into its harbors and
now holds it there, proves that our
battleships would be superfluous in
. the North Sea. But the moment our
| enormous financial resources and our
vast potentiality for the manufact-
ure of guns, powder and shells were
(lined up behind the allied armies the
ultimate overthrow of the Central
Powers would be as certain as the
rise and setting of the sun.
If we went into war, it should be
our policy to apply our strength
where it would bring the most imme-
diate and decisive results. Outside
of certain defensive measures against
submarine attack in our home waters,
we should bring our potential
strength to bear on that part of the
European battlefield where it is most
needed and would have the greatest
effect. Such a field is to be found on
the Russian front.
Russia has today, with the colors,
nearly ten million men. Of these
about five million are fairly well
armed, equipped and munitioned.
the whole of that mighty army were
munitioned on the scale of the Central
Powers it would roll, like a tidal wave,
across the plains of Poland and Gali-
cia, and might well engulf Berlin
only to bear in mind
how Brusiloff, last Summer, swallow-
ed up the Austrian armies, and ceased
his onward rush only when his Win-
ter’s accumulation of munitions were
depleted. .
Enormous though the task would
be of munitioning those five million
men, now undergoing constant train-
ing at the depots, so vast are our re-
| sources that we could do it, and do it
at a rate greater even than a hich
Great Britain munitioned .c®™ own
' armies. For our resources in the way
| of steel mills and machine shops, iron
ore, coke and the necessary labor
must be fully double those of Great
Britain.
Miss The Point.
| From the Johnstown Democrat.
The commission appointed by Gov-
ernor Brumbaugh to nose around for
the purpose of discovering why the
price of anthracite coal is so high re-
ports that it can not locate any con-
Coal is high because it is
high, and that is all there is to it,
says the commission. The price pro-
bers report that a very few owners
own approximately 90 per cent of the
unmined coal, but they dismiss that
fact as one that is not worthy of con-
sideration. The monopolization of the
unmined coal is treated as a matter
of course.
It is rather curious it never occur-
red to the probers that if a few men
or a few corporations own the unmined
coal and are permitted to mine at
their convenience and under condi-
tions and circumstances that best suit
their interests coal will always be
high. It is not the coal mined that
boosts the price, but rather the coal
that should be mined but which is held
out of the market.
The owners of the undeveloped an-
thracite lands find that it pays to cur-
tail production, that it pays to hold
mines out of use. They pursue the
course that pays.
The commission has nothing to say
regarding the effect of regulations
that would compel the owners of the
undeveloped anthracite lands to either
operate their holdings or pass them
along to some one who would. Such
a simple method of procedure seems
never to have occurred to them. They
report the output, they tabulate the
owners of the lands that are not de-
veloped, they point out that the cor-
porations that are operating are the
firms that own the coal lands not be-
ing operated and yet they tell the
Governor that they are unable to un-
derstand just why coal is as high as
it is. Such simple souls never should
have been turned loose on the trail
of an octopus. The price probers seem
to have started out with the simple
faith of children and the intellectual
equipment of the man who still be-
lieves the foreigner pays the tax.
i i Tres
“Patriotism” of the Militarists.
From the Springfield Republican.
Ex-Congressman Powers tells the
Middlesex club of Boston that we
should prepare for war by building a
navy superior to any other afloat and
by putting an army of millions into
the field, so that the American mer-
chant marine might go into any part
of the world without fear. Some
persons seem more eager to fasten a
vast military system upon the nation
than to solve the problems of the
present.
esis
— Tt may be assumed that the
Kaiser didn’t say that he would rath-
er have the United States in the war
than out of it. The Kaiser is more or
less queer but he’s ne fool.
SPAWLS FROM THE KEYSTONE.
—Mp. and Mrs. John Beck, of DuBois,
have just celebrated the sixty-fourth
anniversary of their marriage.
Just before he died John O'Neill, of
Phoenixville, a deaf mute from childhood,
recovered his speech and startled his wife
and children by calling them by name.
— Three hotels and one private residence
at Mt. Pleasant, Westmoreland county,
were entered by burglars the other night
and considerable booty, including $30 in
money, carried off.
— Rocco Delian and Dominic Pedula have
been arrested and lodged in the West-
moreland county jail charged with having
killed two boys who were coasting on a
Greensburg street one night last week.
__A men’s mass meeting at a Hoovers-
ville, Somerset county, revival was broken
up and an Italian baby almost cremated
when the dwelling occupied by the babe's
parents was partially destroyed by fire.
—Sheriff John P. Kilgore, of Westmore-
land county, began the week by escorting
twenty-five ‘convicts to the Allegheny
county workhouse and the western peni-
tentiary. Six of the delegation were wom-
en.
Two hundred cars of shells passed
through the East Hollidaysburg classifica-
tion yards on Friday and Saturday, of
last week consigned to the navy yards
along the Atlantic coast. The cars were
given preference over other freight.
—_Bli Bedi, the Madera man who was
shot twice during the progress of a quar-
rel with his wife over a week ago, is dead
in the Philipsburg hospital, as a result of
his injuries. The woman is in jail and
will probably be tried for murder.
Between seventy-five and one hun-
dred students of Bucknell University are
working at the Milton munition plant.
The opportunity to get some of the big
wages being paid out is tempting to the
boys and they are doing the turns along
with taking care of their studies, making
from $6 to $10 a day.
__Harriet A. Laird, of Huntingdon,
through her attorney, W. Lloyd Hibbs,
Esq., has brought an action of trespass
against Thomas H. Myers, of Ashville, te
recover the sum of $10,000 damages sus-
tained by plaintiff by reason of the de-
fendant’s unlawful possession of 29 acres
of coal land in Gallitzin township, Cam-
bria county, of which the plaintiff is the
lessee.
The police are investigating the brutal
murder of Mrs. Louise Delare, of Jean-
nette, aged 65, whose mangled body was
found in her home by her son, Archie
Mallard, early on Sunday. Seventy dol-
lars which the son had given his mother
to keep was missing and robbery is be-
lieved to have been the motive. Amiel and
John Dantinne, brothers, aged 22 and 18
respectively, have been taken into custody
and are being held pending further inves-
tigation.
While sawing wood on a circular saw
at a small mill at Tylersville on Saturday
afternoon, Franklin Caris had the misfor-
tune to have his left hand so nearly sev-
ered at the wrist that it hung on only by
a few shreds. The accident resulted from
a slip of the hand, which came in contact
with the rapidly revolving saw. Mr.
Caris was taken to the Lock Haven hos-
pital late that afternoon, where amputa-
tion was completed according to surgical
science.
Nearly (1,000 acres of good coal land in
White and Cherryhill townships, Indiana
county, were sold to Robert E. Young, J.
R. Daugherty, of Indiana; C. M. Lingle,
of Graceton; B. M. Clark, of Punxsutaw-
ney, and others, this week. The price
paid was $45,000. - The tract of land is one
of the most valuable in Indiana county.
There are no definite plans for operating
the field. Mr. Lingle was a former Philips-
burg boy, and has for years been superin-
tendent for the Graceton Coke Co.
That drillers struck a 1,000,000 cubic
foot gas well on the Corbet tract, two
miles from DuBois, is verified by a drill-
er for A. A. Milkin, who has a contract
for sinking wells for the United Natural
Gas Co. The gas flow was struck when
the drill had gone two feet in the third
sand at a depth of 1,792 feet. Drilling will
be continued into the Kane sand. This is
the first big gas well that has been
brought in near DuBois, and there is
much excitement among adjoining land
owners.
—The jury in the case of Bert Bovier,
who sued the Pennsylvania railroad com-
pany for $15,000 damages for personal in-
juries, returned a verdict im Clearfield
county court on Wednesday afternoon.
of last week for $10,900. This is the largest
verdict given for personal injuries on
record in Clearfield county, the next larg-
est being a verdict ‘of $10,300 several years
ago. Bovier asked damages as the result
of his rig being struck by a train at a
grade crossing at McGee Mills, Dec. 22nd,
1915, when he received serious personal
injury.
The large safe in the office of T. H.
Quinn & Co. chemical manufacturers at
Straight, Elk county, was blown open by
yeggmen some time during last Friday
night and $500 in postage stamps and $100
in cash extracted. No one heard the re-
port of the explosion and it was not dis-
covered until 6 o'clock Saturday morning,
when Mr. Kranking, manager of the gen-
eral store, opened the place for business.
The office is connected with the store, the
postoffice being in the store, and the post-
age stamps were placed in the big vault
for safe keeping.
__Married at Clearfield Friday, Mr. and
Mrs. John Hawkins started on a honey-
moon trip to easter cities. The bride-
groom had boarded an east-bound train
at Tyrone when the bride discovered she
had left her handbag in the station. Re-
covering it she stopped to pick up some
orange peel she dropped and the train
pulled out. “He has all the money and
tickets and I haven't a cent,” sobbed the
frantic bride, while the husband tried to
get off the train but failed. Railroad offi-
cials bought her a ticket to Huntingdon,
then telephoned ahead and had the hus-
band leave the train and wait for her.
— Peter Nickles, a miner of Beccaria
township, Clearfield county, on Monday
at Clearfield entered suit against the Ir-
vona Coal and Coke company for $50,000
damages for injuries received on October
12, 1915, when he was caught under a fall
of roof and received a broken back, frac-
tured leg and many other cuts and bruis-
es. He has been totally incapacitated
since that time and has been not only un-
able to provide for his family, but has
been an inmate of the Clearfield county
home. The accident occurred before the
Workmen's compensation act went into
effect, hence the necessity for bringing
this suit.