INK SLINGS.
—Get your green necktie out to-
morrow.
—_ What is Bellefonte going to do |
on the next Fourth of July?
—In the death of the Hon. Henry
Houck the Commonwealth has lost a
consistent and presistent office holder.
—An opinion doesn’t have much
value unless you have confidence in
the one who expresses it.
—Onions won’t be six dollars a
bushel next year if evervbody who
has the ground to raise his own does
so.
— And just to dump one more fly
into the ointment the railroad broth-
erhoods are out with another threat-
ened strike and general tie-up of all
railroads.
German authorities are posi-
tive that arming merchant ships is
“an act of war.” But then German
authorities are equally positive that
sinking merchant ships is an expres-
sion of affection.
— Poor President Wilson. Just to
add more to the awful load of trouble
he has had to carry for the Nation
the railroad Brotherhoods are threat-
ening trouble. The President would
be entirely justified in dealing very
summarily with them.
—With geese selling at four dol-
lars each at Tommy Jodon’s sale the
opinion seems to be general that there
were more geese at the saie than the
ones auctioneer Mayes knocked down.
— British troops have taken Bag-
dad, the city of the Caliphs. The
Turks have been made to nay dearly
for the defeat they administered to
the British at Kutelamara early in
the war.
—_Now that Ambassador Gerard is
home we are likely to get some really
unprejudiced views as to the situation
in Germany. Strange that there are
no two stories alike. The American
correspondents who were in Germany
and returned with him do nol seem to
have gained the same impression as to
anything. Their publishad stories
differ greatly on important matters.
So much so that little or no real value
as to the situation in Germany can be
gleaned from them.
— The railroad Brotherhoods had
little public sympathy the last time
they threatened to strike. They will
_have far less now. The freight con-
gestion is already so great that coal
and food are almost beyord the poor
man’s reach in many localities and
for a great organization, that is
already receiving wages far in excess
of almost any other class that can be
named, to deliberately resolve to make
it worse by striking in the face of
such conditions, is almost criminal.
— Chairman Woodward's very fa-
vorable comment on the condition of
things at The Pennsylvania State Col-
lege and at the new Western Peniten-
tiary is encouraging. If the appro-
priations committee was so favorably
impressed those two institutions
ought not to have trouble in getting
their appropriation bills reported out
of committee in very satisfactory
amounts. If the State is serious in its
intent to complete the big penal in-
stitution it has begun at Rockview it
ought to provide sufficient funds to
keep the work moving. The penny-
wise and pound foolish attitude of the
last Legislature has already cost
thousands upoa thousands of dollars
to the tax payers because insufficient
funds were provided and opportunities
to contract for materials needed at a
time when their cost was considerably
less than now could not be taken ad-
vantage of.
—Representative Rich, of Clinton
county, has introduced a bill in the
Legislature the provisions of which
if enacted into law, would detach
Clinton county from the Twenty-fifth
Pennsylvania judicial district and
make a separate district of it to be
known as the Fifty-seventh. Two
years ago an attempt was made by
Clinton county interests to reappor-
tion so that Clinton would be taken
out of the combination with Elk and
Cameron, but it failed because of its
unconstitutionality. It is believed
that the movement grows out of op-
position to Judge Hall in certain quar-
ters in Clinton. Hovever this might
be the present arrangement, if car-
ried through, would scarcely be ob-
jectionable to Judge Hall, for he could
be re-elected in a district comprising
only Elk and Cameron much more
handily than he could were Clinton
to remain in it. Besides it would re-
duce the work of the Judge very
materially without affecting the com-
pensation. However the result may
be Judge Hall will likely be a candi-
date to succeed himself and since the
removal of Henry Hipple Esq., from
Lock Haven, around whom the oppo-
sition to Judge Hall seemed to be
concentrating, it is altogether prob-
able that he will have no serious op-
position.
VOL. 62.
STATE RIGHT
—
Ss AND FEDERAL UNION.
BELLEFONTE, PA. MARCH 16, 1917.
NO. ]
1.
Bright Prospects in Mexico.
The election of Carranza to the
office of President of Mexico by an
overwhelming majority on what ap-
pears to have been a reasonably fair
vote, amply vindicates the Mexican
policy of President Wilson. It should
be kept in mind always that the
recognition of the de facto govern-
ment of Mexico by the government of
the United States, with Carranza as
First Chief, was not strictly speaking
the action of President Wilson. In
the hope of pacifying- that unhappy
and harrassed people President Wil-
son had procured a peace commission
composed of representatives of the
several American Republics south of
us. This commission reported In
favor of the recognition of the de-
facto government and Wilson rati-
fied it.
Since that the Pershing punitive
expedition spent eight or nine months
in Mexico and an army of about 150,-
000 patrolled the border for nearly
that period of time. Many reasons
have arisen during that interval for
doubting the sincerity of Carranza.
But conditions have vastly improved
meantime and the other day in a com-
paratively peaceful and fairly just
election he has been chosen by the
people of Mexico to be their President
and thus strengthened in his authori-
ty he may be able to restore order and
give his country that stability of gov-
ernment which is essential to pro-
gress and prosperity. Mexico is rich
in everything except tranquility and
we may now hope for that in the fu-
ture.
The ‘vital principle upon which the
government of the United States is
founded is that “governments derive
all their just power from the consent
of the governed.” The idea of fore-
ing any man into the office of Presi-
dent of Mexico is abhorrent to this
sublime principle. For that reason
President Wilson left to the people
of Mexico the duty of working out
their own destiny and if, the election
of Carranza serves the purpose Mex-
ico as well as the United States will |
have reason to feel proud of the
achievement. We are not enamored
of Carranza but entertain hopes that
he will be able and willing to restore
order for that will guarantee the re-
turn of prosperity.
Senator Stone has been re-ap-
pointed chairman of the Senate com-
mittee on Foreign Relations. Are
his Democratic colleagues in the body
cowardly or simply indifferent ?
There’s something the matter.
War and Strike Dangers.
The menace of war is little less
disturbing than the danger of a na-
tion-wide railroad strike. It was hoped
that both might be averted. The
President has exhausted all his pow-
ers to prevent either. But present
indications are that he has failed in
both instances. The moment a Ger-
man submarine is fired on or an
American merchant ship sunk, war
will be inevitable. If the railroad
managers and the railroad trainmen
fail to come to an agreement before
Saturday the railroad strike is cer-
tain. It is a gloomy future into which
the American people are compelled to
look.
At this time the railroad managers
and trainmen are preparing to go into
conference. Both sides declare a
fixed purpose to insist on their posi-
tions. The trainmen demand the rati-
fication of the Adamson eight-hour
law. The managers declare that they
will not submit to the demand. The
press managers of the railroads pro-
test that a strike at this time would
be unpatriotic. If it impairs or re-
tards the work of preparedness for a
foreign war, that is true. And a
strike at this time would most cer-
tainly compass that result. Trans-
portation is already conjested to a
measure which is menacing. Any-
thing that will further impair the
efficiency - of the railroad service
should be avoided, if possible.
— Obviously “there’s nothing in a
name.” One of the greatest achieve-
ments of the European war was ac-
complished by a General named
Maude.
— If Mr. James W. Gerard, re-
cently Ambassador at Berlin, would
write a book anybody could guess the
“best seller” of this year.
— German conspiracies don’t
seem to prosper on American soil
whether laid north or south of the
Rio Grande.
|
1
The determination to arm merchant
ships and instruct them to fire at sub-
marines at sight may cause war with
Germany, but it was the only course
open to this country after the declara-
tion of ruthless warfare. Our com-
merce was in a state of paralysis.
Hundreds of ships were held in port
because of the practical certainty that
if they went out they would be sunk
with their cargoes and their crews.
This was putting the burden of the
European war on the shoulders of
American business. Such a thing
would be intolerable. No self-respec-
ting people could endure it and those
who plead for peace in the face of
such conditions are poltroons rather
than pacifists.
Many persons held that the mer-
chantmen should be instructed to
withold fire in the presence of a sub-
marine until after the attack. That
would be absurd. After attack, in
nine cases out of ten, the ship would
be unable to fire, for the single tor-
pedo the under sea craft projects is
fatal. Possibly a well-directed shot
from the sinking ship might compel
the submarine to join the merchant-
man on the bottom of the sea, but
there is little comfort in that thought
either for the owner of the ship and
cargo or the members of the crew.
The right way to act in the circum-
stances is the way the administration
has determined to act. That is
merchantmen are instructed to fire at
sight of a submarine.
Of course the first submarine sunk
will force Germany to a declaration
of war as the first merchantman sunk
ought to bring a declaration of war
from Congress. But bad as that is it
is not the worst thing that could hap-
pen. If Germany or any other pow-
er on earth should be permitted to
drive the ships of the United States
off the seas we certainly would be in
public contempt throughout the world
and that would be more damaging
than any possible loss as the result of
war. The loss of the respect of the
world is the greatest that can be im-
agined and that is the penalty of pol-
troonery in the matter in mind. Pres-
ident Wilson may be depended upon
to avoid that.
The Auditor’s Statement.
The Auditor’s statement of Centre
county shows that the present board
of County Commissioners have re-
duced the net indebtedness of the
county to just $10,159.53. The total
liabilities of the county are $104,216.-
92 and the assets $94,057.39. The to-
tal receipts last year were $121,345.-
35.
One of the items in the statement
which is larger this year than ever
before is that of the. soldiers’ and
soldier's widows’ - burial account,
which footed up $2,390, just forty
soldiers and soldier's widows having
died during the year. Fifty dollars
is allowed for the burial of an old
soldier and fifteen dollars for a head-
stone.
— In an effort to create interest
and enthusiasm throughout the State
the graduates and former students of
The Pennsylvania State College have
joined in publishing an eighty page
book compiled by graduate manager
of athletics, Ray H. Smith. The book
is an illustrated treatise on every
course taught at the College and pre-
sents that big institution in a more
convincing manner than hundreds of
pages of reading matter could do. In
fact it is a photographic record of how
large the State College is and how
very thorough the work is done there.
Any person who goes through the
book carefully cannot help but be im-
pressed with the fact that the Col-
lege is deserving of every cent of
money requested of the present Leg-
islature, if it is to continue to grow
in usefulness as well as in popularity.
— Speaker Baldwin scolded the
members of the House the other day
because of indifference to their pub-
lic obligations. But then we have
some sort of a tradition that Satan
sometimes reproves sin.
— Secretary Redfield believes that
few business men understand their
business and probably he is right
about it. As long as tariff taxation
guarantees profits it isn’t necessary
to know much.
— Hungry Hi, of California, had
a choice between two years more of
Governor and six years in the United
States Senate and it isn’t worth while
to say how he solved the problem.
Wilson Takes the Right Course.
Senator Norris’ Weak Defense.
Senator Norris, of Nebraska, one
of that “little group of wilful men”
who brought the country into public
contempt by filibustering against the
armed neutrality bill on the last day
| of the session of the last Congress
| attempted to justify himself in a
‘speech in Philadelphia, on Sunday
evening. But he fell far short of his
' purpose. He simply revealed his lack
| of information concerning the atti-
tude of this country with respect to
the belligerents or his absolute indif-
ference to truth. Among other things
, equally absurd he asked why Ameri-
| can sailors and guns should be used
, “to guarantee delivery of war muni-
! tions to ome set of belligerent na-
| tions ?”
That question was not entirely the
i product of ignorance. It is steeped
in malice. In the early stages of the
i European war that accusation was
' made by Germans in Germany and
{ German sympathizers in this coun-
i try. But it couldn’t stand in the
‘light of the facts. The mills and fac-
tories were open as fully and freely
to the people and government of Ger-
| many as to those of England, France
or Russia. But Germany couldn’t
avail herself of the advantage be-
cause British, French and Russian
ships were too numerous and too
powerful to let German purchasers
through with the goods. The govern-
ment of the United States maintain-
ed neutrality in the strictest sense
| from the beginning of the war.
| The so-called armed neutrality bill
| never contemplated the attack of
German snips whether naval vessels
' or merchantmen. It proposed to arm
| American merchantmen sufficiently
to defend themselves against ruthless
| attacks by undersea craft which had
"been sent upon piratical enterprises
| to destroy American commerce. In
| resisting by unfair and unjust meth-
ods the passage of any bill for that
| purpose Senator Norris, of Nebras-
Wu, simply. wrote himself down a trai-
| tor and unless his constituents are
| unworthy the title of American citi-
i zens they will visit upon his perfidi-
| ous head such punishment as treason
' deserves. There is no use in dilly-
| dallying with such persons.
| ———————————————
1
{
| ——Governor Brumbaugh has is-
| sued a proclamation designating
| Thursday, May 24th, as state-wide
| good roads day for 1917. Good roads
day was inaugurated in 1915 hence
| this will be the third year that the
| people of Pennsylvania are asked to
turn out and give one day’s work on
| the roads free. Last year it rained p
| most of the day but notwithstanding
that fact over sixty thousand people
turned out in the State and Centre
county did its share. When the day
comes this year we have no doubt that
Centre countians will just as willing-
ly contribute their time and labor as
they have done in the past.
— Every day instances bob up
which emphasize the scarcity of cars,
and one such occurred on Monday
when a car load of Overland automo-
biles arrived in Bellefonte on an or-
dinary flat car instead of in the usual
box car. Of course the cars were cov-
ered with heavy tarpaulin that pro-
tected them from the elements but it
was one more illustration of how the
box cars are tied up in the congested
freight traffic. The cars brought here
were consigned to A. G. Morris, Jr.,
the local agent.
DC mw sssimrecmet—m—
— Hearkening to the indignant
wave of opposition that went to him
by mail and otherwise N. R. Buller,
state fish commissioner, has announc-
ed that he will not ask for the pas-
sage of the proposed law putting a li-
cense of fifty cents on all fishermen,
but allow the bill to die a natural
i death in the committee’s hands.
; emg:
Residents of Lock Haven and
vicinity had quite a scare on Monday
night when the ice broke in the Sus-
quehanna river and piling up caused
a back water flood of four feet within
a half hour. The water reached the
first floor of a few houses in the
northern portion of the city.
— A wrecked freight ear near
Beech Creek on the Bald Eagle Val-
ley railroad delayed the passenger
train west on Sunday morning about
an hour and a half.
ee ar wm ——
— Venustina Carranza has an op-
portunity to make good now that he
has been duly elected President of
Mexico but his name creates doubt.
—
— The “Watchman” has all the news
|
!
A Milk White Flag.
From the Johnstown Democrat.
Reports from Harrisburg and Phil-
adelphia are to the effect that the
warring factions of the grand old
party are about to kiss and make up.
From each camp an emissary has
gone forth, they tell us, with a milk
white flag; and in the shade of the
sheltering and Floridan palms rival
Senators are discussing the terms of
peace.
There 1s an old saying, and a true
one—spoken first, we believe, by Con-
fucius, that the cat and the rat are
friends over a carcass. And from time
to time there arise conditions which
prove to us that as a forecaster Con-
fucius was decidedly no slouch. For in
this instance the State of Pennsylva-
nia is the carcass; and the cat and the
rat are the frictional, factional tongs
of the Republican party. This tong
war, by the way, was fiercely fought,
while it was fought. The threats ut-
tered were quite as loud as those of
the man who objects to the removai
tax charged by a telephone company.
The heathen Chinee may be peculiar,
for ways that are dark and tricks that
are vain, but he is a miserable ama-
teur compared with Republican fac- :
tionalists. In this particular case it
required about six weeks for the war-
riors to learn that the trenches of
their opponents were impregnable.
The mitrailleuses raged ramped,
but little damage was done. Gas
bombs were used, but both sides had
helmets. There was some slaughter,
of course, but on the whole it was in
the ranks of the inconsequential or
among the innocent bystanders. None
of the leaders was so much as scratch-
ed. All this being true there arose
that age-long question, what's the
use? Or as Sis Hopkins might have
said: What’s th’ use of tryin’ r’ do
suthin’ t* somebody that y’ kain’t
simply do nuthin’ to? .
Hence the milk white fag.
Spring is coming; and June. And
it is always fair weather, you know,
when good fellows get together-—ex-
cept that when these good fellows get
together somebody else will suffer. In
the house the other day Mr. Wood-
ward, chairman of the Appropriations’
committee, said something must be
done immediately to provide new
revenues for the State. That was
convincing argument that the boys’ll
be out of the trenches before long, be-
cause if there is need for more rev-
enue that means there'll bg lats of
appropriating; and neither Site will
give the other side appropriations
unless the split is 50-50.
The Legislature meets again along
about the Ides of March. Caesar took
a chance. Look what fiappened to
him.
Couldn’t ’Elp It.
From Everybody's Magazine.
The average foreigner can rarely
comprehend the geographical area of
the United States, as was quite fully
illustrated by the Englishman and his
valet who had been traveling due west
from Boston for five days. At the end
of the fifth day master and servant
were seated in the smoking car, and
it was observed that the man was
gazing steadily and thoughtfully out
of the window. Finally, his compan-
ion became curious. “William,” said
he, “of what are you thinking ?”
“I was just thinking, sir, about the
discovery of Hamerica,” replied the
valet. “Columbus didn’t do such a
wonderful thing, after all, when he
found this country, did he, now, sir?
Hafter all’s said an’ done, ‘ow could
‘e Yelp it?”
Principal Reasons for High Prices.
From the Public.
What are the principal reasons for
the high cost of living? A group of
men and women prominent in civic
work in New York are directing an
interesting exhibit to shed light on the
elusive question so far as living in
New York itself is concerned. Six
main reasons are emphasized: 1)
Land monopoly rules and urban. { 2)
High charges for transit, gas and
electricity: (3) Over capitalization of
railroads, and the inclusion of in-
creases in the value of land owned by
the railroads for the purpose of rate
making. (4) Speculation in farm
products. (5) High prices for coal,
kerosene and wood. (6) High taxes.
Sai tn aS
Burdens for the Centuries.
From the San Francisco Star.
According to Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer Andrew Bonar Law the war is
costing Britain $28,000,000 a day, and
he asks the house for new votes o
credit aggregating over 2,500,000,000,
to cover expenses past and start on
the next financial year. Dig in, you
doomed toilers, generations to come;
every dol'ar of it you will have to dig
out of the earth—there is no other
source—and you are not able to own
an acre of it! Dig and fight and die
and don’t stop to ask why, or for
whom. Twenty-eight million dollars
a day in addition to what you are do-
ing now is quite a sum.
—"
A Diplomatic Riddle.
From the Springfield Republican.
A first-class man is needed to suc-
ceed the late Ambassador Guthrie at
Tokio. We shall always need a first-
class man in that post. There must
be no politics in the selection.
—_—
Our War Within.
PR
From the Baltimore Sun.
The average housewife is doing
her best to break into the neu-
trality of the food supply.
| SPAWLS FROM THE KEYSTONE.
—The Pennsy shops at Altoona have
turned out a new eighty-five ton all-steel
hopper car which has a capacity of 170.-
000 pounds. The cars weigh 60,000 pounds.
__Clinton county is to have a farm bu-
reau, the vote at a recent meeting to con-
sider the project having been in its favor
by two majority out of a total vote of fif-
ty-two. The county will contribute $500
to aid the enterprise.
__Senator Boies Penrose and Dr. B. H.
Warren have accepted the invitation of
the West Branch Sportsmen’s association
to address the sportsmen of the Susque-
hanna valley, in Williamsport, April 24.
Senator Penrose will speak upon “wild
Life and Game Conservation.”
William Klingensmith, aged thirty-
seven. of Indiana county, died in the Dan-
ville hospital for the insane, as the result
of a scalding received when left in a con-
tinuous bath, the temperature of which
rose from 90 to 150 degrees. The attendant,
Frank J.-Stegner, neglected Klingensmith
while looking after a patient in another
bath.
The Electric Bond and Share company,
of New York city, has taken over the
holdings of the Northern Central Gas
company, of Williamsport, Milton and
Hagerstown, Md. This important merger
is one in a series of transactions involving
@ number of affiliated companies in the
central part of the State. The merger is
one of the most important utility develop-
ments that has affected this part of the
State in years.
—Search in the humble home of Amos
F. Shank and Annie E. Shank, brother and
sister, who lived on a small farm near
Gettysburg, and who died within a few
days of each other, has revealed gold,
silver and certificates aggregating between
$5,000 and $6,000. The Shanks, who dress-
ed shabbily and were apparently on the
verge of poverty, were the owners of a
large quantity of good clothing, twenty
fine skirts being one item in the apprais-
ers’ list.
— Constable IL. H. Knapp, of Lamar
township, Clinton county, on Saturday
placed under arrest a well known young
man of Salona on the charge of fishing
for and having in his possession that day,
a brook trout out of season. The accused
was taken before alderman John P. An-
thony, of Lock Haven, where he plead
guilty to the charge and paid the fine cf
$10 imposed with the costs, the total sum
amounting to $16.44, which is a pretty
high price to pay for a small fish.
—John Long, 63 vears old, was instantly
killed at his home near Woodland, Mifflin
county, on Friday morning, when struck
full in the face by lumber comprising the
covering of a straw stack. The stack was
thrown over to liberate a calf that had
eaten its way far into the straw and be-
come so tightly wedged in that it could
not extricate itself. Mr. Long and his two
sons, hearing the bawls of the calf, hasten-
ed to throw the stack and the lumber that
formed the covering struck the father full
in the face as it toppled.
__ Justice John J. Head, of the Superior
court, in an opinion, handed down on
Wednesday, the Tth, ordered the revoca-
tion of the license of three wholesale
liquor dealers of Clearfield county on the
ground that their applications were print-
ed in but two newspapers, whereas the
Act of Assembly provides that the appli-
cations shall be printed in three papers.
fhe DuBois Brewing company is among
those affected by the order. The decree,
we understand applies to the 1916 license,
and will not affect the present cases.
—The tipple of the Pardus Coal Mining
company was destroyed by fire thought to
have been of incendiary origin on Wed-
nesday, the 7th, with a loss of $22,000.
The tipple had a capacity of 1,800 tons
daily and 250 men were thrown out of
employment by its destruction. Accord-
ing to officials of the company, the fire
originated in much the same manner as
the fire that destroyed the tipple of the
Jefferson and Clearfield Coal and Iron Co.,
on March 3. Coal mine operators believe
that a group of tipple destroyers are at
work.
_ Potatoes can be used as cash at a
nickelodeum in Hazelwood. The manager
of the movie house recently gave a per-
formance which he called a ‘potato show,”
for the benefit of children, admitting all
children upon presentation of a potato in-
stead of a nickel. He took in over three
bushels of potatoes. Youngsters of all
nationalities were at the potato perform-
ance, the show proving of great interest
to little ones. The other night several
children offered potatoes instead of coins
at the ticket window and they immediate-
ly were admitted.
__A damage verdict for a physician who
was blockaded at a railroad crossing by a
freight train from 45 to 50 minutes was
upheld Thursday by the Superior court
in Philadelphia. The verdict was abtained
by Dr. Arthur D. Cowdrick, a Clearfield
county physician against the New York
Central Railroad company. One cold night
jn March the physician was called to at-
tend a patient about twelve miles from his
office. He drove a team of horses and a
buggy. A freight train blocked the cross-
ing and from the prolonged exposure he
developed rheumatism which kept him
housed up for some time. He then sued for
damages.
—The forty-second annual meeting of the
Woman's Foreign Missionary society of
Huntingdon presbytery, will be held Wed-
nesday and Thursday, March 28 and 29,
in the First Presbyterian church at Hol-
lidaysburg. The program is an exception-
ally. strong one, every minute being fill-
ed with good and helpful discussions.
f Among the speakers are Miss Catherine
Woods, of Siangtan, China; Mrs. Joseph
Cochran, now a member of the Philadel-
phia boara of missions; and Rev. S. M.
Jordan, D. D.,, of Tcheran, Persia. These
are just a few of the very good things on
the missionary program, and everyone in-
terested in the discussion of missions
will be made welcome at the sessions.
—Tony Rocabello, an Italian laborer,
residing near Hollidaysburg, had no occa-
sion to grumble over paying a farmer $3
for a bushel of potatoes, as they proved to
be the cheapest tubers of that kind that
he had ever purchased. Tony's wife the
next day after the potatoes were bought,
while preparing some of them for dinner,
cut into one of them, when the knife
struck some hard object. It proved to be
a five dollar gold piece embedded in the
centre of the potato and the woman was
greatly surprised when she cut it open
and saw the yellow coin. So excited was
she over her lucky find, that she thought
that maybe all the potatoes were filled
with gold and immediately set to work to
cut open a number of others, but failed
to find any more money.