A SIRS Pemoreaic Walden BY P. GRAY MEEK INK SLINGS. —Are you reading “Over the Top m” — March surely did come in ‘like a lamb. —Prepare to plant and cultivate more this year than you did last. It will be needed. —Centre County’s Honor Roll is fast assuming the proportions of an army in itself. —If the Bolsheviki had fooled around Brest-Litovsk two or three days longer the Huns would have compelled them to cede all of Russia. —The per capita purchases of thrift stamps in Centre county are creeping up. Let us boost them to the level where we can point to them with pride. — Pittsburgh jails are bulging out with the slackers who have been ar- rested in that city within the past few days. Over three hundred were rounded up at one time. —Well, Denny O’Neil has the Gov- ernor with him anyway, and, we pre- sume, the Governor will stay with him until they both land in political oblivion after it is all over. —The Huns got a taste of the Yan- kee mailed fist near Toul last Friday. Such brilliant action as-our soldiers displayed will disabuse the German mind of the thought that they are not real fighters. —Eggs are thirty-six cents the doz- en in Monroe county and at Harris- burg. Probably it is because the hens in Monroe and Dauphin don’t lay as good eggs as do those of Centre that we have to pay so much more for ours. — Public sales are on in the county and prospective purchasers of small credit are making goo-goo eyes at their more opulent neighbors with the hope of getting acceptable “hail” when the inevitable note is to be signed. — Treasurer Davy Chambers is the new Republican county chairman, all of which goes to show that Judge Quigley is serving notice on any of the Bolsheviki hanging around in his party that the more they monkey with his organization the more he’ll take. — The Honor Roll published in this issue of the “Watchman” shows that 705 men who claim old Centre county as home are now in the service of their country. If you know of any whose names are not on this roll let us know, for every one who has gone deserves to have his name written there. Hides are lower in price and in less demand than they were in the pre-war period. Shoes are still sky high, however, because they were made from the raw leather that cost twice as much as it does today. What will be the price of the shoes that will be made from the raw leather at the present low price. Ah, that is the question. __So the Hon. “Deacon” Harris has given up the job of being Moses for the Republican organization in Cen- tre county. Some fox! The Hon. “Deacon” isn’t going to risk the pres- tige of two campaigns won in a Dem- ocratic county by shouldering a can- didate who wants to run a third time for the Legislature when he pulled through with only seventeen of a ma- jority two years ago. — The government doesn’t want you to take money out of any other in- vestment in order to buy thrift stamps. That isn’t what thrift means. It wants you to cut out waste, foibles and luxuries and, with the money saved in that way, buy stamps. In other words, all thrift stamp pur- chases ought to be made out of sav- ings amassed after you have decided to help the government in that way. — The special Congressional elec- tion in New York city on Tuesday re- sulted in the election of four Demo- crats to succeed the four Congress- men of our party who resigned to join the colors. The contest was an im- portant one, since on it hung the po- litical complexion of the House of Congress. The Republicans ‘made strenuous efforts to capture one or more of the seats and thus control Congress, but they were overwhelm- ingly defeated in each of the four dis- tricts. Women of New York voted for the first time and they polled nine- ty-one per cent. of their registered votes. Think of that. Either they wanted to play with the new ballot toy or they are going to show the men that they intended to use it when they asked for suffrage. What are the leaders of cur par- ty in Pennsylvania going to de with the Prohibition amendment question? The “Watchman” has always consid- ered Prohibition as a moral and not a political issue, but it has not lost sight of the fact that the gentlemen who control our organization today made their fight for control largely on the charge that the old organiza- tion was allied with the liquor inter- ests of the State and that they want- ed the authority to break up “the un- holy alliance.” It was given them, but now that the real crux in the sit- uation has been reached we hear mo word from any of them; no finger boards have been planted pointing the way for the Democracy of Pennsyl- vania. The “Watchman” reiterates its belief that Prohibition is a moral and not a political issue but awaits with interest the outcome of this ven- ture of our leaders to skate on the thin ice of hypocrisy. yoL 4%. BELL STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL -UNION. EFONTE, PA.. MARCH 8, 1918. Brumbaugh Declares Himself. . State politicians are speculating freely as to the effect of Governor Brumbaugh’s declaration in favor of Insurance Commissioner J. Denny O’Neil for Governor. Whether the support of the Governor is an asset or a liability is the question. It is not likely that any one ever doubted his ultimate purpose in the matter. As a matter of fact it is generally known that Denny was made High- way Commissioner with the view of training for the higher office. The people of Pennsylvania are deeply in- terested in good roads. It was believ- ed that good roads talk would appeal to them and hence the appointment of O’Neil to that office for it gave him a chance to canvass under the good roads pretense. Whether the Brumbaugh declara- tion is an asset or a liability depends upon whether it carries the Vare in- fluence into the O’Neil camp. It will coerce a considerable number of the office holders to support the Gover- nor’s candidate, of course, and make others pretend to be of the same mind. But office holders are not much use in a campaign for their selfish interest in the matter serves as a discount. If the Vare strength is carried along, however, things will be different, They can run up majorities without votes and their hatred of Penrose would incline them to go the limit in that direction. But Senator Sproul has them “sewed up,” and the Phila- delphia City committee will be their justification. When during the last session of the Legislature Senator Sproul fathered the resolution providing for an inves- tigation of the Brumbaugh adminis- tration he dug a gulf between the Governor and himself that can never be bridged. Through that investiga- tion Brumbaugh’s petty grafting was exposed. But for that the public never would have known that he made the public pay for the creasing of his trousers and foot the bill for his cigars and cigarettes. None of his other absurdities brought con- tempt upon his head so directly. But with the Vare influence secure Sproul doesn’t need to care what Brumbaugh does or how Attorney General Brown acts. They will soon be dead ones. It will be good news to the con- sumers to learn that the price of hard coal is to be reduced fifty cents a ton on April first; and it will be the best of wisdom on the part of the consum- er to lay in his coal supply during the summer and not risk another winter like last. Wipe Out the I. W. W. The entire country will cordially endorse the movement of the Depart- ment of Labor in Washington to curb the activities of the so-called Indus- trial Workers of the World. This dis- turbing element has too long enjoyed immunity in its treasonable opera- tions. It is clearly a feature of Ger- many’s long continued preparation for the present world war and every man associated with its work should be punished to the full limit of the law. Interning is not sufficient pen- alty but it is better than no restraint. Similar operations against the gov- ernment in Germany are punished by death and there is no substantial rea- son why that penalty should not be applied in this country. For some years before the war and every day since the opening of hostili- ties these emissaries of evil have been sowing the seeds of discontent in the industrial centres and preaching the doctrines of violence. The mind of the working man is easily opened to such propaganda for labor has never been too generously treated or too fairly reckoned with in this country. But left to themselves American workingmen are averse to violence. Guided by their own good sense their appeal is made to reason rather than to force. The business of the I W. W. emissaries has been to divert them from peaceful policies in order that industrial life might be destroyed in- stead of being bettered. The Industrial Workers of the World is a criminal organization sent into this country by public enemies to cultivate crime. Nearly if not all the violence attending labor disputes are traceable to this sinister agency. For that reason every member of the organization ought to be arrested on sight. If proof of complicity in par- ticular operations is lacking affilia- tion is evidence of accessory before or after the fact and as their crimes are treasonable the death penalty is the only fit punishment. In any event, however, the organization should be wiped out. Such bodies have no place in the life of this country. The only question is as to the surest methods. — Meantime the question of war g. «dens is again with us and memory of last year’s successes should stimu- late energy this year. — Of course if Spain enjoys it no- body else has a right to complain be- cause Germany is sinking so many of her ships. | who ought to have been deported. But ! ply and demand might resume its of- | and substance of the protection doc- Enemy Prisoners Must Work. | The proposition to put interned | alien enemies to work building roads will be cordially approved by —) people. There are thousands of these men in camps in various sections of | the country enjoying luxurious idle-"} ness. In Germany such prisoners of | this type as are not shot are put to! work of one kind or another and thus they reimburse the government for | the expense of their maintenance. But we have been keeping them in! fine style, feeding them on the fat of the land, and exacting no recompense. The cost of this policy has been con- siderable and is increasing as their numbers multiply. It has now been wisely determined by the Secretary of War to put them to work. Among the alien enemies interned in this country are spies who ought to have been shot, conspirators who | ought to have been hung and ruffians | no punishment other than isolation under generous conditions has been imposed upon them. Meantime im- portant necessary work has been neg- lected or deferred for the reason that labor is so scarce as to make enter- prise inexpedient. In Pennsylvania road building and improvement has been postponed on this account and in other sections equally necessary work has been delayed. The thousands of able bodied men in the alien enemy camps may be used for such work without in the least encroaching on their rights. Among these men are millionaire bankers, high naval officers and vi- cious I. W. W. agitators. But: they had a common purpose in the opera- tions which brought them under re- straint and it is eminently fit that they should be compelled to share on perfect equality in the work to which they are assigned. And their labor is greatly needed now that so many of our own industrious young men have been compelled to go abroad to teach their masters better manners and morals. For these reasons Sec- retary of War Baker is right in put- ting them to work and those to whom they are assigned should see that they are kept busy, the lazy I. W. W’s, as well as the rich conspirators in the camps. The Pennsylvania railroad in- tends to spend $96,000,000 during this year, “in extending its lines and strengthening its equipment.” That would indicate that the greatest busi- ness corporation in the world is not dispairing of the future. It also means business. Good News from Philadelphia. It may safely be said that in pro- testing against the price fixing of the government the “Philadelphia County Farmers’ Institute” is not expressing the sentiments of the real farmers of Pennsylvania. There may be enough vacant lot cultivators in Philadelphia to organize and maintain a Farmers’ Iastitute. But the experience of Phil- adelphia farmers in the practical work in agriculture is hardly sufficient to give them the right to speak for that great industry and especially to crit- icise the government for adopting a policy approved by the statesmen and students of economy of the greater part of the civilized world. Frequent- ing roof gardens isn’t agricultural education. These agricultural dilletantes as- sembled in Philadelphia last week and protested vehemently against maximum price fixing. Fixing of minimum rates would be all right, they thought, and the law of supply and demand would do the rest. It cer- tainly would “do” the rest of us, for it would present an open invitation to corner products and bleed the victims of the rapacity of the profiteers. The establishment of community ware- houses was also suggested which is another medium of bleeding the con- sumer. With cold storage facilities attached farm products could be held until the pangs of hunger forced the consumer to give up his last penny to save his life and satisfy the greed of the speculator. The President and those associated with him in the administration would welcome, quite as cordially as any others, the restoration of normal con- ditions to the end that the law of sup- fice in the distribution of products. But under existing conditions it is in- adequate for the protection of con- sumers from the avarice of speculat- ors. There is encouragement, how- ever, in the fact that Philadelphians have become converts to the principle of supply and demand. That is the precise antithesis to the theory that tariff taxation is a guarantee of sta- ble prices which has been the sum trine. Sk ——— — Germany has raped Belgium, Serbia and Russia successfully and she is not ashamed to claim victory. —— The Kaiser continues to recog- nize God as a junior partner in his in- iquities. Subscribe for the Loan. Next month the people of the Unit- ed States will be asked to subscribe | to another war loan. The third Lib- erty Bond sale will be begun then, and meantime a good deal of money has been invested in thrift stamps and savings certificates. But the re- sources of the people are not nearly exhausted. As a matter of fact the reserves have not been touched. The third loan will be subscribed as promptly and willingly as the others were taken and the grand total of all will not be as much as the proceeds of farms will amount to for this year if the promise of a banner crop is ful- | filled. Then think of the rewards of this investment. No usurer ever dreamed of such profits. Take a look at Belgium, Serbia and Russia. Lands devastated, buildings destroyed, business wrecked, women outraged, children slaughtered and men murdered. This will be the re- sult of German victory not only in this country but throughout the world. Every white and black human crea- ture in the land will be reduced to slavery and subjected to the fearful atrocities of a brutal mastery. That is what the triumph of the Kaiser’s army in this war means to the people of the United States. Not only will all our resources be confiscated but our liberties and our honor will be sacrificed. To avert these calamities it is necessary to keep an army in the field fully equipped and fed. It is estimated that the war is cost- ing a billion dollars a day and the people of this country must pay their share. It will last long or end soon accordingly as the response to the call for funds is met promptly and generously. It will end in our favor or against us accordingly as the re- quirements of the government are supplied. We can win and force the conclusion if we provide the sinews. If we win autocracy will be wiped off the earth. If Germany wins autocra- cy will be enthroned for all time and | “government of the people, for the people and by the people will perish from the earth.” These are the con- ditions that must be met and it is up to us to meet them. Tt was only a muskrat, but he was a persistent little chap at that. The writer first saw him on Sunday evening when he was swimming against the strong tide just below the falls in Spring creek, only a short dis- tance above the “Watchman” office. Curious to know his principal objec- tive we remained perfectly still and watched the creature. He swam back and forth a few times then made his way across stream to the Water street side where he took his evening meal on water cress and other green grass. Having satisfied his appetite he swam back into the stream and again made for the falls, when it became easily apparent that his objective was to get up over the falls. Time and again he made the attempt but always to be swept down stream when he struck the boiling whirlpool at the foot of the falls. Several times he crawled out on the low ground next the Palace garage to take a rest, but always to return to the struggle. The writer watched him until it grew so dark that the little animal could not be seen, and quite naturally we hoped that he would be successful in his at- tempt to get over the falls, if for mo other reason than the wish to see such perseverance rewarded with success. The “Watchman” this week presents the second installment of Arthur Guy Empey’s remarkable story, “Over the Top.” It also pub- lished its own specially prepared Hon- or Roll of the young men who have gone forth to serve their country just as Mr. Empey did. These alone are two big features that cannot be found in any other paper published in Cen- tre county. When you have read both, as well as the local news and the other good things printed this week, tell your friends about it. Governor Brumbaugh last Fri- day appointed Jeremiah M. Keller, of Mifflintown, judge of the Perry-Juni- ata judicial district in place of Judge William N. Seibert, deceased. The new judge is classed as a “dry.” Senator Lodge apologizes for his criticism of the government but he needn’t go to that trouble. Every- body knows that he is a political slave and is obliged to do what he is told. If it is true that Russia wants a Senate we hasten to offer Chamber- lain, Wadsworth, Hitchcock, Weeks and Lodge as a nucleus upon which to build one of the Bolsheviki sort. — The new machine guns, the Brownings, are said to be marvels of efficiency. All that is needed now is to put them where they will do the most good. — The Bolsheviki appear to have finally betrayed Russia to her enemy and her enemy may now study the story of the white elephant. —Subscribe for the “Watchman.” | The Germans in Russia. From the Johnstown Democrat. The Germans are marching right ahead in Russia. They are ‘taking” Russia, but they are most certainly {not “capturing” it. In fact, the ad- | vocates of the theory that in open | country guerilla warfare is a most ef- | fective type of campaigning are quite likely to see some very interesting de- | velopments in Russia. It is not at all {likely that any considerable number ‘of the Russian people will look upon | the Germans as deliverers. It is also likely that in order to protect them- selves the Germans will be compelled to move in armies rather than in com- panies. Small bodies of German troops will always be in danger of be- ing cut off from the main forces. The further the Germans advance into Russia, the longer the line of com- munications, the greater will be the danger that the lines will be cut by marauding bands. It will be physic- ally impossible for the Germans to maintain an army in every Rus- sian center of population. If the Russians are able to pursue a Fabian policy, to conduct the type of campaign that Washington, for ex- ample, conducted against the British, they can give the Germans a great many anxious hours in the future. True, Germany can occupy and hold all the territory that it can adequate- ly garrison. There is another course. It can minimize the dangers of re- volts and of guerilla warfare by de- populating the land occupied. The German can protect himself by slay- ing the men, women and children in Russia; by hunting down the popula- tion as though the inhabitants were brute beasts. But even such a course will be attended by many dangers. Russia is undoubtedly incapable of organized resistance to German in- vasion. But a land of 100,000,000 peo- ple, who are scattered over a wide area, is a land that is as hard to hold as it is hard to take. _ Those who imagine that the curtain is descending as far as Russian par- ticipation in the pending conflict is concerned will, in all probability, have to revise their views. Fine Work. From the Altoona Pimes. Those eminent advocates of free- dom to whom democracy seems so in- fernally autocratic that they will not accept it, the Russian 'Bolsheviki, have taken Russia right around a cir- cle, so that she is mow back “gain where she started with a despotic au- tocracy in control. The arrogant Prussians are her new masters and they have no time for democracy, let alone more extreme radicalism. They have determined to put the Czarina back on the throne and to restore the form of despotism which existed in Russia before the revolution. The Czarina is the sister of the Grand Duke of Hesse, who has been made commander of the Riga section of the German front. This, then, is what the crazy Bolsheviki. have ac- complished for the Russian revolu- tion and for the people of Russia who have been so busy celebrating their new found liberty—now their new lost liberty—to indulge common sense. They would not hear to democracy, they would not tolerate anything else sane in government, they would do nothing but go the limit to extreme radicalism—and they get despotic au- tocracy. The entire sane world told them this would occur but that mattered not at all. Lenine and Trotzky have served their fellow Russians well, have they not? They have not. American Instability. From the New York Tribune. We have had occasion to point out that in spite of the enormous rise in prices, the increase in wages, the tre- mendous increase in nominal activity, as represented by bank clearings—the nation’s actual product of goods, of food and fuel, staples of all kinds, was apparently rather less last year than in 1916. In great factories and plants employing ten, twenty and thirty thousand men the entire personnel of the establishment is changed on the average once in three, four or five months. This is the reason why the output falls as wages and cost of pro- duction rise. Of course, the people of the whole nation pay. This is what the war means to industry. Exactly the same thing happened to England. It grew so bad that the government had to intervene or face a serious curtailment of its products. It is an equal problem for us. One Benefit in Collapse. From the Philadelphia Record. There is at least one benefit in the Russian collapse: The world now knows just how practicable extreme Socialistic doctrines are when applied on a big national scale. Those who formerly opposed this cult will be strengthened and reinforced in their opposition. Instead of sweeping the world Bolshevikism is likely to give a decided setback to radical views even when these are altogether sound, just as the excesses of the French Revolu- tion produced a wave of reaction in Europe that lasted for half a century. Good causes may suffer along with bd because of Russia’s colossal blun- ers. ————— Not a Safe Place. From the Boston Globe. The Kaiser hasn’t yet moved his headquarters for safety to a place op- posite the section of the front held by the Yankee troops. SPAWLS FROM THE KEYSTONE. — Mrs. Thomas Platt, of Derry, was at- tacked at her home Saturday evening by an unknown assailant, whom she fought until she got outside the house and called for help. The assailant escaped. — William Ream, aged 90 years, one of the oldest and best known residents of Somerset county, died suddenly Saturday evening at the home of his son, Charles Ream, who resides near Jennertown. — Charles Dogdonas, of Pittsburgh, is mourning the loss of $1,840, which he had locked in a trunk at his home. He remov- ed the cash from a bank when friends told him that the government was preparing te confiscate money. The county detectives were notified. —The Latrobe Building and Realty com- pany is the name which has been chosem for the company which is now being or- ganized in Latrobe to engage in the build- ing and selling of houses. Their purpose is to meet the great scarcity of homes now being experienced in the town. —R. R. Staver, residing near McElhat- tan, an operator or the Pennsylvania rail- road, had the nerve racking experience Friday when he stuck to his post at his key until relieved, while his home was burned to the ground, with his wife and child in it. Passing freight train crews rescued Mrs. Staver and baby. —Harvey R. Homer, of Altoona, was ar- rested in that city Friday on the charge of defrauding Charles L. Kauffman, of Harrisburg, out of $400 by misrepresent- ing himself as an agent of the Hillside Coal company, Altoona. Homer was tak- en to Harrisburg and is endeavoring to make good the money and avoid further difficulties. —Rocco Calabrese, wanted in Johnstown for the murder of a fellow. Italian, is be- lieved to have perished when the Tuscania was submarined. It is known that Cala- brese went to the State of Washington after the murder. Trace of him was lost after that. In the list of Tuscania victims is the name of Calabrese with a Washing- ton State address. —Miss Margaret Smail, a school teacher of Claridge, near Greensburg, Westmore- land county, was held ‘for court in $3,000 bail by a justice of the peace at Jeanette, Pa., on Monday, charged with manslaugh- ter. It was testified at the preliminary hearing that Miss Smail punished Esther Holmes, a fourteen year old pupil, and ten days afterward. the child died. — Dick Morvat, an Austrian miner, was surprised at supper at his home at Ex- port Thursday night by three robbers, who took from a trousers’ pocket $2,500 and escaped. Morvat withdrew his sav- ings from a bank when the Austrians heard rumors that the government would confiscate their savings and had been car- rying the money in his clothes. —Thirty-three head of registered Hol- stein cattle were sold at public sale by E. Floyd Seely and William J. Fairchild at the former’s farm near Nescopeck. It wag the first sale of the kind held in that sec- tion and was largely attended. The high- est price received for a cow was $370, and the lowest price realized was $60 for a bull calf. The total proceeds of the sale amounted to $5,000. —Mrs. Ray Everson, of Uniontown, never takes a dare. As a result she is in the Fayette county jail, awaiting the outcome of injuries to her husband. Everson and wife were at a birthday party when $108, Wyefson got hold of a revolver and began to demonstrate her marksmanship. Several of her friends, it is declared, dared her to shoot her husband. Then, it is al- leged, she fired four bullets into his ab- domen. Williamsport merchants are seriously considering the establishment of an auto truck coast line between Williamsport and Philadelphia. The proposed line would follow the Susquehanna Trail from Wil-. liamsport through Milton to Sunbury, thence to Harrisburg, and then to Phila- delphia, via highly improved highways. The purpose of the project would be to facilitate transportation of goods between the city markets and the upper end of the State. —Lydia B. Lukens, the twenty four year old assistant postmistress of Merion, Montgomery county, was arrested by pos- tal inspectors charged with stealing money from the mails. She was held under $1,000 bail for a further hearing and bail was entered by the Merion postmaster, H. J. Kromer. He said Miss Lukens would be the last person he would suspect of thefts, and that she was from a good family and highly recommended. She had been em- ployed at the Merion postoffice for three years. Postoffice inspectors said Miss Lu- kens had made a confession. —Joseph Tagliero, an Italian from Barnesboro, was sentenced by Judge Stephens at Ebensburg to a fine of $50 and costs and one year less a day in jail. The case grew out of a cutting affray some time ago, when he stabbed another Italian during a christening held in Barnesboro. The fight started when the plaintiff in the case struck Tagliero with his fist. Several other Italians then mix- ed in the fracas and all were hailed before Judge Stephens. The other young men drew fines of $25 each and one was sen- tenced to three months in jail. —Charged with distributing seditious literature among residents of the farming communities in Luzerne and Wyoming counties, Maurice L. Herr, aged 49 years, of Brooklyn; Stanley L. Young, aged 33 years, of Reading, and Gilbert Berlew, aged 63 years, a farmer of Mehoppany, Wyoming county, are being held by the department of justice at state police bar- racks at Wyoming for a hearing. More than 300 copies of the International Bible Students’ book, “The Finished Mystery” have been confiscated and in the posses- sion of the men were found papers which indicate the participation of the prisoners jn a campaign to spread anti-draft and anti-war propaganda. —County Detective Samuel L. Minser is in the Indiana hospital in a serious con- dition as the result of a brutal attack made on him at Lucerne, Indiana county, Sat- urday night while he was securing infor- mation in an alleged speakeasy. The of- ficer was disguised but in some manner his identity was discovered and the attack followed. During the mix-up he was struck over the head and rendered uncon- scious. He was then dragged into a mnear- by field and left there in an unconscious condition. He was found several hours later by Sheriff Harry A. Boggs and Dis- trict Attorney William N. Liggett, of In- diana, and taken to the Indiana hospital. One side is paralyzed and he is suffering from a blow on the head. Lucerne is six miles south of Indiana and alleged speak- easies in that territory have been under the surveillance of county officers for some time.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers